In The Summer Of 69'

5-beings-of-perfection:

trackie pant wearing louis with stubble is the hottest louis

So, yesterday the 26th of January was my birthday and also Australia Day!! :) but as it was Saturday it meant school first, which was not that bad to me, as I have never been to school on my birthday and everything is closed!! So, what happened was I woke up at 6 had breakfast and went to school, when I got to school, I went to class and was constantly wished happy birthday. When I walked into class in the morning, everyone said happy birthday and played the happy birthday song in Italian and on the board was Happy birthday Ale and welcome to Italy, which was really nice. Then at recess, which is only 10 minutes, I met a boy who was born and has lived in Italy his whole life..but has a British accent as his mum is British and then I headed back to class, and on the way, a few girls from my 2nd class gave me a happy birthday card. Then I went back to my 1st class, my whole class was there and yelled happy birthday and there was cake and food, so it was a surprise party! :) they gave me a card and birthday present: earrings that are very poplar in Italy! :)
Then, after school, thank god it finished at 11:40 that day, I went home and had lunch, pesto spaghetti with my host family, before at about 1:40 I walked to my American friends house, which is also my 2nd house, and only 2 streets away. Then, I walked with Shelby to Auchan, a shopping centre which took us a long funny hour, then we went shopping for a few hours, before we went outside to the entrance of the shopping centre, to wait for my host dad (also her future host dad) to pick us up, but finding outer way out was sooooo confusing and must of taken us atleast 30 minutes. Then, we dropped her off at her house, where she ran upstairs and got some nail polish for me, and then came back down and we went to my house, where I got dressed for dinner, in my favourite red and white stripy dress and black stockings. Then she painted my nails and at 7 we left for dinner in Cormano, at a pizza place, or as they call it here: pizzeria. At the dinner, I met my 2nd host parents (Shelby’s now parents), my third host parents, and the girl they are hosting from America (Jessica) and a Russian lady (who speaks a tiny but if English, and perfect Italian, who is from Milan and hosting a girl from sydney, Australia and she arrived about 8 days ago now. At the dinner, the parents sat at one end of the table, and the kids at the other and it was a great night, filled with lots of laughter, and the most amazing Margherita pizza I have ever had!!! The best thing was that, the Australian and I both got along sooo well, because we are both Australian, and are exchange students in Italy, and in Australia we live only a few hours apart, and we have the same sense of humour and slang..because we are Australian!!! It was funny, because we both understand the whole, Australians are crazy friendly thing and Jessica is from America and at one stage, she was like I used to be a cheerleader and me and the Australian just looked at each other and were like “OMG, that’s sooo American, it’s almost adorable!! Yay, we’ve met an American cheerleader…dream come true!!” And, we wished each other “happy Australia day” haha it was sooo good to hear, a Australian accent, sense of humour and slang all in one night and not over Skype. Also, sadly I got presents…(I hate presents from people who are not me hahaha) from my 2nd hits parents, I got dolce and gabbana perfume..from my host sister Ale, who is in Australia, her favourite Italian book and from her parents, lavender perfume and body wash. And from my host family at the moment, I got a angry birds teddy, PJ’s and a mini alarm clock. But, I didn’t get to meet my second host sister, why I don’t know, but I’m guessing she was busy and my third host brother, because he had to study :( but I might be going up to my third host family’s house soon so ill meet him then :D And my second host family only lives a street away, so ill go over there one time soon :) but overall my birthday was amazing and unforgettable and veryyy tiring!!!
And that’s all from me for today!!!
Ciaooo xxx

So, this is just a language post, for all those kiddo’s coming to Italy. I studied in Italian for 6 months before I arrived.
And….Basically, if you’re like me, when you first arrive you will understand NOTHING. The accents, the speed in which they talk, the fact that they all sound so different, the voices, they actual Italian sounds different in to which I had learn it. But, after a few days, it was sooo much easier to understand. Then, after a week if being here, at home when I talk to my host family, I can usually say something I want, but it comes out really ungrammatical and confusing to them, and when they speak to me, I usually understand what they are trying to say, and I get the general gist in most sentences due to me understanding about 75 percent of the words in each sentence. Also, I think some words instantly in Italian now, and I usually make myself think in Italian, which also makes me SOOOO tired!!!! Then, at school, the kids speak so much faster, so when they speak Italian I usually have no idea what they are saying, and also teachers usually speak 288373920237 miles an hour, so I do nothing in class, every day, unless its English class.
Yah, so the language gets really a lot easier quicker if you already understand a fair bit before you come, but it is still difficult no matter what. But, whenever I say something perfectly in Italian I’m sooo proud!! Hahaha :) but..I’m starting to forget bits of English…which is really frustrating when someone says to me, say this is English, or what is the word for this action in English. For example, today at lunch, my host father, asked me what they motion is called in English when you clean the pasta sauce off your bowl with bread..and I had no idea… :/ but whatever, it’s all apart of exchange!!

