Interview with Taiwan Expat, Carrie Kellenberger

Carrie Kellenberger (formerly Carrie Marsall) has been living in Taiwan for four years, after living in China for three years. She is currently a writer and editor for a Taiwanese publishing company and also does travel writing for other magazines. Carrie has taught English, been on TV programs, done radio work and sung in a rock band. She shares some of her experiences as a long term expat in this interview.
0:31 Who is Carrie? What are you about?
I am a Canadian expat living in Taiwan. I moved to Asia almost 7 years ago.
1:30 What did you do in China?
I started teaching in Northern China and ended up dabbling in many different venues: the movie industry, commericials, radio work and singing full time.
2:16 Are there a lot of opportunities for foreigners to do work other than teaching English?
Definitely! In China there are so many more opportunities.
2:54 What made you choose Northern China rather than the more popular cities like Shanghai and Beijing?
I just didn’t want to go to a place that was westernized. I wanted to immerse myself in the culture. I was looking for a challenge.
5:56 What made you want to leave China for Taiwan?
I met my husband there, he wanted to go somewhere where he could further his education. Also, money was a factor; we make significantly more in Taiwan.
6:34 What is your occupation in Taiwan?
We were both teaching our first two years, then I started working at a magazine company. I am a writer and editor for 6 magazines.
8:36 Tell us about your blog, MySeveralWorlds.com.
It has blossomed into a travel site with culture and lifestyle tidbits.
9:09 Are you making money off of your site?
Yes, I do make a little money off of both of my websites. I have a photography website as well, called TaiwanPhotographers. I also do travel writing for a couple of other magazines.
9:39 Is travel writing a good occupation for people to get into if you are moving abroad?
It’s a hard question to answer because there are so many people doing the same thing right now. I think the market is a bit over-saturated at this point now, so I don’t know if it would be a steady source of income.
11:13 As an English teacher in Taiwan, can you save a decent amount of money?
My husband and I put away at least US$800 per month each.
11:31 Will you be in Taiwan for a while?
We have no plans to go home yet. Our lifestyle over here is really easy. It’s really comfortable. We both have a lot of time to do the things we want to do. We both realize that we are very lucky to be where we are now.
12:08 Can you give some advice for people considering an expat lifestyle?
Do it! If this is your dream, then you should do everything you can to make it happen. It’s not as hard as you think. It’s really a great experience. I guarantee you won’t regret it.
Travel writer and photographer Carrie Kellenbeger has been living in Asia since 2003. For more information please visit Carrie’s personal travel site My Several Worlds, which features information and photography on Asian destinations, lifestyles, and cultures. Connect with Carrie on Facebook, on Twitter @globetrotteri, and on Google+.