Hello, finally I could spend the time to share my life story after I got married 😊
I got married to Jeff, a Mauritian guy, on 7 July 2018.
It feels unbelievable to finally reach this stage of a lifetime, marrying someone you can’t live without *I’m not trying to exaggerate it 😛
It took me approximately 6 months of wedding preparation in Indonesia, while Jeff works in Taiwan. Again, we have LDR before finally reunited forever, HAHAHA. Seem like it’s a part of us.
After we got married, I didn’t join Jeff back to Taiwan directly since I need to arrange my resident visa (dependent visa) first before finally meet my husband.
Does it sound complicated or pathetic?
Hm, for those who got married with foreigners and have to reside with the partner, I think they can totally understand this procedure. This also relates to FAQ to me, “Esta, Are you converting or changing your nationality?”
Again, if you used to deal with foreign marriages or issues, you don’t necessarily or obligatory change your nationality to be the same with your husband or follow the country you reside in. I hope this answer helps many more Indonesian fellows about cross-cultural marriage 👫
So.. I finally could fly back to my husband on 18 August 2018 or after 3 weeks of visa arrangement. It took longer than my previous student visa arrangement (in 2016) due to I asked a freelance agent to help me.
I live in different city as I studied before.
I live in Hsinchu and people call it as the City of Industry in Taiwan.
Why? Hsinchu is where most of engineers in Taiwan work (and even study).
The second best university in Taiwan, National Chiao Tung University is located here, where there are plenty of engineering majors there! Also, there is Hsinchu Science Park, the center of engineering companies (local or international) located.
FYI, Jeff is working there too, that’s why we stay here ✌
Honestly, it hit me on my face when I realize that living as a wife is giving me a different life. How come I say this?
Definitely, my friends are not the same anymore. No more college friends and suddenly your friends and communities are married couples and families. Haha, of course, right? But things that sometimes feels hard for me to adjust is there is no family also here. Totally live alone with Jeff…and when he goes for his work, it is so quiet in a sudden 😕
Oh well, as an Indonesian, I would like to have neighbors or at least someone that can hang out and talk to. I don’t get used to living in quietness for a long time 😞
How do I solve this? Luckily, Jeff has joined a cell group from the church where he used to go.
Cell group is a Christian community by having weekly fellowship and worship. It feels like home to be there since our leader is a married couple from Malaysia 🙏
Even though I only meet them weekly, I feel many kindhearted people surround us. They are caring and supporting, that’s the most important thing that we need to have a survive living as foreigners. Ohya, the cell group members are mostly workers. They come from different backgrounds and place of origins but end up to have the same blissful life in Taiwan 💪
My biggest struggle is still about communicating in Mandarin 😴
Believe me guys, it is harder than learning Italian language (LOL for sure, as Italians still use alphabetic)!
Fortunately, we live nearby 2 public universities in Taiwan and Hsinchu Science Park. Which means, it is a foreigner friendly area as most of them can speak English (yeay!).
Looking back where I came to Taiwan for the first time, this city area of Hsinchu was totally a challenge for a foreigner with zero Mandarin ability like me 😓 Even the bus driver can speak English though just a very basic one. All in all, it is amazing to see how this city grows and changes in a couple of years.
For the food, I think the most edible food with high flavor for me can be found in Taichung and Tainan. Even the food around my university in Taichung taste better than here, Hsinchu. During I stay in Hsinchu, delicious food can be found from restaurants especially Tepanyaki restaurants. They said tepanyaki in Hsinchu is indeed better than other cities taste 😉.
The living cost here also higher than Taichung.
FYI, the more you go to north part of Taiwan, the more expensive the housing and food fees are. Kaohsiung is exceptional. Even though it’s located in south part of Taiwan, it’s the second biggest city after Taipei. It is the seafood center of Taiwan too.
Eventually, I can say that wherever we live, there are pros and cons.
Who say Taiwan don’t have traffic jam? They do! But of course, less often and less exist. Who say Indonesian foods are bad? Hmm, wait till you are craving for Indonesian foods, especially the homemade of Indonesian cuisines!
From many differ aspects and similarities, I love Indonesia and Taiwan!
Come to visit us guys 💁
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