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Published: June 15th 2008
Well the homesickness has started kickin in now.
The culture may be less different to me than the other international staff from the Ukraine or Brazil or Portugal and Spain but im still finding it hard to adjust.
The food is majorly salty and im finding out some of the side affects some of the americas have experienced as they have grown up with food which is constantly pumped full of chemicals. fresh just isnt an option here.
It is insanely hot here. I dont think ive experienced a summer like it and its killing me. Its less humid now because of the rain storm we had the other day but it is still a lot hotter than im used to.
Last night me and some of the other staff got access to the fancy dress box and had some fun :D
Before this happen tho i felt really alone. The people who i had become close to to begin with had gone to Wallmart without inviting me...just little things like that gets to you wen ur so far from home. I wasnt the only one not to be invited tho and its not like i needed anything but i just wanted to explore and get out for a bit. I confess i went to cry in the toilets for a bit...im so used to being around people who i can just go to when i feel lonely whether it is flat mates, uni buddies or family members but last night i had no-one.
Sat and talked to some of the younger staff for a bit then played a little bit of teather ball. I got asked to talk to someones friend down the phone so they could here an english accent. Everyone loves the accent over here...i dont think i sound much different.
Went to the rec hall and 2 members of staff jumped out dressed in quite insane costumes...so i decided to join them. After we took some pictures we went out in the dark to the basketball courts and scared some peeps. Took more pics then had to return the costumes before curfew hit.
Went to another staff members cabin for a sleepover. As i was listening to their conversations i realised how different the cultures are. Fighting and violence seem to be relied on a lot more here and it seems to hbe talked about in a way where they are proud of it. The slang is also different and arse is considered a swear word so im gonna av 2 limit my use of that word!
Even tho relationships are important in england they are even more heavily relied on here. Everyone seems to either be going out with someone or 'getting their flirt on'. It actually makes me feel rather uncomfortable as i dont want to tread on anyones toes so i am beginning to find it harded to talk to boys.
Appearances are also focussed on soooooo much more. Think England is bad...you aint seen nothing. All i ever seem to hear people talk about is crushes or what they considered to be beautiful or not. It gets pretty tiresome.
I dont kno how much more salty food i can take and their drinks are sooooo sweet. Think they prefer their savory over their sweet food...
They also have a real obsession with nuts...most of their candy includes nuts somewhere. If you were to come to USA with a nut allergy i think you would just have to learn to live without food for a while unless you wanna visit the emergancy room for a bit.
Most of the people are really nice here and are really supportive.
Found out that i seem to be pretty high up on the staff hierarchy. I am the horse director so basically i am the person who teaches the kids about horse care and how to ride the kids. I do not spend 24/7 around them but instead see a few groups a day.
I am responsible for checking them for lice as they come to camp. A camper with lice is then taken to the nurse and referred to as a 'friendly camper'.
I am also responsible for checking the cabins on certain night to ensure that the councellors are coping alright and to help the night time events and morning worship. I also relieve the councellors of their duty for one meal time.
A duty i dont really like in this heat is having to check the horse area in the case of a drill. Basically i have to run up to the horse arena, check the stables and shed and run back to the flag pole...really not great when you are as unfit as i am and its like 30 degrees in the blazing sun!
Cant think of anything else to write at the moment. Hope everyone is ok back in England. Missing you guys whether you are friends, family or otherwise!
Loves
Rachel
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Mum and Becca
non-member comment
hey
Glad to hear from you .... missing you lots ...... remember we are always here for you in some form if you need us .... glad to hear that you are having some fun ... Granda and Granny P contacted us and were very appreciative of your blog.... Granny says you should be a writter - she was very impressed ... i (becca) am not so convinced hehe..... hope sneezy and tickles are enjoying themselves ... you must get a picture of them on top of wallmart .... remember the priory experience to make this possible :) ..... Derek was asking after you .... and cnt wait to see your lasooing techniques .... we will get his email so you can update him throught this ... was also wondering if you want us to tell gary to put a 'pray for rachel' part in the newsletter .... seems like a nice idea to let everyone know where you are and to give you support. Good to see you are mixing with lots of different people from different cultures .... good job they love th accent otherwise talking would b difficult :)... Hannahs input to this comment was very limited but you know she loves you secretly :).... same applies to dad of corse ... dont worry about the odd cry in the toilets .... your only human and those tears gotta come out sometimes ..... mum has shed a few since you left too ... you have shown great courage and determination and we are all sooooooooooo proud of you.... before you know it youl b packing your bags in prep for vegas and family holiday so enjoy the independance and lack of arguments while you can :) praying for you lots ... be in touch soon ... love you lots xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx