What's the Point of Staying in Taiwan?

Taiwan Living in Taiwan
1

I am wondering if anyone has else has reached the point where you wonder why you continue to stay in Taiwan? I am not saying the place sucks, and I had a blast in the past doing things outside of teaching, but the older I get the more I wonder about my future.

We all know that there’s a serious problem regarding birth rates, and how it will affect the job market and schools (if it hasn’t already started doing it now due to the problem some people claim finding jobs or at least finding full-time work). One could get their MA and try to get out of the cram school rat race, but I believe universities will start to really hurt in the near future due to the birth rate problem. I guess one could get a PhD, but I honestly doubt that’s going to give you any security. I can see more and more teachers fighting over fewer and fewer jobs at all levels of education, cram school to universities.

It seems that the alternative is to jump ship and head to another country, or become a real teacher, get certified and then work in the public system here. Jumping ship might land you in a county with more jobs, but for how long or at what cost? Are you really anymore “secure” there? Getting certified seems like the logical choice, maybe the ONLY choice, but if I want to work eight hours a day in a real job, why not return home? I know I could save more here, but at what cost? Cost here referring to quality of life.

I know I sound like a doom and gloom negative bastard, but I am just looking at things realistically, at least from my point of view. Taiwan has many things I love about it, and, honestly, I would prefer to stay here, but I have a nagging feeling that doing so would be detrimental to my future, unless I was a certified teacher. OK, enough rambling from me. I had a tooth pulled out yesterday, so as you can see I am in a bright and blissful mood :slight_smile:.

2

What do you want to do? Figure that out, and then become as qualified and knowledgeable as you possibly can in that field. You’ll always have work.

In other words, life and work are so much simpler than we imagine them to be. You have to work your ass off at anything you do if you want to see big rewards, sure, but it is possible to do almost anything you’d like to do.

3

Sounds like middle-age crisis to me :laughing:

4

You just said that you prefer to stay in Taiwan.

Problem solved.

Now all you have to do is figure out what it is you want to do. In Taiwan, it is not that difficult to do something that you enjoy for a living, or even educate yourself in another field like an above poster stated. Although there is a lot of legislation, laws and hurdles to wade through and complicate life for foreigners who want to do something other than teaching, there is always the ways and means act to fall back on:

Section one, part ii of the Ways and Means act 1976 says:

“Just fuck 'em. Go for it and do what you want, whatever it takes.”

5

Thanks for the topic edit.

6

I must be nobody!

Tomas and Hans offer sage advice. There is life after teaching, or whatever else your first career is.
I like to offer good service, so when I lost my original job in Taiwan, I created my own.
It is not easy, but it is possible, plenty of us here are doing it!!!

7

Generally job security is a thing of the past unless you are very specialized. Does not matter if you are working at uncle Wangs cram school or a fortune 500 company.

Also keep in mind people change careers everyday. I know 60 year olds that have done this successfully.

Most of us have the tendency to fear the future. They say fear stands for Future Expectations Appearing Real. No one knows what will happen tomorrow, you could come across a great opportunity on the way to the seven eleven or smoked by a bus.

8

Or get hit on by a gorgeous supermodel on your way to work…who takes you to a love motel and gives you the best sex of your life…

Wait…what are we talking about again???

9

In some countries like Germany, people are stigmatized for changing careers!

10

[quote=“creztor”]I am wondering if anyone has else has reached the point where you wonder why you continue to stay in Taiwan? I am not saying the place sucks, and I had a blast in the past doing things outside of teaching, but the older I get the more I wonder about my future.

We all know that there’s a serious problem regarding birth rates, and how it will affect the job market and schools (if it hasn’t already started doing it now due to the problem some people claim finding jobs or at least finding full-time work). One could get their MA and try to get out of the cram school rat race, but I believe universities will start to really hurt in the near future due to the birth rate problem. I guess one could get a PhD, but I honestly doubt that’s going to give you any security. I can see more and more teachers fighting over fewer and fewer jobs at all levels of education, cram school to universities.

