Making the Final Model

Friday :: Late Morning

We worked until 10:30 AM, but we finished the model and I saw a Taiwanese sunrise.




We went home to sleep at met back at 4. Part of our requirements were to have Tin-Man photograph our model. While he was doing so, the other professor in charge (Frank) walked in and told us to re-do our food storage drawers. How nice. So we re-finished the model at 11 PM and went to get it rephotographed by Tin-Man.

Setting Up.
The final model.
Here, we are setting up the "functional" picture. Things got a little scary. [My face, Iris and Mikey's yelling faces...I'd just like to point those out.]
The functional picture. [Stone is rotated to start a fire. Tables are extended and the flat-packed stools are assembled.]
Table to stool. All ergonomic measurements, of course. [And yes, the drawer is pulled out on purpose.]


Saturday :: Lazy Lazy Work Day

I slept for 12 hours meaning I woke up at 2. I did laundry, emailed Momma, and worked a lot on our report and our powerpoint.

We each paid $1,000 NT ($30) to rent a bus this coming Tuesday to go to Kenting beach. It's the tourist attraction beach here. I also watched the first half of The Blind Side on QuickSilverScreen.

While I was working later on...at 1:30 AM...one of the Shu-Te students knocks on my door and tells me that my group will be taking me to a "pretty place" and then we would be going to the Dream Mall to see Eclipse! (The theater is in the mall). I emailed Tin-Man to tell him and went to sleep.

Sunday :: Eclipse in Taiwan! and some trouble.

We woke up and met at 11 to go to the "pretty place" which turned out to be an old sugarcane plantation. We had lunch there and walked around for about an hour. It was really hot but a very interesting place to look around.



This was one of the houses on the plantation. I have no idea what it was used for because this was a "wander around on your own" tour.


Some old bricks at the plantation. It looked like there was seating inside.


Field on the plantation.


We took the subway to the dream mall and I only spent about $15 US! Then I saw THE movie!! That was a nice gift from my group. Also, when you buy a movie ticket in Taiwan, you get to pick a seat to reserve and you can pay a FEW EXTRA DOLLARS to get a drink and popcorn. I got Coke and their sweet popcorn..it was really yummy!

Eclipse was good! It was probably better because my memory of the plot was pretty foggy because I hadn't read it in over a year. I found myself not as excited about this addition to the saga..maybe just because I was in another country and not around all the hype. Also, we went to MisterDonut. I didn't get anything because they were out of Angel Cream :( but they have cool signs.


We got home around ten and called Tin-Man to say we were home. Long story short, we surprisingly got in trouble, and it sucked.

Monday :: Closing Ceremony and Final Presentations

At 8:30, we transferred all of our breakable crafts to the ceremony lobby to show off. Then we watched a funny video of collected clips throughout the trip.

Then they awarded us with certificates...first from Shu-Te

This is my funny group that's now obsessed with TOUCHDOWN!, but this one was a little off.

Then we got Auburn certificates from Tin-Man

My group looking appalled at their Auburn certificates

Us with the Shu-Te staff. I didn't get the memo to not smile.

We then ate the same buffet lunch as we had at the opening ceremony


and had our final presentations. They went very quickly, thank God. I was ready to be done with EVERYTHING (even though I'm not because a lot of work still awaits me when I get home).


There was also a raffle for different Auburn paraphernalia. It was hilarious watching the Shu-Te students get all excited over Auburn stickers and flags and keychains.


After a very hectic clean up, I got my craft stuff and went to room to shower quickly to meet the group to go back to KTV. What's KTV? WELL! Taiwanese Karaoke, of course! You pay at the door and then are escorted to a really GROOVY room with an all-you-can-eat buffet outside the door. The buffet was dwindling in food, but their french fries and bread were AMAZING so I was ok. We sang for 3 hours and then came back to campus. Tomorrow we are going to Kenting! I hope it's not as hectic as its planning was. More later.