Our First Experiences in Taiwan, China & Hong Kong

Hello! I’m Ken Willis, co-founder of Willis Global Education and Willis Global English. In my last blog, I shared how our passion for Asia and cross-cultural education began. Today, I want to take you on a journey through our early experiences in Taiwan, our first visit to China, and our eventual move to Hong Kong.

As you may recall, Brenda agreed to marry me and embark on a first adventure to Asia. After a beautiful August wedding in central Pennsylvania and a perfect honeymoon in Lake Tahoe, we packed our bags and boarded our flight from Philadelphia to Taipei, Taiwan.

After over 22 hours of travel, we’ll never forget the moment the airplane door opened that late August evening. Stepping onto the tarmac, we were immediately enveloped by Taiwan's summer heat and humidity—this was a far cry from central PA!

Thankfully, our supportive colleagues at the Taipei YMCA and the students we encountered made us feel incredibly welcome. We settled into our cozy fourth-floor apartment on Ting Jou Road in the Gong Gwon district, near National Taiwan University. Our housemate, Kishikawa-san, was a YMCA Administrator from Japan, who lived in a rooftop accommodation and shared our kitchen and living room, adding to our unique living experience.

Our teaching schedules kept us busy, and we thoroughly enjoyed our high school and adult students. They often took us on day trips, hiking adventures, and sightseeing excursions. Some unforgettable firsts included bubble milk tea, shaved ice with fruits and condensed milk (bow-bing), stinky tofu, visits to teahouses, and explorations of Taroko Gorge and Kenting. I always suspected that being a newly married couple made us more approachable and interesting. We were completely overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity we were shown.

During those early years, foreigners were required to leave Taiwan every six months to renew their visas. So, during our first Chinese New Year, we ventured to Hong Kong and mainland China. From Hong Kong, we took an overnight boat ride up the Li River to Wuzhou, where we wandered into a local gymnasium on a walkabout and were treated to a spectacular martial arts performance by a class of students and their master trainer. The next day, we embarked on an 11-hour bus journey to Yangshuo and the quaint village of Xingping, near Guilin. The breathtaking limestone pinnacle formations and the stunning countryside captivated us as we explored on foot and by bicycle.

I did face a bout of food poisoning that landed me in a motorcycle sidecar, whisked away to a hospital for a two-night stay of IV fluids and care. Thankfully, I recovered quickly and we went on to have an incredible time celebrating Chinese New Year in the countryside.

When our one-year contract with the YMCA concluded, we returned home, but it didn't take long for us to realize that our time in Taiwan had been too brief. We decided to return to Taipei, seeking teaching positions and further opportunities for cross-cultural growth.

Brenda taught young children and adults, while I focused on adult professionals and corporate clients, including SOGO Department Store and CPC, the national petroleum company. I also took on freelance copywriting projects for hotels and a trade magazine. During this time, our first son, Tyler, was born—yes, he was an "MIT baby"… Made in Taiwan!

An exciting opportunity arose when the magazine publisher offered me a full-time marketing position, which included a relocation to Hong Kong. We embraced this new adventure, settling on Lantau Island and forging friendships with people from around the globe. Our minds are filled with cherished memories of bustling shopping streets, rickshaw rides, ferry excursions, junk boat tours, cable car rides, and peaceful moments with friends and our newborn in Discovery Bay.

Ultimately, the desire to share our experiences as new parents with family back home in Pennsylvania grew stronger, leading us to reconnect with our roots.

I hope you’ll join me in the next blog, where I’ll share how life came full circle when we returned to Taiwan once again—this time with three young sons, ready for a family study abroad experience.

In the meantime, we’d love to hear about a time when you revisited a place that held special meaning for you. Be well!