Rotex Roundup 2014-2015 - Youth Exchange Rotary 5060

Transcription

ROTARY
INTERNATIONAL
Service Above Self – He Profits Most Who Serves Best
ROTEX
Round-up
2014 – 2015
OUTBOUND
Students
11 Months
Published by: Bob Sibson
Rotary District – 5060
ROTEX - Roundup
OUTBOUND Students
2014 - 2015
Where are they now …..
Mackie Douglas CdnN Maddie Dovauo CdnN Daisy Villela USA Darbi Colson USA Dory Geelkerken CdnN Alexandra King – CdnN Gordon Mason – CdnN Jack Murray USA Spain
Hungary
Ariana Keyser USA Stephanie Tourand CdnN Vanessa Miller – USA Eric Cadham CdnS
Moira Laidlaw CdnN Lauren Shykora CdnN Angus Mathieson CdnS Jozsef Varga CdnS Taiwan
Livia Petzinger USA Abe SinaySmith – USA Allison Brown CdnS Catriona Sigalet – CdnN Joy Baumeister USA Colombia
Carli Gruber CdnS Carly Pullin CdnN South Korea
Brittany Dudek USA Perry Keziah USA No exchange 2014
No exchange 2014
Ben Alder CdnS Dana Johnson CdnS Destiny Earle CdnN Annie Smoots – USA Josh Visser – CdnS Maddi Genn – CdnN Tayla Krogfoss – CdnS Tyler Landin USA
Jennica Sedmak CdnS Chile
Charlotte Lewthwaite CdnS No exchange 2014
No exchange 2014 Submitted: __________
Xx Months in Argentina
Note: 2014 – 2015 No Youth Exchange this year from Argentina
Austria – Multi District D1910-1920
Eric Cadham
Kelowna, BC Canada
Submitted: 02 - November 2014
3 Months in Austria
Leaving Home
I have never been away from my home, family, and friends for longer than a month. Before coming to
Austria I was so nervous and full of uncertainty if this was the right decision for me. However; the closer I got
to the departure date the more those feelings began to melt away. Of
course I was still scared, but I knew that no matter what life is going to
move on and you can’t risk to lose an opportunity such as this. And
now after 2 months of being here I still live by that mentality and It has
given me so many incredible experiences.
Life in Austria
I have spent two months living in Austria and it has been
amazing. I live in a small town called Ebensee, in the Salzgammergut.
Though the town is small it is surrounded by breathe taking landscape
and scenery. My host family is so welcoming and helpful in every way
possible. I have 3 host siblings, (plus Simon, he is 17 and is currently
on exchange in Canada) Raphael is 12, Constantin is 10, and Emma is
7. In Canada I was always the youngest in my family, and now I get to
be the ‘big brother’. My host father is Herbert and he is very outgoing and outdoorsy, he has taken me on many
hikes, boat rides, and cultural experiences in the past months. My host mother’s name is Rosemarie and she so
caring and comforting, since the first day she has been helping me in every way she can. Plus, being a former
teacher she is very helpful in teaching me German.
I am attending a Tourism School in the town next to mine. In this school I have regular classes such as
math, history, and sciences, but on top I have numerous cooking and serving classes. Unlike Canada, here there
is a class of about 30 students and the teachers rotate, keeping the students together for most all classes. I
thought this was going to be an issue, intruding on a longstanding relationship between the classmates. However
my worries were for nothing because they turned out to be some of the most welcoming nice people I have met.
Always talking and helping me learn German, and inviting me to events, I couldn’t have wished it to be any
better.
Rotary Events
After Spending a few days with my host family I was sent off to language camp in Altmunster. The
town next to Ebensee, so it did not take too long to arrive, however some of the other students had to travel 6
plus hours. I re-met the students from the plane that I took from Minnesota as well as the rest of the students
staying in Austria. In total there was around 75 of us. We were
all split up into 4 groups relating to our German skills. The
next two weeks were filled with intensive German lessons.
On the weekend they took us all too Hallstatt for a tour of the
salt mine. It was a beautiful day and we got an amazing view
of the valley from the top of the mountain. We ventured into
the mountain and learned about the history of the mine.
At the end of the two weeks I feel as though I have a better
grasp on the German language as well as making some
incredible friends.
All the students in Austria met in Tauplitz, a ski mountain by
winter and a famous hiking mountain in the summer. This
weekend was important because we met the ‘oldies’ from
Austria. (All the students from the southern hemisphere that
arrived in January of last year.) We had a weekend full of excursions and getting some beautiful views.
I just returned from our city trips, where we
traveled to Prague, Dresden, and Berlin. The
week was amazing, even though we had very
little time to explore each city. We had tours and
bus trips every day, resulting in about 16 hours
on a bus. The history and sites of the cities were
breathe taking.
Unexpected Journeys
The best part about my exchange had been all the unplanned,
unexpected excursions I have been on. My host father has token me
on a three day hike through the mountains in Altaussee, we stayed in
little cabins throughout the mountains. A few weeks later he took me
out to his favorite restaurant and there we met a man who owned the
scuba-diving club in the lake by my town and offered me a day of
diving, I have never done anything like it before and it was simply
breathe taking. Herbert is also a part of a club in my town associated
with the float planes in the lake, and after attending a meeting with
him one of the pilots gave me flying tour of the mountains and towns
of my area. After meeting with my Rotary Club in Bad Ischl they
invited me to a fundraiser at a club a few towns over, and there we
got to go stahelsheesen. Which is a traditional crossbow, I dressed in traditional tract with lederhosen and had an
amazing time. All of these opportunities occurred simply because I said yes to as many things as I could and
didn’t let anything slip through my fingers. The first few months here have been amazing and I can’t wait to see
what the rest of the year has to offer. ☺
/ Eric
Austria – Multi District D1910-1920
Venessa Miller
Chelan, WA USA
Submitted: 04 - November 2014
3 Months in Austria
Dear Rotarians,
My name is Vanessa Miller and I am from Chelan, Washington. I currently three months into my
exchange in Hollabrunn, Austria, and my life here is beyond words! It sounds ridiculous to fit all of the
sights, smells, and impressions I have experienced during the last three months in one simple
newsletter, but I’ll do my best.
If you asked me to summarize my impressions of Austria in one word, I would have to say sorry, that’s
impossible! In the short time that I have had the opportunity to live here, Austria has taken my breath
away, scared me to death, completely surprised me, made me cry, and convinced me that I am home.
And when I say Austria, I am not just talking about the picturesque mountain scenes or the huge
castles sitting on rolling hilltops. I’m encompassing the people and the food and the culture under one
description because the picture wouldn’t be complete with even one missing. The people here can
sometimes come off as brusque and indifferent, but once they allow you into their lives and hearts they
are some of the warmest and genuine people you will meet. The food is almost as rich as the culture
and if you can get past the pronunciation in the beginning, there is no going back. And one of the
happiest moments of my exchange so far is probably clapping along to traditional Austrian music,
wearing a Dirndl, surrounding by my host family and another exchange student friend.
It hasn’t always been euphoric scenes of traditional culture, obviously. The first few days were a bit
rough as after my full day of traveling, both of my eyes got infected and I got sick. I had to absorb my
first impressions of Austria and meet my host family this way. This put me in a vulnerable position
with my new family right away and although it was uncomfortable at the time, I found out right away
that I could really trust these people. I am completely content with my first host family and if Rotary
would let me, I wouldn’t mind staying the entire year with them. They are good people through and
through and have contributed a large part to my feeling already at home here in Austria.
Us exchange students also get homesick of course. Even with lovely host families and the exciting
feeling of being independent and alone in a new country…sometimes we realize that we are
completely alone in a new country. My mind wanders back to my nieces and nephews and how they
are starting to walk and talk, or to my family as they are celebrating American holidays without me.
Thankfully, it didn’t take us very long to realize that we have each other! Exchange students are family
and the best remedy for anything is a Rotary weekend together. We get to see each other and
experience something new and amazing every month. So far, we have had a two week language
course, traveled to Tauplitz in the Austrian Alps to go hiking, and visited amazing cities like Vienna,
Prague, Dresden, and Berlin. We also meet in smaller groups apart from Rotary, but we try to put a
limit on these meetings as too much can disrupt our German learning and Austrian life.
Speaking of my Austrian life, I already feel completely normal here in my routines, with my friends,
and in the school. The school is wildly different but my class is completely nice and I have made many
new friends. I speak only German with my class and family unless I can’t find
a specific word. In school I am in 5 different German classes, so I have at least two German periods
every day. I have these classes with 11-12 year olds and I can already speak well enough German to do
all of their assignments and exercises with them. I am even working on finishing my first book in
German, which I am reading with one of these classes.
I can’t quite say how I have changed during my exchange, but I certainly can feel my heart splitting
between two countries as I become more and more immersed in Austria. I understand more and more
every day how people can say that it is like having two different lives. I already can’t imagine having
to leave these people and my home of Hollabrunn in 7 months, and I know that feeling will only get
stronger. I expect that in 7 months, I won’t be flying back. Instead, I will again be leaving home.
/ Venessa
Belgium - D1620, 1630, 2170
Ariana Keyser
Wentachee, WA USA
Submitted: 02 – November 2014
3 Months in Belgium
Greetings from Belgium!!
It’s been a little over two months since I arrived here in this small, yet pretty great, country. I live on
what used to be a farm, who knows how long ago. Now, it is used for plays, and for classes for young
and old in areas such as dance, theater, and music. There are a few other families that live on the farm
as well, and between all of us, there are three goats, a horse, a donkey, several chikens, a rooster or
two, and countless rabbits. There is also a vegetable garden that supplies a good portion of dinner each
night. I live here with my host mom, Christine, brother, Julien, and my host mom’s partner Serge, who
lives in the house next door. My host dad, Vincent, lives elsewhere, in the same town.
My first week, I attended a French course with a dozen or so other exchange students in the area. It
was pretty basic, introductions and such, but the best part was meeting a great bunch of new friends.
That’s my favorite part of my exchange so far, all of the other exchange students. Not only are they all
a lot like me, but they’re also all so unique, funny, interesting, and pretty much the greatest group of
people you could ever meet. The week after, I started school at College Saint Etienne. I was a little
down trodden after my first few days; I was a little lost, and pretty confused. It has definitely gotten
better, I’ve got a few friends, and I’m actually passing class! School makes the days simply fly by. I’ve
slipped into a routine of taking the train to school, going to classes, coming home and doing
homework, eating dinner, going to bed, and then repeating it the next day. Luckily, here in Belgium,
Wednesdays are half days at school, and I use those free afternoons to break out of the routine. My
friends and I like to travel around (by train of course) and visit all the interesting places this country
has to offer. My favorites so far are Bruxelles (Brussels) and Louvain-la-Neuve. Cities are great
because they offer so much more variety than the small towns that are closest to me. I love the fact that
I can visit so many interesting places just by taking the train for an hour, or even less, that’s one of my
favorite things about this country.
Besides these day to day, routine type things, here are some of the
highlights of my exchange so far:
The time I graffitied:One Wednesday afternoon, my friends and I
went to Louvain-la-Neuve, which is a really cool college town
(and also the home of my third host family) for sushi. Not only was the sushi a welcome change from
my patterns of bread and cheese, but there was some sort of street art
festival thingy majig going on. This included some really bad break dancers and some also not very
good singers. However, the graffiti artists were quite good, and even better, there were some
"canvases" (sheets on poles) set up for passers-by to use, which my friends and I did. I am not very
good at graffiti, but I left my mark nonetheless.
The time I saw a statue pee beer: On my friend's birthday, we
went to Brussels. At one point, my other friend and I decided to
wander around to find the Manneken Pis, the famous statue of a
little boy peeing. So fascinating. Anyway, we found it eventually,
and on the way there I made eye contact this guy in a tux across
the street. He rushed over to me, gesturing at me and speaking
Dutch. He had a crumpled piece of paper and he grabbed my hand
and put it there. Speaking more Dutch, he had me make a fist, and
then he made magician-esque motions, opened my hand, saw the
paper was still there, groaned in disappointment, and left. Once
we got to the statue, we found a plethora of guys in tuxes. A
couple of them took selfies with us, and then another came around
and explained to us that on one day of every year, the Manneken
Pis pees beer for half an hour, and we just happened to be there
for it. That was pretty cool, I have to say. I also got to see the
Grand Place at night, which is absolutely beautiful.
The time I took a selfie with a giraffe: The other weekend, I went to the zoo. Did you know, zoos are
pretty much the same wherever you go? You've got the monkeys,
with their ropes to climb on, the building of birds, with its one door
open at a time rule, elephants, the reptile house, and all that jazz.
This one did come with a few surprises, however. First of all, it was
built in an old abbey, and so it had a crypt. Which is where the bat
exhibit was located. I used to think I liked bats. I always felt so
content watching them swoop and soar over Spirit Lake as I watched
from the dock. That is something entirely different than walking
through a pitch dark room full of them as they fly right over your
head and in front of your face. My host brother got a kick out of my
whispered, "Oh my god" 's and little shivers of terror. I was not so
amused. Another cool difference was how close you could get to
some of the animals. I was able to pet a lemur, pet and feed some giraffes, and take pictures with a
giraffe that was actually right next to my shoulder. In case you ever doubted the stories, giraffe tongues
are, in fact, purple, and ridiculously long.
The time I casually went to France:
Just yesterday, while I was on a weekend trip with my host dad and
brother, we were driving along the road, on our way to some
museum or historical site or other (I had no idea at the time), and
my host dad announced, “Nous sommes arrivé en France!” (We’ve
arrived in France!). Julien, my host brother, didn’t appear to notice,
or care either way, andI was mindblown. France! This was a place
I had never been to in my entire life, and they just accepted it so
naturally. For us Americans especially I think, it’s strange to think
of driving only an hour or so and being in a whole new country.
Even more so without the border traffic and customs that we’re used to. That being said, I had a
wonderful day in France, and I got to visit a very old citadelle and see some great views of the French
paysage in all of its autumn splendor.
Well there you have it! I am having a great time over here, learning and growing with every day that
passes. I hope you all have enjoyed reading about my experiences so far, and I hope you’ll tune in
again in the next few months!
/ Ariana Keyser
[email protected]
Belgium - D1620, 1630, 2170
Stephanie Tourand
Merritt, BC Canada
Submitted: 02 November 2014
2 Months in Belgium
I arrived in the Brussels airport August 20th to a swarm of expecting host families. I soon
found mine and after sharing hellos we got in the car and drove to my current home of Biercée. This
village is quite small and is surrounded by many farms and ranches. I go to school in a nearby town
named Beaumont.
Although it is fairly close, I take 40 minute bus ride to and from school each day. School starts at 8am
and goes until 4pm. Myself along with 3 other rotary
exchange students attend the same school. There are
numerous differences between school in Belgium and my
school back home and Canada, but the biggest difference is
that my school here is a castle! A castle that Napoleon once
slept in. Equipped with large walls, a beautiful garden, and
underground tunnels.
On Wednesdays school only goes until 11am, so I often catch
a bus or train to the nearby city of Charleroi or to Brussels. In
Belgium there are 3 Rotary districts but all of our activities
are done together. Therefore I often am able to meet up with
a couple of the almost 200 rotary exchange students in the
country.
Belgium exchange student have many traditions and even a
song that have been passed down through the years. Rotex
organizes activities for the exchange students such as a
kayaking trip we went on, or the upcoming exotic dinner.
Instead of a Euro tour, Belgium does several smaller trips
throughout the year you can register for. Just this morning I got back from my first of these trips,
London. London was a beautiful city and I had a great time with some wonderful exchange students.
I have also had the opportunity here to visit the cities of Brugge, Nieuwpoort, Ostend, and Namur. All
very beautiful cities in there own ways. And so far I have enjoyed 2 seperate music festivals here (they
are very popular in Belgium).
I have had many opportunities to share information about my country with others, and, in return, have
begun learning about many other countries in our world.
Of course in a country famous for its fries, waffles, and chocolate, I have enjoyed many delicious
meals here.
Although my host mom works a lot, her and my host brother are very nice and I am greatly enjoying
being a member of their family.
If you would like to follow my exchange a little more closely feel free to checkout my blog
at stephsbelgianexchange.blogspot.com .
/ Stephanie Tourand
[email protected]
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Second Submission <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Belgium - D1620, 1630, 2170
Stephanie Tourand
Merritt, BC Canada
Submitted: 31 January 2015
4 Months in Belgium
It is incredible how fast the days begin to blend together! I regretfully have to announce that my
exchange is half over.
In November I went to the Neonsplash paint party with a bunch of other exchange students. We had an
incredible time listening to the music and attacking each other with bottles of paint. The morning after
this event, I went with my Rotary counselor and the other exchange students in my club to the art
museum Louvre-Lens, and the city of Lille, France to explore town and visit the Christmas market.
December brought a field trip to Liege, Belgium where we went to an incredible exposition on WWI. I
celebrated my first Christmas in Belgium at my host-grandparents house. Christmas here is celebrated
Christmas eve dragging into Christmas morning.
December 30th I changed host families. New years eve I went to a small party with the kids of my host
parents friends. New years day was celebrated with huge meals at my new host-grandparents and
exchanging of gifts!
In January I have volunteered to work at a badminton tournament, made Brazilian food, visited
Antwerp, and even gone skating! Add in playing with my little host sister in all my free time and It has
been pretty busy.
I am continuing to make friends at school; it becomes a lot easier as my language skills improve.
Despite a few roadblocks, I have had an incredible last 3 months ( I can't believe it has been 5 months)
and look forward to my remaining 6.
-Stephanie Tourand
Bolivia – D4690
Jennica Sedmak
Kelowna, BC Canada
Submitted: 20 – December 2013
4 Months in Bolivia
Submitted: 31 – January 2015
4 Months in Bolivia
Hola! I'm Jennica Sedmak from Kelowna, BC, Canada, and here is a little bit of an update on my
exchange year in Santa Cruz, Bolivia.
The past 4 months have allowed me to grow as a person, have more independence, and learn so many
things. I didn't know it was possible to change and grow so much in such little time. I can't believe how
quickly the time flew by and I can't wait to see what lies ahead of me.
I believe the biggest challenges for me so far have been with the language and fitting in with the
culture and my family. It's been a struggle at times, but I think being challenged with these things is
what has helped me grow the most and every day it gets easier. The biggest challenge with the
language is that I had to go to an English school for the first few months of my exchange because it
was the school that my host brother (now on exchange in Canada) went to. The school year is different
here than in North America; the school year is from Feb-November, and summer break is December &
January. I asked to study in University here instead of high school again since I have already graduated
in Canada, and I got the exciting experience of graduating with my class in school here too. I am very
excited to start University; I get to study art, which I love, and it will be an exciting opportunity to
meet new people and improve my Spanish.
