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Egadsman posted:I just got a job offer with KOJEN. They tell me I'd most likely be working in Taipei. I just got my second ARC starting from scratch. It will be very tight with a 30 day landing visa. Your schedule would be: -Land. Immediately get a health check. Wait 15 days/11 working days for results. -Have work immediately apply for a work permit. Wait ~11 days. -Go to the BOCA to buy the same loving visitors visa that you can get before you come, at the same price. Must apply 5 days before landing visa expires. So yeah. Technically you don't need the visitors visa when you get here. But it's the same price, less risk, and less stress to get a 60 day before you come.
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May 30, 2012 17:34
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Egadsman posted:Is there somewhere I can go to see visa information more recent than 2005?
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May 30, 2012 19:40
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Does anyone know of an online number service similar to Skype that works for Taiwan? I'm looking for a way to get a local Taiwan number that I can answer on my computer (or smart phone) through the internet anywhere in the world. Skype doesn't seem to support Taiwan.. :/
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Jun 1, 2012 00:49
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Yeah, it kind of sucks that Skype doesn't offer a SkypeIn number for Taiwan, but I always figured it was because Taiwan has such strict laws on who can get a phone number, and how they keep a record of which number belongs to who. That's why even to get a prepaid SIM here you need to submit two forms of government approved ID. With no way to verify some random internet user is really who he says, I doubt they are too keen on letting Skype dole out numbers. Not to say there isn't a way to do it, but I would think most of the legit consumer-facing ways would be hampered by this fact, anyway.
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Jun 1, 2012 03:06
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I got my first phone with just a passport.
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Jun 1, 2012 05:47
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POCKET CHOMP posted:Yeah, it kind of sucks that Skype doesn't offer a SkypeIn number for Taiwan, but I always figured it was because Taiwan has such strict laws on who can get a phone number, and how they keep a record of which number belongs to who. That's why even to get a prepaid SIM here you need to submit two forms of government approved ID. With no way to verify some random internet user is really who he says, I doubt they are too keen on letting Skype dole out numbers. Geeze, never knew Taiwan would be this authoritarian, sucks for tourists. Got to register and all. It's weird that you are actually suppose to register for a Sim card in motherland but people just skip the process for you
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Jun 1, 2012 23:54
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Well, I'm pretty sure that if you're just coming for a short visit, there are companies at the airport and stuff that will rent you a pre-paid SIM or whatever. I never looked at the rates but I figured you had to pay some sort of markup for that service.
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Jun 2, 2012 03:09
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caberham posted:Geeze, never knew Taiwan would be this authoritarian, sucks for tourists. Got to register and all.
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Jun 2, 2012 06:24
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Not even necessarily a mobile provider's store - I got my prepay card at the 7-11 up the road. Plus it's rare that anyone's really that harsh about the ID thing; I've gone in and done stuff like that with just my ARC (out of ignorance, not laziness) and, after a quick explanation and a bit of paisei-ing, they usually let me off.
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Jun 2, 2012 07:08
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Have my HESS skype interview on Sunday. Can anyone recommend a contract? quote:25-Hour Mixed Contract - Young Learners & Cram School (HLS)
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Jun 5, 2012 03:05
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Capt. Carl posted:Have my HESS skype interview on Sunday. Depends on what your looking for. If you just want to make money then obviously the one with more hours would be better. Though note, that 25 hours a week can wear pretty hard on some people. I know its less than your typical 40 per week US job, but teaching can be pretty taxing mentally. My general rule of thumb is to x2 your teaching hours to have an idea the amount of time you will "feel" like your working. Also that 25 hours doesn't include class prep time. If it were me I would go for the 20 hour pure cram school option. I don't really like teaching the real young kids so naturally anything where I do less of that is more appealing to me. Also with the other 20 hour contract it looks like they might try to give you morning classes and afternoon classes with maybe a 2-4 hour break in between. Personally I hate that as I prefer to get everything done at once and just go home, but some people don't mind having the long break in-between. Its up to you and what you prefer mostly.
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Jun 5, 2012 05:21
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Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. I don't want that long rear end break in between classes. Figured the 25hrs a week option would be a lot as well. I don't care too much about putting away money and would rather have a good time.
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Jun 5, 2012 06:20
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As HappyHelmet noted, it is definitely up to you. Personally, I think split shifts absolutely suck donkey balls and I'd rather work straight through than have 3-4 hours of dead time in the middle of the day. Keep in mind it's entirely possible you'll take a 20 hour contract and they'll put you on 32 hours, or bare minimum 20, it will all depend on the situation at the branch. For what it's worth, if you take the vanilla HLS only contract, it is often possible to sub a lot of kindy, and sometimes even possibly get a kindy class of your own.
