Benson's Come to 台灣！

This last week, the Benson family came to visit Kaohsiung! It was great to have Nora's family in town, and we had a lot of fun showing them what we've been doing here for the last 8 months. We took them to our favorite Italian restaurant (Cafe Grazi), gave them a whole roast chicken to eat with their hands, and watched them struggle with chopsticks-a skill we mastered long ago. Talking with Americans refreshed my memory of what it was like when I first came to Taiwan: there are 7-11's everywhere.

(The Bensons, Diego, and I eating traditional Taiwanese food)

Our weekend with the Bensons, Jubbie helped us organize a really fun trip to 阿里山, a beautiful mountain near 高雄。 We stayed in a cozy cabin after a pretty terrifying ride there in a taxi (the yellow line in the middle of the road was more of a suggestion for our driver), and it felt like a girl scout camp out as I spent time with some of my closest friends here in Taiwan. I enjoyed chatting with Nora's family, and I was in awe once again about how capable and wonderful my host sister Jubbie is. (She planned our Korean trip, and the Alishan trip with Nora's family <3) 

Hot Pot with part of the Benson family!

On Monday, Nora's family came to Wenzao, and I got to give them a tour of the campus while Nora has class from 10 to 12. It was really fun to walk around the back gate and point out shops we buy tea at and our normal lunch spots such as the dumplings place, duck rice store, Subway, curry restaurant, the Taiwanese bakery, and--of course-- the tea shops. There are at least four shops within a minute from school. I also gave them a tour of the library and gym. There are a group of guys and then me who work out nearly everyday, so it was fun to introduce Nora's sisters to a few of my gym rat friends. (Sentences I occasionally hear from other international friends in the 健身室: "Shakira going hard!" or "Shakira's hitting the gym!" ) 

A few weeks ago, a Taiwanese friend actually gave me hairdryer, because I shower at school, and he thought it'd be better if I started drying my hair. 

Group picture with friends and friend's family post-hot pot.

Looks like we have the Asian pictures poses down.

During my campus tour with the Bensons, I took them to the delicious fresh fruit juice store on Wenzao's campus, I got to serve as a translator so they could order juice. It was my first time I had helped a group of people that really don't speak any Chinese navigate the life here, and it was a pretty awesome feeling to be able to translate a menu in Chinese, take a order in English, and then relay it back to Taiwanese juice blending lady in Chinese in order to get some fresh juice. I realized in Taiwan that I love translating for people in real life situations; it's pretty awesome to be the link that helps two people communicate. 

Jubbie and Me at 阿里山！

Nora's statement on her family's visit: "It was a good time".  On Thursday, they flew out to visit another cousin in Hong Kong; hopefully with some fond memories of Taiwan. We certainly love it here, and its crazy to think that there are less than three months to cherish before we're back home. We got our return ticket information, and we leave Taiwan on June 25th. It's been an amazing ride so far.