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  • 6 months ago
Ten years ago, Marisha Flynn set out from her home in Canada's Prince Edward Island hoping to experience life beyond familiar shores while traveling through Asia. A chance meeting in Taichung with the man who would become her husband, however, changed the course of her journey. The couple fell in love, married and began raising a family, and over time Taiwan gradually became the place she now calls home. This episode of Hakka TV’s Home Sweet Home brings a peek into their family life.

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00:09Hello and welcome to Inside Taiwan, where we take a deeper look at the stories shaping
00:15the country. I'm Laurel Stewart. Ten years ago, Marisha Flynn was traveling in Asia,
00:22wanting to experience life beyond her Prince Edward Island home in Canada. But,
00:27a chance meeting with her now-husband in Taichung changed everything. They fell in love,
00:33got married and started a family. And slowly, Taiwan became her home. In this episode of Hacker
00:40TV's Home Sweet Home, we see how unexpected moments can turn a simple journey into a shared life.
00:50Wow. Mommy, there's one ugly crab. Yeah, I saw that too.
00:58Some phone picture. Buddy, a picture of daddy's phone. Smile, hold hands,
01:03because we want to remember this nice day. Please hold my hand and say, crabby.
01:07Do a crab pose. You can put your little claws in. Ten seconds. Hold on. Do a crab pose. Two,
01:13three. Good.
01:15Okay. All right. That was nice.
01:19Please.
01:42Okay. You want to introduce your house?
02:13My name is Marisha Flynn and I'm from Prince Edward Island, Canada. I've been in Taiwan
02:19almost 10 years. And I'm married to my husband now for almost four and a half years. And I live
02:28in Taichung and I'm an English teacher.
02:33Okay.
02:35I met him in a hotel. I met him at the first day. He was going to work with his
02:40friends.
02:43He was going to visit his friends. And he was very high. And he was wearing high and high.
02:46So he was very high. So he was going to come to the first day. So he was coming to
02:51the house.
02:51It was a high level. And he was too high. And he was looking at me.
02:56And then I would like to talk to my friend and talk to him and I'd like to invite him
03:06to drink a drink.
03:07He came up to me and he just asked me and my friends if we would like a drink.
03:13And he offered to buy us some whiskey but that made me laugh because I would never drink whiskey.
03:17But I actually think that I said okay because I was just trying to be nice and I thought he
03:22was really really handsome.
03:22And we started talking and we danced a little bit but again I didn't think anything was really going to
03:28happen.
03:29But when I was leaving that night he asked me for my phone number and he said that he would
03:33call me the next day.
03:35So I gave him my phone number but I didn't really know what would happen.
03:39I'd never had a date with a Taiwanese guy before.
03:42And the next day he really sent me a message and asked me would I like to go out.
03:47I didn't have any plans and it was his day off so I agreed to go out with him.
03:52Hi I am
03:57Did you want football for any加 eagle?
03:59You guys look soccer sport, aren't you?
04:04I mean soccer sport what's the easiest way to watch soccer for Umwelt?
04:05I don't know.
04:06You're watching football being football with soccer.
04:08I also don't like football kind of like soccer, in your craft football game.
04:14You guys remember football football game.
04:17And then there's my friends and soccer experience football game.
04:18They only gave me the playgant ball game.
04:21and he was very happy.
04:23So he's always seen his friends on the TV.
04:26Your friend is how many?
04:27I can see.
04:28What's your name?
04:3085.
04:32What's your name?
04:34Swish.
04:38The biggest change when we had kids
04:40was probably becoming a family.
04:44Before that, we were just dating
04:46and then we were engaged.
04:48But I think when we had kids,
04:50our lives really joined.
04:52And it was exciting to see Milo growing up
04:56and we were so curious
04:57who he was going to be like,
04:59if he was going to look like me
05:00or if he was going to look like Vic.
05:02That was probably the most exciting part
05:04was watching him grow up
05:06and teaching him both of our cultures.
05:08But the hardest part was probably
05:11not having as much free time.
05:13Before that, we liked to travel a lot.
05:15We went all over Taiwan.
05:17We went abroad a lot.
05:19But after that, we had to stay at home a little bit more.
05:22He was small and we did a lot more family things.
05:25So we kind of changed the activities that we did.
05:28But we found a way to still have fun.
05:30And as he grew up, he was able to start doing a lot more.
05:33Now we can take him out to play baseball or basketball.
05:35So it's changing as he grows up.
05:39Now we have another small baby.
05:40So we're doing it again,
05:42starting from staying home a lot more.
05:44But I know she's going to grow up soon too.
05:46And in the future, we're going to be able to have a lot more time together, I hope.
05:51And we can travel as a family and find a way to have a kind of new fun together, a
05:57family fun,
05:57even though it will never be the same as it was before they came.
06:00But I definitely think it's better.
06:01And our lives are joined together now in a way that is just kind of amazing.
06:07And we're just so lucky to have these two amazing kids.
06:26Okay.
06:28Oh, yes, yes.
06:29Okay.
06:31So I'll see you back here at 4.20 for supper.
