Digital News of AFS Reconquista Local Chapter - March 2011

Digital News AFS Reconquista Local Chapter

Number 3, March 2011

“Those who would change the world are those who are unhappy about how the one we have is” Bertolt Brecht

AFS in Reconquista E-mail: rl.reconquista@afs.org.ar  1544-4471

Stefan Maschel (AFS Austria in Reconquista 2010) having mates opposite the Schönbrunn Palace (Vienna – Austria)

Connecting lives, Sharing Cultures

Connecting lives, Sharing Cultures

Welcome Party!

We, Argentinians have a very popular custom, every time we have to celebrate something we do it with a lot of food! Ronja, Siripattara (Mook) and Alfur’s arrival to our Local Chapter was no exception.

On Friday, 4th March, host families, exchange students and candidates, and AFS volunteers gathered once more to receive the new AFS exchange students and their host families, and to welcome them into the Big AFS Family.

All the students who had just arrived introduced themselves and also their new Argentinian family. After that, a video from their countries was shown just before they could all share dinner. That was the first cultural „exchange‟ they had as a group.

Mook, from AFS Thailand, surprised us all when she entered the place dressed in typical golden clothes from her country and delighted us with a Thai Dance called “Sevichai”.

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But the Argentinian dance was also present thanks to Cecilia and Paula Rambaldo (Mookâ€&#x;s host sisters) who danced to traditional Argentinian dances.

Then, it was time to hear the AFS exchange students who have been in Argentina since last August, who talked about themselves in a very fluid Spanish this time. They gave pieces of advice to the new families about how to help a new family member to adapt to the family life and routine.

They Argentinian families did the same, but they did it from their own perspective.

Just a few days before the Women International Day (March 8th), Niklas from AFS Germany, read an touching message and thanked his Argentinian mum, Daniela, for all she does for him.

Dinner never ends with a nice and this time it was the popular AFS cake decorated with 9 flags, one for each of the countries represented by the exchange students and the host country.

Siripattara, Ida, Eveliina, Lisa, Ronja, Myrthe, Niklas and Ă lfur

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Caroline Watson has arrived!

AFS Teaching Programme participant

Caroline Watson, Japanese and Spanish teacher from New Zealand, arrived to the Reconquista’s Bus Station on March 18th at 8am.

Caroline is living her exchange experience with a family from Reconquista, the Loza-Beloso family. We thank them immensely for receiving Caroline and letting her have her teaching programme in our AFS Chapter.

For the whole month, she will visit different schools and of all levels (kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, as well as the tertiary level of education and universities). She will observe how teachers teach her native language so as to ‘copy’ the techniques when she goes back to teach ‘our’ language.

Caroline will also have the chance to help in the different classrooms, teach about her country and culture, as well as taking an Spanish course and learn about our traditions and lifestyle.

Caroline, we wish you all the best and hope you have a wonderful teaching-learning experience!

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Women’s role Ronja (Germany)

Eveliina (Finland)

Niklas (Germany)

Álfur (Island)

Ida (Norway)

Myrthe (The Netherlands)

Lisa (Italy)

Caroline (New Zealand)

AFS Reconquista Local Chapter is founding member of Co.P.L.I. (Comisión por la Integración – Commission for the Integration of Peoples). As such, it was invited to participate in the “Homage to Women” which took place in Anacrusa Espacio Artístico. AFS Reconquista thanks the invitation sent by the directors of Anacrusa, Lía Ana Blanco and Patricia Gómez, to Co.P.L.I. The meeting took place few days after the Women International Day and it consisted of different artistic shows such as dancing and singing. The AFS students participated by telling the audience what the role of women is in their own countries.

Co.P.L.I. is formed by different institutions, organisations, dancing schools, and people who are descendants from immigrants or represent them in any form. AFS Reconquista is among its founding members and its represented by volunteer Roberto J. Savanco, who has the Secretariat seat in the newly formed Commission.

According to the founding statement of the organisation, „Co.P.L.I.‟s main goal is to provide support to all the different organisations, institutions or people who work in favour of cultural identity. This way, support and promote all the cultural manifestations as well as participate in all of them so as to relate, integrate and thus enhance intercultural awareness.‟ Page 5

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My USA experience…

By Marisa Masin (AFS Reconquista volunteer)

When I received the news that I had won the scholarship, I thought it was not true, it was unreal. I had cherished the idea of travelling abroad for so many years and discover some new places that when the time came, I would not believe it. I did not really know what to think of it!