I have already made so many wonderful
friendships and lifelong memories. I've gotten
the opportunity to travel around Bolivia, and
many upcoming opportunities to travel to Peru
in March, Brazil in the next few months, and
who knows where life will take me. I had the
opportunity to see the largest Salt Flats in the
world, stay in a hotel made of salt, and see many
beautiful cities. My family is great, they really
try to make me feel comfortable and at-home. I
live with my dad, mom, and sister. My sister is
21 years old but she is moving to Chile at the
end of February to study. I also have a younger
brother who I mentioned earlier that is on exchange in Penticton, Canada. I have an older brother and
sister that both are moved out and have 3 children each; I'm an aunt! I also have a puppy named Molly
and a cat named Pelusa (which translates to lint). It's been interesting learning the customs of a new
household and culture. Bolivians are very family oriented and the entire family - about 30 of us - get
together and go for lunch every weekend. They are all very close to each other, and when they greet
each other you always have to give a kiss on the cheek. Even if there are 30 people, you have to go
around and give each one a kiss. When you leave them, you must give each one a goodbye kiss as
well. I like this because I feel it brings me closer to people I have never met, and instead of an
awkward hello, it is custom to greet each other like this, so it's an automatic good connection.
One of my favourite things about Bolivia is all of the new foods I have had the opportunity to try. The
weirdest thing I have eaten is a cow's utter! It wasn't bad actually. There are also so many cool fruits
here that I never could've imagined existed. It makes me think
about all the things in the world out there that I still have to find!
One of my favourite things to do is buy a coconut and drill a hole
in it and drink the milk with a straw! So refreshing. It's also very
convenient that you can literally buy anything you want on the
side of the road, and everything is very cheap, so it's easy to find
lots of fruit. Some new fruits I have tried are achachairu, pakay,
ocoro, chirimoya, tuna, and many other types of meals you would
never think of eating together, like bananas and fried meat! There
aren't many foods that I don't like and I am totally open to trying
new things so I can experience as much as possible.
The language barrier was very difficult at first; I hated not being able to communicate things I needed
to. It's difficult not being able to describe yourself to others; my vocabulary was very limited and I still
can't use huge descriptive words to really get across what I want to say. It has gotten way easier since I
got here, and there are so many slang words they use here that I wouldn't have even been able to teach
myself the language before I came, although the few years I had taken in school definitely helped me
get the basics down. At this point I can understand about 80% of what people
say to me, and I can communicate what I need to. If I need to do something or
go somewhere, I know how to ask people for help. I can get by at this point,
but there still are so many more things to learn. I've also had a couple of
awkward occurrences with the language. One time, I said "The dog is eating a
dad!", instead of "The dog is eating a potato!". Another time I was trying to
thank my host dad for my birthday present and said "Thank you for the knee",
instead of "Thank you for the watch". I'm not really sure how I managed to
mess that one up. One time I wanted to ask my sister if I could feed the cat,
but accidentally asked if I could eat the cat. Also, it was my friend's birthday
the other day, and I told him I would give him an arm for his birthday, but I
meant to say I'd give him a hug. It's all been an experience.
It was really cool to be able to celebrate my birthday, Halloween, Christmas,
graduation and new years in a different country and see what their celebrations
are like. They usually have a BBQ for every occasion, and my host dad is
great at barbecuing. My older sister also had a baby in October so it was really cool to be a part of that.
I've been trying to keep busy by volunteering at a vet clinic and taking painting classes, and I also had
the opportunity to play guitar for everyone at the graduation ceremony. Also, the last two days of
school were huge celebrations and the grade 11 & 12 classes had a huge mud fight and ate pizza, and
although I have never been so dirty before in my life, it was so much fun. All of these things have
made the time go by so fast and I am trying to take in every little thing.
I'm so grateful for the opportunity to experience
life in a beautiful country, and am so excited for
all the opportunities to come. If you would like
to hear more about my experiences and see more
pictures of my adventures, you can feel free to
check out my blog, and if you have any
questions you can email me.
Chau for now !
Jennica
blog, www.jennicasjourneys.blogspot.com
[email protected]
Brazil – D_ _ _ _
Annie Smoots
Peshastin, WA USA
Submitted:
xx Months in Brazil
No Submission
/ Annie
[email protected]
Brazil – D_ _ _ _
Josh Visser
Penticton, BC Canada
3 Months in Brazil
Here is my first entry for my Rotex Round up. I just returned home from a 2 week long trip with
Rotary Brazil.
Brazil has been amazing! Everyone here is so warm and friendly. Foreigners are treated like
celebrities here, everyone wants to come talk and is more than willing to help you in any way possible.
I am living in a smaller town called Lagoa Santa that has a population of about 50 000. It is 30KM
away from Belo Horizente which is the capital of the state I live in a the third largest city in Brazil, has
a population of 4.5 million. There are 5 other exchange students in my town, 1 American, 2 from
Germany and one from Finland.
My first host family is great, they are an older couple, the husband Donough originates from South
Africa and the wife Beia from Brazil. They live with their house cleaner and chef who they brought
over from Tanzania with them 7 years ago. Donough speaks fluent english which has really helped me
get orientated in Brazil. Donough and Beia are both Rotarians here in Lagoa Santa.
The Lagoa Santa Rotary Club is very small, consisting of 8 members.
There is also a Interact club, ages 13-18 with 16 members. The Rotary
Club of Lagoa Santa main project right now is the disabled assistance
project. They have purchased a plethora of wheelchairs, walkers and
shower stools to give to disabled people throughout the community that
can not afford them.
There
are
two
prominent
football
teams
in
Belo
Horizonte, Cruzeiro and Atlético Mineiro. My family supports Atlético.
Brazilians in my state either support one team or another. There are very
few Brazilians that are not hard core soccer fans. Soccer here in Brazil is
not a game, it's a religion, I would argue the soccer here is a bigger deal in most peoples lives than the
church is. That is coming from one of the biggest Catholic countries in the world!
I had an opportunity to attend a game last week. It was one of the
most insane things I've ever attended. 40 000 screaming fans in
one stadium all cheering for one team. Getting into the stadium
was a little scary, it was like a giant mob pushing everyone, was
not to sure if I was gonna make it in alive. All the teams have
these team songs and chants. I have no idea how they know what
one to sing at a time but there is always one being sung by
everyone throughout the stadium. No words can describe what it's
like. You have to be there to understand. Our team won 4-1, many
people where crying. The energy after the team scores is
amazing.
Can't wait for more adventures to come!
/ Josh
[email protected]
Brazil – D_ _ _ _
Maddi Genn
Salmon Arm, BC Canada
2 Months in Brazil
I can’t believe it has already been 2 whole months! After A full day of running through some of the
largest airports I’ve ever been to, I finally made it to Sao Paulo and officially met my first host family.
Communicating proved to be very difficult as they had a lot of questions, and I couldn’t understand
them, or reply to them. Dictionaries became my best friend to say the least. My host parents (Sandra
and Paulo) fed me my first brazilian food before
we left the airport: “Pao de Queijo” and
“Cafezinho” a cheese bread like nothing I’ve ever
had before and an espresso. The hour drive from
Sao Paulo to my small town was eye opening. So
many rolling hills with Greece-like rows of houses
in the distance; it felt like a dream. My town here is
fairly small: 60,000 people and downtown is pretty
small but many people have houses right
downtown or around so it doesn’t feel like so many
people.
The driving here is… weird. That’s the only way to
describe it. They have the same signs as we do;
Speed limits, double yellow line, dotted line, etc.,
but they all seem more like suggestions. “We
suggest that you drive 60km down this road, but
you will probably do 120” because of this they
have speed bumps everywhere.
My new home is small and cozy. It’s just the three
of us (as well as 2 dogs which they treat just like
their children) because my host sister is in
Germany doing her exchange, I’m not sure if I
will ever get to meet her but I hope I do near the
end of my trip. Having conversations with my
family is still quite challenging but it’s starting to
get easier as I learn more and my French has helped a huge amount.
The second day here was our orientation weekend so I have met (almost) every exchange student in
my district and we all became best friends right away. Rotex is very present here and try to do at least
one trip with all the students once a month. We have already explored Sao Paulo which was awesome.
We visited some places that were very bizarre, to say the least. But we really got to know the city
which was great.
The food, culture, and language here is unbelievable. My favourite thing about the food here is you can
go to the supermarket and everything is fresh. All the fruit is from Brazil and it has probably been
picked just a few days before. Even the eggs! Some of the eggs still have chicken feathers on them,
which, for me, feels very reassuring. I had my birthday here and that was when I really saw some of
the hidden culture a regular tourist doesn’t get to see. One of the things that stuck out was that on your
birthday you cut the cake from the bottom up for good luck and the birthday song is MUCH different
from ours. It’s much longer, with (what sounds like) 3 songs put into one. As far as language goes it’s
still tough but it’s coming along, I understand more than I can say but people still tend to speak quickly
and it’s hard to make out exactly what they’re saying.
This brings me to school. My school is great! Most of the schools are private schools and the few
public schools there are have a test you need to do to enter. The biggest difference is that the students
stay in the same class all day and wait for the teachers to come to the class, and school ends at
lunchtime so everyone can go home for lunch. Sometimes there are afternoon classes as well
depending on the school.
I am really loving it here; the new life has been a challenging change but a great one as well. I love my
family, friends, city, food, and everything about Brazil. Everyone is so accepting and understanding
and I really love everything about the exchange. I can’t wait to see what the next months have in store
for me.
/ Maddi
[email protected]
Rotex trip to Sao Paulo City
The view driving home
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Second Submission <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Brazil – D_ _ _ _
Maddi Genn
Salmon Arm, BC Canada
Submitted:
06 February 2014
4 Months in Brazil
I can’t believe it’s already been 4 months! The time is
flying by so quickly. I had a 2-month break from school here
before I start 3rd Year (grade 12) and during that break my first
host family was kind enough to take me to a beach about 5 hours
away as well as Rio de Janeiro for one day. It was really nice to
practice Portuguese with
strangers and see how well I
was really coming along as
family and friends got used to
my terrible accent and weird
Canada and Belgium!!
word-usage quickly. Turns out
my Portuguese has gotten quite good! Unfortunately I lost quite a bit
of the progress when I started the 31 day long NorthEast Dream trip!
This trip will definitely be the highlight of my year here but as some
PiggyBack Fight! (a regular occurance)
of us didn’t speak Portuguese as well as others English was the main
language we spoke. We (myself, 37 other BeloBrasil reps.) spent a
month bussing around the North East of Brazil, starting in Sao Paulo
then bussing to Brasilia, Lencois, Maceio, Natal, Pipa (Beach in
Pipa),Jericoacoara, Fortaleza, Recife, Porto de Galhinas, Salvador,
Itacare, Arraiald’Ajuda, Porto Seguro, Vitoria, Rio de Janeiro, and
finally back to Sao Paulo. (My blog – dontfretit.wordpress.com – has
a day-by-day account of everything we did that month and in what
places along with a few more photos)
I will return to school this coming
Monday (a week late because of the
The last game of FIFA was played here
trip) and I will be starting 3rd Year but
(Brasilia)
with the same classmates as my school
is very small especially compared to my old school in Salmon Arm. My
school here (Colegio Integral Alternativo) is a private school and
therefore average size for my town. Now that I know more Portuguese
and I understand a lot of what people say I hope to be able to participate
more in classes and with friends as well.
Scuba Diving in Porto Seguro
The night I returned from the NE trip I moved families and I am now in a different, smaller town about
30 mins away from Amparo called Monte Alegre du Sol. My new host family is absolutely awesome
and the town is very small but gorgeous. Unfortunately being farther away from my school means I
have to take a van from my house to the school that leaves at 6:05 in the morning. We shall see how
that goes on Monday.
Brazil is such an amazing country, the people are all really nice
and welcoming (proved by the kisses on the cheek for every
person when you come and go), the weather is always warm
(unless it’s raining in which case it’s still warm but very, very
wet, the roads literally turn into rivers), and the food all around
the country has been delicious. I can’t believe these 4 months
have gone by so quickly and I hope the last 6 of my exchange
will be as exciting as the first. Thank you again to Rotary and my
parents for sending me on the unbelievably fantastic trip.
Watching the Sunrise in
Jericoacoara
Tata for now,
Tchau!
Standing up on a wave! Surfing in Itacare.
Usual Beach Shenanigans
(Backflips we common everywhere we went)
Brazil – D4600
Tayla Krogfoss
Lake Country, BC Canada
2 Months in Guararema, SP, Brazil
Rotex Roundup
My exchange thus far has been crazy, to say the least. I have now been in Brazil for one month and
twenty five days (late, I know). My Portuguese is coming slowly, though I will admit it is a difficult
language to learn. In my town there are two other exchange students, Carina from Germany and Gaëlla
from France.
I go to school at Ivan Brasil, and oh my goodness what a culture shock that was. My school is a public
school (public schools are notoriously bad in Brazil), and I will say that my school lives up to the
reputation. It's a great place to meet people, but when it comes to learning, you don't. Students talk
while the teacher is talking, you copy one or two sentences from the board, then talk, and strangest of
all to me is that you can sleep in the middle of class, and no one bats an eyelash.
The Rotary club here has been very good to me thus far. I have had a number of issues regarding my
previous host family, and they helped me deal with everything, as well as remove me from the house
and place me in a new one that has been much kinder and much more liveable.
The things I've gotten to see and do here in Brazil have been wonderful. I've gotten to relax on the
beaches of São Paulo while drinking fresh coconut water and eating freshly cooked corn. I've eaten an
acaï bowl (so delicious!!!), and I've gotten to eat shark (also delicious!).
People in Brazil are very welcoming, and very receptive. They invite you into their houses, invite you
to eat and drink coffee and become part of their family, without even knowing you. I've been to
birthday parties, and barbeques and all sorts of social events with people who are not my family, but
friends and families of other people.
All in all, while I've had some difficulties, Brazil has been good to me thus far.
Beijos! / Tayla Krogfoss
Brazil – D_ _ _ _
Tyler Landin
Quincy, WA USA
Submitted: 31 – October 2014
0 Months in Brazil
No submission - My visa is being processed as of October 21st. I might not be leaving until mid
December or January.
Chile D4340
>
Charlotte Lewthwaite
Kelowna, BC Canada
No submission – Early return home for Health issue
Chile
Colombia – D4281
Carli Gruber
Colombia
Kelowna, BC Canada
3 Months in Colombia
Hola!
So my journey began on August 7th
2014. I flew I was nervous to leave my
friends and family but never once I
questioned my ability. I arrived very
early in the morning to Cucuta,
Colombia my new home. Cucuta is
right on the border of Venezuela and is
about 50 minute flight from Bogota,
the capitol of Colombia. Cucuta, is
known for is hot temperatures of about
29 degrees on average and its tropical
fruits. Upon arrival I was greeted with
sign, posters, and a group of people
each waiting to personally welcome
me to Cucuta. I was overwhelmed
with happiness and excitement to have
finally began my exchange. My transition was pretty easy and quickly fell in love with the Colombia.
My first host family is amazing, they taught me so much about culture and the language. It was me, my
mom Nohra, dad’s name was Pedro, my brother Pedro Jr. and sister Lizeth. At the beginning there was
a bit of a language barrier but I caught on quickly and within a month and a half I was able to
understand most of what people were saying with the exception that they were talking extra slow. I go
to a private school here called Los Almendros and I am in the 10th grade. It was very easy making
friends at my school, because it is so small everyone wanted to get to know the new girl. It is very
different from my school in Kelowna, here you wear a uniform, you don’t get to pick our classes and
the teachers treat you like friends. They hug each other, make jokes, and call each other by their first
names. Something I have found very hard to get used to is the food, as much as I love it… my stomach
says otherwise. Here they eat a lot of bread, rice, potatoes, and pasta and really lack on the vegetables
and I never thought id say this but I really miss salads and vegetables. Although the juice here is to die
for, its freshly squeezed and there are so many different fruits I have been able to try here. All in all I
was very happy with the way things were going. A couple of weeks ago we had a district meeting, all
the exchange students from our district came to Cucuta to get to know each other. There were about 25
other exchange students that I met over the course of a weekend that soon became apart of my family. I
loved meeting all the others from all around the world and being able to exchange stories about our trip
so far. In my free time I like going to the pool, hanging out with my friends in the sun, trying new
foods, exploring the city, and playing soccer. Just last week I went on my first rotary trip to Isla
Gorgona, it’s a little island 12hours off the coast of Cali. It was absolutely breath taking. We went with
our district and the other district from Colombia; there we went snorkeling, hiking through the jungle,
to the beach, and also whale watching. I have done and seen some many crazy and different things so
far in my three months of exchange than I have in 5 years of my life. This has honestly been the most
amazing experience of my life in such a short time. I can’t wait to see what Colombia has in store for
me. I also have a blog with more pictures and more of day to day life of what I have been doing.
http://girlincolombia.weebly.com
Carli Gruber In Colombia
[email protected]
http://girlincolombia.weebly.com
Colombia – D4281
Carly Pullin
Colombia
Salmon Arm BC Canada
Submitted:
Months in Colombia
2 Months in Colombia
Dios mio! Is it really time for our first Rotex already? It seems like just yesterday when I was the one
eagerly burning through all of the Rotexes from past years, hoping like crazy that I might have the
chance to go on an exchange myself (yes, overused and cheesy I know, but very true). It seems so
surreal that now I’m the one writing one of these, and that a hopeful exchanger-to-be might end up
reading it. It sure puts a lot of pressure on me to make sure this entry is perfect!
So where do I even start? I can’t believe I’ve been here for two and a half months. On the one hand I
feel like I just got here, and the time has gone by so quickly. And on the other, I feel like I’ve been
here forever. The way that my friends, family and school have opened themselves up to me and
accepted me into their lives has made the transition process so much easier for me. My family is so
amazing- my parents are probably my closest friends I have here (and not in a pathetic way) and I have
two awesome sisters that keep me busy and having fun. My youngest sister is absolutely insane, and I
love her to itty bitty pieces. She reminds
me a lot of my own sister at home, and
we do tons of random things together,
like impromptu fashion shows for
ourselves, painting t-shirts with cookie
cutters, and “exercising” in my room by
dancing to funky Colombian reggaeton
music. And my school is really the best
thing I could have hoped for. First of
all, there are no walls. It’s all open air.
