JYSim for jobless-yokel Sim

Malaysian students have long ago invaded and nearly monopolised most faculties in TCU, starting from MED 4 (Medicine Year 4), we have a string of excellent-performing seniors ahead, thus resulting every academic staff in TCU to expect Malaysian students to be geniuses. Yesterday a Malaysian classmate and I went to see our form teacher to check on what’s the syllabus of our ‘General Biology’ (pronounce it with an American accent), cos little Miss Malaysia is worried about not being able to catch up. The first thing Mdm. Yeah asked upon knowing we’re ‘foreign students’ is ‘where do you come from?’ The next thing she did upon hearing the answer Malaysia is to sigh a relieve ‘aiyah, no problem for Malaysians lah. Your seniors Gan XX Tan XX etc has proved all these.’

‘But we’re only in O-Levels, we got no Pre-U experiences!’

Fortunately she was very eager in helping (as with generally all other staffs in TCU) and we saw a glimpse of our syllabus. It wasn’t difficult but we’ll need to work ‘a little’ hard. Before leaving she gave us Hershley’s Chocolate (looks like we’re still in Primary School), and said she’ll ask us out for dinner with other seniors someday later.

As a Freshman, I expected life to be difficult during the first few days of orientation. Instead, we (as with all other Taiwan students) were treated kindly, compassionately and professionally. Seniors are especially helpful, and they’ll do all they can in helping you fill up your misplaced form, giving information about what you can do in 7-11, and introducing playing-places (though I can’t go usually because I got no motorcycle).

TCU is located a little away from Hualien town, which is quite irritating cos most decent eateries are there. We have a huge selection of food just right in front of school, and even if I eat one dish per meal everyday, it’s difficult to finish all of them during my 7 years here. As a result of eating too much red meat (cos new students won’t eat at the school canteen usually), we’re currently very energetic and constantly worried about zits. Anyway, Taiwan students won’t carry bottled water like we do, cos you can easily bump into any drinks shop or 7-11 or Family Mart or OK Mart for drinks (which taste really good, without additives even) at a reasonable price.

So what have we been doing these few days? Poor Malaysian students in TCU have been trotting each and every office asking information about resident-visa application, how to apply for a mobile in Taiwan without a guardian (generally they need to be 20 to own a registered mobile, and usually children will use their parents registered mobile number), seeing our host parents (2 from Kaoshiung, 2 from Hualien), watch a movie (in the school cinema), register for courses (and bear the website which refreshes only once every 20 minutes), book a cab and concorde to the nearest police station to apply for our resident status, registering co-curriculur activities (some clubs uses biscuits and drinks to lure students), undergo another medical check-up (4th in this year), and listen to informal talks (’shi-gu’ teaches how to obtain ironed-like clothes without ironing, about how to classify garbage into 7 categories (we have only 3 in Malaysia), about how you’ll get punished if you don’t sort your garbage, about how you should not involve in an accident and make everybody (including the janitor in the school) worry etc).

Remember how you suffer when Tan Lean Kee asks you to produce a 250-word essay? Now we have to do a 2000-word Chinese report for every 2 talks we attend in future. TCU emphasises continual education, and so we have to attend at least 6 talks in 4 years and produce 3 2000-word essays. Other reports would be 1000-words or more.

Currently I’m the poorest guy on earth because I got no laptop and handphone, no identity card, no textbooks, no umbrella, no blanket and no student card.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 13th, 2006 at 6:40 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.