This website covers a lot of information related to going to Taiwan like a door to door guide about coming to Taiwan, what kinds of jobs and opportunities are available and whether you should move to Taipei. Let’s cover some of the reasons most people start thinking about coming to Taiwan and whether a move is right for you. Chances are if you are seriously considering moving here you fit into at least one, if not more, of the three categories below.
Adventure
Let’s face it, life at home can get pretty boring. When I was working in human resources back home, everything was set for me. I had a good job with a career path that would set me up nicely in the future. But no matter what I did to try and convince myself otherwise, I knew deep down that I was bored with my life and I felt something was missing.
I was only 24 and felt too young to be settling into a career. I also felt stuck doing the same routine day in and day out, like going out to the same restaurants and bars, hanging out with the same friends, doing the same activities, etc. I knew I wanted something more from my 20s. I wanted to see new places, experience a new culture, try new foods, meet different kinds of people, and just generally see and experience things that were different than anything I could do in the US.
Moving here and living in Taiwan has been an incredible adventure and I’m really happy I decided to come here.
I’ve seen and done so many cool things like driving a motorcycle through death defying traffic (ok maybe it’s not really that bad!), eaten stinky tofu in night markets (smells as bas as it sounds), played charades in restaurants trying to get something to eat, seen the stunning sunrise over Alishan mountain, taken a bullet train, watched as whole families and a dog (seriously) piled onto a scooter a small scooter and drove off, hiked up amazing mountains and seen some monkeys along the way, taught English to kids who didn’t understand a single word, and so much more.
If you are bored at home and looking to do something new, fun, different and are the adventurous type, then you seriously need to consider coming to Taiwan to Teach English, or even just travel around.
Money
One of the great things about living in Taiwan is that you can save as much money or as little money as you want (it really depends on the lifestyle you want to lead here). While an average salary of 60,000 NTD/month for an English teacher (2,000 USD) may not seem like much, it actually can go quite a long way depending on what you want to do with it.
If you want to have a great life and go out partying every weekend, then you should have plenty to of money to do all the things you want to do (as long as you don’t go too crazy on your nights out). I know plenty of people that go out to restaurants all the time, go to bars or clubs every Friday and Saturday night, and generally do things in which they spend their money and have a lot of fun doing it. If you are just looking for a fun adventure for a year or two and don’t need to save money, then you can definitely have a very good life in Taiwan on an average English teaching salary.
Alternatively, it’s easy to save money here if that is your goal. It takes a few months for most people to get everything settled, like find an apartment and buy things for the apartment, buy a scooter/motorcycle, security deposits, etc. But once that’s settled and you’re done spending money on big ticket items, it’s pretty easy to save 15,000 NTD (500 USD) a month on a 60,000 NTD/monthly salary while also living a decent lifestyle.
I know plenty of people who either work more so that they can save more, or cut back their lifestyle a little so that they can save even more. Within a year or two (or much sooner if you are willing to work more), saving 30,000 NTD (1,000 USD) a month is a relatively easily attainable goal for most people I know (some people I know save much more each month).
Learning Chinese
Taiwan is a fantastic place to learn Chinese as it has some of the best Chinese language programs in the world, which I covered in an earlier post about what you can do in Taiwan. With the rise of China and the importance of Chinese language, now is a fantastic time to learn Chinese. There are many businesses in the West who want and need Chinese speakers and learning Chinese will open up the door for lots of potential opportunities down the road.
If you are thinking about learning Chinese, then you seriously need to consider coming to Taiwan. Taiwan can be a crazy and exotic country, but as most people who have been to both Taiwan and China will tell you, it’s much more relaxed and orderly than China. If you want the opportunity to study Chinese, but aren’t ready to deal with living in China, Taiwan is the place to be.
I hope the post above gives you some encouragement to get the gears in motion to pack up your life and join us in Taiwan.
[…] for entertaining my wanderlust while maintaining some semblance of fiscal responsibility. As Nick pointed out, Taiwan is a place in which you can either save money, or spend money. When I moved to Taiwan, I […]