06:34Okay.
06:35Goodbye, my dear.
06:36Okay.
06:36I'll see you 4.20.
06:38Okay.
06:39Have a good afternoon too.
06:43Bye.
06:48I left Canada when I was about 22 years old.
06:52I just finished my university degree.
06:54And I wanted to go on and study more, but first I wanted to take a break and do some
06:59traveling.
07:00I wanted to have a different experience and see another kind of country.
07:04And Asia is very different than Canada, so I tried to choose a place to teach English.
07:09I thought about Korea or Japan, but I did a lot of research and people say that Taiwan is a
07:15friendly place.
07:16And I read a lot of good things.
07:17So I came here and I was only planning to stay for six months.
07:21And I got a job quickly and I found a place to live and I made some friends and I've
07:26been here now almost 10 years.
07:27Yet there's so many things that I never experienced in Canada before moving here.
07:33One of the first things that really impressed me a lot was riding on a scooter.
07:36I don't know anyone who has a scooter in Canada.
07:38It's way too cold most of the year.
07:40So that's something I had never tried to do.
07:44And the first time that I tried, I failed.
07:47It was really hard for me.
07:48So I gave up until I met my husband and he taught me maybe after I'd been in Taiwan for
07:55three years.
07:55So the first three years that I was here, I was too scared to try again.
07:59But eventually I learned how to ride a scooter and now I'm pretty good.
08:03And that's how I get around every day.
08:12This is my school.
08:13I'm just going to class for the afternoon.
08:16And I'm sorry that you're not able to come inside right now.
08:19Because of the coronavirus, all outside visitors are not allowed right now.
08:34When I was in university, my major was psychology.
08:37And I studied a lot of different kinds of psychology.
08:40Child psychology was one, but at that time I didn't know that I wanted to work with children.
08:46I was planning to do a master's degree in psychology.
08:48I wanted to be a psychologist.
08:50And when I came here, I just told my mom that I was taking a break from school.
08:54And I would definitely be back to continue studying.
08:57But when I got here, I decided to stay.
09:00So I never got to go back to school to do my master's for psychology.
09:04But that was my original plan.
09:06But my new plan now is to live in Taiwan and be an English teacher.
09:10And I think that was the right choice for me.
09:13I didn't think that I would like teaching English so much.
09:17When I moved to Taiwan, I was just going to live here for six months.
09:20It was just something I was going to try.
09:23I had never really been around young kids so much before.
09:27But when I first started, I couldn't believe how much I liked teaching
09:31and how much being around children all day just made me happy.
09:35Kids put you in such a good mood even when you're having a bad day.
09:38They're so sweet and just so funny.
09:41And every day when I go to work, it's just something different.
09:44And I like being able to see my work kind of paying off when I first start working with little
09:51kids
09:51and they can't speak English at all.
09:53And then a few years later, we can have a full conversation.
09:56It's just really rewarding.
09:57And when I get to see that journey that they've had
10:00and just to know that I've been a part of their life to help them learn English,
10:03it's just, it's really nice.
10:05And it's something that I look forward to doing every day.
10:07And I'm so glad that I chose this for my career.
10:19Now it's about 4 o'clock.
10:24And my wife is about to go to work.
10:30And for a week or two,
10:34we'll be together with our family.
10:41and we'll be together with my wife.
10:43We'll be together with my husband.
10:46This is the one that I've made with my wife's cooking.
10:51And we'll be able to cook the food.
10:53And we'll have to cook the food.
10:55We don't have to eat the food.
10:57And we'll be more delicious and we'll be more healthy.
11:00We'll be better with the food and we'll be more delicious.
11:05We're going to drive close or we're really going to walk.
11:07We're really going to walk.
11:08Yes.
11:08I'm sorry.
11:15I have my kids in Taiwan,
11:17so I know they're going to grow up here
11:18and have to go through this education system.
11:21So my husband and I just want to find a good balance.
11:24I still want them to be successful
11:26and I want them to get into good schools down the line.
11:29but I also want them to enjoy school
11:32and not to feel so much pressure.
11:33So already for my son in kindergarten,
11:36we've tried to pick a path
11:37that will help his learning and development
11:40and not only focus on reading and writing.
11:42So every day he can do some hands-on activities
11:45and there's no homework and this kind of thing
11:48for such a young boy.
11:49Hey.
11:55Hello.
11:56Hello.
11:56Hello.
11:56Hello.
11:57Hello.
11:57Hello.
11:57Hello.
11:57Hello.我想跟妳說Miro她的手因為她有分享說她被狗咬到想問一下是否是真的
11:59But today, he shared his hand that he has been holding a dog.
12:04That's true.
12:06There are people who hit the door.
12:08There are people who hit the door.
12:11So, we just have to help him.
12:14Okay.
12:16Halo, see you.
12:18Bye bye.
12:21Are you okay?
12:23Bye bye.
12:26I know, you alright?
12:27Since you said your hand was hurt?
12:29You told him a story about the dog?
12:31You told him your bum bum?
12:33That's true.
12:36What's T-shirt say?
