Exchange Students Consider Hamilton Halfway Through Their Stays

RFH 2010, Featured Articles, News

Thu, Feb 04, 2010

Sushi.

Ask HCS students Cecilia Westre (left in photo) and Mara Duran (right in photo) what has been one of their fondest discoveries about life in small town America, and the two girls -- Cecilia from Norway and Mara from Mexico -- almost answer in unison, "Sushi." And, they answer enthusiastically.

Westre, 17 and from Lillehammer and Duran, 18 and from Irapuato are just now halfway through their year in the U.S. as exchange students. Westre came to Hamilton as part of the American Field Service high school exchange program. It was the Rotary Exchange program that brought Duran to the village.

Joining the HCS Class of 2010 as the school year began last September, Mara and Cecilia have fallen into step with their classmates, have learned the joys and shortcomings of life in a small. rural community and come to appreciate the camraderie and school spirit of HCS. And, they have come to know the friendliness and genuine affection of Hamilton residents.

"Everyone here is so nice," said Cecilia, who will have two more years of school once she returns to Norway in June. "They make it so easy here."

She said that much of life is not dissimilar between here and Norway. The music is the same, as are the fashions and even the television shows.

But, for Cecilia and Mara, there is one big difference, but is something students here also lament: the shopping. Both girls laugh and say they miss the easy access to shopping malls. Both Lillehammer and Irapuato are much larger cities than Hamilton, supporting a number of malls.

Day-to-day life at HCS is different from that of a student in Mexico or Norway.

Mara said students at home don't have lockers in which to store books and other things. Neither do they change classes. She said that instead of playing a different sport during of the three different seasons seasons as HCS students do, she plays soccer all year 'round.

Sports are different for Cecilia back home. She plays European handball (the team sport played in the Olympics) but not interscholastically like the sports between HCS and other schools. Instead, Ceceilia said she plays after school on a club team.

Again, the two girls agree that they enjoy the difference in the athletic culture.

"It's so much fun to to go to a game and support your team," she said. "I love the school spirit." She added that she had never been to a basketball or hockey game before enrolling at HCS.

Of course, being overseas for an entire school year also means friends and family and even familiar routines and rituals.

Mara and Ceciila agreed that the recent Christmas and New Year holidays are different here than in their homelands. Cecilia joked how quiet New Years is here compared to in Norway, where everyone celebrates with fireworks, lots of fireworks.

Mara said she had to explain a very Mexican-specific celebration, El Dia de los Muertos, Day of the Dead. Some of her HCS classmates thought it was similar to Halloween, but Mara explained it is a time to honor and remeber friends and families who have died.

Likewise, Cecilia spoke fondly of Noway's independence day celebrfation known as Syttende Mai or Seventeenth of May. It was on May 17, 1814 that Norway broke away from 400 years of Dutch control. (Norway remained part of a kingdom with Sweden until 1905.) She said the day is marked by parades of children in traditional dress and everyone carries flags and sings.

"And, everyone eats as much ice cream as they can," she said.

It was these celebrations, the traditions, their friends and families and even their school routines that came to mind when Mara and Ceciia considered what they have learned so far here in Hamilton. They agreed they learned as much about themselves as they have about the U.S.

"I appreciate what I have more now," said Cecilia. "This has helped me the importance of all the traditional stuff I have at home."

And Mara said, "I have discovered a lot about myself. I am more independent than I ever thought."

While in Hamilton, Mara has been living with Marilyn Rugg. Cecilia is living with Melissa Kagle.

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