{"id":58,"date":"2016-07-17T16:43:57","date_gmt":"2016-07-17T16:43:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/schoolsabroadhandbooks.middcreate.net\/Taiwan\/?page_id=58"},"modified":"2024-01-25T21:18:06","modified_gmt":"2024-01-25T21:18:06","slug":"packing","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/schoolsabroadhandbooks.middcreate.net\/taiwan\/pre-departure\/packing\/","title":{"rendered":"Packing"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3>General Packing Suggestions<\/h3>\n<p>Plan your packing carefully, keeping in mind that you will have to carry all of your own luggage while traveling. If your flight arrives in Taipei, you&#8217;ll still have to get to Kaohsiung, possibly via high-speed rail, so your travel won&#8217;t quite be over! (<em>We strongly recommend flying to Kaohsiung from the US, with a lay-over in Hong Kong or somewhere else in Asia.<\/em>) This means TRAVEL LIGHTLY. We cannot emphasize this strongly enough! Choose each item carefully and avoid duplication.<\/p>\n<p>As you pack for the flight over, also keep in mind that you will be carrying this same luggage by yourself, sometimes over great distances or on crowded trains. Take things that are easy to manage and avoid over-packing. One rule of thumb is to pack your bags and walk around the block with them three times; then re-pack!\u00a0 It is also prudent to bring (though you can easily get this in Taiwan as well) at least one bag or container that can be securely locked for storage of money or valuables, and a smaller bag which can be used for weekend trips out of town.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Bring only what you need.\u00a0 Mobility is key and you\u2019ll undoubtedly be taking home more than you brought.<\/li>\n<li>Besides your casual clothing, pack attire\/accessories for specific situations: swimming, exercise, rain and (one or two) formal occasions.<\/li>\n<li>Bring things that make you feel at home: smartphone, laptop, journal, books, magazines, pictures (Taiwanese roommates are very curious about what your home, friends, and family look like), camera etc.<\/li>\n<li>Packing thin clothes that can be layered is better than a few bulky items. (And Kaohsiung is warm, so you won&#8217;t need a lot of cold weather clothing!)<\/li>\n<li>Shoes are generally sometimes only available in smaller sizes. Clothing is cut differently and may not fit you regardless of your size.<\/li>\n<li>DO NOT bring items that you want to keep white and\/or need special laundering (such as silk or items that need dry cleaning).\u00a0 Pollution and unreliable service may cause you to regret such a decision.<\/li>\n<li>Don\u2019t forget to bring your medications as discussed in the Health Issues section.\u00a0 Also, while over-the-counter medications are very easy to obtain in Taiwan (in many cases, easier than in the US), if you have preferred brands, you may wish to bring some with you.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Clothing<\/h3>\n<p>Choose each item carefully and avoid duplication. Taiwanese students do not have as many changes of clothing as Americans, so a small wardrobe will not be noticed. Less is more when packing!<\/p>\n<p>Kaohsiung&#8217;s climate is warm year round with winter temperatures between 60-78 degrees (F) and late spring\/early fall temperatures between 75-88 degrees (F). Kaohsiung does have a rainy season, which typically runs between August and September. A raincoat can be useful for Kaohsiung\u2019s fall semester.<\/p>\n<p>While clothing styles in Taiwan are generally casual and Western in appearance, as in the US, there are still situations in which conservative clothing is most appropriate, and Middlebury in Taiwan students are expected to observe and respect these conventions.\u00a0 Middlebury in Taiwan staff has the right to request that any student change his or her clothes if, in their judgment, the clothing is unacceptable. When buying clothes in Taiwan please be aware, however, that quantity, quality and variety are variable.\u00a0 Sizes up to U.S. \u201cmedium\u201d are plentiful and often inexpensive.\u00a0 Larger sizes for both men and women are more difficult to find.