I moved to Taiwan in late-September 2010.
My primary goal was to find a job in finance, so I decided to enroll at the Chinese Culture University’s Mandarin Learning Center to a) sharpen my Chinese and b) get a visa. I figured, after a year in South Korea teaching English, it was time to return to my field of study. Moreover, it also presented me a unique opportunity to explore Taiwanese cultures and lifestyles – since many of my relatives originate from Taiwan, I sought to discover more about our traditions and heritage.
During my first three months, I lived in the Da’an District of Taipei City, the most-populous city in Taiwan. Taipei brimmed with so many exciting areas, terrific nightmarkets, and amazing landmarks. Some of my fondest memories in Taipei were just of me throwing a good book into a sackpack, grabbing a simple camera, and walking until I found something interesting.
It never disappointed.
In fact, sometimes, friends and strangers alike asked me what I did with my free time.
Well, I read. A lot. Philosophy, literature, and a lot of self-improvement. Honestly, much of the time, you couldn’t find me without a copy of Vagabonding or Awareness in my sackpack. I also chatted with numerous locals; I took plenty of pictures and toured tons of neighborhoods; I hung out with friends from my university, many of whom hailed from different countries.
To me, being in Taiwan offered a tremendous opportunity for some serenity and serious contemplation – I guess after years and years of rigorous academics, I never really had the chance to hit the brakes and figure things out: who I want to be. What I want to do. And where I want to go. Taiwan represented my opportunity to do that, and I refused to waste it.
Ultimately, I could not locate any finance jobs – it was a combination of a lack of financial companies, my Chinese abilities, and that, in Taiwan, I must take an exam to hold those types of positions. I put my job search on hiatus and mulled over my next move when a friend referred to for an English-teaching job at a private academy.
Because I had some experience, they hired me soon after, and I couldn’t complain. Working only fourteen hours a week, I managed to pay all my bills and save some money!
With a steady income and working visa in hand, I decided to forgo another semester at the Chinese Culture University to fully engage in creating an online business.
Meanwhile, I began looking for another home. At that time, I lived right off the corner of XinYi and JinShan Road above a 7-11 and an outdoor market, and every morning, I woke up to the cacophony of yelling food vendors, butchers chopping meat, motor scooters zooming through, fireworks, and (once) a drumline. They also were building a new subway line and station, Dongmen Station, about a stone’s throw from my apartment.
For the first three months, I slept with earplugs every night.
Luckily, I found a room-for-rent about one mile north of my previous apartment in the top floor of a ritzy apartment, tucked away from the major streets. What a stark contrast – the place was so quiet, I could hear a pin drop. With everything all sorted out – apartment, job, money, friends – I kicked off 2011 with a website and a whole lot of typing.
In the end, my business idea didn’t really pan out – read “How I Got Banned From Google Adwords“ – thus, my new situation forced to me to scramble over my next decision. And that led me to Sydney.
By March, after informing my manager of my departure, I resolved to thoroughly enjoy the remaining days.
One of the things I miss the most about Taiwan is their abundance of cheap, delicious food. In addition to the plentiful nightmarkets, the city also offers many different types restaurants – noodles, seafood, hot pot, buffets, etc – and almost every type of international cuisine. I’ve got a soft spot for Japanese and Italian, (the food, I mean) and Taipei held it’s own. I also miss their transportation system: cheap and extensive subways and buses, and really inexpensive taxis.
However, before you think I’ve been hypnotized by the Taiwan Tourist Bureau, I will add that there were certainly things I didn’t like about Taiwan (the weather comes to mind). But traveling really symbolizes a deep reflection of an individual’s inner-workings. Much like luggage, we tend to carry our attitudes and emotions from place-to-place as opposed starting anew. That’s pretty much what Seneca taught… and that’s pretty much what Buddha taught as well.
Some of the best photos I took while in Taiwan:
