Julia Galasso -- Romania (Home Club: Cobleskill)

A post from Julia in her own blog:

http://usatoromania.blogspot.com/

Michela Rossetti -- Italy (Home Club: Southern Rensselaer)

A late November post from Michael: on her own blog:

http://usatoitaliarye.blogspot.it/

Emily Williams -- Slovakia (Home Club: Salem)

Two posts from Emily (12/3 and 12/21) on her blog:


https://fivedegreesofseparation.wordpress.com/

William Kelley -- Chile (Home Club: Glens Falls)

December 12, 2016

November 2016

Everything is going super well here in Chile.  Caught up in everything that has been going on, I’ve forgotten to report on those same activities!  I am living on a farm outside my city of San Carlos in the very north of the Southern Region of Chile, and smack in between the ocean and the Andes.  I live here with my host father and the two family dogs.  Just about every weekend we either travel to Santiago to visit my host brother, who lives with his grandmother in her apartment there while he is studying in University, or he comes here.  This provides me with a really stark contrast between rural and urban, while San Carlos gives me something in between.  At first, it was a bit difficult to navigate the constant changes in pace but now that I have settled in, I am very grateful to have such a varying lifestyle here.  It certainly keeps me on my toes.

I arrived towards the end of winter here in Chile, and things on the farm have been building throughout the spring towards right now.   Blueberries are falling off their bushes in astounding quantities, with raspberries on the way shortly.  The summer also brings more to work maintaining other crops like porotos and remolacha, both of who's names have given me fits in trying to translate.  Porotos, or beans, can refer to a seemingly infinite number of types of beens, although there also exists an even less exhaustible number of words to refer to beans.  Luckily my host dad, a bean farmer, doesn't like beans, so it doesn't come up terribly often.  The confusion with remolacha is more straight forward.  While remolacha directly translates to “beet”, or the well known purple beetroot, Chileans use “remolacha" to refer to sugar beets, which are used to make sugar or to feed animals.  They call normal beets “betarraga”.  All of this had my head twisting and turning, but never the less I love learning about all things related to the farm, and my host dad and everyone else here has always been excited to share share their knowledge with me.  One of my proudest moments came after talking to one of the farmers about the merits of pesticides on apple trees, when he asked me what varieties of apples we grew on my farm in the U.S.! (I live in the city of Albany).

My class here had two field trips this month, the first to Siete Tazas National Park and the second to Valparaiso.  Siete Tazas was spectacular! The Rio Claro, which runs down from the Andes carved the seven cup-like pools on its way down to the ocean.  Each has its own waterfall and most are surrounded by huge rock walls.  The river really earns its name, with cristal clear water running the whole way.  My classmates wasted no time in deeming it safe to drink, declaring Andean water the purest in the world.  I cautiously declined to drink it, citing the family nearby us with a young child peeing in the water.  The trip to Valparaiso was also super fun.  To make the most out of the day trip despide a 5 hour drive, we departed from the school at 2:00am.  Some kids tried to sleep, but the collective excitement of the class ensured that no one got more than a wink.  We arrived for our tour of the National Congressional Building somewhat drowsy, but equally excited.  We got a tour of both houses of the legislature, and I got to sit in the seat the president sits in when she addresses the nation on special occasions from the Salón de Honor.  Things are much more relaxed there then they are in Washington.  We didn't even go through metal detectors.  

All in all Im loving my experience here, and I can’t wait to do even more in the coming months! A big thank you to everyone that has made this possible for me.

Emily Williams -- Slovakia (Home Club: Salem)

November 28, 2016

The other day at my host Rotary Club meeting my YEO had me read aloud an update from our outbound student (my absentee host sister) to the assembly (didn't understand all of it and stumbled here and there, but they said my American accent wasn't too bad(: ).  Anyway, it made me want to write to my own club and district just to say thank you again and let you know a little bit about how my exchange is going, especially since I haven't posted to my blog in a little while (which I am hoping to rectify soon!). 

