My flight plan went from Montana → Denver, CO → San Francisco, CA → Taipei, Taiwan. At the San Francisco airport it really began to hit me that I was really doing this! I realized that I was becoming the minority boarding the flight, and just relished in the fact that soon I'd be enjoying warm air and some good food.
After 14 hours, we landed at 7:50pm. The humid air hit me as I walked off the plane causing me to sweat in my coat that I had been wearing for the last couple days. All the passengers then made their way to the long customs line, then the baggage claim, and then the curb to hitch a ride. Thankfully the school reserved a car to take me the 1.5 hour drive to my university in Taichung. It was an adventure as the driver spoke no english, yet was very nice, but I was still unsure if I should let my guard down. After a while he pulled into a gas station, which he then proceeded to motion for me to get into a different car. Confused, I followed instructions, and was quite nervous about the whole thing. But, I made it to where I needed to go without a glitch. This was my first of many experiences of the kindness of Taiwanese people, and their willingness and patience to work with foreigners. Plus they have great smiles.😊 The night capped as I checked into my dorm room, met my other roommates, showered off the last 36 hours, and crashed hard.
The next day orientation started at 10am. There are roughly 60 exchange students here at Providence University (PU). The students hale from Japan, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Cambodia, Thailand, Mexico, and only three (including me) from the U.S., which I am sure I am forgetting a couple. Everyone is so open. No expectations, just taking it all in. And I am genuinely happy. Orientation continued with a tour of the buildings on campus. Which the campus is built on a decent incline, so my calves are quite sore! And then we were free for the day.
As a run down of my first impressions, here are some very generic first comments that any blog could probably tell you about Taiwan, but are so true: The food, oh the food. So many good things to say about the food, and I have only had six meals here. Thankfully one of my roommates has been here for a semester already and knows her way around! The best dumplings, noodles, and soup anyone could ask for. Bubble tea, or boba, is huge here and is wayyy better than in the U.S. (of course haha). Out in the streets it is very clean; I don't think I have seen any garbage at all on the roads. Smog is pretty bad, but when it clears the skyline is gorgeous. Items are pretty inexpensive as the exchange rate from the U.S. dollar (USD) to the New Taiwan Dollar (NTD) is roughly 1:30. Night markets are a big thing, with so many interesting smells, foods, and clothing shops. There are several knock-off shops as well, and I'm talking good quality knock-offs! I have never felt unsafe or threatened in any situation. And I've realized that sometimes the locals speak to foreigners because they want to practice their English, which is kind of neat. The plants are SO different, but SO cool! Toilets can be western or just an area to squat over. We sleep with our outside door open because the temperature doesn't get too cold and the breeze is welcome in the humid air. Luckily, jet lag hasn't really affected me. And there is such a thing as "salted egg potato chips" which are absolutely delicious!
Since this blog is covering just three days, there isn't too much to reveal as I am still taking everything in! All I can say is that my past ideas of what Taiwan might be like have been exceeded. Classes start in two days! Now, I think the best way to finish this blog is with some pictures.
Enjoy!
Ayla
