Quote:
Originally Posted by Torg0th
Taiwan won't be as big of a culture shock, at least in Taipei. That is based on my 3 months experience. They are westernized to some degree and definitely don't have the mainland craziness. Boris where u at bro
Taiwan definitely not that huge of a culture shock, but still a society influenced by Confucianism. As a relatively long-time China/Asia resident, moving to Taiwan after being in the U.S. for a bit still presented a bit of culture shock. Torg0th is right that the mainland craziness doesn't really exist, which in my opinion makes for Taiwan as a mentally healthier option. I think there's definitely merits for each place, specifically I think G2a mentioned Nanjing.
Taiwan: Good air, convenient, 1st-world, very easy to travel to the ocean, mountains, hot springs, etc...
China: A bit more of the Wild Wild West (which isn't a bad thing), Nanjing very rich in history, and also the Sun Yat-sen mausoleum there (wink).
I'm glad I've experienced both, but living-wise, I'd pick Taiwan any day of the week, but for getting into the nitty gritty and having such a large departure from what I everyday life is in 1st world countries, China would be my pick.
When it comes to language, most under-30s will speak some English, and it is relatively easy to get around. My first week ever living in China, it took me 2 hours to get home when I was only 15 minutes away, because of my inability to communicate with the taxi driver (keep in mind that was in Beijing).
Also, if need my name or contact details for your application (just pm for details).
-Big Body