Life Update: I got COVID-19...

We just returned from our trip, mostly because I was feeling tired. However, the next day, I felt almost incapacitated. I managed to get up in the morning, but my muscles were in pain. I mustered the energy to do the laundry, but after that, I could only lay down. My whole body was in excruciating pain, and I had a terrible headache. Around noon, we took a COVID-19 test, and within seconds, it turned out positive. I had to isolate in a separate room, and with each passing moment, I felt worse. Since it was a Saturday, hospitals were not operating normally, and there was no online service available for COVID-19 patients anymore. My husband asked if I could wait until Monday, but I felt so weak that I couldn't even stand up. He brought me to the emergency room, but finding parking was difficult. I sat on a wheelchair, waiting for him to drive back home and exchange the car for a scooter. After a few minutes, I was registered and soon received some medication. Luckily, I was able to return home and start my 7-day quarantine here. I tested positive on August 27th, so I have to remain in isolation until September 4th.

I have never felt so unwell in my life before. Even during labor, I had more strength as I walked into the hospital on my own. This time, I was half-dead, barely able to speak, and relying on a wheelchair. Aside from muscle pain, headache, fever, and dizziness, I didn't have any other symptoms.

On the first day, I couldn't even bear the light, so I covered up the windows. Opening my eyes was a struggle due to the headache and pain. I drifted in and out of sleep, but the muscle pain would wake me up every half hour. The next day was slightly better after taking medication, although I still preferred lying down to standing up.

I consider myself fortunate for avoiding COVID-19 for the past 2.5 years. Additionally, we didn't receive the vaccine at all.

On the third day of quarantine (Tuesday), I started feeling completely fine, just with a slight cough, which I believe was a side effect of the medication (since I didn't cough before). It's tough staying alone, and I've been spending most of my time lying down. Taiwanese apartments aren't spacious enough for many activities anyway. I've been watching a lot of YouTube as well. I no longer feel tired or sleepy.

By Wednesday, the cough was still present, but I no longer had a fever. I continued taking my medication. I took another COVID-19 test in the hopes of leaving quarantine earlier, but it still came back positive. I'm going crazy being stuck in the room. My husband took our son out to buy some things for his first day of kindergarten tomorrow, so I had the opportunity to leave the room for an hour and walk around the house. I thought I felt fine, but wearing a mask in the heat made me feel a little dizzy. At least I was able to clean my room, check on my flowers, and then return to my room and turn on the air conditioning. The house doesn't seem to have much airflow, and it's darker compared to our previous rental in Tainan.

Thursday, September 1st, was the day our son started kindergarten. Obviously, I couldn't be there, but luckily, we live in a modern world with video calls and recordings. My husband recorded the experience of taking him to and from kindergarten. Is it normal for moms to feel sad on this day? I've been with him every day for the past 4 years, and suddenly, I don't know what to do. I'm going to be alone. Additionally, my parents-in-law came today, as my husband had some things to finish tomorrow, and someone needed to pick up Adrian from kindergarten.

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Life Update: Farewell Tainan, Hello Miaoli: Our New Home!

We are moving once again... I've lost count of how many times we have moved already. First Yunlin for one year, then Hsinchu for another year, followed by Tainan for three years, and now Miaoli. Specifically, we moved to Toufen, which is a town in the north of Miaoli and close to Hsinchu. The decision to move happened quite suddenly when my husband received a job offer from another company. Within a week, he completed three job interviews and once he was hired, we found a rental place and started moving our belongings right away. Currently, he is still working in Zhubei, so he drove to Toufen on his own to view apartments, sign contracts, and find a kindergarten. I understand that he feels like he has to handle everything on his own, but it's quite common when someone lives in another country and faces language barriers. We have already moved many of our things to our parents-in-law's place, and some items were moved here shortly after renting the new place. Moving over 200 kilometers away is quite exhausting.

Compared to the south, I find that rental fees here are insanely high, with most places costing over 30,000 NTD per month, and often without furniture! This time, we rented a three-bedroom apartment. Hopefully, my husband will excel in his new job as it can be done remotely once he learns everything (or at least that's what they said during the interview—only time will tell). Then, we might have a chance to move back to Tainan! (laughs) That's what I hope will happen because I prefer living in the south over the north. Even Kaohsiung or Pingdong would be fine. People in the north seem colder, busier, and more concerned about money.

