P2P 2009 Tale of Two Cities

URGENT

2009-07-13T15:15:00.001-07:00

Friends,

I've heard from 2 parents now who think the kids are coming in Tuesday. This is bad info, I don't know if you heard it from the kids or what, but the e-mail below is the air itinerary e-mailed to us all back in April.

I just checked the onboard site and here is the travel info from there:

Delta Air Lines

2099

Atlanta

Los Angeles

7/13/2009 9:15:00 PM

7/13/2009 10:56:00 PM

The kids are coming home tonight. I hope you're ready for them. I'm going to call the tree as well.

Sincerely,

Kevin Gotts, M.B.A., CFP(R)
(562) 945-0760

Chuck Norris doesn’t wash his clothes, he disembowels them.

Date: Tue, 7 Apr 2009 17:50:02 -0700
From: maryann1778@yahoo.com
Subject: Tale of Two Cities Air Itinerary Information
To: kfly04@yahoo.com; MaryAnnArreola@burbankusd.org; Susanarre@yahoo.com; REGFAV@SBCGLOBAL.NET; dowcan168@yahoo.com; rd41464@hotmail.com; hilda@rubystransport.com; ucmath94@msn.com; Ancientkid@Aol.com; cfsloans1@hotmail.com; kgotts@live.com; theresaking44@sbcglobal.net; michaelnarvaez@sbcglobal.net; forestr@verizon.net; depdg@aol.com; gervely@aol.com; thesaigroup@hotmail.com; ISOSA@PICO-RIVERA.ORG; robert.stacy@sbcglobal.net; Rabelcasillas@yahoo.com

Greetings Student Ambassadors and Families,

I wanted to pass along the exciting information I received as a leader when I logged on to the the People to People website. We will be visiting London first and then Paris!!!! Here is the flight information they gave me:

Delta Airlines Flight Departure Date From To Dep Arr ADATE
2082 JUN 30 TUES. LAX ATL 7:15A 2:48P JUN 30 TUES
812 JUN 30 TUES. ATL LGW 5:35P 7:00A JUL 1 WED.
021 JUL 13 MON. CDG ATL 1:30P 5:20P JUL 13 MON.
2097 JUL 13 MON. ATL LAX 9:15P 11:04P JUL 13 MON.

ATL=ATLANTA
LGW=LONDON/GATWICK
CDG=PARIS

Along with the flight information this note was written to me. "Please note: Airline scheldules are subject to change as airlines can and do change their schedules frequently.
The Travel Services, Air department may still be finalizing the air schedules for your delegation. This information is mainly for a reference for obtaining frequent flyer numbers and general departure and return times. Air schedules will be finalized approximately 90 days prior to departure. Leaders and students will receive a final copy of their air schedule approximately 2 weeks prior to departure."

See you May 2nd at our 3rd orientation meeting!!

Sincerely,
Mary-Ann Arreola
(626) 664-6213

Jaiden called me crying...lost her camera...maybe you can help?

2009-07-13T08:07:00.001-07:00

Jaiden called me yesterday, crying uncontrollably because she lost her camera while at the hotel! I felt so helpless not being there to help her...even though I am sure Ms.A will do everything she can to help her, but as the parent, you know what I mean. She knows for a fact that she lost it while still in the hotel because she used it in the morning before Disneyland, and then it was not in her bagpack while they were waiting in the lobby to get on the bus to Disneyland. So I am still hoping someone will find it and turn it in and that it was not stolen! But obviously, Jaiden was just devastated and I had to calm her down but she was heartbroken because all her pictures from Paris were in the camera and she said it held so many memories! Imagine this happens on the very last day...
So just a heads up that if any of your children have pictures of Jaiden in their cameras, we would love for you to share them with us. We are more than willing to pay if you have to make copies. Thank you so much for helping us out with this, I know it means so much to her, and to us as well. See you all tonight! I know we are all very excited to have
them home!!

Never Mind, I just talked to her!

2009-07-12T11:26:00.000-07:00

Hi guys, I just talked to her. I thought she would jump up and down. But she got upset. I told her t0 have fun and enjoy and not to worry about anything. I told her, I was far away too! (my sister is in Canada).
She said that she was gonna go on the water slide. So I kinda focused on water slide...2 more days to go....

