Bienvenido Roberto!

Bienvenido Roberto, where are you from?

I'm from Chile, a big city (compared to Mount Beauty) called Talca which is 3 hours South from Santiago.

Why did you choose Australia?

At first I was thinking of America, but one day after waking up I had a vision and started to think about Australia and I have always dreamed about living with kangaroos, the beach and learning to surf.  

What did you know about Australia before you came?

In Chile we have many stereotypes about Australia - I thought that everyone would be tall, blonde and good looking!

What year are you in?

Year 10 here in Australia, but in Chile it is called "segundo medio"

How many students are in your school in Chile? 

1200 students with maybe 200 teachers.  Our school is a combined kindergarten, primary and secondary. Back home school starts at 7.50am and ends at 4pm.  We usually have lunch at 2pm. At home we have dinner at 7 or 8pm and it is normal to stay out very late. 

Do you have a big family back home?

Yes! I am one of 6 children, there is 2 years difference between all of us and we are very close.  My father is a dentist and owns his own clinic and my mother is a nurse and artist.  

Have you heard any weird Aussie slang yet?  

I didn't know what "bogan" is.  That is very funny.  I am reading the books by Aussie author Anh Do here in the library and they have lots of slang!

What are you favourite sports?  

Tennis and waterskiing.  In Summer we have a house on the lake and every summer for 2 months we water ski every day.

Have you snow skied before?  

Yes, we have many ski mountains in Chile - including the famous Cordillera de Los Andes.

Do you have a translating app on your phone? 

Yes of course ! Apple translate.

Have you seen a kangaroo yet?

Yes. It was awesome.  I even saw a mother with a baby kangaroo (joey)

Have you eaten any strange Australian food yet?

Yes, yesterday I tried vegemite  - it was not like nutella!!  Exceso de sal! But i really love tim-tams - I am in love with tim-tams!  I would also like to try kangaroo meat.

What are you most excited about doing?

I want to go to the big cities and the beaches and here I would love to try paragliding and swim in the river.  

How long will you live here?

1 year.  I will get to stay with 3 families here - it will be fantastic.

What's something about Chile that Australians don't know?

Lots of students in my year don't know where Chile is!  Some students also tried to explain to me what a kiwi fruit is - but we have these in Chile!  In Chile we speak Spanish very quickly with a lot of slang.  

What is Chile most famous for?

It's such a beautiful environment, longest country in the world, very diverse wildlife and diverse weather - from ice in the South to deserts in the North (the hottest in the world)

Favourite places in Chile?

Chillan - awesome ski fields and Colbun Lake which is beautiful in Summer.  

Best day at School?

Every year at school we celebrate Acianzas day in Chile.  The school splits up into a red team (Hollywood theme) and a blue team (Brazil theme).  I am in the blue team and we won this year! During the day we have organised games and activities and during the night we have dance performances by students and teachers 'Baileton', recycled fashion design, and so much more.  In the picture below on the left is the blue team and on the right is a friend dressing up for the recycled fashion performance.