Letter XIII: The Christmas Week and a Trip to the Taipei High Administrative Court

Hello Tim!

The weather this week has warmed up a bit occasionally with some random rays of sunshine, but the nights have still been breezy.
It is Saturday in the afternoon at this moment, but later, I will be going to meet my German class friends and teacher because he and his wife (my former English cram school teacher) are taking us to a Christmas dinner, a "Weihnachtessen" (Christmas meal), as he put it. I'll see how much I can write before leaving home.

'Twas a Beautiful Christmas Tree- A Christmas Short Story

This is a story written a year ago, as a miniature in-class project. I extended it a bit to make it better, and this would be in our future magazine, but that will certainly be a while before anything is done. For now, I just want you all have a beautiful Christmas, and I hope you enjoy my story.

~~~

Letter XII: Pending Christmas (Déjà vu) and a Changed Opinion on a Particular Book

Hello, Tim!
Quite surprisingly, it has been an uneventful week, as most of the things passed without much fuss. The weather is still pretty cold that I have been wearing all my gloves and hats still, but at the same time, it was more or less assuring that we still have normal winters, instead of days with high temperatures that feel like summer days. Now that would be disconcerting.

Letter XI: Writing for Rights 2017 and the English Essay Competition

Greetings, Tim!
This letter, as it turned out is actually the correct Letter XI, for we need not write a letter in class 220 last week, so I've changed my last letter to stay on track with my other classmates.
It is what we call "freezing cold" here in Taiwan. It was the damp kind of cold, so it felt colder than what is shone on the thermometer. Maybe it is still nothing, comparing to other countries, but it should be enough for me to bring out my Mom-brand knitted gloves, hat, and scarf. They keep me warm even when I am outside facing the cold raining wind, and I love them even more since Mom made them out of numerous balls of yarn.
I don't usually put my hat on, but I just got a haircut (details later) so without a hat, my head would probably freeze up. It is Saturday now, and normally I only start my letters on Sundays, but tomorrow I would go attend an English essay competition -which was giving me a fright and excitement at the same time- and in the afternoon, I still have a math class.

Write for Rights 2017 Postcards and Activities

These are the cases and the postcards I have written for. There are unfair things happening all around the world every second. We should care for not just ourselves nor merely the people around us; extend your sight to places that are farther.

Two Weeks After the Test: Movie Time and the Horrible Weather (with a side of Environmental Concerns)

Hello, Tim!
As I said last week, I am still struggling to get my history and geography reports- both of which are immensely time-taxing. The weather was still changing as ever, and there was a thick layer of smog that covered Taiwan for an incessant two days. I was planning to write something about that in the letter of last week, but eventually, I found that I had no time. Maybe the article will be here.
Still, I would have to hasten my pace or there will be no time left for the undone reports.

Week After the Test: The Walk to Bitan and School Library Work

Greetings, Tim!
It has been a while, and as usual, midterms can be really depressing. It is Wednesday now, and I certainly hope that I would be able to finish this letter by today, but I don't think it would be likely of happening since there are still so much for me to write down.
The weather these days has maintained the same typically unusual patterns.

Week Before the Test: A very French Brunch and a Photo Exhibiton

Seasons greeting, Tim!

I have first say that we don't celebrate Thanksgiving here, but I would never turn down a chance to enjoy a nice Thanksgiving feast. However, it just never occurs to my parents that we should buy a turkey or something from markets or other places... Too bad :(
Now, I want to appreciate the fascinating nature. Here in Taiwan, you can see that the temperature was practically zigzagging its way from cold to hot in a day throughout the week. I have trouble keeping my jackets on but it would be too chilly to take it off. Thanks, Weather.

Letter X: School Annual Events and School Fair

What a season of festivities!

Hello, Tim! Seems like we can never enjoy a week with much tranquility around here, in EHP. This week is the event of the school's fair and tournaments, and whichever part you took in either of the events, you would feel inexplicably drained and fatigued.
Note that in this week, though I am still not sure yet, I am afraid I won't be writing much, for all the imminent assignments preparation I have to finish in the weekend.

Letter IX: Picnic Afternoon with Bubbles and the Dubbing Contest

Wow, that was an eventful week. I mean, more eventful than the usual ones.
The temperature is dipping down, and I still am looking forward to the day when I can put on my complete set of knitted winter gears.
Halloween has gone behind, and the Thanksgiving is next, but my eyes are now on the festivity-overload of the year- Christmas. Maybe I'll write something about it later.

Letter VIII: The Halloween Parade and the Home Economics Classes

Hello, Tim!
It's the Halloween week! We had a lot of fun and see how we celebrated it this year!

Letter VII: Pending Halloween and the Theater Night With Mom

Greetings, Tim!
It has been halfway through October now and the weather has started to get colder. The crisp of the chill has seeped through windows and wooden doors, into my blankets and into my bookshelf (most mention). I know it is basically nothing comparing to how cold it can be in other places, but I'm glad that I would soon be able to put on my mom-made winter gears. My dad has just left for Kaohsiung for his training, and it takes about twenty days to see him again.

Letter VI: Small Confessions and Mom's Birthday

Greetings, Tim!
The test is over, and school is getting back to its normal pace. School fair, spelling contest, etc. are coming rather sooner than later, and the schedules are getting jam-packed once more; high school life, it is.

Happy Weekends 1: Tests Dealt with and Large Winds

Hello, Tim!
An excruciatingly torturous midterm has passed like a slow-moving snail; it felt like an eternity!
