31 October 2013

Having fun at Wylie Park in Aberdeen


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(The content of this post happened on 7 Sept, 2013 CDT)

Barb work at a company called South Dakota Wheat Growers, it is a company about farming in South Dakota. The company had an internship program meeting in Aberdeen Wylie Park on weekend, and Barb took JJ and me together with her because Wylie Park is a amusement park which as some fun stuff such as kart racing.


Kart racing

Went Trick or Treating like a kid on Halloween


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Today, 31 Oct, 2013, is Halloween! The BIG THING of Halloween is to trick-or-treating! I of course went trick-or-treating, too. But you may think this is kids' activity, actually, that was also what I think. JJ and my original plan was to give out the candies that we prepared for kids. But since Kevin called and ask me to go trick-or-treating with him, I left candies home, and went out with him. He prepared some costume for us because we do not have any. I got a mask which has a scary face (It is a movie character's face but I do not know who he is), and JJ got a pair of ninja knife.

Two Crazy Snowy Days - Playing in the snow


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Since the last snowy night on the day before yesterday, it has not snow again (or very little), but the snow from that night has been no melt, so JJ and I played in the snow these two days all of the time after school.


The scene I saw in the morning the day before yesterday.

30 October 2013

Watching Volleyball Game at School


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(The content of this post happened on 3 Sept, 2013 CDT)

Most of the time, JJ and me had not many things can do after school except study and using our cell phone. So we often find some activities to do, such as playing basketball or go to the school game. There were many games held in Ipswich, most of the time, it was girl volley ball game, and sometimes was football game. Other schools' team player will come to our gym and have game, of course, our school's team will also play games at other school, such as Aberdeen Central High School.

This was the first we went to school and watch the game. We went home after school and had supper, and we went to school again. All of the audience supposed to pay 3 dollars for entering, but since I bought an activities ticket for 15 dollars, I can enter all school games and activities for free. There were many people in the gym, some are home teams' (our school's) parents and schoolmate, some are visitors'.

When JJ and I arrived, I saw there already have many of my schoolmates, most of them are in school band, they have to play bands during the games' break time. But JJ and I sat on the top ourself, because we did not know them very much. Before the game start, we have to pay tribute to the America by standing up and put the right hand on the heart when national anthem was playing by the band. Although I am not American, but since I was in their nation, I still do so. The game was pretty exciting, all players all played very hard, plus the visitors' cheering, we really enjoyed the game.

27 October 2013

Helping barb washing the vehicle


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We did not have many things to do yesterday, we went to the fire department to wash Barb's pickup truck and went Aberdeen to meet Styles and have supper at night. Since Barb also work at the Ipswich fire department, we could easily go in. Barb works only when there is a fire in town, she do not get paid.

26 October 2013

Kevin's Birthday party


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(The content of this post happened on 1 Sept, 2013 CDT)

It was already September, 2013! I have been staying in Ipswich for over two weeks, the school also started for a while. I have made some friends here. One of my friend, Kevin Charlton was going to held a party to celebrate his birthday on September 1st. He invited JJ and me to go. He said it would be a awesome party, and they will prepare supper and some snacks.


The night at the party

Since Kevin's house is also in Ipswich, we just need to walk there, it is very near. We arrived at 4 o'clock. Some more people were already there, they are all my classmates. We did some interesting things that I have never done before, such as cutting the firewood. They said   those wood were for the campfire at night. I never used ax before, this was my first experience. It was so heavy that I could not hold it for too long. They taught me how to use it to cut the firewood, very soon, I could hold it and cut wood very well! I am a good learner! Haha :)

Kevin's family kept many cats. 3 of them were kitties that was only few months old. I love them very much, they are so cute! It is very comfortable to hold them, because they are very soft and warm, and they are also very nice.


Cute kitty

25 October 2013

A small surprise for Barb


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This might be the shortest post on my blog, because I just want to share a cool thing that I made with JJ last weekend.

