AFS Blog

AFS Exchange Student Jessica: Wombats and Kangaroos in Australia

2009-06-22T11:20:00.000-07:00

Wow we’ve done heaps. Went to Bathurst, saw a wombat and a kangroo, went to Terrigal and Erina and met up with Johan and Eero, my exchange friends and had to say goodbye to them. What else. I also went to Lunar Park Friday night, and went to the Sydney Swans vs. Magpies in AFL last night at the Olympic Stadium. Read more.

AFS offers semester programs to Australia.

AFS Exchange Student Chevelle: Reflecting on her Spring Semester in Italy

2009-06-19T15:47:00.000-07:00

During my time here in Italy I have crossed paths with many different people. In what feels like too short a time, our paths will take us all far from one-another. I fear that our paths may never cross again, but those I have walked with these five months have shared a very important experience with me. An experience I can never forget. An experience I do not want to forget. Read more.

AFS offers year, semester and summer programs to Italy.

AFS Exchange Student Jennifer: Presentation on her Year in Denmark

2009-06-18T16:57:00.000-07:00

From Jennifer's blog chronicling her AFS Year exchange to Denmark.

AFS offers year programs to Denmark.

AFS Exchange Student Amy: Farm Stay in Iceland

2009-06-17T16:27:00.000-07:00

My 1 week farm homestay. It was amazing. I was on a farm called Efri-Ey, and it is about a 30 minute drive from the nearest town of Kirkjubæjarklaustur (how´s that for a long name?!) which has 150 inhabitants. So basically it´s in the middle of nowhere. It is in the southeast of Iceland, and took about 5 hours by bus to get there. When I arrived in Kirkjubæjarklaustur, I was warmly welcomed by Maria (the German exchanger who I visited in Patreksfjörður during Easter... she moved to the farm 2 minutes down the road from Efri-Ey) and also by Sigrún, the daughter of the farm lady, and Andrea, Sigrún´s 17 year old daughter. Then I got to the farm and met Sara and Þórir, the owners of the farm. They are around 70 years old, and Þórir is ill so Sara does pretty much all of the work. The farm work was really fun. Read more.

AFS offers year programs to Iceland.

AFS Exchange Student Tahoma: Having 'The Most Amazing Trip of My Life' in Brazil

2009-06-12T10:55:00.000-07:00

A little over a week ago I returned from one of the most amazing trips of my life. First of all I would like to say thank you so much, all of you that made it possible for me to do this, without your help it would never have been able to go.

The trip was 10 days in the Amazon with 56 other exchange students from all around the world. We spent three nights in hotels, the first night in the Tropical Hotel, a five star hotel and the best in the city of Manaus (the capital of the state of Amazonas), and the next two nights in a hotel two hours out of the city in the middle of the forest. Then We all boarded two boats (there was a third boat that was the restaurant boat) for the next 6 days on the river. Read more.

AFS offers year and semester programs to Brazil.

AFS Exchange Student Veronica: Last AFS Camp in Hungary

2009-06-11T10:57:00.000-07:00

The last orientation passed, wow. That's kind of frightening really. I won't ever see most of those people again. Wow. I missed half of it too because I stayed in Budapest to take my SAT on Saturday morning. It sikerült anyways. At least its over. I hadn't been in a room with that many Americans all year. I didn't get to talk to any of them though, because afterwards I had to book it to Keleti to get my train to Jászberény on time. I was early, but all the people that I asked for help gave me bad info. Hum. Oh well, when I finally got to the orientation they were in the middle of playing some kind of game. Here's the run down of it. Read more.

AFS offers year, semester, and summer programs to Hungary.

AFS Exchange Student Hannah: Last AFS Camp of the Semester in Paraguay

2009-06-09T13:57:00.000-07:00

I know why you can never leave the Hotel California. It's a tangled maze of hallways, courtyards, rooms, and stairs in the middle of Ciudad del Este, Paraguay and happened to be the location of the last AFS camp of the semester.

Friday morning I got on a bus to Asunción with Jana (German exchanger in Pilar) to meet up with the Gran Asuncioñeros whom we got on another bus with to go to Ciudad del Este. I got to meet a lot of people who've been here since August, along with seeing a bunch of my friends from February again. Most of the people are from Germany, but there are also a few from Austria, Belgium, Iceland, the USA, France, Switzerland, and Turkey. Read more.

AFS offers year, semester, and summer programs to Paraguay.

AFS Exchange Student Martha: Photo Update from her Vacation to Italy

2009-06-08T11:36:00.000-07:00

See more photos from Martha's side trip to Italy, during her student exchange to Germany.

AFS Exchange Student Miranda: School in France

2009-06-05T11:46:00.000-07:00

Today was fun, and different. This morning, I didn't have history, so school didn't start until 10. That allowed me to sleep in, which was really nice. My host mom had a hair appointment, so Pierrette's son took me to school. I swear I thought I was going to be late. He was late picking me up and he was slow on the road. I got to school at 10:03, and miraculously, the doors were still open. I pushed my way through the crowd of people and made it in JUST in time. Then I went into the courtyard and found Wendie, Joy, Alice, Alexandra and a couple other people getting ready to go to class. I cannot believe I made it on time, but I'm pretty happy that I did. Read more.

AFS offers year and semester and summer programs to France.

AFS Exchange Student Kendra: Calcio Craziness in Italy

2009-06-04T12:14:00.000-07:00

In the USA the main sport is Football and in the rest of the world the main sport is also football, but a football of another type. And by another type I mean SOCCER!!! While I have been in Italy I have heard more talk of Calcio (which is soccer in Italian, even thought it really is the word for “kick”) then I have ever heard in my entire life of 17 years combined!! But I was bound to learn about why the Italians love it so much before I left Italy so hence the goal (get the pun???) to go to a professional soccer game before my time in Italy was up!! Read more.

AFS offers year, semester, and summer programs to Italy.

AFS Exchange Student Hannah: Exploring Paraguay

2009-06-02T11:43:00.000-07:00

This weekend was chilly and wet. Most of the inhabitants are indigenous people. Some people think there are still uncontacted tribes somewhere in the Chaco. Those that aren't indigenous are Mennonites from Germany, Ukraine, and Canada. The "lingua franca" is German in the cities, and in the indigenous communities Guaraní and other indigenous languages. Spanish is widely spoken as well, but signs come first in German, then Spanish. The Chaco has no natural resources, save the tannin extracted from some of its trees, and has been called "the green hell" on many occasions. This is where I was last weekend.

Friday I got on a bus at noon with Jana, the other AFSer in my town, and arrived in Asunción at about 7. There, we met up with the exchangers from Ciudad del Este, Encarnación, and Santa Rita and Fernando, the AFS volunteer from Capiatá. Read more.

