December 22nd 2022, 11:05AM 大家好！ 我希望你们很好！ 这周很忙！ 我们去上课，去开会等等。 This week has been our first official week in the 大学的宿舍, and I had not realised how much of a difference it would make. I will not lie, it has been a bit of an interesting experience to live in the 宿舍, more than anything because of…Continue Reading 台南 Shenanigans Continued: speaking 中文
“Cultural differences should not separate us from each other, but rather cultural diversity brings a collective strength that can benefit all of humanity” by Robert Alan. Learning all about the history of Taiwan- from politics, art, religion, and much more- has felt like reading a bedtime story. I have learned much about this beautiful country in a small…Continue Reading History through the words of others.
It has been an incredible couple of weeks studying abroad in Tainan, Taiwan. One of the highlights was spending Christmas day with the Tongxuemen in Tainan Park. It was so special to see how everyone likes to celebrate their holiday, and it was an incredible opportunity to learn more about their culture. Although it was…Continue Reading 聖誕節快樂！新年快樂！
大家好 and hello to you, reader! This fortnight’s blog post is about experiences I’ve found interesting as I settle into 台南/Tainan. They’ve challenged my cultural disposition as a second-generation Chinese-New Zealander in Taiwan. Reader, I hope you enjoy the journey through my thoughts. McDonald’s Mcdonald’s has unfortunately become my weekly haunt. The familiarity of the…Continue Reading McDonald’s, Tradition and Cultural Identity
After being used to single rooms, living in a dorm with someone else has been a new experience. I am grateful to have a great roommate (shout out to Tessa), and so far so good! The first good thing about moving into the school dorms was finally being able to wash clothes, especially because it…Continue Reading Chapter Two: Dorm Life, Uni Life, Shopping Life
I don’t know about you but when I imagine celebrating a Winter Christmas, my mind immediately goes to snow, hot chocolate by the fire and ice skating, however Winter Christmas in Tainan was definitely not that! First of all, Christmas isn’t widely celebrated in Tainan and isn’t a public holiday so in the days leading…Continue Reading A Winter(?) Christmas in Tainan!
As our first week of freedom drew to a close and our impending classes loomed on the horizon, I began to settle into a more regular routine. The reality of classes beginning daily at 9am and my insistence on receiving a nightly eight hours of sleep meant I began to closely watch my bedtime in…Continue Reading Dorm life and settling into a daily routine
Tainan is a beautiful city with architecture hailing from multiple different periods. However, it has forced me to recognise and think about another aspect of civic beauty we often neglect – our footpaths. Despite the time we spend admiring the skylines above us, we take very little time to look down at our feet. Tainan’s…Continue Reading Mind the gap
Part Three: The Purpose Being a language exchange, we of course have Chinese language classes at National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), Chinese Language Center (成功大學華語中心). I was originally placed in H class based on a test done prior when I was still in NZ, but after discussing with the teacher, I decided to move down…Continue Reading Chapter One: 8,765 km (continued)
Recently, I’ve found myself comparing Tainan to my hometown, Tamaki Makaurau/Auckland. It’s no question that Tainan is different from Tamaki Makaurau, with its boisterous traffic like a chaotic but orderly anthill, its buildings crouched over the footpath and its alleyways quiet, culturally rich enclaves. …Continue Reading Unalikes and Likes