It seems that the alternative is to jump ship and head to another country, or become a real teacher, get certified and then work in the public system here. Jumping ship might land you in a county with more jobs, but for how long or at what cost? Are you really anymore “secure” there? Getting certified seems like the logical choice, maybe the ONLY choice, but if I want to work eight hours a day in a real job, why not return home? I know I could save more here, but at what cost? Cost here referring to quality of life.

I know I sound like a doom and gloom negative bastard, but I am just looking at things realistically, at least from my point of view. Taiwan has many things I love about it, and, honestly, I would prefer to stay here, but I have a nagging feeling that doing so would be detrimental to my future, unless I was a certified teacher. OK, enough rambling from me. I had a tooth pulled out yesterday, so as you can see I am in a bright and blissful mood :slight_smile:.[/quote]

This is the internet age. If you don’t already have it get your permanent residency and start working online. You could develop apps, software, write, manage a team, customer service, etc. With great internet in Taiwan many jobs are a click away.

Though, I think I will be staying in Costa Rica in February. I am going to the US during Chinese New Year’s and hopefully I will not get on the return flight.

11

Very soon you’ll be too old to really care …

12

13

I would say it’s not even worth becoming a certified teacher (to teach in Taiwan). The pay scale hasn’t increased in six years, despite inflation. Also, next year, teachers’ income will be taxable (being tax-free was one of the major incentives for being here).

To become a teacher, you basically have to go back to the West to do that because 1) Taiwan doesn’t accept online degrees; 2) you have to do student teaching and go through the process of accreditation. That’s going to take at least a year, but probably two, in most places.

So, the cost of becoming a certified teacher are:

  1. Tuition costs;
  2. Increased cost of living (while in the West) for one or two years;
  3. Loss of income that you would have had in Taiwan for one to two years.

Once you add all of those up and then compare the salary and other benefits as a certified teacher with the wage from a buxiban job, for instance, the time horizon for the pay-off is probably quite long (as in decades or maybe even never). In that case, being a certified teacher and coming to Taiwan probably doesn’t make sense. You’d be better to go somewhere else (such as the U.A.E. or an international school), or you’d be better to remain in the West because of the higher standard of living (though the cost of living is also higher), especially since in Australia at least (not sure about other countries) there is a compulsory retirement plan with fairly good tax incentives (as to whether the Australian government will shoot it full of holes as the American government has is another matter).

Of course, the buxiban/kindy system is going to collapse within the next decade, but I’m not so sure the government system here is so great unless you’re already in it or really committed to Taiwan. I’m not putting much stock in it. I’m probably going to be here for the next decade, and I do really like where I live now, but I also have a whole lot of money invested on the side such that unless the world economy completely collapses, the financials of this job won’t be important at all by then.

14

Aren’t we overlooking the bigger picture?? Why did you have a tooth pulled out？

15

Aren’t we overlooking the bigger picture?? Why did you have a tooth pulled out？[/quote]

Because the old saying is actually not true (much like a lot of folk wisdom). People always say teaching English in Taiwan is like pulling teeth or having your teeth pulled. In fact, a day at the dentist’s is far less painful.

16

From my pov., I think one point is that us old blokes can still get laid. Back in UK I wouldnt even try - here I dont even have to try, the women do the running.

17

:eh: :ohreally:

18

What makes you say that?

19

What makes you say that?[/quote]
Won’t be a collapse… there will be a thinning of the herd… the good schools will survive and the good teachers will survive

20

What makes you say that?[/quote]
Won’t be a collapse… there will be a thinning of the herd… the good schools will survive and the good teachers will survive[/quote]

That is a joke. Image is everything. Quality is not that important. Sure some schools will hire long terms that are married to locals. Though certain schools will continue to entertain while offering little educational benefits.

I do agree with a thinning of the herd but I have no reason to believe that it will lead to higher quality.