The Truth About Living in Taiwan Many Won't Say

Third week of hospital check-ups… My hearing is back, but it’s still not fully normal. At least I can hear what people are saying now, unlike those few days when even face-to-face, I sometimes couldn't understand anything. Though I still hear ringing in my ears, which may take weeks or even months to go away. 😅 

Why does it take so long to go back to normal? I’ve been sick almost all of March, and honestly, this month has been a mess in so many ways. 

I applied for my APRC but haven’t received it yet, and last weekend (less than two weeks after applying) we got informed that the apartment we’re renting will put up for sale. I really thought we could finally stay somewhere longer (which we mentioned when renting), but here we go again! Moving every 1–2 years is exhausting... 🤬

We've been living in Toufen for three years, and this will be the third time moving!! And if nothing happens - like my husband getting fired, being sent to a different city, or changing jobs - there are still five more years for Adrian to finish elementary school here. No need to traumatize him by making him change schools and classmates. 

I’ve been at the immigration office so many times (yearly if not more) recently just to extend my ARC for a year and then for the APRC application... And when my husband finally had time to go - after months of overtime work and barely being home - it turns out I might have to go back again soon after receiving it, just to update my address. Do I still need his signature for that?! Feels like there’s so little a foreigner can do alone. 🤦‍♀️

This whole situation has put me in a bad mood all month. Moving during the school year is extra annoying, and renting here comes with its own set of headaches. If you rent in Taiwan, maybe you’ve faced similar issues - landlords almost never pay taxes, so they don’t want anything official that proves someone lives there. But without a household registration, I can’t get an ARC/APRC, and a child can’t go to school. 

With the recent surge in news about house prices dropping, everyone is rushing to sell. At least there are many rental options, though I do like the community we’re living in now. 

The housing market in Taiwan is ridiculous... Even places in bad condition are treated like luxury, and sales tactics often feel like scams. We looked into buying before, but that was another nightmare. Salespeople seriously hide things from you and try to brainwash you into buying - especially the worst properties of all! Everything seems to revolve around money, and at the end of the day, you can't trust anyone. 🤡

After doing some reserch... The price-to-income ratio is worsening nationwide, making homeownership increasingly difficult, especially for young people. Taipei is one of the least affordable cities, where buying a home costs nearly 16-17 years of an average salary (45000NT-50000NT), while the national average is 9-11 years. That’s assuming you don’t spend your money on anything else but the house... 😱

Let's say if you invest 25% of your income each year to buy a home in Taipei, it would take you about 64-68 years to afford one. The national average is about 40 years! Can you really guarantee that you’ll be able to maintain your income for that long? 

According to recent data In Taiwan, around 6.6% of people own three or more properties, and about 0.3% own ten or more. The wealthiest individuals average 4.3 properties, which is well above the global average of 2.9. This highlights a significant concentration of property ownership among a small, wealthy group. 🤑

Taiwan always try to promote itself as a great place to live, but... If you always hear people speaking only positively about Taiwan, it’s usually because they’ve only traveled here for a short time or they’re single, often YouTubers who, at some point, made government-sponsored videos. That says a lot. In reality, you’ll find plenty of people complaining, many who have moved out, and others just waiting for the chance to leave, both foreigners and Taiwanese. 

Actually, according to surveys that gather data on mental health, the depression rate in Taiwan is around 25% and has been steadily increasing over the past 10 years - just like housing prices, I guess. The suicide rate in Taiwan is also 20% higher than the global average!

News about suicides is often silenced because investors fear it could drive property prices down.  😨 

When we lived in another place for just a year, there were three suicide cases in that area (not exactly something you want to witness firsthand...). And even nowadays, there are many more people who have attempted but weren’t successful, yet everyone is expected to stay quiet about it. 

While many university students who participated in surveys admitted to being depressed, a large number of people cited housing prices and financial struggles as major reasons for their distress.

There’s still a strong stigma around seeking mental health support.

Is Taiwan a good place to live? Well, not if you're raising a family. If you don’t have a place of your own, you don’t have stability. And even if you do own one, remember that it’s tied to a huge loan, so if you lose your job or something unexpected happens… well, better not to think about that.

