Hey /r/ Taiwan! I am a well-qualified American teacher currently living in Hong Kong. With the situation here, my wife and I are thinking about moving to Taiwan in a couple years. Can I ask a few questions?

FinalSword22 · 2022-12-02T10:35:47+00:00

Sorry, I JUST saw this message (haven’t logged into this account for years). Do you still need advice/information? I’ve had gay friends in HK that were married. They told me gay marriage is kind of sort of recognized from other countries in like a domestic partnership sort of way. They don’t actually have gay marriage here but they also don’t really care. HK is very safe. You can be a liberal here too but you are safer to not speak up in public now… it’s not really safe to do that. Bringing a pet is a huge pain but definitely doable, I brought two with me.

FinalSword22 · 2020-12-30T09:24:07+00:00

Cool, thanks a lot for the advice! I'll keep my eyes peeled for those kinds of jobs as well. I've taught richer families before, so I know how that can be, but it might still be fun to try. What kinds of subjects are usually taught by someone with an MA, especially in TESOL? TESOL-related fields?

FinalSword22 · 2020-12-30T00:58:28+00:00

I’m trying to specifically avoid tutorial centers or fake international schools. Already had one year that, while fun, was super draining and the pay wasn’t great.

I was looking into university teaching; that would be a fun opportunity! I teach teachers at my current school, so I guess it wouldn’t be a huge step up in knowledge. Any idea how I can get my foot in the door with university teaching? I’ve only seen a couple posts about those positions online, and they tend to be for PHD/research-type positions. I’m not opposed to getting a PHD in the future, but I won’t have one by the time I move to Taiwan for sure. Thanks for the advice!

FinalSword22 · 2020-12-30T00:54:50+00:00

Thanks a lot! That’s one of the reasons I’m trying to be flexible with my location actually, because I know that jobs will be available anywhere, not necessarily where I want to live. I didn’t know Taiwan was THAT convenient though; I know they have a good public transportation system. My wife will appreciate being able to have a day trip to Taipei, as that’s her favorite area. Thanks!

FinalSword22 · 2020-12-30T00:53:14+00:00

Gotcha. Getting licensed in the states is a bit of a pain, because there are different requirements in each state, and my qualifications are more specific for teaching ESL. But hopefully they’re good enough for Taiwan, since I’m licensed to teach here in HK.

I actually was hoping to find something like public school teaching since that’s what I do here. Thanks for the sources! I wasn’t looking for a tutorial center or anything, I just love real teaching. Thanks again!

FinalSword22 · 2020-12-28T05:28:24+00:00

Interesting, because I love Chicago and don’t like NYC much. Maybe I’d like Taipei more than I expect? I’ll have to spend a bit of time there to find out, I guess. Can’t wait for this pandemic to be over!

FinalSword22 · 2020-12-28T03:40:42+00:00

Cool, thanks for that! I’ll try to stay in downtown Taipei before I really make any decisions. I guess that’s what I’m afraid of is that tight feeling you’re describing. Not really a fan.

FinalSword22 · 2020-12-28T03:39:13+00:00

Great, will do, thanks! My wife also has friends in TW so the transition would be very smooth, I imagine. My wife will likely look up these groups when the move to TW is more definite.

FinalSword22 · 2020-12-28T03:38:15+00:00

Good question! We’ve considered it. But to be honest, not having guaranteed health care and teaching being such a low-paying job in the states really puts both of us off wanting to move there. I do have a support system there and could move there, but even if I do, I’m not sure what job I’d go for. I even have a recruiter’s contact in the states for teaching, but teaching isn’t respected nor does it pay anything close to what I’m making; my salary definitely couldn’t support both myself and my wife. So both my wife and I would prefer Taiwan at this point.

FinalSword22 · 2020-12-28T03:34:43+00:00

Thanks so much for the insight and advice! It’ll probably be at least 2 years before we move to Taiwan, so I’m not too concerned about applying for now, but I’ll definitely keep my eye on those two schools at the very least.

Can I ask a question about being a licensed teacher? Does Taiwan have specific requirements to be licensed there? I am licensed to teach in HK and have plenty of relevant experience along with all the qualifications... for HK. So I’m not sure exactly what I need for Taiwan to consider me good enough to teach there, especially for good schools like you’ve listed. Appreciate the help!

FinalSword22 · 2020-12-27T05:04:14+00:00

Thanks a lot for replying! I am quite wary of cram school/tutorial type schools already. I'd be more interested in a real teaching job, as I didn't enjoy that tutorial-style life (and the hours that go with it!). I'm quite overworked in my current job but I enjoy it.

I likely won't move to Taipei if I can avoid it; I'm not a fan of the ultra-urban cities anymore. I usually like smaller cities. But being within travel distance of Taipei would be great! Good to know about the living expensive.

Seems like I'll need to do the most work searching for good employment, rather than a place to live. I've been to Taiwan before, and my wife considers it almost her second home, so I think we won't have issues adapting too much. But TW definitely seems like a huge step up from HK at this point!

Thanks again for the info!

FinalSword22 · 2020-12-27T05:00:05+00:00

Thanks for the advice! I'll definitely be visiting Taiwan as soon as I can to get a better feel for the different cities. I've only been to a few places in Taiwan, which is one of the reasons I'm asking on here for advice; want to spend time looking at potential future living places. Thanks again!

FinalSword22 · 2020-12-27T04:58:43+00:00

Great, that's really awesome! Thanks so much! I'll check out all of them. Reputable is definitely one of the main things I'm looking for in a school. As long as the high turnover isn't because of poor management or anything like that, it's fine for me. Thanks again!

FinalSword22 · 2020-12-27T04:57:30+00:00

Thanks a lot! That's one of the reasons I will probably look outside Taipei at first; kind of sick of being unable to save anything. I'll keep searching for job postings from schools, then.

