Harald's Taiwanese Summer Experience

Hello again! This week, we're doing something new and exciting. We're having a special edition of blog posts and we're bringing in a guest blogger! Our ex-ISS staff member, Harald Overa, has just returned to PLU after spending 7 months in Taiwan! Harald recalls his experiences and journey below:

Isla Formosa - The Beautiful Island

Where do I begin describing this amazing journey I had, together with my girlfriend Martine, in Taiwan from February until the end of August? Like this picture above, the adventure on the isla formosa was colorful, exotic, local and full of life.

Prior to departure in early February, neither me, nor Martine really knew what we had set out to do: live in another part of the world for 7 months without really knowing the language, the culture or anyone in the place we were visiting. If was frightening, but equally exciting.

Sitting at about 4000 feet is Jiufen, the city shown in the photo above. Jiufen is a picturesque city in the mountains north of Taipei. It is a very popular tourist destination as it is a unique representation of Chinese-style architecture combined with the extraordinary nature that gives Taiwan the nickname “The Beautiful Island”. 

One of the thing that surprised me was the big presence of buddhist religion and culture on the island. Seen by the photo below from Dharma Drum Mountain Monastery and National Park, there any many Buddha statues around Taiwan and the religion has a very big presence among the local inhabitants of the island.

It was very neat to be able to visit some temples around Taipei and the island. We really got a local sense of the culture and emerge ourselves with the local traditions and cultures. The photo taken below is from a famous temple on the west-side of the island in the town of Lukang (鹿港鎮). This is among the most famous temples in Taiwan and it has a very vivid historical aura about it when you visit. It really gave me a new perspective about what the buddhist culture and tradition was about.

The architecture of buildings around Taiwan was completely new to me, as I am used to wooden houses and a more maritime style from home in Norway. Below is the Chiang-Kai-Shek Memorial hall, it is a landmark in Taipei and a must visit spot for tourist visiting the island.

Needless to say, cold Norway does not have palm trees. It was very fascinating to live in a place that was very tropical, as seen by the trees at our campus, National Chengchi University below. The school had 18000 students and is the 2nd best university in all of Taiwan. It is located in the southeastern part of Taipei that has 5 million people. To say that going from 500 people in a Norwegian village to Taipei is a contrast is a massive understatement.

The photo below shows downtown Taipei and the famous Taipei 101. To live in a city that was so vibrant, full of time and a constant huzzle and buzzle was for me a very neat experience. There was always 24hrs restaurants, endless shops to find things and a lot of stuff to do. Compared to Norway, Taiwan had very cheap prices on food and drinks, as well as activities and shopping, at least the local souvenirs. The international brands had similar prices to the states and Norway,

One of the definite highlights from the trip has to be the food. Taiwan is a melting pot of Chinese cultures and the food was mind boggling in its variety, flavors and tastes. Needless to say, most meals contained rice or noodles, together with some small dishes like pork, chicken, beef or fish together with mixed vegetables. Thought it took some time, I am an avid user of chopsticks and I was quite successful in using them by the end of the trip.

To be able to go out of your comfort zone and experience loving somewhere where everything is foreign was equally challenging as it was rewarding. Looking back, I feel very fortunate that I was able to have this journey and I find it more rewarding when I know I came here through PLU`s study away programs. I would strongly recommend everything to travel or live abroad, it is a great experience and it really puts things into perspective. You will end up looking at your own culture in a whole new light and have a very unique outside-looking-in perspective about your culture and your values you have learned to know.

College Leadership and the 3Ws; When, Where and Why?

When starting at college, leadership seems like a far distant universe that is solely reserved for upperclassmen with extensive knowledge and experience. "I cannot be a leader because" is a phrase I often encounter when speaking to fellow students. The narrative that college leadership is reserved for a specific group of people is not only wrong, but it leads to a belief that you cannot by your presence influence people and your surroundings.

I want to write this to state that no matter who you engage with during your studies, you are a leader. You are a leader to your fellow students, to siblings, family and others. You are a leader to youth wanting to take a college education, to people who look at your example and want to follow. Leadership is not a hierarchical being that is only obtained if you have a certain amount of knowledge or experience, it is the act of wanting others to succeed and providing people with the resources to do so. You are a leader right here on your campus, from helping your friends with homework to have them join a club meeting.