Since Barb had to work last Saturday, there were only JJ and I at home. We did not have many things to do. On afternoon, JJ said he want to practice football on the lawn which is next to our house, I thought he was only playing football. But when the next time I went out, I saw he put leaves together to make word "Barb". I came and help. I made it more beautiful and neat, I also add some more words. When it was all finished, looks very pretty.


JJ and the "leaves art"

Just got my Bluetooth keyboard


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Since I started writing my blog, it took me at least 45 minutes a day on writing and thinking what to write, because my English skill is not good. Sometimes, I have time when I was outside such as waiting host family at the hospital. I think instead of playing my phone, why not write blog posts? So I bought a Logitech Bluetooth keyboard on eBay, it can connect to my phone, and I can type on the real keyboard easily instead of the small screen keyboard.

24 October 2013

"Moving Spencer to College" Trip - Day 3


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(The content of this post happened on 26 Aug, 2013 CDT)

Finally, it was the last day of the trip. We did not have many plans for today. I wanted to go to the Badlands National Park that was also located in South Dakota, but Spencer had a doctor appointment, and it was a 5 hours drive to Ipswich, so we could not go.

We met Spencer at the hospital in Rapid City. JJ and I were waiting at the visitor waiting area playing our phones, about 2 hours later, they finally finished. In the parking lot, I saw Barb hugged Spencer and say goodbye, then, it was time to leave.

But big things happened when we just left hospital two blocks. Our trailer were hit by a car! When we were driving straight on the road which has 3 lanes, the driver of the car behind us decided to change its lane, but she did not notice us, then we got hit. We had really bad luck that day, the weather was hot, plus Barb just left her son, all of us were not happy. I was sitting in the front, I remember the time we got hit, I just heard "BANG", and I felt like something bumped us, I thought it was the blast of tire, but since Barb yelled "Somebody just hit us", I knew it was not that simple.

Fortunately, there were a gas station which has car-repair station next to the scene. By the time Barb drove in, there was a men came and help us. He helped us to call the police and asked if we have seen the licence number of the car that hit us, but we did not. The car which hit us ran away. We got off and saw the tire of the trailer behind us was crashed, Styles began to cry. He was scared, he knew something happened, so we could not get home on time.

23 October 2013

It started to snow!


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Although I haven't finished writing posts about big things that happened before, like Trip and first day at school, I still want to write today's diary. It was too special today, it started to snow!  Actually, it started at the night before yesterday, but those days had only a little bit. Today did not have very much too, but it was snowing when I was walking to school. I have seen snowing days and played with snow before, but only a few time during the trip in foreign country like Japan and Korea, so snow actually are "new things" to me.


The night before yesterday

22 October 2013

"Moving Spencer to College" Trip - Day 2


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(The content of this post happened on 25 Aug, 2013 CDT)

The second day of the trip was absolutely unforgettable!!! Because we visited Mount Rushmore, the mountain which is very famous and can be seen on many Movies or shows!


Mount Rushmore was remodeled in the show I like - "Phineas and Ferb"

21 October 2013

"Moving Spencer to College" Trip - Day 1


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(The content of this post happened on 24 Aug, 2013 CDT)

My second weekend in Ipswich were big days, because we were moving out my host brother, Spencer, to college. The college which Spencer was going to is Black Hills State University in Spearfish, South Dakota. It is a 5 hour drive from Ipswich, so we planned to go for 3 days, we can go somewhere else like Mt. Rushmore, and we had Monday off!

19 October 2013

The first time shopping at walmart


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(The content of this post happened on 19 Aug, 2013 CDT)

My host family will go Aberdeen almost every weekend, the major reason is to shop at Walmart. Walmart is a hypermarkets that sells almost everything, from food to television, we can get all of them from Walmart. Every weekend, we go Aberdeen to have lunch and shop at Walmart. We will buy enough food for the whole week.

My was very excited when the first time visiting Walmart, I saw many "new" and interesting things. Here has some pictures, I will describe each of them under the picture.


Entering Walmart

18 October 2013

The first day at school


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(The content of this post happened on 20 Aug, 2013 CDT)

After spending 3 days with families in Ipswich, It is time to go to school. Ipswich Public School started on August 20th, but before the school started, there was a open-house day. Since whether students or parents can visit the school classroom and meet the school teacher, freshmen and people new to the school, like me, can find the correct class room.



