Culture Fair!

This post will be split into two areas: Pictures and advice on the Culture Fair.

But this post isn't finished. I just really wanted to post some new pictures of myself. (EDIT: It's finished)

Love this picture

Kiwako is the most adorable girl. In the world.

I spent most of my time at her booth. She was the only Japanese and most people went to her booth. She needed the help. Also, every time I'm with her I learn something new; it's really good.

Kiwako had this at her booth.

She also had TONS of food.

Ah France.

I will edit this post later. (DONE)

ADVICE:

You will probably have to do more than one culture fair type thing, therefore, bring a lot of decorations, snacks and candy, and small gifts. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A FEW FLAGS OF YOUR COUNTRY!

This is really fun. But it's a lot more fun when you are prepared.

Rotary here gave each country about 15USD. America got about 30 USD because we have more people. However, we're going to have another fair and now the other countries are getting 30 USD and America is getting 60USD. But we have to pay for everything up front and keep the receipts, then we are reimbursed.

This culture fair was really really fun and I'm so happy we get to do it again. 



The Return of the Boyfriend

"It'll get easier with time." We've all heard it. After some great incident or loss, somebody will inevitably say this to you. At the time you can't imagine that being true; you put on an act and mutter an agreement, but your heart doesn't believe it. In these situations you usually do feel better with time. I don't think the situation I am in holds true to this. And I don't want it to.

I love Michelle very much and I don't want being away from her to ever be easy for me. If you fall into a situation like ours you may indeed feel better with time. I take a perverse pleasure in knowing that the pain I feel is as fresh as today as when she disappeared through the gate to her airplane.

I've been doing everything I can to help Michelle transition to her new lifestyle, but from the other side of the planet what help I can give is very limited. I was very nervous about Michelle adapting to this culture, even though she was already much better acquainted with it than I.

As it turns out Michelle has done a wonderful job and is settling in nicely. I'm so proud of her for what she's accomplished and what she's continuing to accomplish. To some of you it may sound I'm making a big deal of something relatively simple, but I can assure that is not the case. Delving into an Asian culture as Michelle is doing is a thousand times more challenging than it appears. Just being apart so long is incredibly difficult for me, but she has to deal with that same pain and a million other stresses at the same time. I'm very proud of her.

In a long-distance relationship talking frequently is a must! If you find yourself in a similar position as us, do everything you can to ensure you can take several times a week. Skype is great if you have a camera and microphone. Unfortunately while I possess both, Michelle currently has neither.

Taiwan is filled with ups and downs for Michelle, but on the whole I am pleased with the way things have worked out for her and with how she is handling everything.

I know this may sound corny and dumb, but you guys are really important to her. I know a lot of you read but don't comment. Please let us know what you're thinking! It means so much to Michelle if you take the time to write. Share a story, ask a question, write your emotions, etc. If you are nervous, just post anonymously.

Thanks for your continued support!

P.S. Some of you may have noticed occasional comments I have made about the boys Michelle has been meeting. I'll admit that I do get jealous, but I'm not truly worried since I trust Michelle completely.

P.S.S. I leave for my gap year travel in 9 days. if you want to follow some nerds on their Eurotrip check out our blog at eurotripattackofthenerds.blogspot.com/

The Voyage Begins

Hi this is David again.

Today was a very hard day for both Michelle and I. Even as I write this she is on the third plane of her journey to Taiwan. This plane left will be arriving in Tokyo in about 4 hours. From there Michelle will board her fourth and final plane to Taipei. Her total travel time will be around 28 hours.

At 3 A.M. this morning I traveled to the airport with Michelle and her family. I got a security pass that allowed me to be with her until the moment she passed through gate 21. Watching Michelle board that plane was undoubtedly the hardest single event of my life. I don't say that lightly; I may be a bit of a romantic but my life has not been without hardship.

But still, I am happy for her. Michelle has dreamed of escaping the U.S. for many years. Though the knowledge that we are separated both by over 10,000 miles in distance and a year in time tears at my heart, I am confident Taiwan is where Michelle belongs right now.

In case any of you more rambunctious followers are growing weary of a boyfriend's ramblings (you know who you are), I do have a little more information for you. So Michelle's elder host sister, Lynn, will be departing for Canada in a couple of days for her Rotary-powered gap year. We have also learned that her host family has a dog named Dida. Michelle will be arriving in Taiwan with a group of other Rotary Youth Exchange students in about 10 hours.

Unfortunately that is all I have to report at the moment. I'm signing off for the night.
Thanks for supporting Michelle everybody!

Another Perspective

Hello world
My name's David; I'm Michelle's boyfriend
Some of you may have been wondering why Michelle has stopped updating and commenting. The reason is simple; she has no internet to do so. She'll get back to posting ASAP. In the meantime I thought I'd share some of my thoughts with all of you.

