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So I've just applied to HESS Taiwan, with Tainan and Taichung as my preferred cities (and "flexible" as third choice). Tell me how I've made the best or worst mistake of my life.
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Aug 1, 2014 18:49
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| # ¿ Apr 29, 2024 15:12 |
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Got an email from HESS Taiwan, going to be doing a Skype interview next week on the 12th. Any tips or good questions to ask? Should I ask about what city/school I'll be going to, or is that later?
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Aug 7, 2014 13:26
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politicorific posted:Oh, we had one of these in Korea: Okay, this is good. I am learning things. What to do as an American abroad in Taiwan: 1) Visit Taipei 2) Get Drunk 3) Ride a bus 4) Miss my stop 5) Get into verbal and/or physical altercations with the local populace 6) Get a woman to dent my iPhone
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Aug 10, 2014 15:44
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Sorry to double post, but I just got an offer from HESS! Going to try to be there by the 22nd of September, so I'll see how things go. Please give me your advice, pearls of wisdom, and general "things you should do and things you should avoid."
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Aug 14, 2014 15:26
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House Louse posted:These don't get assigned until people arrive in Taipei. Where'd you request though YF19pilot? T'aichung and T'ainan, with the third option open. This is apparently the "season-ender-we-need-to-fill-spots" class, so to my understanding I could end up anywhere on the island. Thankfully I have three pairs of shoes that are each less than 6 months old that I will be bringing with me, including some super comfortable semi-formal/casual shoes I used at my last job. I paid $200 for those shoes and I don't regret a single penny. What is the availability of OTC medication? I've previously lived in Florida for about 15 years and am pretty familiar with things there, and if I am to believe that Taiwan is analogous to Florida, I'm expecting a year-round allergy season. Currently I occasionally use things like OTC Allegra or generic varieties, but the one thing that I can't live without is Excedrin, because my allergies always manifest as sinus headaches which can trigger my migraines. Is there a local equivalent, or would I be doing well to hit the local Sam's Club and stock up on a year's supply? Otherwise, it looks like (I may be wrong) I can apply directly for a multi-entry resident Visa through the Taiwan consulate, do I still need to show an itinerary of a flight out of Taiwan?
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Aug 14, 2014 17:24
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Spanish Matlock posted:Want me to blow your mind? Just go to the hospital and tell them the problem you have and they'd probably be more than willing to write you a scrip for a few hundred (3$US) bucks. I'm sure you can get allergy poo poo over the counter here, but this might be a suprisingly effective way to deal with the problem. Okay, sounds good. One more thing, I know mainland China has the Great Firewall, are there issues like that with Taiwan? Would it be a good idea/necessary to set up service with a VPN? Sebastian Vettel posted:Hess will do this all for you. Just enter Taiwan on a landing visa. Okay, I went to https://www.boca.gov.tw and got my answer. Specifically, http://www.boca.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=1443&ctNode=779&mp=2 answers my questions. I have 90 days, but am able to get a work visa for any kind of "white collar" job. I imagine that teaching is considered white collar. CovfefeCatCafe fucked around with this message at 23:28 on Aug 14, 2014 |
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Aug 14, 2014 20:25
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Barto posted:You have to fight a pack of angry minipigs to use the internet in Taiwan. I figured as much, but I've spent so much more time in the China megathread sometimes I forget if I need a VPN in the US  Otherwise, reading through the HESS manual, it mentions the Visa Exempt entry. Do I actually have to show a paid ticket for that or can I still get by with an unpaid Expedia itinerary? If I can do the latter that will definitely make things a lot smoother for me. Also, is there a fee for the Visa Exempt entry? I can't seem to find a mention of it anywhere.
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Aug 14, 2014 23:30
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I just saw that Expedia has a 24 hour cancellation thing. Maybe I can get a cheap flight to Hong Kong or Tokyo or something, print out the itinerary with the seat assignment (that seems to be the thing they keep mentioning), then cancel, get money back, and be kosher. Or just save the extra money and spend a few hours Saturday night/Sunday morning in Hong Kong, maybe I'll stock up on Excedrin here.
