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House Louse posted:I've been offered a job at HESS ( I can't help you with what branches to avoid, but if you go to Taipei ask that you get a branch near the MRT. Otherwise you might end up a bit in the boonies. Any of the other major cities try to get into a branch downtown for the same reason.
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Nov 26, 2013 23:16
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) and they're asking where I'd like to work. I should think I've got a pretty high chance of ending up in Taipei anyway, but does anyone know if there are any particular good or branches to request (or bad branches to avoid)? I'm not thinking about the location so much as the school itself. Thanks!
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There'll be a couple of spots open in Yonghe in a couple of months, they might actually try to send you there. Do not recommend, but you may not have a choice.
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Nov 27, 2013 02:43
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Stupid celebrity chat. Wang Lee Hon is engaged! Maybe it's all a sham? People still think he's pretty  http://www.ettoday.net/news/20131127/301035.htm?from=fb_et_news
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Nov 27, 2013 06:24
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I rode the MRT yesterday. I took the new line from the 101 station to Zhongshan Elementary School station. The line change was lovely and involved like five escalators. And that old line I took to Zhongshan was like a Disney World monorail. I was also surprised that they give station announcements in four languages. Mandarin and English, of course. I assume the other two are Hakka and Hokkien?
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Nov 27, 2013 06:27
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Bloodnose posted:I rode the MRT yesterday. I took the new line from the 101 station to Zhongshan Elementary School station. The line change was lovely and involved like five escalators. And that old line I took to Zhongshan was like a Disney World monorail. The brown line is a 'medium density' one, and is pretty crappy. Also, there's only like two good things on the brown line, Mao Kong and the zoo, and it's not like you go to either of them often. I live right next to the CKS MRT station, which is now one of the most convenient spots. On the red line, on the new line that connects to the orange and brown lines, and then the quick zip to Ximen which is on the blue line. Too bad I'm leaving Taiwan forever next week.
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Nov 27, 2013 06:46
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Bloodnose posted:I rode the MRT yesterday. I took the new line from the 101 station to Zhongshan Elementary School station. The line change was lovely and involved like five escalators. And that old line I took to Zhongshan was like a Disney World monorail. Edit: Hurf durf. Hokkien = Taiwanese. Atlas Hugged fucked around with this message at 06:53 on Nov 27, 2013 |
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Nov 27, 2013 06:50
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Ravendas posted:The brown line is a 'medium density' one, and is pretty crappy. Also, there's only like two good things on the brown line, Mao Kong and the zoo, and it's not like you go to either of them often. If he was on the brown line, it was probably zhongshan high school. Elementary school is on the orange line to Luzhou and Parts of Little Interest Beyond.
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Nov 27, 2013 07:06
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Oh yeah I just checked it, it was "Zhongshan Junior High School." My mistake. But really that Daan interchange is poo poo. Don't take it. I took a taxi back home instead.
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Nov 27, 2013 07:44
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caberham posted:Stupid celebrity chat. Wang Lee Hon is engaged! Maybe it's all a sham? People still think he's pretty Bloodnose posted:I rode the MRT yesterday. I took the new line from the 101 station to Zhongshan Elementary School station. The line change was lovely and involved like five escalators. And that old line I took to Zhongshan was like a Disney World monorail. And if you went all the way to Zhongshan Elementary station, why? I live over that way and don't even bother with that station. quote:I was also surprised that they give station announcements in four languages. Mandarin and English, of course. I assume the other two are Hakka and Hokkien?
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Nov 27, 2013 07:48
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TetsuoTW posted:And if you went all the way to Zhongshan Elementary station, why? I live over that way and don't even bother with that station. I didn't. It was Junior High. I forgot that every fuckin thing on this island is named either Zhongshan or Zhongzheng. I also keep ending up in that part of town where everything is named after the Three Principles of the People. My trip time is quickly running out but if I ever find I free moment, I'm going to some KMT pilgrimage sites. Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall goon meet, anyone?
