Nantou and YangMing San

This past Saturday I traveled to a place called Nantou! Nantou is right in the middle of Taiwan - about three hours from Taipei. Taipei Tung Ho Rotary Club, my host club, was heading there because they were meeting another Rotary club from farther south in Taiwan. The other Rotary club was bringing children with mild cases of mental illness and their families along to spend a day full of fun with us!

My day started off early at Zhongxiao Fuxing Station - where I was meeting the other Rotarian's on our large tour bus. From the moment I arrived at the airport in Taipei the first night and everyday since, I see these huge tour busses. They are all over. The busses are big, double decker, equipped with TV/microphone, have air conditioning on full blast, and are big enough to have a bathroom, but they don't! Ha! I have been on a bus or two before, but I could not have been more excited to see a part of Taiwan in this way, that day. To add to that, I also received my sun-yellow T-Shirt with hearts on it before we departed, to match all the other Rotarian's that day. :)

We made it to Nantou just in time for lunch with the other club! We ate a delicious lunch together at a museum which is a replica of an old/famous market in this area of Taiwan. After lunch we all explored the museum and then hopped back on the tour bus. The next stop was a traditional Taiwanese paper making factory. This factory makes the special paper that is used for writing calligraphy. It is not rice paper, but rather a more heavy, scroll type of paper. The process is old fashioned, long, and tedious. We were all able to give it a try and make our own special artwork on the paper. It is one of those processes that looks so easy, but is just so difficult at times. It took me awhile to get mine just right, but I did it! The other children finished theirs as well.  To to see their excitement when they showed "the American", was an awesome way to finish of my day with them. My host club and I then got back on the bus and headed to dinner in the near by city of Taichung! I am telling you, the people of Taiwan have not yet left me hungry once. Ha! Taichung is the the second largest city in Taiwan.

On the bus ride home, my host club engaged in Taiwan's tradition of karaoke! Yes, Karaoke! Everyone loves it here! I  don't think I have ever done karaoke besides singing in my shower or out loud just to annoy someone. The Rotarian's gave me this huge book of songs, turned it to the English songs page, and asked me if I would sing a song! The English songs that they have are all the slow, classics. Songs that I know, but not the upbeat songs that just allow you to let loose and have fun! I picked the closest things to it though!

The first song I sung was Sweet Caroline, by Neil Diamond! So, I was off pitch and missing words here and there.  I just kept imagining myself at a Red Sox game... in the bottom of the 8th inning... along with all the other tone deaf fans, just having a good time! That song, followed by a duet of Imagine by John Lennon with a Rotarian.  They all just loved my voice so much, that I sang a little John Denver's, Take Me Home Country Road! It was a great way to finish of the long and adventurous day in Taiwan!

 On Sunday, I headed to Yang-Ming San for another hike! This time I went with all of the inbound exchange students who are in Taiwan for the 2012-2013 year, as well as some students who had traveled from Taiwan as exchange students to other countries in the last year or so! It was another rainy day, however I got to see the mountain on a new trail which was beautiful. We hiked, played games, had a picnic, and tried to use Chinese as a "happy medium" when the language barrier became to difficult.  This was fun and funny - we laughed alot!

 


One of the coolest things about Rotary, and just one of the many reasons I am so grateful to be a part of the organization, is the fact that I can be called an exchange student and I can accept all of the challenges and excitement that comes with the honor. When we exchange students come together, you really would think we are like family. Some are like the in-laws you just never want to see and some are the ones you love to talk to and can't wait to see. Some of us have absolutely nothing in common, and some of us have a lot in common.  However, we are sharing this huge time in our lives with each other and experiencing our new homes everyday. The connections that we have together because of the one really simple but big common thread, are ENDLESS!  I am so happy and thankful to have Rotary in my life!

A great weekend! Looks like Vail got some snow up high this past week! As always, thanks for reading my blogs and sharing this experience with me! More soon!

Anna

To the North We Go!

BUSY...so you might as well call me a BEE! I love being busy, I really do! Being busy in my new culture has given me the oppurtunity to learn, grow, challenge myself, reach within myself, experience new sets of emotions, and truly experience the Taiwanese culture full on!

