Hello!!
So guess what tomorrow is.... my 6 months anniversary of being in Taiwan!!! ALREADYYYY!! This is so crazy.. i cant beleive ive been here so long! I love it so much though and time is going by TOO fast.
So this week was very busy because i started school again! On tuesday was my first day of school!! Then on thursday i had my Rotary Presentation. I had to present Canada, in CHINESE!!! With a power point presentation. So, i had to make a presentation in Chinese, and then present about canada in CHinese. I was super nervous because i thought they wouldnt understand me! haha So my eldest host sister helped me translate and practise haha. And it went really goood!! i got alot of compliments about the presentation and i thought i went well. Except for the impossible questions some rotarians asked me.. like the percentage of trees that we cut down a year, or something. haha
But everything is going SOO well with my 3rd family.. They are soo awesome! My host sisters and I stay up late just talking about boys and Taiwan, like real sisters do haha I really feel like im a part of a family here. I really really love them!
CHinese class is starting again tomorrow (monday) And i am going on a trip wit hym Rotary Club (and Sascha becaus ehe is in my rotary club) for 2 days -1 night next week! Its gonna be fun! haha
I cant beleive ive been here 6 months...i cant beleive i only have about 4 months and a bit left... its no possible... its just going by to fast..
I miss you all but i dont want to come back... hahaha
xoxo
bri
samedi 16 février 2008
dimanche 10 février 2008
Trip with 1st family!!
So after the chinese new years, everyone went to bed super early cause we were leaving on our trip for at 4AM!!! AHHH!! But then on thursday my host mom woke me up at 8am and said. oh.. we all forgot to wake up hahah it was funny. SO on Thursday Febuary 7th, we left for our trip!
Day 1
Febuary 7th, we leave at 8am, and we drive to Miaoli, in the middle Taiwan where we do a little shopping on this nice street. I bought some gifts for people back home and also bought this food im gonna bring back home, cause its soo good.. and that road was famous for it so i had to buy it then! haha Then we went to Tai-Zhong and visited my host moms classmate where we had alot of tea (mmm i love chinese tea!!). After that, we started driving to Jia-Yi, to go visit my host dads classmates. Then they were driving somewhere when all of a sudden, we turn into this place where theres a pile of WHITE .. im like OMG SNOWWWW!! IN TAIWAN!!!....???? wait, hwo is it possible to have snow in taiwan...my brother Sean was laughing so hard! Hes likeBrianne, its not snow.. its SALT! ...SALT?!?!?!? hahah yes, i actually went sliding on salt!!!! hahah it was really fun ! heres a picture :
It was soo cool!! then we went to the Sea side and took some pictures, it was really beautiful but it was SOO cold... like it was 10 degress and the wind was so cold! haha THe thing that makes Taiwan so cold is that there is NO heating..so like in the houses theres no heating at all and most windows dont close properly in the houses so its SOOO cold at night!! So after that we went to eat some seafood and then we to my host dasd classmates house.. It was fun! i talked to my brother all night, i really get along with Sean, i was so happy to go on a trip with them since, since i moved families in December, i havent go a chance to really hangout with my 1st family and Sean, so i missed him alot!!! ..at about 9pm we left to go back to TaiZhong to my host moms house.. he had to arrive after 11pm, because usually the wife goes back to her fathers home the 2nd days of CHinese new years..so after 11pm (i dotn know why 11pm and not 12am hah) but we got there at like 12am so it was all good!!
Day 2
THe next day we were at my host moms parents house in a really deserted area in the middle of Taiwan and i met my host moms sister and her 2 daughters and her 1 son.. THey were SOOOO nice!! We all went shopping in a little town and ate some more delicous food.. the rest of the day i just stayed at home with Sean and we sang karaeoke (its really big in Taiwan, most ppl have their own karaoke machine at their house.. with ilke over 1000 songs.. its crazyhaha). THen i went to bed.. It was SOOO cold. cause there were no heating...!! heres a pic of some food that was good (i haveno idea what it is.. haha) : but its good!
Day 3
I woke up and my cousins were back and we all went to a mirror factory and it was sooo beautiful.. oh i mean a glass factory! haha it was really cool! and really awesome!! I had a gerat time with Sean and my cousins there soo nice!!!!! we all cma back and sang karaoke again adn then we al went to sleep! haha
Here is my favorite picture of my cousins and I at the glass factory!
