Sam D - 4th month in Steamboat

Hi everybody!

Here is my first article on that blog so I hope you'll enjoy it!
First of all, I want to say thank you to all of you to give me this opportunity, I couldn't be more greatful!
A lot of things happened in for months so I'm gonna try to go over most of the great things I had the chance to do.
The first month I spent here, I did a lot of hiking with Gareth Mensing, I've been on mountain Zirkel,
Hahn's peak, pearl lake, etc.

We had a great time doing all of this!
After that, I went to the Rotary Inbound orientation camp in Douglas, I had the chance to meet a lot of great people from all around the world and created great friendship with a lot of them. The trip to douglas was very interesting because Mike took me in his little plane to laramie an tought me how to "pretty much" fly it, That was so cool!

Next month, it was Homecoming week, we made a lot of great activities an I had a great time. The next weekend, My second host family, the rabesa's, took me to fruita to do some mountain biking, it was amazing!

Not long after that, I went to denver with the mensing's, I loved it, Denver is a great city! A special event was happening on that weekend. A thousand of zombies invaded the 16'th street to walk and scare people, it was crazy, some of the dressed up people were just terrifying!

Halloween is definitly bigger than in Belgium, I had a great time walking in the street with my friends and see everybody dressed up. I was dressed up as the mad hatter from Alice in wonderland.
With me, I had a little worm named Carmelo, he did a great job!

For Thanksgiving, we went to Santa Fe, this was a blast! I met my best friend from Belgium who is doing an exchange in Los Alamos, it was so much fun, we have seen some beautiful backgrounds!

Not long after that, I moved to my second house with the Rabesa's. I also started snowboarding. I'm already addicted!!! I just love the snow!

As a conclusion, I will just say that I am having the time of my life! Thank you so much!
Sam Dossogne

Nissa Parker - 2 Months!

Ciao a tutti,

Today marks 2 months since I first arrived in Italy, and a lot has happened since then. I've gotten very close with the other Cremona exchange students, befriended my classmates, met almost all of the exchange students in Italy, become proficient in Italian, and I am having the best time through all of it. I won't pretend there aren't challenges--going to Italian school, breaking cultural barriers, living with a family that isn't mine--but the benefits and successes far outweigh the challenges, and I am figuring out how to deal with problems as I go.

On a typical day, I wake up around 7:00, bike to school by 8:00, spend 5 hours in classes that I barely understand, go home at 1:00, eat lunch, and then figure out what to do with the rest of my day. Most of the Italians study for the afternoon, so hanging out with my classmates during the week is difficult. Many afternoons I will spend at a café, park, or gym with other exchange students. I'm enrolled in an orchestra, but otherwise not involved in other extra-curricular activities. I am going to start teaching English at the school where my host mother teaches, so I am excited for that.

Back in September all of the exchange students in Italy (minus Sicily) met up in a small village called Fognano, near Ravenna, in the state of Emilia-Romagna. You know life is sweet when you're having the time of your life with over 100 other exchange students from all over the world.

The meeting took place at a convent, where we slept for two nights. If you want to picture what this region of Italy looks like, you should picture what you see on postcards and in movies--green rolling hills covered in vineyards, dappled with old terra cotta churches and cobblestone streets. So beautiful. During the day we had presentations by Rotary, organized activities like hiking in the nearby hills, and lots of free time to meet all of the exchange students. It was so much fun. The community of RYE kids is so strong and so open, because what are we here for if not to make connections? 

I am loving Italy so far. People are friendly, the food is great (hello extra kilos), the architecture is magnificent, and the language is beautiful. There are times when I can hear someone playing violin in the street, while I'm walking through the city center, and I think to myself, "my life is a movie." No matter what challenges I have, those moments remind me of why I'm here and how lucky I am. My Italian acquaintances are becoming friendlier around me, my language skills are coming along nicely, and I think I'm doing a decent job at assimilating into the Cremonese world. I am having so much fun and I am learning so much. One thing that living abroad has done for me is giving me a better perspective on where I come from--Italy isn't perfect, the U.S. isn't perfect, but they both have things to be proud of and appreciated. It's becoming more apparent to me that every country has its issues, but we can't focus on negativity if we want anything to change. 

