National Taiwan University

National Taiwan University:  The highlight of the day was my visit to the Geography Department of National Taiwan University.  The department has a whole building, which is something that few American departments can say.  The NTU campus is quite like an American campus even though it has Japanese roots.  It was founded as an Imperial University when Formosa (the former name, of Portuguese origin) was a colony of Japan.   In 1945, it became a Chinese university, and after 1949 it became the premiere university in the new Taiwan.  The campus is very American-like.  It is an island of greenery in the middle of Taipei; the central avenue is lined by royal palms, and azaleas are all over the campus.  Like Norfolk, they have an azalea festival every spring.   All trees and bushes on campus are identified by name, by small plaques, as they are in almost all of Taipei’s parks.  The curriculum is also modeled after American universities.   Anyone in the US looking for a post-graduate program in geography would feel comfortable here, and many (maybe most) of the faculty have graduate degrees from American universities.  Beware, though:  the language of instruction is Chinese.  On this day, an off-campus art class was working around the perimeter of one of the outdoor commons areas.  They were learning to paint. 

Tea:  Think China, think tea.  Cha, in Chinese.  In the western mind that means hot tea and the ceremony that goes with it.  On the streets of Taipei, however, that means iced tea served in more different ways than you can imagine.  The United States prides itself on being the home of iced tea, so I guess the availability of my favorite beverage here is a product of westernization.  The Taiwanese, however, have taken it to new heights, and American entrepreneurs would do well to take note.  Black vs. green tea is just one of the choices.  You must also choose whether you want fruit or not, or whether you want milk tea or maybe even coffee tea.  You can also have it with tapioca or gelatin balls.  Every glass is hand-crafted, just as coffee shops hand-craft your coffee in the United States.  Every glass is sealed with a slab of cellophane by a machine.  Turn the sealed glass upside down and nothing leaks out.  To drink, take a straw (one end is pointy) and poke it through the top.  Enjoy.  Perfect.  There’s a tea stand on every corner, and so many competitive chains I couldn’t count them all.  The cost for a glass is a little over a US dollar.  Of course, you can buy some of the varieties in the convenience stores, too.  Tea is more popular than coffee (though Starbucks is here en masse), and iced tea is more popular than hot tea (at least among the young).  In fact, I am struck by how unpopular the colas are here, and perhaps my generalization extends to anything carbonated.  I am also struck by the low profile of alcohol in this society.  That’s good because of all the scooters.