Today marks the end of my first three months in Slovakia, three months of school and family and friends and new experiences.  I love the language of this country, and even though it is still challenging I feel like I have come a long way since I first got here.  Every other Tuesday I go to Rotary meetings, and each time I understand more and more of the conversation around me.  I am the only exchange student in my town which can be a little lonely sometimes (I have only met other students twice since I've been here), but also means that I have gotten to know the students at my school a lot better than I may have otherwise.  The 27 other students in III.C at Gymnazium Pierra de Coubertina are slowly but surely becoming my family here (my new Slovak nicknames are Emilka or Milka).  After school I often have a busy program between CrossFit, Zumba, Rotary, and some music classes.  I've gotten to go on hikes in the nearby countryside and in the gorgeous High Tatras in the northeast of the country.  There is a rich folk culture here that I have seen in some performances of dance and music, and I've also gotten to see a couple wonderful classical concerts.  It's common here on the weekends or after school to go out to a kaviaren for coffee and tea or to a cukraren for cake.  The food here is heavy and filling - lots of meat, cheese, bread, and potatoes - but my host mom (and, from what I've heard, future host moms as well) cook lighter, healthy dinners at home, and there is an abundance of fresh and local ingredients. Everybody here drives a little crazy compared to what I'm used to, but at the same time there aren't nearly as many cars on the road since more people take buses and trains.  In my little town of Piešťany, many people walk or bike as well.  Piešťany is a pretty and fairly modern town, a popular destination for tourists because of the spa resorts located on the Váh River.  I love going for runs along the river and in the park, and feel like I can get around on my own.  Shopkeepers are very kind about helping me out when I let them know I am still just learning Slovak, especially since I have learned it is polite and expected to say "Hello" (Dobrý deň) and "Goodbye" (Dovidenia) when you enter and leave a store or restaurant.

Overall, I am very satisfied with Slovakia and hope that I will get even more opportunities to travel to different cities and experience as much of the country as possible this year. 

Many many thanks again and best wishes to all of you for the holiday season,
Emily

Michela Rossetti -- Italy (Home club: Southern Rensselaer)

Michela Rossetti posts recent experiences on her own blog here.

Julia Galasso -- Romania (Home club: Cobleskill)

Julia posts a blog about her recent trips here.

Cole Malerba -- Peru (Home Club: Colonie-Guilderland)

November 13, 2016

 

Rotary Club Arequipa

Health and Home 

I am doing great. As of now I have had no major health problems. I am extremely satisfied with my current host home. I love my host family. We are always spending time as a family. They make sure I always have what I need. Plus, the food is really good. 

School

I go to school Monday-Friday from 8-5. There are no school clubs or sports teams but we get to play plenty of sports during the day. The other students in the school are great. The school finishes in a few weeks. Then I will be on vacation January and February. In March, I am looking forward to starting university where I will be studying Peruvian gastronomy. 

Rotary

I try and attend my Rotary club’s meetings whenever I can. Usually we meet every other Saturday for one or two hours. We discuss fundraising projects and activities for the Interact kids. My counselor lives in a different city so it can be difficult to see her sometimes but we are always in contact. This weekend I am going to go out for coffee with my counselor and her family. I received my monthly allowance October a few days ago. It was $65. I would say I have a really good relationship with my counselor and my club. The president of my club is a great guy and we get along well. 

Activities

I haven’t had much time to write this report because I have been so busy traveling. In the last week of October I had my first big trip with Rotary. We visited Colca Canyon, Arequipa, Puno, Cusco, and Machu Picchu. It was amazing. I also got to spend time with the other 60-some exchange students who I hadn’t seen since August. In Puno, we sailed to an island in Lago Titicaca where we stayed with families whose first language is Quechua, the language of the Incans. I never had a chance to experience something like that before. All that they had was hand-made by them. Cusco was my favorite city that I have visited in Peru so far. It is surrounded by beautiful mountains on all sides and I love the architecture. Of course, seeing Machu Picchu was the highlight of the trip for me, as it has always been a dream of mine. 

Immediately after that trip, I left to go on another trip with my friend and his host dad. We went to Sicuani, the birthplace of my friend’s host dad. We spent a few days there visiting various sites in Cusco. I just recently got back to school this week. 

I still have an amazing host family and great friends. I have had many opportunities to travel. Again, I would like to thank you and all the Rotarians who made this exchange possible for me. 

Emily Williams -- Czech Republic/Slovakia

Emily posts on her own blog from October 31 and November 1, 2016.

Kate Hillis -- South Korea (Home Club: Glenville)

Kate has her own blog, which can be found at:

http://thirteen-hours-later.blogspot.com/

Michela Rossetti -- Italy (Home Club: Southern Rensselaer)

Michela has her own blog to track her experiences in Italy:

https://usatoitaliarye.blogspot.it/

Emily Williams -- Slovakia (Home Club: Salem)

Emily has a regular blog at https://fivedegreesofseparation.wordpress.com/ .

