2.28 memorial truly captures my heart

2.28 Memorial Captures My Heart

            If I can remember back to sophomore year when I took a class pertaining to the culture, history, and politics of Taiwan, I remember how excited and engaged I was by the content as it inspired my curiosity about a place I now call my new home (temporarily).  I was engaged by the history of Taiwan’s struggle to be an independent democratic nation and I am moved by how the Taiwanese achieved this feat as it involved many years worth of bloodshed and consumed countless lives.  When I learned about 2.28, I was terrified by how the police brutally beat senselessly a woman who was desperately making a living by selling contraband cigarettes.  As inspiring and engaging I found the content of the course, I could not help but think that I can only learn more about this history in Taiwan through others who have experienced it before me.  I wanted to learn more about how Taiwanese people felt about their history, their culture, and their relationship to mainland China.  My wish was granted when I was offered the unique opportunity to visit the 2.28 museums and memorial park. I was honored to listen to a man who represented the victims of the incidents and passionately spoke to the observers on how this incident changed his life and his family’s life and how it changed what he believed about Taiwan.  I did not break out in tears but when I listened to him explain this incident and what it means to Taiwanese people, I felt their deep admiration for bravery and genuine patriotism of those who died to liberate Taiwan.

This memorial captured my heart because it speaks to me of the relentless courage and the sense of duty the older Taiwanese felt to liberate their beautiful nation stricken by the hand of terror and oppression. It spoke to me that in times of difficulties people don’t give up what they truly believe in and that justice is a battle everyone fights for.  In my opinion, the 2.28 incident is truly tragic but I also believe that cries for the liberty after the incident was inspired by the 2.28 incident. In other words, without the 2.28, there would not have been a democratic Taiwan. Although I have gathered this much from the memorial, I may encounter the question of why this incident would matter so much to an American. It matters to me because this incident reflects the fact that no matter how powerful an oppressive regime may seem, it will always remain vulnerable to its people. No matter how powerless a group of individuals may seem against a government backed by powerful armed forces, it has always been a group of committed, passionate individuals that have changed society for better or worse. 

Days 2,3,4: Orientation and Adventures!

I have been here for about 7 days in total and I can't say I know everything about my surroundings to perfection quite yet. Nevertheless, I find myself navigating around the university well enough to not lose myself 5 times until I find out where I want to be(here's to some self-confidence woo hoo!!!!). I tend to believe that I have a poor sense of direction because I lost myself trying to find buildings even closest to me at Trinity. I think that after walking around the university about 5-6 times during my first week, things seem to make much more sense than they did when I first entered the university. I have to admit though that I felt very intimidated by the spaciousness of the university when I first saw it on the internet. But as I took a stroll through the university with my fellow CIEE students and student ambassadors, I embraced the spaciousness and the size of the university as it provided an opportunity to explore my surroundings. As a matter of fact, the shuttle buses around campus make it much easier to find what I need. Nevertheless, if it wasn't for orientation, I would not have been able to find my way around.

Day 2: Orientation

After the raucous,loud and exciting welcome party I enjoyed during my first day at the university, loads of information about practical knowledge was poured in my head at a faster pace than my mind could absorb. I found myself in many instances simply tuning in and listening...sometimes nodding my head at unfamiliar terms and asking what they are. Nevertheless, I learned about navigating through the MRT transportation system which is basically a well-maintained, systematically efficient subway system that takes you to various parts of the city such as the city hall and various districts within Taipei. I really love the MRT system because it is cheap and it does a good job in driving the taxi guy out of business (they do tend to rip you off!) In addition, I toured the large campus often wondering how I will adjust to walking 20-30 minutes each day just to get to class. A part of me wonders how the Taiwanese students at NCCU do it too!

ADVENTURE TIME AT LONGSHAN: 

The major highlight of this part of the orientation was the visit to Longshan temple which invited me to explore new religions and inspired me to visit a temple near National Chengchi University. Have a look at all the wonderful things I saw there!

People offering their prayers

Thought I would get the elaborate designing of the temple.

Day 3: Academics and Fire Drill?

