Eulis Komariah, an Indonesian caregiver working in Taiwan, became a certified international taichi judge after her employer taught her the martial art.
Pingtung County Government’s Department of Labor Affairs Director Lin Te-hui (林德輝) shared Komariah’s story on Friday during a visit to her employer, surnamed Lee (李), saying that it is an honor to have such remarkable people in the county.
Komariah said that she came to Taiwan as a caregiver in 2007 and started working for Lee in the county’s Chaojhou Township (潮州) in 2011.
Photo: CNA
She was initially hired to care for Lee’s father and after his passing she began caring for his mother, she said.
Komariah said that she frequently watched Lee’s wife, Liu Yu-hsia (劉玉霞), practice taichi and began following Liu when she practiced her moves.
She was in poor health at the time, but after training with Liu every day, her level of fitness gradually improved, Komariah said.
The Lees treated her as part of the family and encouraged her to pursue her education at a university in Jakarta through video conferencing, Komariah said.
Liu, who is a taichi teacher, took her to taichi competitions in international and domestic arenas, she said.
Komariah said that she has won more than 50 medals, including gold at the fifth World Cup Tai Chi Chuan Championship in Taipei in October 2014, adding that she is also a qualified taichi judge and can officiate international tournaments.
Komariah said that during holidays, she teaches her compatriots how to practice taichi in the county’s Donggang Township (東港).
She will return to her hometown of Bandung after her contract ends in October, Komariah said, adding that she plans to open a taichi school there to teach the locals the Chinese martial art.
The 45-year-old married and has two children who live in Indonesia. Her positive interactions with the Lees, who praised Komariah for her diligence and determination to seek higher achievements, have attracted the attention of not just the local government, but also the Indonesian media.
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