November 19, 2008
Ok, so a quick summary about my first three months. It started off perfectly, my family is amazing and at the beginning they were extra cautious of explaining things slowly to me and helping me form sentences, and not just.. "thank you" and "yes I understand." Now we can communicate on a normal level. It was nerve-racking to start school, not knowing anyone (or French) fluently, but I've made really good friends and it wasn't that bad. My host family takes me on small day trips to see the region and so far I've seen a lot. I've been to Paris to see a real football game (France won) and I've seen a lot castles and historical sites. It's really interesting to say the least, and I'm learning a lot (but in a fun way.) This Saturday we're going to the Matignon where the Prime Minister works. It's normally closed to tourism, but we're going to have a chance to visit. I'm moving to my second family the first of December and am excited. I'm a little sad to be leaving my first family but not dissapointed. I've had a few moments of homesickness but it's not a big deal because I'm normally busy and have things going on. I'm part of one of the two girls soccer teams in the city and that keeps distracted from missing the US too much. Over all, I'd say after just three months here, I know that it's been the most exciting experience of my life and I can't wait for the following months. Thank you Rotary for the opportunity to be here. (And the Rotary here is amazing; everyone is so welcoming and kind.)
Sorry I've forgotten to write, but I've been really busy here. It's a good busy though. I'd say I've adjusted well, and I really feel like part of my host family. I'll be sure to remember to write again next month. Sorry again, and Happy Holidays.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Chelsea Choppy -- Venezuela
November 17, 2008
I did my newsletter from September but i forgot about October....I'm not
sure if you ever got it because you never responded or anything -- haha.
Anyway it's now November and things everything is still going well. its
been about 2 and a half months since i arrived. School is going really
well and i have a lot of friends. The spanish is improving of course and
im learning a lot. About 2 weeks ago i went on my first rotary trip here
to another state in Venezuela called merida. It was a lot of fun and i
met all the other exchange students in venezuela. We are going to
margarita island in january so im very excited for that. I'm really
looking forward to christmas here because it is a lot differnt so I've
heard; but we'll save that for the December newsletter.
I did my newsletter from September but i forgot about October....I'm not
sure if you ever got it because you never responded or anything -- haha.
Anyway it's now November and things everything is still going well. its
been about 2 and a half months since i arrived. School is going really
well and i have a lot of friends. The spanish is improving of course and
im learning a lot. About 2 weeks ago i went on my first rotary trip here
to another state in Venezuela called merida. It was a lot of fun and i
met all the other exchange students in venezuela. We are going to
margarita island in january so im very excited for that. I'm really
looking forward to christmas here because it is a lot differnt so I've
heard; but we'll save that for the December newsletter.
Zachary Smith -- Brasil
November 18, 2008
Brasil is going great, I have been speaking straight portuguese since I got here ( except in emails such as this and helping a friend with his english once every couple weeks). I have made enough friends that I only remember about 50% of all their names. I have even began helping a mexican exchange student with his portuguese. Once again everything is great, thanks again for your help and work to get me here and you said to keep these short so I'll stop here.
Brasil is going great, I have been speaking straight portuguese since I got here ( except in emails such as this and helping a friend with his english once every couple weeks). I have made enough friends that I only remember about 50% of all their names. I have even began helping a mexican exchange student with his portuguese. Once again everything is great, thanks again for your help and work to get me here and you said to keep these short so I'll stop here.
Danielle Willsey -- Italy
September 25, 2008
So far Italy has been very wonderful as my family is extremely nice and help me learn Italian. The people in the school are very nice also, although it is extremely boring because the teachers talk much too fast for me to understand anything that they are saying. I have been involved with Tennis so far, and will be learning the piano and ceramics at a nearby Conservatory that I'll go to twice a week after school. Although I have had a cold in the past couple of days I am feeling a lot better and look forward to a trip to Venice on the 1st of October with the school. I hope all is well in the states and I will be sure to write again.
So far Italy has been very wonderful as my family is extremely nice and help me learn Italian. The people in the school are very nice also, although it is extremely boring because the teachers talk much too fast for me to understand anything that they are saying. I have been involved with Tennis so far, and will be learning the piano and ceramics at a nearby Conservatory that I'll go to twice a week after school. Although I have had a cold in the past couple of days I am feeling a lot better and look forward to a trip to Venice on the 1st of October with the school. I hope all is well in the states and I will be sure to write again.
Cathryn Salamone -- Japan
November 5, 2008
One of my sponsoring Rotary Clubs, Kochi East Rotary Club, gave me a birthday party on my exact birthday, October 13th. Most of the Rotary club came, along with a few friends from school, and some aquaintences that I have made since coming to Japan; some of whom are including members of the English night class that I help with every Monday, friends of my host family, and others. It was held at an Italian resturant, which was so perfect because my heritage is half-Italian and having Italian food came me a little piece of home. It was a great time, and I wore my host mother`s kimono. I am so, incredibly grateful to the Rotary clubs for hosting such a fun party for me.
In addition, toward the end of October, I went on a Rotary trip to Okinawa, the southernmost island chain of Japan, with two other exchange students on my island of Shikoku. It was just for a weekend, but it was incredibly fun, and it was a great chance to meet the other exchange students on my island, although we are at least an hour away from each other.
Finally, every third Tuesday of the month I go to Rotex meetings with the other Rotex officers and former exchange students from my school who went to America last year. We are raising money for children in Cambodia, and we are going to bake some treats during Christmas time (either my mother`s banana bread recipie or my Grandmother`s chocolate chips -- tough choice!!) to sell at Rotary meetings.
I continue to attend Koto club every day except Thursday, which is Nihon-Buyou class (Japanese dancing). I am submerging myself in the vast and traditional culture of Japan and I am absolutely loving it. I am keeping busy with my clubs and I realize the importance of being busy as an exchange student -- only rarely am I homesick, if at all, because I am so busy and am making friends through my clubs. It is definately a good thing to stress getting involved to exchange students, because being idle and bored only brings homesickness. I am so happy that I attend Rotary meetings frequently and have many things going on after school.
I am healthy now, but I had a fever right after my birthday and had to go to the family clinic, where I was given antibiotics to help my coughing and fever. I got to 100% by the end of the week, and now I am perfectly fine! =)
An incredible amount of things happened in October. I don`t think I`ve ever been more busy in my life! The month started with me going on my school field trip to Hokkaido, Japan`s northernmost prefecture. It is on the same line of latitude as New York, so the weather was refreshingly cold and a little chilly, as it was still summer-like weather in Kochi. I also saw some things akin to New York that I haven`t seen in Kochi, like fall foliage and birch trees. Hokkaido was a lot of fun and I was able to make many more friends in my class during the trip.
On the 13th, as I`ve written above, my host Rotary club threw me a birthday party which was such a nice surprise. I never expected a birthday party when coming to Japan, and not nearly one so great, with so many people that I knew and met who came. I truely feel blessed with all of the things that Rotary has provided for me, including my school uniform, my trip to Okinawa, some spending money for my trip to Hokkaido, and including me in on several Rotary activities, such as the Rotex meetings.
School has been very rewarding. It is very difficult to understand my teachers and the lesson being taught, but I am still being submerged in the japanese language and I still am being exposed to new words and phrases and how the speech sounds, which is essential to me learning the language. My Japanese is coming along well, and I am working hard to begin understanding the content of the lessons in class. I am studying the japanese kanji, or characters, slowly but surely, as there are around 2,000 of them in use.
Finally, the Rotary-sponsored trip to Okinawa was wonderful. It was a weekend long, but it was such a great experience to share stories with my fellow exchangers on my island and to hear how they are getting along with their host families and with school life. There aren`t any other Rotary exchange students in my area, so I was happy to have had that opportunity to meet the other exchange students in Okinawa.
I am so happy here in Japan, and I am learning lessons here that I will take back to America with me...things that I`m not sure I would learn back home, in a completely comfortable enviornment. I love being abroad and learning and experiencing, so much so that I`m not quite sure how to express it in e-mail form. I want to thank Rotary already for giving me this opportunity, as already I am enjoying myself and seeing that it is incredibly worthwhile and will definately be, I think, the time of my life. So, I`m experiencing all that I can in my year!
One of my sponsoring Rotary Clubs, Kochi East Rotary Club, gave me a birthday party on my exact birthday, October 13th. Most of the Rotary club came, along with a few friends from school, and some aquaintences that I have made since coming to Japan; some of whom are including members of the English night class that I help with every Monday, friends of my host family, and others. It was held at an Italian resturant, which was so perfect because my heritage is half-Italian and having Italian food came me a little piece of home. It was a great time, and I wore my host mother`s kimono. I am so, incredibly grateful to the Rotary clubs for hosting such a fun party for me.
In addition, toward the end of October, I went on a Rotary trip to Okinawa, the southernmost island chain of Japan, with two other exchange students on my island of Shikoku. It was just for a weekend, but it was incredibly fun, and it was a great chance to meet the other exchange students on my island, although we are at least an hour away from each other.
Finally, every third Tuesday of the month I go to Rotex meetings with the other Rotex officers and former exchange students from my school who went to America last year. We are raising money for children in Cambodia, and we are going to bake some treats during Christmas time (either my mother`s banana bread recipie or my Grandmother`s chocolate chips -- tough choice!!) to sell at Rotary meetings.
I continue to attend Koto club every day except Thursday, which is Nihon-Buyou class (Japanese dancing). I am submerging myself in the vast and traditional culture of Japan and I am absolutely loving it. I am keeping busy with my clubs and I realize the importance of being busy as an exchange student -- only rarely am I homesick, if at all, because I am so busy and am making friends through my clubs. It is definately a good thing to stress getting involved to exchange students, because being idle and bored only brings homesickness. I am so happy that I attend Rotary meetings frequently and have many things going on after school.
I am healthy now, but I had a fever right after my birthday and had to go to the family clinic, where I was given antibiotics to help my coughing and fever. I got to 100% by the end of the week, and now I am perfectly fine! =)
An incredible amount of things happened in October. I don`t think I`ve ever been more busy in my life! The month started with me going on my school field trip to Hokkaido, Japan`s northernmost prefecture. It is on the same line of latitude as New York, so the weather was refreshingly cold and a little chilly, as it was still summer-like weather in Kochi. I also saw some things akin to New York that I haven`t seen in Kochi, like fall foliage and birch trees. Hokkaido was a lot of fun and I was able to make many more friends in my class during the trip.
On the 13th, as I`ve written above, my host Rotary club threw me a birthday party which was such a nice surprise. I never expected a birthday party when coming to Japan, and not nearly one so great, with so many people that I knew and met who came. I truely feel blessed with all of the things that Rotary has provided for me, including my school uniform, my trip to Okinawa, some spending money for my trip to Hokkaido, and including me in on several Rotary activities, such as the Rotex meetings.
School has been very rewarding. It is very difficult to understand my teachers and the lesson being taught, but I am still being submerged in the japanese language and I still am being exposed to new words and phrases and how the speech sounds, which is essential to me learning the language. My Japanese is coming along well, and I am working hard to begin understanding the content of the lessons in class. I am studying the japanese kanji, or characters, slowly but surely, as there are around 2,000 of them in use.
Finally, the Rotary-sponsored trip to Okinawa was wonderful. It was a weekend long, but it was such a great experience to share stories with my fellow exchangers on my island and to hear how they are getting along with their host families and with school life. There aren`t any other Rotary exchange students in my area, so I was happy to have had that opportunity to meet the other exchange students in Okinawa.
I am so happy here in Japan, and I am learning lessons here that I will take back to America with me...things that I`m not sure I would learn back home, in a completely comfortable enviornment. I love being abroad and learning and experiencing, so much so that I`m not quite sure how to express it in e-mail form. I want to thank Rotary already for giving me this opportunity, as already I am enjoying myself and seeing that it is incredibly worthwhile and will definately be, I think, the time of my life. So, I`m experiencing all that I can in my year!
Cathryn Salamone -- Japan
October 12, 2008
NAME/ADDRESS OF HOST FAMILY: Kenji & Hinako Urata, 3-14-11 Hyakkoku-Cho, Kochi-City, Kochi Pref., JAPAN 780-8015
HOST CLUB: Kochi Chuo Rotary Club
ADDRESS: 1-3-35 Takajo-Machi, Kochi-City, Kochi-Pref., JAPAN
Kochi City has several Rotary Clubs within it, those including Kochi North, East, South, West, Central (my current host club), and Royal. During the second week and a bit of the third week of September I have been leaving school at lunchtime and going to the Rotary meetings of each of the clubs. There, I gave a speech in Japanese and was introduced to the club. I spoke about how happy I am to be in Japan, about my school activities, and a few facts about Albany, my home city, like population and so forth. Also, on the 18th, Kochi Central Rotary Club had a party, at which I was a guest. It was a traditional Japanese-style dinner party, and I wore a yukata, or a summer version of a kimono. There was lots of food and fellowship amongst the Rotary members. I was surprised and excited to see later, that three geisha women entered and danced, played the Japanese woodblocks, and served some guests. They showed me a funny dance and my host father and I, along with the geisha, danced in front of the club. It was very funny, and so much fun. On the 23rd I had my Rotary Orientation, where I met the other exchange students. There are three exchange students on the island of Shikoku, myself included. One is from America and the other from Australia. I also met the former outbound japanese exchange students and got to ask them questions about their experience. It was a nice day and I was happy to meet everyone.
I have still been going to Koto Club and to my traditional japanese dance lessons. They are very fun and I am learning and advancing slowly in both. The koto is a beautiful instrument, and I cannot believe that such a traditional and old instrument is still being played today; that I am now playing an instrument that geisha centuries upon centuries ago once played.
On the 27th, my school had the annual Undokai, or Sports Festival. It was resemblant of a Field Day at school, with our school split up into three teams of Red, Blue and White competing against each other at various fun games. I was on the red team, and I had such a great time that whole day cheering people on...so much so that I lost my voice for that day and the next! School is great and I already have some good friends who are patient when I stumble with the language here and there.
So much has happened in September, and then September 23rd came around, I seriously could not believe that I had been in Japan for a month already. In the begining of September, I had been introduced to my school, gotten aquainted with my host family, ridden to school on my bike for the first time, fumbled with my japanese and learned the essential japanese customs of every day life. By the close of September, somehow I miraculously memorized the location of all of my classes, love my host family and truly feel like a member of the family, know the route to school by heart, am getting along much better with the japanese that I do know, and am completely accustomed to the japanese customs such as taking shoes off before entering a home, and essential dining ettiquite. I have grown to love my life here in Kochi very quickly -- Kochi is a city of around 300,000 people, however, the city seems close-knit and is without any very tall skyscrapers or several side-streets that might be a little overwhelming. I feel very comfortable riding my bike to school, because there is an aura of safety that surrounds Kochi. Even late at night, I still see people walking on the sidewalk or riding their bicycles casually...I don`t think I would ever find myself alone if I were ever to get lost.
Being in another country is absolutely amazing...I am re-experiencing life as if I`m a child again, amazed by small things like new foods, or different foods at a grocery store, or even the way Japanese Yen looks and feels when I hold it in my hand. This was everything that I have been wishing for prior to being selected for Japan, and I couldn`t be happier that my wish has come and is coming true.
NAME/ADDRESS OF HOST FAMILY: Kenji & Hinako Urata, 3-14-11 Hyakkoku-Cho, Kochi-City, Kochi Pref., JAPAN 780-8015
HOST CLUB: Kochi Chuo Rotary Club
ADDRESS: 1-3-35 Takajo-Machi, Kochi-City, Kochi-Pref., JAPAN
Kochi City has several Rotary Clubs within it, those including Kochi North, East, South, West, Central (my current host club), and Royal. During the second week and a bit of the third week of September I have been leaving school at lunchtime and going to the Rotary meetings of each of the clubs. There, I gave a speech in Japanese and was introduced to the club. I spoke about how happy I am to be in Japan, about my school activities, and a few facts about Albany, my home city, like population and so forth. Also, on the 18th, Kochi Central Rotary Club had a party, at which I was a guest. It was a traditional Japanese-style dinner party, and I wore a yukata, or a summer version of a kimono. There was lots of food and fellowship amongst the Rotary members. I was surprised and excited to see later, that three geisha women entered and danced, played the Japanese woodblocks, and served some guests. They showed me a funny dance and my host father and I, along with the geisha, danced in front of the club. It was very funny, and so much fun. On the 23rd I had my Rotary Orientation, where I met the other exchange students. There are three exchange students on the island of Shikoku, myself included. One is from America and the other from Australia. I also met the former outbound japanese exchange students and got to ask them questions about their experience. It was a nice day and I was happy to meet everyone.
