I was pretty disappointed when the host family experience initially got cancelled.  But I was so fortunate to be able to reschedule for last weekend.  I got an inside look at what daily life is like in Taiwan.  And I got to hangout with some awesome kids— my host parents had two.   Jessica (using … Continue reading →

My calligraphy is much better after having bought two specific items at the stationary store: butter lion pencils and a hippo pencil sharpener.  Now I can erase my mistakes!  I just don’t understand why the United States cannot sell cute things. My butter lion pencil has sheep-pigs all over it and says, “Surrounded by butter … Continue reading →

At this point in the trip, I’ve almost broken every rule that my doctor laid out for me prior to leaving.  He said, don’t have fruit, or drinks with ice in them, wear a ton of bug spray, avoid raw food, and don’t drink the water.  I specifically asked him about sushi.  He didn’t recommend it.  Well, … Continue reading →

Ping pong has become a nightly tradition in our dorm, and every night we try to mix up opponents, at least somewhat.  Sometimes new people stop in, so that’s always fun.  Mark and I have played a few times before, but in this particular match up, he went all ad hominem on me… saying, “You … Continue reading →

Today I reached Tea Master status.  I’d like to thank my tea subordinates for supporting me all the way though.  It was a long journey, and I had to study years for this position, but I’ve finally reached the top rung of the tea ladder.  To see all that I’ve worked for pay off… this … Continue reading →

So, the typhoon was… slightly pathetic in Tainan.  I can’t speak for Taipei, but it hardly even rained here today.  I went outside in a poncho and it wasn’t even drizzling.  I think some of the nicest weather came this weekend: cool and windy.  It was a welcomed break from the blazing sun and sticky … Continue reading →

Typhoon binge, noun: the act of eating as much pizza, french fries, onion rings, and fried chicken as possible on Fried Food Friday (FFF) in an enfort to prepare for an oncoming typhoon, much like hibernation I just got back from a typhoon binge at an all-you-can-eat pizza place with Jessica, Sara, and Ethan.  Did … Continue reading →

By the way, my Mandarin name is gāo yǐ ān.  Otherwise known as “tall with safe.”  My language partner and her friends tried to console me by saying, “Ohhh yeahhh, I’ve definitely heard that name before… It’s.. very pretty.”  I guess that’s what you get when you receive a Mandarin name that sounds like your English name … Continue reading →

Well let’s just start off with: I’m blogging from the floor today.  I fell asleep writing this post.  But that is no indication of the exciting things you are about to read, I promise.  It was probably more of an indication of how fun karaoke was last night, but again, that is a story for … Continue reading →

When I was talking with a friend on Skype about my tai chi class in the afternoon, he said, “That doesn’t sound like a scholarship!”  It made me laugh. In addition to my language classes, I’m also taking a Chinese painting class and a tai chi class.  Also this week: Tammy took me to play … Continue reading →