Welcome (Back)! | 歡迎(回來)

September 3, 2024

Hello friends and family! Welcome (back) to Tales from Taiwan! I’m happy to report that, after about 12 days, I am mostly settled into life in Taiwan. The past couple of weeks have been an absolute whirlwind of setting up my new life, spending time with friends, and starting my new job. I have all sorts of fun tales from the past couple of weeks, but for now, I’ll just cover the basics!

You may be asking yourself:

What exactly is Miriam doing in Taiwan?

I have a job (my first “big girl” full-time job) through a Princeton in Asia (PiA) fellowship. PiA is a prestigious professional fellowship organization based in the US and affiliated with Princeton University. They place fellows in one or two year job posts throughout Asia with the mission of fostering mutual understanding with the United States. I’m working at Startup Island TAIWAN which is a startup incubator working closely with the National Development Council (NDC) of Taiwan. The NDC is a government entity that functions as the steering committee for Taiwan’s economic development. They cast vision and set goals for Taiwan’s future and collaborate across government departments to execute their vision.

Will Miriam be speaking Chinese at work?

Yes! It remains to be seen how much. My company is an English-first company, so much of their work happens in English. It seems that I’ll be using a combination of English and Chinese depending on the context.

How long is Miriam staying in Taiwan?

For now, the plan is one year. I’ll have the option to extend to a second year, but we’ll see how it goes :) Certainly, not forever.

Can I visit Miriam?

Yes! (Please 😭) If you’re in Asia, please stop by!

Where is Miriam living?

I’ve been incredibly lucky and blessed to find a beautiful newly renovated studio apartment in a fantastic location. Wendy’s (essentially my Taiwanese mom) friend’s friend is my landlord, and she’s been unbelievably kind in renting me this place. I was able to move in the night I landed in Taiwan and spent the following day unpacking everything. It’s starting to feel like home. Living alone is certainly an adjustment from dorm life but has been great thus far!

Is Miriam playing violin in Taiwan?

Yes! A friend of mine from my study abroad in 2022 connected me with her friend’s friend (noticing a pattern here?) who plays in the Taipei Civic Symphony Orchestra (TCSO) and the National Taiwan University Alumni Symphony Orchestra (NTUASO). I connected with him, shared my senior recital video, and was invited to join the first violin section of both groups! I had my first rehearsal with NTUASO this past Saturday and will scope out TCSO in a few weeks once I adjust to my new work-life routine. The climate in Taiwan is very hostile to wooden instruments. After spending countless hours doing research and talking to my luthier, I decided to purchase a dehumidifying cabinet to store my violin in when I’m not playing. It’s in a corner in my apartment and looks like a mini fridge! I love how it makes me look like a fancy instrument collector. So far, it’s worked incredibly well, and Claude (my violin) is quite happy in his new home.

Does Miriam have community/support in Taiwan?

Absolutely yes! Wendy has already been an incredible support during this time of transition. My friend Hannah (who you may remember from my study abroad) is on a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in southern Taiwan. I have some friends from my semester abroad who are still in Taiwan too! I hope to make new friends in my orchestra and through the Taipei Lindy Hop swing dance scene which I hope to check out soon! And of course, I have all of you, my friends and family, cheering me on from the United States. I’ve felt so much love from everyone in making my decision to move abroad this year and appreciate each of you more than you know.

How can I learn more about Taiwan (an incredibly important place in world politics and a super cool place in general)?

Over the summer, I read a fantastic book called The Tiger Leading the Dragon: How Taiwan Propelled China’s Economic Rise by Dr. Shelley Rigger, a Taiwan expert at Davidson College. The book is very well-written and friendly to people who don’t have an economics background. I also watched an interesting mini-documentary called What’s in a Name? A Chinese Taipei Story which discusses the reasons why Taiwan competes under the name “Chinese Taipei” in international sports. And finally, a quick video on the history and question of Taiwan’s sovereignty. It does a great job of summarizing about 100 years of history into six minutes!

How can I support Miriam?

You may or may not be asking yourself this question, but I’m going to tell you a few ways you can support me anyway! I love getting snail mail! (seriously, fewer things make me happier than snail mail) If you’d like my address to send me some letters, please let me know! Emails work well too, especially if time is of the essence. I like to hear what you’re up to! Support through prayer (or whatever way you prefer to intercede) is also greatly appreciated. Right now, prayer for: my transition into my new job from a cultural perspective, adjusting to non-student life, and learning how to manage my apartment and finances (adulting) would be appreciated.

Can the Q&A format stop now?

Yes :)

In all seriousness, it’s great to be back in Taiwan. My first two weeks have been challenging but great in so many ways. I already feel the sense of freedom I had last time I was here that comes from having easy access to transit, feeling safe, and living in a walkable/bikeable community. The language adjustment hasn’t been as difficult as I expected, and I’m enjoying speaking Chinese more often. I’m starting to plug into my local community and am keeping in touch with loved ones back home. As with any major life transition, I’ve had moments of grief, isolation, and loneliness; it is in these moments that I feel deep gratitude for the community supporting me on this incredible and unexpected journey.

More tales and food updates to come soon…

With love from Taiwan,

Miriam