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.