Week One Top Five

To continue the list from last week, here are five important things I learned this week:

1. Things here are a little bit shorter than I would expect

I am not that tall in the United States but I am in some ways tall here. I find myself stooping down to use sinks, squeezing into desks at school, or ducking down at stores.

2. Ghost Month is an important part of Taiwanese culture

I had not even heard of Ghost Month before coming to Taiwan. However, we discussed it in class and I learned more about it from my host family. I am grateful to have a better grasp on what this month represents and why it is important to the people that live here.

3. Ursuline sisters live in on campus

I knew there was a convent on Wenzao's campus but I did not realize it was still in use. I am so grateful I ran into a sister on campus this week, had the opportunity to see a bit of the convent, and met some of the other sisters. I am really excited to get to know these women better and learn more about their way of life.

4. I have a priceless opportunity to represent my culture

I've only been here a week and I've already had conversations discussing the American education system, home schooling, insurance, wages, St. Patrick's Day, and the Catholic belief in the Eucharist. It has been such a joy for me to meet people who are genuinely interested in learning about the American way of life and I am grateful that the language barrier, while still difficult, has not prevented such conversations from taking place. I hope I can in return be open to learning about the Taiwanese way of life.

5. Keep a sense of humor

It can be hard to be lighthearted when you are constantly making mistakes. I can't tell you how many times a day I find myself unable to easily communicate what I want. I am continually dropping food with my chopsticks. I mess up in class, misunderstand a question someone is asking me, and often have no clue what people around me are talking about. The results of these mistakes can be humorous; just ask my classmates about the time I accidently referred to my youngest brother Johnny as my youngest child! I am learning to balance my goal of achieving fluency with an ability to laugh at myself.

I can't wait to see what I will learn this coming week!