Our new place is not bad. It's in a new area, and the apartment buildings are quite tall compared to our previous place. However, when compared to bigger cities, they are not that tall, with only 14 floors in total. The community consists of six buildings with a yard in between, making it safe for children to play. There is a fountain, although it is not currently in use. To access the building, we need to use a token, which is similar to before. However, the token is also required to operate the elevator, which was not the case before. Entering our apartment is a completely different story. We have to use a passcode or fingerprint, whereas previously, we only had a key. Inside the apartment, there are many electronic devices, such as a screen door-phone and touch panels to control the ventilation system in the bathrooms and lighting. Even the refrigerator is advanced (although we didn't read the instructions properly) and we mistakenly placed food in the vegetable compartment instead of the freezer, resulting in having to throw away all the food...

I haven't seen many places like this in the south where people don't have much yard space or community areas. However, the price difference is huge. We paid nearly half the amount in Shanhua compared to what we have to pay in Toufen. Of course, it's not an exact comparison, as we lived in a two-bedroom apartment before, and now we have three bedrooms. Additionally, our previous place had less furniture than our current one.

There is one major thing that bothers me regardless of where we see houses or apartments, or even rental properties—people don't seem to care about cleanliness. Some houses are unoccupied, while others have families living in them and want to sell. We have been asked to take off our shoes and step into dusty, dirty floors covered in hair. It feels disgusting to enter such places.

Recently, I stayed in Toufen for three days with my son while my husband continued working and stayed at a hotel in Zhubei. We attended the Immigration Gala for the Dream Building Program (see my previous post for more information), so it was easier to stay in Toufen rather than travel back to Tainan. However, we still had to drive back to Tainan to move the rest of our belongings. The most challenging part was moving our wardrobes and island. Since nobody wanted to buy them, we had to take them to my parents-in-law's place as we don't have space for them here. The sad thing is that the AI moved all my flowers to my parents-in-law's place, but they don't know how to take care of them. Even the cactuses, which I had cared for over three years, were big, beautiful, and very green. After just a week at their place, my cactuses are almost dead. They have turned brown and partially rotted due to heavy rain and being left outside.

Finally, on August 22nd, we finished the moving process, although my husband wanted to travel to the east of Taiwan for a while afterward. So, after arriving here at night and unpacking, we will be waking up early tomorrow to drive again.

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Joining New Residence and Their Children Dream Building Program in Taiwan

In December 2021, my husband and I applied for the New Residence and Children Dream Building Program, which is the 8th edition of the program. In early February, the winners were announced, and fortunately, we made it! I feel especially honored to be the only winner from Europe, representing Poland. This program might not be well-known to many people, and we ourselves would not have known about it if not for our local Shanhua immigration bureau. As winners, we are entitled to receive 80,000 NT (72,000 NT after tax). So, how do we receive the funds?

The application period for the program takes place in the last quarter of each year. For the 2021 application, it was open from October 7 to December 31. It's important to note that you cannot apply individually; this program is specifically for new residents and their children, so you need to include at least two names on the application form. Additionally, it doesn't matter if you have been living in Taiwan for several years like me—I have been here for five years—because you can still participate in the program. However, it's crucial to remember that you can only join the program once, so you need to ensure that your plan aligns with your long-term goals.

There are five categories to choose from: Entrepreneurship and Marketing Group, Education/Learning: Multimedia, Social Welfare Service, and Environmental Protection. As part of the application process, you need to introduce yourself and share your story of why you are in Taiwan and what your dreams are. It's also important to explain why you need the funding and list a few items that you would like to purchase with the money. Along with the application form, you will need to submit a signed paper copy, a copy of your Alien Resident Certificate (ARC) card, and a household copy. The application should be sent via email and in printed form to the Taipei Immigration Bureau. For more information, you can check their Facebook page or the Immigration Government website.

As the application form is in Chinese, my husband helped me fill it out. We wrote a short story about why I came to Taiwan and what I am currently doing, such as running a cake shop, writing a blog about Taiwan, giving speeches at universities, and even being featured in the news (we attached pictures as proof). Since we have a business, we listed some important appliances that could help us grow our business, such as a larger oven, a stand mixer, and a bigger fridge.

