All posts filed under: Asia

What are you doing exactly?: Teaching Edition

Published by nnedi

I am going in 8 months strong in teaching English and believe it or not, this is my first full-time long term job ever.  Teaching is not my background, but if you don’t know.. English teaching is the most common job to have in non-English speaking countries due to the appeal and access to all types of resources if one was to master the English language. Also, it is an easy gateway for foreigners to move countries and experience something different. And with that, Taiwan has a lot of options, if you’re looking. Now with my job, I shared here of the process I went through in getting it.  But when I first started, it felt very foreign; almost out of my element. Let’s be real here: I am not crazy about the job itself. BUT It pays the bills, helps me get by, and I get to live in Taipei carefree-ish, but it is not something I plan to do or look to doing long term, but its good for the time being. I teach kindergarten …

HOSTEL LIVING YOU SAY?

Published by nnedi

After my Chinese studies ended, I decided that I was going to stay in Taipei, but living in my apartment wasn’t doing it for me (that damn landlord). And at that moment, I felt that it was time to change my environment. The semester was ending, Dragon Boat Season was coming to a close, and moving just felt right at the time. It was also a very quick and last-minute decision. Just like that, I moved out of my apartment and into a hostel, doing yet my 3rd work exchange. I talked about my first ever work exchange experience here, the second one isn’t worth mentioning, and now my third and yet another special one at Meander Taipei Hostel. Meander is located in Ximending, which is a very convenient location to live for there are a variety of places to go eat and shop at. It is also located both on the Green and Blue MRT lines and super close to Taipei Main Station. But I will have to say, its one of the places I …

Dragon Boat Training

Published by nnedi

Every year on the fifth day of the fifth month on the Chinese lunar calendar, countries from all over the world celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival. This holiday commemorates the life and death of the famous Chinese scholar Qu Yuan. He dedicated his whole life to assisting the king to build the State of Chu stronger. When he died, locals rowed out on a river to search for his body but were unable to locate him. Gradually, rowing boats developed into dragon boat racing. I chose to join my school’s Dragon Boat team to change up what I was normally doing. I have already been living in Taiwan for some time and was getting so bored with my everyday routine. School, Hang Out, Tutor, Bike, Sleep…I mean that just got so repetitive and dull. When I studied in Shanghai, my school also had a Dragon Boat team in which many of my friends participated in. But unfortunately, I left my program early and was unable to take part, but when I came to Taiwan and heard …

2019 Dragon Boat Competition

Published by nnedi

3 months of non-stop training, this three day weekend consisted of endless laughter, rolling in 34 degrees with 80%+ humid weather, endless chanting, and a lot of dancing. The energy, the love, the support, and the vibes felt almost surreal. Taiwan has Dragon Boat competitions going on all over the country. Even for Taipei alone, they have 2 different, one in Taipei and in New Taipei City. Our team competed in Taipei for 3 days long consisting of different categories of teams racing in the competition including men, women, mix teams, high school, small boats, and even senior citizens category. Our team had two teams, one for men and one for women. The men team competed against 45 other teams while women on only had a competition of just 10 teams. In order to get the full, yet complete experience of the Dragon Boat competition, we were required to attend and stay for the entire day each day of the festival even if we didn’t have a race till the end of the day. The …

Language learning takes time

Published by nnedi

When I first started learning in China 3 years ago, I had no idea what I was getting into. At first, I honestly was against learning a new language, for I just was never good at it. I took Spanish for 3 years in high school and that was a bust. Love the language, hated my teachers. And unfortunately, I didn’t grow up learning my parents’ native tongue, Igbo so the interest to learn any language was never there. While learning Spanish, the process of learning the language was not fun. All of my Spanish teachers were crazy. My first teacher spent more time dancing bachata music with us and flirting with one of my classmates than teaching the language. The second one was a complete psycho. Definitely, if not one of the worst teachers I have ever had in my entire life. Too many days I went home crying. She would say one thing, do another and always found a way to ridicule people in class which I hugely disliked. My last teacher knew …

NEW RIDE, LET’S GET INTO MOTION

Published by nnedi

Why do I love to ride? It’s super convenient and my way of unwinding down. I just love being outside and seeing new places and exploring different parts of where I am without necessarily putting in a lot of effort to walk. With a bike, you can cover more ground moving at a slightly faster rate in a lesser amount of time. On those bad days, If i go out for a ride, those headaches and all of what I was thinking about goes away temporarily. Sometimes, I feel like I am in a movie going through the streets. That strong wind pushing against me maneuvering through the people, the cars, and the pedestrians. But biking is also my main way to commute to places. I know if I am going somewhere relatively close (and close can be different depending on how you may see it). But for example, if the location is close enough, I will walk. If it is kind of close, but not too far, I will definitely ride a bike. If …

