It doesn’t feel that long since I arrived in Taiwan, yet I am already one month in. I am really glad I chose to study abroad with CET Taiwan. They have been helpful in terms of adjusting to life in Taipei as well as supporting me with any problems I have as they arise. I am living in an apartment with a couple other CET students and a local Taiwan roommate. I like my living situation, as I often do a lot of activities with my housemates, such as having barbeque for the Mid Autumn Festival and exploring various neighborhoods. Having a local roommate is also pretty helpful for practicing my Chinese with her as well as understanding Taiwan culture. In addition to a Taiwanese local roommate, I have two Taiwanese language partners that I meet up with once a week and practice Chinese.
So far I have enjoyed my time here in Taiwan, but it was hard adjusting to the cultural differences. I have experienced some culture shock while adjusting to life in Taipei. A difference from America is there are a lot of motorcycles. This makes it hard walking across the street, because I don’t want to get hit by a motorcycle. One thing I didn’t expect is how frequently it rains and how humid it is. I always have the AC on in the apartment so it doesn’t get too hot. I am sure I will get used to the humidity with time, and it won’t be that uncomftorable. I always bring an umbrella with me because I am not sure when it will rain. Due to the humidity, there are also a lot of mosquitos. The first day in Taipei I got a lot of mosquito bites on my legs. Now I always apply bug spray and wear long pants to prevent getting mosquito bites. Another cultural difference is that you are not allowed to drink water on the bus or MRT. Before knowing that rule, I made the mistake of drinking water on the MRT, but my local roommate told me I should put away my water. Also, since there is no dryer in my apartment I have to hang up my clothes after washing them. This just means I have to wait a couple of days for my clothes to dry.
Although it was difficult adjusting to culture shock, there are a couple of things I appreciate about Taiwanese life. Everyday I take the bus to National Taiwan University (NTU), and I have found it to be pretty convenient and clean. Busses come almost every 15-30 minutes, making it a reliable transportation. Besides taking the bus, I also ride the MRT which is the local train system. Compared to America, I find the MRT more convenient since it comes around every 6-10 minutes. There are also other transit systems like the high speed rail, which I have yet to take, that is a pretty fast mode of transportation connecting you to other parts of Taiwan. I also love how hospitable Taiwanese people are. Sometimes I get lost navigating different areas, but Taiwanese people are always eager to help me find where I want to go.
I also experienced what it is like to eat in a Taiwanese restaurant. Although I am learning Chinese, it was still a bit difficult to order in Chinese. It is sometimes hard to figure out what characters mean, especially on menus. I had to ask my Taiwanese roommate how to say what I wanted to order. Hopefully with time I can order in Chinese without using Google translate. The food is pretty good and also pretty cheap. Food in Taiwan is generally cheaper than food in America, so it will be nice to eat a lot of good food while also saving a lot of money.
There are a lot of cultural differences that I need to adjust to in Taipei, but I am sure with time I will get used to it. Although there are a lot of cultural differences, there are already a lot of differences that I enjoy about Taipei. I am excited to spend the next two months studying abroad in Taipei. So far I have met a lot of other students in my program, but I am excited to make a lot more new friends. I am also looking forward to exploring various places in Taipei as well as other places outside of Taipei.