<\/p>\n<h3>Clothing Recommendations<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>8 pairs of underwear<\/li>\n<li>bathing suit\/towel (optional)<\/li>\n<li>1 pair of dress shoes<\/li>\n<li>3 pairs of long pants<\/li>\n<li>1 or 2 skirts\/dresses<\/li>\n<li>1 or 2 long sleeved sweaters<\/li>\n<li>several pairs of socks<\/li>\n<li>4 bras<\/li>\n<li>walking shoes and\/or sneakers<\/li>\n<li>5 or 6 button down shirts<\/li>\n<li>5 or 6 t-shirts<\/li>\n<li>raincoat or umbrella<\/li>\n<li>three pairs of shorts<\/li>\n<li>light weight jacket<\/li>\n<li>tie (optional)<\/li>\n<li>workout or athletic gear<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you are interested in doing any hiking\u00a0 consider bringing the following (these are all easily available in Taiwan, as well):<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>hiking clothes<\/li>\n<li>small backpack<\/li>\n<li>other light hiking stuff (people who hike usually have a Leatherman, a Nalgene bottle, and other small utilitarian items)<\/li>\n<li>hat<\/li>\n<li>warm socks<\/li>\n<li>gloves<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Previous students reported on their evaluations that they wish they had brought the following items with them: cold and allergy medications, deodorant, boots, a warm coat, gloves, acne medication, breakfast bars, laptop, books, music, Imodium, Pepto, waterless hand sanitizer, good facewash\/lotion, favorite bathroom items, camera, and index cards. Students also said that they brought but didn\u2019t need the following: multiple bottles of conditioner, Post-its, lots of shoes, board games, nice clothes\/shoes.<\/p>\n<h3>Bed and Bath Linens<\/h3>\n<p>You may want to consider bringing a small towel with you, which should suffice until you are able to purchase one from a nearby store. You will also need to purchase bed linens, blankets, and pillows, and a mattress, once you arrive in Kaohsiung. On-site staff will assist you in locating these items.<\/p>\n<h3>Toiletries<\/h3>\n<p>Toiletries and personal hygiene items are readily available in Taiwan.\u00a0 You may wish to bring small amounts to use when you first arrive, but you can always buy more there.\u00a0 (US brand tampons can be hard to find, but local brands are readily available.) In addition, if you are attached to a specific brand name, then you may wish to bring it from home; otherwise there are a variety of brands (often local brands) in Taiwan. Contact wearers should remember to bring eye drops, saline solution (for preferred brands) and a pair of glasses as the air pollution may irritate your eyes. However, be sure to respect travel regulations regarding the transport of liquids when packing:\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tsa.gov\/travel\/travel-tips\/travel-checklist\">https:\/\/www.tsa.gov\/travel\/travel-tips\/travel-checklist<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>Gifts<\/h3>\n<p>We suggest bringing small gifts for your future roommate.\u00a0 Something simple from your local area or college\/university such as candy, pictures\/postcards, baseball cap, t-shirt (medium size), picture story books, a pack of cards with quotations in English, etc. Choose a gift that has significance to you and is packable and light.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>General Packing Suggestions Plan your packing carefully, keeping in mind that you will have to carry all of your own luggage while traveling. If your flight arrives in Taipei, you&#8217;ll still have to get to Kaohsiung, possibly via high-speed rail, so your travel won&#8217;t quite be over! (We strongly recommend flying to Kaohsiung from the US, with a lay-over in<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":35,"parent":10,"menu_order":6,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"template-fullwidth.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-58","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/schoolsabroadhandbooks.middcreate.net\/taiwan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/58","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/schoolsabroadhandbooks.middcreate.net\/taiwan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/schoolsabroadhandbooks.middcreate.net\/taiwan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schoolsabroadhandbooks.middcreate.net\/taiwan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schoolsabroadhandbooks.middcreate.net\/taiwan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=58"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/schoolsabroadhandbooks.middcreate.net\/taiwan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/58\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":723,"href":"https:\/\/schoolsabroadhandbooks.middcreate.net\/taiwan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/58\/revisions\/723"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schoolsabroadhandbooks.middcreate.net\/taiwan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schoolsabroadhandbooks.middcreate.net\/taiwan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/schoolsabroadhandbooks.middcreate.net\/taiwan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=58"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}