I have still been going to Koto Club and to my traditional japanese dance lessons. They are very fun and I am learning and advancing slowly in both. The koto is a beautiful instrument, and I cannot believe that such a traditional and old instrument is still being played today; that I am now playing an instrument that geisha centuries upon centuries ago once played.
On the 27th, my school had the annual Undokai, or Sports Festival. It was resemblant of a Field Day at school, with our school split up into three teams of Red, Blue and White competing against each other at various fun games. I was on the red team, and I had such a great time that whole day cheering people on...so much so that I lost my voice for that day and the next! School is great and I already have some good friends who are patient when I stumble with the language here and there.
So much has happened in September, and then September 23rd came around, I seriously could not believe that I had been in Japan for a month already. In the begining of September, I had been introduced to my school, gotten aquainted with my host family, ridden to school on my bike for the first time, fumbled with my japanese and learned the essential japanese customs of every day life. By the close of September, somehow I miraculously memorized the location of all of my classes, love my host family and truly feel like a member of the family, know the route to school by heart, am getting along much better with the japanese that I do know, and am completely accustomed to the japanese customs such as taking shoes off before entering a home, and essential dining ettiquite. I have grown to love my life here in Kochi very quickly -- Kochi is a city of around 300,000 people, however, the city seems close-knit and is without any very tall skyscrapers or several side-streets that might be a little overwhelming. I feel very comfortable riding my bike to school, because there is an aura of safety that surrounds Kochi. Even late at night, I still see people walking on the sidewalk or riding their bicycles casually...I don`t think I would ever find myself alone if I were ever to get lost.
Being in another country is absolutely amazing...I am re-experiencing life as if I`m a child again, amazed by small things like new foods, or different foods at a grocery store, or even the way Japanese Yen looks and feels when I hold it in my hand. This was everything that I have been wishing for prior to being selected for Japan, and I couldn`t be happier that my wish has come and is coming true.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Chelsea Choppy -- Venezuela
September 11, 2008
I've been here for a little over a week and i love it. The spanish is going really well. Everyone keeps telling me that i can understand a lot and that my accent is really good. School hasn't started yet, because here it starts later but it's going to start next week and i'm really excited. I've already met a girl that lives in my neighborhood and she introduced me t a lot of her friends. I've been having a great time. The food is really good too and my family is very nice. They are very patient with me when they ned to talk a little slower of reword something. The weather is really nice, pretty sunny and around 80 degrees or up I'd say. Really, the only negative thing i can say right now is that when I hang out with a group of kids, sometimes it's hard because they all talk at once and it's really hard to understand them, but that all comes with time. I'll keep you posted.
I've been here for a little over a week and i love it. The spanish is going really well. Everyone keeps telling me that i can understand a lot and that my accent is really good. School hasn't started yet, because here it starts later but it's going to start next week and i'm really excited. I've already met a girl that lives in my neighborhood and she introduced me t a lot of her friends. I've been having a great time. The food is really good too and my family is very nice. They are very patient with me when they ned to talk a little slower of reword something. The weather is really nice, pretty sunny and around 80 degrees or up I'd say. Really, the only negative thing i can say right now is that when I hang out with a group of kids, sometimes it's hard because they all talk at once and it's really hard to understand them, but that all comes with time. I'll keep you posted.
Cathryn Salamone (Colonie-Guilderland Club) -- Japan
September 7, 2008
Kochi-shi, Japan
NAME: Cathryn Anne Salamone
NAME/ADDRESS OF HOST FAMILY: Kenji & Hinako Urata, 3-14-11 Hyakkoku-Cho, Kochi-City, Kochi Pref., JAPAN 780-8015
HOST CLUB: Kochi Chuo Rotary Club
ADDRESS: 1-3-35 Takajo-Machi, Kochi-City, Kochi-Pref., JAPAN
WHAT WAS YOUR PARTICIPATION IN ROTARY FUNCTIONS THIS MONTH?
On August 28th my host club held a Welcome Party banqet for me at a nice hotel. Several Rotary memebers attended, along with a teacher from my school, the school`s principal, and four former exchangers who have just completed their year abroad in the US. In total there were about 30 or 40 people there, I was so thankful and couldn`t believe how many people came to welcome me to Japan. It was a wonderful night.
WHAT WAS YOUR PARTICIPATION IN SCHOOL/EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES DURING THE MONTH?
I began school on September 1st, on which was the school`s welcome back ceremony as the school started up again for the next semester. I gave another speech at the ceremony, in front of 2,000 girls (my school is an all-girl`s school), all dressed alike in the school`s uniform. It was great, and I felt accomplished after giving the speech, as I wrote it and read it in the japanese script of hiragana, katakana and a little kanji, instead of using the roman alphabet. I have gotten involved in the Koto club at my school and am learning how to play the Koto, a traditional japanese instrument. In addition, I was offered to take Nihon-buyo, traditional japanese dance, which meets every Thursday, and I accepted. I love school very much and I enjoy my classes, even though I understand very lttle outside of English class.
WHAT IS THE STATE OF YOUR HEALTH?
I am healthy.
REPORT:
I arrived in Kochi Ryoma airport on August 23rd at around 8:30 or so at night after around 25 hours of travel. I was beyond the point of exaustion, when the mind spaces out and when you don`t really think or feel anything. But when I left the baggage claim and walked through the two automatic doors, a large cluster of cheering people appeared, with three girls holding a gigantic American flag. I remember walking out of Narita airport in Tokyo, anxious to make my connecting flight in a different airport, and seeing families holding signs of the names of my fellow exchangers that I had just met and eagerly scanning the crowd of people. I wished that my journey had ended there like so many of the other Rotexes, but I still had one more flight on my journey. But at that moment, finally at Kochi Ryoma airport, finally seeing my host family and Rotary club members and the girls from my school, I then realized that I was home. I left Albany, New York, I arrived in Chicago, then to Tokyo Narita, I boarded the bus to Haneda airport and navigated Haneda airport alone, found my gate and boarded the plane just in time. I did it, and I was finally home.
My life in Kochi has been great so far. I love my host family, Kenji and Hinako Urata. I speak enough Japanese and they speak a little english so that we can usually understand each other, which has been fantastic. I`ve always been a little nervous about not understanding people, but so far it has been not too bad. At school I can understand my classmates fairly well, and I am so thankful for the japanese class that I took at my high school last year, it has helped me so much. My home is small but not too small, and my room has an air conditioner, which is great, because Kochi is very hot, even in September. I ride my bike to school every morning and it is very nice, in America I`ve always wanted to ride my bike to school but I livet too far away and there was no place to put it. I like the ride to school, I ride over a large bridge and I look down at the river and look out to Kochi City in the mornings and the evenings.
Kochi is a great city. It`s big but not too big, and so far seems very safe. Everyone is so incredibly friendly at school and always are happy to help when I don`t know where my next class is or have a question about the lesson. My favorite subject in school so far is Dance, it is incredibly fun and I honestly get far more of a workout from Dance than from Gym. I again am so happy for the little japanese that I do know, because I have been able to make a few aquaintences and am able to hold a little conversation and make jokes at lunch time. I enjoy Japan so much already, it is very different and I enjoy learning about the differences greatly. I hope to have a year filled with experiences and I am working hard and studying japanese every day.
Kochi-shi, Japan
NAME: Cathryn Anne Salamone
NAME/ADDRESS OF HOST FAMILY: Kenji & Hinako Urata, 3-14-11 Hyakkoku-Cho, Kochi-City, Kochi Pref., JAPAN 780-8015
HOST CLUB: Kochi Chuo Rotary Club
ADDRESS: 1-3-35 Takajo-Machi, Kochi-City, Kochi-Pref., JAPAN
WHAT WAS YOUR PARTICIPATION IN ROTARY FUNCTIONS THIS MONTH?
On August 28th my host club held a Welcome Party banqet for me at a nice hotel. Several Rotary memebers attended, along with a teacher from my school, the school`s principal, and four former exchangers who have just completed their year abroad in the US. In total there were about 30 or 40 people there, I was so thankful and couldn`t believe how many people came to welcome me to Japan. It was a wonderful night.
WHAT WAS YOUR PARTICIPATION IN SCHOOL/EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES DURING THE MONTH?
I began school on September 1st, on which was the school`s welcome back ceremony as the school started up again for the next semester. I gave another speech at the ceremony, in front of 2,000 girls (my school is an all-girl`s school), all dressed alike in the school`s uniform. It was great, and I felt accomplished after giving the speech, as I wrote it and read it in the japanese script of hiragana, katakana and a little kanji, instead of using the roman alphabet. I have gotten involved in the Koto club at my school and am learning how to play the Koto, a traditional japanese instrument. In addition, I was offered to take Nihon-buyo, traditional japanese dance, which meets every Thursday, and I accepted. I love school very much and I enjoy my classes, even though I understand very lttle outside of English class.
WHAT IS THE STATE OF YOUR HEALTH?
I am healthy.
REPORT:
I arrived in Kochi Ryoma airport on August 23rd at around 8:30 or so at night after around 25 hours of travel. I was beyond the point of exaustion, when the mind spaces out and when you don`t really think or feel anything. But when I left the baggage claim and walked through the two automatic doors, a large cluster of cheering people appeared, with three girls holding a gigantic American flag. I remember walking out of Narita airport in Tokyo, anxious to make my connecting flight in a different airport, and seeing families holding signs of the names of my fellow exchangers that I had just met and eagerly scanning the crowd of people. I wished that my journey had ended there like so many of the other Rotexes, but I still had one more flight on my journey. But at that moment, finally at Kochi Ryoma airport, finally seeing my host family and Rotary club members and the girls from my school, I then realized that I was home. I left Albany, New York, I arrived in Chicago, then to Tokyo Narita, I boarded the bus to Haneda airport and navigated Haneda airport alone, found my gate and boarded the plane just in time. I did it, and I was finally home.
My life in Kochi has been great so far. I love my host family, Kenji and Hinako Urata. I speak enough Japanese and they speak a little english so that we can usually understand each other, which has been fantastic. I`ve always been a little nervous about not understanding people, but so far it has been not too bad. At school I can understand my classmates fairly well, and I am so thankful for the japanese class that I took at my high school last year, it has helped me so much. My home is small but not too small, and my room has an air conditioner, which is great, because Kochi is very hot, even in September. I ride my bike to school every morning and it is very nice, in America I`ve always wanted to ride my bike to school but I livet too far away and there was no place to put it. I like the ride to school, I ride over a large bridge and I look down at the river and look out to Kochi City in the mornings and the evenings.
Kochi is a great city. It`s big but not too big, and so far seems very safe. Everyone is so incredibly friendly at school and always are happy to help when I don`t know where my next class is or have a question about the lesson. My favorite subject in school so far is Dance, it is incredibly fun and I honestly get far more of a workout from Dance than from Gym. I again am so happy for the little japanese that I do know, because I have been able to make a few aquaintences and am able to hold a little conversation and make jokes at lunch time. I enjoy Japan so much already, it is very different and I enjoy learning about the differences greatly. I hope to have a year filled with experiences and I am working hard and studying japanese every day.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Rachel Hoffmann -- Bolivia
May 30, 2008
Saludos para todos!!!
Hello Everyone, I know it has been a long time since Ive written, but I figured I should still let you all know what is going on. I only have 17 more days until I am back in the big USA, and have really mixed feelings about it. Of course I am so excited to see my family, but I really really really dont want to leave this place. It has been such an amazzzzzzzzing year and its hard when things come to an end. I´ll be back June 16th.
Lets see....to catch up on what I have been up to... well, I am in love with my family. I switched in February and honestly I am so incredibly happy I did. It was a choice I wasnt really sure I wanted to make, but I am so happy now. I was happy before and I had a really great family also, but I am just feeling so comfortable with this one. They really have taken me in as another daughter and I just have the best time with them. I am not supposed to know, but my mom apparently is making plans to come visit the USA already. I will miss them so much. I have kind of finished the University. It has been going so great. They call me ¨La Reina de la U¨which is the queen of the university. I have such a fun time there, I get to see all of my friends and I have actually learned quite a bit in my geopolitica class. The semester ends on Monday so I think thats probably it for me. I was lucky to take a trip with my class about a month ago. We had such a fun time together.
Last weekend I went to a place called Samaipata with my family. We rented a cabaña and even though the weather wasnt perfect, we had a really nice time. The most dangerous road in the world is supposedly on the way to Las Yungas in La Paz, where theres pretty much one lane, you, and a huge cliff. I have never been there, but I joked that the road to Samaipata is the second most dangerous road. There are rockslides and probably enough room comfortably for one and a half cars. Then the cliff. But it was hard to be too scared because the view was just so amazingly beautiful. There were mountains rolling everywhere covered in trees, it was georgous. On the side of the road there were country people selling manderinas. Samaipata is in the valley of Santa Cruz, and its famous because well one, its beautiful, two, that is where Che Guevara spent the last days of his life and was killed in a town close by, by our very own CIA, and three, many years before the Incans built and lived in this really amazing ruins up on this mountain. So we went up to see the ruins in the afternoon, they call it the ¨fuerte¨or fort. It was just really amazing to have a 360 degree view of beautiful mountains, and I just thought that it was pretty obvious why they chose that place to live. It was so peaceful. We were up there for the sunset, it was really great.
It was one of my favorite places Ive been too, but then again, it seems like every place I go is my favorite, only that they are so distinto and I dont like one more than the other. I just love everything here!!
Its finally getting cold here. I mean its probably not cold for you guys, but when it was 95 one day and the next it is like 50, theres a huge change. And I dont know, the cold is different here. They are just starting their winter. I even have this big jacket that I have to wear because Im so cold. I feel like Im just not used to it though. At first I thought it was refreshing, but now Im really looking forward to hot weather again.
We are starting to do all of our ¨despedidas¨here. Which are the going away parties. I have had a few friends go home already, and Im starting to hate the airport. Everytime I go there it is a little reminder that my turn isnt too far off. But we are enjoying everything we can these last couple of weeks. Tonight I am going out with all of my friends and we are having a party at the place where I dance salsa. All of my salsa friends are coming, along with the exchange students, and friends from the U. So it should be really fun.
Well, I wish everyone the best, I know that you are all starting your summers and enjoying being together. I will try to write one last email before I go home, but if not, then you all know Im a litlte closer than I am now. Just in Minnesota. I miss you all so much!
See some of you in DC in about three months!!!!
Love,
Rach (Raquelita)
Saludos para todos!!!
Hello Everyone, I know it has been a long time since Ive written, but I figured I should still let you all know what is going on. I only have 17 more days until I am back in the big USA, and have really mixed feelings about it. Of course I am so excited to see my family, but I really really really dont want to leave this place. It has been such an amazzzzzzzzing year and its hard when things come to an end. I´ll be back June 16th.
Lets see....to catch up on what I have been up to... well, I am in love with my family. I switched in February and honestly I am so incredibly happy I did. It was a choice I wasnt really sure I wanted to make, but I am so happy now. I was happy before and I had a really great family also, but I am just feeling so comfortable with this one. They really have taken me in as another daughter and I just have the best time with them. I am not supposed to know, but my mom apparently is making plans to come visit the USA already. I will miss them so much. I have kind of finished the University. It has been going so great. They call me ¨La Reina de la U¨which is the queen of the university. I have such a fun time there, I get to see all of my friends and I have actually learned quite a bit in my geopolitica class. The semester ends on Monday so I think thats probably it for me. I was lucky to take a trip with my class about a month ago. We had such a fun time together.
