Written by Nini Chang, Local Roommate for CET Taiwan, Spring to Fall 2024
There is just over a week left until this season’s CET program ends. Last night, when the announcement of a typhoon day off was made, I was at an izakaya with my roommates, enjoying some barbecue. We cheered for the day off and, after returning home, watched a movie together until 2 AM. This morning at 10 AM, just as I was thinking of making scallion pancakes for my roommates on this unexpected holiday, I found everyone already in the living room.
Peggy, who has been my roommate for five months, looked at me and said I could have the sandwiches she made, and there were baked sweet potatoes in the oven. Our free-spirited Kai was cooking noodles on the gas stove and asked if I wanted some matcha milk tea later, which he had prepared for the Boba Boy’s Café event tomorrow night. Others were either reading at their desks, browsing on their phones on the sofa, or wandering between the living room and the kitchen waiting for food. After we had a hearty meal, watched the classic Taiwanese movie “Cape No. 7,” played some simple TV games, and cooked another pot of mixed noodles, I lay on the sofa thinking, wow, this place feels more and more like home every day. It’s a pity there’s only a week left before we say goodbye again…
This is my second time saying goodbye to American roommates. More than five months ago, I moved into this home, not knowing how much this program would change my life. Before moving into this apartment, I only knew I had the opportunity to live with Americans and practice the language with them. I didn’t know how many roommates I would have, where I would live, or even what the program was really about.
From the moment I learned I had been selected as a roommate, I often thought about what to take them to eat or where to go for fun. What would our first meeting be like? What topics should I discuss with them? I looked for answers in videos and articles. I also read the blogs on the CET website. I almost finished all the Taiwan-related blogs, reading about CET students’ daily life stories, exciting travel experiences, and the Taiwanese roommates sharing their cooking, trips to other counties, and participation in parades.
What impressed me the most was a CET student writing about how they gradually overcame their worries and discomfort about being in a foreign country and learning Chinese. That night after reading the blog, I decided to cheer up and not be afraid of my limited English. We could learn from each other. The important thing was that they came to Taiwan, a place I love, and I had to give them the best memories! Let me mention some special moments.
Everyday Moments
Once I wrote down “Everyday Moments” as the title, countless thoughts popped into my head. I would think of the messy entrance with shoes scattered around, the dining table surrounded by people studying every night, saying “我回家了!” (I’m back) when returning home, saying “早安”(good morning) when walking out of the room every morning, and saying “晚安” (good night) to everyone every night.
Last term, I almost received group or private messages every afternoon: “Any dinner plans?” or “Want to have dinner together?” (in Chinese or English). We ate different things together every night, and because of them, I explored many wonderful things I hadn’t tried before. Last term, I also helped my roommates Nick and Lydia practice speaking, sometimes joined by their Japanese friend Hiro from CLD. I would ask questions and converse with them, and I saw every piece of Nemo and Asha’s Chinese fill-in-the-blank homework.
This season’s special daily routine is that Kai always comes home late with big bags. He often asked if I wanted to see what he bought, and often offered food. The smell of food wafts through the door, likely from Evan, Graham, or Peggy cooking. In the evenings, everyone often cuddles up in the living room watching anime; recently, it’s been Game of Thrones.
Nini English
Honestly, English has always been my weakest subject. But I really enjoy meeting friends from different countries and exchanging cultures. During language exchange activities, I often had to rely on gestures and Google Translate. Although I was excited about joining this program, I also worried about being unable to communicate. Fortunately, the roommates I met were all very patient.
In this program, we are all still learning, so there’s no need to worry about our shortcomings; we can improve together. Initially, I did struggle with English in this environment. You can’t imagine how bad my English was at the time. I even questioned why I had the courage to join this program. But by the second week, I was already able to use translation apps comfortably, and I successfully went out to eat, ordered food, and chatted with everyone.
What’s most interesting is that my roommate Nick started a trend of “Nini Engoolish” at home. Our apartment developed a brand-new English grammar. I can’t explain this speaking style in detail because it’s truly a whole new language! We use terms like “Hapi hapi” (instead of many words) and discard most tenses, creating extremely strange grammar.
For example: “Me go hapi hapi place to eat la! You go you go?” (The correct translation is: “I’m going to eat at a great restaurant. Would you like to join me?”), and we use tongue rolls to temporarily replace words we don’t know. Although this wasn’t very helpful (or was extremely bad) for learning English, it was definitely a way for us to communicate quickly and helped me build a lot of confidence. Initially, other roommates mildly criticized Nick for misleading me in learning English, but eventually, all the roommates used the fun accent to say “So hapi hapi la.”
