AFS Student Exchange Blog: January 2009 Archives

AFSer Kendra: Celebrating New Year's Twice in Italy

By AFS on January 27, 2009 12:47 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

I actually celebrated New Years 2 times this year! How did I do that? Well I had another New Year's party for AFS on January 3rd at the house of a volunteer of AFS. We all rode the train to a city called Iglesias which is like 30 minutes from my house and then we all listened to music and talked. It is so different then our first couple of parties, because we all actually speak Italian now which is so cool. Well, we had pizza for dinner which was really yummy. All of the kids in my chapter were there, plus some volunteers...Read more.

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

AFSer Kallie: Hiking with Monkeys in Panama

By AFS on January 26, 2009 11:49 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

So the day after Santiago, my chapter organized a trip to Isla Grande. We invited other chapters and all together we had about 25 exchange students head out to Isla Grande for 4 days. The island is amazing, it's so beautiful and we had a great time hanging out and exploring it. Lots of time was spent on the beach swimming, we went on a boat tour around the islands, and went on an adventure to look for monkeys...Read more.

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

AFSer Chelsea: AFS Ski Day Reunion in France

By AFS on January 23, 2009 11:01 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Everything is normal with my friends and school. I got my departure date too...July 11 (from Ussel to Paris) and July 12 (from Paris to US), which means I have only 5 months left to go, and that's generally scary. (They'll probably go by faster than I'd like) We had an AFS reunion the weekend of the 18th. We went to Super Lioran, in Cantal (look it up!) and we went skiing! So I have some pretty funny pictures to show. Read more.

AFS offers year and semester programs to France.

AFSer John: Back to School in Germany

By AFS on January 22, 2009 3:21 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

I went back to school last Wednesday and I have been back in school for almost a week and a few days. I got a few grades back the past few days and they haven't been too bad. My grades won't actually start counting until February because that is when the 2nd half of the school year starts. I have been taking tests just to get used to them though.

At the end of the month, we have another 1 week holiday but I'm not sure why. But I'm going with my host family to Austria to ski in the ALPS! I'm so excited. I love skiing and I'm used to doing it every weekend (even if its only at frost) and I really miss it! Read more.

AFS offers year and semester programs to Germany.

AFSer Marianna: India's Annual Camel Festival

By AFS on January 20, 2009 2:07 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Just recently I traveled to Bikaner, Rajasthan for the Annual Camel Festival! During this festival there are many events, including Camel Dancing, Camel Hair Cuts, Camel Dress Competition, Camel milking and Camel Racing! It was almost unbelievable how well people could train their camels so that they were able to accomplish such wonderful things! Read more.

AFS offers year programs to India.

AFSer Martha: Skiing in Austria

By AFS on January 19, 2009 1:49 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

So the second day of skiing went much better than the first. We went to Austria, and again I learned how to manage a new kind of lift I'd never seen. This time it was called "Teller lift". It consisted of a line coming down the lift with a small frisbee like thing attachd at the end, which you stick between your legs and "sit" on. Read more.

AFS offers year and semester programs to Germany.

AFSer Sarah: Burning Dolls in Ecuador

By AFS on January 16, 2009 12:32 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

For New Year's Eve we went to Zamora. I really liked the way they celebrated New Year's. Everyone makes these "Muñecas" called Años Viejos of the bad things from the last year. Then at midnight, everyone lights fire to the big dolls in the streets or on the roofs (burning the bad things of the old year to make way for the new).

I´m getting along really well with my host mom now. Back in Piñas, school is almost over. it´s our last week. My friends are great. my closest friends are: Gabi, Monica, Fabiola and Anabel. They're goofy. Then of course the exchange students are great too. :) I really really love that the group of exchange students in my town are so close, like a second family. they´re all really great, like a big second family (AFS family) Read more.

AFS offers year, semester and summer programs to Ecuador.

AFSer Amy: School in Iceland

By AFS on January 15, 2009 2:10 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Okay so I just figured I would update and say about starting school again. I began on the wednesday the 7th. My classes this semester are líffræði (biology), sálfræði (psychology), íslenska (icelandic), stærðfræði (math), stjörnufræði (astronomy), and félagsfræði (sociology). I´m in the same school (Menntaskólinn Í Kópavogi, or just MK as we call it) with the same teachers and same students, but it is definitely different now. I have always loved school here in Iceland, but last semester I was treated more as a temporary guest and this semester I am treated more like I am just like everyone else. Read more.

