Today I welcome a guest to the podcast whom I have had an interesting relationship with over the past six years or so, but still consider a close friend as we have been together for many crazy friendships, relationships, and high school drama. Introducing Chi Wei Chen who is currently studying accounting at community college and preparing to transfer to a four-year institution. In his free time, he enjoys gaming, working out, hanging out with his friends, and being my end-all-last resort help hotline for the embarrassing relationship choices I make.
Chi Wei was known throughout high school, and to this day, to be an incredibly social and outgoing person. Everybody knew him and he knew everybody, but being in his closer friend group I sort of knew that he had some pretty personal home-life struggles. In high school, it was natural to not be as open about those things and just keep them private, but I was curious to know more respectfully, and over the years I truly have seen him grow into a more independent individual day-by-day despite his circumstances and pity that people gave him along his journey.
Facing a challenging home life in Taiwan from a young age when his parents weren't necessarily always around, his mother would leave him under the care of close friends or grandparents when she traveled for months to years at a time to Japan for work. At various times he was neglected or in a room with smoking gamblers, but enjoyed the presence of his grandfather who spent time in the Navy and described as stoic, but warm-hearted. Transitioning to moving to America, Chi Wei thrived socially by making it around my friend group, a joke of course. He got into a pretty serious relationship, but there were still some family issues that persisted during this time where he was homeless and later on was offered to live with his girlfriend's family. His ex-girlfriend's mom adopted him in a way, seeing him as a son, helping with education, work & housing. Embracing his Asian culture, he strives to give back to her as he completes his transfer credits and forms his long-term goals.
ENJOY