羅澈

Today marked the last day of the program. We took a trip to our final lunch at a restaurant called Kao Chi. It was a lot of food and it was a lot of fun. We parted ways and said our goodbyes. I honestly will probably never see most of the people on the trip again, as I graduated already and am moving to Arizona for the time being. There was an assignment due at 7:00pm, so Tian, Anqi, and I went to a nearby Matcha place to get the work done. The AC in this place must have been malfunctioning, and honestly I do not even like matcha, so I got 0 work done. We then returned to the hotel and quickly finished our work before heading to Taipei 101.

We first went to the food court where Anqi and I got Korean bibimbap and Tian got Japanese curry. I am a little convinced that Tian thought he was on a trip to Japan, because he ate Japanese food like every other day. We did a quick photoshoot in front of Taipei 101 before returning to the Raohe night market for some last minute souvenir shopping. We found a place selling Labubus for 600 NTD, when retail is around 800 NTD. We thought we were probably getting scammed, but they were somehow real. I was getting rushed by Tian and Anqi and they were hindering my souvenir shopping process, so I split off from them and bought some souvenirs before returning back to the hotel for the final time. 

Overall, being in Taiwan was a great experience and I am a bit sad to leave. Peter and Yeh Laoshi did a great job organizing the program, and everyone on the trip made it very memorable. I hope I do not forget a single moment of this trip (except for Pooja’s)

再見

We met at 10:30 today and first went to a Hakka rest stop. We thought it was just some small gas station, before realizing that we were at the wrong place and the actual rest stop was a massive rest stop on the other side of the parking lot. I walked in and saw a McDonalds and knew I had to get the famous Parmesan Chicken Sandwich. I then walked around in search of a mango smoothie, but could only find some form of strawberry ice cream. They honestly did not give me what I ordered and were definitely guilty of false advertising, as I got a half vanilla half strawberry cone, but it was still decent. We then went to TSMC, where they gave us a small tour of the museum. The vibe was really strange here and genuinely reminded me of a tour from North Korea. We were not allowed to record any videos and they had to inspect all bags. The tour guide also spoke with an interesting cadence that sounded almost robotic. Inside the museum, there were a few VR headsets that were pretty cool, and a lot of the exhibits were really interesting. I learned that Morris Chang, the founder of TSMC, is not dead. I am not sure why I was convinced he died, but that was a surprise. At the end, they made us do a survey that was basically rating our tour guide. I assume if we gave her a bad rating, she would be executed, so we all gave her a good rating.

We returned to the hotel and I made plans with Tian to go to Taipei 101. Tian then proceeded to sleep and I was left in the hotel room. I ordered some Indian food on Uber Eats and rested in the room to prepare for the final day in Taiwan. The Indian food was not that good, but it was far better than Pooja’s.

明天見

Academic Reflection

Over 90 percent of electronic devices, including every Apple product, use TSMC chips. I found it fascinating that one company could dominate an entire industry to this extent, something that rarely happens in a capitalist economy.

What stood out even more was how strange the tour felt. The vibe genuinely reminded me of a North Korean tour. We were not allowed to record any videos, and they inspected all of our bags before we went in. Everything felt controlled, like they were carefully managing what we were allowed to see and hear. It made the whole experience feel a bit surreal.

The museum also made me realize how much semiconductors impact daily life. Before visiting, I never thought about how many everyday items rely on ICs. The exhibits showed how technology like refrigerators, watches, and phones have completely changed as semiconductors advanced.

We also learned about TSMC’s founder, Dr. Morris Chang. He was born in China, immigrated to Taiwan during political turmoil, studied at MIT and Harvard, and worked at Texas Instruments before founding TSMC. His story reflects the waves of immigrants who came to Taiwan and his leadership played a major role in shaping TSMC into the global powerhouse it is today.

This morning, we had a reservation for 10:00, so we decided to meet at 9:15. I got downstairs before Rebekka because she had to go back up to her room. She was running late, so I waited for her while eating breakfast. Once she came back down, we headed out for the day. A few weeks ago, I had signed up for an ink painting workshop, and today was the day. At 9:25, Rebekka, Tian, Anqi, Landon, and I left the hotel to go to Ximen, where the workshop was being held. When we got to the location, there was a sign that said it was closed on Mondays (today is Monday). The place also looked like a pottery studio and seemed closed. We stepped inside anyway, and two people came out from the back and told us it was the right place and they were ready for our reservation.

The workshop teacher spoke English and was super nice. The workshop focused on painting bamboo and lotus flowers. I honestly had no idea what I signed up for, but it ended up being a lot of fun. We started on practice paper, doing three practice paintings on actual rice paper. These turned out to be our final paintings, but it was still a good time. After finishing our bamboo paintings, we moved on to lotus flowers. We only got one try for this. My first attempt got messed up because Tian sat next to me, and I also got bad instructions from Anqi and Rebekka. I had to start over, and while I liked my bamboo paintings better, I was still happy with how the lotus turned out. After we finished, we took individual and group photos before leaving. It was a really fun workshop, and I’m glad Rebekka invited me.

