Hike up Taiwu Mountain

Today we hiked up Taiwu Mountain to a Buddhist temple. We went with our counselor. It was absolutely beautiful and great to get out of the town for the afternoon!

Traditional Taiwanese Village

Temple and Ceramics

Today I went with my Rotary counselor to a temple where we were able to look around. Then we spent the rest of the morning making ceramic figures. Awesome day! :)

Month 1 Report Back Home

One month! I still can't believe it has already been an entire month. My adventure so far has simply flown by way to quickly. I have already had so many adventures and I know there are many to come in the next nine months. So far I have had hardly any issues aside from homesickness and not speaking very good Chinese. The homesickness has gradually faded, and Jincheng is beginning to feel more and more like home. The people here are so friendly and welcoming. At first it was a bit strange walking down the street here. Being one of the very few foreigners on this island makes it really hard to just blend in. But each day I get more and more comfortable with the way of life here in Kinmen. The Rotary Club hosting us here is very involved with the exchange students and has invited me to many different events. It is nice because through the Rotary I have already been exposed to a lot of Taiwanese culture and traditions. (Such as the Moon Festival)
School has definitely been a huge change, but it is actually very fun. My classmates are so nice and funny and I have grown very close to the students in my class. I take part in many activities with them such as a basketball tournament and interact club. The interact club at Kinmen Senior High School is very active in their school and community. Every Saturday I go with them to a nursing home to help take care of the residents there. We also have fun events like barbecues, Karaoke, and dance class. (which is hilarious) In the classes I do not understand, which is most of them, the teachers let me practice my Chinese. The only classes I understand right now are English, a little Biology, and a little Math. In school we also have swimming and dance classes where I learned to Waltz (very awkwardly). Chinese is hard but I am learning slowly but surely. I believe that when I can finally communicate with my host family and friends in Chinese our relationships will grow stronger. Overall this month has been amazing and I have no regrets regarding my decision to embark on this adventure. Amazing first month in Taiwan!

Moon Festival

For the moon festival celebration, I went to a barbecue hosted by the Kinmen Rotary Club. It was so much fun, and the place where it was held had a dock where you could look across and see China. For the barbecue we cooked our own food on a little grill, which was interesting. We watched Rotarians sing karaoke and dance until very late at night. It was a very fun Moon Festival!

Beach Day In Kinmen!

My new home <3

School!

My new classmates. They are all so adorable <3