Day 4
Me sean and the parents left to go to an amusement park!! it was SOOOOOO fun!! it was really beautiful!!! THough it was kinda raining and FREAZING!!!! I had lots and lots of fun!! We went on water rides and i got SOAKED!! we spend all day there and it was tons of fun!! I had a great time with them,
then we came back home, and im still at my 1st families house cause i dont think my 3rd family are back from south Taiwan yet!
LOTS OF PICS ON FACEBOOKKKK!!!!
:D!
Bye,
bri!
Day 1
Febuary 7th, we leave at 8am, and we drive to Miaoli, in the middle Taiwan where we do a little shopping on this nice street. I bought some gifts for people back home and also bought this food im gonna bring back home, cause its soo good.. and that road was famous for it so i had to buy it then! haha Then we went to Tai-Zhong and visited my host moms classmate where we had alot of tea (mmm i love chinese tea!!). After that, we started driving to Jia-Yi, to go visit my host dads classmates. Then they were driving somewhere when all of a sudden, we turn into this place where theres a pile of WHITE .. im like OMG SNOWWWW!! IN TAIWAN!!!....???? wait, hwo is it possible to have snow in taiwan...my brother Sean was laughing so hard! Hes likeBrianne, its not snow.. its SALT! ...SALT?!?!?!? hahah yes, i actually went sliding on salt!!!! hahah it was really fun ! heres a picture :
It was soo cool!! then we went to the Sea side and took some pictures, it was really beautiful but it was SOO cold... like it was 10 degress and the wind was so cold! haha THe thing that makes Taiwan so cold is that there is NO heating..so like in the houses theres no heating at all and most windows dont close properly in the houses so its SOOO cold at night!! So after that we went to eat some seafood and then we to my host dasd classmates house.. It was fun! i talked to my brother all night, i really get along with Sean, i was so happy to go on a trip with them since, since i moved families in December, i havent go a chance to really hangout with my 1st family and Sean, so i missed him alot!!! ..at about 9pm we left to go back to TaiZhong to my host moms house.. he had to arrive after 11pm, because usually the wife goes back to her fathers home the 2nd days of CHinese new years..so after 11pm (i dotn know why 11pm and not 12am hah) but we got there at like 12am so it was all good!!
Day 2
THe next day we were at my host moms parents house in a really deserted area in the middle of Taiwan and i met my host moms sister and her 2 daughters and her 1 son.. THey were SOOOO nice!! We all went shopping in a little town and ate some more delicous food.. the rest of the day i just stayed at home with Sean and we sang karaeoke (its really big in Taiwan, most ppl have their own karaoke machine at their house.. with ilke over 1000 songs.. its crazyhaha). THen i went to bed.. It was SOOO cold. cause there were no heating...!! heres a pic of some food that was good (i haveno idea what it is.. haha) : but its good!
Day 3
I woke up and my cousins were back and we all went to a mirror factory and it was sooo beautiful.. oh i mean a glass factory! haha it was really cool! and really awesome!! I had a gerat time with Sean and my cousins there soo nice!!!!! we all cma back and sang karaoke again adn then we al went to sleep! haha
Here is my favorite picture of my cousins and I at the glass factory!
Day 4
Me sean and the parents left to go to an amusement park!! it was SOOOOOO fun!! it was really beautiful!!! THough it was kinda raining and FREAZING!!!! I had lots and lots of fun!! We went on water rides and i got SOAKED!! we spend all day there and it was tons of fun!! I had a great time with them,
then we came back home, and im still at my 1st families house cause i dont think my 3rd family are back from south Taiwan yet!
LOTS OF PICS ON FACEBOOKKKK!!!!
:D!
Bye,
bri!
mercredi 6 février 2008
New Years Eve-Night!
Hello! So chinese new years eve is over already :(!!! I thought we were going to stay up all night, but where leavnig for a trip around taiwan tomorrow at 4am!!! AHHH!!! I'm really looking forward to it though!
