I just have one thing I wish to complain about. I think America needs to jump on the bandwagon with THE REST OF THE WORLD, and use the same measurements as THE REST OF THE WORLD. You have no idea how many times I want to know exactly how hot it is outside. I look at the thermometer and I literally say "Oh, that's right, I learned an equation to convert this...because I learned fahrenheit." I'm really sorry, all the science teachers I have had, but I am not going to sit here and do an equation each time I want to know the temperature. So, once I get use to measuring everything in cm, kilometers, liters, milliliters, kilograms, ect. I have to go back to America where everything is different. Oh, well. Roll with the punches, right?
Any who, Taiwan is great.
Close your eyes (after you read the description). Imagine a place where you don't have to chain your bike up. A place where you can leave shopping bags unattended on your scooter to go into another store, and come back out, and they have been untouched. A place where I haven't heard one bad thing said about another person. A place, where there is an abundant amount of trust in people (strangers or not). You, my friend, would be imagining Taiwan.
Can you imagine high school without drama? I know I certainly can't, and that's a sad truth. Or, I couldn't, until I attended school here. Girls here, they actually like and get along with each other. People sit with each other, regardless of who you are. You know if there are three seats and one was occupied by a complete stranger, you would skip a seat and then sit? Well, here, if there are three seats and one was occupied by a complete stranger, you'd find yourself talking and meeting a stranger. In Taiwan, there is so much respect and trust. Sometimes, I even question my host sister. I will be like "Um, shouldn't they be watching the money box?" or "Aren't they going to put those pineapples up for the night?" and she'll just say "What's the point in that? Too much work!"
As far as culture shock goes, I haven't experienced any. That just means when I get back to America, I will have what's called reverse culture shock. So, we will see how that goes. Wish me luck; good thing I still have nine months.
Basically, I am in love with this amazing island. I am going to some lake next week with my host sister. (Sorry for such a sentence "some lake" but I forgot the name) So, you should expect a picture or two and a good post about it. Hopefully, it will make up for this short and sweet one. For now, I am off to bed.

学校.

I started my first day of school on August 31st 2011. It. Is. Awesome. Everyone is so nice and understanding. I like the way school functions in Taiwan. The students stay in the same classroom all day, and different teachers come throughout the day. If I am correct, Mexico does the same thing, right Mrs. Triplett? Any way, we get to school around 7:30 in the morning and everyone has their breakfast that they have purchased or made from home, and we sit around and eat breakfast together. I like it a lot. It's different than buying your breakfast at school in America, then sitting in a crowded cafeteria that's loud with people tossing their cereal everywhere. We buy our food from a cafe, then bring it to school, and sit with our calm classmates, talk and eat. After we are finished, it's 8:15 by now, we, the students, clean the classroom. So, you can already see where this is going. So, since the students clean the classroom, nobody spits spit balls, throws balls of paper, ect. I have mop duty. So, after we clean the classroom, we all sit in our assign seats and study. Like, I never thought it was possible for a bunch of teenagers to sit, be quiet, and actually work with no teacher in the classroom. That's right, I forgot to mention, there usually isn't a teacher in the classroom until 10:00 when classes start. And, yes, all my classmates do sit in their seat the whole time, and the only time I have ever heard any talking at all was if someone needed a piece of paper. It's amazing, because they actually have the desire to want to learn and be taught, I definitely see that American teenagers take education for granted. Then we have eight classes. (I haven't got my schedule yet, so I am sitting in with the kids that are studying mainly foreign language, English. So, I have a little group that can speak English enough where I can understand them, and they teach me the ways of the Chinese mastery of Chinese Characters...Until I get my new schedule, which will include things like cooking, braiding, ect.) We have PE every Monday and Thursday and somehow I got signed up for the volleyball club today? We played volleyball and when my team was up, they made me serve first, so I did, and as soon as I hit the ball everyone in my class said as plain as day, in English, "Oh, my God." I started laughing. So, after PE was over and we were walking back to class the Coach came up to me and informed me that I was now in the volleyball club...so, yay? I am very proud of myself, actually, because I am starting to piece together words that my teachers say in Chinese that I know and I can put a sentence together, then they keep talking faster and faster then they lose me. But, what matters is that I am catching on. So, *Clap* *Clap* for me! Also, I love my town. I ride my bike with my host sister and every time we go out all the little shop owners or miscellaneous people will wave at me and shout "Ni hoa!" (the way you say hello in Chinese) and I shout back and wave for as long as I can, because it's hard to ride a bike with one hand. They have all been very kind and amazing people. I <3 Asia! But, for now I have caught you up to an extent on what's new in Yunlin, and I must be on my way.

台湾。

I. Am. In. Taiwan. Finally! The plane ride was horrible; mainly because I don't like to ride on planes, I decided that on my thirteen hour flight from Chicago to Japan. The food, the people, the scene, the everything! I don't know where to start. Okay, okay. Let us begin with my arrival. Fair enough? Good.