This is the first "Happy Holiday" section of this semester, and I still am lacking in time, just as usual. Later, I'll have to go to Costco with my aunt and uncle for some groceries, and then in the afternoon, I have German classes to take. Ever the jam-packed schedules; that's me.

Letter V: The Belated TAS Show Afterthought and more about My Background

Dear Tim:

Greetings!

Almost as a routine, this week was not any more relaxing; quite the contrary, due to the extra day of school we had this Saturday. How tragic! This was actually a compensation to one of the days of the "Double Tenth Day". This holiday is one of the biggest national holidays in Taiwan. It will take place on October the tenth, a Tuesday. However, to make it a bigger and more relaxing holiday, our government made that Monday -October the ninth- a holiday as well, which ensures us a vacation of four consecutive days -from 10/7 to 10/10- and this is when we should toss our bags out the windows and cheer. Though to our disappointment, our mid-term examination is two days after the holiday. Therefore, we possibly have to wave our four days goodbye and get our bags back, take out the books, and study through the days. But let's not dwell on the impending studying depression and look back on the last week's events! On Saturday, I accidentally left my laptop at school, so I'm typing on my cell phone, fearing that I might update too delayed.

Letter IV: How to Stop Time and the Family Quality Time I Missed Dearly

Hello, Tim!
From now on, I try to write as much as I can during Sunday since this is the day I have the most time for myself. My dad just came back from his ship -he works on a ship, shipping coals to Indonesia and Australia, I think I had mentioned before, or not-; he was tired, and he is snoring lightly on the sofa right now; mom went out with her sisters for a Taiwanese traditional musical, and I am listening to my music while typing. Tonight, we will be going to a steakhouse to redeem the vouchers that are going to be expired soon. Unfortunately, I have just had my braces adjusted yesterday afternoon, and now it hurts like someone has drilled holes in my teeth; a lot. Hope that it gets better in the evening, or I would consider resolve to painkillers because no one stops me from chewing beef. (Not really THAT serious, though)

Letter III: Thoughts on the Internet and Many Topics

Greetings, Tim!

This week is more like a swirl of a naughty tornado; I barely registered anything happening before meeting quite the end of the week!

Letter II: For the Winner and the Spelling Contest

Hello, Tim! For this week, I want to first cut into the topic I love dearly. Novel recommendation!

Letter I: A New Start and an Update Long Overdue

So, time for a new start, a new cycle!

Hello, Tim, my name is Hugo, and I study in CCSH EHP, class 220. I love English, I love to read, I love owls, and I love Greek mythology. This is the weird me.
(Note: This is going to be a long article, with lots of rambling of my life around during the summer vacation. I think for once I am going to break them down into small sections. It'll look neater like this. I hope.)

Greetings, England- Day 25: Windsor Castle and my Barely Concealed Sadness

For a grand finale of this grand trip, my host dad took me to Windsor today, to see the still-occasional-residence of the Queen, Windsor Castle.

Oh, and by the way, right now, I am in the airport, waiting to board the plane.

I got a ticket for under 17 at a price of 12 pounds, while my host dad just went to a nearby café and started working.

It was a nice day, with neither sun nor rain. I grabbed an audio guide, and without another question, I started my tour in the Windsor Castle.

Greetings, England- Day 24: Trekking around in London and some more of Being Lost

Rise and shine!

Although I failed this part since I “intuitionally” chose to sleep in even when my host dad gave me a morning call.

It was an eventful day, I can first assure, where I was spending forty minutes just because I still trusted the Internet so much and striving really hard to look for a toilet.

Oh, wait, I mean, a day of museums visiting and next-to-the-river strolling. A bit of optimism makes your day upbeat and wonderful!

Greetings, England- Day 23: Cambridge and the Botanic Garden

So, today is another day of intensive walking and adventure! Who's up to some trekking? Me, myself, and I, apparently!

I was woken up by my host dad at eight in the morning. We had breakfast, I changed, and he took me to the nearest bus station around their house in Milton Keynes. I am going to Cambridge!!!

Greetings, England- Day 22: Farewell, Oxford and Going to Cogsworth (Is That So?!)

I sighed...
It is 8 o'clock in the morning, and I didn't bother to go for breakfast. The revelation itself was too hard to digest already.
Today, when the alarm set off, it was 6:10 a.m. I urged Fran to wake up and the rest of the moments passed by with little exchange of words. I insisted on helping him carry his luggage downstairs. Outside the reception of the bus of his group, his bus leader greeted him and acknowledged my presence. We stood side by side as silence lingered between. When he was about to leave, he said goodbye and I pulled him into another tight hug. No, I didn't cry; the hug itself conveyed everything. We had fought, we had shouted; we hadn't spent a lot of time together, but he is a dear friend indeed.
Fran, you are irresponsible, arrogant, annoying and are a troublemaker; but I will miss you.

The sunrise in the early morning.

Thinking of all the other goodbyes I am about to make later gave me shivers. I had handed out my keys and got the 30 pounds of the deposit back. Thus, the next time I shut my door from the outside might be my last time ever to enter the room. Determined to stay as long as I could, I am staying in, typing and keeping myself busy on the Internet. The warden said that we have to leave the dorm before ten in the morning so that the domestics can clean up the room for the coming new-comers.
~~~
It is nine o'clock now. On second thought, I might as well leave the room now. Maybe I can still spend some time with my friends. And also that it might sound braver if I walked out by myself instead of being asked out. Might. I am going to check all the drawers and cabinets again in case of anything I have forgotten to pack, and with a possibly vulnerable look, I am going to leave the dorm.
Later.