Which, yes, makes it quite a bit hotter
than could be hoped (Cúcuta is like a
sauna), but it also makes for a fantastic
view of our jungle-like surroundings,
and regular visits from chickens,
lizards, dogs, cats, sheep, horses, and
cows during class time. The other reason that this school is perfect for me is because the methodology
is so open-minded and individual oriented. The teachers are incredibly close with the students, and
they are treated as equals. It is mostly individual learning, so the students can choose what they want to
learn and how they want to do it. I love my teachers so much; they have been so good to me. They
were incredibly understanding at the beginning of my exchange when I didn’t really know any
Spanish, and they just helped me working on learning the language. And now, I have to do Spanish
presentations to the different groups, so I can learn even more, improve my language skills, and be
evaluated like any other student. They let me choose what I want to learn, they let me swim three days
a week instead of one, I get horseback riding lessons, and one of the teachers is even teaching me how
to play the guitar. This makes me very lucky, because I know that the other exchangers in my city and
district are in in schools where they just sit in class all day, not doing anything,listening to the teacher
lecturing but not understanding anything. Also, there are only 50 kids in the entire school, and they all
live up to their so-friendly-that-they-don’t-even-seem-real Colombian heritage, so I literally am friends
with everyone. It’s pretty awesome.
So just so you all know, Colombians are probably the most fun people on the planet. From the food to
the music to just daily life, everything is a party. Spanish music is a hundred times better than English
music- don’t ask me why, it just is. You can’t listen to it without wanting to get up and dance! Every
Colombian is a dancer, and they are more than eager to try to teach me their hip-shaking moves, even
though I’m not exactly naturally coordinated. It sure is fun trying though! My goal for the end of
exchange is to be able to dance like Shakira! They are needlessly happy and incredibly affectionate. It
is taking me a while to get used to kissing people on the cheek every time I say hi or bye, let alonethe
incessant touching! I’m somewhat of an anomaly here, given that blonde, pale and blue-eyed people
are more or less nonexistent in Colombia. This being said, I grab attention everywhere I go. People are
always staring or introducing themselves, and some times even asking for pictures of me! I get lots of
compliments, like “Your hair is the color of gold” and “Is that your natural eye color? They look like
the sea”. Definitely not things I’m used to back at home, where having baby blues doesn’t even get you
a double take. I have to admit, I like being special! So sue me.
Now any Rotary exchange student will tell you that
one of the best parts of being one of us is getting to
meet other exchange students. Honestly, they are the
coolest, most open minded and interesting people you
will ever meet. So I really got lucky, because I have
nine other incredibly awesome exchange students in
the same city as me. We are all really close, like a big
little family, and we go out to things like the Color
Run, participate in fashion shows for the Rotary Club,
or hang out at the tennis club. Don’t worry Rotarians,
we try to practice our Spanish with each other!
(Usually.) Although it does get a little confusing some
times, seeing that there are two of us Carlies from Canada in Cúcuta, Colombia. (Coincidence or
conspiracy?) The other exchangers in our district are all fantabulous as well, of course. We all had our
first Rotary trip last week when we went to the beautiful and exotic Isla Gorgona for a week of
snorkeling, boating, body surfing, jungle hiking, tribal games, and just getting to know the other
students from countries all over the world. The highlights of the trip for me were definitely getting to
snorkel in the clear, turquoise water and diving down to swim with all kinds of colorful tropical fish. It
looked like something straight out of Google Images! It took my breath away- which is probably why I
had to go up for air so often. (I crack myself up). Also, it was BEYOND cool to get to see so many
wild monkeys! They completely overran the camp, wreaking miniature havoc and trailing squealing
girls carrying cameras in their wake. The lowlight of the trip was getting a second degree sunburn all
over my body. Don’t worry, almost every other exchanger also got burned that day. We looked like a
tribe of tomato people.
But that being said, despite all of the extreme fun you get to have on exchange, it isn’t all just puppies
and rainbows. People will warn you about how hard it’s going to be, but you never really understand
the depth of it until you are on one yourself, feeling like absolute poop for no reason. It’s just
important to remember how incredibly lucky I am to be here. I never regret anything, because I love
where I am and what I’m doing. And the benefits definitely out weigh the occasional bad day!
Obviously I’m having trouble shutting myself up, which is why I have my blog
carlyincolombia.wordpress.com , so that I can go on and on about my amazing country and my
experiences here as much as I want. (Well, until I run out of space in my blog. Fingers crossed that
won’t happen any time soon!)Feel free to check it out if you want to hear more!
I’d like to finish this up just by sending out infinite ginormous thank yous to everyone that has helped
to get me to where I am now. To everyone who ever supported me along the way, thank you buckets
and buckets! I am so endlessly fortunate to be where I am right now. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Chao for now mis amores!
/ Carly
[email protected]
blog: carlyincolombia.wordpress.com
Denmark D _ _ _ _
Daisy Villela
Quincy WA USA
No submission
Denmark D _ _ _ _
Darbi Colson
Wentachee WA USA
Submitted:
01 November 2014
2 Months in Denmark
The hardest part about living abroad is trying to grasp the ever-moving concept of time.
Knowing that I have been here for almost three months already is completely frightening, yet it
encourages me to get out there and embrace this truly once in a lifetime experience. These past few
months have been a chaotic jumble of unforgettable memories balanced with a wide range of emotions
that I didn’t even know I was capable of experiencing.
My second week here I spent a week living with the 170 other Rotary Exchange Students in Denmark.
We studied the challenging language of Danish for 6 hours every day, and spent our free hours
engaging in typical Danish pastimes such as making snobrød around the fire and spending hyggelige
evenings drinking tea by candlelight.
Since being here I’ve been witness to what was voted as “The Happiest Country in the World” and the
culture, food, and people it consists of. The culture is built upon tradition after tradition and rituals that
age back to the Viking Age, while the food is amazing and healthy beyond belief. When I ask a Dane
what the biggest problem in the country is, 9/10 times they responded with the high expense that
comes with owning a car. It’s true, but if that’s a country’s biggest problem I think they’re doing pretty
well. Denmark is like a little utopia perching on top of Germany. I am constantly being left in awe at
the people, beliefs, government, and country that I am currently residing in.
Before I left I had been told over and over again that Danes are the nicest people in the world. When I
came here I thought I would be enveloped in this magnificent country and surrounded by friendly
people, but unfortunately my view was off by a long shot. Danes redefine the word ‘cold’ and
‘reserved.’ It has taken me almost three months to make my first true Danish friend, but after those
endless weeks of struggle I can now truly say that Danes are the nicest people in the world (once you
break through their cold outer shell, of course.)
In these three months I have conquered a lot of Denmark (one advantage of going to such a small
country), experienced the social differences between Danes and Americans, developed a new respect
and love for my hometown, family, and friends, spent a week in Sicily, learned how brutal this
upcoming Scandinavian winter will be, and formed connections with my fellow exchange students and
loving Danish classmates.
In terms of language it is a struggle, just like learning any other language, but I’ve improved
immensely and conversations are becoming easier and easier to understand. I am hoping to leave fluent
and believe that language is key to understanding my classmates and the Danish culture. I can’t wait to
break into the Danish lifestyle and people and make connections and friendships that will last for the
rest of my life.
I am eager to live the next 8 months here in Denmark, and I know time will try to run as fast as
possible so all I can do is roll with it and embrace everything that is offered to me.
Thank you Rotary for this wonderful opportunity!
My blog: darbidenmark.blogspot.dk
Århus, DK
Ecuador – D4400
Ben Alder
Vernon, BC Canada
Submitted:
31 October 2014
2 Months in Ecuador
Benjamin Alder - Cuenca Ecuador
Sponsor Club - Vernon Rotary
Receiving Club - Club Rotario Cuenca
For the last two months and change, I’ve been
living in Cuenca Ecuador in South America.
I’m going to be honest, it wasn’t my first
choice for a country to go to, but I’m
definitely glad that I came here. Before I
arrived and started learning, my spanish skills
were limited to whatever I’d heard on Dora
the Explorer on TV while flipping through the
channels. So it’s no surprise that I was
completely unprepared when Rotary called me and asked me to go to Latin America for my year of
exchange. But I had signed up for a year of adventure and knew that if I didn’t do this I would regret it
for the rest of my life, so I started preparing myself.
Finally the day of departure was there...my birthday (best birthday present ever!). I was scared,
excited, and nervous all at the same time. Mostly because I really didn’t think that my spanish skills
were at the level that they needed to be in order to properly communicate with my family.
Meeting my family for the first time in the airport in Guayaquil was different than I was expecting it to
go. Most other families were going crazy trying to find their kids, with waving signs and calling out
names. My family was a little more chill, like they already knew who I was and that it wouldn’t be a
problem to find me. Also for me finding them it was like I knew that it was them just from the way that
they were. Its hard to explain but we are all really a good match for each other. We gelled really
quickly as a family and I already feel like a real part of the family, so much so that they have already
asked me if I could stay with them for the entire year of my exchange!
I’ve also had to go to school here for pretty much the entire time that I’ve been here. At first it was really
hard and confusing because I didn’t understand almost anything that people were saying. With the other
exchange students in my class we turned school into a team effort so that we could piece together what was
expected of us, and so that we could kind of follow what was going on in class. Now though our spanish is
coming along fairly well and we can understand most of what goes on around us at all times. It is so much
of a relief to be able to understand what people are saying, not only is school and home life easier, but now
we (the exchange students) can go out and do our own things in town and be
able to function in and really experience this culture.
I’ve gotten to do some pretty cool things while I’ve been here. I’ve gone out
with my cousins hanging out and getting to know them, they also took me up to
the lookout above the city, that was super cool, and it only got better when we
got to go on a massive swing out over the ledge of the cliff that we were on up
there. They were the ones who took me to have street food for the first time
(Salchipapas are so good, essentially fries with a chunk of hot dog but so good)
they are awesome. Just recently I got to take part in the annual 10Km night run
with my host mum that happens here in Cuenca. That was an amazing
experience! At the time I didn’t think that I would be able to survive it but I
didn’t stop and I totally made it! I couldn’t walk properly the day after, but I
made it! Another cool thing that happened was my rotary club took us out for
Cuey. Cuey is one thing that everybody who’s ever been to or lives in
Ecuador says that you have to try. Essentially it is a roasted guinea pig
that has been marinaded in a brine kind of solution. It is unlike
anything that I have ever eaten before, but it is actually really good. I
would totally eat it again and I definitely recommend it to anybody
who is ever in this area of the world.
And of course you can’t forget the amazing trips that we have done
with Rotary. So far we have gone on two. There’s the language camp
that was in Punta Centinella, and the other in Bahia de Caracuez that
was pretty much a vacation where we got to see more of Ecuador and
its amazing beaches. Both trips were absolutely fantastic! It’s always awesome going on rotary trips
because all the exchange students get to get together and
have a great time. I always find it crazy how quickly
exchange students bond and form friendships. Here,
Canada, it doesn’t matter. We are already so close to
each other it’s like we’ve known each other for years
rather than just a few weeks (the exchange students
from all over the country, those in the same city we get
together pretty regularly). All of us goofing around on
the beach having an awesome time. Especially those
from Cuenca, we live in the mountains so its always a
welcome change to go to the beach and enjoy the heat,
sun, and ocean.
I don’t know how many ways that I can say it, but I am having the absolute best time of my life down here
in Ecuador and am living life to the fullest that I possibly can!
If you want to ask me any questions or simply want to talk to me about my time in Ecuador you can E-mail
me at [email protected]
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Second Submission <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Ecuador – D4400
Ben Alder
Vernon, BC Canada
Submitted:
29 January 2015
5 Months in Ecuador
Benjamin Alder - Cuenca Ecuador
Sponsor Club - Vernon Rotary
Host / Receiving Club - Club Rotario Cuenca
This year has absolutely been full of firsts for me, and the
Christmas season has been no different! New country, new
language, new family and friends, new traditions, and I am
loving every single minute of it!
Since December we’ve gone on the annual Amazon trip which
was incredible. Four days in the middle of the rainforest in a
resort. We spent the time trekking through the forest, seeing
the sights, swimming in the lagoon with crocodiles and
piranhas, and having an amazing unforgettable experience!
And of course Christmas and New Years has come and gone.
I don’t really know how to describe the whole experience other
than there was lots of family, food, music, dancing, and
an immense amount of fun! We went to many family get
togethers to celebrate, and on New Years eve we set off
firecrackers, fireworks, and burned the life-sizedscarecrow-type dolls as per tradition to rid ourselves of
all the bad karma of the past year, also signifying
starting the new year with a fresh start. It was a little
different from what I’m used to doing for celebrations,
but it turns out that I had a great time and I may have
even enjoyed it better than what I have done in the past
back in Canada.
It’s weird to think about how far I’ve come in these last five months. I came here to Ecuador with the
most basic Spanish that anyone could possibly have, not
knowing what to expect out of this year except that it would be
the experience and adventure of a lifetime! I was definitely not
wrong about that! This year has been incredible, meeting new
people, making some awesome friends, I get to live with the
best host family that I could ever hope for, and on top of all
that I get to go on some of the most amazing once in a
lifetime trips with Rotary and the other exchange students
here.
I don’t know exactly how to feel about my exchange year
being pretty well half over, but I can guarantee that I am
looking forward to my final half full of excitement, and ready to take on anything that we are going to
face. I love this magnificent country! ¡Ama la vida!
If you want to ask me any questions or simply want to talk to me about my time in Ecuador you can
E-mail me at [email protected]
Finland – D1400
Mackie Douglas
Kamloops, BC Canada
Submitted: Nov. 1, 2014
3 Months in Finland
Hei! Minunnimeni on Mackie jaminäasunSuomessa. Minäpidänperunasta, lumestajatanssista, muttaminustaSuomi on paras. Minäolenhiemanhupsujahassu. Tykkäänottaakuviakaksoislevastani.Tykkäänmyösruuasta! Minulla on mahtaviaystäviäjamahtavia host‐perheitä. MinäoleninnoissaniloppuvuodestaSuomessa. The part in Finnish says "Hello! I am Mackie and I live in Finland. I like potatoes, snow and dancing,
but I like Finland the best. I am a little silly and funny. I take a lot of pictures with a double chin. I
really like food! I have amazing friends and host-families. I am excited for my year in Finland."
One of the members in my club in Kamloops is from Finland, so I'm hoping that
he will read this and translate to the rest of my club for a good laugh haha.
Hello!
I am Mackie and I am currently living in Oulu, Finland. I would like to thank Rotary
Daybreak Club and Oulu City Rotaryklubifor sending me and hosting me during this
amazing experience, it is off to a great start and I can’t wait to discover what the rest of
this year has to offer.
When I am asked to describe Finland in one word, the only word that seems to suffice is:
incomparable. The culture is different (this is to be expected when going on an
exchange), but it couldn’t possibly fit my personality any better. Finnish people are
always punctual.In Finland, you learn to enjoy the company of the silence, Finnish people
do not interrupt, small talk does not exist and conversation is very direct, because of this, it is understandable
that a Finn means exactly what they say. Finns drink a lot of coffee, and everything from the potatoes to the
desserts, tastes delicious.
Now the most exciting part, what have I been doing for the past three months, in the land of 100,000 lakes?! I
have started attending school, which is going swimmingly, and I am able to fuel my love for languages by
taking, French, Spanish and of course Finnish.I have tried some new activities, such as berry picking, sailing,
and fencing, and also continued practicing some activities I loved from home such as Ballet classes. I have been
traveling with my Rotary club and my host family, giving me a clearer picture of what Finland has to offer. I
have gained a new appreciation of nature all thanks to the beautiful forests that surround me, and I am also
learning more about myself that I could ever imagine.
With regards to the language, there are some aspects that I find
slightly easier than other languages, and also interesting. In Finnish
there are no articles (the, a), instead they are included in the word.
The vocabulary is original and unfamiliar to other languages, but also
consists of a few international words;taksi, hotelli, musiikkki,
banaani. The hardest part is that there is no word for “please” in
Finnish, being a Canadian, manners are engrained in our minds from
day yksi (one), this will take some getting used to. My favorite part
about Finnish, so far, is that the Finnish language uses a conveniently
large number of compound words, so now knowing only a few words
I am able to mix and match for a plethora of new, more complex and
advanced
terms.
School:
I
attend
an
arts
school
(OulunSuomalaisenYhteiskoulunLukio) where academic courses are offered but art classes are mandatory. I
remember being very young and always loving art, I loved being proud of what I had created, and I loved the
inspiration that I received from the littlest things in ordinary life. As I grew older, essays, grades, memorizing,
studying and university applications became the extent of my
creativity. I had forgotten how much I loved to create and appreciate
art, and this school has inspired my inner artist.
My school looks like Hogwarts (only for muggles) so all day I feel
like I’m on a Harry Potter movie set… Maybe I should look into
drama classes to get the full effect?
The year is split into five jaksos (terms); which are usually six
weeks each with one exam week. A normal school day can be
maximum of 8.15 – 16.00, but depending on your course load that
may not be the case.In all of the classes the students are always given time to do their homework, and the project
guidelines are very broad giving the students a lot of room for self expression.The students are very welcoming
and are always willing to lend a helping hand. I am so thankful for this because of the multiple times I was lost
in the basement…
I have embraced my inner Rotary Exchange Student by saying
yes to almost every opportunity that has come my way, and get
more and more excited with every passing minute. Whenever
anyone asks me what my plans are for the weekends I begin
explaining with great enthusiasm, and by the end of the
conversation, I am almost always asked “Are you SO
EXCITED?”. OBVIOUSLY YES! This is how I have acquired
the school wide reputation as “That Excited Canadian”.
My entire support system here in Finland is incredible, from
finances to education; there is always someone to advise me.I
hope that my fellow Outbounds from District 5060 are having an amazing time in their host-countries, and also
that the Inbounds in the USA and Canada are enjoying their exchanges. I can’t wait to hear about everyone’s
experiences.
Here is the link to my blog if you would like to follow my adventure! http://mackieontheroad.blogspot.fi I can’t wait to update you all again,
Mackie
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Second Submission <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
FINLAND – D1400
Mackie Douglas Kamloops, BC Canada Submitted: February 1, 2015 6 Months in Finland Sauna, Nokia, Mämmi Hello! I am Mackie and I am currently living in Oulu, Finland. I would like to thank Rotary Daybreak Club and Oulu City Rotaryklubifor sending me and hosting me during this amazing experience, we are at the halfway mark and I can’t believe how fast time is going. During syysloma (autumn break), the week started off on an airplane. I was on my way to Helsinki.
