University of Wisconsin–Madison

Taiwan: Adam Sherwood (A Home Away from Home in Taipei)

A night photo of Taipei 101, a skyscraper, lit up with red lights at the top and gold lights around its spire. The bottom of the building is lit in green and white lights.
Taipei 101 at night, glowing red and gold.

I can always tell where I am in Taipei by looking for Taipei 101. It doesn’t matter if I’m in a crowded night market or down a narrow back street, somewhere between the rooftops, it appears, cutting into the sky. Walking home at night, it feels like a quiet guide, reminding me I’m still in this city that’s become my second home.

A view of Taipei 101, the skyscraper, towering over smaller, residential buildings. A stop light causes a blur in the middle of the photo.
Taipei 101 at dusk from a busy neighborhood street.

One of my favorite places here isn’t hidden, but it’s unforgettable: a hot pot diner with a vintage diner feel, right on a busy main street. The green-and-yellow stained glass ceiling panels glow warmly, casting light on the long counter where customers lean in over bubbling pots.

A view of Taipei 101, the skyscraper, through the branches of trees. The sky is blue and sun pokes through the holes in between branches.
Taipei 101 framed by trees during a hike at Xiangshan (Elephant Mountain).

The place is always packed, with the clatter of dishes mixing with laughter and the hiss of boiling broth. It’s famous for its duck’s blood, rich, silky, and unlike anything I’d tried before. I’ve been here with friends, but one of my favorite visits was with my internship boss and her husband. Sitting together in the lively din, we shared stories and passed plates across the counter, each of us fishing out our favorite ingredients from the simmering broth.

A white table with a hot pot wok in the middle. There are plates all around with beans, red meat, and other vegetables. There are white plates and black chopsticks laid out ready to eat. There is a partial view of the large stained glass window above the table.
A food spread from one of my visits to the hot pot diner.

That hot pot diner reminds me that the best parts of living abroad aren’t always the landmarks; they’re the places where your life quietly settles in. I know when I leave Taipei, I’ll miss seeing Taipei 101 peek over the city. But I’ll miss that hot pot diner even more, because it’s where the city stopped feeling new and started feeling like home.

A strip of ceiling with white lights in large rectangles running down the middle of a dining room. The white lights are on either side of a long, stained glass looking mural with abstract yellow, white, dark green, and light green tiles.
Ceiling detail inside my favorite old hot pot diner.
A blonde man wearing a navy suit and red tie smiles at the camera in front of a blurred background.

Adam Sherwood

Hometown: Bayfield, Wisconsin

Major: International Studies

Program: CET Taiwan

As Taiwan carries its own diverse cultural and linguistic niches that differ in countless ways from China, I am thrilled to explore a landscape that I do not have much familiarity with–particularly as I hold great importance to the development of my global perspective.  My interest comes from partially growing up in China and never having a chance to visit or experience Taiwan.

One goal for my participation in the CET Taiwan Program is to develop my Chinese language skills in a professional context. Because I will be simultaneously engaging with immersive language courses and an internship during my time in Taipei, I hope to find balance and cohesion between these two program components.