But don’t worry. After we quickly communicated and got to know each other using simple language, I was able to open up and practice normal English with them. Sometimes, ChatGPT is also a great partner, allowing us to have deep conversations. When Nick and Lydia first arrived in Taiwan, they barely knew any Chinese. I could hardly understand what they were saying. However, in the end, speaking English with them was the most comfortable. This proved that genuine communication can overcome language barriers.
Kai’s Home Economics Classroom
My roommate Kai is full of love for those around him and passion for life. He asks everyone if they want to play basketball, teaching me, a complete novice, from scratch and constantly encouraging me. I think he’s the best sports teacher I’ve ever met. In the second week of becoming roommates, he organized a house cooking event at home. Several of us busied ourselves in the kitchen, cooking up a feast. I was touched to share a homemade meal at the dining table in the living room with a group of friends.
Later, it became a routine. Kai led everyone in making zongzi, tangyuan, French toast, scallion pancakes, tanghulu, and pan-fried buns. He always bought the ingredients and guided everyone. Even if someone missed the session due to other plans, he would leave food for them. Everything he made was for the first time, driven by passion. I was happy every time we cooked together, and the food tasted extra delicious. He also cooked various dishes for us several times, like butter shrimp, peanut noodles, egg tarts, bread, Kai-style fried rice (which tasted more like Korean bibimbap with all the ingredients he added), and various drinks…
He said his plan for the next year or two is to sell his homemade chili oil and open a coffee shop. However, full of action, he prepared a dozen bottles of chili oil and gave them to roommates and friends. Besides hosting two potluck events, Kai also opened a one-day café called Boba Boy’s Café, inviting many people and bringing everyone together. Through him, I met many loving and positive people.
Left Image: The picture above is the group photo from the July Potluck. In the bottom left corner is the chili oil made by Kai, and in the bottom right corner is the potluck invitation card drawn by Kai.
Right Image: At Boba Boy’s Café, we took a group photo with sad faces, though I can’t remember why. In the bottom left corner is the small activity Kai organized called “Draw Yourself as Boba,” and in the bottom right corner are the drinks we made together using random ingredients everyone brought.
Unforgettable Trips
I haven’t forgotten my wish: to show them the Taiwan I love and give them the best memories. Last season, my roommates and I went to Pingxi, Jiufen, ate Fulong bento on Fulong beach, waded in the waves, and cycled through Caoling Historic Trail. We also went snorkeling in Xiaoliuqiu to see sea turtles, played with sparklers, and set off fireworks by the sea at night. On our last holiday, we went to Tainan, eating from morning till night for two days. I think we truly tasted all the delicious food Taiwan has to offer.
Right Image: In Tainan, we stayed at the home of Nick’s language partner Thomas’s friend, ‘Jingheng’s’ grandma (I know the connection is distant, but Thomas and Jingheng both became great friends of our group through this program). In the morning, she quietly prepared a full table of dishes and insisted that everyone stay for a meal. The whole experience was filled with laughter, and we all found it quite wonderful. Sharing in the grandma’s hospitality made me feel incredibly warm and touched.
This season, we had more personal space, and they arranged many places to explore on their own. However, we still planned an amazing trip to Green Island. We crazily dived, swam, and watched fish, enjoying the rustling leaves and crashing waves in the mountains and sea. At night, we even lay on the beach watching the Milky Way. Fourteen of us, including language partners, went on that trip. It was incredibly romantic to take so many people to my favorite island. I’m grateful my roommates trust me so much. After every trip, they always thanked me for organizing such a wonderful journey. I would silently say in my heart, “It’s all because you deserve it.”
My Growth and Gains
Friends are often curious about my life with roommates. First, they ask, do you spend a lot of time playing? Doesn’t it affect school? My feeling is that sitting around the dining table every night to study increases my focus time. We help each other learn. Besides, some things can only be learned through experience, not from books. We talk about life and the future. They have taught me many lessons and given me hope. Everyone has something worth learning from, and getting to know these people deeply has taught me a lot.
A few times, when life tripped me up, I came home to someone catching me, facing those emotions with me, and giving me emotional support. Over the past few months, I’ve become stronger, more confident, and more positive. I’ve also become more creative, preparing to create an unlimited future. Most importantly, during these months, I made truly important friends, crossing the language barrier to connect heart-to-heart, making the purest friends and the best memories.