Welcome to my personal website where I “learn in public”.
This is my digital garden where you can find my notes, journals and in-depth, articles about topics such as personal finance, technology and more.
Table of contents
Navigating the website
I’ve been blogging since 2004, and have written over 260+ articles! Double that amount if I include posts from my early, oversharing blogging years. It can be quite daunting to navigate the website. So, here’s what you’ll find in the following sections:
Blogs
Yes, I have more than one blog. I do love to complicate things for myself lol. Here they are:
- Current blog – my latest blog posts. Some of the categories include:
- Essays – Long-form writing
- Journal – diary-like entries that gives you a peek into my life.
- Link blog – links to articles that intrigue me
- Book & TV reviews – what it says
- Front Matter – my tech writing blog, where I write about being a tech writer, career tips and documentation on my tech projects.
- 2004-2022 essays – Nearly 20 years of blog posts in one page, arranged by category.
Newsletter
My Substack newsletter, Tai Tales, is where I share curated updates on what I’ve written, exclusive essays and fiction.
If you choose to follow my blog via email or RSS feed, you will get updated each time I post something new. If you prefer to be updated less often, and to have a more curated digest, subscribing to Tai Tales is a great option for you.
Work with me
I occasionally accept freelance writing assignments. If the situation is correct, I will work with certain companies to syndicate my content or write sponsored posts.
Other pages
- If you want to find out what projects I’m doing now, read the Now page.
- I can be contacted at this form.
How to stay updated with my content
- RSS – You can use RSS readers like Feedly to get updates when I add new content
- Tai Tales – if you prefer more curated updates and extra content such as fiction, subscribe to Tai Tales.
- “Follow” the blog – Get emails when I update. You can do so below:
About the writer and gardener
My biggest passion in life is writing. Sometime in my 11th year, I decided to choose between two loves: Art or Writing. I chose writing.
Since then, I’ve had a long career in the communications field, having worked as a journalist, sub-editor, public relations officer, B2B content strategist and content manager. (Have a look at my portfolio.) I joke that my ambition is to try out every branch of the content/communications field. Though there was that sudden detour into nursing …
Currently, I’m trying to revive my fiction spark. Of all writing genres, I find fiction the hardest. I’m not sure why, but each time someone asks me how my novel is going, I spiral into panic. In 2023, I’m trying to get to the root of this anxiety and fear and hopefully overcome it and finally be able to release my novels into the world without fear.
I live in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. You know, that country known for that plane that disappeared mysteriously and one of the biggest financial scandals the world has ever seen? But we’re also really known for our great food, rich multi-racial culture, and good weather. So you win some and lose some, I guess.
In 2012, I quit my job and moved to Australia to discover what made me tick. I have always wanted to live in another country and I couldn’t believe I actually pulled it off! I did all kinds of amazing things in Australia. (You can read all about it – I kept an online diary and also wrote a few articles about my time there.)
“You must be willing to leave the life you planned in order to find the one waiting for you.”
Joseph Campbell
I fell in love with Australia. I loved how every day was an adventure and that possibilities and new discoveries lurked in every corner.
But by the end of 2014, the novelty of living my dreams wore off. It was tough living away from my family and friends.
In the end, I realised Malaysia was my home. I returned to Kuala Lumpur in 2015 with greater clarity about myself: Namely, how I really want to live my life.
I’m currently happily living a simple life in Kuala Lumpur, working as a technical writer. I realise that a happy life doesn’t need a lot of bells and whistles. But we need to be really determined to pursue a life that works for us, not for everyone else.
Elizabeth Tai 