This time is the third time that I have been to Taiwan. I grew up visiting relatives in Hong Kong and China, often but never ventured outside of these places. When I was finally old enough to make my own decisions, I decided to visit Taiwan because it was affordable and my three Taiwanese housemates in college always raved about how great the food was where they came from! After visiting Taiwan once, I came back to the island the following year to study Chinese. I loved Taiwan so much that I applied to teach English abroad here for a year. And that is what I am doing here, now.
What kept drawing me back to Taiwan was my love for its culture and its people. People say this often about the cultures they love, but it holds especially true for Taiwan: here, hospitality is one of a kind. People are very warm, welcoming and willing to help. An example is when my brother and I went to Alishan, a mountain in Taiwan famous for its tea and historical train. The sun was setting, and we had just gotten off the bus; but our homestay was still miles up the mountain. We ended up hiking to a nearby town and going to the police station for help with directions. It was misty and cold, so the police officer not only invited us in to sit down but brewed us tea and chatted with us after phoning the homestay to come pick us up.
