BHS exchange students reflect on life in America

Brandon Twp.- They don’t like the bread, they love s’mores, the bonfires are better, the dancing is risque, and the people are very open and friendly.
These were some of the conclusions about the United States reached by three foreign exchange students after spending all or half of the school year here.
Julia Barta, 17, of Potsdam, Germany, Birte Foehse, 17, of Hannover, Germany, and Pawel Kowalski, 18, of Konskie, Poland, were seniors this year at Brandon High School. They will participate in commencement, but will receive a certificate, not a diploma. The teens will return to their home countries next month, taking with them a new view of America and, perhaps, a new view of themselves.
Barta, who says she wanted to be an exchange student to experience another lifestyle and learn to be independent, has gotten her wish. She also expresses amazement on how welcoming, open and friendly she has found Americans to be.
‘People are more open-minded and friendly here,? she said. ‘People notice my accent and ask where I am from. In Germany, they are not as curious and don’t speak with strangers.?
The first month she was here, however, she says she was tired all the time, going to bed at 8 p.m. after trying to process the language all day.
Kowalski said before he came to the U.S., he thought he could speak English, but then realized he couldn’t really.
‘The first month, I didn’t speak at all,? he said, laughing. ‘Now, it’s so much better. The first month, I had a really, really big headache.?
Kowalski admits he came to the U.S. with a notion of how it would be from movies he had seen, but says when he goes home he will tell his friends and family that it’s not different here like they thought, that Americans go to school and ‘it’s not all party, party, party like in the movies.?
He does say that in Poland, there is more studying in school, but here, it’s more fun and studying.
All three foreign exchange students are taking civics, U.S. history and English. Additionally, Kowalski takes gym, algebra, and computers, Foehse has humanities, jewelry (her favorite class), and world culture, and Barta has French III, precalculus, and Greek literature.
They are surprised with the less formal relationships students and teachers have here. Multiple choice tests are new for them, too, as well as the emphasis on sports.
‘We have gym classes in Germany, but there are no organized sports in the schools,? said Barta, who was on the cross country and track teams and hopes to continue running when she goes home.
‘Team sports here are like a family,? added Foehse, who is on the soccer team.
Kowalski isn’t playing sports here, but loves basketball and was thrilled to go to a Detroit Pistons game with his host family.
Barta has traveled extensively with her exchange family, going to Disney World, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Williamsburg, Va.
‘I love Chicago,? she said. ‘Disney was fun, but it didn’t feel like the real world, it’s too perfect to live there forever… It’s hard to believe this is all in one country.?
The students all attended prom and said they had fun, although Kowalski says prom in Poland is better, with dancing from 7 p.m.-7 a.m. and a band, not a DJ. He noted the dancing here is a lot different than Poland, too.
‘Dance here looks almost like sex,? he said. ‘Dancing here is really dirty. At the Snowcoming (dance) I was like, ‘Oh my goodness.??
Kowalski said there was more food at his prom, and Polish food is something he misses, although he said his host parents are very good cooks and he likes the food here and really loves lunch at school. He particularly likes potato salad, something he had never had before.
The girls jump in with their American food preferences? Barta says she likes oatmeal and s’mores, and Foehse readily agrees.
‘I like the barbecue here more and I love s’mores,? she said.
What she doesn’t like, and Barta and Kowalski agree, is the bread.
‘Our bread is more fresh,? Foehse said. ‘And we have a hard crust.?
While the U.S. may not have an edge in bread for the Germans and Pole, and the American measurement system drives them crazy, they love bonfires and watching movies here.
‘I love the movies here, they use the real voices,? Foehse said and Barta adds, ‘I will never watch English movies in German again.?
The trio misses their family and friends, but say they will have lots to tell them when they return.
‘I will tell my friends and family that (Americans) are not different, like they thought,? Kowalski said. ‘They think everyone plays basketball like Kobe Bryant.?
Barta said she will share with her family and friends how friendly Americans are. She adds that most people in Germany think U.S. citizens like President George W. Bush, but she will tell them not all people agree with Bush’s policies.
And Foehse said she will return home a different person, better because of her experience.