Overseas Exchange Student

In Lander in Wyoming in the USA

August and Late Summer

Well my summer holidays are coming to a close. After all my traveling it was kind of weird coming back to everyday life. But I have still managed to do a bit of traveling. I went to Salt Lake for a weekend and went shopping and ate amazing crepes with my host mum. My host mum’s son Ashton lives in Salt Lake with his girl friend Paula so they showed us around. We snuck into the Olympic stadium and they were going to make me talk if we got caught and say we were all from Australia. I really liked Salt Lake; it’s surrounded by the mountains and kind of surreal.

 Then the following weekend we went to Cheyenne which is the capital of my state Wyoming. There was a carnival going on and we went to go see the comedian Larry the Cable Guy one night. I thought the funniest bit was laughing at the Americans laughing at something that wasn’t in the slightest bit funny. Larry the Cable Guy’s humor is very crude, red neck and patriotic. However I actually found things funny that I wouldn’t have before I lived here.

 Last Wednesday, Bryce from Lander who has spent the past year in Warraknabeal, Victoria did his presentation of his year in Australia at Rotary and it was fantastic. He actually wants to finish college and then move back to Australia.

 Not a lot else has been happening over the last month apart from just hanging out with friends and stuff. I have been helping out with an exhibition that they are doing here on Australia for people with disabilities and my job is to make it as authentic as possible. So that’s kind of cool. I enjoy going and helping out with that.

 On Tuesday I start school again after a very relaxing 3 months off. My subjects are World Affairs, English, Algebra 2, Chemistry, Stained Glass, Pottery 2, and Sculpture. So I am very happy with them although I wish the holidays wouldn’t end.

 This exchange has been THE most amazing experience. I have done so many things that I wouldn’t have living in Geelong and have met some of the nicest people. Before I came to America, I had already judged it by what the media showed of  the government, what my peers, teachers, friends and family talk about and how they view America and the world and by movies and T.V. shows, but very quickly I learnt that Americans aren’t power and money hungry, stupid, selfish people. I love Lander more because of the people than anything; they are very community orientated, generous, friendly, genuine people who I love and will miss greatly when I have to leave because they have become part of my family and I am part of theirs.

 When I walk down the street everyone’s always saying “Hi” to me and I still don’t know everyone’s name as it’s hard to learn everyone’s name in the whole town but they all know mine which is so nice. When I was out for dinner with my host family a few weeks ago, one of the men from the Rotary Club was there and he came over for a chat and mentioned that I’m the best exchange student they have ever had which is nice, but I just think the Club can’t remember all the ones they have hosted.

 Better leave it there and go get some stuff ready for school.

 Emily.

Emily is back in Lander and here's her big report on safari across the States!

Well for the past month I have been traveling around the country. At the start of June I went to the district conference. We were put into groups and then did a skit. I was with Melis from Turkey and Rohit from India and we did a Turkish belly dance. It was sooo much fun. Rohit can't dance so he just went crazy as u can imagine and I learnt the belly dancing really quickly and it turns out I can belly dance. I didn't even know I could dance.

So that was fun then we joined with another district and went on our bus tour. We drove down through Colorado, New Mexico we saw the four corners, Arizona-the Grand Canyon, California-Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco. Vegas was amazing but unfortunately we couldn't go into any clubs because you have to be 21. In Los Angeles we went to the beach. It was soooo funny cause every 1 was like "these waves are huge" - they might have been a foot, might.

We also went to California adventures and Disneyland oh and Hollywood. In San Francisco we went shopping for the day and guess who I met outside the Hard Rock Cafe - Edwina Geddes (another Geelong exchange student) so that was cool. Apparently I've lost a lot of my accent talking normally but when we were chatting nobody could understand us cause our accent came back so that was cool. Then we continued driving through Idaho and Utah where we went to Salt Lake City. And went white water rafting down the Colorado River. I bought so much on the trip and souvenirs and stuff but I thought 1 of the best bits was just hanging out on the bus.

Then as soon as I got off the bus and said good bye to every1 which was soooooooooooooo sad I jumped on a bus to take me to the Denver airport where I then flew out at 12 midnight to Washington d.c. where I met my host mum and sister. We then looked at colleges all the way to New York. We drove a bit each day, hung out, went shopping and stuff. I love the east coast it is soooo pretty and it rained like serious down-pour. Places got evacuated it was soooo much fun. And it was cool cause when we were in New York it didn't rain. We went shopping and to Broadway productions and then we went to see the Statue of Liberty and ground 0 and Wall Street where the market collapse started the depression. It was soooo much fun.

