Classes Begin Plus a Trip to Ikea

This week was crazy! It was my first time running through what will become my normal weekly schedule.

On Monday, I started off the day with morning tutoring. This is a one hour class with just NSLI-Y students. It is a great way to practice my Chinese, learn new vocab, and see all the NSLI-Y kids. Next, I am in two hours of Chinese class at the Chinese Language Center (CLC). My classmates are all super interesting! They are from Belgium, Japan, Australia and Vietnam so Chinese really is the only language we all share.

On Monday afternoon, we met with our college partners from the SOSA office (Section of Overseas Student Affairs). We ate lunch with them and were able to ask questions about Wenzao.

My SOSA Partner and Me

Next, I went to another Chinese class. This one is focused on reading specifically. Because I am still working on switching over from simplified characters to traditional, my reading certainly needs some work. This class only meets on Mondays but I know it’s going to help me a lot!

After class, I went to the bookstore with a girl from Belgium to buy the book for our Monday reading class. Then, I went to the library. I was able to successfully check out Robin Hood (the English version, it’s for when my mind needs a break from Chinese). I then went home and worked on homework for the rest of the evening.

Tuesday morning was the same as Monday morning. I went to lunch with my resident director, Kripa. In the afternoon, we were able to sample university courses. I saw bits and pieces of a classical music class, classical literature class and a class on the evolution of Chinese characters. It was definitely an overwhelming experience to be in college classes in Chinese. I understood very little but know that, with work, I’ll improve!

Wednesday morning was again the same. I ate lunch with my SOSA partner and her friend. I was encouraged by the fact that I was able to keep up a conversation in Chinese for the entire hour we spent hanging out! After lunch, I went to the library to meet up with Katie. I studied and we helped her SOSA partner prepare for the TOEFL exam. Then, we met our tutors. We also had our first tutoring session. We will be meeting with them for two hours every Wednesday to work on our Chinese.

After class, Katie, Tyler and I went to PX Mart, a grocery chain in Kaohsiung that sells many American products. I purchased a chocolate bar and a three packs of gum for just two dollars!

Thursday morning was the same as Monday. For lunch, I went to Family Mart, a convenience store, with Brandon, Lina and Kate. I ate a hamburger. It certainly was nowhere near the best hamburger I’ve ever had. In fact, I would probably never order it again, but it was a welcomed taste of America! Thursday afternoon, we again sampled university classes. I went to classes about drama, computer science, media literacy and speaking. Thursday classes went significantly better than Tuesday classes, in part because I was prepared for the fact that I would be lost for the majority of the time.

After class on Thursday, Kripa and I went to visit a local robotics program. We had trouble with the buses though which caused us to show up 45 minutes late for our meeting! Luckily the people were understanding! It was neat to tour the facility and see some robots here in Kaohsiung! After the meeting, Kripa and I grabbed dinner together at a place near our houses. I then bought the best glass of tea I have ever had in my life (no exaggeration). It was winter melon lemon flavored. It was absolutely amazing!

Friday morning was again the same. For lunch, I ate at a fried rice place near school with all the other NSLI-Y kids. The food was delicious! We then took the bus down to the American Institute of Taiwan (AIT). For complicated political reasons, the US does not have an embassy in Taiwan so this is the equivalent. Because we arrived early, Jenny and Kripa took us to Ikea to grab some ice cream!

Ikea in Taiwan

Next, we went to the AIT for a briefing with the Fulbright Scholars. I discovered one of the Fulbrights is from my hometown so it was awesome to have a chance to talk to him!

China Steel Building - AIT Location

Water Buffalo Statue at the AIT

After the meeting at the AIT, we went back to Ikea. We took some awesome candid pictures.

Ikea Photo Shoot

Then, I went to CarreFour, a French grocery store, with Alisa to buy birthday gifts for my host brother. We next went to the main library in Kaohsiung. It was eight floors tall and absolutely amazing! The best part was the garden on the roof.

Pictures from the Library