This past weekend another large typhoon came into Taiwan! My first week here, when two typhoons came in, I was so scared and worried everyday. But now, it is just apart of my daily life and I embrace them full on! Seriously! Even though the original plans for the weekend were cancelled because of the typhoon, I didn't let it stop me! I woke up early as always, pulled out my colorful umbrella, put my raincoat on, and headed to the gym. Not many people go out here when a typhoon hits.  Just in case Saturday was different, I decided that wearing my pink workout outfit and then having my loud umbrella would be a little much. I stuck with all black and let the other daring pedestrians who I encountered have their full focus in the hard rain and wind! Ha! I needed a little laugh and thought some of you might get a little kick from that one!

When I got home from the gym, my host mom and I headed to the bakery to pick up my host grandma and her friend. The four of us girls were heading up to my host grandma's mountain house for lunch. My host grandma is a great cook. Sadly, the fish was not thawed out enough to be able to be cooked but I still had great traditional Taiwanese food! Her home up in the mountains is very quiet and quaint. It is only about an hour to 45 minutes from Taipei but it feels like a new world. I especially enjoy the feeling of getting out of the city! City life, all day everyday here in Taipei has its ups and downs just like any place. It felt so nice to just feel calm and collected up there. After I finished a tour of the house, see some family history and take in the beautiful rain forest surrouding us, my host mom and I headed home.

I had about an hour at home to pack my overnight bag for our road trip that evening! Saturday evening, my host parents and I would be heading up North to a place called Yilan with four other families. Road trips are great! It is a great time to get to know people, practice a language, listen/watch Taylor Swift live in concert with the young girls in the car, or even watch the Yankees play Tampa Bay Rays game (LIVE) on the screen (Yep! These minivans were equipped.  They do not mess around!), eat lots of food, and again see Taiwan in a new and beautiful way.

We arrived to Yilan around 7:00 p.m. - perfect time to eat dinner at a night market! Everybody has talked to me about the night markets here in Taipei! I had so many ideas and expectations leading up to my first time and I have to say it was pretty great. They are really crowded with people, and there are many unique smells in the air coming from the food! I was hungry which was a good thing because my host parents make me try everything and they make sure I am never hungry. I wanted them to do their thing and show me the best foods.  All week I had been craving corn on the cob, so I went to the first stand I saw with it! This corn was SO good, and so traditional Taiwan. My host parents were surprised that I liked it - it is fried and has a really spicy sauce on it - but I loved it! I also tried a traditional Taiwanese vegetable pie thing that I still cannot pronounce.   The fried chicken (a chicken foot!), which all the kids were very happy I tried - then washed it all down with some watermelon juice. It was a great first experience at a night market!

 After the night market, we jumped back into the minivans and caravaned up to the bed and breakfest which we would be staying at for the night! When we arrived, we unloaded, checked everything out, and then rode bikes around the near by park. The parents ate some more food, and then we celebrated two of the little girls birthdays to finish the night off! I was surely ready for my bed after the day.

On Sunday my host parents and I rode our bikes around the park! We were on the side of a river and surrounded by mountains which was very pretty. After breakfest and morning tea with the other families, we headed out to a Taiwan whiskey, coffee, and tea factory. We toured the factory and I got to taste some unique teas! I had to leave everyone early because I had to be back in Taipei for some meetings with Rotarians.  The weekend was very exciting and I am grateful I got to see a small part of Northern Taiwan!

A little side note! It is Wednesday the 19th here in Taiwan. Today offically marks one month being here in my new country and one month being away from my home country and family! I am very grateful for all of the experiences I have had in just this last month but I am even more proud of myself for learning and growing through some of my challenging times here! Although I still have a long road ahead of me, I am excited for the adventures, challenges, and triumphs that I will be able to go through while on it! I know I have a team of supporters back there in Colorado and elsewhere in the world - I appreciate you and thank you! To my family, to write in words how much you mean to me and how much I love you is simply too hard. I love you!

Anna

First Week of School

What a way to start my first day of school! An assembly for the exchange students at my school  where we would introduce ourselves! My school kicked of the year in the most traditional way, and gave me two hours that I will always remember!

