After a semester work I’ve really come to appreciate a small local community up in the mountains of Tainan. Working so much with the people the old elementary turned community center has really shown me a depth of culture that’s rarity in this modern world. Harkening to traditions of old, the old elementary school hides a wealth of nostalgia for an older Taiwan. These were the feelings that we held onto when we planned and coordinated the various activities for our class projects. We had to honor these traditions and especially the history of the location in order for us to truly understand our task of social design. Part of this experience was also working with the local school children to help in our tasks.

           The children we worked were quite a handful to be honest. They were very honest in their actions, which is not to say they were of simple folk, but rather of their particular upbringing. These children grew up in a community very unlike city culture but rather of a rural persuasion. Their speech as well as mannerisms were all very unfamiliar to me, but it was also what made the experience all the more enticing. Just the basic interactions we had opened various worlds of perspective for me to experience. Their stories in particular held a lot of substance, whether it being about the community they grew up in or about their elders, it all played a crucial role in understanding the background of the Gangling community, which in turn helped us plan more activities for our class.

           It’s hard to believe that a semester has come and gone so fast. It seems that just the other day when a fresh faced class was all sitting around wondering whether or not this was a worthwhile class to be a part of. For me, it certainly was. Despite being a third year student, I can surely say that the experiences I had in this class was certainly unique and without them I would have definitely lost out on a chance to see another side of Taiwan.