Sven

Americaexchangeexperience

I had some very good and few bad experiences. One of my
good experiences was when we arrived at Northpoint. I saw the family and I
thought it’s completely the right one for me. I did so many different very nice
things, like going to the Grand Canyon, going down to Tucson
and of course our trip to Lake Powell and the Antilope Canyon.
On the first weekend my host mother brought me to another host family at 8:30am.
We should set off by mobile home but my friend's host father wasn’t
finished repairing the mobile home. He actually said to Toni – my host
mother- that it is completely ready and
we can set off. So we waited and waited and waited for hours and hours…Finally we
set off at 8:30pm 12 hours later!! Could be, that this is typical American? Nice, no stress, just laid back. The ride to the Grand Canyon
took about 4 hours, so we slept at a camping ground. On Sunday we finally reached
the GRAND CANYON. Apart from the delay, it was so nice that you can’t really explain it. Our trip to the Grand Canyon and the trip with the Germans were one of
the best experiences. I shouldn’t forget the five days in Tucson. It was a field work trip which is a
trip were you go much deeper into a topic than at Ernst-Reuter. The students at Northpoint
do a trip like this twice a year. The first one before they start the topic and
the second before they have to write the final exams. The topic from our trip
was immigration. We talked to experts and went to a Streamline Court and saw a play about
immigration. On Wednesday we had trouble in the camp. The reason was some students
bought food before we had our dinner. So the whole had to wait. They did it because they were so
hungry which I can understand. I was hungry as well but I didn't buy
anything. After dinner the teachers spoke to the group about the incident. Some students apologized, some did not say anthing.
The teachers told us that it was completely unrespectable which I can partly understand but I do not understand why it was such a BIG deal because teenagers are always hungry. Another reason was that we had far too much to do. This boy who shouted at the teachers was right in what he was saying but not how he said it.
The problem was he really screamed at the teacher’s face and insulted her, so Mrs. Wagoner
called the police and they took him out of the camp. It had been better if the students were honest in the first circle where we discusses the incident not waiting until somebody explodes. All in all the trip to Tucson was very interesting and good. I really enjoyed to say my own oponion and that we had time to think about this difficult topic. I did not not know anthing about immigration in Arizona. I got a little bit confused, because it the boarder petrol played with numbers and it did not correlate with reality.

This was the experience from the trips I did. The experience
which I’ve got in the normal American life was even better. Now I know how
Americans live and how structured their life is. I can’t write more about the
life, you have to live with Americans to know it.

The USA-Exchange was extremely good, I did so many new
good experiences and I hope I could upgrade my ken. I’m so glad that I went
with the exchange to America
because you see the life from I different point of view.
thanks to Ernst-Reuter-School.

Anthea

School

When I first saw North Point Academie in Prescott I thought how small it was. There are not so many students and all of them are very friendly! Beeing here is one of my best expirience in Arizona. My first schoolday was the best. There were many studentsa wearing costumes. It was really interesting to see how different the school is. In northpoint we have to wear a schoolshirt. I think it is good that they don't have to wear a full uniform, because they can show you their personal style. It is also good, because you know that the students are all from North Point. I really like that they have a special topic they talk about in every subject. My favourite subject is crew, because you can meet other Americans. The Americans are very creative and not as mean as the Germans. Everyone is friendly and talks to you!

My family

I love my hostfamily in America! They did many trips for me and we had a lot of fun together. For example we went to the Grand Canion together. It was the most beautiful landscape I 've ever seen. They were really close to me and we loughed a lot.

Jakob

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Yesterday I got the perfektest breakfast: „Schnitzel over medium, 2 eggs over medium, with country potatoes and white toast“ … after this heavy breakfast we … ( only my exchange mother Shannon, Leonie – one of the Germans, who stayed with me in my host-family – and me, Jakob … Charlotte, my exchangestudent had to work and also my exchange father Ken ) … started our trip to the Grand-Canyon. After maaaannny hours we arrived at the Grand-Canyon-National-Park and I was a little bit confused, because there was no canyon ... but then we were driving closer to the valley and my fist impression was just: „ WOW “ and that was all I've said at this moment !!! Because you look into a HUGE valley and there through you can see only a little, little way, wich isn't small, but it looks so cute against the mountains in the background. There are UNnormal dimensions between the landscape and this way. Many people walked around and took photos of them and the Canyon. Some of them were really stupid, because they stand on the wall between the visitor-area and the abyss to the valley... The wether was great, not to warm and very low wind, but everywhere was snow ! , so it was to dangerous to walk the way down into the valley. We stayed on top and walked around and just enjoyed the view and it was soooooo nice ... you cann't really describe the Grand-Canyon or the look on the Canyon with words, because these words could be only something like: ' a BIG/huge canyon ' but it's more than just a BIG canyon, nr. 1: it's one of the biggiest canyon, nr. 2: it's the prettiest Canyon I've ever seen and nr. 3: it's the „GRAND – canyon“ !!!

