Excursion

Off to Pingling - the tea place! I will write more after I am finished on my lucky day excursion, sponsored by TLI (Taiwan Language Institute)

Work experience?

So what does a Philosophy/Asian Studies major do while interning in Taipei at a social welfare NPO? Whatever they want me to do, which, currently, is to design and format their website - a talent far removed from what I have studied in school. However, after interning this summer as a proto-chemistry intern at a solder making factory, I am used to being asked to step outside of my "normal" academic and talent bubbles. While I do not qualify myself as a website designer, there have been quite a few advantages for doing this type of project abroad:
1) Having the time to look up words and lingo on an online dictionary (as opposed to being at a conference and not knowing even the topic because they speak so quickly). So far my vocabulary list has expanded from Taiwanese slang (like using "shiyou" instead of "tongwu" for roommate)to include computer terms (website design 網頁設計， homepage 網站首頁，link 連結， etc...), but also the material that needs to be posted (NPO 非營利組織, social change 社會變遷(which is a lot simpler in simplified chinese....), seminar 研討會 etc...). AND say them all - which I'd better learn quickly. I have a meeting tomorrow morning for my plan of this website.....

The Begonia Foundation

A couple of you have been wondering what kind of work I would be doing at the Begonia
Foundation. Before I elaborate on my current projects, what the Begonia Foundation (海棠金会 @ http://www.npocenter.org.tw/) is and what they do needs to be further discussed.
The Begonia Foundation was founded in 1993 and served as Non-profit Organization (NPO) seeking to train and expand other NPOs and NGOs (Non-governmental Organizations). They currently offer a variety of services, such as training courses and consultations, to many organizations around Taiwan and, more recently, China. The training programme that the Begonia Foundation organizes helps instruct these NPOs/NGOs in how to manage the formal documentation (filling out proper legal forms: 公文), distribute jobs efficiently through the NGOs’ personnel, approach theoretical situations (such as providing shelter, food, and legal assistance to flood damage victims) in a practical manner, and many more. Unlike many current NGOs/NPOs, the Begonia Foundation specializes in training organizational management rather than a particular “aid” service (i.e. saving Taiwan’s endangered butterfly (Actually, I met this guy. He was really nice – there is a certain butterfly native only to Taiwan, and, unfortunately, it was also a “flood victim”. Last year’s huge typhoon knocked out a lot of nests.)). Because of these management courses, the Begonia Foundation has helped train around 5, 000 NGO/NPO participants. Their network is vast, but the organization itself only consists of 8 people, 4 of which seem to be the main workers, and the people I always see in the office.
Taiwan is the not the only place that the Begonia Foundation seeks to help out other NGOs. In the past couple years this group has put a larger emphasis on outreach to the international community. While they seek mainly to unite similar Taiwan and mainland Chinese NPOs/NGOs, in hopes that a larger group will better develop their ideas of social change, they also participate and help host numerous international conferences as well. As a Taiwan organization with very limited working persons, their English communication is greatly lacking. This is where the St. Olaf 4-week intern comes into play.
While I will not have the opportunity (or have the Chinese skills!) to participate or assist in any current training courses (I missed a large conference when I came in), there are other ways that I am aiding the Begonia Foundation to achieve, at least in part, their goal of moving international. The first project I started was a simple task: translate the “thank-you” notes from the most recent international conference. It was not easy, even after studying Chinese for 4 years. As I was doing it, I realized how lucky I am to know English (sophisticated English). Most international things that I will do in my life will be that much easier. I will not have to struggle for 6 years to perfect this widely spoken language. However, this being said, I am more than happy to spend those years learning Chinese instead. But it’s one less hindrance for a possible career, and it makes me feel good.
My more recent project is a little more exciting. But I’ve written enough today, so I’ll tell you more about it later. 再见！