1989 School Magazine

FIFTY DAYS AT B.G.G.S. When we arrived in Australia to spend our summer holidays at Brisbane Cirls' Crammar, six weeks, or fifty days seemed like a long time. The first day here, we found everything so different from Japan. All four of us, (Miho, Masami, Mamiko and lkuko), were a little worried as to the customs and culture in a foreign country and whether our English abilities would be good enough. From the second day onwards, however, everyone was so kind to us and the school had such a wonderfully warm welcoming atmosphere, that our initial worries disappeared and we began to relax. All four of us found ourselves to be in grade eleven classes. The biggest surprise that we got was the number of students in each class. Compared with iapan, class sizes are very small. Furthermore students are allowed to choose the subjects they would like to study. This means that there is a general feeling of wanting to study rather than being made to study. Even though we were not always able to understand we enjoyed being a paft of these lessons. One very pleasant surprise we got, which we shall certainly miss when we return to Japan, was the 'morning tea' break. ln Japan we only have a lunch time break so we think that Australian students are very lucky. As a result of this 'Morning Tea Custom' we have been repeatedly spoiled by Tuckshop goodies, cakes and sweets from our host mothers!! The fifty days we have spent in Australia, we have enjoyed immensely... no that is an understatement... we really can't say how much we have appreciated being a part of your school. We have pafticipated in so much, and been given the opportunity to have special English lessons, for which we are extremely grateful. The only thing that we want to say is that our fifty days at B.C.C.S. were too short! We are all longing to come back again one day. Mrs Hancock, Staff and Students of B.C.C.S., thank you for such a wonderful experience.

lulien Newsome, Melissa Ho, Jenny Layton

HOME STAYS IN IAPAN On Monday 5th December 1988, Melissa Ho, Julien Newsome and myself left Australia for a six week visit to our sister school Hirayama Gakuen Tsushima Girls' High School in Japan. At first we were neryous about being alone in a foreign country, away from our families for so long. However, these feelings soon faded and we began to have a COOD TIME! The six weeks we were absent included Christmas so with the help of our host sisters and fellow exchange students we went about organizing our own Christmas party. The whole trip was very enjoyable and we were very upset to be going home so soon. Thanks must go to the Japanese families who took such good care of us while we stayed in Japan and, of course, to the Japanese Department for their excellent organization. Melissa, Julien and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and would definitely recommend that other girls participate in this trip as it is a once in a lifetime experience. Jennifer LaYton 12.1

Matsusaka Exchange Students (ttoR) lkuko Nakamura, Miho Yamada, Mamiko Yamamoto, Masami Sakatani

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