Early morning, Jay and I visited Cape Cod Commercial Linen Services. We were received by a huge (really huge!) group of Work & Travel students, some reporters and a pizza party! I took a group photo, Jay was interviewed by the press and the students were interviewed by us too.
You can find some pictures about all this by clicking HERE! :)
Some of the guys we visited showed us where they work, and took us to a couple of the most interesting places in New York, places people would usually not have access to.
Evelyn, an intern from Holland, took us to the Opera House and showed us around, and we discovered the depths of the NYC Public Library with Annie, a cheerful Swiss girl. Both places were gorgeous! It was great to see these majestic buildings from a different angle.
But, as the "film and television" student that I am, I must say that walking down the corridors of the NBC network, at 30 Rock, was the greatest experience I could have here! :) I think I should have asked if there was any internship I could apply for! ;)
CIEE organized an event where all the students that are currently working as interns in New York city could meet to share a pleasant evening. It was nice to see them all together, creating an amazind mix of professions, languages and nationalities. They shared with us a little bit about their experiences in this city, and this is what they said
I have been to New York a few times before, but this time it felt totally different because I was not visiting it as a tourist. I had some appointments and work to do. In a way, it felt like I was living in the city. I walked by the Chrysler building a couple of times and it didn't catch my eye, do you know what I mean? It was nice to be busy doing photos, videos and interviews in this environment.
During my stay, I met with some interns that are in fact living and working in New York. They are doing an internship for a year, working on what they have studied and living the city!, isn't that cool? After all, I may also say that my experience in New York felt like a 5 day internship ;)
This is just a glimpse of the uncountable things I got to see during my walks around this city.
It was my first time at a Water Park. We arrived at Splish Splash in Long Island, New York, and at the entrance, you could hear a speaker repeating once and again the same message... warning parents that "the park is bigger than it looks"... they certainly weren't lying. We walked around the place looking for Work & Travel students, and quite often we ended up in the wrong path. We didn't have the chance to hop in any ride, but we had time to meet some cool lifeguards and ask them a few questions about their job. You are probably wondering: if Bay Watch had taken place in a water park, would it have been in Splish Splash? Well, I wouldn't say 'yes' because this job is really different and easier, and I think Pamela Anderson would have had more fun in this place ;)
As usual, you can find pictures of this experience HERE! Check them out! :D
Last day in Maine. 7am, we went to visit some Interns and some Work & Travel sutdents that are working at the Chebeague island inn. The owner of the inn, Casey, showed us around, it was a good way for us to get to know the island. We did some CIEE style interviews and we took some funny pictures with the filipinos interns :)
You can find more pictures about the island HERE! [Interviews are soon to come!]
On Friday, I could spend the whole day with a host family in Yarmouth, Maine. It was one of the greatest experiences I've had in the U.S. so far!
First, I met with these siblings, Jack and Phoebe (18 and 16, respectively), and with Néstor (17), their Spanish new brother, who came from Spain after being granted a scholarship, and who has been living with them since last August. The three of them took me to some cool spots in Yarmouth and they told me a bunch of different stories and facts that these places conceal. Then, we went to their house and we all had dinner, the 3 siblings, their parents (Nico and Ellen), and I (I don't know what "title" could describe my position, but I can say for sure that "stranger" is not an option). In just one day I learned a lot about the lifestyle of these young students and their family. And one of the most interesting things was the atmosphere that this family created. I felt integrated right away. They shared all their experiences and knowledge with me. By the way, I must say that these kids looked really mature, and I confirmed this idea after hearing/participating in all the debates that took place during dinner. I am not sure if this attribute, the way they see the world and life, is part of what makes them such a great/cool host family, or if being a host family is what contributes to their interesting/cool vision of things and life. Maybe a little bit of both.
On Saturday, I was walking down the street when I heard 'Eze!' (I never thought I would be given a shout in Portland!), I turned around and there they were, Jack and Néstor. It was nice to see them again. :)
Here is a small peek of Néstor's experience living with his American family...
And here's a similar video of Jack's opinion on the experience of studying abroad:
This may sound a little trivial or, actually, a little nerdy, but one of the most interesting places we visited was their high school building! I know all my friends in Argentina are probably wondering about this, and the answer is: 'Yes, the school looks exactly the same as in the movies':
...and you can see more pictures by clicking HERE! :)
Me and Jenn (from CIEE) went to visit this beautiful resort in the coast where many students from east Europe come to work through the Work and Travel program. Sebasco is one of those places were anyone would love to stay in indefinitely... and the coolest part is that these students get to live there! Seeing them working or hanging around with their new friends reminded me of my 'work and travel' experiences back in the days... I got a little bit nostalgic but, on the other hand, it made me happy to see their enjoyment and to know that they will have the time of their lives.
bye! thanks for coming ;)
Today Shay and Alex began their adventure outside the U.S.! :D
Today the CIEE staff named their building after their former President and CEO, Stevan Trooboff. It was a big surprise for him! You could see the enjoyment in everybody's faces.
Today CIEE celebrated Stevan's 16+ years of leadership of CIEE in a beautiful island near Portland! Luckily, the sun and the good weather decided to join us.
And today was the first time I got to try lobster! :P
It was a great day Today :)
Just so you can get an idea of the main places that I will be visiting... but these are not all! :o