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Nov 27, 2013 08:43
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CKS Hall is kind of a drag, there's literally nothing there but the Abe Lincoln style statue and Chinese-only inscriptions of some poo poo he said. (yes I know we all can read Chinese, but I was with a buddy who couldn't at the time) I got all excited for KMT propaganda too, what a letdown. e, Bit of a misuse of the word "literally" since there is also the Theatre/Concert Hall SYS Memorial Hall is somewhat better and there's the new Cultural Area or whatever it's called within walking distance too. TetsuoTW posted:If you get onto the east coast, apparently there are train stations that also do their announcements in whatever the predominant Aboriginal language in the area is too. That is boss While we're on the topic of the railways of Taiwan, does anybody else feel like Taipei Main Station is the most poorly designed central station of its kinda they've ever been to? The signage is ambiguous as hell (signs leading to "高鐵 HSR" neglect to mention that there are 2 HSR platforms for example), lots of areas don't have "your current location" signs, hard to find staff to direct you around, and even if you can find the 大廳 there's only about 1 row of seats to sit on while you wait for your friends. Not to mention to get to the bus terminal or anything it's a ridiculous hike either through the maze that is the underground mall OR risk walking around above ground where there are almost no crosswalks or skybridges. Taipei Main really bothers me somehow. caberham posted:Wang Lee Hon is engaged! TOLD YOU SO. hitension fucked around with this message at 11:48 on Nov 27, 2013 |
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Nov 27, 2013 11:41
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hitension posted:While we're on the topic of the railways of Taiwan, does anybody else feel like Taipei Main Station is the most poorly designed central station of its kinda they've ever been to? The signage is ambiguous as hell (signs leading to "高鐵 HSR" neglect to mention that there are 2 HSR platforms for example), lots of areas don't have "your current location" signs, hard to find staff to direct you around, and even if you can find the 大廳 there's only about 1 row of seats to sit on while you wait for your friends. Not to mention to get to the bus terminal or anything it's a ridiculous hike either through the maze that is the underground mall OR risk walking around above ground where there are almost no crosswalks or skybridges. Taipei Main really bothers me somehow. Also, you clearly haven't been to Japan and experienced their station mazes yet.
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Nov 27, 2013 12:18
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I did Kyoto for four days and their rail system was the most baffling I have ever seen.
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Nov 27, 2013 12:42
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duckfarts posted:Also, you clearly haven't been to Japan and experienced their station mazes yet. I actually went to Tokyo for 2 weeks and didn't get lost at all my entire time there... Knowing Chinese characters/very basic conversational Japanese definitely helped, but when I wrote that post, I was actually thinking of Tokyo/Shanghai/New York as counterpoints for "well organized stations" 
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Nov 27, 2013 16:52
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hitension posted:I was actually thinking of Tokyo/Shanghai/New York as counterpoints for "well organized stations" New York has confusing signage so half the time I end up taking the train in the wrong direction. Or a line is closed and I have to take a long detour. Rode the new Xinyi line for the first time today, really convenient 15 minute bus ride from me (政大) and beats going to Taipei Zoo then walking for minutes around Zhongxiao Fuxing to transfer lines. Only 12 NTD from Xiangshan to Jiantan! Hiked up Yangmingshan today, really nice trail. Bloodnose posted:My trip time is quickly running out but if I ever find I free moment, I'm going to some KMT pilgrimage sites. Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall goon meet, anyone? Sure, name a time.
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Nov 27, 2013 18:19
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Yesterday I snuck the phrase "Red China" into the newspaper and today their aircraft carrier is coming at us. COINCIDENCE?!
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Nov 27, 2013 19:29
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Eagerly awaiting the meltdown when Moon Slayer's employer finds his(her) posting here and fires him(her) Super old news now, but was this ever discussed on here? American woman gets a pretty decent job making those news parody cartoons, ends up working Taiwanese hours, and quits in elaborate fashion: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/29/quit-your-job-kayne-dance_n_4013902.html NMA responded in kind: http://gawker.com/next-media-animation-responds-to-the-quit-heard-round-1434926654 I dunno what to make of the whole thing. I think Taiwan is pretty sweet and I can't imagine being this pissed off at life here but then again the work hours are quite long. I'm also baffled at these people who come to Asia without any planning, language skills or awareness of what things will be like. I'm continuing my studies but I was offered a job here too and my potential employer was straight up like "the salaries are not the same as American salaries and Taiwanese people work like dogs", was she not given that sort of warning?
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Nov 28, 2013 00:19
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hitension posted:I actually went to Tokyo for 2 weeks and didn't get lost at all my entire time there... Knowing Chinese characters/very basic conversational Japanese definitely helped, but when I wrote that post, I was actually thinking of Tokyo/Shanghai/New York as counterpoints for "well organized stations" hitension posted:Super old news now, but was this ever discussed on here?
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Nov 28, 2013 03:28
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hitension posted:Eagerly awaiting the meltdown when Moon Slayer's employer finds his(her) posting here and fires him(her) I think there is a few problems going on here: 1) Taiwanese (and really most East Asian people) have spent their whole lives living with the expectation that your a slave to the school system for the first part of your life then a slave to your job for the rest of it. Working anything less than 60+ hours 6-7 days a week means you either make jack poo poo for money, or your one of the slave drivers in upper management. This mentality is so ingrained in the culture they have difficulty seeing things any other way. 2) Keeping that in mind during the interview they probably mentioned long hours (60+ in their minds, 40-50 in hers) and the need to sometimes work weekends (which in Taiwan might as well mean ALL weekends). 3) The language gap. It's likely her Chinese wasn't great, and sometimes it's difficult to express your feelings to co-workers or managers. 4) It's pretty obvious to anyone with knowledge of working conditions in Taiwan that the NMA writer is talking out of her rear end. Yeah, I'm sure the job is technically 40 hours/5 days a week with no expectation of having to do overtime, but if you want to keep it your rear end in that office for much longer.