No surprise that people nowadays don’t want to get married and especially don’t want kids. Just look at the number of cats and dogs - it speaks for itself. But... Why it feels like only the wealthy who own homes can afford to have pets, because after looking through thousands of rental listings, maybe 0.000001% actually allow them!

Even before, I didn’t get much sleep, usually less than six hours... but recently I’m even having trouble falling asleep... 

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Forced to Move Again!? – A Little Update

The past week has been a rollercoaster, and I finally have some updates to share. Fortunately, during the last week of taking medication, my hearing has improved. It hasn't fully come back yet, but at least there has been noticeable progress.

However, this past week has felt like a nightmare. My hearing would constantly shift—at times, both ears felt completely blocked, making it nearly impossible to hear anything. Other times, I experienced a strange echo inside my head. There was pain deep in my ears, bouts of tinnitus, and an uncomfortable sensation like my ears were being sucked into my head. It’s hard to put into words, but each day brought something different. Sometimes, I felt completely fine, only to feel miserable an hour later.

One of the worst parts was struggling with balance. Walking was manageable, but any time I bent down or moved too quickly, I felt like I was about to fall. Our son loves going to the park after school, but I could barely stay outside for long before discomfort set in, forcing me to spend most of my time at home, usually lying down when I had nothing else to do. I haven't been going shopping as well, as I was afraid I may faint on the road.

Conversations became frustrating as I had to ask people to repeat themselves multiple times. Meeting people outside was something I avoided - I wasn’t even sure how to explain that I couldn’t hear properly.

Thankfully, after a few days, things started improving. I could finally hear some sounds again. One ear recovered completely, while the other is still only about halfway better. I had another doctor’s appointment this past Monday (March 24th) to check on my progress. Thankfully, there is visible improvement, but I was prescribed more medication and have another appointment scheduled for next week. Hopefully, by then, I won’t need it anymore!

Fingers crossed that this chapter is over!

Before that, we also had an appointment with the dentist. Our dentist is in Tainan, so we spent the weekend (March 22-23) back in the south. The weather was great! Down south, it already feels like summer! While we were there, we also visited a rose garden, but I’ll make a separate post about that soon.

Unfortunately, not everything is going well. On Sunday night, after returning home, we received some bad news. Not even two weeks after I applied for my APRC - which I have yet to receive - it seems that soon after getting it, I will have to change my address. What happened? Our landlady sent a message saying that she is planning to sell the apartment, so we will have to move again…

We’ve been living in Miaoli for three years, and this will be our third time moving! It feels like a never-ending cycle. It’s like the same story repeating - if landlords can’t make enough from rent, they either raise prices or ask tenants to leave, just like what happened during our first year here. I thought we had a good relationship with our landlady. From the beginning, we made it clear that we were looking for a long-term rental, not just one or two years. Everything seemed fine, and she reassured us that we could stay as long as we wanted. We even met occasionally, and she never once mentioned wanting to sell. But now, that’s no longer the case. I know things change and people make different decisions, but it completely ruined the good mood.

We might try to negotiate staying here a bit longer since moving before the school year ends would be extremely inconvenient. I really hope we won’t have to change schools, so we’ll need to find a place in the same area. For now, we’ve already paid rent until the end of May as we pay by quarter, but that’s just two months away. Based on our previous moves, it usually takes us about two months to relocate - mainly because my husband works, and I can’t move furniture and everything by myself.

Can we manage to find a place and move in such a short time? It feels nearly impossible. Just looking at new places, signing a lease, and handling the logistics takes longer than that. Once again, I feel like people in the north are quite cold and materialistic - but that’s just my observation after hearing so many stories and seeing how people behave.

Our landlady got a job as a house sales agent, and just as I assumed, she changed after that. Our relationship was more like a friendship—we exchanged things and gave each other gifts. For example, if we traveled somewhere or I baked holiday cookies, we would share. But after she became a sales agent, the relationship grew colder.  

It's normal for people with jobs to have less time, but then her entire Facebook turned into just listings of houses for sale with ridiculous prices and posts bragging about the houses she had sold. All the normal things disappeared, along with the usual people commenting. Instead, the only interactions came from other house sales agents, investors, or rich people living in the area. That’s how she went from being a normal person to exactly the kind of person I dislike.  

