Tag Archives: australia

Final Days in Straya: The Things I Have Learned

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Today is my second to last day in Alice Springs.  I go home Friday.  After six weeks here I can honestly say that this experience has changed my view on things for the better and has also opened my mind up to a different way of life.

After this morning’s farewell speech in front of the school I feel like I have brought the trip to an end and now all that is left is packing and goodbyes. I have done so much, seen so much and learned so much, all things that I will remember in Montreal. For example, I have learned that not all Australians from the outback are “bogans” and that being killed by animal life in Australia is not that common and not as I was told before coming here. I have learned to appreciate the peace and quiet of country life and I feel like once I get back to Montreal I will seek quiet more often. I have become accustomed to living in the outdoors and going back to a cold and grey Montreal will be very difficult. I have also had a taste of independence and now I crave it and will want more of it as time goes by. I have seen that I am capable of living without the constant support form my parents and that I can be very mature. I have grown as a person and made friends I will remember forever. I will miss my host family and their care but now I look forward to arriving back to my “normal” world and seeing my friends, family and just plain old Montreal in general. I will remember the Outback forever and I look forward to my next life adventure. –Justin Binstock ’15

Student Exchange – A Fabulous Experience

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Packet_of_Original_Tim_TamsAlexander Dimitrakopoulos is on a student exchange at Carey Grammar Scjool in Melbourne, Australia. Here’s a copy of the speech that he gave at a recent student assembly.

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To me being an exchange student has been the greatest thing I have ever done.

Here at Carey the environment is great: the people, the facilities, and the fact that you walk outside from class to class. At my school, Lower Canada College, we have to walk indoors all day, but I guess it’s for the better in the cold.

Life here is quite different than over there. For example the environment, the people, the accents, and the weird sports, are all very big changes for me but coming to live here for six weeks has been marvelous so far. Of course it takes a lot of work but it was definitely worth it. Meeting new people and living in a different place is a wonderful experience and I suggest you all apply.

Since Montreal is in Quebec–the French speaking part of Canada–Paddy better work on his French, “parce que la moitié des classes sont en français.”

During my stay here I have been to many great places. I have been to the MCG to go see a cricket match, Philip Island to see the fairy penguins and to surf at the beach, and on a 50km bike ride around Melbourne. I have also learned how to play new sports like cricket and footy, which are completely confusing.

Another thing I have very much enjoyed here is the food. Fish and chips, meat pies, sausage rolls, Tim Tams and lamingtons are all foods that are impossible to find in Canada and I will miss them along with everything else here.

In the weeks to come I am looking forward to going to the zoo with the other exchanges, spending time in the sun and being with friends and my new family.

I would like to thank Patrick Quay and his family for taking care of me while I have been here. I would also like to thank everybody at Carey for welcoming me and for making my stay here so much fun. I will be very sad to leave in two weeks and hope to make the best of my time left. –Alexander Dimitrakopoulos ’15

Student Exchange: Appetizing Tasmania!

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I have now been in Australia for one week and three days. My experience has been incredible and has exceeded my expectations. I landed in Hobart, Tasmania on the 7th of February where I was greeted by Ashley (my exchange) and her mom. We then drove two hours to Launceston (after 33 hours of traveling, I fell asleep about ten minutes into the car ride!). Once we arrived in Launceston, I met the other members of the wonderful family:  Craig the dad, Taylor who is 12 and Payton who is 5. The Brown family was (and is) so welcoming and kind; from the very beginning they made me feel at home. Well, not exactly … the sun was ridiculously strong and seeping through the windows, which, wasn’t exactly like home, neither was the huge garden with endless vegetables, fruits and herbs. Oh, and the homemade pizza we had for dinner; that was nothing like my usual Domino’s!

