Vanessa's Life in Davis and in Taiwan:
A Comparison

Vanessa Tseng, 701

It is still hard to believe that one month ago I was a professional in Taiwan; now I am a student in Davis. My life as a professional was completely different from my life as a student. In Taiwan I used to get up at 8:30 and then take a taxi to the office. I worked for an international trading company that has factories in both Taiwan and China. As an "independent" sales representative, I had to handle everything from taking orders to arranging shipments; I made all the decisions by myself. I spent almost eleven hours a day at the office. You can imagine how much pressure I was under! However, I learned a lot. Usually I got home from work around 8 pm. After dinner, I used to watch TV, talk to my family, surf on the Internet, and e-mail or phone my friends. I really enjoyed staying at home after a busy day because I could relax completely. I'd take a shower and go to bed around 12. On the weekends, I usually hung out with my friends. We went to a movie, ate at various restaurants, went shopping, sang songs on KTV, or drove to the countryside to enjoy the great outdoors. In brief, I was very active in Taiwan and never felt bored.

Now, as a student in Davis, a small town, I lead an extremely boring life. My classes start at 9, so I must get up at 8 in order to catch the 8:30 bus to the Extension Center. After class, I often watch videos at the language lab, but most of the time I surf the Internet and write e-mail at the computer lab. In order to practice my English, I live with an American family -- a mother with five children and an adopted Korean girl. However, I do not talk to my host mother very much because she is a busy single mother with a full-time job. The only time we talk is at dinner. The worst is that there is no TV set. This is really difficult for me to get used to. I am so bored! (Poor Vanessa!) After taking a shower, I go to my room. Usually I call my friends, just to kill time. Afterwards, I do my homework. Around 11, I take a quick look at the newspaper, and around 12 I go to bed. Even on the weekends, all I do is hang out with my friends and cook Chinese food or go downtown to see a movie. In my opinion, the main reason my life is so boring is that the publich transportation system in Davis is not as extensive as in Taipei. As a result, my activities are very limites.

My life as a student is, however, much easier than my hectic life back home in Taiwan. I can slow down and relax. All I have to do is study English. In Taiwan, my life was busy, but I gained valuable professional experience. On the other hand, the pressure and responsibility were unpleasant. There is a positive and a negative side to everything, and it is hard for me to say which life is better. On the whole, life in this foreign culture is an adventure, and, since I'm already here, I may as well enjoy the experience and make the best of it.