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Tumova has been staying with host Bobbie Landers, who has been both enjoying her company and trying to share some of their favorite things with her. Landers and her daughter Merrily traveled to Disneyland and Los Angeles with Tumova, and Landers' daughter Holly took her to Columbia State Historic Park in the Sierras. She's been hiking near Lake Tahoe and attended a Sharks Hockey game on Czech Heritage Night. Three Czech players are on the team.
Not that Tumova is a stranger to travel. In addition to the cheer competition in Florida, she has traveled to Turkey, Greece, Spain, Hungary and Croatia. As well as her excellent English, which she has been studying since a young age, she also studies German. While at Miramonte Tumova has been taking classes in psychology, U.S. government, advanced algebra, public speaking, food, and yoga. During football season she was on the sideline cheer team before joining the competitive cheer team like at home, she says. At home in the Czech Republic Tumova studies accounting, marketing, and written and electronic communications at the Business Academy of Economics.
Tumova's mother is a secretary and her father teaches high school. Her older sister is now at Prague University studying international trade after spending quite a lot of time in the U.S. and studying at Texas A&M University. Tumova heard about the opportunity to study in Orinda from her history teacher at home, whose daughter was the visiting student here in 2009-10. Tumova says she might also be interested in attending a U.S. college.
As a visiting student for a semester, Tumova has to do finals, and then she will be returning to the Czech Republic at the beginning of January. When asked about the highlights of her visit, Tumova enthusiastically gushed, "the whole trip!" She's made friends for life in Orinda, she added. She also found time for some shopping at the outlets and in Walnut Creek.
The next Czech visiting student is currently being selected, and will need a host family next August through the end of 2024. Anyone interested in being a host should contact Bobbie Landers at (925) 254-8260. Landers will be very happy to share her wonderful experience hosting Eliska and to sign you up as a potential host.
Reach the reporter at:
Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA