Blog #6

Happy end of program! 

Now that we’re all settled back in Seattle, there is so much to reflect back on and appreciate. Despite the program's intensity, it was an incredible and eye-opening experience that I will always be grateful for having experienced to the fullest. 

The last couple of days in the program were packed with activities as well as preparation for our final presentations. Some activities included a tea ceremony and paper craft workshop. 

First up was our tea ceremony where each student was able to recreate their own matcha from scratch in a traditional manner. The matcha set included different tools like its own spoon for measuring the powder, a whisk, a small water cup, and a tray of small snacks. We followed the master through every step of measuring, pouring, and whisking until we got to enjoy the product we made. 

In between the tea ceremony and the paper craft workshop, a few of my classmates made our way into the traditional clothing area. This was one of my favorite moments on this trip. Some of us changed into traditional dresses and decorated ourselves with the matching floral accessories and fans. It was so much fun playing around with the girls and taking pictures of ourselves in the dresses. We all had a fun time amidst the stress of preparing for our presentations. It was such a great way to decompress and have fun with each other playing dress up. The tour guide even told us to go out in front of the rest of the group and put on a little show in our outfits. 

Next, we had our paper making ceremony where we made a decorative gold piece of art. This was such a fun and relaxing hands on crafting experience. Different from our last few crafting workshops, we used a variety of materials that are easily accessible at home. We used gold paper, patterned paper, and glue to make our pieces. The master was so passionate about his work and it was so inspiring to learn about his craft as well as his artist mindset.

Another highlight of the last couple of days was the recommended lunch after the activities. One thing that we have all learned from our time in Taiwan is to ask for recommendations on where to eat. After every workshop, the next thing on the itinerary is to ask the masters where their favorite places to eat are in the area. This time around, a huge group of us went to a Japanese restaurant for lunch before beginning our work for our project. It was crazy to me that the best food I ate in Taiwan was Japanese food. 

Lastly, working on our final presentations was no easy feat. My group and I were working until that last second to get our slides in order and I’m happy to report that it all went over smoothly. Our group created a physical prototype which required different machinery and it was so much fun exploring the NCKU campus and comparing the facilities to UW. It was so fascinating to shadow an NCKU student around their facilities and use all the same tools I use at UW. One highlight I had was riding on the back of one of our student's motorbike to get to the NCKU Maker Factory. In this moment of shadowing a student, I felt so connected to the world of design and it made me so much more excited to be in the field.

Throughout the two design sprints over the course of the program, I have learned so much about working with others and under the pressure of time. I feel that I was able to develop important skills of ideating and researching quickly that I know will benefit me in any path in the future. I am super grateful to have been able to work alongside Taiwanese and international students and gain such valuable global perspective. It has truly been such a meaningful and wonderful experience studying design in Taiwan.