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.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
From Michelle (MSU student) - June 17
Today it was really sunny in the morning. It was about 85 degrees, but it felt like 90 degrees. Half of us are still walking to school.
We usually stop at Seven-Eleven, a convenience store, and we grab some breakfast. We have tried many of the different types of breads. The kind that I have gotten I have liked. They have so many teas and juices. I love trying something new every day. In our first class we went over chapter four vocabularies. The vocabulary is still pretty simple because most of the vocabulary we have already learned.
Tomorrow we have a test on chapter three so tonight we are all going to study. The vocabulary is not too hard yet, so I think we will all be fine. In our second class we played a very competitive game. It was boys against girls. Sam, Zach (our friend from Pennsylvania), and Mitch were on one team and Hannah, Tiffany, and I was on another team. The object of the game was to write five characters with our hands on each other’s backs, and the last person had to run to the board and write the correct character.
It was a very challenging but fun game. We were able to use clues to help our team mates figure out the characters. After a very competitive game we could not agree on who won the game. Our teacher said we tied, although both teams disagreed. As our prize we each got a can coffee, which we needed because we were so tired! After class we all met in another room and had lunch with some other foreigners and students who attend Fu Jen Catholic University. We had many different types of pizza. One pizza even had octopus on it! I was too scared to try it, but Sam tried it! They had another good pizza, which had meat and peppers. I really liked it. We tried pearl tea. I thought it was not too bad, but I do not think I would order it again. After lunch, we went to English Summer Camp again. It was so much fun. The day before we had to prepare performances with our groups. Our group did the cha cha slide. It was so much fun teaching them how to dance. Other groups danced, sang, and one group even performed a skit. We had a marvelous time meeting students from Fu Jen University. After our performances we had to go to the fourth floor to get a blessing and certificates. Only Tiffany and Hannah went because we had to go back to the apartment to let the waterman in. After we got back, most of us took naps. A few of us woke up before others, so they went ahead and had dinner. I went to Ximen to eat dinner later. We are able to communicate better with other people. After we got back from dinner, we all began to study. We had to prepare for a test in our first class on chapter three. Most of us are learning how to study better. Our teachers really help us comprehend everything. I really enjoy going to class and trying new things every day. We have so many plans for the weekend! We are so excited about being in Taiwan and being to make our dreams come true.
We usually stop at Seven-Eleven, a convenience store, and we grab some breakfast. We have tried many of the different types of breads. The kind that I have gotten I have liked. They have so many teas and juices. I love trying something new every day. In our first class we went over chapter four vocabularies. The vocabulary is still pretty simple because most of the vocabulary we have already learned.
Tomorrow we have a test on chapter three so tonight we are all going to study. The vocabulary is not too hard yet, so I think we will all be fine. In our second class we played a very competitive game. It was boys against girls. Sam, Zach (our friend from Pennsylvania), and Mitch were on one team and Hannah, Tiffany, and I was on another team. The object of the game was to write five characters with our hands on each other’s backs, and the last person had to run to the board and write the correct character.
It was a very challenging but fun game. We were able to use clues to help our team mates figure out the characters. After a very competitive game we could not agree on who won the game. Our teacher said we tied, although both teams disagreed. As our prize we each got a can coffee, which we needed because we were so tired! After class we all met in another room and had lunch with some other foreigners and students who attend Fu Jen Catholic University. We had many different types of pizza. One pizza even had octopus on it! I was too scared to try it, but Sam tried it! They had another good pizza, which had meat and peppers. I really liked it. We tried pearl tea. I thought it was not too bad, but I do not think I would order it again. After lunch, we went to English Summer Camp again. It was so much fun. The day before we had to prepare performances with our groups. Our group did the cha cha slide. It was so much fun teaching them how to dance. Other groups danced, sang, and one group even performed a skit. We had a marvelous time meeting students from Fu Jen University. After our performances we had to go to the fourth floor to get a blessing and certificates. Only Tiffany and Hannah went because we had to go back to the apartment to let the waterman in. After we got back, most of us took naps. A few of us woke up before others, so they went ahead and had dinner. I went to Ximen to eat dinner later. We are able to communicate better with other people. After we got back from dinner, we all began to study. We had to prepare for a test in our first class on chapter three. Most of us are learning how to study better. Our teachers really help us comprehend everything. I really enjoy going to class and trying new things every day. We have so many plans for the weekend! We are so excited about being in Taiwan and being to make our dreams come true.