Last weekend I went to a place called Samaipata with my family. We rented a cabaña and even though the weather wasnt perfect, we had a really nice time. The most dangerous road in the world is supposedly on the way to Las Yungas in La Paz, where theres pretty much one lane, you, and a huge cliff. I have never been there, but I joked that the road to Samaipata is the second most dangerous road. There are rockslides and probably enough room comfortably for one and a half cars. Then the cliff. But it was hard to be too scared because the view was just so amazingly beautiful. There were mountains rolling everywhere covered in trees, it was georgous. On the side of the road there were country people selling manderinas. Samaipata is in the valley of Santa Cruz, and its famous because well one, its beautiful, two, that is where Che Guevara spent the last days of his life and was killed in a town close by, by our very own CIA, and three, many years before the Incans built and lived in this really amazing ruins up on this mountain. So we went up to see the ruins in the afternoon, they call it the ¨fuerte¨or fort. It was just really amazing to have a 360 degree view of beautiful mountains, and I just thought that it was pretty obvious why they chose that place to live. It was so peaceful. We were up there for the sunset, it was really great.
It was one of my favorite places Ive been too, but then again, it seems like every place I go is my favorite, only that they are so distinto and I dont like one more than the other. I just love everything here!!
Its finally getting cold here. I mean its probably not cold for you guys, but when it was 95 one day and the next it is like 50, theres a huge change. And I dont know, the cold is different here. They are just starting their winter. I even have this big jacket that I have to wear because Im so cold. I feel like Im just not used to it though. At first I thought it was refreshing, but now Im really looking forward to hot weather again.
We are starting to do all of our ¨despedidas¨here. Which are the going away parties. I have had a few friends go home already, and Im starting to hate the airport. Everytime I go there it is a little reminder that my turn isnt too far off. But we are enjoying everything we can these last couple of weeks. Tonight I am going out with all of my friends and we are having a party at the place where I dance salsa. All of my salsa friends are coming, along with the exchange students, and friends from the U. So it should be really fun.
Well, I wish everyone the best, I know that you are all starting your summers and enjoying being together. I will try to write one last email before I go home, but if not, then you all know Im a litlte closer than I am now. Just in Minnesota. I miss you all so much!
See some of you in DC in about three months!!!!
Love,
Rach (Raquelita)
Whitney Brown -- Belgium
Monday, June 2, 2008
Hi Everyone!
I have been really busy since my last email. Belgium finalllllly has nice weather! Its finally warm and a lot less rain! Ive been busy going on day city trips around Belgium with other exchange students and concerts with my Belgian friends. lots of time spent outside, enjoying the sunny weather!
In the beginning of May I went to France with my host family for 4 days. They have a beautiful house in the countryside near Dijon. It was a quiet long weekend in the sun! It was so beautiful there... fields and fields of yellow flowers. We also went to visit an Abbey from the 1100s, so that was really exciting to see!
I also gave a presentation to the rotary about my year in Belgium. They had an American themed night which made it a lot of fun. Everyone wore american attire (jeans and sneakers), we had a big american BBQ with ribs and chicken wings and cole slaws, and they even arranged a line dancing lesson! haha it was a fun time. My presentation was a big hit! everyone loved it. I spoke for 45 minutes, entirely in dutch!! I was quite proud of myself and everyone was amazed at how quickly i learned the language! So that was an exciting moment!
Last week I went to sunny spain with my step mom, sisters, aunt, and grandma. And it was an amazing trip!! We stayed right on the southern coast near Malaga. It was soooo beautiful! We visit the impressive Picasso Museum, went to a spanish market, visited Granada and the Alambra, and had lots of delicious spanish foods and sangria! We had a great time soaking in the sun on the beach and catching up together. It was great! :-)
Tomorrow is my last day of school because then the final exams begin for the rest of the students. So I am free for the rest of June and will be spending a lot of time enjoying my last few weeks in Belgium with the other exchange students who are also finished with school. Only 23 more days and I am home sweet home! I hope all is well and see you all soon!!
Love,Whitney
Hi Everyone!
I have been really busy since my last email. Belgium finalllllly has nice weather! Its finally warm and a lot less rain! Ive been busy going on day city trips around Belgium with other exchange students and concerts with my Belgian friends. lots of time spent outside, enjoying the sunny weather!
In the beginning of May I went to France with my host family for 4 days. They have a beautiful house in the countryside near Dijon. It was a quiet long weekend in the sun! It was so beautiful there... fields and fields of yellow flowers. We also went to visit an Abbey from the 1100s, so that was really exciting to see!
I also gave a presentation to the rotary about my year in Belgium. They had an American themed night which made it a lot of fun. Everyone wore american attire (jeans and sneakers), we had a big american BBQ with ribs and chicken wings and cole slaws, and they even arranged a line dancing lesson! haha it was a fun time. My presentation was a big hit! everyone loved it. I spoke for 45 minutes, entirely in dutch!! I was quite proud of myself and everyone was amazed at how quickly i learned the language! So that was an exciting moment!
Last week I went to sunny spain with my step mom, sisters, aunt, and grandma. And it was an amazing trip!! We stayed right on the southern coast near Malaga. It was soooo beautiful! We visit the impressive Picasso Museum, went to a spanish market, visited Granada and the Alambra, and had lots of delicious spanish foods and sangria! We had a great time soaking in the sun on the beach and catching up together. It was great! :-)
Tomorrow is my last day of school because then the final exams begin for the rest of the students. So I am free for the rest of June and will be spending a lot of time enjoying my last few weeks in Belgium with the other exchange students who are also finished with school. Only 23 more days and I am home sweet home! I hope all is well and see you all soon!!
Love,Whitney
Allie Ritz -- Italy
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Ciao.
Sorry I haven't written these last couple months. I completely forgot until now. Well things are going better. Its warm and I can go outside and be active. Nothing special to report. But I stoked to see my sister in Italy tour with her after the school years done!!!!!!! Hope everyone is doing well.
Ciao.
Sorry I haven't written these last couple months. I completely forgot until now. Well things are going better. Its warm and I can go outside and be active. Nothing special to report. But I stoked to see my sister in Italy tour with her after the school years done!!!!!!! Hope everyone is doing well.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Lauren Bardin -- z Ceské Republice
May 29, 2008
Ahoj, So, here I am with less than 4 weeks in this country and I'm not so sure I'm ready to say goodbye and leave. Another boy in my town here is leaving in less than 2 weeks, which I can't imagine, but it'll be here all too soon.
May here has seemed very similar to May at home, when kids are getting antsy in school and the weather is getting warmer and people are outside wearing t-shirts and sandals. It's been beautiful here and the fields are FULL of bright yellow blossoms, it's amazing! We have corn fields everywhere at home, but here it is all bright, beautiful yellow, (used for oil).
We've had a few Rotary functions this month, one of which was a benefit concert. We had to dress in our lovely Rotary jackets with the pins and present some flowers to people on stage. It was pretty amusing (mostly for people in the audience) because not even the people in charge knew exactly when or to whom we were supposed to present them. Afterwards, we were invited to a little gathering and I got to meet some Rotarians from Germany and the Netherlands, so that made it exciting.
Last weekend, we had the Rotary District Conference in Prague. We got to meet the Slovakian exchange students and we presented and sang some songs for the Rotarians then had a big fancy lunch with everyone. It was the last time I saw a lot of my exchange friends and it was really difficult to say goodbye. It made me realize that the end is nearing and it officially hit me that this year is over and I have more, harder goodbyes to do soon.
The next two weekends there are some exciting things planned in Trebic, like a rock festival. It's supposively very notorious and there will even be an American band there. I'm excited to hear some live music and do something outside because the weather is finally nice enough.
There are so many things I realize I need to accomplish before I leave here and I just hope I can do it all. It's going to be a miracle to fit all my things in my two suitcases and bring them back to the States. I know the sun is finally coming out in NY as well, so enjoy it! I will be returning on june 24 and seeing you all soon! Take care!
Ahoj, So, here I am with less than 4 weeks in this country and I'm not so sure I'm ready to say goodbye and leave. Another boy in my town here is leaving in less than 2 weeks, which I can't imagine, but it'll be here all too soon.
May here has seemed very similar to May at home, when kids are getting antsy in school and the weather is getting warmer and people are outside wearing t-shirts and sandals. It's been beautiful here and the fields are FULL of bright yellow blossoms, it's amazing! We have corn fields everywhere at home, but here it is all bright, beautiful yellow, (used for oil).
We've had a few Rotary functions this month, one of which was a benefit concert. We had to dress in our lovely Rotary jackets with the pins and present some flowers to people on stage. It was pretty amusing (mostly for people in the audience) because not even the people in charge knew exactly when or to whom we were supposed to present them. Afterwards, we were invited to a little gathering and I got to meet some Rotarians from Germany and the Netherlands, so that made it exciting.
Last weekend, we had the Rotary District Conference in Prague. We got to meet the Slovakian exchange students and we presented and sang some songs for the Rotarians then had a big fancy lunch with everyone. It was the last time I saw a lot of my exchange friends and it was really difficult to say goodbye. It made me realize that the end is nearing and it officially hit me that this year is over and I have more, harder goodbyes to do soon.
The next two weekends there are some exciting things planned in Trebic, like a rock festival. It's supposively very notorious and there will even be an American band there. I'm excited to hear some live music and do something outside because the weather is finally nice enough.
There are so many things I realize I need to accomplish before I leave here and I just hope I can do it all. It's going to be a miracle to fit all my things in my two suitcases and bring them back to the States. I know the sun is finally coming out in NY as well, so enjoy it! I will be returning on june 24 and seeing you all soon! Take care!
Jessica Wilke -- Poland
May 26, 2008
I cant believe how long it has been since I have written! (I'm sorry!)
Ive been living with my 5th host family (counting the family i lived with for the 1st 2 weeks i lived in poland) for about 2 months now. Id say they are defiently my favorite family, and having 3 daughters there's always something going on! With them I've also gotten to go to many musical shows; philharmonica, an opera, a saxophone concert, and seen different parts of poland as well, which was great because the other families were also too busy for that.
In the begining of May as well as visiting family with my host family, was the 3rd exchange conference in Cracow (for sure one of my favorite cities in Poland!). It of course was tons of fun being with everyone again but also a very important time because we attended the March of the Living in Auszwitz (one of the largest concentration camps) where thousands of Jews gathered from all over the world to march through and around the camp. Going there was one of the most important things to me, to go and do while I was here in Poland. Although, as great as it was to be a part of something like that, it also took away from the solemness in this place, because of the joy that was there as this march is about conquering this horrible time and the fact that there still are millons of jews today. So i would really have liked to go a different time as well, that i could just really have the time and quietness to be in this place.
On a different note, the reality of this year coming to an end seems to be ever present in these last few weeks. It seems to be the most popular subject with just about everyone I talk to, in Poland and back home :( Last week I spent the week in Torun visitng my 1st host family and the other exchange students living there and most of the time we just sat by the river in the sun and talked about the year, and how we've changed and what we have experienced (mostly practicing answering the obvious questions we will be asked a million times when we get home haha). I didn't think I would feel so sad but the fact that this place, which has has been my home for the last year(through the best and worst times of my life) and the fact that most likely i will never see the majority of the people ive met here, ever again!
At this point im just planning my last few days here, trying to make the most of it and making sure to say goodbye to everyone that i can! And also, today is the last rotary meeting I will be attending and i will say a short speech in polish, saying goodbye and thanking them for allowing me to be here.
This Thursday is the last exchance student conference, its near the Baltic sea and should be the best meeting but also the sadest!!!! On sunday starts our 3 week Euro trip for those who are going (and for those who arent ill be saying goodbye to that day.) I am so excited to be going to; Germany, Holland, Belgium. France, Monaco, Italy and Hungary!! It's for sure the best way to end my year here and 2 days after i get back from this trip i will be going back to the USA.
Thank you so much for this opportunity, it really has been the best year of my life. Being an exchange student is something that can't really be understood unless you have experienced it. My friend has this saying "Americans don't get it, poles dont get it, only americans in poland get it". Of course its not just americans or just going to poland, but the point is the same. This year will forever be the hearts of all the exchange students all over the world this year, and now i can really understand why, when i talk to past exchangers, their year away still sticks out so much to them, as being one of the best!
-Jessica (poland)
I cant believe how long it has been since I have written! (I'm sorry!)
Ive been living with my 5th host family (counting the family i lived with for the 1st 2 weeks i lived in poland) for about 2 months now. Id say they are defiently my favorite family, and having 3 daughters there's always something going on! With them I've also gotten to go to many musical shows; philharmonica, an opera, a saxophone concert, and seen different parts of poland as well, which was great because the other families were also too busy for that.
In the begining of May as well as visiting family with my host family, was the 3rd exchange conference in Cracow (for sure one of my favorite cities in Poland!). It of course was tons of fun being with everyone again but also a very important time because we attended the March of the Living in Auszwitz (one of the largest concentration camps) where thousands of Jews gathered from all over the world to march through and around the camp. Going there was one of the most important things to me, to go and do while I was here in Poland. Although, as great as it was to be a part of something like that, it also took away from the solemness in this place, because of the joy that was there as this march is about conquering this horrible time and the fact that there still are millons of jews today. So i would really have liked to go a different time as well, that i could just really have the time and quietness to be in this place.
On a different note, the reality of this year coming to an end seems to be ever present in these last few weeks. It seems to be the most popular subject with just about everyone I talk to, in Poland and back home :( Last week I spent the week in Torun visitng my 1st host family and the other exchange students living there and most of the time we just sat by the river in the sun and talked about the year, and how we've changed and what we have experienced (mostly practicing answering the obvious questions we will be asked a million times when we get home haha). I didn't think I would feel so sad but the fact that this place, which has has been my home for the last year(through the best and worst times of my life) and the fact that most likely i will never see the majority of the people ive met here, ever again!
At this point im just planning my last few days here, trying to make the most of it and making sure to say goodbye to everyone that i can! And also, today is the last rotary meeting I will be attending and i will say a short speech in polish, saying goodbye and thanking them for allowing me to be here.
This Thursday is the last exchance student conference, its near the Baltic sea and should be the best meeting but also the sadest!!!! On sunday starts our 3 week Euro trip for those who are going (and for those who arent ill be saying goodbye to that day.) I am so excited to be going to; Germany, Holland, Belgium. France, Monaco, Italy and Hungary!! It's for sure the best way to end my year here and 2 days after i get back from this trip i will be going back to the USA.
Thank you so much for this opportunity, it really has been the best year of my life. Being an exchange student is something that can't really be understood unless you have experienced it. My friend has this saying "Americans don't get it, poles dont get it, only americans in poland get it". Of course its not just americans or just going to poland, but the point is the same. This year will forever be the hearts of all the exchange students all over the world this year, and now i can really understand why, when i talk to past exchangers, their year away still sticks out so much to them, as being one of the best!
-Jessica (poland)
Kristen Kilpeck -- Mexico
May 20, 2008
Hi Everyone from Rotary!
Ive been super busy this past month with our Gran Viaje, or big trip, around all of southern Mexico. I had the best time of my life living and traveling with all of the other exchange students and getting to know all of southern Mexico. I came back to Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca (where I live) the 11th and then headed out the 15th to Puebla to stay with my older sister, and then to Mexico City to pick up my other sister who spent a year in Belgium from the airport. In Puebla my family and I went to AfricaM Safari (who knows why its spelled with an m), we went shopping, to the movie theatre, to the Puebla Fair, and we went out to an italian restaurant to celebrate my birthday,which was in January, because I never got a chance to celebrate it with this family. I just got back to Puerto Escondido last night, and this morning I went to my school with my host sister who stayed in Belgium to visit all of our friends that we havent seen in a while. This Friday is Students Day in Mexico and we only have a few hours of class and then a music competition. Im planning on doing my presentation on NY this Friday as well, and then Saturday Ill be heading out with my first host mother to Mexico City to catch my flight back to New York the 28th of May.
Everythings going very well, we actually are discussing the Welcome Back party for my sister today and my presentation for Friday as I type so I have to get going. But I just wanted to keep everyone in touch, I hope everythings going well up in New York, and Ill see you all within a week!!
TAKE CARE!!!
Kristen
Hi Everyone from Rotary!
