Our emigration: How to live in Taiwan - ForumDaily
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Our emigration: How to live in Taiwan

Russian woman Tatyana Komarova 10 has been living in Taiwan for years. She said Tinkoff magazine about how life is arranged and studying.

Photo: personal archive

History and geography

Taiwan is an island in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of China. Until 1949, he was part of Chinese territory.

After World War II, civil war broke out in China, in which the Communists won. To survive, the Chinese intelligentsia had to flee to Taiwan. Over the next half century, they built an independent democratic state with a developed social sphere and a high standard of living.

In the second half of the 20 century, the Taiwanese managed to achieve a giant economic leap, turning their small island from a poor agrarian country where they grew rice for neighboring Japan into one of the leaders in the global computer industry. For example, the company "Asus" and "Eyser", for many years producing components for computers, and today also for the entire technology "Apple", originally from Taiwan.

Similar processes were underway in South Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore. Today they are widely heard, they are also called “Asian tigers”. At the same time, few people know that Taiwan is the fourth “tiger”.

About Taiwan in general is little known, because many stubbornly consider it a part of China. The Chinese themselves still do not agree to the independence of the island and want to return it. As a separate state, Taiwan is recognized by only a few dozen countries - mainly African ones. Russia does not want to quarrel with huge China because of the tiny island, so our country does not have official diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

Many maps of Taiwan are still considered part of China.

Scholarships for foreigners

Higher education in Taiwan is paid. But international students can get a scholarship and study at local universities for free. The majority of such scholarships are issued by the Taiwanese government: it is important for it that foreigners come to the island, and then tell about it at home. That's how I am now.

Taiwan Ministry of Education pays a scholarship "Taiwan-Schools". It is designed for students with high performance. Big competition: in 2017, on Russia and countries CIS have allocated all 18 seats.

The program "Taiwan-school" includes tuition fees - 40 000 NTD ($ 1293) for each semester, as well as a monthly scholarship. Its size is 15 000 NTD ($ 485) for bachelors and 20 000 NTD ($ 646) for masters and graduate students. Bachelors and graduate students pay this money 4 years, masters - Only 2. You can get a scholarship only once for each category - a total of no more than 5 years.

Applications for government scholarship are accepted from February to April. But if the deadlines have already come out, and you do not want to wait a whole year, you can unlearn the first semester for a fee. If, by the end of the semester, you get five for most subjects, you can apply for a state scholarship already in place. Then you will be compensated for the initial expenses for training. But if the grades deteriorate, the scholarships will be deprived.

Many more scholarships are offered by Taiwanese foundations and community organizations. They also cover all the costs of training, accommodation and medical insurance, and can still pay for air tickets. The bachelor gives 12 000 NTD ($ 388) monthly to the bachelor, 15 000 NTD ($ 242) to the master - 17 000 NTD ($ 275) to the graduate student.

If you are not sure that you want to go to Taiwan for a long time, you can first go there for language courses. They usually last from 3 months to 2 years and provide an opportunity to get to know the country, its culture and the mentality of the locals. There are also many different scholarships for language courses.

Visa and residence permit

Due to the fact that Russia officially regards Taiwan as a part of China, there is no full-fledged Taiwan embassy in Moscow. But there is a representative office for cultural and economic relations, which, among other things, makes visas for trips to the island.

If you are traveling for a period of no more than 3 months, a guest visa is enough - this is another tourist name. If the period of stay is longer, you will need to issue a resident visa. The cost of these visas is the same - 50 $.

Photo: personal archive

A resident visa allows you to obtain a residence permit, so it will be required to provide a medical certificate for an established sample. To do this, you will have to bypass doctors and collect evidence that you are not suffering from dangerous diseases, including donating blood for HIV. The form for medical reference in Russian can be requested at the representative office.

Photo: personal archive

Even for a residence visa will be asked for an invitation from the University of Taiwan, as well as confirmation of the appointment of scholarships. If you do not have a scholarship, you should have at least 6000 $ on your account as proof that you are able to pay for the full course of study at the University of Taiwan.