So this is what happenned tonight.. well we all took a nap, because everyone woke up early to prepare for the new years eve, so at 5pm we left to go to my Agong (host dads fathers) house. We ate a HUGE meal there with all the family and it was really cool! I got red envelopes (what im holding in the picture). Its like christmas for them since we receive gifts at Christmas, well they receive red enveloops (with money in it) at Chinese new years! Its really cool! and when they give it to you, you answer Gong xi NAME, so like Gong xi Agong.. its really cool! Then i played cards with my Amma, (shes the cutest.. its means Grandmother) then we came home, where Seans parents gave him his red enveloppe.. then after that we went to my Uncles house, and we GAMBLED! it was SOO fun!! we played like 21, but its a different way, and i won 100!!! .... 100 NT! haha which is like 3,50$ Canadian but i lost like 200NT.. haha (but it wasnt mine.. my host uncle is so nice he gave me money) haha So this is like tradition at Chinese new years they play poker and Majong!! But i didntplay Majong because i dnot know how.. its super complicated!! haha then we came home!!! It was really fun.. I love Chinese New Years, its like so family oriented and it has SO many traditions and rituals.. im so glad i got to experience something so cool like this!!
新年快樂!!(happy chinese new years!)
bri
So this is what happenned tonight.. well we all took a nap, because everyone woke up early to prepare for the new years eve, so at 5pm we left to go to my Agong (host dads fathers) house. We ate a HUGE meal there with all the family and it was really cool! I got red envelopes (what im holding in the picture). Its like christmas for them since we receive gifts at Christmas, well they receive red enveloops (with money in it) at Chinese new years! Its really cool! and when they give it to you, you answer Gong xi NAME, so like Gong xi Agong.. its really cool! Then i played cards with my Amma, (shes the cutest.. its means Grandmother) then we came home, where Seans parents gave him his red enveloppe.. then after that we went to my Uncles house, and we GAMBLED! it was SOO fun!! we played like 21, but its a different way, and i won 100!!! .... 100 NT! haha which is like 3,50$ Canadian but i lost like 200NT.. haha (but it wasnt mine.. my host uncle is so nice he gave me money) haha So this is like tradition at Chinese new years they play poker and Majong!! But i didntplay Majong because i dnot know how.. its super complicated!! haha then we came home!!! It was really fun.. I love Chinese New Years, its like so family oriented and it has SO many traditions and rituals.. im so glad i got to experience something so cool like this!!
新年快樂!!(happy chinese new years!)
bri
mardi 5 février 2008
More Rituals!!
So this is more Rituals of the morning of CHinese New Years eve!!
So my hsot mom made alot of food and none of it is for me! hahah Its all for the gods!! its sooo interesting!! Here is a picture of the offerings : and the place where they pray to the Gods! :
This is so interesting!! So ive figured out why they have flowers in the house, its because it represents new growth!! Also, they have platters of Candy which represents Togetherness!! Also, theres oranges, which keeps the good relationships within the family!! its soo cool! everyone is cleaning up right, the last clean up before the New Yea! ALso, theres a table for the Gods and teh Ancestors.. I read that a table is prepared for the past away to thank them of living their life and liek preapring it for ours. im so excited for tonight!! pics on facebook!!
bri
Morning of Chinese New Years Eve
So, this morning i got woken up some very Chinese Music, and i kinda liked it.. but it was really early haha . So then i got out, and the preperations were in full motion! My host mom was cooking alot and my host dad was cleanign out lots of stuff. so Sean told me that its a costum that at before Chinese New years, they clean everything really good. like i mean the house was spotless.. its incredible!! Then i went over to see the food and its so crazy how much food were gonna eat tonight! Its costum for the Chinese New Years Eve to go back to the fathers house for celebration (like in my family, our last name is Juang, soo we go to grampa Juangs house). Its really important to have fish and meat cause it symbolises different things! Then my host dad was cleaning out a container that had power that they use to put the sticks of incent they use to pray to Boudha adn the GOds. So they clean this out every Chinese New Year, and they replace the grayish poweder (like sand). Put they dont just dump it out; my host dad had a spoon and carefully took out the powder because theres money inside and if yo just dump it out, then the money falls out and its bad luck. So then my host dad put new inside, with a spoon too. Meanwhile, me and Sean put chinese banners around the house and outside of the doors (Pics on facebook but heres one :)
I think it just means lke Prosperity, good luck and happy new years!!
This is year is the year of the mouse, so if your a mouse (depending on the year your born) youll have an amazing year!!! Also, Chinese new years is not only One day.. as it thought it was its alot of days! haha i think it may be like a little less than a week!