AFS offers year, semester, and summer programs to Paraguay.

AFS Exchange Student Jessica: AFS Camp In Australia

2009-06-01T11:31:00.001-07:00

We just got back from AFS camp today. It was most of our leaving camp. Though some of us hadn’t seen each other since the last camp, we picked up right where we left off. It isn’t like the normal people that you meet, you have something so in common that though you’ve only hung out with them a hand full of days it feels like years that you’ve known each other. On Friday it took us two hours to get there, my host mum Fiona and sister Danielle and I all went together. It was very rainy and cold. We were the first ones there, but once everyone got there and the others that we hadn’t met yet we all caught up. I haven’t laughed that hard in ages! Read more.

AFS offers Semester programs to Australia.

AFS Exchange Student Crystal: Getting Ready for a Year in the Netherlands

2009-05-29T15:53:00.000-07:00

So after anxiously awaiting for The Netherlands link on the AFS website to turn blue, yesterday it finally did. When I clicked on it there was a big 33 page packet for me to read about The Netherlands, and of course I read it all. It was interesting. I just have to wait about the Visa stuff, but from what I read I need a residence permit or something that I have to get when I get there. Anyways on to the interesting things - I got this huge packet from AFS that is my host family's application (: They sound mad cool, so who knows. I also added my host sister on HYVES! (it's like a dutch myspace type thing) Read more.

AFS offers year programs to the The Netherlands

AFS Exchange Student Hailey: Munchin' on Mangoes in the Dominican Republic

2009-05-28T16:02:00.000-07:00

MANGOES!!!!

It is totally mango season here. In Alaska mangoes cost bucketloads, but here there are millions of trees along the sides of roads and you can find them nearly everywhere, and free. My host mom said that with the money that a mango costs in the U.S. someone could buy a mango tree here. Or maybe two. So we have a huge basket full of mangoes in my house and I eat two or three a day..... :D and we have a mango tree, too, and a cherry tree and a guanabana tree (please don´t ask me what that is in English) that´s this weird looking green fruit with spiney things, and it´s white on the inside and has seeds that look like black almonds. Read more.

AFS offers year programs to the Dominican Republic

AFS Exchange Student Jessica: Contemplating her Return after a Semester in Australia

2009-05-27T10:48:00.000-07:00

Today in California is my best friend Breanne’s birthday. But talking to her made me think, will things be the same when I go home? I thought that maybe they could be at first. But talking to some of my friends- some for the first time since I left, the conversation was easy enough but how am I supposed to relate to them now? Part of me will always be there friend still, but the new part doesn’t know. Read more.

AFS offers Semester programs to Australia.

AFS Exchange Student Eric: Cruising Istanbul with other AFSers in Turkey

2009-05-26T11:27:00.000-07:00

So, a group of fellow AFSers from all over Turkey decided to visit İstanbul over the weekend so I had no time to write. This past week was a lot of fun, I got to skip school, learn the bus system almost perfectly, and get absolutely no sleep. As I said I had two visitors, Kevin from Costa Rica and McKinely from the USA, stay at my house. We had to wake up early everyday to be able to catch the bus because I live really far away from the city and to get to the Bospherous by bus it takes up to 2 hours. Read more.

AFS offers year and summer programs to Turkey.

AFS Exchange Student Alli: Reflecting on a Semester in Portugal

2009-05-22T17:32:00.000-07:00

The AFS experience is nothing like I thought it would be. First of all,when I first left Alaska I couldn't even imagine being away from my family, because I have gone through my whole life with them around. Being away from them was by far the biggest change. With my family I feel comfortable, I can express my feelings, and most importantly be myself and relax.

I initially felt lost in Portugal without that constant comfort and support, but I managed to get by. Gradually I got to know my friends better, my family host family helped me with everything, and keeping busy kept me from dwelling too much on how much I missed them (there is a name here for missing somebody that cannot be translated. It's to have "saudades". I immediately knew what people meant when they said they had "saudades"). Read more.

AFS offers year and semester programs to Portugal.

AFS Poll: Where did AFS First Come into Your Life?

2009-05-20T12:21:00.000-07:00

AFS Inspiration: Where did AFS First Come into Your Life?(opinion poll)

AFS Exchange Student Veronica: Skipping Around Europe from Hungary

2009-05-19T13:42:00.000-07:00

Sziasztok!

I don't know how to tell it all to you, there was just so much happening. Maybe just some of the places that we went? Eiffel Tower, Brussells, London Eye, British Museum, to the Crown Jewels, Leeds Castle, Westminster Abby, uncountable cathedrals, Napoleons tomb, Pickadilly Circus, The Tower Bridge, Champs-Élysées, boat tours, Canterbury, markets, shopping streets, crépe houses, bakeries, french McDonald's, hostels, trailer parks, the Louvre, and so much more that just isn'tt coming to mind right now. I think the best was Leeds Castle, it was stupendous! Read more.

AFS offers year, semester, and summer programs to Hungary.

AFS Exchange Student Kathy: Getting Amped for Summer in Chile

2009-05-18T13:15:00.000-07:00

Orientation was so much fun today, I got an AFS t-shirt! But really, the best part was being able to talk to the Returnees who just got back and were able to answer our questions and share their own experiences. So much advice in such a short period of time...

- Research as much as I can but don't have too many expectations,
- Make an effort to make plans with friends and be included,
- Pay attention to little pieces of culture,
- Always keep your safety in mind and use good judgment and common sense.

It was really cool to have the chance to talk to some of the other kids who are getting ready to go abroad. Read more.

AFS offers year, semester, and summer programs to Chile.

AFS Exchange Student Thomas: Hamburger Parties in Paraguay

2009-05-14T12:32:00.000-07:00

The single biggest piece of news is that I changed schools. My new school is 4 blocks away, and I really like it. It's a public school as well as a trade school, which would normally mean trouble, but entrance is based on test scores so all the kids are relatively motivated and nice. A couple of my classmates have actually said directly that they thought I'd assimilated into the class really well, so I'm feeling pretty good about that situation. Read more.

AFS offers year, semester, and summer programs to Paraguay.

AFS Exchange Student Amy: Icelandic Horses and Election Day

2009-05-13T11:23:00.000-07:00

Saturday, was a pretty awesome day, personally for me, and also for all of Iceland. I went on a horseback riding trip with AFS, and it also happened to be election day where all the seats in the Alþing (parliament/legislature) were voted on.

