Tippayavut "Pond" Kovanthanakul

2005-06 Inbound from Thailand

Date of Birth: January 31, 1989

Hometown: Kanchanaburi, Thailand

Sponsor: Kanchanaburi Rotary Club, District 3330, Thailand

Host: Ponte Vedra Beach Rotary Club, District 6970, Florida USA
School: Nease High School

Bio

Pond's Bio

SA-WUD-DEE-KAH and hello. My name is Tippayavut Kovanthanakul. Yes I know, it's too long for a name, but anyway you can call me Pond. I'm a 16 year old girl from Thailand. I study in Kasetsart University Laboratory School Educational Research and Development Center, Kampangsaen Campus. Yeah, I know, it's a very long school name too.

When I'm in Thailand everything seems to be easy for me. I have a good family, good education, good economy. I'm just waiting and everything will come to me. I'm a lazy girl in Thailand because I know that I always have my father and my mother to help me with everything. So I feel I'm a little child during the time I spend in Thailand, but after I get on the plane I always think about what I'm going to do in the USA? What will my hosts look like? Would it be good for me that I leave all my friends in Thailand to find a new friend in the USA? Just 1 year. It's not very long, but I swear it will be 100 years for me.

When I arrived at JAX airport, everything seemed to be grand for me, but ... stop ... where are my suitcases? I lost my suitcases. First time I realized that my suitcases may be in Chicago. I almost cry, but my hosts are really cool. They make me feel better about my suitcases. Next two days, I got my lovely suitcases back.

Now welcome to the USA, Tippayavut. Everything is big, great, and cool. Oh, and a little culture shock. I start my life, oh I mean my school life in Nease HS. First, everyone seems to be cool, oh, I mean cold to me. Now I can find a little warmth in this school. I like to study except chemistry.

Now I feel I become more responsible. And a little bit grown up. I start to use my own life without my parents, but still use their money. I think I may get a little bit fat because of Claudia. She always makes delicious food. Thank you Claudia and Fred who make me feel like I'm at home. Thanks everyone. You make my life happy.

September 5 Journal

Hello everybody! How are you? Me... doing fine, but almost died from English homework. I will tell you about it, but not

Now I start to type and think about what should I write in this journal. Because I have a lot of things to tell. A lot of experience that I am absolutely sure that If I'm not an exchange student I never get. I've done many things that I've never done before.

And also I try to open my view about everything in this country. I met a lot of different people and they still asked me a lot of questions about me, myself and my country. The most popular question is about compare and contrast between my country and Florida. Sounds easy... but I found that it's hard to answer about it. First in Thailand we have Starbucks. Yeah I have to tell you because when I tell this to everyone, they really are surprised about that. We have a lot of America's things in Thailand such as movies, food, clothing, etc.

This time I will not tell you about different things. Actually I have to find some good answer, not a common answer like culture. Maybe next time I will find one. I have stayed in Florida for 6 weeks and each week, I can guarantee that I'm really busy. Good thing about making myself busy is I don't think about my home too much. I'm going to tell about busy things.

1> Busy student - Yeah, I'm sure that everyone got trouble in studying. Absolutely studying in another language. I take English 3, Algebra 2, Music, America history, Spanish 1 in this first semester. It's really a hard time for me to study all these subjects, especially America history and English 3.

2> Busy weekend - My host Rotary Club is Ponte Vedra Beach. And they make a program that once in every weekend someone in the club will take me to go out or do some activity with them. I think it's really good because you know and learn about their culture and they will know me and my country better. And the good point is travel ^-^. This is some things that I've done: Go to St. Augustine. Go to the beach and dinner. I really enjoy with travel eating or hanging around. At least I learned that everyone is different.

I am still surprised with myself that I never think about how can I live, travel or study without Thai language. I have done many things that I would never expect or think about it when I still lived in Thailand. I had all this chance because I am an exchange student. Oh I'm so in love with being an exchange student.

September 29 Journal

Two months that my life had got a big change. From a girl that lived in a small country and never been abroad before and always think that she had known all of America like ever been there, but actually she just heard the American's life from her sister that used to be Youth Exchange. She thought that she will find the same experience like her sister, but, no, what she told and what I got here, everything is not the same.

In the beginning of September I have planned a lot of things to do. I try to organize myself about study and travel, but it's a success at first and it begins to fail.<T-T> I try to find at what point that I made a mistake. And the point is: I'm not doing it now, I just keep thinking that tomorrow I can do it too. So it's destroyed my life for a while, but now I'm getting back on my feet again! This month what have I done are

1> Go to Geraldine's party. And we get to know each other more. Geraldine was absent when we had orientation the second night. We had a fun conversation, we talked a lot of things, mostly movies, because Geraldine really likes movies. And she showed me the picture of Switzerland. That' was awesome!!!