NY is sooooo dirty. There are like splat marks on the ground EVERYWHERE and your like I wonder if that's a spilt soda, vomit, blood, etc. I didn't like walking on them and kept thinking if someone on the other side of the street was watching me walk - cause they obviously couldn't see the marks on the pavement - they probably thought I had gone mad weaving around nothing, leaping for the heck of it.

Then Molly my host mum and I dropped Sara my host sister off at a performing arts school for the summer just outside NY. She is an incredible opera singer and actress. Then we flew back to Denver then home. I spent 1 night in my bed then went to Yellowstone with my host dad and younger sis and went camping and fishing. And saw lots of wild life bears, wolves, otters, then the usual buffalo, elk, deer, antelope which I see pretty much everyday in Lander. We were there for a few days then I got back to Lander and packed to change host family. I don't mind changing its kind of sad and a pain having to move everything but I like the new and different experiences.

Well yesterday was July 4th which is Independence Day so we all partied and the town had a parade and I walked a half marathon in the morning and now have blisters all over my feet but it was fun. Two days before, people start setting off fire works but the on the 4th from 2 in the afternoon till 1 at night Lander sounds like a battle field its sooooooooo crazy. I would add some pics but they are burnt in DVD format and this comp doesn't read them – I need Peter…..

Emily

Still waiting of Emily's next report from Grand Canyon and LA and San Francisco and the Big Apple and who knows where else, but here is something to wet the appetite  (not waiting any more! -ed)

The Mexico Report

Well, I thought I would do a special Mexico report since it was so much fun.

The purpose of this Rotary trip was to transport 2 school buses and 2 ambulances and lots of clothes to a town in Mexico, Chihuahua, called Delicias.

There were about 20 of us, 3 exchange students - Jan from Germany, Nora from Belgium and me. Then there was Missy, she has just finished uni and decided to come along - her Mum's in Rotary and the rest were Rotarians. We left at about 7.30 Saturday morning and spent the next 3 days driving; it didn't bother me because we were in a motor-home and we all played cards, slept and talked. When we got to Delicias there was a big party for us and we ate real Mexican food before going to bed. The next morning we went to visit a fire station, a rehabilitation center and a dairy farm. Before we could enter the dairy farm our feet had to be sprayed and so did the bus with disinfectant.

 That afternoon we had a break so while everyone else went and had a nap us younger ones went shopping and went to a pub and played pool. When we were shopping we came across a guy who was selling birds. There was one parrot in particular that we were all fascinated by. He was eating a whole fresh chili and instead of water the guy gives it tequila – to make it talk more, well it didn't talk for us but it did fall off it's perch several times. That night, just like every night we were down in Mexico, we had a party. After that we once again played more pool.

The next day we went to the town of Chihuahua, which is the capital of Chihuahua (the biggest state in Mexico). We went to museums and shopping and to an old church and ate lunch at the top of a really nice building that over looks Chihuahua. That night we had a really great party then us young ones went out to a karaoke bar. It was also Nora's birthday this day so we made the whole club sing happy birthday to her – so funny.

 Today we drove to another town and stayed 2 nights there. We got there late in the evening so the next day we got up in a leisurely manner then drove to another town about 25min away where they made and sold pots. It was so much fun; when they saw us coming a little boy went around the town and told everyone. People stood at their doorways and on the street trying to sell us pottery. This was off the main tourist track and was just amazing. After that we looked at old ruins of a town that was made out of mud brick. We drove back to our hotel at about 6 then had tea. Later that night Jan threw me in the pool so I dragged him in with me then we ran and grabbed Nora and threw her in before going back to our hotel room and catching some sleep. This was probably my favorite day.

 The next 2 days were long days starting at 7 and finishing at 7 or 8 and we were driving the whole day.

 The Mexicans where very nice and spoke really good English which was just as well because I don't speak Spanish. The food in Mexico was really good; I loved it and thought it was going to all be much spicier, but not all of it was, so that was good.

I really enjoyed Mexico and would love to go back one day.

emily

Emily's March Report

First of all I'm sorry this is late. Here's the story. I was going to write my report a couple of weeks ago but I was moving host family for the first time on the weekend so I decided to wait till a couple of days after that till I had settled a bit. Turns out they are a very busy family and there isn't much time to get on the computer. So the report had to wait till the weekend but then the weekend was busy and I don't like to miss out on anything so I only had like 10 minutes here and 15 there so I'm finishing it off tonight.