Having lived in Taiwan for several years, I know a lot about house sales, especially since we tried to buy a house. We viewed many, met many agents, and learned how they think and operate—basically, if you want to succeed, you can't have feelings. She even said, "If you can't beat them, join them." So, well…  

She knew we weren’t eager to move, so saying she was planning to sell the house is an easy way to make us leave sooner. Who knows - maybe she want to rent it to someone else at a higher price. That’s just my assumption, especially since so many properties have been put up for sale. And as an agent, she knows that now isn’t a good time because the market is very cold. Additionally, informing us through a message instead of at least a call or an in-person conversation didn’t feel very friendly.

I don’t want strangers coming to view the house while all our things, laundry, etc., are still inside. After all, we still live here and want our privacy and not being bothered.

Recently, the housing market hasn’t been great, and with new regulations, suddenly tons of houses and apartments are for sale. Maybe prices are slightly lower than they used to be, but they’re still unaffordable for many. In our area, a three-bedroom apartment costs around 18 million NTD - way beyond what we can afford. 

I don’t want to live in the countryside because our son’s school is here, and I need access to shops and other conveniences. My husband drives to work, but I walk everywhere, so living far from everything would be really difficult to manage. Even now, I wake up a little after 6 AM, and the school is only 400 meters away, yet it still takes time to get my son ready and there on time. He still only arrives at 7:30 AM. Kids at this age just take longer to wake up, eat, and get going - it is what it is.

My husband's work finally slowed down, and he isn't coming home at midnight anymore. He finally got a weekend off, but then... New day, new thing to worry about…

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Navigating Taiwan’s School System: A First-Grade Parent’s Perspective

Recently, my husband and I watched a video from Ku's Dream, a French YouTuber in Taiwan, and we laughed so hard. The video was about high schoolers in Taiwan, where Ku's Dream brought French kids to experience student life here. However, what was shown wasn’t entirely accurate. 

The video focused on the fun aspects of student life, with the French kids eating and doing other activities instead of attending all the classes. While I can understand that other countries may not have as many after-school clubs, the video completely overlooked the heavy workload and busy schedules Taiwanese students face. Our son, who is only in first grade, studies far more than kids in Europe could ever imagine.

Taiwan’s education system is well-known for its rigorous academics, long study hours, and high expectations. As a parent of a first grader, I’ve had my fair share of experiences—both positive and frustrating—navigating this system. While the quality of education is undeniably strong, the workload, expectations, and extracurricular commitments can feel overwhelming at times.

Our son’s school day starts at 7:30 AM with a reading session and… cleaning duties. Yes, kids in Taiwan are responsible for cleaning their classrooms and school premises. While this fosters a sense of responsibility, I sometimes wonder why so much cleaning falls on such young students.

Although a school day can end at 12:30 PM, and 3:30 PM on Tuesdays, he remains at school longer to finish his homework. It’s challenging for me to assist him at home, so staying after class helps ensure he keeps up. 

The amount of homework can be intense. Over winter break, he had 26 pages of assignments. Then, when he got sick and missed three days of school, he had nearly 40 pages of schoolwork and homework waiting for him! The pressure to keep up is real, and it’s easy for kids to feel overwhelmed.

Frequent small tests are a part of daily life. Teachers give stamps for a 100% score, but anything less gets a written “Jiāo Yóu” (加油, meaning “keep going”). While encouragement is great, the constant emphasis on perfection can be stressful for young kids.

Our son scored 96% and kept asking if it was good enough. Personally, I feel that anything above 70% is good, and over 90% is amazing. But the competition seems so intense that even six-year-old kids question whether their scores are good enough.

Learning Chinese is another challenge. Our son knows Bopomofo (Zhuyin) well, but even when he writes the correct answer using phonetics, teachers expect him to use full Chinese characters instead. When he wrote a correct answer with Bopomofo, he still received a remark that “they had already learned the character” and he should use it instead. 

