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

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

Student Exchange Australia: Back to School!

Posted on February 13, 2015 by admin

After two weeks of sightseeing in Melbourne, I have slowly settled into Ivanhoe Grammar School. I was very excited to finally go to my new school and meet everyone! (That was, until the teachers started tossing piles and piles of homework into my bag:-) I was happy I met many of Erica’s friends beforehand, so I wasn’t completely lost on the first day (I am just awful with names!)

Ivanhoe is quite different from LCC. For starters, their campus is huge! The school is so big, it actually needs two campuses: Ridgeway and Plenty. They have four tennis courts, two outdoor basketball courts, a soccer field (yes, they call it soccer here), a football field, a cricket ground, a park for the elementary school kids and even an equestrian area! I thought LCC owned a lot of land, but not compared to Ivanhoe! I have noticed Ivanhoe is not composed of a few large buildings like LCC, but lots of buildings with three or four classrooms in each. Also the most stairs I need to climb here is two steps (a nice break from LCC stairs!) Most of their lockers are outside, which I thought was bizarre but I suppose they don’t have to worry about their lockers ever freezing shut. In winter, the coldest it gets is 10°C!

Since it is warm here all year round, the students spend a lot of time outside. Every lunch and recess I sit on the grass with my friends to eat. Between classes, the students always go back to their lockers to get their books for the next subject. It’s really nice to go outside, get some fresh air and have the sunshine embrace me in warmth. We’re all “relaxing in the summer sun just letting off steam!” (Still obsessed with Frozen!) However, some days the blazing sun will literally bake us all alive.

At school, I follow Erica everywhere. The grade supervisor told me I had to “immerse” myself in their curriculum, which basically meant do all the homework. I take all of Erica’s classes, which includes French and Psychology! It’s quite entertaining to watch the students learn French at school, especially with their Australian accents! We even sang “Let It Go” in French the other day. The boys were just belting out those notes! The students in my class are quite impressed that I am fluent in French. Whenever the teacher tells a joke, I am the only one that bursts unto laughter. Since my laugh is very loud and distinct, all the students would just stare at me.

Ivanhoe also celebrated their centenary year this year. I was very honoured to be part of such a special occasion. As much as I love Ivanhoe, I am still a proud LCC lion. Next up, the zoo! – Lucia Huang ’17, Exchange Student at Ivanhoe Grammar School, Australia

Australian Exchange: So Many Amazing Experiences!

Posted on February 11, 2015 by admin

After spending two weeks at school and three weeks in Australia I can say that time flies when you’re having fun! My schedule has been so busy that I haven’t realized how fast my trip is going by.

Last Friday, Georgie and I attended Georgie’s friend’s birthday party. The party was 80’s prom-themed, and I thought it was going to be one of the hardest things to shop for. After going to the second thrift shop of the day I found a white knee length dress with poufy shoulders. I fell in love. I bought it immediately and was prepared for this party. When the day finally arrived I made my hair crazy, helped Georgie with her make-up and headed over to Isabelle’s house for the party. We danced to awesome 80’s songs, ate so much Australian food and took funny photos in the photo booth. It was an awesome night and I got to bond with some really cool people, along with testing out my failing Australian accent.

On Saturday, the pressure and stress was rising in Sydney as their favourite Socceroos’ were going to take the field to play against Korea Republic for the Asian World Cup. At about 5:30 pm Georgie, Lynn, David and I, got on the bus to the soccer stadium. All of us were wearing black because it was better than wearing gold and green. We arrived and could feel the anticipation flowing in and outside of the stadium. The game started at 8:00 pm sharp and I sat there eating my hotdog, fries and Krispy Kreme donuts. With the Montreal Canadians on my mind, I missed a potential goal by Australia. Huge mistake. Someone spilled beer on my hair and Georgie got it all over her chair. I was going to be alert and not be sitting down the next time we almost scored! Australia went on to win after extra time.

On Monday, I tried something I never had before at school. Swimming class. Thinking I was a skilled enough swimmer, I joined Georgie and her friends in the intermediate group. After my first lap I was panting and had to go over to beginner class, where I felt more at ease. I made the right decision. I was taught how to do stokes properly and was encouraged to keep going. It was definitely a cool experience, even though my arms were burning afterwards.

On Thursday, we had a school excursion to Cronulla Beach. We learned so much about coastal management, sand dunes, and the local environment. It was an interesting experience filled with lots of laughter, fun and learning. We had to do some small tasks like measuring wind speed, writing about interesting plants that we saw, measuring distances between different parts of the beach and more. The majority of the grade had sunburns after a cloudy day in the sun, but I wore my LCC athletics hat and was protected. It was really cool being around people who were interested in the topic and who were eager to learn about certain aspects of Australian geography. Overall, it was a great day.

After a humid day of school on Friday, Georgie, her friends and I went out to Lipari’s pizza in Hunter’s Hill for a nice dinner. We enjoyed the food, each other’s company and best of all, a large nutella pizza with ice cream and strawberries on top. We spent a good portion of the night taking photos to commemorate the night. It was a fabulous night filled with lots of funny stories shared and made.

