始見輪船之奇

1、Cultural shockI came back to Taiwan two weeks ago. From the first moment I stepped out the gate of the airplane, a strange feeling has being bothering me since: why everyone did not speak English? All of a sudden I heard people speaking Chinese, a language that seems close yet far to me now, spoken

2、everywhere, which makes me feel uneasy and do not seem fit in here anymore.Fortunately, it has been two weeks. Since then, I have been adapting to the terrible traffic and air pollutions in Taipei and I did a great job. Yes, now I can cross those streets with no fear. I began to meet friends and tha

3、t brought me closer to the life I used to have. However, from time to time, I cannot help thinking about the year I spent in the paradise of the earth- Hawaii.How it get startedThe story goes back to two year ago when I was going to be a junior in university. Junior is a tough year in university bec

4、ause students often have to come up with what they are going to do in the future. For me, it is too early to make the decision. I have a major in university but I am still puzzled what I am going to do in the future. At the same time one of my friend told me that he is going to apply for the exchang

5、e program to study abroad. I am the kind of person who likes to try new things and meet new friends, so I gave it a try and handed in my application. What was on my mind was that through the program I would have more time to think about my future, improve my English, and broaden my horizons. Finally

6、, I became the candidate to go to University of Hawaii at Manoa for one-year exchange life.About HawaiiHawaii is a special place and it is not like any other place in the world. For one thing, due to the history of the islands, few places in the world would be more ethnical diverse than Hawaii. Besi

7、des, Hawaii boasts one of the most famous volcano and various scenic spots that would put itself on the map as a perfect place for vacation destinations.Generally speaking, my life in Hawaii is great. I did not have much trouble with language. However, I spent more time to get to know what professor

8、s expect students to do in the university. I found that compared to the classes I took at NYU, professors there focus more on communication skills. As a result, students are expected to communicate with professors and fellow students within or out of classrooms. During the year I joined Accounting c

9、lub and did an internship in Merrill Lynch. With those experiences I got to know the American culture better and gained a broader perspective of the world we are living in today. Words cannot express my gratitude for the International Exchange Office for offering such a wonderful program to students

10、. Following are some things I would like to share about my exchange life in Hawaii.Life in HawaiiThis is the Manoa valley, where the University of Hawaii is located. The picture is taken in Tantalus, where you can see Hawaiis best city views especially at night.This is the campus of Manoa. The campu

11、s is right in the Manoa valley. In the valley its very beautiful but also rains a lot.This is the view from the hotel I stayed last year. Hotel? No kidding. I stayed in the hotel beside the Waikiki beach during the first semester because the school did not have enough dorm rooms. UH rented the whole

12、 floor of the hotel to offer students a place to stay. (Warning: Most of them are party people)This is the condo I rented for the second semester studying at UH. The rates are less expensive than hotel. However, I am farther from the beach. But I can still get there by bike within 15 minutes anyway.

13、His name is Jeff Peterson and I took guitar class from him. His is a terrific guitar player and he can play Jazz, classical, Hawaiian, and Rock guitar. I am often inspired by his instruction and he just issued his first album. ( )She is Rosy, the advisor for all exchange students from all over the w

14、orld to UH. To me she is like a grandmother. I dropped by her office from time to time just to check if there were new announcements or have a chat with her. When I am leaving Hawaii I gave her a big hug and cannot let her go.The Beauty of HawaiiTheres no doubtHawaii is the paradise on the earth. Ho

15、wever, some people consider Hawaii only a place of vacation and pleasure. During my exchange in Hawaii, I found there is something more than that going on in Hawaii, such as its distinctive people and culture, its booming agriculture, its military value, and its beautiful traditional music.The pictu

16、re was taken in Pearl Harbor, the first attraction in Hawaii. Pearl harbor is still a military base now but tourists can take a look at the harbor, which were bombed by Japanese airplanes during world war two.Dr. Sun Yat-SenIts funny to see those “l(fā)eis” around the neck of our founding father, right?

17、 Believe me, Sun Yat-sen spent his early years in Hawaii. Same as Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, as a young Chinese studying in Hawaii, I can relate to what he said last century in Hawaii: “始見輪船之奇, 滄海之闊, 自是有慕西學(xué)之心, 究天地之想”.The picture was taken in big island. As you can see, the traffic sign is buried in the lava.