Here in Taiwan, I am going to Songshan Vocational High School of Agriculture and Industry. Based on the name, the school focuses on agriculture and industry. Every student has the opportunity to choose which department they would like to study in for their high school years. The departments at the school range from Automotive Technology, Auto Control, Computer Technology, Chemical Technology, Electrical Engineering, Food Processing, and Horticulture. None of which I have much of an interest in, however the one that caught my attention more than the others was Horticulture. Horticulture sounded interesting and I thought of it as something that I might not have the chance to study again, so why not do it now in Taipei! I can tell you that in just the first few days,  I am so happy with my choice and looking forward to many of the learning times I will have with my class!

School starts everyday at 7:30 in the morning! Therefore, I am up everyday at 5:30am walking out of my house between 6:15 and 6:30am. I travel by MRT, bus, and foot to school. I have to take two MRT's everyday, a bus on Tuesday and Friday, and then walk about twenty minutes. Let's just say by the time I walk into class every morning I have sweat dripping from my face. With all of that, I wear a uniform every single day that I think is going to surely need a little Anna Trombetta fashion help! I have to wear black trousers, a white button down shirt, closed toed shoes -with socks, and I have a school backpack. For P.E., I received a turquoise and white shirt that I have to wear. They ran out of the straight up turquoise pants, so that was a plus! Every morning as I walk through the hustle and bustle of the MRT in the morning, the subways all look like a bunch of inmates who just escaped. Ha! The vibrant orange top to bottoms, yellows, greens, shades of blues, oh and we must add pink top to bottom. At least I can try to blend in a little, despite sticking out because I am an American!

At school, I stay in the same classroom for the entire day and with the same students the entire day. New teachers shuffle in every two hours when a new class begins. Totally different from America! My room is very traditional.  I have wooden desk and wooden chair. White walls and a green chalkboard up front. The pictures to the right are what my classroom looks like and the other is a seating chart. The seating had all numbers and then my name right in the middle. The school doesn't have much air conditioning, only in some rooms. My room has a few fans! My school days here all look different, but from the school schedule I was given they all look the same. Ha! Just kidding. Although not really. My schedule is in Chinese characters. So, for the past couple of days I have sat at my desk and tried to figure them out. With some help from my classmates, I have figured out that I will be taking Math, P.E., Health, Military, Chinese, English, Landscaping/Gardening, and creating a career as a florist. I haven't taken all the classes yet because I didn't have a full week.  But, the ones that I have taken are pretty intense. I am not expected to know everything they say or do.  However, I don't waste my time.  I study Chinese by listening to the teacher and writing down phrases I hear often.  I also do daily work that my counselor here gave me. The English teacher for my class has asked me if I would help her teach English to the class two days a week. I thought that this was a nice honor! On Thursday, I found in those two hours that I learned many new Chinese words and phrases which is a plus. I gave a PowerPoint presentation, read to the class an English story about the Value of a Day (couldn't relate more to my life now!), and helped them with vocabulary. On Friday, a couple of my other teachers came up to me and said nice job yesterday in English! Everybody at the school is very welcoming and I appreciate all of their hard work for me!

 

On Tuesdays and Fridays I will travel up to the mountain where my school's farm is! They have a school building there that is surrounded, literally, by their farm. It is so cool and so beautiful! Yesterday the students took me on a tour of the entire farm! We skipped, we ran, we walked, and we laughed around the entire farm. My favorite place is probably the fruit tree area. Bananas, mangos, papaya, lemon/lime, and a few others I do not know. The smell of the entire area is great! I also really enjoy the walk up to the view of Taipei! My classmates I was with will probably forever love the times when I jump.  This is because there is a HUGE spider web and a spider eye level with me every ten minutes. Four words - I DON'T DO SPIDERS!

School will be very hard here in Taipei.  However, it will be what I make of it. This week has been a hard week for me emotionally.  I continue to remember the reason I am here on exchange and it keeps me going! I had another Rotary meeting this week and staying busy this weekend by heading to a Cirque de Soleil show with my host mom and her friends today/tonight! Thanks for reading and sharing in my excitement so far!

Anna :)

I'm On the Move!

I'm on the move! There really is no better way to put it. My legs, my hands, my mouth, my head, and if only I had all day, I would make a list and name them all! Every day in Taiwan, feels like a week.  Every time my week comes to an end, it feels like I am entering into a new month. I love it!

