A Year in Our Lives

Alvaro Samaniego came, accidentally and delightfully, into our lives in January 2004. I was a helper at the AFS exchange student arrival camp at Huia, and as the days went by, droves of eager young students came were orientated, and left, as ever. But one young man, from Paraguay, was without a family, because his visa had been processed very late.

At our leader’s meeting the call went out for a temporary home *for a few weeks*, and I decided that this lad should stay with Michele and me until a permanent home could be found.
Al was delighted and even more so on the way home, when we got into the nearby Ardmore air display, and walked around the planes behind the show line – handy contacts from the start….

Our accommodation wasn’t exactly luxurious, but Alvaro handled it well – after all, it was only *for a few weeks*. He settled in quickly, was enrolled at the local high school, and began his AFS year.

He was immensely likeable. Starting off a little shy, he quickly showed as a private but not secretive boy, intelligent and humorous, resourceful and independent. In short, almost perfect!!

By the time Gateway Camp came, and no other families had come forward, we had decided that if he wanted to, Alvaro could stay with us for the rest of the year. Our Support Co-ordinator acted as ambassador/diplomat, sounding out Al about staying permanently with us. His face was a picture of happiness as he accepted us.

Al fitted into our domestic life so well that he could easily have been born into it. He rapidly got used to our erratic mealtimes, and our TV habits, and although he spent a fair amount of time entertaining himself, he also sat with us often, and chatted – asking questions and listening….

Al had a go at many things in his year. He did both Soccer and Rugby training, and found a berth at the local Leisure centre, where he worked out several times a week. By the time he went home he had gained quite a bit of weight, put on a lot of muscle, grown taller and stronger. He sailed with the Spirit of Adventure, and took the South Island trip, with all the extras.

But it was the things he did with Michele and me that stand out. He was mad on Rugby, it transpired, and his hero was Jonah Lomu. On the day that Jonah's autobiography came out, I took Al to the local shopping centre, and discretely bought a copy of the book. He was delighted. But then I said *do you know where Jonah is now? - He’ll be here in 20 minutes to sign the book!* Al was ecstatic – he was second in line outside the bookshop (politely giving first spot to a lady) when his hero walked in, shook hands with him and chatted as he signed.

But then the All Black games began, and Michele learnt that the A.B’s were coming to the Museum for coffee after training one Saturday morning. With highly contrived mystery, and a hidden football, we took Al along. His eyes nearly fell out when he saw All Blacks walking past. He took the ball around the team for signatures, and even got the team Coach to sign. What a day for all of us!!

The night was good too – with his friend Marcelo, faces painted black and white, he cheered on the team to beat England at Eden Park. Actually, he only missed one North Island game because he didn’t know where the stadium was.

When Michele’s father fell ill, in September, Al’s liaison family, Lynnette and Michael, came to the fore, and happily looked after Al for us until we settled down again. They were the perfect liaison family, and Lynnette thought the world of Al

The year rolled on, and soon it was Christmas time. We all took a long trip north, all the way to the Cape, and he loved every minute of it. The trip terminated at the end of stay camp at the Hokianga, and a great time was had there.

And so finally to the airport. All the photos, all the usual goodbyes, which never get easier, even with practice. And then through that wicked doorway that swallows up our students every year just when we wish they would stay. Our last picture of Al shows a young man looking eagerly ahead – walking through the doorway towards his future.

(This is Al’s entry in the 2004 AFS Yearbook)

¨Being an exchange student it’s something really difficult but at the same time something great. My parents always supported me when I wanted to come to New Zealand, and I’m very grateful for the effort they did and this great opportunity they gave me because it changed my life.

Being in New Zealand has been a great experience so far, I learned a lot about their culture and I also grew up a lot as a person. I also want to thank my host parents John and Michele who are always taking care of me, with them, although I’m far away from Paraguay, they make me feel at home.

Luckily I have made a lot of friends and they made my experience way easier. It would’ve been something missing without them.

New Zealand it’s a beautiful and very exciting country, it has everything. Here I lived amazing moments, from the time I had to jump 132 mts attached to a rope, to having tea with the All Blacks. Those things I’ll never forget, and I’m sure I still have a lot of interesting things to do.

As I said before, this is a country that has everything, mountains, rivers, sea y pendejas locas, so I recommend to all the people who want to have a great year being an exchange student.¨

The plan was for Alvaro to return this year or next, around Christmas, with his family. He and I, and perhaps his father, would jump from the Skytower. It would have been amazing.

Alvaro Arturo Samaniego Baez died on 19th February 2006, aged 19, of head injuries, after a motorcycle accident in San Bernadino, Paraguay.

We will never forget him.