An Expedition To Taiwan

Could you briefly tell us about yourself?

My name is Nitin Sood. I belong to a city located in northern part of India.
I like to play badminton and snooker in my leisure time. I completed my graduation in Electrical Engineering. It’s been almost 4 years since I started my Career as an engineer in the Indian subsidiary of CTCI. Presently, I am working as an electrical engineer in one of the leading projects “LIWA Plastic Industrial Complex Steam Cracker and U&O Package, Oman” which is to be engineered, procured and constructed by CTCI, Taipei.

What made you join CTCI?

Every student while pursuing his/her studies for graduation in a particular field has a dream to commence his/her career in an organization whose core business relates to the student's studied field. I was no different from any of them. Being a student from Electrical Engineering field, when I learnt that a big multinational company like CTCI is going to recruit students from my university I started preparing hard to seize that opportunity and here I am a part of CTCI now.

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

I joined Taipei’s electrical team last year. Blending an Indian flavour to Taiwan’s flavour was not tough for me and my team. The project team is very benevolent, supportive and welcoming in nature. My co-workers are well cultured and witty, so anything that I need to know about the culture or any whereabouts of Taiwan, they have that information. I have attended many birthday parties, team building parties and a year-end party with my co-workers; the parties were quite delightful and interesting. Being an overseas employee, I always get an advantage of selecting the food items in the menu, especially in team building parties.

How do you get rid of work stress?

The Electronic Message chair on the 2nd floor of CTCI HQ is certainly a stress buster. CTCI provides a good range of leisure activities in their office and nearby surrounding. Badminton, table tennis, yoga and CTCI library are available for CTCI colleagues at their off-hours and these activities really help to reduce stress. Riverside cycling and jogging tracks are in the vicinity of my office building and apartment so anytime if I feel like catching the pleasant breezes, I just rush to these places. Most of my weekends are reserved for hiking and an insight of Taiwan. I started to work on my basics of Mandarin by taking the weekend classes; well now “Ning Ting Su” is my Chinese name.

Could you give us some examples about Taiwanese culture and people that you are impressed with?

I consider Taiwan a little box full of surprises, in other words, a small world that amazes everyone and undoubtedly its impressive mountains, beaches, lakes, rivers and museums are worth admiring. The nightlife in Taiwan is worth lauding; my favorites are night markets and Karaoke Nights with friends. Taiwan is very safe and secured, one can go anywhere without the fear of being mugged or harassed. Equally commendable is the cleanliness of roads and the public transport.

Talking about the people, Taiwanese people are very polite, respectful and kind. I remember a day when I got lost in a local market and tried to find a way back to Metro station. Then a lady in her early 50’s (maybe I am wrong about the age because it’s difficult to guess the age of a  Taiwanese by his/her face) despite not knowing English much, took me on foot for around a mile or 2 and left me at a MRT station. Life could have been effortless for a foreigner if the price tags, food menu and bus stops were displayed in English also; nevertheless, it’s manageable having such warm-hearted Taiwanese people. Taiwanese people are humble and patient, they do not find it onerous to make up a queue (queue for anything and anywhere) and they wait for their turn to come.
 
Taiwanese people have an exceptional love for dogs. While in Taipei, I have seen some of the most fascinating dogs in my life. Dogs in cradle, dogs in bags, dogs with peculiar hair styles, a dog that looked like a tiger, a dog wearing a sweater and the one wearing the red shoes, I can simply say that the Taiwanese have a great capacity to love and care for the things that belong to them.

The people here are a little shy in using the English language. I can remember an incident that happened to me and my friend at a Camera Shop in Taipei. Just as we entered the shop, looking at our Indian faces the lady at the billing counter was baffled and started looking around anxiously for her co-worker who speaks English. Finally, when not able to find her co-worker she shrugged and asked nervously with the fumbling words “What you want?”. 

I have been in Taiwan for almost 10 months and now I am a familiar face in the Seven Eleven Store near my office. So, every day in the morning when I enter the store, the guy at coffee machine starts preparing coffee and the guy at billing counter with a smile says “Sir! NT$35”. Well, now I need not to tell them which one.