October 20, 2015

"I'm a college student in Taipei and I've always been studying in fine art class. I came to Sanxia today to find some indigo dyeing houses for my dress. It's beautiful but I feel the color is a bit gaudy, so I want to keep the style but re-dye the dress to give it a brand new look."
"Why don't you just buy a new one, instead of coming all the way here and making a meal out of it?"
"Haha, because my mom bought the dress. It's of sentimental value to me."

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Photo Credit: Martin Chiang

October 13, 2015

"I used to be a chef. My belief was that customers will always come back as long as the food is delicious. I could see what my future would be like. But that wasn't the life that I wanted. Glove puppetry is what I'm interested in. It's been 20 years since I founded the puppet show troupe. I even sold my house just to support it. But now, the audiences always leave with smiles on their faces. All my efforts are paying off well."

October 05, 2015

"I have been to many cities during my stay in Beijing last year. This year, I come to Taiwan for exchange program, and I like Taipei a lot. I love the tranquility of the city; unlike my hometown, the atmosphere in Seoul is suffocating. Besides, Taiwanese movies have been my favorite. I love the pure emotions in them."

(Park JooYoon, Korea)

September 28, 2015

"I messed up my college entrance exam, so I began my Chinese medicine apprenticeship after graduating from high school. I got sick easily when I was little, so I wanted to nurse myself back to health. Excelling in Chinese medicine is never easy. You have to be really attentive in every stage, including recognizing, slicing, manufacturing and frying these medicine."
“Is it hard to slice the licorice menthol in your hand?”
“No, it’s the easiest. The most difficult one is ginseng, cause you know, life’s always hard.”
(Note: “Ginseng” and “life” sounds very similar in Mandarin.)

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Photo Credit: Martin Chiang

September 22, 2015

"We the homeless actually know the community more than the residents. You go to work and then you come back home to rest. You wake up again to leave, day after day. However, we see the community as our home. We do everything here in the neighborhood. We walk around in the daytime and sleep around at night. So for sure we learn more about the community than you."

September 08, 2015

"Kids don't necessarily like what's taught in school. However, as a teacher, it's our duty to guide them, challenge them, and let them know that growing up is a process of encountering all sorts of challenges. Facing difficulties and pressure for children is like learning how to ride a two-wheeled bicycle. Parents nowadays always want to hold their back and make sure they don't fall. But being a teacher, I think we should hold them at first, and let go when they set off. You have to allow them courage to face the challenge by themselves."

Photo Credit: Martin Chiang

September 01, 2015

"A friend of mine came traveling in Asia a while back. He visited Beijing first, then Taiwan. In Beijing, he met a group of nice Chinese people and became good friends with them. Knowing his next stop being Taiwan, they told him kindly that 'The flight to Taiwan is a domestic airline, so you don't have to get to the airport too early.' The day of his flight, he went to the airport 45 minutes earlier as his Chinese friends suggested. Not until he wanted to check in and saw the longest queue did he realize the flight to Taiwan is an international line. He stood dumbstruck and missed the flight."

(Paul, Germany)

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Photo Credit: Martin Chiang

August 25, 2015

"I've been selling pork pepper buns for 30 years now. When I first started the business, people laughed at me, telling me that I'm not gonna make any money by selling these buns. But now my buns are very popular. It's given me a great sense of achievement. I'm glad I stick with it and never gave up. Now my wife and my kids have joined me. Together our business grew and I bought a few houses with the money we earned. Unfortunately the houses got washed down by a flood a couple of years ago."

Photo Credit: Martin Chiang

August 19, 2015

"My husband and I are interested in antiques. We started an antique shop in Sanxia 16 years ago."
"Did you meet because of your common interest in antiques?"
"Actually, no. My husband is the one with the enthusiasm. But I'm enthusiastic about him, so I developed the interest with him."

Photo Credit: Martin Chiang