Travel Credit & Solidifying Knowledge

I came across yet another great article on the NY Times website. This one is about encouraging acting on college students' wanderlust and encouraging learning about the world on a one-on-one basis. The best way to solidify any of our knowledge is through experience and interaction. For instance, a college diploma or a degree are not worth as much without any previous experience and the application of the information learned over the past years of primary, secondary and post-secondary education. Check out Kristof's column http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/31/opinion/31kristof.html.

For anyone interested in studying abroad in Asia, I highly recommend that you start reading everything and anything now about the history and geopolitics of all these complex countries. I have started reading voraciously while here about North Korea, China, Taiwan, Vietnam, and India. I have learned so much, primarily because once I read something I am able to discuss most of it with a couple friends and often with people who have first-hand experiential knowledge. This is, in essence, a crash course in Asian economics and geopolitics. Also, I recommend attending all of the events offered on the NTU campus possible, including all of the speakers and field trips. I attended an economic symposium through one of my courses focused on 'The Lessons Learned from the Current Economic Crisis'. Paul Krugman was the keynote speaker and other leaders from neighboring Asian nations with a sprinkling of European economic advisers. Although, I did not agree with all of the speakers, I was introduced to other perspectives I would not have heard at home in the U.S. These experiences are invaluable and have taught me so much about the global geopolitical environment.

Honey Bees and the Campus Health Center

Things in the jungle are just much scarier than those that are not. Particularly because of our unfamiliarity with these things. I never realized how much I am afraid of bees and apparently my fear is somewhat justified. We had hundreds of bees buzzing around our heads, on our camping stuff, our breakfast snacks, and even when I was sitting next to the toaster (the campfire). Our Tarzan/guide told us that since it was honey season, someone had probably just taken their nest and they were attracted to our sweet sweaty-smelly-dirty bodies and clothes. While I was changing one was stuck in my shirt and of course, I upset it. I was stung in my upper rear thigh. It was a little sore immediately after, but nothing substantial. This bee however was huge, it was still a honey bee, but more like a bumble bees wicked bigger evil cousin (I'm not sure if you can tell how much I do not like bees). Well, now that it is five days later after our two day escapades camping in a cave in the Taman Negara jungle, the bite has swollen and itches incredibly bad. Last night a patch appeared on my leg that seemed to be a giant cluster of mosquito bites and it was super super itchy. During class today the itching got worse and the bite was even more swollen, so I thought that this constituted a trip to the campus health center.

After waiting a couple hours for my turn and waiting to see if the doctor spoke English. I had no clue how to explain all of this in Chinese, except for saying 'I went to Malaysia and climbed' and 'bug ate my leg' in Chinese. The doctor spoke perfect English, but I had to repeat the story a couple times because he couldn't keep the details straight.

Details: Jungle + Camping in Cave + Bee Sting = Giant Itchy Swollen Welt on Leg.

The doctor and the nurse were both laughing and the other nurse who treated the bite was laughing at the situation, because the story sounded so ridiculous. They treated the bite with anxue (ammonia water), antibiotics, and gave me steroid creme. For all of this I had to pay $138, Taiwanese Dollars, which amounts to something around $5 USD. Mind you this included the creme from the pharmacy. The swelling has gone down and it's quite a bit less itchy now, but I had learned bees are scary and the campus health center is absolutely fantastic and cheap.

Updates

Ok, I know I am a bit behind in the entries about traveling and such, but I will come back to them. Since the last post on South Korea, I have been to Yehliu Park in the northern Taiwan, the Taoist Institute in a mountain in a Taiwanese suburb, the Shitou forest, Jioufen (Chioufen) outside Keelung, and in only a few hours I will be leaving for a 4 day bike trip.

