South Africa Exchange: Reflections

Posted on March 5, 2013 by admin

I love the fact that Rickus is a cricket player. It enables me to attend cricket games regularly. There is a very special atmosphere at the games, which I am not sure even compares to our hockey fever. Not that the intensity is stronger here, but there is a different vibe, and I love it. Plus, I feel total pride in my friend’s accomplishments.

This weekend, we went to a mall, with an open market selling traditional African wares. I have no sense of fashion whatsoever, no sense of what to buy, and I so want to bring back stuff for my siblings. Thank goodness Hannelie is here to guide me. I think I’ll stick to petting tigers. It’s a lot less anxiety provoking than shopping.

We attended another of Rickus’ games. Just pure fun. I practice hitting a ball against a wall, and with each hit is the unwelcome thought “I’m going to miss it here”. Already, with two weeks left still and the prospect of a real safari at Kruger Park, I am feeling a little sad. There is so much I am going to leave here. An amazing family, a great school, good friend. I am so glad I came on this exchange first, because I know that in a few months, I’ll get to show Rickus my home, my school, my (Canadian) friends. It’s not really the end at all. Even if it kind of is…

An exchange is tricky. Too short a time, and you don’t really get immersed. Too long, and the risk is great that you’ll be so involved that your life at home becomes strange and unreal. I’m thinking of all that I still want to do here. At Saints, Easter weekend is huge. The spirit runs high, and six weeks before, we are already practicing war cries in anticipation of the big rugby game. The Canadian in me can’t help being a little jaded about the whole thing, but the South African in me (eight weeks was perhaps long enough for my conversion) is enthusiastic, and I wish, wish, wish I could still be here for the games. It is perhaps time I leave, after all, before I become too involved here.

It’s really not all sunshine here. Literally. I was supposed to play my last basketball game this weekend. Eight players of the opposite team got struck by lightening as they were rushing to pull the cover over the cricket field. One is still in a coma. I heard that two girls died. It is a somber weekend. The father of a student at Hannelie’s school died in a motorcycle accident. And of course, there is the story of the Olympian Oscar Pistorius who allegedly killed his girlfriend on Valentine’s Day. It is so, so, so sad.

I am going to end this on a bittersweet note. Tomorrow, I’ll be going back to Saints for my last week of school. Then spring break, then home… – David Elbaz ’15

South Africa Exchange: Spirit and Camaraderie

Posted on March 5, 2013 by admin

This exchange gets better and better with each passing week. Boarding school is an experience in itself. There are, and for me this is extraordinary, lots of sports. Playing basketball in blistering heat, with a light so bright that sunglasses are practically required equipment, is fantastic. Students show up en mass to cheer us on. There is a lot of spirit and camaraderie.

After playing a losing match on Saturday, the Van Biljons took us to Tiaan’s (Dirks Brother) farm, which is unlike any farm I’ve ever been to in Canada or Europe. Africa gets under one’s skin, that’s for sure.

The next day, we go to Rhino & Lion Park. We see African lions, African wild dogs and many other Lion King characters. I am enthralled, and rave about the African great five animals. I later learn that there are wonderful zoos in and around Montreal, which I, the third of four children, never visited. I am only mollified when I realize that no zoo anywhere else in the world will ever compare to this somewhat modest African reserve. In addition, I get to pet white lions and tiger cubs. This transforms an almost-but-not-quite ordinary afternoon in a small park into a major adventure.

A nice basketball victory jump started the weekend. Saturday, the Van Biljons organized a braai, which we call a BBQ. I love being part of this. This welcoming trait is one of the reasons that I feel so at home so far away from my own home. The braai is so much fun. We hang around the pool. I can tell that leaving South Africa won’t be easy.

