Why I Love Taiwan

When I came to Taiwan in my twenties, I wasn’t coming for the joy of travel or the love of humanity or the desire to see the world and better myself. I came for piano lessons. I had moved from my home state of Texas to Michigan for grad school, and after a year my piano teacher got an exchange professorship to a Taiwanese university. A Taiwanese classmate and I decided to go to along to continue our piano lessons, and she invited me to live with her family. It was great! I studied piano, traveled the country, and taught ESL. I also fell in love with Taiwan.

The friendly people welcomed me into their homes and social circles. The food was awesome. There was a lively expat community. The weather was stinking hot, but nothing I couldn’t handle. The landscape was beautiful, with mountains and beaches, even some rivers. It was a great place to be.

Taiwan often gets a bad rap from China. They think the Taiwanese are primitive and uncultured, with a drawling accent that grates on their nerves. It all goes back to the Chinese Civil War, when the Nationalist government fled to the island province of Taiwan and set up shop there. When the Communists won that war, they viewed Taiwan as a renegade province that needed to come back into the fold. Taiwan, however, was happy and chose to remain as it was, in rebellion to the motherland but quite self-sufficient (with a little diplomatic help from bigger nations).

Maybe Taiwan reminds me of--

Oh my word

Taiwan is Asia’s Texas!

Hot. Real friendly people. Great food. Big drawling accent. Lots of local pride. Expats who may or may not fit in. Comfortable with secession. Taiwan even has a similar flag!

No wonder I’m so content here! I’m in Asian Texas.

I guess you really can take the girl out of Texas but not take Texas out of the girl. She’ll just find another Texas wherever she goes.