The winners were announced on February 9, and we received an email with some documents to be signed and sent back, as well as a copy of our bank book. Soon after, someone from the Immigration Bureau contacted us, and we were required to provide weekly progress reports. The deadline to complete our project is November of this year. Once the project is finished, there will be a video featuring us shared on their social media platforms.

That's what the application form looked like last year:

The Immigration Bureau provided us with the contact information of an agent whom we need to report to regarding our progress and any changes. We had to make a change to our plan when our fridge broke at the end of January, and we had already purchased a new one. Since it was the most expensive item on our list, replacing it with other things was quite challenging. We had to submit an updated list via email, which was then checked and approved by the Immigration Bureau. On March 4, we received the funds, and from that point onward, we were able to purchase all the appliances from our list. We had to report our progress weekly, including taking pictures of the items and their receipts as proof, which we sent to the agent via email.

Unfortunately, while purchasing the items, we encountered situations where some products were sold out or certain services were no longer available (for example, printing our logo on aprons). We also had to give up on creating a trademark as it would have taken several months, which was longer than the project's deadline. Each change we made had to be reported to the agent, but the approval process took around two weeks. Finally, at the end of March, our final change was approved. We were thrilled to have bought everything we needed, but then one of the items we purchased appeared to be used instead of new. As a result, we had to return it and wait for a replacement.

Additionally, we had to schedule online consultations, totaling five sessions. However, the available timings we initially chose were not always available, and there were changes made later on as well. During these consultations, we had meetings with Lee Mona, the CEO of a coffee shop. We learned more about calculating the costs of ingredients and labor, as well as how to collaborate with coffee shops and other aspects of business promotion. These meetings were very insightful, although she acknowledged that we already had a good understanding of many aspects, such as creating a logo to establish brand recognition.

On June 16, an employee from the Immigration Bureau, along with a camera crew, came to conduct a video interview. I had to introduce myself, share our plan, and explain how the purchased items had helped us. They also filmed me baking cakes. The advantage was that I could speak in English, and my husband provided the translation.

The program culminated with a gala event on August 13, where all the winners from various categories gathered in Hsinchu. Since we were also in the process of moving houses, we rented a place in Toufen, Miaoli. We had to carry many things and unpack early in the morning. My mother-in-law and sister-in-law took the High-Speed Rail to join us and take care of our son while we attended the Immigration Gala. The venue, Amazing Hall, was quite spacious, and everyone had a place to showcase what they were doing. We only brought our laptop and a short video presentation, but many people brought food, clothes, paintings, and other items related to their businesses. We received a certificate for participating, and it was presented to us by high-ranking officials from the Immigration Bureau. We had to walk to the stage in front of everyone else, and surprisingly, I didn't feel nervous. Afterwards, they visited each presentation area, and each of us had to introduce our business. Since my Chinese skills are not very good, my husband did the talking for me. Lunch was provided, and there was unlimited tea to drink. We also had an article published in a magazine, and we received a power bank as a gift. All we had to do was recommend their group on the Line app. The only mistake my husband made was parking in the wrong parking lot, which didn't belong to the Immigration Bureau, so we had to pay for it ourselves.

Everything ended with gala that all group joined on 08/13. We had to drive to Hsinchu, it was held in an Amazing Hall. At the same time we are moving house, so we just rented place in Toufen, Miaoli. We carried plenty of things and unpacked early morning. Mother-in-law and sister-in-law took HSR to come here as well, to watch our son for us while we went to Immigration Gala.

The place was quite big, everyone had a place to showcase what they are doing. We only brought laptop and made short video, but many people carried food, clothes, paintings or other things that they are doing. We got certificate for joining, it looked very official as high position people working for Immigration Bureau held it to us. We had to walk to the stage in front of everyone else. Surprisingly I didn't feel nervous! After that, they walked to every presentation area and each of us had to introduce our business. Since my Chinese sucks, my husband did that for me lol 

They served us lunch, there was unlimited tea to drink as well. We have another article in magazine. We also got powerbank, all we had to do is to recommend they group on Line app. The only mistake my husband did was to park in wrong car parking that didn't belong to them, so we had to pay for it on our own lol

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Taitung Travel: Amis Folk Center

2022/07/19-20

We attended the Hot Air Balloon Festival in Taitung after convincing my husband to go. We stayed in Taitung for only two days, primarily for the festival, but we also had the opportunity to visit other places. We attended the festival twice, once at night and once during sunrise. Unfortunately, the wind was too strong at night, resulting in fewer balloons being launched.

