The Taiwan Megathread 2.0: Vacations, Jobs, EarthquaJEREMYLINJEREMYLINJEREM

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Deep State of Mind: Jul 30, 2006; "It was a busy day. I do not remember it all. In the morning, I thought I had lost my wallet. Then we went swimming and either overthrew a government or started a pro-American radio station. I can't really remember."; Fun Shoe

TetsuoTW posted:

Most Taiwanese office workers would kill for work hours that short.

Are those terrible hours mostly self-imposed though? I always heard about how overworked Hong Kong office workers were, but then I started working in a Hong Kong office and saw that my co-workers spent half the day gossiping either in person or on Facebook.

Oh no you have to stay late because you didn't finish your work? This is obviously the employer's fault.

I've done like four hours of overtime in in total in the last year, because I just do my work when at work.

# ? Aug 20, 2013 00:33

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# ? May 19, 2024 17:19

Ravendas: Sep 29, 2001

Bloodnose posted:

Are those terrible hours mostly self-imposed though? I always heard about how overworked Hong Kong office workers were, but then I started working in a Hong Kong office and saw that my co-workers spent half the day gossiping either in person or on Facebook.

Oh no you have to stay late because you didn't finish your work? This is obviously the employer's fault.

I've done like four hours of overtime in in total in the last year, because I just do my work when at work.

My wife works at a standard Taiwanese office. She has coworkers that bullshit and waste time just so they can go "Hey boss! There's so much work, I didn't get everything done! Guess I have to come in on Saturday for some overtime eh!"

# ? Aug 20, 2013 02:10

duckfarts: Jul 2, 2010; ~ shameful ~; Soiled Meat

Bloodnose posted:

Are those terrible hours mostly self-imposed though? I always heard about how overworked Hong Kong office workers were, but then I started working in a Hong Kong office and saw that my co-workers spent half the day gossiping either in person or on Facebook.

Oh no you have to stay late because you didn't finish your work? This is obviously the employer's fault.

I've done like four hours of overtime in in total in the last year, because I just do my work when at work.

The 44 hours are standard office hours; things outside of that can be either self-imposed(just need to finish something up) or required for the job(conference call to another time zone) It's rare that you'd get overtime for something like this, so I don't think really a factor, though I dunno what kinda setup Ravendas's wife works at ^^^.

# ? Aug 20, 2013 03:15

hitension: Feb 14, 2005; Hey guys, I learned Chinese so that I can write shame in another language

Taiwan is more expensive than mainland China, but the quality of life is a lot better. One can see the sky/sun and breathe easily (even in Taipei), there are much fewer food safety concerns (although there are still sometimes cancerous bubble teas and the like), and freedom of speech/religion/politics is a huge deal. Not to get all :911:

but I didn't realize how much I valued democracy until I lived in China for a long time. It's great to not be bombarded with propaganda (or are we :tinfoil:

), easily access whatever reading material/internet material you want, and have open conversations without worrying about getting the other person in trouble. Although Taiwan obviously has corruption problems (like every place on the planet), I've also noticed people follow the rules much more here and there's more of a rule of law. If you're the Pro-Prc Laowai type who likes to go vigilante and bribe everyone to do simple things like get a checkup at the doctor, then maybe China would be better for you. But in general if you value the above mentioned aspects of life I think Taiwan is more suitable for living.

And it's still pretty cheap compared with the USA. We're talking paying $2-3 USD for a lunch box or bowl of noodles in Taiwan instead of $1-2 USD in China.

# ? Aug 20, 2013 03:47

Ailumao: Nov 4, 2004

Unfortunately you can't pay off student loans with quality of life :smith:

I studied in Taiwan way back when and I really liked the place. I have a number of friends who teach there and I like Taibei a lot outside of it being an inhospitable hellhole of humidity and heat during the summer. It just strikes me odd that the average pay (I did some of my own looking around) is about the same or, in most cases, worse in Taipei than in a tier 2 mainland city with rent thats roughly double to triple the amount. I certainly do not want to live in China (and maybe even Taiwan) forever, but at the moment even after taxmath it just seems more lucrative for me to stay here.

But then again I live in weird hipster China where ethnic Tibetans openly show me pictures of the Dalai Lama on their iPhones and tell me how awesome he is, pinkberry-style frozen yogurt is taking off, there are gay bars everywhere, Chinese rockabilly bands and amateur rappers make fun of the government, and a two floor apartment within the second ring 5 minutes from the subway or BRT costs 1600rmb/month... so it could be worse. I could be in Shanghai or Beijing!

