AFS Student Exchange Blog: October 2008 Archives

AFSer Hannah: Diggin' the Countryside in Paraguay

By AFS on October 31, 2008 12:07 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Earlier this week my parents and I went to the Chaco, a place which can vaguely be considered as the countryside of Paraguay. It's about a three-hour drive to my parents' ranch. However, only an hour of this drive is on paved roads. The other two are on this dirt road, swerving through cows and trying to avoid mud puddles that the truck could get stuck in. The other members of my family don't find this very appealing, but I had a smile on my face the whole way. Read more

AFS offers year, semester and summer programs to Paraguay.

Spots still available for Paraguay departing this February 2009. Apply now!

AFSer Josh: Half-Way Through New Zealand Exchange

By AFS on October 29, 2008 1:50 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Oi! I hope everyone is doing well. I apologize again for no blog last week! I was kind of busy and out of the house most of the time. Anyhow, last week was a weird week for me considering my mates and I had to get used to going to school again (haha). I did however enjoy last week a lot because we had to rush through one of our cooking units, which was "hot finger food" so that meant we got to cook everyday of the week except Friday.

Then this past weekend I helped my host mum in her cafe for 3 days because on Monday of this week, we did not have school because it is the National Labour holiday. We were so busy in the cafe it wasn't even funny! It was nice to get busy and have something to do that keeps you on your toes. Read more.

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

AFSer Max: Ping Pong Thailand

By AFS on October 28, 2008 11:17 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

For the past couple of months I have been training hard in the art of Ping Pong and it has finally paid off. I started my official table tennis class yesterday and came away the undefeated class champion. My last opponent was probably the hardest. A short boy of 13 years who could put topspin on the ball like you couldn't believe. I was put into the M1 class which is equivalent to 8th grade in the U.S. because the guys my age are way too good for me but one day I hope to duel them as well. Read more.

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

Spots still available for Thailand departing this April 2009!

AFSer Addie: Life in Spain

By AFS on October 27, 2008 9:28 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

I live in a suburb called Teo, in the province of A Coruna. Its live more in the countryside than in a suburb. Across the street from my house is a corn field, and the nextdoor neighbors have horses, cows, sheep, and chickens. About a twenty minute drive away is Santiago, the capitol of Galicia (pronounced Galithia). Santiago is beautiful. There are two parts of town: the old town and the new town. I prefer the old town. The streets there are made of the same stones as many of the buildings, and are narrow like alleys, and filled with people (but not uncomfortably crowded). Read more.

AFS offers year and summer programs to Spain.

AFSer Jennifer: First Care Package in Denmark

By AFS on October 23, 2008 12:24 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Today I got my first care package. Its really great to get something from time to time. Who doesn't like to get mail?? In honor of the wonderful American holiday of Halloween (okay, so its not American but the way we exploit it, it might as well be one) my box contained some Halloween M&Ms and some Halloween socks. I also received a new bathing suit, which I seriously needed, and some goggles, which I also needed along with some other basic things like the nice shampoo and conditioner that I use back home. Read more.

AFS offers year programs to Denmark.

AFSer Elaine: Planning Adventures in Costa Rica

By AFS on October 20, 2008 11:45 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

I rewarded myself yesterday by spreading my laminated Costa Rican map before me on the teacher's room table during work to plan my future adventures. And oh what adventures they will be!

So far, I`ve been invited to travel to the North to a beach called Playa Ostional where every year, for one week, thousands to turtles come to lay their eggs. My job as a volunteer will be seeing to it that the hatched baby turtles make it to the ocean safely. Read more.

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

AFSer Nic: Photo Update from Russia

By AFS on October 17, 2008 10:46 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

See more photos from Nic in Russia.

AFS offers year and semester programs to Russia.

AFSer Nicole: 'Adventure' Golfing in Germany

By AFS on October 15, 2008 3:16 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Last Thursday I went "Adventure Golfing" with my host sister and a few friends. This was a long waited outing and it was worth all the hype and wait. :) Adventure Golf was putt-putt except more in the woods with creeks and hills. We never really could stay on the green but it didn't matter because it was an adventure! Read more. AFS offers year and semester programs to Germany.

AFSer Paris: 'October Love' in Japan

By AFS on October 14, 2008 2:19 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

The title of this blog is called "October Love" for many reasons. One is because I'm falling in love with my life style here in Japan, my new friends that I'm making, and the country itself. JAPAN is AWESOME. Read more.

