Taiwan - Beautiful Island (like Hawaii!)

The morning view out to sea from a Taiwan golf course...stunning.
In so many ways, Taiwan reminded me of my home state, Hawaii, including of course the beautiful flowers, sunny days and ocean views.

Taiwan (historically 大灣/台員/大員/台圓/大圓/台窩灣), also known as Formosa (from Portuguese (Ilha) Formosa, meaning "beautiful (island)"), is an island located in East Asia off the coast of Mainland China, southwest of the main islands of Japan but directly west of the end of Japan's Ryukyu Islands, and north-northwest of the Philippines. It is bound to the east by the Pacific Ocean, to the south by the South China Sea and the Luzon Strait, to the west by the Taiwan Strait and to the north by the East China Sea. The island is 394 kilometers (245 miles) long and 144 kilometers (89 miles) wide and consists of steep mountains covered by tropical and subtropical vegetation. (source: wikipedia.com)

We're Always Prepared for Surprises!

It's hard to believe that we've been in Taiwan for almost 2 weeks! Every day has been an exciting mix of surprises and Saturday was no exception. Our gracious hosts told us to dress casually because we were going into the mountains. The entire team dressed in our finest hiking gear and we set out for the day. Our first stop was a beautiful stream. Next up, an aborigines dancing performance in the mountains. It was so fun! The dance troupe was comprised of men, women and adorable children who even invited us to dance with them!


Next up, lunch! We asked if we needed to change into more formal attire, but they told us that it was just a casual lunch and not to worry about what we wore. But, when we walked into the restaurant we quickly realized that it was a formal engagement party! We definitely stuck out like sore thumbs, so we asked to go back to the car so we could change.


We didn't have a place to change our clothes, so we make the street into an impromptu changing room (don't worry, we were discreet and there was even a small trailer right by the car where I ducked into to change my shirt.)

After changing we went back to the restaurant where we enjoyed a nice lunch and toasted the adorable couple. Mailani even went up to say a few words of thanks..luckily our clothes were changed, otherwise it would have looked like she was teaching one of her Jazzercise classes!

The afternoon was a relaxing mix of shopping and sightseeing. We capped off the night with a lovely aborigines dinner and a cocktail party at the Past District Governor Porite's beautiful home. We even sang a little karaoke (my favorite activity!)


I'll definitely remember this day as one of my favorites on the trip. Now, time to get started with another day of surprises!

The National Acrobats of China

Xie xie to my mom, Gwen Cook, for arranging for our GSE team to see the National Acrobats of China performing to a sell-out crowd at the Lied Center. The acrobats were amazing - using their incredible strength in simple but beautiful routines using props like cloth, bikes and spinning plates. Plus, for the team it was fun to hear so much Mandarin being spoken in one place.

Sharing the Excitement

The best thing about Group Study Exchange is the opportunity to visit Taiwan and experience their culture on both a professional and personal level (obviously!)

The second best thing about GSE is the opportunity to share our experiences with Rotarians throughout Rotary International District 5650. Mailani, Chris and I gave our first official GSE presentation about our upcoming trip last Friday, January 30th, with the Lincoln South Rotary club held at The Knolls Country Club.

We each had the opportunity to talk a little bit ourselves and about Taiwan as a whole. It was a wonderfully positive experience as the Lincoln South Rotarians are just as excited as we are for the trip. It was bittersweet for me because Lincoln South Rotary is the club sponsoring my trip to Taiwan. I tried to thank them as much as I could..but I'm not sure I have enough 'thank yous' to express my gratitude.

Friday night also found us celebrating our upcoming trip with the 2008 GSE Australia team. Australia team members Aaron Babcock and Jennifer Jones graciously welcomed us into their home where we were joined by the other team members - Christine Billings, Matt Novak and team leader Judy Peschio - along with District 5650 Governor Sharon Wherry and her husband Dan.

The get-together was a great energizer for the trip. We were able to spend some time getting to know the Australia team. I think they were questioned-out by the end of the night - we had so many questions about their experience and they definitely gave us some wonderful ideas and pointers that we can use on our trip. I think the thing that struck me the most about the Australia team was their camaraderie. They became genuine friends during their time abroad and I'm looking forward to that with our team as well.

Thanks again, 2008 GSE Australia team, for a wonderful and eye-opening time!