I am amused ...

...by how many people have looked me in the eye and lied to me recently. I have my work and visa situation figured out now, but it was an interesting road getting there.


I visited lots of schools when we got here. None of them, zero, zip, were completely above board. Everyone is doing something illegal. The severity and risk of the illegal shenanigans varied, but no one was squeaky clean. I don't really have a problem with that, because the laws concerned with teaching English in Taiwan seem heavy-handed. Then, I suppose 99% of foreign workers around the world probably say the same of their visa-providing country.



When I was looking for a job several times interviewers made a point of telling me, "We do everything legally here."



I always gave a nod and smile: I'm not going to correct anyone on the laws of their own country. But really, do I look dumb? Or is there supposed to be an unspoken understanding where I know, and they know, and they know I know that no, not everything will transpire to the letter of the law, but that there will be a work visa for me.



Because I've done my homework. And it's not legal for foreigners to teach kindergarten or pre-school, it's not legal to provide a work visa for someone working less than 14 hours a week, and it's not legal to begin working before the work visa is issued. But all of these things fell under the umbrella of "legal" according to my interviewers.



The candor of these conversations was inversely related to the English-speaking ability of the interviewer; the fluent English speakers were very slick. But my favorite was the school owner who basically said: "Well. We can get you work visa. But since we don't have enough hours for you to work, it will be ... not right or ... not real. Sometimes police will come check to see if you working when the visa say you are. If you are not here, maybe we tell them you sick or something. Ok?"



Uhhh...