AFS offers year, semester and summer programs to Japan. Spots still available for Japan departing this Spring 2009!

AFSer Alyssa: School in Ghana

By AFS on October 13, 2008 2:43 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

There's been so much going on lately! I just finished setting up at Mawuli School, which is a very large, mixed (co-ed) senior secondary school near my house. It's a pretty easy walk to the school gates, but I don't like doing it because of the heat... maybe I'll walk in the morning and take a taxi on the way back. Not that the heat isn't killer in the morning as well. It's just slightly less severe. The school is beautiful. It's old and located, as the Africans say, in the bush. Read more.

AFS offers year, semester and summer programs to Ghana. Spots are still available for Ghana this Spring 2009!

AFSer Geoff: Health Care in Argentina

By AFS on October 10, 2008 11:21 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

The attitude towards making a trip to the doctor is so passive here that my host mom actually suggested that I take a trip to the hospital to see the renovations.This attitude also extends to all specialties of medicine.

I read in a New York Times essay that something like 1/3 of children in Buenos Aires go to see a psychologist on a regular basis, and it's not because they're crazy. I can't say this hasn't worn off on me. I have a bad sunburn on my nose and might just make a trip to the dermatologist after I buy a newspaper...Read more.

AFS offers year, semester and summer programs to Argentina. Spots are still available for Spring 2009 Departures to Argentina!

AFSer Elaine: Helping out in Costa Rica

By AFS on October 9, 2008 10:44 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Really though, life is fantastic here. I am assimilating, learning, growing, laughing and making tons of mistakes every day. Too much has happened in the last week and a half for a normal post, but I`ll run through the basics:

My job has been going really well. As long as the students are still in school (their vacation starts at the end of November), my job has been focused on working with them. I have become known as TEACHER and although I`ve never really been a huge kid fan, I have to admit that when 15 of them run up to me, scrambling for one of the two coveted spots holding my hands, I feel great. Read more.

AFS offers year, semester and summer programs to Costa Rica. Spots are still available for Spring 2009 Departures!

AFSer Caitlin: Iftar Dinner in Istanbul

By AFS on October 8, 2008 2:46 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

On Friday, September 26th, I got to miss school (woo hoo!) and travel to Istanbul for the AFS Istanbul Chaper Iftar Yemegi, or Iftar Dinner. Iftar is the evening meal that breaks the day long fast Muslims observe during Ramadan, the month of fasting (one of the five pillars of Islam). This dinner was planned as a cultural event, and was held for us current AFSers, returnees, prospective AFS students, and all of these peoples families. Read more.

AFS offers year and summer programs to Turkey.

AFSer Amy: First Snow in Iceland

By AFS on October 6, 2008 9:04 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

So guess what, yesterday was only the 2nd of October, and guess what happened, it snowed!! My host family and I were about to sit down for dinner when they told me to look outside, so I was just like "uh what?" and then I looked at the ground and saw a white coating on the deck. And I stepped out from under the roof and there was snow falling! This is sooooo early for snow to start falling... apparently it is common for it to be like this in the West Fjords and Akureyri (both north), but not in Reykjavík (where I am)...This morning I walked to the bus stop in the snow... well, it wasn´t snowing, but nobody shoveled the sidewalks so I walked through snow. It was so beautiful! Iceland looks like what I would think of when I hear the song "Winter Wonderland". Read more.

AFS offers year programs to Iceland.

AFSer Gabe: Turkey Travels

By AFS on October 5, 2008 10:40 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

A lot happened this week- starting with last weekend. Saturday, nothing really happened. But on Sunday, I went with my brother, Ersin, and his two friends- Gözde and Elvin, to the European side, where we saw Galata Tower, which was built by the Genoese in 1348. We saw Taksim Square, the Golden Horn (including all the famous mosques- Suleyman the Magnificent, Saint Sophia and The Blue Mosque , Topkapi Palace and Dolmabahçe Palace, where Atatürk spent his last days.) We only actually went into Galata Tower, the rest we saw from the ferry ride or from Galata Tower. Read more.

AFS offers year and summer programs to Turkey.

AFSer Abby: Election Day in Ecuador

By AFS on October 1, 2008 10:29 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

So yesterday was Election Day in Ecuador. Ever since I got here there have been signs everywhere saying, "Vota no!" or "Si, mil veces, si!" It has also been the big topic of conversation among people. I still don't completely understand it all, even though I had it explained to me about four or five times. Read more.

AFS offers year, semester and summer programs to Ecuador.

October 2008 Archives