Wonderful, But Plagued

I quit my job as a teacher in Taiwan and have returned back home to California. This was due to several factors, from problems with working conditions to dramatic shifts in my health.

I want to emphasize my appreciation for everyone who supported this endeavor spiritually, emotionally, and financially. Your prayers, emails, letters, and donations were a continual blessing to me and alleviated many rough days.

I initially went to Taiwan because I had always been interested in seeing Asia. I was also promised a flexible work schedule that would accommodate my desire to observe Shabbat (after an initial work period). The salary was very competitive, especially in relation to the cost of living. There was also a publishing division in the company I was hired by, so I saw an opportunity to move between the educational and publishing fields. Everything seemed perfect.

Everything was not what it seemed, but the hardest blow was being plagued by all sorts of health problems. A good portion of my time was spent battling what started as a simple sinus and ear infection, but ended up developing into something new and exotic every week. It also didn't help that there's a tendency to treat all health problems with short, mega doses of antibiotics in combination with other medication and that simply resting, or even taking Traditional Chinese Medicine, is frowned upon.

Despite the battle between my body and the environment of Taipei and managing my work schedule, I did fit in some fabulous experiences that make the whole process worthwhile. Best of all was growing closer to my heavenly Father and being in a place where daily miracles were obvious and mind blowing.

For those considering teaching abroad, I would definitely encourage it, but be sure to do your homework. I would not recommend anyone apply for employment with HESS Educational Organization in Taiwan, based on the lack of standardized working conditions. Individual branches often flout corporate policy in regard to class size, working hours, human resource concerns, and teaching supplies provided. The only discrepancy between corporate office and the individual branches that is mentioned during training is teaching style, and whether you use certain games or not. This is very misleading.

If you are interested in working for HESS, I would highly recommend living in Taiwan for a few months to acclimate yourself to the environment, cuisine, and living arrangements. Visit the branch you're interested in working at, ask to observe classes and note working conditions, and ask for the branch name. Be prepared to spend minimum 1:1 ratio of teaching hours to out-of-class work (including, but not limited to, lesson preparation, test and homework grading, materials and supply organization). If you are teaching kindergarten, be prepared to design and purchase supplies for "Fun Time" craft and game projects. Promised supplies are often not provided (except maybe crayons, scissors, and glue for individual students) in a timely manner, if at all, and suggested activities are often inapplicable to student's skill level.


As for this blog, I still have some stories to tell and pictures to post from Japan and Taiwan, so keep reading. After that, we'll see what direction to take for my posts.