How do you get out of this narrative that leadership is something reserved for others? You start by seeing the small things you do for others and recognize these acts when others are doing them as well. By acknowledging the good acts of others, you are working towards an environment of togetherness where you can express opinions and help others succeed. By your efforts, you are creating a better college environment and can continue making others` college experiences memorable. No matter your class standing, your grades or your background, you can make a difference. Why is leadership during your college years useful? If you develop as a leader and practically contribute the growth in others, you will also experience self-growth in terms of leadership, academics, personality and ability to cooperate with others.

These are the skills that employers are looking for, ability to work in teams, be successful academically and help others succeed in terms of organizational goals. You can be a leader wherever you put your thoughts and efforts to be. When others see your genuine want for them to succeed, they will do the same for you and you will experience opportunities of growth all around you. By doing these steps, you can see that leadership is within everyone, it is for everyone and by engaging with fellow students, you are simultaneously enhancing your own self-growth and development during college.

Harald

Insights from a curious mind

Life is a peculiar dance sometimes, you go back and forth without sometimes knowing where you are heading. For a lot of people, this is how college and student-life can feel. A lot of people study worrying about what type of job you can be able to get and how the job market is becoming increasingly difficult to enter. I have come to realize that the things you cannot control, you should not worry about. I am a firm believer that those who obtain a high degree of curiousness will succeed in life.

I moved across the world to see what life was like here in the states. I had seen many movies and had an idea, but I was far from correct. I travelled to learn the stories of people, to learn about the realness in change and what makes people differ around the world. As a sociology nerd, I love to see how the mechanisms of a culture are different from my own and how I can learn more about myself through seeing the culture of others. An example is of Norwegians and Americans. At first, Norwegians are not as talkative generally when taking public transport, they tend to not engage and talk much. Americans on the other hand, are quite the opposite. The other day when buying groceries, one lady asked me if I was from here and wanted to know more about me. After discussing this for some minutes she told me it was so interesting to see people from other cultures and with other perspectives.

Often times, instead of approaching traveling and other cultures through curiousness, we approach it through our own self-taught lens. If we truly take on the lens of curiousness, we learn to know that we are not that different, we are just raised in a different culture. When curiousness is the lens in which you are approaching people, you come across as more genuine and real and people sense this. Walt Disney said this upon being curious "we keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we`re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths”. I want to travel the world and see how the world functions because I am curious to see how it differs from my own experiences. At school, I am interning in International admissions and it is a truly great experience. I am learning about new students and engaging with them when applying and when helped them get situated at school. I previously wrote about what makes up an international student and this comes from curiousness. It is this notion that we need to see what is going on around the world that makes the world come forward.

To relate it to business and my studies, I am studying business because I think it is a great ticket to international exposure of culture and because I am curious to see more of the world. If you read my college tips, you can see a lot of my passion for engagement on campus and intercultural exchanges. With work, I started something called Global Student Club where we meet every Tuesday to further our understanding of culture and to have both an academic and social arena for global togetherness. I was curious to learn about other international students and help new students succeed here at PLU. 

To conclude, my curiousness has led me to study in the states, to be an intern here in admissions and to write this piece and I am certain that like Walt Disney, it will open more doors and lead me down new paths.

Harald

Top 10 Lute-tips 

Hey Lutes! Whether you are right off the plane or have been here for some time, these tips will apply to you. I am writing from my own experience and the goal is to give you the best college experience you can possibly have. These tips have helped me conquer the world of college life with all that comes with it. From academics to having fun, college is a great time. I believe these ten tips will increase your productivity so you can both nail the classes and see the newest episode on Netflix. I wish you all the best for the upcoming semester. Let`s rock and roll, we can do this Lutes! 

This is me doing a prime tourist selfie in San Francisco over Spring Break Last Year for those who are curious. P.S: travelling is lots of fun! 

This is me in Garibaldi Lake, Canada for those who want to like to Hike/visit new countries. 