Ugh I'm turning in to the Chengdu version of PPL :smithicide:

# ? Aug 20, 2013 04:15

thegoat: Jan 26, 2004

I'm doing 39 hours a week during the summer and it's about 120k/month. The sad thing is I can't imagine working 40 hours a week for less than half that. I would love to get a proper jobby job and all that but not when ESL money is this good.

# ? Aug 20, 2013 04:30

Deep State of Mind: Jul 30, 2006; "It was a busy day. I do not remember it all. In the morning, I thought I had lost my wallet. Then we went swimming and either overthrew a government or started a pro-American radio station. I can't really remember."; Fun Shoe

Magna Kaser posted:

pinkberry-style frozen yogurt is taking off

Evacuate immediately. This stuff killed off actual good yogurt in Hong Kong.

# ? Aug 20, 2013 04:41

caberham: Mar 18, 2009; by Smythe; Grimey Drawer

Money aside lunch from a taco truck or Hebrew National Beef frank is the best lunch :911:

ESL teaching can be hard work, as long as you know what you are getting into then that's fine. Just don't be a clueless oblivious shmuck.

Hey guys I'm just enjoying my awesome paycheck by living in a Hong Kong shoe box. It's close enough to the mainland for Xinjiang food. The 2012 corruption perception index also rates Hong Kong cleaner than USA (slightly) and Taiwan :smug:

But HK is being harmonized :china:

Just did some reading about Taiwan's APRC - Alien Permanent Residency Card. How many goons have APRC? Just found this 2012 article, click on the link for full article:

"http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2012/01/06/2003522523" posted:

It is hard for Taiwanese people who have been citizens of this country since the day they were born to appreciate how important a flimsy little identity card can be for a new immigrant. No matter how many years foreign spouses have resided in Taiwan and how many children they have, there are many things that they cannot do until they get an identity card. For example, they can�t get a mobile phone without a Taiwanese guarantor; there is an upper limit on insurance payouts for them; and they can�t even buy a train ticket online. Moreover, marriage migrants who don�t have identity cards cannot sign consent forms for surgical operations for their children or spouse, and if they should be so unfortunate as to become disabled, they are not entitled to a disability handbook or disability benefits and they cannot receive a workers� pension. Many kinds of social welfare entitlement are strictly dependent on having an ROC identity card, and it goes without saying that without an identity card you have no right to vote or stand for election.

Apart from the everyday inconveniences, marriage migrants who have no identity card are not citizens of the ROC � they are forever foreigners. When a marriage between a Taiwanese and a foreigner breaks down, the foreign partner may have to leave Taiwan. No matter what contributions they may have made to this country or what sacrifices they may have made for their families, foreign spouses whose marriage comes to an end may lose their right to stay here if they don�t have that little identity card.

Bold is mine. But drat, you can't get a phone and can't vote? Are the restrictions really that extreme? It's too bad citizenship involves a lot of hoops to jump through (plus no dual citizenship right?) :smith:

And who is this guy? Someone confess!

"http://www.taiwan-taipei.com/index.php?com=site&temp=38&lang_id=2&command=site&x=0" posted:

Alien Permanent Resident Certificate Application Procedure in Taiwan Visa applications for foreign spouses.

If you are married here in Taiwan as I am, you have to deal with the fact that your live basically stays and falls with your marriage for a long time. Being married here for more than ten years, I had another living in Taiwan lesson today. When my wife and I got married in 1999 the laws were different. First of all, I had to live here and work without a working permit for almost two years. Every six month I had to fly to Hong Kong to apply for a new visa. Then the laws changed and I could apply for a universal working permit and was allowed to take any employment a Taiwanese person with the same qualifications as mine was allowed to do.

My current ARC was due to expire within the next few weeks. We therefore called the immigration office and inquired about the possibility of applying for an indefinite right to stay here in Taiwan. That was six month ago. We were told that I could not apply because legally I have not been living here for ten years yet. How ever they figure this, I don't know. Anyway you can apply in July 2011 was the official answer, two month after my current ARC was due to expire.

To day at the visa office we asked one more time to give us the information for applying the Alien Permanent Resident Certificate Application Procedure. When I read this I almost lost my temper. To be eligible for an APRC, you must be and ARC holder for at least 5 consecutive years and have a physical present in the ROC for over 183 days each year. I am not only holding an ARC for more than five years, I am carrying it around with me where ever I work, because every school tells me they are expecting checkups and that I will be arrested and investigated based on my ethnic background. Blond hair, blue eyes, you are a suspect.

