NEWSLETTER

JUNE

2008

HOSTING/SENDING NEWS

HOSTING UPDATE…ASK, ASK, ASK!

Thinking about welcoming an ExchangeStudent? NOW is the time. Experience theWorld Without Leaving Home! Ever wonderwhat you can do to help change the world?Open your home and family to a highschool student from another country andhelp build bridges of interculturalunderstanding at a time when the worldreally needs it.This year, more than 2,700 young peoplefrom 50 countries will arrive in the U.S. tostudy at high schools across the country.Enjoying daily family life, meals together,and community activities will make a worldof difference to a young visitor who is eagerto experience what it's like to live as amember of a family, school, and communityin the U.S.Host families provide a bed and meals, andthe same guidance and support to studentsas they would to their own son or daughter.Host families and students receive supportfrom local AFS Volunteers.Host an AFS Exchange Student and buildbridges of intercultural understanding. It's agift you'll give and receive. Most familieshave no idea how much they'll gain untilthey say yes! To learn more, call 1-800-AFS-INFO or emailafsinfo@afs.org. Youcan also complete a hosting interest form atwww.afs.org/usa.AFS 'aunts' and 'uncles' are also needed,as well as liaisons who volunteer to meetmonthly with host families and theirstudents. Call AFS for details.

Sally Ann, Interim Hosting Coordinator

COLUMBIA

PACIFIC

AREA

TEAM

NEWS

THE

CHAIR

REPORT

– Bonnie

Richardson

‐

Kott

This is the time of year that we all prepare to say farewell to our group of students and, for many, this will be the hardest thing to do.I remember this time last year when we bid farewell to Siyan, our exchange student, who had become part of our family. I think we all just sort ofavoided the subject and pretended a little that it wasn’t going to happen. But the day came when we had our last family dinner together – Siyan washelping me in the kitchen while the boys (husband included) were interrupting with wrestling on the kitchen floor and being silly. We laughed as usualwhile we chopped onions and chicken and we talked about Siyan’s day running around getting things together and visiting with friends. My two sonskept us distracted with their usual antics of refusing to eat the peas and poking each other under the table. Then we moved on to busying ourselves withcleaning up and trying to figure out how to cram all that stuff into one big suitcase and at the same time keep it under 40 pounds. Bedtime came nextwith delays from the boys and much book reading -- one with me, one with dad, and of course one with Siyan.And then suddenly, it was the morning of departure day. Even the boys knew that something was different, that things were going to change for ourfamily. I think the emotional breaking point for me came when Siyan mustered up her courage to hand me a little album, hand made by her withconstruction paper, sprinkled with pictures of all of us and filled with quotes and messages and her feelings about having been a part of our family.From that point on, there was no hiding our sadness and struggle to say goodbye. The reason that we were sad was because Siyan had become part ofour family. Saying goodbye felt like it was an ending of our new family at that very moment. But it wasn’t an end. She is still part of our family andalways will be. We are looking forward to visiting her one day, meeting her family, attending her wedding (she assures me this is in the very distantfuture), and welcoming her back for a visit. Siyan is half way around the world and yet, she is and always will be our daughter, sister and friend.Farewell to our exchange students from this past school year. It isn’t a goodbye; it’s the beginning of a lifetime relationship!

Bonnie Richardson, Columbia Pacific Area Team Chair

COLUMBIA

PACIFIC

WEBMASTER

NEWS

PLEASE SEND YOUR PICTURES!!!

Hopefully you have had a chance to take a look at the pictures we have posted on the area team web site at

www.AFSCP.com

(in case you wanted to know, that stands for AFS Columbia Pacific). If not, go there now. There might be some pictures of youthat you didn’t know existed. And please send in any pictures you would like posted on the site. You can email them to ourwebmaster at

webmaster@afscp.com

KEEP IN TOUCH AFTER DEPARTURE DAY

We have a great resource for keeping in touch after students return home. Visit the Area Team web site,www.afscp.com, to join our social network.Exchange students can keep in touch with each other and with their host families after they return home. And host families can keep in touch with eachother as well as with eheir exchange students. Current exchange students cannot sign up until after departure day and will receive emailed invitationsafter departure if we have their current email address on file. Host families can sign up any time on the web site. Don’t lose touch! Maintain thoselifetime bonds!

James Spears, Columbia Pacific Area Team Webmaster

AFS/USA NEWS

Message

Appreciation

AFS

Host

Families

Nearly 3,000 families in the U.S. are currently sharing their every day lives with AFS Exchange Students. As we celebrate and honor the contributions ofAFS Host Families during Host Family Appreciation Month, I’d like to share a few words with you from a talk that Ambassador Kenton Keith recentlygave at an event presented by the Council on Standards for International Educational Travel. Ambassador Keith, former U.S. diplomat in Qatar andmember of the Board of Directors for AFS-USA, has devoted much of his professional life as a foreign service officer.

“In the competition for hearts and minds that formed the background of most of my career, America’s most powerful tools were the exchange programs—the educational and professional exchanges, both private and government sponsored—that exposed foreign audiences to Americans in their environment. And when that exposure came at the age of high schoolers, it had a way of being truly life-changing. And life-changing not just for the students who came to America, but also for the families and communities who hosted them. Over the years, I have met dozens of men and women who had that experience in the United States at a young age. They can’t be fooled about America. They know us, and in some small way they ARE us......As a foreign service officer who dealt in public diplomacy, it was precisely the average American who was our strength—or secret weapon, if you will.It was…Americans, in their vast diversity, their basic industriousness and generosity of spirit, in their ingrained respect for fairness, who influenced the thousands of foreigners who came here on exchange programs of every kind. When you accept a foreign student in the community it is an act of citizen diplomacy.”

