2009 年 8 月末，在一個潮濕悶熱的夏日，我抵達了台灣。那時的我，完全沒有想到這裡將是我接下來 10 年寄以為家的地方。除了在上海生活的兩年，台灣可說是接納我最久的「第二家鄉」。近來我寫了一些關於我的工作（獵才）以及台灣就業市場的文章，並從中得到不少樂趣，因此我便想以清單的形式書寫一封致台灣的情書，一一列出我認為這國家很棒的地方。
既然是封情書，裡面所列出的項目可想而知十分個人且大多數非常主觀。我知道一定會有很多人不同意其中的一些觀點，但希望大家在閱讀時可以記住：這份清單的立意在於提出個人的生活觀察，以及台灣的優點，而非一篇按照新聞學範式所撰寫的平衡報導。
Arriving in the sweltering humidity of late August during the summer of 2009, I never expected to be taking my first steps on an island that would remain my home for the following decade. Apart from two years spent in Shanghai, Taiwan has been my adopted home ever since. Recently I’ve been enjoying writing articles about my job (headhunting) and the job market in Taiwan. I had the idea to write a love letter to Taiwan in the form of a list of things I think are wonderful about the country. Obviously, this list is personal to me and often subjective. I’m also sure that some people will disagree with a few of the points I make, but keep in mind this list is trying to be entirely positive.
編按：這份「清單」原名為「一百零一個台灣為全世界最適合居住的理由」，2021 年於作者個人 LinkedIn 發表後引發熱烈迴響。經過與 Alan 討論，我們重新整理這份清單，整合並更新部分資訊後，將之濃縮為一份共計 37 個選項的讀者調查（詳下圖）。我們在《換日線》 Instagram 限時動態以及會員專屬社團進行調查，票選出台灣讀者們「最好奇的 5 個理由」，並邀請 Alan 以「蘇格蘭人視角」，詳細地分享這些理由背後，他對台灣的認識和觀察。
性觀念自由 Sexually liberal
我認為只要基於合意，成人在閨房裡想做什麼都應該是個人自由。世上仍有許多國家針對性有著相當保守的政策，而在我看來，這些政策對大眾的影響完全是負面的。我認為對性抱持開放的心態對所有人都有所助益，而台灣在這個議題上，亦是較為先進的國家。
我的《換日線》編輯建議我針對這點加以說明，畢竟和許多西方國家相比，台灣人並不以性觀念特別開放聞名。老實說，我的確沒有把台灣和阿姆斯特丹或舊金山這些性開放程度特別高的城市比較，而是和光譜上更為保守、政教合一，且女性往往沒有性自主權的社會相比，通常這樣的社會伴隨著父親或丈夫對女性的控制，以及包辦婚姻的盛行（有時對象是親戚，且往往新娘還是青少女）。
之所以會做這樣的比較，並非因為我認為台灣社會與這些國家有任何相似之處；而僅僅是想強調：沒錯，台灣和性觀念光譜上最開放的城市／國家相比，可能不若這些地方開放，但台灣也絕對不保守，且許多價值觀十分現代──多數人享受選擇的權利，會透過交友軟體認識對象、選擇伴侶或與陌生人發生性關係等等，這些都是再正常不過的事。請別誤會我是在鼓勵任何人從事以上行為，我想強調的是：當社會上每個人都能享有在戀愛與性事上選擇的自由時，這就符合了進步社會的其中一個指標。
最後，我預見文章刊登後，可能會被某些讀者指控「因為我是外國人，所以我的觀點一定是根據和很多台灣女性發生性關係的經驗」（是的，我經常聽到諸如此類針對外國人的言詞）──雖然不關任何人的事，但我唯一發生親密關係的台灣女性是我的太太──所以請大家盡量放下成見，避免用「對西方外國人的刻板印象」解讀一切。
I think that adults should be allowed to do whatever they want in the bedroom as long as consent is involved. There are still many countries in the world where sexual politics is massively conservative and the effects this has on the population are in my view wholly negative. I think liberal attitudes towards sex are a good thing for everyone involved and I’m happy to say Taiwan is one of the more progressive countries when it comes to this issue.
My lovely editor at Crossing magazine asked me to elaborate on this point a bit, emphasizing that compared to a lot of Western countries, Taiwanese people don’t seem open-minded about sex at all! Admittedly, I am comparing Taiwan to the world’s very worst examples as opposed to sexual meccas like Amsterdam and San Francisco. In the most religious/conservative societies in the world, women have no autonomy when it comes to sex. Usually, this comes in the form of father and then husband control, arranged marriages (sometimes to cousins, sometimes when the bride is a young teen).
Yes, perhaps the Taiwanese are not as sexually liberal as in some other places, although Taiwan is far from sexually conservative. Most people enjoy the freedom of choice that comes with modernism. People choose partners, meet people on dating APPs, have sex with strangers they met the first time, etc. These are all very normal occurrences here.
I hate to do this, but unfortunately, I feel the need to protect myself from allegations that I foresee coming with the publication of this article. I have no doubt some people will think my opinion is based on my position as a foreigner who has slept with many Taiwanese women. Not that this is anyone’s business, but I have only had sex with one Taiwanese woman (my wife), so please keep your negative stereotypes to yourself.
