Y-Pei "Rebecca" Lin

2003-04 Inbound from Taiwan

Date of Birth: August 16, 1987
Hometown: Dali City, Taiwan
Sponsor: Tali Kuo Kuang Rotary Club, District 3460, Taiwan

Host: Mandarin Rotary Club, District 6970, Florida USA
School: Bartram Trail High School

Rebecca's Bio

 My name is Rebecca. I'm from Taiwan. I live with my Dad, Mom, and an older brother. I study in senior high school. It's a big school. My school goes from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM. It's very tiring. But I like my school.

I really like it here! I can play flute. I really like music - it's my favorite!

Arrival in Jacksonville

Left: At the airport with host parents Barb and Bill and host brothers Michael and Zach.

Above: A stop in downtown Jacksonville on their way from the airport to Rebecca's new home.

Habitat for Humanity Project in St. Augustine (with Bartram Trail Rotary Club)

September 17 Journal

Well, It seems a long time ago since I came to America. I remember the first day I spent the whole day from Taiwan to America. It's really tiring!!>_<" When I arrived, I could not believe that I am in America now, And I will stay here a whole year!! When I saw Al, my counselor, and my host family. I was really happy~^^~!!

In my first few days, my host family took me to a lot of places, like the beach, Wild Adventures, movies, a museum which was amazing, the St. Augustine fortress, and shopping....That was all interesting. My host family is really really nice. I remember the first day I arrived to their home. I got lost in the house many times (oops...). They have a dog. At first, I was afraid him. But I feel more comfortable now, and even can play with him ^^.

I felt I am so lucky! Because the weather here is like in Taiwan. So I adapted pretty well when I came here. I can't speak English very well so my host family always speaks really slow to let me understand.

My school started about two weeks after I came here. At first, I can't really understand what the teachers say in class. So I learned to ask the teacher or classmates about the homework and "What are we doing now?". They are always nice to help me. I joined the band at school. The first day the teacher introduced me to everybody, so I met a lot of friends on my first day. They are really nice to me, and they taught me a lot. Although the marching band is really a lot of work and time, but it's also really fun!

I'm not afraid to try everything (including the food). Everything is a memorable experience. I even built a house (the Rotary program). I went to a pool party, orientation with the inbound students (that's really exciting!!) and my host family even took me to see the Alligator Farm, a car show, and the football game....It's really interesting!

I have not been homesick very much (Because everybody is so nice to me!). My family in Taiwan is also hosting an exchange student who is from Canada. One of host brothers is also an exchange student and he already went to Germany. I really like this Rotary Youth Exchange Program, and I would like to thank the Rotary for giving me this opportunity that lets me study and grow abroad. I am sure I will have a wonderful year and it will be a great experience to live in Florida! 

Sincerely, 

Rebecca

October 30 Journal

Well…I came here over three months ago!! Time is past so fast…>_<”. I enjoy everything so far ~^^~. Most of experiences are my first time, and it was really fun and memorable to me. The most exciting thing is that my band got to play for the “Jaguars game”!! OH~MY~GOD~ That was sooooo exciting!! We have to play for the thousands of people!! I never did that before, and it was really really interesting and fun ~^^~. I think we did a really good job at the Jaguars game. And we not only play for football games, but also have band competitions. Every time it takes us almost a whole day, and it’s really tiring >_<”…!! But I really enjoy it ~^^~.

At first, I usually feel bad that I couldn’t really understand in class. My English teacher tries to let me do quizzes at home. And my host Mom reads the book with me. That really helped me a lot!! I should give thanks to them ~^^~. Now my teacher wants us to read another book. This time I read it by myself. I just finished it, and I enjoy it ~^^~!! I think I like to read books now (in English!!). And I want to read more and more!!

I feel my host family is not really “host” family. They are like my “real” family!! They are nice and cute ~^^~. I really enjoy living with them!! We carved the pumpkin, decorated the house for Halloween (and also for Christmas…~^^~”), cook, swim, ride the bike, go to the church…a lot. I enjoy all, and I like to live with them!! I want to take full advantage of my exchange life!! Because time is past sooooo fast, and it’s really a rare opportunity for me!!

November 23 Journal

Well~ because is “Halloween” wedding, so I saw some people who wore costumes to the wedding…~^^~”. Ha~ ha~ that was funny. I never celebrated Halloween before. So my host Mom told the neighbor children to wear the costumes to our house to “trick or treat” ~^^~!! And we also took candies to the neighbor’s house…oh~ well~…~^^~”. I like Halloween!! It’s fun ~^^~. My host grandmother stayed longer than my Mom’s cousin - about two weeks. I did a lot of things with her. My host Dad’s father and her showed me how to play card games. It was fun!! And we played a lot ~^^~. We also cooked, and made cookies together. I enjoy cooking ~^^~ (well…my Mom said I never cook for them in Taiwan…~^^~” oops...). I think I started to miss them. Too bad they live too far away…, and can’t stay over for a visit for two weeks…>_<”.