Please pass this message to Kashika

2009-07-12T11:11:00.000-07:00

If any one talks to their child today, could you please let Kashika know that she has a new cousin sister. My sister just had a baby girl. Thank you so much! BTW, love the Eiffel Tower pics!!!!

Pics from the Eiffel Tower

2009-07-11T16:17:00.001-07:00

got on IM with MaryAnn

2009-07-11T14:49:00.000-07:00

I happened to be on IM when MaryAnn popped up so I was able to IM a bit with her just now! She said that today was absolutely incredible! They had a tour guide that took them around and they went to the Eiffel Tower and had a wonderful view of the Gardens (I dont remember the name at the moment..sorry). She also said they came back and ate dinner and after they all went into the pool that had a waterslide and platforms, and that all the kids are doing GREAT and had a great day! They are now resting up for their big day at Euro Disney tomorrow. She has taken LOTS of great pics of all the kids and can't wait to share them. She also apologized for not being able to email enough but it is difficult to do after all kids are settled. I assured her that we understood and that we have been keeping eachother in the loop through our conversations with our kids! WOW! I still cannot believe they will be home soon with SO much to tell and share with us, i can't WAIT!!

Escargot

2009-07-10T14:45:00.000-07:00

Saturday July 10th Part Four

2009-07-10T14:38:00.001-07:00

Saturday July 10th Part Three

2009-07-10T14:35:00.000-07:00

Saturday July 10th Part Two

2009-07-10T14:32:00.000-07:00

Pics from Saturday July 9th Part One

2009-07-10T14:27:00.000-07:00

Another Jaiden update!

2009-07-10T12:41:00.001-07:00

Jaiden called at about 11:30 am , so 8:30pm for them...she said the Louvre was very nice and she enjoyed it. She really enjoyed Montmartre and said they got to create their own art pieces and that she made the best drawing she has ever done! She was very excited and proud of it...I told her we are definitely going to frame it! Guess what?? SHE ATE ESCARGOT AND FROG LEGS!!! And even more surprising is that she said it was GOOD!She did mention that Kashika thought the snails tasted gross (; But I am glad they are all experiencing the culture (: They were packing their suitcases because they will be heading to their final hotel tomorrow which is the Disneyland Paris one and she sounds very happy and excited. She misses home now but she knows that they are coming home VERY soon and they still have the Eiffel tower and Disneyland ahead!! Our babies are coming home in a few days!!! ♥ ....although i know they are now even more further from being our "babies"...

Update from Kashika

2009-07-10T12:12:00.000-07:00

Kashika was really excited today because she said that she ate 6 frog legs and a snail. She said the snail was UGH! but frog legs were good. She said she saw Monalisa and it was good but really small. When I called, the whole delegation was swimming in the hotel pool. She said that she had made a sketch for me so I am guessing others made a sketch too! She is looking forward to Disneyland tomorrow.

One more pic

2009-07-09T17:56:00.001-07:00

2009-07-09T13:21:00.000-07:00

Just spoke with Jaiden 30 min. ago, 9:30pm their time! They just got back from swimming. She said that Versailles was beautiful and amazing! She bought the group photo for 10 euros but said everything there was way expensive,lol.It was a 3 hour drive from where they are staying! She mentioned that they made two stops on the way, for the bathroom and ATM. Tomorrow they go to the Louvre and their delegation manager said they will also go to a place where they can purchase cheap souvenirs! She was in a very silly mood and sounds extremely happy so i know she is loving Paris! She shares a room with Briana and their room is adjoining to Kashika and Christine's room and they all sound like they are having a blast! Gina-Kashika was in the room at the time and fooling around with Jaiden (following her around the room and copying her,etc.)they were both cracking up (: I can't believe they are almost coming home...I can already hear how much older she is by talking to her (: So glad we were able to do this for our kids. They sure earned it!

Met the Kids at Versailles

2009-07-09T12:45:00.000-07:00

Bonjour Parents,
We met the Kids at Versailles today, thought you may want some pics.

Enter if you Dare!

2009-07-08T21:38:00.000-07:00

Dear all parents,

Hello! My name is Ganeev Singh and I am an alumni of People to People. I am the brother of Kashika Singh and I would like to share what she wrote on the whiteboard in her room.

