Tag Archives: student opportunities

Australian Exchange: So Many Amazing Experiences!

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After spending two weeks at school and three weeks in Australia I can say that time flies when you’re having fun! My schedule has been so busy that I haven’t realized how fast my trip is going by.

Last Friday, Georgie and I attended Georgie’s friend’s birthday party. The party was 80’s prom-themed, and I thought it was going to be one of the hardest things to shop for. After going to the second thrift shop of the day I found a white knee length dress with poufy shoulders. I fell in love. I bought it immediately and was prepared for this party. When the day finally arrived I made my hair crazy, helped Georgie with her make-up and headed over to Isabelle’s house for the party. We danced to awesome 80’s songs, ate so much Australian food and took funny photos in the photo booth. It was an awesome night and I got to bond with some really cool people, along with testing out my failing Australian accent.

On Saturday, the pressure and stress was rising in Sydney as their favourite Socceroos’ were going to take the field to play against Korea Republic for the Asian World Cup. At about 5:30 pm Georgie, Lynn, David and I, got on the bus to the soccer stadium. All of us were wearing black because it was better than wearing gold and green. We arrived and could feel the anticipation flowing in and outside of the stadium. The game started at 8:00 pm sharp and I sat there eating my hotdog, fries and Krispy Kreme donuts. With the Montreal Canadians on my mind, I missed a potential goal by Australia. Huge mistake. Someone spilled beer on my hair and Georgie got it all over her chair. I was going to be alert and not be sitting down the next time we almost scored! Australia went on to win after extra time.

On Monday, I tried something I never had before at school. Swimming class. Thinking I was a skilled enough swimmer, I joined Georgie and her friends in the intermediate group. After my first lap I was panting and had to go over to beginner class, where I felt more at ease. I made the right decision. I was taught how to do stokes properly and was encouraged to keep going. It was definitely a cool experience, even though my arms were burning afterwards.

On Thursday, we had a school excursion to Cronulla Beach. We learned so much about coastal management, sand dunes, and the local environment. It was an interesting experience filled with lots of laughter, fun and learning. We had to do some small tasks like measuring wind speed, writing about interesting plants that we saw, measuring distances between different parts of the beach and more. The majority of the grade had sunburns after a cloudy day in the sun, but I wore my LCC athletics hat and was protected. It was really cool being around people who were interested in the topic and who were eager to learn about certain aspects of Australian geography. Overall, it was a great day.

After a humid day of school on Friday, Georgie, her friends and I went out to Lipari’s pizza in Hunter’s Hill for a nice dinner. We enjoyed the food, each other’s company and best of all, a large nutella pizza with ice cream and strawberries on top. We spent a good portion of the night taking photos to commemorate the night. It was a fabulous night filled with lots of funny stories shared and made.

On Saturday, we had an early departure time from the Smith’s house. We stopped on the way to the marina to get coffee and cinnamon bread, which I was very happy about. We took a short drive to the Parramatta River, in Sydney where I met Anne and Geoff, close family friends of the Smiths. We spent the day on their boat with an enjoyable temperature outside. I enjoyed the scenic views that the secluded part of the river had to offer and bathed in the sun while reading a great book. Anne and Geoff had already visited Montreal and Quebec City before, so we talked about well known places, the people and the fact that they had never had poutine before. I was shocked, and went on to rave about them and to describe the best poutine joints around. We also took the time to swim and eat plenty of good food. An awesome day was had where I met some super cool people, got tanned and tried caramello koalas.

One of the most interesting parts of the trip was something I had only found out about 3 months after I booked my plane tickets. The whole grade 10 group is going to Thailand on February 15 for 2 weeks! I’m really excited because I know it will be an eye opening and amazing experience. For one week, we will spend our time working on a project in a village about an hour outside of Chang Mai, and the other week is spent at a boarding type building doing tourist activities. Its seemed to have approached very quickly and Georgie and I, are starting to pack very soon. I will be away from Internet and without my laptop so I will not be able to connect to too much. I will, however, write in my personal journal so I can remember some of the things I will do and see. Although my exchange time is winding down, I know there is still so much to experience yet. I am so grateful to my exchange family to have opened up their home for me to stay. They have been ever so kind and have introduced me to so many new things that have made my trip amazing. I’m really lucky.