^^Pictures of the Fire Drill

So here's to more orientation and this time it was about the headache of class registration and the seemingly amusing but comprehensive fire drill which involved trying to navigate through a room filled with smoke, how to use a fire extinguisher, earthquake simulation based on the varying degrees on the richter scale, and descending down from a tall building on a machine ladder? The fire drill went on for about an hour on how to respond to emergency situations in Taiwan. It wasn't a fire drill in the sense that an alarm would ring and you would evacuate the premises temporarily. It was a session dedicated to helping you understand how one can respond to emergency situations in a location where water systems  housing, and electrical systems are foreign to Americans. How is that for a cultural experience? Then, we enjoyed the delicious Din Tai Feng at Taipei 101.

Day 4: Health Exam

Today I went to the Qixin Clinic to get my health check up which included getting a urine test (yuck), checking my height and weight, a painful blood test (ouch), x-ray, and ears and eye check up. Luckily, we breezed through this quickly before I screamed. After that we went to the Shilin Night Market at which I do not remember doing anything particularly memorable.

The Hairy Scary First Week of Classes?

After my adventurous and somewhat tortuously boring orientation process,  the first week of classes commenced! At National Chengchi University, the headache of the first week of classes is experienced differently because in the United States, you worry about the 100000 piles of homework you will accumulate within the first week. At National Chengchi University, you toil in the uncertainties incessantly questioning whether you will get the classes you want as the system is wired in a peculiar way that prevents students from registering for classes not just based on pre-requisites but on other arbitrary things like your major etc. It is the first week of classes and I still do not have all of my classes officially registered even though I am attending them. Interestingly enough, I still have to take my placement exam for Chinese language for which I am pseudo excited about (now I say pseudo excited because I am just anxious about what level I will place in). Nevertheless, I have attended three classes this week (wow just three?) and I think I might like them (that's a good sign). Fellow study abroad students where ever you may be, I hope your experience is going well for you inspite of the frustrations you may face. I will leave you with that much for now!

Day 1: Introduction to National Chengchi University

And so the day I had anticipated for two months straight is finally here and I am in my dorm sitting on my chair biting my nails nervously because I still find myself lost in this giant university (giant by my standards at least since I go to a small private school in San Antonio). As I entered the university with my heart pounding loudly that I could not contain feet shaking, I could not help but think to myself that I will get lost 5 times before I actually figure my way around the university. Nevertheless, I think I will adjust well given the fact that I can adapt to just about any setting I find myself in. I am motivated by challenge and acheivement and having these two facets in mind keeps me going and motivates me to believe, achieve, and succeed. Knowing how well I adjust to places, I have no doubt I will succeed here and even though success seems like an uphill battle, it is truly worth fighting for. Given that study abroad is a challenge psychologically because there is simply so much to learn in such a small amount of time, I am glad I chose to study abroad and in a university worth the accolades that Taiwanese people give to it.

I went to the welcome back party hosted by CIEE staff and ambassadors. The energy that everyone gave off at that party is truly overwhelming and every single one of us enjoyed ourselves as we played trivia, sang karaoke, and competed in the calligraphy contest. I am sure I met some interesting people and hope to make solid friendships here in Taiwan. Both Taiwanese locals and CIEE students seem open and friendly so I imagine I will have made some interesting friends by the time I leave Taiwan. There seems to be a lot to look forward to and alot left to be explored.

Oh before I end this blog post... I would like to show you my dorm room!

So...I may have taken pictures of some of the strangest things but as you can see...my dorm looks a lot like a dorm in the typical state university in America. Considering these are brand new dorms, I am quite happy that CIEE staff negotiated this deal for us! I am really really thankful for this and I will do my best to take care of the dorms I have been blessed with. To end this on a lovely note, THANK YOU CIEE STAFF!! I LOVE YOU FOR THIS! Ok...maybe that was a bit over the top but I love them for organizing this trip that will change my life!

Do you have a study abroad story?

What I have learned thus far...

