Yi-Miao "Ivy" Huang

2008-09 Inbound from Taiwan

Hometown: Tainan City, Taiwan

Sponsor: Tainan Castle Rotary Club, District 3470, Taiwan

Host: Suntree Rotary Club, District 6930, Florida, USA

School: Melbourne High School, Melbourne, FL

Bio

Ivy's Bio

Hello! I am Ivy. I’m from Taiwan. Now I live in Melbourne. My real name is HUANG YI-MIAO, it’s sound is like kitty cat, haha. Anyway, when I was little, my teacher gave this name to me! I live in south of Taiwan, in Tainan. The weather in Florida is very similar to my country. I am really happy to be in here.

There are four people in my family. My farther is a manager, my mom is a business woman. They both are in the same company. My sister Philippa just came back from Colombia, she was an exchange student too! Now she’s going to college in Taipei. And she can speak Spanish very well now. In 2006-2007, we had an exchange student, Mimi, who was from Canada, she’s a very sweet girl, and her Chinese is very good. Last year, my family had two girls from Sweden and France. They just went back to their country last month. I really miss them, they both speak really good Chinese. Now there is a girl from Florida staying in my house. Her name is Patty. I think she will have a lot of fun during this year.

In Taiwan, I go to Catholic high school. The schools here are very different from Taiwan. We have to stay at school until 9:20 in the evening, but in Florida you only have to study until 3:15. I think it’s easy to stay at school here. You don’t have many homework and tests like me in Taiwan. But it still is hard for me to get with it in America high school. I think I’ll be alright after a few months.

In the weekend, I will go out with my friends to shopping, because you can buy things very cheap in Taiwan, and not too bad! And I also like play basketball, go to KTV with my friend, watch movies in my free time. But most of the time, I will stay at school to study and prepare for my test. :C

October 24 Journal

Hi, everybody!

At August 9th I started my exchanged life! Hmmm…..will it be an exciting year or a busy year, I think it will be a fabulous experience in my whole life J

Honestly, I didn’t except anything before I come to Florida, the only thing I know about here is a lot of beach, and the beautiful weather! Actually the weather is really similar in Taiwan, especially where I live “Tainan”!

This is my first time to take a flight so far from my country, it took about 22 hours, no! Maybe longer, and I have to take three flight to get here, Orlando. The first station is flying to Japan, I fly with Ralph and we got lost in Narita airport, I have a poor sense of direction, but thank god, at the end we find the way to take another plane to Houston, this time it take 12 hours! I really hate to stay on plane so long! And the seat is between two guys, oh feeling so uncomfortable….. Finally we are here! America! And then I say goodbye to Ralph, because he will go to Jacksonville and I’m going to Orlando, take the last flight! WooHoo!

When I came out from the gate, I saw someone hang the board with “Welcome Ivy” oh how sweet although there only two people… but I’m still glad to see someone to pick me up, it kind of late when I arrive Orlando, anyway I’m starting my exciting year here!

The first day in my host family, I was really nervous! They are really nice to me, my host mom, Pat, which is the best host mom of the world! And a president of Suntree Rotary Club. Also her daughter, Elise, who is my host sister, is going to Belgium! So I only spent a week with her, she’s really excited about her exchange life, too! My host dad, Tony, hmmm, is the best cooker of the world! Since I been here, I have already gained 10 pounds! Not only the fast food, but also my host family thinks I’m not “healthy” enough.

The first two weeks before school, I have been to beach two times already! I really like the beach a lot! Our district has a little party to welcome the four exchanges in 6930, which is really sweet! I meet so many people, and enjoy my first host family.

August 18th, the first day at the school, it’s really different between Taiwan’s high school, where I have to stay at school until 9:20 In the night, and go to school before 7:30. It almost 14 hours to stay at school. And here, only have to stay 7 hours! I start to feel it won’t be so hard, I can do it! I have Culinary class, I love cooking, I’m so glad I have this class, it must be a lot of fun! INTEG Science 3, which is really hard for me, cause the language, I think I will be fine and go through this J

I also have the chorus; I love to sing in Taiwan, but only in front of my family and my friends. So… it kind of embarrasses to sing in front of the strangers for me!

But I will do my best I can! Economics is the class I never take before, actually I’m very interested in this class and have learned a lot! The math is really easy for me, I take ALG 2, I have already learn this when I was 9 grade, I hate math in Taiwan, but I think it will be my favorite subject in America! Ha-ha. Aerobics, which is my P.E. class, we do a lot of step and yoga, it kind of fun, and also good for your body! English, of course, the most important class, I’m so glad I have a really good English teacher! She is awesome! I’m doing well in every class, and I hope I can keep it good at the end of the semester J

Orientation weekend

Oh, I really have fun during that three days, it was amazing! I meet so many people! And the friends from Taiwan, which is awesome! Thank you Rotary! We all know you work hard to let us have a good experience in this year, and I feel really happy to be in here! It so great to know all exchange in Florida, there’s 67 people all of the country. It nice to meet everyone J and we’ll see on December in Disney!

The activity with my Rotary

I only have been to their meeting for two times, it was different like the meeting in my home Rotary club, at first, we have the meeting in the night, not in the 7:30 in the morning! It’s too early! So that the reason why I only been there for twice 

The people in my club are so nice to me, and I went to the one of their important activity of the year, we go to the zoo, and offer the free meal. There’s a lot of restaurants, so I go to help one of the Chinese restaurant, called” lucky garden” the food gone so fast, it seems American like to eat rice and Chinese food, so do I !

I also meet some exchange student from China, they are not the same program as me, but still nice to meet them!

