Keeratikarn "Nard" Uakulwarawat

2005-06 Inbound from Thailand

Date of Birth: January 23, 1988

Hometown: Sakon Nakhon, Thailand

Sponsor: Sakon Nakhon Rotary Club, District 3340, Thailand

Host: Orange Park Rotary Club, District 6970, Florida USA
School: Ridgeview High School

Bio

Nard's Bio

I'm a girl from a little country called " Thailand". My name is Keeratikarn and my nickname is Nard. There are five people in my family, my Dad & Mum, my twin sister, Tipp - she is a Rotary exchange student to Canada - and my little sister, Mona. In my opinion anyone able to be a Rotary exchange student is a very special person. I would like to be a young ambassador to promote Thailand, to be knowledge of other cultures, improve my English , be more mature , increase self-esteem and learn how to adopt American lifestyle & culture and anything else in line with me.

I arrived at Jacksonville airport at 8:00 pm on July 27th 2005. When I first met my host family, I was so excited and I was thinking that they are people who I will be staying with for three or four months and they would share my great experience in my great year too!!

September 17 Journal

Today is almost 1 and a half months since I have been here. My first week in Florida was interesting in culture and a bit missing home. I know that it is a normal thing that happens with every exchange student so I was fine with that but last week, I don’t know why, I felt homesick and I cried. Luckily my host mom helped me to feel better. I think I was lucky that I told my host mom that I was homesick because she could help me. Everything seems to be nice at this time and I hope it will be forever.

On my first days at school it's kind of hard to make friends and study in English, but finally I've got some friends and it's very good to have friends even if they can't speak my native language. At school I take Culinary Arts, Journalism, US government, Pre-calc, English 3 and US history which are awesome classes - keep me busy everyday. School here is different form my school, such as school starts so much earlier than my school, so that made me sick at first school week. Between classes I have to walk in 5 min to go to another class and my classes are so far away from each other, sometimes I have to run or walk so fast. I think I don’t need to go to the gym because I can exercise while changing class.

American food is gonna make me fatter and fatter because I like it and I eat lots. Not just food is gonna make me fatter - dessert is so yummy and again I have it a lot.

Since I have been here my host Rotary Club gave me a great opportunity to do and visit interesting places. I went to John F. Kennedy Space Center with the president of my host club and her family. I had a wonderful time that day, even though the weather was hot. And I went to a Water Fun Park in Tampa, Fl that was a fun day with them. I would like to say thank you for everything they gave me.

Not just will I improve my English here, I think I will improve my cooking, ironing clothes, cleaning, and understanding people more clearly than I used to do. Before I came here I thought it was easy to be an exchange student, but now I realize that it is easy to be an exchange student but not to be a great exchange student. Sometimes I want to do something that I used to do when I was home but I usually tell myself that I am an exchange student, I should not do that. Many good things and not good thing happen with me since I have been here and no mom and dad with me - I cannot cry with them or give them my problem, I need to deal with those problems myself or ask my host to help if it is a big problem. But I’m lucky I haven’t had any big troubles ... hopefully it won’t happen.

I wish this year will be a greatest year of my life.

November 20 Journal and Pictures

October 2005

This month was the last month, which I stayed with my first host family. In the beginning of the month we went to Savannah, Georgia, first city that the British colonials stayed in the south of US. I had a great time with them. The weather was chilly in the morning we arrived there. Around 8 AM we walked street to street so we could feel how they lived and their life style. My host mum was telling me the history of each place we went.

What about school? Well, there were nothing much happened except some students dressed up for Halloween. At Halloween night I went to trick and treat with my little host sister. I dressed like a witch that night and I did pumpkin carving too. That was my first time and they looked nice.

On Oct. 22 we went to DeLeon Springs. I had a great and fun time with all exchange students - we played water in the pool (cold), canoed, had breakfast and lunch together, that was awesome time. Every time we get together is like an awesome time ever and I very enjoyed being with them.

