• Home
  • Start Your Own Travel Blog
  • Resources
  • About NaTC
  • Contact

Not a Travel Club

We're Not a Club, We're a Community

Accredited Online TEFL
  • Travel Tips
  • Trip Reports
  • Living Abroad

What Kinds of People Shouldn’t Come to Taiwan

Taiwan can be a fun, exciting and adventurous (and plenty of other positive adjectives) place to live. But it also can be frustrating, challenging and difficult (and just as many negative things you can conjure up). Whether you will like Taiwan, and succeed here, really depends on what kind of person you are.

In this post we’ll cover who probably shouldn’t come to Taiwan. There is no shame in deciding that Taiwan isn’t the right place for you, and hey, you’ll save a lot of time, money and frustration by realizing that now then when you get here.

We’ve seen plenty of people leave after a month or two because Taiwan wasn’t the place for them, or they couldn’t handle being abroad. If you feel like you fit the bill on one or more of these, then you seriously need to reconsider whether going to Taiwan is right for you. However, if these descriptions don’t match you, then we suggest you start planning your adventure to Taiwan!

Don’t want to commit to Taiwan

Ok, we aren’t talking about a life commitment here or anything, but if you come to Taiwan to teach or do other work you need to be ready to commit to staying here for at least a year.

The problem we often see is that people fantasize about the adventure and fun of being abroad, but in reality they are only looking for a vacation or break of a few months away from home. These people generally aren’t ready or willing to commit to a year or more away from family, friends and the other comforts of home.

What Tim and I always tell people is that Taiwan is not like other countries where people go to for 4-6 months to travel and do a little work on the side to make some money. For many things like jobs, apartments, pre-paid cell phone plans, etc. you usually need to sign one year contracts and breaking these to leave early can be both expensive and challenging.

So, you really need to make sure you are ready to commit to a solid year before booking that plane ticket to Taiwan. The good thing is that if you decide that Taiwan is the right place and do plan on staying for a year (or longer) you may be able to save a decent amount of money.

Don’t want an adventure

This one seems obvious, but bear with me here. If you don’t like adventure, why would you move abroad, especially to a place like Taiwan?

What Tim and I often see are people who get caught up in the excitement of moving abroad because they are bored at home, but then get to Taiwan and don’t handle the differences between Taiwan and their home countries well. Just as things can seem fun and exciting, they can also seem incredibly annoying and frustrating.

Consider driving a scooter, a common occurrence for many people here (especially those that live outside Taipei). Are you excited by the idea of whizzing through traffic while dodging people and cars, or are you terrified by the thought of it?

What about the food. Are you ready to try out some of the interesting foods that people eat here like chicken feet, stinky tofu and duck blood or are you the kind of person that is unwilling to try out new cuisines?

Of course you don’t need to love scooter driving or Taiwanese food, but the point I’m making here is you need to ask yourself whether trying new things excites you about coming to Taiwan, or if it makes you question whether Taiwan is the right place for you.

Aren’t ready for a non-English environment

Taiwan is definitely not as English friendly as many other countries (i.e. many European or Southeast Asian countries) and some people really only think about this after they arrive.

On one hand, you can often find someone to help when you need something translated. On the other hand, you can’t always assume someone will be around to help you, and even if people are around that can help, it does get frustrating to constantly be asking people for basic things you could do in 2 minutes back home.

Imagine trying to order dumplings from a street vendor after an exhausting day of work and not understanding what the vendor is asking and getting something completely different and disgusting tasting back from them. How about trying to get medicine from a pharmacy when you’re sick and not being able to explain what’s wrong? Sound fun?

Of course not, but how you handle these situations will indicate whether you’ll do well here. Can you laugh them off or easily put them behind you and chalk these experiences up to living in a country with a different language, or will you get stuck on these little annoyances and grow inward and more frustrated with doing daily activities?

Not flexible and prefer very structured environments

Working for a Taiwanese cram school or company is going to be very different experience in terms of dealing with management, working in groups, and handling less structured environments.  These kinds of differences and challenges are of course frustrating to almost everyone, but again, it’s how you handle it that will determine how well you enjoy your time here. Here are some more specifics on how working in a Taiwanese cram school or company can be different than in the west.

Management

Taiwanese bosses are generally more authoritarian and expect you to follow what they say. Now, this isn’t super strict, and you don’t need to say yes to everything your boss says, but you do need to be willing to be respectful and not openly challenge them like you often can in the west.

When I’ve disagreed with my bosses about something, I have usually spoken up, but I do so in a respectful way that focuses on how I think we can do things better (i.e. I don’t focus on criticizing their decisions and get into a heated debate about them). I also try not to openly disagree with my bosses when others are around so that they don’t lose face (face is something we will definitely cover in a post later).

Groups

Taiwanese companies often have a group think mentality and people here don’t like to openly voice independent ideas that go against the group. This is often very different than western culture where we are taught to be individuals and voice our opinions strongly in group settings.

When a group decides to do something, they generally expect everyone to go along with it and not fight it. This means that  if you actively oppose the group’s decision and are vocal about it, you may face resentment from your coworkers for being outspoken and for being perceived as causing conflict.

Structured environments

Taiwanese cram schools and companies are definitely not as structured or organized as what I’ve experienced in the west. Basically, the best advice I tell people is be prepared for things like constant last minute changes, people forgetting to tell you important details, and just general lack of clarity.