Because of the books, I have a big extra weight to carry with myself.

~~~
I am now on my host family's car now. They are going to take me to another place for some more touring. Those I can save them for tonight, just typing to wrap up the whole deal with St. Clare's.
I packed my things (three heavy bags ugh), hesitant of unsure about leaving my dorm. Twenty-one days can form a serious bond. With a couple of more pictures, I left Staverton Road, the place I had called home for three solid weeks.
I walked into the corridor next to the reception. My host family said that they would arrive at about 10:20. I spent some time sitting there with a blank mind; some time walking around in the corridor. I saw some of my friends also waiting. They also gave me hugs, and I seriously asked them to let me know if they were going to come to Taiwan anytime. I hope they do.

The corridor I am going to miss from today.

About 10:15, I walked out to the sidewalk and I heard my host dad calling my name. I took a deep breath, looked at the exterior of the building with a last longing glance, and followed him to the car. It was a sad parting, and I wished one day I would be here again.

Farewell, my dorm.

139 Banbury Rd

Okay. The whole "typing on car" thing is making me car sick once again. I am going to leave all the details of the upcoming trips when I get back to my host family's house.
~~~
Hello for the fourth time today. My host family took me to three towns in a place called Cotswolds. I know, it was not how it was spelled in the Heading, right? Yeah. Cogsworth is a kind of clock, the kind that appeared in The Beauty and the Beast. That was the name I heard when I heard them saying "Cotswolds". We went to three towns: Stow on the Wold, Bourton on the Water, and Burford. First of all, Cotswolds is home to a lot of the most historical and bedazzling villages and towns, where all the buildings, no matter new or old, share the same traits: honey-colored brick walls, the same type of roof placement, and it radiated a sense of harmony because of that.

Buildings in Burford

Street sights of Burford.

It was raining when we were strolling around in Stow on the Wold

Houses in Bourton on the water

Also, there is no way you can walk down the street and not see any antique shops. Most of the time we spent in the towns were for them. One after one, every of the shop displays was eyes-drawing in their own way. Especially there were a lot of shops that sell plaques for you to put around in your house, like "man cave, do not disturb or severe injuries might occur" or "It is always wine o'clock", you know, all the classy humor and satires. I like the atmosphere over here as it indeed felt like walking in the towns in the past.