Lara, an exchange student from Austria living in a town an hour outside of Reykjavík, came to my house the night before so she could stay here and be able to meet in Reykjavík for the horse trip. Then we woke up pretty early on Saturday morning so we could get to the AFS office at 9 for the trip. Then we met there, and got in cars to go to Hveragerði, a town like 45 minutes away. When we arrived in Hveragerði, we went to Eldhestar (the horse company which means like “fire” or “volcano” horses. There, we were a group of people from maybe 15 different countries, taught by Swedish people how to ride Icelandic horses. Icelandic horses are REALLY special! Read more.

AFS offers year programs to Iceland.

AFS Exchange Student Kendra: "80% Through and Growing up" in Italy

2009-05-12T11:15:00.000-07:00

Percentages are funny things. They are completely scientific and completely without emotions. They do not take into account anything except the numbers. They don’t lie to lessen the blow of what they are saying. They don’t care if they are bringing good news or bad news. They give you the way it is without emotion. Tell you how it is and you have to accept it one way or another. Read more.

AFS offers year, semester, and summer programs to Italy.

AFSer Miranda: BBQing in France

2009-05-11T15:23:00.000-07:00

Today after I was up and ready, I washed the lawn chairs with Pierre and helped my host mom prepare for the family BBQ. Around noon, Thomas and his family showed up. Then came Annick, Luc (who just got back from Canada), Grandma, Mme Noël, and Samuel (Annick's son). We ate the appetizers and Luc told us about his trip to Canada. Read more.

AFS offers year and semester and summer programs to France.

AFSer Veronica: Photo Update from Hungary

2009-05-07T15:40:00.001-07:00

See more photos on Veronica's Blog.

AFS offers year, semester, and summer programs to Hungary.

AFSer Hannah: Weddings and Waffles in Paraguay

2009-05-04T11:20:00.000-07:00

I just got back from the long weekend in Asunción. I didn't have class on Wednesday for a teacher's meeting, Thursday was some sort of Teacher's holiday, and Friday was "Día de los Obreros," which translates into "Day of the Workers" and is basically like Labor Day in the US. I took the Wednesday morning bus from Pilar to Asunción with my 10-year-old brother, Anibal. In Asunción, we went to my host aunt and uncle's house for a while, and afterwords he stayed with them and I went to visit my friend, Abbey, from AFS who lives in Asunción. Read more.

AFS offers year, semester, and summer programs to Paraguay.

Spots still available for 2009 Summer and Fall programs to Paraguay, apply now!

AFSer Lorielle: Ice Cream Delivery in Buenos Aires, Argentina

2009-05-01T16:59:00.000-07:00

One thing that's nice about Buenos Aires is that you can get just about anything delivered to your house, we just got some ice cream from Daniel's by telephone. Awesome! I just finished my sketches for my printmaking class, my markers ran out of ink, we were supposed to do 10, but I got 8 in (the last 2 I did, but they barely show up). Our next project seems fun. I like my painting class so far. I have my first paper due soon. Read more.

AFS offers year, semester and summer programs to Argentina.

AFSer Tahoma: First Months in Brazil

2009-04-30T11:47:00.000-07:00

I thought that the beginning would be the hardest, not understanding the language, not knowing anyone, everything being unfamiliar. I thought that I would have a crash upon arrival and have a spell of homesickness. But that didn't happen. Instead the hardest part was about a week or two ago, about two months into my stay here.

In the beginning everything is new, and so, not understanding anything and being the new foreign kid worked to my advantage. Everyone at school wanted to talk to me, all sorts of new amazing foods were coming at me, I was seeing new things all the time every day! Read more.

AFS offers year and semester programs to Brazil.

AFSer Melanie: 'I Love Germany'

2009-04-28T12:30:00.000-07:00

ICH LIEBE DEUTSCHLAND!!!!

Ok, so first off for those of you who don't speak German my title means "I love Germany", and I truly do, not that i only have 2 and half months left i am having the time of my life and i know i will be really sad to leave.

Secondly, I received an email from my parents asking me to correct something from my last blog. Fuertaventura is a island on the coast of Africa (by Casablanca) and is owned by Spain. Now I know everyone else was really freaking out about this correction like my parents so you can all calm down now.

Thirdly, I have the best host family ever, and the best host sister: Paulita! Read more.

AFS offers year and semester programs to Germany.

Programs still available for programs departing Fall 2009 to Germany. Deadlines are here, so apply now!

AFSer Amy: Easter Break in Iceland

2009-04-24T12:53:00.000-07:00

I know it is kind of late, but I´m going to write now about my Easter break which I spend in Patreksfjörður and other parts of the West Fjords! I love traveling, which is actually a reason I wanted to live in a new country for a year, and at first I was a little reluctant on picking an island because I knew that I wouldn´t be able to travel internationally this year. But I´m actually really glad with this choice now, because it gives me even more of the opportunity to see everything that Iceland alone has to offer! Read more.

AFS offers year programs to Iceland.

AFSer Martha: Photo Update from Germany

2009-04-20T15:28:00.000-07:00

Here are some recent photos!

See more photos from Martha's year exchange to Germany.

AFS offers year and semester programs to Germany.

AFSer Angela: Rice Krispie Treats in France

2009-04-17T13:46:00.000-07:00

During my lunch hours, I went to the International Day of one of the technical schools in town with other the other AFS students studying in Tours. We all brought dishes from our home countries (I brought Rice Krispie Treats again, which were a big hit), and we had to go around and speak to the students in our native language in order to simulate the experience for them of adjusting to speaking a language other than your own. It was easiest for me since most of them spoke at least a bit of English-- it was the hardest for the students from Japan and Brazil. Read more.

AFS offers year and semester and summer programs to France.

NOTE: France Summer Language Study Summer Program still has available spots! Deadline, April 30th

AFSer Hannah: 8 Questions about Paraguay

2009-04-15T13:52:00.000-07:00

Last week I got letters and pictures from the Pitrof kids- my host family thinks they're adorable. So to start off this entry, I'll answer the questions they asked in their letters.

Do you like your new home?
Yes, I do. My house is between the center of town and the countryside, so I'm close to both. There are currently 8 of us living in the house, so it's a pretty big change, but I like it. Mostly, I like our yard though. Growing in the yard we have grapes, avocados, grapefruits, limes, apples, and a few fruits I haven't figured out the names of yet.

How's the food?
The food here is actually pretty good. It's pretty similar to US food, with slightly different ingredients and very different names. In the morning, breakfast is usually chocolate milk or coffee and bread. Lots of times we have snacks at the school's cantina, maybe a half-sandwich, some cookies, or an empanada. Lunch is the biggest meal of the day, and is a lot like dinner in the US. Usually there's some kind of grain (rice, pasta, mbeyu, borí, sopa paraguaya) with some sort of meat or vegetable and mandioca. We have merienda in the late afternoon. It's usually a lot like breakfast, except maybe with a bananaor yogurt. Dinner is really late, and we almost never eat it during the week. On weekends, I usually go out to eat with friends for dinner. Read more.

