Feels like heaven on earth

In Taichung, I fly happily as if a bird out of its cage

By Kokubu Yuka

My husband was born and grew up in Taichung; knowing him made me come to reside in Taichung. 18 years ago my husband and I studied in Australia; the life in a foreign country made us quickly fall in love. In January 1996 we were married in Lio Yuan Church with blessings from others, and my sweet life in Taichung began.

Male Taiwanese are sincere and gentle, and will help with chores, especially the Taichung Taiwanese. In my 12 years in Taichung, I have discovered that the Taichung people are friendlier than other Taiwanese, which may be related to the geography, climate, natural conditions and compassion.

My husband’s family is a typical Taiwanese family, so his relatives and siblings all reside in the same building. My mother-in-law and I communicate in Taiwanese. Since I am very fond of Taiwanese delicacies and cuisine, she will teach me how to make them at times. The dishes that I like the most are the dishes made from the feet of pigs and chickens. The cuisine in Taichung is various and famous; of these, my favorite is a pastry in Chungsiao Night Market. The cuisine in Taichung is so delicious that my parents in Saitama Prefecture of Japan give it much praise and recognize that the delicacies in Taichung are so tasty and cheap.

Currently I teach Japanese in National Taichung Institute of Technology, Wenshan Community University and Shinmin Senior High School. In my opinion, the students in Taiwan are honest and pure. Compared to students in other nations, they have too much to learn and a heavy load of lessons; however, education regarding ethics, arts and physical education is too little.

I remember when I first came to Taichung, the surroundings and transportation were not so satisfactory, but they have improved a lot; in fact, the daily life necessities in Taichung are better and sounder than ever, including the bread and coffee. Taichung is the best place in Taiwan with the parks and gardens here and there. I do love this city. In the recent years, there are more and more buildings and houses in Taichung, which are built on larger scales; however, I don’t expect to see overdevelopment in Taichung because the reserved green places keep Taichung beautiful.

Compared to Japan, Taichung is a heaven on earth with little social stress, an agreeable climate and innocence of Taichung people; coming to Taichung has made me as free as a bird out of its cage, so I fly freely and live my life happily.