Figure 1.--
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Figure 1.-- |
Many New Zealand schools incourage programs for foreign students. Ths has attracted quite a number ofs tudents, especially from Asia. There are many exchange programs for foreign students to study in New Zealand and New Zealand students to study abroad. This is primarily with European countries. Many foreign students also attend New Zealand schools, both private and public, on a fee paying basis. This has proven a popular option with many Asian students.
A Form Seven student, Thales Jardin came to Frances Douglas Memorial College in Juky having ent the first half of the year in Hawera. He has been in New Zealand this year and comes from Brazil. The experoene for Thales has been one of great contrast to his activities back home. In Brazil school goes from 7:30 to 12:30, school uniforms are not common and therecare no subject choices just to mention a few examples. At ho,e Thales lives in an apartment in a shopping complex. Among other things the complex has an indoor area where he and his friends often play soccer in the evenings.
Frances Douglas Memorial College, 1996
Aged 17 Marcel Krueger comes from Berlin in Germany, a city of 3.2 million people. He has veen in Form Six during the year and has played soccer for the 1st XI in the Senior First Division. The experience of living in New Zealand has been quite different from what Marcel was expecting as he thought that people would be qyuite British and very disciplined. He has found people hare to be very friendly and has enjoyed being at the College but would have liked to have seen more of our beautiful country.
Frances Douglas Memorial College, 1996
First Impressions: No Sheep
Main differences: Landscape, all these green hills, lots of meat.
During my year here in New Zealand I have experienced most of the weird,
and wonderful things this country has to offer. I have eaten Wheat-Bix
and Marmite, not voluntarily but anyhow...I've been stung by bluebottles
and brought up an orphan lamb. I didn't bugy jump though, I'm far too
chicken for stuff like that, i went water rafting instead. That was just
one of the choicest (feel welcome to shiver over the choice of word)
things I've even done. I have also been wearing a school uniform.
The first day I came to school in my uniform I panicked.
Hang on, everybody is wearing the same clothes as me!
Those dumb regulations also forbid me to wear my jesters hat with jingle
bells. I made it myself, took me four terms in sewing class. My sewing
teacher didn't like me--at all. But Mr Young, this hat has religious significance to me, okay (and maybe
not).
Another strange thing was all this Mr, Mrs and Ms. It confused me heaps
in the beginning. In Sweden we call teachers by their first name. I know
that if I call one of my Swedish teachers Mister-Something he would
laugh, thinking it was a joke, or send me to the Principal for being
sarcastic.
My New Zealand year has turned out so great! It's like a dream. I have a
really good host family which I'm going to miss heaps, and wonderful,
wonderful friends who make life worth living. Thank you lots! I wish I could stay in New Zealand.
Petra...............Wanganui High School 1996
With an increasing number of Asian students every year, Cashmere High had no reason not to take a part In the Asia 2000 week that started on the 16th of August and continued to the 20th. It may have been only a five-day festival, but performers began preparing much earlier. Every day, Chinese and Malaysian students gathered in and out of school time to practise their songs, polish their performances for the bamboo-dance, etc... All the students were putting their best into making Asia Week enjoyable and satisfying for their audience, the school. They weren't going to allow any mistakes once on stage.
Throughout the week, all students, both Kiwi and Asian, would have seen, heard about or taken part in the occasion. Colourful posters of different Asian countries were put up on the walls of the Info Centre on Monday and food stalls were set up in front of the canteen at lunch time. Did you try the food there? I'm sure it was more satisfying and better for you than the Cookie Time you had in your hands!
On Wednesday a craft show with live performances of Chinese paper cutting, letter writing, and weaving (which was on sale) was presented. You could also get a mouthful of Japanese sweet bean cake or sugar blues, which were surrounded by special Japanese tablewares and some paper crafts done by Saeko Genta, Sagano Irita and myself.
On Thursday, a concert was organised in M4 at lunchtime. A mixture of traditional and new music was sung in Chinese and Japanese. Also two soloists contributed their talents. Maggie Hsu and Wendy Lu played the piano and Esther Hou played a traditional Chines piece on the violin. This whole lunch-time concert was a great success, so it was decided that some groups should perform in Friday's school assembly.
At the assembly we had the pleasure of listening to the enchanting voices of the Blossom
and Sun Moon Choirs. The Blossom Choir was composed of Amy Lee, Alvin Lee, Maggie Hsu, Johnny Then, and their performance included the beautiful duet by Kim Hoe Liew and Jye Ving Lu. The Sun Moon Choir sang Chinese songs which were influenced by western music. The nineteen members were Angeline Sim, Rachel Lim, Peng Kong, Susan Feng, Aaron Ling, Adeline Sim, Felix Lim, Johnny Then, Jye Ruhu, Ophelia Lim, Olivia Lim, Wendy Lu, Ka Man Leung, Doris Ling, Jye Ling Lu, Maggie Hsu, Kim Hoe Liew, Amy Lee and Alvin Lee.
Then, for some breath-taking, toe-curling action, the Bamboo Dance was performed live on the stag The Bamboo Dance requires perfect co-ordination by all players, otherwise it could be rather painful... The players (yes, they still have their toes) were Ka Man Leung, Wendy Lu, Doris Ling, Olivia Lim, Ophelia Lim, Felix Lim, Adeline Sim, and Jye Ru Lu. With weeks of practice, their performance was well-organised and rewarding to watch.
So this was Asia week, Asians performing Asian things. Throughout the week, you may have fe how different Asian culture is from that of New Zealand, and that's understandable because it is. B the main purpose of Asia week was not to deepen the gap between the races, but to create a bridgw over it, to let people see that we have so much to share with New Zealand and want Kiwis to see Asia, not as a far away country, but as a good neighbor.
Haya Matsumoto, Lymphad, Cashmere High School, 1993
In July four students from Marist Schools in Brazil will be
arriving in New Zealand to spend the 3rd and 4th terms at
Sacred Heart. These students are specially selected and
talented young men. Apart from being enthusiastic students
they have a wide range of interests which range from
advanced music to martial arts, and a wide range of sports
including competitive horse riding. The boys are either 15 or
16 years old and are keen to make friends with New Zealand
students of their own age. Board payment for each student is
generous. If you would like to enjoy the experience of hosting
one of these students as a home stay please contact the school.
Sacred Heart College
An exponential rate of change remains the solitary constant. Glenfield COllege has always been a school that has welcomed breath and diversity; therefore it was no surprise to welcome new students from thirty-six countries. Students from these countries enrich our Anglo-Polynesian culture and can justifiably claim to be citizens of the world, in habitants of the global village. Those new to this country have much to bring us and we have much to share with them. Haere mai ki te kura tuarua o Kaipatiki.
W.W. Seastrand, "Glenfield College, 1996".
