On the Chinese lunar calendar, 2021 is the year of the ox. My little brother and I went to my mom's art studio. Everyone in the class dressed in red and tied two horn loops on their hair. Everyone looked cute. But my brother and I were not used to tying loops in our hair. We drew colorful oxen on large sheets of paper, used brushes to write New Year's couplets, and pasted cut-paper figures on the paper for good luck. Cheers to health, happiness, and prosperity for our families, teachers, and classmates in 2021! I hope that the pandemic will soon end and things can return to normal. Wishing you and your family a safe and wonderful new year!

National Center of Traditional Arts in Luodong
Entering the National Center of Traditional Arts was like going back in time. The building is of traditional architecture, and it has lots of exhibits of traditional works. My favorite experience at the center was watching Taiwanese opera by Ming Hua Yuan. It was about Tiger Wang, the bride hunter, but I wouldn't want to be his bride. I was at the center a whole day, and I would like to have been there longer.

Fishing by the Sea
I went fishing with my father and grandfather during the summer vacation. I caught a lot of tilapia and saury. I want to go fishing with my father and grandfather again.

Saturday, July 11, Clear
We went home in the evening after painting class, took showers, and went to the movie theater to see Minions, which we had been looking forward to seeing. The movie begins with the Minions looking for a new master and finding a woman master. They find out later that the woman is using them for evil purposes, but they find a good master in the end. That master is Gru. I'm glad that I was able to seen this movie and relax. The story is funny, and we laughed a lot. I hope that the next movie in the series comes out soon.

Saturday, June 2. Sunny
On this hot summer day, the gate to Koxinga's shrine shone especially red in the sunlight. We were excited about visiting the national hero, Koxinga. He drove the Dutch military out and saved Taiwan. He was really brave, and I admire him a lot.

Sunday, June 6, sunny
My family and I always go on vacation in midsummer. We like to build sand castles and lie in the sun. My relatives and friends swim and play volleyball on the beach. We always have a wonderful time.

Burning "king boat" floats is the highlight of a famous temple festival in Chinese Taipei, and the king boats of Tungkang are the biggest and most fancy of all. The king is a symbol of protection from disease. Each boat has carvings of the captain and crew to operate the boat and carvings of livestock, money, food, and daily necessities for the king and his servants to use in the afterlife. On the morning of the festival, we follow the float down to the sea. When the time comes, we pray for the king to get into the boat and then set the boat on fire. The combination of the flames and the morning sun is an exciting sight. We believe that sending off the king boat gets rid of disease and disasters and brings us the promise of a bright future.

"Bam, bam. Crash!" sound the drums and gongs, creating a thrilling atmosphere. My grandmother and I go to Tainan City's famous Lu Er Gate early one morning to worship. On the way, we hear the drums and gongs roaring into the sky. The excellent performers play a constant, skillful beat that makes us all feel that we can touch the heavens.

Wan-yi Huang is my name. I am a darling beauty and a treat for my father's eyes. I like sports, and I play hockey at school. My father has a construction company. My mother is a math teacher. My big brother is good at painting. My little brother loves to eat and is fat. My grandmother loves to take care of her garden, and everyone in our family is healthy and happy.

I went to Taipei today. Wow, what a sight! What a busy city! So many cars, and the continuous traffic! Taipei is amazing.

On a holiday, the slope in front of grandmother's house is the best place for an earth-roast dinner. I'll pick firewood, you'll start a fire and she can pick some fresh flowers. Working together, we can soon look forward to enjoying some hot and delicious sweet potatoes.

Harvest festival
Pretty girls and strong young men in their most beautiful clothes are dancing and singing folk songs. Their hearts are full of happiness as they celebrate the good harvest.

These days my teeth are not good, so my mother took me to the dentist. In the consultation room a patient was undergoing an examination, so we waited by side for my turn. Now it was my turn. I got a little tense. I opened my mouth wide and the dentist examined my teeth with a stick like an popsicle stick. He lighted a small light to illuminate my teeth. There were two decayed teeth. He told my mother that they were baby teeth, so it was all right to pull them out when they get loose or new teeth grow. So I got relieved. My mother thanked him. We rode on her scooter to home. On our way home she told me that teeth would be clean if I have a less sweet and rinse my mouth and brush my teeth in the morning and in the evening. I said I understand. We went to some shops and bought some night meal for my father.