Reflections - Emily
It is weird how a thought can turn into a reality so quickly…
I always liked the thought of being an exchange student but I never saw myself having enough courage to live away from my friends and family for a whole year. I doubted myself so much when I was applying and now I cannot imagine my life without this amazing experience.
The butterflies in my stomach started a few weeks before departure day. Saying goodbye to family at the airport was sad. I remember looking back at my mother just before I walked through the gates to customs. I felt the water in my eyes beginning to role down my cheeks. I still couldn't believe I was going to be living in Taiwan for a year. To say was scared would be an understatement. I must say settling in was tough. Everything was just so different to what I was used too. I sat on my bed the first night thinking what on earth have I got myself into. Nine and a half months later and I can't believe how far I have come. Everyday is a new adventure. New things are learnt and new experiences are experienced. In the end you know that all these little things make you a stronger and more mature person.
The thing about going on exchange to Taiwan is that just by looking at me, everyone knew that I was a foreigner. Walking down the street I would get looks from both pedestrians and drivers. People I had never met before would say hello to me. It was kind of like being famous. At school it was the same situation. It really feels special to know that so many people want to know you. The amount of new friends I have made in Taiwan in crazy. The people here are just so friendly. Honestly I don't know how I am going to be in Australia without them by my side.
In Taiwan the school days are long. I spend more time at school than I do at home, which really makes my classmates and I feel like we are one big family. Not only have I made friends with the Taiwanese, but also the other exchange students. It is so interesting meeting people from a country other than your own. Just by being around them you learn so much about not only them but also their culture and the country they are from.
Exchange students have a knowledge and respect for travel like nobody else. We have Rotary to thank for this. When I tell people that I got to study in Taiwan for a year at the age of 16, everyone thinks it is just so amazing. I feel so privileged to be representing Rotary, Australia and my family throughout my exchange.
I think learning a new language is one of the most difficult things to do. It takes time and commitment. The more difficult something is to do, the more achievement you feel when it is accomplished. Learning Chinese has had its ups and downs. There have been times of confusion and times when I just wanted to give up. Waking up and speaking a second language everyday is difficult. There were times were I just wanted to understand without having to think or wanted to be able to contribute more to group conversations.
I remember a point where I was sick of not being able to understand what everyone was saying. I started to watch Chinese movies to help improve my comprehension. I had Chinese class every week, but I think the most improvement came from conversations I had with my host families and friends. My Chinese has improved greatly since coming to Taiwan. I think it is such a useful language and to now know that I can nearly understand it and speak fluently it is a great feeling.
From day one I knew I was going to find it difficult not living with my family. I lived with my first host family for 6 months. After settling in I became really comfortable living with them. When it was time to move to the second host family I wasn't really sure how to feel. It was the first big change since arriving in Taiwan. The first week with a new host family is always really odd. It is like living with strangers. You need to settle into a new routine and get to know your new family members. It was interesting living through the differences in all of their lifestyles.
One major challenge in adapting to the culture was the food and then also learning how to eat the food with chopsticks. I still don't quite understand how I am expected to eat chicken wings with chopsticks. I laugh about it every time. There was a time when I thought I wouldn't ever be able to eat rice again, but time passes and you just learn to move on from these things. The whole lifestyle here is different from Australia. It really did come as a shock when I first got here. Over time though I realized that it is just different. It makes me think more about every culture and how they are all different. We're all Human and live a life that is normal to us. Anything that is out of that 'normal' we will question.
Traveling around Taiwan has been beautiful. One of the highlights was driving from the north to the south of Taiwan with my first host family for Chinese New Year. It was such a festive time and I got to see how important this time of the year is to the Taiwanese people. Rotary also planned a traveling trip for the exchange students. We went on a road trip down the west coast of Taiwan. It was fun spending this time with the exchange students. We stopped at lots of beautiful cities showing the cultural differences between the north and south of Taiwan. During summer vacation I was fortunate enough to be taken on a holiday by my second host family. We went to Matsu which is a small island located between China and Taiwan. It is owned and recognized as a part of Taiwan. I remember there was a point where we could see the coast of China from the island. It brought a feeling over me that there is still so much of the world that I haven't seen.
Now I don't want this experience to end. It has been the best experience of my life. Everyday I am continuing to learn more and more. I cannot thank Rotary enough for this opportunity they have given me. It really has been life changing.
A huge Thank you to my Sponsor club The Rotary club of Manningham for making this all possible. I really am so grateful.
Emily
Hosted by:
Rotary Club of Chung Li Zhong Xing, D3480 Taiwan