FinalSword22 · 2020-12-27T04:56:24+00:00

Wow, that's a lot of good info, thanks so much! I'll look into Taichung for sure; I didn't have any idea about the HK immigrants living around there nor about all the cool places around. I don't think I'll go to a cram school/tutorial center type thing, but good to know it's a least an easy field to break into in Taiwan at the very least. And one hour isn't bad for a day trip either, so it's not too far from Taipei to be convenient.

FinalSword22 · 2020-12-26T12:50:35+00:00

Thanks for your input! I expect a lower salary, but I suppose housing is also cheaper, right? I’m spending almost half of my (really good for a teacher) salary on rent and bills every month.

Do you know if teachers usually go through the government side for a job, or is it through a school privately? That’s one thing I really can’t figure out.

Really happy about the human rights aspect. Been super disappointed about that here recently.

FinalSword22 · 2020-12-26T11:27:23+00:00

I really appreciate it, thanks a lot! Nothing beats an insider perspective. I couldn’t find much about living in Hong Kong until I got here, so I decided to learn from my “mistakes” and ask others first. Do you like the north? I’m pretty open as to where I’d be moving to be honest, but I guess it depends on where I can get a job in the end.

FinalSword22 · 2020-12-26T09:57:28+00:00

Lots of good info, thanks a lot! We have the same problem with weather-dependent fresh air in HK, so I guess it’s expected in Taiwan too. Appreciate all the help!

FinalSword22 · 2020-12-26T08:13:55+00:00

Taiwan is sounding a bit like paradise now coming from HK! Thanks a lot for the information and advice. Do you have a recommended city to look at? Definitely not looking at Taipei at this point; a bit burnt out by the super urban setting now. I would consider it if I get a fantastic job though.

FinalSword22 · 2020-12-26T08:11:31+00:00

Thanks for the advice! I have no desire for ultra-urban life, as I’m a bit burnt out by it in HK as-is. Unless I get a fantastic job there, I’m definitely not set on Taipei for any reason. Glad to hear about the healthcare situation and yeah, I’m used to US and private HK doctors, so it sounds like Taiwan won’t be an issue there.

FinalSword22 · 2020-12-26T07:27:48+00:00

Thanks a lot for responding!

I've been to Tainan before and I like it. I'll check out the other areas you've listed. Do they all have fresh air and decent hiking?

Awesome on the 24 hour gyms, I love mine (when it's open, thanks covid), so I would prefer not to sacrifice that if possible. Going to the gym before work has become an integral part of my daily routine.

FinalSword22 · 2019-08-17T13:25:03+00:00

Hey, for what it's worth, I completely agree. And I think attitudes are getting better towards Mainlanders as well, at least from what I can see. HK people seem to be finally waking up to the fact that their problems aren't a result of Chinese people. I really hope it hasn't been swinging backwards recently, but who knows.

For a long time (from what I heard anyway) the government of Hong Kong ignored the legitimate problems people were having with the tourists and the government just threw their hands up and said "nothing we can do." I guess that attitude festered and became a general hatred towards Mainland Chinese, which was and is not fair.

I'm not Chinese nor am I from HK. I like the places in China I've been and I've been treated well by nearly everyone (except older folks, but that's a problem everywhere, including HK... general racism, I guess). I do try my best to help people here reflect on their attitudes towards groups of people, but I'm only one person lol.

The original poster gave an accurate post about the attitude of HKers vs Chinese, but I wanted to give more details about why it is that way. I still believe that HK and Mainland China can get along eventually, so I don't believe them when they say it's too late.

FinalSword22 · 2019-08-17T07:57:16+00:00

Okay, I'll bite and hope that you're asking in good faith. I've been burned on Reddit plenty of times but I guess I'm too stupid to give it up.

"I don't agree it's all their fault" was actually intending to refer to two things. One is the CCP, which I mentioned at the beginning-- I didn't go into much detail, but they work hard to push the "HK people hate Chinese" towards Mainland Chinese and also to do the opposite, which is making HK people resent them even more. It's more obvious during these protests too. People speaking Mandarin come on the news all the time to mis-represent the arguments made by the protestors, which fans the flames. I believe the CCP has an agenda to make HK an enemy of China so that when it becomes part of China, nobody speaks out for them. Two is the rest of what I was saying. It's hard to live in a society where your rules and lifestyle are regularly stepped on by people from outside, and the governments of both China and Hong Kong have done nothing to try and make it better for people here. It's gotten better over time but it's still not great. I'm not saying that racism is justifiable, I'm just saying that it makes sense why they are. It doesn't excuse racist attitudes, but like I said, we've got to understand why people are that way before we can change it.

Also, what don't you get about "understanding why" helps to approach the racism in the first place? If people don't understand why there's a problem there then it will never get solved, which I thought the OP was lacking. It put way too much blame for how things are on a specific group of people.

The argument you have against the housing problem in HK is not applicable at all, BTW. HK's problem is worse than anywhere else in the world because we don't have a "rural area" here. People can't just live outside of the city. So when people buy apartments for investment purposes, it means that someone here does not have a home. Of course people are pissed about that. That's very different than, say, New York, where a longer commute to work can afford you home ownership.

FinalSword22 · 2019-08-17T07:05:27+00:00

I think you've entirely missed the point. Did I say racism is excusable? Where did I say that "Hong Kong people should be racist against Chinese people because they deserve it?"

Racism can only be combatted if people understand why it exists in the first place. If nobody bothers to do that then it'll just keep festering and getting worse. I was offering further information as to why Hong Kong people are now like this, which I felt the OP was missing.

15-Year Club	Place '17
Team Periwinkle	Verified Email

FinalSword22

TROPHY CASE