Julia Galasso -- Romania (Home Club: Cobleskill)

September 17, 2016

 

Host Rotary Club: Rotary Club Odorheiu Secuisc

Sponsor Rotary Club: Rotary Club Cobleskill

Host Family: György and Erika Nagy

I've been in Romania for about ten days now and I'm setting in great.  My host family is very nice and have really helped me adjust to living here.  I'm getting along well with both my host sisters.  I just finished my first week of school.  I don't understand much at the moment, but all of the kids in my class are super nice and some have helped me figure out what's going on.  Everyone here speaks excellent english, which is good for communication but not so great for language learning.  I went to my first Rotary meeting on Wednesday and gave my presentation, along with the other rotary girl who's in this same town.

 Also, I started a blog at usatoromania.blogspot.com

Cole Malerba -- Peru (Home Club: Colonie/Guilderland)

Date: 09/04/2016
Host Club: Rotary Club Arequipa
Sponsoring Club: Rotary Club Colonie/Guilderland
Current Host Family: Yobana Chavez and Arturo Barrios
Counselor Name: Kattia Montoya

I would like to report that I am doing well and I am healthy. I am very comfortable in my current home, and I could not be more happy with my current host family. I have a room to myself, with plenty of space for my stuff and a nice comfy bed. The family I am staying with is great. They are friendly, funny, and always trying to make sure that I am happy. They have said that I am one of their children, which is very sweet. I have two host sisters, who live with their families in the same apartment complex as my family. My host brother is currently enjoying a Rotary exchange to Switzerland.  My family is always spending time eating and socializing together, another thing that I really love. Another thing I love about my family is the food. My host mom is a great cook and all the food she makes is fresh and delicious. I shared with her that I love to cook as well, and she said she wants to teach me how to cook Peruvian cuisine. My Spanish has been improving greatly since I have been here. I have found I can easily communicate all my needs with my host family.

I like my school as well. I go to school Monday-Friday from 8 am to 5:30 pm, so the school day is a little long. The students at my school are very nice and accepting of all the exchange students at my school. At my school there are a total of FIFTEEN exchange students! This is nice but it makes it harder to learn Spanish and assimilate with the other students because we all speak english to each other. Also, because there are so many of us, we have our own schedule which includes volleyball, swimming, and Spanish class.

Last Saturday I attended a Rotary meeting with my host club where I gave a presentation of myself. At the meeting I met my Rotary counselor and since then I have been communicating with her regularly through What’s App. My club president was very welcoming and I really like the other students in my host club. I received my first monthly allowance of 60 USD on August 31st.

I am so happy to be in the city of Arequipa. It is absolutely beautiful. My house is a 5-minute walk from the city center, the Plaza de Armas. There is a stunning cathedral and you can climb to the top to get a nice view of the city. Also, wherever you go in the city, you can always glimpse the volcano Misti. Because of the volcano, there are occasional tremors. Sadly, there was an earthquake in an area outside of Arequipa that resulted in much destruction and many deaths. Despite this, I feel very safe and I am confident that I know how to react in the event of an emergency.

As of right now I have no major concerns or issues to bring to your attention. I am looking forward to enjoying the rest of a fantastic exchange year. I am very grateful for this opportunity. Thank you!

Emily Williams -- Slovakia (Home Club: Salem)

August 30, 2016

 Wanted to let you know that I am happily settled in Piešťany and am having a great time so far!  The language barrier is difficult, but no more than I expected. Also, I finally got a blog started today and would like to share the link:  fivedegreesofseparation.wordpress.com .

Torri Herdegen -- Australia (Home Club: Delmar)

 July 14, 2016)

This year was incredible. No, that doesn't quite describe it; Magnificent. No, it was more than that. The honest truth is that I do not even know how to describe how Amazing this year was!
This year has changed me so much. It's changed the way I see the world, the way I see others, and even the way I see myself. I have grown so much and have gained so much confidence.
One thing that I keep telling the Aussies is how much I love their expression "have a go". This really encouraged me to step outside my comfort zone. Through this I have just had fun learning and trying. I have discovered things about myself by stretching myself.
It feels so good having the Rotary, the school, the students, and friends all come up and thank me for being here this year. I have made a group of unforgettable friends.
The school has been amazing, the people have been the best! And the land is so pretty! I have made a second home and actually really don't want to leave.
I just want to thank everyone for their support and I appreciate everything you have done for me to have this awesome year.
Thanks heaps,
Torri

Torri Herdegen -- Australia (Home Club: Delmar)

 May 31, 2016

I love Australia!! And I love being an exchange student! I can't believe I am already writing to y'all again! This month went by so fast! Too fast!


