Few question, before i go to Taiwan

Taiwan Living in Taiwan
1

Hi there.
That is a nice forum you have here ! I read a few threads already, very helpful.

Here i go:
I’m a 23 yo french man, and i chosed to go in Taiwan before the end of 2006.
I don’t speak a darn word of chinese (i can speak and read japanese not too bad, so i guess it’ll help me a little with reading).

I will send application for the NCCU mandarin program, winter term.
Does anyone know about that program, and the university ? Anything would help.
I think i will rent a room on the campus, it’ll be easier at first.

Also, i don’t have a lot of money, and i’m wondering about… well… life cost…
ie: how much for a beer in a bar ? :stuck_out_tongue:
how much for a small coffee in distributors (hmm, im not sure how to say in english) ?
how much for one night in a cheap hotel ?
those are good references, imho.

Sorry, but i’ve more things i’d like to know :slight_smile:

I got friends living in beijing, and shanghai, so i’d like to go there from taiwan.
is it easy ? for the visa and the transport ?

Same, i would like to go to japan at least once. i’ve no idea about the prices, nor visa.

Hmmm…

Can i make some $ teaching french in taipei ?
Is it easy to find people for chinese/french exchenge ?
And, is there a lot of japanese people in taiwan/taipei ? Maybe a japanese district …
Can i see some good rock bands in taipei ? (i mean rock’n’roll, metal, whatever, no pop shit).

Ok, i guess my post is long enough.
I’m sorry for my bad english, and the large amount of stupid questions in my post.
Thank you for reading, and please if you can help me with anything, feel free to answer.

Have a good day :notworthy:

2

HI,d4waf. Welcome to Taiwan.
It seems like there’s nobody take interest in your post. :smiley:
So I hope I can give you a little help.
Sorry for my bad English. :astonished:

I’m not familiar with their mandarin program.
But from what I know about NCCU. Their language programs will not be too bad, at least.
I assume you have already read their website?
The university is in the south side of Taipei city, there a little distance from downtown area, but
it should be OK.

Can beer (375ml)in a convenience store: NT$ 35~55
small coffee: NT$ 35~100(depends on it’s Starbucks or not :smiley: )
a night in cheap hotel: about NT$ 300~500
take MRT：start from NT$20

Basically, foods and public tranportations etc. in Taiwan are quite cheap.
while some others (like consumer electronics) are not.

Due to political issues. you can’t fly to China from Taiwan directly. Must make a transfer in
Hong Kong. And if you want to apply for a China visa in Taiwan . You’ll have to ask some
travel agency to help you. Because there’s no China representatives in Taiwan.

For Japan. Last summer the airfare is about NT$15000(includes tax,two way) .
It will be cheaper in low season.
If you are a french. only a landing permission is required if you stay less than 3 months.

I’m not sure about the answer for your first two questions. :blush:
If you want to find Japanese people, go to Tianmu. there’re a lot of foreigners live there.
Finally, there are some rock pubs in Taipei. But I havn’t been there before. So I can’t tell you much.

Hope you enjoy the life in Taiwan :laughing:

3

I know there are french language schools as the girl I meet when I was over this summer works for one that teaches french and german. No idea what they pay though, but I can ask her to find out if you want and maybe get you an email address for someone there if they’re interested.
I need a job too! :wink:

4

[quote=“TheLostSwede”]I know there are french language schools as the girl I meet when I was over this summer works for one that teaches french and German. No idea what they pay though, but I can ask her to find out if you want and maybe get you an email address for someone there if they’re interested.
I need a job too! :wink:[/quote]

There are a few Berlitz schools around Taiwan, but you haven’t really specified what you’re coming over to do so I’m not sure what advice to give. And please don’t tell me you’re coming over to teach English, even if you are. :doh:

5

There are schools in Taipei that teach European Languages. I’m sorry I can’t recall the names, but they are out there. Good luck.:slight_smile:

And welcome to forumosa!

6

[quote=“d4waf”]I will send application for the NCCU Mandarin program, winter term.
Does anyone know about that program, and the university ? Anything would help.
I think i will rent a room on the campus, it’ll be easier at first.[/quote]
All I know about the Mandarin program at NCCU is out-of-date, sorry. But I am certain that there are Forumosans studying there. Do a search for “Leeds”.

7

There is a Japanese school in Tienmu, presumably for Japanese children so there must be a significant amount of Japanese in Taipei. Probably also Japanese students studying at the Chinese program at Shida.

Taiwan has a pretty good music scene with a lot of varied bands. You will surely find something you appreciate (don’t know about metal though).

8

National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU, also known as Shida) on Heping East Road section 1 has a French-language department, I believe.
As language education usually goes here, the students probably read a lot but need native-language speakers to help them with conversation. So there you’re likely to run into a lot of potential language exchange partners.

You could also look out for students of French at French bookstores.
There is one 100-percent French bookshop, I think on some alley off Songjiang Road. It’s called Le Pigeon or something. Do a search on this site, I think it’s been mentioned before.
And then there are minor FNAC bookstores, mostly inside Shin Kong Mitsukoshi department stores. The original FNAC is in the basement of the Asiaworld Plaza mall, on the corner of Nanjing East Road and Dunhua North Road.

9

I think you may find some useful information in this thread, too.

forumosa.com/taiwan/viewtopi … c&&start=0

10

taipeieuropeanschool.com/

They teatch English, German, French and Spanich.

For us Skandinavians there is no teatching opertunetys.
Lucky bastards.

A friend off my so is interested in learing a european language and the is thinking about french or german, but I have recomended hear to take spanish or portugise.

11

Maybe we should set up a Swedish/Norwegian/Danish school :stuck_out_tongue:
Although I can’t see it being a huge success…

12

thank you for your answers.
I don’t have enough time to type a longer msg right now, but i read a few helpful informations.
T Y

13

alliance francaise at shida