At the beginning of every exchange year, your host district overseas
will hold an orientation to go over the rules, as well as the particular events
of your host country’s exchange program. It’s also where you are introduced to
the other exchange students in your area. It was kind of awkward, especially in
the beginning. I saw really nervouse since my host family just dropped me off
at the door and I had to go in alone. We sort of stuck to people within our own
country at first, but then as more time wore on, we started to connect with
everyone else. At my Orientation I learned about holidays and other famous
events in Taipei. We also had to get up and introduce ourselves to everyone,
all fifty odd foreign people whom before this point we had not really met
before. Believe me, there are few things more nerve-racking than that moment
standing at the front, with fifty pairs of eyes fixed on you, trying to see
what this new exchange student will be like. Of course, in the end there was nothing
to worry about. These fifty pairs of eyes would belong to the people who would
become my closest friends and my strongest support while I was overseas.
Welcome!
Since birth I've been a very world minded person. Having a mother from Malaysia and a father who spent upwards of a year overseas, they did not slack off when it came to world awareness. I recently had gone on exchange to Taiwan, and have met countless people from other countries both before I left and while I was there. I know that in exchange, every experience is a gift, a special something worth sharing. This is a place where you can share these stories. I will be sharing some of my own stories from experiences, augmented by a few of my friends. I hope, though, I can further these stories with ones of your own. Whether you be an exchange student, college student studying overseas, or even just travelling. Welcome, my good friend, to the world view (:
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Thursday, October 18, 2012
The D's
As the preparation for your exchange year progresses, you
learn quite a few things about what will be required of you during your year of
preparation as well as your year abroad. One of these things is the ever
present 4 D’s (plus one).
No Drinking
No Driving
No Dating
No Drugs
And the extra D, and my personal favorite; No Dumb Stuff.
When you go overseas, you are acting as a young ambassador
from your home country, so for some people, you will be what they think of
whenever they think of your home country. Your actions will determine whether
or not that specific club will accept another student from your country. What
you do will be the difference between “Oh, and American wants in to our club?
Remember the last one? No.” and “Oh, an American wants in to our club? Remember
the last one? Of course!”
There are many stages to the “Ambassador Process” overseas.
The first step is with your club and host family. You will be in close contact
with them most of your time in the country, and they are the ones in charge of
you for the duration of your stay, so obviously you would want to give a good
impression. The next is the community. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you
have to go around your neighborhood doing things (though that would be
acceptable ^.^) But try to connect with the people at your school and in your
life. A simple smile and wave can go a long way (: The last is your country. Now
this sounds like a massive thing to do, and really, it is. But there are many
times where someone has made a difference in the country, be it starting a new
service project or establishing new Rotary Clubs. What you can do is only
limited by your imagination. ^.^
Friday, October 5, 2012
The Arrival.
The night that I arrived I was exhausted. I mean, I had
slept on the plane, but a total of about 20 hours on a plane will take its
toll, sleep or not. We went to this marvelous little rice porridge shop owned
by my counselor. My first host family lived up on a mountain to the slight
south of Taipei. I pretty much passed out most of the way there, and upon
arrival I stumbled up to the room that would be my new home for many months. Upon
awakening, this sight greets me.
It finally hits me right then and there. I’m actually in Taiwan,
and this beautiful mountain was to be my home. I sit down at the breakfast table
and start munching on some bread left there. Suddenly I see my host father
performing taichi across the window in the backyard. Man, is life different.
That day my host mom takes me down the mountain riding the local bus. In total
it takes about thirty minutes one way to get to the city. Once we arrived at
Xindian, in the outskirts of Greater Taipei, we went to the MRT station to get
me a subway card to load money on for transport. In Taipei they have one of the
most extensive and well maintained public transportation systems in the world,
and it would be my main mode of transport my entire year there. I requested
that we went to a couple of old places I used to know from my prior one month
trip there, seeing some old comforting sites, and feeling less nervous overall
in the grand scheme of things. The orientation at which I would meet the other
students would be in a few days, and little did I know how much would change in
those first days….
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
The Program
In order to understand some aspects of the exchange
adventure, you need to know a few things about the program. The Rotary
International Organization has both a long term (10 month period) and short
term (1 month overseas 1 month home) program for exchange. I have done both, but I’ll talk about the Long
term first since it is the one that a lot of people are interested in. The long
term program is a club-to-club program. After being matched up with a country,
a specific Rotary Club in your host city will “Host” you. They will provide
between one and five host families for you to live with (the average is about
three). You spend roughly ten months in your host country, where your host club
provides you with a monthly allowance and language programs, the amount varying
by country. You attend a local high school and participate as best you can.
Your goal is less about academic achievement, and more about becoming one with
your host culture.
In your experience over there, you will make bonds that will
stay with you for the rest of your life. Of course, Rotary is not the only exchange
program out there, but as far as I know, it’s one of a kind. The safety of the
program is extraordinary. All families undergo background checks before being
accepted as a host family, and even if your family does not turn out to be a
good fit, the Rotary will immediately address the problem and move you to a new
one. Rotary exchange also has an established process when problems arise. In
the case of a conflict, you first talk to your host family. If the problem is
above them or involves them, you then talk to your counselor, who is a member
of your host country’s Rotary Club. If he/ or she cannot help then you talk to
your Host Club President. Finally as the last resort, you would contact your
country contact who is back in your home country. Typically problems are solved
before the Club President level. If not, the Rotary organization can pull you
home quickly if need be.
Me with my Host Country Counselor
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)