Glad to be back in the USA

Wednesday, October 29, 2003

Joe Bowmaster, Nevada High School senior and son of Jay and Kim Bowmaster, was in Russia from August 2002 through July 2003 as an American Field Service foreign exchange student. Founded in 1947 by the multi-national ambulance drivers of World War I and World War II, the AFS has had more than 300,000 participants. Bowmaster found out about the program on the Internet at school. "I saw something about it on television in the fifth grade, and again in the eighth grade. I knew then that's what I wanted to do." His mother, a teacher, was familiar with the program and had met students from other countries. There are several countries to chose a destination from. "I wanted a culture as different as possible for the experience, one with the least amount of American influence," Bowmaster said. His first choice was Egypt, but his parents weren't too happy with that. After the Twin Towers attack of Sept. 11, that choice was canceled. There are requirements he had to meet to even be considered as a candidate. "You have to have a "C" average in school, and agree to obey the three major laws of the contract," Bowmaster explained. "No drinking, no driving, no hitch hiking." To travel overseas you have to apply for a Visa and get a passport. To enter Russia you have to prove you are not HIV positive. "I had to apply to the Russian Embassy for permission to get into the country," he said. "My passport didn't arrive until the day I left, that was pretty scary." To prepare for his trip, he had to learn basic Russian, and go to AFS camp twice. He wasn't certain what to expect, but realized many of his ideas might just be stereotypes. "I knew they might ask me about America, so I started brushing up on politics, geography and USA history," Bowmaster explained. There were financial considerations to prepare for as well. "Although the host family had to furnish meals and a bed, my parents paid for the required monthly AFS camps and my spending money," he said. He also had to pay tuition to attend the Russian schools. There were grants to help deter the cost. The year's total expenses were nearly $10,000. His parents sent him with travelers checks at first. "They were a lot of trouble to cash," Bowmaster said. "I had to have student visas and living visas, and had to show my passport all the time. Cashing travelers checks was a lot of hassle. We were afraid of Russian police and threats were made towards us," he said. Each student has a personal volunteer and close contact; Bowmaster's school teacher served as both. Volunteer host families are chosen after interviews and research is done on their finances, living quarters and attitudes. Before he left America, Bowmaster called the host family twice, to practice his Russian. The host parents didn't have any English skills, but their daughter did. "When I called I thought I was saying hello," Bowmaster said with a grin, "they thought I was telling them the brand of cigarettes I wanted while I was there." He laughed, "Obviously I needed to work on my Russian." He doesn't smoke and Bowmaster was appalled to find that ninety-nine percent of Russian boys start smoking by age five. The average life span for males is 50 years. "The girls smoke too," he added, "so many people have sore throats and there's lots of coughing." He stayed in the village Ordejvo for half the year and the larger city of Dmitrov the other half of the year. "Russian people don't like strangers, particularly Americans, but they are very hospitable and generous once they accept you," Bowmaster said. "There you walk everywhere," he explained. "There are buses too and between towns people ride trains. There are merchants selling things on the trains, it's like a traveling market. Train fares vary with the cheapest ones being unheated with wooden seats and many stops. Express trains cost more but have nicer seats and heat, and go from city to city without stopping. One thing he remembers well was seeing the May 4 tornadoes in Missouri on Russian TV. "I couldn't get in touch with my parents and was really scared for a while till I talked to them," Bowmaster said. Although he learned many things about Russia while there, Bowmaster feels his greatest education was learning about himself. "I became more independent and I speak my opinion more now," he explained. "I get upset when people give opinions without thinking. I learned to be careful what I said there. People here don't appreciate their freedoms." He plans on going to college to get a history major and eventually to be a curator in a museum. While in college, he wants to be an exchange student again, perhaps to China. "I'd definitely recommend the student exchange program," Bowmaster said. "if you cannot go yourself, consider being a host family." Bowmaster gives presentations about his year in Russia to local schools and clubs. Contact him at (417) 944 -2510. Learn more about AFS at (800) AFS-INFO. "People of different cultures talking face to face is a great learning tool, and a life-changing experience," Bowmaster concluded.

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