They’ve been learning Bopomofo for two months, and then switched to words. Every day, they have several words to write, and I wonder how they are expected to memorize them all in such a short time. There are tests to check their progress, and our son often forgets the words, causing him to lose scores. I think it's normal to forget, especially when some of the words have 20+ strokes. Oh, and speaking of that, it also matters how you write. If you start with the wrong stroke, the teacher may consider it incorrect, even though the result looks the same.

We enrolled our son in soccer club, thinking it would be a fun way for him to burn off energy once a week on Wednesdays. However, it turned out that soccer practices also take up nearly every Saturday, leaving almost no free weekends.

His teacher also suggested he join the badminton club, but the schedule was shocking - daily training from 2 PM to 6 PM and weekend sessions if there was a game. For a first grader, this felt excessive! While sports are important, such an intense schedule leaves little room for childhood freedom.

Taiwan’s school system is undoubtedly structured, disciplined, and academically strong. However, the combination of long hours, frequent tests, strict teaching styles, and weekend-occupying extracurriculars can feel overwhelming, especially for young children. While I appreciate the dedication to education, I also wish kids had more freedom to explore, play, and simply enjoy being kids.

For now, we’re still learning how to balance the demands of the system with our son’s well-being. Hopefully, we can find a way to ensure he gets a great education without losing his childhood in the process.

Seeing his cousins in Poland having fun playing on phones and watching TV while he was busy doing his homework made him feel like he wanted to live in Poland. Even recently, after finishing his missed classwork, he sat down until 9 PM to finish everything and said, "Mommy, I think going to school in Poland would be better." I feel so sorry for him sometimes. 

At least compared to many kids, he still has more free time, as many Taiwanese kids end up in cram schools for hours after regular school. Some finish at 6 PM or 7 PM, and many kids are still out after 9 PM. Although this may not apply to younger kids, the higher up in education you go, the more you have to study. 

In the second half of the year, I also noticed that many kids who originally stayed at school after hours switched to cram schools to learn more things instead of just finishing homework and playing around.

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Final Days in Poland: Wrapping Up an Unforgettable Holiday

Although we came back to Taiwan in early February, various things prevented me from finishing all my blog posts until now, nearly a month and a half later. But anyway, it's fine - especially since all the videos from Poland will be released by mid-April. They are already edited, but I don't want to release everything at once and then be left with nothing.

We rarely go out in Taiwan due to my husband's work, and recently, we've also been sick. I partially lost my hearing, so creating new content hasn't been easy. I'm glad I finished all my videos early, as I'm currently unable to record and edit.

Time flew by - it feels like we just arrived in Poland, yet we’re already preparing to leave. This is the final blog post from our Polish holiday, capturing our last moments before heading back home.

In our last few days, we visited family to say our final goodbyes. We picked up my father and went to his brother’s place. My uncle owns a large forest, and after a meal, we took a walk through the woods. Although we didn’t spot any beavers, signs of their presence were everywhere. My father had left some logs to pick up later, only to find that some had been dragged into the river. Trees had been gnawed down, and the beavers had even built a pond for themselves.

Just across the street, there was a pond still covered in ice. Despite the relatively mild temperatures during our stay, the ice remained strong in certain areas. We tested it by tossing pinecones and branches, but nothing broke through. As we walked, the weather quickly shifted from sunshine to light rain, and we made it inside just in time.

The next day, the weather was even better. My uncle (the one where we stayed at) was busy preparing to smoke meat, which had been brining for two to three days. Since I wake up early, just after my uncle, I had many morning chats with him. That day, I woke my husband up to join us since my uncle had been looking forward to spending time with him.

We watched the meat being hung and saw how quickly the temperature inside the smoker rose. Only certain types of wood can be used for smoking. If you’re curious about the process, I have a full video from our visit two years ago—feel free to check it out! The smoking takes several hours, so we stayed indoors until the sunshine warmed things up enough for us to go outside and exercise.

It’s great having a garden where you can play football, ride a bike, or just be active. In Taiwan, we’re stuck in an apartment, and it takes more effort to go out and do things. The weather there is also unpredictable—either too hot, too cold, or constantly raining. In Poland, summer is short, and while winters have been getting warmer, they’re still not ideal for outdoor activities. That day, the thermometer showed 10°C, though it was in direct sunlight, so it was likely cooler. Still, it felt super comfortable. It’s funny how 10°C in Poland feels fine, but the same temperature in Taiwan makes me freeze!