2> Go to Larissa's 18th birthday party. I met a lot of friends and new friends there. It was fun and the chocolate cake was delicious and Larissa made some Brazilian dessert. I think it was chocolate too. We talked a lot about how's school going? And I try to speak some normal Spanish sentence with Dana. So glad that she understands what I'm talking about. And we were hanging out for a while after we had a delicious meal. And we go upstairs and sing Happy Birthday song. I almost clapped my hands, but here they don't clap when they sing Happy Birthday song, not like in Thailand!! And Larissa opened the presents. And she liked my presents too.<^-^> And then we came back. It was a happy day.

3> Go shopping with Olga. I spend a lot of money there. We go shopping at St. John's. It's a big mall. And I have to promise myself that I will never go to shopping again until November. So I think you can guess that how much I used <T-T> I'm feel really poor now! Anyway after shopping, we have a little meeting with Interact club. First they desired to play bowling at Jacksonville beach. It's gonna be my first time, but unfortunately it was broken down. But we have a second plan too!! We decided to go to play Laser tag <You have to shoot another person by laser gun> Ha ha, it's time to kill. Again laser tag is broken too. What bad luck that we have! So we gonna play Go-Cart. I drive really slowly but still faster than Olga ha ha. And we going to play some ahh I can not remember the name of that! But I still remember what I feel when I play it. It's a machine to make suffering to me. Maybe it punished me because I spend too much money. <^+^> And before we came back Kim and Jessica give us zombie's things. So I can wear it on Halloween!! It was the most scared day!!

4> Spend the evening times with Megan <one of my friends> at Books-a-million. Meet a lot of new friends and done the silly stuff <not including me, I'm just watching them> Like speak very loudly. Running and yelling in Target. That scared me too. Anyway they are really nice. And after that I will go to watch magician show and spend the night with Amanda <one of my friends too>. The magician show is really amazing. I can not speak anything when I watch the show <because I eat chocolate all time>. After that we watch a movie.

5> In the morning, go to church again. It was my second time. Actually my religion is Buddhist, but I believe that all religions teach us to be a good person. So anyway I go to the church. First time I was shocked because It's not what I imagine about that. But this time I feel impressed. I meet a lot of people there. After we go the beach. I loved the beach. It's time for my new swimsuit ha ha. First we just lay down on the beach and Amanda wants to go into the ocean. And I go with her - first time that I go into the deep water level about my neck. The problem is high waves that always hit me. It was fun.

6> Help Claudia for fund raising for Cancer Foundation. We go to Jacksonville Beach. It's pretty much a lot of people there. And I helped her count the money and do some little other stuff. It was a pretty nice day too.

And how's school going for me? Yeah I'm in the drama club. And we are going to have homecoming on 10-15 October. We call it Spirit Week and on 13 October I have to be a Zombie. Yeah! If I could choose I would be a princess <but I can not>. It is one of the drama club programs that they will present on Spirit Day. And I have to act like a prince in my music appreciation class. We play Rapunzel and I'm the prince. Sounds better than a Zombie!! It was fun + dangerous too. I have to climb the stage because we pretend like the stage is a tower.

The important thing that I have to do is find a date to go to Homecoming dance, but I already invited someone. But he's not sure if he can come or not!!

So this month I'm still feeling happy, not homesick. The only time I cry is because I miss my dog. Is that homesick too?

November 20 Journal and Pictures

Hey, What's up guys?

This is my third journal, and I feel not much happy to write this journal cause still upset from my English Research grade that I got F. But it's time to send something so I guess...I have to. My life here is really wonderful except English subject. Go to school, take the same bus, same roads, same classmates, same boy that ask me for a sheet of paper, same lunch mate, same teacher... every day that makes me feel surprised with myself cause I feel more impressive with everything. It's changing everyday and I learn how to keep memorized the details about everything. The bad thing about school is boys...

Some boys are noisy, dirty, and say a lot of bad words...It's not good to hear a good looking guy say bad words every 2 sentences. It's unacceptable, but some of them are really good too, even if it's hard to find. And I am stuck in the library every lunch time with Amanda <one of the girls in my English class>. Library is a safe place and home for me, because no boys throwing a pencil, no speaking loudly, no flirting. And a lot of kids in Library seem to be nice <not much bad words> and gentle.

In October my school had homecoming week. It was pretty fun and crazy. Absolutely I went to homecoming dance with a girl. No boys asked me to go with them. Ha Ha, I have to thank you for Larissa that came to spend the night with me and she made an extreme makeover for me. She done my make up and my hair, that's a good idea more than let me do by myself. How is the dance...I dance all night with girls no boysss - it is the same reason, no one asked me. Did I look that bad? Anyway it was fun to see myself got dressed up.