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Aug 15, 2014 01:20
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House Louse posted:Do whatever they tell you to, which for me meant booking a flight out after 89 days but might be different for a US citizen. That appears to be the same thing for US citizens, so that's what I'll do. For $230 round trip I can hang out with Hong Kong goons for 24 hours to get my Visa. How does the process for Visa Exempt to Worker's Visa flow? I'm sure that Hess will provide me with what I need to know when I get there, but it'd be nice having a heads up so I know what to expect ahead of time, instead of stressing out and running around Taipei like a chicken with its head cut off. Would I need to visit a local consulate or government office in person, or will the employer/Hess just do all that? In their documentation, it definitely sounds like having a Visitor's Visa ahead of time would mean the least amount of work from me, but it also mentions with a Visa Exempt there would be some footwork that I may have to do myself.
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Aug 15, 2014 01:39
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Bought my ticket to Taiwan. Going to be on the ground on the 21st of September, with a 17 hour layover in Seoul. Also, I guess since this is the end of season need to fill spots recruitment, they emailed me where I'm probably going to end up. Looks like Lugang Township, Changhua County. If there's a creole/Cajun restaurant, this is going to feel so much like moving back to Florida. I may just have to take some Tony Chachere's with me to complete the illusion. I suppose it's close enough to not make any difference to Taichung, which was one of my preferences. But it's right on the water which is awesome.
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Aug 20, 2014 21:07
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Looks like Hess changed their minds, the current unofficial word is now JiaYi or Chiayi (I think it's labeled Chiai in the OP and on my Atlas). All those nearby squiggly lines on the map are going to make me want a car.
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Aug 21, 2014 19:31
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Slowpoke! posted:No swimming signs are to protect the National Parks from liability. Apparently Taiwanese people are quite bad at swimming, so it is necessary? If you see people swimming there, it is okay. You do have to watch out for some beaches though because the beaches here have nasty undercurrents. Where I lived in Florida rip tide was a thing, so I'm at least familiar enough with how to handle myself in that situation. There is a bit of irony in that an island nation would be bad at swimming.
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Aug 25, 2014 19:07
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BottledBacon posted:That's what stops the ghosts getting in. Guys, I'm scared that if I go swimming anywhere that's not a pool in Taiwan a ghost might swim up my urethra like those fish in South America. Guys, I don't want a possessed cock 
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Aug 26, 2014 17:16
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I'm looking over stuff, and doing some research, but I have a couple of questions. I currently have an iPhone 4s through Verizon, which I am planning on leaving behind for my parents to use/pay for while I'm away. What is the preferred mobile carrier, who has better reliability/speed/pricing/service? Should I buy an unlocked GSM phone before I leave, or after I arrive?
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Aug 30, 2014 01:04
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TetsuoTW posted:Add "make no efforts to actually learn Mandarin" and the inevitable failure of said idea and I think I know this guy. Was this guy willing to work for Also, I am actually trying to learn a little bit before I go over, and can now count to ten. I probably sound like a tone deaf monkey or a dying cat (I think I'm speaking in a higher pitch, too, because all of the apps on my phone use women). I wonder if I can convince the lady at my favorite take out place to let me practice on her
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Sep 3, 2014 20:49
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Hess just sent me an infopack about the cost of living, and one particular point stood out to me. There are indoor fishing ponds where you can pay $100/hr to fish for shrimp. I am sold. It's the perfect excuse to respond to anyone looking to practice their English with an indecipherable Cajun accent.
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Sep 5, 2014 13:29
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TheRamblingSoul posted:Also, it looks here that I need to do a short teaching demo over Skype. Has anyone had any difficulty with this part? How long did the overall process from submission of application to arriving in Taiwan take? I'm like two steps ahead of you (starting training end of this month). The "teaching demo" for me was pretty straight forward, don't sweat it. Your 'criminal' check is a local town/city records check, so if your one terrible crime of doing 20 over was in a different municipality than where you actually live it may not even be relevant. I think they do these backgrounds just to make sure you're not a registered sex offender (pretty important when you're working with children).
