Six weeks down, and two to go. My classmates and I are in shock from how fast time has been passing. It seems like the first day of class was just yesterday. I guess time flies when you are having fun...and very busy! Class has been very difficult and time consuming, but our huge leaps of improvement have helped keep up our motivation to be diligent students every day. Over the time here in beautiful Tainan I have been able to get very familiar with the city inside and out.
I have found that here in Tainan, the best food and most interesting places many times are “hole in the wall” hidden gems. I have found so much amazing food that I will never be able to find anywhere else, and the place might not even have a sign or menu! Some vendors only make one dish for their customers, but it is made to perfection, so there is no need to have many different options. During my time here I have grown to love and appreciate the great value of these amazing hidden gems. Not only has the food been amazing at these spots, but I have also met some very interesting people with whom I plan on keeping in touch.
There is one outdoor shop that sold a rice egg breakfast (飯糰fantuan) in the morning and soup dumplings (小籠包xiaolongbao) at night. It is owned by an older couple with whom I have become very close! Every time I come back to eat, they sit down with me and we talk about various things. These relationships are what I live for! I was really not expecting that I would make great friends that I will keep in touch with for the rest of my life. I am happy to say that my Chinese is exponentially improving, I have great friends, and I am cherishing my last two weeks in the “Heart of Asia” as much as I can.
Program: Taiwan Intensive Summer Language Program, Tainan, Taiwan
Term: Summer 2019