Taiwan 1SE Video

Looking back at first months in Taiwan

Reflections upon leaving Taiwan

Some reflections on Taiwan written from my yoga mat (aka 'my personal item') fully unfurled in the middle of the gate:  I’m wearing the same outfit as when my parents sent me off from the Indianapolis Airport.  It feels like nothing has happened since then, but also that I’m an entirely different person.  Moving abroad is something everyone should do at least once.  It teaches you what you value about a community, what you value of your material possessions, what you value in friends.

I didn’t realize how homogeneously academic my circles were until I came here and met teachers, billionaires, make up artists, yoga teachers, dancers, ping pong coaches, painters, chefs, unemployed travelers, people with foot fetishes, etc.  I feel like I can get along with any sort of person, after I’ve met so many new ones over the past two years.  Some transient, some very meaningful, like my acro community.  They surprised me with matching customized shirts during our last jam and made a circle to all base me without me touching the ground.  I was really touched. 

Taiwan is an extremely special place, not only in my heart but also as a model of a successful transition from a military state to a vibrant democracy, over the 80s and 90s becoming so safe it now feels utopian.

In my last few weeks in Taiwan, when I thought I was done adding people to my life, I befriended a Taiwanese guy (he came up to me on the street in Wanhua) who is a basketball agent.  He specializes in bringing Taiwanese American college players, who could never dream of making pro in the US, to Taiwan where they’ll become MVPs.  As a result, he’s an expert in Taiwanese immigration policy and uses KMT historical records from when the party was still in mainland China.  He can spot Chinese heritage by the chunkiness in a player’s calves—Taiwanese people have often praised me for my slim calves (actually they’re quite muscular, thank you very much), another beauty standard based on the colonizer.  “Imports” or foreign players, i.e. Dwight Howard, are otherwise tightly controlled in the two Taiwanese professional leagues because they have such an influence on the play.  Only two from each team are allowed on the court in the first three quarters, and only one in the last quarter.  My new friend got us VIP passes for a game which only when I got to the stadium (和平籃球場 right across from my dorm building) did I notice that it was THE FINALS.  Jeremy Lin’s team had already been eliminated, but I got to see his little brother play, a contender for MVP.

In my last few days in Taiwan, my friend who is a semi-professional table tennis player took me to the ping pong dungeon, where I got free lessons all night.  Ping pong is so dominated by Asians, that my friend learned Chinese as an adolescent to better communicate with his coaches and as he was traveling to Asia for competitions so frequently.

My friend also happens to be opening a chicken & biscuits restaurant in Taipei

My last day in Taiwan, I wanted 刮痧, an anti-inflammatory scraping technique of Traditional Chinese Medicine.  My friend and I ended up at a stall inside a traditional market that had one massage table and a curtain.  My friend got too scared, but I had a great scrape.  First was a warmup of vigorous massage.  Then the masseuse used a glass jar suction-cupped to my skin to rub along my back.  He used oil and a bilobed wooden disc to scrape my neck.  Finally, he cracked all the bones in my spine.  It didn’t hurt as much as I was expecting; he said I have good pain tolerance and that men are more scared of the pain.  The redness supposedly indicates that your muscles needed this detoxifying anti-fatiguing process, but I think it indicates you’re an extremely pale person.

I had a last lunch of 小籠包 soup dumplings and with T and Juliet (she brought me a matcha mochi doughnut as a going away present).  After a last dinner at Din Tai Fung with April, Ryanna, and Charlie, my friends accompanied me to the airport.  I’m excited to be moving on to the next stage in my life.  I have a lot that I’m looking forward to.

MS Graduation

The last weekend in May was NTU commencement.  In Taiwan, university graduation festivities occur before final exams start.  In fact, Taiwanese students order their graduation gowns at the very beginning of their senior year so then they can take graduations photos on any good weather day or vacation they may take over the next year.

Another major difference from the United States is that Taiwanese universities are rather siloed into departments.  Instead of picking a university, high school students pick a specific department based on which ones they qualify for with their test scores.  Almost every single class they take in college is determined by their major.  Clubs and extracurriculars are sometimes within the department too, for example the College of Public Health badminton team I played on for a year.  This loyalty is reflected in commencement ceremonies.  The departments all had their own graduations, where each undergraduate, Masters, and Doctorate student’s name is read as they cross the stage.  For graduate students, our research advisor turned the tassel on our graduation cap for us.  I was honored to give the valedictorian speech—the one part of the ceremony in English and thus understood by my mom watching the livestream in the middle of the night on the other side of the world. Everyone clapped just because I did a very simple intro in Chinese and then later because I mentioned stinky tofu.  Since the departments have more limited space, it is standard that not many family members are able to attend in person but may watch the livestream from a designated nearby auditorium or join for photos after.  That evening, my class went out for a celebration dinner in Yangmingshan with scenic night views.

