Nihao ma? (How are you?)

Good evening friends (morning for you)!

What a week it has been. Up with People finished the USA tour with a bang, and headed to Taiwan with excitement, and a bit of nervousness. We boarded a plane in New York City and landed in Taipei at 11:00pm the next day. I cannot begin to explain the anxiousness we all had on the plane. We couldn't sit still, it was Up with people students roaming the plane, talking about how excited we were!

After we landed in Taipei, we boarded three buses, jammed them with our luggage, and ventured into the crazy night driving of Taiwan. Two hours later, we arrived at an incredible temple where we spent our first night. The thrill, and exhaustion, was overwhelming. The strong smells of incense were so "spiritual" and  welcoming of the culture. The girls got one room and the boys got the other. We slept on bunk beds, but they were not the traditional American bunk beds. 

We slept on thin blankets and red, rectangle, brick pillows. For three hours, we rested our minds until we were greeted by the sun. We did yoga on the roof in the humid, sticky air. Our breakfast was hot soy bean milk, hot coffee, and hot tapioca with some sort of sauce. We also had a rice bread sandwich with an assortment of meat and vegetables. Needless to say, it was interesting.

The rest of the day was spent touring Erlin, Taiwan. We visited the largest Buddha in the world, met out sponsor, who welcomed us with a traditional tea ceremony, and then we toured a museum that had a display with the history of the bicycle. By this time, the jet lag was starting to set in, and it was all we could do to stay awake on the bus. Then, before I knew it, I was in bed at my first Taiwanese host family. What a great experience. So welcoming! 

I'm writing this blog, and it's Tuesday night here, and it feels like just yesterday we were doing our first Community Service project. Now I truly know the feeling of "time flies." This culture is incredibly giving. Everywhere we go, they have gifts for us, and they give us a presentation of their school, or nursing home, etc. Today, we interacted with students at Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology. It was great to meet students our own age, and talk to them about the college experience in Taiwan. We're even doing a private show for them tomorrow night! I can't wait. 

Now, let me tell you about all of the food we've been trying. A couple nights ago, we went to a night market. There are food vendors, clothing vendors, and many other vendors. The strangest food I ate: chicken stomach. It didn't taste bad, but the texture was a bit more than I could handle. The other crazy food they eat regularly here is stinky tofu. It smells (literally) like fried dog poop. It makes you want to vomit, but it actually tastes pretty good, surprisingly. And right now, I'm drinking Mango Taiwanese beer. Strange combination, huh? My host dad walked in, saw me and my roommates working hard, staring at our computers. He didn't say anything, walked out, and came back with a handfull of beer and said, "enjoy." He must have sensed our mood. Anyways, I have loved almost every moment of being in Taiwan. Some smells I can't get out of my head, and perhaps that is how I will want it to be when I can't remember the taste, but some things I will never forget, and the smell of stinky tofu is one of them. I will never forget the Taiwanese BBQ with some other cast members in celebration of the Moon Festival. 

I will try to post more often, but for now, I am going to bed because tomorrow is a show day! Thanks for tuning in :) 

Wan an (goodnight in Taiwanese),

Bonnie