Have I said that I am on an AIESEC exchange? Yup I've just typed it out, haha! In case you don't know, AIESEC is an international organization which promote and develop youth leadership. Its members, so call AIESECers, are university students who are or want to be culturally sensitive, entrepreneurial and socially responsible. Sound tough, but actually it's a community of students who dream big, learn hard, play hard and deliver fun and results. AIESEC exchange is a platform for AIESECers to experience the culture of other countries, to push themselves towards their own limits and to make dreams come true.
And before my dream comes true, I first have to taste some bitter experience, go through some harsh life trainings and on some high notes, listen to Fighter and Born to Try to lift my spirit up. But trust me, these are moments you learn the most about yourself and the world, these are moments that you grow mature and these are moments that you are proud of yourself once you are over them!
The first challenge when I work in Mudan is language barrier. Before arriving Taiwan, I was warned that I had to learn as much Mandarin as I can, because my TN, aka boss, cannot speak much English. Thence, every night I spent half an hour talking to my 8-year-old cousin in Chinese, literally, this primary-2 kid taught me Chinese haha. And sometimes, during dinner, I tried to listen to dubbers instead of reading subtitles. However, it turned out to be that most of my co-workers are indigenous and do not speak English at all! They belong to Paiwan tribe, which scatters around Southern Taiwan and is famous for its glass beads and wooden sculptures. As an instinctive reaction, they speak Paiwanese among themselves and Mandarin to externals.
That's why my effort in practicing speaking Mandarin did not help me as much as expected.
The second challenge came in the picture very soon when one non-Paiwan worker brought me around the "place". He first took me to a herbal garden which size is twice of our school sports hall, planting 50 different types of herbs, both local and foreign (did I mention the cool and humid weather here?). The tour was in Chinese. Back then, I could only get the names of these herbs (because there were pauses before them haha) and completely no other thing! I also discovered that this worker knew English, but his English was so weak that he could not introduce himself properly (that's why the tour was in Chinese v.v).
That tour alone was overwhelming to me, but he moved on to introduce the flower garden, the small lake with aboriginal plants and their stories (I only knew there were stories later on when I myself had to introduce the same thing to tourists). I interrupted him uncountable times to clarify, but it seemed to be useless because I knew so little Chinese and he spoke so little English and no other person can help us communicate!
I still remember, that night I was so lonely that I had to call my Mom in Vietnam and used up one phone card! For the entire day I hardly spoke the English that I had been used to, I hardly understood what people tried to let me know. Communication failed by all means! The interesting thing is, I told my Mom that everything was okay and everyone treated me very nice. They were all true! And this fact raised me up. Though there were difficulties, but upon reflecting, they were not as hard as reading an Econs book or as tricky as travel around Singapore with $1 which I did! So, why afraid? Just move on!
And I did move on!
Friday 4 June 2010
Saturday 29 May 2010
From Singapore to Shimen
Where's Shimen? Is that the first question that popped up in your head just now? Yup, uptil now, I still (sometimes) wonder where it is on Taiwan map. However, I can answer theoretically by reading the address I had 3 weeks before flying (and commuting and walking) here. Shimen is a village which belongs to Mudan Township which is part of Ping Tung county which is the most southern area of Taiwan which is a small island that does (not) belong to Republic of China.
Yup! That's the place that I've been living in the last 5 weeks.
OK, return to the date 25th of April when I sat on that very Jet Star airplane after having 2 lunches >"<. It was the first time I went to a foreign country whose language I did not speak and there was supposed to be 0 person waiting for me at the airport! Trust me, you don't know how nervous I was, sitting on the plane and wondering about things awaiting ahead!
6:30pm: the plane landed. I felt safe seeing there were signs in English >"<
7:00pm: instinctively, I took a bus towards Taoyuan HSR station. Actually there were some hiccups here. One of my Taiwanese friends had instructed me how to get to the station: get on a shuttle bus which would bring you directly to the station. Haha, I thought it should be something like in Singapore, there is an internal transportation system that brings people around the airport. However, it turned out that I needed to queue up to buy a SHUTTLE BUS ticket (twice, because at first I stood in the wrong line!). It costed NT$60 if I'm not wrong. This price somehow confirmed that the trip should not be long.
7:30pm: on a bus that had no light, I started to feel hungry despite the double lunch I had had 7 hours before. Never mind, water could fill my stomach, I supposed. But hey, what takes this bus so long to reach the station?
8:00pm: at the station, failed to find something to eat.
8:30pm: on a HSR train, order a honey cake.
9:00pm: on the same train, the lady returned saying that all cakes and hot meals are out of stock!
9:30pm: felt supper hungry and the water bottle was then empty. I wished the lady come back so that I could order anything that was available!