My marching band just finished!! That is to say we have no practice for marching band anymore!!!!! YA~ ~ My host Dad said I should be sad… Because I have nothing to do on Friday night now…>_<”, oh~ well~…~^^~”.  We have no marching band anymore, but we started to play more difficult songs. 

I think it will have a lot of fun, too. My world history class just learned about China (China is nearby Taiwan). The funny thing is my history teacher taught us how to write “Chinese words”??!! Well~ I think that was too easy for me ~^^~”. Everybody knew I can write and speak in Chinese, so they let me teach them to write Chinese words ~^^~”. That was fun!! Well~ a lot of people can write Chinese words now ~^^~.

Oh~ my host Dad took me to ride the motorcycle!!

Wow~ that was sooooo cool!!!!! I like it!! Well, there are not many people that ride motorcycles in Taiwan. This is my first time!! It was so exciting!! And we also went on a go-kart!! Well~ first I don’t know how to control… So I went too fast when I started, then I went into the field…>_<”, oops… I scared them ~^^~” Well… that was really fun!!

I feel more comfortable with the dog this month. 

I like the weather now ~^^~. Well~ this month happened a lot of fun things ~^^~.

December 30 Journal

Being this month, rotary has a trip-Disney trip!! All the inbound students in Florida and some other state students went to Disney World ~^^~. That’s a lot of people, about seventy!! Well~ that was really a lot of fun. And I found another student from Taiwan, too!! That was so surprising!! Because we are from the same district and we didn’t know each other would come to Florida…, so that was a surprise ~^^~!! We both so happy to see each other ~^^~, but we still talked in English. Because the only language that every other country’s exchange students know is English. So that everybody from different countries still can talk together ~^^~. I really enjoyed Disney trip!!

Somebody told me my school has a person who is from China. He is in middle school and just moved here. He can’t speak or understand English very well. So they said maybe I can help him to learn English ~^^~”. Well…I can try my best!! I already met that China boy. We try conversation in English and add some Chinese explain to him…. Well… I think he needs time. If he likes to learn, I’m sure success is not so difficult ~^^~.

This month was a big holiday in America-Christmas!! I don’t think we have Christmas in Taiwan, but we still have some people celebrate…(oh~ well~^^~”). I really like Christmas ~^^~!! I decorated the Christmas tree with my host family and we also had a Christmas party at home ~^^~. That was interesting!! And we had a really big and good dinner for the Christmas party ~^^~. My rotary also had a Christmas party. That was so much fun!! We sand a song, “The Twelve Days of Christmas”. Wow~ that was really fun ~^^~. And finally, Santa Claus came ~^^~”. He is so cute. Most of the children like Santa Claus ~^^~. Well… I do, too ~^^~”. On Christmas Eve, I went to the church with my host Mom and Dad. We heard a Christmas story. And the next day-Christmas, everybody got up early and we opened the presents. Oh~ I really got a lot of Christmas presents. I should really say thanks to my host Mom and Dad ~^^~. They are so nice~. And my parents also sent the Christmas presents to us from Taiwan. We had a really good time on Christmas ~^^~.

New Year is coming!! In Taiwan, New Year is a big festival. Adults always give children “lucky money”. And it should be put in the red envelope. So children always like New Year ~^^~”. And we also have new clothes ~^^~. On the first day of the year, everybody has to have the dumpling. That means you will grow up another a year. Well…I’m not in Taiwan this year, so my Mom (in Taiwan) she said she will help me to have the dumpling ~^^~. So that I still can grow up ~^^~”. I hope everybody will have a great time on New Year ~^^~!!

January 29 Journal

It’s 2004 now!!!!! I went to a New Year party from the last day of last year to the first day of this year at Ania’s house ~^^~. Everybody stayed at her house overnight-Zorbey, Jens, Emma, Agathe, and me. Well…it’s not easy to keep awake overnight…>_<”. We just watched movies all night. And when New Year came…, everybody already tired such as died…~^^~”. We went to bed about four o’clock in the morning…oh~ well~^^~”. But it was a lot of fun that everybody stay together overnight ~^^~.

The new semester has started!! This semester I changed a class-ceramic/pottery. First I’m not really interesting in that class, but then it’s seems a lot of fun to play clay ~^^~”. So I like it ~^^~!! Since Jane changed to her second host family, we are neighbor now ~^^~. We go to the same school, and take the same bus everyday. We are so close now~. I really like to take the same bus with her ~^^~.