The question that went through my mind now was, were we misinformed? Now, it was too late to apply for the APRC instead of the ARC extension. The next thing pissing me of were the financial requirements. Financial Statement: applicants must submit an individual income tax statement or salary statement ( average monthly income within the past year must be over twice the minimum wage over NT$ 429,120 per year) or bank statement with a balance of NT$ 5 million or up, or proof of possession of real estate (APPRAISAL REPORT). (Valid for 1 month only) Next question going through my mind was, how to prove your income if all the people you work for do not want you to report your income. Easy to solve just gently caress them is my thinking. I am still very angry about the way we have to live our lives here.

For two years they could deported any time. Then nobody has the guts to register my income because the ministry of education kept propagating the idea that we spouses were illegal workers. My house is not in my name because according to Shin YI real estate agency I could not buy a house in Taiwan.

All pissed off as I was, we came home and I called the immigration office again and asked for the APRC requirements for a foreign spouse living here legally for more than ten years. The answer was again that she needed my ARC number to tell me that because every case is an individual matter. Just getting more and more angry I asked her how this can be. What is the difference between one foreign spouse living here for 10 years and another spouse living here for 10 years. I got no answer for that. I inquired this again and again, finally trashing my phone in anger, with no answer. After reconnecting a new phone, my wife called again to find out. She has a higher EQ than me and is not affected by this inhumane treatment as much as I am. Being told to clime up a fire latter in case of a raid at work and bullshit like this for years. Being faced with losing everything I worked for in the event my wife and I do not get along anymore. Anyway the office lady told my wife now that I am in fact eligible for an APRC and that even though the house is in my wife's name it will still count as if it was mine. Should I believe that? I will still report all the money I made to the tax office and screw those people who have a problem with that. Alien Permanent Resident Certificate Application Procedure

Who the hell works under the table over 10 years :ohdear:

caberham fucked around with this message at 05:17 on Aug 20, 2013

# ? Aug 20, 2013 05:09

Deep State of Mind: Jul 30, 2006; "It was a busy day. I do not remember it all. In the morning, I thought I had lost my wallet. Then we went swimming and either overthrew a government or started a pro-American radio station. I can't really remember."; Fun Shoe

caberham posted:

Hey guys I'm just enjoying my awesome paycheck by living in a Hong Kong shoe box.

This raises an important point. Taipei goons please post your goon house. Square footage, number of rooms, building services and facilities (if an apartment) and whatever else. Pics encouraged.

There's a job opportunity for me in Taipei and even setting that aside, I have a lot of reasons I could/should be living there. But I really enjoy my life in Hong Kong and I only have four more years until I can get permanent residency here so I'm struggling a lot with the notion of moving.

# ? Aug 20, 2013 05:17

hitension: Feb 14, 2005; Hey guys, I learned Chinese so that I can write shame in another language

You can get a cell phone in Taiwan with just a passport. Some places like Chunghwa require a local identity card (e.g.; driver's license) from your home country in addition to a passport. Get national health insurance after 4 months living here -- might be longer or shorter for people on different kinds of visas, can anyone else verify?

Also, are you talking about ARC or APRC? The former is hilariously easy to get, the latter is the equivalent of a Green Card in the States and takes about 5 years accordingly.

Voting?... Most countries don't allow non-citizens to vote, right? Although I'm sure in Sweden or somewhere ideal they do.

I'm not going to post a pic of my house but it is definitely possible to find a studio in central Taipei for ~$2500 HKD equivalent. Compared with my home city that's wicked cheap, not sure about Hong Kong. Not sure about the higher end of the range as I'm still a student. Do they use pings as a system of measurement in HK? You can browse http://rent.591.com.tw/ to get an idea of what's out there.

hitension fucked around with this message at 06:07 on Aug 20, 2013

# ? Aug 20, 2013 05:52

quadrophrenic: Feb 4, 2011; WIN MARNIE WIN

I really wanna book a hotel online ASAP but I just have one of those gimpy E. Sun ATM cards that doesn't let you buy things online. I'm thinking of getting a prepaid credit card to do it, is that a bad idea? Anyone know where I can get one?

Bloodnose posted:

This raises an important point. Taipei goons please post your goon house. Square footage, number of rooms, building services and facilities (if an apartment) and whatever else. Pics encouraged.

(new taipei goon)

Southwestern Yonghe, 8 ping, studio, 5th floor rooftop jag, dingey neighborhood, came with a sink, washer/dryer, TV, assorted furnishings. No building services, no elevator. It's small and crummy, but it's close to Taipei City and I like it for that. 8800 NT (~2270 hkd).

quadrophrenic fucked around with this message at 06:21 on Aug 20, 2013

# ? Aug 20, 2013 06:17

Deep State of Mind: Jul 30, 2006; "It was a busy day. I do not remember it all. In the morning, I thought I had lost my wallet. Then we went swimming and either overthrew a government or started a pro-American radio station. I can't really remember."; Fun Shoe

hitension posted:

Voting?... Most countries don't allow non-citizens to vote, right? Although I'm sure in Sweden or somewhere ideal they do.