One of the anitque shops

The Small Doors

My host mother said that when the weather is nice, kids would dive into the dinner.

I had a really nice day, overall. But I couldn't deny the fact that I still couldn't get over with leaving St. Clare's, especially when I realized that I had been wearing the badge until I got home since I had my jacket zippers up for the whole day...
This is all.

Greetings, England- Day 21: Last Day of Class and the Excursion to London

Ah...
How unimaginable is this?

Greetings, England- Day 20: Punting and the Unsteady Paces

Today after class, upon stepping into my dorm, one of my housemates, Thilo, the guy who invited me to the Parks a while ago, was about to leave the house when he asked me if I want to go punting with him. It had been twenty days in England already. It was honestly a shame that I hadn't tried punting. Mostly because of the conflicts between my schedule and the time of the activities, so I didn't sign up. So, without further ado, I followed Thilo out the dorm once more, didn't even bother to leave my bag inside.

Greetings, England- Day 19: The Casual Talk and a Presentation on Population and Resources

Today, as foretold as yesterday, I went to the admission office to see the guy named Chris.
I was still somewhat nervous because he was like a director of the school or what. But unsurprisingly, he was trying to convince me into the IB course in St. Clare's, which basically was like a two-year preparation for university. With due all honor, I said no, for I have never thought of leaving Taiwan for such a long term at such age. Also, it would mean leaving my family, leaving my friends, leaving EHP, leaving all the teachers who have been so kind to me throughout my strugglings of different phases of my life, at the age of 16! Not to mention about the high expenses here. True, there would be scholarship, but who knows if it would be enough? It has always been my dream to study abroad, but the dream has also been set to be accomplished in my university years or after university. Never has it been high school times, where life has just started. Trust me, this offer was atrociously tempting, in which I could explore the amazing city as much as I want to, with all subject taught in English, with subjects chosen by my own fancy... But, no, I think this is not going to happen. Attracting or not, I am not going to leave my life in Taiwan so soon. Just look at Lawrence, the guy who had just gone back to Canada to study after a mere two-week spent in Taiwan. He did have a great time, I know, but I could not imagine being so young and abroad and getting nostalgic. I was a nice offer, but I would pass. Afterward, I met Sophie in the hall and she asked me what did we talk about. She said that she understood why I said so, but she also asked me if it was nice to be required like this. She did have a point, though. :D
In the Current Events class in the afternoon, we talked about Malthusianism and Boserup's Theory. It was a topic of population and resources. Malthusianism was offering the idea of controlling birth rate, for he believed that while population growth was increasing exponentially, food production was only growing linearly, which indicated that one day, food production will not be sufficient to feed all human. Here is a small graph to illustrate the idea:

On the other hand, Boserup's Theory was more supportive about the saying, "Necessity is the mother of invention." and hence believes the hypothesis where food production rate will alway be a step ahead of human population with the innovation of technology on agricultural or farming. Another small graph here:

Then, we were put into two groups and everyone has to prepare a small part about either supporting Malthusianism or Boserup's Theory. It was interesting, as our presentations got turned into some small debates...
After dinner, I saw Amanda again. She asked me if I was going anywhere for the evening. I thought for a while, and it struck me that I have to go to M&S for the food I'm going to bring back to Taiwan. I got a whole bunch of snacks. Good luck to me for bringing them home.
This is all for today.

Greetings, England- Day 18: A Peek into the Weston Library and Some T-shirt Buying

Today, between classes, Sophie said that someone in the admission office wanted to have a chat with me. It was about the essay I wrote, she said, he only wanted to have a casual talk.

Greetings, England- Day 17: Psychology Classes and Acting Workshop

The last week in St. Clare's starts... NOW!
For this week, we have humanities as our topic, and the subject I chose was psychology. Before class, I was studying my timetables and saw the name of our teacher: Christos Halkiopoulos. It was pretty obvious a Greek name, as I have been listening to Greek songs. I grabbed my phone and typed in his name.