As far as school, I think I am quite lucky that I don't need credits for back home, having already graduated. I am trying to keep up in my classes, but I won't pretend that I can actually follow physics in Italian. I go to the scientific school in Cremona, which is one of the hardest disciplines in Italian high school. My Italian is getting pretty decent, but these classes are hard for the Italian students--a lot of it goes right over my head. School is so very different from back home--here, the teacher talks with little-to-know visual aid while the class frantically scribbles notes. Every couple of weeks or so, they'll have a "verifica" or "interrogazione". The former is a two-or-so hour written test and the latter basically amounts to an oral test. It's common that they don't have nightly homework, but spend their afternoons studying and memorizing their notes and textbooks. When I tried to explain that in the U.S., we write papers and do research projects, my Italian friends were simply confused as to why we would do such things. I got to make a presentation about Steamboat, LWS, and my life to my classmates (other weird thing--I only have one group of 24 kids who I spend the entire school day with), and I really enjoyed getting to share the Steamboat way of life. 

To wrap things up, I'd like to thank you for reading this blog, and I'd like to thank Rotary a billion times over for this experience. I can't think of any other way I'd rather be spending this year. I will try to keep updating as interesting things happen, so stay tuned! 

A presto,

Nissa

Nissa Parker - Inbound Orientation

Hello all,

This weekend we had our Inbound Orientation in Brescia, a large city about 30-45 minutes from Cremona. We toured the main squares where I saw this biker convention:

This cathedral:

And this Corinthian temple:

We then went to lunch and had a five-course meal at a very nice hotel. After lunch, we proceeded to a meeting where the first order of business was to stand for the national anthem of every country represented, including Australia, Argentina, Germany, Belgium, the United States, Canada, Mexico, Taiwan, and Finland. It was then that I started to feel the spirit of RYE--we gather from all corners of the globe to accomplish one goal, and that is mutual understanding and respect for every culture. After that, we all formally introduced ourselves to the other exchange students and to members of the District. Giorgio Giambiasi, the District Chair, then presented on rules and expectations as exchange students. 

Here are some friends I met that day. From the right: me, Alex from Florida, Ben from Canada, Yelin from Germany, and Camille from Belgium.

These are all of the exchange students in District 2050. All amazing people, I think. 

Yesterday some of the Cremona exchange students and I climbed the clock tower in Piazza del Duomo. It's the tallest brick building in Europe and shows time, date, lunar phase, and astrological phase. It was a fun way to hang out and get to know the other exchange students. 

We start school on Thursday, which I think will be interesting. I think my Italian is getting better because I am understanding more and responses are coming quicker. The Cremona exchange students all speak English and we will be at the same school, so I think that will be very fun, but I also need to focus on learning Italian and not just speaking English.

Otherwise, I'm doing great and I'm loving Cremona. Everything is awesome and beautiful and I'm so grateful to be here.

Peace and Love,

Nissa

Hope Nelson's Video of her France Rotary Exchange Experience

Nissa Parker - Sono qui!

Ciao!

I made it safely to Cremona last night after a long two days of travel. The flight from Denver to London was very long, but I managed to sleep for most of it. London Heathrow is a crazy, huge, scary airport but this isn't the first time I've gone through there alone. London to Milano is only two hours, but I slept for most of that flight, too. My host father, Fausto, and host sister, Caterina, met me at the airport and we drove the two hours to Cremona. The descent into Milano by air is beautiful--you can see the Alps in all of their glory and there are a bunch of little towns nestled in the valleys, just like Steamboat.

I took this photo out of the plane, but it doesn't do the actual landscape justice.

When I touched down in Milano, I realized how little Italian I know. I've been studying on my own very hard but I have a long way to go. It's a very humbling experience to barely be able to communicate without English. My host sister and host mother speak beautiful English, but I know that can be a trap when I'm trying to learn Italian. I will need to buckle down and force myself to speak Italian. 