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Jun 5, 2012 06:25
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Having worked a split shift for years now, I highly advise against it. There are a few perks, but it mostly just sucks.
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Jun 5, 2012 06:36
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I work a split shift and it's great because I love the money. If you aren't coming for the money no point working mornings and stressing out teaching four year olds.
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Jun 5, 2012 07:34
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USDA Choice posted:As HappyHelmet noted, it is definitely up to you. Personally, I think split shifts absolutely suck donkey balls and I'd rather work straight through than have 3-4 hours of dead time in the middle of the day. I had a friend who started a 25 year split contract and when he first got to his branch he was working 40 teaching hours for the first 2 weeks. So yeah, it all depends on your branch. I'm only over the 20 hour limit if there is an emergency sub situation.
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Jun 5, 2012 15:12
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duckfarts posted:Kind of but not really? It's actually pretty easy in that you can pretty much go to any mobile provider's service store and get a prepaid SIM card on demand, and they just copy your ID there; it's not like you have to send in forms and stuff. Renting just seems like it'd be a scam. Rabbble Rabble Rabble my Id card~~~~ Just sell it to me without checking anything like *Hong Kong*~~~ Is there 4G LTE or does preaid data cost a pretty penny.
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Jun 5, 2012 17:32
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Hi again Taiwan goons. I've got two more questions if anyone has the time to answer: 1.) Are there any English-language therapy services offered in Taiwan? As in, at least some kind of English-based consultation with a therapist or another similar kind of professional? 2.) Is English-based literature easily found in Taiwan, such as in Taipei? Are there libraries or bookstores with good English-language texts (such as recent releases like No Enemies, No Hatred by Liu Xiaobo or older material like Albert Camus)? Would an Amazon Kindle be recommended in any case? I'd appreciate the help! 
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Jun 5, 2012 23:04
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On the broader subject of earnings vs living costs, what do you guys usually spend in a week on food and other non-rent/utilities related disposables? I was in Taipei for about a week last month and spent ~4,000TWD on taxi's and meals (excluding business dinners where it was about that per meal for two). Does that seem within the realm of the norm if you're living there?
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Jun 6, 2012 01:25
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dtb posted:On the broader subject of earnings vs living costs, what do you guys usually spend in a week on food and other non-rent/utilities related disposables?
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Jun 6, 2012 03:11
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I'll be graduating with a B.S. in August and I've just started to consider trying to get a teaching job in Taiwan. I wouldn't be able to go over there until around October, would this have a major impact on my ability to find a job? How risky would it be for me to fly over and try to find a job rather than finding something beforehand? It seems like this option could yield the best results but it might not be the smart thing to do. Last but not least, do Taiwanese girls love white guys as much as the internet would lead me to believe? This will have no affect on my traveling plans but it would be a nice bonus
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Jun 6, 2012 03:40
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duckfarts posted:Generally, Taipei is as expensive or as cheap as you want it to be(with the exception of housing). Taking the MRT or a bus will cut commuting expenses drastically VS taxi. If you have a scooter, it's even cheaper to get around. My own weekly spending habits vary wildly, but you can easily get a decent meal for 150-200NT, or even as low as 60-70NT(or less). 150-200nt?! So expensive!!! At least, what your Taiwanese coworkers will say. There are people that eat the standard lunchbox 2-3 times a day, for your 60-70nt quote. I have it sometimes, it's good stuff, but it seems like it would get old fast. Burgers or spaghetti at decent places run from 150-200nt (like 5-7us), with 0 tips. About the Asian women question, I had a Japanese lady friend here, and we talked about a ton of cultural stuff. She said that Japanese chicks love white dudes, it's just too bad that white dudes don't like Japanese girls. "EH? What?" "Yeah, Japanese girls don't have any boobs or butt, so why would white guys like us?" I've found that there are some girls that regularly go to clubs and bars that go after white dudes. It would be easy to get laid, but to have an actual relationship is sometimes harder. Some families don't want their daughters dating foreigners, so it could be hard to find a 'good' girlfriend.
