Hsin-Ping "Maggie" Chou

2005-06 Inbound from Taiwan

Date of Birth: February 26, 1987

Hometown: Jhonghe City, Taiwan

Sponsor: Chung Ho West Rotary Club, District 3480, Taiwan

Host: Baker County Rotary Club, District 6970, Florida USA
School: Baker County High School

Bio

Maggie's Bio

There are 9 people in my family, including parents, two older sisters, one older brother, 1 sister-in-law, 1 niece,1 nephew and me. I have a sweet family, and we love each other. I am very much like my father, because we are so fat and eat like a horse. I have tried all kinds of diets, but I couldn’t even lose 3 pounds in a month. All I lost is my money.

My major is Food and Beverage Management in Senior High School. At school, I took a lot of cooking courses, for example Chinese food, Western-style food, cake, etc. I love to cook, read, play computer and swim. My goal is to be a tour guide. SO I’d like to study Food and Beverage Management or Hotel Management in the future.

As an exchange student, I know I have to take my responsibilities and do my best. I will spend more time to learn more about cooking, English, culture and lifestyle. Also, I’ll introduce what I’ve learned in Taiwan to my foreign friends. I will never forget this experience. Thank you.

September 24 Journal

I have been here for 2 months. In school I know a lot of people, and have a lot of friends. Everybody is all very kind to me in my school. So I very much love going to school.^^

I usually spend time with my friends. I have gone to a friend's birthday party, and go skating with my friends. Sometime they bring me to their church. About three weeks ago, my third host family took me to a river to fish and swim. It was very fun. I played with a girl (7 years old) and a little boy (1 year old). I like my third host family, so now I usually go to their home to play.

In my cooking class I cooked Chinese food and Taiwanese food for everybody. Before I cooked, I very much worried that everybody would not like my food. Because Chinese food and Taiwanese food is very different from America’s food. But after I cook, I was very happy - everybody loved Chinese food and Taiwanese food! And my cooking class teacher brought me and 4 students to a food exhibition. This is very big exhibition, where I have eaten a lot of special food. They had a little Chinese food, some Japanese food, and a lot of American food. We walk all day - we were very tired, but very happy. This was a very good day.

Before I changed my English class I very much feared English class, because it is very difficult. I usually don’t know what the teacher talked about. So my mom help me change my English class; now I like English class very much. Now I have to read an easy and short book everyday. Because my English is very bad…...><!!! I usually don’t know what textbooks mean. But now I have made a little progress, so now I can read easy books, and textbooks a little too.

Sometimes I very much miss home. It is fine. This indicates I do not forget my family. But here, now, I love my school and host family so much.

November 2 Journal and Pictures

I have been here for 2 months. So this month is my third month. So in this month I have changed host family. I not really like change…, because to change home is very tiring >< . But I love my second host family so much. They are so nice. I and my second mom are like sisters. We all love to talk and watch CSI (a TV show).

This month is a very good month, I am very lucky. I have gone to St. Augustine ^^. In St. Augustine everything is very beautiful and expensive. They have very delicious seafood and beautiful scenery and buildings. We have gone to the museums and shops. They have a lot of shops. But everything is very expensive. So I only buy some postcards. We have seen the old church St. Peter, but we did not go inside. Because they were not open.

About two weeks ago. I went to my friend’s home. Because at their home was a swimming party. We played all night. I very loved the party. I ate a lot and played a lot. I like to play with my friends. My friends are all fun and nice. In school they help me a lot. On the weekend they usually take me to their homes. I hope very much that I can see everybody. And play with everybody ^^.

I miss everybody so much. Because my city only has one exchange student (is me) ><. In DeLeon park we eat, play, talk, and swim. Is a very good day. But I don’t know the park had swimming. I did not take my swimsuit to go to the park. So after we were swimming, my clothes all have a lot of water. But….. only my clothes has water is not good 、 not fun. And I love everybody so for everybody I share anything I have. But is too bad - I only have water so for a lot people I share a hug with my wet clothes. So…… everybody feared my hug. I feel I very pitiful, because no people love my hug. Everybody not like me……><”, I want cry (but… I not have tears, only have secret).

This month I also got to skate with my friends. But I skate very bad…><. I don’t know why I love to skate so much…………but I love to watch the skate show more. And I have gone to a Halloween party. In the party only young children and me play the games. So I win a lot candy to take home ^^. (They say I am a young child too ) And my brother and his friends take me to go watch a movie “SAW 2” and go to the haunted house play. In the haunted house, it was just fun not really terror, but the ghost has very special makeup. I love Halloween so much. A lot of people’s homes have adornments. In my country Taiwan, we not have this holiday. So I feel Halloween is very special. Now I very much look forward to Christmas.

December 26 Journal and Pictures

Wow~~ I can’t believe, now I have been here 5 month. This is very long time. But I feel I have not really been here 5 month…!! I feel like about~~ 5 weeks…, I just can’t believe time run very fast.

I have long time not talk about my life. So now I have a lot of things for everybody to know. Before winter vacation, at school I very busy to do my test and homework, I not really have too much test and homework, but I busy to not get the “F”. ( Because my English not really well, so I usually get “F” )

Now I want talk about my weekends. Because I very busy at every weekend. Every weekend I see a lot people. We have very good time. But~~~ I have a very big question at the Gulten’ s birthday party. Why~~ only me swimming!!??
Everybody: Because… the weather…… is very cold~~ You are crazy…!!
Taka: Maggie~~ don’t do that. (after I swimming) Oh~ Maggie your crazy!!

