caroline3sg:

eelsemaj

Someone analyse the situation as: applied for 2nd choice sch (under 2A2) to secure a place first and then call up 1st choice sch on 2nd day of 2B, if sure get in without ballot, withdraw from 2A2; after noticing some changes in 1 - 2 vacancies in 2A2 & 2B.

hmm.. earlier phase could mean anything.. from ph 1 to 2a2, there may be possiblities that parents assumed that since their first child is in the school, they do not need to do anything for that year and missed their phase. Also those in alma but is oversea, they too may have \"missed\" out.

The way i see it, it may or may not be a conspiracy lah. They will probably have to produces valid reason for \"missing\" the phase.

orh… i see.


So in order to be in 2a1 instead of 2a2, ex-students now need to registered to be in the alma. So assumming that all ex-students will registered to avoid 2a2, they then will have to move within 2km of school to enhance their priority…

is my understanding correctly ?

If this is case, pty ard those popular school will increase leaps. I know of alot of ex-students that does not live near the school because they feel secure that their group havent had to ballot.

phtthp:

The twist in the recent p1 rules had \"shaken up\" many 2a1/2.

They wake up.
They realize that is not enough just to rent < 1 km from their popular alma mater (because many will be doing the same thing), but must also start getting active, be involved with school activities.

hmm.. I tot under the old rules, you dun need to stay near the school , being a alma already secure a seat.
For the new system, does the distance plays a bigger role or it will be override by active involvement ? Sorry... maybe I was misunderstood.

When I look at this years no.s actually only a few schools are affected.. i.e. ai tong , hpps , nanyang..
Schools like tao nan , kwong hwa will not see any changes.

Blessed Homemaker:

Have you booked your accommodation @ CJ? I'm looking at your itinerary for Day 2. Do note that the days are short in Dec, sky turns dark at 5pm so if you are going up CJ late, it might be quite dangerous as the road is winding and some routes to hotel/minsu are narrow ie single lane.


We visited CJ last Nov, weather was around 16-20C in the day and 12-14C at night. Taichung/Taipei was around 22-26C then. It should be colder in Dec.

Since you have 4pax, it might be easier to hire a driver for day 4. Just to share, we went 3A3C last year.

Day 1 Taoyuan - Taichung
Hired a 9 seater van, the cost is just slightly more than taking bus - HSR - shuttle bus. And save us the hassle to lug our luggages around.

Day 2 Taichung - CJ
Hired a 7 seater as we traveled with overnight bags, leaving our main luggage in Taichung. Driver only for transfer as our CJ minsu owner provides transfer to and fro GGGL and Carton King.

Day 3 CJ
No driver

Day 4 CJ - Taichung
Hired a 7 seater driver for day trip, visiting Puli (we didn't go in the end) - SML - Chechen - Jiji before going to Taichung.

Day 5-6
Taichung day trips by Wish Cabbie (Mr Lin)

Day 7 Taichung - Taipei
Hired a 9 seater for transfer only. Like day 1, fare was just slightly more than taking HSR and save the hassle of transferring trains and bus.

We only have 2A3C traveling this year so I've booked a Mr Lin to pick us from the airport, do a day trip along the way before check-in to Taichung daily rental and the same driver will bring us around Taichung before sending us back to Taipei. I booked him for 5 days. You might want to consider him as his rates are reasonable.

hi Blessed Homemaker, thanks for your useful notes in this thread. been reading up for the last few days.
would you like to seek your advise on budget.. how much do you think it reasonable per day pax to cover acomm and transport ?

hmm… seem like the latest twist to the system make registration address even more impt than before…


many friends who were initially guarantee a place in 2a1/2… is now contemplating on moving within 1km to get absolute priority to popular schools.

masakari:

I have a question.


My family actually stays in my parents house. I have my own property which is being used to run my business.

For property tax reasons, my IC still states my property address, while my family is under my parent's address.

I noted that in the event of differing addresses, it was mentioned that they will follow the father's address? Is it possible to follow the mother's instead?

Thanks in advance!

Good luck with MOE ..and IRAS!!! ..

jrmsoh:

Mamo:

My family of 4 is going to Taipei in Nov. Can someone recommend a driver for a day tour to Yeliu, Jiufen and Shifen? Also is it better to stay near Taipei Main Station or Ximending? Thanks.

Actually there are many taxi drivers who can bring you around. So just ask them if they provide such service or have friends to recommend when you take a taxi.

Ximending is more happening at night so before going back hotel still can roam ximending. You can check http://www.wego.com.sg/hotels/taiwan/taipei/district/ximending-4071 or agoda for the hotels

Err.. i wont advise that you pick a driver randomly on the street.
Taiwan is safe.. but not that safe wor.
You can call a taxi via taxi service hotline 405-88888 or 55688 by cell phone or ask the hotel to call for you for short trip in the city. either you shld not be charge extra unlike sg. if you take a cab back to hotel, you shld to call the hotel or pretend to call someone.. \"to tell them\" the cab number.. like that even if the taxi is a crook, he will think twice doing somehting stupid.

