I'm moving to Taipei next year. What are somethings I should know?
I am being a foreign exchange student in Taipei, Taiwan next year. I am from a small town and have never been anywhere near Asia before. What should I expect? and what cool things are there to do?
Taiwan - 5 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
Learn to feel comfortable taking public transportation admist a horde of people you can't understand and signs you can't read. Get a basic Chinese phrases book with audio CD, and develop some communication skills. Good luck to you! :^)
2 :
It is the capital city of a province of China
3 :
Chinese writing are simplify picture. Basic word look at it, you should able to guess its meaning.
4 :
Stick to the major roads, and for transportation, use mainly the Taipei city subway system, which is very convinient and have english signs. Also, make sure you know about what bus to ride to your university. um, for food, most major chain restaurants have english or numbers to order from. if you want some more local food, have a taiwanese friend take you. shopping for cloth is really easy, as there r clothing stores like everywhere. but market stalls might try to cheat u so only go to legit stores like Net or something. American clothing stores are all overpriced so dont go to them. if you need to go to church, there are english services at a couple of churches across the street from National Taiwan University (get off at Gonguan station in subway i believe) and if your a white person, dont be afraid to ask people directions in english because people will try their best to help you. You might wanna look for other nonasian foreigners or taiwanese american (you can tell by cloth and skin tone and hair style) to help you, as they probably speak english well. oh and drinking age is only 18 so that might be good. but dont expect many hot guys. not many hot guys the last time i went (though im a guy saying this so i might not be very accurate)
5 :
Keep an open mind. It's probably going to be a cultural shock at first. Taipei is a populated metropolitan with some real good mass transit system in place - lightrail/subway and buses are common. All of the MRT stations and signs will be in English so you shouldn't be too lost. Make lots of friends and explore Taipei. Don't be afraid to try different kind of food. :D
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Monday, October 28, 2013
Monday, October 14, 2013
High school in Taiwan?
High school in Taiwan?
Im going to Taiwan for my junior year through Rotary. I will be the second student ever to go there through Rotary and im really excited. I was wondering what kinds of classes a high school in Taiwan would have. Also, any other useful information would be really helpful!
Taiwan - 3 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
About the same as the American system has; but in Mandarin. Some writing classes; some science classes; some math classes; some indoctrination to worshipping Confucious and claiming that Sun Yat Sen had great ideas for China and you should forget about being Taiwanese because you got invaded and owned 60 years ago and shut up and get in line, cut your hair and wear your uniform for the jobs that were in demand 40 years ago type classes. You know, the usual bollocks and lies every nation state tries to spoon feed you and make you into a nice, compliant sheep. Edit: sorry about the raging. It isn't that bad. You caught me on a grouchy day. High School in Taiwan tends to be tedium interspersed with periods of study and terror. But 99% of it is tedium.
2 :
Congratulations on your being selected for such an honorable appointment! Classes cover most of the same subjects you would encounter in the USA. Instruction will be exclusively in Mandarin Chinese. I hope you can read and write in the language. The workload is likely to be greater than you are used to; there will be lots of reading and memorization, followed by many tests. Advice: Use your English skills to assist those who are struggling in English, in exchange for them assisting you in the subject in which they excel. The bright side is... many are going to want to be close to you as a friend.
3 :
Get ready for tons of homework.
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Im going to Taiwan for my junior year through Rotary. I will be the second student ever to go there through Rotary and im really excited. I was wondering what kinds of classes a high school in Taiwan would have. Also, any other useful information would be really helpful!
Taiwan - 3 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
About the same as the American system has; but in Mandarin. Some writing classes; some science classes; some math classes; some indoctrination to worshipping Confucious and claiming that Sun Yat Sen had great ideas for China and you should forget about being Taiwanese because you got invaded and owned 60 years ago and shut up and get in line, cut your hair and wear your uniform for the jobs that were in demand 40 years ago type classes. You know, the usual bollocks and lies every nation state tries to spoon feed you and make you into a nice, compliant sheep. Edit: sorry about the raging. It isn't that bad. You caught me on a grouchy day. High School in Taiwan tends to be tedium interspersed with periods of study and terror. But 99% of it is tedium.
2 :
Congratulations on your being selected for such an honorable appointment! Classes cover most of the same subjects you would encounter in the USA. Instruction will be exclusively in Mandarin Chinese. I hope you can read and write in the language. The workload is likely to be greater than you are used to; there will be lots of reading and memorization, followed by many tests. Advice: Use your English skills to assist those who are struggling in English, in exchange for them assisting you in the subject in which they excel. The bright side is... many are going to want to be close to you as a friend.
3 :
Get ready for tons of homework.
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Monday, October 7, 2013
What do you think of plans to open up Taiwanese universities to Chinese (PRC) students?
What do you think of plans to open up Taiwanese universities to Chinese (PRC) students?
Would Taiwan's democratic and freethinking society make an impression on PRC students? Would some PRC students conduct clandestine activities in Taiwan? Is the issue more complex than all of this?
