Isobell Addo

Going abroad has always been a dream of mine. I have never thought I would have the chance to do so, this early in my college journey. After learning about this program, I knew I had to go. From that moment on, it was like a whirlwind—purchasing tickets and insurance, finding a place to stay, researching life in Taiwan, and mentally preparing to leave home consumed my mind the week before my flight. The day of my flight I was very nervous, I had never taken an international flight let alone been on a plane for that long. Good thing I didn't have to go alone. I met a friend through the orientation and we would only get closer as the summer progressed. The flight itself wasn't bad, and before I knew it we had landed in Taipei.

The moment I stepped out of the airport, I could feel that Taiwan would be the start of something new. And it wasn’t just the heat and humidity that let me know. Everything about the environment felt different, in the best possible way, and I could already tell I was going to love it. From Taipei, my new friends and I hopped on the High-Speed Rail (HSR) to Kaohsiung, down in southern Taiwan, where we’d be staying. Arriving at my new apartment and walking into the room was like a déjà vu moment, almost like moving into my dorm all over again—except this time, there was a whole new adventure waiting right outside the door.

One of the benefits of getting into this program was the scholarship provided to us, which came with a monthly stipend on the 10th—after they took out the cost of tuition. I decided to use the total of my scholarship to pay all my rent and deposit in advance. This was one of the smartest decisions I made in the summer because I didn’t have to worry about paying rent each month. Even though my stipend was smaller than some of my friends, the peace of mind was priceless. Hunter also provided reimbursement for airfare, and travel insurance with some left over for other expenses that came later in the summer. 

On top of this, I set myself a spending budget for my time abroad. Before hopping on my flight, I took out some cash to exchange at the airport and kept the rest on my debit card. Pro tip: make sure to have extra USD! Relying solely on a debit card can add up with all those foreign transactions and ATM fees. Do some research to avoid surprises. About a month into living in Taiwan, I ended up getting a new credit card because my current one wasn’t accepted in a lot of places and credit cards often have no foreign transaction fees. Lesson learned: make sure you have a solid plan for how you’re going to pay for things while you’re abroad—trust me, it'll save you some headaches!

The school where the Taiwan Huayu BEST program was held was called Wenzao Ursuline University of Language. Once my place in the program and school was confirmed, I took an online placement test before arriving in Taiwan. Using the results I was placed in a class. Classes took place every weekday for three hours. I had afternoon classes so I started at 1:10 pm and ended at 4:00 pm. Classes consisted of vocabulary pronunciation, sentence structure review, group work, and activities. I enjoyed the structure of the class because it was very engaging. We had two teachers. One would teach for three days and the other would teach for the other two days. What I loved about taking classes at Wenzao was the diversity of the students. People from different cultures and those who spoke different languages attended the school either to learn Chinese or the various other languages they provided. As I was in the beginner Chinese class the teachers spoke in a mix of English and Chinese, relying mostly on Chinese because everyone in the class's first language wasn't English. Jumping into class wasn't a hard transition for me because we only had one class and I found it rather interesting. We were given semi-weekly quizzes and homework most days but it wasn't too overwhelming with the teachers being relatively lenient on deadlines. As the semester went on the class became close as we learned more about each other. I  got to learn new things about my classmates while using the new Chinese words I had learned. 

As a Black girl navigating life in a new country, I've occasionally noticed curious glances or heard snippets of conversations about me. However, I came to learn that these reactions were mainly out of curiosity and weren't out of bad intentions. The kindness and warmth of the Taiwanese people have truly stood out to me, making me feel welcomed and at ease. I’ve always felt safe, even when walking alone late at night.

One of the highlights of life in Taiwan is the food. It is delicious, cheap, and very convenient. As a person who loves to eat, there are so many options and places that you can explore. In Kaohsiung alone there are countless drink shops, street vendors, and restaurants to try. Some things I recommend are Beef Noodle Soup (牛肉麵), Hot Pot (火鍋), Scallion Pancake (蔥油餅), Shaved Ice ( 剉冰), and tons of bubble tea（珍珠奶茶). These are just a glimpse of the tasty options Taiwan has to offer.

Riding a bike is a very convenient way to get around in Taiwan because public transportation like buses and trains don’t run 24/7. Kaohsiung uses YouBike, these bikes can be found on almost every street. To access the bikes, simply download the app and link your credit card; however, you'll have limited access that needs to be renewed without a Taiwanese phone number. If you have a Taiwanese number, you can link your EasyCard, which makes things even more convenient. An easy card is the equivalent of a metrocard, it can be refilled and used on public transportation and even convenience stores. Renting a bike is very affordable, I would usually spend 1-2 dollars a ride. Before coming to Taiwan I couldn’t ride a bike but with the dedication of my friends one night and the motivation that this was one of the only other ways of getting home, I learned how to ride a bike. It took us the entire night, and I still remember the joy I felt walking into my apartment after successfully docking that bike. From that moment on, biking became a regular part of our city explorations.

  Not only was I able to connect with my classmates but I was also able to build meaningful friendships with fellow participants in the Huayu BEST program. Since we all came from Hunter College, we naturally stuck together, making the experience feel less lonely. After class, we would explore the city, hang out at 7-Eleven to study and play games, and even work out together. These shared experiences brought us closer, making my time in Taiwan even more meaningful. Celebrating a summer birthday abroad was an unforgettable part of it. I’ve always wanted to start my birthday by watching the sunrise, and with a few friends, I was finally able to check that off my bucket list. My birthday night was the perfect finale; we celebrated at KTV (karaoke), where we ate delicious food and cake while singing our hearts out for hours.