12:38Let him.
12:39We're going to cut him.
12:41Who?
12:42The dog.
12:43Who said they're going to cut the dog?
12:45I will be angry.
12:46No, no, no.
12:47They are joking.
12:48They're just joking.
12:49I know right now, we don't know if they're going to want to study in English or study in Chinese.
12:54I guess if they grow up and they do want to study English more and they would like to go
12:59back to Canada and do that, I would fully support that.
13:02But if they want to do their university degree in Chinese, then I think Taiwan is a better place for
13:09that.
13:09So, I'll just let them choose what they want to study and where they want to be when they grow
13:14up.
13:14I guess that's their choice.
13:18Is there a place you've been searching for?
13:30We bring you stories, not just to Taiwan.
13:33Exploring the issues that matter to you.
13:40This is a journey that will move you.
13:43Our stories are all connected.
13:46Taiwan Plus.
13:48Come on.
13:49Come on.
13:50Come on.
13:52Come on.
13:53Come on.
13:53Come on.
13:54Come on.
13:54Come on.
13:59Come on.
13:59Bye bye.
14:02Haka culture means a lot to our family.
14:05I think mainly for our family's livelihood and security, having a restaurant cooking haka food has been so successful.
14:14And my mother-in-law's skill cooking has built this restaurant from just a small stall over 10 years ago
14:20to a really successful growing restaurant right now.
14:23And now my husband is a haka chef as well.
14:25So, haka culture and cooking has been such a big part of their life.
14:28And now it's a big part of my life too, because this is what my husband does as well.
14:42How do you like, buddy?
14:48Mommy, I'll take your cream cream cream more than one minute.
14:54Okay.
14:54I can do a good job and be nice.
14:56You're so salty.
14:58You're authentic.
15:00What are you asking?
15:01Mommy, what are you asking?
15:02Mommy, what are you asking?
15:05Mommy, what are you asking?
15:07Mommy, how is he eating?
15:08Mommy, what are you saying?
15:08Then she makes food?
15:08I ate the wholeの.
15:09I said, you can give me.
15:12Mommy.
15:14Mommy, seriously.
15:15Mommy, but come be nice.
15:17Can you drink the water?
15:18Mommy, please please.
15:19No.
15:20Mommy, please don't drink water.
15:20You don't drink water.
15:22Mommy, please.
15:23Mommy, please.
15:26Mommy, please.
15:26I think it's my first name.
15:28You're number one, number one.
15:30I think it's very good.
15:34Every day I tell my husband,
15:36one of them is just fine.
15:38I say that car is what I'm saying.
15:41Car.
15:43That's right.
15:45He said,
15:47home, house.
15:50Scooter.
15:51Right?
15:54I said,
15:55I don't know.
15:55He said,
15:55I said,
15:55I'm going to tell you.
15:56He said,
15:58I'm going to tell you.
16:01I'm going to tell you,
16:03he's going to tell me,
16:04I've got a lot of people.
16:05I'm not sure why.
16:08He's going to tell you,
16:10but the truth is,
16:11it's not good.
16:11It's not good.
16:12But my wife is not good.
16:15He's going to have a lot of people.
16:17But I said,
16:18we have a lot of people.
16:20It's been really good.
16:20Marino said, I'm very proud of my family.
16:23They're not being able to support all of the people.
16:25If they are in a hurry, they're in a hurry.
16:29Many people don't like them.
16:31They have a lot of connection.
16:33They're the most important thing.
16:38They're not willing to support everyone.
16:39Now, that they support all of the people,
16:39that's great.
16:40It's very hard to support all of the people.
16:44We support all of them.
16:52Some of the things that I love today are doing here is the one I love today,
16:58and I'm going to eat this and I'm going to eat it,
16:59so I eat it.
17:00So I'm going to eat it so beautiful,
17:02so I'm going to eat it so well.
17:03Look at that.
17:04I'm going to take it.
17:05I'm going to eat it.
17:08I'm going to eat it.
17:10I'm going to eat it.
17:16I'm going to eat it.
17:24We need to go to what kind of things are we going to do?
17:29We need some green tea, some green tea, and some green tea.
17:34Oh, because we have the things in the dining room
17:38They all use the mother to feed their relatives
17:43to feed their relatives
17:44and feed their vegetables
17:47They feed their vegetables
17:49So if we don't have anything else
17:51we will go to the store
17:55or just ask the uncle or the uncle
17:57to use郵寄 to send to the store
18:01to send to the store
18:02So Melissa has been to the store?
18:06How do you go to Malaysia?
18:08How do you go to Malaysia?
18:11How do you go to Malaysia?
18:11Malaysia has gone to two or three times.
18:14Just when we have time to go to the same time,
18:17we can go to the same time.
18:18We also want to know,
18:21to understand the mother's life in the past.
18:25And how it is,
18:28and how it is.
18:28And how it is.
18:30I'm also interested in that.
18:32Yes.
18:39Are you trying to find a mother?
18:42No.
18:4450公里.
18:45Do you know this is the mother's house?
18:47Where is it?
