My Writings. My Thoughts.
Trash & Recycling in Taipei
// February 13th, 2011 // No Comments » // Taiwan
So far I have been astounded by Taiwan’s commitment to recycling. Nearly every place I go, there are usually 5 or more different containers for different waste items, including plastic, glass, aluminum cans, paper, and even organic items for compost. In the end, there is almost nothing left that goes into the “other” category. They just end up recycling everything.
While the effort is impressive, what I found more interesting (and slightly entertaining as well) is how waste is taken care of from home. In many countries, you simply take the trash outside and put it in a bin. It sits there for however long it takes for someone to come by and pick it up, but either way it doesn’t matter to you as a citizen – you just put it outside and forget about it.
Here, things are quite different. First, you divide up your waste into [...] Continue Reading…
2010: The year of Nature, Serious Dancing, and Travel
// January 12th, 2011 // No Comments » // Dancing, Other, Travel
For many, 2010 was a year to forget, bringing nothing but a constant stream of disappointment and troubles. While I had my fair share of the same, I figured I’d look back and note the good I encountered this year. Apart from several significant events this year (including graduating from Virginia Tech), 2010 had 3 recurring themes: nature, serious dancing, and travel.
Nature
By far, I had the privilege of seeing more amazing landscapes in 2010 than any other year in my life. I never planned things to be that way – it just sort of happened, probably mostly because I just travelled so much and kept finding myself in amazing places. It started in the middle of the year right after graduation. I took a road trip in June up to Montreal and on the way back visited Niagara Falls (the Canadian and American sides). The falls have been on [...] Continue Reading…
天使之歌 (Songs from the Angels)
// December 19th, 2010 // No Comments » // Chinese, Taiwan
Last Monday night, December 13, I had the remarkable and completely unexpected privilege of performing with the National Taiwan Normal University Symphony Orchestra in Taipei’s famous National Concert Hall (國家音樂廳). By far, it was one of the most amazing performances I’ve ever experienced. The NTNU symphony is a remarkably accomplished and talented group of undergraduate musicians, and had I known just how incredible they were before auditioning, I may not have even asked! Even in the very back, I still felt like I didn’t belong amongst such talented students! Their ability to react instantly to what the conductor asks and bring the music alive was just as impressive as their remarkable precision and tightness as an ensemble. This all goes without even mentioning the concert hall, which is by far the most beautiful and breathtaking performance hall I have ever played in to date. [...] Continue Reading…
2010 China Travels: Part III – Nanjing
// November 28th, 2010 // No Comments » // China, Chinese, Travel
I arrived in Nanjing on the night of October 28th and immediately met a young Chinese guy staying in the same dorm room who was so impressed with my Chinese that he invited me to dinner. It turned out he was meeting an old friend who he hadn’t seen in over 3 years, and although I felt I was imposing, he insisted that I join. We had hotpot, the first hotpot I’d had in over a year! Thousands of memories came flashing back over that pot, and I realized yet again how much I had missed China. The whole evening was a wonderful warm welcome to Nanjing and a great start for the city.
The next morning I visited the Johns Hopkins Nanjing Center at Nanjing University, where I am considering studying this fall. I began a tour of the school by sitting in on a couple [...] Continue Reading…
Taipei First Impressions
// November 19th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // Taiwan, Travel, Uncategorized
I have now been living in Taipei for exactly one week. Of the few observations and experiences I have thus far encountered, a few have stood out and left a notable impression.
1. Taiwan is “nice”
…or maybe I should say, “nicer” than mainland China. When I lived in China, nearly everyone I knew who had been to Taiwan always used the same phrasing to describe it. It was always, “oh you’ll love it – it’s much nicer there.” I never knew what they meant, but after one week it is quite clear. In general, things seem a bit cleaner here and better kept, but it’s not the physical setting that makes it nicer–it’s the whole culture of the city. Here are a few examples:
Cars don’t continuously honk their horns (in fact, they rarely use them at all, like in the States).
People are more polite. They don’t shove in a crowd, [...] Continue Reading…