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Jun 6, 2012 03:49
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To elaborate a bit on stuff that's been posted above: 1) It's always possible to find a job somewhere. In fact, the majority of foreigners arrive in Taiwan first and find a job later. Some of us are lucky enough to get decent gigs online first, but a lot of jobs want to interview you in person and then have you do a live demo. Depending on how long you're willing to look, you might have to take the first job that comes your way, especially if it isn't prime hiring season. October might not be terrible. That's about when the first batch of people will bail because they realize it isn't a paid vacation. However, I really don't know how many people ditch like that these days. In any case, you might get stuck with a real lemon of a job in a lovely location, but at least you'll have an income. 2) If you're willing to cook, food can be dirt cheap. You can get a shitton of frozen chicken breasts at CostCo for about 500NT a pack. This will last you for meals and meals. It can be a little tricky to find the right ingredients for more complicated dishes, but the open air markets have loads of cheap veggies. Carrefour has a decent enough import selection for the most common things you could want (I especially like the Thai and Korean sections) and everything else can be supplemented by occasional trips to Jason's or City Super, the real high end grocery stores. 3) The bookstore situation is worse than it used to be. Page One in Taipei 101 was the go to English bookstore, but apparently they've been renovating and downsizing lately. If you want to read Twilight and the Hunger Games, you'll do fine here, but less popular books are more difficult to find. However, classics are widely available. The big ESLite stores have lots and lots to choose from. A Kindle is still highly recommended.
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Jun 6, 2012 05:10
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I think when I get to Taiwan I'm gonna want to save up for a new guitar and mic and start writing some songs, maybe throw a band together. Are music stores pretty widespread over there, and how's the selection of guitars, etc?
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Jun 6, 2012 06:28
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Can't speak to the selection, but there are tons of music shops around Taipei.
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Jun 6, 2012 09:12
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OrangeGuy posted:2.) Is English-based literature easily found in Taiwan, such as in Taipei? Are there libraries or bookstores with good English-language texts (such as recent releases like No Enemies, No Hatred by Liu Xiaobo or older material like Albert Camus)? Would an Amazon Kindle be recommended in any case? Oh and hell yes get a Kindle!
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Jun 6, 2012 10:59
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Yeah, I just pretty much go Kindle for everything. Also Amazon's not too bad about shipping stuff to Taiwan, usually. A few weeks ago I got a textbook (heavy!) shipped here for US$7. It was the lowest class of shipping and their estimate literally said around 30-40 business days, in fact, their estimated delivery date from the email they sent when it shipped still won't come to pass for two more weeks. Despite that, it actually showed up about a week and a half after they mailed it. ...Although there was that time I wanted to buy a turntable from them and they forced me to use DHL 2nd Day Air. Yeah, that was...uhh, pricey. Still better than what the local DJ shops were selling them for, but yeah.
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Jun 6, 2012 11:08
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It looks like I'll be arriving in Taipei on the 27th. I don't know exactly where I'll end up yet, but I'm looking forward to the move. Thanks for the thread! This and the previous one have both been really helpful.
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Jun 7, 2012 01:19
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Haraksha posted:2) If you're willing to cook, food can be dirt cheap. You can get a shitton of frozen chicken breasts at CostCo for about 500NT a pack. This will last you for meals and meals. It can be a little tricky to find the right ingredients for more complicated dishes, but the open air markets have loads of cheap veggies. Carrefour has a decent enough import selection for the most common things you could want (I especially like the Thai and Korean sections) and everything else can be supplemented by occasional trips to Jason's or City Super, the real high end grocery stores. I would also like to mention that if you're truly ambitious and adventurous with trying your hand at Taiwanese food in the kitchen, but feel daunted by preparation, it would be a good idea to look for farmer markets scattered across a few places in Taipei (the one I'm most familiar with would be one at Tonghua Street, which is replaced by a night market come sundown). These farmer markets generally sell a large variety of ingredients from vegetables to noodles to meat at incredibly low prices, and a lot of the things - such as the meat - have already been pre-prepared, so all you really need to do is wash and cook without worrying about "getting it wrong". If you don't mind experimenting terribly, you can cook up a great combination of meals within a very short time at truly budget prices. ^_^ TetsuoTW posted:There are some good bookstores around - Page One used to be awesome, but it's barely even a shadow of itself these days; the Eslites are pretty good, as Haraksha said, and if you want to go the online route, 博客來 (books.com.tw) is affordable, has a good selection, and will even deliver to and take payment at 7-Elevens. I miss PageOne's old selection very badly; the Eslite bookstores never seem to carry a sufficient selection of English books for me. (Either that, or they're buried under all the Chinese ones.) T_T Phoenix Factory ysionris fucked around with this message at 02:47 on Jun 7, 2012 |
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Jun 7, 2012 02:26
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The Eslite connected to the Taipei City Hall Station underground mall is the best one, I believe.