10:00pm: reached Zuo Ying HSR station, met Grace (an AIESECer who is in charge of receiving me), on a taxi to a farewell party (!?!)
10:30pm: had the very first alcohol drink of my life. empty stomach. Met 1st friends in Taiwan. Warm and cool! Very friendly, active and welcome! (this is why I had a good impression of Taiwanese haha)
11:00pm: took farewell photos with a new friend, Adri. She was an AIESECer who had just finished an MT here, going back to Canada to marry an AIESEC guy! (so jealous, AIESEC wedding <3)
11:30pm: on a taxi heading to Zhong Shan university where I stayed over for the night. As the name speaks for itself, the school in located ON the mountain. Grace said we could see very beautiful sunset here <3 love it! I would definitely watch it one day!
12:00 mid night: took a shower. cold water. FREEZE!
...
Next day
8:00am: Grace walked me to MRT station, asking me to sit on the train for x stations and switch to another line, sit still until the terminal, someone should be waiting for me at Gate 6.
9:00am: I did EXACTLY what she said (even though MRT system here is more complicated that the one in Singapore). Reading the local map, I was panic because there were only 4 gates here! I need to contact Grace! Almost no Chinese or Hokkien or Hakka, no telephone card. What I had were some cash and Grace's phone number. I tried the public telephone. Gosh, I inserted coins and dialed but failed 3 consecutive time! Walking to the information booth, I tried to ask the officer for help. Fortunately, I was not bad at body language. She understood that I needed her to help me make a call.
9:30am: the "mystery" was revealed, I took a train backward 2 stations. There were Gate 6 and a young lady waiting for me. Hooray! Now I'm not alone anymore! (did I say I was so lonely and helpless?)
10:00am: I was sitting on a car with a strange person. She introduced herself as Monica while the person should be Hsu xiao jie. She knew Xiao Rong while I knew Grace. Haha, I don't know why, but back then I felt safe sitting on the car, without worrying I was kidnapped or something. Lol, sometimes naive and carelessness can save you lots of unnecessary troubles!
11:00am: I saw highway, fruit gardens, wet markets, 7 Eleven stores, sea and mountains! We were heading to Ping Tung.
12:00am: I was convinced that I will be living and working on a mountain because the streets were getting narrower and quieter as we traveled. Mudan appeared with mountains and slopes and roundabouts.
12:30: We stopped by my host family to drop my luggage first.
1:00pm: On the car again, heading to my workplace. Gosh, the slopes got steeper and I could not even see a house or a car going on the reverse direction! But the views were great though! There were trees that I had not seen before. Black eagles hovered with there wings stretched out. Valleys were in fresh green. I told myself that I would better love this place soon!
And I did!
Yup, that was my journey. Every seconds passed by with much worry and nervousness. But they all were over (successfully) and I am proud that I could make it safe!
And yet, it was only the first 2 of my 53 days in Taiwan. There were much more to discover and long for!
Yup! That's the place that I've been living in the last 5 weeks.
OK, return to the date 25th of April when I sat on that very Jet Star airplane after having 2 lunches >"<. It was the first time I went to a foreign country whose language I did not speak and there was supposed to be 0 person waiting for me at the airport! Trust me, you don't know how nervous I was, sitting on the plane and wondering about things awaiting ahead!
6:30pm: the plane landed. I felt safe seeing there were signs in English >"<
7:00pm: instinctively, I took a bus towards Taoyuan HSR station. Actually there were some hiccups here. One of my Taiwanese friends had instructed me how to get to the station: get on a shuttle bus which would bring you directly to the station. Haha, I thought it should be something like in Singapore, there is an internal transportation system that brings people around the airport. However, it turned out that I needed to queue up to buy a SHUTTLE BUS ticket (twice, because at first I stood in the wrong line!). It costed NT$60 if I'm not wrong. This price somehow confirmed that the trip should not be long.
7:30pm: on a bus that had no light, I started to feel hungry despite the double lunch I had had 7 hours before. Never mind, water could fill my stomach, I supposed. But hey, what takes this bus so long to reach the station?
8:00pm: at the station, failed to find something to eat.
8:30pm: on a HSR train, order a honey cake.
9:00pm: on the same train, the lady returned saying that all cakes and hot meals are out of stock!
9:30pm: felt supper hungry and the water bottle was then empty. I wished the lady come back so that I could order anything that was available!
10:00pm: reached Zuo Ying HSR station, met Grace (an AIESECer who is in charge of receiving me), on a taxi to a farewell party (!?!)