AFS offers year, semester, and summer programs to Paraguay.

Spots still available for 2009 Summer and Fall programs to Paraguay, apply now!

AFSer Lorielle: Easter in Argentina

2009-04-13T17:02:00.000-07:00

Today is Easter Sunday, which for me luckily was a very low-key affair, since I´m not religious and Argentina is a very Catholic country. We had baked fish Saturday night for dinner which was delicious. I didn´t do much this weekend, I thought most things would be closed, but actually a lot of museums at least were open. Today I just got back from the Palais de Glace, I had never been before, and so it was a great place to spend a Sunday afternoon. It is an exhibition space in Retiro/Recoleta, and it is completely free to enter and see the exhibits, which is always exciting and good news for me. Read more.

AFS offers year, semester and summer programs to Argentina.

2009 AFS Summer Programs

2009-04-10T10:20:00.000-07:00

There's still time to apply for select 2009 Summer programs! Check out what's available.

AFSer Marianna: Visiting other AFSers in India

2009-04-09T12:12:00.000-07:00

In Mid-March I was lucky enough to travel to Bangalore to see another AFS exchange student from the U.S. I left from the Ahemedabad Airport and flew to the Bangalore Airport and was greeted by Caitlin, her host brother, Narahari, and their driver. During the ride to Caitlin's house the three of us chatted about random things that were going on in our lives and Caitlin and I caught up a little bit after not seeing each other in 8 months! Read more.

AFS offers year programs to India.

AFSer Kayla: Awesome 'Exchange Week' in Italy

2009-04-08T13:58:00.000-07:00

So I'll explain exactly what "Exchange Week" is: All the AFSers here in Italy get the option to spend a week in another part of Italy. It is organized by the local chapters, therefore some people choose where to go and others don't. The people in Lecce didn't get a choice but I got lucky where I was placed in Trento. It's a city in northern Italy. Basically for a week we live with a host family, but during the day we do things with AFS. La mia settimana di scambio è stata bellissima (My exchange week was beautiful!) Read more.

AFS offers year, semester, and summer programs to Italy.

Spots still available for all 2009 Italy programs departing this Summer/Fall! Apply now.

AFSer Jessica: Kiwi Weddings and Tennis in Australia

2009-04-07T12:30:00.000-07:00

So! What have we been up to as of late. Well we went to New Zealand for a family wedding on March 14th through the 24th. It was so much fun! We went all around the south island. We went to Christchurch, Dunedin, Alexandra, Cromwell, Queenstown, Wanaka, Invercargill, The Catlins, so many places! We did jet boating, bungee jumping, tons of sight seeing including gondolas and the wedding was at Woodstock in the Catlins. It was such a beautiful wedding. I got to meet a lot of my host mum's family, all of they were so sweet. Read more.

AFS offers Fall and Spring Semester programs to Australia.

AFSer Eric: Never a Dull Moment in Turkey

2009-04-06T15:07:00.000-07:00

(AFS Camp Group Photo)

The past few weeks have been really great. Every weekend I have gone out with friends, I'm hardly ever bored anymore. When I'm not doing anything I'm appreciating the break now. Time is really speeding up. The return date is sneaking up on me very quickly. I almost wish I had a few more months. I don't think I'll be ready to leave by July. Read more.

AFS offers year and summer programs to Turkey.

AFSer Miranda: Celebrating April Fools in France

2009-04-02T16:33:00.000-07:00

It's pretty similar to the American holiday, except in France, they stick paper fish on their friends' back. Last night, I found some cute fish on the Internet, so I cut those out an brought them to school along with a roll of tape. I was expecting it to be a bigger event than it turned out to be, though. Read more.

AFS offers year and semester and summer programs to France.

NOTE: France Summer Language Study Summer Program still has available spots! Deadline, April 30th

AFSer Martha: Ruins of European Castles

2009-03-31T11:40:00.000-07:00

See more of Martha's blog.

AFS offers year and semester programs to Germany.

AFS Caitlin: The Temple of Athena

2009-03-29T10:13:00.000-07:00

Read more of Caitlin's blog.

AFS offers year and summer programs to Turkey

AFSer Melanie: The AFS Effect

2009-03-26T10:39:00.000-07:00

AFS always told us that we wouldnt notice change in ourselves until after we were back home...but i feel like ive changed and Luca keeps telling me "melanie youve changed so much"..and i feel like she has too. Im not saying like i have new clothes or anything i dont even know how to explain it...but its a good change...i wouldnt exactly call it confidence because i wasnt a shy person when i left...but its something like that. Read more.

AFS offers year and semester programs to Germany.

AFSer Caitlin: India Photoblog

2009-03-25T10:38:00.001-07:00

Outfront Mysore Palace

I test Marianna's patience as she does mahindi on me

Her Talent

See more of
Caitlin's Photos.

AFS offers year programs to India.

AFSer Hannah: What the Food is like in Paraguay

2009-03-23T10:02:00.000-07:00

A lot of people have been asking about the food here, so here it is. An entire post dedicated to Paraguayan food. I´ll add to this during the next week too. Breakfast here is almost nothing. Milk with coffee or chocolate, some bread, and maybe some tea. Lunch is the principal meal, and EVERYONE eats lunch at home. Read more.

AFS offers year, semester, and summer programs to Paraguay.

AFSer Addie: Side-Trippin' to Madrid in Spain

2009-03-19T12:04:00.000-07:00

February was the half way mark. Halfway through the exchange. I hate that this experience will end so fast. In the beginning when I was first interested in AFS, I thought I would only go for a semester. There were a lot of things that made me decide to do a year, one of the main ones was that Spain only offers a year program, and I really wanted to go to Spain. Basically it made much more sense to go for a year. But I was thinking, if I had chosen the semester, I would be going home right now. And I am so, so thankful that I have more time here. Read more.

AFS offers year and summer programs to Spain.

AFSer Tahoma: Pictures from Home in Brazil

2009-03-18T15:23:00.000-07:00

See more pictures on Tahoma's blog.

AFS offers year and semester programs to Brazil.

AFSer Paul: Making Moves in South Africa

2009-03-17T13:59:00.000-07:00

My family and I went into Cape Town on Sunday...to the V&A waterfront. Very touristy area, but lots of South African history and local shops as well. We ate at the Cape Town fish market, a very popular restaurant chain in the cape...and we also had a very nice view of Table Mountain as well. It was pretty cool seeing all of the entertainers on the street...everywhere you went, people were doing something. Read more.

AFS offers year, semester and summer programs to South Africa.

