CTCI Is My Second Home

— Wang Hwa-Chun, Equipment Engineer, Mechanical & Equipment Engineering Dept., CTCI Corporation, Group Engineering Business

Can you briefly tell us about yourself?

My name is Wang Hwa-Chun. I have worked in CTCI for 4 years as an equipment engineer. I am passionate about my work at CTCI. I have good relations with my colleagues in CTCI and glad to make some good friends here.

What made you join CTCI?

CTCI is a world-renowned engineering company. Working at CTCI can surely hone a variety of skills of someone, especially to the language skill and the communication skill with different manufacturers/owners round the globe. Also, the opportunity to go on business trips abroad is hard to come by. 

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

I was mobilized to RAPID Package 1 project site at Malaysia on Feb. 2017. I found that the culture of Taiwan is much different than that of Malaysia. For example, the people of Malaysia do not take pork, wine, etc. due to their religion. Therefore, sometimes we also couldn’t enjoy such foods because it was difficult to find them. Furthermore, the pace of life of the local people of Malaysia is slower and more relaxing than ours. Therefore, at times I felt that many things could be processed quicker, say in restaurants, administrations, etc.

The things which I enjoyed the most in Malaysia was the food. The food was more spicy and hotter than the Taiwanese dishes. Finally, for religious Malaysians, Ramadan, which begins around June, is the Muslim month for fasting. During Ramadan, they eat only after sunset. So, we tried to avoid eating in front of them, and we did not ask them to work under the sun. After this period, there is a holiday, just like we have for Chinese New Year.

To me, the Malaysian culture was very different and interesting.

How do you get rid of work stress?

Being away from home definitely causes some stress. In addition, the project site was remote, far from any city. Our spare time was only during the weekends to relax in the city, which is why day-to-day self-adjustment was important. For example, I like to play basketball, so sometimes playing with my peers at the construction site was a way to relax. When there was no basketball game, I stayed home and did some sedentary activities, such as watching movies, anime and manga, or listening to music. The most important thing is to psychologically accept and adapt to the current environment. I believe making close friends with the people at the construction site is essential. This is because when you feel down, chatting with a friend can have very positive effects.

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

In my memory, the most interesting experience I had was when I was working for CTCI in Malaysia. Back in school, I never thought that I would work in a foreign land as an engineer at a construction site. Regardless of how much professional knowledge I obtained, I am sure that my mind and personality have grown a lot from this job experience. At the site, I was able to see or learn so many things that I never saw or knew before.

I really appreciate the chance to work overseas for this project.