For most people who have lived in the same country for most of their lives, leaving home is like choosing a different place from where you grew up to continue your future life, which is hard to imagine.
For most people, in addition to having pure skies and a beautiful ocean, Taitung is still a remote place and in a relatively poor condition. However, in recent years, through the marketing and promotion of large-scale international events Taitung has moved toward the path of international development, and has attracted more and more new immigrants from different countries to settle in Taitung.
Foreigners from Europe and the Americas are a common sight in Taitung, but a face from India is particularly striking. Praveen, who moved to Taitung from Bangalore, South India, has been in Taiwan for his eighth year. “Taitung is my first and only place I settled in Taiwan,” he says.
When Praveen first moved to Taitung from Bangalore, which is a crowded and bustling city of over 10 million people in south India, he felt that it was like a new world. He felt that some aspects of the lifestyle were not easily adaptable. For example, Chinese menus are everywhere. At a later stage, he tried new arrangements to enrich his life, and found that his life began to have completely different new styles and goals.
“When you are very busy, and you are in a beautiful environment like Taitung, you will feel that it is a gift from heaven. It is perfect,” Praveen explains.
In addition, when asked what is the most attractive aspect of Taitung, Praveen is quite clear. He described it as entering the time tunnel, and all the while he employed his relaxed and pleasant tone to express his deep feelings about Taitung.
He has already been making traditional Indian cuisine for four years in Taitung City. Through word of mouth, Praveen’s Indian cuisine has gradually become more popular.
“I am very serious and focused on my cooking, because Indian cuisine is different from other dishes. Not everyone can do it,” he says, referring to Indian cuisine.
Praveen’s expression suddenly became serious. He added that making Indian cuisine requires a lot of concentration, and needs considerable cooking time. Each dish showcases a unique recipe, such as which spices to add, the number of various spices, and most importantly, adding just the right amount of spices to alter the taste of the cuisine. The mix of spices is all about the accumulation of wisdom.
“Opening an Indian restaurant is not only about making a lot of money. It is about sharing Indian delicious dishes to the people of Taitung,” Praveen says.
The restaurant is currently open five days a week. When the restaurant is closed, he occasionally goes to the hot springs in Zhiben, or strolls along bicycle trails in Taitung City. Praveen likes this rhythm of life very much, and he feels this is the most comfortable lifestyle for him.
“Although I am far from my hometown in India, I am not very homesick. But when I went back to India to visit my family last year, I actually missed Taitung. It’s because I have gradually realized Taitung as my own home,” Praveen sensibly says, now that his life is now inseparable from Taitung.”
I must say that when I first experienced the Lantern Festival and Bombing Lord Handan activities, I felt they were amazing,” Praveen says.
He paused for a while, and continued to explain that he believes that this special celebration has the potential to be marketed internationally. This also applies to the unique folk culture of Taitung. He has asked foreign tourists, and they found that they are deeply interested in such cultural celebrations, which cannot be replicated by other countries. The Taitung Lantern Festival celebrations are full of rich elements and visual colors. Therefore, if such traditional festivals can be enhanced and marketed internationally, the visibility of Taitung will be further heightened, and people of different nationalities will be attracted to Taitung.
Praveen is busy, but calm. The rich and low-key attitude of life makes him feel full of positive energy every day. This outlook gives him the support to continue cooking delicious Indian cuisine. In addition, it allows his exotic dishes to continuously astound the Taitung people, and pushes him to share his enthusiasm with those who love this land.
“Taitung has mountains and the sea. The combination of these two elements is like being in paradise!” he said at the end of the interview.
Whether you are pursuing a pure, pollution-free quality living environment, or looking for a place to calm your mind, Taitung offers all of these to the people involved. Only those who come to this place have the opportunity to experience it.