My host-family and I spent three days in the city; shopping, visiting museums, Starbucks, site seeing,
breakfast at the Fazer café, and Mamma Mia + desserts at
the SvenskaTeatern, filled all of our waking hours. At
Starbucks I had my first Pumpkin Spice Latte of the year,
and even though the weather would have been more
suited for a Peppermint Mocha, I was still comforted by
the cinnamon and nutmeg reminders of last year’s autumn
days in Kamloops. For those of you who know me well
enough, you know about how much I love Mamma Mia,
you can imagine the excitement I felt when I first saw
these tickets, and suddenly I was sitting in the theatre. The
musical was in Swedish, but the incredible actors and the
catchy tune of all of the ABBA songs, made it one of my favorite performances. When we were
exploring the cobblestone streets of Helsinki, I couldn’t help but admire the history and appreciate the
modern accents. I am so grateful that I was able to see more of Finland, especially with such great
company. Those few days flew by so fast, and then I was travelling back to the great white north.
I spent one night in my home in Oulu, and then I was on a bus to Raahe for a weekend with the District
1400 and 1380 exchange students, for our Inbound Orientation. We spent the weekend sharing our
experiences, hosting the Finnish Exchange student Olympics, and of course simply enjoying being
surrounded by our best friends. We went to a museum in Raahe where the oldest diving suit in the
world is, and we also had a tour of some of the most important landmarks in Raahe.
We are such a unique group of people, I am always surprised by how helpful and creative we are when
we are together. We wanted to have a movie night but unfortunately our only resources were an
electric piano, an antique cd player and an unreliable projector. I realized that if this had happened at
home, I probably would have given up and the movie
would not have happened, but because of teamwork
and persistency we were able to fix our problems and
the movie was a success.
But most importantly, since my update, the Finnish
exchange students had their Lapland Tour. We spent 4
amazing days together and I can’t believe how many
activities the SuomiRotex fit into our few days up
north.
Day 1: I got on the bus to Muonio at 4:30 AM and we
arrived at the Harriniva accommodations at 10:30 AM.
We spent the day exploring the area, enjoying the snow, and greeting all of the 130 exchange students
that we hadn’t seen for over three months.
Day 2: we spent the day at the ski center near by, I had forgotten how much I loved skiing but once I
had become comfortable with my skis I was invited to accompany the boys from the Alps. *feeling
proud* It was then soon after a fellow Canadian, Emily, attempted slope parkour, which was
unsuccessful as she ended up without skis and in a pile of snow. After we had a good laugh, we went
up the hill again, and lucky me, I also ended up without skis, and with snow in my pants. We were
both okay, but surprised that we tumbled down the hill, one after the other. That evening we also had
an outdoor dinner, overall a night full of culture and new experiences.
Day 3: my day started off at a nature conservation center where we learned about the animals and
foliage of northern Finland. We then went to a historic house where we learned about the lifestyle of
Northern Finland’s Sami people, and their close relationship with reindeer. We went to an ice castle
that was in the process of being built, and the precision that was involved with this ice sculpture was
truly incredible. We then finished our morning with a quick stop in Sweden. Then we went to visit the
huskies; the only thing I wanted to do was lay in the snow and get
covered in puppies, although this was a fantasy, my reality was
pretty close, there were over 50 dogs there and I was allowed to
pet almost every one of them. Our husky visit concluded with a
dog sled ride. THEN we went to visit the reindeer and also went
for a reindeer sled ride, and finished by snowshoeing back to
Harriniva.
Day 4: we went for a stop in Santa’s Village to visit Joulupukki,
then had to say our quick goodbyes as the bus made it’s way
south, dropping off exchange students along the way.
I hope that my fellow Outbounds from District 5060 are having
an amazing time in their host-countries, and also that the Inbounds in the USA and Canada are
enjoying their exchanges. I can’t wait to hear about everyone’s experiences.
Here is the link to my blog if you would like to follow my adventure! http://mackieontheroad.blogspot.fi I can’t wait to update you all again,
Mackie
France – D1740
Jozsef Varga
Submitted:
Months in France
No submission
Germany – D1810
Alexandra King
Armstrong, BC Canada
Submitted: 31 October 2014
2 Months in Germany
As I sit here thinking back on the events of my last two months, I realize how fast time is
passing. Only nine short weeks ago I was sitting back in Canada completely unaware how much my
life was about to change.
Germany is awesome to say the least. It’s similar to home in many ways and yet so different in others!
Sometimes as I walk down the street I forget I’m in Europe until I look up and see something amazing
like a 500 year old cathedral or ancient castle. I am living in the western part of the country very near
to the city Cologne. It is a beautiful city and I’m really lucky to be in such a central place where I have
access to all sorts of entertainment, shopping, sightseeing, and adventuring with friends! I can easily
meet with other exchange students as most of us are about a 30 minute train ride away. Of course we
take advantage of this and try to explore as many cafes, pubs, and hidden streets around the city as we
can!
The stereotypical belief that German people are cold and overly-formal has proven to be like most
stereotypes – drastically exaggerated. Although at first I will admit that making friends was difficult
(what with language barriers and being the new kid in class), now it is no problem. Germans are
naturally more shy than all the outgoing kids I’ve grown up with back home in Canada, but once you
make the first move and approach them, they immediately open up to you and remain a good friend.
German friendships are harder to create, but once you have one, you know that they always have your
back and are one of the best lifelong friends you will have.
At first I remember marveling in this new concept of free time. Little things like going for a walk,
reading a book, and enjoying time to explore my city are so enjoyable to me after coming from a hectic
“always-on-the-go” life back home. Here my day to day life was a jump into the laid-back lifestyle of
an exchange student. However, I couldn’t stay still for very long. Saying “yes” to everything has
gradually filled up my time table much more over the past two months! Every weekend I have plans
which is really great because that makes me too happy to be homesick!
With my family I have also gotten to create many memories! If there’s one thing I love most about
Europe – besides the food of course – it’s that the accessibility to other countries is incredible! So far
with my family I have had the opportunity to travel to three other countries already. My first weekend
we enjoyed a lovely time together in Amsterdam, and then during autumn holidays we went to
Luxembourg and France as well as the oldest city in Germany (once home to the ancient Romans).
Travelling is definitely a highlight of living here! Other activities I have enjoyed doing together are
going on bike rides through the forest, enjoying a day at the horse races, and going out to enjoy a drink
at a castle café.
I also enjoyed two other major highlights in the
past two months. In September I got the
incredible opportunity to go to the rematch
football game between Germany and
Argentina… as a VIP!! My Rotary counselor
here is head of the department of police and got
special access to go behind the scenes, have
fantastic seats, and be able to stand within an
arms distance of the World Champion team as
they unloaded their bus beneath the stadium!!
Perks of being an exchange student! ☺
Secondly, in October, I had OKTOBERFEST! It
was an awesome experience to really see the German culture in their own festival! I can remember
everyone there was so completely happy and with loud music and dancing all night long, it was an
experience I’ll never forget.
Alas, as most of the other exchange
students can vouch for, being an exchange
student is not always the easiest thing.
There are days of frustration with the
language when you just can’t seem to
remember the words or keep saying the
same word over and over again in a
different accent each time hoping someone
will eventually get what you’re trying to
say! There are also days when you manage
to get completely lost in this new world that
is public transportation. I am lucky that a
lot of people here speak English so my
initial babbling of “SprechenSieEnglisch? KonnenSiebittemirhelfen?” in my first few days actually
yielded some really helpful directions from strangers!Regardless, I am determined to master this
German language even with all the difficult grammar and confusing sentence structure.
Some days I can’ t help but just look around and marvel at the beauty and history filled country that is
Germany. I am so excited for my Germany tour in the spring when I will get to see more of this
amazing country. Everything about this place is awesome, and I know there is nowhere else I’d rather
be.
Lots of Love from Germany, Alexandra King
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Second Submission <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Germany – D1810
Alexandra King
Armstrong, BC Canada
Submitted:
01 February 2015
6 Months in Germany
Greetings from Germany! It’s hard to believe it has already been three months since the last roundup
paper! When we left off in November I was back to school after autumn holidays and living normal
life – well as normal as my German life has become!
The last three months brought me more travel, study, and new experiences in my lovely host country.
In the beginning of November the official season of Karneval began in Cologne. In this city, Karneval
is a major event and actually considered a “fifth season” to the local Colonians. On the 11.11 the
official season begins and it was basically a massive party throughout the entire city! Coming from
Canada where public drinking is illegal, and especially from a tiny farm town where the most exciting
thing each year is a country fair, I was shocked to be lost in the fourth largest city of Germany with one
million people dancing and drinking and singing on the streets and in every bar and restaurant! It was
an incredible experience to say the least. I should also mention that it is a must to be in costume. If you
happen to be walking around the city in normal clothes you will get very weird looks indeed, and will
probably be shunned from any partiers. I celebrated the day with a huge group of exchange friends and
we all created unique costumes to our countries! I was a Canadian Eskimo and ran proudly through the
streets waving my flag!
Also in November, I had a travel opportunity with a really close friend of mine and her host family for
a weekend in Bayern (Bavaria)! We stayed in a really tiny village called Freudenberg and it was so
lovely. The perfect “German-ness” of it with narrow cobblestone streets and black and white
traditional houses was like a fairytale – only to be completed by a ruined castle on top a hill
overlooking the village. While there, we took a day exploring the castle ruins and picnicking in the
castle courtyard. Another day was spent in nearby Würzberg, where Malu and I got lost with a map
and found more castles and palaces to tour. Definitely felt like a princess!
As Christmas comes around the corner, the
Karneval season takes a pause to celebrate
this next huge affair. Because if there’s one
thing I’ve learned here, it’s that nobody
celebrates like the Germans! Christmas was
amazing. Beginning in December, every
town and city in Germany sets up its own
Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas Market).
These are simply beautiful markets
complete with little Bavarian-German style
huts and lights in the trees, and a delightful
array of cheery Christmas music. Strolling
through with a Bratwurst and a hot mug of
Glühwein, you can admire all of the unique handmade creations in every hut and literally buy
anything! There were so many Christmas ornaments, trinkets, nativity scenes, hand knit toques, smelly
soaps, jewelry, handbound books, etc. etc. I was always in complete awe. Throughout the month I
visited as many as I could as each has its own unique theme and
charm. From castle courtyards to a giant outdoor skating rink to
the gay district of Cologne, there’s really something for everyone
to get in the Christmas cheer! Celebrating Christmas without my
family was really different but my host family here is so
welcoming and it was really cool to experience a different custom
on Christmas Day (here we celebrate Christmas on the 24th). On
their Heiligenabend (Christmas Eve - actually the 23rd) , we went
out for a night in the Opera, and I loved getting all dressed up for
a night of Mozart. Then on Christmas Day all the family came
over for a nice dinner together and opening gifts in the evening.
My family loved getting more Canadian goodies, especially the
giant maple syrup bottle in the shape of a hockey player. My host
mom adds maple syrup to almost all of her homemade cooking
and said when I’m back in Canada I still have to send quantities of
“real” maple syrup regularly hahaaha!
After Christmas we still had a bit more
holiday time left off school, so my host
family went on a short trip up to the north
of the country this time onto a tiny isolated
island between the Netherlands and
Germany. It was a lovely relaxing weekend
with spa treatments, and cold walks on the
beach all bundled up in scarves and mitts.
There were no cars on the island, and very
few people, so it was a nice break from life
in the big city all the time. Being able to
walk along the empty streets in the evening
and not hear a sound was a refreshing way
to reflect and prepare to bring in the New
Year.
New Years Eve in Cologne was super! Here in Germany, the use of fireworks is not illegal like at
home, and the Germans take that as an opportunity to go crazy. In the evening I was by the Rhein
River behind the Cologne Dom and there was an unbelievable amount of people with fireworks setting
them off to their heart’s content! I admit it was probably pretty dangerous standing in the open spaces
with various fireworks firing off in all different directions (I actually did get hit by two but it wasn’t so
bad haha). By the time the final countdown came “drei, zwei, einz… FrohesNeuesJahr!!”the air was
so bright and smoky and everyone was just cheering and hugging each other, it was incredible. At that
moment I was really thankful for all that I’ve experienced the last year, and look forward to more
memories in 2015.
January brought me back to school, and continuing German studies. I also changed host families
halfway through the month, and now I actually live in the city of Cologne. My new host family is so
sweet and actually all girls which is a cool change after growing up in an all boys house at home!
School is going well, I find it much more enjoyable now that my German has really improved and I
can understand more of what we’re actually doing in class! Life is going great here in my daily routine,
and I’m excited for all the things up and coming! Thanks for reading, and until next time!
Lots of love from Germany …. Alexandra
Germany – D1840
Gordon Mason
Revelstoke, BC Canada
Submitted:
02 Feb 2015
5 Months in Germany
Gordon Mason In Oberbayern! !!
Hello, my name is Gordon Mason and I am an exchange student
visiting District 1840, the district which covers the area around
Munich and the entire south of Bavaria (known here in Bavaria as
Oberbayern). My home town is Allershausen, a town with a
population of 8000 lying 14 kilometres from Freising and 35
kilometres from Munich. Many of the residents of Allershausen
commute to work in Munich, as an autobahn splits Allershausen in
half.! !
One of the major differences between my life here on exchange and
my life in Canada is my proximity to a big city, in this case Munich.
Munich is only a half hour train ride away from
Freising, and it is an amazing thing to be able to spend a free
saturday or Sunday wandering the streets of Munich browsing
through shops, museums, and restaurants. Having said that, with all
of the events that have happened, there haven’t been too many free
weekends.! !!!
In my first week here, I was extremely lucky to have my host family take me on holiday to Croatia
for a tennis camp, in which I learned some tennis basics. Two weeks later, I met all of my fellow
exchange students at the international school in Augsburg. For all of the exchange students reading this
to get an idea of what your year may be like, the bond that you form with these students is unlike
anything you can even think of, and its an extraordinary feeling to share experiences with these people.
I have been to many events with these people, most notably a hut weekend, ski weekend, and a tour of
Berlin.
The state of Bavaria is highlighted in red in this map, my
home state here in Germany. All of the regions inside
Bavaria, with Oberbayern being highlighted in green near the
bottom of the map.
All of the regions inside Bavaria,
with Oberbayern being highlighted
in green near the bottom of the map.
The Berlin Tour was one of the Hallmark events of the
exchange year in the district, and included visits to the
Reichstag, Brandenburger gate, Checkpoint Charlie and
several museums about East Germany and the incredible
history of the city. I have also had the chance to go to
Oktoberfest in Munich with Rotary and visit the famous
Weinachtsmarkts in Nuremburg and Munich, as well as the
small local ones in my local communities and those of the
other exchange students. ! ! During my time here I have also
become very involved in Athletics within Allershausen. I am
a member of both the Under 19 (A-Jugend) soccer
team and the mens second team. I also train occasionally
with the first team here in Allershausen, as well as
recreationally playing on the badminton team, and
managing an occasional game of Tennis with my host
family.! !That’s all for now, but I’ll be sure to write back
in the next quarter with a description of school and how
that is going for me, along with a description of the
Germany tour that will be taking place in five weeks
from now. Again, I would like to thank everyone at
Rotary in District 5060 for their assistance with my year
and for the fantastic opportunity.! !
Bis Später,! ! Gordon
A map of Oberbayern, with the regions
around the main cities of the area being
mapped. The city which I live in,
Allershausen, is directly beside Freising,
directly to the North of Munich.
Germany – D_ _ _ _
Jack Murray
Wentachee WA USA
Submitted: _______________
Months in Germany
No submission
Hungary D1911
Moira Laidlaw
Kamloops BC Canada
HUNGARY
Pic
August – October 2014
Sziásztok!
I’m Moira Ann and I arrived in Hungary August 9th, 2014. It’s been a bit of a whirlwind since then,
but I’ll do my best to summarize what’s been going on.
I arrived first to the language camp in Szeged provided by the Hungarian Rotary district. It was a blast,
even without some of the amenities I’m more used to, soap for example, was rarely present in the
bathrooms. I was there for ten days, and met the other exchange students
in Hungary. There are four here from Canada, at least ten from the United
States, a ton from Brazil and Mexico, one from Finland, and one from
France. We make close to 60 in total. It was also here that I made some
pretty amazing friendships. It makes me glad that Hungary is a pretty
small, and my friends are just a train ride away. Funny, because as I write
this, I am actually on the train to Debrecen to visit a friend of mine for
Halloween.
After language camp, I was brought to Dabas, a small town of 16 000 people only a half hour drive
from Budapest. I technically live in Sári, just outside of Dabas, which is a bit of a pain sometimes, but
I live in a nice house with an amazing family, so I can’t complain. It’s a very pretty town, although a
bit sparse sometimes. I’m adjusting to the fact that we don’t have a Starbucks or a MacDonalds, or any
chains for that matter except for the grocery store Coop, but those are
everywhere in Hungary.
I live with my host mom (mom is anya in Hungarian), Monika, and her daughter
Csenge (pronounced CHEN-geh). They are both lovely, though Csenge is
making me regret ever wanting to have a little sister. She’s a brat (but I love
her). Monika’s husband, Csaba (CHAW-baw) also lives here but he works for
Viking River Cruises, a cruise ship on the Danube River. He goes for a month at
a time to work on the boat, which takes American tourists up the river to
Amsterdam and back. He’s usually only home for two weeks or so at a time.
Monika also has a son, Dávid, but he is currently on exchange in Indonesia.
I attend school every weekday from 8:00 am until about 12:30 pm usually. It doesn’t seem like a lot,
and it isn’t, because I got to make my own schedule, but it feels like too much. On Wednesdays I
attend Hungarian class with the other exchange student in Dabas, Felipe from Brazil, at his house. My
Hungarian is improving slowly, I think. I’m not conversational by
any means yet, but I can usually get my point across to Monika, who
speaks only a little English.
I’ve done lots of pretty amazing things so far. During summer break,
my host family took me to Lake Báláton – ‘The Hungarian Sea’ –
and also to Miskolc, across the country. I went with Rotary to
Vienna, Austria overnight a couple of weeks ago. I think this was my
favourite trip so far. We saw the royal castle with its fantastic
gardens, a beautiful cathedral, Austrian parliament, and a bit of the
city. Still, I think I like Budapest better. It’s much rawer than Vienna, which I like.
I won’t say that everything has been perfect, and what with university to think about for next year, I’m
under a bit of stress, but I’m having the time of my life. I wouldn’t be anywhere else!
