HOULTON, Maine — The Houlton Rotary Club met for its luncheon meeting on Monday April 22, at Watson Hall. The guests of the day were Tom Barnes, who attended with his father Rotarian Forrest Barnes, and representing the Rotary Youth Exchange students were Jamie Brown with her father Rotarian Jim Brown, and exchange student Riley Faulkner as well as Emma Foster.
Rotarian Dana Delano was responsible for the program that focused on the experiences of students who have completed the Rotary Youth Exchange Program. Delano announced that he is now chairman of the Rotary District 7810 Youth Exchange Program, so he will oversee 15 applications. Delano mentioned year-long youth exchange programs that Rotary clubs can sponsor. Houlton Rotary sponsors a summer exchange program, in which the students selected bring their exchange student here and also go to the country of their exchange student to live with them and their family.
Emma Foster was one such student and she hosted Guilia Mativani from Verona, Italy. Foster was the guest speaker and she shared her exchange student experience with the club. Foster and Mativani look very much alike and are only two days apart in age. The Foster family treated Mativani to many experiences in northern Maine such as four-wheeling, a family birthday party, and lots of time at their swimming pool and the use of a trampoline. Haying for the Foster’s cows was not big on Mativani’s list though she liked driving the farm truck. Out of town experiences were the Dessert of Maine in Freeport and a visit to New York City.
After some flight delays, Foster and Mativani flew to Detroit from Portland, and on to Paris and then to Italy. Mativani’s mother and her best friends picked the girls up at the airport and almost immediately went shopping for fresh food for Foster. Snacking is not popular in Italy and meals are later than American meals, so that was an adjustment for Foster. She really enjoyed the pizza in Italy but found the pasta a little too much. A couple of days at the beach Marc Rolalina with very warm water temperatures were welcome as well as time at the Milan Cathedral.
Foster became a big sister to Angelica Mativani and communicated through Mativani’s mother’s friend who spoke English. Gardaland, that is similar to Disneyland, became a two-day event. And Foster enjoyed visiting the Colosseum in Rome.
Foster’s favorite place to visit was in the mountains and in particular at Zambla Alta. There were cows at the base of the mountain and Foster felt right at home especially when she was allowed to pet a cow with Angelica. Foster explained some day to day differences in life styles between the respective families, such as laundry done every day, the children had no chores to do, and she missed snacking between meals. She remains close friends with Mativani and became mutual friends with Nora who made Foster take a photo of her address plate at her home for a return visit.