18:49What is it?
18:51What is it called?
18:53Miao Li.
18:57Remember to be friendly, okay?
18:59If you see a mother's friend or a mother's brother or sister or something,
19:02you've got to say,
19:03Hi, Auntie Uncle, okay?
19:08What I know about Haka people is that they are very hard working.
19:11My husband's family works really, really hard,
19:14and I see that from him as well, how hard working he is.
19:17And they're very friendly.
19:18Every Haka person I've ever met has been so sweet and nice to me.
19:22And my husband's family is also very welcoming to me all the time.
19:25Okay.
19:41Calm down.
19:43You can go inside and look at the phone.
19:45Come on, come on, come on.
19:47Come on, come on, come on.
19:50Come on, come on, come on.
19:51We're going to go to his brother.
19:57Yeah, my mom's brother.
19:58This is also my uncle who lives here.
20:03Oh, yes, this is his wife.
20:03You saw him before.
20:05Yes.
20:07And that's my mother's brother, younger brother.
20:12Younger brother.
20:13Younger brother.
20:14Oldest brother.
20:14Oldest brother and cousin.
20:16And cousin.
20:17Hello.
20:19So is your family big like this?
20:22Have so many like cousins and brothers and sisters?
20:25How many brothers and sisters does your mom have?
20:28No, no.
20:32Maybe only three aunts and uncles, not nine.
20:35This is a big family.
20:39Okay.
20:40That's a very big family.
20:42Of course, a lot of
21:19You've never peeled the radish before.
21:22Do you have radish in Canada?
21:24Not like this, no.
21:25Not this time.
21:26No.
21:26No.
21:27No.
21:27No.
21:27No.
21:29No.
21:39No.
21:40No.
21:40No.
21:42No.
21:43No.
21:44No.
21:44No.
21:44No.
21:45No.
21:45No.
21:45No.
21:46No.
21:47No.
21:48No.
21:53No.
21:59For Hakka food, I like some of the food.
22:03I really like mountain chicken, I like stewed pork, I like radish cake.
22:07But there's a lot of things I can't eat.
22:09I know Hakka snack is very, very famous.
22:11It's one of the best dishes at his parents' restaurant.
22:14But I don't like tofu.
22:16I don't like fucai.
22:18I know that's very important in Taiwanese cooking.
22:21My husband explained to me that it's fresh at Chinese New Year, but they have to preserve
22:26it to make it last for the whole year.
22:29And he told me there's a lot of dishes like a fucai in soup, and they cook so many things
22:34with this fucai, but it's not for me.
22:36So when I see it or smell it, I'm not used to that yet.
22:39But I'm trying to try more Hakka food.
22:46You have to be very careful.
22:48Don't cut your finger.
22:49Yes.
22:49We use this to cut cheese.
22:51Yes.
22:53Just like this.
22:54Okay.
22:55Okay.
23:05Do you expect this is how we make British cake?
23:25No.
23:26No.
23:26I guess because it's in a shape like a rectangle.
23:30I don't know if I thought it was like maybe just like cut into a rectangle.
23:35I actually have no idea here.
23:37I guess it's going to get into a big shape and then they're going to cut it, but I didn't
23:43know it was like grated this way.
23:46I don't know what we're going to mix with it.
23:49Okay.
23:52Okay.
23:52They hold this giant pot.
23:54Yes.
23:58Oh my God.
23:59Oh my God.
24:10Oh my God.
24:13Oh my God.
24:13Oh my God.
24:14Oh my God.
24:14I told you we don't add any water.
24:16Because radish has enough water so we just cook it.
24:21And the water will come out of it to boil itself.
24:24Yes.
24:24And the water will come out of it to boil itself in that water.
24:25Oh.
24:25This is heavy.
24:28No.
24:30No.
24:36It's not really hot.
24:37It's not really hot.
24:38It's not really hot.
24:40It's not really hot.
24:41It's not really hot.
24:42It's okay to cook.
24:42It's okay to cook.
24:42It's okay to cook.
24:43Yes, if I really cook something.
24:44Yes.
24:44It's okay.
24:48As much as I loved Taiwan when I moved here and I have a lot of good memories now.
24:54People are very friendly and helpful, but when you need help all the time like that, you
24:58know that it's very, very hard on you.
25:00I have memories sometimes before I met my husband of needing to go to the hospital to
25:04do a health check for my job or something like that.
25:06And at this time I didn't have an iPhone or anything like that.
25:09So I had a map on paper and I was trying to find the hospital, but the map had Chinese
25:14names and I was riding my bicycle and it started to rain and I couldn't find the hospital.
25:19I didn't know what to do and I'm just standing outside crying.
25:22Sometimes I felt homesick for my country.
25:25I missed a place where I could speak my language, where everyone knew what I was saying.
25:29So I struggled a lot.
25:31But since I met my husband now, when I have anything to do like that, he helps me right
25:36away to set it up.
25:36He takes me to the doctor with him and helps me to translate everything.
25:40So having family like my husband and his parents around to help us all the time.
25:45That's probably the biggest thing that makes it easy for me to stay here now.
