Hello, thanks for your question!
No, I cannot see myself living in Taiwan for the long term. I want to see as much of the world as possible in my 20s, so that I have an objective idea of where I want to settle down. I haven’t found a place that beats California yet.
Taiwanese people are nice and welcoming, but they’ve been shy when I’ve tried to inquire further. Whereas I can strike a long conversation on BART or at a random shop, I haven’t done so successfully here. My Chinese level also isn’t strong enough to talk in-depth about most topics.
As a result, I get excited and approach folks who are speaking in English. Everyone whom I’ve connected with on a deeper level, and are who I call friends, are other expats or Taiwanese folks who studied or worked abroad for several years. We speak almost entirely in English, which is definitely my comfort zone. Most group activities I participate in, such as the hiking trips, are in English.
Wish I can call Taiwan home, and I’m trying to give it a chance, but I haven’t gotten to that level yet.
Andy Cheng 