New exchange student

Today, I am writing this post because I know that there are lots of girls and boys interested in doing an exchange. If you know someone please let the person know about all this because it is an awesome year.

I have learnt about a thousand things I had no idea I was going to learn.

I may not say that I did not have really good reason to go in an exchange before coming here, because I really did have a good reason (as learning the language, learning about the Canadian culture and knowing totally new people), but for sure, I have learnt a lot more than just what I thought and I am sure I will be learning more in the next 2 months (even when I am in Argentina).

I have learnt to appreciate my family and friends. I have learnt that languages are really important to be able to communicate with people from all around the world but I think that much more important is being able to feel the other persons feelings with opened heart, so you could reach the other person's heart. I consider that it's a really good point to be able to make good friends, and that's the way to make them.

Now, that I am almost in the end of my exchange the feeling are sometimes really weird because I feel that I am not going to see all this people again all together as now. And if I come some day to visit it's not going to be the same. The feeling it's really different than when I was in Argentina saying goodbye to my family because I knew my family is going to be there and everything is going to be the same when I go back, but leaving here, it's so difficult because I want to get to see my friends that I made here all my life but also, I want to see my family again.

Some time, somehow, things are going to "normal" again... !!!! And I am afraid of that...

My third Host family

I am back on my blog !!

I haven't been writing for a while...

I wanna tell you about my host families. I moved from my second host family, up in West Bench, to my third one (and last one), with Barb and Garry Hoolaeff. They live up the hill on Skaha Lake side. I am having a great time there. I have been hanging out with friends, with my host families and rotarians. Also, I am happy because during all my exchange I've lived up in Summerland with my first host family, Mona and Bill Smythe; up in West Bench with my second host family, Jacinta Ferrary and Cal Micklejohn and my third host family on Skaha Lake side. All the different places let me know a lot about Penticton and also, Summerland.

Now, Barb and Garry are on a trip, just for a few days, so Gordon Herle and his wife are hosting me just until Wednesday I believe.

Anyways, I can say I am glad I am in Penticton, Canada. I am enjoying the warmer weather, but I hope it gets hot before I go back because in Argentina it's going to be winter (not winter as here, but still is winter for me).

I want to thank my hosts families for hosting me... and also to Rotary for EVERYTHING !!!!

I hope some day I can be part of Rotary as a Rotarian and help people as Rotary does, but most than everything help student to go to another country as exchange student, because now that I have the experience, I may say that it's one of the things that makes you grown the best, and one of the best times in your whole life, and something you will never forget.

Video - Coti playing the guitar

YouTube - Despues de ti by Cotii



I was playing guitar in a coffe house. You can watch a video if you press in the link that is on the top that it says "Youtube - Despues de ti by Cotii"

Thanks

Vancouver Island choir trip

Last Wednesday I left Penticton to go to Vancouver Island in a school trip with my choir class and band class. We left at 6.30 am from the school. There were 70 Pen-Hi students and 10 teachers and parents to take care of us.

The first day we went to Port Alberni. On the way, we stop in Princeton and the choir and band did a concert for the secondary school, and then we keep on. We reached Port Alberni in the afternoon, and I got a really funny story about that. When we reached the hotel, I saw a man and I thought: “Oh, that man is really similar to my host dad” and just after that he turned around and said “Hi Coti, I didn’t even know that you were coming to this hotel”. He was there because he always has meetings in Vancouver or Vancouver Islands, but still it was so funny because we never meet in Penticton, but, we met in Port Alberni. That day we just went to have dinner, we went to the hot tub and they just go to bed. The next day we went to a band concert and in the afternoon we went to Long Beach, (I understand the reason of the name, and I agree is really long). The day was kind of cloudy and rainy some times, but anyways we enjoyed a lot, we took our shoes off, and went into the beach to take some pictures. On Friday we moved to Victoria, we went to the cathedral and we sang some songs. It was awesome the difference of singing at school and singing up there, it was just beautiful at the point that we got so excited. We did some shopping in Victoria and then at night we went to the theatre to watch Carmina Burana (choir and ballet dancing). It was really beautiful, you know when you see people with that much talent you want to be like them, but my problem is that choir and dancing is not the best thing I can do, so, I leave it for another people, ha ha. On Saturday, we left Victoria, on the way we stopped in a beautiful place (I actually don’t know the name, but there were lots of old and big trees, it was beautiful too). We reached Penticton at 4.30pm.

