USA to Taiwan

Hi I'm Kandace, and I was a Rotary Exchange student in Taiwan during the 15/16 school year! 歡迎！

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Hi I'm trying to go Italy my junior year. I'm not going through a program but instead I'm staying with my grandma and enrolling in the school. In America I'm in all advanced classes and I'm going to Italy for the experience but I also want to do well in school. My dad says that I will fail all my classes such as Latin since it's a class I won't be able to do. My question is how you deal with those kind of classes so that you don't come back and lower your GPA and hinder college opportunity.

Sorry for never answering!! I don’t use this blog much, but I hope you were able to tackle this problem. If I was on time with answering, I would have told you to not let anyone tell you that you’ll fail. You can do the impossible and that includes a Latin class. It all starts with what YOU think you can do. If you think you can get through the classes, then you can do it! Just don’t give into the “I can’t” and just keep pushing and doing your best, and remember, as long as you did, your GPA doesn’t define you. What you did to earn those grades is what does! I hope it went well!!! And that you enjoyed your time in beautiful Italy.

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Hi! I want to do an exchange experience next year, but I have a trouble which stop me. I'm in a relationship since 2 years yet, I'm afraid to lost him.. What do you think? I must go anyway?

My apologies for never answering this! I never check my blog. But if I were to answer now, I would say that love has no boundaries and shouldn’t hinder you from doing great things. If it is true, then the distance can’t divide you :) and the time apart will only enable you to grow together and as separate individuals if you allow it. I hope your year abroad was amazing and that everything turned out well no matter what path you chose. Whatever it was is the best choice 😊

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I really want to study abroad, but at the same time I dont want to leave behind what I have here in California. I don't want my friends to get closer without me and I'm really going to miss Marching band season and Wind Ensemble. Yet at the same time I feel like I'll regret letting this amazing opportunity pass. I know it would be worth it to go, but the idea of leaving my friends behind and having to reintegrate into the group makes me question whether or not I should.

That thought is the fear talking. Don’t let fear overrule against an amazing chance :) it wants you to stay at home! Change is an amazing chance for you to grow as an individual and to bring you out of your comfort zone, which is your home and your friends you already have :) but just imagine once you reintegrate, you’ll have many more friends but from around the world and from many many different cultures. It’ll be a different experience. Your friends at home aren’t going anywhere! This is for YOU. I’m sorry for the late response, I don’t check this blog much, but I thought I might as well reply just in case this is something your still questioning. Go out, say no to the fear, and be a bad ass in another country and have a great time!

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Would it be too early to start talking to my local rotarians about 18/19 youth exchange?

Never too early 😊

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Hello so I'm planning on going on a student exchange for a gap year to France right. The only major thing really stoping me from going is the money. Are you supposed to have all your spending money before you go on exchange ?

Hi. If it is not a scholarship program, then I suppose you will have to pay for the year before going, but in spending money for extra things just do that as you go along. Have some money aside for emergencies and to start out with at least. But throughout my year, I witnessed and became a poor exchange student, haha. You’ll survive when this happens. Just look at it as a learning experience and hope your friends will help you out. 

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Hi, just some random doubt lol.. my #1 option is S. Korea, cause I'm really into the culture, but idk if I say that I love the country and that I know a lot about it, Rotary won't send me there, idk if I'm clear hehe

Sorry for the late reply, maybe you already have your country, but I say you don’t have to love the country to go there. You could even go to a country you would think you’d hate, but once there, you will find things you love. There is things to hate and in love in every country. Just be open and accepting. 

[taiwanexchangedream]

400 people. French are strong.

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🇫🇷❤️

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November 15,2015

Today was a great day. It started out with me going to meet my 3 closest friends here in Taiwan, 2 Danes and 1 Turk. We went to an Italian Restaurant near Taipei 101 that was so damn good. It is definitely somewhere I am going to go back to again. It was a great change from the normal Taiwanese food. Afterwards, we went to shop (except for me, I looked… I am having that poor moment in exchange 😅). Surprisingly, it seems things are a lot cheaper here than in the USA which is very nice. The more expensive items seem to be the foreign, high up brands. There are these fortune tellers inside the shopping area so we decided to go to there. You were able to ask one free question so we all did and got pretty good feedback. It was nice to hear what the lady had to say and it was actually what I needed to hear. I think that went for all of us.

After that, we went to meet other exchangers at CKS Memorial. Here, we were going to have a moment of honoring France due to the recent attack. It was truly amazing how we all came together, foreigners and non foreigners from all over the world to show our support and love for the French. Underneath the main arch for the memorial, they put down a French flag and wrote in candles, “Paris”. Everyone sat down around it, wrapped in the flags of France, and waited for the main event to begin. A French speaker spoke and we were to have a minute of silence. Afterwards, all the exchange students gathered and hugged one another, raising the French flags high into sky. This was a great moment that I am glad I was apart of. This day was day to show our love and support for the country of France. Even if we are all the way in Taiwan, we were able to come together as one. ❤️☮🇫🇷

For the people of France, and other countries going through these similar troubles, the world stands by you. We can make change if we all stand together. Prayers are being sent your way. ❤️

This day was a day that won’t be forgotten.