Ive been super busy this past month with our Gran Viaje, or big trip, around all of southern Mexico. I had the best time of my life living and traveling with all of the other exchange students and getting to know all of southern Mexico. I came back to Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca (where I live) the 11th and then headed out the 15th to Puebla to stay with my older sister, and then to Mexico City to pick up my other sister who spent a year in Belgium from the airport. In Puebla my family and I went to AfricaM Safari (who knows why its spelled with an m), we went shopping, to the movie theatre, to the Puebla Fair, and we went out to an italian restaurant to celebrate my birthday,which was in January, because I never got a chance to celebrate it with this family. I just got back to Puerto Escondido last night, and this morning I went to my school with my host sister who stayed in Belgium to visit all of our friends that we havent seen in a while. This Friday is Students Day in Mexico and we only have a few hours of class and then a music competition. Im planning on doing my presentation on NY this Friday as well, and then Saturday Ill be heading out with my first host mother to Mexico City to catch my flight back to New York the 28th of May.
Everythings going very well, we actually are discussing the Welcome Back party for my sister today and my presentation for Friday as I type so I have to get going. But I just wanted to keep everyone in touch, I hope everythings going well up in New York, and Ill see you all within a week!!
TAKE CARE!!!
Kristen
Rachel Hoffmann -- Bolivia
Friday, May 30, 2008
Saludos para todos!!!
Hello Everyone, I know it has been a long time since Ive written, but I figured I should still let you all know what is going on. I only have 17 more days until I am back in the big USA, and have really mixed feelings about it. Of course I am so excited to see my family, but I really really really dont want to leave this place. It has been such an amazzzzzzzzing year and its hard when things come to an end. I´ll be back June 16th.
Lets see....to catch up on what I have been up to... well, I am in love with my family. I switched in February and honestly I am so incredibly happy I did. It was a choice I wasnt really sure I wanted to make, but I am so happy now. I was happy before and I had a really great family also, but I am just feeling so comfortable with this one. They really have taken me in as another daughter and I just have the best time with them. I am not supposed to know, but my mom apparently is making plans to come visit the USA already. I will miss them so much. I have kind of finished the University. It has been going so great. They call me ¨La Reina de la U¨which is the queen of the university. I have such a fun time there, I get to see all of my friends and I have actually learned quite a bit in my geopolitica class. The semester ends on Monday so I think thats probably it for me. I was lucky to take a trip with my class about a monthago. We had such a fun time together.
Last weekend I went to a place called Samaipata with my family. We rented a cabaña and even though the weather wasnt perfect, we had a really nice time. The most dangerous road in the world is supposedly on the way to Las Yungas in La Paz, where theres pretty much one lane, you, and a huge cliff. I have never been there, but I joked that the road to Samaipata is the second most dangerous road. There are rockslides and probably enough room comfortably for one and a half cars. Then the cliff. But it was hard to be too scared because the view was just so amazingly beautiful. There were mountains rolling everywhere covered in trees, it was georgous. On the side of the road there were country people selling manderinas. Samaipata is in the valley of Santa Cruz, and its famous because well one, its beautiful, two, that is where Che Guevara spent the last days of his life and was killed in a town close by, by our very own CIA, and three,many years before the Incans built and lived in this really amazing ruins up on this mountain. So we went up to see the ruins in the afternoon, they call it the ¨fuerte¨or fort. It was just really amazing to have a 360 degree view of beautiful mountains, and I just thought that it was pretty obvious why they chose that place to live. It was so peaceful. We were up there for the sunset, it was really great.
It was one of my favorite places Ive been too, but then again, it seems like every place I go is my favorite, only that they are so distinto and I dont like one more than the other. I just love everything here!!
Its finally getting cold here. I mean its probably not cold for you guys, but when it was 95 one day and the next it is like 50, theres a huge change. And I dont know, the cold is different here. They are just starting their winter. I even have this big jacket that I have to wear because Im so cold. I feel like Im just not used to it though. At first I thought it was refreshing, but now Im really looking forward to hot weather again.
We are starting to do all of our ¨despedidas¨here. Which are the going away parties. I have had a few friends go home already, and Im starting to hate the airport. Everytime I go there it is a little reminder that my turn isnt too far off. But we are enjoying everything we can these last couple of weeks. Tonight I am going out with all of my friends and we are having a party at the place where I dance salsa. All of my salsa friends are coming, along with the exchange students, and friends from the U. So it should be really fun.
Well, I wish everyone the best, I know that you are all starting your summers and enjoying being together. I will try to write one last email before I go home, but if not, then you all know Im a litlte closer than I am now. Just in Minnesota. I miss you all so much!
See some of you in DC in about three months!!!!
Love,
Rach (Raquelita)
Saludos para todos!!!
Hello Everyone, I know it has been a long time since Ive written, but I figured I should still let you all know what is going on. I only have 17 more days until I am back in the big USA, and have really mixed feelings about it. Of course I am so excited to see my family, but I really really really dont want to leave this place. It has been such an amazzzzzzzzing year and its hard when things come to an end. I´ll be back June 16th.
Lets see....to catch up on what I have been up to... well, I am in love with my family. I switched in February and honestly I am so incredibly happy I did. It was a choice I wasnt really sure I wanted to make, but I am so happy now. I was happy before and I had a really great family also, but I am just feeling so comfortable with this one. They really have taken me in as another daughter and I just have the best time with them. I am not supposed to know, but my mom apparently is making plans to come visit the USA already. I will miss them so much. I have kind of finished the University. It has been going so great. They call me ¨La Reina de la U¨which is the queen of the university. I have such a fun time there, I get to see all of my friends and I have actually learned quite a bit in my geopolitica class. The semester ends on Monday so I think thats probably it for me. I was lucky to take a trip with my class about a monthago. We had such a fun time together.
Last weekend I went to a place called Samaipata with my family. We rented a cabaña and even though the weather wasnt perfect, we had a really nice time. The most dangerous road in the world is supposedly on the way to Las Yungas in La Paz, where theres pretty much one lane, you, and a huge cliff. I have never been there, but I joked that the road to Samaipata is the second most dangerous road. There are rockslides and probably enough room comfortably for one and a half cars. Then the cliff. But it was hard to be too scared because the view was just so amazingly beautiful. There were mountains rolling everywhere covered in trees, it was georgous. On the side of the road there were country people selling manderinas. Samaipata is in the valley of Santa Cruz, and its famous because well one, its beautiful, two, that is where Che Guevara spent the last days of his life and was killed in a town close by, by our very own CIA, and three,many years before the Incans built and lived in this really amazing ruins up on this mountain. So we went up to see the ruins in the afternoon, they call it the ¨fuerte¨or fort. It was just really amazing to have a 360 degree view of beautiful mountains, and I just thought that it was pretty obvious why they chose that place to live. It was so peaceful. We were up there for the sunset, it was really great.
It was one of my favorite places Ive been too, but then again, it seems like every place I go is my favorite, only that they are so distinto and I dont like one more than the other. I just love everything here!!
Its finally getting cold here. I mean its probably not cold for you guys, but when it was 95 one day and the next it is like 50, theres a huge change. And I dont know, the cold is different here. They are just starting their winter. I even have this big jacket that I have to wear because Im so cold. I feel like Im just not used to it though. At first I thought it was refreshing, but now Im really looking forward to hot weather again.
We are starting to do all of our ¨despedidas¨here. Which are the going away parties. I have had a few friends go home already, and Im starting to hate the airport. Everytime I go there it is a little reminder that my turn isnt too far off. But we are enjoying everything we can these last couple of weeks. Tonight I am going out with all of my friends and we are having a party at the place where I dance salsa. All of my salsa friends are coming, along with the exchange students, and friends from the U. So it should be really fun.
Well, I wish everyone the best, I know that you are all starting your summers and enjoying being together. I will try to write one last email before I go home, but if not, then you all know Im a litlte closer than I am now. Just in Minnesota. I miss you all so much!
See some of you in DC in about three months!!!!
Love,
Rach (Raquelita)
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Alice Kelly -- Spain
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Hola! Well the year is really winding down. I can´t believe it. It feels like just yesterday that I was on the phone with the Spanish Consulate,crying, because my visa had been denied, and now I´m on the phone with my parents arranging my return date. I leave in 4 weeks and I´m pretty sad.
This past month has been great. I went to Madrid the 1st through the 4th for the holiday weekend with some of the other exchange students, It was the best! I will miss the other students a lot! We have become really close. If any of you will be in Madrid at some point watch out for your stuff, cell phones books and entire backpacks were taken from us... Not fun!
This month I have my graduation from my highschool here. I´m excited to see what we´re going to be doing, so far it sounds quite close to the graduation I had last year at home, with a slide show and music.
I hope everyone is doing well!
Alice Kelly
Torrevieja Spain
Hola! Well the year is really winding down. I can´t believe it. It feels like just yesterday that I was on the phone with the Spanish Consulate,crying, because my visa had been denied, and now I´m on the phone with my parents arranging my return date. I leave in 4 weeks and I´m pretty sad.
This past month has been great. I went to Madrid the 1st through the 4th for the holiday weekend with some of the other exchange students, It was the best! I will miss the other students a lot! We have become really close. If any of you will be in Madrid at some point watch out for your stuff, cell phones books and entire backpacks were taken from us... Not fun!
This month I have my graduation from my highschool here. I´m excited to see what we´re going to be doing, so far it sounds quite close to the graduation I had last year at home, with a slide show and music.
I hope everyone is doing well!
Alice Kelly
Torrevieja Spain
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Lauren Bardin -- Czech Republic
April 28, 2008
Ahoj! How is everyone?
I can't believe that I'm down to only two months left here. I will fly home June 24th and it just doesn't seem real that it is actually a few days short of two months. I don't know how it'll feel to not hear Czech, see Czech, and enjoy the Czechness of everything around me. I'm going to miss almost everything about this place...even the not-so-subtle hints of remaining Communism. (Mom, Dad, and Kev could explain that for you, they saw it!)
My time spent with Mom, Dad, and Kevin was amazing! It felt so great to laugh and travel with them and we saw so many beautiful places. I met them in Malaga, Spain and we spent six days on the coast of southern Spain. We traveled to Rhonda, Granda, and Morocco and it was all gorgeous. It was so great to see the culture and people of Morocco (Africa!), that's something I definitely didn't expect to experience for my year here. Spain was wonderful; the weather was perfect, although Mom and I didn't get a chance for a real tan. But, as my dad said, you can't go all the way to Europe just to lay in the same sun. Next, we traveled Czech Republic and they got to see Prague, Cesky Krumlov, and Trebic. They actually got to meet all three of my host families and taste the delicious home cooking of each one. That is definitely a priceless experience I think. I know they really loved my host families and Trebic and especially the countryside of Czech. I'm glad they saw it now with its green fields and blooming cherry trees, because they definitely missed the long, gray, months of winter. It is so beautiful here though and I think it takes driving through the countryside, in and out of countless little villages, to really understand why.
Saying goodbye was difficult, as expected, but I just kept thinking I only had two months left as a Czech, so that thought actually overcame the others. I will see everyone and home again in less than two SHORT months and then this life is over, so I'll have to embrace every day as much as possible.
My family left on Wednesday and I was back in Trebic for only two nights then off for another trip with Rotary. Early Friday I woke up and traveled to another city in CR where all the exchange students met up and we filed onto a bus to begin our journey to Venice, Italy! We spent 3 days together.....with no showering. Yikes! Scary thought? Yessss. But it didn't matter because it was an amazing trip and it was the last thing on our minds. (Kind of last). We stopped in Salzburg, Austria and walked around the city at night and got to see it's famous sites as well. Then we drove all night until we arrived outside of Venice at about 6:30AM. We walked into the city and spent the entire day there. I went into one of the museums in the main square, San Marco Square, and got to see some artwork of Bellini!! You might know his very famous painting, Madonna Enthrowned with Child, which I got to see. Also, his famous brother, Giovanni Bellini. We got to walk the streets of Venice, which by the way are extremely small and crowded. After about 30 minutes walking and getting lost, I needed to escape to the seaside and lay in the sun without being shoulder to shoulder with strangers. The weather was brilliant and it couldn't have been better, I need to go back!! I also got a taste of some real Italian cuisine! Oh, and I actually heard a true Italian man say, "Mamma Mia!" That was a highlight for sure.
So, now I'm back to boring old Trebic. No, just kidding, Trebic is far from boring. I'll be back to school and the norm until the next big adventure. We have our Rotary district conference is about a month and that's the real last meeting for all the exchange students.
This is more than just the "last stretch" now, it's really the end. But, I never say goodbye, just, "See you again." I hope everyone is doing just fine and I can't wait to see you all when I return! Enjoy the Spring weather!!
Laurinka
Ahoj! How is everyone?
I can't believe that I'm down to only two months left here. I will fly home June 24th and it just doesn't seem real that it is actually a few days short of two months. I don't know how it'll feel to not hear Czech, see Czech, and enjoy the Czechness of everything around me. I'm going to miss almost everything about this place...even the not-so-subtle hints of remaining Communism. (Mom, Dad, and Kev could explain that for you, they saw it!)
My time spent with Mom, Dad, and Kevin was amazing! It felt so great to laugh and travel with them and we saw so many beautiful places. I met them in Malaga, Spain and we spent six days on the coast of southern Spain. We traveled to Rhonda, Granda, and Morocco and it was all gorgeous. It was so great to see the culture and people of Morocco (Africa!), that's something I definitely didn't expect to experience for my year here. Spain was wonderful; the weather was perfect, although Mom and I didn't get a chance for a real tan. But, as my dad said, you can't go all the way to Europe just to lay in the same sun. Next, we traveled Czech Republic and they got to see Prague, Cesky Krumlov, and Trebic. They actually got to meet all three of my host families and taste the delicious home cooking of each one. That is definitely a priceless experience I think. I know they really loved my host families and Trebic and especially the countryside of Czech. I'm glad they saw it now with its green fields and blooming cherry trees, because they definitely missed the long, gray, months of winter. It is so beautiful here though and I think it takes driving through the countryside, in and out of countless little villages, to really understand why.
Saying goodbye was difficult, as expected, but I just kept thinking I only had two months left as a Czech, so that thought actually overcame the others. I will see everyone and home again in less than two SHORT months and then this life is over, so I'll have to embrace every day as much as possible.
My family left on Wednesday and I was back in Trebic for only two nights then off for another trip with Rotary. Early Friday I woke up and traveled to another city in CR where all the exchange students met up and we filed onto a bus to begin our journey to Venice, Italy! We spent 3 days together.....with no showering. Yikes! Scary thought? Yessss. But it didn't matter because it was an amazing trip and it was the last thing on our minds. (Kind of last). We stopped in Salzburg, Austria and walked around the city at night and got to see it's famous sites as well. Then we drove all night until we arrived outside of Venice at about 6:30AM. We walked into the city and spent the entire day there. I went into one of the museums in the main square, San Marco Square, and got to see some artwork of Bellini!! You might know his very famous painting, Madonna Enthrowned with Child, which I got to see. Also, his famous brother, Giovanni Bellini. We got to walk the streets of Venice, which by the way are extremely small and crowded. After about 30 minutes walking and getting lost, I needed to escape to the seaside and lay in the sun without being shoulder to shoulder with strangers. The weather was brilliant and it couldn't have been better, I need to go back!! I also got a taste of some real Italian cuisine! Oh, and I actually heard a true Italian man say, "Mamma Mia!" That was a highlight for sure.
So, now I'm back to boring old Trebic. No, just kidding, Trebic is far from boring. I'll be back to school and the norm until the next big adventure. We have our Rotary district conference is about a month and that's the real last meeting for all the exchange students.
This is more than just the "last stretch" now, it's really the end. But, I never say goodbye, just, "See you again." I hope everyone is doing just fine and I can't wait to see you all when I return! Enjoy the Spring weather!!
Laurinka
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Milind Rupchandani -- India
April 10, 2008
So finally I gone over winter season. I am so happy i made it through winter. There is so much to tell and show you all about March Madness.
I went to Hartford, Conneticut for our school robotics competetion. I really had a wonderful time there. I had never been to such robotics competetion before. I was so impressed with craziness of people in first robotics. It's like a sport here.
After that trip we had one week of school then we had Easter. I celebrated my first Easter with my host family. We colored eggs and made eggs for every family member. I also got a lot of candies on Easter. I got 2 Easter Baskets!!
And then since we are robotics people..haha...we were invited by RPI college for the screening of film '2 Million Minutes'. That was good time too.
School is going excellent as usual. My third quarter grades are in 90s. After the Conneticut trip I got sick for a couple of days but now I am absolutely fine and ready for Spring.