First day in France!

2009-07-08T15:49:00.000-07:00

Jessi called from the hotel as well.... She said that the ferry boat ride wasn't bad and she did mention about the beds. She was very impressed by the cemetery and she said that it was raining but not as hard as in London. She also mentioned the chicken but she actually liked it and they had apple pie for dessert. She said it was delicious! She's very excited to be in France!

Jaiden update!!

2009-07-08T13:35:00.000-07:00

Jaiden called about 15 minutes ago! They are at the hotel in Paris and she sounded tired. She shares a room with Jessica and a girl from the other delegation. She said they went to the War museum and also the cemetary. She also said they were at the beach and it was cold. She said the ferry ride was great, they had rooms in the ferry that she shared with Brianna and another girl from the other delegation. She said at first they didnt see any beds and were wondering where they would sleep but then the beds came out of the ceiling! When I talked to her they were already packing up since they will be changing hotels tomorrow. She also said," Mom, they serve us chicken at least once a day so when I come home NO chicken for TWO weeks!" Haha. She also lost a tooth in London. I asked if all the other kids were ok and if anyone has gotten sick and she told me that everyone is fine and nobody has been sick at all so that's good! They still have sooo many things ahead of them!

perhaps email will be received

2009-07-08T11:45:00.001-07:00

We heard from Christine. All kids very tired...didn't get on boat until after 11PM last night, then shower, giggling, bed. She says they had a very busy but patriotic day. They have access to the web where they so she's going to try to send some e-mails. You might get some e-mails from some kids. She spoke with her mom, not me, so sorry, no particular news on any other kids.

Waiting on the Dock

2009-07-07T14:08:00.000-07:00

According to Jessi, they're waiting on the dock for the ferry to France. She said they'll be there for a while because they ferry wasn't picking them up until 11pm their time. Most of the kids were playing card games. Today they visited Stonehenge and she said it was amazing! She also liked the punting on the river and she said the water was really peaceful, lots of ducks. She also mentioned the buildings at Oxford and how everything was so interesting. I guess they had lasagna for dinner (pasta is her favorite) so she was very content with dinner. She mentioned that Christian almost lost his wallet. He dropped it near the restrooms in Stonehenge but nobody picked it up! Whew!!! She said he's lucky he found it because he had 100 Euros it and nothing was missing! Tomorrow.....France!

LEAVING FOR PARIS

2009-07-07T02:45:00.000-07:00

Talked to Todd this morning and everything is "great and lots of fun"! I'm here in London, but have consistently missed the delegation! They were in Bath one day after I was, etc... The kids loved the trip to Bath with the zip-lining adventure. Going to Paris tomorrow so maybe I can catch up with them there.

Ups and Downs

2009-07-06T14:07:00.000-07:00

Spoke to Jessica a couple of hours ago. When she called the first time, she was very upset because she thought she had lost her cell phone. She had no idea where she had left it and she was using somebody's phone card to call us.(Thank you so much to whoever let her borrow it) I told her to ask around to see if anybody had found it. About 30 mins. later she called from her phone, she found it at the bottom of her back pack!!! She sounded much better and excited about all the things she had done during the day. She also told me that Kaishika had also lost her wallet and was very upset...but before we hung up she said that she had found it and that she was very happy :) She really liked the Zip linning and the city of Bath. She got some old Roman coins.

Hostel-Crappy?

2009-07-06T13:33:00.000-07:00

Hi just got a call from Christian (surprise) he told me all about his experience at Warwick castle and the dungeons. He did some shopping and bought some swords/bow and arrows. (what a surprise) He got to battle with others with the swords, and that the hostel is Crappy? Everyone was doing laundry right now, and they have to do their beds its not like the hotel. And again mentioned he couldnt use his DS because the charger wouldnt work. He also ran out of battery for his camera so I reminded him that there was more in his suitcase hopefully he finds it. He is having alot of fun, oh he got his shoes very dirty and there was something about some log he rode it was very high and he would not do it again. Tomorrow he is going to stonehedge and then he would go on the ferry to Paris. He had to go becuase he needed to go and get his clothes. Says everyone is having lots of fun!