Attended the Symphony Orchestra, Beethoven no.9 <Ode to Joy> with Olga. It was awesome.. I loved all symphony. And went to Olga's birth day party, the most fabulous party ever!!! Got ride by limo, ate Mexican food, laser tag and of course spent every moment with you <Olga> is the fabulous idea. Gulten was there too so made it more fabulous...

And football game Nease with St. Augustine the big game of the year. It was really crazy lots of people, lots of fun even if we lost. Tim Tebow still be a sweet heart. Ha Ha and I came home late made Claudia and Fred worried, I'm really sorry. T-T

Times for pumpkins in Halloween made my first pumpkin. Really had fun with scooped the pumpkin. Imagined myself be a brain surgery doctor when do the pumpkins, Ohhhh. Stayed at house waited for the kids to knock on the door.. absolutely decorating the house was really enjoyable thing.

And went to the beach with Gulten and Olga. In the Evening we went to Jaguar game with Fred. It was really really fun...Love you Jaguars and Fred Taylor ^-^

And the Fall outing...It was really great.. I do enjoyed canoe and swim in the cold water...absolutely stay with all YE is the good thing.

In November went to another football game, Nease with Bartram Trail High School, saw Zsolt at the game. It was really special cause I got a field pass. When you watch the game really close it so good. And they ran passed to a touchdown in front of me. ^-^ And we won even without Tim Tebow <The superstar quarterback> and Ted Stachitas <A really good quarterback too> so we got the freshmen quarterback, but we still won!!!!

Went to the Gulten birthday party and spent the night there. Most of the exchange students were there. It was fun.. watched the movies all night. First we started to watch Fear <we were screaming in this movie> Napoleon Dynamite <can not explain this movie> 10 things I hated about you <I cried when I watched it> and Wimbledon. Gulten got a lot of shower sets, I think she can used it for a longgg time...before that we went to the fair

Watch the air show at Jax beach with Gulten and Nard. It was awesome and I enjoyed myself by drawing pictures on the sand. And wrote Thai Alphabet ha ha.

Went to the My Rotary club party with my host, Gulten, and Olga. Had fun with playing golf and eating and hanging out with them. I love you all the members in my club.

Go shopping with Olga. Spent lots money....before a few weeks to go to Disney. How stupid I am!!!! So sad....

Went to the zoo with Ron and Kathie. It was great. I loved all kind of animals. I saw a lot of animals that I never seen all know it before such as Tiny monkey, Singing monkey, Big ape, African elephant etc. I found out one thing about myself that I was really emotioned with animals...8-8

And the last thing that I gonna write in this third journal is I went to the beach with my host family and Larissa. I found 16 shark teeth. It's hard to find one, but when you find one then you start to find more and more. All things you need is time and be patient to find it. It will always be there, you just have to look and find it like friends, so keep looking and be patient to find friends cause they always be there - all you need just time and when you've found one, you start to get more and more.

Hope everyone have a great times

Love and kiss

Pond

 

December 24 Journal and Pictures

We wish you a Merry Christmas, We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.... I sang this song for you, guys. It was 5 months now that I been here and I pretty much enjoyed every minutes doing stuff except when I was in English class. Because boy that sit behind me, he keeps annoying me all time and he borrowed my pen and never returned it back to me. Anyway I have to stop mentioning about him cause I don't want to get angry again. Let's start about what I done so far.

>Thanksgiving, We got company here, Matt, Matt's parents, Courtney, Ania <She was an exchange student from Poland two years ago>. We had a lot of fun together. She was sharing bed with me just first day.. Why? Cause she found out that I attacked her at night.<I didn't mean to do it, maybe I was tried from Shelly's party> So the other nights I gave my bed to her <used to be her bed too> and ended up slept on the pop-up bed. The funny things about Thanksgiving was you spent the times to cook about  2 hour and ate it all in 15 minutes.

>Disney trip, Finally went on the trip to Disney. It took 3 hours to Orlando. Was I excited? Absolutely YES. It was one of my dreams and it on my list of things you have to do before you pass away!! I love MGM Studio...It was fun for me and we met the YE from Miami district. And Al you told us that we will have a pool party so I went to swimming and you didn't show up!!>>> who gonna go to swim in that kind of weather? But anyway we had good times together at Disney.

>Went To MIAMI, we going to Miami <start to sing again> Why I have to go to Miami? because NEASE FOOTBALL TEAM GOES TO MIAMI. Why? because WE GONNA WIN THE STATE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP. So that's why I went to Miami, to be a good football fan. Miami was really hot and I almost died in heat at the Dolphin Stadium. It was 90 ahhhhh!!!! AND WE WON THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP 4A. Yeah I know we could make it,guys.. Good job!!