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Sep 5, 2014 18:33
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TheRamblingSoul posted:Yay! I got the interview with HESS! Good luck! Just like any other interview, read up as much as you can about where it is you want to go so you sound not just interested, but knowledgeable, ask questions that show you are interested, don't ask about pay (especially considering that's actually posted on their website). Write down a few questions, look over the website to see if any of those are answered. Don't sweat it, my interviewer was very friendly, and it's fairly easy. It's Skype, so treat it as a face-to-face and don't sweat about dead air, try not to fill the 'quiet' spaces by rambling on while the interviewer is trying to write down their notes. I would sign in 15 minutes prior to your scheduled time, Hess and other schools I've interviewed with generally chatted me about 5 minutes prior to make sure everything was good to go, or let me know if they were going to be late.
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Sep 9, 2014 18:22
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TheRamblingSoul posted:Another random question: is trimmed facial hair (full beard) okay on an English teacher? I promise I am neckbeard free. From what I gathered in my interview, as long as you keep it cleaned and trimmed, HESS is fine with it. Being clean shaven is more of a societal thing, and the locals may frown upon it. There's a few things that really come across as "it may vary with your branch" so keep that in mind.
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Sep 10, 2014 18:40
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TheRamblingSoul posted:Really? Is it taboo to have a beard in Taiwan, even for foreigners? That does make me think about it, if that's the case. Like I said, that's how it came across to me in the interview. I haven't set foot in Taiwan yet, so please don't take what I say as gospel truth over anyone who has actually been there.
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Sep 10, 2014 20:37
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TheRamblingSoul posted:How would you handle shipping a desktop PC and accessories from the US to Taiwan? I definitely want to have my desktop PC with me, but I've never had to ship something like this before. From what I've gathered, Taiwan uses the same outlets as we do in the US, and at the same voltages (110~120VAC @ 60Hz). The only issue I've seen brought up in my research is the possibility of having a polarized plug and a non-polarized outlet, which is an issue here in the US with older houses that have been grandfathered through various changes in electrical code.
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Sep 13, 2014 16:12
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Counting down guys. Flying out on Friday, landing in Taipei Sunday morning. Looking forward to chilling for a week before training and maybe meeting a few of you guys. TheRamblingSoul, I'll try to beat a smooth path for ya!
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Sep 17, 2014 22:53
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Alright, guys, I'm out. See you Sunday.
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Sep 19, 2014 02:44
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I'm in Taiwan! Well, I've been in Taiwan since noon, Taipei since 1pm, couldn't check into the hotel for two hours and couldn't find a nearby wifi spot (not even the nearby coffee house), when I did check in, wifi here wasn't working and I was pretty well beat (48hours of non-stop with only about 3 hours of sleep to go on) so took a nice nap. Anyways, chilling in my hotel room for the moment, I will probably go back to sleep to catch up on much needed rest and hopefully start getting myself in synch with the sun here. Probably going to check in with the school tomorrow, but besides that, I'm pretty much up for anything.
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Sep 21, 2014 13:26
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Slowpoke! posted:Yeah enjoy the typhoon. Typhoon ain't no thing for me. I've lived through hurricanes, can't be any worse than riding out a Cat 4. And yup, at the First Hotel. Stuck me in a room that feels like a hole in the corner of a corner. Breakfast was a bit of a joke. If they at least stuck me in a room with a balcony I could see chilling out for a week in my room, but this little rat-hole of a room gets no natural light through it's fogged glass window facing into the back alley of the building. Already made my first expedition to find the Hess office, and I found it. Going to try poking around and getting lost in the city a bit. Currently resting, five years since I lived in Florida and I've lost my acclimation to the humidity it seems. Next thing I suppose is to actually go to the Hess office when they're open and introduce myself. It's not uncouth to do that is it? Figured I'd hand in whatever extra paperwork they need and get an early start on my visa. Otherwise, I suppose I should get to looking for a bank and a cell phone so that I can actually call people and pretend I'm in the 21st century again. Thinking I may hit Taipei 101 sometime today or this week. No kidding, driving into Taipei for the first time, overcast clouds, light rain, that silhouette dominating the landscape, the Tower of Sauron description seemed pretty apt. e: Is Mos Burger any good? There's like two or three within walking distance of the hotel, and I'm curious if it's the Taiwanese version of McDonald's or if it's any better. CovfefeCatCafe fucked around with this message at 02:07 on Sep 22, 2014 |
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Sep 22, 2014 02:05
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One last question, since I'm going to be poking about Taipei for the next two weeks, should I get a MRT Easy Card? Also, if anyone is up to doing anything this week, I'd appreciate the assistance in spending a good amount of time away from my hotel room. It's a tad depressing, even with the AC. I'm probably going to take off here in the next 20~30 minutes and poke around Taipei 101, but I'll check back later this afternoon.