AFSer Chelsea: Mulberry Jam and Reflections on a Year in France

2009-03-16T14:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Helene made a gateau de murs (mur = a kind of blackberry/mulberry type fruit) and all the chateau smelled like…murs. I felt really bizarre, because it was as though the smell called up a distant memory. I’ve smelled this scent before, but where? Once I thought about it a bit more—it’s what the chateau smelled like when I arrived in August. Read more.

AFS offers year and semester programs to France.
Spots still available for 2009 France Programs!

AFSer Sarah: Chillin' in the Galapagos (Ecuador)

2009-03-13T17:24:00.000-07:00

So last week we went on this amazing trip to the Galapagos-- we went to see the giant tortoises and iguanas the first day, we had these really cool guides with us, Sabina and Alejandro, who were with us most of the time. Then we went to a little beach as the sun was going down. In the evening, I went out with these three girls in the group from Machala and hung out by the port. Read more.

AFS offers year, semester and summer programs to Ecuador.

AFSer Aran Writing Rhymes about His Exchange to New Zealand

2009-03-11T11:48:00.000-07:00

Check out more sweet videos of AFS adventure over at the AFStv YouTube Channel.

AFS offers year and summer programs to Spain.

AFSer Kallie: Island-Hopping in Panama

2009-03-09T15:32:00.000-07:00

So for our 6th month anniversary of being an exchange student in Panama AFS took us for a weekend in San Blas which is a string of over 300 tiny gorgeous tropical islands. There we spent the weekend having lots of adventures, from getting woken up at 3:30 in the morning to start our journey, to getting completely soaked by waves in our cloths on the way out to the island, to staying in a hotel that was also an island, to playing in the crystal blue waters, to sleeping on beautiful beaches, to seeing islands with a single palm tree, to telling different stories from all our exchanges…Read more.

AFS offers year, semester, and summer programs to Panama.

AFSer Alli: Photos of my Host Family in Portugal

2009-03-04T15:46:00.000-08:00

View more photos of Alli's Portuguese Host Family.

AFS offers year and semester programs to Portugal.

AFSer Veronica: Hungarian Halloween

2009-03-02T14:41:00.000-08:00

So today is Farsang! Which is Hungary's Halloween, only it takes place in February and kids don't trick or treat. There's going to be a Farsang party tonight, and guess what, I'm going as a cow girl. Only fitting, as I have to lead the Cotton Eyed Joe dance tonight... Oh no... Should be a sight.

This week was really good. Fast. My oh my was it fast. I got to go to a belly dance class with a friend from school. Who'd have guessed? Read more.

AFS offers year, semester, and summer programs to Hungary.

AFSer Michelle: Orange-Throwing Festival in Italy

2009-02-27T11:00:00.000-08:00

This picture is of some of the many AFS kids in Peimonte from all over the world! We all met up in Ivrea for the Orange Carnival. You may be wondering why so many of us are wearing silly red hats... well, the thing about this carnival is that the entirety of it revolves around orange wars. There are many different teams that ride around in horse-drawn chariots and they chuck oranges at the crowd, and the crowd in return chucks oranges at them! Read more.

AFS offers year, semester, and summer programs to Italy.

AFSer Tahoma: 1st week at school in Brazil

2009-02-25T15:17:00.000-08:00

Well I've made it through my first week of school! For it only being a week I feel like I've come pretty far. In the beginning I was really shy and didn't talk much, but then when this girl Jessica, for the second time, asked me why I was so quiet I realized that I needed to be more outgoing. I'm a total stranger here and a foreigner and I need to take advantage of that. I can choose any personality I desire if I want to, and they won´t know if its the "real" me or not. So I applied that thinking and I think that it has benefited me greatly. Ive made a fool of myself a few times, but that´s all part of the experience! Read more.

AFS offers year and semester programs to Brazil.

AFSer Marianna: Kite Flying Festival in India

2009-02-24T17:37:00.000-08:00

Uttarayan (Also Known As..... Kite Flying Festival) was celebrated on January 14th and 15th! It was lots of fun for me because I had never really seen so many kites, and I also learned to fly kites in a different way! The purpose of flying kites is to cut the kite strings of other people! It is a lot of fun because whenever you cut someone else's kite string you yell "LAPET" which means "reel it in!" Read more.

AFS offers year programs to India.

AFSer Eric: Reaching the Halfway Point in Turkey

2009-02-23T17:25:00.000-08:00

Just got back from the Mid-Stay Camp and I had an amazing time. Seeing all (well most) the AFSers again was so great, and having to leave them again I realize how close we have all become and that it will be so difficult to leave them when my year is over.

Also at camp, a few things were pointed out to me. First of all, apparently I'm taller. I hadn't noticed but I got asked that question by about the entire camp. Secondly, it seems that I have matured as I heard from both counselors and students that I am much less annoying which will no doubt come as a relief to my regular lunch table in the US. Read more.

AFS offers year and summer programs to Turkey.

AFSer Geoff: Confronting a Sea of Sheep in Argentina

2009-02-20T15:22:00.000-08:00

Traffic was at a stand still en route to Punta Arenas...

Read about Geoff's current AFS exchange in Argentina.

AFS offers year, semester and summer programs to Argentina.

AFSer Veronica: Not-so-Pink Flamingoes in Hungary

2009-02-13T16:26:00.001-08:00

WOW! Yesterday was so awesome! So, I'm in a little village near Székesfehérvar at the moment. I got here on Friday night. I just took the bus. It's called Mór and it looks just like something out of "A Year in Provence," right down to the crazy neighbor whose name I can't remember. My host family has already taken me to so many places. We even went to Veszprém yesterday to an Állat Kert (zoo)! I also got to go to Balaton Tó yesterday, an ancient church (crypt and all), Balaton Füred, and to a funny Hungarian movie called Made in Hungaria! I don't know if its out in the US or not.

So, I now have evidence that paprika can be used for everything from food to dyeing flamingos pink. Read more.

AFS offers year, semester, and summer programs to Hungary.

AFSer Nic: Skiing and Side Trips from Russia

2009-02-12T10:37:00.000-08:00

So the Holidays were really nice. We went to Finland and that was really fun. It's a really beautiful country and I learned how to ski, which was the best part! We also played curling and I enjoyed that too. We celebrated New Year's there and we got back late at night on the Russian Christmas, so we didn't really celebrate that. We drove to Finland so that took awhile, about a day. We drove through St. Petersburg at night which was really beautiful but unfortunately we didn't stop.

In other interesting news, on the 20th we are going to the city Kazan for 5 days because there are mountains to ski and it's supposed to be a really cool city so that should be a lot of fun. It will take about 5 hours to get there by car. There they have an indoor water park and they just built one of the biggest movie theaters in the world so I can't wait to see all that! Read more.

AFS offers year and semester programs to Russia.

