THE WEATHER
Tropical. Humid. Rainy (but not generally
very cold) winters from November to March. Hot summers in mid-year. Often
very windy. The weather in Taiwan varies across the island, but Taipei's
weather can be checked out HERE. |
HELPFUL LINKS
A good site for expatriate professionals
is here at ORIENTED. Other information
about local community assistance is here.Listen
to the national English radio service, ICRT.
Try TAIWANHOME for more info,
too. The three English daily papers are THE
TAPEI TIMES, THE CHINA POST and the TAIWAN NEWS. |
GETTING AROUND
Almost everyone uses scooters. When
they're not zig-zagging through traffic on two wheels, they'll be doing
it on 4 with no reduction in speed or increased awareness of other road
users. Travel out of town is easy, either by express train or bus.
Taxis are everywhere and are relatively inexpensive, (provided they can
read your map). |
THE FOOD
Chinese (of course), but not the
Hong Kong-style cuisine that most Westerners are familiar with (from visits
to their local Chinese restaurant). It's easy to eat cheaply and well,
though the oil and fat-heavy dishes can put on the poundage. The supermarkets
are good - some even have English labels on ALL the shelves - and there's
always the KFC, Dominos, Pizza Hut or Big Mac option... |
About living
in Taiwan...
|
THE LANGUAGE
Mandarin and Taiwanese are the main
languages. English is not widely spoken.
COST OF LIVING
A Big Mac meal costs about NT100
($3), as does a beer at the local pub. A cup of coffee at a small coffee
shop costs from NT40 ($1.30) - though they can climb to $5 at the best
places) and a month's rent for an unfurnished flat averages $250. Water
and power rates are incredibly low. |
|
TAIWAN'S URBAN LANDSCAPE.
LOTS OF BOXY CEMENT BUILDINGS AND HILLS, HILLS, HILLS. |
|
RICE PADDIES ARE EVERYWHERE. |
