Fernando "Nando" Amarel

2008 Inbound from Timor-Leste (East Timor)

Hometown: Balide, Timor-Leste

Sponsor: Dili Rotary Club, District 9550, Timor-Leste

Host: Mount Dora and Tavares Rotary Clubs, District 6980, Florida, USA

School: Mount Dora High School, Mount Dora, Florida

Nando's Bio

My name is Fernando Amaral and I am an exchange student from Timor-Leste, a country that is close to Australia and Indonesia. I am 17 years old and I live in Dili, Timor-Leste. I didn't graduate yet and I am still twelve grade at the moment and will finish my twelve grade in 2010 later. I currently live with my brother and his wife who is 29, a teacher, my brother who is 24, my little brother who is 14, my uncle and sister (junior in high school).

My parents live in a village about ten hours by bus away; they sent us away when we got into Junior High School so we could go to a better/safer school. Because of the current unrest we are forced to live in a refugee camp in tents within our school. This refugee camp houses 100's of families.

October 15 Journal

Bonjour, tout le monde! In 2nd of September when I got back from school, one of neighbors - he is Pilot, he owns the airplane - asks me to go on small airplane which is J-3 PIPER CUB and that was my first time I went on small airplane, so I was excited to go on. During we were on airplane we flew around the city that I currently live in, and showed me the different kinds of building and also I can see directly the scenario of city.

In 4th of September John Siegel the Youth Exchange chairman got us email about doing the community service QUEST for painting. So I decided I want to do the painting so my host father took me there and we painted for about 3 hours. After that me and my host father headed back to our respective home. Through that volunteer work I met a lot new Rotarians that participated for painting and we got six exchange students in our district 6980, but there were just three of us that participated for painting and that was a good one that I’ve experienced!

Now I am hoping for another volunteer opportunity and so far John Siegel sent me more information about the volunteer work, but I was not able to do that because I have to prepare my second presentation to Mount Dora Rotary Club about what I’ve done in America, what most impressive thing that I’ve experienced in America and also talk a little more about the education system in America and in Timor-Leste. I will talk about what I do here in high school that I go to and what activity I joined In High School. Actually this presentation will be held in two more weeks so I still have chance if I want to prepare it more accurate. And as I know that if we want to be good speech we have to practice, practice, practice and practice!

The school that I moved to now is excellent. I mean they got the subjects that I am looking for namely French, English literature, Algebra I, and English III. Once again I want to say that I really love French class even though I already stated in last journal but I still want to repeat it again, because I am a little bit proud of French language. As I know that very few people speaks or learn French in back home and that’s why I am feeling proud of that. The school’s activities are super. They offer the Future educators club, the special student council, Soccer, book club, Democratic Party club in school so if we want to be Volunteer in party we can join the party club and talk about the politics and support the party, and also if we want to join the future educators club we can sign up to join the club. This school is exactly same like my high school back home because when I was in back home in my school I always join any club that they offered, and now they are same as what I did, so I still do same thing that I did when I was back home.

As I knew from our inbound orientation weekend at Lake Yale the Rotarian told us that one of successful Rotary Youth Exchange tip is “SEIZE THE TIME, KILLING TIME MURDER OPPORTUNITY” through that simple word I use it and apply to my exchange year here in Florida. And right now I join the soccer team which is training on Monday, Tuesday, and Friday but before I train I have to do a lot athletic paper including physical health and the passport so that I can eligible to play just in case if the school has competition, but in back home we don’t have to do any athletic paper (physical health) we just need whomever can play good, he or she can play, but here we have to do athletic paper before we go train, and a lot of work for doing to get those paper done.

During after school I always got tutoring from teacher before I go home. Through this way I can understand clearly the subjects. I used to get tutor from Algebra I, English Literature, and French class after school. The teacher here is very helpful and available so we can ease to get tutor. In back home we get teacher same like here in Florida but it’s rarely available so it’s hard to get through them if student want tutor. This is new thing that I experience in here Florida. And also my host father and my Rotary Club and my friends here are very friendly always and they make me feel less homesick and I really glad to be here with my host father and my host club and my friends.

