Could’ve sworn you were me a few years ago. We almost share the same situation. I don’t have a “degree” but a long list of unrecognised qualifications (in Taiwan) based on motor vehicle technology which I accrued in the U.K. . I came here in similar circumstances to you at about the same age. I had the fortune of knowing not one, but many Taiwanese before I came, and I happened to have a Taiwanese girlfriend too, of two years plus at the time to be precise. I came here because of my girlfriend and also because of my Taiwanese friends which I met in the U.K. and had known a few years before coming.
Trying to keep a long story short, firstly, in preparation to my arrival, I took a long shot and did a condensed teaching course, in the hope that it might somehow be useful upon arrival. Taiwan was relatively unknown at the time, but it turned out that there were indeed many employers seeking teachers over here.
I put my professional occupation on hold entirely and pursued teaching for quite some time after arriving.
These days if you are from the U.K. you can get a three month extendible [to six months] landing visa. When I came (about thirteen years ago) I asked my GF to write a letter stating that we were planning to become married and that letter was enough to convince the visa authorities of giving me a year, extendible visa for the first year.
The initial shock I had was not of the general culture, but of living in the home of my girlfriend and her family. They were very conservative in many ways, although not entirely as they were of course playing host to me, a white guy with little or no knowledge of how family life here generally works. I had a lot to learn and a few months later I moved out to my own place. It was after this point that I realised that our relationship was evolving very rapidly, or rather my side was. I discovered so much about myself since arriving that I soon began to take a different approach to our relationship and before too long felt that it wasn’t for me any longer.
Its a funny thing, travel. It can seriously make or brake relationships. Like it or loath it, its a fact. You may or may not have success in your relationship after you arrive. Whatever happens, and whoever changes, know that if it isn’t for the better, then it isn’t anybody’s fault.
I think that my relationship changed, somewhat because of how I started to change my view on life, having found a different perspective, but also because of the Taiwanese family’s expectations of my girlfriend. She had a curfew that she never had when in the U.K. During the first few months of living at the family’s abode, I had one too. I didn’t know why and I never complained directly, but never the less it made a bog difference and was quite a shock. Of course a relationship within the family’s home with a ‘girlfriend’ was difficult to say the least, and I didn’t mind so much when I eventually had to leave to find my own place.
We broke up eventually, but this is not to say that you will too. I believe that if you wish to make the most of things in terms of relationship, then you best not come with any expectations, and don’t assume it will be exactly as it was in your country. I believe that the travel over here was probably for the best, as we got to learn much more about ourselves as we would have otherwise in the U.K.
In terms of visa, from the U.K. the lenghty landing visa is standard now, so sticking around isn’t a problem, assuming of course you have enough funds to fly in and out ever once in a while.
I will say that it is certainly beneficial to have a degree these days though, as illegal teaching, such as I did is increasingly more difficult these days.
Of course if you were married, then the degree is not so important as many legality issues are much more easily resolved, or ignored in this circumstance.
I’ve just got back from a heavy night out, so please forgive me if my wording is messy, or I didn’t fully answer the question.
and I will try and chill out and lighten up, I’m a bit of a worrier 
, as for learning chinese my gf has taught me a good lot already, 
though yeah, it’s really very minimal
:lick:
, you’re the only person out of many that I’ve read about whilst lurking this forum with a negative experience on migrating to Taiwan. Maybe your gf is just a bitch? hahah I’m joking - Taiwan can’t be half as a bad as this scum hole, I hate this country! why do you prefer the UK?
haha, as I posted to llary, I appreciate this could be an issue in terms of potential strains it could put on our relationship but I’m willing to take the risk really and we love each other so much I can’t imagine that things would fall apart so easily. What do you do for work now out of interest?
