quote:

Originally posted by The Highroller That sucks dude. I was looking forward to meeting you. I'm 19 years old too. I know what it's like to be in a situation like that. Last year, I went to the National Science Fair. I was 18. I was treated like a 10 year old. "Lights-out" at 10:00, a girl that I was talking to was barred from seeing me because it "wasn't a good idea to talk to people you don't know", I was suggested to wear "more conservative" clothing, and style my hair in a "more conservative way". This was just the tip of the iceberg. Considering my parents are extremely lenient, and also because I don't take kindly to people trying to flex their authoritative muscles for the wrong reasons, I must have got into at least one confrontation with them per day. Since they wanted to make my life a living hell, I sure made theirs even worse.

Graham, fuckn good for you for not accepting that bullshit "wear more conservative clothing" and "style your hair more consevatively"

my god... im glad u stuck for yourself and fought that.

-jem-

___________________
TECHNO IS THE BEST NOISE ON EARTH.
Save Techno - Stop Minimal / Tech-House

well, the first thing i would do is call my own parents and have them sort this out with the host parents. tell them what things you should be able to do and not do. i have had several encounters with exchange students but never anything like this. the host family always wants them to experience as much of canada as possible. it seems that this organization is meant more for the little peeps not the senior students.

maybe they just think that they are protecting you but they are not doing you any favors by seltering you like this. if your own parents dont selter you like this then you shouldn't be treated like this here.

too bad your host family doesn't have a kid or something that is your age and could take "care" of you on visits to Toronto.

where are you staying by the way?

Yeah, seriously tell your parents, have them step in. Also, u may wanna call the Swedish consulate and ask them for advice on your situation and find out your rights. You are a legal adult now. I dont know how important these school credits are that u are receiving, whether u wanna jeopardise them. Do you or someone else have possesion of your flight tickets? They literally can't force you to go back on a plane. They can release you from their custody, sign off a waiver, and u can choose to go back when u want- u are not their property.

Also when this is all said and done, I'd do my BEST to warn everyone about this stupid fascist program, and write letters of complaint to anyone in power.

Good luck and we hope to see you soon! Sounds like we need to go do a "TA kidnapping" and save the little guy....

___________________
"When I die, I want to be buried under the dancefloor"- Frankie Madgenta

Dood. You're 19 years old. Thus you are in your own custody - so you make the decisions on where you go and when.

I suggest you let your area rep know that you're considered an adult here, that you'd like your documentation (passport) if the area-rep is holding it and politely let her and the family know that you'll be going to Toronto for the weekend, will check in regularly and will be back Sunday.

Bottom line is when you're in Canada - you fall under Canada rules.

___________________
- rabbit.joker [funny¿rabbit] | www.rabbitjoker.com |www.ddtt.org

Dark Dirty Tech Tribal. | Hands in air (trance) and feet on the floor (house).

quote:

Originally posted by rabbitjoker Dood. You're 19 years old. Thus you are in your own custody - so you make the decisions on where you go and when. I suggest you let your area rep know that you're considered an adult here, that you'd like your documentation (passport) if the area-rep is holding it and politely let her and the family know that you'll be going to Toronto for the weekend, will check in regularly and will be back Sunday. Bottom line is when you're in Canada - you fall under Canada rules.

[human traffic] LISTEN TO THAT MAN! [/human traffic]


I really feel for your situation bud. I just turned 19 a few weeks back (5 days too late for Armin though) and thank god I've been treated as an adult since I was like 16... well, mostly. Back when I was in high school and principals (and some teachers) would treat us like kids (I am sure this is common for a lot of high schools). But I was honours student, artistic director in drama dept, etc. etc.... so I always talked back to them and never got in trouble It wasn't rude talkback, just "that doesn't make sense" stuff. I'm not saying you should talkback or anything... just sharing experience.

I would take rj's advice- you are on our turf, and no, you are not experiencing Canadian culture. Maybe look over stuff you signed when you came over? Find out what you agreed to.

___________________
//..

If they are in fact holding your passport they are breaking Canadian law.

___________________

quote:

Originally posted by jester Everything in this country is illegal.

"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery…" Winston Churchill

‎"If you have ten thousand regulations you destroy all respect for the law" - Winston Churchill

Problem with just getting the hell out of here is that i dont really have anywhere to go. i could stay at a youth hostel, but what should i do there all days? and it would cost quite a lot more money than what it cost me now (since i get food + accomendation for "free"), so i donno if my parents (who already paid like $10 000 for my year, and another 400 a month or so in spending money), would be that keen to spend another 2000-3000 bucks or so for me staying at a youth hostel... so the solution to that would be to get a job, cause then i could support myself, and i would have something to do all day! and i could seriously take any job, i mean its only for 2 months and its obviously better than this! I would probably have no problem working volenteerly either, as long as that meant i could get a room and meals... cause then it would really be no different from what i am doing right now, jsut that i would be in a different place with much more freedoms!