After the workshop, we walked to a smoothie place I had gone to with Tian before. The first time we tried it, it was the best mango smoothie of all time. We got it again, and while it was still good, it wasn’t as amazing as last time. The first time, it had us dancing on the street, but this time it was just a good smoothie.

Afterwards, Anqi, Tian, and I went to Din Tai Fung for lunch. We had to wait around 80 minutes for a table, so we just wandered around the mall while waiting. When we finally got seated, the food was good as always, and we made sure not to over-order like we did with KBBQ. After lunch, we went back to the hotel and chilled until it was time for dinner and drinks with the group.

We went to a stir-fry place that’s popular with local workers who go there to drink after work. Amy, a friend from class who also happened to be in Taiwan, joined us too. There were two tables: a “drinking” table and a “not drinking” table. Yeh Laoshi was at the not drinking table, but people from the drinking table kept going over to give her beer “shots.” I say shots because she would only accept a tiny bit of beer and took forever to drink it. I mostly talked with Amy during dinner, but I also argued with Jess about basketball for a while. When we left, it was pouring rain, so I kept having to share umbrellas with people. Tian had the same idea, so we kept fighting for umbrellas the whole time.

After dinner, Tian, Anqi, Emily, Glenda, Mike, Giancarlo, Layla, Lauren, and I went to WAVE club in Taipei. It was a lot of fun, and we got back really late. As soon as I got to my bed, I fell asleep immediately. Overall, it was a long and tiring day, but it was so much fun.

明天見

We had to meet at 2:00 am today. This was a very painful deadline for me, as my stomach was still hurting from hot pot and I was generally exhausted from all the activities lately. I think I fell asleep on the bus ride there, but it was a bit of a fever dream. We were travelling to go to the top of a mountain in order to watch the sunrise. Landon, Jess, and I were not aware that it was going to be extremely cold on the top of the mountain, and since we got dressed while half asleep, we were in shorts and short sleeve shirts. Obviously, we were incredibly cold the second we left the bus. It started lightly raining as well, which did not help. We reached the top and could not even see the sunrise due to the fog, which was unfortunate. I was so cold I bought an egg omelette just because it was hot food, but I was so full from hotpot I could barely eat it. We then went to a hotel for some breakfast, where I tried to eat a lot of fiber. We then went on a long train ride and eventually went on a hike through the woods. We saw some monkeys, which was cool, but it was so cold and rainy that I just wanted to go to the hotel. We returned to the hotel where I promptly crashed. I woke up at midnight and it was too late to get food, so I just went back to sleep. Overall it was a painful day, but it was nice to see the monkeys.

Academic Reflection

Alishan is definitely a unique spot in Taiwan that brings in a lot of visitors. I’ve seen Alishan-branded products in every city we’ve been to, which shows how it has become a symbol of Taiwan’s mountain regions and a big part of Taiwan’s identity. The resort where we had breakfast, the public transportation systems, and all the food shops across the area make it clear how important tourism is here.

Alishan is also really famous for its high mountain tea and wasabi. During the Japanese occupation, they found a red cypress tree that was over 3,000 years old and named it the Sacred Tree. It stood right next to the train station and became a landmark until it eventually died after being hit by lightning and heavy rain. The remains of the trunk are still there for visitors to see. Now, there is a “second generation” of Sacred Trees, and while we were hiking through the forest, we saw the Xianglin Giant Tree, which is considered the biggest and oldest living tree in the Alishan National Scenic Area.

Seeing the efforts to protect these ancient trees reminded me of Sequoia National Forest in the United States. Both places focus on conserving these massive trees, whether it’s protecting them from logging or, in Alishan’s case, from the expansion of tea and wasabi plantations. The Sequoia National Forest was created to save the remaining giant sequoias, especially the General Sherman Tree, which is the largest tree on Earth by volume. I’m glad that both Taiwan and the USA see conservation as important, but I honestly wish that the USA would actually take it seriously, but I doubt we ever will.

Today we got on the bus for a while in order to return to a place that we went to a few days ago. The place was a subway station that has a cat working there once a month. He was missing the last time we went, but this time we were able to see him. Then, we made a trip to Alishan. We got to Alishan and rested for a minute before I went exploring with Tian and Anqi. We went to the weirdest gym I had ever been to. There was a ballpit and 0 weights. There was also a very creepy playroom and a singular Xbox. We went outside and there was a place with a few mini golf holes. Tian hit one of the balls extremely hard and it almost flew off the side. He then proceeded to hit a second ball even harder and it bounced off a hotel room window. We immediately left and returned to our rooms in order to prepare for hotpot. At hotpot, I sat with Peter, Jess, Tian, Layla, and Anqi. Tian made a comment that the tongs used to serve some of the food were dirty, and a worker overheard him and started laughing. He was definitely the one in charge of cleaning the tongs. Every time the worker would walk around, we could tell he was not actually working and was just looking busy. They gave us a little bit too much food, so some people (Anqi and Tian) were unable to finish their portions. Tian even slipped me some food to eat. We wanted to avoid another KBBQ incident, so we just finished all the meat and left the rice and sides alone. My stomach genuinely felt sick after hot pot, but at least that means I ate enough. Overall it was a fun experience.