How to Apply for the Huayu Enrichment Scholarship

Published by nnedi

What is this scholarship? The Ministry of Education (MOE) established the MOE Huayu Enrichment Scholarship (MOE HES) to enhance exchanges between the Republic of China (Taiwan) and countries designated by the MOE by encouraging foreign students to study Mandarin in Taiwan and to deepen their understanding of Taiwan’s cultural and social developments. Students can pick up a new language and learn more about the culture and history associated with Taiwan. Funding A monthly stipend of NT$25,000. (this money must be used to pay for tuition, rent, and living expenses combined) Duration: two months (summer courses), three months, six months, nine months, or 12 months. Travel to Taiwan and moving into an apartment are expenses not included in the scholarship amount. Please prepare for these expenses before you arrive to Taiwan. Date of the application period The application period is from Feb 1st till March 31st of every year (end date may vary) Required documents Completed PDF Application form Photocopy of your passport Photocopy of the certificate of the highest degree and transcript Photocopy of the …

Postcarding for Life

Published by nnedi

In second grade, my teacher introduced a PenPal program through our writing lessons where each student was assigned a pen pal. These pen pals were college students from a university in DC. So every once in a while, we would get a letter from them. For homework, we had to write a response to these letters. I really enjoyed this program a lot. The thought of receiving a letter from someone you don’t know, yet share their life to them was exciting to me. We learned how to write a letter, how to properly fill out the envelope, what kind of stamps to use etc. And this program continued on till around the end of fourth grade, and I didn’t have a chance to send letters since and was devastated. But when I graduated from high school, my really good friend of mine insisted that since we were going to university in different states that we should send letters to each other. Fun. And the letters began. As much as I love to talk to …

Before you come to Asia…

Published by nnedi

From working in a hostel and constantly interacting with tourists until now, I see a lot of things that can be done to make traveling to Asia (and in general) much more comforting and less stressful. Here are some things you can do before you decide to come over to the east. Do some research before you go There’s a ton of information out there about popular places you can visit in a country. From reading blogs, Trip Advisor, travel guides, watching Youtube videos, and even Reddit. Make a list of places you want to visit and make it happen when you arrive at your destination. Try to look up popular food to eat in each location so you can have a taste of a little of everything. Small steps made to prepare a trip before traveling will make the adventure go more smoothly. And hey, if you have a friend that lives in that country or city, ask for their advice too! But don’t also try to rely on them to be your tour …

Studying Chinese in China vs. Taiwan

Published by nnedi

I have studied in two major cities in China and Taiwan (Shanghai and Taipei) and there is not a ton of information online about these programs or yet someone who has done both and can openly share their experiences about it. I’ve been asked from different social outlets about mine and I want to express the major differences between the two and possibly help those decide which one may be a better fit for them. Disclaimer: My experience may be different compared to others. At the end of the day, this is my opinion on what I feel about the programs and maybe something you should consider before in deciding on which program may be better for you. Keep the facts I mention here in mind, but also take into account that maybe what I experience is different from others. Scholarship Details China Chinese Government Scholarship Bilateral Program pays for the tuition up front. Students can stay in the campus international student dormitory for free. If a student decides to change the housing type at …

Studying Chinese at NTNU’s Mandarin Training Center

Published by nnedi

National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) was the first school in Taiwan to open up a language program for foreign students starting in 1956 called the Mandarin Training Center (MTC). And to this day, its considered as the most popular school to attend and study Mandarin due to their high standards in teaching techniques, along with the books they’ve published used in class for foreign students. The building is located on: 129 Heping East Road, Sec. 1, Taipei City, Taiwan You can take the Green Line to Guting and take exit 5 walking down Heping East Road or you can also take the blue line to Taipower Building Station Exit 3 and walk straight down Shida Road where all the shops are down to the university. At the university, there will be a library in front and right behind it is the Bo Ai Building where students attend the Chinese Language Courses. Take the elevator up the 7th floor to access the classroom area, but if you need to talk to the staff, visit the 6th …

How to Make Friends While Living Abroad

Published by nnedi

Moving to another city is one thing, but moving abroad is an entirely different thing. A lot of things come to mind when it comes to moving such as the changes in the environment, food, people, culture…it can be a lot for many. Especially if someone moving to a new place for the first time without knowing too much of the location or what to expect. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Here are some simple ways to meet people abroad easily Go on a walking tour I don’t know why it took me this long to go on a walking tour. But I went on my first one in Taiwan and was blown away by it. A walking tour is a great way to learn about the country’s history and getting to know the city on a local level. And because of my experience going on the tour, I was able to meet people and spend time with them for the weeks to come. I even met a local who I am …