Hong Kong does.

hitension posted:

Do they use pings as a system of measurement in HK? You can browse http://rent.591.com.tw/ to get an idea of what's out there.

We use 呎, square feet. And thanks for the website. That's the same one that locals would use to find a place? Most rental websites in Hong Kong have highly inflated prices.

quadrophrenic posted:

Southwestern Yonghe, 8 ping, studio, 5th floor rooftop jag, dingey neighborhood, came with a sink, washer/dryer, TV, assorted furnishings. No building services, no elevator. It's small and crummy, but it's close to Taipei City and I like it for that. 8800 NT (~2270 hkd).

That does sound pretty bad, but cheap at least. How many square feet is a ping?

I would be working in Xinyi, about a block away from Taipei 101. I assume prices in that neighborhood are among the highest?

# ? Aug 20, 2013 06:27

caberham: Mar 18, 2009; by Smythe; Grimey Drawer

Shoe box land is pretty ideal, you can vote with Permanent Residency (only district councils and legislature - because gently caress uncle Mao for meddling), you can use any ID to start a bank account/phone contract, internet is fast, low corruption, yadda yadda yah. if you don't mind living in a shoe box :smithicide:

Alright, I'm so going to get myself a cup of ~~cancer~~ sub par bubble tea to cheer myself

hitension posted:

Do they use pings as a system of measurement in HK? You can browse http://rent.591.com.tw/ to get an idea of what's out there.

Is this the 1920's? I suppose it makes sense seeing how sympathetic Taiwan is towards Japan. We ex-colonials still cling to the other Imperial system.

# ? Aug 20, 2013 06:27

sub supau: Aug 28, 2007

Chunghwa won't let you get a contract phone without a Taiwanese guarantor. Trust me, I tried quite recently, and quite recently told them to get bent.

# ? Aug 20, 2013 06:42

quadrophrenic: Feb 4, 2011; WIN MARNIE WIN

^^I should add Taiwan Mobile let me get a contract phone without even a passport, but they told me they were definitely pulling strings for me. But yeah, TW Mobile gives out contracts like hotcakes.

Bloodnose posted:

Hong Kong does.

We use 呎, square feet. And thanks for the website. That's the same one that locals would use to find a place? Most rental websites in Hong Kong have highly inflated prices.

That does sound pretty bad, but cheap at least. How many square feet is a ping?

8 ping is 290 square feet, about. It's small, but big enough to have definite sleeping/bathroom/computerin' areas. And it's certainly not the smallest I've seen here.

Bloodnose posted:

I would be working in Xinyi, about a block away from Taipei 101. I assume prices in that neighborhood are among the highest?

Yes.

quadrophrenic fucked around with this message at 06:47 on Aug 20, 2013

# ? Aug 20, 2013 06:44

sub supau: Aug 28, 2007

Bloodnose posted:

Hong Kong does.

Unless you're from the Philippines.

quote:

We use 呎, square feet. And thanks for the website. That's the same one that locals would use to find a place? Most rental websites in Hong Kong have highly inflated prices.

Yep, that's definitely one of several locals will use.

quote:

That does sound pretty bad, but cheap at least. How many square feet is a ping?

About 33

quote:

I would be working in Xinyi, about a block away from Taipei 101. I assume prices in that neighborhood are among the highest?

Xinyi proper is pretty steep, but public transportation in Taipei is so good and cheap you could live miles away and still get to work easy. Working in Xinyi, you could live in, say, Shenkeng, get a nice place for pretty cheap, and get to work by car/scooter in like 15-20 minutes if the traffic's not total poo poo.

# ? Aug 20, 2013 06:45

hitension: Feb 14, 2005; Hey guys, I learned Chinese so that I can write shame in another language

At Hong Kong democracy though.

Are pings used in Japan? I thought they measured rooms by the number of tatami mats you can put in one (not trying to be sarcastic)

Besides 591, there's another site called Kijiji.

# ? Aug 20, 2013 07:01

quadrophrenic: Feb 4, 2011; WIN MARNIE WIN

hitension posted:

Are pings used in Japan? I thought they measured rooms by the number of tatami mats you can put in one (not trying to be sarcastic)

Yup. 1 Tatami mat = 1 ping.

e: sorry, 2 tatami mats. Taiwan is more advanced, clearly

# ? Aug 20, 2013 07:03

Spanish Matlock: Sep 6, 2004; If you want to play the I-didn't-know-this-was-a-hippo-bar game with me, that's fine.

quote:

Just did some reading about Taiwan's APRC - Alien Permanent Residency Card. How many goons have APRC? Just found this 2012 article, click on the link for full article:

I have an APRC, it was pretty easy to get and now I can work anywhere with minimal paperwork for that place and none at all for me. They just revamped the process so they're like super easy to get if you stay here for the required time (5 years), I don't know how the whole marriage thing works out with them, but I totally agree that the chucklefuck in that article has no one to blame but himself. I'm sure he was laughing it up for the 10 years he wasn't paying any taxes, and now gets to be all like "WHAT?! YOU WANT ME TO PAY TAXES TO GET AN APRC SO I CAN LEAVE MY WIFE?!"

