I am reaching the end of my little pre-program vacation in Taipei, Taiwan and I figured it would be nice to wrap up the trip in the only way an ENVS student knows how: a DS post…
A few of my first impressions of Taipei were 1. The smell. There is a very odd smell in the downtown of Taipei. The city is tall and skinny, so trees/greenery between city blocks is uncommon to say the least, combined with many mopeds, and the constant cooking of meat, and the city takes on a very unfamiliar smell. But, like any city, the longer you are there the less you notice it. For me, a half a week is all it took. 2. The lights. The city is definitely a night-time city. During the day the buildings look a little grungy, its hot and people tend to go from one building with AC to the next. Around 6pm, however, every building, shop, and advertisement lights up in a fantastic display of light. Because of this, shops tend to not open till around 11am, and the city keeps bustling well into the night, night markets staying open well into the middle of the night. This is interesting considering a conversation I had with a Taiwanese man the other day tell me about the nuclear power plant that one the political parties would like to build. The plans are controversial because of a long time fued (and complicated history) between two political parties. One is indigenous Taiwanese, while the other is Chinese and wealthy, meaning that the Chinese political party is looking to make money from the power plant.
This is the first time I have been in a country in which I did not know the language, and I have found it to be quite interesting. I have found myself relying on the subway system rather than buses because it is quick and easy to find/figure out. Interestingly, there is a strong connection between Germany and Taiwan, and I have seen more German tourists than American. When I asked someone about this, I was told that Germany is one of the first countries you fly to on your way to Europe so people from both countries often suggest the other when asked.
I am excited to be going to Japan next, and hopefully will be able to both improve my language/cultural skills, as well as start to create a frame of reference for using my time in Japan as part of my concentration process. We will see.