On a residence visa after arrival, you need to apply for a residence permit in the nearest Immigration office. It has 15 days, you need a passport and documents confirming admission to a local university. A residence permit can be issued for a period from 1 to 3 years. It will cost, respectively, from 1000 to 3000 NTD.

Photo: personal archive

Language

I traveled to Taiwan to get into the language environment and quickly learn Chinese. It is considered the most difficult language in the world, largely because of the hieroglyphs, which are thousands. Most often they have to stupidly memorize.

In Taiwan, Chinese is not quite the same as in China. When the Communists came to power in 70 years ago in China, they decided that for the development of the country it was necessary to get rid of the total illiteracy of the population. To do this, simplified the writing of most of the characters. For example, the hieroglyph consisted of 8 traits, and after reforming them 5 left.

After the civil war, Taiwan cut off all contacts with China, so these changes did not affect him. On the island, the Chinese language was preserved in the same form as 200 and 300 years ago. The paradox is that although it is more difficult to write the ancient hieroglyphs, they are remembered much better. Probably because Taiwanese hieroglyphs describe the meaning of a word in much more detail - it is easier to understand the logic of the language.

I traveled to Taiwan, almost not knowing Chinese. I was a little scared that I could not explain myself in difficult situations, for example, if I went to the hospital. But it turned out that almost everyone on the island knows English. He has been taught since childhood, for some specialists knowledge of English is necessary - for example, for doctors, engineers or university professors.

There are many foreigners on the island, so important information is indicated in two languages ​​at once. In public institutions, staff have a leaflet with questions that are most often asked by foreigners. Questions are written in English and translated into Chinese - you just need to point to the right line.

Only English people do not speak English at all. There are a lot of taxi drivers and street vendors among them, so for such cases it’s good to have a piece of paper with you where it is written in hieroglyphs what you are looking for.

Accomodation

Hostel. For the first three years in Taiwan, I lived in a university dormitory, and all my expenses were covered by my scholarship program.

Hostels in Taiwan are clean and comfortable. Usually rooms are designed for four people, shower and toilet on the floor. For all occupants of the floor in the corridor one large fridge. There is also a common kitchen, but at a time there can fit a maximum of two people. Usually this is not a problem, because few people cook in a hostel - everyone eats outside the home.

Photo: personal archive

Photo: Ntupes.edu.tw

There are also dormitories specifically for foreigners - they are designed for double occupancy. But there the rooms are tiny and look more like cabinets, the toilet is inside, and the shower is just a hose over the toilet. Therefore, I advise everyone to settle in an ordinary hostel with Taiwanese students. So you learn Chinese faster and understand the characteristics of the local culture and mentality.

Studio apartment. When I became a graduate student, I wanted silence, and I decided to rent a studio for 12 000 NTD per month ($ 388).

The agency was advised to me in the dean's office, and 7500 had to pay for its work. NTD ($ 242). Still need a security deposit - the rental price for the month 2.

I lived in Taipei - this is the capital of Taiwan. There are now very popular large hotel-type houses, when the building has its own shop, fitness room, outdoor pool, cinema, conference room, karaoke and even hot springs. There is also a free shuttle bus that goes to the nearest metro station.

Photo: personal archive

The main item of utility bills is electricity. Each apartment has air conditioning: in the summer on the island + 40 ° C and very high humidity. It will not be possible to save money during the cold months, because in Taiwan homes there is no central heating and in winter the temperature in the apartment is the same as on the street, that is, + 15 ° C. Due to high humidity, it feels like 0 ° C in Moscow latitudes. The electric heater has to be kept on all day.

Electricity costs 1500 NTD per month ($ 48), and water and gas - 240 NTD ($ 8). Every month I paid for home phone and the Internet 300 NTD ($ 10), still 200 NTD ($ 6) spent on cellular for a standard package of 100 sms and 200 minutes. In Taiwan, there is a very fast internet connection and there is Wi-Fi everywhere. Almost everywhere the networks are open - you can connect to them without passwords.