AFSer Michelle in Italy: "I Love it All!"

2009-02-09T12:10:00.001-08:00

I have been here for a week, and it has been the most exciting week of my life! Basically, I love it all:

I love the food.
I love the language.
I love my host family.
I love Fossano.
I love my class.
I love the sidewalks.
I love the coffee.
I love the other intercultura kids in my local chapter.
I love the Alps that you can see any direction you look.
I love the castle in Fossano.
I love Via Roma (a street)
I love the snow.
I love the victory of communication.
I love speaking full sentences in Italian with correct grammar!
I love the bread.
I love the pasta.
I love the cheese.
I love the fake Mexican food my host family and I tried to piece together.
I love the snack between 4 and 5 O'clock that has it's own name.
I love my friends.
I love setting the table and clearing the table for dinner.
I love my house.
I love the little socks with sticky things on the bottom that we wear in the house.
I love Cuneo.
I love my routine.
I love walking home after school.
I love the neighbors dog.
I love teaching my friends weird English phrases.
I love the cobblestones of the main street here.
I love the tiny little shops.
I love olive oil that the neighbors make and give to us.
I love my life in Italy!

Read more.

AFS offers year, semester, and summer programs to Italy.

AFSer Patrick: Chinese New Year in Hong Kong

2009-02-06T16:21:00.000-08:00

Chinese New Year is serious business around here. There is a massive street fairs going on in Causeway Bay and Victoria Park. They have all sorts of different flowers, each supposed to bring their own brand of luck in the New Year. There are thousands of orange trees lined up everywhere, they are all for good luck as well. There are pin wheels that are supposed to change bad luck to good and red everywhere. This up coming year is the year of the ox. So there are all sorts of things floating around that are cow related. I bought a pack of cards that looks like a chocolate milk package. Read more.

AFS offers year programs to Hong Kong

AFSer Jessie: "I am in Ecuador!"

2009-02-05T17:29:00.000-08:00

I am in Ecuador! I am only several days into my AFS experience and my perception of America, Spanish speaking countries, education and life in general have significantly changed. I am writing this e-mail on my new friend's laptop. His name is Adrian and were are incredibly similar, it is as if we have know each other our entire lives. I have observed that the AFS experience attracts people of the same kind, no matter what language they speak or their country of origin. Read more.

This student is a Global Leaders Scholar. Learn more about this scholarship opportunity.

AFS offers year, semester and summer programs to Ecuador.

AFSer Sydney: Reflecting on 6 months in Argentina

2009-02-03T13:51:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is exactly 6 months since I first arrived in Argentina. Wow, so much has happened to me. I have grown up so much. Now that in one week I’m turning 17, I’m starting to look back on everything that has been going on. Although some things have made me learn my lesson the hard way, I don’t think I regret anything. I am just that much stronger. It’s hard to know exactly who I am. No, I can’t think about it or write it down. Sometimes I feel dumber, but I know I definitely am not. I have learned that people are people, all capable of love and hate; it doesn't matter the color of your skin or how much money you have. Read more.

AFS offers year, semester and summer programs to Argentina.

AFSer Marissa: Tribute to Norway

2009-02-02T15:46:00.001-08:00

AFS offers year programs to Norway .

AFSer Francine: Ministay in Denmark

2009-02-01T12:59:00.000-08:00

Every year, AFS Denmark arranges a ministay for all exchangies. A ministay is where you live with another family in another part of the country for a week. So exchangies can see more of Denmark and experience another lifestyle, and potential host families can try having an exchangie to see if it's something they would be interested in doing for a year. I went to Næstved, a town in southern Sjælland along with Daiki, Francesca, and Veronica. It was really great! Read more.

AFS offers year programs to Denmark.

AFSer Kendra: Celebrating New Year's Twice in Italy

2009-01-27T12:47:00.000-08:00

I actually celebrated New Years 2 times this year! How did I do that? Well I had another New Year's party for AFS on January 3rd at the house of a volunteer of AFS. We all rode the train to a city called Iglesias which is like 30 minutes from my house and then we all listened to music and talked. It is so different then our first couple of parties, because we all actually speak Italian now which is so cool. Well, we had pizza for dinner which was really yummy. All of the kids in my chapter were there, plus some volunteers...Read more.

AFS offers year, semester, and summer programs to Italy.

AFSer Kallie: Hiking with Monkeys in Panama

2009-01-26T11:49:00.000-08:00

So the day after Santiago, my chapter organized a trip to Isla Grande. We invited other chapters and all together we had about 25 exchange students head out to Isla Grande for 4 days. The island is amazing, it's so beautiful and we had a great time hanging out and exploring it. Lots of time was spent on the beach swimming, we went on a boat tour around the islands, and went on an adventure to look for monkeys...Read more.

AFS offers year, semester, and summer programs to Panama.

AFSer Chelsea: AFS Ski Day Reunion in France

2009-01-23T11:01:00.000-08:00

Everything is normal with my friends and school. I got my departure date too…July 11 (from Ussel to Paris) and July 12 (from Paris to US), which means I have only 5 months left to go, and that’s generally scary. (They’ll probably go by faster than I’d like) We had an AFS reunion the weekend of the 18th. We went to Super Lioran, in Cantal (look it up!) and we went skiing! So I have some pretty funny pictures to show. Read more.

AFS offers year and semester programs to France.

AFSer John: Back to School in Germany

2009-01-22T15:21:00.000-08:00

I went back to school last Wednesday and I have been back in school for almost a week and a few days. I got a few grades back the past few days and they haven't been too bad. My grades won't actually start counting until February because that is when the 2nd half of the school year starts. I have been taking tests just to get used to them though.

At the end of the month, we have another 1 week holiday but I'm not sure why. But I'm going with my host family to Austria to ski in the ALPS! I'm so excited. I love skiing and I'm used to doing it every weekend (even if its only at frost) and I really miss it! Read more.

AFS offers year and semester programs to Germany.

AFSer Marianna: India's Annual Camel Festival

2009-01-20T14:07:00.000-08:00

Just recently I traveled to Bikaner, Rajasthan for the Annual Camel Festival! During this festival there are many events, including Camel Dancing, Camel Hair Cuts, Camel Dress Competition, Camel milking and Camel Racing! It was almost unbelievable how well people could train their camels so that they were able to accomplish such wonderful things! Read more.

AFS offers year programs to India.

AFSer Martha: Skiing in Austria

2009-01-19T13:49:00.000-08:00

So the second day of skiing went much better than the first. We went to Austria, and again I learned how to manage a new kind of lift I'd never seen. This time it was called "Teller lift". It consisted of a line coming down the lift with a small frisbee like thing attachd at the end, which you stick between your legs and "sit" on. Read more.

AFS offers year and semester programs to Germany.

