Just as an opening note: When you walk by a man smoking and you think the cigarette is scentless, you know you're in Taipei Taiwan. Your nose will be so full of smog you wont be able to tell. Well, only a little.
Also, I started Chinese class. It's at an university. But the teachers don't really speak english. At all. They can only say 'my name is... nice to meet you...' simple things like that. The university is nice looking though. And there is a library and a computer lab I can use once I get my student ID card. I'm excited about that. It's near my school too so that's convenient. The first day of Chinese class I took this test, but the teachers couldn't explain in English what to do, so I think everyone got zero points. I left my umbrella in a room and told a teacher I forgot it and she told me to go alone and get it. Needless to say I got very lost and almost cried. But then a fellow student found me.
To be honest it was a little disorganised. After a 30 minute test, we spent 3 hours in a room doing nothing but waiting to be picked up. And they didn't tell us anything, like when was the next class, or what time to be there. I asked many times, but no one seemed to know.
BUT, I got a Chinese textbook and a Chinese workbook. And you guys should know by now, I LOVE language text books. It's so exciting. My host mother also helped me get me a bopomofo workbook a week ago when I asked her to. I've been practicing it in school.
On to the REAL topic, Kai Ping high school!
Today was my second day, but my first full day.
My teacher speaks some english, but mostly she let's the other students help me. She seems very nice.
My school is a tad old looking. I think it's a school mainly for kids who slacked off. Although I do see many students who really have a passion for food who take their education extremely seriously. But it suits me the school isn't overly acedemic because I wanted to go to a social school in Taiwan, because that way I will learn faster. ((I'm sorry for my run on sentences. I'm really losing my english. At first I thought people who wrote things like that that were full of it... but it's true.))
But my school has real charm. It's sooo laidback. And the food tastes sooo good. All the teachers are nice too.
As for my classmates, I can't really talk to them yet as many of them are too shy and I haven't learned enough Chinese yet.
There is another classmate who speaks english, but mostly he's too lazy to speak it. He's not really at a good level of it... He used to live in Canada when he was 2 or something. He thinks he's hot stuff. He told me he would turn me into a "bad girl" and take me to Taiwanese night clubs... I told him I doubt that very much. Even though I'm American, it doesn't mean I'm a crazy party girl. He's okay.
There are a few girls who are nice to me. Nothing worth writing about though. There are more boys than girls in my class. It's mainly boys.
There is also a boy who takes me home and takes me to school. Oh my god, this kid is my happy place in life. He saves me from everything. He's made it his mission in life to protect me from getting lost or going crazy. I'm so grateful. More about this later. Oh, and he doesn't speak a word of english.
There is also a boy who I really like. Isseikun is what I call him. He's half Japanese and half Taiwanese. His mother is nihonjin. I adore him. We talk in Japanese and he's so cool. He's the only classmate I can really talk to. He has great style and personality. I want more people like him in America. If only... XD David is getting so mad reading this.
So I wake up at 6:45 and I have to walk to the bus stop by 7:25. Then the plan is to wait for my Taiwanese hero. Today Peggy took me. At 8 or whatever we get to school. We then sit around until the teacher gets there. Which sometimes takes an hour or two or one half. No one knows when she will walk in... ._.;
For every 15 minutes of work is 10 minutes of rest and freetime. I'M SERIOUS. The teacher told me. But she randomly leaves, so we have MUCH more rest time. At 10 I order my lunch. Today I spent like three hours talking to the Japanese teacher. Her english isn't so great so we talk mainly in Japanese, but she can sometimes explain somethings to me in English/Japanese mixed. She's going to teach me one on one because she says I'm way ahead of every class. But I want to see what a class is like also. I will see her everyday.
I'm going to ask the school for Chinese lessons too.
Today after I went back to the classroom I had fun eating a REALLY good and cheap lunch. And an HOUR of lunch time.
Then we leave school at around 4:30. Sometimes it can be really boring because I don't speak Chinese. But I study Chinese and Japanese when I'm bored. Or I pass notes to Isseikun.
Today I got REALLY REALLY lost even with my hero. He didn't know where the closest bus stop was so we took MRT and bus and walked. But we went to the wrong building. But then I gave him my address and he found it and walked me to the door. He was so caring and he never gave up. He even drew on his hand to explain somthing to me. He went through such an ordeal for me. I think tomorrow will be easier because he knows where I live now.
School isn't so bad. I haven't gotten my uniform yet though. Yesterday they fitted me for it.
I need a backpack. My host sister is letting me use her's but when I go to the next family I can't take it, so I should really ask Peggy for one.
Also, all the toilets are just holes in the floor, 'squating toilets'. I have pictures and videos of everything. I'm too tired to post them now.
