For a coach with world championships already under his belt, Kuo Sheng (郭昇) stands out as strikingly ambitious. His story and his team may not be as familiar to people as the unique story which has inspired books, documentaries and the successful film, “Step Back to Glory.” He is the coach of the Jingmei Girls High School's tug-of-war team, whose unexpected 2010 Indoor World Championship sparked attention nation-wide.

After her first encounter with the world of drama, Lu Yi-hsin (呂毅新) knew what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. “Drama to me is the best way to fulfill my artistic imagination,” Lu says.

When not studying for civil service exams, Amy Tuan writes tutorials on how a woman can catch a man's eye. She stands by a few points like they're catechisms: “Use silicone bra inserts, but buy them a full size down” and “Wheedle occasionally, but not always.”

Yuki Lin (林立雪) is not your ordinary 15-year-old Taiwanese girl. Unlike other girls her age who spend most of their time hanging out with friends, Lin spends three hours a day, six days a week practicing in an ice-skating rink.

From the corporate world to the cooking business, Liu Tsung-hsin (劉宗鑫) finds life is about doing what you truly want. “Positive growth in life is what you put into efforts,” said Liu Tsung-hsin (劉宗鑫), a mountain bike cyclist who traveled all of Taiwan when he was a student, later shifting from his career as an international business associate to the owner and chef of South Kiosk Japanese Cuisine Restaurant and Lounge Bar (小南亭創意料理居酒屋) located around Inotera Technology Park (華亞科技園區).

Like most teachers' children, Ethan Fang did relatively well in school — up until high school that is.

The thrill of being introduced to the sounds of a musical is often unforgettable — be it the light-hearted beats of the overture from “West Side Story”; the fiery passion of the overture from “The Phantom of the Opera”; or the desperation of “I Dreamed a Dream” from “Les Miserables.” The songs and the emotions they evoke sink deep into our minds, and we are left with a yearning desire for more.

With media setting its gaze on Jeremy Lin, the first Taiwanese-American to play in the world's top basketball league, one local player, a Taiwan-native, is dreaming big to make it to the NBA.

Since age 9, Tsai Hu-chen (蔡慧貞), a contemporary dancer, choreographer and an adjunct assistant professor at the School of Dance at the Taipei National University of the Arts (國立台北藝術大學), has dedicated her life to perfecting the beauty of dancing on stage. “Dancing is like a form of nourishment to me,” Tsai explained. “I have had a strong urge to perform in front of people since I was a little girl.”

Imagine this scenario: It is July 18, 1989. You're a successful fish broker from Taiwan. You're in Seattle, Washington to finalize a deal. A letter of credit has not been issued from the U.S. firm that has offered to buy 500 tons of pink salmon. The American liaison whom you've been dealing with assures you that everything is alright.