Memories of a Work Exchange

2011 — five years after I moved to Hualien, and a little over two years since Errantry Lodge had opened.

That summer, through the Ki Taiwan work-exchange platform, five international friends came to stay: Kelvin Kan K, Fiona ("Ah-Bao"), Frederick Chip, and Kai-Ping.

Through the busiest part of high season, they stayed on — chatting with guests, keeping the lodge running smoothly — for a whole month.

Kelvin later made a documentary video about the Harvest Festival. Ah-Bao wrote about her work-exchange experience on her blog. Frederick posted his own reflections on Facebook.

International travelers, not just on weekends but on ordinary Monday-to-Thursday days too — that's exactly what we've always wanted: for Hualien to be a place worth truly getting to know.

Those work-exchange friends were like seeds. Once they went home, they carried their good memories of Taiwan, of Hualien, and kept letting them grow.