Returning to Taiwan: What should I dread? Embrace?

Taiwan Living in Taiwan
21

There are many kinds of growth besides traditional GDP figures. Taiwan (or at least Taipei) has become a much better place to live in the last ten years.

Taiwan is growing more slowly because Taiwan’s economy is relatively mature. Mature economies simply do not grow by 8% per year.

Taiwan is is also transitioning from a manufacturing economy to a service/knowledge economy. And there is the small matter of the billions and billions that are being invested in China each year rather than in Taiwan.

And I’m not persuaded that macroeconomic data has much real affect on my own personal fortunes.

22

I just don’t see the need to sugarcoat sh*t. I never said I didn’t enjoy the time I spent in Taiwan. I never said I was pissed off. I was just offering a more realistic perspective compared to the koolaid drinking lifers. Oh, and please don’t read too much into a name. I hate it when old-timers get their panties in a bundle.[/quote]
No koolaid for me. And quit staring at my underpants, you pervert. I happen to like 'em that way.
YOU were the one who met only bastards here (or whatever you described them as) and YOU were the one who only got got to eat filth.
If I’d shared that experience I’d probably moan about it too. But I haven’t had that experience, so to me, yours is not a “realistic experience” but a very extreme anomaly.

23

No Shiner Bock or BBQ sandwiches.
No shootin’ the .30-06.
No tortillas on demand.
No Caprock sky.

Four-dimensional. multi-universe drive-dodging.
Human Density.
“Who Me? Worry?” or “Don’t think too maaaaaaaarch!”
Start quickly, Finish never, la.

Get ready for the squid-on-a-stick beauty of it all. The post-agrarian industrial soundscape that is Western Taiwan.

Good luck! (Slim Pickins riding the H-Bomb in to Ground Zero)

24

I’m leaving Taiwan for greener pastures but have nothing but good memories about this place over the last 18 years. Sure there were some bad things and times but the good definitely overshadowed the bad. I would definitely reccomend this place to anybody who is interested in living overseas but at the end of the day, your overseas experience is what YOU make of it.

I am going back to the USA mainly for my kids education and also think its time for a change of venue for me.

Good luck to you Sam Vimes :rainbow: I’ll be interested to see how it all works out for you. We are literally changing places with each other now. Of course I will still come back to Asia a couple times a year for an asian fix and I hope to some day come back to Taiwan after my kids are grown up and independent and relive this place and Asia all over again.

Peace!

25

All the very bestest to you Panda, a damned solid innings. :bravo:

HG

26

After 8 years I still can’t a place with a decent shower or proper electricity. But, the locals don’t stare at me as much, mail gets delivered to my door, there is a new park and a couple real theaters, the internet is great, the pollution keeps the UV under control, and there is now a restaurant here which has a salad bar with 6 different types of lettuce. Hsinchu is paradise.

27

[quote=“Sam Vimes”]Looks like it’s becoming more certain that the spouse and I will be returning to Taiwan. She’s put in her time here in the US, and now it’s time for a tour of duty of my own.

I’m going to try to get my culture shock out of the way first, for the sake of efficiency. So, what shall I preemptively loathe about living in Taiwan?

–Living in a cold, all-concrete box instead of an apartment with drywall and carpets.

–Not being able to enjoy the non-aquatic horizon. Unlike Texas, where I can look clear to the edge of the dry land with no buildings or mountains intervening.

–The ever-loving DAMP.

On the other hand, I look forward to:

–Better career prospects, I hope, now that I’ll be in a place where reading and speaking Chinese is not a mere sideline curiousity.

–More of a “re-nao” environment, and friendlier people.

–Much better Chinese food.

What would you add to my lists, to help me through the four stages of culture shock?

Sam Vimes[/quote]

What should you loathe? Uh, people who fart in elevators? I suppose you could loathe the pollution, the crowds, the crazy drivers, and the even crazier politicians. I generally loathe the media, but it does provide comic relief from time to time.

I like quite a bit more than I loathe. I’ve sort of adjusted to the stuff that I don’t enjoy. It’s still out there, but I generally boot it off of the radar screen when it creeps into my world.

Good luck, man.

28

Interesting. I don’t know where you’re coming from, but considering that Taiwanese food is the least worthy of the Chinese cuisines by a long shot, the veritable cornucopia of regional Chinese goodies here in the greater Toronto area means that going back to Taiwan would be a step down on that score.

29

[quote=“sandman”]
No koolaid for me. And quit staring at my underpants, you pervert. I happen to like 'em that way.
YOU were the one who met only bastards here (or whatever you described them as) and YOU were the one who only got got to eat filth.
If I’d shared that experience I’d probably moan about it too. But I haven’t had that experience, so to me, yours is not a “realistic experience” but a very extreme anomaly.[/quote]

Never called anyone a bastard… never hinted at anyone being a bastard… never said I ate filth… I’m not moaning about anything… my views are not extreme…

but let me take a guess since we are now playing the “assumption game”…

Assuming you are a long term resident of Taiwan you are either employed as cram school teacher or you own some sort of cram school. You have a four-year degree from your home country (unless you’re Canadian then make it three). If this is the case, you definately do not have a formal degree in education as well as any endorsements or certification from your home country. You probably assume that all you need to teach is the desire to teach. There’s a very good chance you are married to a local girl and may have a kid or two but you definately do not/will not enroll them in the Taipei American school. You will justify this by stating that sticking them in a local public school is better for your children’s bilingual ability.

