Sewing

My current school life is mostly made up of sewing and other craftiness. Plus chinese. I have 7 hours of sewing classes a week, and 2 dresses I want to make by July. My crocheting/knitting class has moved on to quilting. Everyone is going to make a quilted bag. I decided to design the pattern for mine, and I start cutting my fabric on Thur. In handicraft class we are croceting, so I need to figure out a project. Any ideas?
I moved back to my first host family last Sunday. It is going well and I'm back to my old rutine (which is pretty much the same as my old rutine). The weather is hot again, so it is nice to be back to a house where I know how to work the air conditioning.
Thanks for all your love and support!

Zai Jian!

Penghu

This last weekend, Friday-Sunday, I went to Penghu with my district and 2 others. Lots of exchange students and lots of fun. Penghu is a small group of islands in the Taiwan strait. We went fishing in the ocean (caught 2 small red fish), fishing in a squid "tank", swimming, and haveing a great time. Squid fishing was interesting. You attatch a fish head to a line and toss it in. Then, the squid grabs it in it's tentecals and you reel it in. When they come to the surface they squirt water everywhere. It is a tone of fun, but after a while the squids get quite tired. It was fun to hang out with the other exchange students and be on a beach for the second time since moving to an island. I met a lot of great students and I can't wait untill the end of the month. We have a country wide confrence and all the students will be there. Liz is asking every week, so my expected return date is 7/11. Love you all! Thanks for your help!

Zai Jian!

If you give a classmate a puppet...

...They will want more. We have to put a short play on for the kindergarteners. Now, my group decided to use puppets instead of real people. They told me to make my own, so I did. It turned out pretty cool, especialy since it only took three hours. I showed it to my classmates, and then they asked me to help them make more. I managed to make the heads for the four more of them in an hour. Hopefully it all turns out well. Luckily my sewing skills are good, and I've seen a few wonderfly made puppets (thanks Mom!). Everything else is going well. I love you all and thanks for the support.

Zai Jian!

John, it is really wierd what things aren't here, like skunks. I haven't smelled a skunk in a while, not that I'm complaining. No dandelions float through blue air here. It is different, but good.

Hair Cut

I just got back from getting my hair cut. I would like to walk you through the steps of getting your hair cut in Taiwan.

Step 1: Enter shop with host mom and quickly explain your Chinese level. Also say what you want them to do to your hair.

Step 2: Go into the back and get your hair washed.

Step 3: Have a question asked to you. Say yes.

Step 4: Get your head massaged. For 5 minutes.

Step 5: Rinse hair. Add more stuffs.

Step 5: Have stuffs added thuroughly to hair and then asked another question. This one seems to have the word water in it, so you say okay.

Step 6: More head massaging.

Step 7: Repeat steps 5-6.

Step 8: Go back to the front to get hair cut.

Step 9: Be very nerves as some women you don't know cuts your hair while talking to a man selling hair brushes.

Step 10: Finish hair cut.

Step 11: Dry hair.

Step 12: Feel a bit like a doll, but overall not a bad hair cut.

Step 13: Walk home while singing nerdy songs.

And that is how it is done.


Oh, and John, one question:

Do fish take baths often?

Love you all!!!!!

Zai Jian!

Japan, and what that means for Taiwan

Everyone from the U.S. warned me about the earthquake long before I even knew it happened. Thank you all for your quick respons. I didn't feel a thing, and there is little danger here. The waves on the east side of the island were reported to be a bit bigger, but no damage was done. Even if there is a nueclear meltdown, Taiwan is far enough away. Don't worry too much! I am just fine. I am very happy with my host family. I met my host brothers the other day. They are both in their 30's and married. They are very nice and fun. I hope to see them some more. Thank you for all of your love and support!

Zai Jian!

New family

I just got a new family, and it is great. I will stay for a month before I head back to my first family. I like this family a lot. They have two sons, but they are both in their 30's and have moved out a while ago. I will be meeting them tonight, so that should be fun. I have been seeing a lot of other white people lately. By a lot, I mean 4 in the last 5 days. One was a tutor that only comes to my school every once in a while. 2 I just passed on the road while I was bicking. The other I met last Sat. He is a new teacher in a near by middle school. He has only been in Taiwan for 3 months. It was nice to meet someone new to Taiwan. The only bad part of my last week was the destruction of my mp3 player. The first car didn't hit it, but the second one was not so kind. Suprisingly, it didn't shatter. The screen cracked, but it dosn't work at all. O well. I'll live without it. Thanks for everything!

Zai Jian!

March

It is a new month, and on Wed. I get a new host family. I'll stay with them for a month before going back to the first host family. It should be an interesting month.
I just got back from a three day weekend. It was nice. I spent Fri-Sun at a friend's house in Changhua. Mon, I did a bit of shopping and stayed home. It was a good day back. I had five hours of sewing class. Three were spent learning how to draw a pattern for a skirt, but the other two I got to use for actual sewing purposes. I finished up a small doll sized practice dress, that the whole class had to make, and I started drawing the pattern for a new dress I'm making. I'll post pictures as soon as I get the dress finished. Thanks for all your love and support!

Zai Jian!

P.S.

Do I bring back gifts for people? I missed a lot of birthdays and Christmas, but I'm not sure what the situation is. Please put some input in the comments, I would really appreciate it. Also, it isn't greedy to say it is okay for me to give gifts, it is just honest.