This post is for all "INTERNATIONAL BLOGGERS" in hopes of creating some collaboration between you and my students... Feel free to ask my students questions, as some of them may respond with their own.
There are also WebSites designed specifically for International Web Users, just click on one of the sites on the right side under "My BLOG List"
Hello goes out to the PHILIPPINES, GERMANY, and the UNITED KINGDOM, as I know there will be some talking between the States and your Countries. Simpily type a comment, question, or fact about yourself or where you live in the box below. When finished, click on "Comment as" - pull the box down - and click on "Name/URL". Simpily type in your name, however type nothing in the URL box. When finished you will be prompted to confirm the spelling of a word... retype that word in the box and click submit. Check back later to see your comment posted on the BLOG. My students will appreciate the communication.
ReplyDeleteMABUHAY!
ReplyDeleteHi! I'm Aldrin Reyes, from Manila, Philippines...(Charmic's cousin). Feel free to ask me questions about the Philippines ^__^.
Hi I am Allen. I have a ouestin about the Philippines. How is the culture there different from the U.S.A? What is the most popular sport?
ReplyDeleteHi i am Ross and i would also like to know about your culture and what you eat.Is it a great place to vist?Do you fish?If you do what kind do you catch and eat?Im a big fishermen myself.
ReplyDeletesincerely Ross
Hi I'm Olivia. My step grandfather was born in the Philippines. And i was wondering in the schooling what are some basic things you learn?
ReplyDeleteHi my name is Amber. I am a friend of your cousin Charmic. So what do you like to do in the Philippines(hobbies). What is your favorite food and what is the best selling food in the Philippines. This is a question for one of my classmates. Is there a McDonald's in the Philippines. I am very eamazed at how educated the kids are in the Philippines. Charmic has told me how smart the kids are.
ReplyDeleteHi I am Emma and I am also a friend of Charmic.
ReplyDeleteI was wondering what the currency was in the Phillipines.
Thanks Sincerely
Emma
Hi I am Haley and my question is what is the most unusual thing you have eaten there that might not be in the United States? If you have visited here.
ReplyDeleteHi My Name is Matt. I Have A Question Do you Watch American Idol? or Philippine Idol?
ReplyDeleteAllen core 3
ReplyDeleteBasketball is the most popular sport.Boxing is also well liked.I don't know if you've heard but a Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao recently won....
Ross core 4
ReplyDeleteI love to eat fish....But,I don't go fishing. We don't live near the water...haha...If you want to take a vacation here in the Philippines,I suggest going to Boracay beach (white sand),stay in a Shangri-la Hotel or Hyatt Hotel!
Olivia core 4
ReplyDeleteCool!.. Uhm I would say the most basic thing we learn in schooling is how valuable education is.....
Amber core 2
ReplyDeleteI love to play basketball, surf the internet, and play my guitar...The best selling food would probably be fish and fruits.....haha... we do have plenty of Mc Donalds here in the Philippines....& tnx for the compliment ..... like charmic probably said b4 we value education a lot...
Emma core 4
ReplyDeleteThe currency here in the Philippines is Pesos!
Matt
ReplyDeleteThere is Philippine Idol here...a lot like American Idol...I only watch it sometimes...
Hello Aldrin - This is Mr. Koczot, the students Social Studies teacher. I first want to thank you (and Charmic) for coming together like this on the BLOG, answering questions, and educating these students. I think it's GREAT! I have a few questions for you... One, What is the time difference between you and us here on the east coast of the U.S., and although I know the answer, the students may find it amazing. Second, how old are you, and what is the highest level of education you have completed in your country? Finally, what do you personally think of this BLOG idea - Is there a future in it; a way to easily communicate, play games, watch video's, and see pictures of others from across the globe??? Thanks again, and talk with you soon - Mr. K.
ReplyDeleteHello to Mr. Koczot's students from France!
ReplyDeleteI am an American who has been living in France for 40 years. And I love it! This morning I took my daily walk along the Mediterranean Sea in my town of Cap d'Ail on the Cote d'Azur. Spring is here - along with stinging jellyfish and tiger mosquitos. Nothing is perfect!
Anyone have any questions about my area?
Bonne journee!
Diana Fowler
Good Day Diana - Mr. Koczot here, and I appreciate you writing to the kids. Let me say that today during each of my classes, I will be showing them where you live on Google Earth, so they will be familiar with your area. It's looks beautiful there. How far of a walk to Monaco is it from where you live? In the 40 years that you've lived in Europe, how many countries have you visited? I'll let the students ask the rest of the questions, be prepared around 10 or 11pm your time. Thanks again - Mr.K.
ReplyDeletehey diana my last name is french. I was wondering is it a good place to vist how is your culture? what do you use as your trasport?
ReplyDeleteI've heard really good thing about france.
Do you have any children? If you do what is there hobby?
sincereley Ross
hey diana how much is 1 american dollar in france.
ReplyDeletehi! my name is Tessa, i would like to know, is sports and clubs Popular in the Philippines???
ReplyDeleteare there collages in the Philippines?
ReplyDeletehow many islands make up the Philippines?
Hello Diana
ReplyDeleteMy name is Amber I think France is aweaome First i would like to ask you is have you ever been to Paris? and second If you have been to paris what are the most popular shops to go to? I have always wanted to visit Paris and I'm hoping once I get out of college I can.
Hello Diana,
ReplyDeleteDose France Have A French Idol Like American idol? And Is Your Favorite Salad Dressing "french"
Thank you,
p.s.(how that koczot)
how is life like in the philippines is it good or is it boring
ReplyDeleteHello Diana! My name is Nikki! I was wondering about the language in France. I have a few questions. 1) When you go on your daily walk do you here mostly french or a variety of languages? 2) Can you speak french fluently? If so how long did it take you to learn? 3) Would you say learning french is hard or easy? I was wondering about the language, because I was thinking about learning it for a second language in the future.
ReplyDeletehello this is Star. Charmic's friend. i was wondering what is ur life style like,(like what do you do on an everyday bases). Do you have any traditions? what is your hobbies?
ReplyDeleteThanks,
*Star*
hey Aldrin this is James i have a question in the phillipines do you have any open air markets there?
ReplyDeletehello Diana! i'm Olivia; i was wondering what is your favorite french food. Also what are some countries you have been to in your 40 years off livin in France. This is a very random question but here it is: What is the most popular clothing line in France?
ReplyDeletethank you lots,
Olivia
hello I am Jacob i would like to know where you live because we might be able to use google earth to find your house or area witch you live in
ReplyDeleteI have always wanted to go to france Diana one of my fav. places in the world!!! but how long does it take to switch from english language to france language!! I am planing on going there soon.
ReplyDeleteHeyy Aldrin,This is lauren.I'm great friends with Charmic.Uhmm,My question is do they have the same or similar movies and televition shows in the Philippines as they do here?
ReplyDeleteAnd also what do you do in he philippines for funn?
Hi, I am Andrea. I live in Luxembourg. Does anybody know where that is? If not, I would be glad to tell you.
ReplyDeletehey andrea, I do no were Luxembourg is, in fact were learning about eastern europe at my school. I would like to know interesting facts about luxembourg that we cant find in a book. and do you have any children if so what is there hobbys?
ReplyDeleteheyyyyyyyy Andrea, this is tessa. we learned about your country, Luxembourg. it sounds like a REALLY great Country. I Would like to know is there any popular singers that you listen to in Luxembourg??
ReplyDeleteThanks for your time!
BBBBBYYYEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
hi this is brandy i would like to know two things
ReplyDelete1. what is the most popular animal in Luxembourg?
2. what is the most popular type of houses in Luxembourg?
hey andreawhat is life like in luxemburg
ReplyDeleteHi there,
ReplyDeleteI am not sure, if I am supposed to write the answers here, as I can't see any other answers to the questions. But here are my answers:
To ross core 4,
Luxembourg is in the middle of Europe, sometimes called "the heart of Europe". Did you know, that General Patton is buried here in Luxembourg? I do have a daughter, and she has several hobbies, like reading, listening to music, going to the movies and chatting on the internet with her friends.
To Tessa:
We have no real popular singer from Luxembourg, but probably listen to the same music you do. There is a big variety of music to listen to, as we speak several languages, our radio stations also play the popular songs from different countries. American and English music are the most popular, but we also hear the newest songs from Germany, France, Spain and so on.
To Brandy:
I would say, the most poplar animal is the dog. A lot of people have dogs, and they love to take them for their daily walk.
Most of our houses are stone houses and you have all different kinds of styles and sizes.
To nickaleany:
Life in Luxembourg is pretty good, I think. It is probably not much different from your life, except, that our cities are smaller. Our weather is probably not as good, as it is in America, it does rain a lot. My husband is American, and he is living here in Luxembourg already a long time, so life here must be ok
I'm an American friend of Andrea. She travels and knows a lot about different points of interest throughout Europe. Ask her about some of her favorite vacation spots and castles. Health care is very different than in the USA.
ReplyDeleteAndrea, tell the kids about the Stone restaurant we all went to in Lux.
Hi im Maekayla. I have a question for both of you. Is FASHION KOOL there. And what is the types of school like.
ReplyDeleteHi Maekayla,
ReplyDeleteI guess Fashion is Kool here,too. We are close to the big European fashion capitals, so the people that can afford it, buy all the newest fashions. But a lot of American things are very popular here and young people dress more or less the same than you do.
I have a lot of American friends, and the one writing here, gave me this blog address to write to. She is a teacher and I think this blog is very interesting and a very good idea to get to know other cultures and customs. Keep on asking.
Hi! Mr. Koczot
ReplyDeleteNo problem.... It's my pleasure....The time difference between N.C. and the Philippines is 12 hours. So, when it's 10 PM at night here... it's only 10 AM in the morning there in N.C.!
I am 16 yrs. old; and I just graduated from high school. Next school year, I will be a freshman in college!
I think this blog idea is fantastic.... a fun and easier way to communicate with others... keep up the good work...
-Aldrin
Christina core 4
ReplyDeleteyes... there are colleges and universities here in the Philippines ..... there are about 7,100 islands...
Logan core 4
ReplyDeleteLife here is great to me...haha.. I'm not sure about other opinions...
what is the money like in luxembourg
ReplyDeletehi Andrea! (my moms name is Andrea) haha Well what are some good foods in Luxembourg? Also what are the basic thing in the schooling you learn?
ReplyDeletethank u,
Olivia:)
Hi nickaleany
ReplyDeleteUp to the year 2001 we had the luxembourgish franc, which was the same money than in Belgium. Since 2001 we have the € (euro) which a lot of European countries now have, and which makes it easy for us to go shopping in other countries. Luxembourg is very close to France, Belgium and Germany and before 2001 we always had to change our money to German Marks or French Francs. Now we don't have to do that anymore.
Hi Olivia
We have a lot of good food here in Luxembourg. We do have a lot of luxembourgish specialties, but that is mostly homecooking and not too many restaurants serve that food. Only a few. We mostly have very good french cuisine, but in Luxembourg City you can find all different kinds of restaurants, Chinese, Japanese, Indian and so on. The most popular ones are the French and Italian places. We have a lot of very good Italian restaurants and the pizzas are exactly the same than in Italy, or even better. They are different than American Pizzas. I do like both. And like my friend mentioned before, we have a Stone Steak house here in town, that's absolutely great. Everyone has a very hot granite stone as a plate, and on there you put little pieces of raw steak or scampis or lobstertail and cook it to your liking. On an extra plate you receive a variety of different potatoes and a salad. In front of the stone is a little dish with 4 different sauces, that you can dip the meat or scampis in it. It is absolutely delicious. I have taken many American friends there, and everybody, so far adored this special restaurant. You just have to watch out that you don't touch the hot stone. You can burn yourself.
Of course we also have Fast Food like Mc Donald's, but so far no Burger King or Wendys.
Our schooling is much different from American schooling, I would say. As we are a small country, surrounded by other nations and languages, we are forced to learn a lot of languages. We speak Luxembourgish, but we do not learn how to spell or write that in school, but learn how to speak and write German in firs grade. As of the second grade, we continue with German and also start with French and that up to 7th grade. We normally have 2 years of Kindergarten, then we have 6 years of elementary school and from 7th grade on, we call it High School. There is no such thing as Junior High. From 8th grade on the kids will also study English, next to German and French and from the 8th Grade on you can choose another language, Italian or Spanish, but that depends if you choose to study languages If you study science, art or mathematics or so, you don't have to pick a fourth language. I would say, that speaking so many different languages is our biggest asset.
We have to pass exams at the end of High School to be able to continue to go to University. We only have a small university here in Luxembourg, so most of our students choose to study in another country, like Germany, France, Austria or Belgium. My daughter studied English. She first studied 2 years in Luxembourg, and then went to study in Canterbury in England for another 3 years. She now teaches English in High School, but still has to go back to a special school for teachers 3 times a week for the next two years to get her final teachers degree.
To ross core,
ReplyDeleteI was thinking about your earlier question, what you can't find in history books and thought, that not too many people know, that a long time ago, when things were really bad in Europe, about 50000 people from Luxembourg moved away and went to America. Mostly to Iowa and Wisconsin and Illinois. There are still towns, that remember their Luxembourgish origins and the old people still speak kind of Luxembourgish. Edward Steichen, a very famous American photographer, was born here in Luxembourg and moved to America. His exhibition "Family of Man" was brought back to Luxembourg after his passing away, just like he wanted it.