(At afternoon before I swimming )
Jose: Maggie jump~~ come on~~ jump Maggie~~ If you jump I have for you $3.
After I jump in pool……!! I say: Jose give me $3.
Jose: No, you too late…no money!!! (He can’t believe I really jump into the swimming pool.) Don’t care Jose not giving me $3. Because we just joke!! But I very much want to ask Jose when for me $3………!!( ^^ Jose… don't hit me, just…. Joke…) After I was swimming…, no people want for me a hug…!!

On Thanksgiving, I ate with my host mom’s family…, we have a lot peoples together. We ate all afternoon, then we play games, at night they take me go to watch movie. I have so much fun at Thanksgiving, because I love to eat ^^. After Thanksgiving we go to shopping and watch movie…!! I spent $400 altogether. But not only one day. That was two days. After Thanksgiving I went shopping with my friends. So I shopped two days on the weekend on Thanksgiving. I know that was crazy…, but I did not bring a lot clothes for winter here. Now I very much fear my Taiwan mom will call me ><…!! (Because I pay by VISA card) But… now if you ask me: Do you want go shopping?? I will say… ”yes” !!! Don’t ask me why~~ because I just love shopping. In my country everybody is all thin, so the clothes not in my size (I too fat in my country). In my country if I want to buy clothes I must spend much time and look for my size. But here, it is not too difficult to buy my clothes. So… I love shopping here!!! Do you want go shopping with me???^^

If you ask me how about Disney World~~, I will tell you~~ I want cry…!! Because I not want go home!! I think only four days are really too short. In this trip, I get to know a lot exchange students. We have a lot fun. I love them, they all very nice. Though all live in Florida ..., But we are just like polar bear (I love bear) and Antarctic penguin. We live in the north they live in the south. That is very far. Get back to the subject……!! I have so much fun in Disney. But I spent much “$” at Disney too. Toot toot toot……(my sob), I not want go home~~. Though cost much money. But I like Disney very much. I love the fireworks performance. That was very very cool and beautiful. I like those amazing recreation facilities very much too. Anyway… I just want tell you… I want to go back to Disney World…!!!

About two weeks ago, I went to my best friend Tivis’s Birthday party. That was very nice party. We play and dance and watch movie. I have very good time at the party…, but my foot aches. Because I knock into the table…><!! Then last weekend…, my church has party too. But the party only for children. We have a lot people bring their friends. So we have a lot people. We play a lot very special games all the night. That was very good party. But I not have spend one night at church with everybody. Because I need very good sleep, as next day I have to go to my friend~ Samantha’s home to play. She live in Gainesville. (She is exchange student too, she in 2004~05 go to Taiwan, I know her before I been here. In here, she help me a lot and teach me a lot. She is very good girl and good friend.) I love to go to Samantha’s home, she and she family all very nice. And we are all girls so we have many chat topics. They bring me to watch movie and ate very good seafood. I love the movie and seafood so much. Now I want tell you something. It was Samantha’s friend that told us. One day, her sister went to her best friend’s birthday party. So she not only buy the present and wrapping paper, she bought a beautiful box too. Before the party ends, her friend open every present…, but only one present has question…, the present has wrapping paper and beautiful box…, but not have anything in the box…, because she has forgotten to put the present into box……!! That was very long long ago, when I am young. I do not have much money to buy birthday present for my older sister. So I just buy a flower for her, but that was not really. That is a flower made of handkerchief. At my sister birthday party, she open the flower…, that was not a handkerchief……, that was a Sexy pants…^^…!!

Get back to the subject……!! Now is very close Christmas and new year. I look forward to Christmas and our New Year’s Eve party too. Anyway~~~ I bless everybody~~ have good vacation and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. If you want have a Christmas present please call me. My phone number is: 911, I repeat~ is “911”. Don't get the wrong number. I wait for you. Bye~ Bye~ See you soon. ( P.S. I have forgotten to tell you , the present is my kiss.)

February 1 Journal

I have very good time at Christmas. We go to my host aunt's house, ate with my host mom's family. Then we play and talk, we have very good time at Christmas. I love Christmas so much. I get a lot Christmas presents. In Taiwan we have Christmas too. (In Taiwan not everybody have Christmas.) But very different here. Our Christmas is not a holiday. I feel Christmas very like Chinese New Year.

Anyway I love Christmas. I hope everyday could be Christmas. In the New Year's Eve, I have a very good time at the party too. We have very crazy night at New Year's Eve party. After New Year, I was very busy for tidy up my baggage and the room. I dare not to believe my baggage to go to sorting more not over. I have a lot of clothes and everything.

Now, I am in my new home, I love it here. My host sister is my best friend, my host family all very nice, so I love here. In the Seacamp, I have a very good time. I love Key West. Here is so beautiful. I know a lot people, and learning a lot too. At the second evening we danced, then I introduced Chinese New Year too. And played games with everybody. Everybody has to speak Chinese for me. (Because second night was Chinese New Year Eve.) They have to speak "Happy New Year" in Chinese, then they can have a "hong bao". In Chinese New Year, our parents give us "hong bao" (like Christmas present). What is "hong bao"?? "Hong bao" is red envelope, then we put money in red envelope. But we can't spend the money. Because it is lucky money. Anyway I not put money in the "hong bao", I put something about Taiwan in the "hong bao" (like postcard and postage stamp and Taiwanese tea). I didn't really put money in the inside. But about 3~5 have money. But only one has 100 dollars, others are all 10 dollars (all in Taiwan's money). Anyway that is just a game, I just want everybody have fun.

Now I feel I very much miss everybody, I love them so much. I hope we can get together everyday. Now I am just preparing for the trip of my school, because I will soon go to New York. I very expect (certainly I also spent a few money). Anyway~~ I not lucky at this month. Because I lost my purse and certificate and credit card and ATM card. So I bankrupted now~~><~~!!! Now I start praying. Pray for me and can get good luck in February. Bless everyone's happy new year.