Student Exchange Australia: G’bye Australia

Posted on February 24, 2015 by admin

The last two weeks in Melbourne have been absolutely wonderful. Time flies when you’re having a good time! I still can’t believe I’m heading back to Canada tomorrow. As much as I want to see my friends and family back in Montreal, I don’t want to leave what has become my second home yet. I have developed a lifelong connection with my exchange, Erica, and her family, the Gikovskis. Luckily, I have made many memories here that I will cherish forever.

Contrary to being “Down Under”, as Australia is known, last weekend I went to the Eureka Skydeck, the Southern Hemisphere’s highest viewing tower. It was absolutely stunning looking over the city 300m in the air. An elevator transported us from the ground, to the 88^th floor of the tower within 45 seconds! My ears got blocked so I ended up shouting with my already-very-loud voice at Erica and her dad. (It probably didn’t help that I was already half deaf from going to a One Direction concert the night before. It’s fascinating how loud teenage girls can scream…) I had to yawn about ten times before my ears finally popped! The view was gorgeous: the blue river running through the city, the open green land where kangaroos lived, the mountains in the horizon, and even the tennis courts where I watched the Australian Open a few weeks ago. It’s not something I could see when I’m standing on flat ground. After getting a 360° view of Melbourne and all its landmarks, I went on the Edge. Basically it’s a glass cube that projects three meters out of the building with me standing in it. It actually wasn’t all that scary! It was fun to see miniature people and tiny little cars running around through the glass floor while I was on top of the world!

My last weekend here was full of fun (at least for me!). I had told my family a few weeks ago I wanted to see something historic in Melbourne. Yes, it seems really weird and nerdy and the Gikovskis looked at me like I was from space and not Canada. But I don’t feel like I have really gotten to know a city if I haven’t seen it’s history. This weekend, Erica’s mom, Anna, took me to the Melbourne Museum. Despite Daniel’s (Erica’s little brother) protests, we dragged him along. We saw lots of dinosaur bones, and other animal skeletons. The history part was interesting as well. It’s amazing how much Montreal and Melbourne have in common. I really enjoyed my trip to the museum!

On Sunday, we took another trip to the zoo. This time, we went to Healesville Sanctuary, a zoo featuring Australian animals. My first stop was the koalas, which were absolutely adorable! They pawed at tree branches and took their time chewing the leaves before proceeding to take a nap. Australia has many species of exotic birds (unlike the seagulls and the pigeons that poop everywhere in Montreal…). I got to see these upfront and personal at the Spirits of the Sky Show. One bird swooped so close to my ear, I thought it would clip some of it off! I also saw emus, kangaroos, platypus, dingos and many different types of venomous snakes. I heard someone say to their child, “We are really lucky to live in Australia. We have the top ten most venomous snakes in the world!” I don’t know if she was being sarcastic… My favourite animal I saw at Healesville was the Tasmanian devil. It was like a huge, chubby black mouse that jiggled when it ran. It was really cute! It became less adorable when I saw it eat its dinner: a dead wombat. Is it a coincidence I also saw wombats that were alive at the zoo a few hours before?

I can’t believe I’m leaving Australia tomorrow morning. Six weeks have zipped right by me. I’m very sad to be packing my bags, I will not only miss Melbourne, but I will sincerely miss the Gikovskis who have been truly wonderful to me. I could not have asked for a better family to stay with. From the moment I arrived, they made me feel like part of the family. They have made every experience here fun and unforgettable. I will miss Emilyan’s jokes, Anna’s laugh, Erica’s stories, and Daniel’s craziness. Daniel was the little brother I never had (my brother from another mother) and Erica was the person I could turn to and have a good laugh with.

Today, I did not say “G’day mate!” but “G’bye.” I’ll even miss the times my friends laughed at my imitation of the Australian accent. I knew the day would come where I would have to say goodbye to my friends and my family, but I did not realize it would come so soon.

Words cannot describe how I feel about Australia and the time I have spent here. I can ramble on for hours and it still would not serve the experience justice. I think this exchange has had a big impact on me. I will return home with a different perspective, as a more independent person and most importantly a lifelong friend! – Lucia Huang ’17, Exchange Student at Ivanhoe Grammar School, Australia

Student Exchange Australia: Everyday an Adventure!

Posted on February 18, 2015 by admin

Ever since I was in elementary school, I have always wanted to go to Australia because that’s where Bindi (the crocodile hunter’s daughter) was from and I thought she was the coolest person on the planet. When I heard about student exchanges, and the opportunity of going to Australia for two months, I knew that was exactly what I wanted to do.

After having my exchange, Nicola Cohen, stay at our house for two months and hearing about how beautiful Australia is and all of the amazing things that she does, I was even more excited to embark on this extraordinary journey. On January 20, about 15 minutes after I finished packing my bags, I said goodbye to my beautiful family and hello to Annie Wiseman who was waiting for me at the airport. We checked our bags, got on the plane, and played Sims for the next 22 hours.