Lots of love,
Moira Ann
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
India – D3060
Student Name
City State/Prov Country
Picture
Submitted: _______________
No Exchange in this year 2014-2015
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Italy – D_ _ _ _
Abe Sinay-Smith
Wenatchee, WA USA
2+ Months in Italy
Hey everyone!
So it’s been somewhere around two months since I arrived in Italy. I have to say it’s lived up to
be as great as I was hoping for. The food is nuts, the people could not be kinder, the landscape is
gorgeous, and city I was lucky enough to be placed in is just right.
But I suppose I should probably start with the food. First off
spaghetti and meatballs are not a thing. That is the very first thing I
learned about Italian food. One of the greatest myths of Italian food is
so very untrue. My second lesson is that when you order a pizza from
a restaurant you’re not ordering for more than one person. Every
pizza is a personal pizza, and you have to eat all of it because why
would you order a pizza for yourself if you weren’t planning on
eating all of it? The third thing I learned about food would be that
pasta is indeed at the top of the food pyramid here. I would say I eat it
for breakfast lunch and dinner but that wouldn’t be
very true because every day for breakfast I eat slices
of bread with a plentiful helping of Nutella on top.
Which is great because i typically need something to
dunk into my coffee-milk. The final thing I will say
about Italian food and confections is that their take on
ice cream is the greatest thing I have ever seen. Gelato
is quite literally the
perfect perfect ice cream ever. I would hands down
choose Italian made
ice cream over any other. Granted I haven’t tasted
every ice cream in the
world but I’m going to make a completely arbitrary
judgement and say Italy wins. Also I met this exotic fruit on the left for the first time. It’s called caco.
Basically if someone took a large orange tomato and filled it with sweet delicious fruity goodness you
would have a caco. It kind of has the internal texture of a pumpkin at the same time but more juicy.
Needless to say it is a very confusing fruit, but I would recommend it to anyway if they see it.
So anyway! My family is fantastic, they’re incredibly kind and treated me like a son from the
first day. I have my own room in the attic accessible by this awesome spiral staircase. I come home
every day to a big bowl of
pasta and wake up to a
bit of latte, cafe, and
nutella. My first night
in town my host mom
Cristina made me a
fantastic cake. This
apparently is her
specialty cake and it could
not have been better
for easing me into the
country. It’s almost as
if she knew the plane ride
over had been
incredibly stressful. The
Eynards have been a
blessing, true enough.
So I’ve been spending my
days eating, reading,
trying to learn Italian, and
seeing everything is
has to offer me. Already I’ve been to Milan a little over three times, it’s just so easy! It’s only 5 euros
and 50 minutes away! There I’ve seen the always popular D’uomo, the Castello, a million and half
items that I will never ever be able to afford. And thousands of people from all over the world that are
visiting for more or less the same reasons just like me. Milan is big enough even that every visit is a
little different, and I’m pretty lucky its so close.
Before I wrap this up just wanted to say thanks to everyone that helped me get here.
Grazie mille!
Arrivederci.
/ Abe
Italy – D2100
Allison Brown
West Kelowna, BC Canada
Submitted: 31-October-2014
2 Months in Ottaviano, Napoli, Italia “Benvenuta Allison!”
I arrived in Italy September 3rd. Ever since the plane touched down I have been
falling deeply in love with Italy, its food, history, and people. San Giuseppe Vesuviano, Napoli, Italia has become my home away from. The
city rests behind Mount Vesuvius, a now dormant volcano that last erupted in
1944 and is best known for its destruction of Pompeii. San Giuseppe is one of
the small towns or hamlets that make up the city of Ottaviano. Over the years,
the city has slowly built up the side of Mt. Vesuvius, and the majority of streets
and buildings have been carved out of lava rock from Vesuvius’ past eruptions. My host family consists of my host Dad, Luigi, who is the stereotypical Italian
father with his boisterous voice, tendency to break out into opera, curling hair, delicious grapes Lecco, Italy.
and signature gold necklace. My host Mom’s name is Anna and she is the hardest working woman
(aside from my own mother) I have ever met. Her kitchen is my happy place because her food is
straight from Heaven. My host sister, Benedetta, is 15 years old
(but has a maturity well beyond her years), and my saviour! She
not only helps me to learn Italian but also introduced me to all her
friends and takes me out with her nightly. She has made these
first two months much more enjoyable and I am so grateful for
her generosity. We all live in an enormous three storey house that
Anna keeps in pristine condition despite running her own
architectural business. I began school in mid-September and am enrolled in the final year, five. One thing I am grateful for in
the south of Italy is the welcoming, enthusiastic people. So, my first day of school was a breeze.
Benedetta, who attends the same school, walked me to class and the teacher had me write my name on
the blackboard. After doing so I presented it Vanna White style which won me a few laughs. I instantly
made friends and sat next to a girl named Diletta who spoke English very well. She explained what
was going on and gave me some much needed direction. The schools in Italy are divided into different fields of interest.
There are scientific, linguistic, and trade schools, to name a
few. I attend a ‘classic’ high school which means on top of all
the regular courses like math and history, we must take the
classic languages, (Latin and Greek) that are the basis for the
current Italian language. At school I mostly self-teach myself
Italian and try to understand what my teachers are saying.
However, my Latin teacher did give me an English book about
the history of Latin literature. He expects me to read ‘x’
amount of pages each day and once in awhile he will give me
an Italian test on the readings I did in English. The purpose is
to better understand the culture of Italy and hopefully work
towards learning the Latin language. My religion teacher also
engages me inside and outside the classroom. She asked me to
bridge ‐ Arno River in Florence, Italy.
assist with Ottaviano’s Cultural Awareness Days. I studied the
history of two of Ottaviano’s historic churches and for three days I gave English tours to tourists. I not
only learned the history behind all the beauty but also got to make new Italian friends! School is a small, old building with graffiti covering all the classroom walls, bathrooms without
mirrors or toilet paper (you must ask the janitor for a few squares beforehand), and old fashioned
blackboards. The style of teaching is always lectures and the students are tested orally and are given
texts to translate in Latin and Greek. Students study a minimum of two hours after school every day
(generally). Also, the teachers switch classes, not the students, and there is school on Saturdays. My daily routine, excluding Sundays, begins at 7:15 a.m. when my host sister’s alarm goes off in our
room. I eat a breakfast of yogurt and cereal, then do my teeth, make-up, and change my clothes (school
dress code demands long pants). I leave with Benedetta in her micro-car (basically a Smart Car) and 15
minutes later, nearly crashing a few times or coming close to hitting a scooter, we are in Ottaviano at
school. Five or six hours later school is over and I walk my friends to their houses then I make my way
to the train station where Benedetta visits with her friends. We part for lunch and are home for 1:30
p.m. where Anna, bless her heart, waits with the best food in
Italy. Sometimes we eat pasta with homemade sauce, or meat
fresh from a neighbour’s farm grilled in olive oil and spices,
or peppers cooked with bread and olive oil. I never leave the
table hungry, especially with Anna always denying my
requests for smaller portions! After lunch I do the dishes and
then I go play pool with my host Dad, Luigi. We either play
‘scratch’ pool which I taught him or an Italian version of
pool which he taught me. We get pretty competitive which is
expected from me, growing up with two older brothers, and
Luigi, a contract lawyer of 25 years, but, we are always I proudly hold my Canadian flag at my first Rotary meet‐up in Lecco, Italy.
laughing. I then go to my room and study, sleep, or take care of Rotary business. Once Benedetta
finishes studying we usually go out to a café or to Piazza Mercato, a rendezvous point for friends. I
recently joined a gym and three days a week I go there instead. We are normally home around 8:30
p.m. and have a light dinner. We either go out again or watch a movie as a family. I am in bed for
about 11:30 p.m. every night. Sundays are a bit different. There is no school so I sleep in, then go to
church with my family, and usually meet up with other family for a grand lunch together. Normally
there is a party or some event at night. I go to a lot of parties here, either for extravagant 18th birthdays, family, Rotary, or to just go dancing
with friends. I am always tired! My first Rotary meeting was a formal affair in which I was asked to give a speech in Italian. Benedetta
helped me write a speech about my Canadian life and my new life in Italy. I am fairly certain no one
understood a word of what I said but everyone was very encouraging, my Rotary counsellor especially.
My counsellor’s name is Michele and he has offered to take me travelling with him and his family all
over Italy – obviously I said yes! Hopefully we can go somewhere soon. I have been on one Rotary trip so far. I went to Lecco for an inbound conference. Lecco is an eight
hour drive north of Ottaviano and is east of Milan. All the
students and I stayed at an old monastery for two nights,
we made some new inbound friends, toured Lecco, and
reviewed the Rotary Rules of Exchange. On the way
there my district organised a two hour detour to Florence.
I got to see the Florence Cathedral, Palazzo Vecchio,
Piazza dellaSignoria, and the Historia Center of Florence.
All were so breathtakingly extravagant that I had a hard
time believing they were real!
My school friend Diletta invited me to Sorrento with her
family. Sorrento is a town south of Ottaviano located along the sea. We only went over night but it was
by far my favourite experience yet. Diletta toured me through the town, took me to a neat flea market,
and then to a fancy dinner with her family and the family’s friends. I ate the best seafood of my life.
The next day we went on a friend’s yacht and explored the most picturesque coastline in the world
from the comfort of the ship. It was absolute paradise to swim in the pure blue waters of the
Tyrrhenian Sea while gazing at the Amalfi Coast. Diletta and other school friends also took me to Napoli.
There I ate the best Margarita pizza and saw some of the
treasured history of Italy, my favourite being Galleria
Umberto. I am so fortunate to have such an enthusiastic,
loving group of friends. We have already developed such a
strong bound and I can’t imagine how challenging leaving
will be next year. Yes, I have faced difficulties with my exchange too. The
language sometimes seems impossible to learn but it is
coming, slowly but surely. For only being here two months I have already received several
compliments on my Italian (and Napoli Italian – not suitable for school). I do feel homesick at times
but I have never ever had the desire to leave. I look forward to learning more about this rich culture and being able to easily communicate in
beautiful, dramatic, and passionate Italian. For now, I think I’ll go buy some Nutella gelato or Baba
cake. If you want to know about more of my crazy adventures, visit my blog for weekly updates:
allisoninitalia.weebly.com Here’s hoping my pants still fit in June! Being here..., Allison Boating trip in Sorrento with my friend Diletta, taken about 30 minutes before my first swim in the Tyrrhenian Sea!
I stand at a villa overlooking Sorrento, with Capri in the background, at sunset. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Second Submission <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Italy – D2100
Allison Brown
Submitted:
28 – January 2015
5 Months in Italy
An Italian Christmas
I am officially five months into my exchange on February 3rd, 2015 – only five more months
left to experience my life-altering, forever spontaneous, and terrifyingly fleeting adventure. Early in December I went to a Christmas party with my Italian Rotary Club. I met some
members of Rotaract, ate my weight in food, and received a wooden Baby Jesus for a nativity scene
from my host club. The holidays were a whirlwind of activity. We kicked off the
jolly season on the last day of school, five days before Christmas.
My class set-up a festive table, ordered pizza and sandwiches, and
some people brought desserts to complete our classroom party! I
baked sugar cookies in the shape of hearts and everyone loved them.
Also, I brought everyone a small Canadian flag and we took a group
photo with everyone happily waving them. On the 23rd I took the train south to the coastal town of
Castellammare to meet-up with the other exchange students in my
district. We spent the day hiking through the town and stopped for a
very classic American burger and fries. It was lovely to catch-up
with everyone over a cappuccino and hear their stories of Italy.
However, once I returned home I came down with an awful cold that
my class at Christmas, all holding my Canadian flags!
plagued me over Christmas. On Christmas Eve, I was banned from the
kitchen on account of my sickness. My host Mom
literally spent 12 hours preparing a grand feast for
dinner. In the evening, we packed up all the food
and went to the Grandma’s house to eat with the
entire family. Twenty people sat at a massive table
and ate plenty of food (what else do you expect
from Italy?). Fish is traditionally served and so we
ate salmon with American potato salad (surprisingly
a popular dish for the Christmas season). For the
appetizer course, we tucked into mussels and clam
soup, lobster and octopus pasta, and finally halibut smothered with bread and fresh lemon then baked
in the oven. It took us about an hour to get through all the courses. Then we took a break and later
regrouped for dessert. We had fresh, home-grown mandarin oranges, Pandoro, Panettone, Baba,
Struffoli, and countless other desserts from the bakery. At midnight, the champagne was popped and
we all paraded around the room singing an old Neapolitan song to welcome Baby Jesus into the world.
We then proceeded to church for an hour long service. Christmas Day, my host sister Benedetta and I slept until lunch time, 1:30 p.m.! We quickly got
dressed and met my host parents downstairs to open presents next to the tree we had all decorated
together (exactly the same as we do in North America). I gave my host Dad, Luigi, a trophy that says,
“Luigi Ambrosio il vero Paul Newman”, a hat-tip to an inside joke we have when we play pool. He
couldn’t stop laughing and later placed it proudly on the mantle and still passes it around at parties. I
got Anna, my host Mom, a new spatula because I melted her other one (this too got quite a few laughs)
and a pair of earrings she promised were “just her style”. I gave Benedetta a gift-card to get her nails
done for New Years and a pair of gold hoops. I gifted the entire family with a 2015 calendar of the
Rockie Mountains, a snowman ornament holding a Canadian flag, and a moose nutcracker dressed as a
Mountie and toting a fishing pole. They gave me a new housecoat, a gym bag, and tons of new makeup. My friends and family in Canada sent photos and letters. After we opened gifts, we went next door
to Anna’s brother’s house for a Christmas Day lunch. We ate roast beef, ham, and homemade lasagna.
For dessert we ate cherries from Chile and cannolis. Then Benedetta and I went to a friend’s house and
we played Wii Sports with her family and ate more food. After this busy day, I was feeling extremely
sick and went home and watched Cirque du Soleil with Luigi. The following day, it was my family’s turn to host a party. We extended the dining room table
to its full five and a half meters and invited 23 people over. We ate pumpkin soup, a broth with
tortellini, roast beef and gravy, potato salad, and a toasted green salad. Anna made everything herself.
We played games too; Bingo is ridiculously popular here. A few days later, Benedetta and I went to Naples to stay with a
friend who was hosting a party. We ate more dessert, played more Bingo,
and went shopping. Naples, like my town, San Giuseppe, was covered in
Christmas lights. They were draped above the streets, trees made of lights
sat in the squares, and all the businesses were lit up too. On New Year’s Day we had another big meal at the Grandma’s
house. We ate homemade pizza and pasta cooked in the oven – the most
carb-filled, heavenly dinner ever. At midnight, we poured champagne and
toasted the New Year and gave everyone kisses on their cheeks. Then we
San Giuseppe, the grand church
ate lentils and pork to bring us lots of money in 2015. Anna also bought
me red underwear to wear as this also brings good luck – another Italian tradition. Then we all rushed
outside to watch the fireworks. In Italy, it isn’t the city’s responsibility to put on a fireworks show, but
each household. My family bought five packages of fireworks and shot them off in the courtyard in a
beautiful light display. All the buildings are tall in my city so standing in the courtyard we could only
see our close neighbour’s fireworks. However, we could hear everyone else’s. It sounded like an air
raid from the Second World War with machine gun fire, and there was enough smoke in the air to
make your eyes water. But, despite the noise, it was the most spectacular New Years I have ever had.
After 30 solid minutes, the fireworks ended and we all headed inside. About an hour later my friend
Diletta picked me up and we went to her family’s house. I met some of her relatives and they insisted I
ate dessert with them. We got talking and I had everyone laughing in minutes. They complimented my
Italian and invited me back to eat with them again! Diletta and I went to a New Year’s party at a
friend’s house where we played games and danced until 5:00 a.m. I slept at Diletta’s house and ended
up eating lunch with her family the next day. On January 2nd, I went to Salerno to see the
Christmas lights with my friends. First, we took photos on
the pier at sunset, got gelato, and then went downtown where
the Christmas lights dominated every free space. They had
themed displays like Chinatown, with an enormous orange
dragon and lanterns, Peter Pan with a pirate ship, and
Cinderella’s pumpkin carriage and horses. There was also a
27 meter high Christmas tree made of lights! January 5th, my family hosted another party to ring in Befana, an
Italian holiday where an ugly witch brings candy for your stocking. In
the evening, all the guests arrived and we ate pasta with pumpkin sauce,
salmon, pizza, cheese, and more. We played Bingo and other fun games.
At midnight, the champagne was flowing and gelato cakes were brought
out to welcome January 6th, Befana! The next morning after an
incredibly long party, I woke up to a full stocking of sweets from my
host family as well as a stocking from my friend Rossella! The next day, I went back to school and into my normal routine.
Life has been crazy! Please check out my blog for more details on my exchange. I
update it weekly and talk about highlights like my trip to Rome where I
saw the Coliseum, the Pantheon, and the Trevi Fountain:
allisoninitalia.weebly.com My host sister and I pose before
the Pantheon in Rome.
Baci, Allison Brown
San Giuseppe, Italy In Salerno, I took a photo before Christmas
lights displayed like the Italian flag.
I gave my Latin teacher a
Canadian flag for Christmas
The Coliseum, in Rome, at
midnight.
My host sister and I wait for
Christmas Eve dinner at her
uncle’s house
In Rome, I stand before Piazza Venezia.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Third Submission <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Italy – D2100
Allison Brown
Submitted:
03 May 2015
8 Months in Italy
Berlin, Cinque Terre, e Buon Compleanno!
Ciao!
May 3rd, 2015, marked my eight months in Italy. I can
hardly believe it – I am baffled that time has passed so
quickly and absolutely gutted when I think about boarding
a plane to go home in July. I have a family here – not only
with my host family whom I have been with since
September, but also with all of my friends.
I have been studying Latin at school throughout my
exchange. I read a book in English about the history of
Latin, Greek, and Italian literature. My professor has me
write tests in Italian all with opened-ended questions about
the book I read. These tests are incredibly difficult but I
am proud to say that I am doing well – scoring a nine out
of ten on average - a very high mark in Italian school. My
Latin teacher says I have a future in the subject. I also take
tests in English class. When my class writes their tests in
English, my teacher gives me my own essay topic to write
about in Italian. It is a great way to practice my grammar
Church at Porto Venere
and verb tenses. We also did our class photo at school. All
the classes in their final year of high school can do a themed photo so my class decided on a beach
theme. I wore my beach hat and draped my Canadian flag around me like a toga.