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Sep 22, 2014 03:38
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Magna Kaser posted:This is a ridiculous post cause Mos Burger is way way way better than McDondald's and is super good. There is like a Papa Mike's or something like that "International School" around the corner from here. I honestly thought it was a Papa John's rip-off.
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Sep 22, 2014 03:58
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quadrophrenic posted:Forget about MOS Burger. Find a 八方雲集. Eat there every other day for the next year and a half. Welcome to Taiwan. Ate at MOS Burger tonight. Got the chili-cheese burger? I don't know if that's even classified as chili, but that's what it looked like. The chicken nuggets they gave as a side (looked like hashbrowns in the picture) bland, but are saving me from starvation. There's a 八方雲集 up the road around the corner, will try that tomorrow. Otherwise, I may lose a little weight while my taste buds acclimate to the local cuisine. I will try my best not to succumb to McD's (I don't like them state side anyways), but if I find a KFC I can't make any promises about what will happen. Still, I really need to hurry up and learn how to read/speak Mandarin so I know what I'm ordering.
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Sep 22, 2014 12:54
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duckfarts posted:Their nuggets suck, better to just get their fried chicken and definitely get the croquette/korokke, which is basically fried mashed potatoes and is loving delicious. They did, I just didn't feel like spending five minutes to go over it. Will definitely take my time next time. Spanish Matlock posted:Just go into one of the stores with meat hanging in the window and ask for a ji tui fan (雞腿飯) or san bao fan (三宝飯) and you'll get some tasty meats on nice white rice with vegetables that would be delicious except people here hate vegetables and want them to be unhappy, and maybe some halfway decent tofu or something else. Will keep an eye out. Veggies are delicious. Will probably nab a phone in the next day or two, there is a Far EasTone around the corner, and one in Chiayi, which unless things change on Monday, is where I've been told I'm going. Also, will check things out with Mega Bank. I just get a kick out of a bank called "Mega Bank" as that's always painted as a bad thing to be.
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Sep 22, 2014 15:20
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Slowpoke! posted:They take your passport because they have to put the visa in it. Thankfully I will be able to get by without having to rely on taking the loan. Also, I really need to start learning this language. It's annoying when the English language version of a website is just general 'corporate info' instead of a translated mirror of the main website.
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Sep 23, 2014 01:06
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Got a phone. I am now back in the modern world. Roughly about the same time I finally have feelings of doubt and nervousness for the first time. Sitting in Mos Burger I realize, this must be what it feels like to be a Mexican coming to America for the first time, the feeling knowing that you stick out like a sore thumb, can't read, can't speak. Except, at least he already knows how to read a Romanized alphabet. And there aren't assholes in pick up trucks trying to trick me into taking a ride to the INS office. This fried chicken isn't half bad. Now I just need to find someplace selling what Spanish Matlock suggested and I'll probably be set.
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Sep 23, 2014 06:21
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duckfarts posted:Also, the locals are way friendlier to you. This is true, walking around Monday morning I probably bumped umbrellas with like two dozen people and half of them would immediately turn around and apologize, even if it was obviously my fault for being a stupid foreigner trying to go upstream against a crowd. (It's even more hilarious considering that many people would try to raise their umbrella over mine to pass by, even if I was clearly taller or had better reach). My dad's side of the family is Hispanic, and they will tease each other about who is the most Mexican, and there are people in his home town who try to pretend to be Mexican for some reason (most of the families have been in Texas since the Texan Revolution). It boggles my mind why someone would want to do that when you have assholes who honestly refuse to acknowledge that anyone who is Hispanic or speaks Spanish might have actually been born in the USA, or anywhere other than Mexico (including Spain!) e: Also gotta give credit to the Taipei road works. They repaved the intersection out front of the hotel last night. When I got out this morning, I could only tell by the lack of crosswalk markings and smell of fresh asphalt. CovfefeCatCafe fucked around with this message at 07:26 on Sep 23, 2014 |
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Sep 23, 2014 07:23
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goldboilermark posted:Yo YF, cool to see you made it to Asia man! Enjoy and have a great time in Taiwan, I loved it when I was there! Hey, I appreciate it. You've been a big help in getting me to do this. I still lurk in the China threads, too, so I'm not ignoring you guys over there either.
