Taipei’s New Year’s fireworks are world-renowned, so it was impossible to pass up the opportunity to see them. That was the primary driver of the most intense all-nighter I have pulled. Despite the difficulties, it was an enriching experience. Our night started in the day with a 1:30 pm train from Tainan to Taipei. Given…Continue Reading New year, new city
January 2nd 2022 9:56 PM 大家好！ 圣诞快乐！ 新年快乐！ This last week has been very busy. Busy enough that I forgot to submit my last blog for review! Last week was Christmas, which was very different and interesting. It was hard to be away from family, however. This was the second year in a row in…Continue Reading its not all fun and games sometimes, and that is ok
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
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
Welcome one and all to your favourite Chilean Kiwi’s first Taiwan blog! This past week has been absolutely amazing and I can’t wait to share with you all what it has been like in this beautiful country. Let’s start with the arrival! After a long 11-hour flight, we finally arrived around 5 pm in Taoyuan…Continue Reading 早上好 Taiwan!