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Nov 28, 2013 05:45
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The pay/hours/conditions in a lot of Taiwanese workplaces are objectively lovely, and expecting someone to just understand and meekly accept that coming in is a good way to ensure that nothing ever changes.hitension posted:Eagerly awaiting the meltdown when Moon Slayer's employer finds his(her) posting here and fires him(her) lol
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Nov 28, 2013 06:51
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I still don't understand how a man can be in the beer business and not drink beer.
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Nov 28, 2013 07:31
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HappyHelmet posted:1) Taiwanese (and really most East Asian people) have spent their whole lives living with the expectation that your a slave to the school system for the first part of your life then a slave to your job for the rest of it. Working anything less than 60+ hours 6-7 days a week means you either make jack poo poo for money, or your one of the slave drivers in upper management. This mentality is so ingrained in the culture they have difficulty seeing things any other way. hitension posted:I'm also baffled at these people who come to Asia without any planning, language skills or awareness of what things will be like. Also that guy from NMA is throwing hella shade and shilling like a pro. sub supau fucked around with this message at 08:05 on Nov 28, 2013 |
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Nov 28, 2013 07:58
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I have a pretty good sense of adventure, but I also don't pick places out at random and go there knowing literally nothing before I show up. This isn't exactly the year 1500. These places have been visited before and the people you are going to work for are going to expect you to be at least casually familiar with the culture you're subjecting yourself. I mean, I went to both Korea and Taiwan without knowing jack about the languages, but I was also fully prepared to accept the consequences of that.
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Nov 28, 2013 08:03
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I'm just saying, I've met people who showed up here on a total whim knowing nothing of the culture, language, or country who've become knowledgeable, upstanding members of Taiwanese society, and I've met people who showed up knowing some Mandarin and knowing about Chinese culture who turned out to be loving worthless. It's not about what you know before you arrive, it's about what you're willing to learn afterward.
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Nov 28, 2013 08:22
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I actually agree with both of the above posters. I still feel like "working hours in Taiwan are long" is something that can be discovered before going to Taiwan. It's like being surprised that there are scooters or stinky tofu in Taiwan. For a fun story about poor research/planning: The other day I met a girl from Hong Kong who was at a Chinese language center in Taipei despite speaking fluent Mandarin because she needed a visa. What happened is that she initially came to Taiwan in September for university and somehow ended up at a university in Miaoli(聯大). On the first day of registration she decided that (1) She did not like her university; and (2) She did not like Miaoli and actually wanted to live in Taipei; so, she dropped out.  She had so many opportunities to obtain information earlier... She's from Hong Kong! She speaks and reads Chinese! They have the internet in Hong Kong, right?!
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Nov 28, 2013 08:31
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TetsuoTW posted:I'm just saying, I've met people who showed up here on a total whim knowing nothing of the culture, language, or country who've become knowledgeable, upstanding members of Taiwanese society, and I've met people who showed up knowing some Mandarin and knowing about Chinese culture who turned out to be loving worthless. It's not about what you know before you arrive, it's about what you're willing to learn afterward. I don't disagree with this and I do think that hearing about the long working hours and then seeing them for yourself are two different things. However, it's still on you if you can't handle it. Yes, you can try and work from within the system to bring about change, but you shouldn't be a drama whore about it because your big bad Taiwanese boss expects you to do what he's been expecting Taiwanese workers to do for years. I mean, you can go all "sense of adventure" if you want, but if you come here knowing nothing and discover you don't like it, that's just something you have to accept. Atlas Hugged fucked around with this message at 08:46 on Nov 28, 2013 |
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Nov 28, 2013 08:43
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hitension posted:I actually agree with both of the above posters. I still feel like "working hours in Taiwan are long" is something that can be discovered before going to Taiwan. It's like being surprised that there are scooters or stinky tofu in Taiwan. The girl might have also assumed she would be given the same special privileges ex-pats in Taiwan working for foreign companies do. Most of the non-teacher ex-pats I met in Taiwan worked the same hours they would in their home countries, and searching on the internet might reflect that.