On behalf of AFS, I would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere appreciation to every family who is currently hosting or has hosted in thepast. Your generosity, kindness, and concern for bringing more understanding into the world is making a World of Difference.Sincerely,

Margaret Crotty, AFS-USA President

COLUMBIA

PACIFIC

HOSTING/STUDENT

NEWS

What

the

Students

have

say…

What did the students have to say when they were asked the following questions?

What is the funniest thing that has happened to you this year?

What is your favorite American food?

What was the biggest cultural difference you were surprised to find out about Americans?

What is the biggest thing that you had to get used to that is different than in your home country?

What has been the most exciting event for you this year?

Isneen – Thailand

1. I forgot to bring the house key to school with me and when I got back homefrom school, I had to climb in the house through the window.2. Tapioca pudding.3. Some of the teenagers living in different homes than their parents and mostof them want their own life.4. Most of the teenagers have a job and not so many of them plan to go toCollage.5. Everything I have done.

Ben - Austria

1. When we blew up a toilet…2. idk…there is good food?3. Guys are more open with each other.4. That you need a ride to go everywhere and that you can’t walkbecause everything is too far.5. Prom! Maybe Graduation….

Mercy - India

1. In December my host family took me to see all the Christmas lights. I was so happy to see them I said the same thing over and over that it isreally cool. The next day my host sister told all her friends and they started teasing me. It was the funniest thing that happened this year.2. I don’t know about my favorite food but my favorite restaurant is Red Robin!3. The culture difference for me was the kids here don’t even have to ask their parents if they can go to a certain place. This is not all Americansbut a lot of them.4. School. School is very different in India.5. Prom, graduation, and Christmas.

Danial - Malaysia

1. I cycled 30 miles on my first week here to Wal-Mart and it turnedout to be Walgreens.2. Meatloaf3. I can’t think of anything…4. Taking less baths.5. Ashland and my track meets and my spring break.

Olya - Ukraine

1. ?2. Roasted vegetables…yummy!

☺

3. Everything is big in America: plates of food, cars,supermarket carts, cups of drinks…4. Lots of new people at school who are hard to make closefriends with.5. The fact that I’ve come to the USA and had this wonderfulexperience!

Joanne – Netherlands

1. The cat jumped into the bathtub while I was taking ashower!2. Hawaiian potato chip.3. When Americans say “How are you doing?” they aren’treally expecting an answer.4. The relationship between students and teachers.5. Going to State with concert choir!

Hina - India

1. Back in August I was a little scared of my hostfamily’s dogs because not a lot of people have them inIndia. In the middle of the night I went to the bathroom.When I was done, I found 3 dogs and a cat outside therestroom. I was scared to death and didn’t have theguts to walk around them so I slept in the bath tub for 2hours.2. Macaroni and Cheese!3. The way kids treat their parents. Sometimes it isdisrespectful.4. The way I handle situations now is better than I usedto in India. I have learned always to talk about what youfeel is good because keeping things to yourself maycause trouble.5. Being on my own the full year was pretty exciting.

Guillaume - France

1. I was hanging out in Portland with some friends. It was around 10 PM and we were hungry so we went to Wendy’s. It was close but the drivethru was open. We walked around to the drive thru and tried to talk to the audio call. Unfortunately, in order to activate the audio call, it needs acertain amount of weight on the pavement. We were only 3 young dudes and we didn’t reach for sure the amount of a car. So we jumped up andown on the pavement. Then we made one synchronized jump. Finally we could not activate the drive thru. It was quite funny because of the factthat you can do everything by car in the US but you struggle sometimes when you are just on foot!2. KFC and Hooters!3. Americans like to buy and consume but they are still looking for a better deal. They would rather pay less for cheap food and clothing thanbuying expensive brand clothes and fancy food.4. Riding the car all the time because everything is spread out.5.MtritoL.A.oversrinbreakandointoUniversalStudios.

Irem - Turkey

1. A guy at school asked me how many camels I am worth!!! Duh??2. Oreos!3. They don’t really use public transportation that much.4. School and friendships5. My Chemical Romance concert.

Chiara - Italy

1. Probably ask for a rubber in my physics class… Sounds weird but in my country we study British English and a rubber is what they call aneraser. That time I already knew what a rubber was in American English, but I couldn’t resist! I’ll always remember the face of the guy I asked it to,was just too funny!!!!2. My favorite American food is probably burritos, yes, I know it is not really an American food, but I ate it the first time here and just loved it!!!3. There is a total different concept of privacy in the US. I always had all the privacy I wanted in my life and here, in particular, your host familyneeds to know everything you do, when you do it, where and whom with.4. School is much easier here!! And it may be helpful as far as I live in US, but I’m sure I’m going to have a BIG problem when I return homegetting used to actually studying again.5. That I can mention, probably the show I did at school. Was really fun!! And just like every acting performance I have done before, it was justreat!

Janet - Ghana

1. I was with some friends talking and they thought I lived in a complete junglein Africa. I told them I had an elephant and a giraffe for pets and they totallybelieved me and asked me to send them a monkey when I get back home.2. Tortilla, burgers and fries!3. The high rate of teenage pregnancy, and how they were not embarrassedto walk around school with their big tummies.

Having

fun

2007/2008

‐

Prom,

Sports

and

more…

Frank Liguo - China

1. I went fishing with my American friend in Salmon Creek, but I didn’t get anyfish and broke 4 fishing poles!2. Barbecue Salmon.3. The relationship between the teachers and students.4. American people like cheese very much, which I don’t like it at all.5. I gave the presentation to the student’s band who will go to BeijingOlympics for the opening ceremony. That is so exciting!

Irem and her Dragon Boat Team…Maxime playingLacrosse…Elisa and her Racquetballpartner after winning the StateChampionship!!!Frank from Chinaplaying golf…