Well, yesterday was all sorts of wonderful! We slept in until 8, which for jet-lagged us was perfect. Then around 10 decided we should see one thing and then come back and prep for our first day of class. So we decide on Taipei 101, figure out how to get there and head out. We took the MRT (subway) to the closest stop and decided to walk the rest of the way. First we stopped at a beautiful bakery for lunch where I bought bread with cheese and bacon. How awesome is that?! Then we meandered in the direction of Taipei 101 stopping in classy (air conditioned) malls that contained Gucci, Coach, Rolex, and the like. The best part was an acrobatics troupe that was performing on the street. Two men and three women were dancing, balancing, flipping, twirling, and lifting outside in the heat. It was the coolest thing! A couple of the stunts they did were terrifying but exciting. Finally we made it to Taipei 101, where we first wandered around and looked in the different stores. We didn't end up going to the observatory because part of it was closed due to the heat so we decided to go back another day. We headed to the food court to rest our weary feet and after much sitting gave our table to some guys from Canada who looked Taiwanese but spoke accent-less English. They showed us to an electronics expo. Needless to say we didn't get back with much time to lesson plan, but it was a great day!

Today was the first day of classes! I have 9 students but one wasn't there so we'll see if they show up. I wasn't as nervous as I thought I would be and it went well. They are between the ages of 18 and 21 and one older gentleman. I had them write down 5 things they wanted to learn. My two favorites were 'How can Americans enjoy life so much?' and 'How do I know where the white American comes from: America or Europe?' Ohhh this will be an adventure. Also I brought them Jolly Ranchers and they were huge fans. The main part that is especially tricky for me is slowing down my rate of speech. I'm a fast talker but then factor in excitement and nerves...

Alright, I gotta stop for now. I'm sorry this post is kind of boring and factual. I was up at 4 this morning due to jet lag, so this afternoon and evening have been a struggle. On a positive note, I'm using the song "Call Me Maybe" in my lesson tomorrow. These is no end to the joy that will ensue!