This month was my big Aussie Tour! Australia!! Oh my gosh! Australia is so so beautiful! From the red red sand of the desert to the blue blue water of the waterfalls and the ocean!

It would take ages to talk about my whole experience and all the amazing things we got to see. Plus there are not enough words to describe how awesome it was!! At the moment I am going through a post Aussie tour depression. There were 33 exchange students and 4 districts that went on this tour and we all became one huge family! We are all constantly snapchatting, talking on messenger, and or skyping each other. They were such an awesome group of people and I really do miss being with them!

To give you just a brief overview of the trip we went on I will tell you some of the highlights. We first flew to Adalaide then from there we drove to a very famous and beautiful rock called the Uluru. Haha, yes I said rock but it's huge and so popular because it is literally just a random, huge rock in the middle of the flat desert! Literally nowhere! What was so lucky is that it is a rare sight, as in it only happens once or twice a year, but it rained hard enough for the waterfalls to come down the Uluru. A sight so beautiful and so, like I said, rare. We were pretty lucky. We then traveled to Cains where we slide down waterfalls and went snorkeling/diving in the Great Barrier Reef! Moving down the coast we stopped in Arlie Beach, such a gorgeous place! Here we went snorkeling again and visited white heaven beach. The sand is so white it almost looks like snow and you could get burned in a record of 6 min if sunscreen is not applied generously. We passed through the Gold Coast and Byron Bay landing ourselves in Sydney!

Everything I saw was just amazing and the people I was with were even more amazing! I want to go back!!
This week consists of exams for school. Its so sad to face the fact that I have to start saying some goodbyes now.

It's been such a fantastic month, not to mention I am also 17 now!
I can't thank Rotary enough for everything!!!!!!
Thanks heaps,
Torri

Pic 1- my safari family infront of the Uluru

 Pic2: A beautiful waterfall!

 Pic3: The great barrier reef

Maggie Driscoll -- Mexico (Host Club: Albany)

May 18, 2016

 Getting to the end of my exchange I realize I should probably write another "monthly report". I don't know what kept me from writing them. I have so much to write about. But for some reason it is difficult to put these experiences on paper. Since the last time I've written I have done so much so this might be a bit long. I've gone on 2 trips, one of which I was able to see me real mom, I have switched to a new house from a family I loved to a family I love, and I have made many new friendships, Mexican and international.

My second family had the best food ever. This is partly why I fell in love with them. My host father loved to cook so in the morning before school I would wake up to an omelette with my favorite salsa and beans or pancakes (hot cakes here). For lunch we ate chicken a lot but every Sunday he would make special lunches which consisted of some of the best meals I have tried in Mexico. Including enchiladas, chimichangas, fish tostadas and TACOS. Another reason I loved this house is because I had to keep my room clean and wash the dishes. I hated it at first but I learned to love it because even now I keep my room clean making everything easier, and when I washed the dishes I talked to my host mom helping us get to know each other better and making me more comfortable in the house.

While living in my second house I went on a trip with my real mom in February. We were planning on just spending a week in Mexico City but my host family suggested we travel to a city about 2 hours away so we stayed there for 2 nights and I'm glad we took their advice cause it is a beautiful Mexican colonial city with beautiful churches and cool markets to walk through and look at the traditional Mexican candies designs and lots of souvenirs. The rest of the time we were in Mexico City and since I love big cities so of course I loved Mexico City too. The architecture, parks, museums (especially the Frida Kahlo museum) and monuments in the middle of the streets were some of my favorite parts. I also liked that I acted as a kind of guide to my mom who speaks 0 Spanish. My Spanish now is a lot better but in February I was able to communicate and ask questions when we needed help which was cool.

