As Taipei tries to modernize itself into and international city, there are still lots of signs of old Taiwan. Literally one of the first shocking and confusing things I ever saw here was betel nut. After stepping out of the airport and into a taxi, I saw the driver chomping on something and spitting into […]
Riding the Maokong Gondola – Fun Things to Do in Taipei
Tim and I have written a lot of posts recently about teaching English in Taiwan, so we wanted to add some more info about the some of the fun things you can do when you are actually here. I’m in between jobs at the moment, so I have a lot of free time over the […]
Public Transportation Options in Taiwan
Many people living in Taiwan eventually make the choice to buy and use a scooter for daily transportation. Tourists don’t really have that option right when they arrive however. Luckily Taiwan is full of public transportation options to help you with getting around as soon as you get here. Buses Buses are a very cheap […]
Living Expenses for Taiwan: Rent, Utilities, Food, Transportation and Nightlife
There are a lot of places in the world where a native English speaker can choose to move in order to teach English abroad. Taiwan Taiwan has the reputation for being one of the better places. One of the biggest reasons for that is the salary earned vs. living expenses. That differential is definitely a […]
Why Living in Taipei is Great for Lazy People
I admit it. I often suffer bouts of extreme laziness. I try to be proactive. I make plans to accomplish a week’s worth of work in a day. I plan and organize and strategize my butt off. But then when it’s go time, the procrastination sneaks in. I need to go to the bank, but […]
Questions & Answers About Learning Chinese in Taiwan
This is a post by our friend David Joughin. David has lived in Taiwan for many years and works as the Marketing Director for a Florist in Taipei. He has extensive experience studying and learning Chinese and we asked him to write about his experience. David answers the 10 most common questions he gets about […]
5 Reasons to Quit Your Boring Job and Teach English in Taiwan
Teaching English abroad has become pretty popular in recent years, so I’m always surprised that a lot of people don’t have Taiwan on their radar (this is part of the reason we started this blog). If you have read our other posts, you know Tim and I both really like Taiwan and encourage people to […]
Should You Use a Recruiter to Find a Teaching Job in Taiwan?
Sometimes when you are looking for an English teaching job in Taiwan, you don’t always have a lot of time. Perhaps your last employer didn’t give you much notice that they were not going to renew your contract, thus leaving you without an ARC. Or maybe you are new in Taiwan and your visitor’s visa […]
Differences Between Teaching English to Adults and Children
The vast majority of jobs available are for teaching children (usually ages 5-18). However, there are some adult teaching jobs available and if you are willing to spend the time and effort looking you may find something. I’ve taught both children and adults and I actually really like both for different reasons. Both have their […]
Visa Basics for Living and Working in Taiwan
Something that becomes an important part of your life when you move to Taiwan is your residency status. In your home country you never need to worry about work and residency visas, but when living in a foreign country, it’s a topic that often takes center stage. If you are coming to Taiwan for the […]