A question I constantly get asked by family and friend’s back home is: What’s your favourite part of the trip? Without a pause I always reply: all of it! – Rachelle Collins ’17: Exchange Student at the MLC School, Australia

 

Student Exchange Australia: M&M Differences

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Olaf CakeIn the last two weeks, my schedule has been jam-packed with activity in Melbourne. I have explored a lot of the city. I have also realized Australia is a very different country from Canada, and I really enjoy telling my exchange family about the differences. Melbourne is a sporting capital, and I am very lucky my exchange family, the Gikovskis, is eager to show me around town. And bonus! They know where to get the best desserts!

On Saturday, January 24, we went to the Australian Open: one of the four Grand Slams. I had never watched a tennis match before that day; I didn’t even know the rules! I did not understand why people would pay money to sit outside and get baked in the sun to watch people hit a ball back and forth. Nevertheless the Gikovskis were very enthusiastic about bringing me and watching the sport. The first match, which was a men’s legends double, was quite funny to watch. The players joked around and the whole stadium would burst into laughter. After that, it was a women’s singles game, which was an absolute nail-biter! I loved being at the Australian Open, It was such a fun environment. Everyone’s excited, full of energy and very into the sport. It’s just not the same as watching it on TV. It’s also not an environment I would find in Montreal, I don’t think even a Habs game could compare to this.

Another sport Australians hype up is cricket, which is kind of like baseball. I was happy to go to Erica and her brother, Daniel’s game last Friday. I didn’t know much about cricket, except for what I had picked up during a game I played with the Gikovskis on Australia Day. I thought the game was relatively easy. During Erica and Daniel’s game, kids were completely smashing the ball right off the field. It only occurred to me then that the Gikovskis were going easy on me. Anyway, in cricket, the ball is bowled, not pitched. The ball, which is quite heavy, bounces once before the player hits it. It is impossible to strike out. As a matter of fact, as long as the player hits the ball, it’s really hard to get out. Also, the same player bats until they get out, so I felt like the game lasted forever especially since Erica and Daniel only play for a fraction of the time and I didn’t know any of the other kids. The game ended up finishing three hours later (three hours I’ll never get back!) Nevertheless, I still enjoyed watching and Erica’s team win! Australians really love the sport. On Australia Day, I saw many families playing cricket by the beach and in the parks. I think it’s pretty awesome the entire family gets excited about the sport.

Since I have arrived, I have eaten many, many delicious food. The day I was picked up from the airport, we went directly to a bakery called Brunetti’s. There was so much variety it was mouthwatering. Everything looked beautiful. They were very creatively decorated desserts. I wish I could have tried everything.

On January 25, Erica invited many of her friends over so I could meet them before school started. I had told the Gikovskis about my obsession with Frozen, so they came up with the idea of making an Olaf chocolate ripple cake! It turns out, making chocolate ripple cake doesn’t actually require any baking. We bought chocolate ripple biscuits from the super market, and covered them in whipped cream. Then, we shaped the cake into Olaf and decorated it! I’m pretty sure it’s an Australian thing, because in America, we actually bake!

On January 26, which is Australia Day, we went for a picnic and I ate lots and lots of Lamingtons, a signature Australian dessert that consists of sponge cake, layers of chocolate sauce and a coat of shredded coconut. It is delicious!

I have also noticed quite a few fast food restaurants here. Burger King is known as “Hungry Jack’s”. Australian’s also nickname McDonald’s “Mackers”, which I find very strange. Despite living with an entire family of Australians, I have not picked up on the Aussie slang or terms. However, the Gikovskis are starting to use American terminology!

I have had so much fun in the past week experiencing new things! I think there are quite a few Montreal & Melbourne differences! Next up, LCC or Ivanhoe Grammar School? Which one is better? Find out, next time! – Lucia Huang ’17, Exchange Student at Ivanhoe Grammar School, Australia

 

Abby’s Idayari: Week 3 – Canadian-Zulu Girl’s Sightseeing Never Stops!

