In cooperation with the National Education Radio, a series of exciting stories about new immigrants in Taiwan is launched. This episode invites Jin En Xi (金恩喜) from Mongolia and her Taiwanese husband Wu Ying Zhe (吳英哲) to share their movie-like love story with the host Chen Ya Yu (陳亞鈺) and Chen Yu Shui (陳玉水).
“When children are doing housework, I always encourage them by saying words like good job, well done, mom loves you.” Jin En Xi has a soft and pleasant voice, and she educates her children with gentleness and fortitude.
10 years ago, she met Wu in South Korea because of a Christian church, and the two got married in Mongolia on the second date. Back then, cross-border marriage was not easy. However, the couple has made an effort to successfully realize their dreams and are supporting a warm family of four children now.
【Taiwan Immigrants' Global News Network】presents this episode in 5 languages including Chinese, English, Vietnamese, Thai and Indonesian, enabling more readers to explore immigrants’ life in Taiwan.
In the interview, the couple shared their movie-like love story. (Photo / Provided by the National Education Radio)
In the interview, the couple shared their movie-like love story, as well as different parenting values resulting from contrasting cultural backgrounds. Reminiscing about the church that brought them together, Wu smiled and said, “My wife and I met at church, it's very special, thank God.”
Church members encouraged Wu to join a matchmaking activity named “Blessing”. This is therefore he received Jin’s photos, and he got the impression that she was a beautiful and smart girl.
Jin said frankly, “I felt like He is the right one when I first saw his photo.” To her, Wu is an educated person with his own thoughts. Besides, Taiwanese men seem that they know how to cook better. The host was like grabbing some popcorn and taking a seat, and asked jokingly, “And then? Does he really cook?”
“I didn’t know how to cook at first,” Wu Ying Zhe said gently. “But I have to learn it from scratch for my wife.” The words and tone of voice express his love for Jin.
In the bygone era, they used emails to communicate with each other for three years. After completing national service, Wu took a long-haul flight to South Korea and met Jin for the first time. “We got married on the second date,” Wu said. At this moment, the host let out a girlish scream while hearing a love story that women long for.
Wu Ying Zhe took a long-haul flight to Mongolia for love. (Photo / Provided by the National Education Radio)
“About 10 years ago, Taiwan's law required us to register marriages abroad first, so I went through formalities and prepared documents in Taiwan, and then took them to Mongolia, where I stayed there for a week or two.” It was in September, a fall, and still not too cold. Wu set out to Mongolia and managed to obtain her wife’s visa so that they could reside in Taiwan as they wished.
When Jin first arrived in Taiwan, she knew nothing about Mandarin Chinese. Therefore, she could only communicate with others in simple English. Fortunately, the kind and polite Taiwanese made her feel touched in a foreign land.
She was not used to the sweltering hot weather in Taiwan and even started having eczema. Hence, she spent a whole year adjusting to the new environment and learning Chinese. Besides, her favorite food is bento, “It is special that one will get a small bottle of Yakult with a bento bought.” The host felt surprised and said, “It’s the first time that I heard this!”
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Studied hard for a year, Jin started actively looking for a job in Taiwan. As she holds a dental degree from Mongolia, she wanted to find a related job. However, Taiwan did not recognize her qualifications.
It turns out that being a doctor in Taiwan requires one to pass a national exam. Wu explained, “Ten years ago, Taiwan didn't know much about Mongolia. At that time, Taiwan only recognized dentist licenses from the United States.” Therefore, Jin has devoted herself to the family since then.
Growing up in different cultures, there are some differences in their educational philosophy. Jin En Xi, who grew up in Mongolia, is relatively independent and hopes that her children learn to share housework from an early age, unlike Taiwanese families who tend to care a lot for their children.
After a discussion, Wu compromised. The children are now following the household chores schedule and become little cleaners at home. The host couldn't help exclaiming, “That's great!”
The host Chen Ya Yu (1st from left) and Chen Yu Shui (1st from right). (Photo / Provided by the National Education Radio)
Lastly, Jin En Xi hopes that her husband would be more patient, be curious like a child, and listen to her ideas. This struck a sympathetic chord with the immigrant host. “Because we are not very fluent in Chinese, it is not easy for us to make a complete point of view.” The host said. “Couples can get along like friends so that they can understand each other more.”
