by Brandy Linares
This was my first exposure to another culture. My classmates and I boarded the plane and all I could think to myself was how nervous I was, from not knowing what to expect and since this was my first time out of the country. I trembled at the sight of the clouds surrounding me. We arrived after fourteen long hours in a plane ride that was so nerve wrecking I couldn’t sleep. When we got to our hotel in Taipei around midnight, my head hit the pillow. When I woke up we began our journey to three different cities: Taipei, Hualien, and Tainan. In our adventures, we hiked and visited temples, general hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, Stella Maris High School, and night markets. We ate aboriginal meals, and we experienced the iconic Taipei 101.
One of the most memorable moments of the trip for me was meeting Stella Marris high school students. I was overjoyed to see such excitement from them. We arrived and got seated in a classroom where we heard an introduction to the school from two students who performed a song and dance. After their performance, it was our turn to learn. As each group went up to the stage, the dances got progressively more difficult. I was in the very challenging last group. Our next activity was to practice calligraphy; I can definitely say that I need a lot of practice. The students told us this art form is useful for building patience and a steady hand.
Then, we went to their semester long project presentations. The students presented on food insecurity, which is when people don’t have access to nutritious and affordable food. They explained how to combat this societal issue in different ways through conservation, portions, and technology. The students mentioned a national campaign that ran until October called “Delete to Feed.” This campaign was created by Land O’ Lakes to bring awareness and help eliminate hunger. When the presentation was over, we hung out with the students and took photos.
After the high school visit, we experienced something entirely new called Earth Oven cooking, a meal cooked using only raw materials. This design included building a cooking fort made entirely of rocks, mud, and fire. The students used vegetables from the garden and cooked them along with bamboo shoots with rice on the inside. We had a feast later on. Overall this experience opened my eyes to how another country can be resourceful, inventive, and environmentally friendly all at the same time.
