Farewell for now...

Our week in Taiwan, Taoyuan County has been wonderful. We have visited schools, enjoyed great cuisine, and met amazing people. For me, it is the people who make the country. I will remember this place by the smiling faces engrained in my heart and mind. As Claire stated, "I've never been in such an inclusive environment, where everyone is accepted."

Here is a short video depicting the great things we took part in while in Taiwan. Thank you to all of friends who made this week unforgettable.

Time to Tour

The eight of us spent our last two days in Taiwan together. We spent Friday morning at Shou-Shan Senior High creating our own Chinese fans. It was fun to let our creative juices flow; there was more to flow for some more than others. After a great lunch with the Minister of Education, we ventured to the ceramic museum and then spent some time shopping.




Saturday we spent the day in Tai-Pei, touring the National Palace Museum and Tai Pei 101. We had the opportunity to go to the 88th floor of Tai Pei 101, which offered a beautiful view of the city and the mountains.






After a great day of sites, we joined for last meal as a group and said our goodbyes. The students gave heart filled farewell speeches full of gratitude for their new friendships.

Da-Si Senior High

The morning at Da-Si was spent in the classroom for the students and Mr. Harris had time to walk the streets of the town near school. After a barbecue lunch, they visited an elementary school which is dedicated to spinning tops and the chinese yo-yo.

Nan-Kan High School

First, I would like to introduce you to Kenneth and Tunnie. These two students from Nan-Kan High School visited Dallas this past October. They have served as our hosts for the last two days; and, they have been wonderful hosts at that.

Nan-Kan High School is known for their art and music programs, along with very successful Korfball and Handball teams. For those who this is your first time to hear of korfball, it is similar to basketball and netball. Each team has 8 players, 4 boys and 4 girls. The basket does not have a backboard like basketball and the basket is higher. Now, handball is played on an outdoor court the size of a basketball court that has a surface like a tennis court. The rules are really similar to soccer or futbol; however, you use your hands instead of your feet.

Amy, Eileen, Ying-Yao, and I spent two wonderful days in this school. The teachers were so anxious to please us and the students so excited to meet us. They rarely get the opportunity to practice their English and most welcomed the chance to greet us as we walked by or join in conversation when possible. We joined them in classroom activities such as art, cultural fashion show, English and Chinese classes; and, we participated in music and hand-ball. They put on a wonderful concert for us which included a piano, violin, string quartet, and many other performances. Also, Eileen played a piano piece and Amy sang an English song with Kenneth. Both performed with little to no practice. They were so brave to do so in front of 100+ strangers; and, their talents were received so nicely by all. I want to say how proud I am of these three young ladies for their behavior, spirit and brevity this week. I have truly enjoyed learning about them and with them.

My time with here has taught me that you cannot truly learn about another culture until knowing the people. To truly know the culture means to know the things that motivate its people. This week, I have worked with eager world students, people who are anxious to learn about and work with others. This leads me to the conclusion that Taiwanese people are hospitable, hard-working, and very passionate people. Thank you Nan-Kan for showing us so much about your education system and your culture by opening up yourselves.

Da-Yuan International High School

HPISD teacher Jay Harris, along with students Robert, Claire, and Ellen spent two days at Da-Yuan Senior High School. Da-Yuan is a home to many international students in Taoyuan. Coach Harris says that he is so proud of our kids and how they engage with others; I feel the same way. We are both really enjoying getting to know all six of them better and watching them in their roles as ambassadors for their school, state and country. They truly are great, kind-hearted, fun-loving and intelligent individuals.

Their last two days have been spent in active roles as students and teachers. They have learned with and from their new friends while experiencing the culture and getting to know the people. To me, you can only truly learn about other cultures by getting to know the people, so, that is what we are all doing here. They experienced food, sports, and academics. This picture is of

Here are Taiwanese speciality drinks:

The one that is light brown is purple milk tea with rice balls.
The one that is caramel is like a juice but also has rice balls in it.

Yung-Feng High School

Today is our first of five days in schools. Ying-Yoa, Aileen, Amy and I visited Yung-Feng High School. We quickly realized how passionate and funny their principal is; she was quite impressive.






We learned that all high schools in Taiwan have their speciallities. Yung-Feng offers fencing, archery, and kendo. And yes, we got to try all of them. Although we thoroughly enjoyed the energy of the students and teachers in the classroom, the kids really enjoyed their time in PE. Ying-Yao is quite good with the bow, Amy is a focused student and Aileen is vicious with the sword.


We attended music class, math, Chinese, geography, biology, art, English, and PE. We were allvery surprised about the energy and activity we witnessed in each class because it did not match our preconceived ideas of what classes would be like in any dominent Asian society. It was a great pleasure. Aileen made recycled paper with onion peels for coloring in science; it came out great.

Now, here are a few pictures of their school; try to find the symbols placed in the architecture of the school building. We learned of these symbols from students in the morning. They were very informative and spoke very good English.

And the week begins

Today was a great day with old and new friends. Shou-Shan Senior High held the official welcome ceremony where we were received with many smiling faces, gifts, performances and food. The performances included songs by the Shou-Shan ambassador committee, a rock session from their band club, and a judo presentation.

The officials from the district welcomed us offering assurance that although the weather is damp and cold, that hope are hearts are warmed by their hospitality. I can say, we all feel so welcomed.

I will write more tomorrow after we split into two groups and visit our first school of the week. One group will go to Yung-Feng and the other group to Da-Yuan International High School.

We are here...

After 18 hours in the air and a 3 hour wait in Japan, we are here; and, so excited. The welcome we received as we walked out of the baggage area as heart warming, as they screamed "welcome Texas". The host families were there, along with school representatives. Being that it was 10:30pm their time when we arrived, we did not waste much time before all going to our new homes for the week. We said goodbye for the night and this is where our journey truly begins.

The Departure

On April 9, 2012, Jay Harris(teacher/athletic trainer) and I took 6 high school students to visit our 6 partner schools in Taiwan, Taoyuen County. Donna Pierce, Highland Park High School's ASF sponsor, partnered with the DFW Tiawanese Chamber of Commerce four years ago to offer HPHS students an opportunity to participate in their Student Ambassador Program which was an annual exchange program. Because of their efforts and HPISD's recent commitment (Spring of 2010) to supporting global learning, HPISD students and teachers will continue to have an opportunity to experience the beauty that Taiwan has to offer, while learning about the education system, culture, and people. We are all so excited about the events of the upcoming week. I will be back to share our stories as they are created.