From Tanaka - June 17
I have been in Taiwan a little over four months now.
Joining other students from JSU and MSU will be a bit of a change for me given that I have become so accustomed to living as a Taiwanese. I have lived with regular students, attended regular classes and eaten traditional Taiwanese foods daily. I have adapted well into this different yet similar society. I have made many friends and we do things that any friends do; we hangout in each other’s dorm rooms and talk exchange culture. We talk about relationships, we go shopping, we go out to dinner…… These girls have truly embraced me.
Leaving these close friendships behind will be a challenge for me because I have come to know and cherish my time in Taiwan’s countryside university, Diwan.
Now I must embrace this new experience of living with new students even the change of scenery will take some adjusting to. They are all well adjusted in the classes and I have to play catch up but I’m sure it will be ok because I’m always up for a challenge. I
look forward to attending Fu Jen Catholic University yet I hate to say good-bye to my home at Diwan University.
---- By Tanaka (JSU’s first exchange student to Taiwan)
Joining other students from JSU and MSU will be a bit of a change for me given that I have become so accustomed to living as a Taiwanese. I have lived with regular students, attended regular classes and eaten traditional Taiwanese foods daily. I have adapted well into this different yet similar society. I have made many friends and we do things that any friends do; we hangout in each other’s dorm rooms and talk exchange culture. We talk about relationships, we go shopping, we go out to dinner…… These girls have truly embraced me.
Leaving these close friendships behind will be a challenge for me because I have come to know and cherish my time in Taiwan’s countryside university, Diwan.
Now I must embrace this new experience of living with new students even the change of scenery will take some adjusting to. They are all well adjusted in the classes and I have to play catch up but I’m sure it will be ok because I’m always up for a challenge. I
look forward to attending Fu Jen Catholic University yet I hate to say good-bye to my home at Diwan University.
---- By Tanaka (JSU’s first exchange student to Taiwan)
Monday, June 16, 2008
From Ben (MSU) - June 13
Today was a relatively slow day.
Today in class, my classmates and I were trying to get our teacher on a tangent so we wouldn’t have to learn so much. HA! It is just like in good ole’ America! We still ended up covering quite a bit.
I don’t know how we let this happen. We will have to try harder next time. We got her to talk about Chinese holidays.
It was pretty cool to find out the here in Taiwan they celebrate both February 14 and July 15 as their Valentine’s day. I sure am glad I am not from here. I don’t think I could do Valentine’s day but once a year on my budget… or shortage there of.
I also learned the word for hotel, so being the smart guy that I think I am, I asked her if a person could use this same word for a hostile. She, being the smart teacher that she is, responded back to me (in Chinese of course) that yes, a person would use this word… however you would put pian yi before you say this word. That is the tip for the day. Do not ask silly questions such as this one in a class where only Chinese is spoken. After we got out of class, we went to Yoshanoyia, which is a near by (and very tasty) Japanese restaurant.
I got the chicken and rice bowl. It is a very hearty lunch because it had chicken, rice, broccoli, green beans, and these cool little beans where you bite them and squeeze the bean out of the covering. Also, I cant forget to mention the most awesome ice tea in the entire world.
People back home can defiantly relate to this tea because its good ole` Lipton’s Lemon Ice Tea! After getting absolutely stuffed on such a good meal, we all decided to come back and take a nap. Well, that nap turned into more or less a five hour sleep. I was so out of it that when Sam’s phone rang, I thought it was the alarm to get up and go to class the next morning. Crazy I know. Not only was it like seven pm, but it would have been a Saturday anyways so we don’t even have class. What in the world was I thinking? After taking a nap, we all decided to go to dinner. Apparently while we were sleeping, there was yet another thunder/rain storm because the roads and everything outside was absolutely drenched. Good ole` rainy season. After dinner, we waited on Sandro and Zack (two of our friends that we have met at the school) to come over so we could go mingle with the natives of our own age. We had a lot of fun. Not only did we get to experience Taiwan night life, but we also got to practice everything we were taught in the past week in our Chinese class. Everything was a challenge: figuring out where we were going, trying to get ourselves there, trying to get in the door, getting ourselves back home, and of course (as I said) mingling. We ended up coming back pretty early because we have the whole host family thing in the morning. Everyone had to wake up early to meet their host family at the school. I guess that is where the next journal is going to pick up, so mine is now complete.
