|
| One life, two hemispheres, three families By Stacy Trevenon [ stacy@hmbreview.com ] Published/Last Modified on Wednesday, April 1, 2009 11:29 AM PDT The frigid waters lapping the Half Moon Bay beach weren’t what Andrea Ordoñez Andrade expected. It was sunny and warm when she made her first visit to a Coastside beach and reached out a toe. “I touched the water,” she said in her soft, Spanish-accented voice. Then she made a face. “Oh, my goodness, this is so cold!” The petite, personable Ordoñez was used to balmy surf back home in Bahia de Caraquez, Ecuador, where she lives with parents Jorge and Terezinie and younger brother Jonathan overlooking the bay. In September, she arrived in Half Moon Bay as an exchange student through the Rotary District 5150 Youth Exchange Program. The San Mateo-to-Marin district includes the Half Moon Bay Rotary Club, sister club since 2004 with the Bahia club, of which Ordoñez’s mother is the current president. While not dependent on family or club connections, student exchanges are common between districts — and 5150 is one of the most in-demand destinations, said Ann Olea. Originally from Half Moon Bay, Olea is the daughter of the first woman president of the Half Moon Bay Rotary Club (Shirley Olea) and is the District 5150 student-exchange coordinator. “We get a ton of people who want to come here,” Olea said. “Andrea is a shining example of the students we want to bring here.” Eager for new experiences and planning to pursue international business, Ordoñez considered an exchange in Europe. But with encouragement from her father and Half Moon Bay Rotarian Charles Nelson, she changed her mind. “I know I dreamed of Europe but with a career in international business … English is one of the most important languages. I thought it would be a good idea to come here,” she said. At just 18, leaving home for 10 months was scary — but Ordoñez took the leap. “The only thing sad was leaving my family and friends. I am really close to my family,” she said. “But I thought, I won’t be sad; I will go there and do my best. I will meet new families.” Over the year here — which ends July 31 — she will have stayed with three host families. She attended Half Moon Bay High School though she already graduated as valedictorian from the Interamericano School in Bahia. “She has always been an exemplary daughter, responsible with her family and very outspoken in school, with excellent grades,” said Ordoñez’s mother, Terezinie, via e-mail from Ecuador. “We believe that she is enjoying every moment in Half Moon Bay.” Her first hosts were architect and Rotarian John Evans and wife Larkin, who teaches art at Half Moon Bay High. Hosting exchange students from Africa, Japan and Germany was something Larkin Evans grew up with. Later, she and husband John welcomed them into their home. Larkin Evans noted that, at first, the somewhat shy Ordoñez spoke English well but not fluently. She had to adjust to America, where the principal meal was in the evening instead of midday as in Ecuador, and young people were more preoccupied with work. “It was harder to meet people, harder to make friends,” Ordoñez said. But involvement with the high school yearbook committee helped acquaint her with her new home. She stood out in government and economics classes, mastered English and added French. Friends urged her to audition for the 2009 high school musical, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” in which she landed a role. “It was fun to participate,” she said. “And it showed us a lot of values.” She tried new foods: Mexican, Italian and sushi, which became a favorite. She missed ceviche and platanos. But when she’s home, she’ll miss Italian and Mexican food and Gelato ice cream. She’ll also miss jogging on the coastal trail, “especially now when everything is blooming — it’s so beautiful,” she said. She missed driving (forbidden for exchange students) and the disco, part of teen life in Ecuador. But she gained understanding of basic differences in people. “In Ecuador, when someone is new … everyone wants to be the friend of that person,” she said. “Here, people are more reserved.” Her second, current host parents are Rotarian David Dickson and Marla Wong, for whom teens in the house are nothing new. “After five teens of your own, it’s fun to see how similar they are in Ecuador and how different,” said Dickson. Ordoñez watched the inauguration of President Barack Obama with more understanding of English. “Now,” she said, “I don’t need subtitles.” “I hardly see you search for a word,” said Wong. Next month, Ordoñez will discover rural life with hosts John and Jennifer Cozzolino, and children Andrea, 15, and John, 12. “She will get to see cattle and fields,” said Jennifer Cozzolino. For a week, Jonathan, 17, visited from Ecuador. He visited San Francisco and Stanford University, took in “Joseph” and marveled at his sister’s English: “It’s amazing!” Back home, Ordoñez will head for the Universidad de las Américas in capital city Quito, where she will see the world with new eyes. “(Rotary) opened to me the door to experience culture and make new friends,” she said. “I think I’ve become more mature, more independent. … I can say to myself, now I am prepared to start college and not depend on my parents.” |