Having made the decision to quit my job at the Blue Cross here in Montreal, I have accepted a position at a small school in Chiayi, Taiwan. My cousin Nichole (AKA Nikki) is working there, and I got the job through her!
I have gotten my visitor's visa. It took less than 48 hours (and I did the whole thing by MAIL!), so I was pleasantly surprised!
:-)
Maria (my travel agent) is forwarding the plane tickets to me today.... so everything is all set and I am ready to go! (All I have to do now is pack!).
I have asked Maria to look into the allowable luggage weight, and I am allowed 2 suitcases, 32kg each. When I arrive in Taipei I will be taking a domestic flight to Chiayi... and apparently they only allow 20kg per bag on the domestic flights. Maria assured me that if I tell them that I am transfering from an international flight, I will have no problems, but I was hoping that Nikki could confirm this for me (*which she now has!).
....and here is a little story that you might find amusing:
My uncle Bryan (who has travelled extensively and is really knowledgeable about these things) warned me that I should expect to be unable to orient myself in Taiwan if I can't speak Mandarin (no puns intended). When I arrive for my overnight in Taipei, I will need to get around a little bit: at the very least from the international airport to the hotel and then to the domestic airport in the morning... this got me thinking.... Just because Maria has booked the hotel (and the plane ticket) doesn't mean that I won't have to communicate a little while I am in Taipei... and there will be nobody to help me!
Rather than panic (which was starting to look like a viable option, LOL!) I went to the Chinese restaurant near my house last night and got one of the waitresses to translate some things for me!
I took a few pieces of paper and I wrote a sentence on each. I tried to think of things that I might need to ask while I am alone in Taipei. I wrote things like "Can you drive me to the Sheraton?" because I figure the Taxi driver might appreciate knowing exactly where I want to go, LOL!
I also thought that it might be a good idea to have a card written out asking for an early wake-up call. I thought this would be good to show to the hotel desk clerk when I check in, so that I don't miss my departure time in the morning!
Well, you can laugh if you like, but I feel a lot better knowing that I have a few "sentences" in Chinese at my disposal should I need them!
:-)
I am very excited, and I can't wait to join Nicole in Chiayi!!!
Thursday, November 23, 2000
Tuesday, November 14, 2000
Frets and Finalizations
I am at work this afternoon, but I have taken a minute to write this up.
Here is the saga of my attempt to book a flight:
I have been in discussions with a travel agent for the last little while, and everything looked to be going smoothly until I told him that the person who will be paying for the plane tickes, my uncle, is overseas at the moment. As it turns out, his Travel agency prohibits him from accepting payments from overseas if they don't know the client. So there goes all the planning and details down the tubes!
DRAT!
Rather than let that get me down, I looked into arranging to get the same Air Canada
flight booked on-line. Because my departure date is less that 15 days away, however, the price for the ticket is over $2000 now, even with their so-called "seat sale"!!
I absoluetly cannot get the same price as the travel agent by myself...
DOUBLE DRAT!
My friend Pierre was discussing this with his colleagues this afternoon, and our
mutual friend, Ida, mentioned that her sister Maria is a travel agent. Two phone calls
later: I am reserved on a flight leaving Dorval Airport on November 30th!! It is
with North West Airlines.... and the cost of the ticket, open-return good for
one-year, is only $1150.00 (taxes included)!
I think that the problem with the other travel agency was the risk of fraud from abroad, so because Ida vouched for me, her sister has agreed to do the transaction with my uncle for me.
HURRAY!
The itinerary with North West is not too bad, although I would have
prefered the direct route with Air Canada. On the bright side, there is only one
additional stop and the price makes up for it. In fact, the additional stop is in
Tokyo, so the longest flight is not too long anymore....
Here is the itinerary (all in local times):
9:15.....Departure from Dorval
11:15....Arrival in Detroit
12:45....Departure from Detroit
4:10pm...Arrival in Tokyo
6:00pm...Departure from Tokyo
9:25pm...Arrival inTaipei
Now that THAT'S sorted, I can allow myself to panic about some other things!
I am still waiting for confirmation like my visitor's visa, but it looks like all the plans are nearly finalised! In fact, Nikki has even confirmed that I will have a scooter when I arrive! Her roommate and co-worker, Nancy, is leaving Taiwan and she has agreed to sell me her scooter!
Unless something goes terribly wrong, I will be in Taiwan on December 2nd (It is the earliest I could do it). I have just e-mailed Emily and told her that I will be there by the first week of December. I did this in order to give myself some leeway in case my flight plans change... and to get a chance to explore, sight-see, and get over my jet lag!
I have been reading about Taiwan on-line, and it looks like a beautiful place, I can't wait to see it for myself!
