Ashley Costello -- Belgium

September 28, 2012

Host Rotary Club: Ocquier

Current Host Family:  Pierre Nicolai
Counselor Name: Christian Wery

Home Club:  Northern Lake George

Health and Home:

I am doing great! I am healthy. I am very comfortable with my host family. They are really nice. Immediately after my arrival in Belgium, my host family took me on a trip to Spain for five days. This trip definitely helped us get comfortable with one another before school started.

School:

I am attending school and going to class every day. I don't participate in any activities in school outside of class, however, I take a french course at the cultural center here every wednesday with another exchange student at my school. I definitely feel accepted by the other students in school and I've made many friends already.

Rotary:

I have attended several Rotary dinners and functions. My rotary club here organizes trips every other wednesday afternoon and they occasionally plan activities during the weekend for the exchange students. I see my Rotary counselor pretty much every day. He is a teacher at my school and he lives nearby so he occasionally drives me to and from school. I have received my allowance this month. My allowance is 65 euros. My relationship with both my host club and my counselor is fantastic.

Activities:

During our trip to Spain, my host family took me to see Salvador Dali's house and we visited a museum dedicated to him. We also visited a Monastery in Spain and a Roman Aquaduct in France. One of our Wednesday trips with Rotary was to a local coal mine. Very interesting :)

No concerns here! :) Thanks again!

David O'Connor -- France

September 27, 2012

I can't believe I've already been in France for a month! It's been an amazing experience. I've made a lot of progress in my French, and no longer have to ask people to slow down or repeat things (with the occasional exception). School's going well, I feel like I've made actual friends, and I still get random people who run up to me, say "Hello!" and run away. It's very tiring to think in French though, so by the end of most days I'm brain dead. The food's amazing and I've tried out every new thing I've been offered, which hasn't turned out bad yet. I spent my birthday in Heidelberg, Germany, which was absolutely incredible. I've been to a few Rotary functions and all the people have been very friendly and offered to take me out to do things - I'm going hunting this Saturday with someone from Rotary, and mountain biking on Sunday with a friend from school. All in all, it's going great!

David O'Connor
Home Club:  Albany Rotary 

Vanessa de Carvalho Oliveira -- Chile (host club: Albany)

September 24, 2012

Host: RC of Albany

Sponsor RC: RC São José dos Pinhais Colônia Murici, Chile

Current Host Family: Tommy Holecek and Marianne Maloy

            During the past month here I have already had some of the best experiences of my life such as swimming in a lake that was freezing. My health is good with no major issues. My host family is truly loving and have embraced me in their family even before I got in the airport which has for sure made a huge difference in exchange.

            I went to school every single day with the exception of today due to a migraine. I have started cheerleading that has captivated me. I already had made friends from school before the classes started since one of my host sisters is a senior just like me. So since day one I have had friends who helped me finding my way in Albany High School and that made me feel welcomed.

            I sadly didn’t attend any Rotary meetings however I met my counselor in my second week in the US when he came to home to meet me and discuss the rules and to clarify any doubts that I may had. I received my US$ 75 allowance on September 12^th.

            I have joined a program in my school called Peer To Peer in which I work as Peer Mentor. My duty is to help assigned kids that suffer from Autism in the way they relate to people and finding their way around school.

Adrien Achat -- France (Host Club: North Creek)

September 11, 2012

Home Club:  Rotary Club de Saint Laurent du Var District 1730
Host Club:  North Creek, Essex, 7190
Host Parents:   Carol Richards And George Heim
Youth Exchange Officer:  Joyce Holwell

I do my homework, go on the hot top, help my families, my health is excellent.
I'm very comfortable, there are very nice with me.
My relationship with my families is really really excellent.

School:
I go on regular basis. I'm on a soccer team, and I'll go maybe to the band.
We can not dream better.

Rotary :
I have attended 2 meetings.  My last meetings was for my orientation. They are very good with me. My host club has been excellent, my counselor is good.

On the soccer team, this relationship like we are united this is very important for me to be in a sport team. I'll go with my families to Montreal and maybe to New-York. Usually I go to Glens Falls for shopping.

Alyxe Perry -- Belgium

Hello Everyone!,


It has been 3 weeks since I have arrived in Belgium!I have experienced a lot and am learning so much. Since I didn't know much French at all before I came here I am finding it very exhausting to concentrate, but they say I am learning fast which makes me feel great! I get along pretty well with my host family. I have 3 younger sisters, and a host Mom: Vero and a host Dad: Luc. They are wonderful they include me in all the family activities and keep me active. I am playing soccer on the towns club team and might start doing track too. Sports are not big at all in Belgium especially for girls, which is one thing that is difficult for me because thats what I do all the time at home.

I just finished my first week at school which was an experience. School is so different here compared to home. You don't necessarily pick classes you pick a track. For example I am in Math-Sciences, so I take a lot of science classes and since I didn't want to take math classes I go to the library during that and study French. Every year, based on their "track" students have a certain number of hours of courses so instead of having Biology one year Chemistry another year and Physics another year, a certain number of hours of those courses are taken every year. It's very different! There are 3 other exchange students at my school. One from California, one from Arizona, and one from Brazil. Don't worry I do not speak English with them :) At school you don't go inside and stay inside like in my school at home. You wait outside for a lot of things. For example between classes sometimes there is a break kids go outside and it is very cold! In the mornings when school starts at 8:00 it is only about 53 degrees F. So you have to dress warm, but at around 3:00pm it starts to get warm, maybe 75 degrees F or so. A big difference from the morning. I have learned wearing a ton of layers is the name of the game.

