Tour around Hikone

Today was the last day of the Taiwan-Japan program. I took the group to Hikone castle, and they really enjoyed it. It's too bad they couldn't see it when the cherry blossoms were in bloom, though. It was magnificent then. I did see the castle garden for the first time, which was interesting as I didn't even know it existed.

We also had a farewell lunch, and told our stories of our favorite moments on the trip. We headed back to JCMU, and everyone had to pack and check out. I had some business to take care of so I wasn't able to go to Osaka with the rest of the group, but I don't leave Japan for a few more days.

I'm really glad I was able to take part in this journey, Taiwan was amazing and it was interesting to see all these parts of Hikone I wasn't able to experience when I was studying Japanese at JCMU. I'm also glad I was able to take part in the 20th anniversary of JCMU.

Toyota

Today we got on a bus and rode it to Toyota City in Nagoya. There we toured the Toyota factory, and I found it very interesting to see how the cars were made. The safety mechanisms were especially impressive. There were even games to help us learn about different areas of the assembly line. The tour was really short though, but after the tour we visited a Toyota showroom and were able to see the newest models of Toyota cars.

When we got back to Hikone, a group of us went for sushi at a kaiten sushi restaurant. I'm sure the other students were really glad to finally eat sushi in Japan.

JCMU 20th anniversary

I was really busy today, and wasn't able to take part in many of the group activities. I practiced my speech in the morning before the culture classes. The classes that were offered were flower arrangement, calligraphy, tea ceremony, and the koto (a traditional Japanese string instrument). I couldn't take part in any of the activities as I was asked to help translate for some of the flower arrangement teachers, but I was glad to talk with the teachers in Japanese.

We had some free time, so I went out to buy something to wear for my speech, and my tire went flat and I ended up biking home 2km on a flat tire, and I missed the tree planting because I was setting my bike up for repairs.

After that I got dressed, grabbed my speech, and went to the hotel. The ceremony was wonderful, and I was really glad the moment my speech was over, it was really nerve-wracking. I talked with some of my old teachers at the banquet, but I was so tired I ended up leaving early and going to sleep.

Kyoto

Today the group went to Kyoto! It was pretty fun, although I was worried about the speech I had to make at JCMU's 20th anniversary. We visited 金閣寺 (the Golden Pavilion) and shopped in Kyoto station. I ended up leaving the group early so I could go home and practice my speech, but my train line had stopped! So I ended up taking the bullet train home, and made it in time to practice my speech with our student coordinator. I hope it goes well tomorrow!

Back to Japan!

Yesterday I had to leave Taiwan, we flew into Kansai airport, and I felt like I was back home. It was a relief to be able to understand everything again after being around Chinese for two weeks. When I got back to JCMU I was so tired I went right to sleep.

Today everyone went to JCMU's orientation. I took the rest of the group on a bike tour of Hikone, and we went to eat at the restaurants around Al Plaza. I'm glad everyone is enjoying Japan. Our day ended pretty early so I just took care of the chores I put off before leaving for Taiwan...

Taroko Gorge

Today we started our three day Eastern Taiwan trip. In the morning we headed to Taipei Main Station, and boarded a train headed to Eastern Taiwan. We visited the Taroko Gorge, a place I wanted to see for years. It was beautiful, and I had fun climbing on the rock. Sadly though, my camera battery died, so I wasn't able to get any photos of the gorge itself.

Tamkang University

Today we visited the other campus of Taipei National University, where we had another lecture. After our lecture we were issued certificates. From there we visited the American Chamber of Commerce, and then visited Tamkang University (淡江大學). We first watched a movie about the history and information of Tamkang University, I was really impressed by their school. Our group participated in a class, and even though I am not a student of business, I really enjoyed my discussion with my group of TKU students. Later a group of TKU students gave us a campus tour, and I really enjoyed how beautiful and scenic their campus is.

In the evening, we had a scavenger hunt for various restaurants around the University. My group won, and the food we found was delicious. My favorite was the fried mushrooms. A few people stayed to shop, but I decided I was tired and went back to the hotel.

Taipei National University

Today I had my first lecture at Taipei National University (台北國立大學). Before we started, however, we had a short martial arts demonstration, and practiced traditional calligraphy. Then it was off to the Taipei Science and Technology park, where we learned about technological advances in Taiwan. I did not realize that Taiwan had such a big hand in creating such advanced technology in the world. For dinner we were invited to a reception for Taipei National University.

Taipei 101

Today our group visited the Taipei 101 building. It's apparently the tallest building in the world, and the view from the top is spectacular. I felt like I could see all of Taipei! We also visited the National Museum, and received a detailed tour documenting the history of Taiwanese culture. I was impressed by how far back civilization began in Taiwan and China. When we were finished, a group of us visited the Shilin night market. It reminded me a little of shopping in China, but because I was tired I opted to return home.

I'm really excited about visiting Taiwan, it's been a dream for almost two years now. I've already been in Japan and at JCMU since late August 2008, and I have yet to meet anyone else who is in the Taiwan-Japan program. I'm looking forward to this adventure and this new group of students, and to add Taiwan to my study abroad list!