He could easily have just waited out the five years working on a legit ARC and gotten an APRC five years ago, except he didn't want to wait so just hopped onto the altar with the first pair of shapely legs that walked by most likely. JFRV's are a great deal, in that they let you work immediately anywhere you want as long as you're married, so there are a non-zero number of foreigners who just get married for exactly that reason. I have pretty much no sympathy for someone who later finds out that they hosed themselves by taking the easy option.

Edit: Incidentally my wife is allowed to stay in the country because she's married to me. That's a big benefit to an APRC as well. Also from what we understand from the foreigners office, as long as she's working legally (with a work permit) she can qualify for her own APRC in the normal amount of time as well.

# ? Aug 20, 2013 07:05

USDA Choice: Jul 4, 2004; BIG TEN PRIDE

Those authors kept talking about an actual citizenship card, but that's so unnecessary for a lot of what they cite.

Taiwan Mobile was willing to give me a 24 month contract, they just wanted an extra deposit of 3000 TWD for being a foreigner. Pay as you go is even easier, like hitension noted sometimes just a passport will suffice. In the two jobs I've had here a health card can be had just a couple weeks after your ARC is finalized, I personally haven't needed to wait 4 months. Non-employment based ARCs could be different. I can and have bought both slow train and high-speed rail tickets online, and again all you need is a passport for that. I don't know about disability but foreigners definitely pay into the retirement system.

Housetalk:
I'm in a studio at the Zhongshan Elementary School MRT stop which you could say is basically the edge of the downtown area. Rent is 18.3k TWD after the management fee which is of course mandatory. I think it was listed at 13 pings nominally but realistically it's probably 11+ since about 400 sq ft sounds right. Utilities aren't included, but the building is quite new and nice. While looking, I was shown a sketchy 8 ping or so unit in a lovely building for 8k in the exact same area.

# ? Aug 20, 2013 07:23

POCKET CHOMP: Jul 20, 2003; me irl.

Spanish Matlock, what exactly have they changed to make it easier for the APRC?

I know the basic requirement is five years. I'll be coming up on that in a few months at the end of my current contract. After that, I've heard it's something like a tax requirement, I know I've paid taxes every year since I moved here, but I have no idea about even how much or whatever, especially since in the first few years I wasn't too concerned about it. I've heard that there's also like a background check or something you need to get from your home country, translated into Chinese, and get it all notarized? I've heard that's a pain.

I'm not in too much of a rush, since getting ARCs has been simple enough and the girl I'm with now seems kind of serious about the long term, so in a few years I may qualify for an APRC through marriage anyway (those are some scary words to type, but I guess I'm getting older). But hey, I always told people at the minimum I was staying five years to get an APRC, and now that date is looming in the not-so-distant future.

Also I've got a pretty drat big apartment (I think the listing was 27 ping, but I never actually measured it) in a pretty nice apartment building for about 8.5k/month. Two floors (!), three bedrooms, living room and the upstairs loft landing room, 2 bathrooms, 2 balconies. But I live on the outskirts of New Taipei City sooooo yeah. It's a 30 minute local train ride to Taipei Main Station.

# ? Aug 20, 2013 07:30

duckfarts: Jul 2, 2010; ~ shameful ~; Soiled Meat

Let's see, Taiwan Mobile doesn't require a guarantor as far as I know, and also lets you get pre-paid SIMs at the drop of a hat so long as you have a passport with you. Protip: This is great for getting a SIM card for visiting friends/relatives to use. The main downside is that Taiwan Mobile sends you SMS ads every. loving. day.

For a looooooooong time I used to live in Yong He in a 28-30 ping(I think? It had a medium sized living room, 2 bedrooms, small actual kitchen, bathroom) apartment for 15k/month, had an elevator and building "guards", building fees were included in the rent(from negotiation). Place was a 5 minute walk or 1:20 run to an MRT station, neighborhood was nice and by a park. Price seemed a bit high as per co-workers by 1-2k when I initially moved in, but doesn't seem bad nowadays. In terms of area, it's just outside Taipei City proper, and an MRT to Taipei Main station was only about 5-8 minutes I think.