25:51That's a fun laugh for my mom.
25:54It's around the door, these Chinese characters.
25:57What does that mean?
25:57Is that about your family?
25:59Yes.
26:00Yes.
26:01Alright.
26:03Yes.
26:03Yes.
26:03Yes.
26:03Yes.
26:03Yes.
26:03Yeah.
26:04Yes.
26:26So pretty much this is like a total people where you are like a family farm.
26:32Where are you from?
26:34This is their grandparents.
26:36Grand-grandparents.
26:38Where is your first generation?
26:42Where come from?
26:44My mom's last name is Cho.
26:48So they told you where is Cho from.
26:53Could be like so many different places from China.
26:56This is one of the cities from China.
26:59So just tell people where.
27:02Okay, I see.
27:10Living in Taiwan, more and more people are speaking English these days.
27:14And you can live here without speaking Chinese.
27:16It's very, very possible.
27:17I've been here 10 years and I don't speak Chinese to anyone.
27:20So it's very possible.
27:21But you have a feeling that you want to communicate more.
27:24Sometimes when I'm with my husband and his parents, I want to say something to them.
27:28On Mother's Day, I want to tell my mother-in-law some nice words.
27:32Or on his dad's birthday, I want to say something to him.
27:36But sometimes I want to talk to people, but I can't.
27:39And then I feel like I'm being shy, but it's just hard to communicate.
27:43So sometimes I have to tell my husband, like tell them I said thank you so much and I really
27:47appreciate it.
27:47So I have to use his translation to talk to people.
27:51But I wish that I can just say the things I want to say to people easily.
27:54And I want to have more conversations with people.
27:57And I want to understand what everyone is saying so I can feel included.
28:01So I will study one day, but learning Chinese is not easy.
28:04If I could just speak Chinese and understand, I think that would be good enough for me.
28:08Just some conversation a little bit better with the people in my life.
28:22Put this bamboo out.
28:26Yeah, it's hot.
28:38OK.
28:39You can fit it.
28:39All right.
28:40Is it does it do you want it to?
28:41Yeah, it would be almost there.
28:48So fresh.
28:50It's good.
28:56Cheers very good.
28:58That is so good.
29:05Oh, it's so good.
29:08Good.
29:11Let's go inside.
29:13I'm not sure.
29:15I'm not sure.
29:17I'm not sure.
29:20I'm not sure.
29:23I'm not sure.
29:26I'm not sure.
29:27I'm not sure.
29:29I'm not sure.
29:30Go get me?
29:31Go get me.
30:00Just to get some birthday balloons for Milo's party.
30:05I'm thinking about something that says happy birthday or maybe a number five.
30:09You already have something in your mind.
30:12Yes, I wanted a baseball, basketball, and then something about birthday or the number five.
30:25I don't know.
30:28I don't know.
30:31I don't know.
30:33I don't know.
30:41I'm nervous.
30:44I'm angry and I'm not a bad person.
30:46I'm angry with my friend.
30:50He said he didn't get me to do it.
30:55He said they didn't get me to do it.
30:56He said they didn't get me.
30:56He said they don't do it.
30:57He said I didn't really see it.
30:59After that, we really remember it.
31:01Then the day soon, we'll take a break.
31:14Hello.
31:16It's been three years since I met my mother.
31:19When I met my husband,
31:22I told him that he had a happy life.
31:25He told me that he had a happy life.
31:27We were to live in a long time and get a good time out.
31:36And we had a good 4 year old so we didn't see anything.
31:40As soon as we had a liberal arts country,
31:46it was so important that we had once.
31:52Even though we got to see it here for the new school,
31:55to make money and make money.
32:01I hope that my mother is filled up with food,
32:06and I think we are happy and happy,
32:09I am thankful that she is clean,
32:11she is the true thing to do.
32:16So to make money,
32:17I can do things we love.
32:23This is the place we live in, and this is the dining room.
32:29And I have two brothers. We all live together.
32:38Come here, come here, come here, come here.
32:40Come here, come here, come here.
32:47Cheers.
32:49Happy birthday, cheers.
32:53Cheers.
32:55Cheers.
33:01When I moved in here, I had been living by myself for three years in a very small apartment with
33:09no kitchen,
33:09just a one-bedroom apartment, so to move into this big house that we all shared together.
33:15And there was just always someone at home. There was food being cooked all the time.
33:20His mom was really good. She would come every night and check on me when Milo was born,
33:25and she would help to watch him every night.
33:27I've always found it very, very helpful to live with his family,
33:31and I tell that to my friends who are dating a Taiwanese guy or married to someone from Taiwan.
33:37Maybe if you live with his family, you will have the benefit of getting a lot of help.
33:41So I know we're really, really lucky in that way because his family's been super nice to me.
33:46Everybody's always been very welcoming to me.
33:48They help us a lot with our kids, so I think that's probably the best part, and I don't feel
33:54any problems.
33:55I feel lucky. I appreciate that a lot.
33:58You have money?
33:59Milo, you ready?
34:01Yeah!
