Taiwan--Dream Come True

Over the last 10 months, I have fallen in love with this country. The people are admirable in their everyday activities through the smallest acts of kindness to work ethic and respect. I truly admire the Taiwanese and plan to incorporate some of their characteristics into my own life. I already have done so, but I'm working on some of the others.

The land is so peaceful and serene. Taiwan seems to gracefully 'jump out at you.' It's beauty daunts you, but doesn't hit you in a way like Mt. Everest would. You can look at it and be at peace instead of having the "WOW!!" factor. Of course, Taiwan is very beautiful, and some of it is of the "WOW!!" factor, but it's in a gentle sort of way.

The language is immensely difficult to learn. However, I have noticed a pattern in the way they write and speak. If you can catch on, then you are 'into the system.' That's the goal. It took me a long time of listening and speaking for myself, but I eventually caught on, which enabled me to understand a lot more than I thought.

But I have made a ton of wonderful friends, and we've been through a lot together. We've all shared each others hardships and happy times, stressed over things and then laughed at them. Thinking back, I remember every single thing that's happened. Sometimes I wish things hadn't happened, but then other things came about from them. My friends are incredible, and I am glad that I met every single one of them. They are all super special in their own way, and they've helped me understand them, their culture, and to grow. I owe them more than they know; I am so thankful for them.

If I could re-live everything again from day one, I would in a heartbeat.

Being in the last day, I remember the first day I came here. I was nervous and afraid. But that excitement of summer, meeting new people, living someplace new, exhilarates me to the maximum. That feeling will never go away. I cherish those memories. But now I feel like a local, which was the goal, and I feels like I am leaving home.

I don't know what will happen in the next few months, or years. But I hope I will be able to meet with my friends again, because I would be torn if I wasn't able to. They mean so much to me. Taiwan means so much to me. It was a dream of mine to come here, and in September that dream came true. But now the time has come to go, and it tears my heart apart, and it makes the tears come. I don't want it to end. But then, has it?

Our lives are adventures everyday, and everyday something new and wonderful happens. Although we might have 'boring' days, those 'boring' days lead up to something else, or have one little memory that will stay with us forever.

I want to come back. No, I will come back. To re-live those memories and to make even more.
Taiwan, thank you for everything. I can laugh and I can cry over so many things. That's what stays with me, those memories. Thank you.

I will miss Taiwan, no doubt. I will miss my friends, no doubt. I will miss those experiences, no doubt. So here I wave goodbye to a place that I love dearly. But it's not a farewell, but more of a "see you later." And indeed it is that.

Thank you Taiwan. I'll be back, you can count on it.

Daily Life in Taipei

My daily life in Taipei consists of many things: studying, getting morning waffles and coffee, talking with friends, going to class, taking a walk by the river, and eating Taipei's wondrous foods with friends. It is really fun everyday, as something new happens all the time! We get our pictures taken a lot. Foreigners are a new and surprising "commodity" here in Taiwan, and many Taiwanese will stop what they are doing, take out their camera (or just stare) and take a picture! Haha, we are celebrities!

Usually the weather in Taipei is raining and humid, which forces us to stay indoors most of the time. But on the days when it's warm and sunny, we take trips to the outer reaches of the city, to Danshui, Xindian, hiking, swimming, travelling, etc. The sun is the best thing in the world after weeks of endless rain. Haha.

The use of Chinese is significant and mandatory. Everywhere you go you'll have to use Chinese, in every restaurant, in every building, even at the street corner. Random Taiwanese will approach you to just talk, or even try out their English. Surprisingly, many people can speak English, or at least a little, and they will try their very best to help you or just start small talk. I find that the Taiwanese are very friendly, rarely will you ever find one that is mean or just rude. They go out of their way to help you and to make you feel welcome, which is admirable.

The food, on the other hand, is fantastic! Although there are some strange things: blood, brain, intestines, rectum, testicles, etc... I find it all delicious! Who knew that so many "strange" foods are actually really tasty! The Taiwanese have a way of making food like no one else. They take a lot of pride in their food. It's cheap, it's good, it brings happiness. That's what food should be! Shared with friends with plentiful conversation and laughter.

The comute to places is somewhat of a hassle, as everyone is going somewhere (and it seems) all at once. However, I like to walk everywhere within a reasonable distance. It helps me to learn the layout of the city and see how the locals live. I also take the MRT (Metro Railway Transit) which is basically a subway/monorail. It's really handy and not that expensive, but it's usually crowded. I stopped using the bus, however. I don't trust myself to know where the next stop is and to actually get off. The buses are really hectic, as everyone piles in and it really becomes a crowd. Haha.

But it's all good.

Kaohsiung and Tainan

Kaohsiung is the second largest city in Taiwan, and it is in the southern half. It is a bustling city full of surprises, cool sights, and more! I went there during my spring vacation for a couple of days and saw some really interesting things.

