在台灣留學 Studying in Taiwan (ROC)

大家好！(Dàjiā hǎo!)Hello Everyone! 

Upon Elephant Mountain and gazing at Tapei 101 at sundown :)

Almost three months has past since I left Hawaii. So far, it has been an interesting adventure! What I remember from my first week in Taiwan was nothing I really prepared for. After all, the summer was a bliss and my Chinese was not polished enough for what was in stored for me. Upon arrival to Taoyuan airport (that's the often main international airport to get to Taiwan), I was able to use my Chinese the first time while ordering breakfast at the airport. It was horrible. However, over time my Chinese had progressed to at least to an extent where am I able to speak and listen to it a whole lot more. 

I currently dorm at the Shui Yuan dorms (C; mixed gender with certain floors for boys  and others for girls) a little outside National Taiwan University. It's a decent place that's clean and has internet (though the wifi is quite bad :( ).  I also got a roommate from Hong Kong! He's a nice guy and I am glad they roomed us together because it's great to be with another Cantonese speaker (hearing and speaking it, reminds me of my parents). 

The best thing about the dorm however is its diversity. Every where I go, there are local Taiwanese students, mainland Chinese students, Germans, French, Dutch, Spanish, Japanese, Koreans, and other nationalities. An interesting fact: NTU has about 432  international exchanges students from 28 different countries, and representing 149 universities. If you don't believe me check out their site: http://www.oia.ntu.edu.tw/students/incoming.students.list/year/104

Speaking of other nationalities, I forgot to mention that many of my classmates and fellow dormmates can speak Mandarin really well!!! It's not rare to see westerners speak Chinese to each other or see Koreans and Japanese speak Chinese like they have been speaking it like forever. I guess I should not be surprise, NTU is after all, the so called "Harvard of Taiwan." It makes sense that it will draw top students from around the world to study here. 

As for my travels in Taiwan, so far I have been in the North and exploring Taipei to the fullest. I have been  to neighboring towns like Kee Lung, Jiu Fen, Shi Fen, Mao Kong, and Wu Lai. I hope I can explore the Southern cities more later, and even see the north and east coast beaches of Taiwan (can they compete with Hawaii?).  I still have plenty more to see. 

At the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial. Here is a memorial dedicated to the former leader of the Republic of China between 1928 and 1975 

At the Presidential Building 

Taiwan is quite the modern city. There are subways (MRT), High Speed Rail, Taxi, and Buses 

At the Martyrs' Shrine 

A Taiwanese Loco Moco?

My ride in Taiwan!!! I got him for only $400 NTD (about $12.50 USD)

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In front of National Palace Museum (the "Louvre of Taiwan"

At KeeLung

Just Chilling in a Hot Spring (41 degrees Celsius) no big deal....

In Jiu Fen, the almost Japanese-like old mining town that was said to inspire settings in the movie, "Spirited Away." 

Jiu Fen

Some Taiwanese Shave Ice :P

Got here just in time for the boat ride

An aborigine village in Wu Lai (after Taiwan's recent Typhoon) 

Some Coffee while you wait? 

At Shi Fen. A waterfall fit for Nymphs and Mermaids! 

Flying my first sky lantern with my Taiwanese friend

If you want to fly lanterns, Pingxi and Shifen are the places to go! Hop on board! 

Safety first! 

At the Taipei Zoo. I saw Pandas! (I do mean actually ones!!) 

That's all for now. Stay tuned for more!! 

Mint tea and a nice piece rghaif :D

Salam, Everyone:D
It's Carina again, and I am now on week six of my semester here in Morocco and so i believe with that said  i am local enough to tell you all about Morocco now :D Ha ha okay maybe not but i will provide you with some awesome information!!! First things first....Mint tea....its delicious and everywhere!!! second thing rghaif.....Kuli, Kuli, Kuli....eat, eat , and eat...its truly "benin"... as the Moroccans say"tasty"
Words to keep in mind: benin- tasty, and Kuli- eat...see your already learning Darija its the Moroccan dialect. Your almost ready for Morocco just a few more things to keep in mind.

   

  Person : Sweet, savory,... and wait is that powdered sugar on top...Eww...What is  that anyway?

Carina: The best thing you've had I swear....I and the rest of my friends day dream about this stuff!!! 

Person : Wait something is totally wrong here...How can something good be sweet, and savory you gotta tell me more!

Carina: Yupp....Its called Pastilla and it is truly amazing!!! 

person 1: I'm ready...I'm ready ...sign me up already!

Carina: Wowaha...this is just some of the foods....you haven't even heard about the rest that Morocco has to offer.

 Adventures:  Casa Blanca, Fez, Chefchaouen, Al Houceima, and etc. ...you have to go visit why not:D.... theirs a cheap train ticket.... fresh air in your lungs, and...your young...so go...explore, and sing.. sing? yes sing....why not...if your  really bad you can always blame it on your friends anyway lol ;D

Okay, now your almost ready to study in Morocco:D The last piece of advice i would like to give you...is to not eat the shwarma on the street...really? yes really or you will be in the bathroom for along time. Okay... now on a serious note... really?  Okay not really...have fun, make Moroccan friends, go to the souk, barter with the locals...do everything ha ha...really take every opportunity that comes your way:D "What you put into your trip is what you really will get out of it"...so remember your Passport...and WELCOME to MOROCCO!!! 

P.S. If you want any more advice from a local;D feel free to NOT contact me lol...okay  just kidding yes please....if you really are interested in Morocco even if its just a small inkling...email me, I can try and answer all your questions for you.