The problem with that tho is that im not a candian citizen, so i must have a work permit to work here! and im not sure how easy that is to get if you dont have any uni/collage education, although i have like the best education you can get from swedish high schools (wich is way better than the canadian ones (no offence)),and also i have 4 credits from canadian high schools, and working on four more (btw, i dont care that if i have to drop school, since my credits here doesnt matter back in sweden, and also since i dont have that much time left here anyway)... i also had my own company in sweden, selling computer support... but on the work permit website it says that you must somehow add something to the candian economy, and you must be able to argue why you should have the job and not a candian, you must also be offered a job... so i donno if it is possible for me? it also cost like 150 bucks to apply for one, and you wont get the money back if you dont get it.... but if anyone have any contacts that knows about that, or know about themselves, that would be cool to know

and yeah i have my flight ticket, im not supposed to do, but luckily enough, i bought my own ticket and not trought YFU... and i have my passport too, so everything is cool with that!

i also talked to my mom today, she was really pissed to and she really understood that i was too! but she thought that she probably couldnt do anything, since this is apperntly how they treat all their students and we wont be able to change it... which is probably true, and she also thought the best idea for me was probably to just not argue with them, since that would only make them more pissed, and just wait to they came here, since its only 2.5 months left... I wont take piss from them without argueing it tho, it is just fundamentally against all my principles!

i dont know how much rights you have as an 18 year old in canada? i tried to look it up but couldnt find anything! cause the problem is that i signed a paper before i went here that i would follow all their rules etc (i didnt think it would be this bad :S, and i will try to get my mom to scan that paper and email it to me to see what it actually says). but whatever i signed, they are not above the law, if the law says that you are allowed to do whatever you want to (as long as you follow canadian laws), and noone can tell you that you cant, or even threat you that you cannot (ie by saying that they would kick me out of the organisation)... but i donno if you have that strong rights?

anyway, thanks a lot for your support all of you

by now i would have told everyone to fuck off. Do you need to get a credit for how you perform during your free time? If part of your grade is how you behave leisurly... you my friend have signed up to nazi camp

___________________
"This place isn't big enough for me to blow it up."
-MARCO V

• Give them the freedom to go out with their friends (and to speak with them on the phone— remembering that they may not always fit in with your son or daughter’s friends).

http://www.yfu.ca/cgi-bin/info.cgi?lang=en&about=host

i would give the head of YFU a call and explain your situation. Forget about talking to your area-rep, go straight to the top. You might also want to think about talking to your parents about them making the call as well and sending YFU a written statement of approval for you to visit with friends after school & to take trips to TO. Yes, it is true you are considered to be under the host family's guardianship like their own children, but not under their DICTORSHIP! You are an adult and as long as you tell them of your whereabouts and stay in touch with them throughout the duration of your absence in the evenings after school and/ or on the weekends, you SHOULD be allowed to do your own thing. It's no different than being their son. Yes you have certain chores and responsibilities but you are also allowed certain privileges. They cannot put a leash around your neck and treat you like a prisoner!

Try to find out your rights and obligation in this case through the YFU Canada and then make your decision about how you will approach this. If all fails, pull the plug! You don't owe them anything especially after paying an arm and a leg! ...unless you want to put up with another 2.5 months of pure living hell! (god this seems like my boarding school in southern germany! i TOTALLY understand!! so sorry... ) You do want to leave Canada with a good experience in mind!

Here's some details I found that might help you in the meantime:

YFU Canada
690 Fountain Street North
Cambridge, Ontario
N3H 4R7
Ph. (519) 653-0550 or Call toll free: 1-800-TEENAGE
Fx. (519) 653-5792

CHAIRPERSON
Denns Smith

PROGRAM COORDINATOR
Jorge Rivera

___________________
life's too short~simply do!

quote:

Originally posted by disko-kandi

Well, the problem is that the head person, (Jorge) have already been in touch with me, and he is not better than anyone else, he was the one who told us we cant even go to toronto over day. He also even called me after what happend last friday and said that i must understand that this is canadian culture that you must plan everything in advance, bla bla bla and that it was perfectly understandable what they did. He was also the one who called me imature for complaining about those things that i wrote about in the first post. So so far he has been no help. However, i will have a chat with him next week or the week after, cause im really not satisfied with his behaivor, and he is probably not with mine either (obviously). and also the chariman of the board of yfu canada is my area-rep's husband, so he is obviously as bad as my arearep... the whole organisation (at least in canada) seems to be like this :S

But thanks for trying to help, it is very appreciated