34:02That's a lot of candles.
34:03Ready?
34:04Happy Birthday to you
34:08Happy Birthday to you
34:11Happy Birthday to you
34:16Happy Birthday to you
34:19You
34:19Happy Birthday to you
34:20Please watch your baby
34:22One, two, three
34:22Who is favourite?
34:25What about you?
34:25It's not good
34:26It's new
34:27I didn't say it twice.
34:33I didn't call this.
34:33It was different from the world.
34:34But they were loved.
34:37The world during their hometown of us at the same time,
34:39they grew up and grew up with the family's kingdom.
34:43They're too drunk.
34:44It's about a year and a half,
34:46but it's like I'm not gonna do it,
34:47I'm not gonna do it.
34:50It's about everything that's gonna be healthy.
34:52It's about everything that's gonna be healthy.
34:58It's about everything that I do.
35:00It's about everything that I do.
35:01How cool!
35:02Cool.
35:03Let's see.
35:05Here.
35:06Show on sample.
35:07Show me your present.
35:09One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.
35:15Oh, cool.
35:24Today is Easter Sunday, and I just finished having the Easter morning with Milo and Isla.
35:30In Canada, we always have an Easter egg hunt.
35:34Every Easter morning when you wake up, the Easter bunny has been to your house,
35:38and he always leaves you some Easter eggs, some chocolate, and some small gifts.
35:43So even though we don't live in Canada anymore, I still want Milo and Isla to have this experience of
35:49the Easter bunny.
35:50And it's important to be with family at Easter, but this year we can't be with my mom.
35:54So we're going to call her in a minute and just have a talk with her and show her all
35:58the things that Milo got this morning for Easter.
36:04Hi, Milo.
36:06Hi, Milo.
36:06You can see Nanny's face.
36:07Hold like this.
36:08Say, Nanny.
36:08I get 100 candy.
36:14Did the Easter bunny come today?
36:16No.
36:17Did you get a lot of candy?
36:20Yes.
36:21Did you go on an Easter hunt?
36:23No.
36:23You got lots of candy.
36:26I see.
36:28Nothing.
36:29Jackson's face.
36:30You got
36:30all the início. Then you
36:35did see the future. Come on.
36:36I do not
36:37want to go home. And then you'll
36:37be out. I'm done.
36:39I'm done.
36:42I'm done.
36:44I'm done.
36:45when the new year before the new year is a, I'm two weeks
36:48left. It's been a
36:51while. And so, we
36:51don't have to go home and it'll come down. You'll never have
36:56to go home and go home.
36:57And how is it going with the virus in Canada?
37:00How's everything on PEI?
37:02It's still okay so far.
37:04No confirmed cases, but I'm still a little anxious.
37:07Yeah. No hospitalizations.
37:11That's okay.
37:11So that's pretty good.
37:12But you guys are still being careful over there.
37:16Very careful.
37:18We are pretty lucky this Easter because we can still celebrate
37:21and later we can go to see my husband's family.
37:24But my mom was just telling me on the phone that this Easter in Canada
37:27people are not allowed to go and see their families.
37:30I feel really lucky today that we're still able to go to the store.
37:33I could prepare a lot of things for Easter today
37:35and I don't have the same restrictions that they have in other countries.
37:38So right now in Taiwan we are so lucky that we can still go out
37:41to restaurants, to stores, to do things like that.
37:44See friends and just kind of being careful, wearing a mask, washing hands.
37:49But in other countries that's not even possible.
37:51They can't even leave their house.
37:52So my mom was just asking me if we are in lockdown.
37:55I told her, no, Taiwan is actually doing really well.
37:58I have to remind her all the time.
37:59She says she's worried about me, but I tell her,
38:01you don't need to worry about us.
38:02We're worried about you.
38:03Because I really think Taiwan has the best handle on the virus.
38:09Tell Nanny you love her so much.
38:11I love you.
38:11I love you.
38:13Alright, look at her eyes.
38:14Tell her you love her and you miss her.
38:17Say happy Easter.
38:19Happy Easter.
38:20Okay.
38:20Look at this basket.
38:22We love you too.
38:23I wish you could be here.
38:24Help me open it.
38:24Don't look at all your Easter eggs.
38:26Oh yes, we had a small Easter egg hunt already
38:28and we're going to find some more later.
38:31Ayla.
38:31I love you.
38:32Ayla.
38:33Say nanny.
38:33Who's little Ayla?
38:35Ayla.
38:35Hi, Ayla.
38:36Ayla, say hi to Nanny.
38:39Hi, it's your nanny from Canada.
38:41Hi, darling.
38:43Hi.
38:43Hi, sweetheart.
38:44She wants the phone.
38:45I don't know what she's going to do.
38:46Oh, she's kissing it.
38:49Who's kissing the phone?
38:51Ayla's kissing Nanny.
38:53Okay, okay.
38:54Okay, we love you.
38:55There's Vic.
38:56Hi, there.
39:03Me me Watson's kissing.
39:03You can get some eggs now.
39:04No scrimi can find some eggs.
39:05It's going to park the bird.