明天見

Today I managed to squeeze in a few bites of breakfast before heading out to our excursion for the day. We headed to the Ten-drum Cultural Village show. The show was quite interesting and we had really good seats. After the show, we had some time to explore the village. Tian and I spotted some mango smoothies, so we immediately had to buy them. We then decided we wanted to get some lunch. We found some bar area and ordered some chicken tenders to share. Yeh Laoshi ended up walking in and joined us. We saw Jess walking back and asked Peter what happened. Jess was walking the entirely wrong way and would still be walking to try to find food if Peter did not find him. We wondered what happened, and realized that Yeh Laoshi sent him in the entirely wrong direction where there was no food, and then went to the actual food spot herself. After leaving the village, we headed on the ferry of death in Tainan Sicao Green. It was so hot and genuinely a painful experience. They gave us these cool hats to try to block the sun, but it was not enough. After the ferry ride, we went to the Anping Tree House, which is basically a house made of trees. It was pretty cool, but I quickly went to the gift shop to try to recover from the ferry ride.

We returned to the hotel and I hung out with Anqi and Tian for a while. We headed out to this nightclub called Vibe which was decent. There were a lot of weird men there and we stayed out pretty late. I headed back to the hotel and crashed immediately. Overall, it was a pretty good day and surprisingly eventful.

明天見

Academic Reflection

Before visiting the Ten Drum Cultural Village and Anping Fort, I knew about Taiwan’s colonial history and its important sugar and salt industries, but seeing these places helped me understand how they shaped Taiwan’s identity. The Ten Drum Cultural Village, once the Rende Sugar Factory from the Japanese colonial period, was transformed in 2005 into a drumming performance space. The Ten Drum Percussion Group uses rhythm as a shared cultural language in East Asia while promoting Taiwanese culture. It was a creative way to preserve the history of sugar production while turning it into an artistic and cultural venue.

Anping Fort, built by the Dutch East India Company in 1624, is one of Taiwan’s oldest colonial structures and the site where Koxinga defeated the Dutch in 1662. It symbolizes Taiwan’s colonial past and its resistance against foreign rule. The National Museum of Taiwan History had already emphasized how important sugar and salt were to Taiwan’s economy, and visiting these sites made that history feel much more real.

We also visited Sicao Green Tunnel and the Anping Treehouse, which showed how nature and history blend together in Taiwan. The boat ride through the mangroves and the banyan trees overtaking old architecture were vivid examples of how local wildlife becomes part of Taiwan’s historical sites. It was fascinating to see how these natural elements are not just preserved but are fully integrated into the cultural landscape.

Today we went off to the National Taiwan History Museum. It was a pretty interesting museum. There were a bunch of wax figures around and it was neat to just walk around. There were a bunch of kids on school trips, and we were trolling them a little bit. We headed back to the hotel where we went to a local instant ramen spot where you choose your ramen and cook it yourself with your chosen toppings. They had an ice cream machine, and I got a vanilla ice cream with strawberry sauce. The amount of strawberry sauce was legitimately so little that it looked like it was accidentally applied with a pipette. The restaurant owner helped us because we had no idea what we were doing with the ramen. I do not even know what I ordered, but it was quite good. We then headed to some random spot for some 雪花冰. The place we went to advertised their strawberry flavor all over, but they were out by the time we got there. They seemed to have been out of strawberry for a while, because it was somehow printed on the menu that they were out. We then went back to the hotel and chilled for a bit.

Around 8pm, I met up with Rebekka and we took an Uber to the Tainan Garden Night Market. It was very large and confusing. Somehow after walking around for about an hour, we kept finding more places in the night market. We got sweet potato balls, chicken and pork skewers, fried rice, and a pineapple smoothie. Some guy at the fried rice stand was convinced I was from India, which is not a rare guess from older people in Taiwan. We also ordered these fruit balls that were inside balls of lychee. It was not that good, but it was acceptable. Overall, it was a lot of fun.

明天見

Academic Reflection

Before visiting the National Museum of Taiwan Literature and the National Museum of Taiwan History, I already knew that Taiwan's culture had been shaped by colonial influences and political shifts. I had read about how language policies and censorship affected media and the arts, but seeing the exhibits in person made those impacts feel much more real. At the Literature Museum, it was eye-opening to see how authors and performers had to give up their work when new governments enforced Japanese or Chinese language requirements. Some individuals risked a lot to secretly preserve fragments of newspapers, novels, and music, which are now displayed to tell the story of Taiwan's literary struggles and resilience.

The National Museum of Taiwan History provided a much wider perspective by covering 50,000 years of Taiwan's past, from prehistoric times to the present. I appreciated how the exhibits were designed to be both visually stunning and informative. What really caught my attention were the wax figures. They made the historical scenes feel more lifelike and helped me visualize what life was like during different eras. The museum’s collection of artifacts from the Dutch, Spanish, Qing, Japanese, and Republic of China periods showed me how deeply Taiwan's cultural identity has been influenced by a variety of rulers and traditions. Unlike Buddhism and Daoism, which I believe focus more on spiritual harmony and understanding one's place in the universe, Confucianism is centered on human relationships and social order. Visiting these museums helped me see how Taiwan's evolving identity is closely tied to the blending and clashing of these historical and philosophical influences.

