Getting Ready to Learn Mandarin | Eps. Life Begin at Taiwan

Well, continue from last post, Eps. Best Timing to Learn lets talk about what to prepare when you come to Taiwan for study. That's the best decision ever in my life to choose Taiwan, and believe me you'll love this place so much. Let's start!

Convenient transportation here! In Taiwan only 2 cities have MRT, Taipei & Kaoshiung. If you stay in Taipei, literally nothing to worry about transportation, buses everywhere, MRT station everywhere. What you need is purchase an Easy Card 悠遊卡. This is your transportation card for MRT, bus, even to pay in 7-11. You can purchase it in any MRT station or 7-11, or if you are a student basically the student ID card is include Easy Card so you can use that function.

綠二公車

As I remember the price is NTD 100 and you can top up in MRT station or any convenience store. If you are student you can registered your ID card to student ID card so you get special price for every trip. In Taiwan special price is available for elder & student, love this so much.

For example, for 1 bus trip is NTD 15 as regular price but NTD 12 for student and NTD 8 for elder.

Okay, how to use Easy Card? 
For MRT 捷運 tap it when you enter & exit the station. Price is calculate based on how far your trip is. Remember, tap it only when you want to enter the station and leave station, for any interchange no need to tap.

MRT Wanfang Hospital exit, feels home everytime here :')

Anyway, for MRT if you forget your Easy Card, you can purchase one time token at the station. It looks like picture below.

For bus 公車, they don't calculate based on station but based on trip. Basically they separate their journey into 2, so you can found the plat above driver write it 上 or 下. When you take the bus is 上 and you take off also in the same you only need to pay 1 times. 上 means you pay when you get on, and 下 means you pay when you get off.

For your information, bus in Taiwan will not stop at the station if you don't raise up your hand, and at the same time if you want to get off you need to press the button before that station, that's called 下車鈴 as picture below.

Be careful don't pressed the sexual harassment bell as picture below, hehehehe

Don't forget to download the app so you know when the bus will arrived, many app for this feature. And actually most of the station have digital board for this feature. The thing I love the most.

SIM Card 電話卡 for your phone. Same as the other country there are prepaid card or monthly paid. I suggest you to get prepaid card and top up for the balance you need also for internet access. Why? Because you'll not use as much as monthly paid package have and you still need to paid, but in the same time some provider will offer you to get the phone in beautiful price once you contract for monthly paid.

It's very easy to find some provider service store everywhere. Bring your passport & ARC.

Okay, I forgot to tell you about your resident permit. So, you'll enter Taiwan in the beginning by single entry visa then before the visa expired you need to apply ARC Alien Resident Card 居留證. This ARC will be use as your permit to stay in Taiwan. Where to apply? Immigration centre based on where you live.

Taiwan is a country that talk about recycle everywhere, so you can see mostly people bring their water bottle with them even when order a coffee in cafe they using their own bottle. It's also can safe your money cause drinking fountain is everywhere even in MRT station. So you only need to prepare your bottle anytime anywhere.

And also your spoon, chopstick, or even the stainless straw. Cause basically canteen in school not prepare dinner set for you.

Also, you need to bring umbrella, as a UV protection when summer and rain protect when the season is change. Since Taiwan weather is hard to predict.

As I said before, Taiwan is a country that talk recycle everywhere, so to litter your household waste, you need to buy the required plastic bag for your trash, it's different from city to city. Because you need to pay for that plastic bag, so doing recycle can help you to reduce this expenses. Cause recycle item no need to use this plastic.

But make sure you need to wash your recycle item before through it out.

In each community area, the rubbish truck will come in its time.

Also, one thing you need to remember is to have your recycle shopping bag everytime in your bag, cause single use plastic bag is need to pay.

Well, this is something you need to know in the beginning when you arrived at Taiwan. If you still have question and not really sure about my explanation, kindly leave comment down below :)