January 30, 2013
After a very long flight I arrived in Melbourne. Only fifteen minutes after my exchange, Patrick Quay and his family returned from their holiday in Japan. For the rest of the day I stayed home getting to know the family, house and environment.
January 31, 2013
In the morning I had time to sleep in. Later in the morning, I went to the local park to the cricket nets and learned how to bat, bowl and field with Paddy and two of his friends. We spent about three hours teaching me to play. After cricket training we went to rowing. It was my first time rowing and I did not go on the water and just practiced on the rowing machines. That night Pat’s grandparents came over for dinner and to meet me.
February 1, 2013
Today was the “first” day of school. It was just orientation and during the day we mostly helped the new grade 7s with everything they needed to know. After school I had my first cricket game and luckily didn’t have to bowl or bat, only field.
February 2, 2013
In the morning, there was a rowing regatta. Because I was not rowing in the races, I helped the team assemble the boat and then got a bike to ride along with the boats and the coach. After the races we went back to the training facilities for more rowing and got home at around 5 pm. We were really hot and jumped in the pool. That night we went to Paddy’s cousins’ house for dinner.
February 3, 2013
This morning it was family day at the local farm so Paddy and I went down and helped out. We cooked sausages on the barbeque and got to give them to all sorts of people there including a famous NRL player Bill Slater. When that was all over we went home and relaxed.
February 4, 2013
Today was the second day of school and there were actual classes. I met a lot of people and had trouble remembering everybody’s names. After school there was rowing and I went out on the water for the first time.
February 5, 2013
Today there was nothing special. There was school in the morning and nothing afterwards.
February 6, 2013
Today was the same as Monday’s schedule, school then rowing.
February 7, 2013
Today there was a huge swimming competition at school with years 7, 8, and 9 all swimming. There were individual and relay events and our house came 6th out of 10. After a long day of swimming we had cricket practice.
February 8, 2013
Today there was school followed by a cricket game where I got to bat. I got a run but on my 3rd ball, I was out stumped because no one had told me to stay in the crease after I hit.
February 9, 2013
Early this morning we got up and biked to rowing. We were there for four hours and while there we saw Paddy’s grandfather and had lunch with him. We got home, went swimming and relaxed.
February 10, 2013
This morning we got up late and since it was a bit cooler we decided to go to the movies with some friends. After the movies we went to go see a cricket game; Australia against the West Indies. Australia ended up winning. When we got home from the game Paddy had cousins over and we had dinner with them.
February 11, 2013
Today we had school and rowing. Other than that there was nothing special today.
February 12, 2013
Today there was school and nothing afterwards.
February 13, 2013
Today was a fairly relaxed day with school and then rowing afterwards.
–Alexander Dimitrakopoulos ’15
