new

i have a new blog, jodyinitaly.blogspot.com

cheeckum out.

So.

So i wrote a long post and somehow it didnt work.
just said that i am still in the middle of the visa process and all i need is my garuntee form and my dads signature, and both of which are in the process of being done and then i will be able to book my ticket for italy! yay italy!

p.s.
my host family is wonderful! i cant wait to meet them!

MILANO

Dear Jody, Ciao,

finally we recived your Application !
First of
all excuse for my English mistakes....I'm Paola, your "Italian Mum" and I will
give a hearty welcome to you! We would honored to keep you with us!
I have
three daughters; Martina is seventeen years old and next year she'll go in Long
Island (N.Y.) for her Rotary Exchange student. Camilla the second is
eleven and Eleonora ,the third, is eight. She was born the 30 of September, your
date is 29! This year we'll celebrate at the same time
yours birthdays!
We
have a wonderfull dog; Musa, she is three years old and she is a German Shepard.
Usually Musa lives in my husbandS home; also we are separate like your
parents but oftenMusa spend with us some days.

We read your
application, your habits, your hobbies, your tastes, your family history. We are
very enjoy to welcome you in our family and we hope that you'll live very well
with us.
We live in a central area of Milano, is a very crowded
area and unfortunately there are too much cars and the air is not
good!This is an Italians big town problem!There are also positive things
to do and to see in Milan!In our area there are new and
old many buildings, there are a lot of stores of differents
kinds.
The name of this area is Porta Venezia, this is also the name of
importants and wonderfull gardens.It is a large green area and
sometimes on Sunday we go and play volley ball, soccer....

Your
School ( now is Martina's School) is Liceo Linguistico Virgilio, is very near
from home about 7 o 8 minuts by walk, this school is the same buildings of
Camilla's School therefore we'll go together in the morning!
Usually the
entrance at school is at 8 in the morning until 13,40 to Monday untill Saturday.
All the teachers are willingness and they are waiting for you, they love foreign
students. I'm waiting for your guarantee Form for complete your school
inscription. Last week I spoke with your English Teacher: Mrs Tortora, she asked
me if is possible to have your mathematic and science programs of this year and
of the next school year ( 2008-09).

My daughters love sports
like you! Eleonora play fencing, Camilla loves and play dance and Martina play
sincronicity swim. They study music: Martina play violoncello, Camilla the
piano and Eleonora the violin. Camilla and Eleonora sings in a
choir.

I am a theatre scenography but are three years that
I am a jewels creative (look al www.rubinia.com), usually I work to Monday untill
Friday.
Gianluca, my husband, play the violin in the Teatro alla Scala
Orchestra.
We love classic music, even though we listen all kinds of music.
We love to see dvd of every differents kinds!
I came from Napoli in the south
of Italy and I lived for six years in Sicily, Gianluca was born in Verona in the
north of Italy; Giulietta and Romeo's town!
You know? The three girls in
Milan!

These are only many informations about our family, I hope
that your parents shall be tranquil, easy, sure and confidents; we are parents
very presents in our daughters life and so we'll be also in yours.
I'm
waiting for yours impressions .

Excuse me I forgot my
wave and my signature!
Best regards, carissimi saluti a te e
alla
tua
famiglia!

Paola Ferraro Scandola

im going to MILANO!!!!

blah

not much has happened in the past month. i have been learning italian, but with not much sucsess. i leave in a little over 4 months (around sep. 1st) so i have alot of time to fundraise and such.
im going to sell cookies at my school and i made the cookie dough tonight. only like 6 and a half weeks of school so i CANT wait till summer.

so, dudes and dudetts, arrivederci! ciao!

untill next time :D

country

i am going to
the country of



italy!!!!
i am so excited... i cant believe that me, just a girl from hawaii, is going to a place like italy to spend a year of my life! i will learn italian, speak to italians, eat italian, breath italian and live italian.
its hard to believe that something so amazing could happen to me... i didnt even think that i would be accepted to the program and look at me now!

