A Journey of Being a Local Language Partner at CET Taiwan 

Written by Hua Hsieh, Local Roommate for CET Taiwan, Summer 2023, Spring 2024, and Fall 2024

It’s still unbelievable to me that I’ve been a language partner three times. That shows just how much I love CET’s program and how addicted I am to making friends from other countries. Of course, I still cherish all the precious memories with every friend I met during this amazing journey. 

Memory with My Friends   

Matthew was my first language partner, and I was so nervous to meet him on the icebreaking day. But he turned out to be so friendly and funny, and we had a wonderful day hanging out with Lily and Domenic at NTU and in the Wanhua district. Every week, Matthew and I tried so many new things. We played basketball (he taught me a lot about the game in the U.S.), visited temples (where we met a Canadian friend and had great conversations about Taiwan’s temples), explored night markets (where Matthew tried Xiao Long Bao 小籠包), and enjoyed lots of traditional foods like mango shaved ice, 甜不辣 and 永和豆漿. 

The most unforgettable memory is the trip we took to Hualien. We went to Taroko National Park, which I was so glad we went there because the earthquake later destroyed some of its splendid scenery. We also went to Amis Tribe where we learned about their  history and tradition and even warmly welcomed by the indigenous people. We had really great time in the mountain and along the coast of Hualian. Although I was a little bit sick, it was definitely the best weekend of my summer vacation. 

I would say Mei’s Taiwanese is much better than mine. He is so cool, thoughtful, and courageous. Every week, we tried food from different countries, and we even ate curry three weeks in a row. I finally found someone to explore curry restaurants in Gongguan with! Meeting with Mei was always full of knowledge and fun. We discussed history, gender, the environment, and whatever topics came to mind. And we even got our haircut together! 

City exploration with Mei

Ben is the strongest person I’ve ever met. We went to the gym to work out or played badminton nearly every week. He was really patient and taught me a lot about weightlifting, something I had always wanted to try. I’m so glad he invited me to join him. We also ate whatever we felt like and always had a great time together. Can’t wait to see Ben next year! 

A Journey Full of Surprises 

This year, I even received a birthday card from Matthew in Alabama. I was almost moved to tears. Even though we can contact each other anytime through Line, the letter gave a deeper meaning to our friendship. I still remember when they first arrived in Taiwan. They weren’t very confident speaking Chinese, but they worked so hard to learn and used it in their daily lives. By the time they were about to leave, their Chinese was fluent—I felt SO PROUD of you all! 

Introducing Taiwan to my friends has been such a meaningful experience. It’s made me feel like I’m rediscovering my own identity as a Taiwanese and gaining a deeper understanding of the land where I was born and now live. At the same time, learning about their countries and stories felt like traveling the world. They are all such precious friends from my college life, and I hope that one day I can visit their cities and have fun together again.