Today I hopped straight on the bus and we headed for the National University of Tainan. We had a calligraphy class scheduled for us. They showed us some basic techniques and had us practice. I had done calligraphy one time in 9th grade, so it has been around 8 years since I have written calligraphy. We were each given a packet of different phrases that we would eventually write on our fans. I sat with Lauren and we each practiced a lot on our papers. Lauren did not study Chinese before this trip, so I helped her a bit with writing and some translating. We eventually painted our fans and it turned out pretty well. The phrase on my fan was something to do with love and peace. We were then given bento lunch in the classroom, and it was quite good. We then headed back to the hotel to relax and hit the gym before getting dinner. This dinner is known as the Korean Barbeque Incident.

Anqi, Tian, and I decided to go to a nearby place for KBBQ. It was close to the hotel and we had previously spotted it. It started off decently, we could not really read much of the menu so we just started ordering stuff and it kept coming. They had a self service ice cream bar and a slushie machine. I could not tell you what flavor the slushies were, they just tasted like colors. My red slushie genuinely just tasted like the color red. We kept ordering food and were pacing ourselves quite well. Tian and I did most of the cooking, while Anqi did most of the ordering. We were there for a while before our server informed us that the place was closing soon and to grab our last food items. I asked Tian and Anqi how much room they had, and they both said they “had a little room.” I took this to mean that they had as much room as I did and could eat a decent amount more. I then grabbed a reasonable amount of food and began cooking. Tian then confessed that he was full, and took like one bite of the food I grabbed. I looked at Anqi, and she was in a similar situation. I was left to try to eat food meant for 3 people alone. I did my best, but eventually was getting full. We decided to try to walk it off a bit, and decided to use the bathroom. I asked the waiter where the 衛生間 (bathroom)  was, and she understood it as 衛生紙 (toilet paper). She led us to the toilet paper, and then I tried to use a different word for bathroom, 厠所. She still did not understand. At this point, I did not know what to say and for some reason tried to act out the process of using the restroom. Tian eventually used the 3rd word for bathroom, 洗手間, and thankfully she understood this time. We returned to the table and realized we would not be able to finish the food. We started hiding our meat in every receptacle we could find. We hid the meat under rice, in our soup, and spread it around the plates to try to avoid the extra charge. Eventually, they let us pay and we immediately left the place. I know they were fuming when they dumped out our soup bowls and saw all the meat fall out. For this reason, we will never be returning to that place, but the experience was still excellent.

Academic Reflection

Today was a really good learning experience. We went to the National University of Tainan for a calligraphy workshop, and I ended up learning a lot about both the art itself and its cultural significance. I didn’t realize there were so many different styles of Chinese calligraphy, from standard script to cursive. I was amazed by how fluidly the teacher wrote. We each practiced different phrases and then painted them onto fans. Mine had a phrase related to love and peace. I also helped Lauren with some of the writing since she hadn’t studied Chinese before.

Before the lesson, Zhuang Laoshi and the Dean gave us a brief history of the school and calligraphy’s role in Taiwan. During the Japanese occupation, the government emphasized literacy, which included calligraphy. But as Western influence grew, interest in calligraphy started to decline. Now, the National University of Tainan is the only university that includes it as part of a Chinese Literature program.

It reminded me of how cursive has basically disappeared in the U.S. We were taught it briefly in elementary school, but it was never brought up again. The difference is that calligraphy holds real cultural weight in Taiwan. Like traditional instruments or clothing, it connects people to their heritage. I think it’s important that Taiwan continues to preserve it. Even if fewer people learn it now, it’s a beautiful and meaningful part of Taiwanese identity.

Today we started out moving hotels again in order to go to a new city, Tainan. I got on the bus and we made a pit stop at the largest 7-eleven in Kaohsiung. I had no appetite and did not eat anything. We got back on the bus until we arrived at Tainan Chihkan Tower. It was partially under renovation, so it was very interesting to look at. There was a little temple where you could pray, but I was mostly just chilling. We ended up going to Old Lin’s Department store, where there was a famous elevator. I am not really sure why it was famous, it was just a normal, small elevator. I walked around with Rebekka for a while. She convinced me to buy a book lantern souvenir, which seemed pretty interesting. Tian, Anqi, and I were then pulled aside by Glenda because she found a store with Labubus. We rushed over and I spent all of my money at this place. It was quite interesting because only some of the Labubus could be bought with a credit card, making me think some of them were fake. Nevertheless, they were much cheaper than in Taipei, so I had to buy them.

We returned to the hotel, which is very close to a small night market. I got dinner with Tian, Bekka, Landon, and Anqi at the night market. We got some soup dumplings and they were quite good. I went for a brief workout at the gym and then went straight to bed. The Labubus alone made the day a success, as I had been looking for them for the entire trip.

