Some Little Things You All Might Like to Know

I often don't know what to write about, because things that are different or strange to you have become quite normal to me. However, talking with my family usually helps jog my memory, so here are some of the things I have remembered whilst talking with them.

• Taiwanese people commonly misuse some English words. For example, the word "high" is used to mean "excited," so people often say they are "very high!" Another example is "lady": when I got dressed up for a wedding, my host mother said I looked "very lady", which I interpreted as classy or attractive.
• This brings up the point of weddings. Buddhist weddings are very different from the traditional Christian ceremonies many of us are used to, in that their wedding ceremonies occur at the same time as the reception. Everyone sits at the tables and the food is served throughout the ceremony. After the couple is officially married, they walk around and greet each table of guests. Candy is always available at the tables, and the bride holds a huge basket of candy outside the reception so that when guests leave, they can take pictures of/with her (in one of the various gowns she will have donned over the course of the evening) and take a piece of candy when they leave.
• People dress very conservatively here, especially in my rural city. Girls never wear bikinis to swim, because nobody ever wears clothing that reveals their stomach. A more different, unexpected part of the body that people tend to keep hidden is their forehead; many girls think the forehead is unattractive, so hair styles generally cover it. 
• People rarely get large tattoos, preferring instead to get small, inconspicuous, generally meaningful ones. Body piercings are rare, mainly because the schools do not allow them. Students cannot wear makeup or jewelry of any kind in school.
• Fashion is a very big deal. Many students have their own mirrors, and will use these or other reflective objects (such as classroom windows) to review their appearance throughout the day, and make appropriate changes. Almost every boy has a container of hair gel in his desk, and one boy in my class has a spray can of hair spray that is about two feet tall.
• The only sirens I have heard since arriving here have been for ambulances. The police and fire trucks have flashing lights, but seem to lack sirens. The police use these lights whenever they drive - apparently it is by law. 
• Taiwanese people, girls especially, love to take pictures of themselves. One of the most common poses for these pictures is the peace sign, which they generally put near or on their own faces. 

I'll update again very soon with more tidbits. In the meantime, enjoy!

Update on Life Recently

Hey everybody! Sorry I have been so horribly absent for so long! I can hardly believe a whole month has passed since I last updated! Time passes so quickly for me here.
First off, there was another school-wide competition today. We sang Christmas songs (most were in Chinese, of course, but I did hear "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" a couple of times) and danced; each class did two songs. My class sang and danced very well, and won fourth place in our grade. As soon as the video is posted to YouTube, I will put the link in a comment on this post.
This past week, I went to see the doctor twice because I hurt my leg playing volleyball. There wasn't any one specific incident or accident; it was a buildup of stress. The doctor required three days of rest and that I wear the medicine-coated gauze, as happened when I hurt my ankle. While Chinese medicine is not always pleasant, it is certainly effective.
Another development of recent times (and part of why I have been so busy) is that I switched host families. I moved from the Lee family (who live near my school) to the Wu family (who live downtown). This family consists of the parents, two brothers (the elder is on exchange in Mexico; the younger is 14), and the grandmother. I am now closer to the cinema, bowling alley, a public swimming pool, and hundreds of stores. I went and saw "In Time" with my host parents. (All movies have Mandarin Chinese subtitles here, regardless of what language the characters are speaking in, including Mandarin Chinese.) I have spent a lot of time in my new home, watching Harry Potter 7 (Part 2) on the enormous television, working on school and college applications in my room, and spending time with my host family. My host [paternal] grandmother lives on the floor above me; she owns the company my host parents work for, which provides food to school cafeterias for lunch and dinner. Her eldest daughter, who is a doctor, and her granddaughter, whose English name is Joy, visited this week. (Joy goes to high school in Massachusetts.) I loved spending time with these wonderful, inclusive women, who all were so welcoming.
There's more to come, but I have no time at the moment, so I'll update tomorrow. Again, sorry for the delay!