Taiwan

[qintaiwan]

Traveling always promises heaps of new intangible knowledge that can be learned, and that is the main reason I travel. The first few photos are me with my classmates. These classmates are all from my two intensive Chinese classes I took while in Taiwan, these people not only became my friends, but helped me learn so much more Chinese than I ever could have back home. Taking classes abroad can be tricky, but these particular classes were both completely taught in Mandarin, helping me gain an entire new perspective on life and how different one can become once becoming so in touch with another culture via language. Finally, the last two photos are photos with my some of my best friends while being abroad. This is also an intangible gain because they helped me further my understanding of the world through different countries’ perspective. As for my personal goals, I think I being abroad has helped me realize that I want to travel even more, and learn more languages because that is what truly can help you have a well-rounded understanding of a different culture. 

[qintaiwan]

Most of my most cherished moments in Taiwan were not captured in any photos, and that is personally how I feel life should be lived while abroad: experiencing culture, moments, and living free from societal expectations. However for the purpose of cute instagram photos and this blog, I have three visuals for great times spent while in Taiwan/Taipei. The first photo was when my friend Eve and I spontaneously went to Taichung for a couple days, with no plans at all, but we so much fun in just those two days. The second photo was a hangout with my good friends Lidia and Owen where we went to just walk around of the historical monuments. The last photo is me on a field trip for a geology class, and although I knew some people going into the trip, I made an incredible amount o new friends that made me laugh so hard I was crying on many occasions. 

[qintaiwan]

Personally, I would say no, I do not exactly relate to this statement. Although there are times where I feel like I miss home, I do still have a secure place in Taiwan, and that is my dormitory, which I make feel more like home by doing things like having plants, going to the museums, and surrounding myself with similar energies as the ones that I have back at home. I do think sometimes traveling can be brutal, but Taiwan is like a third home for me, so I feel extremely comfortable being there. This did not really change my mentality of travel, however, it did make me want to travel to more different places than western/westernized ones. 

[qintaiwan]

My favorite meal is a hard one to pin down as just one, however, my favorite restaurant thus far is this vegetarian buffet style Buddha restaurant. You can go to the restaurant for a meal, light lunch, or even a snack. The way that the restaurant works is you get as much as you want and put it in the to-go box or on your plate and weigh it to pay. These two photos were not necessarily my favorite meal, since my favorite thing to eat here is veggie dumplings, but I have not yet found a really yummy veggie dumpling place as good as the one from last time I was here. The food is obviously a bit different from America, for it is a tastier and more authentic of the Taiwanese food you can get in the states. In addition, my favorite restaurant in regards to vibe, is this simple coffee shop in the first picture with one of my best friends here, Amy. I often go here to study or just to hang out and have a good cup of coffee. 

[qintaiwan]

Name a preconception you had about the country you traveled to prior to your experience there. Did your experiences support or reject this notion? Explain.

Since this is my second time studying in Taiwan, I did not have any particular “preconceptions” necessarily about the country. I chose to come here again because I wanted to further my Chinese studies and continue to interact with the wonderful locals here in Taipei. However, my number one preconception was the ability to make friends while abroad. I was lucky to have made lifelong friends last time I came to Taiwan; however, I have really been able to make close relationships with these few people. Anytime something happens here in Taipei, I know that these friends will always have my back.

[qintaiwan]

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