For example, I remember walking into a new class and discovering that the level and lesson I had planned for were completely different than what I had been told by my manager and there was no time to plan for the actual level/lesson I had to teach (that was a rough two hour class to teach). Another time I showed up for an early Saturday class (I hated Saturday morning classes when I was teaching) only to be told that my school had canceled the class the day before and simply had forgotten to tell me.

Filed Under: Living Abroad Tagged With: Taiwan

Comments

  1. Anonymouse says

    June 25, 2016 at 6:16 pm

    A few very important things you must know. I’m disappointed that the things I am about to mention are not listed on this thread.

    Anyone considering to move to Taiwan, or anywhere in Asia for that matter. It’s very very important you learn these facts I’m about to share with you now.

    1. You will never truly belong. Anywhere in Asia including Taiwan. No matter how much you integrate into the local culture, no matter how fluent you become in the local language, no matter how respectful, open minded, flexible, and culturally sensitive you are, you will ALWAYS be an outsider. Your host Asian country will NEVER truly become your home.

    2. Social segregation: Yes people are friendly. Yes many will go out of their way to help you. But being friendly and being a true friend who you share life with are two different things. Living in Taiwan (any Asian country) you will face social segregation. To be fair, you may find the odd friend or two willing to be friends with you for true friendships sake. But those people are hard to find. Most interaction with locals you will have will be limited to brief small talk on the streets with a stranger which you will never see again to that of people in your neighborhood who will only be a nodding acquaintence as well as those who will invite you out to dinner one day and maybe even invite you to their home, after which they will never see you again. Yes the atmosphere is friendly. But you won’t find yourself becoming part of people’s lives. Your interaction with locals will be extremely limited. I can appreciate the friendly environment and such, but it’s important too that you realize where your limitations as a foreigner are.

    YOU WILL SPEND MOST OF YOUR TIME ALONE.

    3. National pride: Asian national pride comes with a racially superiority complex. If you for example, end up in a situation where you end up in a fist fight with a local, or any conflict whatsoever. You will lose. No matter how right you are. Because other locals will side with whoever the local is. If it’s a fist dight, other locals will swarm you. If it’s a shouting arguement which looks like it’s about to result in a fight, other locals will stand by the local and face you like an album cover. If someone causes you grief, you cannot stand up for your pride and dignity. A local can, but you can’t. Asian pride is what it is.

    If you are thinking about coming to Taiwan, Korea, China, Japan, or wherever for your first time. You are not ready to come to this part of the world until you understand these crucial facts.
    1. You will always be an outsider.
    2. You will be socially segregated and you will spend most of your free time ALONE!
    3. Locals in a conflict with you, no matter how trivial it is, they will always win over you.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Popular Posts

Living in Tainan

3 Things NOT to do in Taiwan

Shuraba MMA Taiwan

MMA Training in Taipei Taiwan

In a Taiwan hospital

My Beautiful View of Taiwan – From a Hospital Bed

Join Our Newsletter

Get updates sent right to your inbox.

*We are a spam free zone

notatravelclub

notatravelclub
#Kobe Bryant memorial street art in #Ximenting #t #Kobe Bryant memorial street art in #Ximenting

#taipei #taiwan #kobebryant
#Sanrio coffee cup from 7-11 #taipei #taiwan #xime #Sanrio coffee cup from 7-11
#taipei #taiwan #ximenting #travel
A flight is always right. #taipei #taiwan #beer # A flight is always right. 
#taipei #taiwan #beer #brewery #travel
Hazy day at Wanli Beach. #wanli #taiwan #beach Hazy day at Wanli Beach.

#wanli #taiwan #beach
Toys, toys and more toys. #taipei #taiwan #travel Toys, toys and more toys.

#taipei #taiwan #travel
I think I know that guy... #americanpaleale #beer I think I know that guy...
#americanpaleale #beer #taipei #taiwan
A nice view from Costa Rica's Jaco Beach #costari A nice view from Costa Rica's Jaco Beach

#costarica #jacobeach #beach #travel #globetrotter
This grumpy black striped iguana came by for a vis This grumpy black striped iguana came by for a visit.

#jaco #jacobeach #costarica #travel #globetrotter
SJO Vive! #sanjose #sjo #costarica #travel #globe SJO Vive!

#sanjose #sjo #costarica #travel #globetrotter
Come on @jetblue this is me getting off the plane Come on @jetblue this is me getting off the plane that had mechanical problems over 2 hours ago. That was after I sat on the plane for almost an hour and a half. I'm still trying to get rebooked along with several other people and none of us have even been given some water. I know you can do better.
Not a bad view from SJO. #sanjose #sjo #costarica Not a bad view from SJO.

#sanjose #sjo #costarica #travel #globetrotter
Best deal in Jaco. A free insanely delicious chili Best deal in Jaco. A free insanely delicious chiliguaro and small meat and rice dish with your first beer at @redparrotjaco 
#jaco #jacobeach #costarica #beer #travel #globetrotter #chiliguaro
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Recent Posts

  • 4 Places You Should Visit and the Languages You Should Learn to Truly Enjoy Them
  • Travel Photography: 5 Tips to Take the Best Photos
  • Point Boutique Hotel in Phnom Penh, Cambodia: Our Review

USEFUL INFORMATION

NaTC's Privacy Policy

Advertising Terms & Rates

Write for Us

Disclaimer

NotaTravelClub.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com

Copyright © 2021 NotaTravelClub.com | Sitemap