So Michelle and I have been dating 7 months now to the day. We met at camp and decided to date despite the 2.5 hour drive that separated us. Since we are already accustomed to having a long-distance relationship, and since we love each other very much, we decided to stay together and outlast this almost-a-year-long adventure.

As we enter the final ten days before Michelle's departure I am getting excited, concerned, and sad.

I know that this trip will be among the greatest experiences of her life. I know she will be thrilled to be enveloped in a culture that has always fascinated her. I know she will love her host family and that this experience will help mold her future. For these reasons and more, I am excited.

Yet despite this I am both sad and concerned. Though I will have my own gap year plans to help me through this time, I will miss Michelle too much for words to describe. Some days I wish she wasn't going to Taiwan at all, but then I remind myself how important it is to her. Heedless concerns try to support the case against her going to Taiwan. What if her host family is mean? What if she doesn't like it after all? But we already know her host family is nice, and I have no realistic doubt that she will love Taiwan.

Overall I'm still not entirely sure how I feel. It changes on a daily basis.
All I know is that, one way or another, we shall still be together when the dust settles.

How many pins should you bring abroad with you?

Recently someone found my blog while searching for how many pins to get for an exchange.

While abroad, you give out (in my case) American related pins in exchange for other exchange student's pins from other countries. While on exchange you will likely meet with hundreds of other international exchange students. But these pins are also great to give out at the cultural fair every Rotary exchange student will likely end up hosting. And they are also great small gifts for classmates, and other people you will meet.

Allow me to make a list of questions this blog post will be answering just so you the reader, and I, the blogger, can keep organized.  

1. Where can I find pins for rotary? Where can I find cheap American pins? How to get pins?

2. How many pins do I bring abroad? How many pins should I bring? How many pins are you bringing (Michelle)?


1. You can find pins for rotary in many ways, some are easier than others, some are more effective than others.

• Email companies for pins- In my experience this is very hard to do. Most companies want to you ask in person, but when you do they give you the run around. I have not had any success with this yet. I am in the process of talking to the police station in my area though. So maybe there is still hope. This depends largely on luck. I emailed the 50 biggest CT based companies in my area, very few wrote back, none sent pins.
• Buying Pins- Buying pins is not as cheap as it would seem. Sure sometimes there is a deal to steal quickly, but mostly, it's not cheap. Stay on the lookout, but the only pins you will be able to get, most likely, are plain American flags (if you are from America).
• Making Pins- Be honest with yourselves; if you are really good at crafts and can make QUALITY pins, then totally do it. If the stuff you're going to make takes a lot of time, or is likely to fall apart, then pass on making them. Just my tips.
• Getting Pins from Rotary- Not every rotary club does this, and what kind and how many they give varies. My club gave me 150 American flag pins, just to start us out.

• If you have found a company to send you pins, please refer them to me in a comment. If you are a company interesting in supplying me with pins to handout, please comment! If you have a website with cheap pins, please share it with everyone! Comment below.

2. How many pins to bring really depends on where you're going, how long you'll be there, how many you plan to give out, etc.
In some countries, I imagine pins are not as popular as others. Which countries? You tell me! Write you experiences with pins abroad in the comments section. Help others decide how many pins to bring for their countries.

If you are only there for short term ( a couple weeks or months), naturally, you will not need as many pins as the long term program (a year).

It also depends on what kind of person you are, I have met people who really just aren't into the pin thing. They collect a couple, but don't go crazy. If you're one of these, you probably wont need as many pins.

For me, I'm bringing around 250. Will it last? Hopefully. I'll let you know if I run out! XD I think it's a good amount. Only bringing 75 might not be a good idea. More is better than less, in this case, you don't want to go without.

Update From Several Years Later:
I managed to give away all of my pins! Other than a few I left at a cultural fair one time. Don't carry all your pins on you, because if you lose them all in one sitting, that wouldn't be good. 

Letter from host mom (kind of) and High School in Taiwan!

Hey Everyone,

It's the weekend before finals and I'm going to do a post to update you, but I really shouldn't be. XD Such is my dedication to you.

I'm actually hoping one of my teachers will be able to use this as my final grade, but that might be doubtful.

I kind of received a letter from my host mother. She sent it from her other email, so I think that means she doesn't use the one I've sent her things on. I don't think she's been receiving my letters. But I sent a letter to her other email yesterday.

Um, the email she sent was telling me to arrive in taiwan from August 20 to August 26. But I don't really book that, rotary does. Anyway, I leave the 2oth. She didn't write much more than that.

BUT!!! I just found out school starts August 30 for me! Which means I'll be in Taiwan for like a week before I have to go to school!! Chotto kowai (A little scary).

