Wei Chen "Niky" Lai

2007-08 Inbound from Taiwan

Hometown: Miaoli, Taiwan

Sponsor: Sanyi Rotary Club, District 3500, Taiwan

Host: Flagler County Rotary Club, District 6970, Florida, USA

School: Matanzas High School

Niky's Bio

Hi, my name is WeiChen LAI. You can call me Niky. I come from Taiwan D3500 Sanyi Rotary Club. My host club is Flagler County Rotary Club. I am very happy I can exchange to Florida. Now I live in Palm Coast and enjoy my whole new life.

I study in Matanzas High School. Here is so different than my country. We don’t have to change the classroom every class, we only have to change the teacher. But I feel interesting. I went to school for 2 days, almost everybody knows I am an exchange student from Taiwan. Almost everyone asks me to teach them some Chinese. It is really fun. I am here for 3 weeks and 3 days since Aug 11th. Everything is so interesting to me. Like bank drive-through, first I feel so surprise and it is so cool, really. Because Palm Coast is too big. When I want to go somewhere, always have to by car. It’s not very convenient but I enjoy very much. XD..

Florida is very hot but it's beautiful here. I love the view everywhere, my host family and the dogs BiBi and Bo. Both are so cute. August 24~26 we went to Inbound Orientation to see the exchange students from other country, each one was super and cheery, expecting everyone will have a successful year.

November 6 Journal

I’ve been here almost 3 months. Almost already get used to everything about here. I also found here is so different from Asia. Include people, friends, family, school and environment. Also there is a problem: Languages. Because this is my first time to come to United States. Just like a freshman in school.

First time I went to school and picked up some subjects that I did not really know what exactly is. So I really have a hard time at first. Does homework have to cost me almost 2~3 hours at first time? Because I have to use dictionary to translate Chinese to English. I don’t know if another student from Asia has the same experience as me?

Although I got some little tiny English experience, after a few weeks I found that I have long way to learn. When students in school talk to me, I’m just like a mute during the first few days in school. Only know how to nod the head. But after a long time training, because the environment, I learn a lot. And now I almost can face everything around me. Maybe I’ll forgot Chinese when I go back to Taiwan. Haha.

Because Chinese and English are so different. And I also found that here students are so outgoing. Just like students in college in Taiwan. I’m really surprised when I went to school the first day.

And they also have a student went to Taiwan. I found something. America is just like a United Nations. Because people move here from all around the world. So when you go to school here, you aren’t catching lots of people’s attention. But if you got blue or green eyes or gold hair and you went to Asia such as Taiwan or Hong Kong, you will be just like a superstar, because you are so outstanding. Just different. You are the only student from another country in that school. And everybody wants to know you and make a friend with you.

When I in school I keep trying to talk to people or use some activity to make some friends. It’s so useful. And now I have a whole bunch of friends in school. And I also found what is different between you and me. No matter is the culture or environment. Every day learn new things. That is my host mom always tell me.

Because Taiwan is an island, so everything is so close. We have lots of public transportation such as bus, taxi, train and bullet train. But here everything is so far and you must ask somebody to drive the car to the place you have to go. Although sometime I feel that is so inconvenient, but I enjoy so much. Haha.

Sometime I’ll go to see a movie with some friends. And some of that will have some people speak Chinese in the movie. They got a movie called Balls of Fury. They have some Chinese in that movie. Especially they say some mean words. That is so funny. But suddenly I found out that I’m the only Chinese in that theater. Only I know what they are talking about. So in that theater only I laughed at that time. I’m so proud of Chinese. Haha.

I love my first host family so much. They just like my friends; we don’t have the block between me and my host parents. I love to talk to them and share everything with them. Also cook some Chinese food. I also make lots of friends from my host parents. They are just awesome. But I’ll change to second host family around Nov.24th . But I’ll still miss them every moment. I love all of you.

January 19 Journal

Since I moved to second host family, I have already been to lots of places in US. And lots of fun things occur. I been to Disney, Washington DC, Georgia, Atlanta, and also celebrated the New Year in Jacksonville. Seems that my schedule always fills out.

Because my second host family is a sports family, also Yankees fans, as same as me, maybe we’ll plan to go Tampa to see Yankees practice in Feb. This is my second time to Disney. First time was in Hong Kong. But here’s Disney is biggest in the world. Totally different with last time. But I really had a great time. I also went to Washington DC during the Christmas break. That place is just amazing. I saw the White House, Washington Memorial, and Vietnam Memorial, Korea Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, FBI headquarters, Capitol, Declaration of Independence, Library Congress and…the world wide known Pentagon. I also saw the VP’s helicopter. That is really really cool. Because I only see that kind of high level building on the movies. But this really sits over there front of my eyes. “AWESOME”. I also met my high school friend in Washington DC, we have the same class in Matanzas. What a small world. This trip was really interesting.

As you know, most important festival in China or Taiwan is “Chinese New Year”. And I can’t believe I missed this time, and my lucky money (which is during the celebration, all my family will put some money in to the red envelope, wish for good luck). It’s really really special. The world's highest building is in Taiwan. Yes…… “Go Taiwan”. That is called Taipei 101. Every year we’ll have fireworks on that building, I can say, that is the most beautiful fireworks in the world.

Our exchange year already on the half way point. Rest of year is very important for me. My English has already improved a lot. But my vocabulary has to be more. I don’t have the accent problem. Lots of my friends in school said I am just like an American. Because when I say something in the school, it supposed catch some people’s attention. Also because I’m a new guy in Matanzas. But when I said I’m a foreign exchange student from Taiwan, those people thought I’m kidding. While I say Chinese, they keep calling me Jackie Chen or Jet Li. They just can not figure out how we can say and write Chinese like that fast. lol That is really funny.

I have a friend called Daylen, he is one of my best friends in school. We both are crazy about “Rush Hour” the movie. During the movie “Rush Hour” (I forgot is the first one or second one), they played James Brown’s music called “War”. Well if you know this movie, you’ll know what I’m talking about. So when I was working on our subject in the class with him, I don’t know why teacher played the music during the class. After the whole class listened to that music and the whole class looked at me and Daylen. And they said, hey its Lee and Carter. After that we both started to sing the song called “War”.

To be continued….. Niky