5 days

5 days almost 4 untill i find out my country!
(it is still not soon eneough)
im hoping for italy.
but who knows?
who?
i feel like crying. it seems like so far away.
and what if i dont get italy? after they told me i wasnt going to get any of my choices that hurt. i dont think i could go through that again. though now i am happy i really really want italy. i would be happy with anywhere and would get used to it, its just that i would be much less emotionaly strained and wanting to pull my hairs out if i got what i expected.
and i have to give a 5 min. speech on tuesday about exchange to a bunch of people i dont know.
i am starting to feel doubtful... and i lost my camera. :(
i wont post till after i know. wish me luck!
arrivederci till next week lunedi (monday)
jody-san

sunshineeeeeee

i just got my wisdom teeth oulled out on friday.
i had 5 wisdom teeth.
it still hurts alot and now i think i have missed almost 4 days of schoo. (plus the weekend).
So yeah i am bored and i can write down some things that iwant to remember! (no update on my exchange... though i do have to give a speech at the rotary club that is sponsoring me.)
tips about stuff to do before exchange!!!
-buy blank postcards.
-buy blank diaries.
-buy hawaii themed presents.
-pack lightly, with lots of presents.
-bring lots of socks and underwear.
-on the inside of each luggage put an adress of where you are going, not where you are from.
-bring a photocopy of both your passport and ticket.
-bring change of clothes and deoderant in carryon.
-bring pictures of the family picking you up.
-bring an album with lots of pictures of your home and your friends and family.
-bring your yearbook.
-bring pancake mix, peanut butter and mac'n'cheese
-have a list and picture of what was in each of your suitcases.
-bring american coins and dollars to give away.
-rotary smile!
-have luggage locks.
-call airline ahead of time to see if you can get a window seat (or isle, if you prefer)
-have a travelling wallet, preferably cotton.
-dont wear an underwire bra to the airport
-bring nailclippers
-bring alot of american magazines
-bring food for flights and layovers.
-books!books!books!

thats all i have for now... but i sure will add more as time passes. feel free to tell me if i am missing an important travel "secret!"

newwws

i got a rotary blazer.
it is blue and it only was 40$ at nordstroms rack.
i love it....
i find out my country on march 7th. i hope i get italy! and now i can say alot of colors in italian... i have been practicing. (sorry if they are wrong!)
azzurro
marrone
viola
grigio
arancione
nero
bianco
giallo
rosso
rosa
umm i forget! i am still learning.
untill later, arrivederci!

Funny

i know i just posted a long blog like a couple hous ago but someone just sent me this.

How to know when you are an exchange student:
1] before waiting to see if anyone understood what you meant, you start acting it out.
2] you think 100 pounds to pack up your entire life is plenty of space.
3] you don't have preferences anymore, especially when it comes to food. Nothing tastes familiar, thats for sure.
4] you spend a lot of time smiling, nodding, and pretending you understand what's going on.
5] you classify "doing your homework" as translating half of it. And that alone took three hours.
6] you sometimes use the excuse "Sorry, I don't understand" to avoid answering a question....even if you do.
7] you want to hug the people who attempt to speak your native language to you.
8] you've called every person who says "hi" to you your friend... because you don't really have any yet.
9]you'll read anything in your native language just to have something to read...even packaging labels.
10]you've got on the bus and had the driver say "you don't want to be on this bus" because you got on the same bus the night before and it was wrong then, too.
11] you sometimes walk around the school during breaks to act like you're doing something, because you don't see anyone you recognize and don't want to stand there awkwardly.
12] you know the answer to a question in a class but don't raise your hand because you don't want people to expect too much from you.
13] you're better than your teacher in your foreign language class.
14] you are a master of pantomime and circumlocution and still can't have a conversation.
15] you've ever mispronounced something in your native language (for example, names of products, TV shows, companies) because you know the others will understand it better if you say it with an accent.
16] you've tried so many different foods due entirely to the fact that you cannot understand the person asking you what you want so you just nod your head, say "yes", and hope to god it tastes half-decent.
17] after you come back everybody tells you that you have a weird accent.
18] your dreams are bilingual.
19]sometimes it takes you about 5 minutes to remember a word in your native language that you were going to use.
20] you automatically use words in a foreign language that you cant even translate but they just seem to fit the context.21] you watch television shows and movies that you know in your native language, just to understand it for once.
22] you begin to enjoy foods that you had previously despised at home.
23] you've gotten out of a punishment or being yelled at because you didn't understand the language, or at least pretended you didn't.
24] it becomes a habit to introduce yourself by saying: "I am from (country) and my name is (name)."
25] you've gotten upset because someone assumed you wanted to do something...and then were told you were asked if you wanted too, and you said yes!
26] you've said something like 'oh yes' or 'no thanks' only to have everyone laugh because your answer made no sense compared to the question.
27] you actually got a high five when you understood what someone said to you.
28] you're never sure if someone's being your friend, flirting, or sexually harassing you.
29] you get a little scared before starting a sentence with big words in it in another language.
30] you are always counting the time difference between where you are and home.
31] you always forget the time difference when you call a friend or family member back home.....sorry for waking you up at 4 AM mom.
32] you do something wrong and people look at you weird, your excuse is "That's how we do it in my country" even if it isn't.
33] you have gone in to greet someone with a shake of hands and find yourself being pulled into an awkward hug/double kiss on the cheek or the other way around.
34] you carry a dictionary and a camera in your bag.
35] you get so used to broken English you finish people's sentences even though no one else can understand them.
36] you get into arguments with the foreign language teacher over how to pronounce something.
37] you try to speak in the native language and everyone immediately knows "You're not from around here".
38] you know every cuss word in your host language, but still cant conjugate into past or future tense.
39] peoples stares don't bother you anymore.
40] everyone thinks your playing the tough guy when you say you haven't called your mom yet and don't miss her too much.
41] a conversation is going fine, before it suddenly get stuck on some word or phrase which makes you completely forget what you were talking about.
42] you buy clothes in your country so you don't look so much like a foreigner.

