AMAZING WEEKEND

Hello to everybody!


I have so many things I have to tell you! Last Friday it was the Diversity Day. We wore the typical outfits of our countries! I did not have the Spanish outfit, so I wore red and yellow (like the Spanish flag). Here I am posting a picture with one of my friends, Joyce, from Sudan. Aren't we pretty? I really loved the Diversity Day! After school that day, I met Eileen, my new host mother. She is very nice, I think I will enjoy a lot the time I will spend with them, as I enjoyed the time I spent with Mere, Lynne, and Don.

On Saturday I went to a lot of places with Lynne and Don. Mere was at a retreat, so she could not come, but I had so much fun. We went to Bernheim Forest. Here I am leaving a picture of the Snake Hollow, a sculpture made out of natural elements.




Then, we went to the Jim Beam Distillery (did you know that a 95% of the Bourbon Whiskey made in the world is made in Kentucky?!) and to the Old Kentucky Home. The official song of Kentucky, "My Old Kentucky Home," was written there by Stephen Foster. It was a pretty house, and the visit taught me so many things! We also went to the Abbey of Gethsemani, but the visits and the gift shop were already finished. If I can, I will go again eventually. It was a very busy Saturday, but I had lots of fun!



On Sunday I went to see my new house, and I met Brian, Pat (Eileen and Brian's son) and Tula. Tula is such a pretty, sweet dog! She is fantastic! The house was gorgeous, really. I was talking to Eileen, Brian, Cindy (my local coordinator) and Tula for an hour and we saw the different rooms in the house. I am excited for living with them. I am going to miss Mere, Lynne and Don, but I am happy that my new host family is so nice. They seem really fantastic people!

My Sunday School Class

Before visiting their house, I went to Sunday School at Mere and Don's Church, like every Sunday. Since today was my last day there, I asked them to take a picture all together, as a class. Here it is!




After visiting their house, I went with Don to two museums. I enjoyed them, one was 21C, a museum-hotel, and the other was the Science Museum of Louisville. I think that museums are great, they show so many things just in one place. I never regret going to them. At the Science Museum, there was a super interesting exposition about the human body. They were real bodies that had been donated to the science and treated to make the exposition. It was really nice, the human body is absolutely amazing.

Now I am watching the Oscars. Wow! The magic of the Cinema. They are making it so spectacular, I am enjoying watching them. I have seen several of the movies that are nominated to some Oscars, such as "Lincoln" and "Les Misérables." Even if I do not do it very often, I enjoy watching movies.

Next Sunday, when I write you again, I will be in my new house, with my new host family. I am a bit nervous, but really excited. See you next Sunday!

Bye Bye!

NEW HOST FAMILY

Hello to everybody!

I hope you all are doing great! It is weird that I update my blog on a Thursday, but there is a reason:

I know who my new host family are! I am going to meet my new host mother tomorrow after school. I am really excited! I am going to miss Mere, Lynne, and Don so much, and also Zeke and Kitty, because I love them all very much and I am really thankful with them.

Tula! So sweet!

My new host family are friends of a fantastic teacher at Pres and also of the parents of my friend Jenna. I am a bit nervous and very excited! They have a super pretty dog called Tula, here I leave you a photo that they sent to me.

Tomorrow I am sure everything is going to be great, that I will like them very much and that they will like me too.

See you on Sunday!

Bye Bye!

ST. VALENTINE'S DAY AND WINTER DANCE

Hello to everybody!

I am sorry I am updating on Monday, but yesterday was the Winter Dance and I wanted to talk about it. Well, let's see. I am going to talk about a whole lot of things I did last week and about a (in my opinion) interesting thought that I have had just after the dance.

Well, on Tuesday I had a Math Team exam! It was so hard! I was really happy because in the last exam I was first, but in this one... I do not know in which position I am going to be. Perhaps fourth or fift. I am really glad of belonging to the Pres Math Team, though. I love Math and I enjoy participating on the exams.

On Wednesday I went to... the Opera! We saw Don Giovanni. It was absolutely fantastic. We went there with the Language Club, and I have to say that it was wonderful. The voices of the singers were so powerful! The show was in Italian, but they had subtitles. I think it is a shame that we are not going to go to any more operas with the Language Club!

Do you remember what happened February 14th? Yes, you are right! Saint Valentine's Day! It was soooo fun! We gave balloons to our friends with heart-shaped cards. I gave and received a lot of them! Later, at home, Don and I went to see the movie "Warm Bodies." It was about a zombie that falls in love with a human. I enjoyed it, it was nice.

On Saturday I had the Regional Competition of Math. I did as well as I could, and I am happy for it. I already know the result: I did not make it to the State Competition. However, do you know what? It is fine, I am really proud of myself because I made it first to the Regionals!

