China - Day 11

From Ms. Hardwick:

Today was our last day in Chengdu and China. Since the students were enjoying the hospitality of their host families, I managed to sleep in a bit and go to a local cafe (okay, Starbucks) to get some grading done. Some things the students did this morning included making dumplings, taking a kung fu class, and going to a local museum. Then this afternoon we all gathered to experience KTV - karaoke TV - and it was certainly an experience, but one the students all seemed to enjoy. Then we walked over to nearby hot pot restaurant for our farewell dinner with our host families and teachers from the Chengdu Foreign Language School. The restaurant - named “The Hero’s Journey” (advanced translation provided by Leo and Mr. Lowinger) - gave us an entire back room for to fit our group. The room was set up like an outdoor garden and was beautiful and the food was delicious! All in all it was a great last day in China. We are incredibly grateful for the hospitality of the our host families and the faculty and staff that made our visit to Chengdu so memorable. We also want to thank Leo - our guide from Alpha Exchange - for getting us through China safely and making our experience here truly exceptional. Tomorrow we head to the airport bright and early for a full day of travel home!

China - Day 10

From Jane Siwek ‘19:

Today we didn’t have school and could sleep in after a long week! Evelyn and I are staying with the Zhang’s right outside of Chengdu (technically in the suburbs but it looks like a major city). We woke up to an amazing breakfast of dumplings and fresh fruit, while listening to Lucy’s adorable two year old brother sing and chant about cars. After breakfast, we drove to the center of Chengdu and ate a nice “western” lunch of pizza at the mall with Alice, Nicole, and two other friends from the school. In the afternoon, we escaped a abandoned prison (an Escape room)! We also got to see the Chinese Opera and some amazing performances. We ended our day by walking around a busy street market for dinner!

China - Day 9

China day 9:

From Irvine Madenga ‘21:
Today we spent the whole day at the school and got a little taste of daily life at the foreign languages school. First we got a lesson about Confucius then I went to an English class where we were welcomed by a fun remix of the song welcome to New York except it was welcome to chengdu. Afterwards we joined the students in their morning PE and ran 1 kilometer with them. After that we listened to a lecture from Leo about Sino-US relations then attended a biology class that taught us about cancerous cells. We were then treated to a huge and delicious lunch which was followed by nap time, but we jus had fun on the playground instead. We then watched a debate about whether or not age limits should be included in the olympics. It was fun and intense and both sides became heated at points. Then we joined them in PE again but this time I played soccer and we had a Chinese vs America team. Although we lost it was very close. Then we went to an art class and made tie dye. After that we watched students dance and perform song with traditional Chinese instrument that we got to try afterwards. This concluded the school day. I went to my partner, Henry’s, fathers restaurant for dinner. It was delicious. As soon as I got home I was so full that I just went straight to sleep.

From Sophia Silis ‘19:
Started my day today with a steaming bowl of dumplings. My family laid another extensive spread of pastries, fruit and leftovers for breakfast- more food than any four people could eat, but nonetheless delicious. We were into their champagne colored Bentley by 7 and jamming out to 80s rock music. I honestly can’t tell if they genuinely enjoy it or are playing it to make me feel more comfortable. This was our first full day of school with the students. Though the sky was an ominous grey, this didn’t dampen the students excitement. Whenever the SSSAS students walk into the campus, we are treated like celebrities. It’s utterly crazy. We learned about Confucius in the morning, went to an English class, ran in gym to “All About that Base”, saw Leo give a lecture, ate some fun cafeteria food, participated in a debate that got rather heated, had some free time, went to a biology class focused on oncology, Chinese tie dye class, and music/dance class. It was a lot of fun. I can now say I’ve spoken in front of 200 people (which is the most I’ve ever done). After our busy day, my exchange student (Kazan) and I rode in one of those motorcycle carriage things to a street filled with food. We had fluffy cream and chocolate filled pastry wraps, a fried spiced potato dish and some green milk tea with a sweet cheese foam on top. After we ate, we hopped onto the subway to meet Kasan’s uncles, little brother, and parents in a restaurant off of Kuanzai alley. This restaurant was a haven from the chaos of the street. All of the food served to us had an element of drama: chicken was served to us in a pirate ship with a hidden message on the flag, a huge white chocolate sphere was placed on the table and melted away to reveal shrimp. Dry ice was everywhere. But what struck me more than the food was the continuous toasts the adults made during dinner over and over again. We even played a game where you would role dice and it would determine who at the table would toast who. Kasan, her little brother (AJ) and I took to the streets to explore after dinner. We ate sticky toffee, took some pictures, and wandered into a restaurant with live music. On the ride home, AJ sang to American pop hits in a screechy prepubescent voice that brought a smile to my face. I can’t wait to sleep in tomorrow and see what the weekend holds.

