Sofya, our Rostok exchange student

We participated in the Rostok exchange again this year. We volunteered like with Alex, to take a student who was with the class a year ahead. Again, we asked for a bicultural child and we got Sofya, a Kzack-Russian girl who has been in Germany 6 years. She was very cute but apparently cried at night from missing her parents.

The very same week, Ronnie left for England and there were problems with his host family there. So there was a lot of drama and calling back and forth, including both of his best friends' parents (who are divorced) calling me. I think they were curious how Ronnie found it since obviously, he didn't have a language issue.

I picked up Sofya Sunday and then Talia came home late that evening. The following morning, Daniel took Ronnie to the pick-up point to leave for London. It must have seemed strange that Sofya went to bed with a boy and a girl in the host family and woke up to just two girls (since she hadn't seen Talia the night before).

Here they are arriving in Strasbourg. This year, the hats were yellow.


Little Sofya with Davina and me.

The reception the next day at City Hall. This is the same room where Caroline and Dan got married last October.

Sofya, Anne and her brother Arthur on her lap. Arthur is one of Davina's best friends and his sister is in the class above.

Group shots! Sofya and Talia are seated in front of the girl in pink, towards the left.

Wednesday they had free so we took Sofya to the outdoor pool in Wacken. Ran into some other families and their Rostok kids and I saw a friend and her daughter. We were there for ages.

Davina goofing around.


Talia and Sofya (in a borrowed bikini).

Sofya showing off her technique.

On the Friday, Sofya's last day, I took them downtown to get some ice cream. Of course where I wanted to go was too crowded so we just got some on the street and ate it by the fountains. Not what I had planned but oh well...