So, I have been in Italy for 10 days now on exchange and I still haven’t written anything. But, today is my only day off (Sunday) because I have school on Saturdays too, so Im not so busy today. Basically, I flew out if Sydney, Australia on the 16th of January in the afternoon with all the Europe kids, but on the Singapore flight, we were separated up a little, and I was next to my friend going to Norway, Lexie. It was an 8 hour flight to Singapore and pretty damn boring because I just wanted to get to Italy or atleast Singapore. When we arrived at Singapore, we all went looking in the shops, and one by one we all separated off to go to our gates to fly out, because we were flying to different parts if Europe mostly. My flight was last, but me and the girl going to Switzerland separated off about 40 minutes before our flights. Then, I finally boarded for Milan, my final flight. I slept for four hours on this flight, but I found sleeping on planes is sooo hard! So, when I was on plane to Milan, I only slept until I was tired, not completely tired. As I hadn’t slept for ver 24 hours when I boarded that flight. When, I came into land, I flew over the Italian alps, and it was light enough for me to see how gorgeous they were! When, I arrived it was 7:30am on the 17th and it took me 10 minutes to find where the right carousel for my bags were! Finally, I was ready to go out and meet my family. they had a sign saying ‘Benvenuta’ and I met a few rotary people. Then, I went home, and prepared for the full day ahead. I tried espresso and loved it, and then we went shopping for clothes. Clothes are sooo cheap here!! Then, we went home and I had pesto pasta, the best pasta of my life…and I met a few people, before at 11pm I went to sleep. The next morning, I woke up early and waited for everyone else to wake up…they all sleep in here! That day nothing much happened, but in the afternoon, I went to Auchan (pronounced Ocean) a French shopping centre..in Italy…?, with my host mum, brother and the American girl, Shelby. On Saturday, nothing much happened, but I went for a run, because I felt as though all the Italian food was tooooo fattening, but it turns out I’ve lost a kilo since arriving here!! :) then on Saturday, night there was a family dinner, with the aunts uncles, cousins and my family. This was sooo exhausting!! On Sunday, nothing much happened. Neither on Monday. Then on Tuesday, I heard my first day of scuola (school). At 9, I drove to school with my host dad, and he filled in some papers, and I met the vice principal who is also a English teacher. Then I had to wait around for two hours, as she was busy. Then, at 11, she took me to meet class 2AL, and as I walked in everyone started yelling across the room to each other excitedly, and everyone was really happy to see me, then the bell rang a minute later and all the girls in glass surrounded me, and started introducing themselves all at once. This was really crazy, and overwhelming but fun. Break is for 10 minutes and then I had to go back to class with them all, and everyone was staring at me. I wrote all their names down on a piece of paper in the back of my book, but I didn’t know what face went with each name. Then, I changed classes, to the class next door for the last lesson of the day. These kids, didn’t do their work, but instead crowded around me and asked me soo many questions, like can you speak in Australian for us.. They were so nice! They wrote all their full names for me to find them all on Facebook. (School starts at 8 and ends at 1 3days a week and 12 the other three days a week) The next day at school, I started at normal time, so at 8. Which means I wake up at about 6 and leave at about 7, I didn’t go to the 2nd class that day, as the teacher thinks I shouldn’t, and I didn’t the day after, but on Friday I did, because they had English conversation, and they had a Canadian teacher. A school, English class is a little insulting hahaha because when I’m asked if what is in the board is correct, and it isn’t, I correct and then get told it isn’t wrong and that they’ve been learning English for 15 years. And I’m like, we’ll I’ve spoken English fluently, every single day, for the last 15 years. After school, all week, I would walk into town to the piazza, and look in the shops and buy gelato, yesterday was my birthday, but I’m going to make a new out for that. And basically, today is Sunday my only day off and I slept in until 10, then ate breakfast (all included chocolate) and then lunch THE BEST MEATBALLS I’VE EVER HAD. K. Then in an hour or so, I’m going to watch my host brother do a Karate exam :) that’s all from me about everything that has happened since I’ve arrived. Which by the way, today I’ve been here for 10 days, and so far today is the only day where I haven’t gone shopping. (I haven’t necessarily bought anything everyday, but I’ve looked through shops every day since I’ve arrived.
And also, when i arrived i got a few oldies, have got in touch with me, and I’ve got in touch with a few newbies. That’s it for this post. I LOVE THIS PLACE AND IM NEVER LEAVING…..
Ciaooo! Xxx