Once we arrived at the Sydney airport, we were greeted by Annie, Nicola’s mom, who had just returned from New Zealand. She then brought us to where we would split ways; Annie Wiseman would go to Melbourne, and I would head off to Perth with Nicola’s mom. We said our goodbyes and off we went. After another flight, and a two-hour car drive from Perth, I arrived in the beautiful small town of Busselton, where I immediately ran out of the car and into Nicola’s arms and hugged my Australian sister for 10 minutes! I was so happy to see her again and was shocked to see how different she looked with a tan. That night I had an immediate culture shock, eating a kangaroo burger for dinner. It surprisingly tasted just like a normal hamburger but with a little more flavour and a lot more of an aftertaste.

Anyone who knows anything about me would know that I am not the most athletic person, so waking up the next morning and biking 30 minutes to Nicola’s friend Georgia’s house, and then to the Busselton Jetty. It was definitely quite tiring for me, yet surprisingly so much fun. I got to the Jetty extremely excited to jump into the beautiful, clear, teal-blue water, however, just as I was about to jump I chickened out. I spent the rest of the day swimming in the ocean and trying to get enough courage to jump off of the Jetty, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.

Everyday here has been an adventure and I have done so many amazing things such as going on a camping trip, swimming with stingrays and dolphins, trying almost every Australian food imaginable, and finally jumping off of the Jetty!

I have had the privilege to spend my birthday, and Australia day here and even though I miss my family tremendously, I feel so lucky to be here and I’m having a wonderful time here.

Although I have only been here for three weeks, I genuinely feel like I have been here for much longer than that. I have already made so many memories that I know I’ll never forget and friends that I never want to lose contact with. It’s crazy how such a small amount of time can affect your life so much. – Isabelle Shtern ’17, Exchange Student at Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School

Abby’s Idayari: Canadian-Zulu Girl Bids a Tearful Farewell to South Africa

Posted on February 18, 2015 by admin

This will be my last diary entry before I begin my journey back home to our merciless Montreal arctic weather. I can’t believe how fast the past six weeks have gone by. I have met the most wonderful people and I have experienced so much. Let me tell you about my last few days here in Johannesburg.

Lion Park

On Friday, I went to Lion Park along with LCC’s Adam Vandenbussche ’17. There, I had the opportunity to hold and feed some animals. I started off with a giraffe, whose head, according to a comment I got on Facebook, “was bigger than my entire body.” I then decided to feed the ostriches. Bad idea! Not only did the ostriches attempt to draw blood as they pecked at my hand for the food, but they cornered me and tried to attack when I ran out of food! Finally, before going on a lion-cheetah drive, I got to actually sit next to and pet a baby lion! The baby and its parents were sleeping and I was allowed to pet it and take pictures; I can honestly say that it was one of the most terrifying yet adventurous moments in my life!

LeSedi

Over the weekend, I visited LeSedi, an African cultural center. There, I was given a tour of four cultural groups of Africa: Zulu, Pedi, Xhosa and Sotho. During our visit of each group, we learned more about their village, culture, people as well as their tools. We also discovered more about their way of life such as how to greet them (“Sahobona” in Zulu). Interesting fact: in order to marry a Zulu woman, you must pay her family 11 cows! (Relax dad – this Canadian-Zulu girl is just reporting the facts and has no plan to marry soon!) Finally, after the tour, we witnessed a dancing and singing performance just for us! I had a fantastic time at LeSedi. The village was vibrant with color and designs and there were an abundance of intriguing hand-made artifacts.

Squatter Camp

After our visit at LeSedi, I was taken to one of the biggest squatter camps in the area. Being exposed first hand to such poverty was a moving experience. The camp is filled with small, underdeveloped houses, tents and other forms of shelter. I got to walk around and witness the devastating conditions under which the residents must live.

Surprise!

Finally, on Sunday, I was thrown a goodbye party by Rodina and twenty of my new friends! We had a phenomenal time reminiscing about my past six weeks at Saint Stithians and how much fun we all had together.

Zulu Word of the Week: “Abangane” means a friend

Final Words: What this exchange has meant to me…

Although I am excited to see my friends and family back in Montreal, I will truly miss South Africa. There are no words in the world that can describe how I am feeling. I have only been here for six weeks yet I feel as though it is my home; I credit my friends here for this feeling. They made me feel as though I was welcome the second I walked into the school. They took the time to introduce themselves and help me when I was lost (which was a lot!)

It was not easy for me to leave my home and my family in January. I had never lived by myself, let alone with another family. The Ayayas have made this experience so enjoyable for me. I especially want to thank Rodina’s parents for everything they have done. I am happy to have gained a new family. I have become very close to Rodina and I cannot wait to introduce her to everyone at LCC.

People may never fully understand what a great time I had in South Africa; when asked about my trip, I hope I don’t simply blurt out “it was great!” I hope I can communicate to others how much this experience has meant to me. It’s been a great journey. I am coming home different and independent. Yours truly, Canadian-Zulu girl.

Abby Shine ’17 Exchange Student at St Stithians Girls’ College

Student Exchange Australia: Week 4…Hitting the Zoo!

