September 17
FOR ALL THE HUMANS
This is a message for humans of this planet, and for those for
whom the word "human" means much and little. Humans are defined as bipeds,
mammals, omnivorous, characterized by his capacity to think, speak and love.
To those of you who read these sentences, I'm a human.
Like each of you, I'm unique, and I try to make good my short life on this
planet. In my life, I have tried to realize a maximum of experiences.
I've traveled twelve hours to discover another continent, I speak another
language and meet people who have another culture.
Some say that we, exchange students, are different beings,
because of our capacity to separate from our native country, our family.
I think, on the contrary that anybody could do that.
Think about it:
We are part of a whole...
We are the result of a very long evolution which started 4.5
billions years ago, with a huge explosion. So we were born from a jolt with
power beyond the imagination. This colossal liberation of energy has given birth
to an immense universe, so immense that the human mind can't even conceive
1/1000 of its size.
This inconceivable black canvas is studded with supermas, composed of hundreds
of galaxies that gather together billions and billions of stars, what have their
individual planet system.
In one of these galaxies, called "Milky Way", we find among the star
bloc, developed similarly by a few light-years, a star called "sun". There
are 9 planets in this system at whom is called "Earth". (Think about
the zoom in!).
By a combination of thousands uncertain factors, the Earth developed the life,
after a few millions of volcanic eruptions. During hundreds of millions years,
billions and billions of cells generation became, little by little, reptiles,
insects, birds, fish and mammals.
One of these mammal, one day (about only 60,000 years ago) decided, by necessity
to walk and speak. This race called "human" has progressively
developed different habits, languages, accounts: different cultures...
This little reminder of the ridiculous human smallness is made
to remind that we all come from the same source and as a consequence, we are all
able to leave their closed relations to meet other people in spite of the
"distance", and I think that, during the few years which are given to
us, we have to acquaint ourselves with our habitat, the Earth, and you might as
well to start it as soon as possible.
12 hours of flight? 10,000km? 10 month? My God! What
ridiculously small numbers, when you really think about it!
You just have to go to the top of the ladder and look around you:
We are part of a whole; open your mind!
October 13
 After my little text about the smallness of the human race and
the Earth, which showed the relative exception of this program, I'm gonna look
from less higher, come back in my daily life in America, tell you the
"routine" of this exceptional year...
Since September 1, I saw a lot of change from the beginning of
the year. I start to be used to the American culture, the food, the cars, and
above all, the people. It's really an important subject. Americans are very
special, we can see that everywhere: at school, on the street, at home, in the
stores.. It's an amazing thing! When we meet someone we see for the first time,
we talk to him, as a friend that we know since years ago. Sorry, back to the
journal.
This month was pretty busy: most of the time, school, of
course, which is, by the way, easier and easier because I understand all the
class, I think and dream in English, it's pretty exiting! But the most
interesting is after school. A month ago, we went to Busch Garden, a huge park,
with 6 roller-coasters, and a big zoo, and in a water park nearby it for two
days. It was great! We went with my host father, my German brother, an ex
exchange student from India, and a school friend of mine. It was only fun time
and relax. We also did what is called "floating", 3 weeks later. It's
a kinda ride on a big tube on a spring river, where the water was crystal clear.
We could see all kinds of animals: fishes ,turtles, birds, raccoons and even
water snakes! It was really relaxing and pretty fun.
But, the most gorgeous thing of this month, was last week: for
my birthday present, we went to spend a weekend in the Florida Keys! It was
beautiful! There was palm trees, coconut palm trees, mangrove everywhere! And a
sea water blue-green, absolutely gorgeous, warm, full of tropical fishes in the
coral reefs and of course, crystal clear! Also, we were at Tom's friend's place,
and huge house next to a canal, with two boats. They were really nice. We did
all kind of fun stuff: snorkeling, kayaking, fishing, boating and even
water-skiing! And the second day we went in a place called "theater of the
sea", a kinda sea zoo, where we swam, danced and kissed dolphins! I never
had a birthday so great in my life, and I thank again my host father for that.
It was unforgettable!
For all of you, exchange students, Rotarians or friends, I
hope you had as much fun as me or more. Thank you to share us your experiences.
Enjoy the life.
Tim
December 18
Hello everybody!!!!!
Wow, it have been a long time that I didn't take the keyboard
to write to our dear website and counselor!!!! Sorry about that, but we had a
really busy month, full of rich events!
First of all, this one is a personal one: I'm not bored at
school, I really appreciate everyday, I got stable friends, who I can hang out
with, I don't have any problem to make me understand in English, the
communication is so much better! Two month ago, I was like: "oh no, I still
have to go to school today!!! I really don't want to! It's so long!" but
now, when I start the day, I don't see the time goes and it's already the end of
the day, and it seems a few hours and the week is already over!!
I'm in the fifth month! The time goes so crazy fast!
Especially when important stuffs happens: Late November, it was Thanksgiving,
the day where Americans thank the Mayflower to gave them abundance, so we eat an
enormous meal, with the big turkey shared with the whole family. It's a family
party, and, at my house, we were 20 people to share this too abundant meal!!!