AFSer Sarah: Burning Dolls in Ecuador

2009-01-16T12:32:00.000-08:00

For New Year's Eve we went to Zamora. I really liked the way they celebrated New Year's. Everyone makes these "Muñecas" called Años Viejos of the bad things from the last year. Then at midnight, everyone lights fire to the big dolls in the streets or on the roofs (burning the bad things of the old year to make way for the new).

I´m getting along really well with my host mom now. Back in Piñas, school is almost over. it´s our last week. My friends are great. my closest friends are: Gabi, Monica, Fabiola and Anabel. They're goofy. Then of course the exchange students are great too. :) I really really love that the group of exchange students in my town are so close, like a second family. they´re all really great, like a big seccond family (AFS family) Read more.

AFS offers year, semester and summer programs to Ecuador.

AFSer Amy: School in Iceland

2009-01-15T14:10:00.000-08:00

Okay so I just figured I would update and say about starting school again. I began on the wednesday the 7th. My classes this semester are líffræði (biology), sálfræði (psychology), íslenska (icelandic), stærðfræði (math), stjörnufræði (astronomy), and félagsfræði (sociology). I´m in the same school (Menntaskólinn Í Kópavogi, or just MK as we call it) with the same teachers and same students, but it is definitely different now. I have always loved school here in Iceland, but last semester I was treated more as a temporary guest and this semester I am treated more like I am just like everyone else. Read more.

AFS offers year programs to Iceland.

AFSer Andy: Christmas and Camping in New Zealand

2009-01-14T17:35:00.000-08:00

I've been in the Coromandel Peninsula area for 9 days or so recently, camping with some of my family's friends at Fletcher Bay, and later at Waikawau Bay. It was quite an interesting trip, with 3-hour walks, rock-hopping, wave bodysurfing, and a whole lot of bug bites. I might as well tell you about Christmas first. Read more.

AFS offers year, semester, and summer programs to New Zealand.

AFSer Jennifer: Learning to Drink Coffee in Denmark

2009-01-12T10:55:00.000-08:00

The AFS year program to Denmark offers every participating student 334 days to discover another way of living. Along the way, though, something happens. Before you know, you can honestly say that you have friends from more than 10 different countries spread out all over the world, you've done some things never before would you have done, eaten things you don't even know the name of, and officially know how to make the most out of 100 kr. (20 bucks).

Now where did all of that come from, you might be wondering? Well, to be frank, over a cup of coffee. Read more.

AFS offers year programs to Denmark.

AFSer Patrick: 5 Months in Hong Kong

2009-01-11T13:40:00.000-08:00

Happy New Years everyone.

Life here keeps rolling inexorably forward. It's the 11th and we are drawing closer to the half way point. On the 23rd i'll have been here for 5 months.

After being here for 5 months i really feel like i'm starting to get to know the city a bit better. I know my neighborhood much better than I did a month ago (thanks to the copious amount of time off I've had) I've gotten better acquainted with Causeway Bay and Wan Chai.

A change has come over me recently, I find my self thinking not about what food and things i'm missing in America but what food and things from Hong Kong i won't be able to find once I've come back. Read more.

AFS offers year programs to Hong Kong.

AFSer Katie: Talking about Home without Feeling Homesick

2009-01-08T14:56:00.000-08:00

i have started thinking about home-- and telling people about things other than the weather (because people want to hear-- i used to feel silly being like "oh at home we..." because I'm here to experience Germany, not ramble on about gym class and maple syrup, but it seems like people want to hear about the way things are in the us) without feeling homesick and it is a good feeling.

i got to talk to my best friend for a whole two hours and i learned for geography and it is almost the weekend. Read more.

AFS offers year and semester programs to Germany.

AFSer Veronica: Hungarian 'Good Luck' Food

2009-01-07T10:31:00.000-08:00

I thought that a good way to start the new year would be to share the traditional recipe for a Hungarian 'good luck' food, so here it is!

Magyar Lencse

Hungarian Lentils
-Let the lentils soak in water for one day
-Heat oil and fry onions in it
-Put the lentils in the onions
-Cover the lentils with water
-Put in salt, LOTS of minced garlic, and mustard sauce in to taste
-Cook for an hour or until the lentils are done
-Make a flour, milk, and/or cream sauce (roux)
-When the lentils are done put in the sauce
-Eat Hot!

Read more.

AFS offers year, semester, and summer programs to Hungary.

AFSer Francine: A New Year in Denmark

2009-01-06T09:08:00.000-08:00

I can't believe we're in 2009 now! 2008 just flew by! And in Denmark, they ring in the new year with a BANG! Literally...

See more.

AFS offers year programs to Denmark.

AFSer Marianna: Indian Weddings

2009-01-05T08:56:00.000-08:00

This first picture is of the Bride! The bride always wears red, it is basically a "mandatory color." Also, if you can see her hands and wrists you will notice that she is wearing many many bangles and ornaments on her hands and fingers!

During a Gujarati ceremony the Bride and Groom will walk around a small fire, each of the seven rounds they take mean a different thing.

These are the feet of the Bride. The Bride will have Mehendi on her feet/legs and arms/hands. It is very beautiful! There are Piles being placed around her ankles right now, it is a traditional ornament that many women wear. Also, children will wear them until they are about 6 years of age.

Read more.

AFS offers year programs to India.

AFSer Chelsea: France Photoblog

2008-12-31T09:24:00.001-08:00

See more.

AFS offers year, semester, and summer programs to France.

AFSer Cera: Christmas in Egypt

2008-12-30T09:54:00.000-08:00

I guess I'll tell you guys about Christmas.

Christmas Eve I met up with two friends at a cafe, and we walked a bit along the corniche, buying candy and drinks as we walked. We stumbled upon a little, empty pizza place and picked up two pizzas. I had to carry them. This is harder than it sounds, when wind from the mediterranean is trying to blow you away.

Pizza boxes don't like that. Read more.

AFS offers year and summer programs to Egypt.

AFSer Veronica: A Hungarian Christmas

2008-12-29T09:51:00.000-08:00

Christmas here in Hungary is pretty similar to in the USA, but with some small differences. Like, the Christmas tree is set up on Christmas day, in secret, by one parent while the other takes the kids on a 'walk' so that it will be a surprise, and Christmas dinner always includes fish. Presents are also opened in the evening, not first thing in the morning. Read more.

AFS offers year, semester, and summer programs to Hungary.

AFSer Janaki: Settling in at School in Finland

2008-12-24T11:48:00.000-08:00

At school I started the 3rd Jakso. This time around I'm taking Geometry (really easy for me), Geography (All About Natural Disasters), Biology (Environmental Ecology), Finnish History, English and Art. I also decided to dabble in another language opportunity, Italian. My school offers lessons once a week and I decided to give it a go.