斜槓機會多 Multiple opportunities for "Slashes"
「斜槓」（Slash）指的是除了正職外，還會兼職接案獲取額外收入的現象。有別於一般的兼差打工，斜槓工作通常與個人的興趣和專業有關。就我個人觀察，外國人在台灣有多種賺取業外收入的機會，其中一個很常見的機會是當模特兒或者演出電視廣告。我演了不少廣告，而這支應該是最有潛力得奧斯卡的吧（笑），你可以在 3:22 可以找到我：
你可以從事藝術創作、攝影、演奏現場音樂來賺點外快。我也認識朋友兼差撰寫內容行銷的文章，或者錄製英文配音（我的朋友 Ryan 就是你在台北捷運上聽到英文廣播的聲音）。
身為 Aurora 極光樂團（歡迎到 Spotify 收聽我們的音樂）的一員，我有幸在五花八門的超棒場地與形形色色的音樂人一同演出了數百個場次。住在台灣一個很大的優點便是本地的音樂圈──台灣擁有超多很酷的本地地下樂團及非常出色的外國人樂團。我最愛的本地樂團包括 vuLner、康士坦的變化球、滅火器、草莓救星以及貪婪黑洞。我最喜歡的外國人樂團有 .22 點二二、Collider、Soul Almighty、 Moss 以及 Shapemaster。
「斜槓」的概念十分盛行於西方，包括我所來自的英國。在一個領域從事全職工作之外，也在比如藝術、家教、體育或撲克牌遊戲等其他領域從事其他工作以補貼薪水的情況十分普遍。我觀察這點在台灣的年輕世代中也越來越常見，我就認識不少台灣人透過 YouTube、電商或藝術獲得額外收入。
The “Slash” is to do with having other paid projects alongside your full-time job. In Taiwan as a foreigner, there are definitely several options for this type of thing. A common one is modeling or acting in TV commercials, I’ve done quite a few with the Youtube video above definitely my most Oscar-worthy (I come in about 3:22). You can also do art, photography or live music for a bit of extra money. I also know people who have written articles on the side as part-time content marketers or done voice-over work for example (my friend Ryan is the English voice you hear on the MRT in Taipei).
I play in a band called Aurora Jiguang (find us on Spotify) and have been lucky enough to play hundreds of shows in a variety of cool places and with a variety of excellent musicians. There are a ton of cool Taiwanese indie bands as well as some excellent foreign bands to go listen to. I’d say in terms of favorite venues for live music I’d mention James Joyce, Revolver, Pipe, Bobwundaye’s, Rocks, Sound Live House, and the now-closed 89k. My favorite local bands would be Vulner, Constant and Change, Fire Extinguisher, We Save Strawberries, and Greedy Black Hole. Favorite foreign bands would be .22, Collider, Soul Almighty, Moss, and Shapemaster.
The concept of the “Slash” is very popular in the West and in the UK where I come from. It is very normal to have a full-time career in one area but to also supplement that income with projects in other areas such as the arts, tutoring, sports, or hobby competitions like gaming or poker. I think especially with the younger generation in Taiwan, this is becoming more and more common. I personally know quite a few young Taiwanese adults who make a bit of extra money from YouTube, having their own e-commerce business or the arts.
較無極端激進的政治主義 Lack of radical politics
我在聖安德魯斯大學讀碩士時研究主題就是政治及歷史。我研究了一輩子的政治哲學、戰爭、政府管理以及歷史的結論就是，激進的政治以及意識形態通常會造成流血衝突。各種極左或極右的政治體制的先例為人類帶來的是諸多悲劇、苦難以及死亡。就連在美國，與川普同類的共和黨人和極左的社會主義戰士們可說是都充滿了仇恨，而我認為兩邊陣營的政治主張都存在著許多重大缺陷。台灣在政治上看起來算是相對中庸，我認為這是件好事。台灣擁有很好的社會福利制度及國民健康保險（儘管健保制度的設計至今存在極大爭議，但台灣的醫療品質本身仍然值得肯定），同時也很少聽到大力倡議推動高度社會主義化或者軍國主義化的聲音。
當然，有些人可能會提到台灣政治的藍綠／統獨議題，不過在我看來，儘管兩方陣營在特定議題上持有不同的政治立場，但「激進」、「極端」的聲音並非主流。
I have a master’s degree in politics and history from the University of St. Andrews. I would say my main takeaway from a lifetime of studying political philosophy, wars, governance and history would be that radical politics and ideology usually result in bloodshed. Examples of extreme left-wing and extreme right-wing political systems are rife with human tragedy, suffering, and death. Even in America, the current split between Trump-style Republicans and far-left social justice warriors is incredibly toxic and I think both camps have major faults in their political philosophies. Taiwan seems fairly down the middle in terms of politics, which I think is a good thing. There is a strong welfare system and nationalized healthcare without many loud voices in favor of mass socialization or nationalist militarism.