But, the best thing is coming a few weeks later: the most
important event since the beginning of the year (with the orientation weekend in
August): the Disney World Trip!!! Three days and three nights in one of the
world's biggest amusement park, with 30 exchange students, from all over the
world : Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, Finland, Hungary,
Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and France. It was the best weekend of my
life!
It began Thursday night, when we met everybody on the hotel
lobby. It was only joy, hugs and smiles everywhere! I immediately had a very
good friendship with a Brazilian guy, who was in the same room as me. Then we
went in Downtown Disney, to have a dinner at McDonalds (it's better than
nothing...!!!!)and visit some stores, to finally go back to the hotel, under a
nasty rain! We spent the rest of the night in the hotel, with a pin
exchange/birthday party, very interesting to know each one a bit better.
The next day, after a short night we went in what is certainly
the biggest park of Disney world: Magic Kingdom. We had some backstage tickets
to see the how worked the rides, and after those three hours of guided visit
(very interesting and kind of funny), we had the whole day to hang up in the
park. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't with us, but, why care about the
coldness of the arms when the heart is warmed by a friendship growing hours by
hours, until a point where we can't separate each other in the rides!!! I was
with a group of 8 most of the time: A Japanese guy and girl, a Hungarian girl
and a Finnish girl actually my two best friends, an Italian guy and girl and a
Brazilian girl. We did all the rides possible to do in the day that went one
more time really fast... We did a huge group picture and went back to the hotel,
take a nap before a very active and great night of dancing, in Pleasure Island,
a place with about 7 night clubs, with for each one, a different kind of music.
I went only in the Rock one and the Rap/pop/techno one. It was absolutely
awesome, dancing all the night with very close friends, practicing the typical American
hot dance: the Body dance. I won't give details, the name speaks for itself...
After this exhausting night of fun, we went back to sleep
finally a few hours. The next day, Saturday, we went to 2 different parks :
First, Animal Kingdom, a kinda zoo with a few roller coasters, and a safari, not
very interesting but fun all the same because we were together, in a group of
nine. Then, we kept going on another park: EPCOT, a park to discover different
countries' cultures. It was pretty interesting because, almost each of us in our
group had a country represented: Scandinavia, Germany, Italy, Japan, France.
There wasn't any building for Hungary or Brazil, but it was really fun all the
same. We hang out through the park grabbing each other's arms and sometime doing
an alive wall of smiles and laughs! We had a kind of aura of happiness around
us, making smile the people we crossed, it was so much fun! At 9:oo pm, we saw
the big fireworks, sound and lights representing the world with a beautiful
setup of light on a spinning sphere in the middle of a lake...
Back to the hotel, we weren't ready to sleep, so we decided to
go to Pleasure Island. Unfortunately, this time, there wasn't enough people over
18 so, we couldn't get in. We went back to the hotel, to start a party in the
room, with fresh pizzas and Brazilian music and 20 people in a 4 people room! Unforgettable
moments...
Sunday! AAAAHHH!!!! We all dreaded this day, because the last
one! We had fun all the day, riding the best roller coasters of the 4th park:
MGM Studios. There was also some very good shows, like Indiana Jones or Muppets
show... At 3:00pm, after the last Disney parade, the moment came to take the
last group pictures and to do the biggest hugs and kisses. It was a really crazy
moment! I think it's the first time that I wanted to cry after knowing people
for three days! There was a mix of tiredness, sadness and happiness in the same
time, very difficult to control! It was a so great a time, that I will never
forget. I thank particularly the Rotary Exchange Program to permit to create so
magic instants!
The next day at school I never been so depressed! I thought
about the weekend all the day, slept a little bit in each period, because of the
8 hours of sleep in these three days of pure friendship emotion...
OK, this journal is almost over, just a last thing, I thank
again my Rotary counselor to organize this trip, and can't wait for the next one
which will take place in Key West, with the same great people!!!
I love you, te amo, ma rakastan sua, szeretlec, ti amo, ich
liebe dich, ai stele, je vous aime!!!!
Enjoy life!!!!
Tim
February 12
Hello
everybody!!!
A lot of events again this month in my accelerated year, more or less
important
but all very rich in experience!!! The first one could be
in Christmas break, with the experience of my first American
Christmas and new year... I spend Christmas with my
family, with a nice Christmas tree and the presents around
it, not very different from the French way... Then, before
new year, I went in a trip in South Carolina for 5 days with my father
and my host German brother, where we had a wonderful time, going in the
smoky mountains or in a reconstituted Bavarian village in Georgia, St Helen.
Also, on the way back we visited Charleston, SC, the city where we
can see the Yorktown, one of the first aircraft carrier, and Fort Sumter, the rebel fort in an little island a few miles away from the
coast. A very good and pretty interesting time... ( look
at the pictures....) But the better is later : after a
great new years party in my rotary counselor house, who
host Ale, an exchange student from Brazil, we went a week
later to a conference where the president of Rotary International was visiting
Jacksonville. Coming all the way from Thailand, Mr. Rattakul presented
us a wonderful and very emotional speech about his experience and his
biggest project: eradicate polio in the world! A project that is working
very well thanks to the help of the rotary international led by a very
people person, deep and simple in the same time.
