Program Highlights -Languages
An Unforgettable French Trip!
As we boarded the train to begin our departure from the much loved and cherished Toulouse, we bid our final goodbyes to our families of two weeks. After a teary farewell, paired with hugs and 'bisous' (kisses), we began our return to Australia from the amazing and unforgettable journey that we had embarked on in the beautiful country of France.
We began our journey in the capital of France and 'the city of love', Paris. With beautiful architecture and a bustling culture, Paris seemed magnificent to our Australian eyes. After checking into our hotel we began experiencing the wonders of the famous city, visiting landmarks such as Sacré Coeur, The Louvre and the iconic Eiffel Tower at sunset. Before we knew it, the time had come to board the train towards the south of France to our new home town, Toulouse.
Butterflies fluttered in the stomachs of each student as we arrived at the train station of Toulouse. Our train screeched to a halt as we collected our bags and braced ourselves in order to meet our new host brother or sister and their families. Some had little faith in their French speaking ability, others were still unaware of the challenges of speaking an entirely different language competently. However, all were excited for new beginnings, new relationships and a new lifestyle as well as a new culture. Looking at each other with anxious faces, the courageous clunk of our shoes hit the platform of the station where we found ourselves looking directly into this new world. 'Bonjour!' and 'enchanté' echoed through the walls of the station as we were warmly and graciously welcomed into their beautiful lives.
Each individual’s experience with their host families is incomparable. Some vacated to the incredible beaches of Nice and Biarritz declaring, 'the beach was absolutely beautiful, the water crystal clear' while other students visited the breathtaking grandeur of the Pyrénées, some venturing into Spain. The students who encountered this environment stated, 'the mountains were enormous, the snow was very pretty and the air was fresh and clean'. Various other experiences include remaining in Toulouse and further discovering 'a stunning and beautiful French city'.
Living together and noticing our similarities and differences - in personalities, learning styles, lifestyle and culture - brought us closer in a way we could not have comprehended. Each individual family was incredibly different, introducing us to their ways of life and the ways to enjoy it.
However, they all made us feel at home. Content and comfortable in our environment, and nourished with a rather large amount of bread, pastries and cheese, our conversations became more fluent as budding friendships enabled our personalities to come through and intertwine. Despite initial language barriers, our own self-doubt, and the challenges of constant immersion, happily our language skills did improve. Our enhanced language capabilities felt captivating; allowing us to develop stronger relationships with our exchange siblings and their families, bringing forth our unique language styles and instilling a greater depth of character in us.
We were all incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to go to these stunning places and be cared for by our beautiful French families. As we take away strong connections, deeply improved language skills and a grasp on different cultural experiences, we know we will always remember this amazing experience. We are incredibly grateful for our host families who cared and so beautifully welcomed us into their world and are excited to in turn welcome them into ours this coming October.
We will miss France and all those who we encountered throughout each student’s journey. Despite residing in opposite hemispheres and vastly different worlds, we will always remain their 'Australian babies' (quote Millie Hogg's host mother).
Eliza Wallis - Year 10
Year 7 Cultural Day
French Pâtisserie Cooking Demonstration
On Thursday 27 April, all Year 7 students enjoyed some French baking on Cultural Day. With the help of a French patisserie chef, we assembled delicious and delectable sweets including ‘choux’ pastry filled with vanilla crème, topped with mouth-watering caramel and heavenly whipped cream.
Along with learning how to make the caramel, we also learnt how to fill the pastries using a piping bag and how to make the vanilla and whipped cream. Sandra (the pastry chef,) also explained to us the history of French desserts and gave us a recipe of the dessert so we can make this yummy treat at home!
At the end of the session, we all got to try one of these sweets. I think we all wished we were allowed more! Overall, it was a great learning experience and a fantastic way to introduce French culture.
Natasha Tsirelas - Year 7A
Japanese Tea Ceremony
On Thursday 27 April, it was the Year 7 Cultural Day. On this day, we had an awesome time. We had a traditional Japanese tea ceremony where we drank まっちゃ (green tea). Some people liked it and some people didn’t. But, I found it to be an acquired taste that you could get used to after a few minutes.
During the actual ceremony, two ladies demonstrated how it was preformed, one as the guest and one a hostess. A third lady acted as presenter and explained the significance of all the movements involved in the ceremony. The performance was amazing, especially the way they could go from kneeling to standing in one swift movement in their kimonos.
Stephanie Ruby - Year 7D