Academic Reflection

Strolling through Old Lin’s Department Store was definitely a highlight of today. It was interesting to see how one of the original department stores from the Japanese colonial era has been transformed into a modern, artistic space. Taking the oldest elevator in southern Taiwan to the top and walking my way down through the different floors was a great way to explore. I enjoyed seeing all the local crafts, trinkets, and clothing made by Taiwanese artists. It felt like a thoughtful blend of preserving history while supporting modern creativity.

Chihkan Tower is another example of how Taiwan’s layers of history interact with the present. Originally a Dutch fort, it was later turned into a temple. You can still see the ruins of the original structure nearby. It made me think about the question of when to preserve, when to excavate, and when to let something remain as it is. The reading mentioned that there are plans to continue research at the site, but I wonder how much more they would find. It reminded me of how in Europe or the Middle East, excavation often begins even when someone finds a small artifact in their backyard.

Today started off again with no breakfast, and today it caught up to me. Yesterday I only had one meal, and a quarter of it was stolen by my friends. We started off by visiting the Spring and Autumn Pavilions, which were these cool towers with a lot of interesting art. The walk was a struggle due to the lack of energy I had. We stopped for some custard buns to help hold us over before going onto another stand that sold mango 冰沙. I had to try it and it was honestly decent. We returned back to the hotel and were told to prepare for our beach trip at 3:30, a welcome surprise. Tian and I wanted to fuel up for this trip and decided to go get food. After walking around for 30 minutes we settled on an Indian place by the name of Pooja’s. This place honestly had the worst Indian food I have ever had in my entire life. It tasted like they cooked the food, threw it away, and then served it to us 3 days later. They served us ketchup with our samosas, which was a bad sign. Tian and I do not like to waste food, so we finished our meal. We immediately knew that we were going to be in some trouble at the hotel. We ran back to the hotel and immediately rushed to our rooms. After sorting stuff out, we went to the beach and it was an interesting experience. Firstly, this was probably the dirtiest beach I have ever been to. I have never seen so much trash in one place during my 21 days in Taiwan. The waves were extremely violent and there was another typhoon warning, so you were not allowed to go deep in the water. We eventually just played some games on the sand, including a race. I won all my races and was deemed the fastest person on the trip. We returned back to the hotel and I showered and prepared for dinner. My friends were more hungry than me and already left, so I went on my own to a conveyor belt sushi restaurant. To be honest, I do not like sushi that much, but I had to try it once in Kaohsiung. I then went out in search of Labubus, but was unable to find any. I then returned to the hotel and went to bed.

明天見

Academic Reflection

Today’s readings helped me better understand the religious diversity and cultural history behind the sites we visited. Taiwan has a wide range of religious traditions, which comes from its long history of immigration and colonial rule. The article by Charles B. Jones explains how temples in Taiwan serve not just as places of worship, but also as ways to attract and introduce religion to non-believers. Even though religion is important to many people here, Taiwanese society still feels fairly secular. That contrast was something I had already started to notice, and the reading confirmed it. I think a big reason for this is the strong protection of religious freedom under Taiwan’s Constitution, as mentioned in the U.S. Department of State report. That protection allows so many religions to coexist, including Taoism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam. I was surprised to learn that nearly 24 percent of the population does not practice any religion at all.

All of this context helped me better appreciate what I saw today around the Lotus Pond. The pond itself was built in 1951 and is named after the lotus flowers that bloom there in summer. It also hosts Dragon Boat races during the Dragon Boat Festival. We visited the Spring and Autumn Pavilions, which are connected by a giant green dragon. Visitors enter through the dragon’s mouth and exit through the tiger’s mouth, which is meant to turn bad luck into good luck. The pavilions are dedicated to Guandi, the God of War and brotherhood, with spring symbolizing mercy and autumn symbolizing justice. These kinds of religious landmarks feel like they’re designed not just for worship, but also for public engagement. It reflects what the readings said about religion here being both present and evolving.

I used today as a rest day. Today started really late for me at around 6:00 pm. I slept the entire rest of the day. I showered and then coordinated a hangout with Tian. Tian came to my room and we hung out for a bit. The other group of people went out for karaoke, but I was asleep when they were making the plans and was therefore unable to join. Once they left, we realized that Layla was locked out of her room and stuck on the balcony, so we took her in. We decided to go out for some smoothies and shaved ice. We chatted for a while in the restaurant before moving onto McDonalds. There I ordered the legendary Parmesan Chicken Sandwich, a Taiwan exclusive. It was one of the greatest sandwiches I had ever eaten. We returned to the hotel where I let Tian have a bite, a big mistake. His envy took over him and his covetous mouth tried to take more bites. Immediately I had to defend my sandwich, keeping it sealed in the box and only briefly taking it out for bites every few minutes. At this point, Anqi and Landon had joined us in my room. At one point, I had to wrestle Tian away from my sandwich. During this time, Anqi grabbed a hold of the sandwich and her rapacious mouth stole another bite. We hung out for a few more hours before calling it a day and heading to bed. Overall it was probably a waste of a day, but I got some much needed rest.

