“Love is something eternal; the aspect may change, but not the essence.”
This post will be an addition to the recounting of my ‘The First Few Years’ in Taiwan series, but since this covers many years, it is not a continuation.
This post has one sole focus: my quest for love.
I had been in Taiwan for a little over a year, made some good friends, and gone on many adventures (which will be included in a separate post), so I set my sights on finding that extra-special someone.
The Single Days
Not having a serious partner at that time in my life was not the most terrible thing in the world. Though I lived in a small town, the city was not far away. I would often head there for the weekend. Dating apps were becoming more popular and widely used, so I could chat with someone online for a little while and then meet up with them for some fun when I was off work.
I enjoyed the sights, sounds, and companionship (along with a wider selection of food vendors) that came from stepping beyond the borders of lil’ old Zhushan. However, I yearned for something more. I had a nice motorcycle but no one to wrap their arms around me on scenic journeys. I had a large bed but mostly slept alone.
Scrolling With Hope
While visiting the city, hanging out in bars, and enjoying some casual encounters can be pleasant, I never gave up on my search for someone I could share more with. That was when I came across a profile that caught my eye.
This lovely lady lived in Taipei, so unfortunately, it was a little too far for a quick visit. We chatted for a while, but eventually the conversation fell flat. My questions were met by simple one-word responses, and we never made plans to actually hang out. I decided to scroll on and see if I would have better luck with someone who lived a little closer.
Love at Second Sight
Some more time went by, and I still hadn’t had much luck finding that special someone. It was during a trip to Japan when I started chatting with the beautiful woman above once more. Ling Lin (LL) had changed the photos she had posted online and cut her hair, so it took us a little bit of time to realize that we had chatted before. This time, however, our conversations were a bit more lively.
It turned out that LL had left Taipei and moved back down to her hometown of Linnei. This neighbored the small town I lived in, so it would be a lot more convenient for us to meet up. I often wondered whether the big-city girl I had met at first just had no interest in a small-town boy like me, but once she was back home, it seemed her perspective on me had changed, and she decided to give me a shot.
For our first date, we kept it simple and took a backpack full of sangria to Ikea. There, we pretended we were married, looked at housewares, sat on couches, and rolled around on mattresses.
After that, we went to a night market, and I introduced her to some friends.
Everyone seemed to approve of my new partner in crime.
After a few more dates, we took a trip to Taipei together. LL had done some modelling up there and was in a show that had been organized before she moved away.
Needless to say, sitting in that audience made me feel like a very lucky person. 😉
I quickly learned that LL was a kind, honest, and hardworking person. Every day, she took the train to the university where she worked. Sometimes, she would work so late that she would miss the train home. When that happened, she just slept in her office and resumed work the next morning.
When LL came and met me at the old house I had just moved into and helped to clean the disgusting kitchen, I knew I had found a keeper.
From there, we had more dates and found ourselves really enjoying one another’s company.
Full Steam Ahead
So, I had finally found someone worthy of special attention, and we continued our relationship by dating exclusively. We did all the usual stuff new couples liked to do.
We ate out a lot (we still do), getting to know each other while enjoying delicious food.
We hiked all around Taiwan, enjoying both small forest trails and long mountain treks.
I met her family and friends, making some new pals along the way.
We went on adventures, travelling both locally and internationally.
Settling Down
The time comes when you are convinced you have something special, so we moved into a house together, adopted some animals, and grew a small garden.
From there, anyone who knows me probably knows the rest of the story.
I proposed during a trip to Taipei.
We went to a little shop and made our own wedding rings.
We didn’t want to wait too long before getting married. Unfortunately, COVID had struck, so we were not able to invite anyone from Canada. Luckily, my mother got stuck in Taiwan during that time, so she was able to attend.
We found a small campground that had a couple of cozy cabins and booked the whole place for one day and night. Our friend was the DJ, and we got a nice restaurant to cater the food (I will upload more pictures when I am able to find the online album).
