From Mitch (MSU student) - June 12

It has almost been two weeks now that we have been here in Taipei, Taiwan, and everything is still going great. The first arrival excitement has begun to wear off, but I think everyone is still having a fantastic time. Now that the excitement of arriving has worn off I am beginning to miss some of the conveniences of back home that most people, including myself, take for granted. However, there are enough positive things going on around us that I can easily look over the small things and enjoy other things that are unique to this culture.
Class is still going very well and the teachers are still very nice and encouraging. It seems that they make learning the content more of an opportunity than a duty. By doing that, I think I am really beginning to grasp the language. Today in our first class we were given our second test. If I were to be given the same test back home I’m sure I would have become really frustrated, but it seems I am learning so much here that the test didn’t intimidate me and I was able to do very well. I know that it is the way the teachers present the material that makes it so much easier to learn, because everyone did really well on the test, not just one or two people. In the second class we discussed directions. I think this is very important, because most of the time I am walking around with out a clue as to where I am going. Hopefully now I will be able to stop a native Taiwanese on the street and not only ask for directions, but also be able to understand what he/she is saying and find my location a lot faster.
After class we were asked to attend a presentation from the Eden Social Welfare Foundation. The presenter showed us some video clips of what the foundation has done in the past. The clips were absolutely heart wrenching. It made me realize how fortunate the majority of the people in the United States are. The foundation seemed like it has done more good in the past twenty years than I would ever be able to do in a thousand lifetimes. After the presentation he interviewed us, most of which was in Chinese because of the fact that the majority of the victims the foundation helps, as well as the majority of the staff do not speak English. The interview was frustrating for me because of my limited vocabulary, but I think the interviewers saw that we truly realized how blessed we were and how willing we were to help those that are not so lucky. I hope that we are all selected so that we may leave our mark, no matter how small.
After the interview and a pretty intense day of class we all concurred that a nap was in order. After the rejuvenating nap, we all had the same idea again, dinner time. Although the food here is very delicious and there is such a large variety, we felt it was time to get a taste of back home. We traveled to downtown Taipei to visit the one and only “OutBack Steakhouse.” The meal was probably one of the best steaks I have ever had. I do not know if it is because I have been eating rice and chicken a lot lately or if I was just really hungry, but I will never forget how wonderful that 11 oz. sirloin tasted.
After dinner we made our way back to the apartment to start on some homework and prepare for tomorrow. I think this week was just as good as last week and hope that all eight weeks go as smooth.