“I think you need to treat people the way you want to be treated and keep an open mind in life”
This week I got the chance to chat with Elliot, a friend of mine who I met through my Wife while living in Australia. Elliot has been a great friend in the short time i’ve known him and is full of interesting stories. I wanted to take the time to sit down with him this week and talk about his life growing up in Taiwan, his studies in the UK and becoming a Australian Citizen.
First of all could you introduce yourself to us, could you tell us your name, where you’re from and where you live now?
My name is Elliot Kan, I’m originally from Taipei in Taiwan but currently I live in Melbourne in Australia. Currently I am in my 7th year of living in Australia.
How was life growing up in Taiwan? I’ve never been but I’d really love to explore country!
Yeah so Taiwan is a small island of about 24 million people. It is around the same time as Tasmania and located between China and Japan. I’m originally from the capital, Taipei. I would say Taiwan is a mixture of cultures such as Japanese, Chinese and Western cultures.
So there is an abundance of history there. People work very hard here, when we were little we were told to study hard and work hard in order to achieve a better life, which I guess is common in a lot of Asian countries but I feel we have more freedom than other Asian countries, we have a freedom of speech etc as long as it is legal.
I think these freedoms are because of a western influence perhaps and because of that we do things a little differently compared to other countries.
So would you say Taiwan is more Japanese culture for example or a big mixture?
I would say its closer to Japanese in some ways but in a general sense it’s a mixture.
That’s good, so growing up you understood all different cultures way of life and that shaped who you are today, would you agree?
Yes I’d definitely agree with that.
Had travelling always been a part of your life, did you travel much as a child and if so where did you go?
Yeah I remember my first overseas trip was to New Zealand when I was a child, probably almost 30 years ago. It was as a vacation but also because my family were thinking about migrating there for good. So we went to see if that would be a good fit for us, for some reason we didn’t move there but I still enjoyed the trip.
We had a great time and great food, I remember a few days there even though I was so young like visiting a harbour or some caves and seeing fireflies.
That’s good that even though you were so young there are parts of that trip that stand out for you.
Yes you’re right.
Did you travel much more as a child with your family?
Yeah I went to Thailand twice with my family for a vacation, but a friend of my fathers had a business there, it was a good opportunity to be showed around the country! When I grew older, during summer vacation before junior high school began I got to visit my friend who moved to Vancover in Canada.
I stayed with him for two weeks I think but honestly I can’t remember much from my trip there other than some of the food haha.
So did either New Zealand or Canada shape your interest in visiting or living in western countries?
I would say New Zeland because I was so young but also my parents would always say to me I could get a better life in a western country.
You’ve lived in a number of countries over the years, could you explain what made you want to live abroad at first and where the first place you went abroad to live was?
So the first country I lived in overseas was the UK because I did my masters degree there, living there really changed my perception and ultimately changed my life as it made me see that living in a western country was a feasible idea.
It’s funny many Taiwanese on my course were looking forward to going home but I never wanted to leave.
I find that in my experience people in the UK did not care about what I came from or what I do or want to do as a job, people respect differences, they don’t ask me about my private life or anything they just let you get on with your life and enjoy it rather than putting any pressure on you I guess.
That’s good to hear, so what did you study for your Masters and where in the UK did you study?
I studied information system management at Warwick University in Coventry. It was a great course!
How did you find The UK in general? What Would you say you enjoyed the most and what would you say you disliked?
I really loved how close Europe was, in Taiwan you do not see many foreign people, especially European people. I like that in the UK I can walk down the street and see people from so many different countries and cultures, I would say that is a positive thing to experience as a young international student as you can see what your future could be if you moved to a Western Country.
It’s hard to find something I didn’t really like, I guess it would be the cost of living I think the price for a can of coke for example is double or more in the UK!
Was there a particular place in the UK that you enjoyed visiting the most?
I went to Scotland and found that a really enjoyable trip as it looked very different to Coventry. I’d also say I enjoyed the Weather in Scotland because the sky was always dark and cold haha but I actually enjoy that because I think there is a sense of tranquillity to it depending on where you are.
I think it was great I was able to go to somewhere like Glasgow, rent a car and drive all around the coast and visit the highlands, there were so many lovely villages to stop in.
When you finished your studying in the UK did you go straight to Australia and what was your reason for going to Australia?
I went back to Taiwan and started working for a company right away. I worked in Taiwan for 2 years but then went to Australia.