On Saturday, we had an early departure time from the Smith’s house. We stopped on the way to the marina to get coffee and cinnamon bread, which I was very happy about. We took a short drive to the Parramatta River, in Sydney where I met Anne and Geoff, close family friends of the Smiths. We spent the day on their boat with an enjoyable temperature outside. I enjoyed the scenic views that the secluded part of the river had to offer and bathed in the sun while reading a great book. Anne and Geoff had already visited Montreal and Quebec City before, so we talked about well known places, the people and the fact that they had never had poutine before. I was shocked, and went on to rave about them and to describe the best poutine joints around. We also took the time to swim and eat plenty of good food. An awesome day was had where I met some super cool people, got tanned and tried caramello koalas.

One of the most interesting parts of the trip was something I had only found out about 3 months after I booked my plane tickets. The whole grade 10 group is going to Thailand on February 15 for 2 weeks! I’m really excited because I know it will be an eye opening and amazing experience. For one week, we will spend our time working on a project in a village about an hour outside of Chang Mai, and the other week is spent at a boarding type building doing tourist activities. Its seemed to have approached very quickly and Georgie and I, are starting to pack very soon. I will be away from Internet and without my laptop so I will not be able to connect to too much. I will, however, write in my personal journal so I can remember some of the things I will do and see. Although my exchange time is winding down, I know there is still so much to experience yet. I am so grateful to my exchange family to have opened up their home for me to stay. They have been ever so kind and have introduced me to so many new things that have made my trip amazing. I’m really lucky.

A question I constantly get asked by family and friend’s back home is: What’s your favourite part of the trip? Without a pause I always reply: all of it! – Rachelle Collins ’17: Exchange Student at the MLC School, Australia

Student Exchange Australia: M&M Differences

Posted on February 5, 2015 by admin

In the last two weeks, my schedule has been jam-packed with activity in Melbourne. I have explored a lot of the city. I have also realized Australia is a very different country from Canada, and I really enjoy telling my exchange family about the differences. Melbourne is a sporting capital, and I am very lucky my exchange family, the Gikovskis, is eager to show me around town. And bonus! They know where to get the best desserts!

On Saturday, January 24, we went to the Australian Open: one of the four Grand Slams. I had never watched a tennis match before that day; I didn’t even know the rules! I did not understand why people would pay money to sit outside and get baked in the sun to watch people hit a ball back and forth. Nevertheless the Gikovskis were very enthusiastic about bringing me and watching the sport. The first match, which was a men’s legends double, was quite funny to watch. The players joked around and the whole stadium would burst into laughter. After that, it was a women’s singles game, which was an absolute nail-biter! I loved being at the Australian Open, It was such a fun environment. Everyone’s excited, full of energy and very into the sport. It’s just not the same as watching it on TV. It’s also not an environment I would find in Montreal, I don’t think even a Habs game could compare to this.

Another sport Australians hype up is cricket, which is kind of like baseball. I was happy to go to Erica and her brother, Daniel’s game last Friday. I didn’t know much about cricket, except for what I had picked up during a game I played with the Gikovskis on Australia Day. I thought the game was relatively easy. During Erica and Daniel’s game, kids were completely smashing the ball right off the field. It only occurred to me then that the Gikovskis were going easy on me. Anyway, in cricket, the ball is bowled, not pitched. The ball, which is quite heavy, bounces once before the player hits it. It is impossible to strike out. As a matter of fact, as long as the player hits the ball, it’s really hard to get out. Also, the same player bats until they get out, so I felt like the game lasted forever especially since Erica and Daniel only play for a fraction of the time and I didn’t know any of the other kids. The game ended up finishing three hours later (three hours I’ll never get back!) Nevertheless, I still enjoyed watching and Erica’s team win! Australians really love the sport. On Australia Day, I saw many families playing cricket by the beach and in the parks. I think it’s pretty awesome the entire family gets excited about the sport.

Since I have arrived, I have eaten many, many delicious food. The day I was picked up from the airport, we went directly to a bakery called Brunetti’s. There was so much variety it was mouthwatering. Everything looked beautiful. They were very creatively decorated desserts. I wish I could have tried everything.

On January 25, Erica invited many of her friends over so I could meet them before school started. I had told the Gikovskis about my obsession with Frozen, so they came up with the idea of making an Olaf chocolate ripple cake! It turns out, making chocolate ripple cake doesn’t actually require any baking. We bought chocolate ripple biscuits from the super market, and covered them in whipped cream. Then, we shaped the cake into Olaf and decorated it! I’m pretty sure it’s an Australian thing, because in America, we actually bake!

On January 26, which is Australia Day, we went for a picnic and I ate lots and lots of Lamingtons, a signature Australian dessert that consists of sponge cake, layers of chocolate sauce and a coat of shredded coconut. It is delicious!

I have also noticed quite a few fast food restaurants here. Burger King is known as “Hungry Jack’s”. Australian’s also nickname McDonald’s “Mackers”, which I find very strange. Despite living with an entire family of Australians, I have not picked up on the Aussie slang or terms. However, the Gikovskis are starting to use American terminology!

I have had so much fun in the past week experiencing new things! I think there are quite a few Montreal & Melbourne differences! Next up, LCC or Ivanhoe Grammar School? Which one is better? Find out, next time! – Lucia Huang ’17, Exchange Student at Ivanhoe Grammar School, Australia