Mrs. Beth Plankey always feels fortunate to have a foreign exchange student in her Speech 10 classroom to share cultural aspects; she is elated to have Yu-Ni Lin’s enthusiasm for communication.
Lin, from Taiwan, is a sophomore and is currently living with another current exchange student, Gwen Fafet from Germany, hosted by Miranda Schuh and her family.
Lin first arrived in the states on Sept. 2 and will stay through the end of the school year and then continue school back home. She says that they have two breaks throughout their school year, winter break which is almost two months and summer break which is exactly two months.
In her spare time she loves to play badminton and get involved with the school’s SEA-club and orchestra where she can play her instrument the Ercho. Lin enjoys using lockers as they do not have them at her school and dislikes the bells to dismiss classes. “We play a song rather than the plain tone you guys play.”
Because she hopes to keep her thin shape in America, she plans to get involved with the school’s dance and cheer team later this year.
“I love the hamburgers and French fries because nothing is boiled here!” she said with a quick lick of her lips. Because boiled food is the norm in Taiwan, Lin craves more than repetitive rice.
She hopes to learn not only academic observances but also social trends. She plans to absorb what she can about American culture.
Lin shared that when she gets back home she cannot wait to see her mom and her friends who she misses dearly, but still she enjoys being here and making brand new friends. She noted that people who say “Hi” to her in the hallway make her day.
