Our START Experience in Taiwan
15 July 2007 marked the start of the “START Conference 2007”, which was hosted by Yuan Ze University, Taiwan. START is an international partnership conference initiated by 4 AIESEC local chapters from different countries, namely Hong Kong, Taiwan, Philippines and Singapore. The conference chairperson, Jessica, (President of AIESEC in Taiwan ) kicked off the first day of START with a bang.
Learning + Fun + Bonding + Laughter = We had EVERYTHING at START!
LC Presentation
On 16 July, AIESEC’s learning network was put into action. The Taiwanese spoke about Social Entrepreneurship, the Filipinos touched on CSR and the Singaporeans presented on HIV/AIDS. After lunch, Jessica shared with us the achievements of Taiwan in the field of entrepreneurship. The other facilitators also put their experience to good use as they answered our many questions during the Facilitator Workshop. When night arrived, it was time for us to relax while we watched a thought-provoking movie, “Super Size Me”, which focuses on the issue of obesity and one of its main causes, fast food.
Our cultural night
In the first session of the day, we learned a lot about entrepreneurship and corporate social responsibility (CSR). The distinguished speaker, Mr. C.K Ong, a director from Yu-ming Corp was very experienced and answered all our questions well during the Q & A session. We were also surprised to find out that he is also a Singaporean and NTU alumnus. Way to go, NTU!
Learning + Fun + Bonding + Laughter = We had EVERYTHING at START!The next session was the presentation by the AIESEC local chapters from different. This session allowed us to understand each Local Committee’s (LC) projects, structure and culture better. It was a time of sharing and in AIESEC, “Sharing is caring”. Later, things became more interactive and intense as we debated on topics such as disability, global warming and migration which leads to brain drain. In the evening, we walked to a luxurious restaurant called Café 59 for dinner. Then, it was time for country presentation whereby each country was to introduce its uniqueness and culture. We, from Singapore prepared a skit a la Phua Chu Kang and brought some snacks for our fellow international delegates. We ended the day with wonderful mass dances and music at the restaurant. It was a sight to remember as we were all dressed up in our respective costumes while kicking up a sweat!
LC PresentationOn 16 July, AIESEC’s learning network was put into action. The Taiwanese spoke about Social Entrepreneurship, the Filipinos touched on CSR and the Singaporeans presented on HIV/AIDS. After lunch, Jessica shared with us the achievements of Taiwan in the field of entrepreneurship. The other facilitators also put their experience to good use as they answered our many questions during the Facilitator Workshop. When night arrived, it was time for us to relax while we watched a thought-provoking movie, “Super Size Me”, which focuses on the issue of obesity and one of its main causes, fast food.
Our cultural nightThe third day was our day out as we attempted to soak ourselves in the Taiwanese culture. Our first stop was Long Shan Temple. It is where students come to pray for good luck before exams, where singles come to pray for ‘Yue Lao’ (Chinese version of Cupid) to match them and also the place for couples who want children. It is truly a one-stop centre for everyone.
After that, we moved on to Xi Men Ding, a very famous shopping district in Taiwan. We were divided into groups so that we could start our “Free Hugs” game. Each person was given a heart-shaped cardboard with “Free Hugs” written on it. The game required us to hug strangers and get them to sign the board. The main purpose was to spread the message of love around and it was a resounding success because in an hours’ time, we managed to fill up our boards with signatures.
Although we were tired and drenched with sweat, we proceeded to Taipei Discovery Centre where a guide explained Taiwan’s history and development to us. We were also treated to a short clip about the city that never sleeps, Taipei. And all these are free!
Soon, it was time to visit Taiwan’s most popular night market, Shih-lin. There were rows and rows of stalls selling food, drinks, shoes, clothes and much more. We spent the whole night there trying out delicacies such as Da Ji Pai (Big Chicken Chop), Or Chien (oyster omelette), Da Chang Bao Xiao Chang, Smelly Tofu and lots more.
The next day, we continued our immersion in Taiwanese culture by going to the National Palace Museum. It houses over 650,000 items and with an experienced guide, it was truly an enriching lesson about Chinese history. After 2 hours plus of learning, it was time for a break. We had lunch in a beautiful garden next to the museum. It was a wonderful experience to eat while being so close to Mother Nature.
Then, we had to make a move to ASUS Corporation’s headquarters. The saying “Do not judge a book by its covers” rings true here as the building looks common from the outside. However, after a short presentation on ASUS’s philosophy and values, we were given a tour of the building. To our surprise, it housed a really good food court, a gymnasium, a spa, a swimming pool, a multi-purpose court and even a sunbathing area. All these facilities were specially prepared for their employees. It was an eye-opener because it never crossed our minds that a Taiwanese IT firm was on par with multi-national companies such as Google when it came to their employees’ welfare.
After that, we left for Danshuei, a romantic place with a marvelous view of the sunset. There we had our Love Party, where each country’s delegates had to perform 3 songs. There was also a love match session where some delegates were “matched”. At the end of the party everyone was exhausted but it was really, really fun.