I went to Australia because the company I worked for in Taiwan offered me a job there, I thought that was an amazing opportunity so decided to go there! The job was in Melbourne and I have been living here ever since.
When we met I felt you were such a welcoming and kind person who could get along with anyone from anywhere in the world, you’d always welcome me into your home for a meal for example. I wonder, why do you find it so easy to speak to anyone?
Well I guess I just like to make friends with people from other countries. One of the benefits of living in Australia is that it’s such a multicultural country and because of that I get to make friends with other Asians, people from India or Europeans and Americans.
I think you need to treat people the way you want to be treated and keep an open mind in life so I guess that’s my mantra haha.
Initially I thought you were Japanese because you spoke the language fluently when we met, how did you learn Japanese and how many languages can you speak?
Firstly, thank you haha but I still need to improve my Japanese. In Taiwan people usually speak two languages, which usually include Taiwanese or Mandarin. I speak Mandarin and Taiwanese as a native language as well as English and Japanese.
Taiwan used to be a colony of Japan and at that time when my grandparents were kids it was compulsory to learn Japanese in school. If you could speak Japanese well at that time you would have a better chance of a higher education or a better job.
In my generation it is not something that is compulsory but it is still worth learning because it opens up opportunities to work in Japan for Taiwanese people. So I had a Japanese teacher in Taiwan who was a native of Japan, most of my class mates also wanted to study Japanese to gain a Japanese scholarship.
Being able to speak Japanese and pass the Japanese exam are two different things. Lucky for us all our teacher was really good at preparing us for these exam, they had old test papers etc and were able to learn the geography, history and more and this really helped me achieve this level.
That’s so interesting about Taiwan being a colony as I had no idea, I think western people really don’t know much about Taiwan!
Yes I think you’re right!
Not long after we met you gained your Australian citizenship, first of all congratulations! Could you tell us a little about the process to gain citizenship did you find it difficult?
Thank you! I would say the answer is Yes and No. It’s difficult in that you need your permanent residency first which means you need a sponsor like your partner or you boss or you may even have to be very skilled in something that Australia is in need of like a Doctor for example so it’s not easy.
You have to live in Australia for 4 years and also as your last year being a permanent resident so it’s a long process to get citizenship.
I also had to wait a long time because there was a bit of delay with so many people applying, but compared to other people they have been waiting two years or more just to get through the final stage. Other than that it was ok!
So I know when you receive the documentation you have a ceremony, could you describe your feeling when you heard the words ‘you are an Australian citizen now’
When I received my certificate and heard those words I felt like all my hard work paid off. I was so grateful to everyone I met in Australia and people including my ex-boss who helped me receive my sponsorship originally. I would say I was very lucky.
Being an Australian citizen, may I ask what made you want to be a citizen and what you love about Australia?
I really like that people are allowed to change their career in this country. For example I know people that were Police Officers in Japan, moved to Australia and studied something and now they are in a totally different career that didn’t care how old they were. Perhaps this kind of thing is less likely to be seen in Asian countries, especially in Taiwan.
If you start something in Taiwan by studying it you generally are going to be doing this job for the rest of your life, but here we can do what we like if we have the skill or ability.
Yes I find this is the same in England like for me I have changed my career many times.
Yeah I think western countries are good for this.
Is there anything you dislike about Australia or feel needs to change or improve?
I guess in Melbourne we could have a better public transport system, as you know from living there it’s bus, train and tram. They are not 24hrs, they are infrequent and they are very busy. It’s very important to think about where you live in Melbourne as if you’re not near public transport and you don’t have a car you are really going to struggle in getting around.
Yes you’re right I lived in Footscray on the west side and luckily for me I living next to the train station but if I didn’t I’d struggle to get to the city easily, not only that but If I want to get from my old house to yours on the south east side it would take so long!
Yes you’re right!
Is there one standout place in Australia that you really enjoyed visiting?
I haven’t actually been to too many places but I would say Sydney was really good, there is just so much to do there and it is so modern!
Moving forward what are your plans for the future, is there any career you’re aiming for or something you’d like to achieve?
Yeah I’ve been thinking for a long time about finishing my studies in Business which should take me to next year and then after that potentially starting my own business as well as continuing to travel when I can!
Well thank you for taking the time to speak to me and sharing your experiences with us I really appreciate it
Interviews With You! By Lewis Jane 
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