Formosa Dream Chasers

What happens when a simple question “What brings you joy?” is not so simple to answer? In Part One, Mary Anne and Patty compared their striving styles assessment results, discovering where their perspectives overlap, where they differ, and what those results may reveal about the things that motivate them. Now, their conversation moves from understanding who they are to considering what makes life...

What do a "personality" test, a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, and a simple act of sharing food reveal about what brings us joy? In this session of Real Talk: Unmapped, Mary Anne Sioco and guest host Patty Pi compare their striving-styles test results...and discover that the way others see us may be very different from how we see ourselves. As they unpack a few surprising similarities and contradic...

Taking a step toward something meaningful is one thing. Understanding what that experience is trying to teach us is another. In the previous episode of Real Talk: Unmapped, Mary Anne explored how curiosity can become commitment through small, manageable experiments. This time, she turns to what happens afterward: how do we evaluate an experience without judging ourselves too quickly? And how can w...

What happens after you have followed the clues, questioned familiar ideas, and begun to see purpose differently? In the final part of this Real Talk: Unmapped conversation, Mary Anne turns from reflection to action. The focus shifts to "Commit"—the last stage of the "Feel, Discuss, Commit" framework—and what it means to move forward when you still do not have every answer. This is not about making...

Have you ever felt like finding your purpose can feel a little like searching for hidden treasure? In Part One of Real Talks: Unmapped, Formosa Dream Chasers host Mary Anne Sioco and guest host Patty Pi began exploring a question that can in itself inspire hope, anxiety, or sometimes both. The question being “What is my purpose?” They discussed the pressure to have life figured out, the temptation...

Life rarely comes with a clear map. We may have an idea where we are expected to go, but not whether that destination is truly ours—or what to do when the familiar route no longer feels right. That uncertainty is at the heart of Real Talk: Unmapped, a new Formosa Dream Chasers series in which familiar quotes, popular advice, and some of life’s biggest questions are tested against the messiness of...

How do you remain compassionate toward someone in distress while making sure their fear, anger, or uncertainty does not influence you or the words you interpret? In earlier episodes, English–Chinese court interpreter Angel Kao took us through the unexpected journey that led her into Taiwan’s courts and revealed why the work demands far more than fluency. From unfamiliar legal terms and intense con...

Court interpreting may look like a simple exchange of words, but what happens when there is no direct translation, no advance access to the conversation, and no room for misunderstanding? Today, host Mary Anne Sioco continues her conversation with English–Chinese court interpreter Angel Kao. This time, they look beyond language ability to explore the concentration, preparation, and quick thinking...

Have you ever imagined working in a profession where every word you say for someone else could shape what happens next? For Angel Kao, becoming an English–Chinese court interpreter in Taiwan was never part of a carefully laid-out career plan. An unexpected experience overseas gave her a personal glimpse into how intimidating and defenseless a legal system can make you feel when navigating it in an...

What turns a group of musicians into a real band? Is it skill, chemistry, a shared vision…or is it something less obvious? In previous episodes, we got the chance to talk to RTI host and musician Fil Leskovsky who shared how his journey from Slovakia to Taiwan began and what led him from playing music alone to searching for the right people with whom to create. If you missed our earlier conversati...

As host Mary Anne Sioco continues her conversation with RTI host and aspiring musician Fil Leskovsky about the complicated, and sometimes surprisingly funny, reality of building a band in Taipei we find out more about how a band may handle issues such as clashing musical tastes, busy schedules and several different ideas of what their music should become. The conversation begins with a practical m...

What does it take to start a band in Taiwan when you’re still finding your confidence as a musician—and searching for people who share your sound? Formosa Dream Chasers host Mary Anne Sioco sits down with Slovakia-born RTI host Fil Leskovsky to chat about the journey that has kept bringing him back to Taiwan for nearly nine years and his love for music. As Fil shares why playing music makes him ha...

