Kyle reporting here for the GSE Team.
Wow! What a great first two days in Taiwan! But like all great
adventures, there’s always more to come, and the rest of our first week continued to blow us away.
DAY 3 - FRI MAR 20
On
Friday morning, we parted from our first host families and
were driven to the campus of
Da-Yeh University, a private university with more
than 10,000 students studying everything from engineering, language, to arts
and culture. It was a true privilege to visit and explore such a beautiful
campus. Rotarian Cheryl Bain Bain, a professor at the university, introduced us to the President of Da-Yeh with whom we took several photos. We then enjoyed learning about the school,
which has been in existence since 1976 and boasts an impressive line-up of
fields of study and faculty and staff with world-class credentials.
After our walk through campus with Cheryl and three students — where we especially enjoyed walking
through a forest-like atmosphere admiring various plant life — we had lunch in a
campus cafe. We were joined by two totally blind students who are
studying at the University. Ruby, is a talented artist who lost her sight when
she was 12 years old. We later were honored to view much of her work which is
on display in the University study lounge. She also provided each of us with
small keychains she made through stringing beads on fishing-line and then
shaping to form the keychain. She later spent over an hour attempting to teach
us how to make these beautiful pieces. Unfortunately, none of us were
successful.
We
also met Ivy, a freshman who’s decided to study English and who’s been blind
since birth. A talented singer, she entertained us all at dinner with a
beautiful rendition of “How Great Thou Art.”
Both
of these young women are testaments to how to live a life without limits. I
think they will become great leaders in the Taiwanese blind and visually impaired
community.
After
a day on the college campus—no studying or lugging heavy backpacks filled with
textbooks for us though—we met our new host families at a golf club restaurant which
has hosted LPGA Tour events in the past. We had a delicious spread of rice,
chicken, vegetables, soup, noodles, and lots of smiles and laughter.
DAY 4 - SAT MAR 21
The following morning, Barry, Hailey, myself and our host families—Morn Sun hosting Barry and me, and A-Lin hosting Hailey—went on a long walk through a village famous for its pineapple farms.
We explored the area stopping to talk and sample the delicious treats the vendors were selling. We tried cakes, jellies, pastries—one vendor even had us sit down at a table and brought us out a crepe-like delicacy made with egg. From the same vendor we enjoyed a natural drink made from water and a concoction of fruits to make a gelatin. Drunk/eaten/slurped on a warm day was extremely refreshing.
We spent several minutes playing/attempting to be acrobats at an open air jungle-gym. More accurately, A-Lin showed off his skills and we all failed to replicate him. I hope I’m half as strong and in shape as he is when I’m 65. (Hailey's inner child made a special appearance, too...)
After
stunning mountain views, and the enjoyment of such friendly people, we returned
to the cars and drove into the town square. Here is where pineapple cake and
pineapple juice is given out to everyone—for free—every day of the week.
Morn Sun told us that more than 10,000 pineapple cakes and cups of pineapple
juice are given out every day. It seems as though many Taiwanese business
owners are very generous and believe in the “Give to receive,” principle. We
experienced this even more when we walked through yet another market in town
and were constantly being given small samples of the goods to try. From goat
milk candy, to organic fruits and vegetables, to various kinds of tea, the
vendors enjoyed sharing their goods and speaking to us.
I
know we’ve said it before, but the people here are so welcoming and
laid back. After enjoying our pineapple cake and juice, we posed for a picture
with what appeared to be a local motorcycle group. We can hardly turn a corner,
or go a minute without making a new friend.
After
a morning filled with grazing on snacks none of us were particularly hungry for
lunch, however, we had a small meal at a restaurant which has been featured on
Taiwanese TV several times. There we enjoyed bowls of soup, rice, meat and
vegetables. Afterwords we returned to our host families homes for an afternoon
of rest before a party in the evening.
At
the dinner party, there was an exchanging of numerous Rotary Club flags, many
group pictures, and the entire GSE team were presented with small gifts. The
food, beer and laughter flowed faster than water, and it’s not looking like
it’s going to stop anytime soon.
