To me, jewelry carries sentimental value. The pieces that I wear regularly are ones that remind me of a certain message or value that strongly resonate with me.

For instance, the flower ring that I wear on my hand reminds me of the little joys in my life, whether that be the small yet beautiful works of nature around me, dance, or the opportunities that I have to pursue what I love. 

For this reason, when I shop for jewelry pieces, I purchase ones that are not only pleasing to look at, but also ones that I could give meaning to. 

Recently, one of my favorite places to shop for unique and creative jewelry is Wave Shine Accessories. Originally a swimwear store, the company launched a collection of jewelry this year that includes many unique pieces. Other stores that are affordable and have a range of options are: thislittlething on Shopee and Koreana in downtown Taipei. 

Sometimes, however, there would be a specific phrase or image that I want to have on my accessories.Recently, filling my life with more peace and believing in myself have become two new, important goals for me. Because of this, I have wanted a necklace with a hummingbird, a symbol of courage and grace, on it. 

For more custom and specific designs like these, I choose to browse on Etsy, where a variety of small shop owners sell hand-made pieces. Instead of shopping in physical stores that have limited designs and choices, online shopping allows me to access a wider range of products. 

Like me, Christine Wu (‘23)  and Isabel Lee (‘21) like wearing accessories that carry sentimental value. 

Isabel can often be seen wearing a heart-shaped necklace, a gift from her dad for her 18th birthday. 

Sometimes, she pairs the white necklace with a few shorter choker necklaces that she bought from her friend, Christine Wu, who recently launched her own jewelry shop, CWJY Designs, online.  She has designed over 20 pieces over the course of two months, many of them which were sold out almost immediately.

“By choosing to create my own pieces, I get to customize my jewelry to my own liking and it is a lot more cost efficient,” says Christine. 

She explains that the process of creating jewelry is not as difficult as one thinks and recommends people to try making it themselves. 

Phoebe’s new paragliding article 

Located in New Taipei City, Mustang Paragliding Club is an aeroclub open Monday through Sunday for guests to visit and experience paragliding. Every customer who flies is accompanied by a club member who must have at least five years of experience. 

Since Mustang Paragliding Club is located on a mountain right across the ocean, those who fly can decide to either land on the beachfront or return to the original destination where they took off. Customers must pay 1800 NT and sign a safety waiver before being allowed to take off for a ten minute ride.

“When I first went I was really nervous before take off,” Mia C. (‘26) said. “But it passed so fast and after I landed I wanted to go up again.” 

Since Mustang Paragliding Club is so close to the beach and reservations are not necessary, I recommend anyone in the area or taking a beach trip to New Taipei City to visit the club with friends and family. One visit at the club will only take a maximum of one hour at most, therefore perfect as a quick and fun activity. 

“If I go back to the beaches [in New Taipei City] I will probably return to paraglide some more because it was a fun and good experience,” Mia said.