Introduction

     Before attending the Science Camp in Taiwan, I had little understanding as to what GPS RO is and how it can be used to further research in atmospheric science. I knew that GPS RO can be used to get an understanding of climate but I had no idea as to the other scientific applications. I am really interested in climate change so the application of GPS RO to climate monitoring was the most interesting to me. It will be great once there is enough RO data to perform climatology studies to see how our climate has changed. Maybe future analysis of RO data will help in understanding future climate change. I learned a lot by attending the lectures given by some of the experts in the field of GPS RO and some of the most memorable lectures were given on climate monitoring and the use of the data in (Numerical Weather Prediction) NWP models. I think that if modelers use GPS RO data in NWP models, the accuracy of forecasts will improve, which will give the public more reliability in the forecasts produced. The poster session during the Summer Camp was a little different than previous poster sessions that I have taken part in. I felt as though I was having a conversation with the Taiwanese students rather than just giving a presentation about my work. I found that it was a more relaxed situation because they just had questions about the research and I tried to explain it in a way for them to understand. I know that there are difficulties because of the language barrier, but I think that they were able to understand the main points of my research.

     The Central Weather Bureau was a great place to have the workshop and I learned about earthquakes by visiting the Seismological Center. While in Taiwan, there was an earthquake and we had the opportunity to go to the Seismological Center and read the seismograph to see the intensity of the earthquake. Not only did we learn about GPS RO during the Summer Camp, we were able to learn about geology and how earthquakes happen in Taiwan. The visit to the NSPO (National SPace Organization) facility allowed me to engage in the engineering side of our field. It was very interesting to see how the satellites were built and the scientific process behind them.

Cultural/Personal Experience

     When we first met the Taiwanese students, I felt as though they were very excited and interested to meet and talk with the American students. They were willing to spend all their time showing us around Taipei and making sure that we were okay. I originally thought that communicating with the Taiwanese students would be challenging, since I do not know Chinese and they do not know English fluently. I realized that there was a slight language barrier, but it helped me learn a little Chinese and it allowed the Taiwanese students to further their English skills. The Taiwanese students and scientists work and interact the same way that Americans do, the only difference is the language.

     Although I love to go shopping in the United States, I found the shopping experience in Taiwan a bit different. In both the United States and Taiwan, shopping malls are about the same. I found it interesting that markets are a huge part of the Taiwanese culture. We visited the Jade and Flower markets and I had such a great time buying jewelry and various souvenirs. Jessica, one of the Taiwanese students, helped to get bargains and we had a great time. The flowers, especially the orchids, were so beautiful and cheap in comparison to what they cost in the States.

     The night market was a completely different experience for me. The students told me that we were going to go to the night market and we could have dinner there. They warned me that it was going to be extremely crowded and I thought I could handle it. Unfortunately when we got there, it was overwhelming. There were more people than I have ever seen in my life. Before I got there, I was so excited that I could go shopping, but my excitement dwindled as I tried to squeeze through all of the people. The smell in the area was indescribable and I felt so bad because I no longer wanted to be there. The Taiwanese students were excited because they could finally eat some "real" food, like stinky tofu. I was not going to eat that at all. We then left the market after only being there 30 minutes. I thought about it later that night, and thought that I should have just gotten myself together and stayed, because I was missing out on true Taiwanese culture. This was something that I would probably not have the opportunity to experience again.

     Karaoke is another aspect of the Taiwanese culture that I found interesting. We went to PartyWorld, where you go into a room that looks like a hotel room. There are couches and a bar and a big TV screen and a podium for you to sing. You have your own karaoke party for all of your friends. We had a great time ordering food and singing the night away. It was so much fun and I wish that they had places like PartyWorld in the States. Overall I enjoyed the culture in Taiwan, it just took some time to get used to it.

Concluding Remarks

     I think that the Summer Camp was an eye-opening experience that allowed me to learn about GPS radio occultation as well as the Taiwanese culture. This Summer Camp was a great way to interact with people from a different culture but who are learning about atmospheric science. We are able to learn from each other, which will help further our knowledge in the field. I thought that it was great that we had a few days before the workshop began to sightsee, so I would suggest that in future years the same opportunity is available. Thank you so much for the opportunity to take part in the science camp and I would like to thank all of the Taiwanese students for all of their help.