Greetings, England- Day 16: Working since Brunch and One Last Slope

What a morning!
It was 9:30 when I woke up since I had forgotten to set the alarm for weekends. Today I had no plans, so it didn't really matter.
However, I needed to soothe my empty stomach, didn't I? Therefore, I trudged myself up to Summertown and tried to hunt myself some brunch (figuratively, of course).
I ended up in a diner called "Joe's Bar & Grill", where I shyly asked for a table for one (well, this is the first time ordering in a restaurant on my own...)
The interior of the diner was relaxing, to say the least. There were a lot of people inside, but it wasn't noisy. Quiet jazz played in the background, in rhythm with the waiters' roaming around, taking orders and delivering dishes.
After what seemed like an eternity of deciding what to take, I chose a set that looked like a normal British breakfast, with scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns, bread, and sausages. I also asked for a cup of Americano.

This is probably the most relaxing morning I had had for a while!

Oh, and there was one thing that I hadn't mentioned. I brought my laptop with me, just to start with the essay I was supposed to finish by the end of today.

My brunch was awesome, although a bit salty, and I got a not bad start-off for my essay. I wanted to make my essay persuasive, and I really have to make good choices on my words.

Then I spent more than three hours in my room being unproductive. 

I was tired! And lazy... 

This had to stop, I decided. So I went to Sugar House, the food center of St. Clare's, to get some drinks, food, and the motivation to be productive. Wow, food really does have an influence on mind work because right in Sugar House, I had finished an 80 percent of the composition! By the time for dinner, I, with a satisfied smile, pressed the "send" button.

Much to my surprise, I got my reply from Ms. Sophie right after I finished dinner, saying that she would take a look at it tomorrow.

I just realized that I haven't been talking about my roommate a lot. It's not like I don't like him, he is nice and I like him pretty much, just that I don't have many chances of mentioning him.

His name is Francisco, and he is from Spain. He has two sisters and one brother. He was really polite on the first and second day, so I had a really nice first impression of him. But after the second day, he proves that he could be annoying and pranking if he wants to. A trouble maker, to be more precise. Fifteen years old he is, but more responsibility should be seen in a guy like his age. Otherwise, he is a really nice guy.

Today marks the end of the second week of my life in St. Clare's, and even though I miss my home, miss Taiwan dearly, I wish not to go back so soon! 

Alas, like every roller coaster does, an excitement must have an ending. But there is one more big lump ahead of me, the ride isn't finished yet. 

No way am I not going to enjoy the thrill of it.

Extension Work from Ms. Sophie Howells

Essay description: What are the challenges facing the Arctic? Evaluate possible solutions to these issues.

Greetings, England- Day 15: Madame Tussauds and some Intensive Walking Tour

Today is excursion day!
Being fully booked, I couldn't go to the River Thames or the Westfield Shopping Center, and there was only one left, the Madame Tussauds and the Oxford Street.

Greetings, England- Day 14: Extra homework and Oh, DEER!

Extra homework...
Sounds ominous, doesn't it?
However, I was grateful!

Greetings, England- Day 13: A Day of School Activities and Just Keep Faith

The experiment for today also gave me a hard time. It was about soils. We first got a basic understanding of soils from a video and some handouts, then we as a whole class have to see if different kinds of soils with different textures have a direct influence on the rate of infiltration, percolation, and the amount of water retention.

Greetings, England- Day 12: Photosynthesis and Interviews

IT looks like these days are going to have weather patterns like this: Cold in the morning, when you don't want to get out of bed, but you have to because you have to get ready for classes and when you have just decided that you are going to put on a jacket, and the sun goes up. Nevertheless, you go out with your jacket on. A while later, the sunlight intensifies and it was unbearably hot so you have to take your jacket off. HOWEVER, the wind started to blow, and your teeth chatter with an audible sound.

Greetings, England- Day 11: More Classes and Rain

It was cold.
As the teachers were saying, the temperature really dropped. It was so cold that I overslept, comfy in my blanket. I woke up twenty minutes earlier than usual, and the queue was too long for me to wait. Therefore, I skipped breakfast.
For the science class in the morning, we learned about sampling. We went to a small garden of St. Clare's and made a small estimation of how many species of plants are there in that area. Again. Interactive, Actual experiences, and more discussions. Yes, I did say about the classes, but I meant that as a nice thing, not a complaint! The debates about the Arctic, and the papers we wrote for science classes. The act of a small interview, and the poetry writing about emotions, etc. they are some of the amazing things I would love to dwell on.
It was rainy.
Fluffy (is that even a word to describe rain?), for the whole afternoon, and when it reached the evening, it rained a bit harder. However, I still have the volleyball activity to attend to. "Luckily," the stadium was indoors, so we still got to keep the game going. The first game was nice, for me, for all the other players also had no idea how to play volleyball, so we had a nice time laughing. For the second... With some excellent players, I was actually so horrible playing that I was asked by another player to swap places with him. It was enough of the embarrassment for today, so I went to the bench and sat there until we went back for dinner.
I feel so lazy today, maybe it's the cold, maybe it's the rain, or maybe even both...
That's all for today.
07/11/2017

Greetings, England- Day 10: Science Courses and the Paths of the Oxford Parks

This is my tenth day in England, and I have some tours to lead!