18、Last year you can still drive cars on this road. However, last April the active volcano broke out and its lava covered the road since. Walking on the lava is the kind of experience I never had before. ActivitiesHalloweenIf you only study in the United States for one year, be sure to take advantage o

19、f Halloween. In Hawaii, on the night of Halloween, everyone goes crazy and they flock to the Waikiki beach to celebrate the holiday. But before you go there, be sure to dress up. That means you are expected to dress in some kind of creative wardrobe to join the carnival!These students are all exchan

20、ge students coming to UH last year. We prepared for a long time to compete with local people to decide whose clothes looks better on Halloween!If you come to Hawaii and never try surfing and snorkeling, you missed the best part of being in Hawaii. Actually surfing is hard. You have to be able to cat

21、ch the wave and then ride on it. But once you get the hang out of it, you cant forget the wonderful feeling for the entire of your life!Theater is also popular at the Manoa campus. Kennedy Theater is located on the campus of Manoa and has shows from time to time. The picture was taken after I see th

22、e show “Paper Bag Prince”. It is a show for children. The show was incredible and I like actors body language very much.If you never been to the United States, you probably cannot imagine how popular football is there. The college team in UH is UH warriors. I went to see their game sometimes. Actual

23、ly I dont know the rules well, but when I was in the stadium and heard everyone yelling, I went crazy too! I guess its because the crowd. One time I was talking to my classmates and they think baseball and basketball are dull; football is “what makes you a man”. This is taken on our way to Kailua be

24、ach, which is probably the best beach in Oahu. Whenever you watch the travel or discovery channel, in the countdown of the best beaches in the world, Kailua will not be missed.This picture was also taken in Kailua beach. We were canoeing to the little island on the far left of the picture. It took a

25、bout 50 minutes to get there. But after that be prepared for your sore arms.His name is Yuki and he is from Japan. He was my roommate for the second semester. We both play guitar. His favorite guitarist is Eric Clapton and he plays songs from Erics album “MTV Unplugged” every day.One of Hawaiis favo

26、rite sports is Hula. As a result, almost all female exchange students took Hula classes in UH. In the class they make their own skirts and learn how to “shake their hips” and do the dance. Sound nice, right? But not for man!I joined Accounting club in UH and we club members often do things together.

27、 Today we have a job and that is to help the National Parks gardener take out those plants that are damaging the environment. Believe me, its harder than it looks!TravelingFor me, traveling and music have always been the inspirations of my life. However, compared to the general meaning of “traveling

28、”, my definition is a little different. To me, I like to stay in a place for a while, at least a month, so that I know the place better and some local people. That is what I mean by “traveling”This picture was taken in Time Square, the definitive place for modern capitalism.When I was in New York, t

29、he playoff of NBA is going on. However, because the Nicks didnt make it so I did not go visit the Madison Square Garden. But thats not necessarily bad news because I am sure the game would cost an arm and a leg.The monitor at Time Square was showing the playoff of 2004. It seems that Lakers are goin

30、g home soon. But for us who are visiting New York, the night is still young.New York has always had it magic spell on me. I went there for language school at Julliard School on 2001. That was when I was a freshman in university and my perspective of the world had really been broadened. Unfortunately

31、, after I came back to Taiwan in August, in September 2001 there was the terrorist attack and it has been three years until I visited there again. Those two pictures are respectively the Brooklyn Bridge at night and during daytime. In the history of world famous structures, although Brooklyn Bridge

32、had been built for more than 50 years, it has always been one of the most definitive building structures of New York.Les PaulHe is over eighty year old but he is still playing. Being acclaimed as the guitarist who defines the electrical sound of guitar, Les Paul still plays at Iridium every Monday.

33、On the day I went to see him, he just turned 88 and he is still making jokes. But I can tell that his hands are shaking sometimes.Woody AllenHe is my hero. Over the years he has become the cultural icon of New York City because of those movies he made. On the other hand, he also plays claret in Carl

34、yle hotel in Upper East Side. I spent 100 dollars (including the coverage and one beer) just to see him playing New Orleans style Jazz for less than two hours. It was expensive, but for such a price to see someone I admires so much, I never felt regret.Apollo Theater is simply the most famous music

35、venue in Harlem. Harlem has always been notorious for its black population. However, the place is also famous for its musical talents with black heritage. That night I went to see a show called amateur night and it was so exciting to feel Harlems passion for music!Being one of the most famous venues for music performance in the world, Carnegie Hall is still worth a visit through all the years.Blue man group used to be my favorite show on Broadway. (To be more specific, Off-Bro