Introduction
During our last week in Taiwan, we have been processing all the amazing memories we have made here in 8 weeks. We have made great friends, ate delicious food, gained so much new knowledge, and explored our passions working with health.
Molly’s Final Thoughts:
One of the biggest takeaways that I had during my time studying abroad in Taiwan has been the overwhelming sense of strong community here. From the cities to the coastal areas to indigenous people’s land, there was always a common feeling of caring for one another without expecting anything in return. I will never forget the people that I have encountered here, especially the students at Fu Jen who taught me that you don’t necessarily need to know each other’s language to connect with each other and make friendships that will go beyond my time here in Taiwan. Visiting Fu Jen’s Hospital, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Saint Mary’s Hospital in Taitung, and Taipei Veterans General Hospital all taught me different approaches to healthcare. It highlighted the importance of organization and transparency in medical settings. Everything has a purpose here in Taiwan and is seen especially in these hospital settings where accessibility, affordability, and trust are some of the main components used to achieve better health outcomes. This saying that “everything has a purpose” was also seen in indigenous communities such as the Taromak tribe, which showed us how they use almost every greenery around them as herbs to cook with, medicinal herbs, or other usages such as wrapping foods. Another indigenous tribe we got very close with was the Ataya tribe in Nantou, where we worked side-by-side for a week with the children at their local elementary school. I shed some tears as we had to leave the kids to continue our program in Taiwan because these elementary students were so loving and bright that I felt it was so easy to connect with them so quickly. We were all accepted into the tribe and felt extremely welcomed by everyone in the town. They taught me how important it is in health to nourish kids’ educational settings at a young age and empower them to seek out new ways of learning and expressing themselves. I’ll never forget my time here in Taiwan, and I will take what I learned with me to my future endeavors.
Image 1: This is me teaching the 4th graders at the elementary school in Nantou about healthy body weight.
Image 2: Visiting the Saint Mary’s Hospital in Taitung, Taiwan.
Hana’s Final Thoughts:
Never in my life have I had eight weeks pass by so fast during my time in Taiwan. My time in Taiwan has been filled with so many great opportunities every day. Throughout my eight weeks, I made some beautiful connections by meeting professors, doctors, college students, indigenous groups, the elderly, and many, many kids! Although short, this trip provided me with a holistic view of Taiwan, even to the point where I have gotten very comfortable navigating the country by the last week and am extremely sad to leave!
If I could summarize this trip in one theme, it would be “The world is small, and we’re not as different as we might think.” Coming from a multicultural/racial background, I was always surrounded by differences. But being part of so many different cultures made me realize that many are interrelated. Taiwan is quite unique due to its colonial history with the Dutch, the Spanish, and the Japanese. Going into this trip, I thought it would be hard to connect and relate due to having little prior exposure to Taiwan and virtually knowing no Mandarin. However, upon arrival, everyone was extremely welcoming. Everyone in Taiwan has been super friendly and rather patient.
Furthermore, even with my minimal Mandarin skills, I was able to make some deep connections with the people around me and learn that even across the world, we all share similar hobbies like shopping and music, as well as similar challenges such as school stress and figuring out what we want to do with our lives. Although language is a tool for communication, my time in Taiwan proved to me that language is truly not needed to connect with people and make people feel appreciated and heard. In my eight weeks here, I have made lifelong friends and eagerly await the day I can see them again!
Along with the theme, my biggest takeaway during my trip to Taiwan was learning about their indigenous people. Before coming on the trip, I didn’t realize the significance of indigenous people in Taiwan. Back home, many of my friends are from Hawai’i, which has provided me with the opportunity to learn more about Native Hawaiian culture, especially by engaging in traditional dancing like hula. Thus, with my interest in learning about indigenous cultures, I was fascinated to learn about the Austronesian people in Taiwan and how many/most indigenous groups around the world have originated from Taiwan! This was really cool to learn as even though I am a foreigner, there were a lot of similarities in the food, music, dancing, and even language of the indigenous groups that I have seen in Native American and Native Hawaiian culture. This gave me a sense of belonging and really brought to light that native cultures around the world share many similar values and have a very similar history of being oppressed and marginalized. Going into this trip, I was not expecting to learn about two distinct cultures in Taiwan and I am grateful to have discovered and analyzed the intersectionality of such cultures.
