Lawmakers have different ways of relieving stress from work, from paying musical instruments to hiking and arranging flowers.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Wan Mei-ling (萬美玲) said that playing the piano helped her relax even ahead of last year’s tight legislative elections.
Having taken piano lessons for six months during first grade, Wan was forced to stop as the family business was having problems.
Photo: Peng Wan-hsin, Taipei Times
However, she said she never gave up and used her first salary to buy a piano in installments.
KMT Legislator Lin Wei-chou (林為洲) said that he became interested in hiking at university, but stopped for a long time after he began working.
He started hiking again after being re-elected as a legislator in Hsinchu in 2016. In the past four years, he has hiked mountains in Taichung and Hsinchu, as well as some that are 1,500m to 2,500m above sea level.
Lin said that hiking is a good cardiovascular exercise that helps build muscle and relieve stress.
“As a legislator, you receive many calls at work and at home. When hiking, one has to concentrate on walking... Mobile phone reception in the mountains is not good either,” he said.
Any issues can be dealt with after his hike, he added.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) said he was on a swimming team in elementary school.
Although work keeps him busy, he still finds time to swim, Hung said.
DPP Legislator Lai Hui-yuan (賴惠員) said she has been interested in flower arranging since she was a child, adding that she joined a flower arranging club at university.
“Life as a legislator is always busy, but seeing a flower grow from a bud, bloom and die reminds me that another flower season is over. This regularity in life gives me a sense of blessing,” she said.
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