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Walking Too Fast 🚶

I get told frequently by my family I walk too fast by my host family.

Today, we were going out to dinner. I was walking toward the restaurant with my host sister towing behind not noticing a thing, till I heard panted breathing. I turned my head and saw that she was jogging behind me, trying to catch up with my walking. Not sure why, but I find this hilarious. This made me laugh when I saw that she had to jog to catch up with me while I was just walking. She then said "Ah you walk so fast. Look at mom!" And pointed out that mom was a block away.

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October 7, 2015

I'm on the bus, going to the MRT and I watch as two elders walked onto the bus, one was in worse shape and had a cane. There are these 4 seats saved for those who need it like for pregnant women, disabled, elderly, etc. Three of these seats were occupied once they got on. When these two women were seen, this man that was sitting in one of the seats immediately left his seat giving his seat away to them, and a women closest to the door scooted down a seat to let the women with the cane have sit down quicker and not have to go farther.

Acts like this may seem small to even write about, but they demonstrate the kindness of Taiwanese and make me smile.

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World Trade Center of Taipei （在 Taipei 101）

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Hi :) Just wanted to ask if you have make any Taiwanese friends yet? I'm also on exchange and it's pretty hard for me to make friends :x

Hi :) i haven't made close Taiwanese friends or ones that I hang out with after school. Mainly just during school I interact with the students. My host mom pushes me to hang out with them but that's kind of hard (language barrier and all) and there are other major important aspects of exchange that I can focus on. I think as the year goes on I will get to know them better especially as my Chinese grows! For now, it's alright. Good luck!!

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Friday, October 2nd: Quick Update

Currently sitting in a English class that is taught by a teacher from California, USA. This means I do not do much because it is English and that's my native language so it's a free two hours for me. It's nice having a teacher here from the USA although I do not see him much. He is nice to talk to! It is not like I am not surrounded by English though and need to hear it from him. Most exchange students speak English and there seems to be a decent amount of English spoken/seen everywhere in Taipei which may or may not be a good thing.

I pretty much have free hours all the time here which doesn't make school too exciting. I'm not required to do anything other than these journals that they give me that are due the following week. The only classes I seem to do actual things in is cooking class (which I only have once a week on Wednesday), and during club hour. I'll post a picture of my schedule after this post! Other than that, I spend my time on my phone, reading, and studying Chinese.

In between classes (10 minutes between) and lunch/nap time are the best times for me. Being a foreigner in Asia is a fun thing. Everyone in school will say hi to me, and then get really excited when I say hi back, and will ask to take pictures. A lot of staring goes on too, but I don't mind. It's interesting looking different from everyone else and experiencing that. In the USA, I can blend in because it's a country made up of all kinds of people and cultures, but in Taiwan it is less diverse so I can't blend in. It makes it more exciting to see other foreigners. If my friend and I see one on the MRT (train system) or in the streets and we smile and say "Foreigner"!

Speaking of the USA, I so far have not missed it that much. Maybe at certain down moments I miss the comfort of home but that is it so far. For example, a couple of weeks ago I went through a rough patch with my host family and it made me miss my home but that went by fast. The city of Taipei is growing on me so quickly and the people as well. It feels like home to me already.

The other exchange students have contributed a lot to me being able to adapt quickly. We have all become close and can count on each other. Being in Taipei means I am surrounded by so many other exchange students and the MRT system makes it so easy to get around to meet and see them. It's really nice!!

Now only have one hour left of school. I get out at 16:00... Let the countdown begin.

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How much Chinese did you know before you went to Taiwan, and how did you study?

Before coming to Taiwan I really didn't know too much chinese at all. I did study using flashcards from apps or online learning programs but I learned basics like thank you. I am doing most of my learning in Taiwan!

[tuliointaiwan]

Why…are….Chinese…names…so…. difficult….to…learn…

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I can't remember any..

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Tuesday,September 29,2015: The unhealthy side of food in Taiwan ❤️😅

……

Today I woke up around 12 and went to see that the typhoon had gone and the weather wasn’t too bad so I was able to go out with friends. It was just so hot and unfortunately I didn’t realize that heat and wore pants. Such a horrible decision on my part! Anyways, today I went with my friends to this amazing place called “Toasteria” where they make the best grilled cheese. I only have gone there once before and have been craving another one of these great sandwiches they make. Afterwards, we went to a place called “Cronut” where they sell donuts/croissants mixed in one. It’s so delicious. Today I would say was my bad day of eating food because afterwards, maybe an hour or two after, we went to this place called “Voodoo Doughnut” which was a pretty cool place. It has a great design and nice atmosphere. The food I had was pretty good too! I just stayed at that place for awhile and talked before having to go home and meet my curfew at 7.

Right now I am currently experiencing my first sick moment in Taiwan. My throat is hurting so much 😔 my host mom gave me an aloe drink to help "cure" it but I'm not sure what that will do. I'll see how it is in the morning!

I'm going to try and update more often because I've been really slacking in that department so sorry about that. Good night for now, 晚安 😴