Week 1 at Harvard Taipei Academy

I finally settled into Taipei life after some unexpected setbacks!

I was really naïve in assuming that Taiwan would be really similar to the United States. I assumed that I could get along fine with just my credit card and no cash, but I couldn’t be more wrong. Without cash, I couldn’t eat at certain restaurants, reload my public transportation card (悠遊卡), buy a lot of cute souvenirs, and just do a lot of things I took for granted back in the United States. Thankfully, I was able to get a nice amount of cash by coordinating with my friend (shoutout Emerald I owe you my life!!).

Another unexpected setback was that I was unable to get a SIM card because my phone was locked. I previously thought that phones being locked by your carrier only applied to physical SIM cards, but this applied to e-SIM cards as well. I had to pay extra for a WIFI box thing that I took with me that gave me internet connection wherever I was.

So, to anyone reading this, if you’re going to Taiwan, please don’t be like me and absolutely make sure you’re able to withdraw cash while abroad and please make sure that your phone is unlocked so you’re able to get data!

Besides the setbacks, my first week in Taiwan has been so exciting. This is my first time going to Asia, so everything is brand new, I love being able to walk everywhere, I love the grand selection of food, I love the skincare and makeup products, I love talking to the locals even though my Chinese is not so great. Me and my friends went to Haidilao, this was my first time going since I never visited a U.S location and I loved it. Me and Emerald also explored Ximending and spent an ungodly amount of money on claw machines (it was so worth it).

Classes were really daunting. It’s 5 hours of class a day, 2 lectures, 2 drill sessions, and then a one-on-one class with a teacher. I think one day’s lesson is the equivalent of one week’s worth of class at Williams, so it’s a really fast speed I immediately need to get adjusted to. With just a few days of classes, I’m already starting to notice that my Chinese is improving really quickly, I’m really excited for what’s next!