‘Till Death Do Us Part
And that, as they say, is that. LL and I have been together ever since. We have two lovely boys together, and we moved into a house close to her parents (the same town she grew up in and where we first met).
Being married can be a challenge for anyone, but I would not change it for the world. LL and I have known each other for over ten years, and I look forward to knowing her for a hundred more.
“That love is all there is, Is all we know of love.”
The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.
The smell of grilled food fills your nose and the sound of happy chatter can be heard all around. Explosive pyrotechnic displays happen regularly, with fireworks exploding right above your house on occasion. This is not some kind of Fourth of July celebration, this is the new year holiday in Taiwan, and you’re in for a good time.
You can always tell when New Years is coming because the outsides of grocery and convenience stores fill up with boxes of cookies and other treats for easy gift-giving.
For me, this has generally been a time to get together with the families of friends or my in-laws. It almost always involves eating a lot, playing mahjong or dice gambling games, and sipping on some fine whisky or Kaoliang. But, it is obviously a lot more than that.
New Year’s in Taiwan is their longest yearly holiday (comparable to December’s winter break in Canada or the US – but most people only get one week off work). It is steeped in history. Since I am not entirely familiar with all the traditions, I’ve done some research to try and paint a more comprehensive picture of the festivities that goes beyond just my personal experiences.
What’s In a Name: Spring Festival, Lunar, Chinese, or just New Years?
To get started, you might want to know why the new year is celebrated at a different time in Taiwan. This all has to do with the various kinds of calendars.
The Gregorian calendar is the most common calendar, and what people generally find on their electronic devices or hanging on their walls. It is a solar calendar, and, as the name suggests, it tracks time based on Earth’s movement around the sun.
The Gregorian calendar is what gives us 12 months of varying length that make up a year of 365 days (366 on a leap year). According to this calendar, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day fall on the same days every year – December 31st and January 1st.
Taiwan celebrates this new year along with many other countries in the world. In fact, Taipei 101 has a mesmerizing fireworks display every year after the countdown, and January 1st is a national holiday.
However, the biggest New Year’s celebration in Taiwan happens following a lunisolar calendar, which tracks time based on the solar year and the phases of the moon. The Lunar New Year happens at different times each year, but it is generally celebrated on the second new moon following the winter solstice, which falls between late January and mid-February. It ends when that lunar phase has come to an end – around 15 days (half a lunation) later.
This is the Chinese zodiac, which differs from the Western zodiac inspired by Greek and Babylonian astrological traditions.
The Chinese zodiac doesn’t refer to star constellations, it follows the lunisolar schedule on a 12-year cycle. Each year is represented by a different animal – 2024 was the year of the dragon, and 2025 is the year of the snake.
There is a debate about what this holiday should be called (similar to conversations about saying Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays in the Western world). Some call it Chinese New Year, which is an acceptable term given that many of the traditions come from Chinese culture. After all, there were many times in history when China’s borders and influence extended far beyond what they do today.
The holiday is also occasionally called the Spring Festival because the time of year marks the beginning of spring on the traditional lunisolar calendar. In my experience, not a lot of people use this term but I do like the focus on spring that happens in Taiwan.
I used to live in a house surrounded by rice fields, and every year the farmers would plant cover crops of sunflowers, gerberas, chrysanthemums, and other pretty flowers. They would let these fields grow for a while, providing visitors with ample time to snap photos. When the holidays end, they would till the flowers back into the soil as a form of green manure.
A lot of different Asian countries (including Taiwan) have their own unique ways of celebrating this holiday, and I’ve never lived in China, so I generally call it Lunar New Year or just New Year. The common phrase to say during this time is shin-knee-en kwie-luh (新年快樂), which just means happy New Year. In 2025, it fell on January 29th and the official holidays were from January 27th to February 2nd.