It was definitely a great trip, I had lot of fun. Thanks Rotary very much. You always makes things real…

Vancouver trip

Last week I was invited to a trip to Vancouver by Deniss (the president of the morning-Rotary-club of Penticton) and Jean (his wife). They also invited Devu, the exchange student from India from their Rotary Club. So, last wednesday we left here at 10 in the morning to Vancouver. We reached there in the afternoon. We went by ferries to Granvilles Island. We walked up there and qwe had dinner. After that we went back to the hotel. the next day, on thursday, we did shopping in the morning on Robson avenue. In the afternoon we went to Metrotown, we did more shopping, and also, we went to the cinema to watch the movie called "Alice in Wonderland". And we went back to the hotel, where we had dinner. On friday, we woke up, have some breakfast and ww went downtown, we did zipline (it was so much fun), we waited for almost 2 hours for doing that, but finally we did, and it was awesome. We had lunch and went back to the hotel, because at 5.30 we had to go again. We went to the opening ceremony of the paralympic games. It was absolutly awesome. I enjoyed a lot. Lots of people, lots of fun, singing, dancing, shouting, etc. On saturday morning, Devu and I got up early to go to the hot tub and then packing to go back. We had breakfast and we left the hotel. We went to Standley Park, we took lots of pictures and we went to the Lynn Canyon.

After that, we went back to Penticton.

We definitely had a great time.

I want to go back again to Vancouver, it's so much fun, and lots of things to do... (Penticton is also beautiful)

Thanks :D

Coti

Enjoying the first warm days of 2010

PEN-HI

Devu and I

Myself in Apex with the wonderfull view.

Kirsten and I in Apex. We went together to have fun, and a little bit of ski... ha ha

Playing the guitar in Coffe House. I was playing an spanish song called "Después de tí" of Alejandro Lerner .

Exchange Students from Penticton

Misha is outbound is going to go to Italy this summer.
Kelsey is rebound. She went to Brazil.
Daniela is outbound and is going to go to Belgium this summer.
Devu is inbound, from India.
Me, from Argentina

Revelstoke february 2010

There was a Rotary trip on 12th, 13th and 14th to Revelstoke with all the inbounds(people from other countries doing the exchange), outbounds(people that is going to do the exchange ) and rebounds(they already did the exchange and are back in Canada). We arrived there after lunch time. The same day I met with some people that is going to Argentina this year. I was so happy to meet them, and luckily we could meet again in Argentina when I am back. That would be awesome.
On Friday night we played some games, which was so much fun, we learned some songs (the second national anthem, The good old hockey game, ha ha ha). After that we danced and played snowballs-fight. That was great.
I went to bed around 5 in the morning, like lots of other people, even rotarians. On Saturday, after lunch we went for tubing. That was really awesome, so much fun. We took lots of pictures. At night we danced and played snowballs-fight again. Also, we had different groups, so each group made an "acting" which topic was "The Future of Rotary in is your Hands"... it was so funny, we laughed a lot.
I stayed awake until 6 in the morning and I got up at 6.30. We had breakfast and at 8.30 in the morning we were leaving Revelstoke.

January 2010

On January 3rd I moved to my second host family; and on January 4th, classes restarted again, that meant that winter holidays were over and I would not be able to go skiing everyday, and that was pretty sad, but of course, the idea of learn more and more with this experience was growing, and changing families, is a great way to learn about Canadian people. The next weekend was my birthday, and I had a great time.
On January 25th, the Torch (that was on the way to Vancouver) came to Penticton. My host sister, Caitlin, and my host brother, Jasper, were dancing there, so I went in the morning but I stayed there until the afternoon. I was with Devu, my Indian friend (she a Rotary Exchange Student too) and we took lots of pictures, we saw the shows and then, when everything was over, we went to the mall, with another friend to spend some time.
On January, too, I went to a 3D theatre in Kelowna. I was invited by Devu, and her last host family. It was so much fun, and it was awesome.
And, the last weekend of january, I went for skiing with Devu, Marietta (a friend from France, who is a RES too) and a group from Oliver at night. That was really fun, and it was my first time doing "Night Ski". After that, Devu and I went to Oliver to stay overnight in Marietta's host house. Next day, we had breakfast and we had showers and then we went to Corinna's host house (she is a girl from Germany, RES). She was with another friend. we went to Tim Hortons, we rent movies, we went for skate on ice and we had pizza for dinner. We had so much time together. We stayed overnight and on sunday we went back home.
On Monday first second semester started at school. I have French, Fashion Design, Cafeteria, Choir and Guitar.