So, this is two months late, but I have to post about it :)

So, on the 23rd of February, after school me and my German friend and my sister and my parents left for a town two hours south of my place for a rotary weekend. We got there, and I met one of my friends who is going to Norway in 2013 and Germany, Norway and me went to maracas to get food, then we came back and Germany left with his weekend host parents. Then, I met more people. I met a girl from brazil, Norway, Japan, Italy, France and Denmark. And then more of the kids who are going overseas came, when most of the other kids from overseas left, us kids going overseas walked into town and had dinner together on the boardwalk. On the way out we met the girl from Spain, and the guy from Finland. Then us outbounds (Spain, canada, Norway, Denmark, France, Austria, the girl going to Japan and me: Italy) went out we had fish and chips and we saw dolphins off the jetty, then we went and got ice cream. I shared a cup of peanut butter and chocolate icecream with the girl going to Austria, and holy crap it tasted good, then as we walked back we met up with guy going to Japan. We all went back and sat in the Lobby and talked before separating up at quarter to 12.
The next morning I woke up, had breakfast and then met a few other kids inbounders, and outbounders. Then we had our official photos, before going to the conference room, and hearing about homesickness, rules, culture shock, safety etc etc. there was a session where we got separated up into country groups and I got to ask the Italian girl (who us from 15 minutes where I am going) all about Italy, she was soo nice, then we had lunch and then the inbounders got to go to the beach while us outbounders had to stay and hear more lectures :/// but then the day was over and I went shopping in town with my family, but I got bored so I walked back and met up with a few of the outbounders. Then dinner came, and I sat with the guy from France, and the guy from Belgium, also at the table was the girl to Canada, girl to Denmark, the girl to Thailand, the girl to Japan, and the two girls from Japan, and the guy from Finland. All up is was a good night and I had to do a speech in Italy and get my blazer presented and a few other rotary things. Then us outbounders and the girl from Austria went in the spa before hanging in the lobby until 12.
The next day, I woke up had breakfast and prepared for more lectures but I was soooo tired. This day was like the first, except there was a doctor who came to give us a chat. Then the travel agent came, and he gave a few of us who were ready to go our Plane tickets, I got mine, and I fly on the 16th from Sydney, Singapore, Milan. Then we, went outside and it was time to say goodbye. I say goodbye to all the inbounders who were going to a place 2 hours north of where I live to go scuber diving. This was sad because I’d would never see nearly all of them again. The Italian girl and German couldn’t go to the scuber diving thing though. So we said our goodbyes and left, I said goodbye to the Italian girl with high hopes that I will see her soon, then me and th è german drove home, I was soooo tired though, all up it was a great weekend :))) I loved seeing all the outbounders again and meeting all the internationals because I love international people, and especially exchange students <3 <3 <3 and that’s so from me in this crazy two month late post!!! Xoxo

So, I’m writing about my preparation leading up to Italy, while I’m in Italy…yeah I’m just forgetful and I hat blogs but I want to have one..so I cant win aahahh

So, last I left off was my host family. Basically, Im writing this from the point of view as if I was still in Australia and it was my last day.
My third host sister has contacted me in October after relay for life (raising money for cancer) because I was at home super super tired because at relay for life I slept for about 2 hours that night. Then the next night, I went to my sponsor rotary club and gave them a speech about my host families. Then, rotary youth exchange Italy (daniela) contacted me on the first day of term 4. But, I can’t contact my host club and counsellor because the emails Just won’t send through :(:(:( also I went to Sydney for a night (12th of December i think it was) to get my visa, which went okay and a week and a half later I got my visa. And I have finished packing nearly, which sucks because I have to leave soooooo many clothes behind :((( and I have so fat done everything to prepare for this year, I had a going away lunch and then went to the seaside with all my friends and done the vaccinations at the doctors and bought some necessaries for Italy :)) I have my business cards, visa and plane tickets now. So I’m all set :))) xxx