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

Duke of Ed Silver Trip: Long-Lasting Memories

Posted on February 6, 2013 by admin

Note: This blog was written some time ago and was never published. The content remains relevant. Enjoy!

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Friday, November 2 kicked off the Duke of Edinburgh Silver trip at Camp Nominingue for 15 grade ten students and three accompanying staff. Though there were a few bumps along the way (literally, considering two bags fell off the bus and went missing on the way up) altogether it was an unforgettable experience. The two and a half hour bus ride up to the camp gave us a great opportunity to bond with the people we were to be spending four days and three nights in the woods with. Other than the cold weather forecast, the fact that we were to sleep in tents and prepare our own meals, we had no idea what to expect.

When we first arrived, we were faced with a giant field in the middle of the woods which was where we were to camp out. We got our bags and tents and began to assemble our living spaces in our groups of two or three. We had a great meal of pasta and salad sitting around our first fire that we made with a little difficulty. Our first activity of the trip consisted of a long walk in the dark around the Camp Nominingue grounds. We ended our night by individually listing the high and low point of our day. Despite shivering in our sleeping bags at night and waking up to frost around our tents, it was a great way to start off the trip.

The two full days that followed were filled with multiple activities that kept us entertained throughout the day. Alongside three course meals that were prepared by each tent group, hot chocolate and snacks, we were ready to go on our excursions. Our second day adventure consisted of an hour and a half long hike through the woods. We came across a bear skeleton, a carnivorous plant and walked on marshland. That night we ate pirogies and enjoyed another walk across the campground.

Our third day activity was a canoe ride along the lake to another island where we hiked up to a peak with an absolutely phenomenal view. We ate lunch on the island and spent most of our day singing songs on the boat and getting a great bicep and triceps workout along the way. That night, we ate and preformed our entertaining skits for the talent show we had been “preparing for” since the very beginning. We finished our night off with another walk in the woods, but this time, in single file and in complete silence. At the end of the walk, we lay dispersed throughout another open field and watch the stars above us. The walk overall didn’t go exactly as planned with a few kids getting lost along the way, but when we were all reunited we shared a long laugh and more hot chocolate.

We participated in many smaller activities throughout the trip such as building lean-tos, splitting wood, making fires, and a few team management activities on the last day.

By the fourth and final day, we were all excited to take a warm shower and be home to our families, but at the same time, sad to be leaving. We left our campground with long-lasting memories and a better appreciation of our privileged lives. I highly recommend all students in younger grades take a bigger interest in the Duke of Ed program and definitely partake on the Silver trip.

Thank you very much to Mrs. Wall, Mr. Weiland and M. Maurice for making this “dreaded” trip fun-filled and enjoyable. – Vikki Van Ryswyk ‘14

Australia: My Exchange Experience @ Radford College

Posted on November 21, 2012 by admin

My Australian exchange trip was a big step for my parents and myself. My scariest thought was not knowing what to expect during my time in Australia. My friends warned me that I’d miss them, and that I was going to have a hard time catching up on all the drama, gossip and school work. The 24 hours of flying across the world felt like an endless amount of time to think such thoughts.

As we finally came close to landing in Sydney, the beautiful view was astonishing. The tension built up as I passed through customs. It was official: I was finally in Australia! Within the first few hours of landing, we had begun the journey. The next three days were spent doing numerous activities. We stayed on the edges of city centre, the perfect distance between Bondi Beach and the Westfield mall!

On the very first day, I was immediately impressed with what Sydney had to offer in the way of views and architecture. We made our way up to the top of the Harbor Bridge. The spectacular view from the bridge walk was as surreal as this whole experience. In my opinion there could not have been a better activity to bond with the family and break the ice.

On day two, since it had been stormy, we decided to spend the day at Westfield shopping centre in Sydney. There I discovered Australian and American styles aren’t all that different. While walking around, I was introduced to sausage rolls (didn’t quite enjoy those), boost juice (fell in love), and Hawaiian pizza (surprisingly eatable).

Day three was rather wet. We started off the day with a jet boat ride viewing the city, which was magnificent. After drying off and changing, I was ready to experience Australian culture. We saw street shows, ate at Australian restaurants, and took Sydney transport. Then on to the best part of the day, SURFING LESSONS! Taking a two-hour surfing lesson was the highlight of my day. I was actually able to stand up, which was surprising, but left me ultra sore the next day. Bondi Beach was GORGEOUS! I’d love to go there again one day.

After driving back to Canberra and having a picnic with Lauren’s friends, I thought I was prepared to face Radford the following morning. However, I was wrong. I felt very welcome by the school, but stressed about making the right first impression, and making friends.

Day two at Radford was much better, as I felt more confident and began to communicate with some of the other students. Speaking at the assembly on my third day of school was not my favourite part as I’m not fond of public speaking but everything went well.

A week later, Radford asked me to say hello and introduce myself at assembly, which consisted of 1000 students in the hall. Thinking back to the previous week where I had to stand in front of the year group, I felt this was going to be much more difficult. After I spoke, I was happy that I’d done it early on in the trip when I barely knew anybody rather than towards the end when I’d recognize everybody’s faces.

Now being close to the end of my exchange, I realize I could not have had a better experience. I’ve had the most amazing involvement with the school and students and I would do it all over again if I could. I’ve formed bonds with people that I’ll keep in touch with for as long as possible. I’m truly sad that this trip is coming to an end, and looking forward to getting more involved with Round Square. –Chelsea Silva-Martin ’14

Round Square: A Rich Mosaic of Culture

Posted on October 17, 2012 by admin

It is rare to have the opportunity to sit in a room alongside people from five different continents, and to, over the course of an hour, have eight conversations with people from eight different countries. The conference, hosted at Herlufsholm Skole in Denmark, acted as a binding force between people from every corner of the globe: people traveled from near (England and Germany) and far (Armenia, Kenya, India, Australia, South Africa, and Canada). A beautiful blend of accents and languages could be heard echoing through the school’s halls at any given moment. We were fortunate enough to have delegates from all Round Square regions at the conference, so we knew that we had a culturally enriching experience in store for us. Personally, my participation in the conference was so incredibly different from anything that I had ever experienced. Although I have been fortunate enough to travel quite a bit in my lifetime, I had never had the opportunity to interact with so many people of my age from so many diverse places at once. I was fascinated by the rich cultures and ideas that each group of delegates brought to the conference. I loved hearing stories about their day-to-day lives. It was evident that although we all came from such different backgrounds and experiences, we were all the same in so many ways.

Several days into the conference, each group had the opportunity to display their culture in a much-anticipated cultural evening, which would prove to be a highlight of everybody’s trip. The event showcased diverse cultural features from each country, including a traditional Danish dance, a British poem recitation, an Indian yoga demonstration, a lesson on Australian slang, and many more. We were taken on a journey across the globe in just two hours. We, along with the students from Toronto, presented a reenactment of Canadian history. This particular moment in the conference truly captured one of Round Square’s central “IDEALS:” internationalism. The national pride that each group displayed, as well as international pride and appreciation for the enthusiasm of our fellow delegates, was palpable. The most incredible aspect of the evening was the lasting impression that it seemed to have on all of the participants; it sparked curiosity and desire to learn more about each culture that we were exposed to. The evening seemed to accomplish the fundamental objective of the conference: to “encounter, engage, and enjoy” the rich mosaic of culture that we were fortunate enough to immerse ourselves in for a week. — Allie Mayers ’13