Well March wasn't a hugely exciting month, lots of school. Yay! Ah but we did have spring break which was cool. Spring break goes for a week. The first few days I slept in then got up in time to have breakfast or lunch - depends on how u look at it. Then in the afternoon I would work for my host Mum sweeping houses that she builds and shovelling snow. It was pretty good especially the bit where I got paid. It was good because later on in the week on Thursday we were going to Denver, so some extra cash didn't go astray.

Thursday morning we got up leisurely and drove for about 6 hours to Denver. When we got there we found a hotel and went out for tea at a really cool Middle Eastern restaurant. We sat on the floor at a very low table, ate with our hands and were entertained by a belly dancer. It was a really good night. On Friday we wandered around Denver until our feet hurt so badly we just had to go back to the hotel and relaxed in the spa. Then on Saturday we went shopping and to the aquarium. It was a very different kind of aquarium. It not only had fish but also birds, spiders, snakes, turtles, lizards and tigers. It was pretty cool.

I thought Denver was a lot like Melbourne but only more beautiful. In the background are majestic mountains and there are also a lot of trees. Unfortunately though, they were only just sticks because spring was at the very beginning so there were only tiny buds on the branches.

On Sunday we drove home. Most of the highways were closed due to a white-out so it took a while to get home.

Back to school on Monday. More thrilling school (sarcasm). Anyway we had Friday off which was great. I put purple highlights in Lauren my host sister's hair and packed because the next day I moved to my 2nd host family - the Hamptons.

When I arrived at my new host family's home, Sara my new host sister helped me unpack we then had lunch and went for a 2.5 hour walk up on the rocks and down through canyon things behind their house. It was really fun and beautiful. Then on Sunday in the morning I went for a walk with Bruce and Kaili my host Dad and younger host sister. We walked for about an hour and a half across fields and up onto some more rocks where there are fossils and interesting rocks and stuff. Bruce and Kaili were teaching me about rock fossils and Indians it was pretty amazing. Then in the afternoon Sara and I went for a 1 hour walk before starting tea.

On Tuesday I got my school report. I have a B in American History and English and A's in everything else.

This weekend Sara and I had lunch with a big bunch of friends then went to Missy a friend's house and hung out. Today I dyed Sara's hair and went for a walk up on the rocks and tonight we are having people over for tea.

Once again sorry this is late, but as you can see the last couple of weeks have been very busy.

Emily

Emily's February Report

Well this month has been good. I have settled into a routine now. I now have met all my host parents and families for the year and they are all SO nice. I get along really well with everyone in my current host family. The kids are great; I have a host sister the same age as me who is a social butterfly. Collin my older host brother isn’t very sociable but my brother back home is like that so I’m used to it, but Collin and I get along really well. Then I have a younger brother Even who loves to talk. My host parents are really nice. I often talk to RaJean while helping out in the kitchen. I don’t see my host Dad Ron a lot, but we go to Rotary every week so that is really the only time we talk. 

I had tea with my next host family about a week ago. They are really nice and outdoorsy. They are hopefully going to take me ice fishing some time. They have a daughter who is 17 I think and a younger daughter who is about 10. Oh and they are very good cooks. 

I met my third host Mum Sharon, who is a beautician and I very briefly met my third host Dad. They are lovely. My host Mum is apparently bubbly and she is going to do my nails some time :-)   I also meet my last host Dad every week at Rotary and this month he and his wife took me to a community concert. That was cool and my host Mum to be, Sharon loves cooking so we are going to cook together a fair bit I think. 

Well it snowed a fair bit this month - one day it snowed so much we thought we might get a “snow day” (holiday) the next day but it didn’t snow hardly at all at night so we didn’t :-( also it got the coldest ever here -33.8C was the coldest I noticed it to be. It has also risen up to 14C here too in the last couple of days. Today it rained and there was a slight breeze. It hasn’t rained here yet so that was actually pretty cool. The rain, breeze and fact that it was about 10C made me feel at home. It was kind of like Geelong’s winter.  

I have done so much fun stuff here this month. My counsellor Patty has taken me out to her ranch a couple of times and we go horse riding and I help out moving random piles of ‘junk’ and feeding cows etc. Patty is a lovely lady but a bit crazy. She is teaching me how to ride bare back - I have always wanted to learn. I have also been snowmobiling a couple of times, once in their back yard which is about 200 acres. Collin took me, he is a good driver. Then after tea that night Lauren took me in the dark which was cool and she isn’t such a good driver. The Fossen's drive way makes a good jump when covered in snow so Collin and I played around on that for a while. Ron took me snowmobiling at a place called Sinks Canyon just out of town on Sunday. Lauren and Collin came it was soooooooooooo much fun we got up to about 110kph screaming across frozen lakes. Now I am sooo sore and stiff I can hardly get up and down the stairs but it is so worth it. On Friday I am going skiing with the school so that shall be fun. 