You still have to pay for the general needs of the house - all of these pools, cinemas and fitness rooms. But I agreed with the landlords, and they included payment in the rental price.

Photo: personal archive

Study in taiwan

I received a bachelor's degree from a small private university, the University of Kainan. It is located in Taoyuan City, in the north of the island, not far from Taipei. It trains only in several specialties and there is no monthly scholarship, but the university completely covers the cost of tuition and dormitory. So the university attracts foreign students to rise in the world ranking and become more famous.

It was easy for me to study at the undergraduate level, the main thing is not to miss the lectures. During my studies, I got used to the local culture, climate and rhythm of life, pulled up English and Chinese. The master's degree was credited to me by an automaton - a diploma from a Russian high school was useful for this. And for graduate school, I chose a more prestigious private university - Tamkan University. He is in Taipei. To study there for free, I won a state scholarship.

The education system in Taiwan is copied from the American. The student chooses his main specialty - the so-called major. For example, I have world politics and international relations. You can also choose “sub-specialty”, or minor, - I chose international logistics.

Each semester, a student studies several courses in the main and additional specialties to earn points, or credits, and their total amount will be recorded at the end in your diploma. In addition to the main courses, you can attend subjects not directly related to the specialty, such as cooking classes or oratory.

The key difference of such a system from the Russian in a large amount of independent work. Each student decides for himself what subjects to study, and the teachers do not waste time lecturing, the materials of which are easy to find on their own. In the classroom, most of the time is devoted to discussions or teamwork.

In undergraduate and graduate all exams are written, in the form of tests. After the Russian university, it was difficult for me to get used to it: when the exam is oral, you can always get out somehow, and here there is only one correct answer, although it seems that everyone is suitable.

In graduate school the concept has changed. It is believed that if a student decides to go to science, then he must think outside the box. Therefore, each subject had to read 2 — 3 books a week, and then write an essay in which it is necessary to reflect one’s own, original vision.

It is saved that professors at the university are always open to communication with students. You can stay after class and ask to explain the topic again. Often they themselves invited our entire group to a cafe or dinner to maintain friendly relations.

Usually university professors are practitioners who have worked in their fields for many years. For example, an international logistics instructor took our group to the port several times, which he previously led, to show how huge container ships are unloading.

Photo: personal archive

Salaries and taxes

The minimum wage on the island is growing every year. According to the decision of the Ministry of Employment of Taiwan in 2018, the minimum wage will be 22 000 NTD per month ($ 711), and hourly rate - 140 NTD ($ 5). At the same time, the average salary in the manufacturing and service sectors reaches 48 800 NTD ($ 1577).

The most prestigious jobs - in ITcompanies: there even the salaries of ordinary employees can reach 100 000 NTD ($ 3231).

In Taiwan, the progressive scale of tax on personal income - the more you get, the more you pay, starting with 5%. Foreigners must give 20% of their income, but you can get the tax status of a resident of Taiwan - for this you need to live on the island for at least 183 days a year.

Tax on personal income for residents

Income level, NTDThe tax rate
0 — 540 0005%
540 001 — 1 210 00012%
1 210 001-2 420 00020%
2 420 001-4 530 00030%
4 530 001-10 310 00040%
10 310 001 and more45%

Corporate income tax for companies is 17%, but if the amount of taxable income does not exceed 120 000 NTD ($ 3878), then the tax rate is 0%.

Taiwanese are very fond of lottery. And the local government loves when people buy more goods produced on the island. In 1951, the Ministry of Finance of Taiwan figured out how to achieve this, and at the same time get local entrepreneurs to issue checks correctly, fully showing their profits. To this end, the state has established a nationwide lottery, which is carried out according to the numbers of checks stamped for the purchase. The lottery is already 67 years old, in every odd month. The total prize amount per draw sometimes reaches 10 million NTD.