Additionally, we visited the Beinan Site and Longtian Village, which have many remnants from the Japanese era. We also made a stop in Hualien, specifically at a Japanese-era shrine. Lately, I've developed an obsession with Japanese buildings and shrines, even though I never had a desire to visit Japan. Perhaps I've become a bit bored with Taiwan and its architecture.

On our drive back along the coast road, we visited Nanrenshi, Sanxiantai, and even had the chance to see wild monkeys and the Amis Folk Center.

During our trip, my husband had a job interview with another company. He stayed in the car while I explored Beinan. Unfortunately, his interview was rescheduled and slightly disrupted our travel plans, as it was supposed to take place before we arrived in Taitung. Nonetheless, he managed to complete it. However, the signal in our accommodation wasn't strong enough for him to stay there, so he had to go to the nearby park.

We also had to shorten our trip because he had a second round of interviews. Wish him good luck anyway!

~ ~ ~ ~

While driving along the east coast of Taiwan, we made a stop at the Amis Folklore Center. Unfortunately, it was Wednesday, and the center was closed for the day. However, we were still able to walk around and admire the traditional Amis houses.

We spent the night in Taitung and the next morning, we purchased some sugar apples before driving back to Tainan. My husband had a scheduled second job interview that evening and needed to dress up properly for it.

Amis Folk Center (阿美族民俗中心)

The Amis Folklore Center is situated next to the Dongguan Office and covers an area of approximately 2 hectares. The park features an outdoor performance square, a grandstand that can accommodate 2,000 people, an archery experience area, and a traditional Amis family house. Operated by the Amis Gagen Orchestra, the center offers tourists the opportunity to try their hand at archery, engage in DIY activities to create Amis beads or traditional musical instruments like the pan flute, and enjoy performances of traditional Amis songs and dances, including the unique ga wa (bamboo bell) performance.

Construction of the Amis Folklore Center was completed in November 1995, with the main building, including the sacrificial house and family house, based on the designs of Japanese ethnologist Chien Iwasuke Taro in 1943 in Guangfu, Hualien County. The hand-painted drawings of the township survey were replicated from the priests' homes of the Taiba Long Society in Hualien County.

In addition to exploring the distinctive buildings and experiencing the beauty of Amis architecture, the Folklore Center also offers exhibitions of tribal cultural relics, handicrafts, special product displays and sales, and food services.

Address:

961台東縣成功鎮新村路25號

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Taitung Travel: Nanrenshi, Sanxiantai and Wild Monkeys

2022/07/19-20

We attended the Hot Air Balloon Festival in Taitung after convincing my husband to go. We stayed in Taitung for only two days, primarily for the festival, but we also had the opportunity to visit other places. We attended the festival twice, once at night and once during sunrise. Unfortunately, the wind was too strong at night, resulting in fewer balloons being launched.

Additionally, we visited the Beinan Site and Longtian Village, which have many remnants from the Japanese era. We also made a stop in Hualien, specifically at a Japanese-era shrine. Lately, I've developed an obsession with Japanese buildings and shrines, even though I never had a desire to visit Japan. Perhaps I've become a bit bored with Taiwan and its architecture.

On our drive back along the coast road, we visited Nanrenshi, Sanxiantai, and even had the chance to see wild monkeys and the Amis Folk Center.

During our trip, my husband had a job interview with another company. He stayed in the car while I explored Beinan. Unfortunately, his interview was rescheduled and slightly disrupted our travel plans, as it was supposed to take place before we arrived in Taitung. Nonetheless, he managed to complete it. However, the signal in our accommodation wasn't strong enough for him to stay there, so he had to go to the nearby park.

We also had to shorten our trip because he had a second round of interviews. Wish him good luck anyway!