>Final exam, nothing to mention about it, I try to forget....it was my nightmare.

>Christmas party for Foster Family, Me and Olga went to this party that held by Ponte Vedra Sunset Club.

>Baby sit with Olga.....it was a good experience for me.

>Watched movies with Larissa and Szotte, we had a good times together, Right?

>Christmas meeting at my club, It was a really special meeting because everybody brought their families to the meeting. And we also had Santa and Jaxson.. And I sat on the Santa lap!!! And Santa asked me what I want for Christmas, so I said I WANT A LAMBORGHINI. 555+

>Went shopping with Olga cause I need to buy Fred and Claudia Christmas gift

So this is what I have done so far and included wrapping all gifts for Claudia.. and decorated the house and tree, made a ginger bread house. I was really happy...I hope you have a great winter break and Christmas !!

 

January 22 Journal

*~Hello people…

OK. First of all I want to say thank you for Fred and Claudia, that they hosted me and accept me to be one of their family members. They are one of the most important people in my life. They influenced me to be a better person. We stayed together for six months, but I feel like I know them for a very long time. They always give me a feeling of HOME. I didn’t say thank you to them personally because I planned to do something <can’t tell in this page cause it might not be surprise for them>. So If you are reading my journal now, please know that I love you and I always will. You are a wonderful host family that I couldn’t tell how great you are.

My first Christmas as you know it become really exciting event for me. Of course the gifts under the Christmas tree are the best part. I was very excited when I saw how many gifts I got… and Fred got a Bar-B-Q that become our favorite cooking machine. Really you have to see how Claudia reacted to the food when it came out of that Bar-B-Q stuff, but it's really good. I got a Thailand Travel book for Claudia and Snoopy book for Fred <It's my favorite character> and a perfume for Courtney and weight paper for Matt <plastic bone for Daffy too>. Then we have a very long winter break that most of the times I spent reading The Chronicles of Narnia in front of the fireplace <one of my Christmas gifts>. And made an Oscar’s house of the box and wrapping paper <Oscar is my favorite cat at Claudia's house>. So it looks pretty good and actually I think Oscar love it.

And we have a Gator Bowl Parade! I was carry my country flag most of the time. I saw lots of interesting things there such as people dressed in Pirate stuff. After that we have a New Year party. I love the party but I’m not a party people. Some of us dressed in fancy dress. And I was dressed in Chinese costume. I should have dressed up in Thai costume, but it might be really complicated to do it. I had fun over at the party and had lots of interesting conversation. It was really nice to see us all together again in New Year day, because maybe this is the last chance for me to celebrate with all kind of nice people from different countries. It is going to be very hard to say goodbye to them when we go back to our country.

I had a chance to be part of the outbound interviews. And it made me think about last time that I was interviewed to be an Exchange Student. I feel like it was long time ago, but I still remember all the feeling that I had when I know that I will go to Florida.

And my school life started again, this time it is really good for me. I make lots of friends in my class. They are really nice to me.

And I changed to my second host family - now I got two host sisters and they are really nice to me. I also went to the talent show at my school with my host sister, that really nice to see lot of talented people.

I can’t wait for Sea Camp. It is going to be lots of fun and the important things for me is: I will turn 17 on 31 January. ^-^

Thank you~*

April 16 Journal and Pictures

OK, As you all know I have been spending my year in Florida and it will be over soon - like I only have about 8 weeks left then I will back to Thailand. Anyway so my family except my father took a chance to come and visit my sister in California so I flew to see them all.

First of all we went to Disneyland and spent 3 days over there, we had so much fun except I. Because they all complained about my shape that is getting too fat. Really they all laughed at me when they first saw me at the airport. Anyhow I pretend to be that I don't care whatever they said but I need to work out as soon as I come back to Thailand. Then I went to San Francisco, It's a very fancy city too.

Then we spent time together mostly hang out or doing Thai food and the good thing was I managed my language well, like changes from Thai to English and English to Thai. Good luck that I still formed Thai sentence very well educated because some of friends they said when I wrote e-mail to them my sentences looked so crazy.

Before all that happened I went to TPC with Jose and well we met the Belgian girls, we hung out on the hill instead of watching the famous golfers. After that I went to my Prom with Jose <Yep!!> and we danced ...... Then I went to the Miss NEASE with my host sister and then I went to the Car Show <forgot what they called> And I had so much fun.

This year is so incredible, I can't explain how much I enjoyed it and I know I couldn't get to meet all these nice people if I didn't come here.....So far so good I know this year has to be ended.

P.S. Maggie if you read this journal I wanna say that we had so much fun together and I won't forgot our memories...anyway good luck

Love you all

Pond