A Conversation with a Teacher in Southern Taiwan

Introduction:

To explore daily life in Taiwan, I talked to Lexi, who is an English teacher at one of the elementary schools where I work. Lexi grew up in Taiwan, attended college in Hawaii and then returned to Taiwan to teach in the small town of Manzhou, which is about a 20 minute car ride from Hengchun. Lexi knows the ins and outs of Taiwan and is excited to share them with you in this piece!

What is your full name?:

My name is 黎珈伶 (Li Jialing). I also go by Lexi.

Where do you live? What is your house like?:

I live in Kaohsiung, but I work in Hengchun. When I’m in Hengchun for work, I stay in a teachers’ dorm. It’s a three floor apartment, and each teacher has a single room with a bathroom. When I go to Kaohsiung, I either stay with my mom in her apartment or with my dad in his house.

What is your family like?:

I have a really big family in Taiwan. Actually, it’s considered a huge family! To explain: I have four brothers, an uncle and two aunts. Everyone lives in Kaohsiung. We often see each other for lunch or dinner or just to hang out at home. My grandma cooks all the time, but sometimes we go out to eat too.

How do you get around?:

If I’m in Kaohsiung, I take the metro or the train. If I’m in Taipei, which is on the northern end of Taiwan, I take the High Speed Rail.

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