Sincerely,

 Carina (clara1@my.hpu.edu)

      
          

The Musical Garbage Truck That Talks to You

Hola! It’s me again only this time I am studying not in Athens, Greece the home of my ancestors, I am studying in the country of the volcanoes.

Volcanoes everywhere! 

Maybe that isn’t the official slogan of the country, but when every single day all you hear about is Cotopaxi (for those of you that do not know it is an active volcano in the south of Quito that is due to erupt at any time) and a president that isn’t allowing for information to be let out about said volcano then you begin to associate the country with volcanoes.

Currently I am sitting in my host families house looking out of my giant window at the first real rain shower I have experienced since arriving to Ecuador. The power is out so I am struggling to see with the dim wet grey light that is peaking in from outside. September the 22^nd marks one month that I have lived in Quito and I find myself reminiscing on how much has changed since I have arrived to the beautiful country that boasts the catchphrase Ama la Vida.

Just one example of the humming birds

One month ago I was frantically throwing clothes into two suitcases and saying my goodbyes to everyone in Rapid City because the night before I had flown in from an internship in New York. Less than twenty-four hours to pack for four months use to seem impossible, but now I can say that it absolutely is not. However, life is about the adventure. When I boarded my plane in Rapid City, SD I had no idea what to expect when I stepped out of customs in Quito, Ecuador. Looking back I could have prepared myself more, but having no preconceived ideas of what to expect has honestly been the best strategy to enjoying every moment since I have been here. So now I will tell you about my experience since arriving to my second study abroad location.

View of the Old Town Quito

Ecuador is a country unlike any other country in the world. 
From the Andes filled with colorfully dressed indigenous people, to the jungle bursting with more species of humming birds than anywhere else in the world, the beautiful beaches separating the land from the sea, and the volcanoes that are always threatening to erupt there are too many activities to do to ever say that one is bored. One doesn’t even have to leave the bustling crowded city of Quito to find differing cultural experiences. From the old town which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site to Quicentro which is the shiny and modern new shopping mall in the center of Quito there is always something new to discover.

View of the River I bungee jumped over

Having traveled to two cities Otavalo and Baños I feel as if there are too many great places in this country to visit that choosing only a few is going to be incredibly difficult. Along with the beautiful scenery are the passionate Ecuadorians that I have met, Ecuadorians much like the Greeks are very focused on family. My host mother immediately took me under her wing and introduced me to the intricacies of life in Quito. However, having to speak Spanish every day is physically draining. I find myself coming home every day from university exhausted both physically and emotionally. Life in Quito is hard, it takes twice the effort to accomplish anything and it’s hard to try and blend in when you are clearly a grienga that is taller than almost everyone. 

Bungee jumping

Having lived in Greece is helping a lot with realizing culture shock and with adapting to another country that functions completely different that the United States. I am also learning a lot about myself since living in Ecuador. First, I should never go into boats or anything floating on water that isn’t a surfboard. Second, I enjoy dancing salsa more than anyone who has never done it before should. Third, Reggaeton is the greatest music to dance to and anyone that tries to argue hasn’t lived. Fourth, planning a vacation within Ecuador is too much work, going with the flow is so much easier. Fifth, the friends you make while studying abroad become your entire life while in the country. Finally, trying to befriend Ecuadorians becomes really hard when you don’t speak fluent sarcasm in Spanish.


Also in case you were wondering about the title, the garbage trucks in small towns play music while picking up garbage and tell you to get out of the way!

Travel with people that are as photogenic as you

I think that is enough with my experience in Ecuador thus far! I hope you enjoy the pictures and stay tuned for my next blog!

Cascada del Pailon del Diablo

View of one of the main squares in Quito

Bond University

          Bond University is a very nice and private campus. It is not far away from my house. I just need to take bus 750 and it took me around 7 minutes to arrive to Bond University.

            I love Bond because it is very unique and diversity. You can meet people all around the world come here to exchange. Mostly they are come from Japan and China. The classroom is very small; it is around 10 to 15 people per class. I think it is easier for the professor get to know each student. Bond University is very different to our Hawaii Pacific University because their courses divide into lecture section and tutorial section. For the lecture, it is only one a week and it lengths for 2 hours. Tutorial is one a week, too but it is only for 1 hour. 

            The students here are very friendly, they help you when you need and show you the way when you get lost. The professors are super nice, they always help you with your assignment and clearly explained things you need to do for your essay. Whenever you don’t understand, just raise your hand and ask, they will stop the lecture and explain to you again. When I’m at Bond, I always feel confident, secure and comfortable.

            For the student clubs, my favorite one is BUSA, which stands for Bond University Student Association. BUSA organizes a lot of fun activities for students like free BBQ every Wednesday by the pool, so student can enjoy their BBQ, listen to music and swim in the water. BUSA also helps students with the transportations like selling second hand bike to us. I luckily get one on Friday for just $40.  

            Moreover, at Bond, they also have a big gym center, so students can come here and exercise. They also provide free yoga, aerobics, and boxing classes for student everyday. It is kind of cool and flexible because students can come whenever they want to. Gym Center is my favorite place because whenever I have stress in studying, I come here to relax.

            Besides that, Library at Bond is very useful. You can find a lot of resources relate to your course here. The library also opens 24 hours a day so it is very easy for students who want to come here and studying. At Bond, students have to put money into the ID card in order to print or copy. It is very different than our school in Hawaii.