Excursion # 1: Kaohsiung. . . Monkeys!

(July 8^th – July 10^th) (Part 2)

The rural farmland of rice fields, banana trees, and vast green land began to fade out, and concrete buildings began to sprout out of the ground. In the distance, the famous building Kaohsiung 85 (85 stories and a city trademark) could be seen out of the bus window. The building is quite spectacular to look at. It shines a dark blue in the sunlight and looks like a block letter  “Y” that is turned on its head. Yet, what are even more spectacular to see are the vibrant green hills along the city’s perimeter (resembles the Hills of LA, but much greener and without all the million dollar houses), with some individual green hills that stand up individually in the outer areas of the city.

Soon our bus got off the highway and was in the streets of Kaohsiung right next to the hills.  It was quite the change of scenery compared to Pingtung. Things are more modern, developed, and urban in Kaohsiung.  The bus came to a stop and we all got off the bus. We walked around the buildings and up through this narrow path that had food stands, trinket shops, and tea stands.  As soon as we walked past these little shops, it opens up and you realize that all the bustling sound of the city has fainted and that you are officially in the hills.

The sun was shinning bright, the air was sticky, and the temperature was hot (33*C), but the scenery and adventure to find monkeys was worth it. We all started hiking on the path up and down up and around on a raised wooden path that looked similar to a continuous low-lying dock. What made this comical was that no body was really prepared for an all out hike with steep inclines, even for a man-made path, the reason wasn’t so much the physical activity (although some were not prepared for that) . . . it was the sweat. Within 15-20 minutes, the girls’ hair was all disheveled and the guys’ shirts were darkened with sweat (I eventually just took mine off along with a few others). I felt like I just got out of the pool after swim practice, haha. Despite the elements, we ventured forward until . . . MONKEYS! 

All of a sudden everything I just mentioned seemed to not matter as the cameras came out and the sounds of “click…click…click” entered the environment. The monkeys were just minding their own business as if they were enjoying the attention. Of course, there were a few that checked us out with caution and interest. There were so many of them in the trees, on the ground, and others just being lazy on the tiki hut (a place for hikers to take a break). Their eyes were so cool; they would look at you and glance around (watching out for the others). Some monkeys were in lines grooming each other, others were jumping in the trees, and there even was a few mothers (monkeys) nursing their babies . . . so cute.

At this point we wanted to keep going, but we needed to get back to the bus to go to our final stop. So we made a compromise. Those who were exhausted were to start heading back to the bus and the few of us who were itching for more would hike (more like run) for 10 more minutes through the trails and see how far we could get to Lotus Cave and Monkey Rock. We never did make it all the way, for I felt we needed to be responsible and Joy (one of our student leaders in TUSA) was kind enough to agree because she too wanted to keep going. So, we turned around and started our brisk hike back down the hills and toward the bus. On our hike down, Joy and I mostly talked about what we thought of each other’s culture, our education, and our goals for the future. It was neat to share and talk with someone who has so much passion, works hard, and has big goals for themselves. I wish you the best of luck, Joy. Keep dreaming big.

The site of concrete started to come into view and the sounds of the city began to fill the air as the hills became flat and the green started to fade out. With a quick stop inside 7 eleven (our Buses were waiting right outside) to get some cold tea and something to eat, we rejoined the others on the bus and rolled off to our final stop of the day . . . the harbor!

A Time to Meditate

 Trying to catch up on posts. . . this is from last weekend.

(July 8^th – July 10^th) (Part 1)

After a fast pace and active two days, today it decided to rain. Which is quite pleasant to be honest. Furthermore, it seems to be an example of the teachings we learned on Friday. 

Friday was our first excursion. We left NPUE at 8am and went on our way to Kaohsiung. It was quite pleasant to get on a bus (which are so much more comfortable than American buses) and see the countryside of Taiwan. For me there is something about an open road and open land (or an open ocean); I just take in all the surroundings and let my mind wonder with thought. I guess that is just the "southern/beach boy" in me. 

