First and foremost I apologize for my delayed posting. (Even though it was prob a well earned holiday for most of you from my often lengthy and detailed descriptions.) And the reason for my tardy response: rotary has been keeping me busy. In the grand scheme of things this is probably a good thing because the busier I am the less time I have to wallow in homesickness and tears. And I'm not gonna lie, at this point I could probably swim in the amount of tears I've produced. I've been crying alot but as a wise woman once told me (aka my mom) "the more you cry the less you have to pee!" so I'm not too worried. I guess its all just part of the whole roller coaster exchange process. Man oh man though, sometimes I wish I could stop and get off for a bit, then keep on trcukin' but unfortunately no such luck. Guess I just have to keep pushing through; tears, happiness, frustrations, and excitement included.

And while we're on the topic of tears I might as well share a funny story. My host dad walked in on me crying for the first time today which was an awkward encounter. I mean I'm sure he knew it would happen eventually (he does have a 17 year old daughter)but I feel for the poor guy. I had just had a long day at school and could feel the tears welling when he walked into my room and was like "what are you up to?" "How was school today?" and that was it. I was a gonner. And he goes "oh oh oh are you crying? Are you okay?". It was really sweet and I didnt really know what to say because NO I wasn't okay! I was missing my home and my family and friends! but it wasn't like life or death or anything (which was what my father was concerned about). Of course, boys just don't get it. But it all worked its way out. My dad evacuated the room as quickly as possible and just softly told me to meet him downstairs when I was ready and that was that. I guess that's one way to tell your host parents your feeling homesick.

But it hasn't all been sad and tearful. This weekend was AMAZING. On Friday I went with a Rotex and the other exchange students to Martin (a neighboring town) for a fair. It was really fun and there were rides and super yummy carnival food and tons of booths to look at. I got some really beautiful jewelry and we ate deepfried cheese! I also had my first encounter with the Gypsies. They were everywhere! For those of you who don't know, the Gypsies are a visible minority here in Slovakia. There is a lot of unrest about them and their rights and such. It's all very similar to the aboriginal people in Canada. But they look like East Indian people and all the little kids were super cute! I just wanted to scoop them up and take them home with me! It's difficult to figure out what's really happening with the Gypsies though because the issue is very touchy and controversial and some people are very prejudiced against them. So perhaps with time more will become clear. I also want to find some books on it but finding any kind of book in English here is quite difficult.

On sat we went to Liptosky Mikulash (a mountain town) with some of the other exchange students and some Rotarians. My counsellor drove the three zilina exchangers down and we had a wonderful day jam packed full of adventure. First we had a meet and greet with some of the Rotarians (very early in the morning I might add) from the three cities and then (much to my surprise, but really I shouldn't be surprised anymore) out came the alcohol. Yes, the adults had shots at 8 in morning before we embarked on our adventure in the wilderness. Now I haven't said all that much about the alcohol here yet but boy has it been something I've needed to adjust to! No joke, the men (and women for that matter) really do drink beer like water and wine really does come out at every occasion. Its crazy! Needless to say I think I will be desensitized to alcohol by the time I come home.
So after the hard liquor was gone we split into our groups. Some went hiking, some biking, and some played tennis. All the exchange students opted for the hiking because the tennis and biking looked rather intense. The hike wasn't long, nor was it strenuous (thank god) but it was beautiful. I put lots of pictures up on facebook for those of you tech saavy enough to see them and for those of you who aren't I will post some of them here.
After the hike there was alot of sitting and chatting and of course more alcohol. This went on for the entirety of the afternoon, and then my counsellor collected us and we piled into the car and headed for our next stop: a friends house. Here we met for chocolate, and cake, and bubbly water (which is absolutely everywhere here!) and yet another chit chat. This one was really nice though becuase the lady had an 18 year old son who had very good english so we were able to participate. A couple of hours passed and we headed out on a mission to find hlushky. My counsellor was not satisfied that Mariely's (the exchange student from mexico)first encounter with hlushky was at the school cafeteria so we stopped at a traditional slovak kitchen. This was delicious! I like hlushky, especially when its not made in the school! Then finally we were headed for home, with a short stop at a traditional slovak market where we saw some goats and fancy pigeons. By the end of this day I was so tired but really happy! It was one of the best days I've had so far I think!

On Monday was our second Rotary meeting which was yet another expereince to add to everything. For those Rotarians reading back home, it's very different here. It feels more like an elite of powerful executives than a collection of business men and women coming together to make a difference. This could be for any number of the following reasons:
a) I'm a severe minority. Being, one, a woman, and two, young. (It really is a sea of white hair, ties, and beards)
b)I was only able to understand the words 'exchange student' and 'family' in the whole hour and a half I was trapped in the board room. (When everything is in a foreign language it tends to seem a whole lot more mysterious)
and c) NO ONE SMILES, laughs, or even smirks. I think there was one time when some of the men let out a little giggle and the others proceeded to glare at them as they clearly percieved it as a rude interuption.
So there are no fines, no funny jokes to start of the meeting, and no happy bucks but I am confident that they get things done. I wouldn't want to mess with this Rotary Club, that's for sure!
And my last comment; school has been pretty good this week. Since my class is in France I have been in Octava (the grade higher) and I am liking it. The classes have been really relaxed and at times we have not even had a teacher (because apparently subsitutes don't exist over here) since they are in France. I think I will be able to make quite a few friends in this class too. It has been a little easier since they are all my age and they have had exchange students in their class before.

So to finish things up, I'm happy and have this overwhelming feeling of pride that I've made it through my first month. This is officially the longest I've ever been away from home, let alone completely surrounded by a different language and culture. It has been rough but I didn't exactly expect it to be smooth sailing. That said, when I'm feeling down, now, I can just look back at all I've done, felt, and experienced and say, "piece of cake! I can do that 9 more times no problem!" :)

well ahoj!

p