Kennedy Space Center & homecoming

Wow, it was really busy this weekend, I have homecoming and Kennedy Space Center! We don’t have this thing in Taiwan high school, so it will be my first time! I was so excited the day before I go, and I do have fun at that night, lots of people, lots of music, lots of dance! And it also my first stay out so late, ha-ha 

The day after homecoming, there’s 7 exchangers will go to visit NASA, it not so far to where I live. It was amazing to see the space and all kind of the cool stuff; we have the good time in that day.

December 24 Journal

Hi! Everyone! I can’t believe it has already past four months, time is so fast! It’s already December, the Christmas is coming! I’m so excited about it! This is my first time to spend Christmas abroad! And we don’t really celebrate Christmas in Taiwan, most of the people believe Buddhism, so I don’t even have Christmas tree in my house! I’m so glad spending Christmas with my host family, and have a lot of fun!

New Family

On October 25th, I moved to my second host family! I feel so nervous and also excited; I really hope they will like me! My host dad Bill, who is working in Merrill Lynch, he helps people make money on their money, he’s really good at economics, whenever I have problem, he will always glad to help me, and he also is the member of the Suntree Rotary, they do a lot of projects and help people, or raise for groups who need help! And his hobby is playing trumpet, he plays in Orlando, and they have to travel a lot with the band, Sun Devil. They also play on Christmas and the fourth of July, which is the national day! He is a really nice host father, he works hard and also likes to joke with me.

My mom, Karen, is amazing host mom ever! She works for Harland Financial Solutions, it basically to teach banks how to use it better, and she also manages 10 different states, up to Washington D.C., to show banks how is it work better, and help them grow their business! It’s a difficult job! She must have a lot of stress of this! In the other time, she likes to read, walk on the beach and watch football game! I can say she’s the craziest Steelers fan ever! Karen grew up in Pittsburgh (PA), when she was little, her dad will take her to watch Steelers game, so that why she love them so much! We will go to Smokey Bones, a restaurant have a lot of big TV screen, and with lots of friend and family to watch the Steelers game at ever Sunday afternoon  it’s the most fun part to spent time with family and friend! I really like my host family a lot.

My sister, Amber, she’s 17 years old; go to the same school as me. It good to have a same age sister around you, we can have the girls talk~ and she say she never has a sister before, so she’s been so excited about it, and so do I. I miss my sister in Taiwan a lot, but I think I will be fine with Amber she will graduated next year from MHS and then go to UCF, which is in Orlando, Amber likes to hang out with her boyfriend, David, a lot, he just like part of our family, and also a sweet guy we will watch movies together, I can’t believe she has a bunch of DVDs! And we go to shopping a lot. I hope I will have more fun during this 2 and half month with this family!

Halloween

This holiday is the most fun holiday! We have the party in my house, the 70’s. I’m Elton John! And my first host parents they are Blues Brothers, my second host parents are Cher and Sonny, and my host sister is hippie and so is her boyfriend, we also have, and play many little games. I have so much fun! I eat a lot of candy and pie, oh my god, meaning more pounds I got! Anyway! Be happy is most important!

Chorus

I join the chorus in my high school, MHS. It’s awesome! It’s different, we sing a lot of songs and have performed in the auditorium, I was so nervous at that day, and this is my first tome to sing in front so many people! But I do my best I can; all my family and friend said I did a really good job! I was so happy I join this, and also learn more skill to sing! I will keep doing well in this class and be proud to be one of them

Thanksgiving

Thanks to Rotary to let me have this chance to come to America! Thanks to my Rotary club for helping me so much, let me have this amazing experience, and learn all the culture and language! Thanks to all my host family to take care of me, I feel so lucky I have all of you to be here, and let me have so much good time. I’m appreciating. :) At this day, thank God to let us have this wonderful world, and the food you gave us, we all love you.

It’s another I don’t celebrate in my country. Feel so strange, but it's good to stay with family and watch football games, lots of food again, ha-ha but who cares? I love pumpkin pie, it’s amazing! I made this in my culinary class, and I also sell “the best pie of the world”! We made three kinds of pie, there’s pumpkin, pecan and apple.

I have sold 15 pies, most of them are for my Rotary club! They said to me it’s really god! I said: of course! It’s the best pie of the world! Ha-ha that’s day we also have the most important meal, turkey! It’s huge! Seriously, I never see the turkey so big!

I feel full before I start eat! Ha-ha. I hate ham before I ate this kind of ham, it’s so delicious! When that moment, I start thinking if Taiwan celebrate Thanksgiving will be so great!  I will advise my family when I go back haha~!

Basketball

I almost forgot - I have joined the basketball club, but not as the player, is manager! At first I go to join the condition with the varsity, and then go to try out, at the end, coach say I can’t play on the team, but I do work really hard these days. So…they say I can be a manager for the basketball, they do need one. I say yes! I would love to help the club. So now I’m part of them! Go to the game, and cheer for my team! I’m doing well on this job. I love my coach and I make more new friends in basketball club! I’m happy to be part of them!

Disney World

I expected this day so long, and it’s coming! That week I got a really bad cold, but the day before Disney, I feel so much better! They tell me it’s “Disney magic!” haha These four days is amazing! I am extremely glad to have this chance to go to Disney! Thank you! Rotary! I can’t find any word to express how I feel; the only thing I can say is you all did a great job! I really appreciate it! I do have the most fabulous time in here, and I will keep to do my best I can.

Merry Christmas to everyone, and have fun during this Christmas break! It’s getting close to 2009! Happy New Year! Thank you all the people have helped me, and sorry to write my journals so late. Thank God, I have finished this month! Love you all and happy holiday . See u guys soon.