The idea of 'buying' a new beginning is easy. We can purchase the running shoes, the beautiful planner, or the perfect outfit in minutes. But what happens after we bring them home? Why does becoming the person we pictured take so much longer? In the final chapter of this three-part series, host Mary Anne Sioco moves beyond what our belongings represent and asks what they reveal about the way we pu...

What do a pile of unread books, a perfectly blank sketchbook, and a suitcase waiting for a trip have in common? They may seem like unrelated belongings, but each could be a reminder of something we once wanted to learn, create, or experience. Last week, host Mary Anne Sioco explored how forgotten exercise equipment and unused kitchen appliances can reveal the healthier, more connected lives we onc...

What if some of the things gathering dust around your home aren’t really clutter? What if they’re clues—quiet reminders of plans you once made, interests you meant to pursue, or possibilities you once saw in yourself? The idea for this episode began when host Mary Anne Sioco attempted a simple clean-up around the house. But as forgotten objects began emerging from cupboards, drawers, and storage b...

We often think of good health as something we only appreciate once it's gone. We schedule annual checkups, glance at the numbers on our lab reports, and hope everything falls within the "normal" range. But should we be aiming for something more? In the final part of our conversation with Dr. Henry Wu, we shift from understanding health to taking ownership of it. After exploring the principles of F...

In last week’s conversation with Dr. Henry Wu, we challenged the idea that treating symptoms is the same as restoring health. We explored how Functional Medicine looks beyond a diagnosis to uncover the root causes of illness, and why factors like lifestyle, chronic inflammation, and gut health play a much bigger role in our long-term well-being than many of us realize. But what if there's another...

Most of us have accepted that fatigue, brain fog, digestive issues, and chronic aches are simply the price we pay for getting older or living busy, stressful lives. But what if they're not? What if these seemingly unrelated symptoms are actually our body's way of telling us that something deeper is out of balance? What if the reason we aren’t feeling our best is because we're treating sympto...

Some of the most powerful advice you'll ever hear can change your life. Some of it... probably deserves a second opinion. In part 2 of this special Formosa Dream Chasers series, we continue putting some of the world's most common success advice to the test. Because while motivational quotes often sound inspiring, real life is rarely as simple as a one-line slogan.  Join us as we separate time...

These days, success advice seems to be everywhere, from well-meaning friends and family to social media feeds, coffee mugs, and motivational posters. From "Follow your passion." "Never give up." to "Believe in yourself.", it wouldn’t be a stretch to say we’ve probably heard of them all before. But have you ever stopped to ask whether all these advice are actually good? In this special...

Most people don't leave home because they want to start over again…yet that's exactly what happens behind every migration story. A new language. A new culture. A new career path. New rules, new routines, and sometimes a completely different version of ourselves. We leave in search of opportunity, but what happens when the life we planned doesn't unfold the way we expected? In this episode o...

After more than three decades serving Filipino workers around the world, what moments stay with a person the most? In the final chapter of our conversation with Philippine Labor Director David Des T. Dicang, we move beyond policies and programs and into some of his personal experiences that shaped his commitment to public service. From an extraordinary community project born in the midst of t...

What makes Taiwan one of the most popular destinations for Filipino migrant workers? And what can other countries learn from its approach to migrant welfare? In Part 2 of our conversation with Philippine Labor Director David Des T. Dicang, we move beyond his personal journey and take a closer look at the realities of life and work for nearly 200,000 Filipinos living in Taiwan. Drawing from more th...

From the cool mountain city of Baguio to diplomatic missions across Korea, the Middle East, and Taiwan, Philippine Labor Director David Des T. Dicang has spent more than three decades standing at the frontlines of migrant worker welfare. But beyond the title and government post is a man whose journey has been shaped by public service and a passion for helping people. In this episode of Formosa Dre...

Over the last two episodes, we looked at the emotional realities of pursuing dreams — from the uncertainty and comparison that come with feeling “stuck in the middle” of the journey, to the hidden costs of ambition, burnout, and overwork. But in this third part of the conversation, the focus shifts toward something quieter and perhaps something even more difficult to confront: wh...