Speaking yesterday a little bit about the life of a teacher in Taiwan, reminded me of another issue relating to teachers. Taiwan's government has some pretty strict rules on what jobs foreigners can and can't do, which is why the vast majority of westerners here are teachers. The reason for these rules is because they don't want people from other Asian countries coming over here to take jobs away. While institutional racism is a big issue here, I give the government credit for sticking to this policy and treating all foreigners the same, and not making one set or rules for some foreigners, and another for other foreigners, based on what country they are from.
The result of this though is that many foreign teachers in Taiwan can feel trapped. Yes you may love your job and enjoy doing it, but when you know that it's the ONLY job that you can do, you can feel a bit stifled. Sometimes you just yearn for the freedom of choice that other people have. It can even go so far as to envy other people and their jobs, just because it's something different. I've been out with colleagues who will look longingly at the clerk at 7-11, and voice that they would love to work at 7-11 if for no reason other than it's different from teaching day in and day out.
This doesn't mean that foreigners don't appreciate the opportunities we have here. Many of us know it's a great privilege to be able to teach in Taiwan. Being able to work and live abroad is a great thing, and with any great opportunity comes some sacrifices that you need to make. Still for many, while happy and content, long for the opportunity to do another job here.
There is a light at the end of the tunnel though. If you stay long enough and meet some requirements, than you can get a permanent visa in Taiwan. This opens up the door a little more on what jobs you can do in Taiwan. Most of all it allows you to stay in Taiwan without a job, which is probably the best thing about it. As one of the most uncomfortable things about living and working in Taiwan, is knowing that as you build a life here, your employer still controls your fate, and if they should choose to get rid of you for any reason, you have to pack up and leave and all you built is gone. A fact that sadly many schools hold over the heads of their teachers to get them to comply and fall in line.
Anyway, today's picture is of a job that I don't think any teacher would choose to do even to get away from teaching for a day. In what can only be described as an open sewer that runs through the district, this poor young gentleman had to pick stuff up from one side and pile it up on the right. Thankfully the truck seems just tall enough so that he doesn't get wet, but i have to imagine the whole waterway isn't like that. Worst yet, while getting my phone out to take a picture, he looked at me and I don't think I've seen anybody as defeated by their job as the this guy appeared to be.
Well, something to remind those foreigners, that it could be worse.
