Bob Hsu

Hi, this is Bob Hsu writing from Taiwan.

I'm a part-time teacher at Tamkang University. This semester our Deparmtent (English) assigned me a new course called "Traveler's English." Major purpose of the course is to, I quote my own syllbus, "familiarize the students with the essential expressions and information needed for refreshing and rewarding trips to English-speaking countries."

Yes, I know words like "major purpose," "familiarize," and "essential information" are all boring academic cliche. That's is exactly why I am posting this message here. See, my idea is that it won't be difficult to "familiarize" the students with "essential expressions" like "I am here for sight-seeing" or "Can you show me where I am on this map?" What I'd really like to do for our "Traveler's English" is to encourage the students to get in touch with fellow travelers all over the world. Internet and e-mail together provide an ideal starting point.

So, WRITE US, please. Tell us about your city or your country. Share with us your travel experiences. Teach us how to be a smart traveler like you. Ask us something about Taiwan. Or simply drop in to say hello. Any topic will do. The students will definitely be thrilled to learn that there are people beyond Taiwan who know what course they're taking at Tamkang! Give our young travelers a sense of being closely connected to the world and her diverse cultures and interesting people.

You can reach me at the e-mail:

[email protected]

However, please do address your message to the whole class, the "Travler's English" at Tamkang University. I'll print out your letters to share with my students.

We don't have any textbook for our class (I do prepare handouts, though). As travlers, we have the entire world as our textbook. So, be our mentors, be our friends. Help us do our homework well, and get yourself prepared for new friends in Taiwan (ours is a HUGE class of nearly 200 students)!

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Best regards,

Bob Hsu

Tricia

Hi Bob, Neat hearing from you! I live in Southern California and am having relatives from Holland come here this Christmas and am looking up info on Grand Canyon and Vegas and saw your message. What a neat idea! I have a l7 year old daughter going away to college next year--the University of North Carolina and I think she would be thrilled to address a letter to your class.

Tricia

Bob, Forgot to tell you to be sure and post your message in the "Europe" forum of Fodor's. Lots of world travelers in there- a lot of knowledge and education- I am sure they will respond to your message!

Susan

Greetings Traveler's English class,

Ni hoa? I was browsing on the web trying to find a place to host a bridal shower in Atlanta when I stumbled across your message. I am Chinese-American from New York. I am sure that all of you have a preconceived idea of what New York is like. I encourage you to come visit and see the city for yourself. The city is an exciting mix of peoples, cultures, languages... While the crowds and noise may seem intimidating at first glance, if you dig a little deeper and get off the beaten track, you will find neighborhoods and plenty of places to meet the locals.

I have traveled extensively: around Europe, HK, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Chile, Argentina, Hungary, Czech and Slovakia, Bolivia, Lithuania, Latvia, Ukraine, Mongolia, Japan, Thailand, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Madagascar, Australia, Costa Rica, Trinidad etc...and still find New York the most exciting place in the world.

I encourage you to travel. You broaden your prospective, learn more about other cultures and, most importantly, challenge your perspective of the world.

Good luck!

Carla

Hello from Ontario, Canada. One thing I always like to stress to fellow travellers, is not to be afraid of trecking out on your own. You gain so much confidence and meet so many more people when you're a single traveller. When you are with a group, you tend to stay with the group but when you are alone, you can hang out at your favourite spots as long as you want and meet more people with the same interests. Before you go anywhere, make sure to research your trip. You'll get way more out of it this way. Seeya!!

Ronald

Hi all from the Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC a great place for tourists. Here you'll find great museums, the seat of the Federal government and the capital of the US, many art galleries; the surrounding area is full of historical sights like Mount Vernon the home of George Washington, Annapolis, MD home of the US Naval Academy and at one time the US capital (now capital of Maryland), Baltimore, MD containing Fort McHenry where the US anthem began; Arlington Cemetery, monuments galore, good theater and restaurants and historical areas and neighborhoods. The Metro and Tourmobile make getting around fast and easy. Finally, you can take great photos with famous buildings and monuments in the background. Hope you can make it soon.