Ben
Today in class, my classmates and I were trying to get our teacher on a tangent so we wouldn’t have to learn so much. HA! It is just like in good ole’ America! We still ended up covering quite a bit.
I don’t know how we let this happen. We will have to try harder next time. We got her to talk about Chinese holidays.
It was pretty cool to find out the here in Taiwan they celebrate both February 14 and July 15 as their Valentine’s day. I sure am glad I am not from here. I don’t think I could do Valentine’s day but once a year on my budget… or shortage there of.
I also learned the word for hotel, so being the smart guy that I think I am, I asked her if a person could use this same word for a hostile. She, being the smart teacher that she is, responded back to me (in Chinese of course) that yes, a person would use this word… however you would put pian yi before you say this word. That is the tip for the day. Do not ask silly questions such as this one in a class where only Chinese is spoken. After we got out of class, we went to Yoshanoyia, which is a near by (and very tasty) Japanese restaurant.
I got the chicken and rice bowl. It is a very hearty lunch because it had chicken, rice, broccoli, green beans, and these cool little beans where you bite them and squeeze the bean out of the covering. Also, I cant forget to mention the most awesome ice tea in the entire world.
People back home can defiantly relate to this tea because its good ole` Lipton’s Lemon Ice Tea! After getting absolutely stuffed on such a good meal, we all decided to come back and take a nap. Well, that nap turned into more or less a five hour sleep. I was so out of it that when Sam’s phone rang, I thought it was the alarm to get up and go to class the next morning. Crazy I know. Not only was it like seven pm, but it would have been a Saturday anyways so we don’t even have class. What in the world was I thinking? After taking a nap, we all decided to go to dinner. Apparently while we were sleeping, there was yet another thunder/rain storm because the roads and everything outside was absolutely drenched. Good ole` rainy season. After dinner, we waited on Sandro and Zack (two of our friends that we have met at the school) to come over so we could go mingle with the natives of our own age. We had a lot of fun. Not only did we get to experience Taiwan night life, but we also got to practice everything we were taught in the past week in our Chinese class. Everything was a challenge: figuring out where we were going, trying to get ourselves there, trying to get in the door, getting ourselves back home, and of course (as I said) mingling. We ended up coming back pretty early because we have the whole host family thing in the morning. Everyone had to wake up early to meet their host family at the school. I guess that is where the next journal is going to pick up, so mine is now complete.
Ben
From Hannah - June 11
Wednesday June 11, 2008 was a long day.
Our classes began at 8 AM and ended at 3:30. In my first class, we reviewed for our upcoming test on Thursday. We looked over the Pinyin and characters from Lessons 1 and 2. Additionally, the teacher reminded us how large numbers are written in Chinese because this would also be on the test. When the class ended at 10 AM we were all well aware of the information we needed to study for Thursday’s test.
In my second class, we learned a valuable skill. The teacher showed the class how to ask for directions. Then he taught us how to give directions. We then broke into partners and used maps to ask our partners where certain buildings on the map were located (ask for directions to a place). The partner then gave directions using the newly acquired vocabulary and other landmarks located on the map to answer the questions. This skill will really come in handy if we are ever lost here.
After the second class ended, it was lunch time. I had an errand to run. So I did that instead of eating lunch. Everyone else ate pasta at a restaurant with our new friends, these African students from a Portuguese-speaking country. When lunch time was over at 1:30 we returned to school for the second day of Chinese Knots. On this day, we made Christmas brooches. Making these brooches was fun and took the entire two hours.
Our classes began at 8 AM and ended at 3:30. In my first class, we reviewed for our upcoming test on Thursday. We looked over the Pinyin and characters from Lessons 1 and 2. Additionally, the teacher reminded us how large numbers are written in Chinese because this would also be on the test. When the class ended at 10 AM we were all well aware of the information we needed to study for Thursday’s test.
In my second class, we learned a valuable skill. The teacher showed the class how to ask for directions. Then he taught us how to give directions. We then broke into partners and used maps to ask our partners where certain buildings on the map were located (ask for directions to a place). The partner then gave directions using the newly acquired vocabulary and other landmarks located on the map to answer the questions. This skill will really come in handy if we are ever lost here.
After the second class ended, it was lunch time. I had an errand to run. So I did that instead of eating lunch. Everyone else ate pasta at a restaurant with our new friends, these African students from a Portuguese-speaking country. When lunch time was over at 1:30 we returned to school for the second day of Chinese Knots. On this day, we made Christmas brooches. Making these brooches was fun and took the entire two hours.
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