Part-time job for students

When I studied, I tried to earn money, although I was perceived by the university without much enthusiasm. Here they consider that the main thing for a student is studying, especially if the state pays for it. But if the money is desperately needed, the university will help you find part-time work, on 3 — 4 an hour a day. Usually it is cleaning, work in the library or a personal assistant with one of the professors. Pay around 75 NTD ($ 2) per hour, and processing is officially prohibited. But in fact, the money for them is simply given in an envelope.

The advantage of this kind of work is that it is simple, the university decides right on campus and all issues with taxes and benefits. I got about 5000 a month NTD ($ 162).

I also worked a little tutor of Russian and English. Russian was especially appreciated: it is considered to be rare and prestigious here, especially in a business environment. For one lesson I was paid 1000 NTD ($ 32), there were usually three lessons per week. Tutoring is not considered a real job, so the university is not against it and taxes are not required.

Once I even participated in advertising local watches. Taiwanese are very fond of when light-skinned people are removed from advertising: in their opinion, this is how viewers have more confidence in the advertised product. It took a whole day to shoot, for which I was paid 10 000 NTD ($ 323). But the photos turned out terrible: I did not recognize myself on them. I did not agree to this anymore.

Medicine and insurance

Medicine in Taiwan is paid. The health system includes large public hospital complexes and small private medical offices. According to the statements of local officials, the Taiwan system of voluntary medical insurance is one of the lowest-cost and most effective in the world.

Each employee is obliged to deduct 4,69% of their annual income to the insurance fund. But he himself pays only a third of this amount, the rest is covered by the employer. In addition, for each visit to the doctor you need to pay another 400 — 500 NTD ($ 13-16) - the so-called registration fee. This is so that there is no desire to go to the doctor every day.

Photo: personal archive

There are no queues in hospitals, paperwork too: everything is computerized. After reception at the doctor, you need to go to the pharmacy at the hospital, where you will be given an individual set of medicines for free. Usually they last for three days. After that, you either get better or make an appointment again. Unusually, the fact that the doctor can not be called to the house. No matter how bad you are, you need to come to the reception yourself or call an ambulance.

Under the insurance, you can cure your teeth, including inserting modern implants, and perform any complicated surgery. Once a year, a full medical examination. Free maintenance does not apply only to plastic surgery.

Many scholarship programs fully pay for participation in the state health insurance program, so during their studies, foreign students manage to cure all their teeth and undergo several expensive examinations at the expense of the Taiwanese state.

But foreigners can connect to this system only by continuously living on the island for more than 6 months. If a student has to go to the hospital before that, he will pay for everything himself - and then one appointment can cost 500 $. Therefore, before leaving Russia, you need to make the usual travel insurance for the first six months.

Food

The national cuisine of Taiwan is Chinese. Locals love to say that the Chinese eat everything that is on the ground, except for the chair, and everything that flies through the sky, except for the helicopter. Sometimes you just don't understand what you are chewing right now - you think that a chicken, and this is some kind of local vegetable.

Photo: personal archive

Foreigners usually either fall in love with Chinese food right away, or cannot bear it and are looking for where to eat something European. There are no problems with this: many foreigners who choose to stay in Taiwan open national cafes and restaurants. Here I tried many cuisines of the world, for example, Mexican and African. But I like Taiwan food too.

Taiwanese practically do not cook at home, in many apartments there is not even a kitchen, because it is easier and cheaper to walk to the nearest cafe and order food there. They don’t even have breakfast at home - they just go down to the first floor of the building where they live, buy food in a cafe and go about their business.

The university can eat right in the classroom, so often in the morning couple the whole group is chewing something together. The university campus has a food court and a canteen where they cook very tasty. Dine tight there for 70 NTD ($ 2). Therefore, even ordinary citizens who work nearby come to eat there.

Hearty breakfast with a big sandwich, a cup of coffee and dessert will cost 75 NTD ($ 2,4), lunch in a cafe - 100 NTD ($ 3), dinner at a restaurant is worth 700 NTD ($ 23) for one.