Since my class at school is in their final year, they have been going to orientations at universities and I
have tagged along too. I have learnt about their tough entrance exams, their teaching style, seen the
campuses, and investigated the programs. They have excellent international language programs…
I have eaten countless meals at friend’s houses. At Lucia’s house, I met her whole family; we made a
cake and later went and saw ‘50 Shades of Grey’ in Italian (mamma mia!). At Rossella’s house, her
Mom cooked a meal that nearly stopped my beating heart – easily the best pasta I have ever eaten.
Rosa’s family kept me rapt in conversation for hours and I met about twenty members of her family.
My friend Diletta went to London and brought back bagels (at my request), as well as other English
desserts. So, she invited more friends to come for a food party and gifted me with my own bag of
bagels! With about ten friends, we ate lunch together at Emanule’s house and I met her family and
spoke with them for hours. I went to Anna’s house and met her mother before we went to Somma to
meet more friends for an espresso. All my friends and their families are so generous and happy to
meet me – this is the culture of Naples.
I saw the ruins of Pompeii in February with a large group of exchange
students from all over Italy. In 79 AD, Vesuvius erupted on the 29th of
August the city was covered in about 13-20 feet of ash and pumice.
Some of the houses were so well preserved from the pumice that I
could still see the artwork on the walls, the marble on the floor, and the
doorways. There were also two corpses on display; they had been
sleeping during the eruption and were encased in ash and other
materials, perfectly preserving the shape of the body but completely
hollow inside, aside from they were in when they died. The ruins were
an incredible tragedy to behold.
Valentine’s Day brought ‘Baci’ chocolates at school and a party with
my friends. We ate pizza, made dessert, watched the Italian music
competition ‘Sanremo’ on TV, and played board games.
Carnival was in February also. There are massive parades in certain
Scavi di Pompeii (house walls)
towns. I attended two: one in Palma with my counsellor’s family and
one with friends in Saviano. The parade in Palma showcased traditions
of Naples, like the foods, such as pizza, baba, and sfogliatelle, the unqiue playing cards, and their
version of Bingo, in a massive parade. The carnival in Saviano was a massive party where floats,
themed as cartoons like Mario or Mickey Mouse, blasted music and squeezed through the streets.
Everyone was in costume, dancing, singing, and throwing confetti in the air. Traditional foods at
Carnival include lasagna. My host Mom Anna taught me how to make lasagna of Bologna. We made
ten in total and had a grand feast with the entire family – about twenty people.
My town, San Giuseppe, is famous for their Zeppole festival. All the bakeries make tons of these
desserts and sell them for cheap in the square. They were delicious and reminded me of a fresh, fancy
Boston Cream doughnut. No one does food like Naples!
I went with my Rotary counsellor and his family to
Paestum to see the famous 2,500 year old Greek ruins.
We saw the Temple of Athena first which was built
around 500 BC. The massive Temple of Hera (wife of
Zeus) dating to about 460-450 BC took my breath away.
The Temple next to it was another Temple dedicated to
Hera built in 550 BC, it is known as the Basilica. I went
to the Museum and saw tombs dating between 700-400
BC. Literally all sides of the tombs were painted with
various drawings and the colours still remained. We ate
at a villa that specialized in serving local foods. We ate
fresh artichokes, squid, octopus, small fish breaded and
fried (they are small enough that you can eat everything
but the head, bones and all), and strips of fish with a
Paestum
potato sauce. We then drove to Agropoli, a town South
of Paestum but still on the sea. We entered through the grand arch of the castle and it opened up to the
most breathtaking view. I could see the cove with all the colourful houses nestled on the mountain, the
small fishing boats wadding in the sea bellow, and felt the wind tickling my face. We walked through
the small streets with the little houses all crammed together, the staircases weaving between them, the
overgrown vines crawling over the houses, and a stray dog sun-bathing. Everything about it was
perfect and I began envisioning myself living there. That is my dream - I even picked out which house
I want!
I have learned how to play the very popular Italian card game Buracco. It was tough to learn in Italian
but now I always play it with my host family. I even took part in a tournament with my host sister!
To celebrate my 200th day in Italy, my host family took me to 'Museo di Pietrarsa'. This museum
showcases the first railway workshops of the Two Sicilies and the entire Peninsula of Italy and the site
of the first railway in Italy built in 1840.
With my class, we went to Rome to ‘Scuderiedel Quirinale’, a famous art museum. At the museum,
our guide spoke in Italian for the full two hour tour and I am proud to say that I understood most, if not
all, of the tour. The exhibit was of Henri Matisse, some of his masterpieces include the ‘Girl with a
Persian Cap’ and ‘Zorah on the Terrace’. I ended up staying in Rome to meet my Rotary club who had
arranged an over-night trip that same day. The next day, in the pouring rain, we went to Vatican City to
hear Pope Francesco speak. The Pope passed in his Popemobile only about 15 feet away from me! He
spoke about the importance of happiness and love in the family. Then we all went to the Vatican
Museum. I loved the Gallery of Maps with its 120 meter long ceiling broke up into 40 panels - the
magnitude of this ceiling blew me away. I saw so many beautiful paintings, especially Raphael’s Four
Rooms, but by far the most incredible was the works of Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel. I
obviously saw ‘The Creation of Adam’, which is of two out-stretched fingers of Adam and God about
to meet. My favourite panel is of Adam and Eve taking fruit from the forbidden tree. I love the
sequence of events clearly visible: Eve accepting fruit from a serpent wrapped around the tree, Adam
grabbing the fruit directly from its branches, and their futures painted to the right of them, a sword at
Adam’s neck and a cowering Eve. Over the course of about a month, I knew my friend Michael would
be coming to Rome the same day as me so we arranged to meet. It was my first hug from a Canadian
friend in about seven months.
For Easter weekend, I went to Santa Maria di Castellabate where my host family has another house.
We went to a church on the mountain of Santa Maria. The church choir was one of the best I have ever
heard and the catholic priest even came around and sprinkled Holy Water on everyone. For lunch, the
first course was a rice dish with peppers and meat (loved it). Next was Ragu pasta which is traditional
Neapolitan food (a wide, flat noodle with a tomato and meat sauce). The second course was lamb,
potatoes, and peas baked in olive oil and basil. The final course was baked-eggplant parmesan which
was incredible. For dessert, we ate ricotta pie and ‘Colomba Pasquale’ which was too good to be true.
After, we young people went to a café a few towns over where the majority of young people close to
Santa Maria congregate. We played Buracco and laughed our faces off until about 1:00 a.m.
I had the lucky opportunity of being able to go to Berlin with my class. Rotary here sponsored my trip
which I am forever grateful for. I saw the
Brandenburg Gate in PraiserPlatz, we drove
past beautiful universities, saw the place where
Hitler ordered book burnings, the Berlin
Victory Column, and the Berlin Cathedral. At
the Pergamon Museum, I saw Market Gate of
Miletus which once served as an entrance gate
for a market in what is now Turkey. I saw the
Ishtar Gate, the eighth gate to the inner city of
Babylon constructed in about 575 BC, the
Processional Way of the Babylon, and learned
about the city of Babylon. In the Islamic Art
Museum, I saw the Aleppo Room which was a
reception room from a broker's home in
Aleppo, Syria during the Ottoman Period.
After the museum, we went to the Holocaust Memorial designed by Peter Eisenman. There are 2,711
concrete slabs arranged in a grid pattern and are all different heights. Then we went to Genarmenmarkt
where there were the French and German Cathedrals and the theater Konzerthaus. Next we went to
Berlin's East Side Gallery featuring 1.3 kilometers of the once 112 kilometer Berlin Wall that divided
East and West Berlin from 1961 to 1989. There was a place where people had signed the wall and so I
wrote 'Allison Brown, Canada' on it.
That night, we all went to a club in Potsdam called
'Adagio'. The club is quite famous and has seen faces
like George Clooney and Rihanna. The following day
we went to Ckeckpoint Charlie, the best-known
crossing point for the Berlin Wall. Then we went to
Potsdam to Cecilienhof Palace built in 1918 and was
the location of the Potsdam Conference in 1945 in
which the leaders of the Soviet Union, England, and
the US made Post-War decisions. We passed through
the Brandenburg Gate (Potsdam) and went to the
Sanssouci Palace, the former summer home of
Frederick the Great, King of Prussia. The final daywe
went to Sachsenhausen concentration camp in Oranienburg. I tried German foods, too. I ate a delicious
plate of currywurst which is fired pork sausage with curry ketchup and topped with curry powder. Next
we stopped at the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church which has stunning stained glass and is built upon
the foundation of the old church constructed in the 1890s but was badly damaged in the air raids of
1943. Then we stopped at the Olympic stadium built in 1936 for the Summer Games.
I celebrated my birthday on April 23rd. When the clock struck
midnight (meaning it was my 19th birthday in Italy), the lights
went off in my bedroom and I was surprised by my host family
walking into my room with a gorgeous cake and singing 'happy
birthday'. The next day I walked into class and my whole class
shouted 'auguri' before running to shower me in hugs and kisses.
My friends took me to Sommato meet more people for pizza. I
made a toast saying thank you to everyone, that I loved them all,
and that I was having the best birthday. Everyone responded with
a grand 'ahhhh' and told me they loved me too. Then, the waiter
brought out a beautiful pan di stelle cake which is a chocolate
cake with Nutella and cookies on it. They wrote
'BuonCompleanno Allison' on it and had '19' candles on it. I blew
out the candles and a wave of emotion came over me. I almost
started crying at the thought of leaving them all and then all my
friends got teary-eyed too. We all ran together and hugged each other and had a really emotional
moment in the middle of the restaurant. They
then gave me my gift which was a lovely card
saying they were happy to be my new family
and gifts. It was the best birthday ever, solely
because there was so much love involved. The
following day my host family and I departed
on a private bus to go to Cinque Terre. This
trip was my birthday present. We drove to La
Spezia first which was a beautiful strip of
beach and rounded the coast to Porto Venere.
We all went to dinner in Lerici where I
proceeded to eat the best seafood of my life:
octopus, squid, shrimp, and more. Saturday
we went to Cinque Terre, a series of five
towns all connected by walking trails along
the coastline. It is very similar to the coastline of Amalfi. I loved Riomaggiore for the walk from the
train station down below, up the steep stairs, through the church, and wrapping around the mountain
revealing the best sea view to get the next train station; Manarola for the prettiest harbour, the bluest
water, and the more vibrant coloured houses; Vernazza for the town square which sat right on the shore
and offered a nice walk to the hidden bay, not to mention a cave that led to another bay, and the
yummy lunch of fried shrimp I ate, and finally, Monetrosso for its diversity, from serine beaches with a
lone rock in the sea to the teaming town square with many colourful shops. It was a wonderful
weekend and a very generous birthday present.
I recently went to Rome with my host sister to stay with her cousin. We went to a club one night,
rocked out at the ‘May First’ concert where I learned the famous song ‘Bella Ciao’ about the freedom
and resistance during the Italian civil war, and went to another famous club the next night with a
massive group of friends.
My language has really improved and I always have people telling me how well I speak for only being
here eight months. I can even translate documents and texts for people without any problems…I have
also been told I have a Neapolitan accent – how cool is that?!
I write a blog every week and have been doing so since my exchange started. Check it out for in-depth
details about my life here: allisoninitalia.weebly.com
Baci,
Allison Brown,
San Giuseppe, Italy
Host Family at Cinque Terre
Italy – D_ _ _ _
Catriona Sigalet
Kamloops BC Canada
Submitted:
Months in Italy
No submission
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Italy – D_ _ _ _
Joy Baumeister
Wenatchee, WA USA
2 Months in Italy
Ciao from Italy!!
Just a week ago today I celebrated the fact that I have lived in this beautiful country for two
months! It already feels like a lifetime has gone by in the matter of those two months, and I
am beyond excited to see what the next months have in store for me. It would be impossible
for me to fit everything I've done in the last two months into this essay, but i'll do my best to
summarize the highlights.
On August 27th, a ball of nerves walked out of the baggage claim at the Genova Airport,
pushing a cart full of luggage and scanned the crowd for a familiar face or sign. I remember I
felt like my heart was pounding in my head and those awful "what if's" were circling my mind
(what if no ones here to pick me up, what if my host family hates me, what if..). But my
worries were quickly wiped away when I recognized the face of my first host mother and
quickly ran to greet her. My welcome crew consisted of my host mom and 3 Rotarians who
immediately wanted a picture of me, jet lag and all. Then on the car ride to their house my
host mom explained was that the house we were headed to was their summer house in
Lavagna close to the beach, and that their real house was in the center of Genova which we
would move into in about two weeks (Hey I had no complaints, their aren't many beaches in
North Central Washington). To be honest though, my first day was a blur, with a total of 21
hours of flights and airports and a very restless night due to nerves, I was beyond exhaustion.
When we got to the house I met my oldest host Sister Gulia (21) who showed me around the
house and where I would be sleeping for the next two weeks. Unfortunately due to lack of
space in the small summer house I didn't get to unpack, and had to live out of suitcases for
two weeks. After that I took a shower (which was unfortunately cold, and I was to nervous to
say anything, but my host mom later apologized and told me they have to try the water heater
on 30 min before someone showers in this house cause it was so old), then had dinner which
was the exactly what I imagined an Italian meal to be like, chess pasta, then delicious meat,
amazing bread and yes a glass of wine as it is part the culture. After dinner I politely excused
myself for an early bed time, and some much needed sleep.
Those first two weeks of my exchange were
spent on various beaches around Lavagna,
meeting family members, going to markets,
and really taking in this new culture. A word
on the culture, there are many differences
between Italian culture and America, some
aren't so big but others were very shocking.
First almost very teenager in Italy smokes
cigarettes, its a very normal for most high
schoolers and they often find it strange or
don't believe me when i turn down their offer
of a cigarette and explain that smoking
cigarettes is not common and quite frowned
upon in America. Next they are much more
comfortable about their bodies. On my first
Me with my how siblings (from left) Gulia (21),
trip to the beach I was surprised by not only
Benedetta (15), Giorgio (17)
the barely there bikinis but also the amount
of topless women their were just lounging in the sun. I also saw this difference the first time I
went to a gym here, because when I walked in the door to the women's changing room a
completely naked woman walked right passed me, I think you could see the shock in my face
because my host sisters proceeded to laugh at me. The difference is their more comfortable
with psychical touch and the people opposite sex, yes the common greeting here is a kiss on
either cheek, whether its two girls, or a boy and a girl (however boys don't tend to greet other
boys in that manner), but beyond that it's quite common to be allowed to have a sleepover
with a guy friend, and not forbidden the way it is in America. Now there are many more
differences, but those are the major ones i have noticed in my first couple months.
Back to my experience, after about a week I was end off to meet the other rotary kids of my
district for the first time. This was a rather enjoyable experience, because no one really
understands what you are going through more then your fellow exchangers, and it was nice
to get the chance to meet and swap stories. A week later near the end of my stay in the
summer house my mom told me that if i wanted to I could go with my host sister and brother
to Rome, and stay with my host dad who works there as the director of a TV stain (pretty
cool, I know). So of course I giddily accepted the invitation and packed my bag. Roe was
beautiful, and I was able to see all the
major sights, including the colosseum,
the pantheon, Venice Plaza and the
Fountain Trevi. When we returned to
Lavagna, I spent on the last day on the
beach then repacked my suitcases
and away we went to move into the
house in Genova,
Me in Rome in front of the Fontana die Quattro Fiumi
In this house I have a room all to
myself, though it is kind of tucked
away under the stairs. This house has
three levels my host mothers parents
live on the first level, my host family
lives on the second, and my host
mother's brother and his family live on the third. My room is situated between the first and
second levels, and is kind of secluded, which has it's up and downs. However its a good size
and i"m very happy here. My host family is lovely, my host mom can be a little over powering,
always insisting I should go wander the streets on my own so I can see the city ( the city I live
has a population of 600,000 people so for some reason I don't feel comfortable wandering
alone) but she is very nice and always helping me figure things out. I don't see my host dad
much as he works in Rome and comes home only on the weekends but he is very
kindhearted, and is always inviting me to do things with him. I have 4 siblings Gulia (21),
Giorgio (17), Benedetta (15) and Caterina (14) and I like them all very much as most of them
always invite me out to things with their friends if i have nothing else to do. Altogether my
family is very nice and has made me feel very comfortable and welcomed.
School was a terrifying thing to think about, until finally the first day of school arrived. I'm
attending art school because i was told it would be easier and would go with my interest in
theatre, despite my lack of drawing skills. At first I thought the first day of school wasn't going
well as I didn't understand a word my teachers were say (with the exception of English class,
in which the teacher is saving grace and was an exchange student when she was my age).
But to my surprise after school i was invited to have lunch with my class and was able to get
know them a little beer. Since then I have began to form some great friendships. I was also
lucky enough to get the opportunity to go Venice with my class. Venice was beautiful and
going with my class once again gave me the opportunity to get to know them a little better.
All in all it has been a wonderful two months. I have seen places, I had only dreamed of going
to before this year. I have met tons of kind, loving people who are becoming wonderful
friends. And have made many memories I will never forget. If this is only the beginning, bring
not he rest of the year. To those at home reading this I have not forgotten you, Thank you so
much to everyone who made this experience possible for me, and a huge shout out to the
Wenatchee Rotary Club, love you guys! If anyone wants more details on my experience here
is my blog, http://joybaumeister.blogspot.it.
/ Joy Baumeister
Wenatchee, WA to Italy
Japan – D2700
Angus Mathieson
2 Months in Japan
About a week before writing this update, I was asked by one of my teachers to describe what
Halloween is like in Canada. The ensuing conversation shocked me for two reasons. The first of those
being that Halloween wasn’t the universally celebrated tradition I take for granted (one might argue
that a traveller should expect diversity, but as I have come to discover, Japan’s adoption of foreign
customs will always leave you guessing) The second, is the realization that it had been two months
since my flight had touched down on Narita’s tarmac. Since then, festivals, natural disasters, and
sporting events have ensured that everyday has been an enriching slice of Japanese culture.
First Impressions
Meeting with my first host father and coordinators at the airport lobby, we began the long drive
from Narita airport to Shiki, which required driving on
some of Japan’s largest highways through Tokyo.
