欢迎,你们好! It's Andrea. This is for my family, my friends, and myself. I'll document my reflections and memorable moments.
I'm in Taipei for the next 9 months studying Mandarin on my medical school deferral year! Here on the Huayu Enrichment Scholarship (TW gov $$ funding foreigners to study anywhere in Taiwan).
I began this blog when I was 17 (*Nanjing tab!*) while studying Mandarin at Nanjing University. I'm here in Taipei at NTNU five years later; I am grateful for the Taiwan MOE for providing me with the opportunity to improve my Chinese, for my parents for financially supporting me, and for the encouraging stories and people that inspired me to go with my gut.
My Chinese name, 施安雅 Shi1 An1ya3, was given to me by my Pohpoh. It means peacefulness, elegance, and gracefulness. I have always loved this name—partly because my Pohpoh gave it to me, partly because of the timeless image I carry of someone named 施安雅. Here is a woman who holds the traits of enduring Chinese poise! I feel that I have yet to grow into my name. I am someone of mixed-race American upbringing, faithful to my dad's small family's humility and self-esteem while guided by my mom's Confucious frame of mind and strong sense of self.
In Chinese school at age 8, my favorite passtime was to throw snacks into my friends' mouths and speak English, and my end-of-year performance was a Chinese rap about hamburgers. Growing older, I realized the importance of speaking Chinese as a tool and a symbol. Mandarin is a tangible part of my Chineseness that I can hold onto as a halfie. Equally important and meaningful to me, learning Chinese is for the people around me (build community cohesion, adequately support to the Chinese-American immigrant community, etc. etc. etc.). I have to give it to my Taiwanese teacher, Katie 老師, my family, the South Seattle and Chinatown elders, and NSLI-Y for cultivating my joy of learning Chinese.