And also in this month I want tell something that I can participate to see the United States presidential debate and vice-presidential debate. That was pretty interesting thing because I can listen to how they answer the question, what their plan in the world and American future, how they act in front of people when they talked. That’s the important thing that I really like to see and study about them since they had a debate. And tomorrow 16th of October is the last presidential debate so I am hoping to see them again. That’s the good one that I experienced so far in this month.

To be as an exchange student is always adventure and met a lot new people - it's unbelievable experience! Thanks for Rotary sponsor club and Rotary host club that give me this opportunity to spend my whole year in America and I will never ever let my both Rotary host and sponsor club down to pursue or to success my exchange year here and till the future even though sometimes I make a little mistakes but I always try my best to do the best thing that I can be.

To end this journal I want to say that, this month is super ever, I got donation from my host club and they invite me to talk more of anything I want about USA tour and how is America so far that I feel. Me and my host father are just preparing now hopefully, it will work better than first presentation.

Flying the Piper Cub

Community service - painting in Orlando

Our tour group

November 1 Journal

This is Fernando coming to you from Sunshine State of Florida. There is so much to say but I really don’t know where to start. Well, I have been up to many things, and so much has happened in this month it is hard to tell it, but let’s begin where we left off last journal.

As I said in last journal about Rotary presentation, it is finally gone well. I am so glad that I can feel a little bit better than my first presentation to Mount Dora Rotary club. Why? When I first gave my presentation I felt so scary and I don’t even know how to start opening of presentation and also how to manage time for speech but now I feel much better because I feel more confidence to give my presentation and time management much better than before. In 14th of October the Rotary Club of Tavares invited me to give presentation about East-Timor and me and my host father had prepared well my presentation and I made it. After the presentation about East-Timor the president of Tavares Rotary Club had asked me again if I am available I can come back next week to give more presentation about my experience in America so I said I would love too and I did present the second presentation. In 23rd of October it is time for me to give my second presentation to Tavares Rotary Club. I am so glad that my dream has become reality because one of my dreams to accomplish is how to give a speech in English without body shaking, scary and nervous. Now it is not dream but it is reality. I really glad that the Rotarians asked me for second presentation.

In my second presentation I had talk about what I experienced in America so far and I tell them what we feel about America. It was interesting! In 28 of October my Rotary host club which is Mount Dora Rotary Club gave me again second chance to talk to them about my experience in America. I was so glad that I had such enjoyment speech and also Rotarian really enjoyed my presentations about East-Timor and my experience in America. I am proud of East Timor! All these things possible happen because the hard work of my host father to help me advised me and prepared for my Rotary speech.

In 23rd of October one of my host father’s friends asked to go see the Florida Symphony Orchestra. We did go to see it and it was really amazing! They dressed up like king or queen and also use masks. It was awesome! I never saw the Orchestra Symphony before but now I can see it.

School: In 15th of October one of my friends in my old school emailed me and asked me to go to High School Homecoming dance so I went with them but I felt a little bit nervous because I already moved from that school but it was fine. During High School Homecoming Dance I can imagine that it was new great experience that I experienced while I am here because back home we don’t have that kind of program but in America they do this program. I am so glad that I participated in this High School Homecoming Dance. That was wonderful Experience!

Right now the school is getting challenging. I mean the weather condition is starting cold so I need to wear two T-shirt and jacket every day for school. It is really cold now and I got shaky every morning because the weather condition which is freaking really cold everyday, particularly in the morning.

This month I also got the mid-term progress report of all subjects that I take and I got the 85 on French, 91 for English III, 75 for English literature, and 73 for Algebra I.