Photo: personal archive

Photo: personal archive

Photo: personal archive

Transport

Bus. Public transport on the island is inexpensive and convenient. Buses run frequently, and at peak times, two people arrive at the stop at once, so that there is no crush. Just pay the cash more carefully on the bus: they don’t give change. I learned this when the 2 stop paid off with a 100 note. NTD. The driver spread his hands: he does not even touch the money, they need to be put in a special device. Other passengers saw it and told the driver that I paid for them, and they themselves returned the difference to me.

Metro in Taipei is fast, trains run every minute. Most of them are on rubber wheels, so the subway is quiet - you can even talk in a whisper. It’s also very clean: eating, drinking and chewing gum is prohibited, otherwise the 10 000 NTD ($ 323) fine. At each station there is a free toilet - clean and always with paper.

The fare depends on the duration of the route. From one end of the city to the other - 65 NTD ($ 2), for short distances - 15 NTD ($ 0,5), for students - 12 NTD ($ 0,4).

Taxi. Prices for it vary slightly in different cities of the island. In Taipei, the first 1,25 km are 70 km NTD ($ 2), for every next 200 meter the counter will add 5 NTD ($ 0,2). For a night trip, 20 will be added to the total amount. NTD ($ 0,6). If you decide to take a taxi from one city to another, you will have to negotiate with the driver: in such cases, the meter is not included.

In public transport they pay with transport cards - they are combined with students with a student card. You can buy such a card in the machine at any metro station. Minimum cost - 500 NTD ($ 16), of which 100 is a deposit for the card itself, and 400 can be spent. The transport card is paid in bus, metro, taxi and bike rental, as well as in Starbucks and Seven-Eleven and Family-March grocery stores.

Scooters This is the fastest and most convenient transportation in Taiwan. It is possible to drive around traffic jams during rush hours and travel around the island. There are so many scooters in Taiwan that you can rent them at almost every major metro station. This will have to show a residence permit or Taiwanese driver's license, sometimes international rights are also suitable.

Rent a low-power scooter will cost 350 NTD per day ($ 11,3). A liter of gasoline in Taiwan costs 27 NTD ($ 0,9). Motor scooters do not insure, so if you break it or someone steals it from you (or rather just mix it up with yours), you will have to return the full cost yourself.

Local residents

The population of Taiwan is about 24 million people, of whom 95% are ethnic Chinese. But because of the historical remoteness from the main Chinese territory, the Taiwanese mentality is noticeably different from the inhabitants of China. Taiwanese are quiet, polite and sociable.

I have been to China several times - in Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou - and concluded that Taiwanese are very intelligent Chinese. AT China huge cities, the population of each of them is comparable with all of Taiwan. Because of this, people there are constantly somewhere in a hurry, pushing, being rude - especially if you are “laoway” (in Chinese it means “white devil”, “foreigner”).

On the island, life flows slowly, so Taiwanese are much more relaxed. Most of the locals are very friendly to foreigners, ready to give up all their business and show the way if you get lost. And if you even try to speak Chinese, they will be filled with respect for you.

Most Taiwanese envy the fact that Europeans have fair skin. According to local traditions, this is an indicator of high social status: there is no tan, which means you don’t have to work in the field, which means you are an intellectual. Therefore, the local cosmetologists most popular service - skin whitening.

Photo: personal archive

Also Taiwanese are conscientious and law-abiding. If the store has a large queue, no one will come forward "just to ask." The change in the stores is not counted, because the seller does not occur to you to cheat. Tips, by the way, in Taiwan, do not leave, because they are already laid in the account. I left out of habit several times, and always caught up with me in order to return the excess.

The kindness and gullibility of Taiwanese enjoy many visitors. One of my fellow students told me that she wants to go home for the holidays, but she has no money for a ticket. Taiwanese students immediately formed and paid for her flight.