November 2005

I was still with my first host in the beginning of the month. My host mum took her daughter and me down to St. Augustine, an old town that has many places that interest me such as first school in US, Turret. We had dinner at a Spanish restaurant there - the food was awesome and yummy.

Nov. 5 it was time to move. I’ve moved from my first family to second one. I was so sad to move. It doesn’t mean I don’t want to move to my second host but I just feel sad because there were many great memories that we had together.

Nov.6 I went to Jax beach with my host family to watch the “Air show.” I was so excited to go the beach. I enjoyed playing on the sand and in the sea. I like the beaches very much - it is like they are my friends and I think that's because I can still see them even I stay in another part of the world.

I went to Gulten’s b-day on Nov.12 - that was a fun birthday party and we were spending overnight together. We were talking, watched movies, and telling our life in here.

My 2nd quarter turned out I did a pretty good job, that make me happy. This week I am so busy because we had School house rock show at my school, RHS. I do costumes for this show, it was fun thing to do, I enjoyed with some other people. It has been a while to do school house rock show and now I can sing some songs in the show. The weather beginning to cool down makes some of my time miss home and think of my friends at home, even though people here is friendly, but what I think is every one and every where is different. I can’t even think when I leave here. I don’t know it took a long time before I leave so be happy and enjoy your life, Nard life Haha. I am excited to go to Disney world and Christmas. Anyways, I have a great time here and I will be so sad if I didn’t do my exchange year with Rotary.

Best regards (ka)

Keeratikarn Uakulwarawat

January 2 Journal and Pictures

Happy New Year 2006 - isn’t it a great time to continue my journal!

Dec. 1-4th, all of exchange students, Rotary exchange student committee and us went to Disney World in Orlando, Fl. I enjoyed there so much, there were so many that I wanted to do and especially I had  new Rotary exchange student friends from district in Miami even though we had just a couple days together but we had a great time together. At the first time we arrived Disney resort I was so excited to see and go play on any rides, we went to MGM that late afternoon and I could see that not just me who was excited - everyone all excited to see Disney park. That was such a wonderful time in my life, we did a ride together, ate, swam at night and a lot of fun things. At the first day it didn’t make me tired a lot but, you know what, I have learned something - that if you go to Disney world you better have a good sleep every night and big breakfast, because after a few hours you will feel hungry and tired that affected you from losing a lot of energy while you had a ride. But it was good for me that my host mum told me before I went there so I didn’t have any problem about tired, but I was hungry every hour haha.

Dec. 8-12th, my first host family took me to Norfolk, Virginia. That was so awesome and cold there. We went to Williamsburg, the colonial town, before America has become a country. And museums and we went to the navy ship museum that was cool I saw a lot of cool stuff. Something very important to me happened at the restaurant, I was asking for a water of glass and I said “I would like a “grass” of water, please” and he was like "Umm.. What?" and I was so embarrassed myself and I repeated clearly again “I would like a g-l-a-s-s of water, please” that was so embarrassing and funny for me but that is all right, at least I know next time I go to restaurant I will ask for glass not grass (I have a hard time pronounce R and L in the middle of the word.)

Dec. 23-29th my second host family took me to Georgia and Washington DC. It was fun and tired I know more how Americans travel and how they tour around the city. I took a lot of pictures though. We went to the White House and the capital but they not allow to take picture there so. We were in the car around 7 hours to get home from NC.

New Years Eve was awesome. We had fantasy award but not everyone dressed up. There were Kyoko, Taka, Pond, me and others. It was fun though. I did a Thai dance show also, and I hope everyone likes it. There was fire outside that we could have roast marshmallows and fireworks. I liked the countdown part the best. I think it is the only year that I can count down with all different nationalities around the world in one house.

February 16 Journal and Pictures

As you know I got like 5 months left and it's fast, like you blink your eye. The good news for this journal is I'm gonna back home soon and the bad news is I don't want to go home this soon.

