I am interested in how people who have left Taiwan fell about life back in the west. Was it difficult to adjust back to living in a western country? Do you regret it?
I may leave Taiwan within the next year. I may take a government job or go to flight school. I am curious about others experiences and thoughts.
I have not yet adjusted to living in the West. But it has only been six years.
iTs tuff man its tuff. YOu wake up in a cold sweat and think you’re back in taiwan in some high rise and theres a quake going on… And you dream of TW food and stuff. And you may constantly catch yourself waking up just before your flight lands in Taiwan and realize you are still in bed in AMERIKA.
You may swear you are on a jumbo heading for the rock.
You cant get used to the air in Amerika and giant snots develop to clog your nose until you get used to the local stuff in the air.
You find you breath better if you can smell some car exhaust.
you wake up in the middle of the night speaking chinese and a few words of taiwanese thrown in.
you are sure you are in a KTV in Taipei but you forgot your money and the gangsters are watching the door.
the list goes on.
I was only there for a year, and have been back in Toronto for a year now, but still miss TW.
So what makes you want to move back?
Going on fifteen years - although it gets easier with each passing year (ughhh). Initially, Tommy is correct. Many start with the pangs for foods that are more difficult to come by and with random phrases of Chinese in random places. Try dui bu qi in a crowded elevator and just wait for the looks that you get… 
After 15 years do you ever consider coming back to Taiwan? Do you ever come to Taiwan for a short visit?
[quote=“dan2006”]I was only there for a year, and have been back in Toronto for a year now, but still miss TW.
So what makes you want to move back?[/quote]
I guess the lack of perspectives of doing something than working in a buxiban. I could get an M.A. in Managemnet but I would need to put myself in debt.
I left 1992 after three years in Taiwan, back in TW since 2004. It felt good both times.
People back home will think that your preference for Mandopop (or Tai-Oldies, …), food etc. is a bit funny. The good thing though is that during your time in Taiwan you have learned dealing with people that think that you are a bit funny, so it doesn’t bother you in your home country either anymore. Apart from that, you will perhaps look at “home” in a different way. Coming back here was great, too. But both times it was difficult to leave friends behind. It doesn’t matter so much for the really good friends, because they do stay in touch, but there are always some good folks that you loose contact with eventually. Facebook doesn’t help either, err…I think, I don’t use it much maybe that’s why. It is a bit different though these days, as you can make cheap international calls, or with facebook perhaps. I did loose contact with a lot of people here in Taiwan back then.
Took a while, but life has been very good to us since returning to Australia in 2006. My Taiwanese wife helps keep me from missing the crazy island too much. Will be nice to drop in sometime soon though.
I feel a lot of people, sadly, kind of abandon their old friends in Taiwan when they return to wherever home is. I have seen it happen many times…not sure why. I think it might be related to the type of people that come to Taiwan in the first place or that many people leave Taiwan and have to struggle again to make a new life at home?
It can work the other way too headhoncho.
Its a lot easier when you dont have any friends tho ?? Just sayin
Personally, I try to go back once every year or two (at the most) or when something important calls. I use the opportunity to visit friends, etc. while there. I try to get reconnected and at least gives me an excuse for the weight gain when I go back. I invariably come back refreshed despite having had to work for 3 hours a day while on “vacation”.
Of course, I do wonder whether I might not get bouts of wanderlust because of my lack of connection to any given spot. Every two-three months (like clockwork) I simply MUST get on a Plane to somewhere, anywhere but here. Fortunately, I can usually think up some work excuse. Kinda stinks in winter though…
Speak for yourself…just saying!
I think that’s what brought out the cynical asshole in me… no matter how close you are with foreign friends they all leave at some point. After the 20th time it’s kind of hard to make any effort with anyone.
Nowadays a lot of relationships are not forever anymore. Have to think of the journey rather then the destination. Just have fun while the fun is there to have.
I left for something like five and a half years and missed this place every minute. I don’t know why. Even now I’m back, I’m not overwhelmed with gladdness or something. But life is easier here in many ways. I guess that’s just it.
I think the hard part of leaving is just knowing that so many things where you’re going are not as easy as they were here. When you’re sitting in an American clinic for 4 hours waiting for a five minute consult with a doctor, which you will pay two or three thousand NT dollars for, you begin to miss Taiwan.
When you go to a middle American grocery store and come out with 3-6 thousand NT worth of food in one or two small bags–and almost NO fresh produce, and a hella lot of preservatives–you begin to miss Taiwan.
When you fork over 15-20 thousand NT dollars for a one bedroom appartment that’s miles away from work/school, when you spend three or four thousand NT per week filling up the vehicle that gets you from home to work/school, when you can’t talk to anyone because they only watch FOX and don’t even seem to realize that there’s more to the world than the land between their house, work, and wal-mart, when they’re freaked out by chopstics, couldn’t find ANY other country on a map, spew hate for another race/culture having never met a single representitive of such . . . .
