I was disucussing with a friend about my idea of moving to Taiwan. He seemed to think that they best way to find work and a place to stay would be to get a hotel and just travel around trying to find the best place, getting a real feel for the area.
I can see what he means for employment, but not so sure about housing. I’m not sure how it normally works but it seems like you’d want a steady place to stay. What do the forumosans think? What did you do?
Well, I was lucky. I knew people here before I came and had a place to live for a few weeks before I found work. I hear that most people live in hostels for a while first. Thats probably a good way to meet folk and get tips on jobs. Be aware though that the market for teaching is really bad at the moment. Especially if you want to teach adults ( I don’t want to open THAT can of worms again here, just a word from the wise).
Is the market BAD or just not as good as it had been in the past? In your opinion?
I do have a friend in ping dong i can probably stay with if I was looking for jobs and places to stay in the south.
For Taipei though, I’m not sure. I am not all that keen on staying in a hostel either, I’d rather pay for the hotel.
Maybe thats a better plan. Stay in ping dong for a bit and then take a little trip north for a few days to check it out. Look for a place to stay and a job and then ship my stuff over once I have a ‘home’
Is the market BAD or just not as good as it had been in the past? In your opinion?
I do have a friend in ping dong i can probably stay with if I was looking for jobs and places to stay in the south.
For Taipei though, I’m not sure. I am not all that keen on staying in a hostel either, I’d rather pay for the hotel.
Maybe thats a better plan. Stay in ping dong for a bit and then take a little trip north for a few days to check it out. Look for a place to stay and a job and then ship my stuff over once I have a ‘home’[/quote]
There is nothing wrong with good hostels. If you want privacy you can always pay extra and get one of the private rooms. They are great places for information and all of that stuff. They are also affordable. Unless you can afford 100 USD or more a night, save your money stay in a hostel. It can be difficult at first to find a place. My cousin is in Taipei staying in a hostel and looking for an aprtment. I will be in Taipei staying at the same hostel for at least a week then I am traveling around the island checking different places out and will settle when something feels right. There is nothing wrong with the teacher market, just look at tealit.com, buxiban.com, or Taiwan wanted. A lot of new jobs posted everyday.
Maybe ur right but I hope my friend can let me stay for a while. Also it seems to me there are still plenty of teaching jobs, especially since people seem to constantly coming and going from the island.
Any other suggestions? One friend thinks I should get a job AND a place to live before going, I just thought maybe people will be more tricky long distance. If I am there I can really see everything and get a better feeling.
Yea, you really have to be here to get a feel for it. Many people, myself included, hate commuting, so we want to live close to work. That means you find a job first, then look for a place to live. Since you can stay with your friend in the south at first, I’d go for it. I’ve only lived in Taipei, but every winter I wish I were living down south!
Good luck.
After. And it takes time to find a good place. A lot of time.
How long for a decent place?
Decent: 1-2 months I would say. Good: 4 years. In my case anyway.
As someone who got a place before I arrived, I would definitely, definitely find a place to live after you arrive. — Especially if you have a little scratch to stay at a hotel or a place to stay with a friend.
Your living situation in Taiwan can really make or break your time here, and what works for one person won’t necessarily be good for someone else. Maybe you want hiking trails really accessible, or pubs, or expats, or locals, or whatever, and someone else can’t judge that for you. Or maybe the things you think will be important from afar will seem a lot less important when you get here (e.g. maybe you’re thinking you want a big kitchen until you get here an realize it’s too damn hot to cook and baking supplies are hard to find, or maybe you’re thinking you will ride your bike to work until you get here and realize public transport is really easy and much, much safer… whatever).
Depending on how much you are looking to spend for a hotel - I would think about the Friend’s Star Hotel. It’s clean, has a so-so breakfast, sits right on a MRT stop, Starbucks and Wellcome grocery across the street, walkable to ShiDa night market, and costs less than $60 US for a room.
yoxing.ffh.com.tw/english/
Good luck!
[/url][/i]
Depending of which kind of job you look for? teacher? You’re probably better paid in taipei (not?)
Reccomend to rent a room in the YMCA near the train station for a week. then you can take the time to shop and look around in taipei. and it will cost you 24-30 US / night.
[quote=“fishy76”]As someone who got a place before I arrived, I would definitely, definitely find a place to live after you arrive. — Especially if you have a little scratch to stay at a hotel or a place to stay with a friend.
Your living situation in Taiwan can really make or break your time here, and what works for one person won’t necessarily be good for someone else. Maybe you want hiking trails really accessible, or pubs, or expats, or locals, or whatever, and someone else can’t judge that for you. Or maybe the things you think will be important from afar will seem a lot less important when you get here (e.g. maybe you’re thinking you want a big kitchen until you get here an realize it’s too damn hot to cook and baking supplies are hard to find, or maybe you’re thinking you will ride your bike to work until you get here and realize public transport is really easy and much, much safer… whatever).
Depending on how much you are looking to spend for a hotel - I would think about the Friend’s Star Hotel. It’s clean, has a so-so breakfast, sits right on a MRT stop, Starbucks and Wellcome grocery across the street, walkable to Shi-Da night market, and costs less than $60 US for a room.
yoxing.ffh.com.tw/English/
Good luck!
[/url][/i][/quote]
I wonder if i can find a place to rent for a month or two while looking for a better place…