The first day I arrived in South Africa was so exciting and nerve-racking. I had just gotten off of a 15-hour flight to go and meet my new exchange. I was greeted with a very warm welcome from Tatum, my exchange, and her mother, Debbie. We had driven home in the boiling hot weather, just after attending the school’s open house. It gave me a chance to see what the school was like and understand how a few things work. We arrived at home in no time, where I was greeted with balloons and posters wishing me a great stay while I’m here.

The next day I was very jet lagged, but managed to take on the day. I was taken around the neighbourhood and shown multiple parks, houses and even a few different birds. including the Hadada. For dinner, I tried a South African sausage called Boerewors, which was quite delicious. It had been a long day and I needed to get some rest seeing that the next day was my first day of school. School started at 7:30 am which is around when I normally get downstairs in the morning in Montreal. We had to wake up at 5:30 am and leave the house by 6:30 am. Once we arrived, I was welcomed and it felt as though everyone was my friend. The day consisted of seven subjects, one of which was Afrikaans. Although it was interesting to listen to, it was very hard to follow and understand. St. Stithians College is also different due to the fact that it is an all girls’ school and most of their hallways and lunch zones are outside (you are responsible for packing your own lunch). It’s so nice to be able to sit outside in the sun and enjoy the weather, unlike how it’s cold and snowy in Montreal. After school their are multiple sports options including running, swimming, squash, etc. I decided I would do Saint Striders, which is running.

The school is a Christian Methodist Church, which means that on every Tuesday we go to chapel. It was the very first time I was attending any form of church and it was really interesting. There were beautiful stained glass windows and a giant organ. Once everyone was seated, a choir sang and it was beautiful. I’m looking forward to hearing them sing again.

 – Dahlia Kahn ‘18, Exchange Student at St. Stithians College