開始上課/Class in session!

Tomorrow is the first day of class for me, yay! I'm excited. It's so novel to be so willing to go to class, not to say I didn't enjoy my classes in college, there were definitely some favorites that I looked forward to attend, but since I've been out of school for two years, I guess going back to school is something new for me now. Plus, I have a renewed passion for learning my mother tongue. While medical school should also be full of interesting classes, the stress will probably make it less enjoyable. Since nothing depends on the grades I receive for the program, I am very much at ease.

For those who don't know, I am spending my summer in Taipei, studying Mandarin at National Taiwan University aka Tai Da (台大) through the International Chinese Language Program (ICLP). (For those interested in the program, click here. It's quite pricey for such a short amount of time, but hopefully it's money well-spent. Prior to the start of class, everyone takes entrance placement exams, the results of which are used to place students in classes of the appropriate level. I'm a bit curious to know how I measure up with my ICLP peers, but we're not given the results of the test. Probably for the best, I haven't studied Chinese since first year of college and my language skills have significantly deteriorated. We'll see how much I've improved by August.

It's really interesting to be on a campus of a foreign university just to see how it compares to those in the States. Tai Da is the highest ranked college and it's facilities are comparable to those in the States. The only difference being that the dorms are a bit different in that girls are kept separate from the guys and there are no guys allowed in female dorms. Some dorms even have a guard and are surrounded by a fence of barbed wire. o_O Bicycles are in the hundreds on campus as they are a popular way to get around campus. There is a shuttle bus, but I've seldom seen one while I've been on campus.

The surrounding area of Gongguan is really lively with all sorts of shops and eateries. Anything one needs can be found there, it's fantastic. I already have a couple of favorite stores and eating spots.

While the standard of living in Taipei is probably comparable to cities in the U.S., eating out can be very cheap if you want to save money. For example, a lunchbox (bian dang) can be as cheap as 35 yuan (it's about 32 or 33 NTD to 1 USD). Some smaller treats are as cheap as 10 NT each! And it still tastes great! I'm in foodie heaven.

Also, health care seems to be relatively cheap, at least for students. At the student health center, my visit with the ophthalmologist + prescription eye drops was 179 NT! I think that is around $5 USD! Granted, I think I saw a Tai Da medical student, but since Tai Da is a highly ranked school, the students are the best in the country so I should be in good hands. Oh, did I mention that the price is for someone without health insurance? I wonder how much it is with health insurance. Seeing a doctor is very convenient in Taipei because they work on weekends, too. If only the U.S. system was this nice! Granted, no doctor in the States relishes working weekends, but it does make things more convenient for the public. However, since it's so convenient, there is usually a long wait for the doctor. Sometimes, you don't need to make an appointment, just walk in and take a number.

I <3 Taiwan! ^_^