Week 22: final exam week

Week 22:

There is not much to tell about last week because I mainly stayed inside, firstly because of the crazy cold and because I studied for my final exams of the first semester.
In Canada, all the exams are in the last week of every semester. Other than in Austria, Canadian Highschools only have around 4 exams per semester. My exams were History, Italian, Art and Drama. On exam week I only had 1 hour school a day and could go home at 10.30. Even if my marks don't matter, I studied a bit and got 93% in history!! :)

In the weekend I had dinner with my first hostparents and their son. It was so good to see them again! I missed them alot, even though I love my new hostfamily. We had a great time! I am so glad that I am still in touch with my past two hostfamilies and I hope it will stay like this for my whole life, because they are very important to me and they have been so good and giving to me.

Next weekend will be the Algonquin trip and I hope it won't be colder up there than it is right now in Niagara Falls. We had around -20°C the past days! I thought I know what a cold winter is, but I certainly dont! This winter has been the coldest in many years!

I believe this photo was taken this year

Week 21: Tobogganing and studying!

Week 21:

In the weekend my family and I decided to go tobogganing, because we have tons of snow! It was so much fun even though it was really cold!!

Next week exams start so basically all I'm doing is sitting in my room and studying. But I love how the exams are in the end of the year! Because we have exams all year in Austria, we can hardly meet friends and hang out, because we are always busy! But here I just have to study hard for a week or two in the end of the semester ! I have so much more spare time! Next week I have exams every day... 

Wish me luck :)

Week 20: Hockey and District Interviews :)

Week 20:

School started again and I loved it more than ever before. Getting up in the morning with my hostsisters, having family breakfast and going with the schoolbus are new experiences and I love it!
I was pretty busy wtih school, because the exams were coming up and the teachers tried to teach us as much as possible in the last few days to make it harder ;)

My new family took me to an Icedogs (Hockey) game and I loved it like the last time! Unfortunately they lost again :(

But I love watching boys in my age and a few years older being such good hockey players already!

Sisters ♥ (Alyssa, me, Bianca)

On Sunday were the District interviews for the future exchange students from our district. In the morning i drove with a Rotarian to Hamiltion. I got to see some of my exchange friends and had a very good time talking to everyone. I had a chat with the parents and some of the future exchange students. One girl is even in the same school as me! I also talked to a guy who wants to go to Austria for his exchange! I loved talking to him and giving him advice!! :)

I had a great weekend!

Week 19: New Years Eve and a new family!

Week 19:

On Tuesday (31st) I met 2 of my friends in Clifton Hill to celebrate new Years eve. There was a New Years concert in a park in Clifton Hill and my friends and I decided to stay there for a few hours. We went to see Demi Lovato singing but we didn't know that she would perform at 11:30. We stayed at the concert for 5 hours, eventhough it had -15°C. My feet were frozen and I ccouldn't wait to go home. Around then o'clock we finally went to my house and my friend slept at my house. My hostfamily and us spent the last seconds of 2013 watching the countdown and the fireworks on TV.

The stage

Katie and me

On the next day I needed to leave my first hostfamily. I was a complete mess and couldn't stop crying. I just got so used to them, that it felt like I needed to leave my real family. I started to settle in my new family and loved it since the very fist day. I am living with one of my best friends from highschool now, I have 3 siblings and two wonderful parents. They went tobogganing with me and we had some lazy days together before school started.

At this point I want to thank the Dalgleish family for having me for the first months in Canada. They helped me through my hard times and were always there for me.  I can't thank them enough what they have done for me and they will always be a part of my life. I love you!

Week 18: ❅ CANADIAN CHRISTMAS ❅

Week 18:

On Tuesday (Christmas eve) my hostdad, my hostbrother and me went to Kingston to celebrate Christmas with their relatives.
During my family was opening their presents and celebrating 'Weihnachten', I skyped them and had a chance  to talk to my whole family for a few minutes. That day I got very homesick and cried, but my hostsiblings calmed me down.. They are so caring and lovely and they will always be my siblings to me.
At night we went to a huge family party. There were around 40 people in one house and these were only relatives from my hostmum! They were all very nice and tried to talk to me and I, I had a good night!

On the 25th in the morning, we got up very early to unwrap our presents. That day I didn't feel as homesick as the day before, because we celebrate Christmas on the 24th. I got many presents from my hostfamily and had a very good time We stayed at home with over 20 relatives for the whole day. At night my hostsiblings played the guitar and sang for everyone. It was great! They are so talented!

We also stayed at my hostfamily's cottage in Kingston for 1 night and I took a nice walk on Loughborough lake with my hostfather. The whole lake was frozen and the ground was covered by a thick layer of snow. Even the trees were frozen, it looked like a Winter Wonderland!!

Me in a snowmobile outfit

Me on the lake

Loughborough lake

frozen tree

The next day we went back to Niagara Falls and I spend some days with my hostbrother and my friends from highschool.

Week 17: Myer Christmas Week and Santa!!

Week 17:

The last week at A.N. Myer was fun because there was a dressing theme for every day in the last week. On Thursday, we had Pajama day because Friday was off. I came to school in my Onesie ! :)
There were no classes all day and the teachers played movies in their classrooms or played boardgames. There also was an assembly where some students sang or played the guitar.
They even hired a Santa Claus and I took a picture with him!

On Tuesday I went to a Rotary Christmas dinner. I had some very good food and one Rotarian dressed up as Santa Claus and gave me and the other exchange student a present!

In the weekend im met my friends, went iceskating and prepared for Christmas. Because there isn't much entertainment in Niagara Falls, boys go iceskating with girls for a date. It was so much fun because I saw many friends from my school at the rink.

Janessa and me

Katie and me at the rink

Week 16: Snow and Santa Claus Parade

Week 16:

One of the best days of my exchange was Thursday, december 12th. Two Rotarians gave me the oppurtuity to watch my first hockey game ever, and it wsa just amazing. I was so excited to watch the Niagara Icedogs play against the erie otters and I even had a ticket in the first row, behind the protecting glass. The hockey players often bumped against the glass or threw the puck against it. That was sooo exciting! I definitely need to watch another hockey game soon!!
Special thanks to the Rotarians Travis and John for inviting me to the game!

I enjoyed spending some time with my hostsister Sarah Mae who was coming home for 2 weeks. A week after, my hostbrother Robb came to stay for a week too and it was great to see them, as always.
On Friday some family members came to stay over the weekend. They brought 3 little kids with them, so we looked for some activities in the weekend. We went to see the falls by night and drove by the christmas decorations in downtown Niagara Falls. A few days before, we had a beautiful snowstorm so everything was covered in snow. On Saturay I had to get  up early to go to the Santa Claus Parade. It had over -15°C outside and i needed to wear 2 T-shirts, to sweaters, two coats, furry boots and two pairs of pants outside. I was walking behind a horse carriage with a Rotary sign. The Rotarians kids sat in the carriage because they were too young to walk for an hour. Me and Rayane handed out candy for the kids watching the parade and wished them a Marry Christmas. After all, I had fun at the parade! I came houme at about 2pm, had lunch and fell asleep for nearly 5 hours!

The horses were the best :)

That was my week.
The next update will hopefully be next Saturday.