This month I went to exchange interviews. Well…in Taiwan, we have interview, too. So I had interviewed before I became an exchange student. The interview here is a little different than Taiwan. It was really cool. Because it was like when somebody asked me questions one year ago, now it’s I ask students questions ~^^~”. I stayed in the students room and library to talked to students’ parents during this two days. I like to stay in these two rooms ~^^~. Well…in students room, there was a question-Please make a joke (or sing a song, or dance hokey-pokey). We gave them too many chooses at first, so almost everybody chose to make a ! joke…. But we want to see them dance hokey-pokey ~^^~”. So then, we only gave them one choose-dance hokey-pokey ~^^~”. Ha~ ha~ it was so funny to watched them dance hokey-pokey~. I think everybody did a really good job ~^^~”. I even talked to students’ parents. It was nice. Because you can tell them your life in America. I really enjoyed to tell my experience here to them. Suddenly, I realized that my life here is sooooo interesting, special, and sooooo COOL…~^^~. I told them I never see the snow so far. One day I woke up…, I saw the “frost”!! Wow~ that’s so cool!! Cause there is no frost in Taiwan…(there is snow only on really high mountains…). So I told my host parents maybe snow is coming soon…. My host family has three guinea pigs. And my host Dad told me if I saw the pigs “fly”, he is sure there will have snow…=_=”. So now I am looking forward the pigs fly…~^^~” (oh~ well~).

There are some kids that live far away from Jacksonville, so my host parents let two students stay at our home for a few nights-Jens and Bene. It was fun to stayed with them~. We even had a fire and talked all night ~^^~.

Oh! My parents sent a lot of New Year stuff for me from Taiwan ~^^~. This year is “Monkey Year” in Taiwan (we have twelve animals…). We always have a lot of food on New Year, so my parents sent a lot of food for me. They even sent the “lucky money” to me and my host bother ~^^~. I don’t feel bad that I missed the Chinese New Year this year, because I’m sure I’ll miss the Christmas here…>_<”!! Now I came here already a half year. I couldn’t say I change a lot, but I could say I really learn a lot, not only language….

February 27 Journal

I went to sea camp with all the inbound students in Florida at the beginning of this month!! It was really really fun ~^^~. We snorkeled a lot. I saw lots of cute fish and a “baby shark”…. It was so exciting!! I also drank a lot of sea water…>_<” (it’s not tasty…=_=”). The weather, water, and view there are sooooo beautiful!! Everybody really enjoyed everything there. We even saw the sea lion, dolphin, made a fire, danced, and learned many things…. The most important thing I learned is- share. Because there were eight people in the same room and only “one” bathroom…=_=”. So that way, we really can learn what it is to “share”…~^^~”. Every time after we snorkeled, people just ran ! to the bathroom to take showers. Because there were too many people, we had to wait a lot…>_<”. We went there for four days and I only two showers…>_<” (oh~ well~^^~”, shhhhh…). But I think everybody really learned how to share with people better…~^^~”. We went to Key West on the last day of the trip. Wow~ Key West is really really beautiful!! The water is beside the bridge when we were driving and the weather there is really warm (I think I like warm weather. I don’t really like cold weather, but I want to see the snow so bad…~^^~”- oh~ well~). If I could live Key West, that will be so nice ~^^~.

I met Samantha already, who is going to Taiwan to be an exchange student next year. I’m so excited ~^^~. My host Mom and I spent a whole with her family in Gainesville. We saw the biggest sinkhole in the world and had dinner with them ~^^~. I even taught Samantha some “Chinese”. I think she will speak very well. Samantha is a sweet and cute girl. I like her~. And I hope she will have a great exchange experience in Taiwan ~^^~. Maybe she will come to my rotary club, or maybe we will be my “sister” ~^^~.

Oh~ this month had a lovely holiday~ Valentines Day!! Well… I don’t have boyfriend…>_<” and Jane doesn’t, either…. So we have a special idea- switch chocolate with each other ~^^~”. Ha~ ha~ so we still can have a sweet Valentines Day. My host Mom gave me Valentines gift, too. Well… I got a lot of chocolate on Valentines Day and I like Valentines Day ~^^~”.

Ummm… this month we lost a guinea pig…>_<”, but we got a dog??!! We don’t know how he left us…, he just went to sleep and never got up…oh… so sad…>_<”. But we got a dog!! Well… only for a few days…~^^~”. We are always watching a dog for somebody…. This time is my host grandpa’s dog. Well… I remember I was so afraid of him at first…>_<”. But maybe since grandpa is not here, the dog is seems pretty good without him…~^^~”. Well… I don’t think I am afraid of dogs anymore (only small dogs…). Because my host family’s dog ran away last time. I saw him run away and I just ran after him. I think I already forgot I was afraid dogs at that time…~^^~” (oh~ well~). But the nice thing is I caught him!! Oh~ my~ god~ I don’t know how I caught him. Maybe I already feel he is a part of “my family”…~^^~”.

