It’s time for Chinese New Year! I have been in Taiwan for about 6 months now. There are a lot of things I have come to like better in Taiwan and some things that I miss from Korea.
Things I like:
1. The students- most of my students in Taiwan are young. The majority of my students are 2nd to 4th grade students. Occasionally, I will also teach kindergarten. Even though, they speak less English than my Korean students, they are much more enthusiastic and generally, happier. They like being at English school(well, most of them), they like talking to you, they are excited when they see you. My Korean students were nice, and some of them had a hilarious sense humor, but as a majority, my Taiwanese students are just good kids.
2. The job-The work environment here is worlds friendlier than my Korean job. Here, I feel like I am actually part of a team. The Taiwanese staff is genuinely friendly, even the ones who speak minimal English. My Korean staff was nice, but typically did their best to avoid any situation that involved interacting with the foreign staff. My Taiwanese company also is concerned about the level of enjoyment among the students. So a big concern with all the teachers is make sure you play lots of games. My Korean school abhorred the idea of fun and games in the classroom because the parents said they were paying for study time, not playing time. It makes a huge difference in the classroom atmosphere and overall attitude of the students when they are laughing and enjoying being in the classroom.
3. The cost of living-It is pretty easy to live nice for a low price. In Korea I was provided housing by my employer. It wasn't bad, it was a one room apartment with a loft which I paid about $430 a month in rent. However, in Taiwan I can live in a 2-bed/2-bath apartment in a community with security, a pool, and a gym for about $580 a month. (Split between me and my roommate-$290, each).
4. The people-The Taiwanese people, in general, are friendlier. It’s not that the Koreans were cold and rude, they are actually very warm-hearted people, but they are, typically, quite shy. They will do their best to avoid any situation that would involve having to interact with a foreigner. Not all Koreans were like that. Several times, there would be people in a train station or bus terminal (usually older people), that would be curious and would ask where I was from or why I was in Korea, what did I like about Korea, etc. Sometimes, they would speak enough English, other times, it would be very minimal and somehow through their minimal English and my minimal Korean we could interact. The Taiwanese don’t seem quite as shy. They will greet me with “Hello”, they will smile, they seem excited to see foreigners.
Things I miss from Korea:
1. The food-Korean food is just….awesome. The Chinese food is good, too, but I miss the flavors from Korean food. A lot of Chinese food in Taiwan is cooked in oil, so it will be a little greasy. Also, it is difficult to keep up your appetite in the night market when you get a whiff of stinky tofu at every corner. (You don’t really understand until you’ve smelled it) I’ve been told by many people that once you get past the smell, it is actually quite tasty. One day, I will try it, I promise. I actually have enjoyed many of the dishes I have tried here. Good lord, I never knew shaved ice could be so amazing. I don’t think I can ever eat enough dumplings. There is a late night food stand by my building that makes these sweet potato fries that are pretty much the food of the gods.
2. Transportation-it’s not like I can’t go anywhere in Taiwan. It’s just that, in Korea, I just had to step out of my building and there were several city buses, taxis, and a metro right down the street. If I lived in Taipei, I would not have put this on the list. I live in the suburbs and it’s a little difficult to get around town without having your own transport. I can walk to work, a bakery, a stationary store, post office, pharmacy, health clinic, convenience store, tea shop, a couple brunch restaurants, and a small supermarket. However, if I wanted to go to the mall, train station, larger supermarket, more restaurants, etc. I have to call a taxi. I recently solved this problem with the purchase of a scooter, but my scooter can only take me and 1 other person. If we are going somewhere with a lot of people, call a cab.
3. Money-I hate to say it, but I am not rich anymore. I knew I was making a lot of money in Korea, but I didn’t realize how well off I was until I came here. I work about the same hours here but am making less. My hourly rate is actually pretty much comparable to my rate in Korea. However, what I didn’t have in Korea was a ridiculously high income tax. The income tax for foreign workers in Taiwan is set at 18% until you’ve been in the country for 180 days. Well, sounds pretty bad for the first 6 months, but after that you should be fine, right? Yes, and no. The counter resets every year. So, my contract began in August, which means I would be reaching my 180 days this month. However, when the new year started, my day counter reset to 0 days. So I have to wait until June (180 days since the start of the new year) for my 18% income tax to drop to 9%. Then, I can roll in money for 6 months before going back to penny pinching in 2014.
On the bright side, with the Chinese New Year coming soon, I have gotten awesome gifts at work and I get a whole week off! I’ll probably be relaxing, shopping, eating, and may even head up to the hot springs. I have definitely needed a vacation ^_^