Big Changes

sorry about it being such a long time since i last wrote-
i knew you missed me and i just had to write another post. :) (<- that rhymed)

I am now not going to my number first, second or third country choice.
Gotta love rotary, no?
But its ok because even though switzerland, sweden, and austria didnt want one more little girl from hawaii, italy did. So now, as far as i know, i have been drafted to go to Italy!!!
So here's the down low on how that happened.
I have been anxisouly waiting these past few weeks to find out what country i am going too. Every day i have periodically checked my email, with no avail. i was upset knowing that my fellow friends on cultures-shocked had already got their country's in january and i realllllly wanted to know.
And then *dumdumdum* i checked my email on weds. last week and their was an email in my inbox from my country coordinator.
I quickly opened it up and saw these exact words- this is quoted exactly.
"Dear Leila(my outbound coordinator), I have been trying to move around students but have not found a perfect combination just yet. Would Jody consider Spain or Italy (Northern)? Melody" (<- i dont know who that is)
So i replied- " I'd really like to go to Switzerland or Sweden, but I am open to going to a different country. If i do not get my top three, is Italy and Spain my only choices? Thanks :) -Jody"
and in reply i got....
"Hi Jody:Due to limits on how many students we can send to each country and the fact that all three of your choices have already been allocated to other students, yes at this time Italy or Spain are the only choices. In northern Italy German is also spoken so that might work for you. I think the Italy district is the same district that (SOMEBOOOODY) is from.I will need to get an answer from you right away because we need to send the applications to the host countries.Thanks Leila"
I chose italy. Leila told me at the pro-bowl this sunday that we shoudl know our countries for sure in a few days. so now all i can do it sit, wait, and wish.


end of story... i was sad at first and could not sleep but now i am very excited.
I hope it is for the best!!! and i think learning italian is ALOT easier than learning german becasue i know spainsh okish but i know all the grammer and alot of vocab and such....

and as somebody famous once said (i have NO idea who though)
"I'LL BE BACK" To post somemore later, when i find out for sure, of course.

nothing new

not much has been happening about exchange since the weekend i spent on the big island with all of the other d5000 exchange students...
but in other news i thought i could share with you some blogs that I read regularly.
i read these because they are all exchange studnts, they update reguarly, and i like all of their blogs. you should check them out!
1-http://http://zahnpaste.blogspot.com/
2-http://jessica-in-france.piczo.com/?cr=5&rfm=y
3-http://web.mac.com/sarahtrot/iWeb/Site/Blog/Blog.html
4-http://learnspeak.blogspot.com/
5-http://kevinsculturallearnings.blogspot.com/

Photos

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=231762&l=e49b3&id=816459245



Look at the photos-
it was amazing.