My Fifty Years in Taiwan: A Memoir of Sorts 半世紀在臺灣：一位香港移民的回憶錄

Preface
Nora Chiang/姜蘭虹
　
To write a memoir on my life in Taiwan for the last five decades, I need the good memories, pictures, letters, and documents which are available, despite migrating three times in my life: from Chungking to Hong Kong, then to the US, and finally Taiwan. Having written ten chapters, I feel that I have completed a project of self-writing, an endeavor that is only possible for a retired person to do, not having the pressure of submitting research proposals year after year in January, apart from full-time teaching and family tending.

The idea of writing a memoir came up one morning, and I thought to myself: Sooner or later, I shall write a memoir, so why not now? Discussing with several friends in the past few years, I received encouraging comments like the following:

“From what I hear, you have many interesting stories. Why don’t you write a book on yourself, and call it ‘A Hong Kong Girl in Taiwan.’ ” (Mrs. H, originally a banker from HK, now living in the UK; her son A spent one year in the Geography Department for his gap year)
　
“Nora, I am so glad that you are doing it, I can help you edit, so is Andrea, who helps her American colleagues with editing English. She can turn in edited works promptly too.” (my sister Amy, a former company librarian in Boston)

“I feel your enthusiasm in writing this article for your memoir. I would need to sit down to do the same, as I was very lucky to have spent most of the adult years with our father.” (my brother Gar, an attorney in Boston)
　
My sister Anne writes well in Chinese. She has published several Chinese articles in Merit Times (人間福報), which I have included in my book for the bilingual reader. Counting my three siblings in, I feel empowered and ready to proceed. I realize that I should undertake this “giant project” (in the words of my niece Andrea), while I am still in good health, able to remember where my notes are, and still in touch with my siblings through e-mail and Whatsapp. At the ages of 86, 78, 75 and 71, we are blessed to be alive and well, and we all thank our parents for their sacrifices being first-generation immigrants, their unconditional love towards their children and grandchildren.
　
“If you need anything further, please do not hesitate to reach out.” (Brian, Ph.D student in geography)
　
I thank him dearly for helping me with editing Chapters 1 and 10, and this preface. He is a treasure to the department for helping us with English editing, so I have heard.

Four professors said “YES” to me to write a preface, including Jen-Jia LIN, Associate Dean of College of Science, Joan Chang, Professor in the Department of English at NTNU, and C. F. LEE, Emeritus Professor and Former Vice-President, University of Hong Kong (HKU). LEE went over Chapter 2 at first and sent me a kind message: “If you write a memoir or biography, it would be quite meaningful.” I took his word, and continued with the other chapters with more zeal, making it ten altogether, as I believe that 10 is a good number, suggested by the Chinese phrase “be perfect in every respect” (十全十美).

“I support your idea of publishing your memoir with us. As you have done two books previously with us, I shall persuade my staff members to help you in the best way I can.” (NTU alumnus Howard Chen, who is several times an award winner of his independent bookstore Tonsan (唐山), and a publisher over the years.)
　
“……will be delighted to help with your memoir!”, an assurance came from John Lidstone who made very constructive editorial suggestions, after reading Chapter 4, the longest one. At that point, I knew that