Hello, I recently read that teachers and expats alike are leaving the land of the rising sun (Japan) in drones due to the difficulties of fitting into society, teachers having to leave as they can’t see an indefiniate future in Japan including Tokyo the city of the future. I was wondering if this is the same in Taiwan esp Taipei. Is it possible to live and retire in Taipei or is life just to hard for an expat just like in Japan?
Is there anyone who came to these shores in there 20’s and is still here now they’re reaching thier 50’s?
Looking forward to reading peoples views and ideas.
[quote]Is there anyone who came to these shores in there 20’s and is still here now they’re reaching thier 50’s?
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Moi, but I’ve never worked as a teacher. I don’t have any plans to leave Taiwan, but I don’t imagine I’ll stay in Taipei once I’ve retired. I envisage a kind of Fawlty Towers-type guesthouse down south on the east coast one day where I can vent my spleen on my hapless guests.
[quote=“Robin-Hood”]Hello, I recently read that teachers and expats alike are leaving the land of the rising sun (Japan) in drones due to the difficulties of fitting into society, teachers having to leave as they can’t see an indefiniate future in Japan including Tokyo the city of the future. I was wondering if this is the same in Taiwan esp Taipei. Is it possible to live and retire in Taipei or is life just to hard for an expat just like in Japan?
Is there anyone who came to these shores in there 20’s and is still here now they’re reaching thier 50’s?
Looking forward to reading peoples views and ideas.[/quote]
sorry couldnt resist but you do mean in Droves rather then in Drones dont you? LIke why would they leave in Drones? Is China Airlines reallly that bad?? I mean Drones have zero service.
foriegners, whether english teachers or not, now live in Japan, Taiwan, China and S. Korea (among other places). Every now and then the media will come up w/ an article like “teachers are moving to CHina” or “s. korea” or “whereverstan”. But they can’t prove that the trend they are reporting on is true, except for the anecdotal evidence they gather.
The 'difficulties of fitting into society" will apply to all those places. What I find funny is, if you want to live in an interracial, vancouver-like society, you can move to hong kong — but no one ever seems to!
“Tokyo” as the “city of the future” is cute… if you are a big fan of William Gibson novels. I am, but I don’t take them all as verbatim.
It’s certainly possible to live in Taipei. to retire here, one requires citizenship or permanent residency; if one marries a local, the process is somewhat streamlined. But no guarantees. and the same would go for S. korea, japan, Shanghai … barring the slight variations in their foreign nationals laws, the difference is negligible.
I have citizenship here… I had it since birth. I lived in the states so long I find Taiwan somewhat disgusting in some respects. Yes food is cheap and convienent but given how well they pay here its just expensive. English teachers making over 60,000 a month might be less affected but I make about 20,000 or less like any other locals. Best I can hope for is 30,000 so its slightly harder. I do prefer living in Taipei rather than its suburbs because at least people drive more carefully in Taipei.
There’s nothing hard about it whatsoever. There are many long-term foreign residents who have settled down here, blended in well, and live very happily. I’m one of them, and I don’t have any plans to leave. The only big question mark on the horizon is whether the bully-boys in Beijing will allow us to stay after they take over: if it comes about in a peaceful manner, it shouldn’t be a problem; if it comes about through force of arms, and especially if the US gets involved, our situation won’t be too good.
Like Sandman, I’m setting my sights on eventually moving to the east coast - rural Hualien* or Ilan* would be perfect.
[*That’s not how I wrote them, but we all know what this infernal machine does to our spelling. ]
I hope I will be in Canada before China invades… but then again if China takes over Taiwan you wont be safe in Canada or the US either… Taiwan is a very stratgetic spot for a possible invasion of the US by China. Cause if Taiwan goes you can bet Hawaii will be next, then California, then Nevada, and so on…
I think if a forceful invasion happens the US will most likely get involved because imagine if an earthquake in Taiwan did so much damage to the economy of this region (and the US has serious economic interests here) you can bet what will happen once China controls it…
:roflmao: Really? By no means of exaggeration, my future FIL makes at least six times what I make, sure, he has his own business, but so many folks here do it’s almost the norm. My future MIL makes slightly more than I do and she is a beautician. My future BIL makes about what I do and he’s an insurance salesman. My almost wife also makes about what I do and she’s an accountant two years out of university.
Somehow I think you’re being screwed.
[quote=“rahimiiii”]I hope I will be in Canada before China invades… but then again if China takes over Taiwan you wont be safe in Canada or the US either… Taiwan is a very stratgetic spot for a possible invasion of the US by China. Cause if Taiwan goes you can bet Hawaii will be next, then California, then Nevada, and so on…
I think if a forceful invasion happens the US will most likely get involved because imagine if an earthquake in Taiwan did so much damage to the economy of this region (and the US has serious economic interests here) you can bet what will happen once China controls it…[/quote]
:roflmao: :roflmao: Here you really made my day. I can’t remember when last I heard such utter mook. This is tongue in cheek, right? If it’s not tongue in cheek (or God forbid, an actual dogged devotion to the mook the government tries to sell the niave public ), I wont post a reply to this yet, as this is the wrong thread and forum for that. However, if you wish, I will do so if it’s agreed it does somehow fit in to “living in Taiwan.”
Excuse me, I have to go wipe the snot off my shirt after laughing so loud. Can’t remember when last I had such a full bellied :roflmao: . Thanks for brightening my otherwise droll Sunday.
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), I wont post a reply to this yet, as this is the wrong thread and forum for that. However, if you wish, I will do so if it’s agreed it does somehow fit in to “living in Taiwan.”