Delphine Rizzolo is a first year exchange student from France. She has always been interested in Asian culture which is why, when entering university, she decided to major in Chinese. Now, having studied Chinese for two years, she used a mixture of Chinese and English to describe her passion for studying Chinese, saying that, for her, the hardest part of studying Chinese is learning Chinese characters, especially as traditional characters’ brush strokes are complex, and the associated meaning difficult to grasp. But through hard work and unwavering commitment, she practices writing one character after another, “because being able to understand the Chinese language will allow me to understand Chinese culture, so it’s worth the effort.”

Delphine is also a talented musician. From a young age, she learned to play the flute and the harp, and taught herself how to play the piano and the guitar. Right now, she is making the most of her time in Taiwan by learning local instruments like the “erhu”.

When asked of her impression of Taiwanese people, Delphine exclaimed: “the kindness of the Taiwanese people is the main reason I chose to study in Taiwan!” She recalled how one time, while waiting for the bus and looking at a map, several passersby stopped to ask if she needed directions. “I was really touched. Taiwan is truly a warm and friendly country.”