Orientation

This weekend (19-21) I went to the rotary orientation weekend up in Strečno. There were the students from Slovakia as well as the 20 or so students from the Czech, so about 55 total. Friday was just two hour drive up, and then introductions in the evening. Saturday was the eventful day-in the morning we went on a raft trip down the River Vah for about 1:30 in seven degree overcast weather(Brrr), Then we walked up to Hrad Strečno (Strechno castle). Friday evening, Rotary had something extremely fun planned for us..a Disco! A DJ came in and we had strobe lights and a disco ball. It was the funnest weekend here so far. :-)

Family photos

Finally, here are some family photos!












This is me and my host-mum Darina


This is the back of our house,
















And this is the front.

This is Janko(pron. Yankoe), Daniela, and me in Daniela's kitchen.

This is Freško, the horse I rode on Sunday.

Banska Bystrica

This weekend, I went up to Darina's sister's ranch up in Banska Bystrica. I got to ride a horse for the second time, and I also got some lessons. Daniela(Darina's sister) has so many horses and I rode a mare calledLíza and another one called Freško. (pronounced Leeza and Freshkoe). It was an educational weekend as well-I learned how to rub down a horse, put on the saddle, and clean out the hooves. I also helped clean out the stable.

Johanna's report of Skola!

I have now finished three complete days of school, and it is very different from Canadian schooling. It's called Gymnázium Ladislava Novomeského, a secondary school, but some students go there since the age 11. The classes contain about 20 students, and everyone stays together for the classes; you change rooms and teachers, but not classmates. So, I haven't met that many other students. The students are nice and most speak english, but only a couple of the teachers do. I also took the correct busses independently today, after a few attempts yesterday. I take a bus from school to downtown Bratislava, then an inter-city bus out to Marianka. Yesterday I tried to take the bus from school to Aupark(the biggest shopping mall in Slovakia) and instead of taking me thirty minutes, it took me 1:40!

Well, tomorrow will finally be my first day of school. I will start at 8:00am! The weather here has been really hot, upwards of thirty degrees every day. I had soccer practise yesterday and it was +32. I have been swimming lots in their pool. I have now met Michal's and Darina's parents, so I know the relatives who live in Bratislava. I will post pictures of my host family tomorrow.

I had my first soccer practise with the girl's team on Wednesday. It was nice to go out for a run and meet some other people. It is a team of about fifteen girls, most are 18-19.