7/19/2008 - 'Off the Beaten Path' Bloggers

During the month of January, AFS accepted blog submissions from students across the country. From the many entries, AFS selected 12 finalists. We left it up to you, the general public, to decide which three students will become AFS’s official bloggers for India, Thailand, and Turkey.

During the 10 days of voting over 2,800 votes were cast.

And the official AFS bloggers are…..

Eric Frid blogging for Turkey (Year Program):
“So yesterday was a long, fun day. To start I had Turkish lessons which were enjoyable because I got to hang out with the other exchange students. After our lesson we ate lunch. It was very tasty, bread here is so much better and so is kebab. Then after that we crossed over the water to tour the historical parts of Istanbul. We met other volunteers at Hagia Sophia and walked around the city. There are cats everywhere. everywhere. I would have taken pictures but I forgot my camera (yea I know, way to go!)
Read more on Eric’s blog

Marianna Byrne blogging for India (Year Program):
“India is much much different than the United States, but in a good way! Nothing is really bad, but just not what I am used to. I have met my wonderful host family, and the host family of the other exchange student living in my same town! Everyone is so nice! I have also visited my school which is very interesting.” Read more on Marianna’s blog

Cecilia Chung blogging for Thailand (Summer Community Service Program):
“Thailand, so far, is absolutely wonderful. The culture is vibrant, the food is delicious… but I think that what makes Thailand a truly beautiful country is the people. The people I’ve met so far are unbelievably kind and generous. They reaffirm the fact that Thailand is, indeed, “the land of smiles.”

I have encountered few problems, but the few problems seem to be the biggest. The first problem was the language barrier. Although the teachers and my host mother spoke English (with a Thai accent), the students at the school spoke very, very little. Aged 10-12, these students learn English at the primary school I volunteer at and it’s my job to “make English fun.”
Read more on Cecilia’s Blog