Minding the Gap How taking a year off from school might just be the biggest adventure of your life… by Briana Leong Definition
A gap year is,“…time out to travel between life stages.” – Wikipedia“…a structured period of time when students take a break from formal education to increase self-awareness, push their comfort zones, and experiment with possible careers. Typically these are achieved by a combination of traveling, volunteering, interning, or working.” – American Gap Association
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I heard a lecture recently about how dangerous it is only to tell a single story of anything, because one story cannot offer a faithful picture of any situation. Moreover, instead of teaching and expanding the listeners’ view, a single story might end up generating more stereotypes and prejudices. Thus a story teller’s obligation would probably be to tell as many stories as possible, whereas listeners should keep in mind that an infinite number of unheard stories are left out.
Take the People’s Republic of China for example. What is it like? How are the people? These are a few of the numerous questions that I, a European student who studied there for a year, often hadto answer. Giving the right answer isn’t the easiest thing to do. Whenever someone insisted upon getting a short description of China, I would prefer a one-word answer. Different. To me it was so different from everything I had seen and experienced before. I’ve been living in Taiwan for the past nine months, and although I am Taiwanese by birth, I have assimilated into the American culture. These past nine months have been interesting, to say the least. I’ve spent the short time getting acquainted with the everyday Taiwanese lifestyle while noticing the little quirks many Taiwanese possess. Of course these quirks are not to be denounced, but are to be celebrated. They are simply cultural differences that are unique to people in Taiwan.
Not knowing the culture, I came to Taiwan as ignorant as a frog in a well. As a result, I’ve made a complete fool out of myself more times than I could count and more times than I can remember. by Li Lian What comes to mind when you think about Taiwanese culture? Night markets? Friendly and hospitable people? Taiwan is like a newborn baby that embraces both new creativity and old cultures, a fascinating combination of different periods all melted together. There are at least four different cultures: Hakka, Hoklo, Aboriginal, and Mainlander. But now we are all Taiwanese! You can experience this tremendous variety in Taipei as well. Here are some suggestions:
I always wanted to live by a temple because of its eye-catching puppet shows held on special days. But as time passes it is difficult to encounter such interesting cultural events, especially if you live in the city. But you can still experience great puppet shows while you are enjoying delicious Taiwanese cuisine at a restaurant called See-Join Puppet Theater, located in Taipei at 46 Yitong St. in the Zhongshan district (MRT Songjiang Nanjing Station). by Chiru Yang “We will be foreigners wherever we are,” said Professor Shen Chih Chung of the Department of Foreign Languages at National Taiwan University. “We always have to (re)blend into local society, even if we have not been there for a long time.”
“Once we leave our home country,” he said, “we are in an irreversible process of disfiguration, and there is no way of turning back.” During his twenties and thirties, Prof. Shen had to face the novelty of living in France. But when we see him now topped with a beret and holding a pipe in his mouth, he certainly seems French. Is it just nostalgia? Or has he just picked up a new style? By Wendy Sun
By Lawrence Hsiao
by Marc Sim
From breaking the law to upholding it as a lawyer, Darren Tan has overcome tremendous odds. While many of his peers were making their mark in the corporate world, he found himself facing the four walls of a prison cell. However, as the saying goes, “Life does not always offer you a second chance. When it does, It’s called tomorrow”. With every tomorrow, Darren continues to live in the present, while anticipating the future. He is a stark reminder that with faith and determination, we are able to transcend the trials and tribulations of life. This is his story, an inspiration to many. |
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The Taida Student Journal has been active since 1995 with an ever-changing roster of student journalists at NTU. Click the above link to read about the authors Archives
May 2024
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