I noticed that when I got back people were different towards me. It was a subtle difference, but I definitely noticed it. It feels like they've finally gotten comfortable around me. Read more.

AFS offers year, semester, and summer programs to Finland.

AFSer Veronica: Synchronized Swimming in Hungary

2008-12-22T11:59:00.000-08:00

This last week has been pretty good. The weekend was kind of an orientation from AFS, but not really. It was an optional weekend where we could go and live with temporary weekend host families and see more of the village of Szekesfehervar. I went and it was pretty cool. My weekend host family was nice. One of the girls is going to the US next year. She is very excited to become a cheerleader there (they don't have them in Hungary.) In Hungarian it is called pom pom lany. Literally pom pom girl. I thought that that was funny. Read more.

AFS offers year, semester, and summer programs to Hungary.

AFSer Josh: Visiting the Windiest City in New Zealand

2008-12-19T14:41:00.000-08:00

Kia Ora everyone! Been a long time since I have written a blog! My last trip has taken me to the bottom of the north island to the capital city in New Zealand, Wellington. It is known to be one of the places with the most wind in all of NZ and in the world. It was great weather for the most part. I got to go to the parliament building while I was there and do a tour around to see where the Prime Minister of NZ does a lot of stuff. Read more.

AFS offers year, semester, and summer programs to New Zealand.

AFSer Jennifer: "I'm Living in a Musical" in Denmark

2008-12-18T17:50:00.000-08:00

I've come to the conclusion that I'm living in a musical. I'm not joking or making this up. The family that I live with and am surrounded by loves to sing. It's like a hobby or something. People have been know to walk around the house singing or just break out into it in the middle of dinner if the right thing is said or done. Read more.

AFS offers year programs to Denmark.

AFSer Martha: Holiday Cookie Party in Deutschland

2008-12-17T14:43:00.000-08:00

See more.

AFS offers year and semester programs to Germany

When are you Planning to go Abroad?

2008-12-16T10:44:00.000-08:00

When are you planning to go on an AFS Program? ( surveys)

AFSer Chip: Where's the Turkey?

2008-12-11T10:04:00.000-08:00

AFS offers year and semester programs to Germany.

AFSer Caitlin: Making Dinner in India

2008-12-10T11:22:00.000-08:00

Caitlin, California American exchange status, gets permission to make dinner for her host family on the fated Monday afternoon. Excited, her mind pulses: what to make? Once not so long ago she had taken a bold attempt at a South Indian dish, only to fail miserably and go off to bed with a stomach ache. “No”, thought she, “no, stick to what you can do for now.”
Her scatter-brain rested upon rice wraps accompanied with salad; simple and delicious. Read more.

AFS offers year programs to India.

AFSer Kallie: La Flora y Fauna de Panama

2008-12-09T09:51:00.000-08:00

Here you go Mom, and all the others who have wanted to see some pictures of the animals, birds, and plants of Panama! Sorry I don´t know the names of many of them, because well many of them it is the first time I had every seen them in my life! These were taken in the Valle de Anton.See more wildlife shots from Panama.

AFS offers year, semester, and summer programs to Panama.

AFSer Marianna: Weddings and Elephants in India

2008-12-05T13:33:00.000-08:00

The wedding season has started here in India! Everyday many many weddings take place, and the roads are full of traffic, people, fireworks, etc! Even though it may take me twice as long to get somewhere, it is so fun to see! For example, when I am coming home from my Indian Flute Class I see a wedding pretty much every time, I think there was only one time when there was not a wedding! Read more.

AFS offers year programs to India.

AFSer Kendra: Turning 17 in Italy

2008-12-03T13:06:00.001-08:00

My actual birthday was a Friday this year so I had school on my birthday. When I woke up in the morning, the first thing that happened was my sister and my mom came to me and gave me my birthday presents which was really nice. My sister gave me a really pretty necklace that has a charm of Sardegna on it and my mom gave me a book which I cant read yet but I'm determined to read it later. Everyone in the family gave me a big hug and wished me "Tanti Aguri" which is like Happy Birthday in Italian. Read more.

AFS offers year, semester, and summer programs to Italy.

AFSer Patrick: Thanksgiving in China

2008-11-30T11:40:00.000-08:00

So as you are all aware Thanksgiving was last Thursday. As you might expect, here in Hong Kong they didn't bat an eyelash. Other than a brief segment on TV about George Bush Pardoning a turkey there was nothing.

Except at my house. I decided that I was going to have Thanksgiving this year anyways to share some of American culture with my family. This is after i was walking through Taste (a grocery store that imports a lot of western food) and saw frozen turkeys. So I set to work. I collected recipes from my father, and last Tuesday I went to Taste and bought all the fixings. Read more.

AFS offers year, semester, and summer programs to China

AFSer Hailey: Buying Converse Kicks in the Dominican Republic

2008-11-26T12:16:00.000-08:00

So this last weekend I went to Santo Domingo with Ramona, which was cool because usually AFS doesn't let people travel without family, but i got permission to go with Ramona and stay for one night in her sister´s house, and her mom is visiting from Santomas and we went shopping with her and her cousin. It was fun because in Santo Domingo they have big malls and lots of stores :) except it´s not cheaper here. I was looking for Converse, and in one of the only stores that had a good variety they were like 60 dollars! Read more.

AFS offers year programs to the Dominican Republic

AFSer Chelsea: Turkey Day in France

2008-11-24T12:27:00.000-08:00

This month has gone by UNBELIEVABLY FAST. It feels like October. Or maybe August? Anyways, lycée (school) has been going along like usual. I am way more comfortable with my friends here, and my classes are fairly interesting. (Je crois que j’ai la moyenne dans presque tout!) I found a jazz band that plays with the Ecole de Musique here that I might join, and I can play a sport after school on Wednesday afternoons.

I listened to Fred’s advice and I’m trying my best to do things with my friends outside of school, and I’m having a little fête for Thanksgiving next Sunday, and inviting some friends from school to my house for a big traditional American dinner. Read more.

AFS offers year and semester programs to France.

AFSer Eric: What Turkish Waffles Taste Like

2008-11-21T10:55:00.000-08:00

On Sunday AFS took us to on of the Islands around İstanbul and we spent the day there and biked. The island was absolutely beautiful and I really wish I had my camera. Luckily I think Gabe (another AFSer) took some pictures so perhaps when he post them I'll steal them and post them here. hehe. Biking through the island was very relaxing and calming. I don't often stop and take in my surroundings but I'm glad I did here. Also I got to try an amazing Turkish waffle. A Turkish waffle is very different than in the states... Read more.

AFS offers year and summer programs to Turkey.