The "Father of Flag Day " Bernard J.Cigrand came up with the idea of having a National Flag Day. He was born in America, but both his parents were from Luxembourg and had moved to America. These are things that you probably don't find easily in a history book.
Aldrin - Let me first just say - CONGRADULATIONS on your High School Graduation, and best of luck to you next year in college. Do you know what you want to be as you get older?
ReplyDeleteAndrea - Let me say, Thank You, for taking the time out of your day to answer these kids questions. As their teacher, I have learned some great information about your country that I can share with future students for years to come. The students are currently working on an "End of the Year" Project for me, and I know they will use some of the information off this BLOG for their project.
Let me ask you, In your life, how many countries have you visited in Europe, and how is the economy in Lux. now - still slightly down?
Aldrin and Andrea (and other International Bloggers)... I am trying to work out a way that I can give you each your own "Post", because I sense this one is becoming so large, there is a lot of scrolling to get to the bottom, so if you all would be patient with me, my goal this weekend is to set this up so it's easier for the International Bloggers to see individual questions.
Thanks again to all... and GREAT JOB KIDS - GREAT QUESTIONS!!!
Hey Mr. Koczot,
ReplyDeleteNice hearing from you. It is a real pleasure for me to give some information about my country.
Like everywhere else, the economy in Luxembourg is down, too. The banking business was our biggest asset the last years, after the steel industry had difficulties some years back. Now with this financial crisis all over the world, also Luxembourg has problems. It is not easy, but maybe, because Luxembourg is so small, we might have less problems in the end, than other countries. It's difficult to say.
Every day about 60 000 people from the countries around us, cross the border to come and work in Luxembourg. With companies closing down, it's getting more difficult to keep a job in Luxembourg. But we are optimistic and our government is doing everything to help the people.
I have been to a lot of countries in Western Europe like France, Germany, Belgium, Ireland, England, Switzerland, Austria,Liechtenstein, Italy, Spain. Since my daughter was studying in England, we have been to Canterbury a lot. I have never visited the Eastern part of Europe, but my husband has.
hi this is jeremy! is luxembourg hot or cold? what does your flag look like? Does your country have good food?
ReplyDeleteHi Jeremy. The weather in Luxembourg is a big subject. We used to have 4 seasons with cold winters, hot summers , nice autumns and beautiful springs. The weather has changed over the years, and it's raining more than before, it's not as cold anymore in winter with only once in a while some snow and if we are lucky we have a few weeks of nice summer weather.
ReplyDeleteOur flag has three stripes, red, white and blue.
Like I said before, we have very good food here. Mostly french cooking, but we also like our traditional luxembourgish dishes, which are more special and not everybody likes it. My husband especially loves deep fried potato pancakes.
Dear Andrea, Aldrin, and anyone else interested in "Pen Palling" with North Carolina students...
ReplyDeleteI am in the process of designing/creating separate "International" Blogs, so that, as an attachment to this BLOG, would be a specific, "Luxembourg" Blog - specifically for you Andrea, and one for the Philippines - specifically for you Aldrin.
I don't know what you guys think of this idea, but I wanted to try it, to better prepare myself for next year's students.
Thank you both for ALL the info, up to this point, I'll let you know when your BLOGS are created.
Mr. Koczot
andrea, Aldrin and Diana thanks for providing so much great information to us.I've learned alot!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteDear Aldrin,
ReplyDeletedo you think that your typical day in the Phillipines is any different than an american students day?
Hi Everybody! My name is Tim Parkhurst, and I'm Sarah's dad. I'm in Afghanistan right now, and will be here till just about the time school is out for the summer. Obviously, I'm not from Afghanistan. I'm from the U.S. but I'm here with the military. So, I can only speak from the point of view of a visitor. Also, I may not be able to answer certain questions because of security concerns, but try me! I'll do my best to answer any questions you may have. This place sure is VERY different from North Carolina!
ReplyDeleteHi Daddy! I told my class about your donkey friend and they want to know what it's name is! I love you!
ReplyDeleteSarah
Since I have a daughter in the class, I want to personally thank Mr. Koczot for starting this project. I think it's very important for kids to realize how interconnected and interdependent people all over the world are. And even though there are some big differences between people and cultures, there are even more similarities, and I think that's what we should focus on. I've read most of the comments made so far, and it sounds like you guys are really learning a lot!
