Time for a change

Discussion Open Forum
1

Since quitting/losing my last proper job I’ve been putting a bit of effort into marketing myself to potential employers - with considerable success :smiley: Now I’m turning down work I don’t have time for, getting the higher rates of pay, and keeping control by having several jobs.

Life is pretty good, but there are still a few drawbacks:

  1. someone else is still taking a big slice out of the money that I earn
  2. I need a new ARC, and both the companies that have offered to obtain one are now making noises about ‘more commitment’ - ie they’re asking for more of my time, beyond what was offered (too good at my job I suppose :laughing: )

In short, I’m still at the mercy of other people’s agendas because I let them do my marketing for me. Why do I do this? I have been freelance, self-employed, or in charge of projects pretty much my whole working life. I don’t need other people to go out and sell my skills, and I don’t need to pay them either.

:sunglasses: :sunglasses: But I DO need the increased income and flexibility that comes from being your own boss. :sunglasses: :sunglasses:

After looking in the legals forums it appears that starting your own business here is technically quite easy - and you can sponsor yourself to be here and working for your company! Assuming that this is really true, and I enlist a local with the necessary skills to facilitate the paperwork, then it’s very likely that I’m going to be running my own business here within a couple of months.

So what do I not know that I need to know?

What are the realities, as opposed to the theory, of starting up on your own in Taiwan? Who’s going to try and screw me? What unexpected delights can I look forward to? What laws are important? Which ones are going to surprise me?

All warnings, suggestions, personal criticisms, advice, encouragement, or other opinions are welcome. (But please bear in mind that my forumosa persona, ondeed my whole TW persona, is not necessarily the person that I am when I am focused on a project.)

2

what type of ‘work’ are you planning on doing? :sunglasses: escort? :wink:

3

Never yet managed to get paid for sex, not by a woman anyways.

4

Why do you need an ARC? You can make just as much money without one as with one. If you work it right, then you are beholden to no one. I’m in that situation and have been for the last 2.5 years. If you want detials PM as I no longer post this info freely.

CYA
Okami

5

Okami,

There would be a good reason why you no longer post this information freely - IT IS ILLEGAL. :smiling_imp:

If you don’t want to do things the way things are done here why on earth would you bother coming to Taiwan? Money! There are rules, like them or not, they are still the rules. Integrity is a great moral compass - need some repairs?

A lack of integrity makes a person stink and eventually it catches up on you in one way or another.

Being beholdin’ to no one. Sounds like an excuse for someone who never wants to be accountable for their actions. I could be wrong, but that is what it sounds like doesn’t it. A) I don’t want to do things legally and get an ARC and B) I don’t want anyone telling me what to do and I don’t want to be accountable for my actions. If the pressure gets to much I’ll just pack my bags and go. Getting close - no!?

Wanna be lookin’ over your shoulder?

Actually, I am not anti Okami. Okami is an intelligent poster and has a valuable contribution to make BUT I want to make it really clear that this is NOT an option for anyone who wants to live with integrity and not be looking over their shoulders. Learning to work with and for others is not bondage, or at least stick at it until you find a legal way out.

This sort of situation really bugs me as their are too many idiots flitting around from job to job in Taiwan.

Play by the rules.

6

It’s a choice, pure and simple. I’ve made one decision and it is not legal. I don’t care and it works for me. I’ve been at my current job for two years and my last kindy for 14 months. I have fulfilled the tasks required of me.

I have no problems following sane laws, but I do have a problem following laws with the only purpose to be selective punishent to those who fall into the wrong category. I think this accurately states the quality and enforcement of most of Taiwan’s laws.

Integrity does not necessarily mean following the laws of the land. My country has its fair share of illegal workers. I do not hold a grudge against a man supporting himself and his family by working honestly, even if it goes against the laws of the state he is working in. I know I could be deported. I accept that fact and blame no one but myself for that situation.

