by Sydney Martin:
Today was our first full day in Taiwan. We woke up bright and early this morning to visit Fuhsing, a K-12 school. We rode there by train, packed with people on their way to work and school. It was much more crowded than subways I have ridden in the past in New York and Toronto.
Though it was a short walk to the school after our train, we all wore our jackets due to the light rain.
There was a sign to welcome us to the school, and we were greeted by the school principle and two ambassadors. These ambassadors were from the bilingual, western half of the school, but we each shadowed local Taiwanese students. This allowed us to be immersed into a fully Chinese classroom, and we each attended different classes based on our student’s schedule. We also were able to view other classes in session, and found the kindergarten classes especially cute.
After our shadow, we ate the school lunch. The ambassadors told us their school has received many awards for organic lunches. It was a very good meal.
After lunch, we took the bus to Fisherman’s Wharf, a popular tourist attraction. The streets were lined with small vendors of merchandise and snacks. I tried pigs blood coated in peanuts, and I did not like it◡̈
We took a group photo in front of a church, and walked the streets appreciating the culture and architecture.
Next, our tour guide taught us about Dr Mackey. He both was a great dentist, and opened first women’s high school in Taiwan. Though originally born in Canada, he dedicated his life to serving the country of Taiwan.
We then took a ferry to the other side of the water where we rented bikes and took a scenic tour of Tamsui.
To finish off the day, we visited a traditional Aboriginal restaurant for dinner. We enjoyed many different dishes, and were able to reflect upon our day using our Chinese speaking skills. We were also able to try on the traditional Aboriginal clothing.
Looking back on our day, it was definitely action packed. Visiting the Fuhsing school was my favorite part of the day, and I loved making new friends in Taiwan. Many of us were feeling the effects of jet lag today, but we cannot wait to see what the rest of our trip has to offer.