Classes have also been a lot more busy these days. I have a goal to get every project and paper done by May 19th, so I will not have to worry about much during June. I had a presentation today that was 80% of my grade for a course. I had to speak for 40 minutes on a chapter from our textbook and add outside research. I was quite nervous and was even more nervous when the professor told me that the Graduate Economics Department would be coming to review the class (The Economic Transition of China) during my presentation. I wouldn't call it a review, it was more of a distraction. Basically ten older Taiwanese men came in wearing suits and talking very loudly. Another guy was running around taking pictures of my classmates and me while I was presenting. I was instructed to pretend they were not there. I think the presentation went well besides the 'momentary' disruption. My topic was township and village enterprises in China, which was very very interesting. This next week our professor signed us up for a two-day economic symposium with Nobel Laureate Paul Krugman as our keynote speaker. I am determined to shake his hand.

Well, I suppose this was not the most interesting update, but many will follow with tons of pictures. I hope everyone is doing well at home and had a very nice May Day. Happy Mother's Day to everyone!

Learning Chinese

I am thoroughly enjoying learning Chinese. I am a bit sad that it is already May. Time is almost up! I hope that I can find a way to study it when I get home through language exchanges or something of the sort. Although Chinese is a very difficult language for anyone with no previous experience, it is rewarding to study. I enjoy being able to ask for things at a restaurant or clarify something in Chinese when someone doesn't really speak English. I understand the grammar mistakes by native Chinese speakers when speaking English, because often it makes sense in Chinese. It's like when I speak Chinese I use English grammar. I would definitely recommend the CLD courses to anyone that is seriously considering the study abroad program to Taipei. 

Up-Close and O'Naturelle

 

A neat flower with a friendly visitor and a what Su called a dog fir plant coiled awaiting for the warmth of spring to come.

  

Left: One of the buddha or taoist sculptures I saw on the outskirts of Taipei near Elephant Shan. Right: A sign that says something about Elephant Shan covered by a lush moss. 

 

Top: Wild berries of some sort that I thought looked pretty cool. Bottom: Wild ginger, it looks pretty strange. I had never seen a wild ginger plant before.

 

Left: The path we took. It's easy to see how lush this high elevation eco-system is. Right: A rusted chair from the acidity of the constant misty rain.

  

Top: Another photograph of wild ginger. Bottom: A photograph from Sun Moon Lake. The hotpink and white flowers are all part of the same flower. I just thought that this looked quite pretty.

 

A reminder of the constant drizzle.

These are some of the pictures that I have taken of nature and things I think look quite cool. 

Most of the pictures are from a hiking trip up Elephant Shan (Mountain) on the edge of Taipei. I had the opportunity to see lots of gorgeous scenery and landscapes of Taipei. I love that there is so much wildlife to explore that is so accessible from the city. I remember missing nature when I spent 6 months in the blacktop-covered-treeless Milano. Green vegetation was one thing I missed in Milano, that I do not miss here, because there is just so much of it all of the time. The campus is adorned with sub-tropical plants and flowers I have never seen. 

  

One picture at the top and the other at the bottom (or gong kai si, at the beginning).

There are many palm trees here that were planted by the Japanese many many years ago pre-1940s. These trees tower over the main boulevard and an adjorning one as well. When I first saw the sign below on one of the trees, I thought it was just another wacky sign, but instead it is a really important cautionary message. Palm tree leaves are HUGE! I would not want to be hit on the head with one, could knock you out quite easily. 

Last night I spent a good couple hours at the library studying. I love the enormous library here, makes me feel like I am back at Coffman or Wilson. I haven't found a good studying coffee shop here yet, either the coffee isn't good or far too expensive for me. I think the library with its 24 hours a day study room will be permanent home for my studying. My dormitory also has a very nice room, which was a closed down coffee shop, but I have bad luck with the internet and get bitten by tons of misquitoes while studying. I am a bit shocked by the daily difficulties with internet connectivity here. I expected a better connection wirelessly and through my ethernet cable. Perhaps, I have been spoiled for too long on ResNet at the University of Minnesota. My room is a bit uncomfortable, mainly because the chair and the desk do not go together. I cannot get my legs under the desk and a couple hours of sitting to the side can be quite tiring.