Lunar New Year in Taiwan: A Blend of Tradition and Modernity
This is a time for grand celebration and is deeply rooted in centuries of tradition that seamlessly weaves together ancient Han Chinese customs with distinct Taiwanese practices to create a unique cultural mosaic that defines the island’s heritage.
As I already mentioned, my experiences generally just involve family gatherings, eating, drinking, some mild gambling, and lots of merriment. But, this post will go a little deeper and explore some of the customs other (more traditional) people uphold.
Preparing for the New Year: A Time of Renewal
The preparations for Lunar New Year begin well in advance, with families engaging in the time-honored tradition of da-sow(sounds like female pig not plant a seed)-chew (大掃除), which just means a general cleaning.
Here’s where you’ll see everyone busy sweeping, decluttering, and washing everything. I witnessed my neighbor cleaning her screen door with a toothbrush (now that’s dedication). The father of some students I tutor got a little overzealous and threw out all the books we were working on – oh well.
The streets are lined with extra junk people plan to throw in the local garbage truck drive-bys. In smaller areas, you might see a trail of black smoke rising from a sneaky bonfire.
The rigorous chores represent more than just physical cleanliness; they symbolize sweeping away the previous year’s misfortunes and making way for incoming prosperity.
Every corner of the house must be spotless, every drawer organized, and every surface polished to perfection.
Businesses often mark the year’s end with elaborate dinners or banquets. These festive gatherings serve multiple purposes: expressing gratitude to employees for their hard work, strengthening company bonds, and invoking blessings for the upcoming year. The events often feature lucky draws and entertainment. While I have never worked a job that has hosted such elaborate parties, I have been treated to a few employee dinners.
A significant spiritual preparation occurs on the 24th day of the 12th lunar month when religious families bid farewell to their household deities.
This custom acknowledges the gods’ annual journey to heaven to report on earthly affairs. Families prepare elaborate offerings of food and incense, ensuring their divine protectors depart with proper respect and return with continued blessings.
New Year’s Eve: A Night of Family Unity
The heart of the celebration lies in the dinners, where families of all generations gather around tables laden with various dishes.
The careful selection of foods reflects hopes for the coming year: whole fish symbolizes abundance, dumplings represent wealth, and sticky rice cakes suggest rising prosperity and status.
Homes transform into festive spaces adorned with bright red. Stores open up just at this time of year to sell decorations, gifts, fireworks, etc. Some people just sell them out of the front of their houses.
Families hang red couplets featuring phrases with gold lettering on their doorways and windows; red lanterns illuminate entrances. These vibrant decorations serve both aesthetic and spiritual purposes, creating a protective barrier against negative energies while inviting good fortune.
The tradition of staying awake past midnight – just like Western New Year’s Eve – remains a cherished practice. Children play or nap as families chat loudly, play games, or watch special New Year television programs (I’ve never seen the TV shows).
Four MANY hours leading up to midnight, people light off fireworks EVERYWHERE. While living across the street from a lovely park is generally enjoyable, the bombardment of explosions can get a little old after a while (especially when you have two little boys trying to sleep). That doesn’t stop me from going outside, standing in the middle of the street, and watching them.
These lively late-night customs are not just for fun, they are believed to extend the life of one’s parents, adding a touching dimension to the festivities.
Fifteen Days of Celebration
While I have not observed many of these customs, each day of the New Year period carries its own significance for some.
On the first day, families don new clothes and visit local temples to pray for blessings. Sharp objects are stored away to avoid cutting off good luck, and cleaning is avoided to prevent sweeping away fortune – good thing the houses were already made spotless.
The second day highlights the importance of family ties, as married daughters return to their childhood homes. Since I live in my wife’s hometown, this is not much of a concern for us, but the tradition strengthens family bonds through the exchange of gifts.
The third day provides a welcome respite, as it’s considered somewhat inauspicious for visiting, allowing families to rest and recover from the festivities.
The fourth day marks the welcoming back of the deities, with fresh offerings and renewed prayers. By the fifth and following days, the practical aspects of life begin to resume as some businesses reopen.