The school program is great because, every month they got new interesting club that they form in school so I can always try to manage my time to join the interesting club that I interested. Because my regular schedule is play soccer at 03:00PM after school to 05:00PM every day and I just have 40 minutes the chance for me is use this 40 minutes to join the club. As I know my year in Florida is almost finished, through this busy schedule hopefully I will feel satisfy when at the end of my exchange year. The club that I joined now is STUDENTS AGAINST DESTRUCTIVE DECISION which is about Driving and Drugs, CHESS CLUB which is about how to play chess, LION CLUB helping community, DEMOCRATIC CLUB which is about the party thing, and a little bit COMPUTER CLUB (web site). With these activities I think it is the best way for me to meet new friends and talk, learn, and getting to know school system better. These activities they held each one of them once a week and it is different day for meeting also it just brief meeting so I can easy to attend every club meeting. That’s why I am glad to join the school clubs. And also when I got back from school I helped my host family to clean out the yard and cleaning the house. These are all that I do every day while I am here and go to church every week because it is good place for relax and retreat the life.

We are going to celebrate the Halloween in 31st of Oct here in Florida and throughout United States. One of our neighbors (Friend) sent me the Halloween card. When I got back from school I saw Halloween card on the table. I did not know what was the card for before but I opened the card it says “Happy Halloween Fernando!” I was glad that I got the Halloween card.

In school because the Halloween day we had a little breakfast together with every students and teachers but just in several class not all class. Everybody had a good time! As I know one of the reasons why people celebrate Halloween day is celebrate the day of the kids maybe they got another reason but I just know one which is kid’s day. Every kid dressed up paint their face nasty, use mask walking around the neighborhood, knock the door say “Trick or Treat,” when we open the door they handed their bag ask for candy. So everybody always prepare the candy in home so that when kids come by they can give candy to them when they knock the door and also always Treat no Trick. That was new for me but my host father told me before that when kids come knock the door you give candy to kids so that you can see what Halloween is exactly. I was happy to give candy to kids and had fun with it. As I know my host father is always involved me to any activity here. It was pretty awesome!

School soccer: Since our soccer practice trial, coach selected the varsity team and I am the one of the varsity team already but the Florida High School Athletic Association needs my school transcript report in English. I don’t have my English transcript report so I think I will not play in tournament but they can let me practice while I am arranging my English transcript report. It is exciting thing that I do for fun right now. I can not wait for competition! Right now I started arrangements to get the paper done so that I will be able to participate tournament in this coming month which is in 7th of November. In soccer team it is not only the students that from school that I go to but they got the students from home school too and it was interesting to ask them about the home school while we play soccer. Some of my friends in soccer team sometimes take me to home when we finished training soccer. I can imagine that American people are so friendly. I like soccer a lot because through this way I can feel flexible, not easy to get sick, meet people, got chance to visit or compete with other school around the Florida and finally let my mind relax and adventure.

As I knew information from Al Kalter said there are exiting things coming up soon, which is trip to Disney World in December. There will be 90 Rotary exchange students there, as RYE Florida group will be joined by others coming from Wisconsin and Tennessee, and for part of the time, from New York as well so I am hoping for this major trip now. I hope there will be very fun weekend.

In conclusion, I would like to say that this month (Oct) is biggest ever for public speaking. I made three speeches to Rotary and also one small presentation in French class about French project. That was scary but I made it! Each student has to pick one of francophone (French speaking country) country to tell the information and the background of the country and also explain why those countries become the French speaking country.

Through this journal I would always want to say my million thanks to Host Rotary club and the sponsor Rotary club that send me to Florida (USA) as an exchange student. I’m truly thankful for this outstanding program. To end this journal I want to say my inspirational word which is “We need courage to take risk so that we can accomplish things in life,” and also I recommend that It is not gonna be perfect. It will be mistakes along the way. But learn from mistakes and improve. Don’t dwell on them too long. Make adjustment and move forward. It takes time to be success in exchange. And also as an exchange student especially for myself sometimes slow to appreciate when I first came to Florida, but now I moved with my methodical approach to appreciate every little things that somebody does for me with two magical words which is “THANK YOU.”

Thanks, guys, that’s all what I experienced in this month (Oct) and I’m looking forward to the next month! See you all next month. I hope you all enjoy reading my journal and having fun everybody! AU REVOIR!

