My Incredible Journey to a Little Chaotic Country Full of Optimistic People

— Yu-Hsuan Li, Engineer, Electrical Engineering Dept., CTCI Corp., Group Engineering Business

Could you briefly tell us about yourself?

Hi, I’m Sheon from Electrical Engineering Department. I was assigned to JG Summit project in the Philippines a year ago. Since this is my first time working overseas, everything is fresh and challenging. A large amount of precious knowledge came from learning and self-practicing. This unforgettable experience not only broadens my horizons but also enriches my life.

What made you join CTCI?

I can still remember that when I completed my substitute military service five years ago, I was confronted with a career choice: either to work in a government institute for a stable and sustainable career, or to take on an extremely challenging career. I happened to learn from my friends about an EPC company that provides the most reliable engineering services in the world and is also known as a pioneer in the hydrocarbon processing industry and a role model in the power, environmental, transportation market—which is CTCI. Eventually, I chose CTCI to start my career and had a chance to devote myself to this company. 

Over the years, this captivating job remains challenging, enabling me to Iearn to deal with engineering and construction problems with the right strategies. Moreover, good communication skills and negotiation tactics are keys to accomplish tasks effectively. Through these international projects, I have gained the necessary skills to work with people from different religious backgrounds, races, and nationalities, including communication skills.

Could you give us some examples of the foreign culture and people that impress you during your stay (when being relocated)?

I still remember that when I set foot in the Philippines and walked into such a concrete jungle in Manila, I was startled by the hustle and bustle of this city. Being one of the densest cities in the world, traffic congestion seems to be part of the life for the locals and they are living with it. Limited infrastructure and an outpaced population growth might be the major culprits behind traffic jams. Traffic lights are rarely spotted on streets. Heavy vehicles, automobiles, motorcycles, or even pedestrians follow their own rules when it comes to traffic lights, and they are used to it, which really drives me crazy.

By the way, Filipinos are probably the most rice-loving people I have ever met. Rice is indispensable in every meal, and it goes with barbecue, fried chicken, spaghetti… you name it. Whichever restaurants you walk into, meals with rice are always on the menu. It really blows me away.

How do you get rid of work stress?

We face thorny and technical issues every day, which need to be solved promptly to avoid schedule delays. Under this circumstance, stress might have a negative impact on our behavior or work performance. Therefore, an occasional party such as having hotpot, barbecue with colleagues are stress relievers. At parties, we would show off our clumsy cooking skills and have great fun despite the food is raw, greasy, burnt, or unpalatable. As a proverbial phrase goes: “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” Sometimes all it takes is to just change your mindset, and everything will be fine, even when you are suffering. 

To be honest, homesickness accounts for our major stress. Everyone plays a vital role in his or her family. We are thankful for the understanding of our parents, siblings, girlfriends, and fiancées. But at the same time, we also have a sense of regret for what we have lost while working overseas. We cannot be present in the joyful moment of our kid’s graduation ceremony, and may experience grief of newlywed loneliness, or upon learning the elders became ill. Fortunately, I have this crowd of lovely colleagues, with whom I can enjoy life together and get over with hard times in the Philippines. For me, they are more like my family here.

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, all colleagues in the Philippines site cannot go back to Taiwan for vacation. Some of us have stayed here for over a year. We missed everything in Taiwan, especially the food, because the food here does not always fit our taste. For this reason, one of our colleagues mailed a huge batch of Taiwanese snacks at his own cost to the Philippines. We felt deeply grateful because this is a real cure for our homesickness.

Could you share some interesting experience you had when working in CTCI?

During our time overseas, my most unforgettable experience should be the eruption of Taal Volcano, which is about 20 kilometers away from the construction site. It occurred on January 12, 2020, 43 years after its previous eruption in 1977. Eruption lasted for about a week. That’s right!!! A volcano eruption which can only be seen on Discovery channel. I could not believe what I saw, but it really happened in front of me. The plume of vapor and smoke from the crater erupted into the sky with lightning, accompanied by peals of thunders, terrifying the locals. It is more like a scene of great nuclear apocalypse from a sci-fi movie. The governmental authority had swiftly advised habitants to evacuate from their homes and called off all flights. In addition, the construction site was affected by fallen volcanic ashes and debris. We have to wear prescribed masks to protect ourselves. Fortunately, eruption gradually ceased after a month of turmoil.

On the other hand, the most touching thing during my work is to hear workers’ clamor for cable pulling. This is the moment when I see CTCI’s team spirit “One team, one goal” fully expressed. In Tagalog (Filipino language), “HILA! HILA” means “to pull” in English. As the leader roared this word, all rows of workers have only one single goal—to pull the cable. Just like in a dragon boat race in Taiwan, where the boat leader would motivate the paddlers to vie for the flag in order to win the championship, all workers are also working with the same rhythm and synchronicity so that they can carry the heavy cables and finish the work on time. Standing among them, I feel the power of unity.

An Afterword

It has been quite a tough year for everyone in 2020, not to mention that as we work overseas, things can be so helpless and vulnerable as the epidemic situation in the Philippines turns worse. The number of coronavirus cases increased further after the government eased movement restrictions. This makes us even more susceptible to the disease in a more dangerous working environment. As more and more people get infected, the occupancy rate of hospital bed will inevitably ramp up in the foreseeable future. Despite confronted with the fear of COVID-19, each of us has only one target, which is to complete our work as soon as possible. This is the only thing we can do to return to Taiwan soon and reunite with our family. Taiwan is our home. We fight, we win, and we survive.