 In April I changed my house for the last time and 4 days later I left for the big, month long trip through Mexico called The Ruta Maya. It was the best trip of my life and I'm not sure any vacation I go on in the future could beat this one. 50 students from all over the world for 30 days in the most beautiful places in Mexico. My best friends during the trip were some Italian girls, a Korean girl and some Brazilian girls, including the one from my city. I enjoyed being with them because we spoke almost always in Spanish. Before the trip I thought I was going to speak in English the whole time but was pleasantly surprised to find that I was able to practice and learn more Spanish while away. A cool thing about one of my Italian friends is that her aunt lives in Philadelphia and will visit her for 4 days before returning to Italy and we made plans for me to visit her before the leaves. Some of my favorite parts of the trip were: Mexico City (again), a mezcal (stronger tequila) factory in Oaxaca, rafting in Veracruz, las cascadas de agua azul in Chiapas (blue water waterfalls), the ruins at Tulum and the beach at Tulum, also the beaches in Playa deal Carmen and Cancun. The water was clear as you entered then when you were fully in looked like you were swimming in blue Gatorade. I didn't want to leave any of these places but I know that someday I will definitely go back.

When I returned to my city, Navojoa, I had to get used to living with my third family. This family has 4 children (one of them is in Brazil on exchange). A 17 year old girl, 14 year old boy and a 6 year old boy. They are a loud family that spends a lot of time with their extended family, reminding me of my own family. I have never had a sister so I hope we become good friends. I spend a lot of time with my 6 year old brother and I think he has been my best Spanish teacher, so far. He loves to help me in Spanish and always makes sure I'm understanding and if I don't understand he is happy to explain the meaning of a word. I watch movies and play with him and even went to see captain America with him at the movie theater. My 14 year old brother listens to a lot of music in English and asks me a lot of questions about the pronunciation of the names of songs or the meaning of the song. My sister and I have gone to the gym together and gossip sometimes which I imagine are some things normal sisters do together.

With only about a month left I've been thinking a lot of what I want to do before I leave, some things I want to bring back with me and what I will do when I get home. I miss my family but I don't want to leave all my friends and families here because I don't know when will be my next chance to see them. I hope I can return in a few years. But instead of thinking about that too much I'm going to enjoy the remaining time I have.

Shay Beneditto -- Brazil (Home Club: Glens Falls)

May 16, 2016

  Since the last time I posted I have experienced so many new things and reached a much higher level of Portuguese proficiency. I was not excited to be trading host families because I had such a great relationship with the first one but the trade did occur at the perfect time because I traded families a few days before Carnaval and my new host sister lives in a city famous for its great Carnaval! I also have been to five soccer games since the family trade and it's always an interesting experience because Brazilians truly are crazy about soccer. CRAZY. With all of the police barriers between opposing fans and foul language used even by children and the fireworks and flares lit up you almost feel as if you're in a war zone! One of the games I saw was between Brasil and Uruguay and that was definitely the most entertaining of them all.

     I'm currently now with the high school "seniors" since here the school year starts in January and they have a ton more class and studying to do so that has been a bit of a bummer for me because nobody is willing to do anything during the week and there are no school sports activities or clubs I can get involved in. However, I have been making the best of this situation throughout my exchange by killing my free time listening to Brazilian music. I know all the words to a ton of popular Brazilian songs which has really impressed and surprised a lot of people but more importantly it has helped me so much with my Portuguese. Music is so great to adjust to the speed as well as picking up on slang. One big piece of advice I would give to future exchange students is to listen to a ton of music in your host language!

     I would also like to share some details from the best experience/trip of my entire life, the Amazon Expedition! The trip consisted of 9 days, 3 boats, 60 exchange students, and numerous memories that I will always hold close. I had the chance to visit an indigenous tribe, see the encounter of the Rio Negro and Amazon River, and trek through the forest during the day and night. I also saw so much amazing wildlife which involved me watching monkeys swinging through the trees, fishing for piranhas, swimming with the rare "pink dolphins", and holding an anaconda/sloth/alligator all in the same day! Not only will I leave with these new experiences but I now have friends from all over the world that I hope to visit one day. 

     

Thank you rotary for making all of this a possibility!

Tori Herdegen -- Australia (Home Club: Delmar)

