Student Exchange Australia: Thrilling Water-Sports!

Posted on November 6, 2014 by admin

Over the weekend, I went to the country town of Yarrawonga. It’s right on Lake Mulwala, which is a man-made lake. It’s kind of like going up to the Laurentians for us. Every family has a boat, you know just about everyone on the lake, and almost everyone knows how to waterski. Since the summer months have just started, the water was nice and refreshing. I was the only one who did not complain about the cold temperature of the water. I think it has something to do with being Canadian…

I relished the opportunity to get back on a wakeboard, since I only get to do that at summer camp. I also went tubing with Connor and his younger siblings, and drove the boat a few times. To cap it all off, I went on a jet-ski ride with a neighbour, during which Connor was thrown off and I somehow managed to stay on! The most exciting part was when we first took off. That jetski can go from idle to 100 km/h in four seconds!

All in all, it was a great weekend. I had an amazing time experiencing Australian water-sports, and I can’t wait until this weekend, as I get to go to Sydney. – Sam Freder ‘17, ExchangeStudent @ Carey Grammar, Australia

Student Exchange: Cheese and Hot Chocolate!

Posted on November 5, 2014 by admin

Even though I have been here for a little more than three weeks now, I still cannot believe that you can buy a subway sandwich for $7,000! (2,000 Pesos ≈ 1 USD). It’s always funny walking around the streets and thinking “Honestly, who would buy a burger for $7,000?” and then remembering the exchange rate.

Last weekend, I went to a beautiful town called Villa de Leyva. Villa de Leyva is full of Spanish architecture that dates back to the Spanish invasion. This makes it a very historically interesting place. I learned quite a few things on Colombian history in that city.

Not only did we have the chance to visit the wonderful streets and beautiful little shops that inhabit them, but we also had the opportunity to go see an ostrich farm. Those big ridiculous birds are actually very scary up front.

In the city, on the night of our first day, there was a very nice firework celebrating la Señora del Rosario who is the saint of Villa de Leyva. Also, I had the opportunity to try a very local soup called “ajiaco” that is made from a whole bunch of things: multiple potato varieties, different flowers, corn, and some beef. It’s very good!

Speaking of food, Colombians LOVE cheese. They put cheese in absolutely everything! Over at Villa de Leyva, I learned that they don’t put marshmallows in their hot chocolate. Oh no, that’s too sweet. Instead, they put cheese! I would have never thought of doing that… This may sound crazy, but it is actually pretty good. I might start replacing my marshmallows with cheese now.

I had a wonderful time at Villa de Leyva, and I can’t wait for the Halloween party this weekend and everything else that Colombia has to offer. – Paul Virally ’17, Exchange Student @ Colegia Anglo Colombiano

Student Exchange: Cheers from Melbourne, Australia!

Posted on October 22, 2014 by admin

On Friday, October 10, I left Montreal for Melbourne, Australia. I was very excited to see Connor again and to meet all the kids at Carey Grammar. From what Connor had told me, I knew what to expect, but I was still a little bit nervous. What if I don’t like the kids? What if I’m not able to keep up with the schoolwork? What if I didn’t like my host mother’s cooking? These were all little things that nagged me while I was on the plane, but I pushed them to the back of my mind.

Because of a strange flight schedule, I had an 11-hour layover in Los Angeles. I took the time to meet up with my cousin Bryant, who I had not seen for the longest time. They took me around LA and I saw some famous Los Angeles landmarks, such as Rodeo Drive and Sunset Boulevard. Bryant is a high-end car aficionado, so we drove by the dealerships for Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, and many more. Every time we saw a fancy car on the street, he made sure to point out what make and model it was. After driving around LA for almost an hour, he took me on a hike in the foothills. At the summit, we had a 360° breathtaking view of LA. I saw the Hollywood sign, downtown and Century City in the distance. It was a great way to cap off the day.

The one thing I was worried about most was sleeping on the plane ride, but that took care of itself. After getting up at 5:30 am Montreal time and having to stay up until my 11:00 pm LA time flight, I was exhausted and ended up sleeping 11 of the 15 hours on the plane. I started to get butterflies as the plane approached Melbourne on Sunday morning. The questions that I had pushed to the back of my mind started to come back. What if I got stuck in customs? I think I may have checked to see if I still had my passport about every 30 seconds. Luckily, passport control was no problem and I breezed right through and connected with my host family.

My first thought was that everything is backwards here. We drive on the right, they drive on the left. We’re about to start winter, they’re about to start summer. We have 2% fat milk, they have 98% fat free milk (no I’m not making that up). It took a really long time to get used to the accents. I didn’t understand anyone for the first few days I was here. I think I broke a record for saying the words “What?” or “Sorry, can you repeat that?” Eventually I got used to it, and I think I might develop some Australian mannerisms while I’m here (especially the words “oy” and “cheers”). The kids here at Carey are super nice and I’m having an amazing time. I am so happy I am getting to experience this amazing country. I do miss everyone in Montreal though, and I can’t wait to see you all again. – Sam Freder ’17

P.S. Go Habs go! What a start to the season!

Adventures Await in Armidale, Australia!

Posted on October 21, 2014 by admin

During an incredibly long flight and travelling for two and a half days, the only thing I could think about was what my “home” for the next six weeks was going to be like…what are Australians like? Should I shake hands with kids to introduce myself?

I had no clue what adventures awaited me in this foreign country thousands of miles away. I was still incredibly excited while having no idea what to be excited about. Once I arrived in Armidale, I was driven directly to TAS, The Armidale School, where I Immediately jumped right into the school life getting my schedule and choosing between classes that seemed completely different to me.

While all I wanted to do was just take a nice shower and sleep, I knew I had to wake up and start meeting people. Within hours I was already settled in and had made friends and knew that I was going to enjoy my time here. I am now on my fifth day at TAS and I have enjoyed every minute. I am learning the new sport of cricket and giving class lessons on the unknown sport of ice hockey!

I am still working on understanding the strong Australian slang and I am very excited to find out what wonders Armidale has to offer! – Philippe Miller ’17, Exchange Student at The Armidale School, Armidale, Australia

South Africa: Amazing Experiences

Posted on August 26, 2014 by admin

Over the past two weeks that I have been in South Africa, I have done many amazing things. As soon as I met my exchange, Luke, and his mother, I knew that I had made the right choice about where to go. Right away, Luke and I set off on a safari, where I saw many animals, including four of the big five (lion, rhino, elephant, and buffalo). I would only see the last of the big five, the leopard, a week from then. The last couple of days before school, Luke and I built a robot with drills, using the skills that I had learned last year in robotics.

When I started at Stanford Lake College, I made friends immediately. The classes were similar except they had longer days and more classes. Also, in geography class, they study maps and then go on wilderness treks. Living at a boarding school is very different though. I have never woken up for school surrounded by my friends and without my family.

One of the reasons I came to South Africa was to experience something new. So, later in the week, I practiced cricket and on Saturday I watched a cricket game. I prefer to play cricket as the game is quite long, lasting from 10 am to 5 pm, with a lunch break of 15 minutes…probably one of the longest days ever!

As the weekend rolled in, so did time for adventure. On Sunday morning, Luke and I went to a game farm to see and pet the cheetahs. We also finally saw two leopards, the last of the big five. On another zoo trip, I also got to play with baby tigers and baby lions…as if they were household pets! – Jamie Bekins ’17, LCC exchange student at Stanford Lake College, South Africa