“ASK NOT WHAT YOUR COUNTRY CAN DO FOR YOU; ASK WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR YOUR COUNTRY” (John F. Kennedy)

Speech at Tavares Rotary	Talking about East Timor	Exchange of banners	Tavares Rotary president
Homecoming dance	With friends at Homecoming	Kennedy Space Center launch	On the beach in South Carolina
In front of the White House	At the Washington Monument	New Orleans	Tucson, Arizona
At a German restaurant in Las Vegas	Stratosphere Tower in Las Vegas	Universal Studios, Los Angeles

November 28 Journal

Hello, my friends and my fellow Rotary sponsorship in everywhere on earth. This is my journal about activities, including anything that I do in this month which is the month of November. and through this journal I want take this opportunity to express my full gratitude to my friends and Rotarians that lend me a hand to be able possible taking part in youth exchange program. With writing my journal about every little thing that I experienced in this month, I just hope that my experience in this month can be good quality experience, so that my friends and anybody can read with satisfaction, clearly, happiness and exciting not with sadness, as proverb say that “happiness is not from what you want but happiness is from what you got or what you accomplish”. Let’s start.

In 1st of November I went to Green Fair in Tavares where my old school is. I saw a lot of things going on. It includes the water conservation, chemical, electric, etc. We spent a half day over there explored everything about green day event. Green fair is the event about recycling and conservation things. Also they exhibited different kinds of small business such as the chamber of commerce from each city council, Boy Scouts, and also they provided country music band. At that day I was glad, I finally met the Boy Scout’s leader in green fair. I asked a lot question to them about what is exactly the Boy Scout is? Where the Boy Scout first established? And the other things that relevant to scout’s program. He explained really well. That was pretty cool conversation with the Boy Scout leader. When I asked question about Boy Scout I remembered back when I was in middle school I participated as a scout in back home. That’s why I was excited to get near the scout.

In 2nd of Nov here in Florida they changed the clock. I did not know exactly why they changed the clock. But thankfully it is much better because I get up at 6:00 o’clock in the morning the sun already up so I feel warm when I go out from home to school. As I said last journal that it was freezing in the morning but now it is not. It is different than the last month (Oct). Right now it is much, much better than last month because I don’t have to get up early in the morning. The one reason I know about changing time is saving Daylight time that’s all I know.

In 3rd of November our school celebrated the senior citizen day in our high school. Every student here has to wear the clothing pretended like old people as senior citizen. They dressed up really exactly as senior citizen. That was so much fun seing them to wear the clothing from 60s, 80s! And also our high school has had spirit day event so we celebrated with wearing clothes which is freshmen wear green, sophomore wear blue, junior wear yellow, and senior class wear black. If we don’t wear according to the separation we don’t get extra point in class so everybody was wearing what instructed to wear

In 4th of November I went to see the announcement of USA presidential candidate with bunch of community in the city that I host now. As I experienced from that election it was really impressive because everybody was happy, peacefully, to accompany the USA president-elect announcement and we had fun together. I was glad to experience every process of USA presidential campaign through the result, in particular Barrack Obama and John McCain’s speeches in last minute of election.

In 9th of November my host father Cliff got any information from NASA said they will have all kind of events that will going on in Kennedy space center which is Air Show—Blue Angel, country music show so we went there to see the show. I was so happy because I got my second chance to visit the Kennedy Space center again. That was a lot of people throughout Florida came to see the Air show—Blue Angel. During the air show they exhibited different kinds of airplane that used for war in Japan, Vietnam, Korea and also World War I and II. Also they explained the use of each airplane. I was surprised to hear that one of airplane they flew without pilot. I asked a lot of questions about that airplane. I imagined that I got knowledge about the airplane without pilot. After the air show we got challenge to get back to home because a lot people queued for bus and we spent 1 hour and a half on the line that was so embarrassed. But it was worth it though.

In 10th of November my French class held the French week so students divided up to make some activity for French week. Every student brought their stuff, made the Eiffel tower cake, made French tiny flag, but part of my group did not bring our French week stuff so we could not participate the French week at that time. But in second day teacher collected our money each of us gave $5.50 to buy French food in cafeteria so, we collected and we all tried the French food and teacher showed us the way French people use their fork for meal. It was different way of hold fork than American but other than that everything uses the same way as American. The food that they served for us were Salad, Union soup, Tomato soup, chicken, beef, the last one is dessert. They are all tasted same but important was to see the way people in French serving for meals particularly French culture. The meals and flavors all are original from French. That was great tastes! After meal everybody headed back to class and asked more questions for teacher about the French cultures. I felt a little bit content because I can try the French meal and learned their cultures while I am learning American culture.

