I thought the beginning stages of getting settled in Taitung was hard and stressful, but this past week has surpassed all of it. Last week was an all Fulbright orientation on Thursday and Friday. My county flew up to Taipei that morning and strolled in with Kinmen Island ETAs a little late, but we preferred to call it fashionably late. All 128 ETAs, including our TEFL advisors (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) and Fulbright representatives, were there for two long days of lectures. We learned everything from how to interact and help students with special needs in class, to how to deal with the culture shock we are surely going to experience once if not more while we are here. Glad to see I wasn't the only one having difficulty adapting completely. I looked forward to the lunch breaks and much needed "tea" breaks that were provided as the only time to converse with the other counties.
-On a side note: I love not being in the minority anymore who would rather have tea than coffee and now there's so many different options of tea to choose from too!
Not going to lie the conferences helped me love my own county that much more. We were so much more boisterous and enthusiastic for our county during name call and participating during lectures in the open dialogues. The conference was almost like a big camp orientation. They had roll-call where each county was supposed to have a chant (ours was created two seconds before we were called and planned completely over Line message). I was excited that my group, that has become almost like my family, was open to sharing their experiences and asking questions. All the talks just made me that much more excited to be in the classroom and experience the culture myself.
Fulbright also hosted a formal dinner party for all the members of the Taiwanese government involved in Fulbright and the American Institute of Taiwan which has all the power of a consulate without being one. Each ETA had a headshot with their name, college, and major on a loop for the whole program to see. Most of my fellow ETAs studied International Studies or Mandarin in school. However, I was able to get connected with one other ETA that is in Media Productions so we will see if anything comes of that. I sure hope something does! Besides the people the food was amazing. All cuisines were present. There was sushi, a Taiwanese version of bbq ribs, French fries, fancy cheese fries, fish, literally anything you think of they probably had including creme brûlée. I ate my fair share of everything and the night just got better.
On the schedule there was room for a surprise speaker and culture presentation. I was assuming it would be a dance of some sort or music presentation, and I am so happy I was wrong. The special guests were Andrew Ryan and his cohost Lin Hsin-ting, from a Taiwanese television show called "From Hear to There." Not only are they doing exactly what I want, videotaping culture and traveling Taiwan, but they have an interesting way of addressing culture. Hsin-ting, the co-host, is blind. So the entirety of their show includes detailed segments on Hsin-ting's taste, smell, and sound of an area, and Andrew Ryan's description of the feel of a new place. The bond the two hosts have was incredible to observe. The trust is unmatched. I was able to ask them about the development of their relationship and how they came to be connected in a partnership. They were gracious and open, answering not only my question, but others. Hsin-ting also is a professional dancer and performed an interpretive piece detailing how he felt scuba-diving while blind.
If any of you know me, I am passionate about telling stories in a new way and I am so happy to come across this show. I stayed after the dinner to talk with the hosts even more on a personal level. I might've fangirled a little over the fact that I want to do what they are doing and that they won a Taiwanese version of an Emmy. I no uncertain terms I told them if they were ever in Taitung and needed an available Production Assistant I would be more than happy to help without pay.
Finally after all the lectures, eating, and networking that took place while in Taipei we were able to explore the city on our own. My time away from the conference could also be known as my time galavanting around Taipei using my camera lens as my eye. I didn't realize how many pictures I took till I tried to download them onto my computer and had to do it in multiple steps. We tried to fit all the tourist sites in to our one day in Taipei and failed miserably. I now understand why it is common for people to use umbrellas to block the sun. Halfway through the day, I found myself getting heat exhaustion. 7/11 was my saving grace. There is one almost on every block. Each one has A/C, water, snacks, and Pocari (their version of Gatorade, but better because I can't read the ingredients so I have no idea the sugar or calorie content). Even with a little heat exhaustion, Taipei was a blast. The best way to share it is through pictures...
--So much has happened since! Will be writing another post soon!
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