News from Jaiden once again (:

2009-07-06T13:29:00.000-07:00

Jaiden called at about 6:30pm their time today! They had just gotten back from their trip to the Hot Springs and their outdoor adventures. She said " Mom, guess what? We went ZIPLINING!!!" SHe was soooo excited. She said they all had great time and getting to zipline was amazing (: She also said that it started raining and they all got soaked. She mentioned to me that she got cold but that everything was great. They were staying in the rest of the night and then will be visiting Stonehenge tomorrow and taking the ferry tomorrow night to Paris! She also mentioned that all the kids were getting along great together and having a lot of fun! What an awesome awesome day our children had and have been having!!!!

Another update from Jaiden!

2009-07-05T09:59:00.000-07:00

I was surprised to get a call from Jaiden again! She was a bit out of breath and at first I was worried but then when I asked, "What's wrong Jaiden?" She said..."There are NO elevators in this Youth Hostel and we are on the 2nd floor, which is really 3 flights of stairs!" LOL! She had to lug her suitcase up the stairs to their bunks! She is bunking in a room with Briana, Jessica and girls from the other delegation. She said that its 6 pm and they are just going to stay in for the rest of thie night hanging out downstairs, playing games, etc. They went back to the Warwick Castle today and were in the dungeons! She said everything is amazing but she is not too thrilled about the Youth Hostel, haha.

Kashika called again!

2009-07-05T09:10:00.001-07:00

Kashika just called and she wants everyone to know that they are having a great time! She said that she went to a dungeon yesterday at the Warwick Castle and people jumped out of nowhere (although dungeon was optional and they had to pay extra for the dungeon experience) . She really loved that! She said that she had made a lot of new friends. She said that they tried some kind of hot pie yesterday and she would have starved if there was no cake because she absolutely did not like it.
She was worried about using the credit card and I had to assure her that it was ok to do that. She was using some other person's card (God bless you thousand times!) and said that she could not call more often. I had to tell her not to worry about that and I will call her in a couple of days.
She said again that she was having a ball and there was no other place that she would rather be at.

Gina

Update from Jaiden!

2009-07-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

I talked to Jaiden yesterday at about 10 pm their time and they had just arrived at their new hotel. She said they are only two to a room now, so she is rooming with a girl from the other delegation. I think it is great that they are getting a chance to meet so many new people! She said the Warwick Castle was really cool and that they got to sword fight. She said that the food has been okay,lol. She is having a great time and said that everyone is really cool and they are all having fun together. We hung up because she said she had to go because her hotel room phone was ringing, haha. They sound like they are having a blast!!!!

Leader Mary Ann's email message

2009-07-05T08:51:00.001-07:00

Dear Parents,

Happy belated 4th of July! Our sincerest apologies for not emailing you sooner, but the first hotel we stayed at, Britannia Hotel in London did not have internet access at all!! So for the 1st three days we were not able to communicate via email. I do believe your children have been calling you, but if not, or not enough please let us know. We have been going full speed ahead with our schedule of activities. To give you a brief rundown:

Wednesday, July 1st we went straight from the airport to Runnymede where there were memorials to honor John F. Kennedy and the signing of the Magna Carta. Then we went to ride the London Eye.
Thursday, July 2nd--We went to see the changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace with a guide named Leza. She narrated the different sites around London while we rode the motor coach and then while we walked about. We toured the Tower of London and saw the crown jewels. Wow!!! Our night ended with tickets to see Hairspray.
Friday, July 3rd--We took the tube to see a member of Parliament. Her name was Baroness Scott, a member of the House of Lords. She told all about the English government and was very informative. Student Ambassadors got to ask her questions. Of course a lot of questions they asked pertained to the Queen of England and the Royal Family because that was so intriguing to them. Then we went to Sir Winston Churchill's WWII underground headquarters. It was awesome. Everyone had their own take on it and bought souveniers.
Saturday, July 4th--Today was an awesome, awesome day! First we went to the Natural History Museum. We only had an hour and a half, but we did as much as we could. Had fun in the gift shop, too. Then we went to the London Academy of Dramatic Arts where students had a drama lesson with an actor named Christian. After that we went to Warwick Castle. Students took lessons with (dull) practice swords, long sticks, and watched a performer use a bow and arrow to see the skills involved. They loved it!