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Sep 23, 2014 07:46
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Spanish Matlock posted:http://www.zhongwenred.com/lessonone.htm Ah, thanks for this. That will help immensely. In the mean while I am chuckling over 'cat'. (And the fact that I can't seem to paste Chinese characters into my post for some reason).
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Sep 23, 2014 11:52
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poetrywhore posted:Okay but until then just download the Hanping app and pay for the camera add-on/upgrade/whatchamacallit. Worth way more than the Paid for the full version, I like the little notepad. Thanks, this is going to help out immensely. Also, learned that "Dear Friend" is also a slang term for "A visit from Aunt Flo." Will have to be careful with that one.
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Sep 24, 2014 00:49
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they charge.
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hitension posted:I am still convinced that 貓 and 狗's pronunciations were based purely on the noises those animals make. It's like the pokemon way of doing things. But moreso I meant 貓 and a certain chairman. (Also, going to have to figure this whole posting Chinese characters out, I changed the input settings on my computer but still doesn't seem to take, I'll have to see what gives). quote:3. Just go to a night market (Shilin being the largest/touristiest/easiest to find; Jiantan MRT station) and point, eat whatever looks good. There is a blog called Hungry in Taipei but if you're just trying to eat street food you can't really go wrong. I'm probably going to do this tonight, actually. I was just up there to see the National Palace Museum this morning.
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Sep 24, 2014 05:44
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quadrophrenic posted:Mao Zedong's family name is actually 毛, which, among other things, means "fur" and "body hair". I know, I'm just having trouble copying and pasting characters into the reply form here. Anytime I quote, the characters come up as &#xxxxx; where 'x' is a 5 digit number. I don't know if that's a setting I need to change on my computer or on the forums (it works fine copying to Facebook, for example).
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Sep 24, 2014 07:23
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What time does that night market up in Shilin get going? If my back is up to it (wore the wrong shoes to the museum, no support), I'm gonna try heading up there tonight or tomorrow. My roommate for training arrives on Friday, not sure how that will affect my plans for poking around. Otherwise might head back to Taipei 101 now that I have a camera on my phone.
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Sep 24, 2014 08:27
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Slowpoke! posted:Most night markets open at 5, but not all of the stalls will be set up or ready to serve food by then. 6-7 is usually safer if you want to see everything. Shilin is a beast, even on a regular weekday, so if you want to avoid the crowds, go as early as possible. After 7, when the people who set up their poo poo in the middle of the walking street are out, it becomes a congested mess of people slowly shuffling by. I think the Raohe Night Market is better and easier to navigate around, though it's not close to any MRT stop. I'll probably do that tomorrow. Don't they also light up Taipei 101 in different colors at night? Would like to get a picture of that. I think I'll hold off on going to Shinlin tonight, because my back is still sore and stiff from today. I'm going to have to remember to not use those shoes when I'm going to be on my feet for so long.
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Sep 24, 2014 10:33
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caberham posted:I'm dumb As many 7-Elevens, Watsons, and whatever that third one is called, you may as well start naming stations after them. I got off the bus from the Palace museum, cross the street to get to Shilin station, pass the 7-Eleven, stop, go back and buy a Coke. I go around the corner to the station and there is another 7-Eleven. I mean literally less than a minute walking distance from each other. I haven't been into a Watsons yet, though, do they sell Pepsi? I haven't actually seen Pepsi or Dr Pepper since I've got to Taiwan.
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Sep 24, 2014 10:42
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