Me taking photo on a trail to East Peak of Hehuanshan

Dear Friends,

If you should be interested, I would like to tell you something about my years in National Taipei University (or NTPU in short).

“Ah, I know you! You are the one that can’t speak Chinese!”

That was how people addressed me during my early days in NTPU. And always, I answered with a small smile and a slight nod. 6 years ago, international students were rare in the school as it hardly offered any course in English. Thus, having a foreign bachelor student that could not speak Chinese was world –shaking. You may feel bad for me. And to be honest, I felt bad for myself at that time as well. But now, when I look back, all that left are gratitude and days well spent.

In the evening of the first day of school, I was sitting at a table of the 7-11 in front of the school, having a conversation with my head teacher, the one I just met in the morning, who was extremely concerned about my case. The talk last for just about thirty minutes but it’s safe to say that it was his helpful advice and encouraging words that kept me in this school. Not a perfect start, but I didn’t quit.

Trying to get a decent photo at Yinhe Waterfall with my friends “photobombing” me

As you may imagine, the first two years was rough. If you had to learn a new language to take lectures in university, how long would you need? For me, one year was all I had. I still remember the nights sitting in the library to 12am, trying to understand all the materials in Chinese or the struggle to communicate every time I need to talk to someone. As time went by, things got better. I made friends, learned how to use Chinese, made more friends, then even found works in several different workplaces. I made progress and my life improved before I even knew it. But why should I tell you all this? To prove that I am good? Or to tell you that NTPU did not treat me well? No, what I want to tell you is NTPU is where your dreams can come true. You see, it’s not easy to achieve your goals. And didn’t do it by myself either. Here in NTPU, I received so much support, so much love and encouragement that I could not give up. The teachers were helpful and understanding and the friends were nice and supportive, which made the hardship a lot easier to bear. Never in my life shall I forget these nice people. And eventually, I found myself so deeply in love with this place that I decided to stay for another 2 years for my Master degree.

As Arnold Schwarzenegger once said “You can call me anything but a self-made man. You understand that you are here because of a lot of help then you also understand that now is time to help others"; if you are on your way to pursue your dreams and goals, NTPU can be a good companion. You may not be on a smooth path, but you will never be alone. So, be brave, pack up and have your journey with NTPU.

This new start is definitely worth trying.

Wish you all the best of luck.

Best,

Peter

P/s: If you love nature, the beauty of Taiwan will surely amaze you. I myself travel a lot and this place never fails to surprise me. Be sure to jot that down.