The first thing I experienced was a good long nap. Haha! But really, was Liouhe Night Market. The street was blocked off for hundreds of people to cram in there and buy their favorite late night snacks. This night market is different than others, as it is the most famous in Kaohsiung, but also that it stays open for 12 hours: 5pm to 5 am. Wow. I had stinky tofu for the first time there, and let me tell you... well, you can guess. Haha.

A few blocks away from Liouhe Night Market is the famous "Love River" (愛河) illuminated with purple and blue lights, the lights of the city, boats, and small restaurants on the sides. Local musicians would come out in the late hours and play soft music. Couples were sitting in benches on the river, listening to the music while enjoying a drink as well. It was really nice.

One hour north of Kaohsiung is a place called "Buddha Mountain" or Foguangshan. It is a large monastery in the Buddhist philosophy that has received much academic success, and therefore, many funds to support it. The place was quiet, perfect for meditation. Learning about buddhism is never the same than actually going to see it. It was amazing, with thousands of buddhas decorating the place, all surrounding one large one, ruling over Kaohsiung. Fantastic! I would love to go there once again. 

Not far from Kaohsiung is a place called Monkey Mountain, where wild living Macaques rule the mountain. They will come out of nowhere and watch you. Some will interact! The hiking trails lead high into the mountain, with many twists and turns. Some paths will take you up very difficult cliffs. One cliff was aptly named: "Tough guy mountain." You can probably think of why it was called that. Took a while to get up... But the view from the very top was spectacular! Although, getting lost was an often past time of mine, I enjoyed it very very much. Haha. 

Tainan is a very famous city northwest of Kaohsiung, deemed the oldest city in Taiwan. It is filled with many historical places and landmarks. Everywhere you go, something was either built during the Dutch occupation, the Japanese, or the Spanish, etc. But all of the thanks goes to the first mayor of Tainan, who saw the importance of keeping the historical sights in good order, trying to save them from deterioration and destruction. Thanks to the mayor, Tainan is what it is day, making it a great historical experience and tourist attraction. 

Tainan has many historical artifacts that are symbolistic of uniting cultures. What I'm talking about is the Chikan towers. Although the towers have great historical significance, there was one piece that really stood out to me. It is a collection of turtle steles that have inscriptions of the story of Chikan towers, however, in several different languages. I think that that aspect of the steles brings together a uniqueness of culture in Taiwan, and that unity is still active today. Tainan is a city that needs several days to fully explore. I can't wait to go back and see all of it! 

Kenting Peninsula

I went down south to the Kenting Peninsula twice, once during Spring Break for a couple of days, and another time for a geology trip in late May - early June. Kenting is a wonderful tropical area of Taiwan, surrounded by vast forests, rivers, incredible geological formations, mountains, all surrounded by the ocean. It is much hotter than in Taipei, usually with lots of sun and humidity. It's the ideal place for vacations away from Taipei.

I stayed in a place called Hengchun, which is not far from the very southern tip of Taiwan. Hengchun is a small town that has some historical artifacts and quiet streets. Next door, basically, to Hengchun is the town of Kenting, where a bustling night market, restaurants, beach houses, and the rest are located. On the border of Kenting is the Kenting National Park, which holds a large mountain looming high into the sky.

Kenting is also home to the Taiwan National Marine Biology Museum and Aquarium, which has a whale shark exhibit, beluga whale shows, and many other fascinating marine life. It was quite the interesting visit! The lobby had giant sea creatures suspended from its ceiling, almost close enough to touch.

The Kenting Peninsula is also home to many geological wonders, such as Chuhuo Scenic Area. Chuhuo (出火), literally "coming out fire" is a leak in a natural gas reserve, which when heated by the sun, ignites immediately. It spews forth a constant flame, which locals come and roast their potatoes next to. The area was quite hot, even away from the flame. But that was a good thing, as usually the rain extinguishes the fire until the area can warm up again.

Other areas such as Jialeshui, Wanlitong, Eluanbi, and Maobitou are all very famous spots on the Kenting Peninsula. Many of these places I also visited during the geology trip I participated on. The trip was a required part of a geology course, in which we surveyed the outlying areas for strange geological formations, learned how Taiwan was created, its indigenous creatures, and how Taiwan has continued to grow for thousands of years.

The trip was a fantastic experience as I learned so much about Taiwan. It allowed me to gain understanding of how islands are made, and how and why Taiwan experiences so many earthquakes! Really interesting! It also gave me a chance to meet so many amazing people. Every night we met for cards or just talking and had a great time. We would go out into Hengchun, get food, and enjoy each others' company. On the last night everyone who came on the trip all participated in a large BBQ and danced/performed! It was a real treat. Even during our lectures on the trip, we all had fun making jokes and seeing the scenery/doing fieldwork. Lots of fun!

Below are pictures of a view scenic spots: the first is Jialeshui, which is an outcrop of coral reefs being uplifted by the tectonic plates ramming together underneath the water. The second is Maobitou, which is a large shelf of coral reefs, similar to Jialeshui, but have been above water for a much longer time, also showing the erosion and ware to the reefs from external devices. Kenting is a fantastic place, very worth visiting again and again.... and again!