The overall NTU graduation was the next day in the light filled gymnasium but was not as well attended as the respective departments’ graduations.  It still felt huge to me and reminded me of my cousin’s commencement in Alabama.  The commencement speaker was a Taiwanese American corporate tech billionaire.  At the end, all the students stood, removed their caps, and bowed deeply to the faculty and then again to the parents.  There was an exit procession to the ominous gongs of the Fu Bell and a startling confetti explosion.

My mom and I both graduated with our Masters degrees within one week of one another.  While my family could not attend, my roommate’s mom was visiting from the United States, and some non-student friends joined me for an international students party, making the day feel very special.

The next week, after successfully receiving a grant to organize an event, I hosted Vivi Lin, the CEO of Taiwan’s only menstrual health NGO, With Red, to speak at the College of Public Health.  It was exciting for the research and advocacy worlds of my academic interest come together.  The very next day, I successfully defended my Masters thesis.  I had three very cool professors on my defense committee.

That weekend, to celebrate before starting on my thesis edits, I went swimming in a natural geologic park called 和平島 with one of my best Taiwanese friends, Eroo.  It was my first time walking around Keelung and its night market 廟口夜市.  It was a much more bustling harbor city than I was expecting.

Eating 石花凍 (local speciality: algae jelly)

廟口夜市

Taiwanese Baseball Game

With one month left before leaving Taiwan, I organized some of my friends to attend a Dragons baseball game at Tianmu Stadium.  It felt full circle since right before leaving Baltimore, I’d gone to my first Orioles game with all my local friends at Camden Yards.  Baseball in Taiwan is a legacy of the Japanese colonialism period.  In the past, teams had been disbanded due to game-fixing by gangs, but now there’s 6 major league teams around the island that all play each other.  The biggest difference between MLB and the Taiwanese league is that the fans dance and sing the whole time.  Starting from the first inning, fans were on their feet dancing along with the renowned cheerleaders of Taiwanese baseball.  Even while the home team is up, the stadium is blasting the batter’s walk-up song, and everyone is singing that batter’s specific chant and dancing their specific dance.  There were fewer breaks between innings so the game overall went a lot faster.  The stadium allowed you to bring your own food and drink, so rather than eating overpriced hotdogs we were eating 滷味 (night market stewed veggies) and guava with plum powder.

"The Hot Zones" are the sections right in front of the cheerleaders on either side,
infamous for being full of men taking photos of them

Also, I recently went outdoor climbing for the first time (besides via ferrata in Kentucky).  This time, it was in 龍洞 Longdong right by the ocean.  After bouldering indoors frequently over the past year, it was exhilarating to climb on real rock with birds flying around me and waves crashing below me.

Finally, I visited the Water Treatment Museum, which is a popular wedding photo destination but otherwise a bit dry.  They do have a children’s water park that opens later in the summer.

Early Springtime Activities

Solo hike up 茶壺山 Teapot Mtn

Almond tofu pudding with black sesame sauce afterwards in 九份老街 Shifen Old Street
(always overpacked with tourists and drizzly weather)

Attending an exclusive tea tasting party...my favorite part was the unlimited homemade vegan ice cream

Swimming, acro, and beach volleyball at 萬里 Wanli Beach for a friend's birthday on Tomb Sweeping Holiday (like Memorial Day in that it’s a random Monday off right when the weather is good enough for the beach, but not like Memorial Day in that it’s when male relatives all go to care for their ancestor’s graves)

My first ever Passover Seder! Kosher lamb shanks not available in Taipei hence the large carrot.  A few very fun Jewish friends were hosting; the traditions called for drinking four full glasses of red wine, playing hide-and-seek for a hidden matzah, singing while pounding the table and playing bongos.

My friend took me on a night hike to 老地方 which just happened to overlook 大甲 park where an EDM festival was taking place, right as we were summiting the Chainsmokers performed their hit Closer

Seoul

Biking along the Han River

This past week I was able to make a quick trip to Seoul to visit my college suitemate who lives there.  It was such a meaningful visit as she was a generous and dedicated hostess.  I was really impressed by the food. Otherwise, I’d say the biggest difference from daily life in Taipei is the colder weather and the size.

Seoul's metro map makes Taipei's look like child's play

Training from Incheon Airport to my friend's nice 2-bedroom in Hyehwa (an artsy central neighborhood)

Climbing an amazing peak at Bukhansan National Park just north of the city

Hip area of Hongdae

Changgyeonggung Palace

The king who invented the systematic alphabet for Korean

Myeongdong area, reminded me of Ximen in Taipei

Tons of self-service photo booth stores

Cheap jewelry stores also abounded

Gimbap for breakfast

Jajangmyeon for 3000 won, probably my favorite meal

Bulgogi

Korean bingsoo was similar to Taiwan's shaved ice

Injeolmi nut powder shaved ice

Pouch ice cream milkshake, similar convenience store culture as Japan and Taiwan

Dakgalbi

Gwangjang Market

Still moving raw octopus tentacles

Fried mungbean cakes

Donut twist

KBBQ with personal stove and fume head

Steamed egg

Street vendor crisped sugar cookies with different shapes