But my Japanese is getting really good in Taiwan! XD
Also, I started Chinese class. It's at an university. But the teachers don't really speak english. At all. They can only say 'my name is... nice to meet you...' simple things like that. The university is nice looking though. And there is a library and a computer lab I can use once I get my student ID card. I'm excited about that. It's near my school too so that's convenient. The first day of Chinese class I took this test, but the teachers couldn't explain in English what to do, so I think everyone got zero points. I left my umbrella in a room and told a teacher I forgot it and she told me to go alone and get it. Needless to say I got very lost and almost cried. But then a fellow student found me.
To be honest it was a little disorganised. After a 30 minute test, we spent 3 hours in a room doing nothing but waiting to be picked up. And they didn't tell us anything, like when was the next class, or what time to be there. I asked many times, but no one seemed to know.
BUT, I got a Chinese textbook and a Chinese workbook. And you guys should know by now, I LOVE language text books. It's so exciting. My host mother also helped me get me a bopomofo workbook a week ago when I asked her to. I've been practicing it in school.
On to the REAL topic, Kai Ping high school!
Today was my second day, but my first full day.
My teacher speaks some english, but mostly she let's the other students help me. She seems very nice.
My school is a tad old looking. I think it's a school mainly for kids who slacked off. Although I do see many students who really have a passion for food who take their education extremely seriously. But it suits me the school isn't overly acedemic because I wanted to go to a social school in Taiwan, because that way I will learn faster. ((I'm sorry for my run on sentences. I'm really losing my english. At first I thought people who wrote things like that that were full of it... but it's true.))
But my school has real charm. It's sooo laidback. And the food tastes sooo good. All the teachers are nice too.
As for my classmates, I can't really talk to them yet as many of them are too shy and I haven't learned enough Chinese yet.
There is another classmate who speaks english, but mostly he's too lazy to speak it. He's not really at a good level of it... He used to live in Canada when he was 2 or something. He thinks he's hot stuff. He told me he would turn me into a "bad girl" and take me to Taiwanese night clubs... I told him I doubt that very much. Even though I'm American, it doesn't mean I'm a crazy party girl. He's okay.
There are a few girls who are nice to me. Nothing worth writing about though. There are more boys than girls in my class. It's mainly boys.
There is also a boy who takes me home and takes me to school. Oh my god, this kid is my happy place in life. He saves me from everything. He's made it his mission in life to protect me from getting lost or going crazy. I'm so grateful. More about this later. Oh, and he doesn't speak a word of english.
There is also a boy who I really like. Isseikun is what I call him. He's half Japanese and half Taiwanese. His mother is nihonjin. I adore him. We talk in Japanese and he's so cool. He's the only classmate I can really talk to. He has great style and personality. I want more people like him in America. If only... XD David is getting so mad reading this.
So I wake up at 6:45 and I have to walk to the bus stop by 7:25. Then the plan is to wait for my Taiwanese hero. Today Peggy took me. At 8 or whatever we get to school. We then sit around until the teacher gets there. Which sometimes takes an hour or two or one half. No one knows when she will walk in... ._.;
For every 15 minutes of work is 10 minutes of rest and freetime. I'M SERIOUS. The teacher told me. But she randomly leaves, so we have MUCH more rest time. At 10 I order my lunch. Today I spent like three hours talking to the Japanese teacher. Her english isn't so great so we talk mainly in Japanese, but she can sometimes explain somethings to me in English/Japanese mixed. She's going to teach me one on one because she says I'm way ahead of every class. But I want to see what a class is like also. I will see her everyday.
I'm going to ask the school for Chinese lessons too.
Today after I went back to the classroom I had fun eating a REALLY good and cheap lunch. And an HOUR of lunch time.
Then we leave school at around 4:30. Sometimes it can be really boring because I don't speak Chinese. But I study Chinese and Japanese when I'm bored. Or I pass notes to Isseikun.
Today I got REALLY REALLY lost even with my hero. He didn't know where the closest bus stop was so we took MRT and bus and walked. But we went to the wrong building. But then I gave him my address and he found it and walked me to the door. He was so caring and he never gave up. He even drew on his hand to explain somthing to me. He went through such an ordeal for me. I think tomorrow will be easier because he knows where I live now.
School isn't so bad. I haven't gotten my uniform yet though. Yesterday they fitted me for it.
I need a backpack. My host sister is letting me use her's but when I go to the next family I can't take it, so I should really ask Peggy for one.
Also, all the toilets are just holes in the floor, 'squating toilets'. I have pictures and videos of everything. I'm too tired to post them now.
But my Japanese is getting really good in Taiwan! XD
