參加學生感言

2007 Camp Counselor!!! It's awesome!!!
我剛從美國營隊回來~對營隊有興趣的可以到我Blog或是留言問我喔http://www.wretch.cc/blog/lions0816

Thank you again for supporting me to work in the US. My life has been very interesting ever since I set my foot my America's turf.
For the past week it has been only orientation sessions. Today I will start working as a camp counselor, not a camp counselor in training.
Friendship Ventures, the camp I work for, takes very good care of its staff. It makes sure that we are well-taken-care-of of both living accommodations and emotional well-beings. I live in a very comfortable cabin with around 4 other camp counselors and 6 campers.
Everyday we have different fun activities for campers and camp counselors alike, the activities include hayride, swimming, boat ride, arts and crafts, archery, nature..etc. On Saturday, day-off for camp counselors who work 24/7, the camp arranges Staff Trip for us. This past Saturday, we went to Mall of America, which is the biggest in the States and it was a very interesting trip.
I am tell you all these, not only am I having a great time here and that I know I will treasure this unique overseas experience for the rest of my life.

來到美國才發現高估自己的英文能力，在營隊中因為英文鬧了不少笑話，也因為聽不懂工作內容被唸了一番，不敢說兩個月英文進步多少，但倒是體驗了很多事情。
第一次和別人有這麼多的擁抱，感覺很溫馨；
第一次和大家瘋狂飆舞，去紐約看王建民；
第一次動手做魚竿，把魚餌從魚嘴巴取出(真是殘忍至極！！)
第一次遇到游泳池意外的發生，第一時間的處理；
第一次可以這麼的free，每天可以穿著夾腳拖鞋，短褲跑來跑去；
第一次和大家一起刮腿毛刮到流血；
第一次幫別人按摩，誤打誤撞變成馬殺雞高手；
第一次見識到勇於表達感情的黑人；
第一次和上司小吵一下(幾乎每個人都會的)；
而最同仇敵愾的時候過於和大家一起抱怨！
在心態上，工作不比遊學，是我們得提供服務，不是我們可以一直說Can you speak slowly?自己必須先獨立，才有能力照顧小朋友，作好分內工作，尤其只有我ㄧ個是亞洲人，孤單是在所難免的，也算是很奇特的經驗啦！
Conclusion：It's not the best summer, but definitely the unforgettable one.

At first I can't believe that I can go to USA and at the end I can't believe I did it!

Going to USA is my dream since my childhood. So, the first time I heard about this opportunity from my friend, I decided that I must try. It was so amazing when I am informed that I am hired by FW*WH (Fourwinds Westward Ho). I was so happy and excited by that information. At first I just so happy for the chance to go to USA. My trip to USA is the first trip I made by my own. I have to arrange everything by myself even when I was in USA. Since FW*WH director interviewed me through international call, my exciting summer holiday is begun. The time I stepped on USA, I found that everything so amazing. The FW*WH itself is an incredible place. I have a lot of fun in that camp. It never feels that I was there to work. It feels that I was there to have fun. The scenery is so beautiful. Orcas Island, the place where FW*WH located is a part of San Juan Islands, Seattle, W.A. One of my friends told me that this island is one of the most beautiful places in the world. I definitely agree with her. It seems that everyday is holiday. Everyday I woke up early in the morning to feel the nice morning breath and take a walk around our camp. Everyday I feel that I am being reborn in this nature place. If you ask me about my job, I can only say I was there to have fun. Yes, I NEVER feel that I was there to work. Afterall, this summer holiday is the best one I ever have!

我在2003年參加過暑期工讀旅遊，留下很不錯的印象，所以這次看到有參加營隊的機會就也想挑戰看看。在和IEE工作人員談過之後，覺得很不錯再加上CCUSA真的是非常不錯的機構，很有系統，一有問題也可以馬上幫忙解決，所以就決定參加他們的活動。
我在營隊的工作是在廚房，工作的內容雖然忙碌，但和國際學生及美國當地工作人員相處的非常融洽，也和小朋友玩的很開心。我們camp裡有從英國、澳洲、紐西蘭、捷克、俄羅斯、新加坡、韓國、荷蘭和斯洛維尼亞的朋友。

我的camp是在紐約州的Bear Mountain CAMP “ MA KEE YA” Day Camp，大部份小朋友每天下午回家，只有少部份會留下來過夜，工作人員大概有50位，平常小朋友多的時候會到360人，中午準備午餐可以說是一場惡夢，還好大部份小朋友晚上都回家了，每天除了午餐外還有點心時間，以及每天供應果醬三明治；因為是camp所以離市區很遠，只有假日大家會去shopping，去Wal-Mart，New York和Boston等，很多美好的回憶。

現在回想到一開始，唯一的不適應應該是房間吧，我們是三人一間小木屋，裡面沒有任何擋風玻璃，四面都是紗窗和會透風的木板，因為我沒有帶睡袋，結果半夜常被冷醒，還因此發燒了兩次，不過當我生病的時候，這些外國朋友的關心常常讓我感到非常窩心。
人生只有一次，年輕的時候有機會為什麼不去試試看！！

It is hard to describe my 9 weeks of camp on paper. Not because it is indescribable, but there is just so many feelings, emotions, experiences that you have to be there for to understand. It was exhausting, challenging, sad, happy and angry all at the same time. There were times when I wanted to kill the girls and times when they were so sweet and cute I knew I would miss them when they left at the end of the week. There were times when I had been up all night looking after the girls that I couldn’t keep my eyes open in the morning but still had to get up at 6:00 am to jump in the lake with them. And then the Saturday afternoons that all the counselors looked forward to, our 24 hrs break at the end of each week. It was always great to be able to get back to normal life at the end of each week for 24 hrs with other counselors, friends that we had made. It was like our energy booster, along with the letters or postcards I would occasionally find in my mailbox from friends, who felt very far away.

It seemed, towards the end of the 9 weeks that the days were dragging on and it would never be over. Yet when we were all standing outside the van that would take us to the airport or bus station or on our separate ways, the tears just wouldn’t stop coming and the past two months just seemed so unreal.

Everything that I had experienced and done at camp was so different from anything I had ever done. It was like a separate life I had been leading for the past 9 weeks. It felt like it had all just been a dream. It definitely wasn’t the most enjoyable experience I have ever been through, but it was sure worthwhile. It opened me up a lot more and I am definitely more confident about myself and my ability, especially with children. Being trusted by parents to take care of their girls also made me realize that I am no longer a child. I am able to take care of other people’s children and take on that responsibility. I realized that I am an adult now. It really is an extraordinary feeling. Not something that I can explain completely to people. Being at camp is really something that you have to experience for yourself to fully understand it. I am really glad I went and made myself stick to it ‘till the end. There were certainly times when I wanted to give up but I made it through and it is something I have done for me, and it is entirely mine.