First, to introduce the girls from Italy, Spain, Norway and Germany– you all know who we’re talking about!

Francesca Fappani (17, grade 12) is from Italy. She stays with Bruce Seeley and Lorraine Diamond. Her favorite period of the day is , of course, study hall. Galway is a little bit smaller compared to her town but the school provides her with a lot of opportunities currently and the experience overall is helping consider choices she will make in the future.  Her hobbies while she’s staying here include soccer and shopping.  Also she really wants to try cheerleading.  She doesn’t find it easy to speak English all the time but there are always people around to help her and that’s another reason why it’s so fantastic over here. The hardest things for her to leave behind were her family and her boyfriend.  But, she loves all the food in America so she can tolerate being away from family a bit longer in exchange for a “good” meal.

Signy Antonette Linge Killingmo is also 17 and in grade 12, but from Norway. She stays with the Cerasia family and her favorite subjects are Food and Nutrition and Criminal Law. She has this to say about her stay here so far, “I like America. A lot of people have different opinions than I do, especially when it comes to health, taxes and prices. Galway is a bit in the middle of nowhere, so it’s hard to get around without a car. I wish it was easier to get around, and I didn’t have to depend on a driver all the time.”  She likes soccer and dancing and like Francesca,  she’s on the soccer team.  She is frequently asked the following questions:

Where is Norway?

Norway is in the north of Europe.

Was it difficult to take the “big step” (a.k.a. long plane ride) and come here for an extended time period?

No, not really. I was prepared and my sister was an exchange student a couple of years ago, so she helped me with the transition.

What’s your favorite food so far?

Chicken parmigiana

Favorite activity?

Soccer

Special difference between your country and USA/Galway?

In the beginning I thought all of the roads looked the same, and I couldn’t get how people didn’t get lost. I’m also used to more public transportation , so people without a car can get around.

Do you speak a different language over there?

Yes, we speak another language–it’s called Norwegian.

Lide Larranaga is from the Basque country (in the north of Spain, near San Sebastian).  She is 15 and in 11th grade. She stays with the Snyder family and her favorite subject is Photoshop. She had done some research on what to expect in America: “I always wanted to come to America because I saw so much in the movies.”  She loves the school because there are so many activities to do and the people are very friendly.  Her hobbies are volleyball, shopping and listening to music. Before coming to Galway, she spent the first three days in America in NYC with other exchange students.  Once she arrived in the area,  she went to the Luke Brian concert in Saratoga, bowling and shopping.

She is often asked how to pronounce her last name and how she is coping.

Her favorite food is Italian.

She says the biggest differences between the part of Spain she lives in and this area is the distance between places, the type of houses, the school activities and the transportation.  She echoed what Signy said that here you need a car while where she lives she uses public transportation.  One of her favorite moments here so far was going to an American dance, Homecoming.

There are two German exchange students this year. One of them is Anna Katharina Reschke (17, grade 11). She stays with the Gullett family and her favorite subject here is Drawing and Painting. She is in a special art-class in Germany, which means that she has more Art periods than the usual student. She loves Galway and says everybody is so nice and open minded. Her hobbies are Ballet, modern dance, Hip-Hop and tennis in Germany. Volleyball is her hobby over here in America. If people ask her what she thinks about the Americans and how she likes the food, she answers that the people are really nice, funny and passionate about sports.  She loves the food.  She feels she has adjusted well to live over here.  Her favorite foods are bagels and tacos! She says shopping here is awesome and she also loves playing paintball and volleyball.  The town Anna is from is quite big and she lives near all the shops–it is a lot different than the village of Galway and the surrounding areas.

My name is Kathrin Paula Moser. I’m 15 and in grade 11 with Lide. But I’m from the Oktoberfest-country (bratwurst and beer) like Anna. Besides that, I’m staying with the Wright Family until February and I really enjoy it. Senior Victoria Wright is my host sister. I’m a German cheerleader and because I have my own horse, riding and competition riding are my hobbies, too. I ride English, which means mainly Dressage and Jumping. I also love dancing and having fun with friends. I will just stay a half year in America, so I don’t have to repeat the year in Germany like Anna has to, because our exchange doesn’t count on German schools. People mostly ask me what the differences from Germany and America are, how I like it so far (Galway, school) and what the Germans think about the Americans in general. Most Germans I know described Americans as open minded and very friendly, and I think that’s true. School seems much easier over here and also the teachers treat you differently. I would love to have lockers in our school in Germany.  The class schedule and the cafeteria offerings are different here.  In Germany, we have more of a block schedule so we don’t have the same classes at the same time everyday and we also don’t have much of an emphasis on nutrition.

If you have any more questions, feel free to ask in the comment area below and have a chance to win the status of Top Commenter of the Week and Poppin’ Kernels on Friday.