School is much better now; at first I found it hard because I didn’t know what was expected of me more than anything. I had just finished year 9 back home and am doing second semester year 11 at the moment and will be in year 12 next semester. I thought I was really going to struggle to pass especially some of my subjects but I was wrong. I got my mid term report this week and I got a B in English and Earth science, an A+ in Biology and As in all my other subjects. Here a C is 70-79% a B is 80-89% and an A is 90-100%. So I am cruising in school. Last week I also chose my subjects for year 12 which I though was pretty special. I have chosen to do the main year 12 English, the same Maths as I’m doing now but 1^st semester, AP Biology - this is an introductory course to uni biology. So it is a mix and apparently is very hard but I think it will be good. I have to do American government, sculpture, pottery and painting. So I have a mix of hard subjects and easy relaxing subjects. 

Soccer is starting soon so I will try out for the team. I don’t know if I will get in because I’m not very good but it would be fun. I would get fit because you train between 5 and 6 days a week and play a game once a week and I would get to know some other people. I think I will also try out for a small part in the school play. I have never done any acting before apart from the home movies my cousin cons me in to doing but I will give it a go. Today I joined one of the school clubs Outlandish. This is a club that goes on camping and climbing type trips and does fund raisers to get money to sponsor people to go on outdoors trips. There is talk of an art club starting up and if it does I will join it, but so far there hasn’t been enough interest but we will see.  

Well I think that is all for this month, 

Emily.

Emily Jones has arrived safely in Lander Wyoming U.S.A

I arrived in Lander minus my luggage Saturday night, but I am so proud of myself for not missing any planes.  At the tiny airport of Riverton was my first host family and one which I will be staying with later in the year.  On our way home we stopped at a fast food joint and got a bun with 3 cm of meat inside and a squirt of spray cheese (cheese that is in a can like that spray cream you can get in auz).  While eating my burger I was hoping desperately that this wasn't Landers staple food.  When I got to my host family's home I dropped the one bag I had and went straight to "the game" (a basketball game played at the local high school) well, I have never seen any thing like it.  Everyone was involved.  By the time I got home I was well and truly ready for bed after being up for over 30 hours by this time.

 I woke up the next day just in time for lunch, which was potato chips and bean dip, which had the spray cheese in it. I decided to have some toast considering I had just woken up. After breakie/lunch Ron my host dad and president of the Lander rotary club took me for a drive in his Corvette. He showed me some beautiful and very rugged mountains or hills it hard to tell here because you are already up so high. He also took me over to one of the Indian reservation which didn't look any different than Lander. I went home that afternoon exhausted. My host mum RaJean kindly took me to the supermarket get some fruit and veg. after I spent about 15minute searching there kitchen for some fruit before asking and getting the reply "fruit what do you want that for." 

every night for tea I have been trying new meats that Collin the oldest son shot. I have tried.....I don't even know what I’ve tried but it’s like deer and elk etc. I want to try buffalo some time because apparently it is like beef but leaner and yummier.   Anyway I went to bed early Sunday night because I had school the next day and we leave at 7:30 yuk. 

 I'm a junior which means that I'm doing year 11 and because they start school in august I'm in second semester. My subjects are American history, English, Algebra 2, Pottery, Biology, Earth Science and Outdoor Ed. American history is really hard, and it is hard to concentrate on. English is hard, Algebra is hard but I had a test today and I passed which I'm so happy about. Pottery is hard but fun. Biology is hard but I like learning about that kind of thing and at the moment we're learning about evolution. Earth Science isn't too hard which is good, we had a test today and I think I did OK. Outdoor Ed is good. We went ice skating last week and this week we're looking at what we would do if we were in a plane crash or similar and were stranded.

 Last weekend I had a Rotary weekend in Jackson with all the other inbound students. There was soooo much snow. We worked out that on top of the mountain there was about 7.5 meters of snow. the weekend was soooooooo much fun. I learnt how to snow board. Before I went on the weekend I was quite home sick. I'm still home sick but after talking with everyone I'm no where near as much (as others).  On the ski weekend we had an old time photo taken of everyone and that was one of my favourite parts of the weekend. People were dressed up as cowboys and Indians, ladies and saloon girls. I was a saloon girl.

 Anyway I had better go have tea.

 cheers

Emily

(ed: The luggage has arrived now)

 L

 E

 A

 D

 T

 H

 E

 W

 A

 Y

Send mail to Peter Kavenagh with questions or comments about this web site.
Last modified: 22-Jul-2006