10:30pm: had the very first alcohol drink of my life. empty stomach. Met 1st friends in Taiwan. Warm and cool! Very friendly, active and welcome! (this is why I had a good impression of Taiwanese haha)
11:00pm: took farewell photos with a new friend, Adri. She was an AIESECer who had just finished an MT here, going back to Canada to marry an AIESEC guy! (so jealous, AIESEC wedding <3)
11:30pm: on a taxi heading to Zhong Shan university where I stayed over for the night. As the name speaks for itself, the school in located ON the mountain. Grace said we could see very beautiful sunset here <3 love it! I would definitely watch it one day!
12:00 mid night: took a shower. cold water. FREEZE!
...
Next day
8:00am: Grace walked me to MRT station, asking me to sit on the train for x stations and switch to another line, sit still until the terminal, someone should be waiting for me at Gate 6.
9:00am: I did EXACTLY what she said (even though MRT system here is more complicated that the one in Singapore). Reading the local map, I was panic because there were only 4 gates here! I need to contact Grace! Almost no Chinese or Hokkien or Hakka, no telephone card. What I had were some cash and Grace's phone number. I tried the public telephone. Gosh, I inserted coins and dialed but failed 3 consecutive time! Walking to the information booth, I tried to ask the officer for help. Fortunately, I was not bad at body language. She understood that I needed her to help me make a call.
9:30am: the "mystery" was revealed, I took a train backward 2 stations. There were Gate 6 and a young lady waiting for me. Hooray! Now I'm not alone anymore! (did I say I was so lonely and helpless?)
10:00am: I was sitting on a car with a strange person. She introduced herself as Monica while the person should be Hsu xiao jie. She knew Xiao Rong while I knew Grace. Haha, I don't know why, but back then I felt safe sitting on the car, without worrying I was kidnapped or something. Lol, sometimes naive and carelessness can save you lots of unnecessary troubles!
11:00am: I saw highway, fruit gardens, wet markets, 7 Eleven stores, sea and mountains! We were heading to Ping Tung.
12:00am: I was convinced that I will be living and working on a mountain because the streets were getting narrower and quieter as we traveled. Mudan appeared with mountains and slopes and roundabouts.
12:30: We stopped by my host family to drop my luggage first.
1:00pm: On the car again, heading to my workplace. Gosh, the slopes got steeper and I could not even see a house or a car going on the reverse direction! But the views were great though! There were trees that I had not seen before. Black eagles hovered with there wings stretched out. Valleys were in fresh green. I told myself that I would better love this place soon!
And I did!
Yup, that was my journey. Every seconds passed by with much worry and nervousness. But they all were over (successfully) and I am proud that I could make it safe!
And yet, it was only the first 2 of my 53 days in Taiwan. There were much more to discover and long for!
Tuesday 18 May 2010
Just an introduction
Yes, I'll just make this short.
3 weeks ago, I embarked on a 7-week trip to Taiwan for an internship about tourism. Sound exciting huh? I was posted to Mudan Aboriginal Cultural & Tourism Development Association in Pingtung county. Sound strange and weird? Yup, that was what I felt, especially on the way to the association itself ... remote and wild!
Anyway, day after day, I found this place more and more interesting. Not just the place for which I work or Mudan township or Pingtung county, it's Taiwan and the people here that amazes me! Therefore, I decide to write this blog, dedicating to Taiwan tourism in general. I will just simply share my experience in Taiwan. I will quickly share my travel notes as I discover new places...
Yup, I hope that this blog will be helpful for those wanting to visit Taiwan and discover its cultural side. Of course I will mention big cities like Taipei and Kaohsiung, too, but yeah ... I prefer to do something different and more meaningful. Why? Shopping centers and financial hubs are way too familiar with us! Why not learning something new and hidden?
Mysteries are awaiting for us, you and me!
19 May 2010
3 weeks ago, I embarked on a 7-week trip to Taiwan for an internship about tourism. Sound exciting huh? I was posted to Mudan Aboriginal Cultural & Tourism Development Association in Pingtung county. Sound strange and weird? Yup, that was what I felt, especially on the way to the association itself ... remote and wild!
Anyway, day after day, I found this place more and more interesting. Not just the place for which I work or Mudan township or Pingtung county, it's Taiwan and the people here that amazes me! Therefore, I decide to write this blog, dedicating to Taiwan tourism in general. I will just simply share my experience in Taiwan. I will quickly share my travel notes as I discover new places...
Yup, I hope that this blog will be helpful for those wanting to visit Taiwan and discover its cultural side. Of course I will mention big cities like Taipei and Kaohsiung, too, but yeah ... I prefer to do something different and more meaningful. Why? Shopping centers and financial hubs are way too familiar with us! Why not learning something new and hidden?
Mysteries are awaiting for us, you and me!
19 May 2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)