Entertainment

The main student activities in Taiwan are nightclubs, island tours and beach holidays.

The best clubs are located in Taipei. Every evening there are themed parties and performances by local groups. American celebrities also come - so I got to the concerts of Beyonce, Britney Spears and Fifty-senta. For some reason, these guys never reach my native Nizhny Novgorod.

On ordinary days, the entrance ticket to the club costs 400 — 500 NTD ($ 13-16), the drink is also 300 NTD ($ 10). But I always went for free, because once a week every establishment is satisfied with “lead-night”, when the entrance and one drink for girls is free. The main thing is to know which club it will be today.

Photo: personal archive

With a beach holiday, everything is simple: Taiwan is an island in tropical latitudes, so you can sunbathe and swim here everywhere and almost all year round. But in the north, in Taipei, the coast is rocky, and the sea is dirty. Therefore, to the nearest beach you have to go 40 minutes by bus.

To dive with scuba diving, surfing or just lie on the beautiful beach, it is better to go for a week to the very south of the island, where there are few cities, lots of greenery and eternal summer. High-speed train ticket costs 3000 Рbut in an hour and a half you can be transported from the dusty multi-million Taipei to an untouched rainforest or a secluded bay.

Photo: personal archive

Photo: personal archive

The relief of the island is mountainous, so one of the favorite attractions of the locals - mountain walks. To get to the mountains, in some places you do not even need to travel outside the city.

There are even gold mines on the island to which Taiwan owes much of its prosperity. Now a museum has been established in their place, where you can go on an excursion and try to wash yourself a couple of grams of gold.

There are also many good museums in Taiwan. The main of them is the Museum of the Imperial Palace “Gongun”. It houses the world's largest collection of exhibits of traditional Chinese culture, only about 700 thousands, the age of the oldest exhibit is 8 thousands of years. Initially, the museum was located in Beijing, on the territory of the Forbidden City, but before it was captured by the Communists, the Chinese intelligentsia took almost all of its contents with them to Taiwan.

“Googun” is among the top five museums in the world in attendance, along with the British Museum, the Louvre and the Metropolitan Museum in New York. In many ways, because every self-respecting Chinese considers it mandatory at least once to come to the island to see what his country was before the arrival of the Communists.

Security

In Taiwan, there is almost no systematic crime. If you forget somewhere a phone or laptop, either everything will remain in the same place, or you will be searched for and returned to disappear. Certain crimes, of course, happen, but on the whole the streets are very calm, there are video cameras everywhere, and the police are friendly, but alert.

Where local danger is fraught with great danger. Taiwan is located in the zone of the Pacific geological fault, so the island is constantly shaking. Most often these are small earthquakes, which you quickly get used to. A week there are several small shocks, but you can feel them only if you are lying on the bed and carefully look at the dishes on the table.

Once in 5 — 7 years strong shocks occur, as a result of which houses collapse and people die. The last powerful earthquake with victims was on the island in February 2018.

Another danger is typhoons. The rainy and typhoon season begins at the end of June and lasts through September. At this time, up to 90% of the average annual precipitation falls and squally winds blow. Typically, a 3 — 4 typhoon, mostly small, passes through the island over a season, so it does without damage.

When the island covered the typhoon, the main thing is not to leave the house. In front of my window on such days scooters, pieces of the roof or entire billboards flew several times. Most often, the victims of typhoons are the poor fellows who, nevertheless, risked leaving the house.

Eventually

I spent 10 years on the island and consider it my second homeland. It is interesting and comfortable to study here, but the main thing is that you don’t have a question about what to do with your diploma, because a good education in Taiwan is appreciated.

After I received my doctoral degree, the neighbors began to bow to me at the meeting and call me “Dr. Komarova”, and employers from ITcompanies on the move offered to manage the department with a salary of 100 000 NTD ($ 3231).

Two years ago I had to return to Russia for family reasons. But I'm constantly pulling back to Taiwan. I think I'll be back soon. I will find a suitable scholarship and go again to study.

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