Episode 2 - Taipei In Three Words

Finally, after months of silence, I’ve completed the second episode. Various ideas were flowing in and out of my mind during these months – what to do, how to edit, what to omit. In the end, the total running time is roughly 15 minutes, so I hope you don’t get bored (scroll down to watch).

In the episode my friends, classmates and I attempt to describe this city in only three words. Given the cultural diversity of Taipei; I decided to do this in various languages. In addition to foreign languages, three different languages are spoken in Taiwan – Mandarin Chinese, Taiwanese, and Hakka – the former two of which you will hear in this video. I tried finding a Hakka speaker, but to no avail. Also, you will hear some other unique Asian ones as well, such as Japanese and Thai.

Later in the episode, my good friend Alison Perry comes all the way from Long Island, New York to visit this crazy place. Val, Ali and I head down south to Kenting. And this time around we do things a little bit differently. With the motivating help of Ali, we endeavor to hike in the Kenting National Park instead of just wasting away at the beach. I must say it was a great idea. We also made some new friends atop the mountain, as you’ll see. At night, we decided to partake in the favorite Taiwanese past time – karaoke! It isn’t our forte, let’s just say. Although, Ali didn't fare too badly.

Now, I am in the process of editing the third episode in which you’ll see what it’s like to study Chinese at a Taiwanese university and how to make an extra buck while doing so. So, once again, stay tuned!