Summer in Taiwan

By Diego Pilay
(Attended in Summer 2024)

Intro

Before going to Taiwan, I had no idea what the country offered. The most I had was the fear factor from what I see on the news on tensions between Taiwan and China. On top of that, I could barely comprehend the local language. Thankfully, the trip as a whole turned out smoother than I anticipated.

Acclimating to Taiwan

Arriving in Taipei and going to Kaohsiung, I realized two big things. For one, after uttering an incomprehensible sentence in Chinese, the locals would reveal that they speak English and are more than happy to help foreigners. Two, that this country is quite modernized and traversable. To this day I am dumbfounded by how you can get from the northernmost part of the country to the southmost in a matter of a few hours by the high speed train. The combination of these two things allowed me to smoothly settle in Taiwan as most interactions with locals were quite enjoyable, and as a New Yorker I won’t be too out of place hopping on a train or bike to get to where I want to be. Kaohsiung is especially traversable in this manner. Though, everywhere in the country is pretty hot and humid, so some of those bike rides resulted in a beat up sweaty me. But the sights and places accessible through it were great.

Relation to the School

The school let me know the details on the stipend and days I go in. Having Candice, the HuaYu coordinator, on my side was the best person and resource that I could have ever asked for to help ease into this student life. Living somewhat near the school and commuting on bike felt like an ideal living situation for the summer. I think that the small class sizes and animated teachers make for a fun learning environment, and it makes learning smooth. I made a genuine connection to almost everyone in my class, and being able to practice with everyone encouraged me to learn quicker and be more open. The campus also has a track, pullup bars and a gym. I spent a good bit of time alternating between my calisthenics routine, playing a sport like badminton, or hitting the gym. Right outside of Wenzao there were many restaurants, food stands and drink stands. I was able to enjoy visiting some of them with other Wenzao students.

Recs + Advice:

Foods to try If seen on Menu or You seek out a good meal:

• 厚片牛排: name implies thick cut of steak, typically served with noodle and eggs on a cast iron pan
• 嘉義火雞： ChiaYi Turkey, quite juicy Turkey served with rice
• 肉夾饃: Similar to a bun, tho a bit more bread like and typically has a pork filling along with a few other vegetables and ingredients
• 鱷魚湯, 蛇肉湯: May have to go out of your way for this one, but it is a pleasant soup, comparable to a good chicken soup
• 山豬肉: Boar meat, a bit more tender than the typical pork you find around the main cities
• (Taiwan Cuisine 101)牛肉麵，火鍋，臭豆腐，小籠包， 炒飯，炒麵, 奶茶
• Din tai fung
• Chun Shui Tang: Bubble tea founding teahouse+ restaurant
• Any and all Night markets, each one has something for everyone
• Anything that strikes your interest!

Places to check out:

• Taidong: Mountains, Beaches, Hot Springs, Paragliding
• Hualian: Similar to Taidong
• Culture parks: in general have many fun activities and shows to see and be a part of
• Sun Moon Lake: for the tea and a nice view and surrounding area
• Kenting: nice nature or so i’ve been told
• Kaohsiung 101:
• Lotus pond: pagodas, water park
• Qijin island nice place to go to for beach, place to hangout and get food
• Xiziwan: nice beach
• Shoushan: Monkey mountain

Other:

• Get A Taiwanese number:
• Allows you to easily sign up for many apps and services, ex:
• Get a decent 4g plan + a bit of call time
• YouBike - app to rent bikes
• Gokube - app to rent electric scooters
• Openpoint - 7-11 reward points app
• Other memberships
• Change your Phone’s Region to unlock the apps that are restricted to Taiwan
• Get a good water bottle that can hold a lot of water, it is very easy to overheat , sweat and dehydrate
• Consider buying a UPF sweater for hiking or days you may be in sun a long time
• Sun screen
• Aloe Vera in case you still burn after these tips
• If you plan to rent a car or motorcycle consider looking into the rules for renting with an NYC license. First month is all good, after that you may need an international license
• Use your student ID card ez card and put it on your apps like youbike for simple transportation tap payments
• Do what you like!
• People in Taiwan share the same hobbies as you and doing what you like with others can be a good way to bond with locals and even practice some Chinese.
• Trying new things is always fun, you never know what may come of it

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