Please know that we took lots and lots of pictures of our student ambassadors. Can't wait to put them together for our reunion.

Well, it's very, very late, but we did want to correspond. Talk to you all later. Your children are the best!

Mary-Ann & Susan

P.S. I tried to blog, but it didn't work!

Posting on behalf of Briana's parents

2009-07-04T16:49:00.000-07:00

I am not able to blog now. My computer crashed and its tough to post using a cell phone as I just discovered. I just got a text from Briana saying that they are having a great time and today they had fireworks and a feast.

ooops

2009-07-03T16:45:00.001-07:00

The Correct name is Covent Garden, not Convent Garden.

Pics From Convent Garden

2009-07-03T16:37:00.000-07:00

My wife and I are here and London. The Children all having a great time.

Word from Nicole

2009-07-03T14:45:00.000-07:00

Well she has been having a hard time getting thru to us. Yet when she does and we can't answer the phone she doesn't leave a message. Nicole calls everybody on her phone list, tells them to call me and tell me to answer my phone. In which case she finally reached my sister Kim and her little sister. Who sister was very happy to her from her. She said they went to the palace to have tea, but the Queen was not there. they went to see Hair Spray and it was really good. She is having a really good time. She said she didn't know where they were going tomorrow but it was going to be a very busy day.
What I get from Nicole is everybody is having a great time and having lots of fun.
Thanks again to the childern with cell phones. Who have been so kind to let Nicole use it to call home. Especially since she is having problems using the phone card I gave her. I could never thank your children enough for the piece of mind they are giving me.
I really hope everyone has a Great 4th of July.

Vickee :^)

Happy 4th

2009-07-03T11:23:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder that if you call, please post because all of us parents will live thru your child's experiences. Thank you...Happy 4th of July to you guys!

Kashika called!

2009-07-02T18:20:00.001-07:00

Finally!!! She too bought an international phone card and it didn't work. So she used somebody else's card. THANK YOU so much to that child. God bless her/him. I just wanted to hear her voice and now that I know she is ok, I can survive for a week (hopefully).
She talked about London Eye and Big Ben (I think thats what she said, although I am not sure). She also said that she is having fun. Yeah!!!
Her voice was cutting off and thats all I got.

Hair Spray

2009-07-02T15:14:00.000-07:00

Just spoke to Jessi, they just arrived to the hotel from the theater. They went to see Hair Spray. She said it's really late. She really liked the London Tower, although she said it's not really a tower (?). She said they saw a lot of jewels and a crown with huge diamonds. They also went to Buckingham Palace. Our connection was lost....They were getting off the bus.

Encouragement to tread lightly

2009-07-02T15:07:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends,

I've been reading posts about how we've talked to the kids (or not) and that we wish we could talk to them more often. Let me just encourage you to be careful about communications with them, & here's what I mean.

This is my third of 4 kids to go on one of these trips. What we've learned from past trips is that the kids who talk to home more often, struggle more with homesickness. I know it is counter-intuitive, but it keeps them thinking about home all the time. For those that haven't been away from home much, this can become unbearable...crying, sick to stomach, etc.

When you do talk to them (don't do it too much!), talk to them about what THEY are doing. Only answer their questions about what's going on here, don't volunteer info and then only with just a brief answer. Too much about here and too much detail just creates the same problems I just discussed.

I know we miss them probably more than we can imagine, but don't transfer that to them. They are soooo busy, they really don't have a lot of time to be homesick unless we keep it front and center.

I know some of you will think this is nervy of me - to tell you about talking with your child, but I just want what's best for the whole group. Please just keep communications infrequent and focus on them, not here or on us. The more homesick kids become, the more of them that will get that way. If we all treat this kids like, "Hey, you're having a great time and great life experience. Enjoy it and don't worry about home, we'll be here when you get back", in other words treat it casually like it is no big deal to be gone so long, the better the kids will hold up. If one kid is really holding up well, it spreads to the group. The same is true the other way. If one kid is really homesick and has a tough time, it can spread to the group too.

I hope this helps you and give's you permission not to obsess on the kids at let them have the experience we paid so dearly for!

Has anyone heard from the kids?

