A publication of the Academic Year in America Program Connections is a biannual newsletter comprised of memorable stories submitted by AYA students, host parents, and Local Coordinators across the USA. The articles and photos inside represent the unique cultural experiences enjoyed by AYA participants nationwide. New Orleans: Cruising Down the Mississippi By Emily Barberena Local Coordinator January 2010 Meridian, MS We spent the first weekend in December in New Orleans and we had a blast! We rode an old fashioned paddleboat (behind us in the picture) down the Mississippi River, walked through the Arts and French Quarter districts, ate beignets at “Cafe du Monde”, jambalaya, muffelatas, po’boys,(and much more!), walked the legendary Bourbon Street and saw many different kinds of regional music, like cajun, creole, jazz and blues, plus caught some bead in a haunted hotel (according to rumors-we are all fine!), shopped and necklaces from the balconies. We heard a jazz finished up with a trip to the Audobon Aquarium of the Americas and an and blues set at “Preservation Hall”, stayed IMAX film on Hurricane Katrina and the wetlands. China: A Host Parent’s Perspective We are the Stephenson-Skaff family living in Charleston, West Virginia. We started our adoption process in 2004 in anticipation of just having one child. Instantly we fell in love with the Chinese culture that has led us to adopting 2 additional daughters in December 2006 and April 2009. Our hearts led us to keeping the children’s heritage alive in their American life, so we have had the pleasure of hosting an exchange student from China, Wang BingYing through AYA. Her presence has completed our family unit, albeit for a year. Bing has started to share the Chinese culture with us as we have shared many of the American customs with her. The AYA experience is a rewarding one, their process is thorough and will bring world culture to any family who hosts these students of the world. The Stephenson-Skaff family Christmas photo is the centerpiece of their family calendar! Center: Bing Ying Wang from China Marina is pictured on the left with a fellow cheerleader. First Choice: Cheerleading By Marina Marchi Tournieux Student, Brazil Las Cruces, New Mexico My name is Marina, I am from Campinas, Brazil but I preferred to be alive and with all my body I was only following the other girls. At the end and now I am doing my exchange program in movements for some more months. Honestly, of the day, I survived the game. After that tough Las Cruces, New Mexico. It has been a really my first choice was cheerleading, but I was game without knowing anything about football good experience for me and I am enjoying thinking that I would not have any chance to I asked my host mother if she could give me each second of my time here. One of the join the squad because in Brazil we don’t have some classes about football and now the good most different things that I did here is be a cheerleaders, but I didn’t quit. The tryouts were thing is that I understand some things about cheerleader in my high school. In my first week, fine, they explained to me everything that I the game. I know that they have to pass the I tried out for volleyball, but it was not a very would have to do and all the things that they other players and cross the line to make a point. good experience. The tryouts were during four were expecting from me. After, they made me Besides all the funny moments I am glad that days and after my first day I could not even wait some minutes and then came the good I passed through it. I will have really great walk! My arms, my legs, everything was hurting news—I was in the squad! I was so happy. stories to tell my friends in Brazil and very good and then in the last day I didn’t go because I called all my friends, my family, but then I memories to remember in my future. I am I could die with all that pain. But the “good stopped and started to think.. How am I going loving here and I couldn’t be in a better place. news” came on my first day of school. I saw the to cheer for some sports that I have never And another thing is that we have to come with volleyball coach in the hallway and she said all watched before? We don’t have football in no expectations. When I came I was thinking happy to me that I had passed in the tryouts. Brazil, so for me everything was new and I was that I would be in the desert, without water and I didn’t have reaction in that moment, I didn’t afraid to make a mistake. walking only with flip flops, but I realized that know if I was happy to pass or if I was sad that My first game I will never forget was a football we can’t come with images of how it will be. I will have to pass all the fourth period classes game, and I didn’t have any idea what they were I wish that all the exchange students that are of my days and all the afternoons playing doing. They were so violent playing that game! going to come will love their host families and volleyball. I was thinking during some seconds I was scared to see all the players running in the their “American life” like I am loving mine. The and I had my difficult decision—I would not same direction but then I realized that was part exchange program is yours, so it is not the place play volleyball. of the game so I was feeling better. The worst or the house that you will live in that will make I was kind of sad that I would not play volleyball thing is that I didn’t know when was a point so your exchange program good, it is you. because I met some really good friends there, New Adventures on Horseback By Nancy Stubbs Local Coordinator Ames, Iowa One of the great aspects of Iowa is the opportunity to experience all kinds of farms. On Saturday, October 17, eight students and one host sister embarked on “A Horse Adventure.” The students had the chance to learn to “tack” the horses (groom them and put on their saddle). They had a riding lesson in an arena and then went on a trail Let’s Go Tim! children some day. We have been going on ride in the beauty of the Fall Season. The also many adventures with Tim since he has been By Jena Shontz were taught about Free Market Economy with us but I think our favorite time so far was Host Parent by the farm’s owner. Afterwards, some of our trip to the Philadelphia Phillies game. Tim Gilbertsville, Pennsylvania the students went to another farm where a experienced his first pre-game tailgating, his modern-day “Dr. Doolittle” lives. Linn Price, I just wanted to take a minute and share with first American hot dog, and his first baseball a host mom, works for the Animal Rescue you the amazing experience we are having game. He quickly picked up the rules of the league and has quite a collection of animals with our student, Tim Steinkaemper. Tim has game and was cheering “Let’s go Phils” non- to see and enjoy. Here is what one student, been with us for several months now and we stop. It was a very exciting game ending with Sandra Pereu from Moldova, had to say have been having a blast! He is a perfect match a victory for the Phillies—we tell Tim he is our about the day- for our family and we feel like we couldn’t good luck charm now. Tim has a great sense of have asked for a better student. Tim is the first humor, speaks excellent English, and has been a “This activity was a horse adventure. It was student that my husband and I have hosted pleasure to have in our home. We look forward my first time when I could sit on a horse even on our own and hope to continue the tradition to many more adventures with Tim and many though I was scared to death because of for many years. My family hosted several more great memories. We have already started my past horse experience. I am happy I met students while I was growing up and it was a making plans to visit Tim in Germany for New great people there who told us the story of great experience that I hope to share with our Year‘s 2011. that marvelous place (the horse farm). I’ve never known that horses can be so sensitive and feel the same way you do. Anne (the owner) helped us understand that dreams Special Recognition for do come true. She loved horses and now she an Artist and a Volunteer is their ‘Mommy’. After horse riding, we went to another farm where we met some cute By Pat Evans donkeys, two adorable horses, a noisy pig, Local Coordinator some white hens, 2 cats and 7 kittens (whose Ubly, Michigan eyes were still closed) and a Doberman Two of my students were featured in the dog. Driving through Autumn nature was local paper, Huron Daily Tribune.