First Impressions

The first impression of Taiwan is that the people here couldn't be nicer or more helpful.  I'm learning a lot about hospitality...and I thought the southerners were supposed to be hospitable.  We've been included and invited to outings with our classmates and people we met at the Chungli Toastmasters club.  Last night we went to a Bowling Alley, Arcade, Batting cages, and Restaurant with a group of 20 made up of MTSU, PSU, CYCU, and Toastmasters.  Not only did they drive us around so we wouldn't have to pay for a taxi, but they kept buying us arcade tokens so we could play all the games we wanted.  On the right is the photo of our group at the restaurant.  There were over a dozen different dishes for us to try. 

Some other funny things i noticed is there is a 7 Eleven on EVERY corner.  They aren't gas stations, just convenient stores.  Other than the random McDonald's or Burger King, the American influence is a little more subtle.  Most of the music is imported from the US, and the majority of people's clothes have English writing on them but Chinese is definitely the most prevalent.  The photo on the left is one of my favorites.  It took us a few minutes to figure out this is a movie theatre.  All the posters look almost hand painted instead of the standard movie posters we're used to.  See if you can figure out which movies they are advertising.  As a Mass Communications major, I am trying to relate experiences here back to communications and the media. I still need a research paper topic!! 

All in all it has been a good trip.  The heat and humidity are out of this world uncomfortable.  You're are drenched in sweat from the moment you step outside.  I've had trouble with communication.  I didn't bring a laptop...my cell phone broke....I can't figure out how to use my phone cards....and i can't find wifi for my ipod very often. Other than that....things are good. It's just a very different culture but all the obstacles are worth the reward. 

Check it out, we all have matching polo's! haha