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

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

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

Échange en Afrique du Sud – Journal #5: Je découvre Le Cap!

Posted on February 11, 2015 by admin

Le vendredi dernier, je suis arrivé au Cap dans le sud- ouest de l’Afrique du Sud. J’ai remarqué immédiatement que la ville était bien plus propre et verdoyante que Joburg.

Quelques heures après avoir débarqué de l’avion, je suis allé visiter les manchots africains au parc national Boulders. J’y ai eu la chance de nager parmi eux dans l’eau froide de l’océan indien (un tableau indiquait que l’eau avait une température de 20°C, mais on dirait plutôt que c’était 20° Kelvin!).

Le lendemain matin, on est allé au point du Cap de Bonne Espérance, qui est officiellement l’extrémité sud-ouest du continent africain (l’extrémité sud est officiellement le Cap Agulhas, 400 km du Cap) et où les océans Indien et Atlantique se rencontrent. La vue était incroyable!!

Le dimanche, on a escaladé la montagne de la Table au centre de la ville en gondole. Au sommet, il était très venteux et nuageux, mais on a quand même eu la chance de percevoir la ville d’une altitude de 1067 m au-dessus de la mer, qui n’était que quelques kilomètres au vol d’oiseau d’où on regardait. Comme la montagne est très plate, on a pu faire la randonnée pendant plusieurs heures sans tout voir.

Hier, lundi, on est allé visiter Robben Island, ce qui est l’équivalent d’Alcatraz en Afrique. Par exemple, l’île est beaucoup plus large et est composée de quatre prisons différentes, comme des prisons de haute sécurité pour les criminels et une prison de moyenne sécurité pour les leaders des partys africains, entre autres, Nelson Mandela. En fait, il y a un village sur l’île où habitait tout le personnel du site! Un ancien cellulaire nous a donné une visite guidée des plusieurs parties du pénitencier. Les cellules elles-mêmes étaient inhumainement petites et les captifs étaient obligés de dormir sur un mince morceau de tapis d’un mètre de long par un demi-mètre de large! De plus, les repas variaient selon la race du détenu: les Indiens et les colorés mangeait presque deux fois de plus que les noirs ! C’était affreux! J’ai aussi vu l’ancienne cellule de Nelson Mandela. Après notre visite, nous sommes allés explorer un charmant village au bord d’eau appelé le Waterfront composé de plusieurs boutiques et restaurants. J’y ai mangé d’impala et de crocodile!

Finalement, aujourd’hui, nous sommes allés visiter une vinifère appelée Groot Constantia pour gouter quelques vins de la région. Nous sommes ensuite retournés au Waterfront pour visiter encore une fois les magasins.

En général, ma visite au Cap était superbe. La ville avenante est bien magnifique et je suis hâte d’avoir eu la chance de la visiter. – Adam Vandenbussche ’17, Exchange Student at St Stithians College