# ? Aug 20, 2013 07:31

caberham: Mar 18, 2009; by Smythe; Grimey Drawer

I think this place would be a nice place to live in Taipei, close to the metro and Rail station.

http://rent.591.com.tw/rent-detail-2134425.html

It's a loft, washlet, separate shower (seems like fixing a hose to the bathroom wall is common), washer, dryer, fridge, decent amount of space. Only cons I can think of are next to the main road, and the possibility of a hard mattress. And the kitchen only has 1 burner but that's kind of expected in Asia.

Around 20k NTD. Man I really envy you guys.

Can you guys post a few pictures of your gooooooooon bases?

# ? Aug 20, 2013 07:36

duckfarts: Jul 2, 2010; ~ shameful ~; Soiled Meat

POCKET CHOMP posted:

Spanish Matlock, what exactly have they changed to make it easier for the APRC?

I know the basic requirement is five years. I'll be coming up on that in a few months at the end of my current contract. After that, I've heard it's something like a tax requirement, I know I've paid taxes every year since I moved here, but I have no idea about even how much or whatever, especially since in the first few years I wasn't too concerned about it. I've heard that there's also like a background check or something you need to get from your home country, translated into Chinese, and get it all notarized? I've heard that's a pain.

I'm not in too much of a rush, since getting ARCs has been simple enough and the girl I'm with now seems kind of serious about the long term, so in a few years I may qualify for an APRC through marriage anyway (those are some scary words to type, but I guess I'm getting older). But hey, I always told people at the minimum I was staying five years to get an APRC, and now that date is looming in the not-so-distant future.

Also I've got a pretty drat big apartment (I think the listing was 27 ping, but I never actually measured it) in a pretty nice apartment building for about 8.5k/month. Two floors (!), three bedrooms, living room and the upstairs loft landing room, 2 bathrooms, 2 balconies. But I live on the outskirts of New Taipei City sooooo yeah. It's a 30 minute local train ride to Taipei Main Station.

For taxes, go to a tax office and ask them to print out your "I paid taxes" certificates(the blue certificates). For the background check, I think I remember Spanish Matlock saying they're not required anymore, removing a huge obstacle to the process.

Generally, the further you get from a city, the cheaper places get to the point of having a really loving posh place for peanuts.

# ? Aug 20, 2013 07:36

Deep State of Mind: Jul 30, 2006; "It was a busy day. I do not remember it all. In the morning, I thought I had lost my wallet. Then we went swimming and either overthrew a government or started a pro-American radio station. I can't really remember."; Fun Shoe

USDA Choice posted:

the building is quite new and nice.

Does it have any facilities? Most buildings in Hong Kong built after 1997 have pools, gyms, libraries, and dumber more useless stuff like bowling alleys and snooker rooms. Nothing like that in Taipei?

POCKET CHOMP posted:

Also I've got a pretty drat big apartment (I think the listing was 27 ping, but I never actually measured it) in a pretty nice apartment building for about 8.5k/month. Two floors (!), three bedrooms, living room and the upstairs loft landing room, 2 bathrooms, 2 balconies. But I live on the outskirts of New Taipei City sooooo yeah. It's a 30 minute local train ride to Taipei Main Station.

It must be bigger than that, right? All that doesn't sound like it would fit into 900 square feet.

# ? Aug 20, 2013 07:37

Spanish Matlock: Sep 6, 2004; If you want to play the I-didn't-know-this-was-a-hippo-bar game with me, that's fine.

POCKET CHOMP posted:

Spanish Matlock, what exactly have they changed to make it easier for the APRC?

I know the basic requirement is five years. I'll be coming up on that in a few months at the end of my current contract. After that, I've heard it's something like a tax requirement, I know I've paid taxes every year since I moved here, but I have no idea about even how much or whatever, especially since in the first few years I wasn't too concerned about it. I've heard that there's also like a background check or something you need to get from your home country, translated into Chinese, and get it all notarized? I've heard that's a pain.

I'm not in too much of a rush, since getting ARCs has been simple enough and the girl I'm with now seems kind of serious about the long term, so in a few years I may qualify for an APRC through marriage anyway (those are some scary words to type, but I guess I'm getting older). But hey, I always told people at the minimum I was staying five years to get an APRC, and now that date is looming in the not-so-distant future.

Also I've got a pretty drat big apartment (I think the listing was 27 ping, but I never actually measured it) in a pretty nice apartment building for about 8.5k/month. Two floors (!), three bedrooms, living room and the upstairs loft landing room, 2 bathrooms, 2 balconies. But I live on the outskirts of New Taipei City sooooo yeah. It's a 30 minute local train ride to Taipei Main Station.