This spring break my host family is planning to take me to Washington D.C. and also I m being trained by RPI to fly a blimp for the big robotics competetion in Atlanta so after D.C trip I am gonna go to Atlanta for competetion and fly the blimp there.
I will never ever forget this in my entire life.
I also have sent you some of pictures of March Madness.
Alice Kelly -- Spain
April 11, 2008
Hola, todo el mundo! I hope everyone is doing well in their exchanges and having a good time! I cannot believe that it is already April! The time here is going by really fast. March was a good month, I had 2 weeks off from school for Semana Santa, which is a really big deal in Spain. There were processions every night. They were really beautiful, and we got a lot of candy :). On Easter we ate a big dinner and had mona, a special easter dessert. Also another exchange student from the United States living in Denia came and visited me for a few days. I hope everyone is okay! :) Adios!
Alice Kelly, Torrevieja España
Hola, todo el mundo! I hope everyone is doing well in their exchanges and having a good time! I cannot believe that it is already April! The time here is going by really fast. March was a good month, I had 2 weeks off from school for Semana Santa, which is a really big deal in Spain. There were processions every night. They were really beautiful, and we got a lot of candy :). On Easter we ate a big dinner and had mona, a special easter dessert. Also another exchange student from the United States living in Denia came and visited me for a few days. I hope everyone is okay! :) Adios!
Alice Kelly, Torrevieja España
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Whitney Brown -- Belgium
April 7, 2008
Happy Spring Everyone!!
I hope you all had a nice Easter holiday and that the weather is getting warmer for you in the states! its raining here in Belgium - as usual. Life is going so great in Belgium lately! I am so happy. A lot has happened since my last email, but ill try to make it brief.
In the beginning of March my Mom came to visit me in Belgium. I got to show her all around my new little country and we had so much fun together. She was here in Belgium for 5 days and we also made an excursion to Dublin for 3 days. We had a great time exploring the city, visiting the guiness storehouse and trinity college, and taking a tour of the beautiful Wicklow mountains and national park.
2 days after my mom went back to NY, I moved into the house of my 3rd host family. They are sooo great! And am so lucky - it is such a better feeling with them than with my 2nd host family. My new family has welcomed me with open arms and treat me like one of their own children! They live right in the center of the city which is also a really nice change!
2 days after moving into my new host family I left for a 12 day trip to Italy with my Belgian school. It was an amazing experience. We traveled all over - visiting Pisa, Florence, Rome, Assissi, the beautiful tuscan hillside, pompeii, Venice, Siena. I made sooo many great new friends within my school - it was the school's senior trip, so there were 100 of us. So now school is a lot more fun for me with all of my new friends! It rained almost every day in Italy but it was still beautiful and unforgettable. We were in Rome on Easter so we got to hear the pope! and I also got to celebrate my birthday in Rome ... and since i made so many new friends we had a blast celebrating!
When we returned to Belgium we still had one week of vacation before we had to go back to school, so I was still busy busy. I went to visit the American WWII Cemetery and Memorial in the south of Belgium with my friend Faith. My host mom and sister took me to the Belgian coast for the day - it was very cold but really beautiful. My host parents also threw me a birthday party and invited some other american exchange students over for the night. We made tacosss, went to the movies to see Step Up 2 and just had a great time laughing all night. Yesterday I went to the Royal Museum of Central Africa in Brussels - interesting to see because Belgium had a Colony in the Congo.
Today we went back to school... but i'm still very busy. Tonight I go a classical orchestra with my host family and friday they are also taking me to a ballet in Brussels. Now I am trying to see and do as much as I can before June 25th and i head back to the US. It is right around the corner!! I miss you all so much and hope you are doing well! Talk to you soon!
Love,Whitney
Happy Spring Everyone!!
I hope you all had a nice Easter holiday and that the weather is getting warmer for you in the states! its raining here in Belgium - as usual. Life is going so great in Belgium lately! I am so happy. A lot has happened since my last email, but ill try to make it brief.
In the beginning of March my Mom came to visit me in Belgium. I got to show her all around my new little country and we had so much fun together. She was here in Belgium for 5 days and we also made an excursion to Dublin for 3 days. We had a great time exploring the city, visiting the guiness storehouse and trinity college, and taking a tour of the beautiful Wicklow mountains and national park.
2 days after my mom went back to NY, I moved into the house of my 3rd host family. They are sooo great! And am so lucky - it is such a better feeling with them than with my 2nd host family. My new family has welcomed me with open arms and treat me like one of their own children! They live right in the center of the city which is also a really nice change!
2 days after moving into my new host family I left for a 12 day trip to Italy with my Belgian school. It was an amazing experience. We traveled all over - visiting Pisa, Florence, Rome, Assissi, the beautiful tuscan hillside, pompeii, Venice, Siena. I made sooo many great new friends within my school - it was the school's senior trip, so there were 100 of us. So now school is a lot more fun for me with all of my new friends! It rained almost every day in Italy but it was still beautiful and unforgettable. We were in Rome on Easter so we got to hear the pope! and I also got to celebrate my birthday in Rome ... and since i made so many new friends we had a blast celebrating!
When we returned to Belgium we still had one week of vacation before we had to go back to school, so I was still busy busy. I went to visit the American WWII Cemetery and Memorial in the south of Belgium with my friend Faith. My host mom and sister took me to the Belgian coast for the day - it was very cold but really beautiful. My host parents also threw me a birthday party and invited some other american exchange students over for the night. We made tacosss, went to the movies to see Step Up 2 and just had a great time laughing all night. Yesterday I went to the Royal Museum of Central Africa in Brussels - interesting to see because Belgium had a Colony in the Congo.
Today we went back to school... but i'm still very busy. Tonight I go a classical orchestra with my host family and friday they are also taking me to a ballet in Brussels. Now I am trying to see and do as much as I can before June 25th and i head back to the US. It is right around the corner!! I miss you all so much and hope you are doing well! Talk to you soon!
Love,Whitney
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Lauren Bardin -- Czech Republic
April 2, 2008
Ahoj, Ahoj, The first thing I have to say is, what I meant in the last email when I said I have a "jungle in my bathroom and staircase," I meant that there are humongous plants EVERYWHERE. When Doug was here he told me that comment was really confusing, until he actually saw all the plants, then he knew.
So, the adventure with Doug was fantastic, we had so much fun together. We had so many great brother/sister experiences in so many beautiful places. Doug's plane came in a little late so we didn't have time to catch our train to Krakow, Poland. Instead, we took a train to Otrava, Czech Republic, which is a city right on the border of Slovakia. I have some friends living there so we met up with them and they showed us a few fun places. Then we caught a 2:30AM train to Bratislava. This was quite complicated and I don't think either of us really remember how we did it or where we went because it was the middle of the night, Doug was jetlagged, I was trying to wake up at each stop to read the station signs so we'd know when to get off and find our transfer, and.....I ended waking a little late, just to see the "Bratislava Hlavni Nadrazi" sign as we pulled away. But, this train was ending in Budapest, which was one of our future destinations, so we decided we'd just switch our timetable around a bit. Once we arrived in Budapest, we realized we needed a map and a hostel ASAP so we could get some real sleep. After walking with our hiker backpacks in the pouring rain for about an hour, we finally reached a nice hostel and climbed in bed. Our two nights in Budapest were amazing! We met people from Ireland, Scotland, Norway, Israel, and Iran and had a blast with the 39 year old man from Ireland. He was the typical little Irishman, he had a lot to say and was a great deal of entertainment too. Next, we made our way to Bratislava for two nights. This is a beautiful city but it is smaller than most so there's not as much to see. Although it was very nice for me because the Slovakian language is very close to Czech so I could understand and get us around much easier than while we were in Austria or Hungary. Next we headed to Vienna, which was gorgeous! It is so easy to see the immense change from Eastern to Western Europe. Vienna had all the "new" (newer) government and museum buildings and many many clothing shops and western styles. Oh, and he Euro prices, yuck. We also met some cool people here at our hostel; some people from the states,from Romania, Ireland again, Japan, and Australia. The next two nights we spent in Trebic and, as I expected, Doug did really like my town! He got to meet my host family, former and present, my exchange friends, and my Czech friends. I think he had a good time, I know I had fun showing him beautiful Trebic. We spent the next two nights in Prague, where we saw only a small fraction of what there really is to see there. We met up with a friend of mine who lives there and he tried to be our tour guide but despite the fact that he'd been living there for 3 years, I had more of a sense of direction there than he did! It was fun though, we got to get a little lost and see the backstreets people don't normally travel by choice. We had one night in Dresden, Germany, which was....gross, actually. Whenever I think of that night it kind of makes me cringe, haha. Well, Doug and I were staying in a nice hostel but this hostel was pretty empty, except for maybe 7 other people...who all happened to be over the age of 40. There's nothing wrong with that, it's just different than what we were used to. And the two of these people who were in our room were lacking either manners, hygiene, or social skills. Or all 3. They were nice people to talk with, but Doug and I could not sleep all night because the 50 year old man from Kosovo kept waking up, walking around the room, opening the window, spitting, smoking out the window, riffling through his bag...there was no end to it. I was actually praising my 5AM alarm when it went off. The next days without Doug were so strange! We'd spent all the time together for about 12 days and then I was back in Trebic doing my normal routine. No Budapest, no crazy accents, no trains, no playing chess with crazy old Kosovonians. It was quite a trip; a SPECTACULAR one!
March was a crazy month; there was a lot of traveling and holiay from school. We had a week off for Spring holiday and then 3 more days off for Easter the following week. Oh! The Easter tradition here is the greatest! Well, I was away for Easter so I didn't get to witness it first hand, but I love the stories. Easter morning before noon, boys are supposed to go from door to door, each with some sort of soft branch from a tree. The girls in the house have to come down and the boys must say a rhyme while they whip the girls with the braches. It's supposed to symbolize health each time the girls are hit. Then, if the boys do a good job with the rhyme, they either get candy (for the little boys) or a shot of homemade slivovice (for the older boys).
Another exchange student, Kristen, from Texas, had her family here in Trebic so I got to meet them. That was fun, a little Texas flavor in Trebic! They were hilarious and a lot of fun.
This Saturday I am moving to my last host family. I don't know them at all, but the President of my rotary chose them for me and he's a cool guy, so I'm hoping they are welcoming me! I know they have 2 or 3 older kids; older and in university in Brno or Prague. So, maybe I'll have my own bathroom again! That'd be just fine with me. :D I'm a bit sad to be leaving this house though. Wow, can't believe I'm saying that after all the worrying when I first found out I was moving here. It's been great here and I've really come to enjoy the family; their humor, kindness, cooking, and care. I hope I can be as lucky in the next home.
In two weeks I will be in Malaga, Spain with Mom, Dad, and Kevin and I am BEYOND excited about that!! I can't stop thinking of how it'll feel to see them at the airport. And this time I'll be the one walking through the arrival gate with my suitcase instead of waiting endlessly for my own visitors in Prague's airport. After 6 nights in Spain, we'll fly back to Prague and spend two nights in Trebic, one night in the beautiful town of Cesky Krumlov, and three nights in Prague. !!!!
I've got to actually start packing for my move this weekend. I can't believe how much STUFF I've accumulated, what will I do with all of it when I have to fly overseas in a few months?!
So, I hope you're all doing well. The weather here is starting to get more and more pleasant so I imagine it's similar in Upstate NY. Yeah? I hope so, the Spring air is beautiful!
I miss you all!!!! Take care!!! Laurinka
Ahoj, Ahoj, The first thing I have to say is, what I meant in the last email when I said I have a "jungle in my bathroom and staircase," I meant that there are humongous plants EVERYWHERE. When Doug was here he told me that comment was really confusing, until he actually saw all the plants, then he knew.
So, the adventure with Doug was fantastic, we had so much fun together. We had so many great brother/sister experiences in so many beautiful places. Doug's plane came in a little late so we didn't have time to catch our train to Krakow, Poland. Instead, we took a train to Otrava, Czech Republic, which is a city right on the border of Slovakia. I have some friends living there so we met up with them and they showed us a few fun places. Then we caught a 2:30AM train to Bratislava. This was quite complicated and I don't think either of us really remember how we did it or where we went because it was the middle of the night, Doug was jetlagged, I was trying to wake up at each stop to read the station signs so we'd know when to get off and find our transfer, and.....I ended waking a little late, just to see the "Bratislava Hlavni Nadrazi" sign as we pulled away. But, this train was ending in Budapest, which was one of our future destinations, so we decided we'd just switch our timetable around a bit. Once we arrived in Budapest, we realized we needed a map and a hostel ASAP so we could get some real sleep. After walking with our hiker backpacks in the pouring rain for about an hour, we finally reached a nice hostel and climbed in bed. Our two nights in Budapest were amazing! We met people from Ireland, Scotland, Norway, Israel, and Iran and had a blast with the 39 year old man from Ireland. He was the typical little Irishman, he had a lot to say and was a great deal of entertainment too. Next, we made our way to Bratislava for two nights. This is a beautiful city but it is smaller than most so there's not as much to see. Although it was very nice for me because the Slovakian language is very close to Czech so I could understand and get us around much easier than while we were in Austria or Hungary. Next we headed to Vienna, which was gorgeous! It is so easy to see the immense change from Eastern to Western Europe. Vienna had all the "new" (newer) government and museum buildings and many many clothing shops and western styles. Oh, and he Euro prices, yuck. We also met some cool people here at our hostel; some people from the states,from Romania, Ireland again, Japan, and Australia. The next two nights we spent in Trebic and, as I expected, Doug did really like my town! He got to meet my host family, former and present, my exchange friends, and my Czech friends. I think he had a good time, I know I had fun showing him beautiful Trebic. We spent the next two nights in Prague, where we saw only a small fraction of what there really is to see there. We met up with a friend of mine who lives there and he tried to be our tour guide but despite the fact that he'd been living there for 3 years, I had more of a sense of direction there than he did! It was fun though, we got to get a little lost and see the backstreets people don't normally travel by choice. We had one night in Dresden, Germany, which was....gross, actually. Whenever I think of that night it kind of makes me cringe, haha. Well, Doug and I were staying in a nice hostel but this hostel was pretty empty, except for maybe 7 other people...who all happened to be over the age of 40. There's nothing wrong with that, it's just different than what we were used to. And the two of these people who were in our room were lacking either manners, hygiene, or social skills. Or all 3. They were nice people to talk with, but Doug and I could not sleep all night because the 50 year old man from Kosovo kept waking up, walking around the room, opening the window, spitting, smoking out the window, riffling through his bag...there was no end to it. I was actually praising my 5AM alarm when it went off. The next days without Doug were so strange! We'd spent all the time together for about 12 days and then I was back in Trebic doing my normal routine. No Budapest, no crazy accents, no trains, no playing chess with crazy old Kosovonians. It was quite a trip; a SPECTACULAR one!
March was a crazy month; there was a lot of traveling and holiay from school. We had a week off for Spring holiday and then 3 more days off for Easter the following week. Oh! The Easter tradition here is the greatest! Well, I was away for Easter so I didn't get to witness it first hand, but I love the stories. Easter morning before noon, boys are supposed to go from door to door, each with some sort of soft branch from a tree. The girls in the house have to come down and the boys must say a rhyme while they whip the girls with the braches. It's supposed to symbolize health each time the girls are hit. Then, if the boys do a good job with the rhyme, they either get candy (for the little boys) or a shot of homemade slivovice (for the older boys).
Another exchange student, Kristen, from Texas, had her family here in Trebic so I got to meet them. That was fun, a little Texas flavor in Trebic! They were hilarious and a lot of fun.
This Saturday I am moving to my last host family. I don't know them at all, but the President of my rotary chose them for me and he's a cool guy, so I'm hoping they are welcoming me! I know they have 2 or 3 older kids; older and in university in Brno or Prague. So, maybe I'll have my own bathroom again! That'd be just fine with me. :D I'm a bit sad to be leaving this house though. Wow, can't believe I'm saying that after all the worrying when I first found out I was moving here. It's been great here and I've really come to enjoy the family; their humor, kindness, cooking, and care. I hope I can be as lucky in the next home.
In two weeks I will be in Malaga, Spain with Mom, Dad, and Kevin and I am BEYOND excited about that!! I can't stop thinking of how it'll feel to see them at the airport. And this time I'll be the one walking through the arrival gate with my suitcase instead of waiting endlessly for my own visitors in Prague's airport. After 6 nights in Spain, we'll fly back to Prague and spend two nights in Trebic, one night in the beautiful town of Cesky Krumlov, and three nights in Prague. !!!!