I'm so exited that I've seen one of the greatest Canyons on the earth with my own eyes

So I've taken many pictures, here are some

-that's the look over the Canyon:

-here is the way, I've described ( nearly in the middle of the first picture )

-and here comes the top of the mountains with clouds:

After we were driving to the IMAX, a few miles from the National-Park and watched a 30min-Movie about the Grand-Canyon. Veerrrry great pictures of the 'wild'-river with dangerious rapids and the indigenous people and the spanish-conquerors who discover america.

Then we started our way back to Prescott.

I would never forget this day-trip

Jakob Ackermann

TIM

Bongiorno!

This is my first week with my host family. We do a lot of things, from off-roading tocleaning pool balls. Last week I shot for the first time, a 9 mm Glock. I liked shooting! :)

My host sister shoots like a sniper, whether itʼs with a glock or rifle. After shooting wewere all very hungry and we went for some old school fast food called In-n-out. It was

paradise.

After three days at Northpoint Expeditionary Learning Academy: A college-prep magnetschool (unlike the name itʼs a small school), I have made a lot of new American friends.

One of them is Cody, a little clown. When the class is boring Cody entertains me andthe class.

In the lunch time we have a big German table without ME, because Iʼm cool and sit with

the Americans.

When I come back from school I play x-box or pool with my host brothers. One of them

is a very nice cook. Tonight he made us stir-fry. My other host brother is nice and has

the same humor as me. My host dad looks a little like Steve Jobs and my host mom is

the loveliest person I have ever seen. My host step sister is very aggressive :) she says

I am a “chatty Cathy” (I talk too much).

Finish! “No Iʼm German!”

very nice but I also want you to present some thoughts about cultural differences,

anyting you have observed, surprised you, disappointed you, made you think about yourown culture, reflecting, looking bit deeper.

11.04.2012 a wonderful Day at the antolope Canyon.

The night we spent in a beautiful Hotel at the lake Powle.

Woke up with sunn weather and view.

By a beautiful view of the sea, we had breakfast at the lake and we have enjojed.

I really have to admit.

I have never seen such a beautiful thing in germany.

How the rocks out of the water. At 11AM we drive to the antelope Canyon.

There we make a wonderful guide in a Canyon.

The guide play romantig musik of his Gitarre and the beautiful sounds were recorded by the Canyon.

It is a qreate experience, i would recommed to everbody.

At all Americaner and German's vocacionist which take time and drive to the Canyon.

You will not forget it and keep it in memory.

Pascal

School exchange 2012

I have a wonderful time here in the USA Prescott, AZ. I have very luck with my exchange group, all of there are very nice and cool. And I have a lot of fun with all of there. On our exchange group class we learn very much about the american live and have fun. Then on the airport I was very excited "How is my host family? They are nice? How is my exchange student?" Then in the plain I relax and talk with David and Camila. After the fly we stay in a Hotel in Pheonix and go to the Mall there. The Mall was very big and wonderful. I buy me very cool blue vans.After the stay in Pheonix we drive 2 hours to the Northpoint school. From there my host family pick me up. My host are very nice and very courteous. I felt me being put in a wrong place because I can't comunication with my host family. But on the next day I have more self- confidence and talk with my host. At this time google translater was my best friend. From day to day my english was better and better. On the second day I go the first time in the Northpoint school. The school was very cool the kids here are very nice, cool and social. And they have free WI-FI and they haven't school on friday thats so cool. I wished it was the same in germany. Then after the first schoolday I drive with the 10 grade to tuscon. There we learn a lot of immigration, it was very informative. It was hard but funny. The timechange was very hard for me because I was everyday tired. But in the last week it was better and better. My host drive withe me at the first weekend to the red- rocks. There are so wunderful I make a lot of picture. And sam my host drive with me in the cinema in the movie hungergames. The movie was very cool. At the last weekend I drive with my host, his mom, leon and fabian to the Grand Canyon. It was the most wonderful what I ever seen. And there I buy a lot of presents for my family. And at the same weekend I go with sam,jai,mark, leon and fabian play paintball.and one of the most wonderful thinks was the trip with my german exchange group. We stay the night in a Hotel o the Lake Powell. And at the next day we drive to the antilope canyon. It was so wonderful I make a lot of pictures there. But I do forbidden thinks with mark. We climb on the walls from the antilope canyon and make cool pictures. So today is my last day in the school and in my host family. That is very sad, Iwish I can stay longer here in Prescott. I think I miss my host family. So today I must do a lot of pictures from my host family.

