“Get out. See different cultures. Meet interesting people.”

Sure, that’s what the brochure said, and that’s what the recruiter said, and that’s what my parents said.

But no one told me how it would REALLY be.

I don’t understand how anyone can live where it is this cold! I really do not know what color the buildings are around here because everything is constantly blanketed in white. You can’t really identify people on the street because they have to wear so many layers so they don’t freeze to death.

I am used to greeting people using my hands; hands on both shoulders, look them in the eye, say hello, nod your head. That is the way you should greet people!

But here, they are so rude. People barely look in your direction, and merely grunt at you. When I first arrived at my host house, I greeted the family as I would anyone. Morthana - the female head of the house - looked mortified that touched her.

I still do not understand the language. It is all so guttural. It sounds so savage. I am still learning to say hello properly. “Uspa,” but I have been told it sounds like I am saying “wuuspap,” which is an entirely impolite phrase about anatomy. When tried to say it on my first day of class, the class was so out of control with laughter that the teacher sent me to the headmaster.

The school also confuses me. Back home we studied the vegetation, the animals, the rain. Here we are stuck in the classroom. I guess I get it, because I don’t want to be outside when it is below freezing, and, besides, there is nothing to study except snow and ice.

Morthana is a good cook, or at least everyone else in the house eat her food as soon as they get it. They enjoy her cooking. I am still getting used to boiled roots night after night. Apparently my first meal was supposed to be a highlight, because we have not had fish except that first night. And everyone else was jealous that got a bigger piece. I don’t know if they realize fish is a sacred animal in my country. Or maybe they do realize and they were being mean.

I miss being home.