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To be fair, that headline is accurate to the article and as close a summary as you're going to get for the content. My problem would be more with the article than the headline. It basically boils down to "Man says other man agreed to thing, other man says 'maybe'." But not being able to recognize or conduct journalism is not a fault experienced by the China Post alone, that's for drat sure.
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Apr 19, 2014 10:06
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url posted:The next small game is in two weeks: Friday, May 2nd, 500NT$ buy-ins. Is this open to all goons? I finish work at around 7:30 on Fridays, so I can come along assuming it hasn't started yet.
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Apr 19, 2014 11:00
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BottledBacon posted:Is this open to all goons? I finish work at around 7:30 on Fridays, so I can come along assuming it hasn't started yet. Yep. Rock up as you fancy. It's a late start. 10ish is about par. Delays happen occasionally. I'm too lazy to do a long phone post, I'll add details next couple of days. Short answer, yep, come along 
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Apr 19, 2014 11:56
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Where do you guys play at?
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Apr 19, 2014 15:21
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Has anyone ever gone in the country 90 day visa free and then "upgraded" to a student visa? This would be for a MTC, so nothing fancy. I could be wrong, but the medical exam needed for a student visa sounds like it would cost an assload for an uninsured 'murican. Confirm? I'd rather AirAsia it to a Taiwan consulate somewhere in SEA to get a student visa, but I'm not sure if that is possible. edit: Renewing my passport at the moment and the next term starts in June. Applying for a visa after I get my passport back will be cutting it close as hell. Another reason against the standard option. moflika fucked around with this message at 23:51 on Apr 19, 2014 |
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Apr 19, 2014 23:48
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A medical for a student visa is about 1500NT. I think even a little less but I dont know exactly how much
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Apr 20, 2014 01:10
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I know, I meant getting the exam done in the US so I can get the visa before I get to TW. Seems MUCH more expensive in the US and I would like to just arrive visa free and get the exam in Taiwan. I can't get a student visa beforehand if I don't get the exam done at home, so I would have to somehow "convert" or get the student visa after getting the exam in Taiwan. Sounds simple enough, but I'm unsure if bumping up to a student visa when I come in visa free is possible. Has anyone done this or something similar? edit: Paid loving 200+USD a while back for a Tetanus update and Hep A shot out of pocket. After paying, the secretary then proceeded to charge me for 22 shots and of course the bill gets sent home while I'm already out in the the middle of loving nowhere rural N. Thailand. Thank god I had slow rear end EDGE network on my Kindle, because only with that did I find out about the 4000 they wanted from me for those drat 2 shots. Needless to say... never again! moflika fucked around with this message at 01:35 on Apr 20, 2014 |
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Apr 20, 2014 01:26
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Speaking of pay, the Taipei Times just printed an article saying that the average wage for new jobseekers is $30,000, down about 10% from 2000-13 (whilst consumer prices rose 10%), and the average wage in 2013 was $44,739, down about $60 from 1998. (After inflation.)
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Apr 20, 2014 06:47
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PaybackJack posted:Where do you guys play at? Small place I hang out at near the junction of zhongshang bei lu & min quan west.
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Apr 20, 2014 06:53
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moflika posted:Has anyone ever gone in the country 90 day visa free and then "upgraded" to a student visa? No, you can't get a student visa while in Taiwan. Work visa can be obtained though. After failing to get a visa in New York I've just been flying out of Taiwan every three months. Twice to Manila and in three weeks to Hong Kong. Can't get a Taiwan visa in Manila, best option is probably Hong Kong.
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Apr 20, 2014 11:40
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kenner116 posted:No, you can't get a student visa while in Taiwan. Work visa can be obtained though. After failing to get a visa in New York I've just been flying out of Taiwan every three months. Twice to Manila and in three weeks to Hong Kong. Can't get a Taiwan visa in Manila, best option is probably Hong Kong. Hmmm, that's good to know. I know that this is a huge YMMV thing, but do you get the feel that Taiwan is pretty laid back on constantly re-entering visa free? You've done it a few times now, so it sounds like you're not worried about getting stamped for like 3 days and told to pack up and gtfo?
