First Week in Taipei, Taiwan!

FIRST WEEK IN TAIWAN!

By: Daniel Villasenor

   As my plane landed from the 13 hour flight between LAX and TPE, my mind was blown by the fact that I was now in Taiwan. Upon stepping outside, I felt the humid air and was picked up from Taoyuan and was taken to Taipei. Looking at all the greenery, I started to think of how beautiful the surroundings were. Driving into Taipei, I looked to my right and saw Taipei 101 which sat in the middle of the city and is hard to miss. Immediately upon arriving to my hotel, jet lag hit, so I called my family telling them I arrived and tried to adjust to the new setting. 

The for here is so good! The spicy beef noodles near Gongguan were delicious and I keep going back for even more!

   This week has been great, meeting so many new people from National Taiwan University and from UC San Diego, I was able to explore Taipei every night. From going to night markets to claw machine arcades, Taipei has been full of fun activities which I have been able to bond with my classmates. Nothing beats the mango smoothies near the Ximending Night Market which were great after eating pork dumplings as well.  

I've loved taking classes based on sensors since I have been able to learn more about the applications of different types of sensors that I can use in the real world. On Friday, I was able to participate in a once-in-a-lifetime trip to TSMC, which I could never take for granted. Being able to tour and step inside of the company where 90% of the world's computer chips are made has really made me want to dive deeper into the world of research on semiconductor devices. 

Finally, I have been able to really take my time to explore the city of Taipei, which allows me to explore places that may not be possible to visit in a short trip. I hope that in the following weeks, I can explore even more of Taiwan such as the east or south!

Best, 

Daniel Villasenor