This time is often accompanied by – less visually appealing but equally noisy – firecracker displays at temples to attract prosperity and drive away evil spirits.
A highlight of the extended celebration occurs on the ninth day, particularly significant for Taiwan’s Hokkien community.
This day marks the Jade Emperor‘s birthday, celebrated with elaborate ceremonies and offerings that showcase the deep spiritual connections maintained in Taiwanese society.
A Mix of Modernity and Tradition
Modern celebrations have adapted while maintaining their cultural essence. The tradition of giving red envelopes called hong-bows(sounds like to bend at the waist out of respect, not something you use to shoot an arrow) (紅包) is quite common, and this is a tradition we uphold.
Generally, parents give red envelopes to their kids until they’ve been employed for a while. After that, everyone gives them to their parents and grandparents.
The giving of red envelopes also happens at weddings, birthdays, and the arrival of new babies. It has expanded beyond family to include various social and professional relationships. It isn’t uncommon for a valued employee to receive one month’s (or more) salary in a red envelope before the New Year’s holiday. I have never been this lucky, but some employers have given me small amounts over the years.
During the holidays, you can also see lion and dragon dances enlivening public spaces, with professional troupes running around shopping centers and corporate events.
These performances maintain their traditional purpose of bringing prosperity while adapting to contemporary settings and audiences.
A Living Heritage
No matter how you choose to participate, the New Year’s celebrations in Taiwan exemplify how traditions can remain vibrant and meaningful in a modern society. While the core elements of family unity, spiritual devotion, and cultural preservation remain strong, the festival continues to evolve, incorporating new practices while honoring ancient customs.
It doesn’t matter where you come from, it isn’t hard for any foreigner or local to find a full glass, stuffed tummy, and plenty of smiling faces in Taiwan during this time – as long as you don’t mind a few crowded venues and traffic jams.
Whatever you do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.
So there I was, staying in a stranger’s house in the small town of Zhushan (竹山). It didn’t take me long to discover that there weren’t many other foreigners. In fact, strangers like myself were so rare that it wasn’t uncommon for locals to stop what they were doing, point at me with surprise, and yell “way-gwa-ren” (外國人), which means foreign person. Though, sometimes I think they were saying “may-gwa-ren” (美國人), which means American (person).
Who was I to correct them? Canada is in North America, so I suppose they weren’t wrong.
In all honesty, sometimes people – especially children – still point and yell this at me (or other foreigners). I suppose it’s one of the quirks of living in small towns; I don’t think it happens too much in the cities.
Learning to Ride
Anyway, to get around in Zhushan, Mia had allowed me the use of a scooter. She asked me if I knew how to drive one, and I assured her I did. In reality, I had never really done it before, but I was confident I would learn quite quickly. I did get a few raised eyebrows when I had to ask how to turn the scooter on (for those who don’t know: turn the key, hold the brake, and then press the ignition button).
To be clear, by scooter I mean a two-wheeled open motor vehicle with a whopping 125 CCs of pure power, not a foot-propelled children’s toy.
It turns out that I wasn’t wrong, and I was quite adept at driving around on 2 wheels even though it was my first time. The adventuring could fully commence!
Eventually, I bought my own scooter. I called it the Grey Pilgrim, and it served me VERY well for many years. Unfortunately, I didn’t think to take many good pictures of it, but it survived flying into a rice field, flipping down in a concrete ditch, towing a motorcycle and its driver out of the forest, and hauling all my brewing supplies.
After a while, I yearned for something more stylish and started looking at motorcycles. Shopping for one was quite an interesting experience. I had seen a few I liked on the street and at various shops and was about to make a purchase. That was when my boss told me she found out that Hartford Motorcycles had a showroom in the nearby city of Taichung (臺中市).
As it turned out, they were getting rid of their 2014 models to make room for the 2015s. So, we took a trip up there and looked around. I found one I liked for a great price, and they arranged to have it shipped to a dealer close to Zhushan.