AFS offers year programs to Iceland.

AFSer Andy: Christmas and Camping in New Zealand

By AFS on January 14, 2009 5:35 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

I've been in the Coromandel Peninsula area for 9 days or so recently, camping with some of my family's friends at Fletcher Bay, and later at Waikawau Bay. It was quite an interesting trip, with 3-hour walks, rock-hopping, wave bodysurfing, and a whole lot of bug bites. I might as well tell you about Christmas first. Read more.

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

AFSer Jennifer: Learning to Drink Coffee in Denmark

By AFS on January 12, 2009 10:55 AM | 1 Comment | No TrackBacks

The AFS year program to Denmark offers every participating student 334 days to discover another way of living. Along the way, though, something happens. Before you know, you can honestly say that you have friends from more than 10 different countries spread out all over the world, you've done some things never before would you have done, eaten things you don't even know the name of, and officially know how to make the most out of 100 kr. (20 bucks).

Now where did all of that come from, you might be wondering? Well, to be frank, over a cup of coffee. Read more.

AFS offers year programs to Denmark.

AFSer Patrick: 5 Months in Hong Kong

By AFS on January 11, 2009 1:40 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Happy New Years everyone.

Life here keeps rolling inexorably forward. It's the 11th and we are drawing closer to the half way point. On the 23rd i'll have been here for 5 months.

After being here for 5 months i really feel like i'm starting to get to know the city a bit better. I know my neighborhood much better than I did a month ago (thanks to the copious amount of time off I've had) I've gotten better acquainted with Causeway Bay and Wan Chai.

A change has come over me recently, I find my self thinking not about what food and things i'm missing in America but what food and things from Hong Kong i won't be able to find once I've come back. Read more.

AFS offers year programs to Hong Kong.

AFSer Katie: Talking about Home without Feeling Homesick

By AFS on January 8, 2009 2:56 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

i have started thinking about home-- and telling people about things other than the weather (because people want to hear-- i used to feel silly being like "oh at home we..." because I'm here to experience Germany, not ramble on about gym class and maple syrup, but it seems like people want to hear about the way things are in the us) without feeling homesick and it is a good feeling.

i got to talk to my best friend for a whole two hours and i learned for geography and it is almost the weekend. Read more.

AFS offers year and semester programs to Germany.

AFSer Veronica: Hungarian 'Good Luck' Food

By AFS on January 7, 2009 10:31 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

I thought that a good way to start the new year would be to share the traditional recipe for a Hungarian 'good luck' food, so here it is!

Magyar Lencse

Hungarian Lentils
-Let the lentils soak in water for one day
-Heat oil and fry onions in it
-Put the lentils in the onions
-Cover the lentils with water
-Put in salt, LOTS of minced garlic, and mustard sauce in to taste
-Cook for an hour or until the lentils are done
-Make a flour, milk, and/or cream sauce (roux)
-When the lentils are done put in the sauce
-Eat Hot!

Read more.

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

AFSer Francine: A New Year in Denmark

By AFS on January 6, 2009 9:08 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

I can't believe we're in 2009 now! 2008 just flew by! And in Denmark, they ring in the new year with a BANG! Literally...

See more.

AFS offers year programs to Denmark.

AFSer Marianna: Indian Weddings

By AFS on January 5, 2009 8:56 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

This first picture is of the Bride! The bride always wears red, it is basically a "mandatory color." Also, if you can see her hands and wrists you will notice that she is wearing many many bangles and ornaments on her hands and fingers!

During a Gujarati ceremony the Bride and Groom will walk around a small fire, each of the seven rounds they take mean a different thing.

These are the feet of the Bride. The Bride will have Mehendi on her feet/legs and arms/hands. It is very beautiful! There are Piles being placed around her ankles right now, it is a traditional ornament that many women wear. Also, children will wear them until they are about 6 years of age.

Read more.

AFS offers year programs to India.

January 2009 Archives