I first went to Taiwan with the intention of staying for one year to pay off my student loan, then traveling through Asia for a while, and then returning home to New Zealand. Instead, four years later, I taught over 300 students, managed and trained over 700 teachers, met my future wife, traveled overland from Hong Kong to London, and immigrated to Canada!
Working for Hess was a life changing experience for me; in a very positive way.
On first moving to Taiwan it took me a while to find my feet. It was pretty tough trying to order noodles with my three words of Mandarin. I look back on those first three months a one of the toughest times of my life. It was incredibly rewarding to beat the tough times and move on to bigger and better things.
After the initial hump, things just got better and better. I made a real effort to be friendly with all the staff at my school, and to learn some Mandarin. Through all the people I met while I worked for Hess, I have many new lifelong friends. I also managed to travel around the island, and around Asia while I was working.
It took longer than I anticipated, but I paid off my student loan as well.
Teaching was a blast. You are paid to make learning fun, and if the kids are having fun, you are having fun. I taught both Language School (6-adult) and Kindergarten (2-6 years old). Initially the workload was pretty heavy, especially when you throw in the six day work week, heat, the language barrier, and culture shock. The trick for me was to work extremely hard initially in order to get over the hump. Once I put in the initial hard work teaching became easier and easier. My favorite classes were the mid level Language School classes and the high level kindergarten classes.
After working for a year, I was promoted to the head office. I was told that the reason I had got the job ahead of the other applicants was because I had always been willing to help out with events and other activities, and because I had gone the extra mile when asked. Working in the head office was a great experience too, but much harder work than teaching!
I occasionally miss the lifestyle and pace of Taipei. The trendy bars, and in particular, the huge number of great restaurants. I also miss the art galleries, museums, and concerts. Taipei is a big enough center to get regular exhibitions from the Lourve, for example. There is always something new and interesting happening in Taipei, so you are never short of things to do with your spare time. And of course I miss all my great friendships that I made in Taiwan.
I look back now on my time in Taiwan as an extremely positive experience in my life. There were good days and bad days, but overall I don't have a bad thing to say about my time there. Living in Taiwan and working for Hess is a great experience, with one caveat. You have to make things happen. You have to be proactive about making positive relationships, taking the opportunities as they arise, and always being open to new experiences. If you can do that, then Taiwan, and Hess can be the greatest experience of your life.
Chris
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