Happy new year to everyone. XD I know that’s really late. Actually, merry Xmas too.
新年快樂 is Happy New Year [pronounced: sheen nyehn kwai luh]
聖誕快樂 is Merry Xmas [pronounced: shuhng dahn kwai luh]
So! Was it good for you? Mine was good. Okay, so where did I leave off?
Let’s see,
-I’ve been going to the gym twice a week, but for the last month I haven’t been going but once or not at all cause of how busy I am. 😦 But, I’m back on it now. 😀 It’s super cheap. One hour is NT$50, so that’s like US$1.50. And to rent a locker is NT$10, so that’s like US$0.33. XD Isn’t that crazy? I do two hours a week. Which is nothing but it’s better than absolutely nothing!
-I read Slumdog Millionaire. That’s a really good book. I want to watch the movie now.
-I watched a famous Taiwanese movie called Cape No. 7 and it really sucked. XD BUT, the scenes in the beginning were my favorite. It’s SOOO Taiwanese. I’m gonna buy it just to show people back home what TW is like. Some of the places they were at I’ve been at!
-I’ve passed by TWO movie filmings! It’s so cool to be in Taipei!
-The language: Well, it’s been four months. I can hold really basic conversations and my Chinese class is all in Chinese, so I think I’m in pretty good shape. Speaking is my best area, but I still have a long way to go. ^^ If people speak slowly I can understand a lot, but I still have that problem where I know that like watermelon = shigua but when I hear “shigua” from someone I’m like “What is that?” The English to Chinese is good but the Chinese to English is not good.
-I have a really good ticket to go see Super Junior (the whole group, not part of the group like I saw last time) if and when they come in Feb. 😦
Unfortunately, their having some problems cause one of the members wants out of his contract. 😦 They better not disband!! I’m gonna kill someone if they do!
-Wait, did I tell you guys I saw Super Junior M (a subgroup of my favorite band Super Junior)? They were amazing! XD And, their Korean and their Chinese is better than mine! I’m gaining on them though.
-Xmas: Uh, we had a party at school that me and the 3 other exchange students (aka YEP) made. We actually had school that day. Can you believe it? Actually, now that I think about it, the party was on Christmas Eve. Then, on Xmas day (a Friday) me and Miguel went to school and the two Frenchies didn’t. We got presents from our classmates (cards and cookies) and then we skipped after like first or second period. A few days ago we’d planned to skip and go watch a movie, but we ended up walking around the city, checked out a new cinema complex, and just aimlessly walked some more. We were waiting for another French girl to be able to skip (she couldn’t till like 12). Then we met Manon (the French girl at my school) and Nora (a German girl) in a park and sat around some more. It was pretty fun. Then the French girl came and we were gonna go watch a movie, but right as we were gonna leave I got a call from one of my TW classmates asking where I was and that the teacher had a gift for me. So, I had to go ALL the way to school (took me an hour) only to sit in class for the last period while everyone took a test. 😦 But, I did get a couple more presents (one edible, one a pair of socks. XD I love them).
Then, I went straight home to prepare for a fancy dinner with my host parents and two other YEP (Quentin, the French boy at my school, and a Japanese girl named Ayumi). It was super delicious and I gained like 6 kilos because of it. XD My host mom gave me a cute gift. She gave me a stuffed dog with an ipop speaker inside so I can sleep on it and listen to music. I don’t know if I mentioned this in the beginning or not, but she gave me an ipod touch a long time ago.
-New Years!!!! XD Me and other YEPs went to the tallest building in the world at the time, Taipei 101 and watched it explode. It was so great! We had a great spot and lots of fun. Afterwards, cause of the traffic, we spent most of the night in two different McDonalds sleeping. XD I don’t have any pics or vids cause I broke my camera. :((((((
-I went to a puppet museum. Puppets are so awesome here! They’re beautiful and full of lots of traditional things and they make entire movies and tv shows with puppets!
That’s all i can remember! My journal is filled with really boring daily stuff about my life, so I’m tired of sifting through it.
Let’s see… we have my school trip coming up. I’m not sure what we’re doing or where we’re going but it’ll be fun. Then, right after, I have a three day trip with Rotary somewhere. XD That’ll be fun too. Then, we have Chinese New Year! I’m so excited! Then A MONTH OFF FROM SCHOOL~~~!!!!!
Oh! I forgot to mention, in the beg we took a test on Chinese to see what we know and I was in the bottom of three classes. We just had our midterm and I got moved to the top class! Yay!!!!! ^^
Josie's Taiwan Exchange 
margie said,
January 21, 2010 at 4:29 pm
Hey Josie, thanks for the update….glad you are doing well Happy your Chinese is getting better. what are you going to do while you are off from school for a month? Still haven’t received your card in the mail yet. we are all good. it’s dreary, foggy and rainy here, at least for this week. Babies are doing great, growing and getting cuter by the day. Love your pics on FB! I own slumdog…pretty good! Your uncle carlos is going by himself to visit his siblings in Washington…he has never been there and I think he needs to bond w/brother. Janelle and I are going to Atlanta to go to a concert and thinking of going to Hawaii in October. take care hugs and kisses to you love Titi Margie