Having spent the summer commuting to work in
Vancouver, it was shocking to drive down a ten lane
highway the width of a Canadian 6 lane highway. On
this highway, there were no SUVs, pickups, or semis,
just cars and compact business trucks the size of our
minivans. A full month before I visited a Japanese
amusement park, I experienced the rollercoaster that is
driving through Tokyo. The road shrunk, bended, dived
and weaved with other roads and a sea of eight story
buildings. Eventually, we arrived at my first host family’s home, a magnificent, classically styled
Japanese abode with the picture book fixings; wooden gate, large garden, sliding doors, classical
entranceway, etc. There I met my host mother, who like my father, I simply address as Masujimamama and papa. Also living in the house are the Masujima’s two daughters, one of which has a
husband and three children. Surprisingly, the house isn’t cramped with all of these residents, though it
helps that everyone being in the house simultaneously is a rare occurrence with school, work, kendo
and shodo practice.
Daily Routine
Every day, my circadian cycle is put
into shock with a 6-oclock wakeup. I eat
breakfast (which is very similar to the North
American variety) and put on my school
uniform. I am then driven to the local train
station, which I ride to a bus stop, and transit to
school. All in all, this takes just over an hour,
and is a nice chance to listen to music or surf
the web before the day gets into full throttle.
School then starts at 8:30, and involves bowing
before each teacher along with other
formalities. The usual day (an uncommon
occurrence thanks to festivals, tournaments and
holidays) involves English, P.E., Physics,
Math,Shodo (Japanese Calligraphy) Biology
and History, in descending order of comprehension. This is largely due to the course’s reliance on
Kanji, a part of the Japanese written language that co-ordinates ideas to symbols, as opposed to
Katakana and Hiragana, which are alphabetical and comprehensible to a newcomer. Shiki High School
has also been gracious enough to provide me with a block to privately study Japanese with the school’s
vice-principal, which has been a great boon. After school, I meet up with the school’s tennis club and
practice for three hours, before making the commute back home and arriving around 8-oclock.
Pros and Cons of the Japanese Lifestyle: The Abridged Version
Food;
I’m worried about changing host families, if
simply because Masujima-mama’s cooking is that
fantastic. Over my stay, I’ve learned that anything with
Yaki as a prefix is bound to have me exclaiming
“Oishii!”. Rice every lunch and dinner is fantastic,
especially with a healthy dose of sesame seeds. Cabbage
and cucumbers are a staple and appreciated, as are pears,
apples and persimmon after a meal. Red bean paste lends
subtle tastes to various pastries, and as I type I am
craving a glass of either melon soda or acerola juice
(WHY DON’T WE HAVE THIS???) Pictured is
tonkatsu, an example that demonstrates that when it
comes to meat, Japan can do no wrong.
On the flipside, I have a short list of what I’ve
been avoiding. Sashimi and Green Tea have generally
tested poorly with me, but are so important to Japanese
cuisine that I force myself to continually consume them
until I learn to like it. Fermented soy beans, AKA natto, are a rice add-on notoriously hated by
foreigners, myself included. Another add-on I dare not consume is pickled plums, or Umeboshi.
Disasters;
Within my first days residing in Shiki, I experienced my first earthquake. Lying in bed, the
house rocks gently, as if a giant was shaking it. Not a week later, the same think happens at school, but
was proceeded by everyone’s phones going crazy with alerts seconds before the ground shuddered.
There was a shriek or two, but before anyone could get under the desks, the quake stopped. Since then,
I’ve found the ground shudders almost biweekly, an event I strangely look forward to, though one
serious rumble could have me changing my tune. Soon after one tremor had finished, the news
broadcasted footage of a volcano in action, something I realized I’d never really seen outside of
drawings and movie CGI. It occurred in a rather rural area, so very few people were affected. On the
flipside, two typhoons passed through Tokyo during my stay. One of these resulted in a sleepless night
of relentless rain pounding on my window, and the other’s wind turning my much needed umbrella
into a kite. Not so fun, but fortunately seasonal.
Thank you for reading about my current experiences, hopefully it has provided an accurate
insight about the enriching and incredible experience Rotary has been able to provide. I’m so grateful
to be experiencing the culture, meeting the people, and learning the language of the land of the rising
sun
Although it shamefully isn’t in full swing yet, I plan to post more information and insights
about my time here in Japan at shodoandnatto.wordpress.com.
Angus Mathieson
Peru – D4450
Destiny Earle
Princeton, BC Canada
Submitted:
Months in Peru
No submission
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
South Korea D _ _ _ _
SOUTH KOREA
Brittany Dudek
East Wentachee WA USA
3 Months in South Korea
Hello!
안녕하세요!
So I have been in the beautiful country
of South Korea for almost exactly 3
months now. (I will be as of November
3rd).….You might have a problem
getting me to come homeㅋㅋㅋ
I love it here! Everyone is extremely
nice and welcoming and I wouldn’t
want to be anywhere else right now. I
was told before I ever went on
exchange here that I was the first from
this district to go to South Korea. -.I hope in the future more will choose to come here because it is an amazing and wonderful country. I
have experienced things that I had never thought possible. First of all, Korea is one of the more
technologically advanced countries in the world. Having a higher percentage of adults with
smartphones than America, as well as some of the fastest internet in the world. There is free Wi-Fi
everywhere. All I had to do was get a SIM card for my phone (Samsung of course) and I was able to
use the Wi-Fi because it would read that my SIM was attached to a Korean telecom company.
Also I am living in a city with over 3 and a half million in population. In a country that has very high
beauty standards. Therefore there are huge department stores EVERYWHERE (yay shopping!) I also
live near the world’s largest department store: Shinsegae. I love it. It’s a popular place for me and my
friends to go and hang out considering there is an ice rink, movie theater, and food court for us to use.
There are beauty store everywhere and my skin has never looked so great. ☺
On to my daily life. Monday, Wednesday,
and Friday I have a “kpop dance class.”
Where every week we learn a new kpop
dance. Needless to say I haven’t gained
any weight, but rather lost a few kilos. On
Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday I have
Taekwondo. Both of these activities are
done with other inbounds. There is a lot of
delicious food here, but much of it is
healthy and given in smaller portions
(except their love of fried chicken in this
country—that’s not so healthy).
School is fun. I got welcomed like a
celebrity! I spend my school days studying and sleeping. Well technically, all the students do. Its
acceptable to sleep in class here. Especially considering that many of them stay at school until about
9PM to self-study. I just use it as a chance to catch up on sleep.
The culture here is very different than it is in the states. I am going to do some weird things out of
habit when I get back to the states. Such as taking off my shoes when walking in to a home, bowing,
bowing some more, and eating habits (I going to miss the chopsticks).
Some of the more exciting that have happened to me: Concerts!! I love Korean pop music and I was
able to go to Seoul (the capital of Korea) and see a concert. I
was even able to meet some of the idols, including BAP and
100%. I think that most of my allowance is going towards
KPOP albums and Nature Republic (a beauty store). That and
my public transportation card. It takes me an hour to get to
school in the morning because this city is so huge. I have to
wake up at 5:30 IN THE MORNING. (School is from 8-4:30).
Lastly, the language learning. Korean has been called one of the most logical languages on earth. And
it is. The problem is the 4 levels of formality I have to learn -.They use different words in different levels and I have to learn them all. The writing is the easy part.
Because as much as it looks hard—its actually quite easy. Nothing like Chinese or Japanese.
Considering I knew almost none when I got here, I have progressed very far! I should be able to hold a
sort of tangible conversation by Christmas. (At least that’s my goal.)
Anyway—that’s my story for the first 3 months.
Feel free to contact me with any questions^^
[email protected]
Brittany Dudek
도채린
Spain D _ _ _ _
Dory Geelkerken
Vernon BC Canada
SPAIN
Submitted: 31 October 2014
Only 6 – days ! … in Spain
Hola! from sunny Spain,
I arrived here only 6 days ago but it has been amazing! Everything here is very different from my
home town in Canada. The weather had been a beautiful 26 degrees every single day. I was glad I
could ditch the scarves and sweaters for some shorts and a tank top. On Monday I started my first day
of school. My school is located in Guadalajara which is a 15 minute drive from my house in Valdeluz.
The school its self is very beautiful and is a historic part of Guadalajara. During school I have six
classes and they range from Biology to Spanish Literature but I probably couldn’t tell them apart
because I don’t understand a word anyone is saying yet. What I have noticed is that everyone talks
very very fast so its quite difficult to keep up. But hopefully it will start to catch on in a few weeks.
Everyone at my school is very friendly and willing to help me out to find classes or explain what the
teachers are talking about. This past week I also started playing for a local soccer club here in
Guadalajara. It’s a pretty high level team and we train three times a week and the have games on
Saturdays. But it is good for getting my fitness back and running off all that bread and delicious
Spanish food I’ve been eating. Speaking of food. That is also something that is very different here. In
the morning before I go to school I will eat a toasted sandwich with a tomato spread and olive oil, then
as a snack I’ll have some bread with dried ham and some fruit, then for lunch we usually have a hot
meal with the proportions of a dinner meal. It can range from chicken to soup to pasta it kind of varies
everyday. Then for dinner which is usually around 9-10pm here in Spain we have a smaller meal like a
salad or some soup.
Tomorrow (Saturday) I am going to Madrid with my host mom and my friend from Guadalajara and
we will be visiting some museums and I’ll be taking lots of photos and hopefully enjoying some more
delicious tapas.
The next time I write you I’ll hopefully have more to share.
Greetings from Spain / Dory Geelkerken
Sweden – D2360
Maddie Dovauo
Kamloops, BC Canada
3 Months in Sweden
Hi, my name is Madison Dovauo. I am from Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada, and I am
currently on exchange in Rotary District 2360 in Halland, Sweden, in the city of Varberg. I arrived
here on August 6th, and am now preparing to celebrate Halloween with some school friends. It’s hard
to believe how quickly the first three months went!
The first people I met in on arriving in Sweden were my host mom and brother, who greeted
me in the airport with a giant Swedish flag. On the drive home I was amazed by how similar the
Halland landscape is to British Columbia: they are both green and heavily forested, have many lakes
and rivers, and even share similar wildlife. The climate similarities mean I’ve had an easier time
adjusting to the cold and darkness than the other exchange student in Varberg, who is from Texas, but
the damp is definitely not something I’m used to! Varberg is also very similar to Kamloops in some
ways. It is a small town (about 30 000 residents) with a railroad running through it, beaches, and a
relatively homogeneous population. However, Varberg has a lot more bike lanes, and less aggressive
drivers to go with them. Like back home, people in Varberg are very environmentally conscious;
recycling, composting, organic foods, and use of alternative transit are almost ubiquitous.
After I returned from language camp I didn’t really have time to relax, because it was the week
before the start of school. I borrowed school supplies from my host brothers and met with my
counsellor and the vice principal of the high-school I would be attending to confirm my placement.
I’ve discovered that school here is very different from Canada. Students are placed in a class based on
their year and program (mine is social sciences), and take almost all of their courses together. This
results in the class group of about 30 people being much closer than the larger grade groups that I’ve
experienced before in Canada. Even though I go to the second largest high school in Sweden, with
over two thousand students, the only people I see regularly are my classmates and teachers. The
cafeteria is where I see most of the other students in my building, so it feels like I’m going to a school
with only a couple hundred people.
I think my favourite part of the exchange so far has been spending time with my host family’s
friends and extended family. My Canadian family is quite small and I only see my non-immediate
relatives once or twice a year, so being part of a family that invites friends, colleagues, cousins, and
grandparents over for dinner frequently has been a new and enjoyable experience. It also gives me
some idea of what the parts of Sweden I haven’t been to yet are like, and how Sweden is from the point
of view of older people and those in different professions. I haven’t been particularly homesick so far,
probably partly because of how similar the physical environment is, but I find myself missing the
holidays that I used to spend with my family. Keeping busy and trying to share the “Canadian holiday
experience” with my host family has helped. For example, to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving I baked
my host family a pumpkin pie, which none of them had eaten before.
I am looking forward to the rest of my exchange, and grateful for the great interactions I’ve had
with my host club (Varberg Getakärr) so far. Thank you to everyone who helped me get here and
everyone supporting me through this amazing experience. Good luck to everyone in Canada as winter
approaches. I don’t know about you, but I’m hoping for snow.
You can view my exchange blog, which has more details about and pictures of trips I’ve taken,
at maddies2014exchange.com.
/ Madison Dovauo
Switzerland – D1980
Livia Petzinger
Selah Washington USA
3 Months in Switzerland
Hello everybody! These past 3 months in Switzerland
have been pretty sweet (you know, from the chocolate), and I
feel very lucky to be one of the exchange students who is
having a seemingly perfect exchange. After arriving I spent
my first night at my YEO’s house, and he showed me all
around town. My new hometown, Fribourg, is 20 minutes
from Bern by train and the Sarine river that cuts through town
is the border between French-speaking and German-speaking
Switzerland. Fribourg is a Catholic canton, and the town itself
has a massive university split into several buildings all around
town. At 610 meters high, we have a great view of the pre-alps
and beautiful forests and lakes just a short train ride away. The
public transport here in Switzerland is amazing, and even tiny
villages and alpine chalets can be accessed by a timely tram or
bus. Fribourg is the perfect town for an exchange student, with
strong traditions, a lively nightlife, central location, and a
completely bilingual school. Every week I get to experience
new things, some that have been around hundreds of years and
others that are part of the youth culture and are totally unique
to Fribourg.
My host family is great, and I have gotten to know them well. They include me in everything
they do, and have made a point to push me to try new things and include me in the communities they
are a part of. We do a lot of things together with everybody (all my aunts, uncles, and cousins) and I
love the feeling of being part of a big family. At least twice a month we go hiking, or have dinner
together. Last weekend my uncle made fun of me for taking so many pictures, and I think that’s as
good of a sign as any that I’m really becoming part of the family! Every 6 weeks, Swiss people get 2
weeks of vacation. For fall vacation the whole family spent a week in Provence, and I had a great time
getting to know them. Not knowing what your family is going to be like can be very stressful, but I
was extremely pleased to be welcomed warmly by a family who values nature and family time, and
loves sharing their country and traditions with me.
I’m sure many of you remember Zoé, a Swiss Rotary exchange
student who stayed in Penticton last year. By some crazy twist of fate I
ended up assigned to her town and even the same school as her! She has
been an amazing addition to this experience, being simultaneously a piece
of home, an unwavering friend, and also an expert in Swiss culture.
Because of her I always have somebody, and have not yet spent a single
lunch eating alone, or a single weekend without something to do with new
friends. My town is also filled with other Rotary exchange students, and
we frequently travel together and get together to make French toast or
work on our language skills. Being on exchange can be lonely and
estranging no matter what, but having a group of great friends changes
everything. The first few months I definitely felt homesick and upset, but
we have become a tight knit group who support each other through the
inevitable rough patches.
School has been quite an experience, and it’s made me aware of how many rules there are in
daily life that we seem to know inherently and never have to think twice about. The cultural
differences between the US and Switzerland are not as big as with some other countries, but I still went
through a transition period the first few weeks of school where I was so conscious of my own cultural
behavior and really felt for the first time what it means to move to a different country and have a
completely different set of rules that you don’t know at all. Swiss people are known for being
introverted and private, and it’s absolutely true. It took some time to get my class to open up to me,
and only just now am I starting to build close relationships with my classmates. However school is
going well, and my French has improved greatly. My teachers are very relaxed and encourage me to
try my best and help me whenever they can. My school is completely bilingual, and I hear German in
the hallways all day long. I only go to English class once a week for conversation class, and am
learning basic German with a bilingual friend (the class is already at too high of a level for me to learn
anything). For electives I chose art, music, and biochemistry, and daily schedule changes between 2
hours of class a day to 9 hours a day. Also the food in the cafeteria is amazing! One time we even had
veal for lunch!!!
Speaking of food, Fribourg is the canton from which hails Gruyere, and the people here
definitely live up to the stereotype of eating tons of cheese and chocolate. We have raclette usually
once a week, and fondue maybe once a month. Traditional food includes a lot of veal, pork products
(like dried meats), organ foods (blood sausage, veal liver), sausages, potatoes, gruyere and vacherin
cheese, meringues with cream, and a tasty bread made with saffron called cuchaule. But mostly we just
eat normal things like pasta, chicken, and salad. Swiss people rarely ever snack, which was a big
change for me, but meals are hearty and even cheap food is of good quality. My family has a special
drawer in the cupboard just for chocolate, and it never stays full. Fribourg alone (the town, not the
whole canton) has 2 chocolate factories. Fribourg is
a canton of agriculture, farmers, religious
academics, and a strong culture that tends to resist
change but is full of great history.
Swiss people are known to be hard workers,
and the weekends are specifically reserved for
family time, leisure, and going into nature. With
my family I’ve gone on several hikes in the local
area and the pre-alps, and with the other exchange
students I have travelled to Bern, Geneva, Luzern,
Neuchatel, and many small villages. With Rotex I had the
opportunity to spend the weekend in a mountain chalet, and
we took a 5 AM hike to see the sun rise over the Alps
(which was one of the most moving moments of my life).
Next weekend we’re spending a weekend in Zermatt to see
the Matterhorn. It’s so easy to travel here, and as Swiss
Rotary buys all exchange students a public transport pass,
we travel every chance we get. It’s truly amazing to hop on
a train for 1 hour and get off in the Alps.
I have been loving every moment of my exchange, and I am
so lucky to be surrounded by such amazing people. My
family has made me feel so at home, and they’ve shown me
what it means to them to be Swiss; the Rotary club arranges
great trips and always asks for our feedback and checks in to make sure things are going well. My new
friends at school have really made me feel like a part of the class, and my exchange student friends
have become a tight-knit family that support each other. Fribourg is truly becoming my home, and
every day I love the people and the culture more and more.
/ Livia Petzinger
Taiwan – D3500
Lauren Shykora
Enderby, BC Canada
Submitted:
03 November 2014
1.5 Months in Taiwan
大家好！ (Hello everyone)
I have been living in the extraordinary city of Taipei for a month and a half, and at this rate I’m never
coming back home!
Taiwanese are truly wonderful and some of the nicest people you will ever come across. I have been
the recipient of countless acts of kindness already in my short time and I can see that kind gestures are
just the norm here. I feel at home when I’m with my family, and this feeling of belonging started from
the moment I saw their bright faces and beautiful welcome signs in the Taipei Airport.
My first week was a lot to take in, but somehow I felt comfortable even amidst the craziness that is
Taipei. This is especially surprising seeing as I grew up in a town of 3 thousand people, and am now
transitioning into a densely populated, 2.3 million person city. I attract a lot of attention because I’m a
foreigner, but each day that goes by I feel less and less like a tourist which is a unique experience that
comes along with being on a rotary exchange. I see this remarkable country through the eyes of a local
rather than through the lens of a tourist.