I've got to actually start packing for my move this weekend. I can't believe how much STUFF I've accumulated, what will I do with all of it when I have to fly overseas in a few months?!
So, I hope you're all doing well. The weather here is starting to get more and more pleasant so I imagine it's similar in Upstate NY. Yeah? I hope so, the Spring air is beautiful!
I miss you all!!!! Take care!!! Laurinka
Ashley Carey -- Finland
March 31, 2008
Hey, sorry I haven't updated in such a long time!
In December, all the exchange students embarked on a Rotary-sponsored trip to Lapland, in the Arctic Circle. We had the opportunity to make many reindeer friends, learn about Lappish culture, dine in a Lappish restaurant, and go for a real sled ride driven by 20 huskies!
I must admit that I've been doing most of my record-keeping via photo albums on Facebook, complete with explanatory comments. I have also written a few blogs where are entirely abstract and irrelevant to being an exchange student, but which were inspired by the new things that I am learning here.
Here are the public links to a few of my albums, which will hopefully be an adequate substitute for a long, written update.
Lapland Part 1:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2000313&l=e23ab&id=1350060023
Lapland Part 2:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2000314&l=aeacb&id=1350060023
Bringing the Tradition of Thanksgiving to Finland:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2000311&l=db13a&id=1350060023
Brussels, Belgium; the most beautiful place I have ever visited: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2000349&l=5d82a&id=1350060023
More Belgium:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2000352&l=57b9e&id=1350060023
January, including preparation for the Wanhat dance:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2000368&l=a3f6b&id=1350060023
The Wanhat Dance!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2000389&l=2860f&id=1350060023
and finally, Febrary/March, my most recent photos:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2000413&l=b46f3&id=1350060023
In December, right after the Lapland Tour, I moved into a new host family, my second and final. The mother is from London, and since Finland is a country where English is a second language to nearly everyone, the entire family speaks English together. One thing I noticed in this household that I didn't notice in the last, is that the children sometimes call their parents by their first names.
I have unknowingly picked up many cultural traditions, and have attended the Wanhat Dance in my school, which is like a prom, but it's much more old fashioned, and the students take rigorous dance classes for three months. I preferred it very much over the dance styles of typical American high school students. However, I immediately and impulsively asked a boy I didn't know at all, out of fear that I would end up dateless, so we didn't talk much. It was fun anyway.
It's hard to believe that I come home in just three months. And I only have two months left in Finland, as the month of June is the Eurotour! I am very excited, and even excited to come home to glamorous old Amsterdam, but I am going to miss this quiet little country a lot more than I thought I would.
Hey, sorry I haven't updated in such a long time!
In December, all the exchange students embarked on a Rotary-sponsored trip to Lapland, in the Arctic Circle. We had the opportunity to make many reindeer friends, learn about Lappish culture, dine in a Lappish restaurant, and go for a real sled ride driven by 20 huskies!
I must admit that I've been doing most of my record-keeping via photo albums on Facebook, complete with explanatory comments. I have also written a few blogs where are entirely abstract and irrelevant to being an exchange student, but which were inspired by the new things that I am learning here.
Here are the public links to a few of my albums, which will hopefully be an adequate substitute for a long, written update.
Lapland Part 1:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2000313&l=e23ab&id=1350060023
Lapland Part 2:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2000314&l=aeacb&id=1350060023
Bringing the Tradition of Thanksgiving to Finland:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2000311&l=db13a&id=1350060023
Brussels, Belgium; the most beautiful place I have ever visited: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2000349&l=5d82a&id=1350060023
More Belgium:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2000352&l=57b9e&id=1350060023
January, including preparation for the Wanhat dance:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2000368&l=a3f6b&id=1350060023
The Wanhat Dance!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2000389&l=2860f&id=1350060023
and finally, Febrary/March, my most recent photos:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2000413&l=b46f3&id=1350060023
In December, right after the Lapland Tour, I moved into a new host family, my second and final. The mother is from London, and since Finland is a country where English is a second language to nearly everyone, the entire family speaks English together. One thing I noticed in this household that I didn't notice in the last, is that the children sometimes call their parents by their first names.
I have unknowingly picked up many cultural traditions, and have attended the Wanhat Dance in my school, which is like a prom, but it's much more old fashioned, and the students take rigorous dance classes for three months. I preferred it very much over the dance styles of typical American high school students. However, I immediately and impulsively asked a boy I didn't know at all, out of fear that I would end up dateless, so we didn't talk much. It was fun anyway.
It's hard to believe that I come home in just three months. And I only have two months left in Finland, as the month of June is the Eurotour! I am very excited, and even excited to come home to glamorous old Amsterdam, but I am going to miss this quiet little country a lot more than I thought I would.
Rachel Hoffman -- Bolivia
April 4, 2008
Happy April Everyone!
It´s almost my 8 month anniversary here. Only 2 and a half months left, which is really scary and sad because I feel like I want more time here. I dont know, maybe I will be ready to come home by then, but I know I will miss it so much. I will try to fill you all in on the stuff Ive been doing for the past month or so....it has been an interesting one.
I guess you could look at March as the worst month on my exchange so far because all of the bad stuff kind of happened at once. I got sick for the first time here, and I was robbed. But honestly, I am having the best time ever inspite of the past couple of weeks. First of all, my easter was great. I travelled to a town called Concepcion with my family and my sister´s friends and their families. We all got to hang out and it was very relaxing. But on the way back I must have eaten something bad because it turns out I wassick all week. But now Im better and everything is fine. I lost 2 kilos which was a plus, but it could have been because I was living off of soup and crackers.
Last Sunday I was invited to a churrasco with my friends from my salsa class. I dont think I have had that much fun in a really long time. It was so great. I am usually always having fun here, but there are times when I am in a group of Bolivians where its not as easy to be myself or to find conversation, so it can be a little more awkward, but this past weekend wasnt like that at all. We went to a camp of one of my friends, there was a pool and a volleyball court and a futbol field, and ostriches walking around freely. We layed in hammocks and swam, and ate. It was so fun. We stayed the whole day there, joking around. We might have danced a little too, afterall I was with my salsa classmates. Well then I got a call that someone broke into our house that day around lunchtime, when (luckily) my family was out to eat. It could have been bad if they were home. My ipod and camera were stolen out of my room, but nothing else, so I am lucky. But unfortunately other things were stolen from the house, like jewelry and other valubles of my parents. Everything is fine now though, and I honestly wasnt too upset because I had such a great day with all of my friends. I live on a very safe street with a guard and I still feel safe, it just stinks that sometimes stuff like this happens here.
On Wednesday there was a huge march for Autonomia here in Santa Cruz. I went with my classmates from the University. I wore my tshirt to represent Santa Cruz, and carried a flag that translates to pretty much, support autonomy! I wasnt sure how I would feel being a part of this because I am not cruceño, but I talked with my compañeros a little and got their opinions. They all said that, I am living here and even though it doesntaffect me much, it is nice to have the support. It was one of the coolest things Ive done. We marched over 3 miles, about one million people, all with their green and white flags(from Santa Cruz) to support this.
The next day at school we had a festival of traditions. I had to use a dress called a tipoy(Im not sure how to spell it), but its traditional for Santa Cruz. I helped bring food and brought special hot chocolate. There were 4 tv stations there, and I didnt have a choice and was pulled into a traditional dance that happened to be on tv. Me in my little cambita dress. I think the whole university was staring at me, but it was really cool to be a part of it. The girls in my class did a braid in my hair for me too.
Today I took my final exam and I think I did alright. Although I realize now that my teacher thinks Im german. The other day he asked where my family was from, and I was like, well my name isfrom Germany. And so he thought that meant that my dad was German. I didnt feel like taking a bunch of time to describe how many years ago the descendents of my dad came from there, but hes in no way German. Today when I handed him my test he says ¨danke schun¨ so I said yourwelcome in german. It was pretty funny. I guess he hasnt noticed all of the kids trying to speak English with me. ¨I am speaking English¨ they all say. Or in the case of the guys, ¨hello baby¨.
This afternoon Im going to a party with my classmates to celebrate finishing off the month. Monday starts a new material. Im taking Bolivian social orginization. Then later I am going cosmic bowling with the people from my salsa class. And Sunday there is a classico (the biggest futbol game in Santa Cruz, because its against both of the two SC teams, Oriente and Blooming). I havent gone yet, so it should be really fun.
The only otherinteresting news I have is that the other day on the news a baby was born with one eye here in Bolivia. It was a very strange site to see.
I hope everyone is doing great and hopefully warming up a bit. Its just starting to get cold here. I think it was 75 today! I got on the bus to go to school and I almost thought I was in La Paz(cold city in Bolivia) because everyone was wearing their coats and sweaters. It was like 70 degrees.
I love you all and miss you tons!!!!!!
It´s almost my 8 month anniversary here. Only 2 and a half months left, which is really scary and sad because I feel like I want more time here. I dont know, maybe I will be ready to come home by then, but I know I will miss it so much. I will try to fill you all in on the stuff Ive been doing for the past month or so....it has been an interesting one.
I guess you could look at March as the worst month on my exchange so far because all of the bad stuff kind of happened at once. I got sick for the first time here, and I was robbed. But honestly, I am having the best time ever inspite of the past couple of weeks. First of all, my easter was great. I travelled to a town called Concepcion with my family and my sister´s friends and their families. We all got to hang out and it was very relaxing. But on the way back I must have eaten something bad because it turns out I wassick all week. But now Im better and everything is fine. I lost 2 kilos which was a plus, but it could have been because I was living off of soup and crackers.
Last Sunday I was invited to a churrasco with my friends from my salsa class. I dont think I have had that much fun in a really long time. It was so great. I am usually always having fun here, but there are times when I am in a group of Bolivians where its not as easy to be myself or to find conversation, so it can be a little more awkward, but this past weekend wasnt like that at all. We went to a camp of one of my friends, there was a pool and a volleyball court and a futbol field, and ostriches walking around freely. We layed in hammocks and swam, and ate. It was so fun. We stayed the whole day there, joking around. We might have danced a little too, afterall I was with my salsa classmates. Well then I got a call that someone broke into our house that day around lunchtime, when (luckily) my family was out to eat. It could have been bad if they were home. My ipod and camera were stolen out of my room, but nothing else, so I am lucky. But unfortunately other things were stolen from the house, like jewelry and other valubles of my parents. Everything is fine now though, and I honestly wasnt too upset because I had such a great day with all of my friends. I live on a very safe street with a guard and I still feel safe, it just stinks that sometimes stuff like this happens here.
On Wednesday there was a huge march for Autonomia here in Santa Cruz. I went with my classmates from the University. I wore my tshirt to represent Santa Cruz, and carried a flag that translates to pretty much, support autonomy! I wasnt sure how I would feel being a part of this because I am not cruceño, but I talked with my compañeros a little and got their opinions. They all said that, I am living here and even though it doesntaffect me much, it is nice to have the support. It was one of the coolest things Ive done. We marched over 3 miles, about one million people, all with their green and white flags(from Santa Cruz) to support this.
The next day at school we had a festival of traditions. I had to use a dress called a tipoy(Im not sure how to spell it), but its traditional for Santa Cruz. I helped bring food and brought special hot chocolate. There were 4 tv stations there, and I didnt have a choice and was pulled into a traditional dance that happened to be on tv. Me in my little cambita dress. I think the whole university was staring at me, but it was really cool to be a part of it. The girls in my class did a braid in my hair for me too.
Today I took my final exam and I think I did alright. Although I realize now that my teacher thinks Im german. The other day he asked where my family was from, and I was like, well my name isfrom Germany. And so he thought that meant that my dad was German. I didnt feel like taking a bunch of time to describe how many years ago the descendents of my dad came from there, but hes in no way German. Today when I handed him my test he says ¨danke schun¨ so I said yourwelcome in german. It was pretty funny. I guess he hasnt noticed all of the kids trying to speak English with me. ¨I am speaking English¨ they all say. Or in the case of the guys, ¨hello baby¨.
This afternoon Im going to a party with my classmates to celebrate finishing off the month. Monday starts a new material. Im taking Bolivian social orginization. Then later I am going cosmic bowling with the people from my salsa class. And Sunday there is a classico (the biggest futbol game in Santa Cruz, because its against both of the two SC teams, Oriente and Blooming). I havent gone yet, so it should be really fun.
The only otherinteresting news I have is that the other day on the news a baby was born with one eye here in Bolivia. It was a very strange site to see.
I hope everyone is doing great and hopefully warming up a bit. Its just starting to get cold here. I think it was 75 today! I got on the bus to go to school and I almost thought I was in La Paz(cold city in Bolivia) because everyone was wearing their coats and sweaters. It was like 70 degrees.
I love you all and miss you tons!!!!!!
Monday, March 24, 2008
Allie Ritz -- Italy
March 12, 2008
Well things have gotten better here. The weather is warming up so I'm passing more time outside. I've gotten in touch with a couple of the girls that I met at the airport and we are going to try to meet up in the last few months. So im really looking forward to that.
For Rotary here in Pisa, I wrote a short article of my experience, in Italian. I've rewritten it in English:
Dear Friends, My name is Alexandra Ritz. I'm an American exchange student in the Rotary Club of Pisa. I have been in Pisa since Setember 2007. This is a wonderful experience that I'll never forget. I have the oppurtunity to live with an Italian family and to be completely immersed in the traditions and in the italian culture.
There are some differences between the cultures but nothing drammatic. Some examples are that in the american schools the students change classrooms while the teachers remain in the same class. There aren't any oral exams only written exams. Then there are only four years of high school instead of five.
Another difference is that the italian teenagers have more liberty because when the are 14 yrs. old they can drive a moped and then at 18 they can get their drivers license whereas in the United States you can get the license when you turn 16. The italian public transportation is more efficent and used more. In the US public transportation is only common in the big cities because it doesn't exist in the small towns or it's expensive. I am happy to be able to use the bus because it gives me more independence and I don't need to rely on the host family to drive me plasses. Infact often I take the bus to go between home and Pisa.
The italian life style is more traditional. For example they eat lunch all together everyday. This isnt possibile in the US because we are in school until 3 so we eat in school. This aspect was different for me but now I am used to it and I rather enjoy returning home to eat and chat with my host family. The italian culture is more family orientated in respect to the american culture.
The eating habits in Italy are healthier. The diet is more balanced and the food is fresher, especially the bread which is made everyday. The food doesnt vary much from american food because we eat a lot of pasta too. I love the focaccia which is a type of bread and the vegetables because they have a lot of flavor the way that they are cooked. And then the coffee...its to die for!!!! I dont think Ill be able to drink american coffee when I return in the US after having had italian coffee.
Since I've arrived I have been living with the Mazzarosa family. I get along with them really well and they are all really nice. I have a sister, Lucrezia, 17, and a brother, Giuseppe, 13. I am very happy to have their company because I come from a family of five kids so I am used to having other kids around. I appreciate everything that the Mazzarosa's have done for me specially for their generosity and support. I couldn't thank them enough nor be able to express in words my gratitude. This experience wouldn't have been possible without their hospitality. I thank also Rotary for everything that they have made possible.
Allie Ritz
Well things have gotten better here. The weather is warming up so I'm passing more time outside. I've gotten in touch with a couple of the girls that I met at the airport and we are going to try to meet up in the last few months. So im really looking forward to that.
For Rotary here in Pisa, I wrote a short article of my experience, in Italian. I've rewritten it in English:
Dear Friends, My name is Alexandra Ritz. I'm an American exchange student in the Rotary Club of Pisa. I have been in Pisa since Setember 2007. This is a wonderful experience that I'll never forget. I have the oppurtunity to live with an Italian family and to be completely immersed in the traditions and in the italian culture.
There are some differences between the cultures but nothing drammatic. Some examples are that in the american schools the students change classrooms while the teachers remain in the same class. There aren't any oral exams only written exams. Then there are only four years of high school instead of five.
