September 2008 Archives

It was a good weekend and then I had to start school again. I am not so afraid of going to school anymore, if I make a mistake then I just ask and try to figure out what is going on, there is no point in stressing out about grades, when grades have no difference in my life right now. I am here to learn so much more then what they teach in class.

-In addition I would like to say that I am now taking language classes at the local language center and will start tonight at 6 until 8:10. I will have this class 2 times a week every monday and wednesday. Read more.

AFS offers year programs to Denmark.

My mamma, me, Sara (more about her later), Ele, and Claudio all went to the school so that I could meet the principal and my "tutor" the lady to help me at school if I have any problems with classes and such. Then on Monday September 15, 2008 (15/9/2008) I went for my first day of my Italian school. Me and Ele woke up a little early that morning so we were ready a long time before we had to be up. We waited at the house for Sara to arrive so that she could introduce me to my class. I went in the school with my whole family (well Ele and Claudio) and Sara introduced me to my new class that I would have in Italy for a year. It was really small and almost all girls I noticed. There are only about 13 kids in my class including me. The class was really nice to me. I really like them. Read more.

AFS offers year, semester, and summer programs to Italy.

Everything is going well here in Buenos Aires. The weather has been warm, I was in a t-shirt today. It's supposed to be very hot and humid in the summer in Bs. As. I watched Caiga Quien Caiga this evening, which is like a longer version of The Daily Show (with Jon Stewart). I bought some more pastries today, they were delicious. I am still taking my Spanish classes this week, next week I should start my uni classes here, and I've already started my Data Analysis class with no problems. Read more.

AFS offers year, semester and summer programs to Argentina.

The place that I call home is a tiny town filled with red roofed houses and odd one way streets that aren't actually one way. I live very close to a big city, though, reachable by public transport (about forty minutes away, 20 driving).

Each morning, I go with my host-sister Doerte to the Gymnasium. from there, I ride the strassbahn into the city. I walk through cobbled streets of a city that has yet to wake up: workers in paper booties reset store mannequins and men in orange suits sweep the streets. It is cold and the sky is gray. Read more.

AFS offers year and semester programs to Germany.

On Tuesday after school we had a study group. My grade is divided into two classes, and the classes are divided into groups..I haven´t figured out how the groups are divided yet..But anyways, we met at one of our friend´s houses and did some homework, and then afterwards we went to this club meeting. The club was this group of teens who holds parties and movies to raise money for food for children in need. The meeting was fun I guess but i didn´t really understand what people were saying. I think they were planning to have a movie night at one of the schools. Wednesday after school I met up with Felix and Till, the two exchange students from Germany who live in my town. Read more.

AFS offers year programs to the Dominican Republic

So after flying for about an hour we landed in Nagoya! IT was so cool but I was too tired to care I was in Japan until I saw all the neat signs! I took pictures but we:re about to eat so I:ll post later. ANd sorry if there:s any errors it`s hard to use a japanese keyboard...So anyway we took a Japanese style bath before bed which is a whole story in it`s own believe me then headed to bed on futons. WAking up in Japan felt so surreal! I loved it but then the orientation bored me to death and I kind of didn`t care about anything but sleep until I met my host family.

My sister Mika was very cool and we communicated slowly but it still was very fun. My mother also tries very hard to speak to me too and she`s taught me a lot. I love them all and I especially love how they`ve treated me. It was the first day and I already feel like we`re family.Read more.

AFS offers year, semester and summer programs to Japan.

Learn about scholarship opportunities to Japan.

At the end of the camp on Sunday, we got the chance to do the Flying Fox which, for all who don't know, is where you climb to the top of a platform and hook a snap onto your harness. Then from there, you jump and slide down a wire across meters of the ground until you stop. It was heaps of fun! A funny thing about the camp is that there were about 10 adults running the camp and 4 of those adults had done an exchange program in the USA. Out of those 4, there were 2 that definitely stuck out because they were placed close to where Osseo is located. One was placed in Duluth, Minn. and one was placed in RACINE, Wisconsin. We had a good long talk and they had both have seen their host parents over 5 times since they had went back to New Zealand.

Overall, the camp was very fun because you don't just learn about yourself, and the Maori Culture but you also learn to understand other countries and best of all, MEET NEW FRIENDS. After this past weekend at camp, I am certain that I have made friendships that will last a lifetime. Read more.

AFS offers year, semester, and summer programs to New Zealand.

This past weekend, I had AFS orientation. I met new friends, and had a blast. But the fun didn't stop there. Tuesday night, I went to an official Paraguay soccer game--PY vs. Venezuela--and had tons of fun. I'm not much of a soccer fan, but the energetic atmosphere that was present en "La Cancha" I just couldn't resist. Read more

AFS offers year, semester and summer programs to Paraguay.

In this picture, to the left is Mrs. Hattori, to the right is Mr. Hattori, myself in the center, and my host mother and sister in the back. Me and a picture of Yoshi in the background.

There really is no limit to all the lessons I can learn here in Japan. My heart and mind remain open.... Read more.

AFS offers year, semester and summer programs to Japan.

Learn more about scholarship opportunities to Japan.

This is so incredibly bizarre. And it's absolutely amazing. I have no money right now, so I'm living by AFS right now. They've been providing food and such. At the hostel, it's me and three other people from the United States (who accompanied me from Newark to London to Accra), five people from Belgium (two of whom are Flemish, the other three are extremely French), and one girl from Sweden. We've all learned a little Twi and have all recieved new names according to the day of the week on which we were born and my name is Asokua, because I was born on Sunday. It's really awesome. I love it. Read more.

AFS offers year, semester and summer programs to Ghana.

The days have been passing by...and they seem a lot longer here. Everyone wakes up at 6 or 7 for school (which I 'll talk a bit more about later), eat lunch around 12, 13h00, then eats dinner around 21h00, then goes to bed. They're house is beautiful... and everyone has been really nice to me, even though my french really isn't what I expected and I don't understand much at all. When I think about it, it's really the little things that make France so...awesome. I am in love with it here. Read more.

AFS offers year and semester programs to France.

We set out on the five-hour car ride to el sur. I tried my best get into the first chapters of Malcom X, but the view was completely unbelievable. We sped up out of the valley into the mountains and once we broke out of the clouds, I saw the most beautiful vista of my life. It occured to me that if the Alps were baked potatoes, the central range of Costa Rica would be steaming garlic buttered mashed potatoes... don´t try to read into that, it just popped into my head (potato metaphor... oh yeah, that´ll look great in the blog.) Read more.

AFS offers year, semester and summer programs to Costa Rica.

Bjarke took me to Langeland (an island south of Fyn) which is gorgeous! It's so pretty! And I got to go up in this tower (on the right) in a church called Bregninge Church and get a great view and take some nice pictures! And we also saw a castle.. Bjarke says it's called Valdemar Castle. It was pretty cool! Right on the water and you drive through these archways right past the castle when you're driving on this road.. ahh! It's so pretty! I can hardly explain it because it's something I think you can't picture in your head without seeing it for yourself..Read more.

AFS offers year programs to Denmark.

The group of AFS students is diverse... there are kid's from Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Iceland, turkey, Lot's from Italy and Germany, Switzerland, and Australia. They are all very nice people and are a lot of fun to be around tomorrow night we are all getting together for Italian food... (trust the Italians to want to go get Italian food even in Hong Kong) I SAW A MEXICAN RESTAURANT TODAY!!! only one though... i hope i can find it again if i need Mexican food. The food here is soooooo good... i had Hom bow for breakfast and lunch was curry and chicken and rice UMMMMM! Read more.

AFS offers year programs to Hong Kong.