Madrid - Student Memories and Reflections

“One of the best parts of the trip was when we went to the city of Segovia. There we immediately started off looking at the aqueducts, which were amazing and a great landmark. We then walked to the cathedral which brought a great insight of imagery and beautiful architecture. Finally our last stop in Segovia led us to the castle where the king and queen once lived in and is an inspiration in the making of Disney’s Cinderella castle.”  Tony

 “i already miss paloma and her family. i loved speaking spanish and seeing a new country.” Jenn

“Hola profe this is my reflection and picture

Aden: I had an amazing time in Spain over the past 10 days!!! It is so hard to pick a favorite part because it was all so incredible!! I love the landscapes and how you can see the mountains in the distance when driving on the road, the sunsets are beautiful, and the stars are so bright at night. My favorite trip was probably to Segovia where we got to see an original Roman aqueduct, a beautiful cathedral, and a Spanish castle. I have loved every moment of my time with in Spain and with my host family and will never forget the memories I made here.” Aiden

“My favorite part of the trip to Spain was visiting Real Madrid’s stadium, Santiago Bernabéu. We went on a tour through the stadium’s museum and got to see the history of Real Madrid. After walking through the museum, we saw the locker room and the press room. At the end of the tour, we got to stand on the sidelines and see the stadium from a players point of view.” - Brett

“My favorite part of the trip was the palace. I really liked the decorations of the palace and the way they incorporated gold into every room. The grounds were also interesting because there are ceremonies held there occasionally and it was very amazing to experience.” Brendan

Madrid - last day of school

On Friday, our students went to school for the last day. We started the day visiting some classes. In Spanish language class, they played a guessing game with vocabulary. In the afternoon, they played in the gym with sports equípemen, had a nice lunch, and saw a special preview of the upcoming school musical “High School Musical”.

Nepal - Day 7

By Libby Sterba

Today we started the day off by taking a short 45 minute walk to breakfast where we had amazing views from the mountain side and got to see some of the worlds largest mountains while enjoying buffet style potato, sausage, toast and eggs. Then after breakfast we hiked back to the hotel which was much easier with full stomachs and going downhill. After we got back to the hotel we all packed up and took a two hour bus ride back to the city of Kathmandu and settled into our eco friendly hotel. After we settled in we all took a short ten minute hike through the city which was very unfamiliar with their lack of traffic laws. Once we got to lunch it was an all you can eat mo mo lunch with lo mein. With full bellies once again we hiked back to our hotel for a short break then ventured back out into the city to a market place to buy gifts for friends and family back home. Once we were all done shopping we rested at the hotel for a little before heading to dinner where we had our last dinner in Nepal. We had rice and lentils and to spice it up we had a chicken stew as well! Overall we had a much more relaxing day than we have had in the past several days since we are all tired from out two Day trek. Tomorrow is our last day in Nepal and we are all sad to leave however we are excited to go back to the Hope Home one last time to say goodbye to the girls.

* limited internet - can’t upload pictures

Denmark - Day 8 (Amsterdam?)

Today, we had an unexpected delay in Billund, Denmark, and this delay caused us to miss our connection back home.  After some wandering in the Schippol Airport in Amsterdam (and some standing in line at a transfer desk in my case), KLM agreed to pay for a hotel stay in Amsterdam for a night.  We couldn't stay the night in Amsterdam without traveling in, right?

Though it is late and these thoughts are brief, here are some photos of our journey into the city, including night views of the canals, shopping streets, and Anne Frank's House and Museum.

Denmark - Day 7

Denmark - Day 7 (Last Day in Denmark!)

This post contains various thoughts from the last day in Denmark.

A Tour of Haderslev Cathedral - Gummy Nichols

On our walking tour of Haderslev, we stopped at the chapel for a tour of its long history. Once we entered we were overwhelmed by the size of the ceilings, and the tall windows at the altar. Our tour guide, Patina, led us up a very narrow spiral staircase that took a lot of balance and strength to climb. Once we reached the top we entered the attic of the chapel where we saw the tops of the vaults, the bells, and the clockwork machinery. From the top we could see amazing views of the town! It was super cool to walk through hundreds of years of history!

A Sketch of the Day (Mr. Yee)

Today, in some ways, was one of the most ordinary days that the students experienced.  They woke up, went to school so they could start at exactly the same time they do at SSSAS, attended class (in a schedule very similar to the one students will see next year), and gave presentations all day.  In other ways, this normalcy belied something quite unusual: how comfortable all the students, Danish and American, had become.  Friendships formed in the jokes and the silences, the product of wandering through Copenhagen coffee shops, sharing sleep-deprived silent mornings, and everything in between.

This camaraderie culminated in a farewell potluck where we had one final opportunity to spend time with our Danish hosts.  To a backing playlist provided by our own Danish student DJ, we enjoyed a home-cooked Danish meal and enjoyed each other's company one more time.  After the eating, the Kahoot, and the pictures, students still lingered in the party room, then the parking lot, then at stoplights pumping music from their cars.

At the end of this week, we close one complete cycle of a student exchange program with Haderslev Cathedral School.  But if these closing moments, and the tearful goodbyes the next day, were any indication, this is a cycle that will keep rolling on, lasting in the memories of these travelers and travelers to come for years.

Final Exchange Thoughts (Ethan Bean)

After being somewhere so great, it’s hard to want to go back. On this trip, we made so many friends as well as grew closer to the ones we already know. We learned so much about the history and the politics of the country as well as the Danish culture and lifestyle. I can honestly say that every city we visited was beautiful and the new things we experienced were priceless. Going back is going to be sad, but sleeping in the same bed will be nice for everyone.