I have an awesome time with Rotary's friends at Seacamp and enjoyed there so much. I was sad to say goodbye to our friends from district 6990 but I keep my finger cross to meet them again, maybe not this year but someday in the future. I really liked the skit and the thing we did the night before we gone, it was reminded me when I was at the RARY's camp in Thailand.

The way we went to Seacamp that was the first time I see the blue sea, I know that we have blue sea down south of Thailand but I never been there. I was soooooo happy I can't explain. Thank you so much for my host Rotary club, district and people in Seacamp that gave me a great opportunity to go there.

A couple weeks ago I had birthday party with my host family and friends that was so cool. Thank you Dad, mum, Emmalee, and friends to make my 18th birthday party warm and happiness as my real home.

How it's going at school? I had a good time most of the day at school but there was a few days that I was kinda bored. I have a story to tell you guys, that was some Friday and on Friday we usually have seminar in my English class which is good but the point is I said something that made everyone in my class shocked, because my "R" and "L" frequently are confused. Sorry that I can't tell you what it means (my friend told me after class). I want to tell you this story to remind exchange student that it really important to pronounce the language correctly. There were several stuff that that can make me laugh every time I think about it.

Last week, we had culture night at my school, Ridgeview HS. I dressed in Thai traditional costume that is so cool. Many people came and asked me what country I'm from. I watched French and Spanish movies and shows.

Ohh. my articles in school's newspaper last issue, I have a good feedback from. I'm so happy that people like them. I'm doing for drama's performance right now. It's kind of busy though but they help me not to thinking the stuff at home. Well it's great to be an exchange student this year, I got much more things than I expected to, I've got more understanding with my family at home and friends. I'll tell the truth, I had never said I love you to my dad until I got here and talked with him on the phone. This is the thing that if I didn't do this program I maybe won't say that to him, or I will but not the time that I still stay with them at home. Let's be an exchange student.

Pictures from my birthday and Seacamp

May 13 Journal

Hi!!

I’m so excited to see new inbound who is going to take our place. Well I’m going to graduate in May 19th. I’m so excited about it and kind of sad that my school year gonna be over soon. I went to senior awards ceremony this Thursday, I was so happy with class 2006 that many students got awards, scholarships. I didn’t get any awards, which made me a bit upset because I usually get something. They counted four years average so I can’t get any awards. But they did introduce me as a foreign exchange student; I remember the applause that night - it made me never want to go back home. Since the last journal I have a lot fun thing to do with my friends. It may be because we have known one another for a while so we’re closer.

Last Friday was the last day that everyone was at school before senior exam next week which means some seniors don’t need to go to school anymore. By the end of my 2nd class (chemistry) they said good-bye and hugged. I could saw that everyone was in blue. Can you believe that; the same thing happened again in my 4th and 3rd period, which are another senior class.

In March I went on the eastern trip, which was so cool. I got to meet Thai friends and other RYE. We all had a good time and shared our great moment together. I do know myself that I’ve done something that it will be in my memories forever and always there. I have made a good friend and we will get together soon which is awesome. I don’t have any word to say; friend is always be an important thing for me and especially when I make a good friend while I was in the camp or on the trip. They’re special for me. Anyway, we went to many awesome states (New York city is my favorite one). We got lost several times but we found out how to get back to the bus. It was good experience for me.

Last week, there was a thespian week at my school and I was in that thing. We were dress up and did thing that oldie told us to do which was funny. I was newie. On Monday it was mime day, hardest one. One Tuesday was toga day. My dress was almost fell apart during lunch ^__^. On Wednesday was character day I was Mickey Mouse. On Thursday was oldie day, which I need to dress liked my oldie plus I need to baked goods for my oldie. On Friday was blue and gold day. It’s the official thespian colors. And today is thespian induction ceremony; it’ll be a lot of fun.