Student Exchange: Exploring the Animal Kingdom

Posted on March 22, 2016 by admin

On March 12, I was taken to the Rhino and Lion Reserve where I had a once in a lifetime experience. About an hour into our drive, I saw the big sign with two lion statues next to it. We drove in and I immediately saw animals. I saw ostriches and a giraffe. While driving around, we saw all sorts of bucks, like the blesbuck, rooihartebeest, sable and springbok, which is South Africa’s national animal. We also saw a warthog with her two babies. We then drove up to the predator camp, which is where the more dangerous animals are, and we were just in time for the feedings. We watched wild dogs, cheetahs and lions being fed. It was so cool because we were right next to all of them in our car watching them eat.

We then went to the cubs pavilion where there were cubs and other grown feline friends. There were also pygmy hippos and a rhino, but because the cats are so dangerous and you couldn’t be in a car in that area, they were behind fences so you couldn’t get hurt. At the cub centre, there were baby lions, tigers and cheetahs. I got to pet baby tigers which was so exciting! Some of the larger cats we saw, were grown cheetahs and tigers, leopards and black leopards. When we were driving back towards the exit we saw some zebra too. As we were about to leave we saw the giraffe right next to the restaurant balcony so I rushed up and as I got there, I saw its long neck and head right in front of me. I probably could’ve touched it! By the end of that visit I had seen the lion, rhino, buffalo and leopard, which is four out of the big five.

The next weekend we went to the elephant sanctuary, which also consists of a mini monkey sanctuary. We were put into a group of around 20 people. We walked through the monkey sanctuary where there were lemurs and bush babies. Next, as we walked through a gate, there were two elephants standing right in front of us. We got two buckets of food that we had to feed to them. I cupped my hands and put the food in one of the elephant’s trunk, and then he brought it up to his mouth. Once we emptied the buckets, we got a lesson on the anatomy of the elephant and saw some bones, which were so big. We then met two other elephants, and got to touch them and take pictures with them. I touched an elephant’s trunk, tusks, stomach, legs and ears. We also got to look inside his mouth and see his teeth and tongue. I then went to see the second elephant and got a kiss on the cheek. His trunk was so big and dirty, so it left a muddy mark on my face. Once all of us had gotten kissed by the elephant, we went to walk with two other elephants. It was my turn to walk with them, so I put out my hand behind me and she put her trunk to my fingers as if holding my hand. We walked for a few minutes and then said goodbye. It was such an exciting outing and on top of that, we visited an African craft market. After both of those trips I got to see all of the big five. How many people can say that?

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

Student Exchange: A Life-Changing Experience

Posted on March 21, 2016 by admin

Sophie_Tellier5 As I am on my way to the airport to catch my 7 am flight out of Melbourne, I cannot believe how quickly this experience has gone by. These past six weeks have been some of the most eventful, fun, and life-changing times. I am so incredibly happy to have taken this opportunity and gotten the chance to meet
so many wonderful people from the city of Ballarat.

My second weekend in Australia was spent at the beach. We spent some time in an area called Anglesea where I got to meet my exchange’s grandparents and see where Anna would be working during the summer. We also went to a small beach in an area called Geelong, where we then drove onto the famous Great Ocean Road!

On my third weekend, I found myself in Sydney. Sydney was one the best parts of my trip. We walked along the Sydney Harbour Bridge where we could see the beautiful opera house. We then explored the opera house and had the perfect view of the Sydney Harbour. On our second day, we went to the top of the Sydney Tower, walking onto glass floors outside the edge of the tower. I got to see the entire city in an hour, which was incredible.

Melbourne was next. Most of our time was spent shopping, though we also went to the Melbourne Star, which is a giant Ferris wheel with views of the entire city. And we spent some time at the pier.

My final weekend was spent at Halls Gap, where I got the chance to go on a beautiful hike and see an amazing waterfall.

After that, unfortunately I had to start packing. Leaving Ballarat Grammar School was pretty hard. I had made such amazing friends and I am hoping to get the chance to come back and visit all of them. As I arrive at the airport, and I say goodbye to my exchange family, it still hasn’t sunk in that this experience is already over, though I do get the chance to see my exchange in three weeks when she comes to Montreal. I am so happy I got the chance to take part in such an amazing experience. I will have these memories forever.

– Sophie Tellier ’18 Exchange Student at Ballarat Grammar School

Student Exchange: Farewell to Australia

Posted on March 21, 2016 by admin

Anthony_Fata2 It is my last week here in Australia and I have created many long-lasting memories that I will cherish forever.

For my last weekend, my exchange family and I went camping at Mount Gambier, an area with amazing natural sites located halfway between Adelaide and Melbourne. We were also going to see an amateur motorcycle race taking place there. We camped out, and in the morning we watched the race. It was really exciting to see how fast the motorcycles raced. We then made our way to Blue Mountain Lake, a crater lake which is known for its amazing colours. That day, it was a beautiful clear blue colour but, apparently, it changes colours during the year depending on the temperature. We then visited the Tantanoola caves, with incredible stalagmites and stalactites. I have never seen a cave like this and it was fascinating. I had a lot of fun this weekend and it was a great way to end my exchange. I really enjoyed spending time with Phoenix and his family!

