Day 6: Tuesday June 16th

Another exciting day at another beautiful school! From making glass animals to playing rugby, we did it all. I made some more new friends and created more memories. We have been here for about six days but every little thing we do still surprises me. They really have been planning this trip thoroughly for each of us to make sure that we have the best possible time. Before we came, I had no idea that we would be doing so many unique things each day!



We had another English class today where we got to know a few of the students and help them sharpen up their English speaking skills. It was fun to meet them all and to try the traditional Taiwanese snacks they brought in for us. We were then informed that Hsian Shan High School was one of the only schools in Taiwan to offer a class in glass blowing. They were very proud to have a famous glass artist as the teacher. On our way to the glass factory we walked by a few finished works. That is when we were told that it takes at least two years to learn how to make these animals and other objects. Then we walked into the factory and I witnessed one of the coolest and most interesting things I have ever seen. Words can not do what we all saw justice. The teacher was able to make a glass bird, which takes about ten years to learn how to make, in just fifteen minutees. The way he moved his hands and turned to glass sticks into a beautiful bird and then grasshopper amazed me. When it was our turn I was happy to see that he would be guiding us (more like doing it for us, but nobody needs to know that).

The schedule for the day said that after glass blowing we would be playing football. We couldn't figure out if it would be soccer or American football, but when the coach came in we found out that neither of those were part of the plan. When the word "rugby" came out of his mouth, all of the eyes in the room widened and every jaw dropped. I had never played rugby before, but i knew it involved a lot of physical contact and a lot of pain. Luckily we were involved in only a few drills and a lighter version of the real game. It was definitely fun to play, and my favorite part was when they lifted me in the air so I could catch the ball. We headed inside afterwards to play table tennis, or ping pong against some of the best high school players in Taiwan. I never knew that there was a correct and incorrect form when holding the paddle or hitting the ball. Hopefully I will actually be able to win some games after playing with "the pros" today. After a beautifully done performance by the orchestra and a quick version of our show we were off.

The night ended with karaoke and a buffet. I was expecting karaoke to be done at a restaurant that has an old-school karaoke machine with a small screen and one microphone, but my expectations weren't even close. Instead we had our own private room with marble tables, black leather couches, three microphones, and a giant movie size screen at the front of the room. It was a night to remember.

Favorite food/drink of the day: bamboo chips
New thing learned about Taiwan: there is nap time at school