The next day, I started off with a nutritious breakfast of Milo and Tim Tams (chocolate and more chocolate!!), and a relaxing day, which was followed by an amazing weekend. When Saturday came, the first stop was the farmer’s market, an outdoor market that consists of roughly 50 stands where people were selling fresh foods. I tried new and delicious vegetables and fruits, homemade raspberry ice cream and cheeses. The fruit here is unbelievable and we always have tons in the house (e.g., nectarines, apples, peaches, cherries, strawberries and apricots). During the afternoon Ashley and I went into town and browsed some of the local shops. Sunday was yet another beautiful day spent outside in the sun. We went to the ‘Festivalie;’ a three-day festival that occurs once a year in Launceston. Food stores from all over Tasmania set up stands to sell their provisions while people enjoy entertainment, such as dancing, singing, acting and more. Not only did I get to watch tons of performances but I also tried some great local Tasmanian food such as sausage, chocolate-covered raspberries, pancakes with ice cream, and ginger beer. To end the weekend, Sunday night while we were sitting on the porch, believe it or not, there were wallabies and kangaroos sitting and hopping in the backyard!

Finally Monday came and it was time for me to go to school. I was nervous, excited and hot in my LCC uniform. School has been nothing but fantastic from the people to the classes and the environment to the activities.  For the first few days I joined Ashley in all of her classes. Their timetable is very different than ours. They have double periods (two of the same periods, back-to-back) for a total of 90 minutes, and therefore, they only have three subjects per day. In addition, the senior school alone (there are different campuses for middle and senior school) has seven buildings, each containing different classrooms.  Therefore, we are fortunate enough to walk outside to get to all of our classes. Also, for lunch, we can eat wherever we want with whomever we want! I have eaten lunch outside everyday so far which I really do appreciate. I am looking forward to what next week will bring and I can easily say I am having heaps of fun! –Leah Salzman ’15

Melbourne Exchange: A New Routine

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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

Australia: My Exchange Experience @ Radford College

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My Australian exchange trip was a big step for my parents and myself. My scariest thought was not knowing what to expect during my time in Australia. My friends warned me that I’d miss them, and that I was going to have a hard time catching up on all the drama, gossip and school work. The 24 hours of flying across the world felt like an endless amount of time to think such thoughts.

As we finally came close to landing in Sydney, the beautiful view was astonishing. The tension built up as I passed through customs. It was official: I was finally in Australia! Within the first few hours of landing, we had begun the journey. The next three days were spent doing numerous activities. We stayed on the edges of city centre, the perfect distance between Bondi Beach and the Westfield mall!

On the very first day, I was immediately impressed with what Sydney had to offer in the way of views and architecture. We made our way up to the top of the Harbor Bridge. The spectacular view from the bridge walk was as surreal as this whole experience. In my opinion there could not have been a better activity to bond with the family and break the ice.

On day two, since it had been stormy, we decided to spend the day at Westfield shopping centre in Sydney. There I discovered Australian and American styles aren’t all that different. While walking around, I was introduced to sausage rolls (didn’t quite enjoy those), boost juice (fell in love), and Hawaiian pizza (surprisingly eatable).

Day three was rather wet. We started off the day with a jet boat ride viewing the city, which was magnificent. After drying off and changing, I was ready to experience Australian culture. We saw street shows, ate at Australian restaurants, and took Sydney transport. Then on to the best part of the day, SURFING LESSONS! Taking a two-hour surfing lesson was the highlight of my day. I was actually able to stand up, which was surprising, but left me ultra sore the next day. Bondi Beach was GORGEOUS! I’d love to go there again one day.

After driving back to Canberra and having a picnic with Lauren’s friends, I thought I was prepared to face Radford the following morning. However, I was wrong. I felt very welcome by the school, but stressed about making the right first impression, and making friends.

Day two at Radford was much better, as I felt more confident and began to communicate with some of the other students. Speaking at the assembly on my third day of school was not my favourite part as I’m not fond of public speaking but everything went well.

A week later, Radford asked me to say hello and introduce myself at assembly, which consisted of 1000 students in the hall. Thinking back to the previous week where I had to stand in front of the year group, I felt this was going to be much more difficult. After I spoke, I was happy that I’d done it early on in the trip when I barely knew anybody rather than towards the end when I’d recognize everybody’s faces.

Now being close to the end of my exchange, I realize I could not have had a better experience. I’ve had the most amazing involvement with the school and students and I would do it all over again if I could. I’ve formed bonds with people that I’ll keep in touch with for as long as possible. I’m truly sad that this trip is coming to an end, and looking forward to getting more involved with Round Square. –Chelsea Silva-Martin ’14