Taipei, Nov. 11 (CNA) More than 50 foreigners currently studying Chinese in Taipei related stories about their life and experiences in Taiwan in a Mandarin speech contest that took place Saturday.
Twenty-nine South Koreans dominated the field of the annual speech contest for foreigners organized by a local Rotary Club, in which all contestants deliver a five-minute speech on a wide choice of topics, in either Mandarin or Taiwanese.
Most participants chose to speak about why they wanted to learn Chinese in Taiwan over other topics, such as the beautiful and ugly side of Taipei or an introduction of their best friends in Taiwan.
Diana Hsu, a second-generation Taiwanese from Los Angeles and one of the few contestants to speak in Taiwanese instead of Mandarin, said she had decided to study Chinese while in Spain.
"There was no one [in Spain] who thought I was an American because I looked so Asian," she said, adding that it was then that she knew it was time to "trace her roots."
"I came to Taiwan with the hope of becoming a Chinese translator back home someday," said Junawan Then, an Indonesian contestant.
"The friendliness and passion of Taiwanese people really helped me a lot in adjusting to a new environment and language," said Ignatius Edhi Khar, who is also from Indonesia.
Jovanovie Wiwana, who formerly worked for the Slovenian Embassy in China, said she enjoyed life and Chinese classes in Taiwan more, and would like to see more exchanges between Taiwan and her native Slovenia.
For those who have been in Taiwan for some time, they were able to do more than speak Chinese.
Kanaya Hiroshi, a Japanese who has lived in Taiwan more than three years, said he had learned from one of his Taiwanese classmates a deep appreciation for "Taike culture," -- a term usually used to describe the profound spirit and culture of Taiwan.
Participants from other countries included the United States, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Australia, Germany and Russia.