Anyways, our first stop was Fo Guang Shan, a Buddhist Monastery. We spent the entire morning touring the monastery and going into the temple. It was so cool to see the architecture and learn about Buddhist belief. At one point, we were led to a classroom that looked like it could have been taken out of Hogwarts. On our desk were a scroll and a special calligraphy pen. On the scroll were watermarked Chinese characters. We had to try our best to brush over them by performing calligraphy (they said I had talent at it). At the bottom we signed our name and our Chinese name.

From there we went on into the temple. The Temple was amazing! Before entering, you have to take your shoes off. As you enter, you take a flower and say a prayer. Then you put the flower on the table in front of the three big Buddha statues. It probably was about the same size as Lincoln Memorial. Everything inside was detailed with miniature Buddha statues all in iron and copper walls and the whole room was filled with the smell of fresh incense. As you exit the doors (which are handcrafted with an image of giant trees with birds in the branches) you come back out to the big green courtyard. At that moment you have to just take a moment and enjoy the scenery around you (if you have seen my photos on Facebook, this is were the jumping photos were taken).

Afterwards, we were led to the meditation room! One of the monks spoke to us in Chinese, as a student translated into English. He explained why meditation was important to them and we were led into this room with raised individual benches that had pillows on top of them. We sat down and were instructed on the proper body form and the proper technique. While meditating you are supposed to have complete control of your mind while in a relaxed state. So, the trick is you count your breaths in tens (i.e. 1…2…3…4…5…6…7…8…9…10 and start over again 1…2…3….). Your mind is not supposed to wonder and you have to stay awake (there is a lap track in the room for them to get up and walk around when they get to tired). If you loose count, your restart your counting cycle. Anyways, we did this for 5 minutes, which only seems like two minutes. The monk told us that they do this everyday for at least 30 minutes to an hour. Furthermore, he told us that so many times a year they spend days only in meditation with proper breaks for food and rest, however, there is no speaking. That being said, I definitely enjoy moments of silence or just listening to music, however, 1 to 2 weeks of no talking would be difficult. I wonder how much they have to say when it is all over?

After our meditation lesson, we then had a vegetarian lunch. Let me just say, if vegetarian food was always like that, than I would have no problem not eating meat . . . well maybe. Everything was so fresh and had a unique flavor that each dish that they brought out smoothly blended into the next. The proper way to eat is you put rice in your bowl and you then add things on top of the rice (you do not stir it in the rice). We had tofu, cucumbers, vegetables soup, fresh fruit, some type of pasta, sweet squash, some really good desert thing that tasted like funnel cake, and more! All complemented with warm tea to drink. It was like a whole different type of meditation.

After lunch we said our thank yous and good-byes and headed to our next destination…

Be Inspired. . . Do Something Big With Your Life

Hello everyone. I just got back from the final Harry Potter movie with my friends Justin (roommate) and Dave. Let me just say that it was so good! Finally a good HP movie since the first two. 

Anyways, I wanted to make a quick post to let you know that I am currently trying to finish writing two blogs entries for those who are reading these (one from this weekend and the other from earlier this week). It gets hard to keep up with everything and find the time to collect my thoughts and experiences. . . for there are so many of them. While I was working on the other entries I was listening to music and I came across this song by Tyler Ward (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ff2lz6hnQRA&feature=related) . It was so appropriate to one of the things I hope to accomplish through my blog entries, which is to inspire and challenge you to do new things. . . to believe in yourself. Additionally, after watching the final Harry Potter film, it left me feeling a range of emotions and thoughts, but overall it left me feeling inspired. Of course it is just a fictional story, but it is a powerful (and magical, haha) one.

