#12 We're midway to the end.. crazy

Half way done.. WOW.. that means quarter of my exchange is over!!


Well first of all.. now it is easier for me to speak english! Because I got used to the language.. I still don't know everything but I am not afraid to talk to people I don't know anymore.. It doesn't make it better if people laugh at me but some of them stopped so it is getting better ;)


I don't know what kind of leader I am becoming.. I still have to figure that out! But I think I am more a quiet leader who leads in the background!


I learned that you don't have to do everything on your own.. I used to think when I do it on my own I can make sure that it will turn out the way I want it to! But I learned that if somebody helps you it might not turn out the way you wanted it.. but different.. and maybe in a better way! If everybody puts their ideas together there can be one really good and big idea!


Sometimes I feel like everything is too much for me.. It is not easy to be that far away from family and friends! But I have to learn that I have to leave that behind for a second and concentrate on what is going on now and here.. thinking about them doesn't make the distance smaller! 
Time goes by so fast.. midway to the end of the first semester.. it's crazy!


We did a lot!!.. Orientation Week, Halloween Week, Haunted House, Challenge Week, .. and there will come more and I am sure we will still do an amazing job! Everybody helped (a little bit).. without this help IDCI would not be IDCI..

#10 Marc's Story

He had doubts.. He wanted to quit..
But this little boy changed his mind! And because this little boy changed his mind.. he changed his life!


To see people die is not easy for sure! He lived in Bangkok for a few years, teaching kids english, help at the AIDS ward and had the experience of his life..
I am impressed how he managed that! I am here in Ingersoll and it is no easy for me.. He is a strong person and must have an amazing personality!
To stay after his first day at the AIDS ward and his experience to see somebody die and to know that you will never learn this person's name, that must be the hardest decision of his life!
The first impressions of Bangkok, when he saw all the rich people, the expensive cars and all the skyscrapers.. I would be disappointed! I don't know why but that was the first thing that came to my mind when I read that part: "I would be disappointed.. " 


I think it would be the best experience to celebrate a birthday with all the boys (the story that was mentioned in the book).. to see how happy they are to have a new friend who they can share their peanuts and watermelons with! If somebody of us would have peanuts and watermelons for their birthday.. I don't think we would be that happy! 
EVERYTHING IS AMAZING BUT NOBODY IS HAPPY!


Keith Taylor's story is another really really impressing story..
Not everybody would move from his apartment to have more money.. well maybe there are some people who would do that! But there wouldn't be that many who would do that to have money to help OTHERS..
They would do it to buy more cloths or better cloths or a new phone or whatever..
He started small but his web side grew and became an organization!.. Pretty impressing!!

#11 The Haunted House

Project Design Skills

My group was responsible for the entrance. Because of the whole story this part of the haunted house was happy and not creepy. So we decorated everything with coloured paper. I cut big and small circles out of the paper. We stuck them on the wall with tape. I tried to hang up the black curtains but I was a little bit too small so I passed this job on.

Identifying and Dealing with barriers

My group was supposed to do the first room too.. but Justin started planning everything though he wasn’t in our group.. we all were a little bit confused and didn’t know what to do so we asked you what to do and you told us just to leave it.. in the end my group didn’t need my help anymore (because we were more or less done) so I helped a little bit everywhere so we get everything done!

Interpersonal Skills

In my group we worked all together… we all shared our ideas and tried to put everything together so everybody is happy. Everybody from the group I was in had really good ideas so it was not that hard to agree with them ;)

Understanding & Working with Diversty

Everybody had his own ideas.. some were better than others but I think we all tried to combine everything to get a big amazing thing.. Some of us did everything to get their room ready and done and some others tried to do everything.. sometimes it is not the best to do everything because it can annoy the other students! Well in the end everything worked out fine..

Some of us where more into it and some less but I think everybody did a good job!

Leadership Skills

I am really positive and optimistic.. though the first wasn’t ready at all till Wednesday I never thought that we wont make it.. I knew we all have to work together to get it done and so we did and it turned out really well!

I love helping people that’s why I started helping every group.. I helped wherever help was needed!

I didn’t want to talk because I am not really good in talking in front of people (in English.. in german that would be a little bit different!! (; ) that’s why I didn’t want to tell the story at the beginning.. I was a guide! After we changed our idea (not having guides.. just having a few people all over the haunted house!) I was the person who opened and close the door to the room in the very back (the shower..)!

Personal Management Skills

Well as I mentioned before I helped everywhere a little bit.. First I tried to get my part done and when the group I was in didn’t need my help anymore I helped everywhere else…

First I was struggling with the first room but when I saw that everybody is going to help I had the feeling that we can do it!

I don’t know what I could have done more.. of course you can always do more but I think I did a pretty good job!

As I mentioned before I needed help to hang up curtains ;) but I think nobody of us could have done what we did without help of others..

Self-Assessment Skills

As I said before I think we all did a really good job!

I think I did everything I could have done.. and that worked out really good!

I am not really good in marking myself so don’t know what I should say but I guess I would give myself 16 or 17 because I did my part and helped others and was part of the haunted house both days.. but nobody can do the perfect job so I think 16 or 17 is suitable..

So I want to thank everybody!!!

Everybody did a little (or big..) part to get the haunted house done and everybody was so impressed.. people were talking in the hallways in the classrooms.. everywhere!!

I am so glad i was involved in the organization because otherwise i would have had to walk through and i would have been scared soooo bad ;)

#9 Craig's Story

Craig's stort is so impressing!!
He is thirteen.. 3 years younger than me! I feel like I missed the start to help people..
But then I thought about it and realized that it is never too late..
It is amazing how he went to India without knowing what is going to happen! He told his mother that he is sure that everything is safe but he wasn't..
A litte thirteen-year-old boy helps people in his age or younger.. when I was thirteen I didn't even think about topics like that! I was really interested what was happening around the world..
He started a big thing at school and got people involved! People who were older than him.. He is really self-confident how he acts and thinks!
I am sure not every thirteen-year-old boy could go to India and start helping in the slums there..

I think he did an amazing job and he can be proud of him self.. He made a change in the world!