Marriage nets you a JFRV not an APRC, as I was saying before. They removed the health check and foreign criminal record check if you've stayed here for such and such a time without taking extended leave (6 months?) the whole five years. So you just pop over to the tax office, gather up your work permits, hit the poice office for a Taiwan criminal record check and then wait a month or two while poo poo is processed.

# ? Aug 20, 2013 07:38

duckfarts: Jul 2, 2010; ~ shameful ~; Soiled Meat

Bloodnose posted:

Does it have any facilities? Most buildings in Hong Kong built after 1997 have pools, gyms, libraries, and dumber more useless stuff like bowling alleys and snooker rooms. Nothing like that in Taipei?

We got that poo poo, usually for the pricier places. In order of how common they are, you'd probably see a gym and a meeting/chatting area with sofas, a garden area or courtyard, then maybe a ping pong table or badminton court, then maybe a KTV room, then a pool. I don't know about bowling and billiards, though those might be at some baller kind of apartments that you wouldn't rent unless you're pretty loaded. (well, for bowling at least)

# ? Aug 20, 2013 07:42

hitension: Feb 14, 2005; Hey guys, I learned Chinese so that I can write shame in another language

You can also go outside your apartment to find those amenities...

# ? Aug 20, 2013 08:00

POCKET CHOMP: Jul 20, 2003; me irl.

Spanish Matlock posted:

Marriage nets you a JFRV not an APRC, as I was saying before. They removed the health check and foreign criminal record check if you've stayed here for such and such a time without taking extended leave (6 months?) the whole five years. So you just pop over to the tax office, gather up your work permits, hit the poice office for a Taiwan criminal record check and then wait a month or two while poo poo is processed.

That's good to know. Are there any big differences between the JFRV and an APRC aside from the fact that I guess one is tied to you actually being in a family with a Taiwanese person? I've always heard married foreigners just refer to it as "Permanent Residency" or something so I just assumed it was the same as an APRC.

Work permits are the letters you get from the Board of Labor or whatever? Since my old ARC always got taken away when I got a new one, I assume that's the only proof that I have that I've been here for so many years. Which... is a real kick in the dick, 'cause the Hess I worked for in Tainan never gave me a copy of them. My first school did, and the school I work for now did as well, but right now in my records I have a gap in the middle. I hope they're even still in business, and still have them on file. I plan to go back to Tainan in a month or so, I guess I'll need to harass them for those records. Unless there is another way to get a reproduction of an old work permit from the government?

Also, can you still have your ARC while applying for your APRC? Regardless of APRC status, I plan to at least renew my ARC for what would be the beginning of my 6th year, and then start the APRC process. I'd obviously like to maintain legal residency while applying for APRC, so it seems like that would make sense, but I'm not sure if you're allowed to have one while applying for the other or whatever. It always seems like the bureaucracy has some weird rules.

Bloodnose posted:

It must be bigger than that, right? All that doesn't sound like it would fit into 900 square feet.

Honestly I have no idea, maybe that's only including the first floor since that's the "true" apartment space, it's one of those buildings with super high ceilings so I guess a lot of people in the building decided to build second floors into their apartments. The ceiling on the second floor is low enough that I can hit my head on the light fixtures, haha. But even then, I'm not entirely sure how accurate the ping count is, I'm basing it off the number that was scrawled on the initial information sheet the realtor gave me. I'm honestly not even sure if I'm reading the number right, the 2 could be a hastily written 3.

# ? Aug 20, 2013 08:03

USDA Choice: Jul 4, 2004; BIG TEN PRIDE

Bloodnose posted:

Does it have any facilities? Most buildings in Hong Kong built after 1997 have pools, gyms, libraries, and dumber more useless stuff like bowling alleys and snooker rooms. Nothing like that in Taipei?

Mine has a gym on the roof encased in glass, then if you step outside it's a quite nice covered area with benches and poo poo, no dirty laundry drying or stagnant water pooling unlike a lot of rooftops here. The view is pretty decent and you can see the Grand Hotel. The basement has a loungeish area and a medium sized meeting room than you can book for free, but running AC will cost you. I know there's at least a book club that meets there every week or so.

# ? Aug 20, 2013 08:11

Moon Slayer: Jun 19, 2007

Apartment chat: I've got an 11 or 12 ping place about halfway between Daan station and Taipei 101, right on Xinyi road. No facilities save for a surly security guard. I pay roughly 15,000 a month counting the maintenance and security fees. Utilities not included but as long as you don't run the A/C all night every night those aren't going to be much more than an extra thousand.

