Hi Everybody!!!! I’m writing now from Wolf Point, Montana and I’m very glad to share my happiness and a little of my experience with you, my dear friends!!! My name is Irina Barda. I’m from Kazakhstan so I’m an FLEX ASSE exchange student.
Firstly I really want to say some words of gratitude that I have such a perfect host family for me!!! For me this year is a really exciting time of cultural exchange!! I’m here finding out not only facts about American culture in general but also the Native American culture opens to me. My host dad Ken is a Native American and he better than anyone else can introduce it to me. My host mom Arlene knows almost everything about this culture because she was really interested in it and studied it within many years. They have millions of the most amazing stories and know so many real facts about Native American culture so everyday I become more and more educated in this culture. In fact many times more than any of my friends or relatives so I already have a plenty of new information for them!!!
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Irina Barda (Kazakhstan) & Anna Luiza Adas (Brazil) with their host parents Kenneth & Arlene Bigby in Wolf Point, MT (USA)
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Wolf Point is a pretty small city that’s situated on the Fort Peck reservation so I can say that here almost 40 % of population are Native Americans. So for this reason I have so many native American friends at school!! And I can say that for me a native American week in school was so exciting!!!
I saw a Pow-Wow dance for the first time in my life and it was so amazing!! Everything that’s connected with native culture fascinates and attracts me now and I’m glad so much that my host parents share it with me!!
I also have a wonderful host sister who is also an exchange student from Brazil. It’s very difficult to explain how much it’s interesting, unpredictable and amusing to live together and share our cultures!!! My host parents are such a ball of fire and we also full of endless energy so we have together so much fun!!!
To other exchange students Irina says, “I wish you all to appreciate your host families!!! Remember that you need to share your knowledge of the US culture in your Motherland so don’t let a chance to find out anything new go away! Be curious! Good luck to everyone!!!” Sincerely yours, Irina.
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