On a Sunday in October 2018, Indonesian migrant workers sit with their friends in the main courtyard floor of Taipei Main Station, the principal railway hub of Taiwan’s capital.
Many bring bottled drinks and food in styrofoam boxes to enjoy with their friends. At one corner of the station, there’s a group chatting and celebrating a birthday with a traditional Javanese cone of rice called tumpeng, accessorised with lit candles. There’s another group eating their food, complete with onion crackers, with their hands. Some pull out selfie sticks and snap photos.
This is a fairly common scene on Sundays at Taipei Main Station. Its central location in the city makes it a popular meeting point. As the station also serves a variety of train routes throughout Taiwan, it’s easier for migrant workers from outside Taipei to join their friends on a day off.
Members only
Log in or
Join New Naratif as a member to continue reading
We are independent, ad-free and pro-democracy. Our operations are member-funded. Membership starts from just US$5/month! Alternatively, write to sponsorship@newnaratif.com to request a free sponsored membership. As a member, you are supporting fair payment of freelancers, and a movement for democracy and transnational community building in Southeast Asia.
