My name is Sayaka Oikawa and I am studying at Kaohsiung University.
Kaohsiung is located in the southern part of Taiwan and is said to be the second largest city in Taiwan.There are many morning markets and night markets, and it is a very lively city.It seems that the number of fashionable cafes and restaurants that are Instagrammable for young people has been increasing recently.Kaohsiung is warm all year round, and you can eat a variety of fruits at any time of the year. From April to October, you can live in short-sleeves, and from November onwards, the weather gradually starts to cool down.When I first started studying abroad, I was surprised by the heat.Also, in Taiwan, you can find Japanese and Korean products in every store, and you will often see Japanese on signboards and advertisements.
Kaohsiung University will start the new academic year in September.In addition, there are five faculties, and the school area is very large.Therefore, I often use bicycles to move between departments.I got the impression that the students at Kaohsiung University are serious and independent.Also, the distance between teachers and students is close, and I think it is a very easy environment to learn.Most of the people said they were interested in Japan and liked Japan, so I was able to make friends right away.
In addition to university classes, students can take Chinese classes at the language center.This class will give you a class according to your language level, so even if you have never studied Chinese, you can learn Chinese from scratch in an easy-to-understand manner.
The area around the university is safe, and there are large supermarkets and restaurants, making it a comfortable place to live.Transportation and food costs are cheap, and I think it's a student-friendly city.Taiwanese rice is really all delicious and I never get tired of it.And it's cheap.
However, life in Taiwan has not only good things, but also problems.Regarding the rice I mentioned earlier, in the southern part of Taiwan, the tea in shops is all sweet.Also, I feel that there are more oily dishes than in Japan.However, it's so delicious that I can't help but eat too much and get fat...
Studying in Taiwan not only allows you to study Chinese, but you can also learn about the lives and culture of the locals, which you can't learn just by visiting Taiwan on a trip.In addition, I think that it is an environment where it is easy to learn English because there are many opportunities to interact with people from various countries.When I studied abroad, I learned that cultural differences and things that I had taken for granted until now were not taken for granted.I want to do my best for the rest of my study abroad period to make it a fruitful one.
