![\"\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.hsc.edu\/international\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/08\/Me-and-my-tutors-along-with-my-classmate-Will-at-dinner-300x225.jpg\")
Me and my tutors, along with my classmate Will, at dinner. Typically, we all go to lunch or dinner together twice a week. Being American has its perks: people would try and talk to me in English, give me food and drinks, and even take pictures with me. My red-haired friend Brendan even got pulled by the arm to the nearest 7\/11 and was bought an ice cream cone. My tutors said this was normal and the Taiwanese are just excited to see us. I\u2019m certainly not complaining.<\/em><\/p>\r\n
Aside from the very abundant mango desserts, I\u2019ll miss the immersion aspect of studying abroad in Taiwan the most. There were times that I absolutely did not want to speak Mandarin \u2013 but I did it anyway. Even when I was tired or sick or wanted to go home, I sucked it up and practiced my Chinese. However, I know that I\u2019ll also miss going out for dinner and boba every night with my friends. I\u2019ll miss my professors and tutors. But all of that is outweighed by the prospect of returning to the Hill. Taiwan was cool, \u53ef\u662f Hampden-Sydney \u6bd4\u9177\u9177 (I\u2019m 90% sure that\u2019s Chinese for Hampden-Sydney is cooler).<\/p>\r\n
I\u2019d advise students preparing to go on a Global Ed or other study abroad program to do their research on where they\u2019re going. Once I arrived in Taiwan and started classes, the days and weeks passed by far too quickly. Find and make a list of everything you want to see, eat, and experience. Come up with a few mock itineraries for when you get a day or even just a couple hours of free time. Go on Reddit, Google, and ask around \u2013 there’s a chance one of your friends or professors or family members has been where you want to go.<\/p>\r\n
Specific to Taiwan, I\u2019d advise prospective study abroad students to get off the main island. My day in Xiaoliuqiu (where the turtles are) was so much cooler than just another day spent in Kaohsiung or even Taipei. Get way, way, way off the beaten path and throw yourself into the unknown. Eat the mystery meat. Don\u2019t ask what it is. Stay off Google for restaurant recommendations \u2013 just eat where the lines are long. And every once in a while, go to McDonald\u2019s to get a taste of home.<\/p>\r\n Also, just about everyone who studies abroad gets sick at some point; prepare yourself to power through it. It sucks to get sick away from home, but it sucks even more to miss out on once-in-a-lifetime experiences. I was sick at least three times, but I ignored it and went on my way.<\/p>\r\n <\/p>\r\n PS: take pictures of yourself (not just what you see or do). Your mother will very much appreciate it.<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Leland BlanchardProvider: Project GOKaohsiung, Taiwan2024 Summer My time in Taiwan has opened my eyes to the privileges we have as Americans. Unlike Taiwan and the Taiwanese people, we don\u2019t live under the constant threat of invasion and the overturning of our way of life. We aren\u2019t reliant upon foreign nations for the preservation of our own security.\u00a0 The Taiwanese love America, Americans, and American culture — more than certain Americans do. Me and my tutors, along with my classmate Will, at dinner. Typically, we all go to lunch or dinner together twice a week. Being American has its perks: people […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[136],"tags":[137],"class_list":["post-4468","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-2024-summer","tag-taiwan"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hsc.edu\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4468","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hsc.edu\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hsc.edu\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hsc.edu\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hsc.edu\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4468"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hsc.edu\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4468\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4481,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hsc.edu\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4468\/revisions\/4481"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hsc.edu\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4468"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hsc.edu\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4468"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hsc.edu\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4468"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.hsc.edu\/international\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/08\/My-friend-Savannah-and-I-went-to-Taipei-and-entered-a-hula-hoop-competition-at-Hooters.-I-won-225x300.jpg\")
One weekend, I went to Taipei on a whim. I met up with my friend Savannah (pictured), at <\/em>Hooters, near Taipei 101 (once the tallest building in the world). In this photo, she is losing the <\/em>Hooters hula hooping competition. Shortly after this photo was taken, I won the Taiwanese Hooters hula hooping competition. The takeaway is simple: dive headfirst into your study abroad experience. <\/em><\/p>\r\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.hsc.edu\/international\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/08\/This-was-me-in-front-of-a-cool-lookin-rock-on-Xiaoliugiu-Vase-Rock-225x300.jpg\")
This was me in front of a cool looking rock on Xiaoliuqiu. It\u2019s called the Vase Rock. Pro tip from an amateur: take the first ferry out in the morning, there are no crowds before 9am. We left Kaohsiung via Uber at 5:30 and, following the most turbulent 15-minute boat ride ever, made it to the island by 8. <\/em><\/p>\r\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.hsc.edu\/international\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/08\/This-is-me-on-Xiaoliuqiu-in-the-Genocide-Cave-named-as-a-result-of-the-Lamey-Island-Massacre-e1723574987763-225x300.jpg\")
This is me on Xiaoliuqiu, in the Genocide Cave (named as a result of the Lamey Island Massacre). I did not know that at the time of this picture.\u00a0 I was hot, very tired, and ready to leave. It was 10 am. But I bought coffee and had a great time! Do not let temporary feelings take away from permanent experiences. Yet another pro tip from an amateur: do not<\/strong> stay out on the town until 4am the night before you travel to Xiaoliuqiu; it\u2019s not worth it. Xiaoliuqiu is not as fun as it could be on 30 minutes of sleep<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n