Taiwan Reflection

After leaving Taiwan, I can't imagine never returning to the beautiful island. I don't think I can go the rest of my life without coming back and seeing how the “isla formosa” is doing. The people there made me feel at home and have convinced me that Taiwan has a very bright future! I have discovered them to be very genuine, hardworking people who have left a forever positive impression on my heart. I truly was not expecting to make such good friends in Taiwan. I instantly got along with many of the students we met. Most of them spoke English very well, some of them impressively fluent in both Mandarin and English. We shared many laughs and exchanged many gifts.

I will not just miss the people – I miss the island itself and all her gorgeous mountainous terrain. Our last Saturday in Taiwan, we traveled to the gold ecological park along with some “old towns”, Jiufen and Shifen. It was cool to leave the big city and explore the mountains. There was a former gold mine we got to explore and a museum with a giant brick of gold as the main attraction. In Shifen, we got to participate in the “sky lantern experience”. We each wrote wishes on the sides of a giant paper balloon, which then was given to the sky by lighting a fire inside like a hot air balloon. It was awesome and meaningful for everyone.

On our free day in Taiwan, some of my friends and I met up with 4 of our new Taiwanese friends and went to the Taipei Zoo! I was probably the most excited of the bunch, for I had wanted to go here since I had heard about it. They had cool animals, some I had never seen before, like pandas, the Asian black bear, and exotic birds. They also had signs pointing to slightly mundane animals for Michiganders, such as raccoons and squirrels.

At one point at the zoo, I got separated from the group because I was determined to see some monkeys. We had a misunderstanding about where we were to meet up, and I went back to the zoo entrance hoping to find them. After searching for them in the humid heat, I went to the visitor center and had them called over the intercom. She said it once in English and once in Mandarin – and it was the Mandarin that my group heard! Soon we were reunited. My experience getting lost only proved how helpful and friendly the Taiwanese people are and showed me how good of friends I have in Taiwan.

That day, we had to say goodbye to our new friends. It was hard, - they really are awesome, funny, caring people. I really hope to see them again, and now that I know good people in Taiwan, I don't see why I can't return someday. The companies we visited, such as HTC, Giant, and Asus, proved that Taiwan is a great place to do business and I learned some valuable lessons. These companies displayed a genuine sense of corporate responsibility. I think they really believe that by improving their products, they are improving people's lives. All of their facilities fit in with the beauty of Taiwan, with bountiful gardens and trees. When I own a business someday, I'll remember the hospitality and passion for people that is prevalent in Taiwan.