~ ~ ~ ~

After enjoying the Hot Air Balloon Festival in the morning, we drove along the mountain road up north, eventually reaching Yuli in Hualien to visit the remains of a Japanese shrine. Later, we took road no30, which led us to the coast. Along the coast, there are several interesting places to visit, such as Nanrenshi (Man's Stone), Sanxiantai, wild monkeys in Donghe, Torik Shrine, the Amis culture center, and "Water going upward." We had seen most of these places three years ago, but it was nice to revisit them. The heatwave across Taiwan made the sun scorching hot, and by the afternoon, I didn't feel like traveling anymore. All I dreamed about was getting into an air-conditioned space. We only took a break at noon to find some lunch, and in the afternoon, we met my husband's uncle for dinner. It was an opportunity to try some aboriginal cuisine, which I had always wanted to taste because it's not easy to find those dishes in western Taiwan.

See also: Hot Air Balloon Festival

See also: remains of Japanese shrine

See also: Amis culture center

Nanrenshi / Man's Stone (男人石)

The Man's Stone is an isolated limestone sea erosion column, standing approximately 35 meters tall at its highest point. It serves as evidence of the early seismic site's relative uplift movement and shares similarities with the sea steps near the "stone umbrella" (石雨傘). The Amis people, who immigrated earlier, referred to the Man's Stone as "kotid ni malataw," which means "the glans of the gods," evoking a sense of awe. Another story calls the Man's Stone "fasonihar," where "fasiaw" means "a kite," and "fasonihar" refers to "a place to tie a kite." The Man's Stone is located approximately 25 kilometers north of Baxiandong and 6 kilometers south of Sanxiantai. The similar geographical positions have given rise to various legends. According to one legend, the Sendai tryst, where Lu Dongbin met his lover, took place here. In anger, Lu Dongbin swung his sword and slashed the pair, turning Baxiandong Cave into the woman and the Man's Stone into the man. Subsequently, a temple was built around the Man's Stone with nine stone-carved phalluses surrounding it. The Man's Stone has now become a trail with prescribed methods of making wishes and offering prayers. Apart from seeking marriage and children, visitors can also pray for wealth, career, and health. It stands as a unique religious and cultural attraction.

Sanxiantai (三仙台) 

Sanxiantai is a well-known tourist attraction in Taitung County, comprising a small offshore island, a coral reef coast, and a gravel coast. Covering an area of approximately 22 hectares, it takes about one hour to visit. Due to minimal human disturbance, it is also an important base for studying coastal plant ecology and is listed as a nature reserve. In the Ami language, "nuwalian" means "the most eastern place," while "Pisirian" signifies "the land of the shepherd." The highest point, standing at around 77 meters above sea level, belongs to the volcanic agglomerate of Tuoshan Mountain. Over the years, through weathering and seawater erosion, various unique sea-eroded landforms have formed, including sea-eroded columns, potholes, and tunnel-type sea-eroded gates. The northern end of the island features numerous potholes, with the largest having a diameter of 5 meters and a depth of 4 meters. On the northeast coast, there is a tunnel-type sea-eroded gate known as Acacia Cave, measuring 58 meters in length, 3 meters in width, and 3 meters in height.

Both the Han people and the local Ami people have their own legends about Sanxiantai. According to one legend, the "Eight Immortals" - Li Tiezhu, Lu Dongbin, and He Xiangu - once stopped on the island, leaving behind three immortals in the mountains, hence the name Sanxiantai. The Ami people tell the story of Sanxiantai being protected by the patron saint "Wu'an." The Sanxiantai Lighthouse is located on the second peak of the island and requires climbing 287 stone steps from the base. To facilitate tourist access to the island, an eight-arch cross-sea pedestrian bridge was constructed in 1987. Its beautiful shape has made it a local landmark.

Wild monkeys in Donghe

Traveling from Donghe Bridge along the Dongfu Highway into the coastal mountains, one arrives at the famous Taiyuan Valley. Surrounded by mountains and sculpted by rivers, it features canyon terrain and serves as a paradise for Taiwanese macaques. Monkeys can often be seen in the woods or approaching tourists to seek food, creating a unique scenery. It is the best place in Taitung to observe monkeys, adding more charm to the journey. It is recommended to visit in the morning or afternoon (after 4 PM) during the summer days, as monkeys do not fare well in the heat and tend to stay hidden. When we arrived at 2:30 PM, it was initially empty, but just as we were about to leave, we spotted two monkeys.

Address:

1. Nanrenshi / Man's Stone: 961台東縣成功鎮石傘路男人石
2. Snaxiantai: 961台東縣成功鎮基翬路74號
3. Monkeys: 959台東縣東河鄉東富公路登仙橋遊憩區

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