It’s a new year, and it’s officially (when you read this) 58 days until I step onto the plane bound for North America. Believe me, I find it hard to believe that my time in Taiwan is coming to an end. It seems that it was only yesterday that I stepped onto the plane to move here, to start working as an English teacher. Honestly, I had no idea of the places and people I would encounter along the way. That is precisely why in honor of my time in Taiwan and all the memories I have collected along the way, this blog post serves as the first in a series I am releasing, titled “Taking on Taiwan”. And there’s no better place to start than right at the beginning, in October of 2015.
Fall of 2015, I was still in university. I spent a third of my time training for ice hockey, a third of my time laboring over my senior thesis and various other homework assignments, and the other remaining part of the time listening to music, drinking tea, and cooking up vegan deliciousness with my best friend and roommate at the time. Needless to say, my life was pretty manageable. I didn’t have big complaints. But I wanted something new, exciting, and out of the ordinary to look forward to.
I’d spent four years in the city of Pittsburgh, playing ice hockey, and for as long as I could remember, one of my biggest dreams was to somehow study abroad. With ice hockey season spreading across both semesters, this was nearly impossible. But, at my university, we had a term called Maymester. And during my senior year, I decided it was about time I take advantage of it. So I applied to a trip called “Take on Taiwan”, where we’d spend two weeks traveling around the island and learning about the culture, history, and everything in between.
When I sent off my application, I wasn’t sure I’d be accepted. Moreover, I actually had to google where Taiwan was. I’d heard of it, but I knew absolutely nothing more than the fact that China kept trying to claim it as their own, and that it was ridiculously small compared to the United States. But, I received my acceptance a couple of weeks later, and then I did what any normal person did: ordered a plethora of things on Amazon in order to fully educate and prepare myself for Taiwan and Asia as a whole.
Having never been to Taiwan, I had a couple of preconceived ideas of Taiwan.
- Everyone there spoke Chinese and that was it, aside from their English learning in school (The truth: Many people here speak Chinese and Taiwanese and yes, there is a difference between the two).
- Taiwan was going to be exactly like all those stories I hear about China, i.e. censorship (The truth: Taiwan is obsessed with social media and throwing up the peace signs for all their Instagram posts. So much so, I have come to do the same in my photos).
- Their food would be like some of what I ate in the United States at Chinese food restaurants (The truth: Taiwan has way better food than any of the Chinese food back home and that makes me sad to think about).
Needless to say, those were just a few of my misguided assumptions. What I found, however, was far different than the ideas swimming around my ignorant mind. Having been accepted to the program, the participants of the trip all had to enroll in a course all about Southeast Asia and the cultural influences. There, we read books about Taiwan, Southeast Asia, and I was able to put some of my assumptions to rest. In fact, I put most of them to rest. I was (and still am) intrigued by the influences of Southeast Asia.
Before even stepping foot on the island, I became aware of Taiwan’s diverse history. Having been ruled by Japan prior to World War Two, the trading ports spread out throughout the country, and the Chinese influence until their independence. Today, Taiwan culture is a blend of its rich history and what the youth of today is interested in. It embodies the traditions of Chinese culture, but embraces the newness of social media and the digital age. I think I fell in love a little bit with Taiwan before I even saw it with my own two eyes, but seeing it for myself solidified my adoration for the country.
Upon completing the course and the required reading list, I felt as ready as I could have been. I packed my bags, finished my last assignments, and prepared myself for the journey. A full day of flights with my class and then I would be walking along the streets of Taipei. It was only supposed to be a little taste of Asia, but who knew that it would be the trip that changed the entire course of my plans after graduation?
Keep your eyes peeled for the next Take on Taiwan series post. Until then, stay rad!