I had an ARC and it sucked. I do not want to be under anybody’s control like that again. I’m a human being not a F#%$^% slave. I will do a job properly and expect to be renumerated for it properly. I don’t bother looking over my shoulder. I don’t feel bad about what I do. I don’t sit around and complain how much work I have to do or the paperwork and useless meetings I have to attend. I enjoy my life, work diligently, and planning on starting my own business.

I agree that there are more than enough idiots floating from job to job. I don’t see them only being illegals, but also a lot of ARC holders.

I believe in personal responsibility. I accept my choices. We have different views on these choices. I’m ok with that, but I’m letting TMWC know that this is a choice. His choice is his own.

Cheers,
Okami

7

If you fall into the wrong category in this country - too bad. It is not for you to pick and choose which laws you wish to follow. Taiwan makes its rules, they are its rules and if you don’t like them it doesn’t mean that you get to call them stupid. They are not unfair. You only have a problem with the law because it stops you, that is not an excuse for cutting corners.

True in part but the part about a man working honestly and going against the laws of the land??? Honestly??? Working, Yes, honestly, you must be kidding.

So, you can get an ARC. Perhaps it’s not having an ARC that sucks but the attitude of the person with the ARC that can suck. Good on you for planning on starting your own business if it’s a legal one, otherwise refer to the above point about attitude.

I agree.

[quote]I believe in personal responsibility. I accept my choices. We have different views on these choices. I’m ok with that, but I’m letting TMWC know that this is a choice. His choice is his own.

Cheers,
Okami[/quote]

It’s true that his choice is his own and I believe that you accept your choices. I don’t believe that you are living responsibly even though you are willing to accept whatever comes your way as a result of those choices.

good luck to ya,

BH

8

Well written, reasoned response, Okami.

The laws of the land are just those–the laws of the land. They are not necessarily right, or moral, or reasonable.

9

And in many cases, they are manifestly asinine.

10

Oh, come now! Get off that high horse! I see your point, but surely even the Boss has run the odd red light or scootered along the sidewalk!

On to the topic, you can be beholden to none and have an ARC (though it may not be strictly legal?). My employer gives me an ARC for just 12 daytime office hours a week with no restrictions on vacations. However that is not a teacher’s working visa, so perhaps it’s different. This gives me great freedom to take other jobs as appropriate.

11

But that doesn’t - IMHO - mean you just can ignore or violate them. Where to draw the line and who defines what is right, moral or reasonable?
I think this would be difficult and different people will have different opinions on that - which creates a mess. I agree that there are laws which might not make sense but yet they need to be followed.

Well, I choose to play by the book (most of the time :wink: ) and behave like a guest here, should I not like it anymore I will just pack my things and leave, “turning illegal” is not really an option for me (i.e. not a choice I would make).

12

Hey, BH, let’s not get too carried away here. Have you ever had a private student? Boom - yer illegal.

Okami is living within a code of ethics that is comfortable to him. Fine. Why do we need to make judgements?

13

[quote=“Maoman”]Hey, BH, let’s not get too carried away here. Have you ever had a private student? Boom - yer illegal.

Okami is living within a code of ethics that is comfortable to him. Fine. Why do we need to make judgements?[/quote]

yah, why make judgments? just tazer him and call him boorish right Maoman?

14

But that doesn’t - IMHO - mean you just can ignore or violate them. Where to draw the line and who defines what is right, moral or reasonable?
I think this would be difficult and different people will have different opinions on that - which creates a mess. I agree that there are laws which might not make sense but yet they need to be followed.

Well, I choose to play by the book (most of the time :wink: ) and behave like a guest here, should I not like it anymore I will just pack my things and leave, “turning illegal” is not really an option for me (i.e. not a choice I would make).[/quote]

Point above says it all.

Maoman,

Boom, I have an JFRV and OWP and all the relevant approvals from the MOE for teaching - Boom… you can do it the right way, it’s not always the easy way, but it is the right way.

A code of ethics that you feel comfortable with is not always correct or ethical.

Not making judgements, just stating facts, the point above proves the point.

