Typical school week for me

So I will find pictures for this later.

Basically, every Monday and Thursday I have Chinese class from 8:10am to 11:00. So I wake up at the same time, 6:45, and get dressed, eat breakfast and etc. At 7:22 I leave to the bus stop. It's a five minute walk. At 7:30 or sometimes 7:40, the bus 278 will come. It's my bus. Now sometimes if will have a sign with the stops updating at every stop. But today it didn't have anything, so you just had to look out the window and try to see if it looked like your stop. That sometimes happens. It sucks. Normally they have the sign with Chinese and English.

My bus ride is about 30 minutes long. I usually study if it's a chinese class morning. Or just daydream if it's a normal day. Another favorite is to people watch. I've gotten really good at taking the bus.

On chinese class days, I get to class at 8:10 and then study more for the tests. Every test I've gotten 100% on so far. Most people didn't do so well. We have a 15 minute break every hour. There is an amazing shop on the first floor with EVERYTHING you could want. I'm the 5th, in case you care. I have the BEST Chinese teacher, I hope I can stay with her for the whole year. But every couple of months we get tested and moved based on our level. I've heard some of the other Chinese teachers aren't so great.

I leave at 11am and then all the exchange students that want to hangout and eat lunch together go to Ximending. We take the bus, it's about 20 minutes.

Xinmending is a place for young people to hangout and shop. It ranges from really cheap to really expensive. It has everything. It's like a really modern New York City. But cleanish.

We usually eat dumplings because it's good and cheap. Then we shop for 15-20 minutes. Then we all go back to school.

Usually I will go to Japanese class upon entering the school. The Japanese teacher are really young and nice. They don't have my level in this school. I'm too good. XD That's a little sad because I'm not so great. I'm just okay.


Then I go to class until 4 or 4:30.

Then my bus boy takes me home. Then I hunt for something good to eat. There is always something. Then I usually go online or study or have friends over or meet with rotary students.

I prefer to see people on weekends though. I'm always tired the next day if I see someone on a weekday.

If it's not a Chinese class day, I go to school at the same time. Then I chill until lunch time, maybe go to Japanese class. At lunch time, I go with the other exchange students to explore the area for an hour. We eat lunch at a sushi restaurant most often. It's very cheap. You can eat a sushi lunch or dinner for $3USD very easily. We also often go to the same book store. Taiwanese notebooks and pen and etc are sooo cute and cheap.

After lunch, we all go back to class and wait for the day to end.


During class I like to play Taiwanese card games with my classmates, or study Chinese, or study Japanese, or study sometimes SAT stuff.

This post is all over the place. Sorry. It's also a little boring. But I like it. I like how I spend my school days here.

Bedtime! Usually on sun-thrus I sleep at 9:30ish. It's not really hard to do that.

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!!