In these last fifteen days, I have been amazed at some of the differences between Taiwan and the United States, and I am excited to learn more about this beautiful country.
National Chengchi University is a beautiful campus, on the outskirts of Taipei and nestled into the green countryside of the surrounding area. The students and faculty are incredibly helpful and friendly to foreign exchange students. Unlike how we do things in Texas A&M, classes only meet once a week for a three hour period. Luckily, upon every hour, they give us a ten minute break to use the restroom or get a snack. The professors speak very good English in the English-speaking lectures, and although they are very modest about it, the Taiwanese students do too. Each school is given three “Student Buddies” to assist exchange students when they arrive to the country. Since I am the only Aggie this semester, I was assigned all three student buddies. They are all very nice young ladies who showed me around campus, some of their favorite spots to eat, and helped me get my textbooks for classes.
In terms of American cities, Taipei is, in my opinion, quite a contrast. Streets are clean and free of litter, with green spaces all across the city. The public transport system is top-notch, safe, and convenient. You can board any bus across the city with an “Easy Card”, which can be filled with money at any of the ubiquitous convenience stores on nearly every street. The MRT train system is also very nice, with many stations across the city, free of trash, and convenient; the longest I have had to wait for a train hasn’t been longer than ten minutes. Although initially quite daunting, the city is quite safe too. In America, women feel unsafe walking by themselves after dark, however, In Taiwan, this is an unknown phenomenon. The inhabitants of Taipei are kind and welcoming, in fact, on my very first day in the city, I was lost, and trying to find my bus stop, when a very kind lady stopped and walked with me to my stop and showed me which bus to take.
I have not yet been able to see most of the country, but from what I’ve seen, it is perhaps one of the most beautiful places on the planet. With a climate similar to my hometown of Houston, the weather is very tropical, and supports a vast variety of plants and animals. The whole island is covered in vast swarths of luscious greenery, and rolling hills that are home to hundreds of singing songbirds. On the eastern side of the island, it is very flat with stunning views of rice farms as far as the eye can see, whereas the central and western side of the island is home to mountains, national parks, and vast metropolitan areas embedded in the countryside.
I am incredibly thankful to have the opportunity to study here at National Chengchi University, as afforded to me by the Center for International Business. I look forward to learning more about the beautiful nation of Taiwan, and fully immersing myself in the local customs and culture.
