We were treated like royalty on the first day of TUSA.  We had an orientation in the morning where a few distinguished faculty members introduced themselves.  Though dressed in suits and ties, they were actually quite funny in their speeches.  During these introductions, there was a media crew taking pictures and video.  Afterward they even interviewed some of the TUSA awardees on camera.  Though the article is in Mandain, it’s cool to see that the university truly values us being here and that we made their news site.  And everyone can understand the pictures.

In the afternoon, we had a more detailed orientation, with dormitory rules and housing information.  They asked for volunteers to help with the yearbook that will be distributed at the end of the program, and for a few to help organize the farewell banquet in August.  Katelyn and I will help compile photos for the yearbook and edit the final version.  I think it’ll be fun to take part in creating the physical souvenir we will all take home to remember this program with.  I’m sure there will be plenty of non-physical souvenirs that I will carry back with me, and everyone has already played a part in creating those— even though it’s just day three.

At night, we all met our language partners to attend a very fancy dinner, paid for by TUSA.  Tammy took me there on her motor bike.  Don’t worry, she has a helmet for me.  It’s a rush riding down the streets here— swerving in and out of scooters and bicycles and cars.

Taiwan really knows how to greet a person.  The dishes were endless.  Just when you thought you were full, or that the meal was over, they brought out a new dish.  We were all assigned to tables.  Table four made quite good company.

We started with asparagus covered in a peanut sauce on a bed of sprouts, lined with tomatoes.  I was the only person to take tomatoes from the serving plate in the first go around.  I asked Tammy why no one was eating the tomatoes and she laughed at me and told me they were for decoration.  Whoops.  I ate them anyway.  Why waste a perfectly good tomato?

Next came the pumpkin/squash soup with clams and croutons.  Tammy helped me prepare the clam.  What would I do without her?  This was one of my favorite dishes.  It might just be the best soup I’ve ever had.

I initially thought this was chicken, but no— duck.  Wow, was the meat tender.  Delicious.

Then they brought out a dish with bamboo chutes, tofu, pork, and peas covered in Taiwan’s version of barbecue sauce.

No, the meal is not over.  Spring rolls.  This was another favorite of mine from the meal.

Then came the spicy cabbage.  The chopsticks were pretty difficult to use.  Our language partners love to make fun of us for our inability to use their common tool (specifically Tony).

This is Tony.

Then came the fried rice.  The garnish on it was baby fish.  They were crunchy and salty.  The language partners told us they are full of nutrients.  They were much better than the fish floss I had on the plane.

And to top it all off: fresh watermelon.  The fruit in Taiwan is to die for.

After dinner we played a few ice breaker games and I met a lot of new people.  It’s crazy that by the end of the program, we will all know each other well.  I flashed forward to a scene of saying goodbye in August, all of us— even the beginners— able to converse in Mandarin.  I was quickly jerked back to reality when I remembered I had to find the other person acting like a rabbit (tùzi).  I hopped around the sharks, alligators, and hippos and found the other tùzi.  He had been to College Park once for a quiz bowl tournament.  Cool.  Already making new connections.  Just two rabbits in a Taiwanese restaurant, who had been to the same rabbit hole long ago.  Small world.