My life in Taiwan: 6 months in photos

My thoughts and images from an amazing half a year

Few days ago was my half a year anniversary of my stay in Taiwan. It was almost exactly 6 months ago, when I stepped on this formosa island and decided to stay here for good. It was a brave move, but also something that has completely changed my life, more than anything before. And now I'm here, sitting in my small Taipei apartment and writing this post, wondering what to say. I'm wondering, how to express this incredible complexity of emotions and at the same time realizing that it just impossible. My last post, before I left my home and family, ended with the words: I just want to be happy. And 6 months later I am not sure anymore what happiness is.

Taiwan has changed me, has flipped my life upside down completely. The pace of life in Taipei is so fast compared to my sleepy little Slovenia, that I'm sometimes wondering, if I'm stuck in a dream or is it really reality what I see all around me? Let me be clear: I am not unhappy. I do not regret that I have moved here, married my amazing wife and completely started over. But I am tired. The job's making me so damn weary every day, not so much physically, but mentally. I used to be an active guy, full of vigor and bursting with ambitions, I used to travel and move, enjoy food and have a careless mind. But now I'm deep and serious and hardly find the time to relax and switch off from my job. I do have moments, that I enjoy and when I'm free, I travel as well, but sometimes I'm tired and moody during these short trips and affect my wife. We're both tired, the times are challenging, but we won't give up. I believe and hope that this is just a phase and that there's so much more waiting for me out there. I am learning a lot, learning about an industry I had previously no idea about, accumulating skills I have never thought I'd need them, I'm making decent money and have a decent position. I can say that with all the stress aside, I have achieved a lot in only few months and I am a little proud of myself. And in a very short time I have made friends, who I believe could be real friends for a lifetime, which is just amazing. Therefore even if times are tough and there are many moments, where I would just like to give up, I need to keep on going, keep on learning and keep on getting stronger.

And when I'm not working, I'm trying to survive the madness around me. And I mean that in a cute way. Taiwan is just something else. You will hardly find a place so contradictory and challenging, which is at the same time so simple and rewarding. Taiwan needs to be experienced, I can write 1000 words and post tons of photos, it won't come close to the real experience. However, I know that most of my readers do not have the chance to experience this wonderful island first hand, I have decided to put together a collection of my 50 most interesting photos I have taken during the past 6 moths, so that you guys can see at least a small part of the things I see every day.

I came from Slovenia to survive in Taiwan.

Below are 50 of my most memorable photos. There are much more personal photos, which will not appear on my blog, but the one below are equally important to me. This is Taiwan as seen through my green eyes!

On the first day we made a promise to stay together. It was Valentine's day.

And then she made me eat bones at Raohe Night Market.

»It's that big.« she might have said. Taiwanese TV is a fascinating phenomenon.

A cute girl vacuuming my head. That was a first.

A monk in Sanxia caught my attention.

I noticed that Taiwanese really love to queue. Me too.

In Taiwan fluffy stuff is cute. And cute is what girls like. Mostly.

I saw old men burn paper money on the street.

But don't fear, young ones are burning it, too. The tradition continues.

The don Quixote like traffic policemen in Taiwan are fascinating.

White socks and crossed legs and an empty subway.

Whenever I spent time in Ximending, I have realized I became very old (sadly!).

I had long walks in Wanhua and dreamed about the old times.

The »H« and the »華«, both are broken. Makes sense.

I am still trying to figure out this cultural particularity.

And then came March 11 and I was as shocked like most of Taiwanese.

We prayed for Japan's speedy recovery.

I had a fiery dinner at a teppanyaki restaurant for my birthday.

And soon after I started my job and my mornings are now like this.

Taiwan's father in Puli.

Kids near an AV shop at the Nanya night market in Banciao.

These ice cones in Tai'an village made me melancholic.

Fixing the doll at a shop in Zhongli.

I love those small fried thingies called chicken butts.

Taiwan is good for business. Illegal street vendors have it easy.

And then we almost didn't survive Fengjia night market in Taichung.

Taiwan's ultimate weapon against Darth Vader. Or maybe just a betel nut shop.

People at a beach in Cijin island. Literally sitting around.

Stinky tofu, this waiguoren's favorite. Well, sometimes.

Lovely pond at the Daan park.

Being cute at one of the biggest Confucius temples in Taiwan.

I visited 4 wedding dinners this year. The 5th will be my own.

Enjoyed nightly views of Taipei from Maokong.

Evening market with dogs and pigs running around people's legs.

My generic breakfast in Taiwan: Coffee and sandwich at 7/11.

View from our building.

Zhongxiao East road at rush hour. Where are all these people rushing to?

And then I bought the iPhone and became obsessed with it - new appleholic.

I wrote this in a Japanese house in Yilan. I even drew the coat of arms.

Beautiful sunset in Jiji, formerly known as Chichi.

Many times I was holding my head like this - Taiwan makes you think a lot.

These horns are delicious, a delicacy from Sanxia. I luv them.

Ah Zong's noodles make Taiwanese eat on the street. And they don't need tables.

Xinyi Road looks like the gateway to heaven.

Hanging clothes on the roof became one of my new hobbies.

Visiting Taiwanese old streets, that are only 100 years young, is always fun.

Taipei at night always makes me excited. But not too long, I'm usually tired.

In the end, I came here for love and a shoulder to lean on.

Taiwan made me stressed, made me confused and changed me...

...but I still love it here and can't wait to see more and share with you.

Wait for my end of year post with 50 more photos. The train made a stop, but the ride continues. Hope you had fun reading and looking at my photos. I will try my best to provide some good reading material to you in the upcoming months. Please stay true to my little blog and keep supporting me, so that I can survive this madness called Taiwan - the madness that I love.

[My TAIWAN page][My UNIQUELY TAIWAN page][All photos by MKL, 2011]
[My LIFE IN TAIWAN page][My TAIPEI page]