From what I can tell out of the windows of our house, Cremona is beautiful. It's a nice sunny day and  the sounds of the city are clear through the open windows. Unfortunately, I have no idea where any of my host family is right now, so I'm sitting in the kitchen alone, blogging. I know I got up late, but I was just so tired. I don't feel great because of jet lag, but I'm sure I'll get over that soon. 

I start school at a science high school on September 12th, and I'm pretty nervous about that. I know there are a bunch of other exchange students at my school, though, so that will be fun. We have an orientation in Brescia (I think) on Sunday the 8th, and I'm looking forward to meeting all of the exchange students in my district. Otherwise, I have no more news but I will update once I do.

Peace and Love,

Nissa

Nissa Parker - Ciao!

Hi everyone!

My name is Nissa Parker and I am headed off to Cremona, Italy for the 2013-2014 Rotary Youth Exchange. I swear, if Disney had to make a set for the perfect little Italian town, they would build a copy of Cremona. Cremona is also the violin capital of the world, being the home of the famous families Guarneri, Amati, and Stradivari. I am so excited because I'm a cellist, and guess what? My first host father is a violin maker! He's arranging a cello for me so that I can play while I'm there, thank goodness!

I have been working hard on my Italian, but in all reality, I know next to nothing! I have studied Spanish my whole life and now am practically fluent, so it feels weird to be going back to the basics of learning a language like greetings, counting, and easy conjugation. However, Italian and Spanish are very similar so I'm hoping that will help me once I'm in country. I have been chatting with exchange students around the world as well as Rebounds from Steamboat. The most common pieces of advice I've gotten are 1. Learn the language, and 2. Be open to everything. So with that in mind, I've been working hard on the first and mentally preparing myself for the second.

I am so grateful for this opportunity. Thanks so much to the Steamboat Springs Rotary Club and District 5440, as well as to my loving and supportive parents. I am scheduled to leave September 1 and the date is creeping up so fast. I'm excited for the adventure, but nervous about the unknown! Sometimes I think to myself, how was I so crazy to suddenly decide that I wanted to live in a country (where I don't speak the language) without my family for AN ENTIRE YEAR?!?! The enormity of the whole thing is finally dawning on me. This is something that will change who I am and how I think forever. It's even bigger than that, though. Exchanging is about making connections among countries to spread peace and goodwill throughout the world. In Cremona I will have to strip myself of my American ideals and habits to integrate into a community that is completely foreign to me. Not only will I be exposed to Italian world views, but also those of places like Argentina, Sweden, Australia, and Thailand as I connect with the other exchange students in District 2050 Lombardy. I have to do what I can to show Steamboat, Colorado, and the U.S. in the best light possible while simultaneously assimilating myself into a different culture. It will be challenging, but so worth it. The exchange isn't about me, though. It's about ambassadorship, world citizenship, and mutual respect and understanding among cultures, and that is what I've made my goal for the coming year.

Peace and Love,
Nissa

The second half of my year in France - Hope Nelson

I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I know it has been FOREVER since I blogged but don't worry! My time has not been wasted! Since December I have done a fair amount of traveling. I did the two bus trips to Spain and around Europe, and was lucky enough to do the second voyage with MALLORY.

Venice, Italy

Milan, Italy

Paris

Amiens, France

I also visited Spain a second time with my host parents and ate lots of TAPAS. We took another trip south to a rotary conference to Biarritz.

Rotary conference in Biarritz



Mallory also wanted to come explore the Bordeaux area so she came to stay with me for a little while.

With Mallory and Host family in Bordeaux

My parents also came for a week long tour of France which was amazing but being a translator is not easy! That is brain gymnastics! I showed them where I lived and a nearby zoo as well as le Dordogne, les châteaux de la Loir, Normandy, Mont Sainte Michel and more.


 

With my family in front of the the Château of Chenonceau

My second host family took my best friend Justin and I to visit the amusement park Futuroscope.


With Justin at Futuroscope



After the second bus trip I spent a weekend up north in Lille with my girl Mal and some other close exchange student friends . Afterwards I spent a weekend at La Rochelle and put on a show with the other exchange students in my district. Then I rejoined my second host family for a petit tour of champagne country! Pas mal non?

Champagne anyone?