Library

17 October 2013

First visit to the farm


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(The content of this post happened on 18 Aug, 2013 CDT)

Barb have two brother and two sister, they all live in town or near Ipswich. On my second day in Ipswich, Barb took me and JJ to the her sister' farm. The farm is few mile west from Ipswich, it is not very big, there were only few farmhouse that keep animals.


The house in the farm

15 October 2013

Walking around Ipswich


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(The content of this post happened on 18 Aug, 2013 CDT)

I do not have school during my first 3 days here, so I just walk around Ipswich, go to the farm or go Aberdeen, which is the 3rd biggest city in South Dakota. Ipswich is a very tiny town, the population is soon 1000. Walking around Ipswich only take like half an hour. So of course, there will not be many stores in Ipswich.


View Larger Map

There are a subway, a groceries store, a bank, a restaurant and 2 gas stations with convenience store. There is also a post office and... maybe some more stores (I'm not sure). Because we are on the highway intersection, the gas stations are important.


Bank


Subway


Gas station


Restaurent

The first night at the new house


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(The content of this post happened on 17 Aug, 2013 CDT)

After supper, I chatted with my host mom, she said that his son, Spencer, are moving out to the college next week. So he is cleaning his room and packing his stuff. His college is Black Hills State University in spearfish, South Dakota. It is a 3.5 hours drive from Ipswich, Barb says we (Me, Barb and JJ) are all going together for a trip, after moving Spencer, we will stay at Rapid City and go to Mount Rushmore.

After chatting with my host family, it was time to go to bed. Barb told me to sleep in her room, on a king size bed. She said she had already washed the bedding, and she will sleep on the couch. Because his son, Spencer, have not move all of the things out of his room. But I told Barb I should not sleep in her room. So I asked Spencer if he can sleep with Barb in Barb's room, he said yes.

The first night in the new place would not be easy to fall asleep. Different bed, different room, and different feeling. Also, there were different "sounds", like the train comes by and the Cuckoo clock sound. Fortunately, I did not have the problem that most of the exchange student have, the time difference problem. I woke up at 9 o'clock on the following day, unlike JJ, he slept till noon!


Trains!

14 October 2013

First meet with my host family


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(The content of this post happened on 17 Aug, 2013 CDT)

After arrived Aberdeen airport, my host mom, host sister, styles and my roommate were already waiting there. My roommate is also an exchange student, but he came here 2 weeks earlier than me. They help me to carry my packages, even a 3 years old kid, Styles wanted to help! They then take me to a amusement park, there had many temporary rides and stalls selling ice cream, just like the picture in the movie! And we watched a BMX show, young kids performing bicycle stunts, that's awesome, and Styles love it very much.


Arrived Aberdeen!

13 October 2013

From Taipei to Aberdeen


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(The content of this post happened on 16-17 Aug, 2013 CDT)

I stayed in America for almost two months, but I had never written a blog before, so I am going to review some cool and important things that happened in past two months.

To be an exchange student, there are bunch of paper works to do. Such as visa application and many agreements. But after that, but the most important thing is to take the plane. From leaving Taiwan, transfer the plane, to entering the USA everything have to done by yourself, and if anything happened, asking people that speak unfamiliar language is the only way to help. So it's such a big challenge that I have to overcome.


Packing the packages


The last night to sleep in my room


The rendezvous notice


Me


Me and my partners at the Check-in desk


TPE to LAX


My boarding pass

12 October 2013

Yeah! My new blog are finally done!


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Hello~ I'm Phil, a 2013-2014 exchange student from Taiwan, a beautiful island on Pacific Ocean. I'm good at computer and I like design. I stay in Ipswich, South Dakota with host mom, Barb, and my roommate, JJ, who's from South Korea. Ipswich is a very small town, which has a population soon 1000, unlike Taipei, it's very natural here. Here're some picture I took in Ipswich.


Main Street


Railroad track next to our house


Gas Station


My roommate, JJ and George


Train ~ So close!