Hi, my name is Kurt and I came to Taiwan one year ago to study a master in International Environmental Sustainable Development. Since the moment I arrived it has been a very nice experience that combines not only high level education from the University but also gives us the change to travel and know a little bit more about Taiwan in general.
This time they asked us to share our experience in our last trip to Green Island which by the way, was amazingly beautiful. This trip was very particular since not only we got the chance to travel with my friends from NCU (ICDF students) but also we got to travel with students from another university NCCU. Both groups bound very easily together what made the traveling not only a touristic experience but also a social experience. At the end we came to realize that it wasn’t only people from different universities that were involved in the trip but also people from very different countries and cultures, in which you can mention:
- Taiwan;
- Honduras;
- Panama;
- Belize;
- Burkina Faso;
- Holland;
Quite a mixture right..! During the trip we went first to Taidong, where we had a lot of fun. The purpose was to understand a little bit more the aboriginal culture from the city of taidong. For that matter, we went first to a very nice museum, right after, we went to a park where we had the chance of free the mind, ride some bicycles and play at least for a couple of hours, like we did when we were kids.
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The trip organized by the DTAIC on the Sun Moon Lake in the National Scenic Area has been instructive through its educative quality. I discovered the geography of Sun Moon Lake National Scenic Area with an elevation ranging from 2000 meters.
I recently visited the Shilin Night Market here in Taipei. It is one of several of the night markets for which Taipei is famous. I reside here at the National Yang Ming University located on Yang Ming Mountain and the nearest MRT station is Shipai. The Shilin Night Market is conveniently located near to Jiantan MRT Station which is a mere two stops down from Shipai.
During my first year in Taiwan, I knew so many new friends. I think everybody is my friend. I had acquaintance with Taiwanese people, interacted with this culture, and enjoyed my life in this country.
Traveling Taiwan has been a wonderful experience for me. I sincerely appreciate the kind generosity from ICDF/NTNU, sponsor and host school respectively, for affording us these grand trips. What I absolutely adore about Taiwan is the island’s scenic beauty and its richness of ancient Chinese culture and history. The land and sea of Taiwan hold special features that give me a sense of admiration and awe for nature’s creation.
This is my first time in an Asian country. After 10 months in Taiwan, my vision and thinking about Asians have a special meaning. What I can say about Taiwanese people is that they are hard workers, with a high cultural background, and they love their country. The food also is a vital part of the culture and as we know in Taiwan the seafood has a special site.
Being an international student has its ups and downs. For sure, you feel you are far from home, but studying abroad is the best opportunity to enjoy other places and to know other people. I have been here in Taiwan for almost three years and all the people and knowledge that I gained here represent a treasure for me.
It was an ideal time to be getting away as I had just finished writing my Digital Image Processing midterm. The ICDF group was on their way to Penguin for the weekend. After a short plane ride we hopped onto a waiting bus, where we were given a tour of the area. We made frequent stops to take pictures of the surrounding sites. Most of the sites were quite natural with green grass and tall trees, as well as getting an excellent view of the sea. It actually reminded me of Belize. I got a chance to taste the famous cactus ice cream that I had heard some much about, and although I had my reservations about tasting anything made from the fruit of the cactus tree, I was pleasantly surprised as it tasted really delicious in fact I helped myself to a second serving. The Oceanic long span bridge was quite a site and its vastness really left an impression on me. While at the bridge one of our colleagues from Swaziland was getting numerous requests to be photographed with the locals. The locals were really enthusiastic about being photographed with an African visitor. Writing about it now makes it feel like it just happened yesterday. After our long tour we finally checked into our hotel. Lucky for the guys we all got our own rooms. I do love the privacy that it affords. As it was already dinnertime when we checked in, we all decided to go out and have dinner. I took that opportunity to sample some of the local food that was being sold on the street corner. I settled on some nice tasting Tofu and roasted corn that I bought from a stall run by a very nice old lady. After dinner some of us went to the near by park where we were entertained by an amateur band that was performing reggae music. After the performance ended I headed off to see the fireworks that were taking place. I had never before witnessed such a massive display of artistry and creativity in a fire show. It really was breath taking and luckily for me I had brought my camera so I got a few got shots to remember. Bedtime could not have come any sooner as we went back to the hotel to get some well deserved sleep.
One of the most wanted emails I was waiting for: “The official schedule for our trip to Green Island and Taitung.” With excitement, we headed to Taitung by airplance on May 31rst. We were a group of students from NCCU and NTU and off course our managers. Our schedule was very tied but interesting. Before getting to Green Island, all began by visiting the National Museum of Prehistory.