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Nov 28, 2013 08:46
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HappyHelmet posted:The girl might have also assumed she would be given the same special privileges ex-pats in Taiwan working for foreign companies do. Most of the non-teacher ex-pats I met in Taiwan worked the same hours they would in their home countries, and searching on the internet might reflect that. Yeah, this is a really important distinction that I think fails to get brought up a lot. Being brought to Taiwan and working for a foreign company is very different than being recruited by a Taiwanese company locally or from abroad and coming to work in the trenches with locals under local conditions.
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Nov 28, 2013 08:48
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Atlas Hugged posted:I don't disagree with this and I do think that hearing about the long working hours and then seeing them for yourself are two different things. However, it's still on you if you can't handle it. Yes, you can try and work from within the system to bring about change, but you shouldn't be a drama whore about it because your big bad Taiwanese boss expects you to do what he's been expecting Taiwanese workers to do for years. quote:I mean, you can go all "sense of adventure" if you want, but if you come here knowing nothing and discover you don't like it, that's just something you have to accept. hitension posted:I actually agree with both of the above posters. I still feel like "working hours in Taiwan are long" is something that can be discovered before going to Taiwan. It's like being surprised that there are scooters or stinky tofu in Taiwan.
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Nov 28, 2013 08:53
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TetsuoTW posted:True, but then again if no-one kicks up a poo poo then nothing ever gets changed. And in a country where so many bosses only care about money and face, sometimes a public shaming is the only way to get them to pay attention. I think it's all in the approach. You can make a dramatic youtube video about how awful and terrible those Taiwanese people were to you and how no one should go work for that company in particular, but that isn't going to cause a change in the corporate culture across the country. Likely the company in question will just avoid hiring foreigners from then on. It's not really going to be enough to organize foreigners to stop accepting those conditions. Change is going to need to come from within.
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Nov 28, 2013 08:58
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Atlas Hugged posted:Change is going to need to come from within. </hotdog vendor joke>
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Nov 28, 2013 14:54
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Atlas Hugged posted:I still don't understand how a man can be in the beer business and not drink beer. Don't get high off your own supply.
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Nov 28, 2013 15:00
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Come to think of it I might be being unfair in my expectations of Taiwan-related knowledge. I also interned for the US office of a Taiwanese company before coming here so I was bombarded with random Taiwan information and pineapple cakes before I even arrived, which I guess is kinda unfair... I also worked really long hours, like until 8 or 9 PM, but the time spent from 2pm-9pm was usually dicking around waiting for some e-mail to arrive from the Taipei office at 9:02 pm... I can imagine it'd be horrible if people were actually working during all those long hours Also gently caress anyone who literally thinks they deserve special privileges just for being white, I think the internet even invented a term for that.
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Nov 28, 2013 15:16
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HappyHelmet posted:I can't help you with what branches to avoid, but if you go to Taipei ask that you get a branch near the MRT. Otherwise you might end up a bit in the boonies. Any of the other major cities try to get into a branch downtown for the same reason. quadrophrenic posted:There'll be a couple of spots open in Yonghe in a couple of months, they might actually try to send you there. Do not recommend, but you may not have a choice. Thanks, I'll remember these.
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Nov 28, 2013 17:30
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GoutPatrol posted:Don't get high off your own supply. I opened a tab quoting his post with the intention of posting this. Although I was going to type 'on' instead of 'off.' I forget the original quote. I am the guy who is here for beer and doesn't drink beer by the way. There was an impromptu goon meet tonight with free beer. Only kenner showed up. He drank all the beer. This was my trip report.
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Nov 28, 2013 17:33
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Bloodnose posted:I opened a tab quoting his post with the intention of posting this. I was teaching at Tai Da tonight when I got the Line or I would have been down.
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Nov 28, 2013 17:35
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hitension posted:Also gently caress anyone who literally thinks they deserve special privileges just for being white, I think the internet even invented a term for that. Well, it's not necessarily a "because your white" thing (though in some cases that does apply). A lot of Taiwanese businesses realize that working conditions in Western countries are much less like gulags than Taiwan. Companies in Taiwan generally know that if they ever want to bring in foreign talent they have to accommodate for the higher pay, and smaller work load. Otherwise foreigners will never come, or in the case of that girl, quit right away. You also have people like the French guy I knew who worked for a French company in Taiwan. As he was still employed by the parent company in France he worked the same hours as those at home.
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Nov 28, 2013 17:51
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That was some good beer (and turkey and cranberry sauce and cats). You guys missed out.
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Nov 28, 2013 17:56
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You Goons are weird. There's a definite difference between being in the beer industry and buying beer in your leisure time and being a dealer of illegal narcotics and developing a drug habit that directly cuts into your profits and ability to be a drug dealer.
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Nov 29, 2013 03:38
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Yeah, I know. It's so unreal, it's almost like they were joking!
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Nov 29, 2013 04:37
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