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Apr 20, 2014 20:34
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moflika posted:Hmmm, that's good to know. The only time I've noticed any kind of concern was at the airport in Manila when picking up my boarding pass (Cebu Pacific). They ask if I have an ARC (I don't), then I say that I can enter for ninety days visa-free. After a minute of looking carefully through my passport they print out the pass and before I know it I'm on a 110-minute flight due north to our beloved sweet-potato-shaped island nation/province.
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Apr 20, 2014 22:12
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Sweet, with that Taiwan is pretty close to winning my race of "where to next? TW/HK/SG???" And to not poo poo up this Travel&Tourism thread with just Traval&Tourism stuff: What is the fruit situation like in Taiwan? People go on and on in Southeast Asia, but never heard much about Taiwan. Can I expect Mangoes, Papaya, Rambutans, Mangosteens, and Jackfruit, or is that all too tropical? Is there at least some good stuff available all year around down South?
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Apr 21, 2014 00:35
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Taiwan has fruit, but it can be expensive depending on what you want. There's durian, mango, star fruit, dragon fruit etc. I'm not sure anything is specifically Taiwanese though.
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Apr 21, 2014 01:31
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Taiwan takes a lot of pride in its fruit, although I'm not entirely convinced it's justified. Either way, though, tropical fruit should be easy enough to find. Mangos and pineapples are practically the national fruits, for one, and a good, in-season Taiwanese pineapple is delightful. Now if anyone could tell me where to buy a goddamned feijoa I would be a happy man.
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Apr 21, 2014 03:01
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Wax apples are pretty Taiwanese, but they're also not very good. I haven't been able to find fresh mangosteen here, but I haven't really been looking all that hard. Other than that, tropical fruits are generally abundant. The berry situation here is dire, but Jason's usually stocks lovely tart blueberries if you fancy. I really miss good raspberries.
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Apr 21, 2014 04:24
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moflika posted:Hmmm, that's good to know. A guy who used to live in Kaohsiung and ran a pub flew out of the country every 30 days (This was before 90 day landing visas) for about 12 years.
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Apr 21, 2014 05:13
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TetsuoTW posted:Mangos and pineapples are practically the national fruits, for one, and a good, in-season Taiwanese pineapple is delightful. Sounds like more than enough! And yes, wax apples are garbage. Not as big of a let down as dragonfruit though hahaha edit: thegoat posted:A guy who used to live in Kaohsiung and ran a pub flew out of the country every 30 days (This was before 90 day landing visas) for about 12 years. I believe that, but like everything visa/travel, it all used to be MUCH more easier to get away with. Even places like Thailand are starting to make it all more difficult. Then again, Taiwan isn't in any way comparable when it comes to that scene. moflika fucked around with this message at 05:18 on Apr 21, 2014 |
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Apr 21, 2014 05:14
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Wait, you're not doing the student visa because you want to avoid paying for a health check, right? But flights out of the country every ~90 days will definitely add up to more than a health check... I meet sooo many students with the wrong kind of visa and it kinda bums me out. My friend has to drive a scooter illegally down in Tainan now that he failed to get the proper visa --> no ARC --> no driver's license. But he sure saved $x00 on a health check! 
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Apr 21, 2014 06:36
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Papaya milk is delicious, and it gives you big tits. So drink up! Mango milk is good, as is watermelon milk, but there is nothing like a good cup of tit-enlargening fruit milk. Also, not sure if I am in the minority or not on this, but I had never seen one of the small, golden 小玉 watermelons before I came to Taiwan. Worth a try to compare it to its bigger, redder, more popular cousin.