Everyone here has both a Chinese name and an English name, so on my second day I was given the
name Ji Yung Shin (
) which translates to "happy, good mood." I think it's fitting seeing as I have
a cheesy grin showing the majority of my day. You know that feeling when you're really excited about
something and you can't wipe that silly smile off your face? I'm gifted with that indescribable feeling
every single day here.
My school? Well, it’s chaotic, but I wouldn't want it any other way! I am 1 of 2 foreigners in the entire
school (I estimate there to be 2-3 thousand students at my school,) so if the fact that I’m a minority in
race at my school wasn’t enough reason for me to stand out, the 70:30 male to female gender ratio
makes me feel like I have a bright flashing arrow over my head drawing attention.
My first day of school was truly hilarious. My classmates had a few different reactions upon meeting
me. Girls would run up, give me a big smile and then start the onslaught of fast-paced questions in a
mixture of English and Chinese. My favourite questions of the day were "are you married?" and "can
you sing a Justin Bieber song for us?" The boys never approached me alone and instead would run up
to me in groups of at least three, say “HI!” and then run away in a fit of giggles. When I entered an allboys class for geography, they started to sweep the floor in front of me as I took each step and cleaned
a desk for me front row center. I am relived that everyone has settled down now (at least a little bit)
and that people are interested in learning about me rather than just being infatuated by my nationality.
It was my Rotary club’s birthday this last weekend, and boy do they know how to celebrate! The event
was held in a beautiful hotel and there was lots of singing, dancing, and laughing all night long. I took
part in late-night dance rehearsals with the rest of my club members a couple weeks before, so I
preformed in a group dance routine to “Timber.” The rehearsals were often the highlight of my day,
because they were spent laughing more than actually dancing. Since I was a little late arriving to
Taiwan, I still hadn’t done a formal introduction speech to my club. So I thought, what better day to do
it than when there areover a hundred extras in the audience, right? So I used all the Mandarin I could
muster up and spoke for 3-4 minutes about my thoughts of Taiwan and I briefly touched on my
Canadian life. In other circumstances I might be nervous, but it felt like I was just speaking in front of
family so I was calm and comfortable in their presence.
Here I am on stage during my speech
and this is our final pose!
The other great thing about exchanging with Taipei is that my Rotary district hosts around 70
international students, and organizes Chinese class, cultural class, and weekend trips with this lovely
bunch. There are 2 other districts in Taipei that are about the same size as ours, so there are plenty of
friends to connect with all within a short MRT (high-speed transit) ride away from each other. Some
examples of the events Rotary has put on for us are a Halloween party, a day at a water park,
paintballing, biking, and hiking!
My district 3480 exchange students
The beautiful Chiang Kai Sheik Memorial Hall
For anyone interested, you can check out my blog for a more detailed account of what I’ve been up to.
Blog page: laurenshykora.wordpress.com
Email: [email protected]
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Second Submission <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Taiwan – D3500
Lauren Shykora
Enderby, BC Canada
Submitted:
04 February 2015
4.5 Months in Taiwan
2nd Quarterly Report - Taipei, Taiwan.
My exchange year has now hit the halfway mark, but I am in no way counting down the days to return
home. I am overjoyed with all of the things I’ve experienced and learned in the past 5 months, and I
feel right at home at this point in my exchange.
Before coming to Taiwan, I thought that I was a confident person. I thought that I had reached the very
edges of my comfort zone, but I've come to realize that I really hadn't even begun to. I can now tell you
with certainty that the person I was 5 months ago is not even close to the same as the person I am
today. I think this is mostly because I don't feel like I'm being scrutinized by anyone while I'm here. I
can do something ridiculous or embarrassing, and not feel judged by it. So, my willingness to put
myself out there has been growing alongside my self-confidence. Just recently I performed a Chinese
song to my class. This would have been reaching far outside of my comfort zone when I was back
home, but here, now, I did it with ease.
Taiwan Rotary Clubs are really well known for being active and for organizing a lot of outings for
their students. We’ve done pottery, calligraphy, hiking, biking, singing, dancing, and that’s just the
beginning. The pictures below are from a 5-hour hiking trip I did in December with my friends and
Rotarian. This trip was in northern Taiwan and was immediately followed up with a 20km bike ride. It
was a long, hot (30°), but remarkable day.
Getting my Taiwan visa in Canada before coming here didn't work out for a lot of reasons that were
out of my control. Once I got here I learned that I wouldn't be able to apply for a Taiwan residence visa
unless I flew out of the county and then flew back in. So, to fix this problem I flew to Hong Kong for 4
days with my host sister. Hong Kong was decked out in beautiful Christmas lights and displays and I
really loved the city. We had time to do some shopping and sightseeing, ride on old fashioned tram
cars, visit a cute Charlie Brown Cafe and Snoopy World, and see the city skyline at night from Victoria
Harbour.
My District held a speech Contest for the exchange students. We were asked to write and memorize a 3
minute speech, and of the 59 who presented I am very proud to say that I finished 5th! My speech topic
that I chose was "Why I think Taiwan is the best country to study Chinese." I think the hardest thing
was finding time to practice and memorize my speech. I would go over it at the bus stop, while getting
ready for school, and any other time I had 3 minutes to spare. People here probably think blondie has
lost her mind and started talking to herself, but hey, whatever works!
Each year, a Rotary International President (IP) is elected to represent Rotary on a global stage. It just
so happens, that this year IP Gary Huang, is from Taiwan…and I got to meet him! Mr. Huang came to
our Rotary Christmas party and did a speech or us. He also let us dress him up as Santa Claus and
dance on stage with us. He is an extremely impressive guy, and he is so sweet and charming in person.
Although Christmas isn’t really celebrated in Taiwan, my lovely family made the day special for me.
To decorate the house, I bought a poinsettia and mini Christmas tree, and my mom dug out some
Christmas decorations, including like 14 Santa’s (don’t ask me how or why she had that many in her
possession) We had a gift exchange and then my family made a huge hot pot dinner, which was a
perfect meal for a wonderful day.
On New Year’s Eve I was among the thousands in the crowds around Taipei 101 (5th tallest building
in the world) and enjoyed celebrating the new year with Rotary Exchange students from several
districts in Taiwan, so over 150 of us! It was unlike any other New Year’s celebration I’ve ever had,
and in the best way possible.
IP Gary Huang and I
Taipei 101 on NYE
Our Christmas tree!
At the beginning of January, I switched to my second host family. I am now very comfortable in their
home, and I have figured out that the way to their hearts is through humor! I have an 18 year old
brother and 23 year old sister now, and they both are fun to be with. My sister is a surfing enthusiast,
and will be taking me surfing for my first time this week! I still often visit my first family, and fully
intend on keeping them in my life regardless.
January 30th was my birthday, and I couldn’t believe it, but I had 7 celebrations (therefore 7 cakes!!)
First my Chinese class, then my Rotary club, first host family, second family, rotary district, and my
host mom’s work place. Also, a group of 20 exchange friends and Taiwanese friends had a surprise
birthday dinner for me and we ate at an international food market. I feel very loved here, and I feel
very lucky to have these new people in my life.
Many more exciting things are yet to come! My District will be taking all of us exchange students on a
Taiwan-wide bus tour in the spring. I’ve also got Chinese New Year coming up this month and I can’t
wait!
My blog address is: laurenshykora.wordpress.com so feel free to check it out for a more detailed list of
my activities.
That’s all for now, cheers to another great half year of exchange.
/ Lauren Shykora
Thailand – D3340
Dana Johnson
3 Months in Thailand
Dana Johnson (Thai Outbound): 1st issue: August 2014 - October 2014
I’ve been living in Thailand almost three months now, and I’ve already fallen in love. I am smitten
with the kindness of the people, the power of language, and – of course – the food. My family has been
incredibly caring and generous. They treated me like a daughter immediately upon arrival. They’re an
indispensable resource for improving my language skills, who constantly overestimate my abilities. I
can hold my own in a conversation, so long as it maintains a turtle pace. People will surprise you with
their levels of patience. You will be surprised with your levels of impatience: impatience to understand
and be understood. It comes slowly, but surely. I’ve learned to read Thai script and even write a little
bit. For those of you thinking about going on an exchange to Thailand, I highly recommend you learn
to read. It’s deceptively easy, and immensely improves comprehension skills. For those of you
thinking about going on exchange, but are unsure of where you’d like to exchange to, I think a visit to
a local Thai restaurant will wash away any uncertainty. I’ve eaten dishes so spicy, they gave me head
rush. I’ve had coconut ice cream so fresh, I watched the tender meat expertly shaven from the shell
transform before my eyes, served to me in the hairy coconut carcass from whence it came. I can’t even
imagine a proper meal without rice, or at least noodles. At first, the thought of pork and rice for
breakfast made me cringe. Now I’m starting to question why I ever bothered with cereal. That’s not to
say I don’t miss food from home. But the pining for pancake, and longing for long-johns washes after
that first fiery bite of Sohm Dtam; just as thoughts of family and friends are constantly interrupted by
family and friends. Current and former exchange students will understand what I mean. And they are
always there to listen. It’s a luxury having a group of amazing individuals - all of whom are going
through the same ups and downs - as a support team. A lot of the time I just ask for confirmation that
this is someone else’s normal. They call Thailand “the land of smiles”, but it is also “the land of
contradictions”. Temples down the street from strip clubs, smoking monks, English teachers who don’t
speak English… the list goes on. It’s as baffling as it is entertaining, and I must always be entertained.
My family refuses to let me be bored. They always take me on day trips, and let me sneak away from
the office to play badminton. I live quite the pampered life here. Our housekeeper cooks, cleans, and
does laundry for the entire family. She even helps me practice Thai, and does my hair when I’m off to
a fancy dinner. Every morning I wake up to a freshly washed uniform in my closet, and a banquet of a
breakfast waiting on the floor. I’m used to eating on the ground, but the uniform will forever leave me
in discomfort. However, a heavy navy skirt and restricting puffy shirt are a small price to pay for
experiencing life as a Thai student. Every morning before class, the entire school stands in organized
rows to sing the national anthem and chant a Buddhist prayer. It gives the impression that school here
his strict and the students purposeful. I have found it to be quite the opposite. Teachers often fail to
show up, lesson plans are virtually non-existent, and students do more school work after school with
private tutors than in their actual classes. Developing critical thinking skills takes a backseat to
perfecting copying practices. Notebooks look like textbooks. Cheating is commonplace. School is not
so much a time for learning, as it is time to be spent with friends. It’s convenient for me, and
frustrating for my Thai friends. Luckily my Rotary counselor set up special classes for myself and the
other exchange student living in Chumphae. My favourite is Thai culture. We visit the school temple,
explore neighbouring rice fields, and watch videos about Buddhist holidays. It’s difficult to keep up,
there is a different holiday or celebration every other day. It usually has something to do with the
moon. My life is dictated by the lunar cycles, sleep cycles, and my stomach. You can make plans for
certain time of the day, but seeing as everyone is dictated by his or her own different set of cycles
(rather than a clock) don’t expect anything to be on time. They call it Thai time. Nothing is ever when
or how you expected it. I think that’s something that helped me realized the best tip for exchange
students (which just so happens to rhyme!) Ahem:
Throw out expectations, live like a Thai, when all else fails, ไมเปนไร (mai pen rai!)
/ Dana
Turkey – D2440
Perry Keziah
Leavenworth WA USA
1.5 Months in Turkey
Rotary Rotex Update Fall 2014
Merhaba Everyone! As of now, I have been in my host country for a month and a half, and
though I, as probably every other exchange student out there, am wondering where the time is going,
it's equally hard to believe that I have so much time left in Turkey to grow and learn and live as an
ambassador for the U.S. Every day presents me with something new to learn, whether it's about
Turkish culture, language, or merely a reminder that I'm not as smart as I think I am. But because of
my rough journey to becoming a vital part of my family, school, rotary club, and host country, I think
that I am learning to fear less what people will think of me and say about me, and laughing at myself
has become something I do readily and often.
Coming to Turkey was no doubt a love-at-first-sight experience. Turkey is a country that defies
categorization, which is interesting since most of the world immediately wants to label it European or
Middle Eastern. The first lesson I learned here is that it isn't necessarily either. While it's located in
Central Asia and shares borders with Syria, Iran and Iraq, Turkey has the characteristics of both
Middle Eastern and European countries. The Western half of Turkey, where I live, is very modernized
for the most part, especially in the cities. Walking around the big malls in Bursa, for instance, I could
easily imagine myself in Seattle. However, whenever the call to prayer sounds, which it does five
times a day, I feel as if I'm in a different world. The city I live in, Bursa, is also more conservative, and
you will almost never see a girl walking around in shorts or a sleeveless shirt. Instead, almost everyone
wears pants, and the women, if they are more religious, cover their heads and sometimes wear a full
hijab. Though Turkey is predominantly Muslim (99%), many Turkish people are very secular in their
interpretation of Islamic law and the Koran, while some are very open minded about other religions or
even openly atheistic. Learning about Islam from a Turkish perspective has been one of the most
fascinating parts of being here.
Though probably every exchange student says this about their host country's food, Turkish
cuisine is amazing. The fresh vegetables, the bread, the baklava, everything. I eat everything my host
mom puts in front of me, which is probably not the best idea since it's starting to show, and I've
discovered that when it comes to anything resembling baklava, roasted chestnuts, or Iskender kebab,
my self-control decides to take a vacation. Çay, Turkish tea, is almost equivalent to water here, and it's
totally normal to drink six, eight or even ten glasses a day. It's drunk in small hourglass shaped glasses
however, so it's actually not as crazy as it sounds.
The Turkish traditions that I have experienced
so far have been one of the best things about being
here. Though I missed Ramadan, I did get to fully
experience a five-day Turkish religious festival,
Kurban Bayram (Sacrifice Feast) in which sheep and
lambs are killed to celebrate Abraham's willingness to
sacrifice his son (a story found in both Christian and
Muslim religions). This was a really interesting
holiday, and though most people don't actually kill a
sheep, it's still a part of the festival, and I spotted a
few sheep being whizzed about the city in small cars
to be sacrificed. Terrible, I know, but still interesting!
A few days ago was Republic Day, which is much
like the US Independence day. That day, thousands of
people marched down a main city street, singing and
waving flags and banners. I'd never seen anything like
it. The focus of that day was Atatürk, the founder of
the Republic of Turkey after the fall of the Ottoman Empire and Turkey's constantly celebrated hero.
In every school, workspace, and government building, as well as in many homes, Atatürk's picture
hangs. I really enjoy seeing how much the Turkish people love the leader and founder who pulled them
out of a failed empire and created a new country which looked westward and worked for years to
become the quite modern country that it is today. Now, though, this is a subject with a lot of tension
tied to it, because Turkey currently has a conservative Islamic government which is trying to bring the
country under stricter religious law. Many see this as going backwards and undoing what Atatürk did,
so government popularity is very low in the western part of Turkey, especially. There is tension all
over Turkey at the moment, and though it's not really noticeable at first, it becomes more obvious
when you combine the riots over the last few years, warfare on the eastern and southeaster border with
Syria, the thousands of Syrians immigrating to Turkey, and general dislike of the current government
by many Turkish people. Still though, normal life remains normal, thankfully, even though the news
shows differently.
Living in Bursa has been great. Whenever I would tell someone at home that I was to be the
only exchange student in a city of 3 million while the fourteen others were together several hours south
of me, they would raise their eyebrows and ask me how I felt about it, which was a great question but
not that easy to answer. Before coming to Turkey, I was a bit worried about how it would be to live so
far away from the rest of the exchange students while they would get to see each other often and form
strong friendships. After a few weeks in Turkey, meeting my family, exploring my city, and
befriending the other exchange students, I know that it is the best situation I could have been thrown
in. First, Bursa is a bustling and active city, which is a different experience for me, coming from a
small town, but I really enjoy it, and especially love taking the metro around. Bursa was the first
capital of the Ottoman Empire, so the city is a fascinating mix of history and modernity. The city is
built right up against mountains called Uludağ, one of which has some of the most famous skiing in
Turkey. Ten minutes to the North is the Sea of Marmara, and only a cheap ferry ticket away is
Istanbul! I have been once to Istanbul with Rotary, but am hoping to go again soon. It is an incredible
city and I want to take advantage of living so close!
My host family is also fantastic. I
have a host mom, who is one of the spunkiest
and most compassionate people I have ever
met, and a host dad, who doesn't speak
English, but still manages to make me laugh
with his practical jokes. I also have a sister,
who lives only a block away with her
husband, and a brother, who lives at home
and works at the family factory with my host
dad and sister. Though I wasn't sure what to
expect from my life at home, I instantly
loved my host family and almost
immediately fell into an easy rhythm with
them. It's weird being the youngest of the
family, but I've found that I actually like it,
despite the teasing I get and the pranks that I have to constantly be ready for. :)
Going to school in Turkey has definitely been something new. Besides having a uniform that I
need to wear every day, there are many other rules that schools in the U.S. don't have. I've come to like
it though, and the school has been very welcoming to me. I'm on track to be on the alpine ski team for
the school (never expected to do that in Turkey!) and I have two different presentations for the 12th
grade classes coming up. I'm the first exchange student the school has had, so I sometimes feel like
Nemo: "you're from the OCEAN?" Also, I desperately hope that I'm not the only one who is asked
constantly if I've seen the Vampire Diaries. I get this question almost every day. I'm in the language
track of school, so I get to take literature, geography, history, and German as well as English. I've been
able to help the students a lot with their English, which makes me feel less like a useless arm, and
really has helped me to form friendships with the students in my class. German is pretty much the only
class I understand, which somewhat makes up for all the frustration I feel in not understanding
anything else. Turkish is coming easier for me now that I'm less afraid to make mistakes, but I often
get impatient and frustrated that I can't understand what's happening or have to shrug, smile, and say
"bilmiyorum." Regardless, I've gotten somewhat used to it, and my school friends have helped me out
a lot with the language. Now I'm just watching my English grammar go slowly down the drain.
Not everything has been great; I still miss my family and hometown a lot from time to time,
and though I got used to Turkish culture early on, my main challenge is finding my place in it and truly
understanding it. I still bumble my way around a lot, becoming flustered when encountering something
new or unexpected, whether language or
customs. I know the hardest parts of
exchange are still to come, but for now, I'm
enjoying the experience of learning how to
live in Turkey. Thank you, Rotary, for this
incredibly beautiful and challenging
experience - I am loving my time here and
don't ever want to forget that you all are the
reason I'm in Turkey. Çok Teşekkür
ederim!
Sevgiyle kalın,
Perry

Rotex Roundup 2014-2015 - Youth Exchange Rotary 5060

Transcription

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