Chantal

April 15 was one of the best daysI had in America. My day started very good. We played in the garden. I showed them a lot of my dance choreos. We played with the 2 little kids and danced Macarena together. In the afternoon we drove to Prescott Mall and looked for presents for my family. I found a lot of things. After the Mall we drove to a Mexican restaurant. The food was very delicious! When I was done with eating I looked around and saw all employees came to our table with an icecup. All people in the restaurant looked at me and the employees called my name thru the whole room and said ' Chantal that's your last weekend in America and I hope you had fun and I wish you a very good flight home to Germany!' Then he gave me the icecup and screamed thru the whole restaurant ' Yiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiihhhhhhheeeeeeeeeeyyyyyyyyyy' and all peaople clapped their hands. My host Mom began to cry. Her 10 years old daughter began to cry and then Tina (my host Sister). It was so emotional and awesome to see that I'm a part of her family! The Taylors are such a beautiful family! I made a lot of new friends and we vowed that we will be in contact forever! That's the best trip i ever ade. I love the Taylors sooo much! I don't want to say good bye! It's too sad.... but it was the best experience that i ever made!!!

School Exchange 2012 Yunus Kömecoglu

One word is perfect to describe my feelings: „awesome“

America is a great country and the people here are so friendly. My english isn´t perfect, but no american laughed if I talk. All the boys and girls helped me with my english. Jason is like a brother to me. And my host parents are so friendly, I can´t describe it. It felt like a second home to me. We visited the Grand Canyon and Lynx Lake. It was beautiful. Sometimes we went out to the cinema. The first and second days were difficult, because I didn´t understand much. But then I understood more, because the americans helped me or they explained what they meant. Now I feel so good here. I com home and they talked with me about my day and we joke around. I thought 3 weeks ago that america was a country with unfriendly people and had many overweight people- But it isn´t so. The people here are friendly and I think we have more overweight people in germany. We played paintball in a forest and it was a lot of fun. Jason´s friends were always friendly. I thought here is it not typical to hug girls. But it isn´t a problem, more a typical thing. On the Thursday we went with Kylie to a Game-Hall. There you can play different games. The houses here are really bad. They are nice, but if you hit against the wall, they wobble. The Lake Powell was also beautiful. It is so big and looks more beautiful in real life then on pictures. Today on the breakfast I said: “Maybe I will come back to Arizona in my summer holidays.”

“Really? When you come, you know where you can stay”, said my host mother. I have only experinced good things here. I really love America and I will miss all the people here. I don´t want to fly back to Germany. I´m sad, because I must fly back without my new friends. When I come home, I will text with my new friends. And maybe I will fly back to Arizona. The school here seems better than in Germany, because here the teacher are more friendly. The barbecue on Thursday was nice. All the germans and hosts met each other. We ate a lot of things and had fun. I think this evening was the best one woth our hosts and germans and it´s a shame that it was the only evening. The last sentences I wanna say is:

THANK YOU FOR THIS AWESOME TRAVEL; I CAN´T DESCRIBE MY FEELINGS!!!

BBQ, girls singing together

Lake Powell

Tim supporting Serene's presentation

Tobias

Omg I'm so excited in few minutes I will meet my host family, right know I'm sitting in the bus with all the other exchange students on my way to Prescott. I have a lot of things in my head; How will be my host family? Is it true that all the Americans are fat and if this is the case is my host family also fat? Will I understand them or the most important question is will they understand me? All of these question are in my head. I look out of the window and see the wonderful landscape around me but I am too excited to enjoy the drive. Finally, we arrive in Prescott and see the school. My heart goes faster and faster. Somebody open the door and we can see our host families at the other side of the street. We all talk for a little while before we go out of the bus and to our host families. I'm afraid and the thought are again in my mind. Luckily I was not alone, because Ina, a girl from Germany, was also in my host family. Ina and I see a plaque with our names and go to this sign. Our host sister Mia, her parents and her best friend are standing there and introduce themselves. I say Goodbye to my friends and the adventure America starts We drive to the house of my host family, the house is 30 seconds away from the school and I ask myself why we are not working to the house? In Germany we would make!! We are standing in front of the house. The house is pink, not really my favorite color but I think it has style. Mia shows me my room and I love my new room for the next three weeks. After that he shows me the rest of the house, it's not a very big house but very familiar and I feel good in this house like home. My host family is awesome and I loved them from the beginning. They are so nice and take care of us ,but we are so tired and I'm still a little bit afraid because of my english, that is the reason that I didn't talk so much at this day. It is nine o'clock and I'm going to bed and will see what I can see tomorrow here in America. The next day we have to wake up at 6.30 am and I'm soo tired. At the breakfast I see a man, that I don't know and got first a shock. But he is very nice and talks with me, his name is Brad even if he is not my real host dad for me he is like my host dad. Now we could eat breakfast pancakes with syrup and I'm super hungry, almost starving. Even I'm so hungry I only eat one pancake because I'm not use to eat to breakfast very sweet things. The next thing is, that we getting ready for school. At 7.35 I was done and ready for school but of course we have to wait for the girls. After 5 minutes Brad starts talking with me and tells me what we are going to do today. I like this host family a lot and I'm impressed how this family deals with each other.