What I Learned In Taiwan And Asia In General

Final Paper

What have I learned in Taiwan?

I had the opportunity to learn many things during my exchange semester here in Taiwan, through several ways: classes from university, the discovery of a new culture, the encounter of new friends from all over the world and so on. However, the feeling I currently have is that the main issue of this short period, this experience is how my vision of the world and way of thinking changed. More than speaking about what I learned in Taiwan, I would like to explain what I realized during this experience. For the first time since I am in Asia I feel that this is coming to an end. Time flies and I just have two weeks left here in Taiwan. Even if the idea of meeting again my family, friends and coming back to my home country makes me happy, I can hardly imagine how it will be. I needed to leave Europe for some time to realize how huge and growing Asia is and how Europe is small and decreasing. Going back to a continent with less people than the country just next to Taiwan is a strange feeling, especially when I’m going back to Spain, a country that feels drowned by its political class. All Europe is laughing at us, and outside there we are just known because we are the best in football, have nice beaches and good food. Living in Taiwan helped me see the world differently. Taiwanese students don’t behave the way European students do. Here, in Taiwan (and I would say this is the case in many Southern Asian countries). Local students are dying to have an opportunity, they seem conscious that studying is a chance and a privilege that is not granted to everyone. I was not expecting to see the same thing in Asian’s universities than in Europe’s universities. Occidental students give more importance to leisure and fun, values that seem less important here, while Asians students seem to have a different approach to this stage of life. However, it is important to place emphasis on the fact that the international community of students in Taiwan is realizing its exchange, a unique experience in which discovering, experimenting and enjoying must lead their behavior. An interesting question would be how would Asian or Taiwanese students behave in our European countries?

It comes to my mind all the trips, experiences, new people from a lot of different countries I have met and all the great moments I have had here. Anyway, sadness comes to me when I think that goodbyes will start in the following days and that many of my friends already left. I don't want this to end, even though I miss many things from Barcelona. All the people I met here taught me to see life differently, in several aspects. I mentioned the local students as an example before. Teachers also approach their subject in a more philosophical way.

Taiwan is not the only country that made me grew. Visiting countries such as The Philippines or China, where poverty can be more easily observed also contributed. If I had to point out something above all, it would be the following statement: What we use to call “problems” in Europe or developed countries and the reasons that make us worry so much are just inappropriate if you compare with the issues that many Asian people are facing. While a Business School student is wondering if he should either study a second master or center himself in a doctorate, other people wonder what they should do in order

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