But, without any competition, the most important and rich event of this
month is obviously SEA CAMP! It's about the
same importance than Disney world trip, but with a different kind
of fun. As you might already seen the pictures on the website "www.rye6990.com"
,this weekend was a concentrated of fun, 75% smiles and laughs,
25% learning, 0% boredom. Those days of fun started on Thursday,
after a cool trip all the way down to Big Pine Key. We
made a couple of stops before to arrived there : one at a dolphin
show place, and another one at Pigeon key, to visit the museum of the
first 7 miles bridge, built by Mr. Flagler and company... An opportunity to
learn more about the nature, the history, and above all, little time to meet
again the other exchange students we didn't see since Disney world!!
One more time a lot of smiles... Once at Sea Camp, we
met the staff, Mark, a very nice guy, interesting and open
minded, who placed everybody in their room for the short nights we had this
weekend... Then, first contact with the 60 American
students already there, from Michigan and New Jersey,
around a camp fire, roasting marshmallow on it and meeting
a whole bunch of new friends! The next day, after a nice
breakfast and the formation of the groups, we took the
swimming test in a water pretty cold for season, and went play a game
to understand better how does the mangrove works, doing a rope pulling in
the shallow water, much warmer and surrounded by a gorgeous environment of mangrove and palm trees!
After noon, we went snorkeling on a beautiful coral reef, full of heavenly
fishes, yellow, red, blue, green but also some nice big silver
barracudas... ( and got sunburn in February!!!!!!!) Once back on the land, not still exhausted enough by the cold
water and the windy trip on boat, we played a bit of
volley ball, and after dinner, we get ready for the dance
party!!!!!!!! Waiting for this night of fun, we got together
outside to play a the hand game, a hilarious moment just
based on a successive hand clapping around a table... Then, the dance ! A wonderful time together, an opportunity to
know everybody better...... and much closer!!!! Obviously,
the typical American hip-hop/rap/techno was present, but we had the
chance to dance on Brazilian, German, Japanese or French music!!! a thing
that we rarely have in night clubs...heheheheh!! The next
morning, after a needed and appreciated night of sleep, we went snorkeling
once again in another coral reef, played some international volleyball
games and after lunch ( always together in the big dining room), we
got ready for an afternoon of funny studies. We had to
make up a presentation about environmental topics, in groups that we
will show at night. One more time, a very interesting time, where we learned
to about water quality and the impact that can have the water pollution
on the human being ( that was the subject of our group, but there was
several subject, each one very interesting )
During this time, the staff gave us a very cool present : a Sea Camp
T-shirt
that every one of us had to sign! Then, the night came and
the time to present our research so. Group by group,
supervised by the staff and Professor Marcinkowski, from the Florida
Institute of Technology, we shown our research, having fun and learning
in the same time... After a couple of hours, the
presentation was over, so, as we knew it was the last time
we'll see everybody together ( the Americans kids leaving early
in the morning), we took a whole bunch of crazy pictures, signed every single
T-shirt and went to bed, having a pretty hard time to sleep, due to the
general excitement in the rooms...
Sunday morning, after the last breakfast together ( pure fun), we slowly
packed, knowing we won't see each other before three weeks, and
start to say bye to everybody, a really hard thing to
accomplish when we spent a weekend totally crazy and in a
gorgeous place with so cool people! The hugs were really
tight and the tears about to come. Like the last weekend, at Disney world, it's the most difficult thing to do, every one wanting to
stay a bit longer with each other. It's a hard stuff to
explain, how to describe a feeling? Then,
finally, my driver, Gary told us we really had to go, so we did so. I
was really sad in the van, leaving this wonderful place but above all, those
wonderful people, even if I knew I will see them in only three weeks, for
the conference USA/Canada in Orlando... BUT....
On the way back, our driver, gave us the surprise to stay a little bit
longer in the Keys, going in KEY WEST!!! The most southern city
in the US, a crazy and weird city, charming and sunny
where we went shopping for most of the time, in the
tourist traps that make a fortune over there!! hehehehe!! And,
with surprise and happiness, we found the other group of exchange students
who also came over to enjoy the place! So we invaded a
restaurant, 30 smiley youths, on couples of tables driving crazy
the server and making laugh the people around us!...
But, as every good thing has an end, we finally separate for real, doing as
much hugs as we can before the drivers call each group to come
back in the cars. The way back was
also a lot of fun, for my case, sharing a van with an Italian
girl and guy, a Brazilian girl and a Ecuadorian girl, all connected on
the mode laugh for the rest of the trip!
Alright, I guess that's it. My journal is ending, so does the
5th month in this year going speed x 100000!!! I
thank very very much once again my Rotary club for organizing such a thing and to permit us to open our mind on the world, pretty small
after all!!!..... I'm getting aware
that I only got 4 months left in heaven before to come back
to the reality of my French routine-life... But for the
moment, as I always say, and that everyone of us should do, I : ENJOY
LIFE!!!!!!!!!
Have a wonderful time and enjoy each day of your short time on this
planet!!!!
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