My mother says
that whatever great opportunity she gives to my older brother, she will give it
to my on the same age that my brother was when he got the opportunity. My
brother went on an exchange program when he was in fifth grade so I was going
to get my exchange program opportunity when I was in fifth grade. In 2006, I
was in fifth grade and finally I got the opportunity of becoming an exchange
student. In March, my mother and I went to a big white house in La Reforma
Avenue and talked to the directors of the exchange program called FAW (Friends
around the World). They said I needed to give them my grades of last year and
the ones of the first bimester of school of fifth grade. My mother filled up a lot of papers about
myself and about our family.
In mid-March, I went to a meeting of FAW in
the big white house just to talk with a psychologist (Vikki Soda), I was so
nervous and worried because I thought she was going to ask me to do a test
which I was going to fail and then I could not go in the exchange program, but
she just talk to me about the exchange program rules and my attitudes. Vikki
and I become good friends because I was a nice kid and kind. After the meeting
with Vikki, my mother and I talk with Evelyn de la Fuente (one of the
Guatemalan directors of FAW) about my opportunity of going to Minnesota. She
said that I just need to attend to all the meetings and my mother should give
her my passport and the papers filled up.
My mother and I went to our house and during the time of getting home, I
told my mother that I was so happy of going. In another meeting I filled up a
paper about my interests, leisure, my family, my best friend, my favorite
class, my address and my future major.
While Vikki and another American searched for
all the host families in Minnesota, I needed to get good grades on my classes.
I studied hard and had a hard time doing my assignments because I got to my
house at 4:30 p.m. when I did not go to a meeting or to the doctor, then play
Xbox with my brother and at 8 o’clock we did our assignments. In June, FAW gave
each participant a file about his or her family. In the parking lot of the big
white house, I asked my mother what might my host family will ask me when I
meet them and my mother said about your school and family. I started getting in
touch with the Baker family but at the same time I was worried about the
questions they might ask me. The Baker family is made up Terry (father),
Annette (mother), Justin (son about my same age), Shelby (daughter about four
years younger than Justin) and Kelsey (daughter about two years younger than
Shelby).
I started
sending e-mails to them because they did not have my e-mail. I had being doing
great at school by getting good grades. In July, I started going with a
psychologist once a week to help me with my worries of the exchange program and
because she had a baby, I went to her house for the meeting. She helped me a
lot and taught me that the Baker family was going to ask me the regular
questions that a new friend asks you. On a different day, she talked with my
mother about my progress. On our last meeting, she told me to have a great time
in Minnesota.
On the third
bimester, Miss Mariela told my mother that I might do the fourth bimester
finals exams. In August, she told my mother that they will give me different
exams on September and my mother said that is ok with us. I was leaving on
September 16. On mid-August, Evelyn told my mother that on September 14 I was
going to give an English speech to all the family participants. On September, I
started packing my cloth for the trip to Minnesota but at the same time I
needed to practice my speech and studied for mi final exams that I was going to
take them on September 13-15. On
September 14, my family, FAW staff and all the other families of the
participants went to church and after church; we all went to eat dinner in the
Biltmore Hotel. After we ate dinner, the Evelyn told us about the organization
for Saturday and I gave my speech. On Saturday, Evelyn, Evelyn’s daughter,
Vikki, another American and forty kids counting me left to Minnesota and we
arrived to the airport of Minnesota; I was the first one to meet my host family
in person.
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario