<![CDATA[Adventure of a Lifetime]]> http://www.freewebs.com/tiffany987/myblog.htm Freewebs <![CDATA[La Vida]]> http://www.freewebs.com/tiffany987/myblog.htm?blogentryid=1590661 No one ever tells you how hard things are for real. Everyone only tells you how great it is, and they forget to tell you about the hard things that you will go through. I’m talking about the exchange student experience. The truth is, that’s about all I can think about right now. Of course I knew it would be hard, but I didn’t realize the hardest part would be leaving my new home and not my old one. When I left my little town in Texas, it was hard, I won’t lie, it was extremely hard to leave my family and friends, but I also had the knowledge that I was going on an adventure. Everything was new, and maybe not wonderful, but being new made it a little bit more fun. I didn’t agree to fall in love, to fall in love with a place, a group of people, and a way of life, but it happened. I fell, and I fell hard. I made some friends, and at first that’s all they were, friends, but then they became something else. Two of them especially, became my soul mates. The first one, and most important person in my Argentine life is Andrea. My best friend. All of my life I’ve been searching for a friend like her, someone who understands me like she does. I can tell her anything, anything at all, and I don’t have to be afraid of what she’s going to think of me afterwards, I already know that she loves me and will continue to love me. Whether it be something silly about some guy that I liked or something serious like when they were having family troubles at home and I could share my own experience. No matter what it was, she always seemed to understand exactly what I mean. One of my favorite sayings here is, “Me entendès” which basically means, “do you get what I mean or am trying to say” and a lot of times the response is no, but every time that phrase leaves my mouth, she always says yes. I can't remember anyone in my life that understood me like she does. That doesn't mean that there aren't people who understand me. There are, there are about a million, but with her there's something different. I don't know if it's because we have a similar background with things that have happened within our families or if it's because we share some of the same responsibilities or what it is. As a joke she always says that it's because we have the same zodiac sign because her birthday's September 5th, and mine is the 8th. Even though I don't believe in all of that junk maybe there is a coincidence there. The other special person in my life is Coco. My cousin here. From the first day I met him, he befriended me. When NO ONE understood what I was saying at the beginning of my time here, he took the time to listen and try to figure out what I was saying. And almost always he understood me. At the end of the conversation anyway. Plus throughout the whole year, any problem I had, in any moment that I was missing home, that I was fighting with my sister here, I could call him, and he always came. Always listened to me, to what was going on, and held me when I was crying. He became that friend that I looked for whenever everything wasn't going so right. And he always seemed to understand, always. It's not easy to count down the days that are left, and it's not that I don't want to go home to see all of my family and friends, it's just I'm not ready to give up the friends I've made here.

]]> http://www.freewebs.com/tiffany987/myblog.htm?blogentryid=1590661#topBox http://www.freewebs.com/tiffany987/myblog.htm?blogentryid=1590661 Wed, 13 Jun 2007 03:28:00 -0100 <![CDATA[50 Words about me]]> http://www.freewebs.com/tiffany987/myblog.htm?blogentryid=1590534 Me in exactly fifty words? Nice, kind, sharing, loving, not exactly outgoing, but not shy either, people loving, animal loving, fun loving, adventure loving, friendly, easy to be around, stubborn every once in a while, a little crazy when no one is looking, music loving, a good friend and person.

]]> http://www.freewebs.com/tiffany987/myblog.htm?blogentryid=1590534#topBox http://www.freewebs.com/tiffany987/myblog.htm?blogentryid=1590534 Wed, 13 Jun 2007 02:44:00 -0100 <![CDATA[Article Review 1 - A Point System for Immigrants Incites Passions]]> http://www.freewebs.com/tiffany987/myblog.htm?blogentryid=1566952 Title: A Point System for Immigrants Incites Passions Source: New York Times Date of Publication: June 5, 2007  

Vocabulary:

systematic - based on a system

allocated - set apart for a specific purpose

bipartisan - supported by members two politcial parties

Main Ideas:

  • Congress is Currently debating over an immigration bill, where a point system is at the base.
  • The current government seems to be in favor of the point system, but as always there is a lot of opposition.
  • The bill would establish a merit based system to evaluate people seeking green cards. With the criteria favoring professionals, and people with high demand occupations.
  • Supporters say that it would allow for the needed types of people to enter and stay in the US more easily than without the system.
  • The senate is now in the deciding moments, whether to continue debating, allowing for more amendments or to go ahead and take the final vote.
  • According to an analysis by the Migration Policy Institute, Asian immigrants will do well in the point system, Latin American immigrants will do very poorly, and although small in number African immigrants will do okay.
  • Australia, Canada, and Britain use point systems as well. But according to experts the US is not taking into account some of the major components.  