I had never driven a motorcycle before, but I watched a quick video on how to change gears and only stalled a couple of times after picking it up.
Ready to set off.Parked at a local campsite.The bikes and James at one of our favorite hangout spots.
Given enough time, it’s not hard to start a bit of a collection.
Taken around 2019. Starting from the back left: LL’s scooter, my mom’s electric bike, the Grey Pilgrim, my friend Sam’s scooter, and my motorcycle.
A Surprise Guest
During one of my first nights in Zhushan, I had settled into the room I had been offered by Mia. The house belonged to her sister, Mandy, and Mia had gone away on a short trip, which she liked to do often. I turned off the lights, crawled into bed, and drifted off to sleep. After a while, I became aware of someone else in the room. In fact, there was actually someone else in bed with me.
A small body crept closer, and then eventually lay right on top of me.
Meet Perry. He is Mia and Mandy’s nephew. Unbeknownst to me, he often slept at Mandy’s house during the week because it was very close to his elementary school. When he did, he would use the room I had settled in. It turns out I would have a squirmy bed partner during my stay there.
Apart from occasionally sharing a bed, Perry and I would take walks to the playground, cook sausages in the toaster oven, and watch cheesy Taiwanese TV shows.
I would also become his English teacher at the buxiban for many years.
Class Is in Session
My days of freedom were coming to an end, and it wouldn’t be long before I would officially start work as an English teacher. I wondered about some sort of training or orientation, but I guess I had sold myself well enough with my resume that I was just going to be thrown straight into the classroom. My boss even asked me if I could help train the other new teacher, which I found a little strange considering I hadn’t done any actual teaching yet.
The school I started working at was called Tom Kindergarten (南投縣私立湯姆幼兒園). It can also be referred to as a nursery school because they look after young kids anywhere from 2 years old until they are ready to enter elementary school. I would work there from 9 am-3 pm Monday to Friday (with occasional weekend events). We would teach the kids English through a mixture of stories, crafts, various activities, and traditional bookwork (ABCs, phonics, etc.). We would also take them on monthly field trips.
It wasn’t hard to fall in love with these kids, and they seemed to enjoy having me around. I decided quite quickly that I would remain there for three years. That way, I could see my youngest students move on.
I soon noticed a flaw in my original plan; when one group of students ‘graduated‘ from the school, they were replaced by another. Each new class of youngsters was just as delightful as the last, and I found it hard to leave. My salary was decent, the work was enjoyable, and the students were adorable. In a way, I considered this a bit of training for when I was to become a parent. I got comfortable and remained at Tom Kindergarten for over seven years.
In July, the school year would end with a graduation for the children who were moving up to elementary school. Everyone would get dressed up and we would put on a big show for the parents. The children wore costumes, put on plays in English, and did various dances and musical performances.
At around 3 pm every day, I would head over to the buxiban and teach elementary-aged kids until 7 pm. These kids were not always the best behaved, but we still managed to have a little fun and learn something.
I will write more about schools, teaching, education, etc. in a separate post.
Better With Two
Both schools were quite large and had a lot of students, so even though I was teaching a lot every week (~30-35 classroom hours), the job was too big for just me. Mia had mentioned that I would have a coworker, and I didn’t have to wait long.
Emily arrived in Zhushan not long after I did, and she was also given a room in Mandy’s house. She is an American, and I believe this was her first big solo adventure away from her family. Seeing as we were the only two English-speaking people around, we spent our free time together.
Emily and I would often jump on the scooter and explore the local area. I would drive and she would sit on the back, relaxing and taking the occasional nap.
We enjoyed heading into the mountains to wander around the misty tea fields that are so plentiful in Nantou County (南投縣).
After a while, we grew tired of crashing at Mandy’s house (plus, I yearned for a bed without Perry). So, with the help of Mia, we began searching for our own accommodation.
Wander Not Lost 