"The Field Trip at The Oviedo Marketplace" by Eva (Taiwan)

It was my first time playing in a scavenger hunt. This was last Wednesday with my classmates in the Art of Blogging class. We went to the Oviedo Marketplace and formed three groups to complete the assignments that Mr. Bushong gave. The group that finished first would get a package of chocolate for the reward. My team member was Viyan, who comes from Iran and is a friendly woman. We walked around the mall to find the answers to the directions on the sheet of paper. For example, directions were buying a gumball or taking a picture of a Christmas tree. We finished step by step, but eventually we could not find Julia and the wishing well, two directions on the lists. We checked the mall map to search for the well, but there was no sign of it. Finally, we asked a saleswoman in a store. When we went to the well, we saw Julia in the distance. We ran quickly to catch Julia for her initials on the sheet. Then we walked to the dining area and found the well, making a wish and throwing a coin into the water. Though we were the second group to finish, I enjoyed the entire process. This was a wonderful field trip because I had a new experience and made a new friend.

"A New Experience of Driving" by Abubaker (Libya)

In May 2008, my friends and I drove from Washington to Florida. This was our first time traveling in the U.S. We spent three days on the road before we arrived in Ohio. The road was huge and busy with cars. We drove from sunrise to sunset, so we saw many animals cross the road. At night, however, we could not see the animals because it was dark. While we were driving on the highway in the middle of night before arriving in Ohio, my friend's car had a blow out, so he tried to stop, but he coudn't because many big trucks were behind him. Therefore, I passed him in my car to show him how to stop quickly and safely. Then he did.

"The First Friend I Made at CMMS" by Eva (Taiwan)

Channy, a sweet college sophomore from Korea, was the first friend I made at CMMS. In her hometown of Seoul, she majors in both English Literature and Traditional Chinese. Since I come from Taiwan, where we use traditional Chinese, Channy likes practicing her Chinese with me. She also showed me pictures of her playing a traditional Korean instrument and of her dancing. How versatile she is! We often share about our ideas about learning English, our careers, and our lives in our hometowns. Channy was surprised with how popular Korean TV shows, singers, and food are in Taiwan. I think the similarities between our cultures are because both Taiwan and Korea have been affected by the Chinese culture for thousands of years. There are, however, some differences, such as job opportunities for women. I learned that in Korean society, if a woman hadn't gotten her first job before age 25, then it would become harder to find a job as she got older. When women are beyond 30 years old, there are fewer job opportunities. It's so different from my country. In Taiwan, women have equal chances to compete against men in the work force, despite age or background. Nevertheless, it's interesting to learn about the diversity of different cultures, and that's why I always enjoy my time at CMMS.

"Halloween at CMMS" by Entisar (Libya)

While I was studing at CMMS, some students from other countries talked about a Halloween celebration. I was surprised about that because it is the first time I listened to the words, and I asked some students, "What is the meaning of a Halloween celebration?" They explained the meaning of the celebration to me. That happened last month exactly on October 31. CMMS had a big party, and I went to the party with my friends, but before I opened the door which led outside to the party, someone invited me to open another door. I felt strange about that, but I opened it. After that, I walked some steps. Then two boys with masks and knives in their hands ran at me. I screamed because I was really afraid of them. In a few minutes, I understood that it was just joke. Really I felt shy about screaming. Finally, I had a good time with my friends. The important things for me: I learned the meaning of Halloween celebrations, and I saw something new. So, I'm happy.

"My New Friend" by Tariq (K.S.A)

I had a great chance to meet different people of different cultures and to make friends at CMMS. One of my best friends at CMMS is Doung. He is from Vietnam, and he is 22 years old. He has a totally different culture from mine, but we can coexist together by respecting each other and each other's culture. For example, he doesn't believe there is God, but I do. Also, the types of food are strange for me, but we tried each other's food. I like the ethics and the morals of my friend Doung, and I look forward to seeing him after Christmas vacation. I am happy for this amazing chance to meet people of different cultures.

"Experiencing a Space Shuttle Launch" by Ching-I (Taiwan)

On November 14, my husband and I went to see the space shuttle "Endeavour" launch. This was my first time, and I had been looking forward to the event. We arrived there around 3 PM, and there were already a lot of people. Unfortunately, it was too late to find a small space to sit and to wait for the launch, which was scheduled at 7:55 PM. Regardless, it was a sunny and comfortable day. People spent time talking, eating, reading, and even watching DVDs. Eventually, the time came for the launch. We prepared our camera and DVD recorder, holding our breath to count the seconds. It was like a fireball growing and lifting gradually in the dark sky. Then it veered left and became smaller in our sight. It was a pity that I didn't see the shuttle disappear because of the trees in front of us blocking our sight. However, it was still an amazing experience. I won't forget the marvelous scenery as the fireball brightened the dark sky and the water for a couple of seconds.

"A Hallowen Party" by Melek (Turkey)

On October 31, CMMS students had a costume party. Some of the students and teachers wore funny costumes. I watched with my friends because it was Hallowen. I felt happy. I liked it.

"CMMS Graduation" by CMMS Student (Turkey)

Last Friday, I had a celebration at CMMS with my friends. We received certificates because our courses finished. I felt very happy because a lot of students from different countries were at the celebration. Various students could live together. I will never forget this day.

"Universal's Island's of Adventure" by Tariq (K.S.A)

Last semester, we went to Universal's Islands of Adventure with CMMS. We were divided into groups. My group contained four students: Mohammed, Saleh, Doung, and me. We decided to ride all the rides in Islands of Adventure, so we started at 10:00 am and went until 5:00 pm. For instance, we rode the rollercoaster, and it was very fast and amazing. Also, we rode the water ride, and all of us became wet. We took a lot of photos that day, but one of the best photos was the shot of us on a rollercoaster while we plunged down the drop. We saw how our faces looked frightened. It was a wonderful trip, and I’d like to thank CMMS for this great time.

"A New Experience" by Teacher (U.S.A.)

Last summer, I took a trip to Daytona Beach with CMMS. A student from Slovakia and I decided to take a walk along the beach. We walked out to the end of the Daytona Beach Pier, where local people were fishing. Their fishing poles rested against the pier’s railings, and the fishing lines plunged down into the murky ocean below. The pier’s deck was scattered with buckets of the day’s fish. All of a sudden, a fisherman caught something on the end of his line. He tugged at his pole and reeled in the fish. It was a shark, a small baby shark! It was about a foot long. The fisherman unhooked the shark and handed it to the student. The student held the baby shark with both hands while the shark squirmed. I told him to throw it back into the ocean so that it wouldn’t die. He threw it back. The baby shark splashed into the water and then swam away. The student told me that he would never forget this day.