A popular choice for Taiwan multitaskers

TAIPEI - A lawyer who is also a marathon runner; a construction site engineer who is also a best-selling writer; and a translator who also plays music - these interesting juxtapositions hardly surprise in Taiwan as more and more young people there become so-called "slashies", or people who take up multiple professions.

Chiu Ching-yi, an experienced lawyer who is now better known for running marathons, said at a forum on the subject held in Taipei on July 21 that she became a lawyer/runner, hence the term "slashie", both out of interest and by chance.

"At first, I was worried about my career prospects as a lawyer," she says. "Then out of the need to handle related legal cases, I went to university to study civil engineering, where I joined the university sports team and started running."