Figure 1.--
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Figure 1.-- |
Many schools also have exchange students from a variety of different countries. The most common programs are AFS and Education Foundation. Visits range from full school year to summer programs. Often foreign students have interesting opinions and insights on their New Zealand school and friends. In some cases the comments, however, reflect more on the exchange student than the schools. Exchange students come to New Zealand from a wide range of different countries.
Hello everyone! My name‘s Guillermo Pegoraro and I‘m from Argentina. I came to New Zealand as an AFS student to stay a whole year learning a new language and culture. When I started at Waitaki Boys‘ my subjects were Information Technology, Art, Chemistry, ESOL and PE (which I did at Waitaki Girls‘ - good choice, eh?). After a few weeks I decided that I needed to have more support learning English because I did not understand anything the teachers said, so I changed Art for more ESOL. Now I can speak better English. I also liked Info. Tech. because there wasn‘t too much theory and it was more practical. I enjoyed playing rugby for the school. I learned more about this cool sport. I also played basketball which I really enjoyed, especially with our team being champions of the B grade.
Doing drama was really good fun. It was the first time that I tried it and it was
very enjoyable. Also singing in the house choir was good fun. I honestly love this country. There are so many beautiful places and all close to each other. I have found the Kiwi people very friendly, easy-going and out-going as well! I have had an incredible experience and I‘ve made good friends, all people whom I‘ll never forget. Thanks Waitaki Boys‘ High School for this important year of my life. I‘m taking so many things back home in my heart.
Guillermo Pegoraro, , The Waitakian, 1997
AFS Experience: It started on the 19th of January, waiting for an aeroplane which was a
couple of hours late. All this was in Helsinki - Vantaa airport in Finland.
Two days later we eleven students, arrived in Auckland. It was a huge
weather change from Finland's nice an cool minus 10 degrees to Auckland's
almost 30 degrees Celsius. They told us to put sunblock on. Luckily I
listened; your sun is a killer compared with our sun.
After one night in Auckland I continued my travel. That was the hardest part
of my trip - to separate from the other Finnish students. At that moment I felt
really alone. That feeling lasted only a couple of hours. At the airport I met a
Japanese boy and a Brazilian girl who were on the same flight to Timaru as I
was. Everything was fun again. Those two students stayed in Timaru but I
was picked up from the airport by my Kiwi family and transported to
Oamaru, which was to be my new home.
The next morning when I got up and went walking around I saw all these
animals! Amazing! I had never had any sort of pet at home but now I was
surrounded by various numbers of all sorts of animals.
I had a one week holiday and then I had to go to school - Waitaki Boys'
High School. I wasn‘t concerned about having to wear a school uniform for
the first time, but the single sex idea was quite a scary thought to me. The first
time I saw the school I couldn‘t believe my eyes. It looked like a castle, not a
school! My initial amazement in the beginning changed very, very slowly to
understanding of your great traditions and habits in this old traditional school.
The actual studying is pretty similar to what I was used to. We still have to
pass exams and some people just trust to luck in exams, just like I used to
do.
We don't have a sporting life at our schools. I like this system very much of
having school sports teams. It's so much easier to get involved here than at
home.
To you Kiwis this is just a normal school but I am still trying to understand all
the traditions and habits of this school. I will try to tell my friends at home
what school is like here at Waitaki Boys'. I'll tell them it's not as bad as they
think. Actually it's not bad at all, it's just different.
Juho Lintuvuori, The Waitakian, 1997