Soddom,

In Taiwan there are some things that are illegal that the govt. will ignore but not having an ARC and working without a permit is one no no.

I don’t believe that I am on a high horse on this one. Okami can make his decision to do what he does, that doesn’t mean that he should present and encourage his way as a viable option. It is not a viable option.

Run a red light, hell, I even wait for the green turning arrows before I turn at an intersection unless of course a huge bus is pushing at me from behind. Okami has no big bus pushing him into working illegally in Taiwan. Let’s face it, it is all about money, no taxes, and freedom from the ARC. Money - fair enough, no taxes - freeloading, Freedom from the ARC - whatever your reason it is still illegal.

Hell, if you want to do it, fine, but don’t promote it. We all know the options.

Tomas,

May not be reasonable laws but they are the laws.

Omni,

Asinine as the laws may be, I don’t dispute that, you should follow them and do what you can to bring some pressure on to change the laws. IT IS NOT AN EXCUSE TO BREAK THE LAW. If it were an excuse I can think of many laws that I would like to break. Just because it is a stupid law I should break it, or is it just a stupid law because it doesn’t suit me.

Adultery is also against the law in Taiwan, stupid law, so does that mean I should break it, hell no.

I don’t like the DMV regulations for foreigners driving in Taiwan but does that mean that I should say f@#$ it and drive without a license. No!

Right is right and wrong is wrong - it is not a personal conviction issue, that is just idiotic. Charles Manson had personal convictions (a bit extreme for an example I know) but it didn’t make him right.

Ok, enough said. Not slamming Okami, just the situation. There are plenty of legit. choices to make, so why go illegal?

15

I’m not wearing it Sheriff Hogg boy.

Your put your location down as Taichung County and you DON’T run red lights? Ha! I suspect you’re a liar and a serial red light runner.

HG

16

I got into with tigerman once already, so I’ll keep it brief.

WRONG!

Everyone gets to live excatly how they wish. One DOES get to choose the laws they wish to follow. Wether it’s morally “right” or “wrong” is another discussion (which I’m guessing will need a new topic).

17

Plenty of laws are begging to be broken – laws against “consensual crimes” such as gambling, prostitution, use of drugs, seatbelts, jaywalking, laws against sodomy, adultery and even oral sex in some places. If you don’t believe in breaking those laws, BH, fine, don’t. But don’t tell me I can’t.

Peter McWilliams wrote a great book on the subject, and there’s a great website that contains I think the entire book at the following link:

mcwilliams.com/books/aint/toc.htm

Or you can buy it from Amazon.com.

18

:wink:

19

Oy vey.

Boss, I have to agree with Okami. I might have said the same as you a few years ago – I doubt it, but I might have – but then I spent seven months being trapped under a manager’s thumb at my second-to-last job. He did his utter best to destroy my health and ruin me financially, mainly to save a few bucks from his budget. His hold over me was a hiring bonus that I would lose if I didn’t make it to the one-year mark – and with the stock market having collapsed, I didn’t have a choice, I couldn’t afford to lose that money without declaring bankruptcy.

You’re lucky to have a Taiwanese wife, and maybe you found a good employer (or did the OWP come after five years on a JFRV?). Doesn’t sound like Okami has those pieces of paper, and I’ve read enough negative stories both here and on tea***t to know that Taiwanese bushibans are sometimes run by dishonest sleazebags who use the ARC as a way to exert control over their serfs/workers.

There is a difference in law between “malum prohibitum” and “malum in se” – something being illegal because some bozos passed a law against it, and something being illegal because it is morally wrong. Violating a paperwork issue doesn’t rise to the same level as rape-homicide or even theft.

It’s easy to put someone down when you don’t have to worry about the same problems the other guy does. What was that quote that most people misattribute to Voltaire, but which is actually by Anatole France? something like, “The law, in its majestic equality, prohibits the rich as well as the poor from begging on the streets, stealing bread, and sleeping under bridges.”

20

Best point on this thread yet. Everyone, even BH I’m guessing, has had a private student, and hence, is in no position to criticize.