Memory and the Politics of Heritage in Taiwan Global Seminar: A Journey of Cultural Exploration by University of Colorado Students post # 14
As part of a Tang-funded global seminar this summer, a group of 14 undergraduate students from CU embarked on a three-week program immersing themselves in Taiwanese life, culture, politics, and history. We'll be showcasing a series of blog posts from these students to share what the experience has been like in their words.
post # 14 Deonnie Mosley
During my three week stay in Taiwan, I learned many things about travelling abroad. Since it was my first time ever going out of the country, I was quite nervous that I would mess things up getting there or while there, but I found that wasn't very likely as I went through the motions. Taiwan felt like such a safe and enriching place to be. I never felt the intuitive need to be hyper aware of my surroundings 24/7, it felt very comfortable traveling around the city. There were so many sights to see and places to visit, many of which have historical importance or just general/cultural importance.
One of the things I was most worried about while visiting was the language barrier since I was one of the few non-Mandarin speakers in my group. Even though I don't speak Mandarin, I felt the locals were extremely kind and willing to do their best to ensure I got whatever I was needing and we would find a way to communicate with one another. It felt so nice to be able to still communicate with people even if it was outside of conventional means and really just drove the fact that Taiwanese people are very hospitable and kind. Taiwan is definitely a place I will be visiting again.