Nihao's It Going?

The Long Road to Finding My New Job in Taiwan in 2022 – Insights and Learnings for Foreign Professionals

I’ve been bombarded with interviews and job offers for the past year and a half. Part of that might be related to the lack of professional talent coming to Taiwan due to COVID border restrictions since early 2020. It might also be because I have the experience and skills companies want (for once). I can […]

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7 Groundhog Day Questions for Foreigners in Taiwan

Before I go upsetting anyone’s pretty little heart, be warned, this is article isn’t about making fun of Taiwanese. If anything, it’s a celebration. Many locals are quite curious about foreign nationals in Taiwan. In most cases, for white people like me, it’s generally quite positive. But, sometimes it’s just plain awkward. Other times I […]

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A Political Comparison: The Democratic Unionist Party (北愛爾蘭的民主統一黨) and Chinese Nationalist Party (台灣的國民黨)

I see a lot in common with many young[ish] Taiwanese. They either grew up with or inherited the KMT, who held a monopoly on power until they were told to hold some elections because folks decided an iron fist wasn’t what they wanted. Likewise, I come from the North of Ireland, where Unionist parties had […]

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Taiwanese Foreigners and The Zeal of the Convert

We’ve all heard tropes about foreigners in Taiwan. You’ve got the sexpat that comes to Taiwan to get laid. We’ve also got Peter Pan, who came to Taiwan to never grow old and wants to live like they’re in their twenties until they die. The white savior is another common one you see of self-important […]

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Taiwan’s Gold Card Program- Forgetting About the Foreigners that Already Live in Taiwan

Before jumping into this article, please be aware that the point of it isn’t to antagonize or criticize Gold Card holders. It’s about prioritizing the policies foreign nationals need in Taiwan before a Gold Card program should’ve been implemented. I think the Gold Card Program isn’t a bad idea. Offering incentives and benefits such as […]

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I Got a 30-Day Ban for Warning Someone About COVID-19

Well, it happened again. Facebook banned me for 30 days. Why this time? Someone wrote that people should be allowed to shop freely during COVID. The post included images of COSTCO packed with people and the OP asking “where can I report people for not following rules?” My response to the person was “They get […]

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Taiwan’s Migrant Backbone and Racist Underbelly – Confronting Discrimination, Privilege, and Classism in Taiwan

Taiwan’s Migrant Backbone and Racist Underbelly – Confronting Racism in Taiwan The recent outbreak of COVID-19 in Taiwan didn’t propel racism and discrimination in Taiwan. It simply shone a light on what we collectively all know but rarely admit— Taiwan has a problem with racism to Southeast Asians. Migrant Worker Discrimination During COVID-19 Due to […]

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歡迎外國人來台灣 Being Welcomed Every Day in Taiwan Feels Like a Nice Groundhog Day

Welcomes across countries and cultures vary, and one way to say welcome in one country might not fly in others. Indeed, how we welcome people is a matter of personal manners, culture, and, quite frankly, how open one is to outsiders. Well, after getting all that out of the way, most of us can agree […]

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Being Guided by a 93-year-old at Jinguashi Peace Memorial Park

Back in January 2017, I took a holiday to Jiufen of all places (I was still relatively new to Taiwan). We stayed in an old but nicely decorated house beside a graveyard at the top of the town. We realized pretty quickly that Jiufen went dead after 9pm with most places closing as the crowds […]

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Why ㄈㄈ尺/CCR is Misogynistic Ethno Nationalism

You want to know what’s more annoying than a white guy in Asia telling people Asian women are easy and love you because you are a foreigner? Local men telling Taiwanese women they’re easy and love western men because they are foreign. A while back I wrote an article titled “Are They Easy? A Stupid […]