Wow! I can't believe my dream of coming to Taiwan has already come true and the minute I set foot into this country, the culture shock began to set in. As the limosine driver drove my mother and I from the Taoyuan International Airport to Holiday Inn East Taipei at 9pm, I could not help but peer at the hodgepodge of strange colors on buildings tightly meshed together, people walking all over the streets, and drivers trying to shove their way into lanes.  Since it was nine o'clock at night, I could not see much of anything else but I knew I was in a different world. My heart skipped a beat as my mind incessantly whispered to me: "Nivie, where are you?". Given that I was busy trying to settle in, I did not stop to think how shocked I truly am being in a country I had never seen before but have dreamed of going to ever since I started studying Mandarin. In the three days I have been in Taiwan I have learned that culture shock is perfectly normal and everyone experiences them differently.  I have also gathered some helpful tid bits for prospective travelers:

1) No matter how prepared you think you are, you will encounter a situation that you did not expect.
2) Knowing the local language goes a long way! Try to speak some of it even when you don't think the locals may understand you. Practice makes perfect and you always have to start somewhere.

3) Always try new things: new food, new clothes, new anything! Just be careful with not being ripped off  (not every country has a fixed rate and you may need to bargain for a price) and if you get sick, know where to find a hospital!

4) Adjust and overcome: Traveling to another country brings barriers both psychological, administrative (documentation, id, passport etc.) , and physical. Traveling to another country may mean you have to give up the things you took for granted such as your daily routine, saying goodbyes, understanding that your relationships (with friends or boyfriends) may change, and knowing you will come back as a different person. What scares people most is not the changes that they encounter in the country they are going to but how things will change back home after they come back! It is normal to feel this way but you must keep this fact in mind and not obsess about it!

5) Unless you are going to an English speaking country, don't expect to find too many English-speakers: Emphasizing point#2...practice your language skills or get an interpreter to help!

6) Be prepared to learn new things about the country you are visiting and about you: Traveling to another country not only teaches us about the culture of the country visited but also about how we deal with constant change around us. It teaches us what our limitations are and what we excel at. It is an exciting experience but also a humbling one. Allow your travel experience to be a learning experience.

My 3-day experience has managed to teach me six important lessons and I plan on learning more. In the mean time, I shall entertain you with pictures of my visits to different places and pictures of meeting people I never expected to meet. They shall come soon on this blog! Until then, I will sign off!

Pre-Study Abroad Excitement and Anxieties

Taking on a grand challenge of making an unfamiliar country my new home excites me yet makes my heart beat in an irregular, unsteady, fast paced rhythm than ever before (Listening to my heart beat is like listening to an untalented, irritating drummer who would drive his neighbors to call the cops). Yes, I am going to Taiwan and I will be studying at the prestigious National Chengchi University that has graduated multitudes of successful Taiwanese  diplomats, lawyers, businessmen and the like. Many Taiwanese have made it a point to remind me how anyone would be so lucky to get into a college like that making it seem as if this university is Taiwan's Princeton,MIT, Stanford, Yale, you name it. Nevertheless, if this university is of the caliber many Taiwanese I encounter describe it to be, I imagine my educational experience as one that enables me to engage in world issues, different cultures, politics, economics issues, and languages. I think this university was the right choice for given its emphasis on the humanities and social sciences, which makes it more appealing to someone studying Chinese language and Political Science.

As thrilled I am fullfilling a dream I have longed for and studying in a renowed famous university known to produce the intellectual capital which drives Taiwan forward, I still feel some what nervous and anxious to start this journey because of the climate of uncertainty surrounding it. Despite the raving reviews I hear about someone's experiences in Taiwan, I do feel relieved to know I am not thrusting myself in a location isolated from mankind and civilization (that would be North Korea) but at the same time you just never know what may happen.  That's why I tell myself to simply calm down and soak up my experiences as a sponge does water. I think that even if my experiences may not match my expectations, there is something to learn and something meaningful to accomplish. I think this little island that has a hodgepodge of countless cultural influences steming from Europe and Asia provides an opportunity to discover something truly special. Let's hope my curiosity and my in-born sense of wonder spark new ideas and thoughts. The world offers an amazing range of possibilities waiting to be explored and I just want to take it by a storm!