Rudolf "Rudi" Vrábel

2007-08 Inbound from Slovakia

Hometown: Piešťany, Slovakia

Sponsor: Piešťany Rotary Club, District 2240, Slovakia

Host: Daytona Beach Rotary Club, District 6970, Florida, USA

School: Spruce Creek High School

Rudi's Bio

Hi everybody!!! My name is Rudi Vrábel and I am 17. I come from small country called Slovakia. Its position is exactly in the middle of Europe, so people call it "the heart of Europe". In my home country I am attending 4-year gymnazium and I am about to finish. This school is in Piestany, city I was born and where I live. It is a very famous spa town in central Europe, thanks to its healing waters.

Now I am here in Florida, Daytona Beach, almost 4 weeks and I have to say that I really like it. I am visiting Spruce Creek High School, what is one of best in area. There I have already joined tennis and basketball teams. I've found some friends but I hope I will find more...

I stay with family Okhovatian and I couldn't get better. Wonderful people living near to the beach, where I go almost every day. I know that this year is going to be one of my best, maybe the best one in my life.

Už sa teším.

Rudi

October 30 Journal

Hey fellows,

I know that I did not write before, but here there is always something to do.

So let's go from the beginning. When I came here it was one of the hottest days of the year and that was great because I love heat. I always wanted go somewhere where is hot weather and sea. Dreams came true...

I have started to attend one of the best high schools in area - Spruce Creek. Since the first day I met so many people and made many friends. Tennis coach saw in me a good tennis player and immediately he put me in his class and practices. He thinks that I have a potential and I am trying to do my best. Twice a week I practice with one great guy who played for University of Central Florida tennis. Thanks to my coach's effort to give me good practice opportunities, I have already won a tennis tournament. However tennis season starts in Spring, I am now playing every other also basketball, my second sport. Sports are the best thing how to make more friends.

So most of my day is spent at school and most fun I have during the weekends. When there is good weather I go surfing on a beach with my friends, or go to a school football game, or find some other events which I am pleased to do.

We have already been on two gorgeous trips with Rotary. The first one was mostly just about information and presentations about our goal as Rotary students. The second one was in Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral. I really looked forward to this one and it was great. We have spent there whole day admiring space shuttle, and space ships. Funniest thing was when Kevin and I went to I-Max for a movie we wanted to see and in five minutes we fell asleep :-).

Honestly, I had here very good time and I believe it will be only better. Warmly Rudi

January 4 Journal

It is already five months since I got here and almost three months since I wrote a journal. In such a long time have many things changed and I also have learned many things. Most important is that we have already the year 2008 what should be a great year.

Sports:

In the end of fall I received a great opportunity to play for basketball team. I was very surprised when I made the team and I really enjoyed playing there. I played two games where I helped team with some achieved points and also one tournament in Flagler Palm Coast High School where we ended up in second place behind the home team. Unfortunately I had to drop it because I could not keep it up with tennis and school. It was very hard to play two sports every day and also have good grades. Now I am trying to practice every day for incoming tennis season. Many players from universities were here in the town during the Christmas break, so I had a chance to play them. All of them are very good players and were on the first positions in Spruce Creek Tennis Team.

Rotary:

I can say that I have a lot fun here and thanks to Rotary, other exchange students and I can have some more. In the beginning of December was planned for us a great trip to Orlando, where is located a place "where dreams come true" the Disney World. We had much fun; every day was a great program. Personally I liked mostly the EPCOT because there I could go from one culture to another only by making few steps. All the countries which were represented had their own food, drinks, and souvenirs. So anybody can buy in French gift shop a small Eifel tower, which you can usually buy only in Paris from local sellers or in gift shops, and say then that you just got back from Paris. Very interesting was the guided tour through American history. I really enjoyed the room full of all the US presidents which on my surprise were during the show talking and moving what made them looking alive. I also met there very cool guys from Italy who are unfortunately living all way down in Miami and Keys but we have a trip there to go snorkeling and I really look forward to it because I love diving and swimming with so many colorful fishes living in the coral reefs and I can also meet them there again.

The best trip made by Rotary was according to my opinion the last one, what was the New Years Eve parade and following party. We all met at one in the afternoon and then we waited until it was our turn in parade. I was very surprised by the decoration of our caravan where we were standing and waving to people sitting and standing on sidewalks and waving with our flags. Because I was the only one from my country I had the honor to carry my flag. The other students were behind doing the same and some were handing out candies. We were told that RYE won this parade or ended up with some award for past few years. I believe we did well and we might win it again. We shall know the results soon.

