Throughout the past three days, we have overcome many hardships. Through sweat, nausea, and leg cramps, we have persevered towards our goals and have experienced many unique activities.
However, in comparison to my home and life in Minnesota, I can say one thing. I’ve never been able to see a true sunset. I’ve stared out the window, squinting through the foliage in the trees to see a little bit of sky turn various colors.
Now that I’ve been to Taiwan, I still cannot say that I’ve experienced a true sunset, or if I ever will. However the sunset that I saw today, on the fisherman’s wharf, was quite spectacular.
I don’t take pictures often, and genuinely don’t enjoy pictures either, however, this was one of the few occasions that I’ve felt the need, the want to grasp this beautiful moment in its entirety.
– Lennox Tan
My favorite activity is when my group went to go and look at Taipei 101. I got a nice picture of the building outside and inside the building. When I first went into Taipei 101, I thought it would be a normal mall but it’s different from other malls. What I got to eat for dinner was some sushi with my friends and it was super tasty. After dinner I went to the top of Taipei 101 and saw amazing sights of the whole city.
My impression when I first arrived on Taipei was shocking because I never knew that it would look like this. I was expecting more of a modern time-traveling place but really it’s a comfortable place to be. Another thing that I most enjoyed was when we spoke Chinese to the locals that owned restaurants. Everyone in Taipei is very friendly and very respectful, but strict because at Taipei 101 they don’t let you sit on the floor inside or outside.
-Ken Yang
One positive experience was the night market. It was fun, easy to get around and super cool. The student chaperones are incredibly nice and holding a conversation is very easy. They helped us translate, showed us where the foods we where interested in were, and how to order them! The market vendors are very kind as well, one of which we had a conversation talking about the menu items and it was really cool! Overall the experience was very fun and enjoyable and I will definitely do it again.
My favorite part of the trip so far would probably be the zoo. It was fun and refreshing to see animals that aren’t normally in Minnesota. My favorite animals are reptiles and birds, and luckily my group agreed that they are a must see. The zoo’s atmosphere was overall very calming and comfortable, you did not feel rushed or crowded and could enjoy the sights at your own pace.
-Azrael Rodrique
One cool thing I experienced was dorm rooms because they let me experience how college will feel. One good impression I had was how clean the streets were. Another fun impression was how cheap everything was. I thought the food would be super expensive because the food is really expensive in the US.
My favorite activity so far is when we can walk around to buy food because it lets us taste good food and we can experience what some people do during the evening. I find it interesting how everyone at Taiwan lives in apartments and houses. I also find it interesting how the stores and restaurants have multiple layers. Another thing I find interesting about Taiwanese culture are the squat toilets.
-Evan Chu
My favorite activity so far during the Taiwan trip would have to be the gondola ride up into the mountains and venturing around the Maokong District. Seeing the view of the entire city of Taipei from that height over such a large forest was an unforgettable experience; walking through Maokong provided a different perspective on the more out-of-the-way areas (though we’ll see more later) of Taiwan. I was glad to be able to see the temples in the forest from the gondola, as well as Taipei 101. The descent down the mountain was fun in that the car ahead of us, full of our classmates, would yell and wave at every car that past by them, so listening to their shrieking and joking about it was an interesting experience to say the least.
One interesting fact about Taiwanese culture that this trip has thus far reminded me of is that Taiwanese culture has received ample influence from other nations and cultures. While much of Taiwanese culture is largely based upon Chinese culture, there are other hidden cultural influences from Spain, the Netherlands, and Japan, among other nations. Another detail I’ve noticed about the culture in Taiwan is that, like China and many other East Asian cultures, much of it follows Confucian principles, like the fundamentals of respect. The reason why there are surveillance cameras and laws—with fines involved—to prohibit and prevent littering and causing safety hazards for the community are because the people of Taiwan believe in having respect for the community.
-Anika Fokken
Something new I learned about Taiwan is that most people don’t drive cars to get places and either take public transportation or mopeds. I also learned that the reason for this is mostly because there’s not a lot of parking for cars and it’s an inconvenience to drive around to find one.
My favorite activity so far has been the gondola ride, the view was nice and the people I was with were funny. I also liked what we did today when we got to go off on our own and shop around.
A surprising thing I experienced was how trusting people are. There are shops that leave merchandise outside unattended and don’t have to worry about people stealing them cause it rarely happens. Also when I was at the night market and I got a drink, I could just take the amount of change I needed back and he trusted people to take the right amount and people did. This had a positive effect on me and showed me how different American and Taiwan really are.
-Anna Ellingson
My favorite activity so far has been the Taipei Zoo. My friends and I saw many different kinds of animals, including sun bears, penguins, pandas, butterflies, snakes, and more. We also took a fun train ride around the zoo where we got to see all of the wildlife and have a well needed rest.
While these activities were all very exciting, my favorite part about the Taipei Zoo was getting a chance to talk to my friends. It was a really nice bonding experience for everyone, and I got to know quite a few people!
-Carrie Surla
My favorite activity has been hanging out with my friends. I have made many new memories by hanging out with them. I have tried many new foods with them. These memories would not have been made if I chose not to go to Taiwan.
Something I learned about Taiwanese culture is that they use traditional Chinese. I thought they used simplified Chinese because that’s what we learn in Yinghua. It is hard not being able to read most of what anything says. I would not have learned this if not for this Taiwan trip.
-Leonardo Rasmussen
