Almost ten years ago, in my secondary school in Ireland, I had a free class. The teacher supervising our free time, Mr. Muffet, asked us to take out a pen and a piece of paper and get started on the following task: Write down three animal names in the following order: Your favorite animal An […]
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Friends, strangers, and taxi drivers often ask me, “why did you come to Taiwan,” and the short answer is simple; I got a scholarship to study my master’s in NCCU. The long answer? I didn’t want to go back to China after experiencing Beijing for a year. I know that can come off as a […]
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As COVID-19, or as it called commonly in Taiwan, Wuhan Pneumonia (武漢肺炎), continues to ravage the world, Taiwan continues to be one of the few countries that held back an almost unstoppable force of nature. As of writing, we are fast approaching nearly 1 million cases of coronavirus worldwide. This number was unfathomable 3 months […]
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I think most foreign nationals in Taiwan have dealt with some level of discrimination when it comes to renting. That’s not to say you won’t find amazing landlords or a solid place to live. You can. However, the pathway to finding a place isn’t always so easy, and I’ve experienced some pretty weird landlords that […]
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I decided to compile a list of things that I’ve either said on Nihao’s It Going? or with friends. Usually, I post these on the Facebook page as statuses and people generally like them. I decided to pull them all together and add new ones here. If y’all enjoy these little Going-isms, I’ll post some […]
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One aspect of living in Taiwan long-term that I don’t like is the high likelihood I will never be able to vote in any type of election. Whether it be for the local government or for the president, I’m probably going to be relegated to being a taxpayer with no say. But hey, I knew […]
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For many of us, the contemplation of a better life being elsewhere is a comforting thought. Heck, many expatriates and immigrants in Taiwan probably had a yearning for life elsewhere because, in their minds, it’s new and different. This mindset is called the “Geographical Cure,” and it’s a means for many of us to fall […]
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The Taipei City rental bike company, YouBike, recently made the decision to offer insurance for users. This insurance came at a price, and it wasn’t just monetary. Foreign nationals that weren’t already registered on YouBike were unable to register for the service, and foreigners that were already registered would not be given the insurance locals […]
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I recently hit my three-year mark in Taiwan back in September 2019. For anyone reading this that hasn’t met me, yes, I’ve only lived in Taiwan for three years. That’s still a tad shocking for people that hear me speak Mandarin and hear my thoughts on societal topics. I suppose I haven’t been around long […]
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I came to Taiwan over three years ago. since then, I graduated with a Master’s, got jobs that I was interested in, found my partner, and created my own wee life for myself. Yet, I’m still worried about the future in Taiwan for a few reasons. One big reason that makes me consider my future […]
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