Adristi Maharani’s experience while studying at the National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism (NKUHT) is interesting to follow. In addition to academic experiences, the final year student from the Applied Foreign Languages Study Program shared her experiences exploring Kaohsiung City, the largest port city in Southern Taiwan. The following is the experience of this Indonesian International Student Mobility Awards (IISMA) program awardee.
Living in Taiwan for about 3 months was a memorable experience for me. I gained a lot of new knowledge and insights here. Let me tell you about my life as an international student in Taiwan!
During my study at NKUHT, I saw what student life is like in Taiwan. Especially students in universities that focus on hospitality and tourism. At NKUHT, students are required to wear uniforms provided by the campus every day. This campus provides many uniform options, from casual, sporty, to formal uniforms. In addition, each department also has its own special uniform. For example, the culinary arts department has a complete chef-like uniform for their practical classes. This is a unique thing that I found here, as it is not uncommon for a university to still require students to wear a certain uniform.
Outside of campus activities, I had many opportunities to explore the city of Kaohsiung and Taiwan. The night market in Taiwan is one of the must-do things in Taiwan. There are so many Taiwanese snacks that can be enjoyed at night markets scattered throughout the city in Taiwan, such as bubble tea, xiǎolóngbāo (dim sum), scallion pancakes, and máng guǒ bīng (mango shaved ice).
Furthermore, I also had the opportunity to participate in several activities that introduced Taiwanese culture while visiting tourist destinations. Some of them are Dragon and Tiger Pagoda, Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Museum, and several cultural workshops.
Through it all, language barriers were one of the biggest challenges I faced. However, after my daily interactions, I realized that language is not the only means of communication. Gestures, facial expressions, and a desire to understand each other can help overcome these challenges. In addition, the growing technology is also very helpful. I often used Google Translate to communicate with local people in certain situations when gestures and other things were not enough to overcome. Overall, my experience studying in Taiwan not only honed my adaptability, but also taught me the importance of tolerance and empathy in cross-cultural communication.
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