The past two weeks in Sydney have been amazing. I’ve already gotten to see so much, make new friends and experience new cultures. Because of Sydney’s history of immigration, it is a very multicultural city, with tons of different cuisines. I’ve already tried a lot of Aussie foods like Milo and Vegemite, as well as international foods. One night we went to a Korean BBQ restaurant where we got to cook the meat on a grill at our table. We went to an authentic milk bar after school where we got chips (fries) with chicken salt, which is not what it sounds like.
This past Sunday, after we went to the Museum of Contemporary Art, we took the train to Chinatown with Sarah, my exchange, and her friend Grace. While we were there we walked around and saw the street cars, went for yum cha (dim sum), where they bring around food in wooden baskets on carts, and then we went for gelato at a place called Gelatissimo. It was really nice getting to go for yum cha on a Sunday because that’s actually a tradition I have with my dad every week back in Montreal.
Since Methodist Ladies College started off as a Methodist school but is now a Uniting Church school, I’ve been learning a lot about the different denominations of Christianity, which I find very interesting as a Jew. It’s been really nice being able to immerse myself and to learn about a different culture. On Fridays, Sarah goes to church for a youth group. I went with her last week and it was my first time ever going to church. I talked to a lot of different people and even met someone who was a Star Wars fan like me. This was a very funny moment for me because when I saw that she was wearing a Darth Vader shirt and I said that her shirt was nice and that Star Wars is the best, her answer was one that I didn’t expect. She said, “Thanks! Yeah, Star Wars is pretty great, but Jesus is better.” Even though it was more of a social group, I learned a lot about Sarah’s religion and my first time at church was a good experience.
At school, they have two assemblies a week. One of them is a devotion assembly and then they have a regular one, similar to what we have at LCC. This week, since it was International Women’s Day, there was a special assembly on Wednesday where they talked about important issues women still face. Going to an all-girls school is very different from coed for multiple reasons, and at this assembly I found out more about the differences between the two types which was cool.
Overall, Sydney is very different from Montreal, but it’s a good type of different. The flora and fauna here are amazing. The other day during class, it sounded like a baby was crying outside but it was only a very strange looking bird. There are many gum trees, interesting flowers, and a lot of greenery here. I can see why people call Australia Oz. With all the green, it does sort of look like the Emerald City.
So far, this experience has been great, and I’m looking forward to the next four weeks of exploring the city and surrounding areas and learning more about Australia. – Ella Waxman ’19, Student Exchange at Methodist Ladies’ College
I have now been in Melbourne for one month and I can’t believe how fast time is flying 
On Sunday, February 19, after a long train ride, I finally arrived at Abbotsholme, a school just outside of a small town called Uttoxeter. I was greeted by my house parent, Mrs Simpson, who showed me around the house. She introduced me to my roommates Claire, from Germany, and Millie who lives about an hour away from school. 
I arrived in South Africa two weeks ago to attend St Stithians Girls’ College. So far it has been an amazing experience. Johannesburg has many nicknames such as Joburg, Jozi and the City of Gold. It is referred to as the City of Gold because of all the gold mining that has left the city with gold sand.
I have been living in Bogota, Colombia for a week and half and it has felt like the longest 11 days of my life. I feel like I’ve lived here my whole life and that is because my host family and friends in school have made me feel so welcome and at home.