March 28 Journal

April 30 Journal

I went to New York beginning of this month!! And I also did my speech before the New York trip ~^^~”. Well… it was my first time to do the speech in America. So I was so nervous…>_<”. Actually in Taiwan, I already did this kind of speech before I came to America, but I still feel so nervous. My host Dad (the first host Dad ~^^~”) he told me he won’t be nervous if is him. Because everybody want to know about “me” and “my country- Taiwan”. Nobody know these, only “me”!! So I shouldn’t be nervous. I really want to thanks to him, although I still nervous ~^^~”. But I think I won’t be so nervous if I can have second time, because I already had experience and I feel it’s really interesting to tell everybody about me and my country ~^^~.

Oh! I met lots of different countries’ exchange students when I went to New York ~^^~. It was so nice to meet more different countries’ people!! And I met two people from Taiwan, too~. Anyway, I really want to say New York is a very cool state in America!! Because the buildings there are totally different with Florida. I feel New York is seems like in Taiwan, because we have lots of high buildings and crowd people in Taiwan, too. But the big different is – in Taiwan, everybody sleep at night… ~^^~ , ha~. Because it’s very busy at night than in the morning in New York. We visited a lot of places and shopping a lot ~^^~”. We also went to the China Town. Well… we suppose have “Chinese” food when we in China Town, “but”… I had fast food- “McDonald”…=_=”. Oh ~Well~ it’s seems not right ~^^~”. Ha~ Ha~ Anyway, I really had a good time in New York ~^^~. Well… I feel I like Florida more. Because the weather was sooooo cold when we go to New York…>_<”. Florida’s people are so strong, because we didn’t bring a lot of clothes to New York. Actually, it’s very warm in Florida, so we didn’t realize how cold in New York and didn’t bring enough clothes…. That’s why Florida’s people are so strong… ~^^~”, oops…. Oh! I saw the snow on the way home in Pennsylvania. It was my “first” time to see the snow of my life!! I was too happy and cried ~^^~”, oops…. Everybody can’t believe that I cry is because I saw the snow…. But it was my first time, so I was excited, I even took some pictures of snow and everybody took me to play in the snow ~^^~”. I love snow!! But it’s really really cold…>_<”!!

My first host family took me to visit my host grandma in Fort Myers the day after New York trip ~^^~”, because I was in spring break~. It was so nice I visited me host grandma. But it’s really far away from Jacksonville to Fort Myers. So I was so tired to slept in the car…~^^~”, oh~ well~ Anyway, I’m so glad to live in Florida after I back from New York. Because the weather is sooooo nice in Florida!! I love everything in Florida ~^^~.

Oh! I already moved to my second family. I feel these two families are really different!! Like my new family always have dinner on the table everyday, but my last family used to have dinner in front of TV ~^^~”. It’s very interesting to see different families’ culture. But the only same thing is they both are so nice ~^^~. I love these two families so much!! I have a host sister in my second family. It’s so nice that I can have a “sister”. Because I don’t have sister in Taiwan, so I always want a sister. I did a lot of things with my host sister. Like play music, make something, ride the horse… Oh! I rode a horse!! It was so exciting!! I love it!! Because ride horse the horse is my host sister’s big habit. Well… I rode the horse, but the horse seems didn’t listen to me very well…, oh~ well~ Anyway, my second family is a very cute and nice family ~^^~. And they go to church, too. I love my new church. Because even the new church is very different with my last church!! They play “rock” in my new church (my host Dad plays guitar there ~^^~). I even went to the camp trip with my new church’s people. It was youth trip, so everybody there were all around my age. Jane was there, too!! Well… I really want to say it’s very amazing!! Because Jane and I always together ~^^~”. We go to the same school, ever in the same bus, and we were neighbors before, now we both moved family, but still live very close to each other, so that’s why we go to the same church and both go to the same church program ~^^~. Anyway, we did almost the same thing like Rotary’s orientation before. I climbed the rock on the wall!! It was my second time to climbed, but it was my “first” time to make it!! I was so happy that I made it. But after that…”MAN”…it made me sooooo SUPER sore…>_<”. I almost can’t walk, just like an old woman…>_<”. But it was really really fun ~^^~.

Well… I feel everything is kind of new again for me after I moved the family. It’s not bad. It’s just new and different. I think I won’t experience this kind of feeling, if I didn’t move the family. And I like it, because it’s really interesting to see different families’ culture ~^^~. Oh! By the way, my new family has a really “big” dog…. Well… I kind of afraid of her at beginning, but now I’m sure I’m not afraid of her anymore. Because it just like my last family’s dog. They all are nice, it just depend on me. I just need some time to get used to stay with dog. I think this is “experience” ~^^~.

May 31 Journal and Pictures

July 4 Journal