Second host family

I am completing my third week with my second host family. They live in Penticton, in West Bench. I have a host dad, his name is Cal, short for Calvin, he is Rotarian and he is an architect. My host mom is named Jacinta, she does some out works, but her main work is teaching her own son and daughter, because they do home school. My host sister is Caitlin, she is 17 and she is in grade 11. And, finally, my host brother is 14 and he is in grade 9. They are a vegetarian family, and I am not, what is more, I am definitely a meat lover. But, sometimes when they make food, they add in my dish some meatballs or they but jam to make sandwiches for the lunch. They are really nice, and the food is not actually a problem. I am glad of being with them...

Thanks

Sometimes a person doesn't realize how important are the other people when they are all the time around you, even living with you. That is what I've learned in the last 3 or 4 months. Last September 9th, when I woke up, I opened my eyes and in that moment was when I realized that I was not at home anymore. My family and my friends were not with me anymore to help me or to listen to me when I was in trouble. There I started to feel that I had to trust in new people, that everything was gonna be alright. Time was running faster and faster, so fast that I did not have time to think in the wonderful family I was living with. Almost 4 months passed and I was moving again to a new host family to learn all about the meaning of different ways of living, even ways to eat. There was when I realized again how much the last host family meant to me. I learned a lot from them. I will never forget all the things that they taught me and I pretty sure that I will never forget thing like, DON'T EAT CATS, ARE BAD FOR YOU, or, EATTTT, or PANCHH, POTATO, PUMA, LECHUGA or teaching words in spanish. I enjoyed a lot going to ski with Smythe family, I am so bad at that but they were always there to help me or to give me the skies when they went away... or Vancouver's trip, that was so much fun. I have to say thanks to Bill and Mona too, they helped me with my english every moment and they trusted in me every moment too, also, they taught me about the life. The only thing I have to say is THANK YOU SO MUCH, I appreciate all that you did for me.
Now I think I have to trust again in new people, everything is going to be just fine...

My seventeenth birthday

This year, on January 9th, was my seventeenth birthday. I had a good time. Some friends came over, we played some games, ate some chocolate cake, which by the way is my favourite, pizza with chips and coke. Lots of people that I love called me, and that was really nice. I have to say that I was a little bit upset because my family had not sent me anything, but after some days, I received a present from them, it was late, but it was the best present ever. They sent me lot of stuff like magazines, or letters from different people, pictures, but the most important was a video that they had recorded. Everybody were talking to me; all my family, my grandparents, my cousins, and more people I love, wishing me the best. And at one point, my mom and my aunt were dancing and singing songs. By the way, they were dressing up, it was so funny, and I know that my mother selected the songs very well because that songs have an special meaning for me, they remind me of different moments in my life. That video made me cry a lot. The fact that every time I watch it, it makes me cry is because everybody is telling me that they are proud of me. I think that, that is the best thing that they can tell me...

Friends

The first day at school I was alone because I did not know anybody more that my host sister, Kirsten(16). I was with Mrs. Hunter, she is the ESL teacher, she was helping me. I didn't know what to do. I remember that I was in English class and the teacher told the students that a new student from Argentina was arriving. There was another Rotary Student, named Devu, short for Devanshi. I didn't talk with her at all. That weekend, all the Rotary Exchange Student met in Penticton for an Orientation. There, I knew all the student that then they became my friends. Devu became a really good friend of mine, now, we are always together. Also, I have school friend which make me have a really good time at school hours; and exchange student's friends from everywhere around the world. That is awesome, I had always dreamed in having friends from lots of countries around the world, but now I may say is not a dream anymore.

My first months in Canada

My first months in Canada were awesome. I arrived here on September 8th. Ben, Crystal and part of my first host family were in the airport waiting for me. At first it was difficult, people did not understand me when I was talking, nor I did. Months were running and running so fast. The relationship I was having with my host family, especially with my host sisters, was better and better everyday. We went for walks together, even if the temperature was really low (at least very low for me) or even snowing. We had a really good time. We went to Vancouver city and we went to do skiing and snowboarding. Christmas was really good. In Christmas Eve I went to have dinner with Ben and his family, which it was fun. The next morning, I was sleeping when Mia and Joelle (12 and 14) went to my bedroom to wake me up to open the presents up. The tree was full with presents. I received lot of stuff, like speakers for my i-pod or a hockey jersey with my last name in the back.
Time was running a little bit more and I had to switch host families. On January 3rd I switched my host family. My second host family is nice. I have lots of thing to learn from them.