39:10Here it沒有.
39:10Let's poop!
39:18It's Bringing my infant견anne.
39:19Mi Lo, you can find some eggs now.
39:21This one stalks fell.
39:22Mommy hides the eggs for you.
39:23It's stopped sharing.
39:24All right, terre blondes.
39:25My Lo, come to find b проблема here.
39:28Many Lo, it's some eggs for you.
39:29It's a special one.
39:33There's a lot of similarities between the holidays we celebrate in Canada and the ones you have in Taiwan.
39:39For example, we always have like a big meal with our family.
39:43I know Chinese New Year and Moon Festival you get together with your family and celebrate
39:46and for Christmas and Thanksgiving and Easter we also have a big meal with our family.
39:51So that's similar.
39:52Something that's different is that we usually give gifts for our holidays
39:57but I know in Taiwan you don't really give so many gifts.
40:00Like at Chinese New Year it was red envelopes, giving the gift of money.
40:04That was something that was really different for me.
40:07How you give gifts at different holidays in Taiwan compared to Canada.
40:11After meeting my husband, I got to celebrate these kind of holidays the way that he's grown up celebrating it.
40:18And he wanted to teach me all the things about that.
40:21He wanted to show me how like magical Chinese New Year is
40:24and he wanted to take me to the Chinese New Year market street
40:28and give me the experience of picking all the candy that we put in the bowl.
40:32And he gives me a red envelope every year because he wants me to feel that feeling of getting so
40:37excited to get some money like that.
40:39So in return I try to teach him the experiences that I've had with Easter and Christmas and things like
40:44that.
40:46Halloween, Valentine's Day.
40:47So we both now kind of want to just teach Milo and Ayla about our holidays and our traditions.
40:54So every year now it's about making them feel the spirit of those holidays and giving them the experience.
41:00So we hope they can grow up with the traditions from Canada and Taiwan
41:04and they will have all of these experiences that they can share with their kids someday when they grow up.
41:09Milo, one more, green one!
41:13Go!
41:44What do you mean to do a foreign country?
41:46He said I'm a Taiwanese person.
42:02This is a story of my life.
42:05This is from the beginning of the first chapter.
42:09I met my wife on the second day.
42:12This is her birthday.
42:14On the second day, I sent her a photo.
42:17Then we went to the first place.
42:18This is the first day we met with her.
42:24We used the photo.
42:26This is the photo.
42:29I didn't know at that time that we would build this wall.
42:33At first, we were just taking a few pictures, going out for a few weeks.
42:36And then we started to have more and more trips together.
42:39And we just took this camera everywhere we went and just captured all the moments.
42:43So when we moved in here together, we started to put the pictures up on the wall.
42:49It's different than just having pictures in your phone because every day we sit on this couch.
42:53We're in the living room and we can see these pictures every day.
42:55So it's just a nice way to see all of our memories and just to see how far our life
43:00has come from that first date in Galmay Wetlands to the birth of our two children and our wedding.
43:07And, yeah, we just want to feel it.
43:09We just want to keep making more memories and having more times together.
43:18Okay, smile.
43:20Give us a good pose.
43:21Where's the big smile?
43:22Say ABC.
43:24A, B, 8.
43:28Say ABC.
43:30A, T.
43:31Oh, thank you.
43:33So this is your first meeting at Galmay Wetlands to the first place?
43:36Yes, the first meeting at Galmay Wetlands.
43:38That's when you would choose this place at Galmay Wetlands to the first place.
43:41Because Galmay Wetlands to the first place is beautiful.
43:45And then the weather is beautiful.
43:48Can you show them a picture?
43:49That day from that day?
43:51Yes, from that.
43:51In your phone.
43:52This is the one day.
43:53One more.
43:54One more.
43:54One more.
43:55One more.
43:55One more.
43:56That is your time.
43:57That's your time.
43:58That's all done.
44:01The first thing that comes to mind when I think of the sweet things that he's done for
44:07me was probably when he proposed to me.
44:11That was really, really sweet.
44:13And actually you came to Galmay Wetlands in that video, didn't you?
44:16Yes.
44:16Yes, yes.
44:17When he proposed to me, I was really surprised the way that he did it.
44:22There was a video that he wanted to play for me that he made.
44:27So he kind of tricked me.
44:29I followed his friend to help her with a computer problem.
44:33And then on the computer there was a video that started to play.
44:36And he had worked for a few days going to all of the spots in Taichung that meant something to
44:42us.
44:42And he was holding different signs.
44:44And he made this video saying, like, will you marry me and be with me forever.
44:49And he went to, like, a park close to my house.
44:51He went to my school.
44:52He went to my damping shop.
44:54He came to Galmay Wetlands.
44:56He went to the restaurant that we had our first date.
44:58And that was really, really sweet.
45:02And his friends helped make this video.
45:04And his friends were there that night to help surprise me later after the video.
45:08It said, go down to the beach.
45:10And when I walked down to the beach, he was waiting with a really nice, like, suit on.
45:15And he was holding a ring.
45:17And there was a big heart with candles everywhere.
