Dear Diary:

Day 1: April 5^th, 2014

Around a dozen Shute students, and teachers alike, set off at twelve thirty before dawn to Tao Yuan airport and arrived about five o’clock. They met with our German partners between six to seven o’clock at early morning, loaded the luggage onto the bus, and toured their way back to Kaohsiung. On their way, they stopped by 黃金海岸.

　

Sad to say, I didn’t go with my schoolmates to welcome them personally because I had cram school until midday. However, I heard a lot of little tales from my friends. For example, they told me that when the German students were going to use the restroom for the first time after arriving at the airport, they literally shrieked from dismay. Our teacher got worried and rushed inside to see what happened. It was actually because they were intrigued by our mysterious crouch-style toilet. Thus, I found the differences in our culture really interesting.

　

The bus dropped them off at Shute right at two in the afternoon, exactly one hour earlier than what was said. My parents and I rushed to school just right on time for the welcome meeting held at three took place. We were dismissed; as my parents did not have lunch, we went to 爭鮮 for something to eat. She was intrigued by how the food was served, but I am sure she didn’t like the Miso soup.

　

Then, we went home. On our way home, we stopped by 50嵐 and got her some bubble tea. After drinking the first gulp, she shared with me that on the bus earlier that morning, the teachers bought the exact same drink for everyone. She didn’t try it because she felt a little car sick, but she heard that her friends, who have taste it, say that they didn’t like it because it was too sweet. But, she said that the one my mom bought was really good, and I had to explain all our system of “Quantity of ice and sugar of refreshments” to her.

　

At arriving home, I showed her around the house, which took about thirty seconds, and we went up to our bedroom. I asked her if she was okay with sharing the bedroom with me, or if she wanted a room of her own, and she said it was better for her to sleep with me because it was an unfamiliar environment. She unpackaged her luggage and we went downstairs to my parents’ chamber because she wanted to give my parents a present for hosting her. The gifts varied from aroma bags, to beacon, to home-made honey.

　

　

   Soon, we each took a bath and hurried outside for our next planned meeting on the schedule. We were eating out with my other classmates at a western restaurant called The Bayou. The main purpose for going there was because we had a related homework for our foreign teacher; besides, I thought that she would feel more at ease with “food from home.” We ate happily.

      
    We arrived home about ten o’clock at night. After putting on our pajamas, we started to chat about how life had been for the six months we hadn’t seen each other. And we fell deeply asleep.