It’s been three days since I touched down in Taiwan and it
has completely blown my mind. I’ve always been interested in Taiwan for its
culture and its people- I love the Oriental way of life (and I find the
Taiwanese Chinese accent to be sooo charming). But what struck me the first few
days of being here is that as an island nation, Taiwan is extremely rich in terms of
natural resources. Taipei is always marketed as a bustling city but this island
has more than just a vibrant cityscape to offer. What’s even more impressive is
that the Taiwanese acknowledge this and do their best to conserve what they
have. In my opinion, this stems from the traditional/Oriental mindset, because
no Western city would ever completely halt all timber harvesting for the sake
of environmental protection. The Taiwanese understand the value of the world we
live in and prize this more than the (economic) world we create.
Even with my high expectations of Taiwan, meeting the NTU
faculty and students has blown everything out of the water. I have to clarify
that I am not merely saying this for brownie points with Jack (Jack, I swear
I’m not). Even with these introductory lectures, it’s crystal clear how
motivated and passionate these scientists are. What I particularly liked was
the introductory lecture by Professor Shin Wang, on the geography of Taiwan. He
started off the lecture with a ‘story’ on the science of God and our
consciousness. It embodied NTU’s most influential president, Fu Ssu Nien’s
philosophy of being introspective and I am impressed at how professors not only
wish to impart practical knowledge but also encourage students to think of
spiritual ideals.
Now I really want to live in Taiwan.
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