ReplyDeleteHello Tim - Let me start out by saying you have a great deal of fans in your daughters class, and the group as a whole is eager to learn. Sarah is wonderful!!! I will add my own questions, and hopefully over time, some students will explore and ask some of their own.
ReplyDeleteWhen we study certain countries, we can associate some meaningful landmarks or physical features to those countries. For example, Eiffle Tower with France, Grand Canyon with the U.S., Panama Canal with that country, Buckingham Palace with the U.K., Andes Mts with Chile... What landmarks or physical features would you as a visitor associate with the country of Afghanistan? 2nd question: could you describe a "Fun Part" of a day for you?
Again - Thank you for taking the time to write, respond, read, and communicate with us back here at home! Best of luck to you and those you're with overseas.
Mr. Koczot
Hi Sarah! I love you too! So, the donkey's name is Prickly Pete. He was abandoned by his owner, so the Marines sort of adopted him. They buy bags of corn at the bazaar in town to feed him, but he's not picky. He'll eat almost anything! Sometimes, when the Marines have to carry heavy stuff, Pete helps them out. That helps him earn his keep. He's usually pretty quiet, but sometimes they forget to put him in his pen, so he ends up wandering around camp.
ReplyDeleteI think the most prominent physical features in Afghanistan are the mountain ranges and the rivers that flow from them. The Hindu Kush range is called the "Roof of the World" and spans the border between Afghanistan and northwest Pakistan. It's actually part of the Himalayan system, where Mt. Everest is located. The highest mountain in Afghanistan is Nowshak at 7485 meters. Because of the high, rugged mountains, travel is very difficult. In 1964, the Salang Tunnel was completed with help from the Soviet Union. It allowed travelers to cross the mountain range without going through the Kotal-e Lataband Pass. This pass sits at an elevation of 2499 meters, or about 8200 feet. It used to take two days to travel from Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, to the Pakistan border, but now only takes a few hours because of the tunnel.
The Helmand River flows from the Hindu Kush. It starts from just east of Kabul and cuts southwest all the way across the country and into Iran. There, it empties into Lake Hamun. The Helmand is the longest river in Afghanistan, but it does not reach all the way to the sea. A branch of the Helmand actually cuts through the camp I live in, in the city of Sangin. It's very narrow and fast-running in this section. Some of the locals operate a small ferry to get people, goods, and even flocks of goats across. The rivers are very important because they are used to irrigate farmland. It is very dry in Afghanistan, so without irrigation, most agriculture would be impossible.
And to answer Mr. Koczot's final question, the most fun part of my day is when I get a little time to myself very early in the morning, before anyone else is up. I usually get off night watch around 5:00AM, so I walk over to the river and listen to the sound of the water, and I watch as local people gather at the ferry crossings. It's very peaceful and quiet that time of the day, so it helps me relax before I go to bed. I sometimes go looking for Prickly Pete to see how he's doing. It might not seem very fun, but it's the best I've got!
Take care, and I look forward to more of your questions!
Hi Daddy! Thank you for sharing all of that with my class! Do you know why the Hindu Kush id called the "Roof of the World"? Just wondering! That's all your fun time?? I'm going to ask mommy if we can you some stuff to do! Maybe a rubix cube... or something like that!
ReplyDeleteI miss you Daddy! Oh! I used that website that you gave me! You know, the one where I type you an email, and you get is as a letter. Have you gotten it yet? Oh also, my bus driver sent you some chocolate covered nuts and he wants to know if you've gotten them yet. I love and miss you so much and I can't wait until you get back home!
Love,
Sarah
Well, I think the Hindu Kush is called the "Roof of the World" because the mountains are so high, like they reach all the way to the roof! And it's not just on the Afghanistan side. The mountains here are part of a larger range (the Himilayas) that is even higher in Tibet. I'll let you know when the mail arrives. Sangin is pretty remote, so mail gets flown in by helicopter every now and then. I love you too, Sarah!
ReplyDeleteIt's been raining off and on for a few days here in Sangin. The dust is turning to mud! The Helmand River has risen about a foot in our area. I think it's getting colder, too, but probably not as cold as North Carolina. Would anyone like to tell me what the weather is like there now?
ReplyDeleteCan anyone think of a family you know that does not own a car? Most families here do not. In the villages around town, if someone owns a car, they sometimes rent it out or share it with neighbors. Some people have mopeds or small motorcycles. I've seen as many as four adults riding at once! Most people who live away from town either walk or they don't ever go very far from their own home.