Day 4: Busy Day

 Day 4

(Taiwan Design Research Institute)

(Taiwan Design Research Institute ball pit)

(At the top of Elephant Mountain!!)

This morning I donned semi-formal work attire and stuffed hiking sweats into my backpack. Today was another hectic day in the Taiwan dialogue. In the morning, we had several lectures and tours to attend before heading straight to a sunset hike. 

Our first stop was the Taiwan Design Research Institute (TDRI). During the taxi ride, we discussed with the taxi driver about the benefits of Motorbikes. Just as we assumed, the convenience factor played a huge role. Motorbikes are small and convenient modes of transportation - perfect for city travel. 

At the Taiwan Design Research Institute, we shuffled into a modern board room with tiny microphones at each seat. The president gave us a presentation detailing TDRI’s values and some projects they designed. After the presentation, we proceeded on a tour of the entire building. Like many Taiwanese buildings, there is a lot of history embedded within the walls of TDRI. The building used to be a tobacco factory, and designers took steps to modernize the building and create fun rooms like the library (not just a library). During the tour, we viewed some innovative designs including cookware for the blind and primary school layouts for children. It was incredibly inspiring to see the creative ways designers overcame societal issues. I noticed an emphasis on inclusive design with a focus on improving the social well-being of the overall population.

During lunch, we got free boba and the opportunity to chat with the interns who work for TRDI. I met an awesome intern named Jess who happened to be the same age as me! As we chatted, I learned about her experiences throughout the stressful recruitment process and her day-to-day activities on the job. 

After that, we had a couple more dialogues. First on that list was the Center for Asian Pacific Resilience, or CAPRI for short. CAPRI was a super interesting non-profit that formed after Covid-19 to facilitate intradisciplinary research by bringing specialized fields together. In response to the pandemic, most of their research is focused on the healthcare sector. Next, we talked about the Taiwan Youth Association for Democracy. It was awesome hearing about all of the youth empowerment and advocacy movements that the group focused on. I also learned a lot about the interesting voting policies within Taiwan. Eighteen-year-olds can participate in referendum voting, which refers to voting on policy matters. On the other hand, you have to be 20 years old to vote for candidates! Moreover, concerns about Chinese hackers mean that Taiwanese voters must return home to vote in person. 

To end the day, we went on our sweaty sunset hike of Elephant Mountain. The hike was essentially an extended flight of stairs. At the top of the trail, we were rewarded with a beautiful view of Taipei and a fulfilling sense of accomplishment.