2009-07-02T14:35:00.001-07:00

Hi just wondering if anyone got a chance to speak to the kids since this morning? How did the day go?

Roomies??

2009-07-02T13:34:00.000-07:00

I haven't talked to Jaiden since she called me before they got their room assignments. By any chance, does anyone know who Jaiden is rooming with?? I'm just curious and she has not called me and of course isn't picking up her cell phone,lol. I wish it was easier to talk to her and see how each day is going...

Couldn't get thru

2009-07-02T07:38:00.000-07:00

I am glad some of the people here were able to talk to their kids. We called three times last night and the hotel said they couldn't transfer our call. When they finally transferred, the kids had already left for the day. We will try again today. :(

Breakfast

2009-07-02T00:03:00.000-07:00

Just spoke to Christian, they are having breakfast. And looking forward to an exciting day....

What a Relief

2009-07-01T21:44:00.000-07:00

I heard from Nicole at noon today. Sorry it took so long to log in I was working. Thank you to whom evers daughter let her use their cell phone. She tried to use the phone card I gave her, but there was a charge to use it at the pay-phones in the hotel. She was very happy said they road the London Eye and saw Big Ben. She also said they were going to bed soon but before they did some of the girls were going to play Chutes and Ladders.

Thanks again for the use of the cell phone. Really I cannot thank your child enough.

Vickee
Nicole's mom

2009-07-01T13:33:00.000-07:00

I heard from Reggie 2x. First time in a panic- could not get any funds from the ATM to shop. He has a Visa Buxx card.
2nd call was this evening-problem in his room with his roomates(he has one roomate from another delagation)-not sure what -could not get to the bottom of the story. Did not want to pry- The trip is just beginning.

Shopping already

2009-07-01T12:28:00.001-07:00

Christine's mother just spoke with her. I guess today there was plenty of free time for shopping so she got most of her souvenirs out of the way today. They're heading to bed now...

Update

2009-07-01T12:15:00.000-07:00

According to Jessi, they are in their rooms now (3 to a room). They're not all on the same floor. They're already had dinner and now they're taking showers. Mary Anne will be checking their rooms at 9 pm. Tomorrow they're going to the theater in the evening. They have a journal assignment to work on tonight before they go to bed.

Hotel

2009-07-01T11:31:00.000-07:00

Christian called me when they where at the hotel checking in he said there was a problem with the rooms, however he couldnt finish telling me what happened. Has anyone heard if they all got checked in? What was the problem?

She called me!!!!

2009-07-01T09:34:00.000-07:00

Jaiden called me!!! She said it is 5pm there and they are just checking into the hotel! They don't know their roomies yet. The London Eye was great and all is well!!! It was so nice to hear her voice...

They've arrived in London!

2009-07-01T00:08:00.000-07:00

Just spoke to Jess. Didn't sound too tired, it sounded like everyone was excited. They're waiting to get their luggage. She said the food in the plane was terrible (what a surprise!)

Anyone Heard Anything?

2009-06-30T21:50:00.000-07:00

Has anyone heard anything? They must be in France now, right? The house feels quiet. Actually, to tell you the truth, after so many days of activity, my husband is enjoying the peace. I haven't quite started to miss her yet but the house does feel abnormally quiet. How about you guys?

FOLLOW THE FLIGHT

2009-06-29T20:02:00.000-07:00

Here's a fun way to feel you're with the kids in the air. On this website, you can track the flight as it is in the air. Just enter the airline and flight # on the left and it will show you the flight in progress over a map of the US. I'm tracking my son coming in from Washington, DC right now!

The website: http://flightaware.com/live/

2009-06-29T19:56:00.001-07:00

OK to go. Here's a test post.

Ready Set Go!!!!

2009-06-29T16:36:00.000-07:00

Well, Kashika is all packed and ready. We should be there at 5.30 am. Looking forward to seeing all of you there!

Bon Voyage Party

2009-06-13T13:19:00.001-07:00

Our awesome delegation at the Bon Voyage Party

Welcome!

2009-06-12T22:44:00.000-07:00

Welcome to all the P2P bloggers! Here is where you will keep in touch with each other. You can moan, groan, complain, sob and laugh without hesitation for your emotions will be shared and understood by all!
Please do post if you contact or hear from your kids!