It has been incredibly interesting making cultural observations while abroad. One that stood out to me is tea culture. Cup slings and reusable water bottles optimized for boba drinks seemed to be very common objects. Many gift shops, bubble tea shops, and even Starbucks, offered cup slings to make carrying away drinks easier. Another area of interest has been language nuance. In the United States, we say "bless you" after someone sneezes. I asked an SCU student and an NCKU student what Taiwanese people say and they both said that they do not say anything. I also noticed some differences in phrases between Beijing Mandarin (based on my observations from my short two week trip to Beijing last summer) and Taiwanese Mandarin. To say "OK," I have noticed in Taiwan people will generally say "好" or "可以 " (which interestingly is what we would say in Cantonese as well) and while in Beijing people will generally say "行."
I feel incredibly lucky to be able to participate in this program and to be here in Taiwan at this time in my life. As each day goes by on this short three week study abroad program, I feel more and more motivated to find a way to come back. I have very fond memories from my first visit to Taiwan in 2017 which initiated a pipe dream to live on this island and I feel like that dream has been reignited by this 2024 trip.
Here are some more awesome highlights of my adventures in Taiwan.
Taijiang National Park
I think this was one of my favorite activities of the trip so far - we took a boat tour on the wetlands in Taijiang National Park, observing the beautiful mangrove trees that have these fascinating root looking growths that come from above and down into the ground. We also were able to participate in casting and retrieving a fishing trap as well as observe an oyster farming line up close. Fish and oysters are a staple in Taiwanese culture and cuisine.
Anping
After the boat tour, we stopped in Anping, an old town by Tainan, for lunch where I had some delicious beef soup and soft tofu dessert. We then visited the famous old fort in Anping. I learned that it was originally created and used by the Dutch as a trading post which they called Fort Zeelandia. This was supposedly also called Taiwan by the Chinese and where the inspiration for the name of the country originated. A sea merchant named Cheng Cheng Kung also known as Koxinga, captured the fort and took Taiwan from the Dutch. After this historic event, the area was renamed Anping and became an important governing and business center for the Chinese during the Ming dynasty. National Cheng Kung University was named after Koxinga. We were able to see the old fort walls and the tree house in the old banyan trees. At the highest point in the treehouse, you can see the cityscape of Tainan.
Yuguang Island
On our off day, I ventured with a group of fellow classmates to Yuguang Island that is near Anping to watch the sunset. We dipped our feet in the water and quickly noticed that the water was extremely warm. While the sunset was breathtakingly beautiful, I felt like it was potentially a concerning level of warmth that makes me wonder if the temperature has elevated due to climate change. I have previously learned that the increase in temperatures from global warming has impacted ocean ecosystems in parts of the world, therefore this made me think once again about how I can shape my career to work towards a more sustainable world in order to preserve nature and humanity on this earth.
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