I stepped off the plane, ready to drop on my knees and kiss the ground, thankful that I did not have to get on to another plane for a year. I found my luggage had made it safe and sound, which was a relief. I exited the luggage area to find a cute little Asian family holding a banner with my name on it. The first sentence I said was "I'm not a plane," when I meant to say "I don't like to ride airplanes." Epic fail. My host mother looked at me funny, nodded, and smiled. I turned bright red after Vivian, my host cousin, told me what I had just said. Obviously, they already knew I wasn't an airplane without me having to tell them. The airport was an hour away from my new home. We had stopped at a 7-Eleven to get some food. I didn't eat much because my stomach was upset from the airplane food. But I was almost in tears on the car ride home, because my host dad was looking through the radio for any station that was in English. He speaks not one word in English. I was touched.

The family; Amazing. I've spent most of my time with my host uncle, Victor, Vivian, and my host brother. (I haven't learned their names yet. I don't think I will learn my host brother's because he is going to Russia on an exchange in a couple days.) Victor keeps me on my toes and makes sure I don't fall asleep while the sun is still up. He says in English "Sun up, you no sleep when sun down." Smart boy. Victor and I hang out the most. We ride bikes, kick a soccer ball around, play video games, and like right now, watch Sponge Bob Square Pants in Chinese. Vivian has been my translator. I know some Chinese, but not enough apparently. She is helping me the first week, but after that, no more English for me.

The food. Lord have mercy, the food is amazing. I wish my body was use to eating a lot, but I am not a heavy eater. Vivian thinks I don't like the food; but each time I tell her "No, no the food is amazing! I just don't eat a lot." Regardless, I still don't think she believes me. But all of it, is amazing. My host dad and I go to a local cafe each morning where him and a bunch of other men gather to start the day off with a good cold beer. They are all funny and happy go lucky. Never fails that they will ask me if I want a beer too. I just smile and say "I'm sixteen," in Chinese. The drinking age is eighteen. But, regardless, they'll ask anyway. And I bet my bottom dollar, they'll ask me again tomorrow.

(Ground pork, sprouts, green onions, and noodles. Amazing. It's local Chinese food they eat for lunch. I also had the traditional bubble tea. I would have taken a picture, but it was in a cup with a plastic film over the top. Then you punch a straw through it.)

在美国的最后一天

It's my last day in America! And I am so excited! I have waited what feels like forever for this moment to finally come. For those of you that think this is a vacation, or a chance for me to runaway. This is an exchange. I have to go to school like a normal kid would, I have to speak their language, and I have to adapt to their culture. I don't know if any of you have done your research, but Yunlin County, Taiwan is no resort. And I won't get treated differently because I am American or an exchange student. *sorry for being so harsh on my opening, but I had to get that off my chest.*

Anyway, to be honest, the exchange still hasn't hit me and I am within hours of boarding the plane. I know I am going on an exchange... but something is still not clicking for me. I am excited, don't get me wrong, but I still think this is all a dream, that I am going to wake up soon. Luckily, this is not the case.

I suppose few of the questions that have really annoyed me were: "Are you going to school there?" Yes, I am. Being my title is Exchange STUDENT, that just kinda gives it away. "Aren't you going to miss your mom?" Yes, I will miss my mom. But she won't always be there to catch me when I fall, especially when I am thrown into live a life as an adult. She is my mother, of course I'm going to miss her. "Won't you be scared?" No, I am not scared because I know when I get there I will figure things out. If you're scared about trying new things, then I wish the best for you in life. I love trying new things and being scared holds you back. And besides, Rotary does plenty of background checks on everyone I am staying with *Lol* "Do they speak English?" No, English is not a universal language. Not everyone knows how to speak it. I am learning Mandarin Chinese, their language. Although, I did get lucky and my host sister speaks some English, but that's because she took the time to learn it.

I have an eighteen hour flight bright n' early tomorrow morning. Then, around 9:30 PM on Friday August 20th I will be in my new home for a year. I've got my visa, passport, even some New Taiwan Dollars. I am set. But for now, I must go get in the van to head for Arkansas to sleep in a motel and awake in the morning to board my flight.

 再见

家庭礼品

I thought I would share my hard work and research to make and design the best host family gifts ever. I decided to wood burn. I sketched and detailed a certain animal after I researched it. I had to make sure I wasn't going to offend any one, that would be horrible.
My first plaque has Koi Fish. The fish represent peace and balance. In the middle is the Chinese symbol for family.

The second gift is the Chinese Dragon. The Dragon represents power and purity. (It was the hardest to detail, too.)

The third plaque will be of the Tiger. The Tiger represents sensitivity and pride. I will have it done in a couple days to show the final gift. :)