Anyone from Taiwan

hey guys,

I am in Tuebingen for last 9 years. Recently i got a job in Academia Sinicia, Taipei. If there are some Taiwanese in and around Stuttgart, please drop a message. I would like to learn few things about Taiwan before i shall go there.

cheers


zaighi

I'm German, but lived in Taiwan in the past.
I also know some Taiwanese in Stuttgart.
What do you want to know?

Hey,

Thank you for coming up. I want to know many things about Taiwan before i shall sign the contract. The questions i have in my mind are about the locations to get the apartments, the prices, people, language etc.

thank you

zaighi

My information is a few years old and I lived outside of Taipei, so you may want to read this site's Taiwan sub-forum instead.
I found prices reasonable (I was earning well and saved a lot, despite having a car, a 5-bedroom terrace house and twice monthly flights home), people are open and friendly, but the language a nightmare - you will not manage with only English outside of the most touristy areas! I had a private Chinese tutor twice a week, but found learning it very hard.
In the end, the beauty of the island, especially its remote, mountainous interior, made up for all hardship. The Portuguese didn't call it "Ilha Formosa" for nothing! It's a place to learn optimism and being contented. I visited again for holidays and would work there again.

Hey, thanks for the detailed reply. May i ask the rent of that house? also how far was that house from Taipei.

What about transportation system? people use public transport more often or the private ones.

thanks


zaighi

The public transport system outside of Taipei is almost non-existent.
Within Taipei city it's reasonable and signposted mostly in English as well as Chinese.

I lived in Hsinchu (an hour drive from Taipei) and my rent was paid for by the company - I think it was NT$40000/month for a huge house, of which I only used less than half.