We decided to play football—even the dogs wanted to join in! Our son had fun riding a bike, enjoying the space to move around freely.

Heading to Warsaw and Preparing for Departure

Since our flight was early in the morning and the airport was a two-hour drive away, we booked a place to stay in Warsaw for the night. We initially planned to leave early to explore the city, but instead, we spent the morning cleaning the car and packing. We still found time to play cards and share one last meal with family before heading out.

Driving on Polish highways is a pleasure. Do you know why? Aside from having fewer cars, the driving culture is much better. The left lane is actually used for overtaking, and people don’t block it by cruising at 90 km/h—unlike in Taiwan. Oh, and our speed limit? 140 km/h. In Taiwan, it's only around 100–110 km/h.

After a smooth two-hour drive, we arrived at our accommodation. It was spacious, clean, and had everything we needed—even some tea and coffee. It was just a 20-minute drive from the airport, right next to a shopping mall, in a busy town near Warsaw. And the price? Only 1800 NT!

We dropped off our luggage and went looking for dinner. We were about 1 km from a shopping mall, but aside from a few coffee shops and one Italian restaurant, food options were limited. Before heading to a supermarket, we checked out an Asian food store. They had a great selection of products from Korea, Japan, and Vietnam, plus a surprising number of Taiwanese desserts. I even spotted mochi flavors I hadn’t seen in Taiwan!

For dinner? Tiramisu from Aldi. Simple but delicious—highly recommended! We went to bed early since we had to wake up before 4 AM for our flight to Austria and then back home. It was dark and rainy, but at least there was no ice, which could have delayed our car drop-off. We made it just in time.

Returning to Taiwan: Mixed Feelings

In the past, I had mixed feelings about leaving. Sometimes, I was eager to return to Taiwan because it felt like home. But this time, I genuinely didn’t want to go. We had such a wonderful time in Poland, and returning meant I wouldn’t see my husband much. His work schedule has been insane. Instead of the normal 9 AM–6 PM job, he often comes home between 9 PM and midnight, works weekends, and even through the New Year. It’s exhausting, and honestly, it’s not a fun time for me.

Taiwan’s work culture is brutal. Overtime has become the norm, and lately, it feels like the only thing my husband does at home is sleep. In contrast, my uncle’s company in Poland is switching to a seven-hour workday. More and more European companies are introducing shorter workweeks, even four-day weeks with three days off. Meanwhile, in Taiwan, work seems to consume people’s entire lives.

Now that I’m back and editing this video, I have to mention something else. Walking in Polish cities was so easy—crossing streets felt safe, and sidewalks were actually for pedestrians. I had almost forgotten how chaotic driving in Taiwan can be. Within a few days of returning, I was reminded: cars parked on sidewalks and pedestrian crossings, drivers refusing to stop for people, and even a grandma running a red light nearly hitting me. What a lovely welcome back!

Speaking of school, Taiwan’s education system seems to be preparing kids for a life of stress. The amount of homework is overwhelming. In Poland, even during regular school days, there’s no homework—let alone during summer and winter breaks! Is this good or bad? Time will tell. But Poland follows Finland’s approach, and Finland consistently ranks among the best in global education.

Language learning is another difference. In Europe, even kindergarteners start learning a second language. In Taiwan, it typically begins around third grade. Schools claim that early English exposure might negatively impact Chinese proficiency. It’s ironic, considering Taiwan aims to become bilingual. Maybe I’m just unlucky, but after years of living in Taiwan, I still struggle to find people who speak English.

And that wraps up our Polish holiday. If you enjoyed this blog post, check out my other travel stories from Poland, where we visited places like the salt mine, castles, and beautiful towns. Thanks for following along on our journey!

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Exploring Toruń: A Winter Visit to Poland's Gothic Gem

If you’ve been following my journey, you’ll know that we’ve explored many incredible places in Poland - be sure to check out my previous posts for more travel inspiration! Or check out my YouTube channel ~

This time, we revisited Toruń, a charming Gothic city known for its historic buildings and castle. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t on our side - it was a freezing 0 degrees with barely any sunshine. Walking through the city wasn’t the most pleasant experience, so after less than two hours, we decided to drive back and visit a family who had invited us over.