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Apartheid Museum

Apartheid Museum

This weekend, my exchange Rodina attended choir camp with her schoolmates. Her mother Gladys kindly made sure I continued exploring every wonderful thing South Africa has to offer. Along with LCC’s Adam Vandenbussche ’17 and two of my friends, Lorna and Alluwande, we took on special sights and Soweto!

Apartheid Museum

Our first stop: The Apartheid Museum, which provides a special exhibit of the 20th century history of South Africa. I was impressed how the entrance to the exhibit represented the country’s past battle with Apartheid. When entering, we were given a card, which either said “Whites” or “Non-Whites.” Depending on what card you got, you would take the tour through one of the two areas.  At the end of our tour, we got to choose a stick and place it anywhere we wanted around the Museum in order to “follow in Nelson Mandela’s footsteps.”

Gold Reef City

At Gold Reef City, an amusement park in Johannesburg, I had an experience like none other! After what felt like several painful hours of waiting in line, we were finally able to enjoy the rides. Numerous flips and swirls later, we decided to go on the swing ride. Suddenly, a dark cloud invaded our sun-filled sky; this heavy cloud was filled with as much rain as Homer Simpson is with donuts. Within seconds, the thousands of tourists, including us, fought for shelter; we quickly regretted our choice of bringing SPF 100 rather than an umbrella. In the end, we had the best time ever just by running in the rain, fighting for a table in a restaurant and drying our drenched clothes.

Zulu Word of the Week: Imvula: which means rain!

Soweto

Once it stopped raining, we made our way to Soweto! We were privileged to visit the Mandela House; we were allowed to go inside Nelson Mandela’s house, see all of his awards and go into his backyard. After that, we went to the Hector Pieterson Museum. The Museum taught us all about Soweto’s uprising; on June 16, 1976, Soweto students ran a protest in response to the mandatory teachings of Afrikaans. The police killed several students, including Hector Pieterson. His photo is a symbol of what happened. What was very interesting was the fact that the Museum stood right where the protest happened and where Hector died. There are symbolic objects outside the Museum such as the grass line that indicates exactly where it happened as well as the fountain, which represents the tears shed by the parents who lost their children that day.

Culinary Adventures

This weekend, I had the chance to experience some of the more typical African foods. I am now completely addicted to “Melktert”, a custard-like tart made with milk, sprinkled with cinnamon lying on a thin, brown sugar crust. It is absolutely delicious! The Ayayas are making sure I can eat it daily when I come home from school! I also discovered “Mieliepap”. Pap is similar to porridge. It is made from a corn grain which, when cooked, inflates into a white ball that makes for an excellent side dish.

Next Week

Again, this weekend was as jam-packed as a Triple-Patty-Special-Sauce-Burger-Delight! Next weekend, I will be putting on my Safari hat and will be hitting The Bush!  –  Abby Shine ’17, Exchange Student at St Stithians Girls’ College

 

 

 

Student Exchange Australia: Chocolate, Animals and Thongs!

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After months of anticipation and waiting eagerly (and 40 hours of travelling on a plane), I can’t believe I have finally arrived in Melbourne, Australia! I have always dreamed of coming here. For the next month I will be staying with my exchange, Erica, her dog Charlie (who still scrambles to stay away from me) and her family, the Gikovskis. They are wonderful people who are absolutely full of adventure.

On January 20 (the day after I arrived), the Gikovskis took me to Phillip Island for a three-night trip. It was approximately a two-hour drive crammed in a car with people I had known for less than twenty-four hours. I have to say it was absolutely worth it to listen to Erica’s little brother, Daniel, chatter the entire ride. We stayed at a hotel across the beach. I stood on the balcony and just enjoyed the view; the clear blue water glittered as the sun shone and the waves rushed to the shore (it’s not something that is seen in Montreal!).

The very same day, my exchange family took me to Panny’s chocolate factory. It was AMAZING. It was not quite as jaw dropping as Willy Wonka’s, but still a pretty close match. There was chocolate artwork including sculptures and a miniature village, one giant cube of dark chocolate weighing one whole ton, and best of all a chocolate waterfall. I even got to make my own chocolate bar. It was like heaven! I ate so many chocolate samples; I wasn’t hungry for lunch or dinner!

