Foreign Housekeepers

This week, I would like to talk about the foreign housekeepers in Taiwan.

I was trying to find an English article which describes the current regulation of hiring a legal foreign housekeeper in Taiwan, but I couldn't find it.  So please allow me to post a Chinese article link as below:

http://www.coolloud.org.tw/node/47997

Here is another article about hiring a housekeeper:
http://www.ehow.com/how_6827021_hire-foreign-live_in-housekeeper.html

Following the mode last week, I'll leave the questions open to everyone.
Please feel free to make any comment and tell your experience related to the foreign housekeepers.

Convenience store

Amazing fact: Taiwan has the world’s highest density of convenience store per person. (2500 people/store)

After three weeks life in America, I aware that convenience store in USA is not convenient at all. They only offer awful food and colorful beverages. I really miss the familiar doorbell ring around the every corner, and services and food they provide. The following links describe the services offer by Japanese convenience store, and the contents are similar. So if you are busy, just pick one to read is enough.

Reading materials

1.     http://thisjapaneselife.org/2011/04/27/japan-convenience-konbini/

2.     http://www.tofugu.com/2012/02/03/japanese-convenience-stores/

3.     http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/07/AR2008110703512.html

Discussion

1.     How often do you go to a convenience store? Which brand do you prefer and why?

2.     The activity of sticker collecting in trade of dolls or coupons in convenience store is very popular in Taiwan. Would you buy things there more often because of the dolls or coupon?

3.     Which service they provide you like the best? Why? Or what kind of service you think they should provide in the future?

4.     What do you think about their food in terms of quality and safety?

8/26 "the ice age"

Japan used to be the second biggest economies in the world. With bloom future, countless job opportunities provided by multinational companies, such as Sony, Panasonic, Toyota, and etc..  Now, the younger in Japan face “ the ice age,” a age of opportunity freeze. Japanese culture is somehow different than others. Junior need to attend “find work activity.” If they can't find an offer before senior, then they will miss "the promised road." It will be more difficult for them to get an offer after graduation. Pls see follow link to get more story.

http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/0d158be8-c633-11e1-a3d5-00144feabdc0.html#axzz202JXYG8a

Discussion:

1.     Do you think Taiwan also faces the same “ice age” as Japan? Share your opinion to us.

2.     What kinds of difficulties do you think is fresh Graduates face now? 

3.     Give some suggestions to fresh Graduates.

4.     Do you have difficulties when getting your first job? Pls share your experience.

5.     Do you want to be an entrepreneur? Say more!

6.  “Once you drop off the promised road, you’re evaluated as ‘not a good person’.”  In my opinion, it's the same in Taiwan. Do you know any story about people who  drop off the promised road?

It is a long story. If you do not have much time, the front five paragraphs will help you get a glance of Japanese problems now.

Gun Policy in United State

Gun shooting in Denver theater which caused at least 12 people death became the head news in American. Why these kind of mass shooting keep happening in United State? Gun laws popped into my head immediately. Gun policy has long been the most controversial issues in America. Americans believe that U.S. Constitution ensures their right to self-defense. In my opinion, gun control legislation is the best prevention to stop these tragedies.

Reading Materials
1.Gunman turns 'Batman' screening into real-life 'horror film'
2.Gun control won’t stop mass murder


Discussion
1. Do you agree that gun control can effective stop or decrease the mass murder?

2. Do you agree or disagree that people should have right to own a gun?

3. If Taiwan government derestricts the gun policy, will you buy a gun? Why?

4. To my surprise, according to the poll, most Americans agree the current gun policy. That’s maybe what we call culture differences. Can you name other culture differences between Taiwan and America?

7/1 Health Care Law

Health Care Overhaul Is Still Not Hit For Public
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/30/us/politics/health-care-overhaul-is-still-no-hit-with-public.html?pagewanted=all

二代健保明年元旦上路
 http://mag.udn.com/mag/life/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=381704

 As there is a new act for the second generation of health care under discussion in Taiwan, in the USA, President Obama and his team are devoting themselves in health care overhaul. You may hear that it's expensive to see a doctor in the USA, it's hard to imagine when we live in Taiwan having the privilege of low medicare cost. And there are some concepts in the health care which worth thinking twice. Let's see the discussion question below:

 1. How do you think about the medical environment in Taiwan?

 2. What do you feel about owning the health care in Taiwan? Address the like and dislike, or tell your experience regarding go to the doctor with or without the health care.

 3. Some people think that Health Care Act can't be paralleled with Act for promoting economy, what's your opinion?

 4. Except for the health care by government, everyone will buy insurance for himself or herself, how many percentage do you invest in insurance?

 5. How do you see the difference between of health care in Taiwan and the USA? Please feel free to bring up more questions. Thank you.

6/10 Discussion cancelled

Dear all,

I got a sun stroke this Saturday and still have terrible headache right now. I am afraid that I have to cancel tonight's discussion. Sorry for all inconvenience.

TINA

6/10 Men who do women's work

In Chinese society, men are considered to opt for jobs such as construction work, knowledge-intensive work (doctors, professors, CEO). On the other hand, women are considered to be the right persons to take care of children (child babysitter), students (teachers), and patients (nurses). However, nowadays, this situation is undergoing a change. In job markets, there are more and more men looking for jobs that are traditionally preferred by women and on the other hand women choosing men's jobs. In today's discussion, we are going to discuss this change. It is great if you can read all three articles listed below. If you are short of time, please read one of the following article. 


http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jun/05/men-who-do-womens-work
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/21/business/increasingly-men-seek-success-in-jobs-dominated-by-women.html
http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/22/pink-collar-jobs-that-attract-the-most-men/


Questions:

1. Do your parents have same expectations to your brothers and sisters? (Any differences in their expectations influenced by gender?)

2. What did your parents and friends in your generation think of gender differences? Did they choose their interests or jobs depending on their gender?

3. What do you think of male nurses, female construction workers, male nursery teachers, etc? Do you think male nurses can do well like female nurses, etc?

4. In job markets, men sometimes get more salary and get promoted easily than their female counterparts. In your opinions, is it possible to reach gender equity when more men do women's work and more women do more men's work?

5 ?