Greetings, England- Day 9: Summertown Shopping and Endless Work

It's a no-school day!
(Well, I would exchange today for a whole set of literature lessons though...)
My roommate had gone to some football stadium, so until evening, I have the whole room to myself!

Greetings, England- Day 8: The Thorpe Park and a Lazy Evening

So, it is the day of keen excitement and sharp amusement!
At 8:45, we gathered outside the activities office and boarded the bus heading for the Thorpe Park.
It was still, a sunny, cloudy, hot day indeed. And just as all the amusement parks are, crowds and crowds of people flocked about the Thorpe Park. Just waiting for the tickets alone, we had stood outside the theme park for almost an hour. Imagine how happy we were when we finally got inside.
Following a crowd of my classmates, we skipped the appetizer and went straight to one of the main dishes: a rollercoaster called The Swarm. And so excited was I to go on all the scary ones that I only managed to remember to take the picture of the Swarm. It was really exciting with all those twirling and swirling in tumbling around. However, it took too long to wait. Therefore, I went and bought the fast track ticket. And you can imagine how smooth things were after that! But since I didn't take any pictures after the Swarm, there is no way you can get an idea of how "amusingly exciting" the rides were. All I can tell you is that it was more than enough of the excitement for today.
I know this is probably a day with the least context so far, but there was too much shouting and laughing on the rides, and I'm exhausted.

Apologies for the lack of details.

This is all for today.
07/08/2017

Greetings, England- Day 7: End of the Literature Week and Oxford's Waterstones Bookstore

Today is Friday, and this is the end of our week of literature...

Greetings, England- Day 6: Countdown and the Mama Mia Musical

Today, in English class, we watched the TV show Catchphrase, a game for guessing idioms and phrases by watching a short animated illustration, for the purpose of getting to know more of the idioms. Some of them even originated from Shakespeare's plays!

Greetings, England- Day 5: Much Ado About Nothing and an enjoyable Night

(Written on 07/06/2017)
Okay, so conclusions first: The show was awesome!!!
Back to the beginning.

Greetings, England- Day 4: The Amazing Lessons and the Preview for Tomorrow

Today was the first of the class: literature and English and critical thinking; sounds like fun!
So I am writing all these after my classes are finished, I am in my dorm, typing on the computer, trying to give as much details as I can manage, and I can first tell you that the courses are literally to my heart's desire!

Greetings, England- Day 3: The Central Oxford and The Blackwell Bookshop

Okay, so for the third day...
THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS TO TELL!

Greetings, England- Day 2: Settling Down and a Nervous Start

Okay, so first of all, I'm going to fill in some details I left out on Day one.

Greetings, England- Day 1: Intensive Touring and a Slight Jet-lag

Wow, everything was so... new.
The signs, the roads, the people, the weather, the buildings, the shops, etc. So much there was to take in that I don't have the time to keep them all in my head!

Epilogue: Good-natured Hopes and Visions for the Future

Alas, as every touching book does, our story has an epilogue.
Today is the school finishing ceremony, yet here I am, on an airplane in Bangkok, await to set foot in England.
It was a pity that I didn't get to spend the last day with the others on the last day, it was also regretful that I didn't have the chance to join some classmates for dinner...
But today, I am happy that had the chance to be with such a phenomenal group of people. Sometimes I find myself speechless when I have to describe 120. Everyone with a different set of talents and that is what makes being in this class enjoyable.
Even though with all the sadness, the story of ours has a sequel. It's called 220, of which the title is yet being given.
I wish all of us good luck and everything turns out nice.
Glad that this didn't turn out to be simply spurring of words because that is what I usually do.
See you.

Letter 30: The Last Letter (for this semester) and Before the Vacation

Hello again, Tim!
  So as you may see, this is the thirtieth and the last letter.

