Here's a Taiwan chill pill for your Pelosi-induced anxiety

As news of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's arrival in Taiwan has lit up the headlines, I've been hit by a virtual tidal wave of messages from well-meaning acquaintances in the West who are genuinely worried for my safety.

Meanwhile, the biggest drama in my Taiwanese family's group chat currently is how I missed my car's annual smog check appointment and how a cockroach infestation has sprung up in my Taipei bedroom while I've been away on vacation.

Sometimes I find myself toggling between two alternate realities -- one submerged in existential dread...