Posted on February 17, 2015 by admin

Australia is known for many animals: koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, platypuses, etc. Melbourne is also known for weather that can’t make up its mind. Lucky for me, I got to experience both of these in one day.

Last weekend, on the drive to Werribee Open Range Zoo, the weather decided to start pouring rain. I was really worried my trip to the zoo would be a disappointment. A few minutes later, the clouds cleared out and the sun blazed through. When I stepped out of the car, it felt like I had walked into an oven. The temperature had gone from 20°C to 35°C within half an hour! I wondered how all the animals were coping with this weather (especially with their fur coats!).

The first thing we did at the zoo was take a safari tour. The bus took us on a delightful trip to see the wildlife. While I was sweating to death, the animals were running around, full of energy, not bothered by the extreme heat at all. They all have their own methods of keeping cool! The rhinos rolled in mud, the camels retained moisture to keep their body temperature low, and others just hid in the shade. The tour guide even mentioned how some animals urinated on themselves to cool down…perfect timing considering we passed by a waterbuck right when it was “taking a wee” as Australians like to say. I also saw an ostrich on the tour. For him, being in the safari was essentially the same thing as being sent to the corner as a child. By the end of the day, I had seen lots and lots of animals. My favourites were the lions (even though they were sleeping the whole time), the giraffes that came right up to the safari bus, the meerkats and the ostrich. Since Werribee is an African themed zoo, I’m going to another zoo this weekend to see more native Australia animals.

After my first week of school, my family took me to see the Jean-Paul Gaultier exhibition. After squeezing through hundreds of people, I finally got to see the outfits this famous designer had created. They were truly amazing. The dresses were detailed down to the last stitch. One dress looked like it had a leopard pelt wrapped around it, and I was absolutely furious Gaultier would use the skin of an endangered animal. Turns out, Gaultier had hand-sewn millions of beads onto the dress to create a realistic looking leopard in order to make a statement about supporting the disappearing species. No wonder everyone was pushing people out of the way!

I have really enjoyed all my experiences and adventures. I have the Gikovskis to thank for all the fun I’ve had! Next up, One Direction and the Eureka Tower! – Lucia Huang ’17, Exchange Student at Ivanhoe Grammar School, Australia

Abby’s Idayari: Week 4 – Canadian-Zulu Girl on Safari!

Posted on February 11, 2015 by admin

At last! The moment I had long waited for: this weekend, I experienced a zoo like no other, as I went on my first Safari!

Mabalingue Game Reserve

The Reserve is located approximately one hour from Johannesburg. However, because of heavy traffic, we ended up travelling for four hours. On the bright side, this was actually good; the game reserve had what they call “low shading.” Low shading is where the government turns off the electricity for a certain period of time. So, rather than having arrived on time and living without electricity for hours, we arrived with only thirty minutes of “low shading” left. During those thirty minutes, however, my psychotic fear of the dark haunted me. You will be happy to know that our lodge was the only one that was illuminated thanks to my five flashlights (Yes, I travel with five flashlights!)

Day 1

The first day was amazing! We woke up in our cabin when a warthog began to knock on our door. With the help of strong African coffee, my host family and I set off at the crack of dawn to the Bush. We went in our own car which was clever since, not only did we get to decide where to go, but also, I got to stand up so my head was sticking out of the car’s sun roof in order to take spectacular photos. That day, I saw several impalas, zebras, monkeys, giraffes, birds and even poisonous trees. I felt as if I was living amongst the animals. At one point, we saw a group of ostriches, which were extremely rude; they refused to move out of the middle of road! Suddenly, the “daddy” ostrich came out of nowhere. It was enormous! He reminded us that they own the roads and to be patient around them.

Day 2

The next day was a blazing 40 degrees Celsius; we surely thought that the animals would have all died. Luckily, they didn’t! With my Canon camera and my sunblock, we went with a tour guide to look for “the Big Five”. The tour guide took us to an area with lions. There, I got to see a baby cub that played with us, a female lion who exercised in front of us and, finally, a male lion who slept the entire time (typical males!) It was truly fantastic! After the tour, we decided to look for the “Big Five” one last time; this was a bad idea. Not only did I burn (for the hundredth time), but we also found ourselves on a 4×4 road with several rain-holes. Our car, a family-sized-Honda-like-car, in the end, was completely drenched in mud and went berserk; it would not stop beeping, telling us that something (a branch) was too close. The animals were clearly trying to punish us for having spotted them!

Zulu Word of the Week: “Izilwanes” means animals

Community Service

This week, I was invited to visit a school in downtown Johannesburg. I was told I would help teach a class with grade two children. My little sister, Gabby, is in grade two, so I thought I knew at what level the children would be at. This was a moving, eye-opening experience. The school was very small, with less than 100 students, who were mostly orphans. I was astonished when I discovered that they could barely do basic adding and subtracting. This experience made me realize that not everyone is as fortunate as we are at LCC. In fact, some of the children had to share their only pen!

I cannot believe that I have been here for more than a month. I am so grateful for all my experiences and adventures. Next up…LeSedi! – Abby Shine ’17, Exchange Student at St Stithians Girls’ College