Home from Home

By Zeke Peacock

Born in California, moved to Canada at the age of 5

19 years in Taiwan, the last 11 in Duli, Taitung

Chef and owner of Z Paella

Previously the owner of “General Panchos,” Kaohsiung

Mechanical engineer & commercial pilot

My story is interesting but not unrealistic nor unobtainable. I was lucky enough to meet my beautiful and smart Taiwanese wife Erika only three months after arriving on the shores of Taiwan back in 2003. I thought that I was here for a visit but destiny had other plans! Fast forward 19 years and we have lived in Taitung for the last 11 years, since the birth of our first boy when we bought a farmhouse in Duli. We are now the proud parents of 2 boys, along with 5 dogs, 3 cats, and 19 chickens! The fun comes in many shapes and forms but for me, the essence of it is choosing a lifestyle that enables you to enjoy life’s small pleasures, whether that’s surfing, a BBQ with family and friends, or just uncovering how many eggs the hens have laid!

Home from Home

I recently landed back in Taitung after a month-long visit to Hamilton, Ontario in Canada, my second hometown. My original hometown was Leucadia, California with its sunny beaches and warm weather, and the love of the ocean never really left me. When I was born in California, my mom and brothers would take us to the beach to play in the sand and swim in the cool waters. My two half-brothers were ten years older and they would surf and we would sometimes spend all day at the beach having fun. Our family moved to Hamilton when I was 5 and thus began the transition into cold winters, the excitement of snowmen and snowball fights, and the seasonal changes of which I have become quite fond.

Every foreigner knows the culture shock of returning “home” after a long time away, walking through those places you remember from your youth, the cold, clean, dry air, and familiar family and faces that bring back memories. I miss the snowy winters and nature that are so abundant in Canada, however in returning to my home away from home in Taitung, I am happily reminded of what initially attracted me to this place.

I was first drawn to Taitung 16 years ago by a surfer friend I met in Kaohsiung who was working as an engineer building ships for Lloyds. He drove every weekend from coast to coast and would throw a hammock between two trees to sleep, and then surf all day. What a lad! We had quite a time exploring the empty surf breaks, hanging out with friendly local surfers, and simply enjoying the area. When my wife and I decided to have kids, I wanted to bring them up outside of the city with space to play and explore. Since I first lived here we rented a place in Kenting and that was our escape from city life, but after visiting the Donghe area I fell in love again! I love the beaches and surf spots here and it seemed to me to be the most beautiful area in Taiwan for someone like me who is attached to the ocean and wants to raise a family surrounded by nature.

However, working in Kaohsiung and having another home in Duli, Taitung County was difficult. The travel (before the nice new tunnel and highway) was strenuous, keeping clean two houses and caring for 3.6 fens of land is not easy on top of running a restaurant and raising two kids. Fortunately, we had my wife's family to support us and help with our kids growing up. We finally closed “General Panchos,” our Mexican restaurant in Kaohsiung after ten years of business, in favor of selling paella in the Ruifeng night market. What might seem a strange move was the correct one, our Z Paella business boomed, we had very little costs and it gave my wife Erika, who previously managed our restaurants, more time to focus on our kids. We all moved out to the Duli farm so our boys could go to school here and I worked weekends in Kaohsiung. Life is hard work but fun and we love it here in Taitung!

Family Fun

Our little farmhouse has everything we need, a lovely view of the ocean, friendly locals, and plenty of room for two growing boys to play and explore. When the kids were younger, they played on their go-karts and rollerblades while we prepared dinner, these days it’s basketball. And that’s all just at home, but a few minutes away there are beautiful beaches, mountains, and rivers to escape the heat on a summer day. We often swim, surf and SUP at Duli Beach, and the view is even better from the ocean looking back across the blue of the Pacific to the luscious green mountains. As well as watersports, the kids both skateboard, my eldest plays on the school baseball team, and the younger likes karate. As a family we ride our bikes, go snorkeling, fly kites on the beach and take the dogs for long walks. We often have a picnic with friends at Stone Umbrella Beach where the kids love jumping off the rocks. A short but strenuous hike through the majestic scenery along the Malalou Trail is rewarded by yet more big rocks to jump off, but it is dangerous. Please consider your physical and mental condition before taking the plunge.

More than Just Surfing

As well as enjoying time with family and friends I also have my own passion projects, some of which relate to work, but others are purely for the fun of it. Surfing is what first brought me here, and remains one of my favorite things to do, but I also love to do woodwork; and built a smokehouse where I smoke all the bacon for the paella. We attempt to garden and grow vegetables along with our fruit trees with varying success. Eating your own homegrown vegetables is highly satisfying, and as a chef, I have a great appreciation for quality organic produce. I've always been a dreamer, I believe we all need to have a realistic dream to work on in our lives, and secretly I would really love to get back into the left seat of an airplane. I trained as a pilot in British Columbia before coming to Taiwan and I've always wanted to build my ultra-light airplane. That dream may never happen, but the great thing is, living in Taitung, it won’t matter, because I’ll be too busy enjoying life and having fun!