From June 11 – 21, Upper School Marksmen taking Chinese visited Taiwan for an experience filled with cultural immersion opportunities and a way to practice their language skills. Through a variety of activities the Marksmen were able to develop a deeper understanding of Taiwanese culture and history, meet students from local schools, and strengthen their overall appreciation for the language that they have studied during their high school career.

Despite the change in time zone and cultural differences, Marksmen were able to enjoy their experience and deepen their bonds with each other. Their experiences ranged from visits to visiting the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) Museum of Innovation, and the experiences allowed the Marksmen to fully immerse themselves in Taiwanese culture.

“I really liked visiting the XiMenDing night market in Taipei because it allowed me to experience authentic Taiwanese culture firsthand,” senior Samuel Blumenthal said.

While Blumenthal thoroughly enjoyed the experiences on the trip, he was also able to recognize and appreciate the value of the language he was learning and its applications around the world.

“The experience made me realize that even though I had been solely learning Chinese for 5 years, my Chinese still has a long way to go before it is at a fluent level,” Blumenthal said.

Aside from experiencing the differences in language and culture, the Marksmen connected with local students from Sacred Heart High Schools for Girls and PU TAI Senior High School and had the opportunity to take classes with them, learn how school life is in Taiwan and collaborate on numerous activities.

Another key aspect from the trip was trying local foods, a vital part of experiencing another country’s culture, and the Marksmen were able to try a wide variety of Taiwanese classics and some U.S. staples as well.

“My favorite food was a bowl of soup dumplings that I got at a market for lunch,” Blumenthal said. “I also tried chicken feet, which surprisingly tasted really good. Also, I learned that Pizza Hut is served buffet style, where they set out various kinds of pizza and you can pick your favorites to eat.”