This is my post for my third week of classes at ICLP. This week, I learned how to talk about cell phone plans, how to describe the taste of food, and learned about the Chinese idiom 井底之蛙. Additionally, after learning how to talk about the taste and origin of certain dishes, I gave a presentation on my family’s own traditional New Year’s celebratory dish. So far, I’ve found all of my presentation assignments to be especially pleasant thanks to the prompts for them. I’m able to use Chinese to describe many parts of my life, an activity that definitely sustains my interest and efforts in learning this language.
Additionally, students this week were briefed about Language Missions, an upcoming set of off-campus activities that come with an essay assignment at the end. I signed up for the Traditional Pastries Language Mission, and if I have secured a spot in the group, I look forward to learning how to make traditional pineapple cakes!
In my free time, I have been taking advantage of Taipei’s YouBikes, a city-wide network of rental bikes that you can instantly rent out and return any time at any of the city’s electronic bike racks. I have been combining my dinner excursions with bike rides around the city and around the NTU campus, and I really enjoy having easy access to this leisurely activity.