How Did Australia Come Into My Life?
Australia has been a big part of my life.
I was selected to be a foreign exchange student to Australia. I went there the
middle of my junior year to the middle of my senior year in high school. This
was due to Australia having seasons opposite the US. The school year starts late January. I got my
host family a couple of weeks prior to school near the end of their summer
break. The parents Allen and Betty
Simpson were British. Even after living in Australia for 20+ years, they were
still British through and through. They had two sons, Steve and Richard. Richard was my age and Steve two years older.
You become a member of the family. You call the parents mom and dad. Though the
language is English, the Australian accent could make you miss the meaning of
something.
Schooling was different than that in
the US. You go to school for education only. There were very little
extracurricular activities. In fact, you
only go to your 12th year if you intend to go to college. Many leave
after the 10th year to go into an apprentice program in a trade. I
took some 11th year classes and some 12th year. At the
end of your 12 year you take a three-hour exam in each subject. These exams we’re
given by the state in association with the universities. There were no make-up exams. If you are sick
that day, too bad. A small number of students repeat 12th grade to
improve their test scores. The English final exam was 4 essay questions. Two of the questions came from a series of
books that were assigned at the beginning of the year. All 12th
grade students in the state study the same books. The other two questions were
from statements. I still remember one of those questions. It was “a good scare
is worth more than good advice.” The
grading was very severe on the exams.
Two sports I got introduced to were
cricket and Aussie rules football. I came to enjoy and appreciate both. I was
able to go to one of the semifinal games in the Aussie rules championship.
100,000 people in attendance. Great event. We also went to a cricket test match
between Australia and England. They were the powerhouses in cricket. A test is a series of games over a period of
weeks. A match is four days long. A day runs from 10 in the morning till four
in the afternoon. The pace of the game may appear slow, however, with any sport
there is strategy and athleticism involved.
One other sporting event I got
enlightenment on was soccer. It is a big
deal, especially in England. The equivalent of the Super Bowl is called the FA
cup. It was a big family event to watch.
I still watch the FA cup and World Cup soccer.
I was fortunate to see a lot of south
eastern Australia and Tasmania while there. I’ve since been to see the Great
Barrier Reef and other parts of the country.
I developed a very strong bond with
my host family. I became a lifelong member of the family. I consider Steve and
Richard my brothers. Even though it has been over 40 years since I was a
student there, we get together as often as we can. I sent my daughter Ariel to
spend half a school year in high school with Richard and his family so she
could experience what I did. She is
considered one of their children.
Australia will always be near and
dear to my heart. I will go there as long as I am capable.
No comments:
Post a Comment