April 30, 2016

I thought I was a busy exchange student... then I got to April...!
My calander is filled with blue ink and exclamation marks!
Some of those marks have been for traveling to many beautiful national parks. This consisted of ducking under stalactites in the Caves, dodging branches and the giant leaves of the rainforest and climbing over rocks down to a waterfall.
I got invited to go on a camping trip with a family I have been babysitting for. We went to Wilsons Prometry! It is such a beautiful place!! Wombats casually walk around your campsite like their no big deal, we saw a baby tiger snake, some emu's and beautiful Aussie birds!
Oh I also moved host families! I am on my last one, I can't believe it!! But this family, the Nicholls, are an absolute amazing family!!! I feel so included and loved even though I have only been with them 2 weeks. I already feel part of the family. They have 3 kids. A girl 17, who just got back from her own exchange, another girl 15 and a boy who is almost 12 (we have the same birthday). They love to party!! Well mainly dance but the usually means party! They are so generous and loving!! I am so happy to bee with them!!!!
I also spent half the month stressing about preforming my theatre studies play, The Laramie Project. After many rehearsals and a bit of... well... Drama, we did manage to put on two very successful productions.
Last night was my Debutant ball (Deb). We had 8 or more rehurasals since February preparing for this night. All the girls wear white dresses. The girls do a dance, then the boys do a dance, then boys and girls do 3 dances together. This was so much fun! After our dances we had a parents dance. Obviously my dad is not here so for this dance I asked my host sisters boyfriend Matt to dance with me. It was funny because we kept dancing the waltz in the wrong direction,haha.
Anyway after our planned dances we stayed up till midnight partying with the DJ.
One of the Best compliments I have had on my exchange was tonight!! My head of year was talking to my current host mum. She said that if I were to be staying in Australia for year 12, I would be on her list to be School captain!!!!!!! (Every year the principle, vice principles, teachers, and the head of year choose 2 students, a boy and a girl, to be captains of the whole school and take on numerous responsibilities) I felt this was such a complement that she would think so much of me to nominate me for a position like that!
Tonight was yet again another dance party, this one was a maskarade in honour of Shakespeare. Again I just got off the dance floor an hour ago and am awaiting my ride to the airport to go on my big Australian Tour!!
Tell y'all about it next month!!

Thank you all so much for your support!!

Talk to you later,
Torri :P

Pic1:  its a bit blurry but its me and my theatre studies class right before our last performance

Pic2:  right after our footy team, Collingwood, dominated! My host mum is taking the photo because she goes for the team that just lost so she doesn't get to be in the winners pic

Pic3:  At my deb.

Maeve McKeeby -- Belgium (Home Club: Schenectady)

April 14, 2016
 

March has been yet another exciting and crazy month. The first and second week of March my parents came to visit which was really exciting. It was so fun to be able to show my parents a little bit of my life here in Belgium. Together we visited multiple cities in Belgium, along with Luxembourg, and Ireland. My parents got to meet my host families here and see my school which was really cool but also strange.

                The week after my parents left was the Brussels explosions so that set the country into a frenzy. I am currently living just about twenty minutes from Brussels and attend a Brussels-run school so my school was immediately placed on high security lock down with police and army on site. All of the trains, buses, and many roads were closed so getting home from school was not easy. We were not allowed to leave school to get lunch, and could not exit the building for any reason until 4 o'clock when a guardian pulled the car up to the school gate. My host parents work in Brussels but were all safe. Things are now just starting to go back to normal here in Belgium but the airport is still partly closed and will most likely be closed for at least another month.

                The last two weeks of March was Spring break from school and I travelled to Greece with about 60 other exchange students here in Belgium! Greece was an amazing trip and was one of the best weeks of my exchange thus far. I was able to visit Athens, Olympia, Corinth, Hydra Island, and Spestes Island. Greece was honestly the most beautiful place I’ve ever visited and I already want to go back and visit. After I got back from Greece I had to pack up my bedroom and change host families for the last time. I already love my new family. They are so fun and very welcoming and have already planned to take me to France, and Finland. It’s hard to believe I have already moved into my final host family. This year has gone by so quickly and I don’t even want to think about it coming to an end.

Adam Boese -- Brazil (Home Club: Schenectady)

April 6, 2016
 

Ever since I arrived in Brazil people told me I was going to love the month of February. They were right. At the beginning of February I moved to my next host family. This is the host family that owns a gym and has been letting me study jiu-jitsu during my exchange year. They have been wonderful and I will be sad to leave. But the highlight of February, if not this year,  is carnival. Carnival is tough to explain because its radically different than any holiday in the US. The general idea of carnival is that the entire country celebrates (partys hard) from morning to night for 4 days straight to welcome in a year of happiness. Part of the reason the celebrations are so wild is because during these four days many social expectations are dropped, such as gender roles.