How to do a Taiwanese Visa Run in Hong Kong

Published by nnedi

If you live in Asia long enough, maybe you’ll run into having to do a visa run. It gives you the right, the permission to stay longer in a certain country. Certain countries around Asia may require a visa whether its on arrival or bought beforehand. Make sure you look at the details of each country before you book your flight. For different requirements vary based upon the type of passport you have and what country your passport is from. When it comes to traveling to Taiwan as a US citizen, we can fly into Taiwan and get a visa on arrival for free for 90 days. After 90 days, its required to fly out of the country and either apply for a visa in any of their embassies in a nearby country or fly in/out right back with another 90 days of validity in the country. Some people who don’t mind taking the trip every 90 days will do so to a nearby country. For Taiwan, Hong Kong and the Philippines are popular destinations …

Workaway in Hualien

Published by nnedi

What is workaway? Workaway is a platform that allows members to contact one another to organize homestays and cultural exchange. Volunteers or “Workawayers”, are expected to contribute a pre-agreed amount of time per day in exchange for lodging and food, which is provided by the host. Just for a small fee, for a year the user have access to hosts all over the world. Choose a country, set up the profile and message away. This is a great way to learn more about the places one visits and a great way to practice the local language and learn about the culture. Typically, volunteers are guaranteed a place to stay in exchange for 3-5 hours of work a day max 6 days a week. With the platform, users can read the list of available hosts and past experiences of volunteers time spent. Users can also look at what’s expected of the work and the incentives of working with that particular hosts. Some hosts may provide more than just accommodation such as free meals, bike rental, laundry, …

First Impressions of Taiwan

Published by nnedi

Everyone is super sweet! I feel like Taiwanese people really want to know and learn more from me. Some places I travel to, people start a conversation in trying to get something from you whether its to buy their product or some type of services, but the people here seem genuine. When I am lost, people go out of there way to help me even if they are not asked for and are very hardworking individuals. Great balance in their infrastructure and use of space From just living in Hualian and Taipei, Taiwan has a great balance between city and rural life in many of their cities. You could take a hike up one of their many mountains, bike on their designated trails, hang out in a park, go watch a movie, go out, sing it up in a KTV venue all without leaving the city. That food tho… Taiwan is a foodie destination. Known to have the best night markets in all of Asia with a variety of food to try. From Beef Noodles, …

Plans can change, but that’s ok

Published by nnedi

Some may take the time to plan out every single minute of a trip without realizing that something can happen, but you know what, that’s ok. When it comes to traveling, its essential to create options for yourself. Just in case if something goes wrong, there should always be a backup plan. And although my trip was pretty set on what I was going to do, anything and everything can happen. Two weeks ago, I got a message from the Taiwan Economic and Cultural Representative Office in DC stating that I signed up for both the TUSA Program and the Huayu Enrichment Scholarship. Both of these programs are funded under the government, and “technically” I can only choose either of the two. Mind you, I received notification that I got both scholarships in February, but they didn’t notice until this May. Since I planned to stay in Taiwan for a year, I chose the Huayu Enrichment Scholarship. But here is where the problem lies: The Huayu Enrichment program is a 9-month program beginning in August. …

Don’t Knock It Till You Try It: Hostels

Published by nnedi

Person: How do you afford to travel? Particularly like how do you afford to stay in hotels? Me: Who said I stay in hotels? Hostels all day, every day! Person: What? Aren’t they dangerous, dirty, and nasty??? Me: Let me rebunk that for you… “In a nutshell, a hostel is a budget-friendly type of accommodation that focuses on a shared social experience” – HostelWorld.com There’s this huge misconception that hostels are like a hole in the wall dorms where there are drunk people partying 24/7, having sloppy sex in the corner, and cockroaches flying everywhere. That definitely can be true for some, but not all. And I have stayed in well over 20+ hostels and for the most part, I have had nothing but great experiences. From traveling alone, meeting the best people, exchanging ideas and experiences along with just having great hospitality, accommodation, and simply just good vibes, I have no complaints. Just like going to a new restaurant (minus the overnight stay), its all about reading the reviews. The pictures of the spot …

My first blog post

Published by nnedi

In less than 4 weeks from now, I am embarking another year abroad and I cannot be more than excited. When I left China on May 11th, 2016, I felt like my time wasn’t over. It felt like I had one stick of gum left in my pack and someone took half of it. I want my other half back. Chewing the half in my mouth just isn’t satisfying. And I told myself, I have to go back abroad. And here we are two years later about to embark on yet another journey abroad where I’ll be in Taiwan for the next 5 months following by China into the year of 2019 through the summer and I am more than excited. But let’s be honest here, there’s a lot of people who are wooting for me but many others who are confused and not happy with my decision including my own parents. “But Nnedimma, you worked at Google, how can you not take up on their offer?” That’s not my life. As much as I …