We parked near St. Catherine’s Church, where we discovered an interesting fact - parking is free on weekends! However, since we’re not locals, we didn’t realize this at first. The payment station only displayed the hourly price, and I only noticed after already paying (the parking date stated Monday). At least parking is still relatively cheap in Poland.

Saint Jacob's Church: A Hidden Treasure

Our first stop was Saint Jacob's Church, considered the most beautiful of Toruń’s churches. This unique basilica features a system of straining arches and stunning Gothic paintings, as well as Baroque and Rococo altars. Unfortunately, visitors can only enter during mass or special ceremonies, as the entrance is blocked by bars when closed. This seems to be a common trend, as we’ve seen similar restrictions in several other churches. 

A Walk to Toruń Castle

Next, we headed to the castle ruins. Since we visited in winter, we decided to skip a full tour. Convincing my husband to visit Toruń again might be a challenge, as it has become our go-to destination whenever we return to Poland! Nevertheless, Toruń remains one of the most beautiful cities in my eyes.

Toruń Castle, a 13th/14th-century fortress built by the Teutonic Order, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was the first Teutonic castle in the Chełmno Land and played a crucial role in the order's mission to colonize the pagan Old Prussians. Today, only a small portion of the castle remains, including the sewage tower and cellars. The site has been partially excavated and rebuilt, with permanent exhibits showcasing historical rooms such as the armory, kitchen, dormitory, scriptorium, and mint.

The Leaning Tower and Medieval Fortifications

Walking behind the castle along the riverside road, we noticed that an area that was previously closed for renovation two years ago was now accessible. This provided a fantastic view of the old city walls and gates.

Toruń originally had three separate defensive systems: the Old City, the New City, and the Teutonic Castle. The city was once enclosed by a 4-kilometer wall featuring 54 fortified towers, 11 gates, and 2 barbicans. Today, only nine towers and three gates remain, standing as reminders of the city's medieval fortifications.

One of Toruń’s most famous landmarks is the Leaning Tower. Originally built in the 14th century as part of the city walls, the tower started leaning due to unstable ground conditions. Despite this, it has remained stable over the centuries. Standing 15 meters tall, it leans 146 cm from the perpendicular, making it a must-see attraction.

A Quick Stop at Nicolaus Copernicus House

Continuing our walk, we passed by an old city wall and turned onto another street leading to the Nicolaus Copernicus House. This historic site is another must-visit spot in Toruń. However, since the tour takes about an hour and we planned to return for lunch with family, we only admired it from the outside. By this point, we were cold and hungry, so we stopped at a Polish convenience store, Żabka, for a quick snack.

The Old City Town Hall: A Gothic Masterpiece

Another highlight of our visit was the Old City Town Hall, a grand Gothic building located at the heart of the Old City Market Square. One of the largest and most magnificent town halls in Europe, its construction was authorized in the late 14th century by Teutonic Grand Master Conrad von Wallenrode during Toruń’s peak prosperity. The tower, which dates back to 1274, was raised to its current height of 40 meters in 1385. The intricate Gothic details make this building a true masterpiece.

Ending the Trip with Family Time

As the temperature dropped further, we decided to head back to the parking lot. I took a longer route to admire a few more historic buildings, soaking in the beauty of the city one last time.

We wrapped up our trip with a meal at a family member’s house. Having a big family can be both a blessing and a challenge—free home-cooked meals but fewer opportunities to eat out! This time, we also met some distant relatives whom I had never met before.

And with that, our Toruń trip came to an end. Thanks for following along on this journey! Be sure to check out my other travel posts for more insights into life and travel in Poland. Until next time!

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From a Cold to Hearing Loss – A Scary Experience

This post is unlike my usual ones, and while I hope for a happy ending, right now, I’m still in the unknown.  

It all started 12 days ago when our son caught a cold. He had a fever and wasn’t his usual energetic self, so we kept him home and later took him to the doctor. At that time, both my husband and I were feeling fine. However, his condition didn’t improve by Sunday, so we went back for more medication, which turned out to be stronger and in greater amounts. He also had flu and other tests done which turned out negative. The doctor advised us to keep him indoors.  