My schedule during carnival more or less consisted of me waking up, training jiu-jitsu, and then quickly getting dressed in drag (as is the tradition) to go to a parade. These parades drew huge crowds of people that followed a bus with a band on the roof. The band played samba and everyone danced. I am disappointed to report that after much dancing, I still cannot dance samba well. After this parade I would go down town or to the beach (or both) with my friends and dance some more. We usually didn’t make it home until well into the morning.  But the most important part about carnival is the atmosphere of the country. During carnival, an extremely friendly country becomes even friendlier. Everyone talks to everyone and everyone is always doing something. You never stop.

                Despite these amazing four days, February also held something much more sinister: School. Shortly after carnival my summer vacation ended and school started, much to my disappointment. Because the Brazilian school year is opposite of ours, I am now with a new class because the last one graduated. But I was already friends with many people in this class so it has been an easy transition.

                There haven’t been any other landmark events this month but I will mention I am still training jujitsu every day. I spend a lot of my down time at the beach, as my new house is right next to the ocean, or with friends. Can’t complain!

Victoria Herdegen -- Australia (Home Club: Delmar)

March 30, 2016

Another great month I'd say! When is it not a great month, though? I have had a few more experiences to share with y'all.  

First off, in school I tried out for the SEISA (varsity) Softball team. We have been competing against others schools all month and we went undefeated. We made it to the Grand Finals and with a close game we WON!!! This means at our weekly monday school assembly I get to be presented next to my team in front of the whole school with an Australian certificate. 

In my school every student is split into four different, what they call, houses. Its like Harry Potter. Throughout the year we all participate in activities and events earning points for our houses to get an overall winner at the end of the year. This past month was House Athletics Competition. We all signed up to represent our house while competing in events such as throwing, jumping and track. I gave a go to Javelin and, haha, failed miserably. Out of my three throws only one actually counted. At least i made it onto the board. I did a bit better in my track competitions. I have not had much of a running background. At least not much track but i had to run the 500m. Its a whole lap around the oval and can be a bit of a funny run because technically your supposed to be sprinting but its way to far to sprint. I came 7/8 and had NO breath left. I felt i could do much better with a 200m or 100m sprint. So i went and asked if any of my house members that were signed up for the 100m did not want to do it. I replaced one girl and was excited to try it out until i realised i was in the 100m A not the 100m B this meant i was racing against super fast girls. Way out of my league! I came 8/8. I was glad i got to try though. 

Raping up the 1st Term was school photos. I got a school photo in my school uniform! Also because it was so close to Easter the school gave us all Hot Cross Buns. This a Very Australian traditional Easter food. Everyone has them! Other than that Easter isn't very big. Again Australians are not very religious so a holiday that is surrounded by religion is only really celebrated for the chocolate. Not to say that there are not some religious Aussies out there but for the Australians i was with it just seemed like another regular day. Although another thing Easter means is NO SCHOOL. It is the end of Term 1 so we are now on school Holidays for two weeks!

My second host family, the Davies, went to go visit family friends for Easter  in Perth and invited me to go with them! I have been to Adelaide, Melbourne , Sydney and out of all of them Perth is my favourite! It is the perfect city for me because it is small and spread out. Its not huge and crowded with people and buildings and cars. The roads are wide and the footpaths are wide. There is so much space! Perth is the cleanest city and is in one of the warmest (all year round) places. It felt especially warm because we are now in the fall season and Victoria, where i live, has the worst and rainiest weather.  Perth  has heaps of green parks and one specifically called Kings Park that over looks the whole city. Next to the city is a nice lake which is confusingly called Swan River. Perth sure loves their black swans.

While in Perth we took a ferry over to a nearby island called Rotness Island. Its not very big but sure is beautiful. My family and i started on a bike ride around the island. Its only 22K around the whole thing. After about 5 - 10k my sister, chloe, and my mum, Linda, decided they had enough with the ups and downs. Did i mention it started raining as well? Well my host dad, rick, and i decided to ride on around the whole island. It was tough, haha, but it was so much fun!

There is an animal on Rotness Island called, well, Rots,haha. People used to think they were big rats but discovered they weren't  so they called them Rots. I think the Rots look like baby kangaroos. They are so used to people that they will actually walk up to you and they love to be pet! When we started to pet them they nearly looked like it was going to fall asleep. 

Anyway i was glad to have been able to visit yet another Beautiful part of Australia!!

Its hard to believe that i only have another term left!! Some exchange students are already counting down but i don't want to do that! 

Thank you all so much!!