Back to school for another week, which really does not seem like a chore at all. This says it all. – David Elbaz ’15

Student Exchange Thailand: The Meaning of Service

Posted on March 1, 2013 by admin

After a week and a half in Thailand, I began adjusting to the 12-hour time difference and the huge culture change in this beautiful foreign country. I have been staying in the boarding house at the Regent’s School and have met other boarders from many different places around the world from Russia to Lithuania. On February 16th the school had a 10- day break for their half term. During this time they offered a community service project trip to northern Thailand near the popular city of Chiang Mai. As an exchange this brought an amazing opportunity to travel the country more and I was excited to see cities other than Pattaya.

Once we got to the Ban Maelid School, our home for the next five days, we were greeted by about 100 young Thai students bowing at us as we passed by them in the cars. We got to meet the kids briefly and then toured the school. First, we were shown the bathrooms which were Thai style, meaning the showers were buckets of cold water that you pour onto yourself, and you had to squat for the toilet. This was a huge change and it was somewhat good news to hear that we were sleeping on the classroom floors.

Spending five days at this school was life-changing. We got to rotate between four activities throughout the day. The first was learning the students’ language and culture known as Karen, the second was teaching the children English, the third consisted of a P.E. class where we played sports with the kids, and the last was helping the community construct a water tank which included building a cement wall. Everyday surpassed the last as the kids were so friendly and eager to learn, and the staff were so welcoming and hospitable. It was very difficult to communicate with the students because we didn’t speak the same language, but I still had the opportunity to make many friends.

It was hard seeing the villages the students live in because it seems so unfair how these kids deserve so much but have so little. Yet despite this they are always so happy. I learned how skilled they become at inventing fun activities to do with their friends to pass the time while simply using rocks or sticks.

On our last night we had a bonfire with the small group of Ban Maelid students that board at the school. After eating, everybody started dancing and we got to experience traditional Thai dancing. It ended up being a huge dance party around the fire pit and everybody was having fun doing the Gagnam Style and the Macarena!

The following day we got ready to leave and had to say our farewells to the Ban Maelid family. As we said goodbye to the students, they gave us tons of bracelets and letters that they made and it brought tears to most of our eyes. It was sad leaving, but it made me realize how lucky I was to have done this trip and it didn’t truly feel like I was doing community service but more like I had been given the gift to meet these wonderful and unforgettable people. –Sarah Humes ’15

Student Exchange Tasmania: Different “Beasts” – Literally

Posted on March 1, 2013 by admin

This past weekend was honestly, INCREDIBLE! I would say the overall theme was…. animals, but really different animals. We visited a zoo on Saturday and a seahorse and platypus well on Sunday. I had the chance to see some great Tasmanian animals and learn so much more about their lifestyle.

The zoo is about a five-minute drive from ‘my’ house. Ashley’s mom, Rachel, dropped us off and together we walked around in the hot sun on a self-guided tour. There were plenty of birds, all from Tasmania and very colourful. There were also, emus, lambs, sheep, alligators, monkeys, wild dogs and my personal favourites, kangaroos and a Tasmanian devil!! The kangaroos were especially cute; we had the chance to feed them and the next thing we knew they were following us and jumping around to go wherever we were going. The Tasmanian devil is a whole other story. I don’t know what I was really expecting but I must say it was adorable. It kind of looked like a tiny black bear. While we were observing it, an employee was feeding it a wallaby bone, which was actually a little disturbing. Although it seemed like a lot of animals to me, the zoo actually had a limited number because of some policies that made it difficult for them to receive and cage animals in their zoo.

Sunday was very exciting as we went to Beauty-Point to see platypus and seahorse wells. We also had the chance to see echidnas, which were actually just crawling around as we walked into their room. The seahorse and platypus well was really interesting because I got to learn about their habitat, diet, genetics, class and so much more. I was even given the chance to hold a seahorse!

Anyway, this was another amazing weekend and I honestly can’t believe how quickly my trip is going by. —Leah Salzman ’15

Student Exchange – A Fabulous Experience

Posted on February 27, 2013 by admin

Alexander 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