After watching the movie, it just reassured the idea that I want to do big things with my life. Although I have some ideas of what I'd like them to be (no, not destroying horcruxes and having a magic wand, even though that would be cool), I am not exactly sure what they are. Yet, I do know that on the path to getting there I (and you if you feel the same way) can do something big every day. It just may not be at a mass communication/history book level. For sometimes the smallest things can mean or make all the difference. That being said, I don't feel the need to put examples for I think you know what those things are for you. Anyways, in the interim of my upcoming blog posts, watch/listen to this youtube video. I hope it inspires you or gives you that little something you may be looking for. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ff2lz6hnQRA&feature=related

"Heavenly Business"

Last week, our language teacher gave us a Chinese name. She suggested two names and we could pick which one we liked more. For me, my teacher suggested the name Niǔ tiān yè      , which means heaven (tiān) business/work (yè). Niǔ is my "family name" which is cool because it almost sounds like the the beginning of Nuquist. 


When I was given the name, I was surprised how appropriate it was for me. I felt an immediate attachment to it. Being a Christian trying to live a Christian life and having God as a big part of my life, the given name almost seemed divine in itself. It is as if I can introduce myself and people can understand what I represent just by my name. Plus it is fun to say. 

The same even goes for the name Dylan, which means "man of the sea." Anyone who knows me knows how much I love the ocean. I mean you don't even need to know me that well. . . just look at my Facebook photos and you will see fish, the beach, boats, etc. 

With all that being said, our name is truly more than just something that people call us. Our name is something that represents the person we are and the person people will remember us as. It is something that helps others identify who we are and what it is that we represent. It doesn't have to be as literal as the actual meaning, but it is what you want others to think of when they hear it. For me, after people get passed the physical features of tall, blonde, and blue eyes, of course it would be nice if people could think of the things I try to convey: sincerity, tolerance, strength, boldness, courageousness, uniqueness, hard working, family oriented, caring, creative, serious, humorous, religious, academic, faithful, adventurous, etc. However, I realize I am not perfect at any of these things. . . I just try my best to improve them everyday and represent them the best way I can through my actions and words. 

All that aside, anyone can use all the adjectives they want to define themselves, however, what do they really mean unless we practice them? Additionally, with using all these adjectives and adding on more, it can become too much (even contradicting). So why not try to make it more simple by clumping all these adjectives to describe ourselves into just a few words that represent the rest. I mean when people hear the name Dylan Nuquist or Niǔ tiān yè, what do I want people to really think? To be honest it is just that, I want people to hear my name and think "he is someone who loves the Salt Life/Ocean and tries to live a life of Christian examples." In other words, a man of the sea who tries to convey heavenly business (to the best that I can). As for those adjectives, I will let you choose to fill in the rest.

Food: A Universal Language

Today being my sixth day in Taiwan, I can tell you it didn't take that long to actually see the importance of food in the Taiwanese culture, or more than that, the importance of sharing food with others.

By the first night we all went out to one of Pingtung's night markets. To compare, a night market is like a combination between a circus, shopping mall, and a blocked up LA highway (except one lane and with scooters moving in all directions). These markets are a maze of back alleys off the main roads. You will see a family of 4 riding on one scooter, smell a variety of new smells (some pleasant and some. . . questionable), and find almost anything you can imagine to eat. If you think going out to a club or going to a shopping center is stimulating or a lot to handle. Just imagine going to what I just described on jet lag. 

On top of that, the Taiwanese students were (still are) so excited to show us their country and their culture that they would take us from one place to the next. The idea is you don't have one meal . . . oh no! You go from place to place to eat different specialty dishes. Midway through I was so full, but since my new friends were so excited (just as much or more as I was) I mustered up the strength to continue. Eventually some of the other Americans and I decided to start splitting each dish. By the end of it all, you end up eating a smorgasbord of appetizers and only spend $5-$7 (of which we didn't even pay that much because they were buying most of the food for us). To list of a few of the things we ate: Fried rice dumplings, cinnamon & garlic beef, chicken rice, shaved ice with red beans and fruit, and the delicacy pig blood cake (you can also get duck blood or chicken blood cake). Yea, I said pig blood cake. To be honest, if you didn't know what it was you'd probably like it. When you find out it what it is, it makes it hard to register/accept the idea that you actually put it in your mouth and chew. That being said, being in someone Else's country you have to have tolerance and have an open mind when it comes to food. For I feel the same etiquette goes in America . . . when you have people over want them to enjoy what you have prepared for them. No different when you go to someone's house for dinner, you eat what the host has prepared for you to be polite.

