Why did I choose to study Chinese?

I've always have a strong will in what I do and what I want to do. And I know, it sometimes drives my parents crazy when I promptly want to jump bungee jump or whatever that make them worried. And this time I decided to study Chinese in Taiwan.

So, why did I choose to study Chinese?

When I was about 7 years old I started to take Chinese Mandarin classes once a week after school. I think I wanted to learn but it was so hard and confusing together with Swedish, English and Chinese Teochew (the dialect we talk at home). So I quit Chinese classes and later in 6th grade I started to take French. In my teenage I saw no point of learning Chinese, I mean, when will I ever use that in Sweden where everybody speak Swedish and have English as second language?

At home my family often watch Chinese movies or listen to Chinese music, but I preferred Westlife, The Ark and Harry Potter. Perhaps, partly because I was kind of annoyed that I didn't understand a word of the Chinese movies.

But people change with time and so did I. It slowly came up to me that it's not ok that I, with a Chinese background, cannot read or write Chinese. I wanted to take Chinese classes during high school, but it was quite impossible as I my brain was already overloaded of International Baccaleurate (IB) stuff. And so it went on. After I graduated from high school, I studied complementary courses in physics and chemistry to be able to get into Engineering in Biology which I later did. At Linköping university I was an international fadder and met some exchange students from China and Taiwan and that made me interested to go there. So, in the third year I decided to take one year off the university studies after I finished the school year, to get away from all the maths, technical courses and all the abstract things we did and just study language instead. (Read more here from my old blog). (And it's kind of fun that during this "free time" I chose to STUDY! Haha). (Love brackets).

So, now I sit here in Taipei, far far away from my family. I understand that they're worried, I would have been that too if it was my child (I guess it's the biological instincts). I've explained it over and over that this a well-reasoned choice, I can take care of myself and I won't be abroad forever. Everytime we talk on skype they always ask me: "Have you eaten enough?" (It's so Chinese). Yes mum, I eat and I EAT A LOT. I love my family and my friends and I miss very much.

Nevertheless, I haven't regret one single second that I decided to come here. I learn a lot in school and I find it meaningful. I may need Chinese in futures jobs, who knows. In addition, I learn how to live by myself, to be independent and to deal with different problems, which I personally think is a very good experience. And it sounds so freaking clicheé but being abroad also make me appreciate more what I at home. It's impossible to not compare with Sweden and Taiwan. I'm happy that Sweden has very very very fresh air, drinkable tap water and no school fee (and a functional sewage system!).