Day 4

This morning we went back to NTNU to learn about Chinese medicine.  The doctor explained how different foods affect the body and told us all the common natural medicines they use.  He also explained the different meridians in our body.  If you have an aliment the doctor can focus on these meridians with pressure and acupuncture to affect the issue.  The doctor went around the room and pressed on everyone’s hand which helps if you have a headache or other type of pain.  It was actually quite painful and left a nail impression on everyone’s hand.  Then we had the opportunity to experience one acupuncture needle.  If you know me, I do not handle needles well and before the class I swore I wouldn’t do it, but I did.  I didn’t pass out or cry even though my heart was racing.  I was the second to last person to do it and the first to have the needle taken out (maybe 2 minutes max).  The doctor said that they typically leave the needles in for about 20-30 minutes and wiggle them to accomplish relieving the problem the patient has.  If you stood still you could not feel the needle, but if you laughed or moved slightly the whole thing would wiggle.  I cannot described the feeling.  I was trying my best to not move.

 

After the Chinese medicine class we took a campus tour and had our first class discussion before eating lunch at the main train station again.  Today I tried fried flat noodles.  It had a mystery meat, but the noodles were good.  I have mastered the art of using chop sticks. 

Next we took a bus to HTC.  Wow their building is amazing and ecofriendly.  We were given a tour of the office where we saw that they have a boxing ring and heavy bags in their 24 hour work out facility.  I found this awesome!  The whole layout of the office was very open allowing for collaboration amongst employees.  HTC is a fairly young company, started only in 1997.  The culture here really influences how they operate.  They value the four pillars of the company’s vision.  They put the symbol of one pillar on their business cards as a conversation starter.  The company is mainly focused on the consumer.  They strive to make their products simple, powerful, and surprising for customers to use and now are trying to integrate their products to control other aspects a consumer would want (ie to control the tv or entertainment center from your phone).

To end the day we went back to Taipei 101 and went to the 89^th floor observation deck.  We rode the fast elevators again and we able to see the city lite up at night.