Hana - A restaurant owner, her story of overcoming depression.

Hana - A restaurant owner, her story of overcoming depression.

Can you introduce yourself first?

My name is Hana. I live in Hengchun, the southernmost seaside town in Taiwan, and run a small canteen called “Jiaho Eatery.” Jiaho Eatery offers home-cooked meals made with local Pingtung ingredients. Come visit us if you have the opportunity to travel to Hengchun. 

 

What is the most significant setback you have encountered in your life?


Before I opened Jiaho Eatery, I once engaged in a music-related performance project under “Good Listening Planet.” During this period, I also lived in Tokyo, Japan, for about a year and a half, where I experienced the music culture and life that initially inspired me.


I started the Good Listening Planet project because of my love and passion for music. We began to hold events, but that’s when things turned south with my partners. That was the first time I’ve experienced betrayal between business partners. When the frustration became a reality, my dream collapsed. On top of that, a couple of my best friends passed away, which brought me to despair. 


The occurrence of this series of events also made my depression worse. I decided to move back to my hometown of Pingtung. Hengchun Peninsula to start a new life after the last music festival I held went completely wrong. 

 

What troubles did you overcome when you first opened the "Jiaho Eatery" restaurant?

There were a lot of new immigrants who move to Hengchun from other cities when I first got there. 
I found that most of the new residents had very vague concepts about the local cuisine, so I came up with the idea of ​​designing homemade meals with local Pingtung ingredients.
I am very passionate about Taiwanese homemade dishes. Before we opened the restaurant, I tried to make lots of different dishes and searched all over for the right local ingredients. I realized that cooking for myself and cooking for others are completely different during the process. 
Learning how to manage a restaurant is also another lesson for me ever since I opened the Jiaho Eatery. I am still trying learning on how I can provide better service to all of my customers. 

How did you help yourself out at the lowest point of your life?

I read! I can’t even count how many books I’ve read during that time. I found that it helps me to look into myself and helps me face my problems with an open mind. 

When people are depressed, they tend to look at their ugliest side. I realized that if I can look at things from a different perspective, I can deal with them in a better way. 



How do you usually relieve stress?

I usually called myself a nerd who lives by the sea. Even though I stopped doing music events, music and food are still a good way for me to release stress. 

I have also started to challenge myself with some outdoor activities such as mountain climbing lately. I want to be closer to nature. 

I am also an ARMY. (Huge BTS fan haha) Watching  "Do you know BTS?" is another way to get rid of stress for me. 

 

You've purchased a Vintage Peekaboo from us before. How do you like it? 

As a girl with a bit of a curve, I like how Vintage peekaboo hugs my body. I highly recommend it to everyone! This swimsuit brings you comfort and confidence! 

Do you have something to say to someone who has had a similar experience?

I used to be so cynical and blame the world for not making my dreams come true. 

Choosing to blame others for your failures is always the easiest thing to do. For this reason, I used to suffer from very severe depression for years, trapped in my own emotions and unable to recover.

I often give an interesting example when I talk about my experience of overcoming my setback. Depression and happiness are like a coin that exists on the opposite side. When we are depressed, we usually can't see the other side. Happiness seems so far away from us. 

we often feel that we can't see where the happiness is. , feel it is far away from us. But as long as you're willing to change your perspective, it's like turning a coin over, and you'll see that happiness is there. But as long as you're ready to change your perspective, it's like flipping the coin over, and you'll see that happiness is just there.

"It is impossible for a person to get rid of pain and trauma all at once. It takes lots of practice to achieve that. Try not to dwell on the past; only focus on the present and your future. I think things will always end up in a better direction."

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