With my host mom Elisabeth Tapon



Most recently, my French friends had “le bac” which are the academic qualification tests needed to pursue University studies. Last weekend, I had my 17th birthday with my exchange student friends -- which was AMAZING. We danced, played tennis, and played in the pool. They sang happy birthday in French, English, Spanish, Swedish, Norwegian, and there must have been five happy birthday songs in Portuguese because the Brazilians never stopped singing!

My birthday gathering



My birthday was our last time being all together. I have been SO lucky to be with this group, they are truly some of the most special, caring, and generous people I have ever met. They have become my family. Simply, they are the people who you call crying on the phone when you think you cant handle it, this, the exchange. When your parents and friends don't understand what it is to be in a completely different culture, speaking in a different language, and living with people you don't know, there is always an exchange student who can say "I'm right there with you". They were with me for the hardest year of my life. That is irreplaceable, and I cant thank them enough. It seems so depressive that I may never be swept into another Mexican salsa, or have another Portuguese lesson from a table of Brazilians. Where will I look when I want different ideas, a fresh perspective on food, music, family, love, or just...life? Maybe there is another exchange for me in the future... South America? ;) Mallory, you want to come with? Maybe Kestral can give us a tour of Brazil?

Adios!

Kestral Johnston - District Conference

Since October last year, I have thought about doing a project here in Brazil. I never quite found anything that really worked though. Unlike our club at home, my rotary club doesn't really do much, and there weren't very many opportunities to help out. One day, I decided to start making paper cranes in order to give as presents during the holiday season in December. I thought maybe I could make a project out of the paper cranes, but then I went traveling and forgot about it for about a month. When I returned, I still wanted to do something. One of my friends that was in India at the time told me about her idea to make door hangers to sell during the Rotary district conference in order to raise money for Polio Plus. I then took her idea and started thinking, asking people how I could make this possible. The project snowballed from there, and with the help of my host families, counselor, and host club, I ended up making 48 mobiles and 1000 paper cranes. For those of you who don't know, the paper crane is/was the symbol for the Rotary International President Sakuji Tanaka for the year 2012-2013. It's a symbol of peace.

We're this close! At the conference

Almost all of the mobiles

One I made

Different type

From underneath

Certificate from my Rotary club

 I raised $980 reias or about $490 USD for Polio Plus. It was a great experience and feeling to be able to accomplish this project as well as help out those in need.

District Conference! Italy, USA

Only half of the exchange students in my district.....Rotary Dance

Kestral Johnston - Bem Vindos as Amazonas!

Welcome to the Amazon, one of the places people picture immediatley when you say Brazil. For nine days, I got to experience the wonders of Manaus, Presidente Figuerido, and Rio Negro with over 60 other exchange students. There are no words to describe the beauty I experienced there and the atmosphere I encountered. It was truly an adventure of dreams, and once of a lifetime experience!

I first arrived with half of the group into the capital of the state Amazonas called Manaus. The first night, we exchange students got to watch a practice of the anual Boi festival, Boi Bumba. Each year, there is a festival held where two "bois" or bulls face off: one red, Garantido, and the other blue, Caprichoso. The next day we went on a bus tour of the city to get to know one of the fish markets. After that, we traveled about an hour away to Presidente Figuerido where we hiked through the jungle at night to visit waterfalls. This was absolutely one of the highlights of the trip, to be in the complete darkness of the jungle with only flashlights to see. Then the next six nights, we lived on river boats and slept in hammocks. I got to visit the indigenous in the area, hold a crocodile, a sloth, fish for piranas, swim with pink dolphins, and see some of the most beautiful sunsets in the entire world. I´m so incredibly lucky to have been able to see the things that most people can only dream about.

Boi festival

Fish market

Theater in Manaus

Presidente Figuerido

Presidente Figuerido

Our boats!

Eu amo Brasil <3

Place where Rio Negro meets the Rio Solimoes. The water doesn't mix because of density and composition

One of the prettiest sunsets

Giant lily pads

One of the indigenous tribes we visited

Giant tree

Holding a crocodile :)

Making tapioca

School boat anyone?

Our canoes to travel from our boat to activities

Pirana fishing!

Pink dolphins

SLOTH!

My boat Jacaré