Another difference is that the italian teenagers have more liberty because when the are 14 yrs. old they can drive a moped and then at 18 they can get their drivers license whereas in the United States you can get the license when you turn 16. The italian public transportation is more efficent and used more. In the US public transportation is only common in the big cities because it doesn't exist in the small towns or it's expensive. I am happy to be able to use the bus because it gives me more independence and I don't need to rely on the host family to drive me plasses. Infact often I take the bus to go between home and Pisa.
The italian life style is more traditional. For example they eat lunch all together everyday. This isnt possibile in the US because we are in school until 3 so we eat in school. This aspect was different for me but now I am used to it and I rather enjoy returning home to eat and chat with my host family. The italian culture is more family orientated in respect to the american culture.
The eating habits in Italy are healthier. The diet is more balanced and the food is fresher, especially the bread which is made everyday. The food doesnt vary much from american food because we eat a lot of pasta too. I love the focaccia which is a type of bread and the vegetables because they have a lot of flavor the way that they are cooked. And then the coffee...its to die for!!!! I dont think Ill be able to drink american coffee when I return in the US after having had italian coffee.
Since I've arrived I have been living with the Mazzarosa family. I get along with them really well and they are all really nice. I have a sister, Lucrezia, 17, and a brother, Giuseppe, 13. I am very happy to have their company because I come from a family of five kids so I am used to having other kids around. I appreciate everything that the Mazzarosa's have done for me specially for their generosity and support. I couldn't thank them enough nor be able to express in words my gratitude. This experience wouldn't have been possible without their hospitality. I thank also Rotary for everything that they have made possible.
Allie Ritz
Rachel Hoffmann -- Bolivia
Monday, March 17, 2008
Hey Everyone!
I guess it is about time for me to write my March letter, I will really try hard to not make it a novel like the last one. It´s just there is always so much going on here.
It´s almost my 7th month anniversary here. Today is Saint Patty´s day which really isnt a holiday here, but there is an Irish Pub in the plaza so all of the exchange students are going there to hang out. I might even wear green. Last night was Palm Sunday and it was really cool to see. My family doesnt go to mass here, but I went to the plaza last night, which is in the center of town, and there were women all lined up along the streets with palm branches making crosses and other figures. There were men with carts loaded with big chocolate eggs. And the plaza was full of families and people that were going to the mass at the cathedral. This coming week is Semana Santa, Holy week, and I might travel with my family.
So I changed families about a month ago, just to see something else, a different way of life and what not, and to get to know more people. I absolutely love them. I live with my mom, Martha, my dad, Fernando, and my sister Marty(also named Martha). I also have two older sisters Claudia and Fabiola, but they married the past fall. I was lucky to go to the wedding of Fabiola. So they dont live here anymore, but I see them often when they visit the house. I love having another sister close to my age. Marty just came back from her exchange from Virginia. We have a great time talking. She talks probably twice as much as me, but we get along great and its fun to have her around. We go shopping and go out, its been so much fun with her. Plus it is nice because she goes to the highschool that I used to go to, so I know all of her friends, and it is nice to get back in touch with them after the summer.
I live a lot closer to the center now, only 7 blocks from the plaza, where we usually meet, so Its nice to be walking everywhere and to get to know the streets better. Before I lived in the 3rd ring around the city, and was always taking taxis, so I am also saving money! I have a maid named Vikki, and I love her so much. She has been with this family for a long time and is more a friend than a maid. Her daughter just got married. Before lunch while I wait for the family to get home from work, I sit in the kitchen and help her make juice or we just talk.
Now I am going to a University called Domingo Savio. I take a micro(bus that drives extremely crazy) to school every morning. I have class from 8 until 11:15. I am loving it so much more than highschool here. I understand everything that the professor is saying. Right now I am taking the class of Bolivian Culture. Before I took political science, and it was really interesting to get a different point of view on politics in the world. I have made a lot of friends in the U, so after class sometimes we just hang out or go to lunch. Today I took my first test, and I think I did pretty well. Wednesday I have to help present with my group about the second Bolivian president. It will be a test of how good my spanish really is.
Nothing new is really happening. I am still having a great time but am realizing that it is coming to a close and that time is flying by faster than I could ever imagine.
My other project is that I am helping with a school thats a few blocks away to make an English CD. I have to record my voice saying really simple phrases like ¨This is a bed¨ its a little boring, but its kind of cool to know that Im going to be the voice that all those cute little Bolivian kids here when they are learning english. I kind of feel bad for them now that I think about it. Its just another cool opportunity that came up.
One of my favorite things here that I started doing again is my salsa class. I absolutely love it. There has not been one time that I have gone and not had a good time. Even if my day is bad and I dont have energy to go, I show up and I always have an amazing time. Ive made a lot of friends in the class, by the way Im in the best level now. I remember when we attempted to learn in Spanish class, and I had to be the man. Well when I come back I will have to give some lessons. Its so great though, the guys are really nice to me and my friend Lucy, from Albany, because sometimes we can be disasters, but they help us learn and they are patient. The only problem is that half of the men are shorter than me so when it comes time for them to dance with me you see them get a look on their face like ¨oh no not the tall gringo girl again¨ because we end up twisting arms and its just kind of awkward. Its still so much fun though.
Well I hope that everyone at home is doing great. I heard that its finally feeling like spring there. Here its feeling like ¨fall¨ I guess you could say. Really hot in the day still, but it cools off a lot at night.
I miss you tons and love you all so much!
Love,
Raquel
Hey Everyone!
I guess it is about time for me to write my March letter, I will really try hard to not make it a novel like the last one. It´s just there is always so much going on here.
It´s almost my 7th month anniversary here. Today is Saint Patty´s day which really isnt a holiday here, but there is an Irish Pub in the plaza so all of the exchange students are going there to hang out. I might even wear green. Last night was Palm Sunday and it was really cool to see. My family doesnt go to mass here, but I went to the plaza last night, which is in the center of town, and there were women all lined up along the streets with palm branches making crosses and other figures. There were men with carts loaded with big chocolate eggs. And the plaza was full of families and people that were going to the mass at the cathedral. This coming week is Semana Santa, Holy week, and I might travel with my family.
So I changed families about a month ago, just to see something else, a different way of life and what not, and to get to know more people. I absolutely love them. I live with my mom, Martha, my dad, Fernando, and my sister Marty(also named Martha). I also have two older sisters Claudia and Fabiola, but they married the past fall. I was lucky to go to the wedding of Fabiola. So they dont live here anymore, but I see them often when they visit the house. I love having another sister close to my age. Marty just came back from her exchange from Virginia. We have a great time talking. She talks probably twice as much as me, but we get along great and its fun to have her around. We go shopping and go out, its been so much fun with her. Plus it is nice because she goes to the highschool that I used to go to, so I know all of her friends, and it is nice to get back in touch with them after the summer.
I live a lot closer to the center now, only 7 blocks from the plaza, where we usually meet, so Its nice to be walking everywhere and to get to know the streets better. Before I lived in the 3rd ring around the city, and was always taking taxis, so I am also saving money! I have a maid named Vikki, and I love her so much. She has been with this family for a long time and is more a friend than a maid. Her daughter just got married. Before lunch while I wait for the family to get home from work, I sit in the kitchen and help her make juice or we just talk.
Now I am going to a University called Domingo Savio. I take a micro(bus that drives extremely crazy) to school every morning. I have class from 8 until 11:15. I am loving it so much more than highschool here. I understand everything that the professor is saying. Right now I am taking the class of Bolivian Culture. Before I took political science, and it was really interesting to get a different point of view on politics in the world. I have made a lot of friends in the U, so after class sometimes we just hang out or go to lunch. Today I took my first test, and I think I did pretty well. Wednesday I have to help present with my group about the second Bolivian president. It will be a test of how good my spanish really is.
Nothing new is really happening. I am still having a great time but am realizing that it is coming to a close and that time is flying by faster than I could ever imagine.
My other project is that I am helping with a school thats a few blocks away to make an English CD. I have to record my voice saying really simple phrases like ¨This is a bed¨ its a little boring, but its kind of cool to know that Im going to be the voice that all those cute little Bolivian kids here when they are learning english. I kind of feel bad for them now that I think about it. Its just another cool opportunity that came up.
One of my favorite things here that I started doing again is my salsa class. I absolutely love it. There has not been one time that I have gone and not had a good time. Even if my day is bad and I dont have energy to go, I show up and I always have an amazing time. Ive made a lot of friends in the class, by the way Im in the best level now. I remember when we attempted to learn in Spanish class, and I had to be the man. Well when I come back I will have to give some lessons. Its so great though, the guys are really nice to me and my friend Lucy, from Albany, because sometimes we can be disasters, but they help us learn and they are patient. The only problem is that half of the men are shorter than me so when it comes time for them to dance with me you see them get a look on their face like ¨oh no not the tall gringo girl again¨ because we end up twisting arms and its just kind of awkward. Its still so much fun though.
Well I hope that everyone at home is doing great. I heard that its finally feeling like spring there. Here its feeling like ¨fall¨ I guess you could say. Really hot in the day still, but it cools off a lot at night.
I miss you tons and love you all so much!
Love,
Raquel
Alice Kelly -- Spain
Monday, March 10, 2008
Hello everyone!
February was a crazy, hectic, and fun month for me. I left the 9th and went on a rotary trip to Italy. It was fantastic. It was the first time I was able to meet the other exchanges in Spain since I missed the orientation. It was a blast. We went to Rome, Florence, Venice, Naples, and Capri. It really was a great trip, if any of you are thinking about doing a rotary trip I fully recommend it, it is a great way to bond with other exchange kids.
After Italy I went to Barcelona to meet up with my parents and my brother who came to visit! It was so exciting to see them after 5 months! We were able to travel all around Spain and go to places I hadn't yet visited, like Toledo and Madrid. It was sad to see them go though. My spanish has gotten a lot better. I am really starting to understand a lot more, and although speaking is a bit dificult it is getting better. I will get 2 weeks of from school for Semana Santa, or Easter. I am not sure what I am going to do for my vacation yet. I hope all of you have a great Easter!
So here is a link to my Semana Santa Pictures. Happy Easter everyone!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=115&l=087a7&id=1370310008
Hello everyone!
February was a crazy, hectic, and fun month for me. I left the 9th and went on a rotary trip to Italy. It was fantastic. It was the first time I was able to meet the other exchanges in Spain since I missed the orientation. It was a blast. We went to Rome, Florence, Venice, Naples, and Capri. It really was a great trip, if any of you are thinking about doing a rotary trip I fully recommend it, it is a great way to bond with other exchange kids.
After Italy I went to Barcelona to meet up with my parents and my brother who came to visit! It was so exciting to see them after 5 months! We were able to travel all around Spain and go to places I hadn't yet visited, like Toledo and Madrid. It was sad to see them go though. My spanish has gotten a lot better. I am really starting to understand a lot more, and although speaking is a bit dificult it is getting better. I will get 2 weeks of from school for Semana Santa, or Easter. I am not sure what I am going to do for my vacation yet. I hope all of you have a great Easter!
So here is a link to my Semana Santa Pictures. Happy Easter everyone!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=115&l=087a7&id=1370310008
Raffaele Pantaleo -- Venezuela (Schenectady Rotary, host)
March 15, 2008
I write to you about how it's going so far. Its going good; I change of family few weeks ago and this will be my third family.The school is going good; I don't have any problems at all everything its going all right.
This is my report of this month; I am not sure if the other ones that i sent to you, you had recesive it, i think that i made a mistake in the e-mail adreses. Thank you Raffaele Pantaleo
I write to you about how it's going so far. Its going good; I change of family few weeks ago and this will be my third family.The school is going good; I don't have any problems at all everything its going all right.
This is my report of this month; I am not sure if the other ones that i sent to you, you had recesive it, i think that i made a mistake in the e-mail adreses. Thank you Raffaele Pantaleo
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Milind Rupchandani -- India
March 10, 2008
Hello,
So finally we are almost near the end of winter and I am so happy about it because when I came here everybody used to scare me about winter in Albany but finally I made it through winter.
This winter break I had a very scary experience in my life. We went mount hiking in Adirondaks and we all had quite an experience there. Also I am going for baseball try outs in my school now on so I am quite tired at the end of the day. I hope I make through the team but since this is my first time playing baseball so I am little nervous and although if I am not selected I will be happy because at least I tried it.
My host family is great. We watch a lot of movies both Hollywood movies as well as Bollywood movies. My health is fine and everything is alright. My school grades are also good.
So I am enjoying a lot here and I think now that it will be so hard to leave in the end.
Hello,
So finally we are almost near the end of winter and I am so happy about it because when I came here everybody used to scare me about winter in Albany but finally I made it through winter.
This winter break I had a very scary experience in my life. We went mount hiking in Adirondaks and we all had quite an experience there. Also I am going for baseball try outs in my school now on so I am quite tired at the end of the day. I hope I make through the team but since this is my first time playing baseball so I am little nervous and although if I am not selected I will be happy because at least I tried it.
My host family is great. We watch a lot of movies both Hollywood movies as well as Bollywood movies. My health is fine and everything is alright. My school grades are also good.
So I am enjoying a lot here and I think now that it will be so hard to leave in the end.
Allie Ritz -- Italy
March 06, 2008
Well, its already march!!! It's exciting and saddening to think that theres only 3 months left. I'm sure it'll go by much quicker especially as the weather improves and I can pass the time outside in the sun!!!
Well there's really nothing too exciting to tell so until next month, ciao ciao a presto.
Allie Ritz
Well, its already march!!! It's exciting and saddening to think that theres only 3 months left. I'm sure it'll go by much quicker especially as the weather improves and I can pass the time outside in the sun!!!
Well there's really nothing too exciting to tell so until next month, ciao ciao a presto.
Allie Ritz
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Karissa Seeberger -- Argentina
Monday, March 03, 2008
Señor Dwyer y Rotary:
I´m not sure exactly when was the last time I sent an email, so I suppose it´s better to send too many as opposed to too few. As of now, i recently returned from a trip to Uruguay and Buenos Aires. Two Argentine members of Rotary accompanied myself and 2 other american girls with 2 germans on a day trip to cross the border in order to renew our visas. As much as I am enjoying Argentina, I have to say, it is very much so a hassle to leave the country every three months so that i can stay for another 3. The trip to Uruguay was pleasant. We traveled on a very nice ferry in order to cross one of the widest rivers in the world that segregates argentina from uruguay. We arrived and went to a small historical city called Colonia. Later that evening we returned to Buenos Aires and I stayed there for the weekend with a classmate of mine who is currently studying at the university there.
as of now, i will be starting journalism at the local universities in a week. I recently discovered that it is one of the best universities in all of south america, so i am greatly looking forward to that. I´ve been continuing with my classed for tango and feel as though i have learned very much in the six month time span in which i have been practicing. We should be having a recital soon! so i have chosen a return date after talking it over with my host parents and my real parents. I will be returning on the 21st of June, and will arrive in Albany on the 22nd of June...all is very well here in San Luis, and it will only be better once i am busy studying again!
Okay, thank you for you support!
hope all is well in New York!
un abrazo
Karissa Seeberger, San Luis, Argentina
Señor Dwyer y Rotary:
I´m not sure exactly when was the last time I sent an email, so I suppose it´s better to send too many as opposed to too few. As of now, i recently returned from a trip to Uruguay and Buenos Aires. Two Argentine members of Rotary accompanied myself and 2 other american girls with 2 germans on a day trip to cross the border in order to renew our visas. As much as I am enjoying Argentina, I have to say, it is very much so a hassle to leave the country every three months so that i can stay for another 3. The trip to Uruguay was pleasant. We traveled on a very nice ferry in order to cross one of the widest rivers in the world that segregates argentina from uruguay. We arrived and went to a small historical city called Colonia. Later that evening we returned to Buenos Aires and I stayed there for the weekend with a classmate of mine who is currently studying at the university there.
as of now, i will be starting journalism at the local universities in a week. I recently discovered that it is one of the best universities in all of south america, so i am greatly looking forward to that. I´ve been continuing with my classed for tango and feel as though i have learned very much in the six month time span in which i have been practicing. We should be having a recital soon! so i have chosen a return date after talking it over with my host parents and my real parents. I will be returning on the 21st of June, and will arrive in Albany on the 22nd of June...all is very well here in San Luis, and it will only be better once i am busy studying again!