Cheers,  

Torri

 

 

 

Pic 1- Beautiful Perth City 

Pic 2- My sis chloe petting one of the rots that walked up to us

 Pic 3- Family selfie in Kings Park with the city behind us

 

 

 

 

 

Liam Hill -- Brazil

Liam Hill has his own blog that goes back to the beginning of his year:






http://liamsbrasil.blogspot.com.br/ 

Victoria Herdegen -- Australia (Home Club: Delmar)

 February 29, 2016

Wow! It has been a fantastic month!! February marks my 7th month and I can't believe how fast it's gone.  I've reached a real comfortable stage in my exchange. I have made great friends at school and continue to make more every week. I am involved in many activities such as netball and basketball as well as activities that I do not normally do in America such as choir and drama. I continue to learn every day and I try hard to keep to the Aussie expression to just "have a go". 

I have learned so much about myself and I have learned so many good skills for life. I feel I have developed some self confidence and have also discovered that I am not an as organized person as I thought I was. I love all that I have been able to discover about myself and the qualities I think I have developed. I love all that I have learned about life and all that the Rotarians continue to teach me. 

I have moved to my third host family. They are wonderful people! They own a bookstore and love giving me good reading material. Unfortunately I am not very keen on reading. Nevertheless I told them that I would try my best to read as many books as I could for the time that I spend with them. I look forward to all the exciting adventures we have planned together. No little kids but they are sweet people.

School is just mint! I love my schedule and enjoy all the classes I have decided to take. They are all so interesting and I have fun going to them. Again I have been so accepted by my Aussie mates but I now feel completely apart of the group, my year level, and the school. People tell me all the time that they can't believe that I have only been here for 7 months because it feels like to them I have been here for forever. They have also been recently commenting on my accent or lack of my accent. My classmates reckon I am losing my American accent and am sounding more and more like an Aussie. I don't know if I will fully sound Aussie to my mates but I reckon to an average American I sound pretty Aussie.

One real exciting thing that just happened today, in fact, was every five years my school Gippsland Grammar takes a huge school photo with all the year levels from year 7 to year 12. This photo gets frames on hung on the walls of Gippsland Grammar. I am so happy, very very happy, to have been able to come on this fith year to be included in this school photo. I will be forever apart of and forever remembered by this Aussie school. 

This past week was our rotary district conference. It is tradition for all the exchange students, along with some Rotarians, to ride 600k to conference. I imagined us going from a point A to point B but instead we drove to Wangarreta, the town the conference was held in, and every day we would make a big loop and stay at the same caravan park every night. Supposedly we were supposed to bike ride 100k everyday. And we did the first day but then it got up to 40 degrees (110 degrees Fahrenheit). In this hot weather it became a health and safety issue to ride in the heat of the early arvo. Not only did we start our rides earlier in the morning but we also cut our rides short. We still about an average of 70k a day.  By the third day of riding your legs are so used to it that you don't even care anymore you just pedal.

Conference started on the Friday night and it was a great night. Saturday there were some really good speakers that I enjoyed listening to. Saturday night all the exchange students and I have such a blast at the dance that was held after din din. Sunday morning the exchange students and I have a great presentation to the Rotarians. We preformed a skit that we wrote ourselves and the Rotarians found it real funny. I also have a little talk/ speech on the amazing opportunity exchange is, how great it's been, and why every rotary club should host an exchange student. It all went very well. I have become so close with all wonderful 14 exchange students being hosted in this district. 

As I talked with one of the exchange students over this week we reflected on our exchanges and how we feel about them. As we talked about what we have loved and what we have struggled with we realized that we struggle with the same things and that we aren't alone in the way we feel. We realized that the 5 months we have left are not a count down or the down hill to exchange. They are 5 new months to refocus ourselves on our goals, to see what we could've done better in the last 7 months and now improve ourselves and make those changes to be better. We have 5 months to make exchange even better and seek even more opportunities and make our exchange a great success. 

Thank you so much!

Cheers, 

Torri 

Pic1 - All 15 of us exchange students in the green room before we went on stage to preform our presentation to the district.

Pic2- My ride to conference team in our bike riding gear :)

 

 

Adam Boese -- Brazil (Home Club: Schenectady)

February 27, 2016

My last host family has one daughter who returned on new years. I met her in the beginning of January and she is awesome. I get along with her and her family really well. Early in January my host family and I went to a Reggae concert in Rio which was awesome. Rio is a beautiful city. I also continued to spend a lot of time in the beaches. On the 28^th I had my birthday which was very nice. I celebrated down town with friends.