Week Zero Top Five

At the end of each week, I am planning to write a post detailing five interesting or important things I learned. Here are this week's highlights:

1. Mopeds are everywhere

I have never seen so many mopeds in my life! Every where you go, there are mopeds on the road or parked on the side of the street. Often times, there really isn't a side walk you can use so I have often found myself walking in the moped lane. I'm quickly learning to be aware of my surroundings!

2. The MRT is a great way to get around

It is pretty simple to use the MRT here in Kaohsiung but it was still a big take away for me this week. One of the best ways for me to become acclimated to new surroundings is to learn the transportation system quickly. Knowing how to use the transportation system helps me not only be more confident and self-reliant, but allows me to explore much more of the city.

3. People here are very welcoming

When my host parents dropped me off at the MRT station, a lady who had overheard our conversation offered to walk me down to where I would catch the train. When I was on the train, another man who had overheard what stop I was supposed to get off at took the time to remind me that my stop was next. At church, many people came up to me to introduce themselves and learn more about what I was in Kaohsiung. This small acts of kindness have really brightened my day and help me feel more comfortable here in Taiwan. They also compel me to extend similar gestures to others.

4. American brands are very prevalent

I was surprised to see so many familiar products here in Taiwan because I was expecting it to be similar to my experience living in China. In China, there was KFC, McDonalds, and Starbucks. Here in Taiwan, I have already seen Subway, Dominoes, Costco and Ikea in addition to KFC, McDonalds and Starbucks. When shopping at Costco, I saw many American foods including pancakes, Nutella, Swiss Miss popsicles, Quaker Oats and Hershey chocolate. I was never able to find those foods in China. There is something about seeing products from America that makes Kaohsiung feel much more like home even though I plan on eating the local food as much as possible.

5. I have so many opportunities to learn

This observation may seem somewhat obvious but it really has struck me the past two days how many chances I have to improve my Chinese. I have been in Taiwan for barely three days and I have already encountered so many different scenarios where I can grow in my language abilities. I am learning different language skills while explaining the rules to a game, walking around a grocery store, navigating the city, attending Mass and introducing myself.

I am looking forward to growing this list week by week.