By Stephen Lee Many students in Taiwan like the idea of travelling. It is a way to expand your knowledge of the world. After living in Taiwan for many years, students may be curious about what other exchange or international students think of Taiwan. I will therefore discuss the interesting facts that I have experienced in Taiwan as an exchange student from New Zealand. The first thing that I experienced about Taiwan after my flight was the sudden shift in climate! As some of you may know, New Zealand is located in the Southern part of the Southern Hemisphere. Therefore the seasons between the two countries are directly opposite. I left New Zealand at the end of August, which was a time of cold winter at around 10 degrees. However, when I arrived at Taoyuan International Airport and went outside to catch the bus, I felt a climate change that was very hard to get used to. When I arrived at my dorm, I immediately folded away my entire winter wear. At that time, even when I was wearing short sleeves and short pants, I still felt that I needed air conditioning everywhere I went. As time went by, I slowly got used to the weather.
The moment I arrived in Taipei, I found out that many people are actually willing to help out. Because I am a foreigner with difficulties reading Chinese, I got lost along the way. The only thing I could do was to ask strangers for directions. The people in Taipei replied to me with respect and also pointed directions for me in order to make sure that I understood where to go. Someone even drew a simple map on a piece of paper, just so I could see where I was heading! This was even more the case when I arrived at NTU and moved into the dorm where I live. I requested a Student Volunteer, and he did all that he could to help me in terms of banking, moving in, getting used to Taiwan, and even giving up his own time to meet with me in person and take me around campus! I couldn’t be more thankful. The NTU staff are super friendly too. When I was trying to ask questions about how to pay for fees and the completion of health forms, they told me what to do step by step with patience. In general, I think that Taiwanese people (students, staff and strangers) have immense respect for everyone. I truly felt Taiwan’s warm welcome. Many people may be wondering if this is the case in New Zealand. My answer to that question is: Yes. I found that people in New Zealand are just as friendly. However, as a local New Zealander, I am used to my surroundings and I seldom ask for directions. But if you are a student who has never travelled to New Zealand before, I highly recommend it. The people there are friendly and will help you no matter what, just like how Taiwanese treated me when I arrived. In Taiwan, food stalls are EVERYWHERE. Famous for its food, Taiwan has certainly met my expectations. I live quite close to the Gongguan night market, and every time I walk down the roads, I see stall after stall, and much of the food was very different from what I was used to eating back at home. I was hesitant at first, but then I slowly got accustomed to the food and don’t regret it. At all. What impresses me the most is the fact that even if I don’t see the food stalls, I can still smell them from far away. This is something that I never experienced before, because food stalls in New Zealand are not as popular (but there’s plenty of Kiwifruit if you are interested!). I think what Taiwan does much better than New Zealand is transport. Taiwan’s transport system, especially in Taipei, is top notch. The MRT system is well designed and on time. The bus schedules are also very frequent and on time. Taiwan has taxis everywhere, so if you are truly lost, you can always take a taxi. I think that New Zealand’s transport systems are less convenient in comparison. We don’t have any MRTs and taxis that can’t be called with a wave of your hand. You must call them beforehand. I believe this is because New Zealand is so big, so it is difficult to build MRT systems. At the end of the day, I believe that both Taiwan and New Zealand have their perks. But my experience as a New Zealander living in Taiwan has been a fantastic journey, and I am so happy to be able to share my experience with everyone. I hope that the different transport systems in New Zealand don’t put anyone off from going to there, because it is truly a beautiful country, and I encourage all students to go there to experience it for themselves! a
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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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