What Next After Taiwan?

[bismarck]

Let alone things like a weekend trip to the Philippines or taking a week off to re-charge in Thailand. They just don't get it.

Hmm, I seem to be missing this part of the expat equation in my life.

Yea, same here. Sounds nice. For me life has been largely back and forth, back and forth, back and forth between my house and my office. If/when I land a job in the Bay Area, I'll definitely need to make the most of my final time in Taiwan (before I return here again).

Well, that was back in the "good old days" before the wife and the boy.

[divea]

I had read this thread and I think the OP had worded it beautifully, so I was anticipating that loss of 'luxury time' one gets in Taiwan as an expat. I had plenty, with no relatives etc. I thought the prison analogy was right too, and yes I have trouble fitting in. But it is no biggie, People stare at me agape because we haven't invested in a flat or any other property till date, so that means we are not the 'in' or the 'it' couple, but who cares???Other than that (which is the only thing people talk of in India these days, soaring property prices) we have fit in beautifully. Atleast we are not missing our quotidien life on the rock. Not the pool, nor the lake, nor the food, nor the people. Weird. At least not yet. Maybe we always knew, it would end so we enjoyed it thoroughly, and we know this won't last either so we are trying to make the best of it. Even the kids just kind of merged in here, despite numerous changes.

I guess, life goes on. Even after the 'wan

[Gao Bohan]

Insular...that's the word my husband uses a lot when he visits the States...and I agree.

What's funny about that is so many posters complain about the well, insular view of most Taiwanese. Ah, but you're in the UAE now. I'm sure "insular" doesn't describe anyone in the Arab peninsula.

[urodacus]

they'd be known as 'peninsular'.

Geez.

[steelersman]

Insular...that's the word my husband uses a lot when he visits the States...and I agree.

What's funny about that is so many posters complain about the well, insular view of most Taiwanese. Ah, but you're in the UAE now. I'm sure "insular" doesn't describe anyone in the Arab peninsula.

Which really proves the point! It is not that the US in insular, just that Indiana can live in a community of like minded people who have similar views when she lives abroad. It is interesting that New York University professor Nassim Nicholas Taleb goes ove this idea in The Black Swan. I cannot remember her name but he discusses an author who wrote fiction that was not mainstream until her fiction became a hit. He believes that she was able to keep going due to the fact she lived in a community of other artist and writers who were not worried about the mortgage or owning whatever car is in style. Most countries are probably insular. It just seems that as an ex-pat one is likely to hang with a ground of like minded people. I am sure that when I work on a Master's in Speech Language Pathology in Pennsylvania that I will have few people with similar life experiences to discuss things with.

I think the key point is that it does not matter what lifestyle you choose to live, you will probably not be very happy if you choose to live in an area where people do not have similar views.

[Gao Bohan]

they'd be known as 'peninsular'.

Geez.

Ooh, nice!

[Mucha Man]

What's funny about that is so many posters complain about the well, insular view of most Taiwanese.

Reminds me of the foreigners who complain they can't stand the bureaucracy here, the headaches, the rudeness, the driving, the food, and the lack of law and order, only to end by telling you they are moving to China.

[Gao Bohan]

Reminds me of the foreigners who complain they can't stand the bureaucracy here, the headaches, the rudeness, the driving, the food, and the lack of law and order, only to end by telling you they are moving to China.

Or Fiji.

[Mucha Man]

Reminds me of the foreigners who complain they can't stand the bureaucracy here, the headaches, the rudeness, the driving, the food, and the lack of law and order, only to end by telling you they are moving to China.

Or Fiji.

Fiji was my tropical dream paradise when I was growing up. Then I went.

[Indiana]

Insular...that's the word my husband uses a lot when he visits the States...and I agree.

What's funny about that is so many posters complain about the well, insular view of most Taiwanese. Ah, but you're in the UAE now. I'm sure "insular" doesn't describe anyone in the Arab peninsula.

Of course it does!!! You know what's weird though? It bothers me more when it's my own peeps, does that make sense?