You just want to go home after a while. You know?
Amen. Cept a one bedroom (and not in the best parts) is bout 1200 dollars a month here in the bay area, add bout 80 /month for electricity and gas. 50/month for your internet and bout 80/month for cable. All that times 32. Health care is bout 400/month if you are paying for it yourself for ONE PERSON. My friend is paying bout 1900/month for him and his wife and 2 kids for health care. Anything less has a huge deductible like 7000/year. etc.
And its like 2 bucks for a small bag of lettuce that is supposed to be for 4 people but is exactly one regular portion once you stir fry it.
And of course the fruits here are generally not as sweet as Taiwan fruit. We do have fantastic cherries (that are air lifted to taiwan) and apples and pears and a few others tho.
Its not all bad here of course. but it is certainly much more expensive.
[quote=“housecat”]I left for something like five and a half years and missed this place every minute. I don’t know why. Even now I’m back, I’m not overwhelmed with gladdness or something. But life is easier here in many ways. I guess that’s just it.
I think the hard part of leaving is just knowing that so many things where you’re going are not as easy as they were here. When you’re sitting in an American clinic for 4 hours waiting for a five minute consult with a doctor, which you will pay two or three thousand NT dollars for, you begin to miss Taiwan.
When you go to a middle American grocery store and come out with 3-6 thousand NT worth of food in one or two small bags–and almost NO fresh produce, and a hella lot of preservatives–you begin to miss Taiwan.
When you fork over 15-20 thousand NT dollars for a one bedroom appartment that’s miles away from work/school, when you spend three or four thousand NT per week filling up the vehicle that gets you from home to work/school, when you can’t talk to anyone because they only watch FOX and don’t even seem to realize that there’s more to the world than the land between their house, work, and wal-mart, when they’re freaked out by chopstics, couldn’t find ANY other country on a map, spew hate for another race/culture having never met a single representitive of such . . . .
You just want to go home after a while. You know?[/quote]
Amen. I went thru a serious “I-Miss-Taiwan” period during the summer. And have just gotten over it. The recession beat it out of me…
Look why come back to the US (if that’s where you’re head back to) now. I swear to God the economy sucks. I’ve been out of work since 2007 due to grad school which I finished in Dec 2008. And I just found a PART-TIME job this past week. Everything is over priced, attitudes suck because people are dealing with their own BS AND the effects of a bad economy. Look, you have work, health-insurance, good transportation, cheap food, access to other countries to visit when you get bored. Don’t. Come. Back. Seriously. Wait until the recession begins to ease more than it is now. But if you do come back, come back with a master plan and a plan B and make it work. In the meantime, take some online courses, buff up your Chinese speaking skills and enjoy the place.
[quote=“Namahottie”][quote=“housecat”]I left for something like five and a half years and missed this place every minute. I don’t know why. Even now I’m back, I’m not overwhelmed with gladdness or something. But life is easier here in many ways. I guess that’s just it.
I think the hard part of leaving is just knowing that so many things where you’re going are not as easy as they were here. When you’re sitting in an American clinic for 4 hours waiting for a five minute consult with a doctor, which you will pay two or three thousand NT dollars for, you begin to miss Taiwan.
When you go to a middle American grocery store and come out with 3-6 thousand NT worth of food in one or two small bags–and almost NO fresh produce, and a hella lot of preservatives–you begin to miss Taiwan.
When you fork over 15-20 thousand NT dollars for a one bedroom appartment that’s miles away from work/school, when you spend three or four thousand NT per week filling up the vehicle that gets you from home to work/school, when you can’t talk to anyone because they only watch FOX and don’t even seem to realize that there’s more to the world than the land between their house, work, and wal-mart, when they’re freaked out by chopstics, couldn’t find ANY other country on a map, spew hate for another race/culture having never met a single representitive of such . . . .
You just want to go home after a while. You know?[/quote]
Amen. I went thru a serious “I-Miss-Taiwan” period during the summer. And have just gotten over it. The recession beat it out of me…
Look why come back to the US (if that’s where you’re head back to) now. I swear to God the economy sucks. I’ve been out of work since 2007 due to grad school which I finished in Dec 2008. And I just found a PART-TIME job this past week. Everything is over priced, attitudes suck because people are dealing with their own BS AND the effects of a bad economy. Look, you have work, health-insurance, good transportation, cheap food, access to other countries to visit when you get bored. Don’t. Come. Back. Seriously. Wait until the recession begins to ease more than it is now. But if you do come back, come back with a master plan and a plan B and make it work. In the meantime, take some online courses, buff up your Chinese speaking skills and enjoy the place.[/quote]
Namahottie, if I return to the US it is because I already have a job. If things work out I may have a government job in the next six months.
The question is whether I can stand living in the US. I believe working with mainly white Americans in the government will lend me to hear many racist views about foreigners. Can I handle that?