Following was the very expected party at David and Melody Shacter house. They were great hosts and we could enjoy the whole night. Very interesting thing they had at home was karaoke machine where you can sing all your favorite songs. Max and Kevin were great singers and they were singing even songs they did not know before so it was fun to listen to them. Everybody knows that Asian players especially the Chinese one are best in ping-pong but until they meet me J. Same it was with my friend from Taiwan who tried to challenge me but was not successful. I am just kidding. I do not play ping-pong at all but I have some skills from tennis. There was also one man from Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) who was having so much fun as we did. He was very good ping-pong and also pool player. At midnight we could see from the bank of the river beautiful fireworks on the night sky. Then we spend whole night sitting around the fire, in hot tub or talking. Few minutes after sunrise was everyone so tired that he dropped where he stood. I woke up in a big massage chair after three hours of sleeping. Then got for us our rides home and we had to say good bye. That day I played more some tennis in the evening. Next day I woke up around 4pm in the afternoon.

Besides Rotary trips was here also Christmas. It was the time when every exchange student missed their family and vice versa. It was my first time spending Christmas without my parents so I missed them. I was very surprised by sometimes excessive decoration around houses. It was very beautiful at night but some houses had more lights than one street in Paris. We had at home a beautiful big tree with nice decorations and on the morning of 25th also with plenty of presents underneath. It was a very nice and unforgettable experience for me.

Now I am studying and playing sport every day. School starts just in a little bit so I have to get ready after so many lazy days. I have also planned a tennis tournament in Gainesville this weekend so I hope I shall be successful.

So Happy New Year to everyone, I know it will be better than the last one.

Už sa teším domov

Rudi  

PS: Let me answer a few questions for my friends and family who are asking me the same over and over again:

- Yes, girls are here too, they look same as in Europe, but they are not so pretty as you are back in Slovakia

- Yes, I miss my family and all my friends (who would not?)

- No, I do not feel homesick so much, here is every time something to do

- Do not worry mum, I am not hungry J

May 4 Journal

Dear friends,

Last couple months were the best months of my exchange year. With the weather, that is getting now just better and better, is my mood on huge peak.

This spring was full of fun. On February started tennis season, that was very expected and eventually exciting. I play first position on the Spruce Creek Tennis Team and honestly, sometimes, it is stressing because everybody expect you to always win and be the one that leads. During the regular season I experienced everything. I played hard matches that I won by showing very good tennis but losses that did not have to occur, found their place as well. As a team, under a leadership of our great coach T. Palmer we won Five Stars Championship and District championship. Then we had to beat two teams to get to the State Finals what is something that is everyone's goal to reach. First we played a team from Jacksonville that we beat but then we had to play a team that we lost in regular season. It was very hard match and winner could be only one. I have played very well and I beat their number one who did not lose for two years in a row. I bet that for him that match was full of agitation. It was me who was setting the tempo of the game. Two of my teammates won their matches too so we got in a lead 3:2 after singles. Then we played doubles. My good friend and double partner Ben Dunham ("…You are Dunham? Nice to meet you." J ) and me beat Lake Mary number one doubles team 6-4 6-4. I don't think that we would be able to do it not being the parents and students who supported us. It gives you a lot of faith in yourself and energy when the shout after every ball you win. It was a great success for our team and I am happy that I could be part of it and give it a hand. Our coach was happy more than anybody so we had to cool him down. We poured a water cooler full of ice water on him… J

Next Monday we played State championship, where we had a lot of fun and we ended up on lucky 7th place.

Spring break in Daytona is something that should everybody young experience. Everybody goes to the beach, party and enjoy the break from school. I chose something else that I really don't regret it. I went to see Big Apple – NYC. First night I got there my friend and me went to see the night life in the downtown. The next morning I went on my own and during couple days I saw many significant things such as: Saint Patrick's Cathedral, The Metropolitan Museum, Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, China Town and many others.

I met there also a very nice lady who is good friend to my parents. She took me to see Broadway show, to MoMA and places I have been to first time and I loved them. She was also the one that took care of me and I am very thankful to her for it.

Now I have to catch up the school due to so many days playing tennis. I don't think that it will be hard. Every single exchange student has to live on 110% now to have as much fun as possible because we have to unwillingly go home soon.

Vaya con dios... Rudi