More details

There has been a really long time without any posts from me, but now I'm going to tell you EVERYTHING! :)  

So, there's less than three weeks to my next training session.  It is the second, and at the same time the last one and it's in Lahti. That session takes the whole day and it's nationwide and compulsory.  It may sound really formal and boring to you, but I'm looking forward to it.  There I will see everybody who is going to Australia for next year, and we'll have an opportunity to discuss with the Australian correspondent.  I think he's the one who flights with us to Singapore, where we'll have some sort of orientation camp.  I'm looking forward to see people who are in same situation as me.

In that meeting we will also talk about our flight tickets and our Rotary blazers, and other practically things.  We have to book our flights soon, because there is less than three months to the day of our departure. iiiiiiiiiiiiik ! ! !  It's so soon and I don't even have my pink suitcases yet! :D

Is there something else I could tell you?  Ah, my families!  When you're going to exchange as a Rotarian, you have at least three families (I guess four families is the maximum).  I've been thinking the bad sides about that, but of course there are good things, too. You'll get to know more people, and different families with their own lifestyles.  Anyway I'm still quite scared of that; changing families all the time.  Maybe I'm just too pessimistic... About MY families, I don't know who they are, but I've been told the place where do they live.  The area is so big, that I can't say the exact city, but I know It's somewhere near Sydney.  Actually it sounds a bit crazy that I'm going abroad, and I can't even tell where I'm going...  he he he. But I will tell you as soon as I know! : )

At the moment uncertain,

Liisa 

New twists

Today I had my first training for exchange year.  It lasted two hours and we talked about important things.  I was sooooo nervous, because I thought we would have to do something difficult.  I imagined that it would be some kind a test, but I was so wrong... We said our names and told where we are going, and what the reason is. That's it!  For the rest of the time we just listened to people who have been exchange students.  They shared their stories, and told us their experiences.  People there also told us things, which are important to know when we go to our host families in different countries.

Main points were:

-  How should we behave towards our host families?

-  Can our parents come there for a holiday?  If yes, when?

-  What do we pay for ourselves, and what do our host families pay?

-  What's the school like there and how much time should we spend to it?

-  How much we can use your mobile phones and computers there?

-  Who can we talk to if we have some kind a problem?

-  When do we fly there?

And so on.  It sounds unbelievable boring, but when it's you who is going abroad, you suddenly become interested in things like that...

The next "training session" is in May and it lasts all day.  Our parents will come there, and then we'll talk about practical things, like buying flights. We'll also try on Rotary blazers, those formal, deep blue ones...  We will have a lesson, where somebody tells us about country where we are going.  I get more information about Australia, and its culture and just living there.  I can't wait!

At the moment really happy (and T I R E D...),

Liisa 

Hello again!

Hooray!  Now I know the day when I'll fly to Australia.  It can still change, but I'm really excited now! THE DAY is in July, so there is less than four months!  I'm looking forward to it, but at the same time I'm kind of sad. There will be a  whole year when I can't see my family and my friends. : / On the other hand I'll learn new things, get new experiences and see new places, and I'm quite sure that I will get lots of new friends.  At least I hope so... I'm really looking forward to July!  Here in Finland is that time of a year, when snow melts and there is slush everywhere.  I just bought new rain boots (yellow ones!), and I'm sure I will need them...a lot.  We'll see do I need rain boots in Australia, too.  I hope not. : D

Greetings from slush,

Liisa 

The first Hi!

I decided to create my own blog, because I feel like I have something to share with you.  I'll write in English, because I need to practice for my year in Australia.  I still can't totally understand it.  I'm really going to Australia for a year. FOR A YEAR!!!  Oh, it sounds so unrealistic.  Of course it's awesome, but at the same time really scary.  I will have my first 'exchange year training' soon, and I'm already nervous... Now I have to read for my tomorrow's test, so I'll tell you more about my panicking next time. : D

Thanks for reading,

Liisa