On the fifth day, we were back in the university. We spent the day learning how best to sell AIESEC to firms to get sponsorship and also how to present ourselves during interviews. It was great practice and all of us learned from each others’ mistakes. To lighten the mood, we also played a game which taught us how to handle cultural differences. It was helpful because as the world becomes “flatter” we are bound to meet many people from different backgrounds. That night, we also wrote our wishes onto “Kong Min Teng” (huge lanterns) and released them to the sky.
On the sixth and final day of the conference, we had another special speaker , Mark who comes from Senegal. Yeah, there he was standing tall in front of us. Seeing that he came here 3 years ago to study, he shared with us his difficulties of adapting to Taiwanese culture and how he managed to overcome them. He introduced his beautiful country to us too and we had an interesting Q & A session where he answered questions about his funniest memories and worst memories in Taiwan. Mark, we salute you for your bravery to study in such a foreign place.
Soon, it was time for the conference to end but before that, Brian, the Conference Manager shared with us his feelings about these six days. Each of us then took turns to express our own feelings. Soon, it was the last person’s turn, Tom. He was the Organizing Committee President, the one striving so hard behind the scenes. It was a sad farewell but all of us knew that it was also a START of many beautiful friendships. These friendships we will treasure, and in May next year, it will be AIESEC NTU’s turn to play host. We promise to make EVOLVE 2008 a success in every way, be it in terms of cultural exposure, learning opportunities, partnerships or a platform to form friendships.
After that, we moved on to Xi Men Ding, a very famous shopping district in Taiwan. We were divided into groups so that we could start our “Free Hugs” game. Each person was given a heart-shaped cardboard with “Free Hugs” written on it. The game required us to hug strangers and get them to sign the board. The main purpose was to spread the message of love around and it was a resounding success because in an hours’ time, we managed to fill up our boards with signatures.
Although we were tired and drenched with sweat, we proceeded to Taipei Discovery Centre where a guide explained Taiwan’s history and development to us. We were also treated to a short clip about the city that never sleeps, Taipei. And all these are free!
Soon, it was time to visit Taiwan’s most popular night market, Shih-lin. There were rows and rows of stalls selling food, drinks, shoes, clothes and much more. We spent the whole night there trying out delicacies such as Da Ji Pai (Big Chicken Chop), Or Chien (oyster omelette), Da Chang Bao Xiao Chang, Smelly Tofu and lots more.
The next day, we continued our immersion in Taiwanese culture by going to the National Palace Museum. It houses over 650,000 items and with an experienced guide, it was truly an enriching lesson about Chinese history. After 2 hours plus of learning, it was time for a break. We had lunch in a beautiful garden next to the museum. It was a wonderful experience to eat while being so close to Mother Nature.
Then, we had to make a move to ASUS Corporation’s headquarters. The saying “Do not judge a book by its covers” rings true here as the building looks common from the outside. However, after a short presentation on ASUS’s philosophy and values, we were given a tour of the building. To our surprise, it housed a really good food court, a gymnasium, a spa, a swimming pool, a multi-purpose court and even a sunbathing area. All these facilities were specially prepared for their employees. It was an eye-opener because it never crossed our minds that a Taiwanese IT firm was on par with multi-national companies such as Google when it came to their employees’ welfare.
After that, we left for Danshuei, a romantic place with a marvelous view of the sunset. There we had our Love Party, where each country’s delegates had to perform 3 songs. There was also a love match session where some delegates were “matched”. At the end of the party everyone was exhausted but it was really, really fun.
On the fifth day, we were back in the university. We spent the day learning how best to sell AIESEC to firms to get sponsorship and also how to present ourselves during interviews. It was great practice and all of us learned from each others’ mistakes. To lighten the mood, we also played a game which taught us how to handle cultural differences. It was helpful because as the world becomes “flatter” we are bound to meet many people from different backgrounds. That night, we also wrote our wishes onto “Kong Min Teng” (huge lanterns) and released them to the sky.
On the sixth and final day of the conference, we had another special speaker , Mark who comes from Senegal. Yeah, there he was standing tall in front of us. Seeing that he came here 3 years ago to study, he shared with us his difficulties of adapting to Taiwanese culture and how he managed to overcome them. He introduced his beautiful country to us too and we had an interesting Q & A session where he answered questions about his funniest memories and worst memories in Taiwan. Mark, we salute you for your bravery to study in such a foreign place.
Soon, it was time for the conference to end but before that, Brian, the Conference Manager shared with us his feelings about these six days. Each of us then took turns to express our own feelings. Soon, it was the last person’s turn, Tom. He was the Organizing Committee President, the one striving so hard behind the scenes. It was a sad farewell but all of us knew that it was also a START of many beautiful friendships. These friendships we will treasure, and in May next year, it will be AIESEC NTU’s turn to play host. We promise to make EVOLVE 2008 a success in every way, be it in terms of cultural exposure, learning opportunities, partnerships or a platform to form friendships.
Written by,
Lilian
posted by AIESEC NTU Local Committee at 2:48 AM
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