Immediately after I posted my last blog, I went to sleep because I was so tired from my week. When I woke up the next morning, I checked my email and Facebook and in both places I had many emails plus messages from all of you back home. It put a smile on my face and I appreciate your support, encouragement, and the laughter you gave me that morning! It was so great and it means a lot! Thank you!

You got me so pumped up that I did my laundry Taiwan style. In the states, I don't do my laundry much because I am grateful to have my kind mother to do it.  However I do know how to complete the washing process. This process is definitely different. As I like to say, the old fashioned way with a little jazz! I do have a washing machine (the jazz) here, but no dryer. So, I have to hang my clothes to dry which is not that hard and in my own kind of way it is peaceful. Just me and my clothes! I am not weird - you would totally think it was peaceful too if you were on the move everyday.

After my morning of laundry, I headed to Liuzhangli MRT Station to meet my Taiwanese Rebound friend Ruby and another Rotary Inbound Student from New York. We went to have some lunch and afternoon tea which is very common here in Taiwan. At afternoon tea, Ruby introduced me to a type of green tea that the Taiwanese people love. It is a really, I mean really strong green tea with this white foam on the top that is made out of salt and butter. It looks like a Corona beer.  All that is missing in the lime!  Trying new things is something I am open to and enjoy here so I tried it, even though I was a little hesitant at first. I am going to say that I probably will never have it again but I am glad I tried it. The taste and texture of it was just something that I couldn't seem to get over after many sips.  

When I came home my host parents both told me that they were going to friends houses so I would be on my own for dinner. I took this chance and I walked to my favorite restaurant! Even though I do enjoy some of the meats here in Taiwan, after a big communal/family meal the night before - eating at a restaurant that only has vegetables and you can go has heavy or light as you want is delightful. At many of the restaurants here, for quick lunch and dinners, there is a buffet with an assortment of foods for you to choose from. When you walk in the door you can either grab a little to-go box or your plate for the restaurant and also grab a pair of tongs. Then you make your way down the line picking anything you want and you pay based on weight.  Soup and rice is included with all of your meals! I never eat it all and I always say no to the soup and extra rice. It is just too much! Ha! After I made my to-go box, I headed to the fresh fruit stand down from my house. The same guy is always there and I would consider he and I "peeps". He doesn't speak any English but he always smiles and tells me how much for my item. Luckily I know my numbers, the names of fruits that I like, and basic communication! I walked home, ate dinner on the couch while I watched the Taiwan news about Jeremy Lin being in town and the typhoon that was in the area, and then got ready for my big day the next day!

 
On Wednesday, I headed to the National Palace Museum with two of my host parents friends! I really wanted to visit this museum, so I thankful and excited they offered to be my tour guides for the day. The museum is located more to North by the mountains but it was still MRT accessible so we met at the MRT station. They took me to afternoon tea which was nice and then we headed to the museum. It was an inside museum,  so no pictures. However, the items that are shown in the museum are something that you have to see in person to really see the true beauty of them. I did in audio tour and learned about the history of many pieces from all of China's Dynasty's and really saw the importance of the special things my host family uses around the house on a daily basis! The architecture on the outside of the building is very special to their culture as well and is a pretty cool thing to see! When I came home later that day, a family friend who speaks English very well, came over and we studied Chinese for a few hours. I am growing my vocabulary everyday and becoming more confident with my language daily.

Thursday was a great day! My host family took me on a hike up YangMing San Mountain, located about an hour from my home here in the city. It was such a beautiful drive up the mountain, but a little crazy as well! To begin, it was a little bit of rainy day.  We were in a cloud for most of the day so it was hard to see a lot of the time. Add to that, the roads are crazy and my host dad scared me to death on these roads!. To think that my host mom and my host grandma can sleep as he drives these roads scares me! I compare it to the time when my family biked up the mountain side from Santa Margarita, Italy to Portofino, where we were on a cliff hanging over the ocean. Bikes, cars, huge passenger buses, taxis, and motorcycles are all trying to go around big turns - they just lay on the horn and then the times when I have driven up into Palos Verdes, California in the early morning with my family and we are in a big cloud, once again on a cliff and we can't see anything. No big deal, nobody is going to worry except for Anna! Top that off with really having to pee - you can learn so many new Chinese words and laugh all the while! I couldn't even get a picture it was so crazy!

