well i managed to get through my first week of high school in America. The school is smaller than mine in New Zealand but i'm still pretty lost when it comes down to getting to class on time. http://chs.cardinalschools.org/?sessionid=2a67dd509b0e90539266bc0e895da566&t
Every morning students stand for the pledge of allegiance in front of the American flag. Every class has one so that no matter where you are in the school you can still take it. I get the most weirdest questions about where i'm from. I'm surprised by how little people know about New Zealand. At least they like my accent although there's certain words they pick up on and try to correct me; they don't consider it as the right way to pronounce it. "ten" sounds like i'm saying "tin". I have to repeat myself alot for people here to understand what i'm talking about.
The way they teach here is extreamly different, over time i'm sure i'll get used to it all but for the moment i'm absolutley lost! i'm sure that soon the whole school will know my locker code since i have trouble opening it every morning i get random people to sort it out for me. There's just a certain way to get into it, hopefully next week i'll get it right.
As i get into more of a routine everything seems to get alot easier, unfortunately the homesickness is kinda sinking in more. i'm just really lucky to have such a great host mum and sister, feel really comfortable with them!
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Things so far
It's been just over a week in the states and already i feel that i've learnt so much about another culture. Things are so much different here: the food, people and weather are just a few of the more obvious ones. I'm loving the snow, got to always wear the snowboots, gloves, jacket and hat around here. I went to a water park resort for the first weekend i was in Ohio with my host family. I had alot of fun, even managed to get a bit lost in the huge 6 story building. The prices are so much cheaper and the people are extreamly friendly. Dippin' dots have become my new favourite! http://www.dippindots.com/
Cream soda is another newbie. It reminds me of the coke and vanilla icecream mix (spider drinks!)
The small things are the hardest to get used to like how the door handels here go the opposite way to how we have them in New Zealand, the driving confuses me so much- we're driving on the wrong side!!!, and the school grading system is no where the same as how it is back home
I'm starting school Tuesday 18th, really looking forward to it. I'll be taking American history, english, biology, art, publications. No maths! and i'm sure there were a few others i'm forgetting.
My kiwi accent was described as "adorable" yesterday in the mall. People love asking me about the weather and fashion style in New Zealand and they all seem so surprised that i love it in Ohio especially the snow. Woah they even have a small lounge area with a couch and tv for the guys to hang out around while they wait for their ladies to do the shopping. They have a huge variety of gum ball machines.. so many to choose from!
Skyping home is so weird because everyone has their fans on while we've got the heater going. I cannot get my head around the time zone thing
Cream soda is another newbie. It reminds me of the coke and vanilla icecream mix (spider drinks!)
The small things are the hardest to get used to like how the door handels here go the opposite way to how we have them in New Zealand, the driving confuses me so much- we're driving on the wrong side!!!, and the school grading system is no where the same as how it is back home
I'm starting school Tuesday 18th, really looking forward to it. I'll be taking American history, english, biology, art, publications. No maths! and i'm sure there were a few others i'm forgetting.
My kiwi accent was described as "adorable" yesterday in the mall. People love asking me about the weather and fashion style in New Zealand and they all seem so surprised that i love it in Ohio especially the snow. Woah they even have a small lounge area with a couch and tv for the guys to hang out around while they wait for their ladies to do the shopping. They have a huge variety of gum ball machines.. so many to choose from!
Skyping home is so weird because everyone has their fans on while we've got the heater going. I cannot get my head around the time zone thing
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Got there in the end
so it was quiet an adventure to Ohio! i said my goodbyes to my dad and sisters at Wellington airport, we were running pretty late so the goodbyes were way too short and i didn't even have time to get too emotional. My mum was taking me to Auckland and we actually almost missed the flight. it was such a rush, 11am we had to be boarded by. It all kinda hit me when i went into the plane, i think most people assumed that i was one of those people who didn't like flights or something. they just give me "that look". At least i got a window seat on my flight! it was so sad to be leaving Wellington, i knew i wouldn't see it for a while, i think thats what really got to me the most. my little sister shannon had written me this really cute leter and included a quote from tinkerbell- 'I'll always be beside you until the very end, wiping all your tears away, being your best friend. I'll smile when you smile and feel all the pain you do, and if you cry a single tear, i promise i'll cry too.' That made me cry.
Once i had arrived in Auckland i met up with the other EF exchange students, we had lunch and by about 12:40pm we all began to board our plane. it was 11 and a half hours long. They had really good food at least and there was a pillow (not that it really helped all that much) After my flight to LA i had no idea where i was suppose to go, my next flight was to Denver. My cellphone would only let me text, i couldn't get hold of anyone to help me out. LA reminded me of that video game- grand theft audo. I almost expected some random guy to jump out of his car and do something stupod. It was early morning in LA so it was just getting lighter, i had to ask many questions to finally get to my denver flight. i had to go through one of those xray secerity things. You had to stand in a particular pose with your legas apart (no shoes) and arms over your head. it was a bit public, everyone just watches you stand like that for a long few seconds!
