We started off by playing a game called Headbands (you have a famous person name on your forehead and you have to guess who you are). I was Elvis. Good way to get around to talk to everyone - I met all of the students. Laure and Ong hadn't arrived, so we didn't know anyone there. People were wondering who we were. Most thought that Renee must be an exchange student from the States (her American accent). That got her upset because she is 21 and finished with university and people were asking her what "form" she was in. But she does look young. Laure finally came and then Ong who was so surprised to see me there.
Next was a team game. We each had to run across the room to a chair where we had to light a candle and then blow up a balloon and use the balloon's air to blow the candle out. Then pass the parcel - two Circles, one for the kids and one for big people. Guess which one I went into. Renee and I didn't win anything, but Gail was very lucky: she won an AFS button, pen, spoon and sports shorts. The teams played "pass the life saver". We each had a toothpick in our mouth and had to pass the lifesaver using it without hands. If it dropped you had to start at the beginning. Renee and I did it but not as fast as the boys who were very good, but we had these two girls who just couldn't do it and dropped it every time. Last time they just laughed so hard they couldn't even try. Final game was keep a feather in the air using a straw. I was the best (big puffer from way back) - I could blow my feather right up to the ceiling and then wait a long time for it to come back down. So there are about 50-60 people blowing feathers, but very quickly it came down to the last four. And then this lady crashed into me and we became like one - both of our feathers were in the same place and neither one of us would move away. Finally my feather came down on her face and I couldn't get it to go up again. It was very funny and everyone was laughing and I had put on a good show. Poor Renee was so embarrassed.
After the meal it was time for the contest. Each student came out in front of the audience and the judges and introduced themselves and said something. Ong was great, dressed in a Swan Dry and gumboots and she made a speech of farewell to Laure and the others. Most of them just came out and very shyly told us their name and where they were from. Then came round 2 where they had to draw 2 questions about NZ from a box and answer them, and the third question was if you could be anybody who would be and why. Laure said she would be God - which is kind of funny because she doesn't believe in God. Ong said the would be Forest Gump. Pet, from Thailand said he wanted to be like his king. The guy from Norway wanted to be Jonah Lomu. Well, at the end the prizes went to the girl from Austria. They should have given it to Laura from Paraguay, who is absolutely beautiful. Finally came the meeting part when the leaders made speeches and made the farewell speeches. They asked each student to invite their family up and to give them a certificate. Adrian (from Brazil) made a nice speech and hugged his parents. Then it was Sonya's turn, and she said something nice and hugged her mother (but not her father). Finally, Laure's turn. She said her family wasn't there "they are, probably doing something else." But she wanted to give a special thanks to someone who became her friend when she didn't have any others at the school and to Gail and Renee who have become her New Zealand family. We didn't have to go up, but now everyone knew why we were there.