Hi my name is Dylan Jones and this will be my first time traveling to Taiwan. I have been learning Chinese (Mandarin) since I was in high school and it has always been one of my life’s goal to go to Taiwan as my first Chinese teacher was Taiwanese and she talked very highly of her country. This semester I have been in Singapore and Australia which has allowed me to experience different cultures and experiences. But I believe Taiwan will be a completely different experience as the countries I have already been to spoke English as their main language. While I do speak a little mandarin, I have never been truly confident in speaking it, especially after my trip in Singapore. I hope to get better grasp of the language while being in Taiwan, even if I have to struggle through the traditional characters instead of the simplified ones. I want to learn more about why my teacher loved her country so much and the differences between Taiwan and mainland China. I also hope to just have fun in this country with other Bucknellians. Thank you!
Dylan, it is great that you have joined us from Singapore, even though we encountered a little hiccup with the flight schedule. We really appreciate that you were a great sport and independently handled everything so well. It shows how mature and reliable you are as an individual. Also, your experiences abroad will be of great value to everyone on this trip. In short, we are so happy you are with us!