Blog 2: Days 3-5

 The past two days in Taipei have been very exciting and culturally informative. On New Year's eve, we had our first day of classes, went to the 西门 (Ximen) district, and viewed the fireworks at Taipei 101. The classes were very interesting and are taught at a rapid pace, which is a perfect combination to being able to constantly practice speaking Chinese.  Since my first class was too difficult for me, I dropped down to a lower level.  The new difficulty is perfect for me, and I feel I will be adequately challenged.  The teachers are all very kind, knowledgeable, and quick to help answer any questions. After class we all took a trip to the 西门 (Ximen) district, which displays a very interesting mix of Japanese and Chinese culture. For dinner that night we went to a 火锅 (Chinese hot pot) restaurant which was very tasty. The most exciting part of New Year's Eve was the fireworks show at Taipei 101. It was extremely crowded, and we were still a good distance away from the tower.

On New Year's Day we didn't have any classes, so we slept in late and went to lunch at a really good dumpling restaurant. We visited the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial, which was a really beautiful and fascinating square and museum. The weather on that day was beautiful, so it felt great to walk around in the sun. Following that, we went to a really interesting museum displaying historical artifacts from up to 8000 years ago. After the museums, we went to the most famous 小笼包 (soup dumpling) restaurant in Taiwan: Din Tai Feng. They were undoubtedly the best soup dumplings, and probably one of the best meals I've ever had.

One thing I found very different from America was the crowd's reaction to the fireworks at Taipei 101. In America, people tend to cheer very loudly and are very obnoxious at fireworks shows. However, in Taipei everyone was very quiet and polite during the fireworks. Very few people cheered, and aside from a few gasps of awe, it was completely quiet. There were, unfortunately, some unpleasant people at the fireworks show; however, they were all foreigners.  Another interesting aspect of the fireworks was that everyone sat down on the street while they waited for the show to start.  This is something that could never happen in America, as people would end up pushing each other for seating room.  These were a pleasant cultural differences that made the fireworks viewing much more enjoyable.

The Ximen district was a really interesting example of a melting pot of cultures.  This district reminds me a lot of the Shibuya district in Japan.  There is a blend of Japanese, American, Chinese, and Taiwanese culture present in this area city, and several languages are displayed on bright, neon screens in every direction.  One moment you would be in front of a Japanese food store with a Taiwanese cell phone store across the street, a Chinese food stand next door, and a KFC a block away.  Towards the edge of the Ximen district I found several Taiwanese people skateboarding.  I noticed immediately that, despite being on the other side of the world, the style of skateboarding was identical to that in America.  The clothing, tricks, and equipment were all either the exact same brands or highly similar to those you would find in the United States.  It was amazing that even though there are hundreds of cultural differences between Taiwan and America, skateboarding is the exact same sport.

This weekend, we are planning on visiting the southern area of Taiwan. We plan on going to many historical sites and even plan on visiting a wedding. I am the most excited to see the wedding, as I have never been to a wedding, let alone a Taiwanese wedding. It will also be interesting to see how the southern region of Taiwan is different from the north. It should be an interesting weekend.