Hello Yen, welcome back to the Netherlands and nice to finally meet you in Delft. Could you introduce your academic background to our readers?

Certainly. Having grown up in Taiwan, I engaged a lot in the Taiwanese politics. Lots of young people wanted to unify and speak up to the regional differences and stand up for our Taiwanese identity. Being a spokesman for one party in Taiwan, got me into the flow of engaging in politics.

Is this where your background in sociology and philosophy came into play?

Most definitely. I love the field of social sciences and philosophy. Both fields require two different ways of thinking, which came beautifully together in daily life. However, the strong and up-close engagement with the Taiwanese politics made me also crave exploring other regions of the world. Many of my peers and friends decided to study in the United States. However, I never felt that kind of ‘Renaissance’ to the United States, which led me to Europe: a continent with lots of diversity within it. I am very fascinated by it.

At this moment, you reside in Paris, France. Please feel free to elaborate on your journey upon embarking the French language.

Yes. So for me, I touched on some bits and pieces of the French languages the year before I decided to move to Europe. Sadly, at that time it was difficult to combine learning French with my academics and the political activities I was invested in. I told myself that I need to hook myself into the whole French environment, so therefore I am dedicating this entire year to learning the French language in Paris. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 situation unfolded, which meant that I had to deal with many cutdowns. The language school turned into an online system and many classes shut down.

Do you feel that the French language resonates with you more due to your academic background?

Well, if you trace back to the intellectual history of sociology and philosophy, it occurred to me that many ways led to the origins within France. Not all, but many theorists, sociologists and philosophers came from France.

Could you tell the readers something about the language programme or the inventive ways of learning French nowadays?

In France I feel like you don’t have to learn everything from the language schools. Many of the daily life situations cannot be learned in a classroom setting and therefore require your own explorative skills. On streets, people talk in a different kind of way, flow and they hold a different attitude towards you. Something that cannot be practiced in class. Also, higher theoretical concepts within the French literature, sociology or philosophy cannot be translated into small talk on the streets. 

What I also sensed during my language classes is that some international students learning French, actually don’t really want to converse in French. In the classroom they do, but during breaks or after class they switch to English. I think that is quite a shame. Especially when teachers are very passionate and willing to help you. This encouraging environment is also one of the essential foundations to make progress. Making mistakes shouldn’t be something to be afraid of.  

Outside of school I visit many kiosks. Those little stalls have a large quantity and range of magazines. I am very interested in exploring the world of magazines.

So, what kind of magazines do you normally read?

I read a lot! My favorite is called “Philosophie”, which -as the name already suggests- is a magazine filled with philosophy-related topics. There is a small selection of topics, but they are always relevant to the actualities in the world. It tries to describe what is happening in (French) society and how to reflect on that. For instance during the confinement (quarantine) there were so many things to reflect upon, like modernity, globalization and the virus itself. Asking questions like: what is the meaning of staying at home? 

Including the analysis on the history of thinking and giving you practical tips to deal with these kinds of trending situations is what is also being discussed in “Philosophie”. Moreover, the magazine itself is not too hard to read. It is not like an academic paper. Also, the counterbalance of interviews is amazing to witness in their issues. I love to read interviews, because as a writer you need to find a proper way to articulate. And during an interview you don’t necessarily have to. The interviewer can ask what they want and the interviewee can answer whatever they want to. 

The second magazine is called “Sciences Humaines” and it is quite close to any form of social science: sociology, anthropology, psychology, economics, politics and so on. They bundle these topics and still manage to take one single topic as its starting point. For instance this month they talk about “la force de vivre” (the living force). This magazine structures the topic around questions like: how do we live? 

Personally, I think that this question is being reflected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Lots of people are affected by the virus, directly or indirectly. People are losing their jobs and are financially struggling. You could ask yourself: what are these kinds of living forces that we are driven by? What is happiness? Where does happiness come from? Why do we feel sad?

And thirdly, “Alternatives Économiques”.

What does that mean? 

It is mostly on how we live within the capitalistic world. Every capital city is generalizing its image. They are going into one dimension. Very flat. The force of capitalism makes us question concepts like: climate change, balancing economic growth, dealing with debt and so on. Every issue has a lot of infographics, which makes it very visual for me.

Thank you for highlighting three French magazines. Let’s hope they inspire our French enthusiasts to discover more magazines as well.

I hope so! I love reading magazines during break times. When I am reading a very thick, boring book, then this is my way of taking a break from the heavy literature. I am not that kind of guy that is into social media. In that sense I am quite detached. It is also quite an interesting contradiction, because I am very interested in technology. In that regard I am fascinated by the relation of technology and human beings.

Before wrapping up, I am interested in getting to know your future goals regarding the French language. What do you want to accomplish?

I have a lot of difficulties to conquer. Mainly, I want to get to the next layer of the French language. Go past the small talk and be engaged in deep talks, discussions and debates. Secondly, I want to be able to write a very good academic article or paper, because it also means tidying up your thoughts on paper. Allowing to let your mind speak by writing it on paper. And finally, I also need a proficient level of French to enroll into the Masters programme in France. 

My biggest dream is to publish a novel in French. I want to write lots of stories based on Taiwan. About the human right movements. Because for me: I don’t compare. I am not the person that would say that country X is better than country Y or vice versa. For me it is all about seeing the differences and not to judge. 

What do you miss the most after you have come to Europe for a while?

Probably the sunset and sea sounds. The sunset in Europe is so different from the sunset in Taiwan. In Taiwan it is really about the sun, because it sets very quickly. Every surrounding sound is something you can detect. The sound of the scooters, people commuting back home. It really opens your senses. 

In Europe the sunset is slower. This makes it not as fast-paced and rushed as in Taiwan. You are allowed to feel calm and collected while the transition from day to night takes place. The biggest difference is that I cannot see the ocean in Paris. In Taiwan, the school was quite close to the ocean, so for me the waves within that ocean are a very important memory. I want to try to use a different language to describe this feeling.