Hi, my name is Anastasia, but my family calls me Babers. I am 7 years old and in the first grade. When I first started school, everyone was whispering and pointing at me. I heard someone say “Amerikanka,” which means American. I felt kind of scared.
The first classmate to talk to me was Franko, who spoke to me in Croatian. I could not understand a word he said. Then everyone started talking to me in Croatian. My teacher also does not know English. We then sat down for class at 8:00 a.m. I sat next to two girls named Nora and Nera. At 8:45 a.m., we had a small breakfast. Sometimes it is oatmeal; other times, it is bread with cheese, or yogurt with fruit. I finish my classes at 11:25 a.m., but I stay for lunch and an after-school session where I play and do my homework.
On the second day of school, the other students started trying to talk to me in English. I was very popular. Everyone wanted to talk to me, and I loved it.
I am not as popular now, but I have a few good friends. I love playing “family” and drawing with my best friend. My favorite subject is informatiks, it’s on the computer, and we get to play games. It is the only time we get to be on a computer. I do not really like math because it is hard.
I live right across the street from my school, but I like to wake up early! My sister and I get up at 6:00 a.m. so we can call our friend in the U.S., where it is 9:00 p.m. for her. At 7:05 a.m., we have breakfast and family worship. On Mondays and Thursdays, my sister and I have to go to an extra language class in the evening, about 30 minutes away by tram.
I like going to school because I like playing with my friends. I am understanding them more and more, but I still miss home sometimes.