 When we arrived at the mountain, it was raining a little so we decided to let is pass "by going to a mountain restaurant for mountain food", as my host dad told me in his broken English! I think what he meant was everything was really fresh so it would taste really good, and  indeed it did. After lunch, we began our hike again. The sign I am standing next to in the picture was reassuring before I began my hike. NOT! The hike was absolutely beautiful even on a rainy and cloudy day. It was such a lush green forest and insanely relaxing. The noises of birds and insects and the sound of our feet on the rocks was all we could hear. My host dad hikes as though the lake at the top will disappear and we will never see it, if we don't get there fast!  He also likes to do some arm exercises so I thought I would join in! One of the pictures below! I had never experienced anything like it! At the top, there was a small lake which was really pretty. After the hike we went to a natural hot springs in the mountains. It was also very relaxing.  However, the many crawling creatures surrounding it were enough to give me the eebie-geebies! Overall, I am so grateful I was able to achieve one of my dreams while on exchange - hike in the rain forest and to do it with what I call the "A Team".  We are all amazing and each of our names start with "A"! I look forward to many more hikes this year and many more crazy drives with my host family! The picture of my host grandma, my host mom, and me is on a long bridge that my host father wanted to take a picture on. He told me to get out of the car so we could take a picture on the green bridge. It's not green...it's bright orange! Haha!

  

And it is September! Geez...this is crazy! I went to the zoo on September 1st with many Rotary students. I haven't been to a zoo in forever. All zoo's that I have been to look and seem the exact same to me and Taipei's Zoo wasn't much different. Instead of just wasting time, I used the hours to learn how to say the animals in Chinese and ask questions to the Taiwanese students who were there! It's a win win situation because I can teach English and they can teach Chinese, no matter the situation or place we are at. That night, my host family and I went to a local park where we met three families for dinner. Dinner was nice and fun as are all the communal/family dinners that they have here. They always make me feel so comfortable and they all like to have fun with the American at the dinner table! The things they try to say to me in English are so funny and they probably think that of me too, so it's OK. Ha!

 The next day I woke up early because my body doesn't sleep late in general but I knew my host parents would be sleeping for a couple more hours. So I did some laundry and then headed to the gym. Not to many women there this time to follow me around this time...I think that time frame is good! Note taken. Ha! When I got home from the gym, there was a huge box waiting at the front door. I brought it into my house and my host mom and dad were both sitting on the couch. They both said OH, for you, for you. Open it. I knew it wasn't from America just based on the packaging and the Chinese on the top so I only began to wonder. They were both just watching me and it felt like Christmas. Nothing like opening a box on Christmas morning with ten HUGE HUGE fish looking at you. I looked over at my host parents and just laughed. My host dad said to me, "last night dinner you told me you liked the fish so I bought some for you". I just laughed out loud and said thank you! He is so thoughtful! Ha! The pictures below are priceless.

 

 

Late in the day, we met the same three families at a junior high school to play some sports. We played basketball (I channeled my inner Lebron James and shot some 3's like nobody's business!), soccer, we ran races around the track, and played badminton. It was a lot of fun! We finished the night with a big dinner and excitement for the next time we would do it all over again!

To finish my week off, my host mom and I spent the day doing things for the bakery! We brought some of the fish to the bakery and my host grandma made a delicious lunch for us. It was so fresh, cooked so simply.  It was the best fish I have ever had and might have been the best meal I have had in Taiwan yet. So good truly is an understatement! After lunch we drove around the city of Taipei with her sister purchasing items needed in the bakery. Now I understand the hard work behind running a bakery and the muscles that you can gain in just a few hours of lifting dough, boxes, sugar, and many other things. Another learning day here!

Again, I am really enjoying every moment I have here...even the tougher ones. I am grateful I have this opportunity and I look forward to the future! Tomorrow I have orientation at my school and then school officially starts on Wednesday. I am excited to get into a routine and learn the ropes!

Thank you to everyone for reading my blogs and sending me the kind messages! Your support means so much! Talk to you soon! More later.....

Anna