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Apr 21, 2014 06:50
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hitension posted:Wait, you're not doing the student visa because you want to avoid paying for a health check, right? I thought about that too. But then again, I can't see myself doing more than 2 terms/~6 months of classes and then either getting my poo poo straight and doing something legit or moving on. Legit would come with a work visa. The fact that Taiwan is an island does of course make budget flights more expensive than somewhere else in the region. I probably won't get my passport back for at least 2 weeks + getting a student visa after that means that I'd be cutting it reeeeeally close to the beginning of the next term. That plus my past paying out of pocket experience in the US all make me lean towards the dumber of choices in this case. You're right though :/ Pandemonium posted:Also, not sure if I am in the minority or not on this, but I had never seen one of the small, golden 小玉 watermelons before I came to Taiwan. Worth a try to compare it to its bigger, redder, more popular cousin. noted! moflika fucked around with this message at 07:28 on Apr 21, 2014 |
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Apr 21, 2014 07:00
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The fruit situation in Taiwan isn't nearly as impressive as in Southeast Asia. Prices are higher here since they don't import much from nearby countries, and there aren't mangosteens and rambutans overflowing everywhere like in Vietnam or Indonesia. Now I'm missing Cambodia where a bunch of bananas the size of your head are well under a dollar. Edit: 
kenner116 fucked around with this message at 17:01 on Apr 21, 2014 |
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Apr 21, 2014 10:00
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Where are you guys seeing high prices on fruit in Taiwan (not counting stuff that has to be imported)? I guess maybe if you do all your shopping at the supermarket they can be a bit high, but even then it wasn't that bad. If you roll by the day/night markets you can get local fruits for cheap prices. It's generally the irregular stuff that can't be sold in supermarkets, but who cares as it tastes the same. Oh and obviously make sure you buy fruits that are in season as those prices will be much lower. Word of warning though, I find a lot of the local fruits to be of lower quality than stuff you find in the US. For example oranges don't have the same rich flavor and have more seeds, plantains instead of bananas, sugar coma inducing lychee, guava that tastes like cardboard, over-sized bland wax apples, etc.. It's basically a smorgasbord of all the fruit you don't want, but at low low prices.
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Apr 21, 2014 18:46
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HappyHelmet posted:Word of warning though, I find a lot of the local fruits to be of lower quality than stuff you find in the US. For example oranges don't have the same rich flavor and have more seeds, plantains instead of bananas, sugar coma inducing lychee, guava that tastes like cardboard, over-sized bland wax apples, etc.. It's basically a smorgasbord of all the fruit you don't want, but at low low prices. Selling it like a champ! lol You're right on the in season tip though. When stuff was in season in Thailand the old ladies at the market were practically giving it away! edit: This reminds me of the volunteers we had that would go to the market and overlook jackfruit, mangosteens etc and instead buy overpriced Apples imported from New Zealand 
moflika fucked around with this message at 02:48 on Apr 22, 2014 |
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Apr 21, 2014 18:52
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Anybody heard anything about American Eagle out in Luzhou? I've got an interview with them on Thursday. They seem like your typical cram school chain. Yeah, yeah, I know, English teaching. But a job's a job and I've got student loan payments. Still, I was so happy to be out of that industry. 
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Apr 22, 2014 01:25
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HappyHelmet posted:Where are you guys seeing high prices on fruit in Taiwan (not counting stuff that has to be imported)? I mostly buy apples because apples rule and they can get really expensive if you want anything bigger than a fist.
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Apr 22, 2014 02:38
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Atlas Hugged posted:I mostly buy apples because apples rule and they can get really expensive if you want anything bigger than a fist. Hahaha, oops 
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Apr 22, 2014 02:49
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Moon Slayer posted:Anybody heard anything about American Eagle out in Luzhou? I've got an interview with them on Thursday. They seem like your typical cram school chain. Worked a full-time schedule for part-time, hourly pay for an American Eagle school when I was doing the morning Chinese classes thing at Donghai. American Eagle should be top-tier as far as students' ability and is top-tier as far as the quality of their teaching material. Here's the rub: they ask a lot more out of you than other cram schools--marking, decorating, cleaning, etc.--yet pay the exact same. And the first class of the day, the one with the youngest students, is a grueling 2 1/2 hours. It is a more fulfilling job than a typical cram school because you might actually get a legit teaching feeling every once in awhile and class sizes are totally manageable, but at the end of the day a cram school is a cram school and American Eagle demands a lot more out of you than other schools while paying the same. It is a franchised school like Joy and Hess, so of course your mileage may vary in Luzhou as compared to Taichung, but the basic stuff is always the same: same books, same approach, same expectations. Edit: It is also top-tier pricey, so expect parents to be buttholes because they are forking over a shitton more money for their li'l 'uns to study at American Eagle instead of Hess or Joy or whatever. Pandemonium fucked around with this message at 03:27 on Apr 22, 2014 |
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Apr 22, 2014 03:25
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moflika posted:Hahaha, oops I don't overlook the others. I just really like apples. I know I'm paying too much. I don't care. Apples rule.