But ill write more tonight after the New Years Eve celebration!! yay!
Im acutally reading about CHinese New Years, and its about like 15 days, from the first of the Lunar New Year to the 15th days, where its the Lantern Festival.. Each days has its own rituals.. its really interesting.. heres the link if you want to read.. theres also alot of Rituals they do, and there acutally true since im kinda living them! hahaha
bye!
HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEARS!
bri
I think it just means lke Prosperity, good luck and happy new years!!
This is year is the year of the mouse, so if your a mouse (depending on the year your born) youll have an amazing year!!! Also, Chinese new years is not only One day.. as it thought it was its alot of days! haha i think it may be like a little less than a week!
But ill write more tonight after the New Years Eve celebration!! yay!
Im acutally reading about CHinese New Years, and its about like 15 days, from the first of the Lunar New Year to the 15th days, where its the Lantern Festival.. Each days has its own rituals.. its really interesting.. heres the link if you want to read.. theres also alot of Rituals they do, and there acutally true since im kinda living them! hahaha
bye!
HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEARS!
bri
dimanche 3 février 2008
New family!--HAppy CHinese New YEar!!!
Hello!
So my 3rd fmaily is AMAZING!! Ilove them soooo much!!! I loev their home because its so different then im used to!! Like, its a whole building (outside of Taipei, the city) wher eon the first floor its the machines that make clothes (well it makes the material) then on the 2nd floor is like material and like the tv place and where we sit and eat. Then on the 3rd floor is more materials for the buisness then on the 4th floor its their home, where tehres like a tv, and like all the rooms... my room is soo cool! it slike typical chinese room, like theres sliding walls, their not clear but not not clear hahah then like its just a matress on teh floor (very comfortable haha).. its really nice!!! I love it!! And my family is SOOO nice!! the parents are sooo cool! and the 2 daughters and son are really really wecloming and nice!! Im really happy with them!! Right now im at my 1st families house where i will be living with them for one week about because my 3rd family is gonig to sout htaiwan for chinese new years, and my 1st family is bringing me around taiwan!! its really cool!! it sreally weird though being back at my 1st familys home after such a long time!! hahah
Ill write later about my trip!!
bri
p.s HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!!!!!
So my 3rd fmaily is AMAZING!! Ilove them soooo much!!! I loev their home because its so different then im used to!! Like, its a whole building (outside of Taipei, the city) wher eon the first floor its the machines that make clothes (well it makes the material) then on the 2nd floor is like material and like the tv place and where we sit and eat. Then on the 3rd floor is more materials for the buisness then on the 4th floor its their home, where tehres like a tv, and like all the rooms... my room is soo cool! it slike typical chinese room, like theres sliding walls, their not clear but not not clear hahah then like its just a matress on teh floor (very comfortable haha).. its really nice!!! I love it!! And my family is SOOO nice!! the parents are sooo cool! and the 2 daughters and son are really really wecloming and nice!! Im really happy with them!! Right now im at my 1st families house where i will be living with them for one week about because my 3rd family is gonig to sout htaiwan for chinese new years, and my 1st family is bringing me around taiwan!! its really cool!! it sreally weird though being back at my 1st familys home after such a long time!! hahah
Ill write later about my trip!!
bri
p.s HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!!!!!
vendredi 1 février 2008
Changing families!
Hello!
This winter vacation has been amazing..I have slept, and went out tosee taiwan... i am now well relaxed and ready to go backto school..oh, i still have a week and a half of vacation! haha Next week is the Chinese new years!! I am so excited!! Things have been really stressull for me lately since i was supposed tochange to my 3rd family in March, but all of a sudden i was getting shipped off this saturday (feb.2nd) so i have been packing lately. I am going to south south taiwan for chinese new years!
Im really excited to see how it is!!
byee
bri
This winter vacation has been amazing..I have slept, and went out tosee taiwan... i am now well relaxed and ready to go backto school..oh, i still have a week and a half of vacation! haha Next week is the Chinese new years!! I am so excited!! Things have been really stressull for me lately since i was supposed tochange to my 3rd family in March, but all of a sudden i was getting shipped off this saturday (feb.2nd) so i have been packing lately. I am going to south south taiwan for chinese new years!
Im really excited to see how it is!!
byee
bri
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