明天見

Today we were meant to go to the Hakka museum, but it was closed for renovations. We instead went to the Hakka village. It was raining the whole time, but we were mostly inside so it was fine. I looked around for some souvenirs, but they were quite expensive, so I decided to get stuff at a different place. One of the ladies wanted to touch my hair, which was the first time that happened in Taiwan. She first touched it, then asked for permission. Afterwards, she asked where I was from and I responded. She said that she thought I was from Uganda, which I thought was an oddly specific guess. We then made our way to the East gate, which had very steep stairs. We stood up top and looked around for a bit before moving on to a convenience store. Yeh Laoshi bought us all popsicles, which was very nice. I got pineapple flavor. We then made our way to the sugar cane factory museum. I did not see a single person there, which was interesting. It was also quite dark and overall really strange. Then our group got split up exploring and I was with Lauren. Tian would pop in and out trying to steal the umbrella, even though Lauren and I had an effective system already in place. Lauren then blamed both of us for getting wet and we were banned from getting under her umbrella. 

We returned to the hotel and Layla, Kadence, Bekka, Landon, Kyra, and I ordered Uber Eats (I got fried rice) for dinner and we watched some Netflix show. I fell asleep during the show, but it was probably pretty interesting. Glenda then joined us and we all went to the Dream Mall. Landon and I got lost for a while before we all regrouped and went to the top floor where there is a ferris wheel. It was a lot of fun, and a nice way to relax for a few minutes. We then all returned to the hotel and prepared for our night excursion. We all went to Brickyard, some Nightclub in the area. The music was decent, but there were a lot of creepy men there and not many people dancing. We went home pretty early and I immediately hit the bed.

明天見

Academic Reflection

Today’s reading and visits helped me understand more about the diversity and complexity of Taiwan’s population and history. I didn’t realize before that the Han Chinese are divided into subgroups, including the Hakka. The Hakka people came from southern China and lived mostly in mountainous regions, which helped shape their unique identity and language. In Taiwan, the Hakka were historically marginalized, but after World War II, there was a stronger effort to preserve minority cultures. The Hakka village we visited today reflects that effort. It had workshops and exhibits that shared Hakka history and traditional practices, including crafts like paper umbrella making. While walking through the market, a few people showed a lot of interest in me and even asked to touch my hair. It caught me off guard at first, but it also reminded me of how different cultures express curiosity.

The sugarcane reading also gave me a deeper understanding of Taiwan’s agricultural history. Sugarcane has long been a key crop here, often grown alongside wet-rice because the two use different soils and grow in different seasons. Peasant families used to work in cooperative mills to make extra income, but these were eventually replaced by large private factories, especially under Japanese rule. The Qiatou Sugar Factory, which we visited today, was built in 1902 and still holds massive equipment that shows just how industrialized the sugar industry became.

Both the Hakka village and the sugar factory highlighted how Taiwan’s past continues to shape its present. The ways people hold onto culture, adapt to change, and even interact with others all reflect that long history.

Today started off with the elusive breakfast that I have desperately coveted. I ate with Tian in preparation for our long day. We boarded the bus and waited for Mike and GC, who slept through their alarms. Some people were a bit annoyed, but I know Mike and GC were super excited for the trip so it was definitely just an accident. We made a quick stop during the drive at a rocky beach with a family mart. I bought some items just to give me energy. We then continued our drive to the southern tip of Taiwan and a beach. During the walk to the beach, before we could even touch the sand, two people on ATVs came and told us that the beach was closed due to a typhoon warning. We were all devastated. We grabbed a few pictures and had to return to the bus. Our bus driver, Terry, bought us all coconuts to try to cheer us up, which was super nice. We met some mormons there and had a short conversation before going to our next stop.

Our next stop was a light house at the southern tip of Taiwan. It began heavily raining and the wind was even stronger. It eventually destroyed GC’s umbrella, which was hilarious because it was not even his umbrella. We then went to our final stop of the day, which was a cliff at the actual southern tip of Taiwan. It was super windy and a lot of fun to jump around and feel the wind on our skin. We headed back to the hotel and I went to get Indian food. I was not feeling well yesterday so I was unable to eat Indian food with the group. The food was good overall. I then went back to the hotel and crashed. Overall, it was a solid day, but it was sad that we could not go to the beach again.

明天見

Academic Reflection

Eluanbi National Park and Lighthouse were full of history. The lighthouse was built in 1883 and is still active today. It sits inside Kenting National Park, Taiwan’s first national park. I read that it is unique in that it is one of the only fortified lighthouses in the world, with surrounding walls and gun ports. This design was due to tensions in the 1800s between the Qing Dynasty, Western powers, and local Indigenous tribes. Eluanbi is also the brightest lighthouse in Taiwan, with a range of over 27 nautical miles.

This part of Taiwan has seen a lot of political conflict. Shipwrecks were common in the area due to strong currents and reefs, and local Indigenous groups sometimes attacked shipwrecked sailors for trespassing. This led to international tension, and China claimed it had no control over the people in that area. The lighthouse was eventually built to reduce conflict, although it was constructed without the consent of the local Indigenous population.