Letter 29: The Lame Weather in Taiwan and the Reveal of Birthday Present for Classmate

  Hello, Tim! Hope the weather over your place is better than ours because the storms right here are drowning us!

Letter 28: Annual Performance and My Loving Second Home

  Hello, Tim! It has been two weeks! There were so many things that had happened that I have no spare time to write on the weekends...

Letter 27: The Speech Competition and Throughout the Week

Dear Tim:

  

  Just in a blink of an eye, another week passed!

Letter 26: Utterly Exhausting Week and the Upcoming Awesome Summer Vacation

Hello, Tim!

  Still it was, an absolute busy week.

Letter 25: Busy, Busy Week and Busy High School Life

  Hello, Tim!

  This week has just gotten busier and busier!

Happy Holidays III: Celebrating and MEAT

Hello, Tim!
  Just coming by, to tell you about my weekend!

Letter 24: Splendid Music Competition and Eternal Friendship

  How are you, Tim?

  Everything today is so amazing! You probably have heard, you probably haven't, but please keep on reading.

Letter 23: Our Phenomenal Classmates and Lunch Preparing

Hello, Tim!

  This is the week of basketball!

Letter 22: Bookstores and Bookstores (For the Books) (Obviously...)

Hello, Tim!

  This had been a busy but utterly beautiful week!

Happy Holidays II: The Tale as Old as Time and Wonderful Puns (oh and my back)

Greetings, Tim!

I know it is holiday in Taiwan (Tomb-sweeping holiday) and we won't need to write but I do want to write and so here I am!

Happy Holidays I: First extra Letter and More about my Fractured Bone

Hey, Tim, me again:)
Thank you for your reply some times ago!
About my back, yes, it is fractured, but nothing is swelling. It hurts so much that I once tried a painkiller (not a big fan of those stuff) but it didn't work!

Letter 21: Ouch! My Back and The Beating Heart in the Floorboard

Dear Tim:

Again, thank you for the comment on my reply of the last week! Seeing your comment, I felt utterly distressed with myself: I didn’t mention the connection between owls and Athena!

Letter 20: The Owls and The Fuse of the Trojan War

Dear Tim:

Thank you for the comment of last week! I promise to do my utmost to make progress on my English writing skills!

Letter 19: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time and Desserts (or was It Stressed? I Got Confused)

Hello, Tim!

Do you know why you should have cakes when you are under stress?

Because “stressed” spelled backward is “desserts”.

…

Literature Circles: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time

Book: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
Author: Mark Haddon
LC I: Passage Picker
          Discussion Director
LC II: Connector
            Illustrator
LC III: Summarizer
             Word Watcher
LC IV: Passage Picker
          Discussion Director
LC V: Connector
            Illustrator
LC VI: Summarizer
             Word Watcher
Reading Reflection:
The Detective with Autism- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time

Letter 18: A New Book and Some of My Talented Classmates

Hello, Tim!

  So we heard that you knew about this already, our blogs are officially … accessible?

  Keeping a blog, to me, is like keeping a diary. I chose my favorite background (book shelvesssss) and a font that is not too glossy or extravagant, nor is it too plain; my style.

Letter 17: Book of My Winter Vacation and My Atrocious Handwriting

Response to Tim's Letters

Letter 1 (Link) Enchanté!
Letter 2 (Link) Mid Autumn Festival and Name Origins
Letter 3 (Link) Typhoons and Dogs
Letter 4 (Link) Hyenas and Books
Letter 5 (Link) A Busy Week and The Beginning of Puns
Letter 6 (Link) A Wrong Assumption (Well Didn't Know That Then) and Halloween Events
Letter 7 (Link) Farming and Free Yummy Candies
Letter 8 (Link) Goodreads Awards and The Unexpected Election Result (Wrong Assumptions!!!!)
Letter 9 (Link) Nero and the School Fair
Letter 12 (Link) Gay Marriage and the Pending Christmas
Letter 13 (Link) Christmas Greetings and Writing for Rights
Letter 14 (Link) Christmas Events and Picture Books (Woah three Christmas topics in a row)
Letter 15 (Link) Classmate's Name Changing (Temporarily) and Serious Discussions

Letter 16: New Semester and New Year

Dear Tim:

It has been a long while since we get to write to you. Way too long.

How are you recently?

I'd rather waltz than just walk through the forest
The trees keep the tempo and they sway in time
Quartet of crickets chime in for the chorus
If I were to pluck on your heartstrings would you strum on mine?