Image 1: A photo os us with some of the students at Faxiang Elementary School in Nantou with the tribe kids
Image 2: Molly and I interacting in the children area of the generation fun center in Keelung
Kinjal’s Final Thoughts:
The second I stepped outside the plane on September 23rd, I knew that this trip would leave a significant impression on my life, and I am happy to say that it has. I have learned so much about myself and about the world throughout my time here in Taiwan. On this trip, I have laughed, cried, danced, and experienced so many new things.
The most valuable lesson I have learned is letting go. Letting go of the past and the things I think were failures. Letting go of the feelings of incompetence and allowing myself to be willing to make mistakes and learn from them. Being in a country where I didn’t know the language, culture, or anything was hard at first. The first time I walked into a convenience store, I was overwhelmed by the different foods that were all labeled in a foreign language and being spoken to by the cashier in that language I did not know. But I had to learn. Even though I didn’t know the language, I still had to try my best. It didn’t matter that I didn’t know how to say certain things; I had to let go of my need to be perfect and never make mistakes. Being in Taiwan really pushed me to get out of my comfort zone. I had to stop thinking about all the ways that I was going to mess up, say, or do the wrong thing. At the end of the day, things will happen how they happen, and you can’t always control the outcome; the only thing you can control is how much effort you put in and how much you will learn from whatever the situation’s outcome.
Along with this personal lesson, I have also learned a lot about Taiwan and the values many people in this country have. I think these values are really what allow people in this country to have such an excellent healthcare system. Everyone I have met in Taiwan has been so friendly, warm, and inviting. They are all very patient and willing to help everyone. While I was in Taiwan, I got this sense of community that I rarely get when I am in the US. And I feel like this is one of the many factors that allow the healthcare system in Taiwan to be so good. People are willing to help each other in times of need and are not solely focused on personal gain. While in Taiwan, we spent a lot of time going around the island, visiting indigenous tribes, NGOs, and other community organizations. Through our visits, we learned about how willing the government is to listen to the problems that citizens have and actually help them. I think this relationship that the population has with its government is what allows Taiwan to grow and become more prosperous.
I will never forget the time I had in Taiwan. I felt like I had just assimilated to living in the country when it was time for us to leave. I am so happy that I got to spend the past eight weeks in this beautiful country and so sad that I am now leaving. I will patiently await the day that I can come back to visit again.
Image 3: This was us with all of our guardian angels at Fu Jen Catholic University on the first day of the 8-week stay in Taiwan.
Arthur’s Final Thoughts:
Taiwan was great.
We visited many cultural and historical sites. We surveyed the community and took a closer look at how health is integrated and managed from the most fundamental stages of development of life to the later stages. We visited universities and healthcare facilities of different religions. We explored the diverse environment examining the rural areas where agriculture came from, the deep tropical forests where indigenous people showed us the fundamentals of foraging, the deep and beautiful blue hues of the ocean of the east and south coast, and the modernized industrial sites where top-notch medical institutions stand. For one week, we stayed with one of Taiwan’s indigenous tribes and learned about their way of life, traditions, and challenges. All along this trip while we bonded with the Taiwanese people through language barriers and time restrictions. Even the smallest passages were monumental in showing the true kindness that the Taiwanese people have in regard to other people and forms in life.
One of the most remarkable sites that we visited was a center that bridged the gap between the youth and the elderly. This center, called the Generation Fun Center, provided a space for the youth and old to connect. Although I had doubts that this concept would create a fun environment, they both had something to contribute to each other for mutual benefit and well- fun. For the youth, it was to grasp an understanding of the world and to have someone experienced in life to nurture them in the ways that they needed, and for the elderly, it was strictly to have fun and nourish their souls while giving them a purpose in day to day life. To see themselves as they once were and to bring out the inner child within. The center was full of mutually beneficial friendships that bettered the health and well-being of the community, and was quite remarkable to see such a wonderful idea carried out so beautifully.
Key aspects of the remarkable environment of this center were the amount of space, the abundance of light, and the overall design. There were rooms dedicated to the children and rooms dedicated to the elderly, and there were rooms that brought them together and were designed to create shared experiences, like the instructional cooking room. In the middle of this grand center was a great ship. Like a ship, this center was a vessel for life, to transverse- to connect two groups who are not usually thought of as being placed together but have remarkable compatibilities that make this ship sail so smoothly.
