Bookmark and Share

Andrew Dunkle

Art Director

Andrew Dunkle - ESL Teacher in Asia Andrew in his natural environment

I am a reflective person by nature driven to try and understand all of life's many mysteries. Take for instance the mystery of how I came to live in Taiwan, which has certainly been a question I have been asked many times (and you will too!).

The beginning of the end began my senior year of high school in my Spanish class. I hated this class and specifically mi maestra. She was a bitter and horrible teacher that destroyed any desire to learn Espanol. At mid-semester, and with a healthy case of senoritas, I had had enough and despite my advisor’s pleas dropped the class.

Unforeseeably, this led to a gaping hole in my college application that required the completion of three years of a foreign language. Ugh, damn the liberal arts! Faced with this new problem and scornful of anything Espanol I looked to the East, and with the courage of a blind man enrolled in Chinese classes.

Much to everyone surprise including myself, I really enjoyed learning everything about China and its amazing culture and language. China was unlike anything I had ever learned before, so foreign and mysterious with a history that goes back thousands of years. I was hooked and couldn't get enough. Soon just reading about China in a book was not enough, I had to go there myself.

Andrew Dunkle - ESL Teacher in Taiwan Andrew with his favorite student Angus at the Taipei Zoo

The summer between freshman and sophomore year I had an unique opportunity to travel to China as part of a class to learn about it's language and culture. Without being too cliche the trip was an eye-opening experience and one month was not enough. I couldn't wait to get back to Asia.

After college and with three years of Chinese under my belt I was ready to tackle Taiwan. There have been ups and downs but there is no denying that it has been a great experience.

In an ironic twist, having made it all the way to Taiwan I have turned around and started to learn Spanish again. Had I not dropped it at the very beginning I don't think I would have ever made it here and with that in mind I know it was the right decision.

Top Five Things I Like About Taiwan

  1. The independence it has given me
  2. My friends
  3. Not being understood
  4. Four free beers every Wednesday at Roxy
  5. The chance to see and learn something new everyday

Top Five Things I Don’t Like About Taiwan

Andrew Dunkle - ESL Teacher Abroad Andrew has some serious thrill issues
  1. My diet has crashed since coming here
  2. Not being understood
  3. It rains. (Admittedly this was first a plus, but no longer...)
  4. The fact that I know someday that I will have to leave
  5. Lack of burritos

Top Five Trips Before I Croak

  1. Trans-Siberian Train
  2. Chile and Argentina
  3. Nepal
  4. Hunting Safari in Africa
  5. Iceland

Top Five People I Admire

  1. Aragon
  2. Ernest Hemingway
  3. Homer Simpson
  4. Myself
  5. Eugene Delacroix

Andrew Dunkle