My flight to denver was at 9:30am (LA time) so i had over an hour to work out how to use their public phones. I needed some coins to pay for my call so i went to starbucks near by and got these awesome looking chippies (they actually didn't taste any different from the stuff back home) but basically, i couldn't get through to anyone back home to let them know that i made it to LA. The guy i sat beside on the plane was a little bit worried about me. i was giving him all the signs that i was afraid of flying (i'm actually fine with flying, just happend to be a bit freaked out about where on earth i was going, i was very lost) his wife was in the seat over from him and as the plane took off they were holding hands. i thought that was really cute. Everyone could see their hands linked together through the aisle. Awww
It was about an hour and a half on that flight, not too bad. they were playing 'house' on the little tv screen so i had somthing to do for a while. i was also reading through the book my friend Chloe made me. I took the quiz of where i would most likely travel to. i should have got America as my answer but actually it was England (just what Chloe had hoped wouldn't happen) Just reading through the book she made me made me feel so much beter. It reminded me of why i was doing this trip. Positive strong words all through out the book was so inspirational. I have to thank her for that.
My mum called my phone while i was waiting for my flight to Cleveland. It was such a relief to know that she knew what was going on. I managed to get alot more sleep on that flight and lucky me, i had nobody sitting beside me. It was probably about 2 and a half hours long. the view was amazing. and it had actually just been snowing. It was so much colder in Cleveland, did not expect it to be windy either!
I met my host Mum and sister at Cleveland airport, they were so down to earth and friendly. I was so glad to have finished all that travel. I got in the car forgetting that the drivers seat was on the left hand side. My host mum shelia and my sister Julia took me to 'shake 'n' burger'. We talked about alot of things and I really felt that i had always known them. I had only spoken to them through email and once over the phone. At least i understood what they were saying. There's a few things i say that i have to repeat a bit so they get what i mean. The fries were really good and the burger actually tasted kinda healthy. At the end of it we got a free cup, my first souviner!!! When we got back into the car to head to their house around 40 minutes away it began to snow. Was the best moment ever! Shelia and Julia would be alot more use to the snow so it wasn't so much of a big deal for them. it was just flakes falling from the sky, just like in the movies. When we got to Middlefield i noticed that it had been snowing alot more there. it was so pretty. everything just painted white! It was pretty dark outside so i really couldn't see too much but i loved all the houses we passed. they looked like older homes but there's all these tiny lights everywhere inside lighting up the whole inside of their homes. The house I'm staying at it so cosy, it has a really welcoming feel to it. My room is so nice, a bit of american history in there which is nice. After I unpacked a little, got a shower and emailed my Mum to let her know everything was alright i went to bed. And that was my day of traveling!
Once i had arrived in Auckland i met up with the other EF exchange students, we had lunch and by about 12:40pm we all began to board our plane. it was 11 and a half hours long. They had really good food at least and there was a pillow (not that it really helped all that much) After my flight to LA i had no idea where i was suppose to go, my next flight was to Denver. My cellphone would only let me text, i couldn't get hold of anyone to help me out. LA reminded me of that video game- grand theft audo. I almost expected some random guy to jump out of his car and do something stupod. It was early morning in LA so it was just getting lighter, i had to ask many questions to finally get to my denver flight. i had to go through one of those xray secerity things. You had to stand in a particular pose with your legas apart (no shoes) and arms over your head. it was a bit public, everyone just watches you stand like that for a long few seconds!
My flight to denver was at 9:30am (LA time) so i had over an hour to work out how to use their public phones. I needed some coins to pay for my call so i went to starbucks near by and got these awesome looking chippies (they actually didn't taste any different from the stuff back home) but basically, i couldn't get through to anyone back home to let them know that i made it to LA. The guy i sat beside on the plane was a little bit worried about me. i was giving him all the signs that i was afraid of flying (i'm actually fine with flying, just happend to be a bit freaked out about where on earth i was going, i was very lost) his wife was in the seat over from him and as the plane took off they were holding hands. i thought that was really cute. Everyone could see their hands linked together through the aisle. Awww
It was about an hour and a half on that flight, not too bad. they were playing 'house' on the little tv screen so i had somthing to do for a while. i was also reading through the book my friend Chloe made me. I took the quiz of where i would most likely travel to. i should have got America as my answer but actually it was England (just what Chloe had hoped wouldn't happen) Just reading through the book she made me made me feel so much beter. It reminded me of why i was doing this trip. Positive strong words all through out the book was so inspirational. I have to thank her for that.
My mum called my phone while i was waiting for my flight to Cleveland. It was such a relief to know that she knew what was going on. I managed to get alot more sleep on that flight and lucky me, i had nobody sitting beside me. It was probably about 2 and a half hours long. the view was amazing. and it had actually just been snowing. It was so much colder in Cleveland, did not expect it to be windy either!
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| Having dinner at shake 'n' burger |
Monday, January 3, 2011
Leaving home
So the deal is that I'm off to Middlefield Ohio in America for my last year of high school. I've been planning it since middle of July 2010 and there has been so much to organise. It's just a bit stressful trying to pack up a years worth of stuff and fit it into one suitcase. I cannot believe how fast the time has gone! I don't think its really all hit me yet just how soon I'm going. 4th January my plane from Wellington, NZ leaves for Auckland at 11am, I'm really looking forward to meeting my host family who I've spoken to over the phone Monday morning. They are so lovely and really liked my kiwi accent, I'm not too sure if they understood everything I said over the phone but it was awesome to finally get to hear the accents of my soon to be host Mum and sister. It's going to be so different over in America - the food, the people and the way they all talk to one another but I'm really looking forward to it. I know that i'll really miss home alot but this experience is going to really make me appreciate my life, my friends and my family so much more. The flight details are still very confusing. I'm not sure how i'll get my head around all these time changes. The plane from Auckland NZ flys to Los Angeles CA then from there to Atlanta GA to finally Cleveland OHIO!!! Busy day.
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