I'm going to Taipei Kai-Ping Vocational and Culinary School. I've heard a lot about Taiwanese schools. Like, many of them are in old prison jail buildings... And in Asia, you're not allowed to curl your hair, wear nail polish, jewelry, etc. This is an article about my school in Taiwan. It's in English. It's very interesting. I have a pretty sweet school, I think.



http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2007/09/23/2003380133

Some pictures I found:

I hereby name you.... CHEF!! XD

Intense.

I can't seem to find any pictures of the actual school building.

I wonder if our school lunches will be better than the average in Taiwanese high schools...? I'll find out when I'm there and tell you!

My host mother wrote:

"Dear Michelle:

I'm your host Mom Olivia xxx, Did you receive my emaildated 9/6/2010.

Please make arrangements to arrive Taipei, Taiwan between August 21 and August 26 in order to give you time to settle in to your new home before School begins on August 30."

My visa stuff is sent to the visa place also! We were a day late, but I was told it didn't matter and was just going to sit around for a couple weeks anyway. Weird.

So, wish me luck on my finals. I'm going to need it.

~Michelle

If any of you have ever been an exchange student, please tell me about it! Comment below! What are the pros and cons?

AND if you're going to be an exchange student what are you happy/ worried about? Tell me!!

Electronics to Buy in Taiwan

In Taiwan, most things are cheaper. Clothing, drinks, electronics, etc. As such, I have a really long list of things I will need to for Taiwan, but I will wait until I get there to buy. On the top of that list are two things, both related to electronics.

I need a camera, and a electronic dictionary.

In USD my budget is $200 each. For the kind of stuff I want I would never be able to get those both for $200 each.

I'll show you what I mean.

Camera: Budget is $200 USD or $6,445 NT.
Must be able to:
-Zoom (even during video)
-record long HD videos
-Not blur when things are moving in picture
-take good pictures at night and in the day
-Not go out of focus every couple of seconds when I am recording a video and moving around.
-Have fast shutter speed
-A lot of memory
(David also tells me I should get an SD card with 8gb)

Electronic dictionary: Budget is the same.
Must be able to:
-english to Chinese
-Chinese to english
-English to Japanese
-Japanese to English
-draw characters on screen

In America, I could get a so-so camera for $200, but in Taiwan I can get something a little out of my range with some freebies. In America I could buy the dictionary I want online for $300, maybe $280.

If you have any advise on cameras, or what not to get please share. Also, if you have questions, please ask. When I buy these things in Taiwan I will update you.

Gifts for Host Families and Taiwanese Friends!

Hi everyone!

Me in my blazer, with my two brothers.

It's normal and expected to bring gifts with you when you are an exchange student. Gifts for the families you stay with, and for friends. In addition, I am going through rotary so we have blazers. Rotary Exchange students all trade pins from different countries. It's really fun to try to fill your blazer. It's best to make, or buy those pins. You can try to get pins from companies, but it's very hard to get companies to do that in America, from my experience. My rotary club (and many others) will actually start you off with 100-200 pins. My club gave me 150, but they are just American flags. It's really cool to have different kinds. My advice is to go shopping for American things near the 4th of july. All the stores have cheap American stuff!

When you are in rotary, you don't start out knowing how many families you will have or what they'll be like, so it's best to get general things. Also, you have to carry everything yourself in the airport, so make sure it's lightweight!!

Gifts:
Four welcome signs; two red white and blue pom poms; like 7 or 8 shirts; three stress balls; four mini American flags; three pairs of American socks (XD); two American bracelets; two children's books; one ball paddle game; two viziers; four photo books I plan to fill half of each for the host families and fill the other half with them.

Today I went to craft stores and Marshals and got most of the gifts, and the stuff to make the pins.

Pin Stuff:
Six packs of pin backings; many packs of star stuff to put on them.

I got candy, shirts ( two shirts for 7 bucks! All different sizes.), small gifts, kids books in English, and etc.

Candy:

Three York candies; two different kinds of jelly beans; two packs of red, white and blue chocolate covered sunflower seeds; two dot candies; one chocolate cookie carton; two bags of American sweets.

ALSO when you are preparing, make sure you bring things for the culture fair. You will have your own booth! Bring stuff to decorate with!

Such as:

Two medium flags; red, white and blue stars; garland; some candy.

Please ask me questions! I would love to answer you!

Update From Several Years Later:
I wish I had brought some artisan goods from Connecticut. Such as maple syrup, or chocolate covered cranberries or something local. Alternatively I wish I had brought some American branded goods. In Asia people really enjoy receiving Ferrero Rocher chocolates or brand name clothing, for example. Even local coffee beans are an idea, or just Starbucks Brand Coffee. Even if those things are available in Asia, they are very expensive and considered really nice gifts. Generally, Taiwanese adults won't typically enjoy normal T-shirts with American flags on them and whatnot. Candy always goes over well, though.