第十七個星期：A New Host Family

星期二：Today I packed all of my stuff up for the move, and I've already acquired so much extra stuff just in the three months I've been here, so that's going to be interesting when I actually have to go back to the US.

After packing most of the evening, my host mom took me on a walk though a really big park by the Love River and then we went out to eat.

星期三：After finishing packing all of my stuff, my host mom took me to the mall to have some Japanese food. Since it was my last night living with her, she took the opportunity to stuff me with food and give me a bunch of very motherly speeches before I moved out. Once home, she realized she hadn't finished the backpack she wanted to sew for me, so went on a mad dash to the sewing store, bought some more supplies, and then she whipped out the bag in like half an hour. After that, I gave her the Christmas presents my parents and I had put together for their family, and, even though they don't celebrate Christmas at all, she was very happy and even hung the Christmas ornament my parents sent from the living room light since they don't have a Christmas tree.

From there Jenny and Kripa came and we all lugged my stuff down into Jenny's car. After a few more mom speeches and some hugs and tears, even though I'm sure I'll see her again relatively soon, I headed off to the new family.

The dad wasn't home and the little sister who is 6 is was already in bed since I showed up pretty late in the evening, but I got to meet my new host mom who's very nice and my new host sister who is very shy. We talked a little and I showed them pictures of Texas and my family, and then I went through the very long process of unpacking everything I had just packed. My new room is very pink and princess-y (it even has a pretty mermaid bedspread with sheets that have cartoon animals saying happy birthday) and probably would have made all my childhood dreams come true, though the one downside is that there are no drawers in the room, which I suppose since I've always had drawers I never considered what it'd be like to not have them, but my conclusion is that they are very important as I now don't know where to put anything.

Overall the day was pretty emotional and exhausting, but I do think I'll like my new family.

星期四：Today I got to meet the younger sister and my host dad. The younger sister is also currently terrified of me, but my new host dad is very talkative and enjoys dad jokes which is fun. We went out to eat hot pot for dinner and they are definitely just as intent as the last family to stuff me with all the food.

I definitely need to figure out how to not terrify my host sisters, but I think overall this family will be fun.

星期六：Today we went and watched my you her host sister at her field day, which was pretty cute, though she then was sick the whole rest of the day so that afternoon was pretty uneventful. In the evening, though, my host parents took me for a walk around Alzihdi park, which is one of the nicest parks in the city and is now only about a five minute walk from the new apartment.

(spotted some nice lights while out walking in the park)

星期天：Today we went and visited my host dad's parents on Pintung which is a small, traditional aboriginal town about an hour outside of Kaohsiung. We had lunch and then my host parents took me down the street to a restaurant that had a karaoke machine, though all the English songs were pretty obscure so I couldn't really sing any. After that the town had a little Christmas parade where they set off firecrackers and then drove through the town playing music and throwing candy which was fun. We then went home and went out to another hot pot restaurant where they again completely stuffed me with food.

(outside the grandparent's house)

(my new host family)