45:19And there was fireworks later.
45:21It was really, really sweet.
45:22And especially for him, it's to do this kind of, like, really public thing and make this sweet video like
45:29that.
45:30And we played it at our wedding.
45:31It was just such a, like, an important memory.
45:35And just a really, really sweet thing.
45:37It's a great time.
45:39Well, we started to go out and get to the first time.
45:46Wow!
45:49Wow!
45:49Wow!
45:49Wow!
45:50The last time we met, we were all the first.
45:55That's a big mess.
46:04Wow!
46:07This is our third week.
46:08This is our fifth week.
46:11This is our memories.
46:19They are hiding now.
46:22Oh, I saw something.
46:25Oh, smell.
46:27I really saw that.
46:28Crab.
46:28Yes, everywhere.
46:31That's a kind of crab.
46:33Just have one crab.
46:34This one is like eating.
46:36So cute. Look at his little hair.
46:39Coming back here now,
46:40almost seven years after the first time that we came,
46:44I guess just thinking about how different our life is now
46:47from the first time or even the second time that we came.
46:50The first time was just a first date with someone
46:54that I met and I really liked,
46:56but I never thought that night that we were here to see the sunset
47:00that I would be back here now with our son
47:02and just visiting again.
47:05So every time that we come,
47:07I guess we will always just have the memory
47:09of that first night that we came here
47:10on our very first date
47:11and just thinking of all the things that have happened
47:14in the time since then.
47:16So that's what it makes me think of.
47:19I think we will be able to come here
47:20in the future.
47:21I think we will be able to come here
47:24in the future.
47:25My little thing is going here.
47:32When I first told them I was coming to Taiwan,
47:35a lot of people,
47:36they're not exactly sure what kind of country Taiwan is.
47:39They kind of confuse it with Thailand
47:41or they're not sure if it's in China somewhere.
47:44So a lot of people in Canada don't actually know Taiwan.
47:47But I was sending pictures to my family
47:49to show them things around.
47:50But I remember they were even worried
47:52what kinds of things that I had here.
47:54Could I buy soap?
47:55Could I still buy things at the store?
47:57So they really were not sure what was my life.
47:59And then when we got married,
48:01my whole family was able to come to Taiwan for the wedding.
48:04And they were so surprised.
48:05They couldn't believe how lovely Taiwan was.
48:07And I told them that's why I stayed here for so long.
48:10So I was glad they were able to be here
48:12and to see firsthand how amazing Taiwan is.
48:18That's for you.
48:19That's for you.
48:21We've known Marisha about eight years now.
48:24Marisha's one of the first friends we made
48:26when we moved here.
48:27And moving here was kind of scary
48:29because they didn't know anybody.
48:31So having friends when we got here was wonderful.
48:34Watching your kids grow up has been really cool.
48:36When we moved here, Myla was a baby.
48:38Like a literal baby.
48:40And now he's huge.
48:42And we saw Isla grow up.
48:45We've known her her whole life.
48:46And it's been great to see Marisha be a mom.
48:49And Vic being such a great dad.
48:51And the whole family is such a great family.
48:53And we love being around them.
48:56Because she's a person in Taiwan.
48:58And she's basically not a Taiwanese friend.
49:01And she's also a foreigner.
49:03And she's always told me that I want to marry her.
49:07And you have to prepare for it.
49:09You have to prepare for it.
49:09You have to use this kind of way to talk to her.
49:12So even before you talk to her,
49:13you still have to think about this sentence.
49:16But you have to decide for yourself.
49:18You have to do it.
49:20You have to do it.
49:20You have to do it.
49:20And then, when I first went to Canada,
49:23we were already going to get married.
49:25That's the first time he invited me to meet his family.
49:27And I was like,
49:28I've been talking to him.
49:30And my aunt and aunt's face.
49:31And they told me,
49:33I would like to help her.
49:34I would like to help her.
49:35I'd like to help her.
49:35So I always have to take this sentence.
49:39I'd like to remind myself.
49:41I wouldn't...
49:43I'd like to do it.
49:47I wish we could give Mei Mei some phone time.
49:55Every day we feel so lucky
49:56for all the things that we have in our life.
49:59We have these two beautiful children
50:00and we have such a happy life here in Taichung.
50:04We're so thankful just for our families
50:06and for having good jobs
50:09and a nice house and car.
50:11And just having each other, I guess.
50:13My life just changed a lot when I met him.
50:15And I'm so glad that this is our life now.
50:27I wish we could give her a happy life.
50:31I wish we could give her a happy life.
50:32I wish we could give her a happy life.
50:38I wish we could give her a happy life.
50:41Hello, Marisha.
50:43It's your mom from Canada.
50:44I miss you and love you all very much.
50:47Give Milo and Ila a big hug and a kiss
50:49from their Nana in Canada.
50:50Love you.
51:13Thank you for watching Inside Taiwan.
51:15You can catch more of our stories on the Taiwan Plus website
51:18or on social media.
51:20I'm Laurel Stewart.
51:21Take care.
51:22See you next time.
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