After the most amazing memories, our trip to Japan and Taiwan was coming to a close… but not before some more incredible stops! We got to visit the Taiwan Stock Exchange, have a seven-course meal, visit the National Palace, and explore the Tapei 101, which stands at the 11th tallest building in the world. Keep reading for these adventures and more, including me getting my first gel mani!
5/15/2017
Today we were allowed to sleep in. Our meeting time was 8:30 AM on the 11th floor, where the rooftop garden and fitness center is located. Kaitlin woke up at the normal time and left to get coffee and breakfast from Starbucks. My body wanted to get up then too, but I forced it to sleep until 7:30 AM when I ate my leftover Hawaiian pizza for breakfast.
Upstairs, we wrapped up our discussions on Japan by comparing and contrasting our expectations versus reality of our time there.
Next, we took an approximate 15 minute walk to Soochow University. There, we sat in on a multinational financial management class where we listened to three student group final presentations. After, we had time to talk to the students and I added one of my new Taiwanese friends on Instagram.
At around 12 PM, we headed to a restaurant near our hotel where we delighted in a seven-course dinner including smoked duck roll, Karaage chicken, steamed egg, Dorayaki, beef soup, roasted steak, and a kiwi smoothie. At the end, the waiters brought over three hats and sang the Taiwanese version of “Happy Birthday” to three of my peers.
When we left the restaurant, it was pouring. Everyone who didn’t have umbrellas bought them and we headed back to the hotel where we waited to hear what our updated schedule was. We were told to meet on the first floor at 3:30 PM where we trekked through the pouring rain to get to the bus. There weren’t enough seats for everyone, but we got as comfortable as we could for our 30 minute public bus ride in soggy shoes.
The National Palace Museum was a three-story museum consisting of a lot of old Chinese history, art, and artifacts. After the museum, we explored the large gift shop. We were here for a comparatively long time, but it was cool to see.
FitBit step count: 15,852
5/18/2017
Today we said goodbye to the Taipei M Hotel when we checked out at 6:30 AM. We took a train and bus to the National Chung Hsing University where we had two classes, one where we watched a lot of videos and talked about cultural differences in business and the other where we talked about minimum wage. Between these classes was a nice Taiwanese buffet lunch. We got to mingle with the other students and some people even sang karaoke.
My favorite part was the kayaking. Kaitlin sat out, so I convinced Dr. Peng to join me. I was about to abandon ship when we almost went over the waterfall! The following week was to be the Dragon Boat Festival, so they let a group of us try one out. Dr. Peng sat at the head of the boat and beat the drum to tell us how we should paddle. It was actually really scary because the boat was wobbly and we were afraid of tipping.
Our new hotel was called the Airline Inn Green Parkway. Despite the sound of the name, it was very nice and spacious. It was actually Kaitlin’s overall favorite. The only issue is that despite what we pushed, pulled, tapped, and tugged, we could not get the overhead shower to work, causing the shower experience to be much more difficult than necessary. I literally had to crouch down to the level of a standard bathtub spout and therefore I smacked my head at least three times.
The area surrounding our hotel seemed a little better than the last, but it was difficult to cross the roads without crossing signs. Kaitlin and I got take out meals at a local restaurant that ended up not being very good. We went to a different place and got Oreo shakes. Kaitlin also got fries and a sandwich.
Right across the street was a place called Dolly Nails. I had gotten a manicure for graduation, but due to all the traveling, they looked awful and were driving me crazy. The ladies at the salon did an amazing job and were very meticulous. Kaitlin and I both got gel (my first time). Hers are black with a white Hello Kitty accent nail and mine are a gorgeous fluorescent pink. Although they were a little on the pricey side, I consider this one of my best purchases.
FitBit step count: 12,110
5/19/2017
Today my alarm went off at the early hour of 4:40 AM. Kaitlin and I bustled about so we could check out of our beautiful room in the Airline Inn and be on the bus by 5:30 AM. By this point, my shoulder is really sore and I have calluses from carrying all of my luggage, but at least my nails look nice.
With Jun as our guide, we settled in for our three-hour journey to the National Sun Yat Sen University (NSYSU). Upon arrival, we were greeted by Georgia native Ariana, an International Business MBA student. She took us to the beach and we were allowed to walk around for 30 minutes. We were told that the waves could be dangerous, so we dipped our toes and took pictures in the warm water.
Next, we listened to three consulting project presentations by IBMBA students, ate a boxed lunch, and went for a tour of campus. I bought a cold caramel latte from a little outside campus cafe and it was really good.
Our last planned activity for the day was the Jy Lin Trading company. We were pleasantly surprised by how cool it ended up being. Jy Lin genetically engineers fish based on 30 years of experience to make them glow fluorescent. They are the leaders in doing this for medium- and large-sized fish.
We were very lucky to be one of the few select guests that they let tour the facilities. The house that we were in was extravagant. We were given refreshments that included delicious fruit (Taiwan has the sweetest, most delicious pineapple I have ever had in my life) and then watched a video about the company. From there we split into groups to go into dark rooms where we could view and photograph the fish. My favorite part was when they poured the bioluminescent algae water over a ceramic statue and our hands and they blinked and glowed beautifully.
After checking into our hotel, the City Suite, almost our whole class when to a restaurant called Smokey Joes. It was very aesthetically pleasing with the outside jungle decor, multi-colored and -sized globes hanging from the ceiling, and blue 50s car for the counter. I ordered a chicken and cheese quesadilla and fries. They had very decorated, extravagant milkshakes that looked like ones sold in New York. However, I didn’t get one because I was too full after my meal.
A toast to another successful day in Taiwan! FitBit step count: 11,473
Another trip highlight was our visit to the Taipei 101, formerly known as the Taiwan World Financial Center. The Taipei 101 stands tall at 1,667 feet and is known for its financial services and vibrant shopping malls. The building gets its name from the 101 floors contained inside and is known for the damper inside that acts like a pendulum to offset earthquakes. While there, we did some shopping, visited KPMG and had dinner on a high floor with a Taiwanese executive, and explored. Enjoy some photos!
That’s all folks! Did you learn anything new about Taiwan? Have you ever studied abroad or do you want to? Share your thoughts in the comments below! 