Personal Reaction:

What do I think of a point system to allow immigrants to the US? I think that it's not quite fair. Of course I come to this conclusion seeing as though I've spent the last year in a latin american country and have come to love them as a people, and these people as a whole wouldn't do well in the point system. At least according to the study referred to in the article. Personally I do see both sides, we need people in our country that help to better our country, just like everywhere in the world, but I don't think that we need to turn a blind eye to the people who seriously want to make a better life for themselves in our country, a first world country. Also, I've heard that the US takes the mindset that all of the people who want to come to the US want to become permanent residents. That EVERYBODY in the whole world wants to come to the US to make a new, better life. I can say that I have personally been with and loved people in a country with a worse economic situation and it's not that way. Not everyone that I've run into has talked about leaving their home here to make a new life in the States. In fact, only 1 person, in all the people that I've met has been interested in finding out more about living in the US. About making a new life in the States. 1 person out of I don't know how many. I even know people who have been exchange students to the US and while, they absolutely LOVED the experience, they aren't interested in leaving here to stay there. I'm not sure where the US gets this big head about being the best and that everyone else in the world wants to come and be a part of it. I can tell you, that's not the way it is. I guess I kind of drifted away from the topic. But the title of the article sure does have a lot of truth. The point-system definitely incited passions within me.

To access this article click on the link below:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/05/washington/05immig.html?ex=1338782400&en=70ca6408766ed4da&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

]]> http://www.freewebs.com/tiffany987/myblog.htm?blogentryid=1566952#topBox http://www.freewebs.com/tiffany987/myblog.htm?blogentryid=1566952 Tue, 05 Jun 2007 16:27:00 -0100 <![CDATA[Blogging For School]]> http://www.freewebs.com/tiffany987/myblog.htm?blogentryid=1566863 In my English class at school we are starting to blog at least once a week. I actually think that it's a good way to practice a new language, plus I hope because that now I'm required to blog, I'll be able to keep in touch with everyone, both here in Argentina and there in the US. As of right now life's pretty good. I can't believe that I only have about 4 weeks left. It seems like just yesterday I walked into my first class here and like just the other day I was walking across the football field in my graduation gown.  I can't believe that my year here is ending and that before I know it, I'll be back in my house, my room, with my family. I'm at a hard point right now, because I do want to go home, I'm ready to see everyone, and I'm ready to sleep in my own bed, but I'm not ready to leave. I'm not ready to say goodbye, to continue my old life without all of the people I've come to know and love here. I realized that it's a lot easier for me because I've created 2 lives now. Where as my family and friends have had to continue the same life they had, just with someone missing. Now I'm not exactly sure how I feel about all of this. But such is life, that is what I've chosen to do. I guess the only thing that's left for me to do is go home, and adjust to the changes and keep wonderful memories and friend gaurded in my heart.

]]> http://www.freewebs.com/tiffany987/myblog.htm?blogentryid=1566863#topBox http://www.freewebs.com/tiffany987/myblog.htm?blogentryid=1566863 Tue, 05 Jun 2007 15:58:00 -0100 <![CDATA[The park]]> http://www.freewebs.com/tiffany987/myblog.htm?blogentryid=1383288 Yesterday, Andrea, who works as a maid in our house and one of my best friends, invited me to go to the park with her and her family to spend the day. We went and had a picnic and just hung out all of us. She is one of 8 children, but the 2 older ones, that have families of their own, didn't come. I really enjoyed my time with them all. We played volleyball and soccer and cards. And then we took pictures, and as I was reaching to put my arm around her little brother for the picture, a bee stung me. I'm just having a lot of bad luck this weekend. But it turned out to be a good day. While we were at the bus stop waiting for the buses to take us home, we decided to say goodbye before the bus  came, since there were so many of us. Here it's normal to give a kiss on the cheek as a greeting, but each one of them also hugged me. Which was pretty special, since it was the first time I'd met any of them. This morning Andrea told me that they all were left "in love" with me. I'm excited about spending more time with them in the future.]]> http://www.freewebs.com/tiffany987/myblog.htm?blogentryid=1383288#topBox http://www.freewebs.com/tiffany987/myblog.htm?blogentryid=1383288 Mon, 02 Apr 2007 18:05:00 -0100