(That was a little bit about me, if you want to know more see my other post on this site)

Here are my Top 10 Lute-tips: 

1. Get to know your school
• There is always an event on campus! Check calendars and be a part of newsletters to see when fun stuff are going on. Flourish in the academic realm of lutes. Engage with teachers and classmates who want to help you be the best you can be here. 
2. Get to know the area 
• Parkland and Tacoma offers diversity and an unique opportunity to get different experiences and learn from people from others cultures like yourself. A lot of people want to talk to you so emerge in our area and embrace diversity within Tacoma, from food to music and art. 
3. Get to know your classmates 
• Engage in activities at school and in the area and make PLU yours. A big component to making PLU home and feeling at ease with Lutetown is to make it your own, do what you like to do and engage with the club or group of your choice. College is so much fun and you have began your journey as a Lute. Start a club if you don't see your niche or interest taken care of or join or rigorous variety of clubs on campus. 
4. Grow as a leader
• A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way. PLU has numerous ways to be a leader, at a club, in class or in talks with friends. A leader is within all of us so show your inner leadership here at PLU and have others do the same. 
5. Don`t be afraid to be different
• Often times you feel like you need to be different than you are to fit in, but be yourself and that is more than enough. Be yourself because everyone and every story is unique and everyone will respect someone who are confident in themselves and that they are good enough. If you have an idea at a club, say it, don't be afraid. 
6. Dream big 
• PLU is what you make it, so don't be afraid to dream big and make goals on what you want to get our of school here. Setting realistic goals is important but also goals that brings the very best out of you. 
7. Master your schedule 
• There is a lot of activities going on at college and a lot of people who want to engage with you. To succeed in various things, plan things and stay on top of your schedule to have the most fun. An example for me is doing homework in weekdays and then travel on weekends. I have done this thus far and have felt I have plenty of time to both succeed in academics, be part of clubs, work and emerge in fun travel experiences. 
8. Control your expenses
• It is important to budget and spend your money sustainably. The currency for a lot of you guys can be tough now, it is at least for me as a Norwegian. I need to budget food, fun, necessities and so on. Setting up a monthly budget is a great way to get the most out of your money. 
9. Take care of yourself 
• You are in a new country and it can be overwhelming. A good priority is to take care of yourself health-wise. I took the flu shot to avoid being sick for a week as I was my first semester here. Also, eat well and exercise. Food may not be the same that you are used to. Sleep is also quintessential. Though it is fun staying up late sometimes, do what you need to do to be at your best. Taking care of your body is crucial to being able to balance everything and to enjoy yourself to the fullest here in the states. 
10. Foster teamwork

• This is the summary of all the others. We here at ISS and other PLU workers want to help you succeed and to feel at home here at PLU and in the USA. We are here for you and want to have a good teamwork. Take part of our activities because they are really fun and don't be afraid to talk to us about anything. We are all together here, we all want to succeed, do well and have fun and enriching life experiences. Share your dreams and ideas on how to make PLU better and engage with others to help this come true.

• Harald F. A. Overå  `18 Business Major - Feda, Norway 
• 

Who are the international students?

Mt. Rainier from the plane

"Sit back, relax with some popcorn and follow along because this is about you! 

Yes you right there. You at a college around the world, you are one of them. You are one of the few, the privileged. You are an international student. 

You have left your home to travel the world and to experience a new place, new cultures and new people. You are different, wanting to stand out from the rest of your friends at home and do well. Do well in school, do well in life. You have landed. You have landed to a college where you are pursuing your dream, exploring the world while building the foundation of your future life. 

You are on an adventure, you are experiencing what many believe to be the best time of your life - College. Ramen noodles, long nights talking to your friends without knowing what time it is, volleyball in the sun, barbecue in the park at midnight cooking S`mores, binge-watching 18 episodes of that new series on Netflix and then figuring out you need to study a little bit for that big test tomorrow. That girl or guy you saw in class and then again at the dining hall, ask him or her out! Go outside of your comfort zone. Be who you are. Make the most of it. This is college, make the most of it, make the most of your world experience! 

Do your best at school, but also enjoy your friends and the areas around you. Please enjoy yourself, you will not regret it. 

We are those, the few, the privileged. We are the risk takers, we are those who left home to experience more of the world we are living in. We are adventurous, we are explorers building bridges, we are all of this. We are international students!
By: Harald Overa



Surfer at California Beach

Zion National Park

Monterey, CA

Garibaldi Lake, Canada

Kerry Park Seattle