HOST FAMILY

      Today has been a wonderful day! I discovered my host town and host family! My host sister, Oana, emailed me although she is going to be an exchange student to the US! Here is the email!

Hi Carli ! 

My name is Oana Chariton . My parents will be your first host family next year . I'm not going to be here when you come because I'm going to the US as an exchange student , too . 

Today we got your application . You're going to stay in Ramnicu-Valcea , a small town according to Romanian limits . It has about 120 000 inhabitants . We are living in a 4-rooms flat pretty close to the center of the town . I don't know the school you will be going to but it's sure one of the best highschools in the town . All the exchange students went either to Colegiul National Alexandru Lahovari which is 5 minutes walking away from home or to Colegiul National Mircea cel Batran which is about 100 meters away from the other highschool , so neither of them is far from home. You are going to stay in my room , which is not too big . I would send you a picture of it but it's kinda messy now. We have a fish tank and a dog . It's a havanese bichon named Cohiba . He is 2 years old , but it's very very frisky . I saw in your application that you like to play the piano ! I'm very glad to hear this because we have a piano in out flat . My father likes to play the piano , too . I think you and my father will get along very well ! You seem to have a lot in common ! I don't know what else to tell you , but if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask me . 

I'd love to hear more about you . What do you like to do, how do you usually spend your free time?

Take care and hope you will like it here! 

First of all, three people have told me that Ramnicu-Valcea is a small town. I live in a town with a total of 20,000 people, Ramnicu-Valcea is about five times bigger! Another funny thing is that I haven't actually learned how to pronounce it! My friends and I call it RV! A new thing for me will be the flat, I have always live in a large house in a suburb. I'm glad to experience more city living and not having as much space! It was rather comforting to hear that she is also not amazingly tidy, because the last thing I am is tidy. I will definitely try to keep clean, but I need to work on my organization skills! I am SOOOO excited to have a dog, as you know I have two dogs and two cats. It will be nice to have a dog while there. A dog will always love you, and it won't expect me to speak Romanian to it! I'm excited that they have a piano, it's such a big part of my life and it's comforting to know that when I'm feeling homesick I can just go and play away! It's also nice to know that me and my host father will have something in common!

Pictures of Ramnicu-Valcea

Now I know I said that I loved to play piano and I tried to upload one of me playing from my computer

it didn't work

as you can probably tell

:)

Romanian word

fericit = happy