The only drag so far is that I arrive in Taipei at 9:30pm on December 1st, but the only flight from Taipei to Chiayi is the next morning! I will be staying at the Fortuna hotel in Taipei overnight, and then I will be off to Chiayi in the morning!
I have a couple of questions that I keep forgetting to ask Nichole: What do we wear to work? Is there a dress code or a uniform? Should I buy a couple of ties? Do I need to bring a suit jacket?? There are so many things to consider!
I was also thinking about the Visa application: Instead of saying that I am going to visit Nikki, maybe I should say the exact same thing that she said when she applied for her visa.
Apparently you are not allowed to apply for the visa to go to Taiwan if you tell them you are going for employment. This is because you haven't got a work permit... and you can only get a work permit once you are in the country and hired by someone... Explain to me how THAT works...???
So I need to apply as a visitor and put the school's address and put Emily, the boss, as my contact... But what should I put as the reason for the visit? Should I ask Emily what I should put?? I don't know. I guess I'll proceed in whatever way Emily suggests!
Something else I was wondering about: Should I buy converters for my appliances? The voltage is the same in Taiwan as in Canada, but are the plugs the same size?
**SIGH**
Well, gotta run! Off to bed! I still have a job to go to here ...but I gave them my two weeks notice yesterday!! It was nerve wracking, but what a load of my mind!
Here is the saga of my attempt to book a flight:
I have been in discussions with a travel agent for the last little while, and everything looked to be going smoothly until I told him that the person who will be paying for the plane tickes, my uncle, is overseas at the moment. As it turns out, his Travel agency prohibits him from accepting payments from overseas if they don't know the client. So there goes all the planning and details down the tubes!
DRAT!
Rather than let that get me down, I looked into arranging to get the same Air Canada
flight booked on-line. Because my departure date is less that 15 days away, however, the price for the ticket is over $2000 now, even with their so-called "seat sale"!!
I absoluetly cannot get the same price as the travel agent by myself...
DOUBLE DRAT!
My friend Pierre was discussing this with his colleagues this afternoon, and our
mutual friend, Ida, mentioned that her sister Maria is a travel agent. Two phone calls
later: I am reserved on a flight leaving Dorval Airport on November 30th!! It is
with North West Airlines.... and the cost of the ticket, open-return good for
one-year, is only $1150.00 (taxes included)!
I think that the problem with the other travel agency was the risk of fraud from abroad, so because Ida vouched for me, her sister has agreed to do the transaction with my uncle for me.
HURRAY!
The itinerary with North West is not too bad, although I would have
prefered the direct route with Air Canada. On the bright side, there is only one
additional stop and the price makes up for it. In fact, the additional stop is in
Tokyo, so the longest flight is not too long anymore....
Here is the itinerary (all in local times):
9:15.....Departure from Dorval
11:15....Arrival in Detroit
12:45....Departure from Detroit
4:10pm...Arrival in Tokyo
6:00pm...Departure from Tokyo
9:25pm...Arrival inTaipei
Now that THAT'S sorted, I can allow myself to panic about some other things!
I am still waiting for confirmation like my visitor's visa, but it looks like all the plans are nearly finalised! In fact, Nikki has even confirmed that I will have a scooter when I arrive! Her roommate and co-worker, Nancy, is leaving Taiwan and she has agreed to sell me her scooter!
Unless something goes terribly wrong, I will be in Taiwan on December 2nd (It is the earliest I could do it). I have just e-mailed Emily and told her that I will be there by the first week of December. I did this in order to give myself some leeway in case my flight plans change... and to get a chance to explore, sight-see, and get over my jet lag!
I have been reading about Taiwan on-line, and it looks like a beautiful place, I can't wait to see it for myself!
The only drag so far is that I arrive in Taipei at 9:30pm on December 1st, but the only flight from Taipei to Chiayi is the next morning! I will be staying at the Fortuna hotel in Taipei overnight, and then I will be off to Chiayi in the morning!
I have a couple of questions that I keep forgetting to ask Nichole: What do we wear to work? Is there a dress code or a uniform? Should I buy a couple of ties? Do I need to bring a suit jacket?? There are so many things to consider!
I was also thinking about the Visa application: Instead of saying that I am going to visit Nikki, maybe I should say the exact same thing that she said when she applied for her visa.
Apparently you are not allowed to apply for the visa to go to Taiwan if you tell them you are going for employment. This is because you haven't got a work permit... and you can only get a work permit once you are in the country and hired by someone... Explain to me how THAT works...???
So I need to apply as a visitor and put the school's address and put Emily, the boss, as my contact... But what should I put as the reason for the visit? Should I ask Emily what I should put?? I don't know. I guess I'll proceed in whatever way Emily suggests!
Something else I was wondering about: Should I buy converters for my appliances? The voltage is the same in Taiwan as in Canada, but are the plugs the same size?
