Since my year abroad in Taiwan has drawn to a close, I’ve started reflecting on my experiences abroad and the happy times I had living in Taipei.
I wasn’t too knowledgeable about Taiwan before moving there. Despite having learnt Chinese for a while, I hadn’t spent much time looking at Taiwan in its own right. It was only on the plane to Taipei that I realised I was moving abroad to a country I knew very little about. Whilst it would have made my initial life in Taiwan easier if I knew more about what to expect, I still consider this a blessing in disguise. Not knowing what to expect allowed me to have my own unique experience in Taiwan and slowly discover the island in a natural way.
I arrived at the end of August 2023 and within a week was starting my language classes at National Taiwan Normal University.
The language classes were pretty intense and it took a while to grow accustomed to the teachers only speaking in Chinese. However I started to really enjoy my daily life living in Taipei. Living with my host family so close to the university made commuting so easy, and it was always fun to go for lunch with classmates in different areas after class.
It took me a few weeks to feel confident travelling around Taiwan and leaving Taipei. I started off with small trips to the outskirts of Taipei such a Beitou, and as my confidence grew I started to be more ambitious with my travelling, making the most of my weekends and holidays to explore different parts of the island. One of my fondest memories is travelling across Taiwan to Kenting for a few days during my November holiday. This was my first big trip and my first time taking the High Speed Rail. There were far fewer foreigners in the south and it was really encouraging to have so many locals complimenting my Chinese!
There were of course some tough moments during my time abroad. There were moments of home sickness and times when I wanted to be back in the UK with my university friends. Cultural differences also started to wear down on you over time. For example the extreme cash culture and reluctance to use cards was irritating at times if you forgot to bring cash with you. However, there are many aspects of Taiwanese life that I really miss being back in the UK. For example, the sense of public safety and trust in strangers. If you were to drop your wallet in Taipei, you could come back a full day later and find your wallet in the same area, placed neatly on the side of the street. This culture of mutual kindness and respect is inspiring.
Taiwanese food really made my time studying abroad. The sheer number of restaurants and cafes in Taipei is incredible. I was also able to eat at a lot of immigrant-run restaurants near where I lived. The favourites included Thai, Vietnamese, Sushi and Indian restaurants. The night markets and bubble tea both lived up to their reputation and made for some fun food trips with friends.
Moving abroad for a year was a challenge, but I gained so much from the experience. I now have a real sense of fluency when speaking Chinese and am so much more confident in myself.
I would like to express a great deal of thanks to the John Speak Trust. The support I received allowed me to get the most out of my time abroad. There was also something quite therapeutic about writing my monthly reports, sharing my unique experiences with others. To all the trustees and Debra – Thank you for everything.
I would wholeheartedly encourage anyone considering studying abroad to go for it!