I have now been living in Taiwan for a full month and am fortunate enough to say that this amazing experience is only half over! I wanted to use this blog post to talk about the experience I had with my host family this past weekend. It was truly the best experience I could have asked for, and I am incredibly thankful that so many wonderful families volunteered to be host families for the TISLP participants.
My host family consisted of a mom, dad, sister, and brother. The cover photo of this blog post is me with my host brother and sister. The sister was around my age and we learned during our day together that we have the same birthday! We got to take a really cute photo in front of a hand-painted Gemini astrology sign. I really clicked with my host sister and we even made plans to get together again before I leave for America.
The day with my host family started at the incredibly beautiful White Church in Tainan. I was able to share what I knew about Christianity with them since it is not a very popular religious practice in Taiwan, and after, we traveled to the Nankunshen Daitian Temple where they were more than willing to share popular customs, beliefs, and festival celebrations in Daoist and Buddhist beliefs. At the temple, we prayed to the Gods and witnessed a moving festival consisting of dancing and music in order to entertain the Gods. It was a very different experience for me because, in America, we choose to celebrate our God in a very different way. Celebrations are more formal, serene, and centered around one-on-one time with God. On the other hand, the festivals at the temple were eccentric, joyous, colorful, and many people were celebrating together.
After the temple, my host family shared with me some of their favorite Taiwan treats - I tried mango shaved ice, caramel pudding, a lemon tart, and a fruit sundae. All of these were absolutely delicious! We also all visited a museum where we read fortunes that are brought out during Lunar New Year. My host dad explained to me that every year during Lunar New Year, a poem is selected that will predict the good fortunes and not-so-good experiences that are to come in the following year. He also emphasized that the Taiwanese people are very invested in the truths that these poems hold, and he gave me multiple examples of when the poems’ predictions came true.
We visited a wholesale fruit market where we got very cheap mangos, my favorite fruit! Then, we traveled to Anping to watch the sunset over the harbor and took some pictures together. We ended the day with a traditional Chinese meal and they shared some of their favorite Chinese dishes with me. I tried goose for the first time and loved it. I explained to my family that goose tastes extremely similar to turkey, which is a staple on American holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas.
I was tired at the end of the day, but it could not have gone better. I am incredibly thankful for my host family and want to thank them sincerely for sharing their culture with me!
AC Study Abroad Need-Based Scholarship Recipient (sponsored by the generous support of the Taiwan Ministry of Education)
Taiwan Intensive Summer Language Program (TISLP) Participant
National Cheng Kung University (NCKU)
Tainan, Taiwan, Summer 2023