Views on leaving Taiwan from those who have done it!

[steelersman]

I am interested in how people who have left Taiwan fell about life back in the west. Was it difficult to adjust back to living in a western country? Do you regret it?

I may leave Taiwan within the next year. I may take a government job or go to flight school. I am curious about others experiences and thoughts.

[ironlady]

I have not yet adjusted to living in the West. But it has only been six years.

[tommy525]

iTs tuff man its tuff. YOu wake up in a cold sweat and think you're back in taiwan in some high rise and theres a quake going on... And you dream of TW food and stuff. And you may constantly catch yourself waking up just before your flight lands in Taiwan and realize you are still in bed in AMERIKA.

You may swear you are on a jumbo heading for the rock.

You cant get used to the air in Amerika and giant snots develop to clog your nose until you get used to the local stuff in the air.

You find you breath better if you can smell some car exhaust.

you wake up in the middle of the night speaking chinese and a few words of taiwanese thrown in.

you are sure you are in a KTV in Taipei but you forgot your money and the gangsters are watching the door.

the list goes on.

[dan2006]

I was only there for a year, and have been back in Toronto for a year now, but still miss TW.

So what makes you want to move back?

[DODO]

Going on fifteen years - although it gets easier with each passing year (ughhh). Initially, Tommy is correct. Many start with the pangs for foods that are more difficult to come by and with random phrases of Chinese in random places. Try dui bu qi in a crowded elevator and just wait for the looks that you get...

[steelersman]

After 15 years do you ever consider coming back to Taiwan? Do you ever come to Taiwan for a short visit?

[steelersman]

I was only there for a year, and have been back in Toronto for a year now, but still miss TW.

So what makes you want to move back?

I guess the lack of perspectives of doing something than working in a buxiban. I could get an M.A. in Managemnet but I would need to put myself in debt.

[rice_t]

I left 1992 after three years in Taiwan, back in TW since 2004. It felt good both times.

People back home will think that your preference for Mandopop (or Tai-Oldies, ...), food etc. is a bit funny. The good thing though is that during your time in Taiwan you have learned dealing with people that think that you are a bit funny, so it doesn't bother you in your home country either anymore. Apart from that, you will perhaps look at "home" in a different way. Coming back here was great, too. But both times it was difficult to leave friends behind. It doesn't matter so much for the really good friends, because they do stay in touch, but there are always some good folks that you loose contact with eventually. Facebook doesn't help either, err...I think, I don't use it much maybe that's why. It is a bit different though these days, as you can make cheap international calls, or with facebook perhaps. I did loose contact with a lot of people here in Taiwan back then.

[Highway Star]

Took a while, but life has been very good to us since returning to Australia in 2006. My Taiwanese wife helps keep me from missing the crazy island too much. Will be nice to drop in sometime soon though.

[headhonchoII]

I feel a lot of people, sadly, kind of abandon their old friends in Taiwan when they return to wherever home is. I have seen it happen many times...not sure why. I think it might be related to the type of people that come to Taiwan in the first place or that many people leave Taiwan and have to struggle again to make a new life at home?