Across our trip around Taiwan, I saw new ways of integrating health; I saw bridges between populations and societal groups being built that would be new to the United States. Bridges between tradition and modernity. Between religion and medical practice. Between the young and the old. Although Taiwan is a smaller country in numbers, they are strong in essential parts of well-being such as healthcare, transportation, and a nurturing culture, and it was an honor to visit such a wonderful place.
Image 4: Generation Fun Center; which is bound to bring fun for generations to come.
Izabel’s Final Thoughts:
My experience in the study abroad program in Taiwan has been an amazing, transformative journey that has provided me with a deep understanding of various aspects of health education and cultural immersion. Throughout my time, I had the opportunity to participate in diverse projects and experiences, from teaching health material to a 6th-grade class to exploring indigenous cultural elements of the Ataya, Amis, and Rukai people.
Personal Involvement in Health and Education Initiatives
The immersion into the Ataya people’s life was a profound and eye-opening experience that shed light on the challenges faced by marginalized communities in Taiwan. The program did a great job facilitating meaningful interactions for the students with the community, thus allowing me to hear personal narratives and gain insights into their daily lives that I would never have had access to otherwise. Engaging in open conversations, I learned about the rich cultural heritage that often remains obscured by prevailing stereotypes in this community, which further deepened my understanding of the importance of cultural sensitivity and competence.
Image 5: Group picture of OSU students with some of Faxiang Elementary School’s students and teachers.
One of my projects in the program was developing and teaching a 6th-grade health class, which marked my first real academic experience instructing beyond the informal tutoring and coaching lacrosse I had engaged in previously. The challenge of adapting to a developed lesson material and effectively communicating potentially sensitive health concepts to a young audience with a language barrier was a learning curve. The emphasis on consent education was advantageous, as it addressed a crucial aspect often overlooked in the traditional health curriculum. However, this experience not only honed my pedagogical skills but also instilled a newfound appreciation for the importance of clear communication and adaptability in educational settings. The process of crafting lessons, gauging the students’ understanding, and adjusting my approach based on their needs significantly contributed to my growth as an educator.
Reflections on Personal Growth and Achievements Gained
Through this program, I found myself in spaces to gain personal growth and achievements. Activities like paragliding and hiking in Taroko National Park were a powerful reminder of the transformative potential of stepping out of one’s comfort zone. Confronting the discomfort of these activities, as I have a fear of falling, became a metaphor for self-discovery, and emphasized the value taken from embracing new challenges. Adapting to unfamiliar situations fostered resilience and nurtured my growth mindset, as I now feel more experienced in new social environments and circumstances.
Image 6-7: Pictures from when we were hiking in Taroko National Park.
Image 8: Selfie up in the air in Hualien.
Moreover, the entire study abroad program duration, particularly interactions with Fu Jen University students, provided a continuous stream of opportunities for personal growth. Engaging with students pursuing non-public health-related degrees in diverse fields such as children’s studies, teaching, and physics opened avenues for exchanges of perspectives and cultural backgrounds. Navigating through language barriers illuminated the power of effective communication while highlighting the obstacles that hinder it, underscoring the impact of potential misunderstandings, confusion, and potential consequences.
Image 9: Group photo of us with our “Guardian Angels”, the Fu Jen students.
Each day, the program introduced new people and places, creating a dynamic environment for learning and interaction. Stepping into conversations with individuals from varied cultural backgrounds offered a new wave of experiences and perspectives. These exchanges not only broadened my worldview but also underscored the importance of embracing diversity for personal and intellectual growth. Throughout the program, I never finished a day where I felt that I hadn’t learned or experienced something new.
Image 10: OSU students with Fu Jen’s Public Health Department professors and students.
The exposure to diverse cultures, healthcare initiatives, and community engagement through participating in this study abroad program has not only broadened my understanding but has also equipped me with a holistic perspective. The insights gained from visiting the healthcare initiatives emphasized the interconnectedness of community well-being. I enjoyed my time in the program, and, as I move forward, I will carry with me the invaluable lessons I’ve gained through participating in this program.
Image 9: Group photo of us on our last day.