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Apr 22, 2014 04:49
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Moon Slayer posted:Anybody heard anything about American Eagle out in Luzhou? I've got an interview with them on Thursday. They seem like your typical cram school chain. Check yo LINE bro. A thing just came up if you want it!
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Apr 22, 2014 08:10
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I got nothing.
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Apr 22, 2014 08:27
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Moon Slayer posted:I got nothing. 4 way msgs flurry - 'tis done
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Apr 22, 2014 08:46
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Krispy Kreme is opening another shop at Taipei Main? Seems like they're following a very similar trajectory to Dunkins, I guess in a few years they'll close up shop too.
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Apr 28, 2014 15:10
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POCKET CHOMP posted:Krispy Kreme is opening another shop at Taipei Main? Seems like they're following a very similar trajectory to Dunkins, I guess in a few years they'll close up shop too.
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Apr 28, 2014 15:14
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It's also the Mister Donut trajectory, so....
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Apr 28, 2014 18:12
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I hope they put it in an area with a lot of heavy foot traffic. That would just be swell.
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Apr 29, 2014 02:28
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Looks like its snuggled away inside Taipei Main Station's food court type thing area.
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Apr 29, 2014 11:46
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TetsuoTW posted:Looks like its snuggled away inside Taipei Main Station's food court type thing area. That might actually be worse.
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Apr 29, 2014 13:18
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It's May, aka tax season here in our lovely island paradise. I've got a few questions, and rather than just go to the tax office and look like a fool (which I'll probably appear to be anyway), I thought I might ask the gentle geniuses here first so I know what to expect. First of all, this will be my first year ever that I'll need to actually pay taxes rather than get a refund. I don't quite understand why, I guess my employer didn't withhold enough or something. I don't really mind having to pay, but I want to be prepared, so if you need to pay, how do you actually...do it? Like should I just bring a fat stack of cash with me to the Tax Office or what? For the refunds they always just take a copy of my passbook but I assume the reverse process isn't possible. Secondly, I'm actually looking forward to getting my taxes done since it will be the last real thing I need to do before applying for my APRC. I've been referring to this super-helpful post by Duckfarts (and I'll probably be harassing you with more dumb questions in the coming weeks if that's cool). Now, I know you said that there's some blue form that shows I paid my taxes, and that they'll print it out, but I've never actually done that in years past so I don't know what to expect. In my years in Tainan, I had to fill out a big sheet of paper that came in a different color each year, they'd give me a stub that tore off the bottom of the page and that was what I kept for proof of filing. Last year, my first year in the north, she told me she could just file it as e-taxes and I just got some printed receipt on a normal piece of paper. I assume I do...something...with that receipt and get this "blue form" that shows I paid taxes. Basically, what am I asking for when I go to the tax office? Is it just a copy of the form I officially file, or is it like a certificate saying I had an income of X amount? Sorry for the probably dumb questions. I live out in the boonies so it's a bit of a hike to get into Banqiao to file, so if it's possible I'd like to just get it all done in one day. Actually, the tax office opened up a satellite branch out here just a few months ago, but I'm a bit nervous about going in there since I'm not sure how good their foreigner services will be compared to a big one.
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May 1, 2014 14:32
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POCKET CHOMP posted:It's May, aka tax season here in our lovely island paradise. I've got a few questions, and rather than just go to the tax office and look like a fool (which I'll probably appear to be anyway), I thought I might ask the gentle geniuses here first so I know what to expect. If you go to the one near Taipei Main Station, they'll do it all for you- like 100% all of it. Just bring passport/ID/bankcards/payment receipts. It's really nice. I think you can pay by credit card or whatnot, I imagine you could go do it, go to the ATM and get out the money and then go back and give it to them even.
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May 1, 2014 15:03
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