The next day was probably my favourite day on Phillip Island. We went to a koala conservation center and a penguin parade! Who doesn’t love furry tree huggers and waddling little birds? Most of the koalas were sleeping. They sleep 20 hours a day, because their diet (leaves) don’t give them enough energy to do anything except eat, sleep and mate. Their bodies are specifically designed to sleep; their butts are padded so they can comfortably sit on tree branches and their paws can effortlessly hold onto trees so they don’t fall off. At night, I went to see the penguin parade. The penguins were about 30cm tall, and they all waddled out of the water towards their burrows. It was adorable to watch!

January 22 was beach day! Did you know Australians wear thongs to the beach? Thongs to Australians are flip-flops to North Americans. I found out the hard way when Erica’s dad asked Erica and I if we were going to wear our thongs to the beach and I was very much confused. I didn’t understand why he would ask me such a bizarre (and inappropriate!) question. Anyway, we went to a surf beach so the waves were massive. It was crazy fun. Erica, Daniel and I stood in the water and waited for the waves to come so we could jump over them. Those were some powerful waves! Some knocked me over, then ran me over, and dragged me to the shore, and then I would get dragged back into the water and get run over by another wave! It was very amusing though. I must say the most important item that day was sunscreen. I have never experienced sunburn. Ever. I got sunburned for the first time in my life that day.

What a great start to my exchange! I had an absolute blast on Phillip Island and I know this is just the beginning. Next time, I will be writing about sports and food! – Lucia Huang ’17, Exchange Student at Ivanhoe Grammar School, Australia

 

Grateful to be a Round Square Student

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I am often asked, with just a hint of suspicion, “What is Round Square?” Quite simply, it is the sum of six ideals, internationalism, democracy, environment, adventure, leadership and service, which, added one to another, equal a philosophy of learning. Those six goals, each important in and by themselves, are bound together to form an integral whole that we call Round Square.

It is a great source of pride to me that these six ideals are so intricately woven in the LCC fabric, so much a part of the LCC student’s daily vocabulary that the six ideals are not so much applied as lived. Community service, the daily exposure to environmental or international issues, or participation in leadership activities are the common lot of all LCC students – much like homework, part and parcel of student life.

This no doubt explains why I am so often asked, “What is Round Square?” Round Square activities are not notable for the LCC student, exposed right from the start to the Round Square philosophy of learning. Round Square activities are quite simply and naturally part of life.

The most spectacular of Round Square activities are perhaps the international exchanges which give LCC students the chance to live for a couple of extraordinary months, the ordinary life of the Peruvian, South African, Australian, Indian or French student. These exchanges often begin with a burst of, until then unsuspected, patriotic pride. There are friendly patriotic tug of wars, where differences are highlighted. By the end of these exchanges, differences between cultures are dismissed as trivial, and there is the profound realization that for all the geographic differences, which, to all appearances, cause abysses between cultures and nations, we are all one humanity. This is a Round Square lesson.

Twice a year, there are Round Square or CAIS conferences for Middle School and Senior School students. LCC students travel, sometimes to far and exotic places, other times to more familiar destinations, to exchange, with other Round Square students, ideas about international or environmental issues. Open dialogue and finding ways of integrating leadership into everyday life is another Round Square lesson.

And then, there are all the other activities, no less important and very much a huge part of Round Square life. These include, but are not limited to, all the community service activities and the environment-oriented activities. The environment committee’s tireless efforts to educate on environmental issues proved effective: all six LCC students sent to Jordan had the urge to turn off the water sprinklers irrigating, all day and all night, the beautiful school campus. That we are all locally responsible for the global good of the earth is a third Round Square lesson.

The Coat Drive to benefit the Share The Warmth organization is a great example of the way LCC students live Round Square ideals. The drive, undertaken enthusiastically, if quietly, was a great success.

A Round Square student is a Round Square person for life. I am a Round Square student, and I, for one, couldn’t be more grateful. – David Elbaz ’15, Round Square Head