On the way to Kenting, I saw a wide range of tropical plants and farms, including coconut, banana, and betel nut trees, as well as fish farms. It is clear that agriculture, aquaculture, and tourism are key to the local economy. There were many beach activities possible, but unfortunately the beaches were closed due to a typhoon warning. It was disappointing not to be able to enjoy the beach, but it also showed how vulnerable these areas can be to extreme weather.

Eluanbi gave me a clearer picture of how Taiwan’s geography, history, and politics all overlap, especially in places where the natural beauty hides such a complex past.

Today started off really early at 8:20, which of course means I did not eat breakfast. Yeh Laoshi’s mother helped organize a private tour for us, which she could do because she volunteered at the monastery for many years. We arrived at the Monastery, which I believe is the largest Buddhist monastery in Taiwan. There were a ton of statues and monks everywhere. We had a tour guide monk who I am convinced is not Buddhist and is only there as a side hustle. Everytime he would tell us about something, he would either say he did not believe it, or did not like it. If it was not one of those two, then he probably said he did not know. There were a ton of mosquitoes and it was blisteringly hot, so it was draining from the start. At around 11am we headed to lunch for the dining experience. Tian and I were joking before the lunch that we were gonna order uber eats. They presented it as a traditional Buddhist meal that was entirely vegetarian, so we had our concerns. We had to watch a video about how to eat the food properly beforehand. We walked in and sat down. I was separated from the group, so I was surrounded by locals. We had to say a group prayer before we were served food. You are not meant to speak, and only can eat out of the rice bowl. The second I started eating, I realized the food was actually delicious. I had no idea what I was eating, but it was all delicious and I would eat it again. I ate too slowly though, so everyone left while I was still eating. Eventually, I was the last person in the dining room and I just decided to leave. One minor issue was that I did not realize you were allowed to bring water in, so the entire meal I was so thirsty, which was the reason I was eating so slowly. 

Afterwards, we went to a tea ceremony with a monk. She was very unique and told some interesting stories. Our final stop at the monastery was in the lobby where Yeh Laoshi’s mom bought us custard buns, which was super nice. By this point, I was so fatigued from the heat and the long day that I was feeling physically ill. I could not speak to anyone and just wanted to go to the hotel. It was genuinely one of the worst times I can remember. We went to a night market after the monastery, but I could not stomach anything. I just needed to sit down and go to the hotel. After suffering for around 2 hours, I went back to the hotel and immediately went to bed. Overall, the day was a lot of fun despite me almost dying.

明天見

Academic Reflection

Fo Guang Shan is the largest Buddhist monastery in Taiwan and also the headquarters of one of the most influential Buddhist organizations in the world. It was founded by Master Hsing Yun, who wanted to modernize Buddhism and make it more accessible and socially relevant. His focus on the Three Acts of Goodness, which are to do good deeds, speak good words, and think good thoughts, stood out to me as a practical and meaningful approach to Buddhism. Of all the visits we have had on this trip, this one felt like one of the most in-depth, which makes sense since we spent most of the day there. This is also why I was dying, because the day was so long and extensive, but it was still a good experience.

The site itself was massive, with shrines, meditation halls, a university, and the 36-meter-tall Fo Guang Big Buddha. Inside the museum, we saw several sacred relics, including one of the three remaining teeth of the Buddha. While that felt unusual at first, it reminded me that all religions have physical symbols of faith. Christians have relics such as the Holy Grail or the nails from the crucifixion. Even political figures like Stalin and Lenin have preserved bodies on display. Whether religious or not, people tend to hold onto objects that feel larger than life.

I also found it interesting when one of the women near the Golden Buddha told us that it was in the Thai style, while the smaller statues on the wall were in the Chinese style. It reminded me how religious icons take on different forms depending on the region, similar to how Jesus is portrayed differently in various cultures. Each version emphasizes different values and interpretations.

Today I missed breakfast again. I think I value sleep more than food at this point. The first stop was the National Science and Technology Museum. This museum was quite interesting, it showed a lot of stuff dedicated to the history of computers and integrated chips in Taiwan. Overall though I mostly stayed in the room with the games. I must note that I destroyed Tian and Anqi in the basketball game where you use a launcher to shoot balls into a hoop. The kids here kept staring at me, which makes sense because this is a less touristy area than Taipei so they are not used to seeing foreigners. We did an earthquake simulator that was somewhat cool. It was clear that this museum was intended for children, but it was still a pretty fun experience. 

After we left, we went to a buffet to eat the food. There was some military drill going on for a few hours, but to be honest it did not affect our day in any way and I have no idea what it entailed. At the buffet, a lot of the food was really good. I especially enjoyed the radish cake. I tried some of the curry, which was decent. My favorite part was the ice cream bar where they had pineapple, mango, and strawberry ice cream and sorbet. Once we were done eating we still had some freetime, and I somehow ended up practicing braiding Rebekka’s hair. It was the first time I successfully braided, and she gave me a B grade, which I was happy with. 

We then went to the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine arts, which was pretty cool with some weird exhibits. There was an exhibit that had like 40 dolls of women laying down with a note listing their age, cause of death, and occupation. There was also a doll on a diving board, preparing to jump, with her note next to her. It was pretty weird, but it was definitely the one I remember the most.