To get to school and back most people take public transportation, there are no school bus's! Another thing that is different here is that kids can't drive until they are 18!

I am having a lot of fun though and time is already going so fast! I am meeting a ton of awesome people from all over the world.

Thanks for this opportunity :)   Alyxe Perry District 7190, Southern Rensselaer Rotary Club

Aubrey Racz -- Ecuador

September 8, 2012

Aubrey Racz   
Host: 4400 Portoviejo
Sponser: 7190, Southern Rensselaer Rotary
Host Family: Medina
Counselor: Pepe Lara

Ecuador is AWESOME!!! I am doing great, and my health is really good too. My host family is super nice and we get along really well. I have met almost everyone in their family and they have taken me to the nearby beach!! I am very comfortable here. I have my own bedroom and bathroom which helps a lot! The school I go to, Cruz del Norte, is great too. My classmates are a little bit crazy, but they make being at school fun. The first week I was here, the school took a week off from classes and did their own version of the Olympics. I was on team Italy...we came in 5th out of 6 teams :[ but it was still really fun. The next week we had classes, I have been to all of them. I will however miss next week because I have to go to the language camp. I definitely feel accepted by the students. They are all really nice and patient with us (there are about 12 exchange students in my school) since we don't really know the language that well. As of now, I have not participated in any activities outside of school, but my host mom mentioned something about playing basketball at night at the school so I am looking into that.

The first Friday I was here, I attended a Rotary party. The next Sunday, I spent the day with my counselor and his family at his parents beach house. The last time I saw him was at the Rotary meeting on Wednesday the 5th. At this meeting on Wednesday, I got my first allowance of 80 dollars. I think my relationship with both my counselor and host club is excellent.
One Saturday night I had a cool experience. My family and I went to a "funeral." It was very different from home. Everyone sat in chairs and recited the whole rosary. Then they give a plate of food to everyone. And then that was it. Much different from home and it was really cool to experience.

I have no concerns!! Hope all is well in New York!!

Keith Roscoe -- France

September 11, 2012

Hello All,

      Update: I am alive! The voyage here wasn't horrible. it was long, but it could have been worse I suppose.  

I have already done so many things with my host family. In an attempt to list them: gone sailing, gone to the beach house, been ice skating, bike riding along a canal commissioned by Napoleon, bike tour of town, and toured the local castle.  With Rotary I have already been to a few events, the most notable being my orientation at Le Pouliguen.  Le Pouliguen is the largest beach in Europe, and it was awesome.  There I had my first crepe in France! And, it was with a frenchman might I add.  I was taken there by a local, haha.  

School, oh school.  French school is very, very different.  After, numerous visits to the administration I believe I have finally settled all my classes. I feel like this level of school here is just like the AP version of everything back home.  That being said I am in the AP Economics French Version. Unfortunately, I decided to not take AP Econ...Anyway, I will just have to read teh textbook once I get it.

My host family has been super awesome!  They are always really helpful and fun.  So, that makes life easier.

Photos: ( in no particular order)

-One is me on my first day when we went climbing on the rocks on the coast

-Eating my first crepe with Hudson(Brazil) and Kirby (Arkansas)

-Le Pouliguen, well a part of it

-The castle

-Closing scene of a sketch we did at our orientation.

District 7190 Host Club:  Cobleskill, NY

Chris Allison -- Venezuela

September 10, 2012

 

Host Family: Frediani;  Coro, Venezuela

Host Club: 4380

7190 Sponsoring Club:  Salem Rotary

I have only been here 3 days and as such have not participated in any Rotary or school functions.

I feel great.

 

I have only been here 3 days, but its awesome.  Venezuela is great.  Caracas is a jaw dropping city built into the side of the steepest mountain I have ever seen.  Chavez's face is posted everywhere and there are many political demonstrations for the upcoming election.

On the way back to my town (Coro) we drove through tropical jungles, around the edge of near vertical mountains, and past deserted tropical beaches with no one insight for miles.  In Coro I am 15 minutes from the ocean, 1 hour from the beach (which is apparently much better than the just the ocean), and 1 hour away from mountains covered in what I can only describe as dry jungle.  I am also only a few minutes away from the Coro Dune National Park, a desert with towering dunes that roles on for miles.

I speak better spanish than I thought I did and can carry on a pretty good conversation if the other person talks slowly.  At the end of the day its hard to think or write complex sentences in English.

I don't start school for another two weeks but apparently there are sports and other activities to do beforehand.  Hopefully I will find out more about them sometime this week.

Kirsten Lomnitzer -- Brazil

September 10, 2012

Name: Kirsten Beth Lomnitzer
Sponsoring Club: North Creek Rotary Club District 7190
Host Club: Sao Luis, Sao Fransisco Rotary Club District 4490

I have been having an amazing time here in Brazil. I love the culture and the food that is so different and yet the same to the United States. I have been doing better in school but I stil have a heard time on tests. However, I am learning and I can already understand so much more than when I first arrived. On Saturday, I had my first (unofficial) meeting with the other Rotary exchange students in Sāo Luís. I had a wonderful time. I'm looking forward to the day I will understand Portuguese just as easily as I understand English and while that day isn't here yet, I can feel it coming.

Obrigada! Thank you!