AFS Student Exchange Blog: September 2009 Archives

AFS Exchange Student Seth: Travelling 'Round Ecuador

By AFS on September 30, 2009 4:25 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

My brother, Paco, and I have done some nice traveling in an attempt to occupy our time before school starts. We just got back from Cuenca. Cuenca is located in the southern part of the country. We took a bus down there which was far from comfortable. It took about 6 hours to get there. The drive is beautiful though. You know those car commercials you see where a car is smoothly winding around a bend and when you look out there is nothing but mountains and the open road? That's the ride to Cuenca. Read more.

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

AFS Exchange Student Michael: Going Underground in Germany

By AFS on September 29, 2009 3:58 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

We left early Monday morning and traveled first to the Rammelsberg Mine in Goslar. Although now inactive, Rammelsberg was an active mine for over 1000 years and over 30 million tons of dirt was removed in search for copper, zinc and other assorted metals and minerals. The highlight of the tour was the three underground water wheels which powered the mining machinery before the introduction of steam. Each was constructed above ground, tested, taken apart and reconstructed under ground. Read more.

AFS offers year and semester programs to Germany.

AFS Exchange Student Tim: My Host Sister's Birthday Breakfast

By AFS on September 28, 2009 9:18 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Well anyway. Today was Mimi's birthday- she turned six. In the morning we had a big breakfast, and then she opened some gifts- she got a cool new bike! She also got some fun clothes for her babydoll and some bike stuff. I left around 11 to go see my bigband- they were playing in the square by the Rathaus, or the City Hall. This is the first time I've gotten to hear them play, aside from the one rehearsal I've been to so far. I was really impressed, they're very good. It's like Lexington High Jazz Ensemble, but older. That was fun. I also ate some delicious nuts. They were delicious. Read more.

AFS offers year and semester programs to Germany.

AFS Exchange Student Dallas: Mexican Independence Day!

By AFS on September 24, 2009 10:56 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

TODAY IS INDEPENDENCE DAY!! WOO! First, my host dad and I went downtown to the parade that was going on. I took photos of some of the parade, it was cool, VERY long so we didn't stay for the whole thing. Then we came back home and stayed here for a while, then we went to Chapala, it's a small town, but it is VERY pretty! Many retired Americans live there! I've enjoyed the day because I had no school today and saw a parade, and went to Chapala! Sounds like a good day to me! I have taken pictures but won't post them until my computer is up and running, but as soon as I get them posted, I will let you know!! THANKS FOR READING! Read more.

AFS offers semester programs to Mexico.

AFS Exchange Student Clara: Taking a Weekend Excursion with her Host Family in India

By AFS on September 17, 2009 11:04 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

My family went on a weekend trip to Jaipur about a month ago. i had been planing t devote a blog just to that, but i guess i never really got around to it. We took a night bus to get there and left at about midnight or so. the traffic was absolutely crazy on our way out of Delhi, it was independence day weekend, so everyone was either coming into the city, or leaving it. The bus was really cool, literally. Read more.

AFS offers year programs to India.

AFS Exchange Student Tim: My German Room

By AFS on September 15, 2009 10:08 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Hallo! I've been in my new home for several days now, and I'm very happy here. Germany is very beautiful- everything is so open and bright and green. Today it rained, but even then it was pretty- after the rain the skies opened up and there was a perfect rainbow. Read more.

AFS offers year and semester programs to Germany.

AFS Exchange Student Michael: 30 Hours to Meet my Host Family

By AFS on September 14, 2009 9:45 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

View From Andover to Hanover in a larger map

When we arrived in Frankfurt, a horde of AFS Germany volunteers met us and quickly and efficiently directed us each to our connecting train. They had plenty of food and drink for us and you could tell that they have done this before. I took the ICE to Hanover and after 30 hours of non-stop travel met my host family! Check out my feeble attempt to map my journey. Read more.

AFS offers year and semester programs to Germany

AFS Exchange Student Kayla: First Exciting (and nervous!) Steps in Spain

By AFS on September 11, 2009 4:51 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Hola! So this will officially be my first post in the beautiful land of Catalunya, Spain. Words can't even begin to describe how blessed I have been with a wonderfully loving and welcoming family, beautiful town to live in and the warmth from everyone I have met in this amazing country I will call my home for a year! Read more.

AFS offers year and summer programs to Spain.

AFS Exchange Student Amber: The Basic Rules of a Turkish Breakfast

By AFS on September 9, 2009 4:34 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

As I have mentioned before, my Anne is a very good cook. The food here is wonderful!! So tasty. Our eating schedule is a little different than most in Turkey, I think though. Since my family does not practice the Muslim religion, we eat during sunlight. Usually, we wake up at elevenish. Then anne prepares the food while I take all the food to the porch where we eat.

The same goes with dinner, which is eaten at about eightish. I am rarely allowed to help in the cooking or cleaning, although everyday I say multiple times 'Yardim istiyor musun?' (do you want any help?) Breakfast is the most different from America. These are basic rules for a Turkish breakfast...Read more.

AFS offers year programs to the Turkey.

AFS Exchange Student Hannelyn: Observations after One Week in the Dominican Republic

By AFS on September 8, 2009 4:23 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Weather
It was always really cloudy on one side and then the clouds would end in a perfect line and it would be super sunny on the other side. The weather was nice because it was hot but not humid. It was only really hot if you were standing right under the sun. At night time it was really fresh especially with the ocean breeze.

Animals
There were wild turkeys and peacocks in my community just strolling around. The turkeys would cock-a-doodle around 7am. There are stray dogs everywhere. It was not uncommon to see one on the side of the road. It was possible to see cows and horses in nearby farms, as well as just horses pulling carts, or just horses in the fields. Read more.

AFS offers year programs to the Dominican Republic.

AFS Exchange Student Emily: Calling Home for the First Time in Chile

By AFS on September 4, 2009 1:37 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Yesterday I called home for the first time! There is a prominent store on the main street where you can make phone calls and use internet for a set price. The Pipi calls home to Italy from there... I'd known about it but never really considered calling home, as I didn't exactly know how it operated. Yesterday after school I was walking with Pedro (looking for shoes for Cueca) and thought, why not? Turns out it's super super cheap: It was only 750 pesos (the equivalent of a dollar fifty) to talk for a little more than five minutes, which is enough for me. It was really strange to hear such perfect and familiar English! Read more.

AFS offers year, semester and summer programs to Chile.

AFS Exchange Student Jasmine: Dreaming about Germany

By AFS on September 3, 2009 2:31 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

So last night I had a dream that I was at the airport about to get on the plane when my mom tells me that I'm not going to Germany; instead she's booked me a flight to Walla-Walla. She said that it's closer to home (not by much, but it is in the same country) and since nobody actually knows where it is they'll still be just as impressed. Read more.

AFS offers year and semester programs to the Germany.

AFS Exchange Student Patrick: Things I like about the Netherlands

By AFS on September 2, 2009 2:35 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

I guess this goes with sweet food but I love Diksap. I know it's called syrup or whatever syrup is in Dutch but our bottles say Diksap and I'm 12 years old and think it's hilarious. Either way, Diksap or syrup...is a fruit flavored syrup that you pour in the bottom of your cups and then put in normal water, mineraalwater, or whatever, and it makes it delicious! I guess it's similar to grenadine but they have more flavors. Like appel-zwarte bes (apple blackberry). Read more.

AFS offers year programs to the Netherlands.

AFS Exchange Student Claire: My German Class

By AFS on September 1, 2009 9:35 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

See more.

AFS offers year and semester programs to Germany.

September 2009 Archives