My stay in Australia has been one of the best experiences of my life and I can’t believe that five weeks have gone by so fast. I truly had a lot of fun with my exchange, Phoenix, and his family, and I learned many new things. I have made many new friends and hope to see some of them later on in my life. I have also experienced some new things like playing cricket and volleyball, which I really enjoyed. I have seen many incredible Australian animals like koalas and kangaroos and had a chance to see these animals up close. I attended a great school and was very lucky to be here. On my last day, I received a big Australian flag signed by all my new Australian friends.

At first, I was a little nervous about this exchange and being so far away from home for such a long period of time. However, thanks to my exchange, his family, and the great people at Westminster School, my experience was amazing. I also learned a lot about myself and how I am able to adapt to a totally different environment.

– Anthony Fata ‘18, Exchange Student at Westminster School

Student Exchange: Gaining New Perspectives

Posted on March 14, 2016 by admin

Dahlia_Kahn26 On Saturday, March 5, I attended my first ever rugby game. I went with my host and her dad, two other exchanges and their hosts and their families. It was at this huge stadium with what looked like a football field in the middle. We were all dressed up in blue, including face paint, to cheer for the Blue Bulls. The Blue Bulls were from South Africa and were playing against the Rebels, who were Australian. We were all sitting on the edge of our seats cheering and having a great time. We won the game and everyone was jumping and screaming for joy. Once the game was over and we were just about to leave, they opened the gates to the field and a bunch of kids ran onto it. At first we weren’t too sure what was going on, but then realized that anyone could run on the field and have a good time. The rugby players were also there behind a rope taking photos and signing autographs. It was a really good game, the best one I have ever seen.

A few days later, on March 9, I went to Albert Street with the grade eights on a community service outing. There I got the chance to spend time with young children who don’t have parents and are refugees from other African countries. We got there and the first thing I noticed was that when the kids saw us they were so excited. They were waving and smiling at us and it was a great feeling. We got separated into groups of two and placed in classrooms. I was placed into a grade 2 class with around 12 students. The class itself was very small and cramped and there were no games or books, which is very different from the grade 2 classes at LCC. It really made me reflect on how lucky and fortunate I am for everything I have. Once we got to know some of the children, we played games with them such as Simon Says. A few minutes later they had a break. Where they played was very shocking to me. It was in a small back alley with barbed wire around it, pipes above the ground, and a big muddy puddle because it was raining. There was a piece of cardboard in the middle of it which all the kids wanted to jump on and over. They were all running and jumping and even fighting over whose turn it was. It really made me think how these kids have so little and just jumping in a puddle put a huge smile on their faces. Time passed really fast and it was time to go. I will never forget that day of how just playing a game with those kids or giving them a hug put a huge smile on their faces. It was such a memorable experience, one I will keep with me forever.

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

Student Exchange: Adelaide, an Amazing City

Posted on March 11, 2016 by admin

2015_2016_StudExchange_Westminster_AFata_01 It’s my third week in Australia and I’m having a great time! Each day, I’m learning more about this country and enjoying it very much.

Last weekend, my exchange family and I went for a long bike ride around Adelaide. I don’t really bike a lot in Montreal but they thought this would be a great way to see the city.

Just like Montreal, Adelaide has a few bike paths throughout the city. Some of these paths are very long, almost 9 km, and run through the forests and parks and at some points through the city itself, which was quite busy. The neighbourhoods in Adelaide are a lot like Montreal but the area along the beach is very different and very nice. There are restaurants and stores along the beach and the feeling is very relaxed. I especially enjoy the ice cream shop, which we have gone to a few times already!

At first, I thought that Adelaide was much smaller than Montreal, but I now think they are about the same size. In fact, the stadium where professional cricket and Aussie Rules Football, also called Footy, are played, can hold about 53,000 seats, almost three times the number of seats in the Bell Centre! We rode our bikes for about three hours and I really had a chance to see a lot.

On the weekends, we have also spent quite a bit of time at the beach, which I really enjoy. It has been extremely hot here, sometimes as high as 40 degrees, and the water is actually very warm for swimming. I have been having a great time with Phoenix and his family!

At school, I have been making new friends and enjoying my experience at Westminster. I have been learning a lot about Australia and the other countries in the Pacific. For example, I have learned about the Maori people, who are an indigenous group in New Zealand. Their dance, the Haka, is still used by the New Zealand Rugby team before each game to intimidate their opponents. We also learned about Ned Kelly, an important folk hero to the Australians. He was an outlaw who fought the police and became known for his courage to stand up to the British. Even over 100 years later, they are still learning about his life.

I have also been practicing cricket and volleyball every week with Phoenix. In the first volleyball game I played, we actually defeated St. John School! I was supposed to play my first cricket game last Saturday but unfortunately the weather was 39 degrees and the coaches decided that it was too hot to play. It was a shame because our team hasn’t won a game this season and we actually thought that we were able to win this game.

I’m having such a great time in Australia and will remember this for the rest of my life! — Anthony Fata ’18