**SIGH**
Well, gotta run! Off to bed! I still have a job to go to here ...but I gave them my two weeks notice yesterday!! It was nerve wracking, but what a load of my mind!
Sunday, November 12, 2000
Flight details and woes
My Uncle has suggested that I fly with United Airlines, as Nichole did when she flew out to Taiwan in August.
The one thing that I absolutely dread about flying, though, is the take-off and the landing. Everytime that I have ever flown (albeit, that isn't very often) I have gotten a very bad headache, earache and pain in my eyes when the plane takes off or lands. I was told to try chewing gum to equalize the pressure, but it didn't seem to help at all. In fact, I have the same problem, though far less severe, when I am driving through mountains.... so the thought of the multiple ups and downs with United Airlines (there are 4 or 5 stops in the proposed itinerary), sort of tied my stomach in knots.
I have done some looking into more direct flights and I have found that Air Canada can get me there with the least amounts of up-and-down or delays. Their proposed route is Montreal->Vancouver->Taipei
My reason for wanting to fly with Air Canada is two fold however: my other reason is the cost! The cost that I was quoted for Air Canada was just over $1200.00 (as long as I fly before December 1st) and Air Canada can issue a virtual ticket which I would pick up at the airport on the day of the departure.
According to Nicole, the school will NOT be re-imbursing the entire cost of the ticket: only $300.00 USD each way (so they will give me $300.00 upon arrival and $300.00 as I leave). I would rather save the extra money if I can, and in the process avoid all the extra stops along the route that United Airlines suggests.
Oh well... we'll see what happens... at least it's getting sorted!! :)
All the prices I have been quoted are for a 1 year open-ended return ticket:
$1225.00 if the departure is before December 1st.
$1530.00 from December 1 to December 7
$1750.00 from December 8 onwards...
As for my departure date: aside from the fact that I am anxious to get there, for monetary reasons I would like to leave on November 29 or 30! Before I state emphatically that I will be going that soon, however, I have to wonder if I will have time to get my Taiwanese visitor's visa in a week!
In a nutshell: The Taiwan tourist office is in Ottawa. They say that it takes 3 business days for them to issue a visitor's visa. Because there is no office in Montreal, I have to mail it to them and they will return it to me by registered mail.
I need to include my passport with the application, but I've never had a passport before, so I had to apply for one last week. I will only receive my passport this coming Friday!
I'm afraid that this might not be do-able and I will have to bite the bullet and get the December departure date for an extra $500.00. *ARGH!!!!*
I hate the fact that I am ALWAYS freaked out about money. I really hope that Nichole is right, and that I can make a lot of money in Taiwan, and maybe get rid of some of my debt!
I am starting to get really excited about this trip now, but everytime I think I have it all settled I end up with more questions!! :-)
The one thing that I absolutely dread about flying, though, is the take-off and the landing. Everytime that I have ever flown (albeit, that isn't very often) I have gotten a very bad headache, earache and pain in my eyes when the plane takes off or lands. I was told to try chewing gum to equalize the pressure, but it didn't seem to help at all. In fact, I have the same problem, though far less severe, when I am driving through mountains.... so the thought of the multiple ups and downs with United Airlines (there are 4 or 5 stops in the proposed itinerary), sort of tied my stomach in knots.
I have done some looking into more direct flights and I have found that Air Canada can get me there with the least amounts of up-and-down or delays. Their proposed route is Montreal->Vancouver->Taipei
My reason for wanting to fly with Air Canada is two fold however: my other reason is the cost! The cost that I was quoted for Air Canada was just over $1200.00 (as long as I fly before December 1st) and Air Canada can issue a virtual ticket which I would pick up at the airport on the day of the departure.
According to Nicole, the school will NOT be re-imbursing the entire cost of the ticket: only $300.00 USD each way (so they will give me $300.00 upon arrival and $300.00 as I leave). I would rather save the extra money if I can, and in the process avoid all the extra stops along the route that United Airlines suggests.
Oh well... we'll see what happens... at least it's getting sorted!! :)
All the prices I have been quoted are for a 1 year open-ended return ticket:
$1225.00 if the departure is before December 1st.
$1530.00 from December 1 to December 7
$1750.00 from December 8 onwards...
As for my departure date: aside from the fact that I am anxious to get there, for monetary reasons I would like to leave on November 29 or 30! Before I state emphatically that I will be going that soon, however, I have to wonder if I will have time to get my Taiwanese visitor's visa in a week!
In a nutshell: The Taiwan tourist office is in Ottawa. They say that it takes 3 business days for them to issue a visitor's visa. Because there is no office in Montreal, I have to mail it to them and they will return it to me by registered mail.