The benefit of calling a cab is that there is \"phone trace\" of your whereabout.

For longer journey, i advise you make arrangement in sg first. And make sure that be it the hotel or someone is sg is aware whose cab you are taking..

I am not saying that this happen very often.. but that's something i learn when i was in taiwan. My taiwanese colleagues was shocked when i told them i flag a cab down and head home at 8pm at night. :pokeeye:

dimsum:

THC:

Hi I am planning to visit Taiwan with .


Itinerary #2:
Yangminshan - Wulai - Fisherman's Wharf- Danshui Old Street - One of the night markets
(instead of Wulai, you can consider 故宮博物院)

yangminshan.. very big i went there 5 times each time to different part of yangminshan. which part of yangminshan wil you be going..
if you are going to visit just the hot spring there.. then wulai may be a duplicate.

mamemo:

Hi everyone,


Need some guidance on whether the below itinerary is do-able. Am going to Taipei this dec with 2A2C

Day 1 : Arrive Taoyuan (morning) and proceed to Flying Cow Ranch (overnight at Ranch)

Day 2 : Dahu (fruit picking), Sinshe, Zhong she hua shi; all enroute to cingjing (overnight at Cingjing)

Day 3 : Sun Moon Lake, Aboriginal Village Theme Park (overnight at Cingjing)

Day 4 : Green green grassland, swiss cottage, Carton King, travel to Taipei (overnight at Taipei from this day onwards)

Day 5 : Shifen, Jingtong, Pingxi

Day 6 : Baby Boss, shopping

Day 7 : Pack, leave Taipei in the afternoon

Am thinking to hire a driver for Day 2 only, the rest will just take cab/bus/train/HSR. Is it more economical to hire a driver for Day 1-Day 5? I'm also deciding between Sun Moon Lake and Hehuanshan..but not sure whether it'll be cold in december. Any advice?

Thanks!

Dec will be cold in the mountain esp hehuanshan. Taichung on the other hand could be like sg weather depending on the wind direction etc. So you need to bring summer clothes as well as winter clothes.
I was told also afternoon hehuanshan may be misty.. so there are some place you may not eventually visit looking at your \"tight\" schedule.
If it rains, then mountains area may not be reachable or dangerous to venture.
You may want to consider engaging a driver. They will be able to advise better on what can or cannot be done on that day itself. Those recomm in the forum are better i think.. because all of them are used to bring tourist ard. Some even have tour agent certification. Public transport is time consuming and tiring in the mountain area esp.. if you have alot of clothes to lug along.

jjxy mum:

taz:

Also going to TW at end nov - 2A 2C.

Going fne but no planning done :nailbite:

We also 2A2C going Taiwan mid nov too . It's our 2nd trip..last visit we covered Hualien and Yilan. We plan to cover as below.. but not sure ok or not especially Day 1-3.
1-3 days : stay Tainan 3 nights and day trip to Kaoshiong and Alishan.
4th day : Cinjing 1 night
5th day : Sunmoon lake
6- 9 days: stay in Taipei
Any parents can advice...

Hi we will be going in oct/nov also on jetstar.. managed to get the cheap $280 pax return tix during the sale.

1- Taipei (6am) -> Taichung
2- Taichung -> alishan
3-alishan
4- alishan -> cingjing
5- cingjing
6- cingjing -> taipei
7- taipei ( jiufen)
8- taipei -> sg

Will be staying in Luaya minsu in alishan ( http://www.luaya.com.tw )
Starvilla in cingjing
CityInn for taipei and Taichung part. (http://www.cityinn.com.tw/ )
(cityinn has high rating in agoda.. and lot cheaper if you book them directly via their website plus free cancelation !! .. i see that it probably the same or cheaper than booking the service apartment as breakfast is provided)

I dun like ximending.. cos' i used to stay and work in taipei before, that place has a bad reputation..... used to be the bad part of town, maybe it's not like that now.

Still considering if i shld engage a driver that will drive us for NT6000 per daily. (dont charge for OT) 5 adults and 2 children. ( 9 seaters)
or do pcs meal using public transport. This person is recomm by my colleague who went as a family also. My colleague mentioned that he charge NT4000 if you only need a 7-seater wish for 4 pax.. you may want to consider.

The problem with him is that he could not bring us to see sunriser which is 3-4am.. because the driver needs to \"rest\" . If i do sunriser recomm by the minsu and continue to engage him for the daily transport. it will blow my budget. But sunriser is muz see in alishan and cingjing..

If i do public transport, it's not going to cheap either.. the HRI alone will come up to NT3000+ for the 7 of us one way..+ the inconvenience travelling with old and young.. *sigh*