Also holy hell is Hong Kong way more intense than Taipei. Like, Taipei:Hong Kong::Minneapolis:New York City. But I'm heading back to the TECO to pick up my passport and new visa in about thirty minutes, so mission accomplished! As Oz_Bonus suggested I'll write up an informative post about the process after I get back.

# ? Aug 20, 2013 08:43

caberham: Mar 18, 2009; by Smythe; Grimey Drawer

Moon Slayer Just sent you a PM. Come on over and have burgers/tapas/western with us Hongers!
http://www.lex.hk/ - Liberty Exchange, 6:15pm. It's in Central, near the passport office

# ? Aug 20, 2013 09:00

url: Apr 23, 2007; internet gnuru

caberham posted:

Can you guys post a few pictures of your gooooooooon bases?

While I was looking recently I found these these two places that are in the same building, very close to USDA.
I was looking at places for around 2 weeks all told, maybe 3.

http://imgur.com/a/nDq8a

I was being lazy taking the pics, and couldn't be hosed to do a panoramic thing (i can post one if you really want).
The layout might not make immediate sense from the pics.

The office area is downstairs.
The living room is in the middle (entry floor)
The bedroom is up stairs.

the layout is actually:

code:

bed   |
------|Living room
Office|

Which is a fairly ingenious use of space(imo - which is why i rented it)

In the same building:
http://imgur.com/a/ylUWz

Which I thought was an odd layout.

code:

bed    |
-------|Games/Office
Living |

The games/office is actually the most spacious room (with a mah jong table that appears from the floor) and has a huge amount of underfloor storage.

Both the apartments are between 23/25K depending on how you negotiate.
I pay 24K, but between two people, that's not sooo bad.

I pay utilities etc. too(I insist on being able to set-up my own internettery).

# ? Aug 20, 2013 15:27

Oz_Bonus: Sep 9, 2002; At a deadly pace it came from... outer space!

Well I guess my school is closed today in anticipation of the typhoon. I wish my boss had the decency to loving call me so I wouldn't have to go all the way there just to find the place locked up :v:

# ? Aug 21, 2013 02:49

POCKET CHOMP: Jul 20, 2003; me irl.

Yeah Taipei/Keelung/New Taipei City are all closed today. Taoyuan, Hsinchu, and Yilan are closed after noon. But I definitely commiserate with you on schools not letting you know, especially if you have a school that is prone to stay open on typhoon days anyway. My old school always did that unless it was actually torrential rain.

# ? Aug 21, 2013 02:51

Oz_Bonus: Sep 9, 2002; At a deadly pace it came from... outer space!

Yeah, my school stays open sometimes too, which is why I went after not having my phone calls answered, but not wanting to accidentally miss a day of work. I only live about a ten-minute walk away, so it wasn't a huge inconvenience. Apparently the school didn't tell parents either, since I met a confused family at the (locked) entrance.

# ? Aug 21, 2013 03:02

Ravendas: Sep 29, 2001

Oz_Bonus posted:

Yeah, my school stays open sometimes too, which is why I went after not having my phone calls answered, but not wanting to accidentally miss a day of work. I only live about a ten-minute walk away, so it wasn't a huge inconvenience. Apparently the school didn't tell parents either, since I met a confused family at the (locked) entrance.

No reason to tell people when it's posted all over every news channel, and on the government websites.

http://typhoon.dgpa.gov.tw/ndse.html

Updated instantly by the government as decisions are made.

# ? Aug 21, 2013 03:16

POCKET CHOMP: Jul 20, 2003; me irl.

But as we both said, sometimes schools choose to stay open, which is why bosses ought to let their employees know for sure.

Also, it's not instantly updated, cause last night the news about Taipei broke on the TV a good 10 minutes before that page was updated. :colbert:

(I was actually hoping for work today, now my schedule will be all screwed up)

# ? Aug 21, 2013 03:44

caberham: Mar 18, 2009; by Smythe; Grimey Drawer

It's nice to know the duration of the cancellation. In Hong Kong, lots of companies have a "you have 3 hours to get back to work when the storm is declassified as a severe tropical typhoon". So 2pm, is the magical hour mark. Last week, everyone had to get back to work for 40 minutes :qq:

Cross posted from the China LAN thread

# ? Aug 21, 2013 04:07

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# ? May 19, 2024 17:19

GoutPatrol: Oct 17, 2009; *Stupid Babby*

Taichung is done after 6, which is great for me because I am so tired of driving an hour out of the city for my Wednesday night class. It seems like every Wednesday is just downpours whenever I need to start driving.

# ? Aug 21, 2013 04:25

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Tourism & Travel > The Taiwan Megathread 2.0: Vacations, Jobs, EarthquaJEREMYLINJEREMYLINJEREM

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