I need to include my passport with the application, but I've never had a passport before, so I had to apply for one last week. I will only receive my passport this coming Friday!
I'm afraid that this might not be do-able and I will have to bite the bullet and get the December departure date for an extra $500.00. *ARGH!!!!*
I hate the fact that I am ALWAYS freaked out about money. I really hope that Nichole is right, and that I can make a lot of money in Taiwan, and maybe get rid of some of my debt!
I am starting to get really excited about this trip now, but everytime I think I have it all settled I end up with more questions!! :-)
Saturday, November 11, 2000
Uncle Bryan to the rescue with plane tickets!
I took Friday off of work and my father and I drove to Toronto to see my grandmother. She was supposed to be moving to Montreal to live with my parents, but she recently took a turn for the worse and she has had to be hospitalized. She is comfortable and in good spirits, and it was very nice to see her yesterday.
This weekend was a little tough: but Nanny is in very good spirits and had us all laughing last night. I am really glad that I went to see her. I would like to hope and pray that she gets better, but I don't think that it is going to happen this time. In the meantime, however, she was happy to see everybody and was with-it and alert. I don't think that she is aware of how serious her condition is, but if she is aware, she is certainly not letting on.
She knows about my upcoming trip and is all excited for me. I had to promise to send her a postcard (but not in Chinese LOL!). She also thinks that it is wonderful that my uncle has offered to lend me the money for my ticket!
My uncle Bryan has offered me a loan for the airfare to Taiwan. It would certainly make this entire operation a lot easier, so I have gratefully accepted! From what I gather from Nikki, I would be fairly well paid for my work at the school, and I should be able to repay him any money that he would lend. I am not too keen on going into debt before I even get to Taiwan, but it seems like the best way to manage this.
I am using my cousin Christopher's computer to write this, as I am still in Ontario at my Aunt and Uncle's house in Oshawa. Tomorrow, Dad and I will head back to Montreal and I will formally give my two weeks notice at work.
I am really anxious to get to Chiayi: I am hardly a world traveller.... and this opportunity is simply too good to pass up! I have often mentioned that I would love to teach English abroad, and I have looked into it before, but this opportunity to go to Taiwan is the first time that I have ever felt that it might actually be feasible!
The timing couldn't be better either as I am currently employed in a job that is slowly making me miserable. I have been working as an insurance claims adjuster for Blue Cross, but the office atmosphere is dreadful. There is a distinct dislike of Anglophones from many of the French employees and it is pretty oppressive. Add to this the fact that I have just ended an 8 year relationship and am soon-to-be homeless... well... it just makes sense to take this opportunity to travel to Taiwan!
I need a job and a new place to live... Taiwan certainly fits the bill!
As I said above: Monday I will hand in my two weeks notice and it will be official. It's a little scary, but I am excited to start this new chapter in my life!!
This weekend was a little tough: but Nanny is in very good spirits and had us all laughing last night. I am really glad that I went to see her. I would like to hope and pray that she gets better, but I don't think that it is going to happen this time. In the meantime, however, she was happy to see everybody and was with-it and alert. I don't think that she is aware of how serious her condition is, but if she is aware, she is certainly not letting on.
She knows about my upcoming trip and is all excited for me. I had to promise to send her a postcard (but not in Chinese LOL!). She also thinks that it is wonderful that my uncle has offered to lend me the money for my ticket!
My uncle Bryan has offered me a loan for the airfare to Taiwan. It would certainly make this entire operation a lot easier, so I have gratefully accepted! From what I gather from Nikki, I would be fairly well paid for my work at the school, and I should be able to repay him any money that he would lend. I am not too keen on going into debt before I even get to Taiwan, but it seems like the best way to manage this.
I am using my cousin Christopher's computer to write this, as I am still in Ontario at my Aunt and Uncle's house in Oshawa. Tomorrow, Dad and I will head back to Montreal and I will formally give my two weeks notice at work.
I am really anxious to get to Chiayi: I am hardly a world traveller.... and this opportunity is simply too good to pass up! I have often mentioned that I would love to teach English abroad, and I have looked into it before, but this opportunity to go to Taiwan is the first time that I have ever felt that it might actually be feasible!
The timing couldn't be better either as I am currently employed in a job that is slowly making me miserable. I have been working as an insurance claims adjuster for Blue Cross, but the office atmosphere is dreadful. There is a distinct dislike of Anglophones from many of the French employees and it is pretty oppressive. Add to this the fact that I have just ended an 8 year relationship and am soon-to-be homeless... well... it just makes sense to take this opportunity to travel to Taiwan!
I need a job and a new place to live... Taiwan certainly fits the bill!
As I said above: Monday I will hand in my two weeks notice and it will be official. It's a little scary, but I am excited to start this new chapter in my life!!
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