Here I am!

I made it, I'm in Taiwan! After a long 17h flight, a few hours in Hong Kong airport, and 1h30min flight to Taipei, I was greeted by my first host family and a whole bunch of other people at the airport. It was exciting and overwhelming all at the same time. I was so relieved that there were people there to greet me! I was scared no one would show up or something and I'd be stranded at the airport. But everything went as planned and so my little welcome entourage took me out for dinner. Even though it wasabout 7pm and dark out it was still about 30'C! Sooo hot. We drove to the restaurant, called Joyful, and I ate my first Chinese meal. It was exhausting trying to eat new food (with chopsticks!) and talk to everyone but it was a lot of fun. I ate more seafood in one meal than I've ever eaten in my life. We even had a fish, complete with head and tail! That was a little alarming at first, but it tasted really good. After dinner we went to my new home, a really big apartment. My luggage was already in my room. I think my room here is bigger than my room at home! It even has it's own little bathroom, just a sink and toilet, which is great. Anyway, I took a shower and went to bed, exhausted from my long trip.

The next few days have sort of been a blur of meeting new people, eating new foods, going to new places. On my first day in Jhongli my brother, Anson, took me around the streets and park near the apartment. My host mother, who I call Mama, had me take an umbrella with me to keep off the sun. I felt silly carrying an umbrella in bright sunshine, but I've been doing it every time I go out since then. I had about 3 naps that first day because I was still so tired. The second day Anson and the twins, Wynn and Tanya, took me down to the local swimming pool (I know right? Them: Elyse, lets go swimming! Me: Oh, dear Lord...). It's actually like 2 lane pools, a kid's water park/playground, a sort of relaxing pool with jet chairs and such, a room with hot and cold pools each about the size of hottubs, and saunas. We spent a few hours there and I had a lot of fun. It's funny though, everyone has to wear a swim cap to go in the pools and everyone has goggles. So I also had to get goggles and a swim cap haha. Not that I ever get my head wet though...Anyway. We also went to the night market that night, which is a lot of fun. It's right around the corner from the apartment. So many things to see and do eat, it's sensory overload haha. I've been...twice now, I think. I've sort of lost track of the days, so don't quote me on them haha. The next evening I learned how to make and pour tea. It's very different from how we do it in North America. The teapot is very small and so are the cups. You only steep the tea leaves for 30sec before pouring and the leaves can be used a couple of times before new leaves are needed. I really enjoyed the whole tea thing, it was interesting. Plus the tea is good. :) The next day (maybe? seriously, I've lost count) the oldest sister in my family, Stella, came to visit with her daughter, who is adorable! She took myself, Anson, the twins, and another sister with her baby boy out shopping in Taoyuan. Them all was huge and I almost died from shopping excitement. No, I didn't buy anything haha, just a water bottle as I've been drinking water like a fish. Oh, and Stella bought me a drink at Starbucks. :D Last night was my first Rotary meeting with my host club. It went well. I made a little introduction speech, which my counsellor's wife, Shirley, translated for the club. Many of the members speak decent English, which is cool. Afterwards we went out for a 'second meeting' which is just a casual gathering of some of the members at a local Taiwanese restaurant. It was a lot of fun getting to talk to everyone. Oh, and I noticed they really like to drink Heineken here haha. Yeah, I know, odd thing to pick up on. Oh, and somewhere in this week I also went to my school and picked up my uniform. My school is huge, I'm so going to get lost hahah. I start school on Monday, I'm nervous! Anyway, I gotta go and get some lunch. More later!

Elyse

Here are some pictures from last night's Rotary meeting (one of the members took these, I don't have my pictures uploaded to the computer yet so this is all I have to show as of now):

Thanks for the party!

I just want to say thank you to everyone who came to the party last night. It was awesome to have my families (all three of them!) and my extended family members (we don't do 'friends,' everyone is family :] ) gathered for one last hurrah before I leave. I'm glad I got a chance to see so many people as it will be many months before I get to do so again.

Thank you to those who brought cards and gifts. It certainly was not expected of you but was definitely appreciated. Oh, and special thanks to the Curtis family who bought me luggage, which, you know, is sort of important for traveling haha. :)

So, it's now 6 days before I head down to the airport to embark on my travels. 6 days to get my life for the next year packed into a suitcase. 6 days to say my last goodbyes, tie up loose ends, and say 'I love you and I'll miss you' to as many people as I can. 6 days until my world turns upside-down.

Holy crap, I only have 6 days!

Oh, and good luck to my first host sister Hannah, who I believe is leaving tomorrow for her exchange in Belgium! :D

And here are some pictures from the party (which were a pain to post, by the way...I'm not used to blogspot posting yet >.<)

First Post!

I've just started my blog today. I leave for Taiwan on August 22nd and today is August the 6th, so there's only 16 days until I leave! Getting organized, getting nervous, getting more excited....A little overwhelming ahah. That is to be expected though. I believe things are going as they should emotionally haha. Except that my mother is losing her mind (her words exactly, not mine!).

Anyway, I'm not sure about how frequent my blog posts will be when I get overseas. Frequent contact with home is discouraged by Rotary but I'll do what I can! I'll try to at least post pictures since those are really what people want to see haha. So, here are a few pictures from Grand Rapids in July.

1st pic: Supporters of Brasil during the Brasil vs The World soccer game....Brasil won (again).

2nd pic: A bunch of outbound students from my Rotary district (6330 woot!) plus Kushit, an inbound to the states from India.

3rd pic: Bo! My little friend from Thailand who was in our district but in the northern Michigan part.

4th pic: Me and my husband, Kushit. I'm his second wife. No, don't ask haha.