Additionally, we went to Taiwan’s public library, which was neat. It was honestly no different from a normal library, so I used it as an opportunity to sit down and rest for a bit. Rebekka, Landon, DaMoni, Justin, and I finished the day with a restaurant recommendation from Yeh Laoshi (a big risk). It was a pizza place nearby. The food was pretty good, though Bekka and Landon ordered really bad flavors that we had to struggle to eat. I ordered a meat lovers that was excellent. The restaurant was a little bit expensive by Taiwan standards, but it was fine. DaMoni wanted extra sauce on the side, so we asked for tomato sauce multiple times, but they kept saying they did not have it. We checked the menu and tried to order, but they kept saying no. Eventually, their breadsticks came with a side of tomato sauce, so we asked for one more of those, and somehow that worked. I’m not sure what the miscommunication was. We returned to the hotel, and that was it for the day.

明天見

Academic Reflection

Taiwan continues to be a global powerhouse in tech, especially concerning computer components and electronics. The National Science and Technology Museum highlighted this fact through multiple exhibits tied to local industries in Kaohsiung. It seemed to mostly be designed for kids, which shows how science is actively taught and encouraged from young ages. I only got through a small part of the museum, but what I saw was really engaging.

One of the most memorable parts was the earthquake simulator. It was pretty fun, and also a reminder of how natural disasters affect Taiwan’s buildings. During lunch, a military air defense drill started, and we had to stay inside. It was calm and very telling of Taiwan’s political situation. With rising tensions across the strait, drills like that are part of everyday life, and public safety is clearly taken very seriously.

We also visited the Museum of Fine Arts and the Kaohsiung Public Library. The art museum had a different atmosphere than most I’ve seen back home, and the library was huge, bright, and even had a pool. Today really showed me how Taiwan mixes innovation, safety, and culture into daily life. The country’s attention to preparedness and education stands out in every space we’ve visited.

Today I was so drained from last night that I did not wake up in time for breakfast. We met at noon so I just chilled in the room until we had to go downstairs. We travelled to the train station and had free time to eat and check the area out before boarding the high speed rail. We stayed in a big group for a while before slowly breaking off to get food. We ended up eating at this bun place called Bao So Hard. We then all sat on the floor and chilled until it was time to go on our train. I sat next to Jess and had an aisle seat. The rail felt like a normal train to be honest, which is nice because we were moving at around 186 miles per hour with no negative effects. The ride was a lot shorter than expected and we were in Kaohsiung in like an hour.

Once we got to Kaohsiung, we got on a second bus with a driver who was beefing with Peter for no reason. The driver was tweaking and mad at us for being late, but when we got out there he wasn’t even ready. It made us miss Terry (our other bus driver who is still on the way from Taipei). We made it to our hotel and all of our rooms (except Tian and Anqi’s) are connected by a highway of balconies. It was dope and we kept it open for easy access. The hotel itself was quite a bit nicer than FX and had a great view of the bridge. 

We were all hungry and decided to go out for food. Yeh Laoshi stated that there was a ton of food on the other side of the bridge, so of course we crossed the bridge. There was ONE (1) restaurant on the other side of the bridge and it looked horrible, so we realized we fell for another lie. We watched a street show for a second, I got a strawberry ice cream, and then we returned to the other side of the bridge to try to actually find food. We ran into Yeh Laoshi on the other side of the bridge and confronted her abbott the food situation. She then pointed us in a totally different direction, but this time we went the opposite way than where she pointed. As we were walking, we slowly started losing people until it was just Tian and I. We found this noodle spot but Tian was too afraid to order in Chinese, so we split off and he went to a sushi place again. The restaurant was cheap and nice, and then I went off to get a 雪花冰 (shaved ice) at some nearby place. Anqi asked where I was, and I sent her my location. After waiting for a while, I ran into the rest of the group. I asked them where Anqi was, and they told me she went to Tian instead and asked for my location for no reason. I finished what I could of the shaved ice (it was good but was covered in matcha ice cream, which was not good), and then returned to the hotel with the group. That was it for the night, overall it was a fun day.

明天見！

Academic Reflection

The Taiwan High-Speed Rail has significant cultural and historical ties. It was originally developed as a solution to heavy traffic. Besides driving, the most common way to get between the north and south was by flight, which can be inconvenient. After the HSR was introduced, it became possible to travel from Taipei to Kaohsiung, a 5 hour drive, in under 2 hours. That completely changed the way people live and work in Taiwan. Businesses could easily send employees between client sites without wasting a full day on the road, and it just generally made travel so much easier.

The HSR is basically the upgraded version of the rail system in the United States. In the USA, the most similar rail system, the Transcontinental Railroad, was developed in the 19th century. It increased economic activity because you could actually travel across the country in a fraction of the time. While we have mostly been using the MRT system in Taipei, which is already way better than anything in the USA, riding the HSR made it clear just how bad transportation in the US is. You can get around easily, and most restaurants and shops are just a short walk from wherever you are. That level of city planning shows a focus on quality of life that we lack in the USA.