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Jun 7, 2012 04:59
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Haraksha posted:The Eslite connected to the Taipei City Hall Station underground mall is the best one, I believe. It is, as far as I know, but it's a shadow of PageOne's selection used to be. Alas, ignorance is bliss? ^_^;
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Jun 7, 2012 05:46
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Had my hess interview. They told me they don't have anything right now for Taipei or Kaoshiung but something could open up. So my only other option is Greater Taipei, which is probably where I'll get placed if I get in. Anyone have any experience with this? The recruiter told me it's only 20-30 minutes from Taipei, but I'd rather not get placed in boring bumfuckville with no one around it .
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Jun 9, 2012 19:34
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Capt. Carl posted:Had my hess interview. They told me they don't have anything right now for Taipei or Kaoshiung but something could open up. So my only other option is Greater Taipei, which is probably where I'll get placed if I get in. Anyone have any experience with this? The recruiter told me it's only 20-30 minutes from Taipei, but I'd rather not get placed in boring bumfuckville with no one around it . 'Greater Taipei' is like being in 'Greater NYC,' you could be put in the effective equivalent of Allentown, PA if that analogy helps. On the other hand it might include a bunch of branches in New Taipei City that are super close to actual Taipei City, like Yonghe for example. A friend got placed in Linkou. It took him longer to get to downtown Taipei than it took me, and I lived in Hsinchu. I think Haraksha is currently in a place that could be called 'Greater Taipei' if you want to ask more about it. Honestly it sounds like boring bumfuckville to me personally, but some people really do prefer it. Also, if they are serious about wanting you, something will definitely open up. I was told the same thing and a spot opened up literally 2 days later, and this was just a couple weeks out from the training. Turnover is so high that it's super likely another spot will open but the place might be the catch. For what it's worth, spots in Kaohsiung are hard to come by. Finally, when you say recruiter, do you just mean the Hess HR person that interviewed you? Because in no situation should you be using a traditional recruiter with them.
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Jun 9, 2012 22:43
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Anyone in here living over on the east coast? That was a pretty good shake here in Taipei, can't imagine what it was like over there....
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Jun 10, 2012 02:47
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I am in Sanxia, which is in New Taipei City, which is the "Greater Taipei Area". It isn't that bad during the week. It's quiet, less crowded, cleaner, and cheaper. We have all the basic things a foreigner could want for comfort as well as decent public transportation. I can get anywhere in downtown Taipei from my door in less than an hour. It's terrible on the weekends. We have a single bar and it's pricey and caters to a very specific clientele. The foreigner community is weak. There are a lot of older, married guys with families who aren't interested in getting drunk anywhere but their apartments. No one ever wants to come out to visit and heading to Taipei to drink gets pricey fast because of the cost of cab fair home. Atlas Hugged fucked around with this message at 04:25 on Jun 10, 2012 |
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Jun 10, 2012 03:05
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Hi, I'm an older married guy that only drinks in his apartment. I live in Taipei City though! I'm scared to move to somewhere cheaper/quieter because I don't think I'd ever reform my 2e AD&D group.
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Jun 10, 2012 03:51
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But at least you socialize. The guys I know just sit at home and watch CNN.
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Jun 10, 2012 04:26
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I'm coming to Taiwan next week after spending a year in Beijing. Any help with English teaching jobs would be appreciated...Hopefully somewhere in Taipei or Kaohsiung. Will be coming on the 30 day USA landing visa, some the sooner I can find something the better. I'm already expecting to have to make a visa run at least one time. Where can I get some information on this health examination? Can I do it even if I don't have a job lined up to make things go quicker? Does Taiwan have anything like 豆瓣？ Also any websites for finding short-term living? Something like 58同城 would be great.
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Jun 10, 2012 05:05
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FloorMat posted:Does Taiwan have anything like 豆瓣？ quote:Also any websites for finding short-term living? Something like 58同城 would be great.
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Jun 10, 2012 08:53
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TetsuoTW posted:Anyone in here living over on the east coast? That was a pretty good shake here in Taipei, can't imagine what it was like over there.... I was in Taipei last night with 3 other people and we all slept through it. Didn't know there was one until I checked FB this morning.
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Jun 10, 2012 10:24
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