Okay, thank you for you support!
hope all is well in New York!
un abrazo
Karissa Seeberger, San Luis, Argentina
Friday, February 29, 2008
Whitney Brown -- Belgium
February 29, 2008
Hi, everyone, Just keeping you up to date on my busy days.
In the begining of the month I went to visit Middelburg in Holland. It is the middlerbugh that the middleburgh in new york was settled by. So that was pretty neat. Its a cute little town with lots of canals and windmills.
My Rotary presentation about the USA went great! they all were so thrilled with my dutch and think it is so great that i am learning the language even though i wont be able to really use it anywhere else in the world besides the north of belgium and holland. Haha, so that was a nice evening.
I went to my third host family's house 2 weeks ago for a lunch date and I CANT WAIT to move there! They made me feel so welcome and I can already tell that I will feel so much at home there than this second host family. They have a really nice 3 floor apartment in the middle of the city, which is sooo much easier than the half an hour bus ride to the city that i have to take from the home of my 2nd host family. They already invited me to go to France with them in May for 5 days... so thats really exciting! I will be moving in with them (the Dierckx family) 2 weeks earlier than planned, on March 16th. My new address is:
Pieter de Nefstraat 8
B-2300 Turnhout Belgium
Yesterday I had a field trip with the school to the European Union headquarters in Brussels. So that was very interesting.
The big highlight of the month was from february 19th to the 27th, when my brother came to visit!! It was such a fun time!! We did a bit of sight seeing in Brussels and Antwerp - we went to the famous Comic Strip Museum in Brussels and to tour a Brewery. I introduced bobby to the wonders of Belgian waffles, fries, mussels, chocolates, and famous beer! We went to Amsterdam for a day - we went to Anne Frank's house and to Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. We also went to Paris for 3 days - visited the top of the eiffel tower, notre dam, and toured the louvre. Anddd we also took a day trip to Bastogne in the South of Belgium to visit some famous WWII museums and american memorials. We were busy busy and just had such a nice time together!
Tomorrow I am going to Antwerp for the day with the rotary club and exchange students in belgium. And I am also getting ready for my next trip --- my mom arrives on wednesday for a visit!!!! lots of excited stuff happening around here. I hope all is well with you all. I cant wait to be back to see you. I will be home in less than 4 months! the time is going to fly by! keep in touch and talk to you soon!
love, Whitney
Hi, everyone, Just keeping you up to date on my busy days.
In the begining of the month I went to visit Middelburg in Holland. It is the middlerbugh that the middleburgh in new york was settled by. So that was pretty neat. Its a cute little town with lots of canals and windmills.
My Rotary presentation about the USA went great! they all were so thrilled with my dutch and think it is so great that i am learning the language even though i wont be able to really use it anywhere else in the world besides the north of belgium and holland. Haha, so that was a nice evening.
I went to my third host family's house 2 weeks ago for a lunch date and I CANT WAIT to move there! They made me feel so welcome and I can already tell that I will feel so much at home there than this second host family. They have a really nice 3 floor apartment in the middle of the city, which is sooo much easier than the half an hour bus ride to the city that i have to take from the home of my 2nd host family. They already invited me to go to France with them in May for 5 days... so thats really exciting! I will be moving in with them (the Dierckx family) 2 weeks earlier than planned, on March 16th. My new address is:
Pieter de Nefstraat 8
B-2300 Turnhout Belgium
Yesterday I had a field trip with the school to the European Union headquarters in Brussels. So that was very interesting.
The big highlight of the month was from february 19th to the 27th, when my brother came to visit!! It was such a fun time!! We did a bit of sight seeing in Brussels and Antwerp - we went to the famous Comic Strip Museum in Brussels and to tour a Brewery. I introduced bobby to the wonders of Belgian waffles, fries, mussels, chocolates, and famous beer! We went to Amsterdam for a day - we went to Anne Frank's house and to Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. We also went to Paris for 3 days - visited the top of the eiffel tower, notre dam, and toured the louvre. Anddd we also took a day trip to Bastogne in the South of Belgium to visit some famous WWII museums and american memorials. We were busy busy and just had such a nice time together!
Tomorrow I am going to Antwerp for the day with the rotary club and exchange students in belgium. And I am also getting ready for my next trip --- my mom arrives on wednesday for a visit!!!! lots of excited stuff happening around here. I hope all is well with you all. I cant wait to be back to see you. I will be home in less than 4 months! the time is going to fly by! keep in touch and talk to you soon!
love, Whitney
Lauren Bardin -- Czech Republic
February 2008
Ahoj everyone!! If you find that in my email I am rambling or making no sense at all, I'm sorry, it's because Doug is going to be here in less than 2 days and I can't make myself calm down, I am so excited and anxious!!! In less than 2 days we will begin our journey over Central Europe! I am meeting him in Prague on Friday afternoon then we're taking a long train ride to Krakow, Poland. We'll stay the night there in a hostel (for $16, pretty nice, eh?) and possibly visit Auschwitz. Then we'll make our way to Výsoke Tatry, which are some mountains in Slovakia. The next night we'll stay in Bratislava and the next two nights we'll be in Budapest. Then one night in Vienna and then back to good old Trebic. I'm really excited to introduce Doug to my host family, old and new, my friends, and my way of life here; I really think he's going to love it. After two nights here we will head to Prague for two nights, and then a last night in Dresden, Germany because Doug has to fly home from there. It's going to be a lot to do, but we're ready for it, we can't wait! I haven't been able to fall asleep at a normal time in a week and I don't feel tired from it yet. I have a feeling I'll be running on excitement and adrenaline until Doug leaves.
Other than planning our trip, I have been doing a lot of other things. I mentioned before that I had recently moved to my new host family and I was very scared about what my future would hold. But, this house has been spectacular! I've seen a completely different side of my YEO and I'm really glad they took me in here. The mother is so caring, funny, loves to joke with her son and husband, and is a fantastic cook. My host dad is also a fantastic cook; he made mexican food one of the first weekends I was here and it was delicous! Definitely not Mexican mexican food, it had a little Czech twist to it, but it was great. He's also helped me a lot with my traveling plans with Doug; he has a lot of insight because he is constantly driving all over the country for his work. (Which I have yet to discover what it is...here they just say "businessman" and leave it at that.) My host brother is also great; he's a lot of fun, usually pretty talkative, always making jokes, and has a lot of silly, entertaining friends. We go to the same school but hardly see each other inside the building, which I think he likes, because he's not big on the whole studying thing and I don't think he wants me to see that first hand. I hadn't, until just recently, when his English teacher asked me to come and help out every Wednesday. So now, I get to help teach that class too, and spy on how well my host brother is doing. hehe. Of course, his english is almost better than mine because he was in Maryland as an exchange student last year and he's a bright kid. I am living about the same distance away from the main square as I was at my last host family, but here I walk everywhere. And...I love it! I think I'll be going home a walk-aholic. Usually I ride to school in the AM with my host mom but sometimes I walk, then I walk home and everywhere in between. It's about a 25-30 minute walk to my house but I'm really enjoying it now and I even have massive hills to conquer. Every time I walk home after school I mean to take pictures because the sun is usually going down behind the buildings and the sky is pink and it's perfect, but I haven't done it yet because there's always people out walking and they might think I was strange (or obviously a tourist) if I took photos of the communist buildings in Trebic. So yeah, I did enjoy the long walks very much....until 2 weeks ago. Not last weekend but the weekend before, I went to a semi-formal for a school in my city. The dance forum was so full of people and tables and chairs and it was impossible not to be squeezing through people when walking from one place to another. So, the dance floor was a million times worse and I was sacrificed in the mix. A man...a big man...crushed me. He crushed my left foot. He stomped on it while doing the polka...and more than once! I'm hoping it was because of drinking too much wine and not because he was such a horrendous polka dancer, otherwise his wife's feet must be permanently obliterated. I didn't think much of it at the time because I didn't want to believe it could have really hurt me, but the next day I looked at it and realized OUCH! I couldn't walk on it at all the first 2 days but I didn't want to say much about it to my host parents because I knew they'd insist I see a doctor and there was no way I was going to the doctor because there are still complications from when I went in October! And I'm sure all the doc would have said was, "Drink tea and stay home from school." Apparently tea solves everything in the Czech Republic; they'd put their own lives in the hands of tea. It is yummy... Well, now my foot is better, I can walk normally yet I'm not ready to go running or play basketball or anything. Ouch. I feel pretty tough though; it's been the closest I've ever come to breaking a bone in my body.
I went to another ples (dance) last weekend and this one was for a school where I didn't really know anyone except 2 other exchange students. Luckily, word of who is from America gets around fast and all of a sudden you have a bunch of friends! Or at least people telling you they want to come visit in NYC and see the Statue of Liberty and eat hamburgers. They always turn out to be a lot of fun and I usually see people at these balls that I don't get to see every day in school, so that's fun too.
A few weekends ago I went with my host parents to meet my host dad's sister and her family. They told me we'd all go and spend one night there because they had to go to a Rotary ball and didn't want to drive home. They said I could hang out with their neice and nephew who are both about 20 and it sounded like fun to me. I guess I assummed that both my host parents and the other set of parents were going to the ball together, because I was very very surprised when at 4PM my host parents said they should probably get going to the ball and they got up and left. Oh, just another extremely awkward night to add to the many I've accumulated since becoming an exchange student, it's all good. No, it wasn't so bad, the kids were super super nice and a lot of fun. We went to a smaller village for a "mask party," supposively celebrating some sort of Christian holiday, although I saw no signs of religion, only old men drinking beer and couples dancing the polka in a tiny volunteer-firemen/community-type-building. I got to know the son and daughter (my host cousins) better and we had a lot of fun, I was even forced to dance polka, the Czech national dance, in the middle of all the crazy dancers.
Oh! I got my haircut! I was really scared about doing it but my friend was dying her hair so I just made the appointment and hoped for the best. Czechs don't have the best style....especially hair style and espeically in my city, so I was more than nervous when the scissors cut of more and more of my hair. When she finished, I was a little heartbroken that so much of it was gone and I thought the style looked very very Czech and I was scared I wasn't goign to know what to do with it, but I'm now used to it. It's definitely got some Czechness to it, but I guess that's cool because well, I am supposed to become Czech.
I hope everyone back home is keeping warm and keeping safe from all the snow and ice, I'm hearing you're getting more and more! I hope you're all doing well, miss you all, take care!! Laurinka
ps-I have a jungle in my bathroom and all the way up my stairs to my room.
Ahoj everyone!! If you find that in my email I am rambling or making no sense at all, I'm sorry, it's because Doug is going to be here in less than 2 days and I can't make myself calm down, I am so excited and anxious!!! In less than 2 days we will begin our journey over Central Europe! I am meeting him in Prague on Friday afternoon then we're taking a long train ride to Krakow, Poland. We'll stay the night there in a hostel (for $16, pretty nice, eh?) and possibly visit Auschwitz. Then we'll make our way to Výsoke Tatry, which are some mountains in Slovakia. The next night we'll stay in Bratislava and the next two nights we'll be in Budapest. Then one night in Vienna and then back to good old Trebic. I'm really excited to introduce Doug to my host family, old and new, my friends, and my way of life here; I really think he's going to love it. After two nights here we will head to Prague for two nights, and then a last night in Dresden, Germany because Doug has to fly home from there. It's going to be a lot to do, but we're ready for it, we can't wait! I haven't been able to fall asleep at a normal time in a week and I don't feel tired from it yet. I have a feeling I'll be running on excitement and adrenaline until Doug leaves.
Other than planning our trip, I have been doing a lot of other things. I mentioned before that I had recently moved to my new host family and I was very scared about what my future would hold. But, this house has been spectacular! I've seen a completely different side of my YEO and I'm really glad they took me in here. The mother is so caring, funny, loves to joke with her son and husband, and is a fantastic cook. My host dad is also a fantastic cook; he made mexican food one of the first weekends I was here and it was delicous! Definitely not Mexican mexican food, it had a little Czech twist to it, but it was great. He's also helped me a lot with my traveling plans with Doug; he has a lot of insight because he is constantly driving all over the country for his work. (Which I have yet to discover what it is...here they just say "businessman" and leave it at that.) My host brother is also great; he's a lot of fun, usually pretty talkative, always making jokes, and has a lot of silly, entertaining friends. We go to the same school but hardly see each other inside the building, which I think he likes, because he's not big on the whole studying thing and I don't think he wants me to see that first hand. I hadn't, until just recently, when his English teacher asked me to come and help out every Wednesday. So now, I get to help teach that class too, and spy on how well my host brother is doing. hehe. Of course, his english is almost better than mine because he was in Maryland as an exchange student last year and he's a bright kid. I am living about the same distance away from the main square as I was at my last host family, but here I walk everywhere. And...I love it! I think I'll be going home a walk-aholic. Usually I ride to school in the AM with my host mom but sometimes I walk, then I walk home and everywhere in between. It's about a 25-30 minute walk to my house but I'm really enjoying it now and I even have massive hills to conquer. Every time I walk home after school I mean to take pictures because the sun is usually going down behind the buildings and the sky is pink and it's perfect, but I haven't done it yet because there's always people out walking and they might think I was strange (or obviously a tourist) if I took photos of the communist buildings in Trebic. So yeah, I did enjoy the long walks very much....until 2 weeks ago. Not last weekend but the weekend before, I went to a semi-formal for a school in my city. The dance forum was so full of people and tables and chairs and it was impossible not to be squeezing through people when walking from one place to another. So, the dance floor was a million times worse and I was sacrificed in the mix. A man...a big man...crushed me. He crushed my left foot. He stomped on it while doing the polka...and more than once! I'm hoping it was because of drinking too much wine and not because he was such a horrendous polka dancer, otherwise his wife's feet must be permanently obliterated. I didn't think much of it at the time because I didn't want to believe it could have really hurt me, but the next day I looked at it and realized OUCH! I couldn't walk on it at all the first 2 days but I didn't want to say much about it to my host parents because I knew they'd insist I see a doctor and there was no way I was going to the doctor because there are still complications from when I went in October! And I'm sure all the doc would have said was, "Drink tea and stay home from school." Apparently tea solves everything in the Czech Republic; they'd put their own lives in the hands of tea. It is yummy... Well, now my foot is better, I can walk normally yet I'm not ready to go running or play basketball or anything. Ouch. I feel pretty tough though; it's been the closest I've ever come to breaking a bone in my body.
I went to another ples (dance) last weekend and this one was for a school where I didn't really know anyone except 2 other exchange students. Luckily, word of who is from America gets around fast and all of a sudden you have a bunch of friends! Or at least people telling you they want to come visit in NYC and see the Statue of Liberty and eat hamburgers. They always turn out to be a lot of fun and I usually see people at these balls that I don't get to see every day in school, so that's fun too.
A few weekends ago I went with my host parents to meet my host dad's sister and her family. They told me we'd all go and spend one night there because they had to go to a Rotary ball and didn't want to drive home. They said I could hang out with their neice and nephew who are both about 20 and it sounded like fun to me. I guess I assummed that both my host parents and the other set of parents were going to the ball together, because I was very very surprised when at 4PM my host parents said they should probably get going to the ball and they got up and left. Oh, just another extremely awkward night to add to the many I've accumulated since becoming an exchange student, it's all good. No, it wasn't so bad, the kids were super super nice and a lot of fun. We went to a smaller village for a "mask party," supposively celebrating some sort of Christian holiday, although I saw no signs of religion, only old men drinking beer and couples dancing the polka in a tiny volunteer-firemen/community-type-building. I got to know the son and daughter (my host cousins) better and we had a lot of fun, I was even forced to dance polka, the Czech national dance, in the middle of all the crazy dancers.
Oh! I got my haircut! I was really scared about doing it but my friend was dying her hair so I just made the appointment and hoped for the best. Czechs don't have the best style....especially hair style and espeically in my city, so I was more than nervous when the scissors cut of more and more of my hair. When she finished, I was a little heartbroken that so much of it was gone and I thought the style looked very very Czech and I was scared I wasn't goign to know what to do with it, but I'm now used to it. It's definitely got some Czechness to it, but I guess that's cool because well, I am supposed to become Czech.
I hope everyone back home is keeping warm and keeping safe from all the snow and ice, I'm hearing you're getting more and more! I hope you're all doing well, miss you all, take care!! Laurinka
ps-I have a jungle in my bathroom and all the way up my stairs to my room.
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