新創 Startups
台灣的新創圈子相對較小，但仍有著相當潛力。特別是在科技領域，可看到一些有趣的公司採取獨特的做法嘗試打出自己的一片天。我還發現近來新創公司的交流活動和社群大幅增加。
另一方面，政府也積極投資創業育成中心。台灣政府很希望幫助台灣的創業家，除了顯而易見的創投路線外，也投資了一些其他有意思的管道。最出名的如科技部產學研鏈結中心（TSI），可資助學術界教授的研究並協助將研究成果商業化。TSI 主要著重於科技和醫療裝置領域，但我認為這類計畫相當有趣。台灣新創競技場（TSS）和台灣科技新創基地（TTA）也是政府輔導的計畫，旨在幫助台灣公司擴展國際市場。這些類型的加速器的優點是，可享受政府資金，卻不用被官僚主義綁手綁腳。另外非政府育成中心則有美國矽谷創投 SOSV 旗下的莫克斯行動加速（MOX），是台灣第一間以行動裝置為主的全球創業加速器。
最後，台灣擁有高度潛力的科技公司。台灣在下列先進的領域如人工智慧（AI）、自動化媒體（programmatic media）、原生廣告（native ads）和大數據（big data） 擁有一些具高度潛力的新創公司。我覺得最亮眼的三間公司是 Appier（已於 2021 年 3 月 30 日在日本東京掛牌上市，是台灣的第一隻軟體獨角獸）、Vpon 和 iKala，它們都獲得了相當規模的投資和優秀的員工。它們的創始人都十分令人印象深刻，如果你對下一個台灣獨角獸感興趣，我建議你密切關注這些公司！
The start-up scene in Taiwan is relatively small but still has some potential. Especially within the technology sector, there are some interesting companies trying to make their mark and achieve success. I’ve also noticed a large increase in start-up networking events and societies.
In addition, the Taiwanese government has an invested interest in helping Taiwanese entrepreneurs develop and has funded some interesting alternatives to the obvious venture capital avenues. Most notably TSI has the remit to fund academic professors’ journey of taking their University research and making it into a commercial product. They mostly operate within the technology and medical device industries, but I think these kinds of projects are highly interesting. Start-up Stadium and Taipei Tech Arena are other semi-government-funded projects that aim to help Taiwanese companies expand their market internationally. The advantage of these types of incubators is that you have the advantage of government money without the disadvantage of government bureaucracy. There has also been private owned incubators such as MOX, the first mobile-only global accelerator in Taiwan, operated by SOSV.
Taiwan also has some very high-potential new companies making their way in modern industries such as AI, programmatic media, Native ads, and big data. The three that stick out for me are Appier (Appier completes IPO and listing on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in Japan on March 30, 2021), Vpon, and iKala, all of which have decent amounts of funding and some excellent employees. The founders of these companies are all very impressive people and I’d recommend keeping an eye on all three if you have an interest in the next Taiwanese unicorn!
由於民風較友善且較正大光明，做生意較容易
Business is easier because people are friendly, and lack sneakiness
我的職業人力招聘是一個非常以人為本的行業，過程中必須與台灣的候選人和客戶不斷互動。我的專長是為台灣高階人才安排行銷及業務領域的職缺。我必須說，由於台灣人普遍友善，讓我的工作做起來容易許多。我在上海、香港和新加坡等地都有客戶合作夥伴，根據個人經驗，這些城市的人資「狼性」較強，對獵才顧問也較沒耐性。
台灣人比較正大光明，你很少感覺到有人試圖欺騙你或利用你，而這點也讓做生意簡單得多。我想分享一個小故事，或許大家聽了之後會更清楚我想表達什麼：剛到台灣時，我在夜市看到一支想要的手錶，我問老闆賣多少錢，他說 350 元。在我決定要買之後，他跟我說：「算你 250 就好！」。對於已經習慣在歐洲或北非市場討價還價的人來說，這個故事應該像天方夜譚吧。我的重點是，在台灣，至少就我自己的經驗，你很少遇到有人想騙你付更多錢，不管在商業圈和日常生活中皆是如此。
My job in recruitment is a very people-focused occupation that involves constant interaction with candidates and clients in Taiwan. I specialize in placing senior-level Taiwanese into marketing and sales roles. I must say that this job is made a whole lot easier by the general friendliness of people here. I have client partners in places like Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Singapore, and from personal experience, the HR in those cities are far more aggressive and impatient with headhunters. There is also a lack of sneakiness in people. You rarely get the suspicious feeling that someone is trying to con you or take advantage of you. Again, this makes doing business a lot easier. Let me share a short story that I feel explains this point a bit. When I first arrived in Taiwan, I saw a watch that I wanted to buy at the night market. I asked the seller, “how much?” to which he replied, “350 NT”. After I agreed to buy it, he responded with, “No! for you 250 NT.” For anyone used to haggling in the markets of Europe or North Africa, this story should leave your jaw suitably on the floor. The point I’m making is that in Taiwan, you rarely feel like someone is trying to trick you into paying more money, this is true in both business and everyday life.
執行、核稿編輯：林欣蘋