How am I doing so far? Of course I would’ve rather stayed on topic. Its a shame how some people can’t see past their own nose. Yes, my view of Taiwan is different than yours but it holds equal validity as we are only dealing with personal opinion.

30

[quote=“EscapedFromTaiwan”]
but let me take a guess since we are now playing the “assumption game”…

Assuming you are a long term resident of Taiwan you are either employed as cram school teacher or you own some sort of cram school.

How am I do so far? [/quote]

Terrible.

But your broader point is correct. If you don’t find your job satisfying, you don’t like where you live, and you are worried about the quality of your children’s education, then you probably would be unhappy here.

31

Interesting. I don’t know where you’re coming from, but considering that Taiwanese food is the least worthy of the Chinese cuisines by a long shot/quote]

That is such nonsense. Real Taiwanese food like gelitang, meigan kourou, haiguazi, jiangsi dachang, sanbeiji or even just a bowl of great luroufan with a duck egg washed down with a bowl of kugua paigutang is excellent.

32

[quote]EscapedFromTaiwan wrote:

but let me take a guess since we are now playing the “assumption game”…

Assuming you are a long term resident of Taiwan you are either employed as cram school teacher or you own some sort of cram school.

How am I do so far? [/quote]

In fact, it’s astounding just how bad you did. :laughing:

HG

33

Interesting. I don’t know where you’re coming from, but considering that Taiwanese food is the least worthy of the Chinese cuisines by a long shot/quote]

That is such nonsense. Real Taiwanese food like gelitang, meigan kourou, haiguazi, jiangsi dachang, sanbeiji or even just a bowl of great luroufan with a duck egg washed down with a bowl of kugua paigutang is excellent.[/quote][/quote]

Maybe you just had a bad experience or you goto crappy places. Hell, i’ve been to a crappy French restaurant. Does that mean French cuisine sucks?

There’s a lot of good Taiwanese food if you know how to find it.

34

[quote]EscapedFromTaiwan wrote:

but let me take a guess since we are now playing the “assumption game”…

Assuming you are a long term resident of Taiwan you are either employed as cram school teacher or you own some sort of cram school.

How am I do so far? [/quote]

I for one am getting pretty sick of people thumbing their collective noses at English Teachers. They are no different than any of us. They are working their tails off for ungrateful buxiban owners. Paying taxes just like the rest of us (mostly), and performing the thankless task of teaching kids already stressed out after 10 hours of classes. If anything we should learn from them on how to work/integrate with the Taiwanese culture better.

35

There ya go, just to refresh your memory. Not bastards then, but would “unkind” suit you better perhaps?
“Food between snot and swill” maybe isn’t filth in your book, but it sure don’t sound far off to me.
Anyway, it’s bullshit in my experience, whichever way you cut it.
And yes, I’m married. The only part you got right.

Sam, you’ll find a lot of big changes from when you were here last, mostly for the better IMO, especially in Taipei.

36

[quote=“Feiren”][quote=“porcelainprincess”]
Interesting. I don’t know where you’re coming from, but considering that Taiwanese food is the least worthy of the Chinese cuisines by a long shot…[/quote]
That is such nonsense. Real Taiwanese food like gelitang, meigan kourou, haiguazi, jiangsi dachang, sanbeiji or even just a bowl of great luroufan with a duck egg washed down with a bowl of kugua paigutang is excellent.[/quote]
Comparing Taiwanese food to something like what you get in Sichuan is just crazy talk. They’re not in the same solar system. I’ve never been to Sichuan myself (sadly), but everyone I know who has been there has raved about how great it is. Really, ask anyone.

I’m now a regular at several Sichuanese restaurants in the Toronto area run by Sichuanese expats, and the food is spectacular. I never had anything even remotely as tasty in Taiwan. Nothing came close.

37

Isn’t this like saying “You can’t get a good chicken fried steak in Maine! AND the only place that DOES have chicken fried steak SUCKS!” ?*

apples
oranges

  • chicken fried steak is a south eastern US dish. Although you can get it at truck stops up until about Virginia and sometimes Pennsylvania.
38

Isn’t this like saying “You can’t get a good chicken fried steak in Maine! AND the only place that DOES have chicken fried steak SUCKS!” ?*

apples
oranges

  • chicken fried steak is a south eastern US dish. Although you can get it at truck stops up until about Virginia and sometimes Pennsylvania.[/quote]

And at Chili’s.

39

Isn’t this like saying “You can’t get a good chicken fried steak in Maine! AND the only place that DOES have chicken fried steak SUCKS!” ?*

apples
oranges

  • chicken fried steak is a south eastern US dish. Although you can get it at truck stops up until about Virginia and sometimes Pennsylvania.[/quote]
    Sorry Mr. JD, I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about with your analogy. Furthermore, I never said the food in Taiwan sucks, so you can stop that meme right here.

I lived in Taiwan for six years. I ate everything, and everywhere. The food was okay, but never exciting. Back here in the Toronto area, the Sichuanese restaurants are scrotum-tighteningly awesome. I’ve heard they’re even better in Sichuan itself (three separate people have told me that they ate four meals a day when in Sichuan, it was so good).

What this has to do with some kind of steak in the US states of Maine or Virginia or wherever is lost on me, though.

40

I sure as hell hope so! :loco: