Once again, I traveled outside Taipei for the weekend, going to a beach in the Wanli district. The beach, just as the waterfall did the week before, reminded me of how truly different Taiwan is from where I live in the U.S., as the water was quite warm and surrounded by forested mountains. The warm water certainly made for nice swimming conditions which my friends and I took advantage of. We capped of our beach day by playing volleyball with some locals-a prime opportunity to practice what we have been learning in the classroom. The heat in Taipei this week has not ceased, but I prefer it to the harsh rain storms that sometimes come through.