I was among the 15 Vietnamese students studying construction engineering and management at NTU. It was our first time in Taipei. Everything was new and strange, though we sometimes felt lonely and shy. In December 2009, I celebrated my first Christmas in Taiwan with mixed emotions. I missed my family and friends, but I was also excited about my first Christmas in a foreign country, especially in Taiwan. The Taiwanese culture is modern and shares a lot of similarities with the Vietnamese culture. The Department of Civil Engineering at NTU held a special Christmas party around the Christmas time, and both foreign and Taiwanese students were invited. The faculty and staff of the department arranged the party to warm up our hearts when we were away from home. We were invited onto the stage, and introduced ourselves to others. At first, some of us were still shy and nervous, but after a short while we felt encouraged and confident. Some of us even tried to speak Chinese, though their Chinese was still very poor. I invited a beautiful Taiwanese lady to the stage to sing a Christmas song. We sang the traditional song “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” and then “Last Christmas” by George Michael. Everybody in the room sang along, cheered and smiled. I suddenly felt like it was my home in Hanoi, where friends sit together and sing on holidays.
At the party, everyone prepared a present for exchanging. One professor stood up and said to us “I have a special present for you. They are some pieces of soap that my wife made by herself for my students.” They are some tiny pieces of soap in beautiful colors, molded in various shapes like a leaf, a heart, etc. I was very surprised. The soap was not like those we bought in the shop. The professor and his wife made the soap for the students with their love and care. I kept my piece of soap and brought it back home. I will keep it forever, and it will remind me of all the good memories about NTU, as well as the professors and friends in Taiwan. The 2009 Christmas at NTU, my first overseas Christmas, was only a small example of all the good things we had in Taiwan. We made many Taiwanese friends, received care and support from the professors, and had a chance to study at one of the best universities in Asia and around the world. From the bottom of my heart, I would like to thank NTU, and the professors and friends for all the best things I have had at NTU. The time I spent at NTU has marked a great period of my life that I will never forget. |
