Life Down Under
Melbourne 2009
by Delphine Kaiser
- SIS girls in their MLC uniforms
My time in Australia has been most enjoyable, though I am a bit sad that I wasn’t able to see more of the country. I hope I will come back some day in order to visit those parts of Australia I haven’t yet seen.
My host family and exchange sister, Casi, have been very welcoming and I believe that we were a good match (though I was wondering at the beginning).
I have found that my time at Methodist Ladies College in Melbourne has made me realize a lot of things about myself. It has most importantly awoken my desire to do something to make a positive impact on my environment.
- Flinder’s Street in the center of Melbourne
While at MLC I participated in Anti-poverty week which is an annual student-run event to raise funds for charity. This year’s recipient was the Tabitha Foundation which builds houses in Cambodia for the homeless. Many education sessions are organized preceding APW in order raise student awareness. I helped coordinate a couple of these sessions and manned a stand selling t-shirts and snacks every lunch time during the week. Participating in Anti-poverty week as I have, has shown me how much of a real difference a few motivated people can make.
Though I only spent four weeks at MLC, it was enough time for me to notice some fundamental differences with the French system. For example, teachers seem closer to their students and classes are more interactive. Every MLC student has a laptop which she uses in class allowing acces to interactive website such as wikis during classtime. This also makes for easier note-taking. Even at high school level persuing artistic subjects such as drama, art and music is encouraged.
- At the 11th year Formal
The most striking differences (and the ones I will talk about most once I’m back home) are the strange way bark falls off trees, in long strips; the interesting (and not always publicized) wildlife; and the fact that penguins live in burrows under grassy lands. Another curiosity I discovered is TimTams, a delicious, chocolaty snack. You gotta try ’em!
Dernière modification le 12-10-09 par