The idea about sharing food (or eating together) is so powerful. I mean think about it. What do we do when we first see someone we have not seen in awhile? We go get food. What do we do when we have celebrations? We share food. What do we do when we go on a date? Well, we eat food at some point. 

Most of the time, eating is complimented with all types of conversations that can help bring people together. I mean why do you think there is a saying "a family that eats together, stays together." Yet, more so than that, the sharing of food allows two people to share the same experience of all the senses at once (seeing the food, hearing the surroundings and cooking, smelling and tasting the oils and spices, and feeling the different temperatures and textures of the dishes). This sensation elicits all types of emotions and really requires no words because it really does not need any. It is something two people who do not share the same language, the same ideology, the same religion, etc can experience and communicate the same thing . . . like a universal unspoken language. Additionally, this universal language is the same everywhere. Anywhere you go, I feel like the instinctive way to express our gratitude, our greetings, and our good-byes by eating together. 

For me, I can say that eating has been the one thing that has allowed me to get to know other people here in the easiest way (Americans and Taiwanese). Here in Taiwan you eat out for every meal (I mean hello we are college students). This gives you 3 guaranteed chances to invite someone new to eat with you, three chances to befriend new people, and three chances to get to know someone better. That being said, I have found that you have to try everything once (I mean most of the menus are in Chinese, so I am at the trust and mercy of my Chinese speaking friends), even the stuff that is "different." For the most part, the Taiwanese try to bring us to places they think we could like, and for the most part I let me roommate order for me (1. I can't read the menu 2. b/c I don't want my American idea of what is normal to guard me from a good experience). More than that, it has established a sense of trust and respect for one another. 

With all that said, so far I have found that food (especially the different foods) is one thing that has better filled the gap between our two cultures. It has been a quick way to give us something to laugh about, something to like/dislike together, and something to share . . . which is an experience and a universal unspoken language.

What do you want being an American to mean?

As today is July 4th, I thought I would wake up this morning and spend some time to myself in light our my my country's declaration of independence. So, I did the one thing I know I can always do to feel at peace and clear my thoughts . . . I went for a run.

As I was running, I would say 早上好 (zao an), "good morning," to the locals I ran by on campus. On my run, I began to think about what it means to be an American. Well, at least what it means to me. Being an American I feel has two core meanings: Being a Pioneer/Innovative andTolerance. However, I feel that today these meanings are becoming blurred by arrogance, ignorance, and laziness. Sure, I believe ignorance exists everywhere when people are not familiar with the "abnormal," but can we really define normal outside of what we choose to surround ourselves with (or what we are forced or have no choice to be surrounded by)? Anyways, I digress. 

1. Being and Pioneer/Innovative: Going back to being an American, today marks the 235th birthday of the red, white, and blue. Wow!  Think of all the accomplishments we have made in just that short amount of time. If you ask me, I would say this is because of the fact that we are historically pioneers. When the colonies started, families would leave their comfortable little homes and sail close to 3500 miles across an unpredictable ocean in search for a better life. Talk about courage and faith. Another example, when the rush out west began, families once again would pack up from their comfortable homes and ride up to another 3000 miles across unexplored land in search of a better life. These people didn't have any experience of what they may encounter. They just had an idea and they learned along the way. They innovated in order to achieve their needs and to solve the problems they faced. Some certainly failed, but others certainly achieved and continued to pioneer. 

2. Tolerance: Before I begin with this meaning, let me preface with the fact that I admit there has been many times America has shown intolerance . . . many. I would agree that there are certain things that should not be tolerated, such as, anything that inflicts on founding principles. Yet, as a whole, being an American has shown me tolerance (today some may be surprised by that). To explain, let me ask you a question. What is the United States of America? Well, it is a nation of 50 individual states with different state laws, different values, and different communities. Yet, it is it is even more than that. America is a nation of people. . . a nation of immigrants with different backgrounds, different beliefs, different traditions, and different appearances. Although we all may not agree, we should be able to tolerate the fact that other people have the right to be free . . . the right to not be just like us. I am not saying we have to agree, but at least give a mutual respect ("tolerance") for each other’s freedom. In fact, I asked a new Taiwanese friend the other day, "What they thought of when they thought about America." My new friend didn't say Hollywood, football, or even McDonald's. He said, "a place with many types of people." It made me smile, for I thought that was a rather powerful answer from a foreigner. I mean he could have said loud, rude tourists, etc. Sometimes it takes an outside perspective to bring you back to the way you should look at yourself. 