By Monday morning, I had a fever and muscle pain, but I didn’t feel too unwell. My husband went to work, and I managed through the day with some medicine I had at home. It wasn’t until the evening that the fever really hit me, leaving me exhausted. I ended up lying down with our son, watching cartoons, and napping to recover some energy.  

On Tuesday (March 11th), I had an appointment to process my APRC, so we had to go to the city to get my no-criminal record and complete some other formalities. That evening, our son had a follow-up doctor’s appointment, so I also got checked, and my husband did too, since he started having a sore throat. We all received medicine and assumed things would soon improve.  

At first, my ears were still okay, but gradually, I started feeling some pressure. The weather had turned crazy - thunderstorms, heavy rain, and then a sudden drop in temperature. Maybe this hot-and-cold switch made everyone sick. All three of us had fevers that came and went away to return again, but otherwise, we were doing relatively fine.  

Although it wasn’t the flu or any of the more dangerous viruses going around recently, it definitely didn’t feel like a simple cold. It’s not normal for your temperature to jump between 38°C and 35°C, making you think you’re getting better only for it to hit even harder. My son and husband are still taking medication, and I really hope they’ll be fine soon.  

I thought I was recovering since most symptoms had disappeared except for a runny nose. My hearing felt off, but that wasn’t unusual for me during a cold - it usually improved within two or three days after. However, the persistent congestion made my head hurt. By Saturday, things got worse. It felt like I couldn’t hear anything from my right ear.  

The weather was still terrible, and since the clinic had no parking nearby, we decided to wait an extra day. On Sunday morning, when the rain finally stopped, we went to see the doctor. I was feeling even worse, and now there was this constant ringing in my ear that was beyond annoying. My husband and son got extra medication, but I was told to go to a bigger hospital in Hsinchu immediately. The doctor warned that if left untreated, this could lead to permanent hearing loss.  

Hearing that made me feel like I was about to faint. I had never considered this to be something serious - just an annoying cold symptom that would pass like always. Luckily, we have good friends who didn’t mind watching our son, so my husband rushed me to the hospital. Unfortunately, the doctor wasn’t available during weekends, and we were told to return on Monday morning.  

After more than three hours of waiting and tests on Monday (March 17th), I finally got some good news - my hearing wasn’t severely damaged, and it should return to normal with medication. I was prescribed a lot of medicine to take over the next seven days, and now, I just have to wait and hope for the best. I also hope the side effects won’t be too strong. I’ve had bad experiences with cough medicine before, where after taking it twice, I had to stop because it made me feel awful.  

The issue seems to be fluid trapped in my ear canal, which, if left untreated for too long, could have led to permanent damage.  

We live in Toufen, and unfortunately, the clinics and hospitals here have a really bad reputation. Everyone always advises going to Hsinchu instead. At the clinic, the doctor also told me to go straight there, specifically to Mackay Memorial Hospital, as they are the best for these types of issues.  

Having been to several clinics and hospitals, I must say that Mackay Memorial is by far the best. Everything was in English, and everyone - from the doctors to the volunteers (usually elderly people helping with registration or questions) - spoke English. 

Living in Miaoli, I almost never meet people who speak English. I always have to go to the doctor, immigration office, or anywhere official with my husband to help with communication. But at Mackay, for the first time, I felt like I could handle everything on my own.  

Even though English is my second language, I consider my level quite high. However, medical terminology isn’t something I use often, and my Chinese isn’t good enough - especially when it comes to medical conversations, where my knowledge is basically nonexistent.

 

To sum it up: take care of your health, even when it seems like just a small cold. Don’t assume symptoms will just disappear on their own. Sometimes, even a few days can make a difference between full recovery and lasting damage. I never thought a cold could threaten my hearing, but here I am, hoping for the best.

As of now, I’ve spent over a week without doing any video editing or managing my blog or anything else much. Despite being sick, I still took care of two sick people at home, cooked, cleaned, and went shopping as usual. Maybe the lack of rest and not taking care of myself made things worse, but that’s just me - I always think about my family before myself. It’s already difficult to get things done with a child at home, and now, not being able to hear properly means I can’t work on videos either. Oh, I really hope things go back to normal soon, as I'll be taking the meds. The bad point - I now got sour throat and started to caught...