Winter Dance! It was fantastic! Great! On Sunday I went with some of my friends to have dinner at the Waffle House and then we went to the Dance. We danced during the whole three hours! I really, really, really loved it! After the Dance was over, I went to a sleepover at my friend Bernadette's house. I am always saying that my friends are wonderful, they are fantastic! I am going to post a picture of the Dance when I finally get them (they are in Shelby's camera).

Here it is my thought: Do you remember that I told you that I have been feeling like a true American girl during the past months? Now, I feel it even more! After my first American Dance, I believe that being a teenager in America is not like in the movies, but even better! Don't think about High School Musical, because that is not the way how it is here, but I like it very much! Right now I am talking with my friend Jiachen, one student from China, and she was saying that she enjoyed the Dance so much too! You know, American Dances are popular all over the world!

Now, something I want to tell you all: Lynne (my host mother) has mononucleosis. I feel so sorry for her, I hope that she recovers soon. Cindy, my Local Coordinator, says that I have to move to other host family to not get sick. I know it is an opportunity to meet other people, but I am going to miss Mere, Lynne, and Don so much. I am very thankful with them and I love them a lot.

Well, people, see you next Sunday!

Bye Bye!

SPIRIT WEEK

I am Harry Potter!

Hello to everybody!

This week was the Spirit Week! During the Spirit Week all the students that want to get dressed as something different everyday. On Monday we did not have a theme because we had to wear our dress uniform (the formal uniform: I almost freeze with my skirt!). On Tuesday it was our "Favorite Character Day!" I got dressed as Harry Potter. There were a lot of different costumes: One Direction, Perry the Platypus, Luna Lovegood... It was so fun!

With Brittany (Mardi Gras)

On Wednesday it was our "Favorite Holiday Day." I got dressed as Christmas. On Thursday it was the "Pajama Day." This day was the most comfortable one. I believe that we should be allowed to go in our pajamas to school! Really, it was fantastic! I was wearing pink and white Hello Kitty pajamas, so imagine me! Normally I do not wear pink, people were surprised!

Bernie (St. Patrick's Day) and I

On Friday it was the "Spirit Day," and we had to wear Pres clothes. I wore the Spirit Shirt and a Spirit sweater. We even had a Pep Rally! On Pep Rallies we see the cheerleaders and the dance team dance, some girls act, and everyone has fun! They called me twice! At first because I belong to the Math Team (I won the last competition! I was first!) and then because I won in the Governor's Cup District Competition in Math. They even gave me a diploma and a medal!

On Saturday I went out to have dinner with Lynne, Don and Mere, and today I had to... do my homework. You know, the hard life of the student and all that stuff (I am just being sarcastic!)

Next Friday we do not have school, and on Saturday I have the Regional Competition of the Governor's Cup. Wish me good luck! This Tuesday I also have a Math Team exam. This is going to be a busy week!

Well, I have to go. See you next Sunday!

Bye Bye!

ENCOURAGEMENT

Hello to everybody!

The back of our house

Here I am again! Do you know what happened? We were supposed to have our Winter Dance yesterday, but it was snowing and we finally could not. We do not have to be sad, though, because what can seem bad at one point can be good later. Now not having the Winter Dance can seem awful, but they are going to reschedule it, so no problem.

It was snowing so much! I like snow (even if it is so cold!), I think that the landscapes are very pretty. Here I am posting a photo of the back of our house with the snow. I really like it!

I want to talk to you about something: here in America, they know how to encourage people to do whatever they want us to do. I really admire them. For example, when some months ago we had the Walk-a-thon, we could donate money to the school, so they could give more scholarships to girls. Well, they had several awards: for the person that brought more money, the second, the third... You know, they also had "If you bring more than (let's say $300) you get a day out of school" or "you jump for cash", or different prizes of that kind. I think that they knew how to motivate people really well. I am glad of learning different ways of leading a team so we can achieve a goal, encourage people and encourage myself to try to achieve want we want, always respecting others' points of view.

"If you get good grades, you will have an ice-cream pass in the cafeteria". Well, we try to have good grades not just because of that (most of us) but it is always very nice to have an award for our effort. I believe that it motivates us to continue making efforts and trying to do always our best.

"If you do your chores, I will give you your allowance". That is what my friends told me that a lot of American parents tell to their children. They are learning since they are little that they have to do something, that they can get good things for doing it (money, toys, cheers...) In my opinion it is a lesson we have to value: we  do not get things "just because" or without even making an effort to get them, but trying to do what we are supposed to and making people happy.

Well, Dear Readers, I have to go. I will see you next Sunday!

Bye Bye!