With all that said, I feel that today those meanings are slipping. For instance, where is our pioneering innovative, and hard working spirit to get us out of this recession? Where is our tolerance of people who live amongst us and work to provide for their families?  I know it is still there. . . rooted deep in our core. It is our history and who we are. But have we become so comfortable that we are afraid to take chances like the pioneers of our past took. Now I am not speaking for everyone, but if anything I feel the term "I'm an American" has more or less become a saying that means "I don't have to listen to you" or "I'm not going to do that."  Is this what we want to become? If so, than we have a very long road ahead of us before turning anything around (this is one of those things we should not tolerate and pioneer through). 

So, as the sun soon will rise on this 235th year of our beloved country, what do you want being an American to mean to you? For me, I am proud to be an American because of things we have stood for and I choose to have tolerance and be a pioneer. Yet, I will not speak for the others for that is not the kind of America I represent. For those who are reading this, on this Independence Day I encourage you to show tolerance today and to start pioneering through something in your life. For at the end of the day, what kind of American do you want to be?

Happy 4th of July!

Make Time For Recess

Hello everyone! Before I begin with what I hope to be a daily (or at least common) blog. I would like to take the time to explain the meaning of the title "Make Time For Recess" and what I hope to accomplish through my blog entries.

Do you remember when we were in elementary school and how much you looked forward to that 40 minutes (which seemed like hours of uninterrupted fun) of recess?  It was a time where you could release all the energy from sitting at your desk writing the alphabet, learning your multiplication tables, or just coloring within the lines. Of course, we would return back to the next subject when we returned, but just that 40 minutes was enough time to get us through the day. That 40 minutes was enough to allow you to see monkey bars as swinging vines above hot lava, the cage as a main control center for all your space missions, and the swing as your prop plane into the skies. It was within those 40 minutes you could be anything you wanted to be. But even more that that, you could just be you and begin to learn about who you were and develop a passion toward your future.

As time goes on, our recess went away and all it became was work. . . like learning how to multiply fractions then algebra, science, analyzing poetry, and so on. Now, of course all this has great value and is needed. I admit I enjoyed learning and still do like taking on hard subjects, however, I feel we have forgotten about recess. Our desire to succeed and passion for what the future will bring has been channeled to just focusing on the destination that you never truly know how far away it is. Our imagination has been beaten down by certain facts of life and by the fear of not achieving of the unknown, but that doesn't mean we should stop imagining what we are capable of and what we can be. For I truly believe we can be whatever it is we want to be. We just need to mature our imaginations to new things and not look at life as just destination points, but the journey of getting to those destinations.

Of course, we need to work. . . as we should. It gives us independence and fulfillment to provide for ourselves. It teaches us new skills and can open the door for other opportunities. However, just like the early years of elementary school, we still need recess. . . we just need to make time for it now. For I believe if we do, we will only become better at the work we do and not be so strung out about it. For we still need to give ourselves the time to dream, the time to see things in a new way, the time to explore and to be adventurous. The difference is that our playground has become something much more fascinating than the fenced in place with slides, jungle gyms, and fields. Our playground now is the world. It is a place that embraces imagination and offers so much to see. It is still a playground that offers numerous opportunities where you can learn more about the person you are and the person you want to be. You just have to begin to break down the walls (fear, doubts, lack of confidence) that you built to guard you from enjoying it. In other words, you have to start making time for recess. I guarantee you may just find that "40 minutes" is what you have been needing or what you have been looking for. So, I challenge you. . . make time for recess.