On top of that, since our son missed a few days of school, I was shocked when he finally went back and brought home all the homework and classwork he had missed. There were about 40 pages to complete. He managed to do some during after-school classes but still sat down at home to finish everything. I didn’t think it was necessary to do it all in one day, but he wanted to complete it for the next day, so he kept working until nearly 9 PM. The amount of work kids have in Taiwanese schools is really overwhelming. He even said he thinks it would be better to go to school in Poland!

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When Hsinchu Turns Pink: Taiwan’s Stunning Cherry Blossom Season

Travel Date: 2025/03/02

Because of my husband's work, we haven’t had time to go out on weekends. Even though it’s been nearly a month since we came back from Poland, this was our first time going out sightseeing. Finally, we decided to take a trip on March 1st, but when we arrived in the mountains of Miaoli, the cherry trees had already lost their blossoms.

A year without cherry blossoms feels like a year wasted, so the next day, we hopped on our scooter and rode up the mountains again—this time to Hsinchu. We passed by Beipu, and the road leading to the cherry farm was beautiful, with mountain views and even some cherry trees along the way.

I would recommend taking a scooter, as the mountain roads are quite narrow, and encountering oncoming cars can be challenging. There was a traffic jam well before the entrance to the farm because the road only allows one-way traffic for cars. If you don’t arrive early, you may struggle to find parking and end up waiting in the car for a long time.

The road is steep, so parking at a distance and climbing up would still be quite far. Once you arrive, you still have to climb several levels to reach the best viewpoints, so unless you’re in great shape, it can be quite tough.

If you're reading this soon after publication, the cherry blossoms were in full bloom just two days ago (March 2), so you still have a chance to see them before the season ends!

The entrance fee to Shan Shang Ren Jia is 200 NT per person and cannot be exchanged for anything. However, we later noticed that the ticket allows you to participate in a lottery. With the number of visitors, though, you’d have to be very lucky to win. And what’s the prize? A stay at their accommodation—only 20 winners in total.

Inside, we enjoyed plenty of beautifully pink cherry trees. The trees are planted on different levels and surrounded by tea bushes. There’s a restaurant and a few resting areas, though the prices seemed quite high—220 NT for tea felt a bit extreme to me.

The area is quite large, so you can easily spend two hours walking around. It’s located high in the mountains, and in one of the gift shop photos, we even saw a picture of the area covered in snow!

Shan Shang Ren Jia sits at an altitude of 1,200 meters and covers 5 hectares. It’s close to the Sanshan National Scenic Area and is surrounded by towering Yoshino cedars. Nearby, farmers grow peaches, plums, persimmons, and cold-resistant organic vegetables. Sometimes, you can even see a rolling sea of clouds in the distance, making the scenery truly breathtaking.

The weather was absolutely beautiful when we arrived, with plenty of sunshine. We got there quite early, around 11 AM, but by noon, the sun started hiding behind the clouds. After a long period of cool weather in Taiwan, it suddenly felt super hot—and when we checked the temperature, it was 28°C!

Most of the trees had bright pink flowers, but there was also a large white cherry tree and some dark pink ones. The darker cherry blossoms seemed to be the first to bloom and the first to finish their season. There were a lot of people, so taking photos with just the trees in the background was quite difficult.

We also saw several birds. Besides ducks and chickens, there were peacocks and parrots as well!

Since there are many stairs and slopes, walking around can be tiring for older visitors. Overall, it was an amazing place to visit. When we left around 1 PM, there were still many cars waiting to enter. I definitely recommend arriving before noon when the sunshine is at its best.

On the way back, we stopped in Beipu to find lunch—crystal dumplings, noodles, and luwei. Beipu was quite packed with people, but it was also filled with Hakka foods, many of which don’t look like the typical street food you’d find outside of Hakka towns. That being said, Hakka food is usually really tasty!

That’s all for this trip! I hope you enjoyed reading about our adventure. See you in the next post!

Address: 311-41新竹縣五峰鄉大隘村23鄰468-5號

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