Taiwan - 3 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
I think it is a good idea, personally. With appropriate oversight and standards testing for incoming students. If they are found to be doing clandestine activities it should be a fairly simple yank of the cord to send them home for minor infringements and much easier to get some hostages for more complex serious security breach situations for better leverage against major inpingements. Its a fairly easy set up. A Win-win situation as the Chinese like to say! I do believe that seeing how debates can be civil (at least among NORMAL people, not paid entertainers who should be on channel Z pretending to fight) can help impact the Chinese view of democracy. I also believe that as China is integrated into a global setting, you need to show mutual respect for all research (that is legitimate) and have access to their research as well, which having mutual interaction allows the rest of the world to do. It is just rude to sign up to WTO and free trade and not allow the future leaders of Taiwan an equal playing field with China. It may not be in Taiwan's interest in some ways, but with a few tweaks to legislation (all spots go first to Taiwanese who get over 85% average on high school or university access tests, if extra spots are available for Chinese who wish to enter, as long as they also can get over 85% and have the funds -possibly at an increased rate of cash, as Canada does for its overseas trainees.) I think it is better for more opportunities for friendly interaction between the two countries future leaders to help stave off un-necessary hostilities based upon ancient historical schisms between two obsolete groups of grandparents. Currently university aged Taiwanese have a completely different system and method of thought than the current group of Chinese and this opening up can only reinforce that difference. Personally I think all the DPP hype and histronics for this situation change are counter-productive and make Taiwan appear insular, small minded and a bit racist. It does not help the opposition cause to act like a bunch of back-woods hicks without any personal belief in their own students abilities. It also could foster some open debate and force the Chinese to try and back up their claims with evidence in an arena that is open and not controlled by them. Many minds and mistaken ideas would be changed IMO by spending time and seeing how people here can express dissent. However, the obvious foil to this idea is that the Chinese students would work with subversive elements to undermine several ideas and do acts of terrorism against the free people of Taiwan. Well, nobody ever made a cake without breaking eggs. Its called LAW ENFORCEMENT. Start enforcing the rules that do exist, or get rid of the unrealistic laws that cannot be enforced and suddenly everyone in Taiwan wins! Students from all over the world should be allowed to (non-violently) express their opinions. It doesnt mean many people here would agree with them when they start shouting at random people on the street "we own you! Start using simplified you rebels!" They might get some dirty looks and be more prone to getting beat up at the pubs, however. (But they have the right to say what they wish...) If the student from China can read traditional Chinese or speak english well enough to access a university here, then they should be welcome to take a crack at it. All intellectuals should be welcomed. EDIT: I feel that all technical fields should be open. If you want China to stop depending on/ stealing/ thinking illogical thoughts about domination you need a level playing field. Yes, TW loses out some of its engineers getting jobs and doing stuff for China in the short term, but if China can actually have intelligent people CAPABLE OF CRITICAL THOUGHT and who want a FREEDOM TO RESEARCH NEW IDEAS who have been trained in a proper rigourous setting, then you have yourself a new class to replace the obviously illogical groups who currently supress everything in that country. God bless bachelor's degrees but they are not much good for getting real leadership and advancing a country. They are good for recording and training languages, perhaps. But not much good at anything else that will be needed in the future.
2 :
Lot of considerations should go into this. I find it highly improbable that two or three years education in Taiwan can undo years of mind poisoning that they have undergone in China. Remember that students in mainland China are still indoctrinated with hatred towards Japanese and read history books that are altered to suit Communist Party ideology. While China itself doesn't allow any demonstration by foreign students on their own soil, these Chinese students who study abroad have been found to engage in vandalism and demonstration, exploiting the free society abroad for their own gains. Taiwan will have to adopt a very cautions approach on this issue, weighing all pros and cons.
3 :
Agreeing with Matt's and Melanie's precautions and guidance, I'd like to add: Do not allow them into anything other than Bachelor's Degree programs; no advanced studies (particularly in key industries such as the IT sector). Other than that added restriction, I think the shared experiences between Taiwanese and Chinese students might serve to bolster support for greater cross-strait cooperation and a further acknowledgement that China and Taiwan are separate countries.
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Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Any Ninjutsu clubs in Taiwan?
Any Ninjutsu clubs in Taiwan?
I am moving there. I know it is Chinese culture, but I was hoping there are some clubs there due to its close proximity to Japan. I am a current Ninjutsu student in my own country.
Martial Arts - 3 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
i doubt it. people there tend to know how mediocre ninjitsu is.
2 :
No... Taiwan is where you go if you want to learn REAL martial arts. Some of the best Chinese martial artists are in Taiwan. Jeez, if you're going to be in Taiwan, you should take advantage of the real thing and forget those childish fantasies of being a ninja.
3 :
The best suggestion I can think of is to try contacting an known Ninpo / Ninjutsu organization on the internet and ask if they can refer schools or instructors available in Taiwan . Good luck with your search !
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