I hate to say this: in 7th of Nov when teacher issued the progress report I got pretty bad grade in French class and Algebra about my progress report. The problem is, I just getting lazy to do my homework and I did not do well on quiz so from now on I have to plan my new strategy to strive from bad grade to excellent grade but it will take time, patience, and efforts. I never give up! I learned that laziness is bad thing so now I have to move to act to get rid of bad habit or inappropriate behavior. I always expect to do well but sometimes it comes also one that I don’t expected and make me feel depressed sometimes. But that’s not the point; the point is I have to move to act, to improve day by day to enjoy every single day while I am here because I will regret if I am not use my time and talent wisely. My host father always helps me with everything I need and he pushes me hard to be success. My host father is my great mentor, advisor, and counselor at this time. I could not accomplish things by myself but I can accomplish with their help. As a proverb says, “alone do very little; together do a lot” Good news is I just got the Algebra’s progress report and wow I improve rapidly.

In 16(Nov) I went to see the Holocaust theater in Christian Bible school just 7 minute away from my host house. This theater shows us the life in holocaust era, how people moving around to find the safe place to survive and fled from soldiers’ oppression. They also explain the Nazi’s era under the Hitler’s reign as reflection of all the people that died during the brutal of Hitler’s occupation and torture.

In 18th of Nov our high school soccer team went to play against Leesburg High School just 30 minutes away from our High school. Our high school beat Leesburg high school. We JV team (Junior Varsity) won with 6-1 and Varsity team won with 4-0 that was pretty cool game but too fridge in outside because we play in late night. After the game we headed back to home by school bus. On the way to home the bus stop in McDonald for dinner so every body got dinner and headed to home. I was so glad because finally the coach let me play in tournament and I scored one goal and that was my first playing in game. In 19th we play against Pierce Taylor High school. We got tied (1-1) but the JV won with 3-0.

In 21st I supposed go with my high school’s group play in Lake Mary but one of my neighbor already bought me Drifter’s concert ticket so I just went to Drifter show instead of soccer because the soccer season still going on this month and till January. The concert was great but it was just very many old people because Drifter’s songs is old song and famous since 50’s or 60 throughout USA and entire world. And also the concert was held in my high school auditorium so we got some of schoolmate come over to see the concert.

This weekend is big weekend for preparation of Thanksgiving Day. My host father and I went to big shopping center in Orlando which is COSTCO to buy some food for house, and when we got to COSTCO I saw a lot of turkey in shopping center. I was surprise about those turkey but those turkey is selling to people for Thanksgiving Day. I have no idea what is the Thanksgiving day is, but I can try to explain according to my knowledge that I got from American people that told me about the Thanksgiving Day. Thanksgiving Day is a celebration that held on Thursday 27th of Nov every year, at the end of harvest season, it is an annual American federal holiday to express thanks for one’s material and spiritual possessions. Most American people celebrate Thanksgiving Day by gathering at home with family or friends for a holiday feast.

In 27th (NOV) my friends or neighbor we had a lunch together for Thanksgiving Day and after lunch from that house we headed to other house for dinner OMG! It is like great event that I experienced so far in 27th because one weekend holiday and a lot exciting things particularly a lot of turkey, I was like Wow.

That’s all for this month and I am looking for the adventure of next month particularly Disney world trip, Christmas in December and New Years Eve. If there are info that contains several inaccuracies that you would like to correct or have any input or suggestion about my Journal please feel free to advice me so that I can enrich it next month before I left to my country. As I know that time is running out of my beautiful time in Florida already and I just only have one more month left so, your input, suggestion and correction will be really helpful for me to success in youth exchange program and I will be really appreciate it. Thanks a lot for everybody and for my fellow Rotarians that devoted their time, effort, talent everything to make this exchange happen and you will always be with spirit and energy to continue to further this program and to promote the lasting peace on earth.