I tried to prepare myself to what came, and I even prepared a list of 10 things, 10 dreams to make true.

Days came and went, I among other things, I heard attentively to different voices before I left.

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Some would say: “You will not regret it”, while other said:“your life will change”, some others would say “when you start travelling, you do not want to stop, it is something that opens up your mind”, but I could not picture the magnitude of all those words and voices.

After a month here, and I am not exaggerating, I accomplished most of my wishes written on that list.

So then... This is it?

Familia Speranza-Gerber

Connecting lives, Sharing Cultures

No! This list helped me to focus on what I wanted to do before I arrived here, but when I did, I realised that there are some things that you cannot write down before you live them, they are unimaginable.

Today, after six months living in the USA, I feel that I have lived so many things I would never forget, I have met people I have shared my experiences with, all of the intensive and strengthening experiences. All I have lived and learned here were not in my plans.

Being here today means a lot to me.

Everybody I meet is a new face I want to remember and a bond for life, every trip a new adventure, and every moment an unforgettable memory.

Pรกgina 6

Greetings!

Marisa Masin Page 7

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Re-adapting in New Zealand…

By Maxwell Collins (originally written in Spanish)

After two months back in his country, and after living his intercultural experience for a year in Reconquista, “Max” tells us how his re-adapting to his New Zealand life and routine.

Hi everyone! I

can tell you that I’m having a really

The food and people are so different here! I feel different with my friends, too. They have changed and so have I, so it is difficult because we do not have so many things in common to talk about now. And school is different too and I find it so difficult now. difficult time readapting here.

What I miss the most is my Argentinian family as well

The culture, the way of living. The school time, somewhere where your skin colour does not matter or where you are from. Everything is different!

I realise I have changed myself. Now I am more selfas my Argentinian friends.

confident because I know that I can do whatever thing I want and set as a goal. I

am also happy because I feel that what the experience I had was a difficult one. I now consider myself an Argentinian as well as a Kiwi.

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With my Arge

entinian family

Connecting lives, Sharing Cultures

With my family in New Zealand

There are a lot of things I learned in Reconquista that I keep on doing here. Some of them are the way I greet my friends, how I

touch somebody’s leg (in the Argentinian way) to say ‘how are you, mate?’, and also greeting people across

(which is weird here!). But there are other things I cannot do anymore (even when I really want to) such as having an asado, having tereré, going to discos, going to any kiosk and get a beer without people asking me for an ID card, playing football, and visiting my girlfriend everyday. the street

With my Argentinian friends

Readapting was difficult because I got used to live the quiet Argentinian life. When I got back home, I started arguing with my natural family (just as it was before I left), but every time I am with friends I am happy because my friends in New Zealand are like my family. It was also difficult because in Argentina I spent a lot of time with my host family, and I am not normally with my natural family here.

The experience I had in Argentina was the best experience I

ever had. It is something that has changed my life and for ever. I now know a different culture, another way of life, and I know that I will always have an Argentinian who loves me, friends I will have forever, and a girl who I can trust and who will be forever my Argentinian girlfriend.

Taking pictures

If you are thinking about going on an exchange experience, please go for it! You cannot even imagine how good it is. You will learn many thing like ‘dijo balta!’ (idiomatic expression used by teenagers in Reconquista, meaning ‘don’t believe what I say’)

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The AFS mate from Vienna (Austria) Stefan Maschel, AFS Austria former exchange student, was in Reconquista from February until July 2010, in a semester programme.

During his experience, he lived with the family of Raúl Mina and Claudia Lanteri. He was a regular student at Instituto San José, and he attended the 5° year Humanities.

Back in his home city, Vienna, he took advantage of a nice winter afternoon to visit the Schönbrunn Palace, also known as Vienna’s Versailles, one of the most visited cultural places in Austria.

It was built in 1559 by order of Emperor Maximilian II. It was later extended by Emperor Leopold I between 1692 and 1713. However, it was Maria Theresa, daughter of Emperor Charles VI, who made this palace the Habsburg summer residence in 1918. The palace has been one of the main tourist attractions in Vienna since the XIX century.

AFS Reconquista Contacts José Manuel Buyatti  1544-4471 María Elena Landi  421350 Claudia Lanteri  424507 Sergio Sanchez  1545-7527 E-mail: rl.reconquista@afs.org.ar www.afs.org.ar

AFS RL RECONQUISTA

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