1994 School Magazine

Girls' Grainniar ^rho01 3Brisbaiie 199+

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Diven some chance 10 get used to it in Cairns at 4:00 am. , when we chanoed planes. it wasn't until the Customs queues at Brisbane airport that coats, blazers and jumpers were ITtirriedly removed! \}:/e would like to than1< our two sister schools and Mrs Thornquisi for facilitating this wonderful and unforgettable experience. Heartfelt thanks also go to our host families for their generosity and ITospitality in opening their homes to us during the New Year season and helping us learn so n}ticlT aboutJapan and its culture. 11 was a most ITTemorable Christmas holiday ANGELA WILSON A WEEK us GER^ n the June/July ITolidays I went to Germany, and visited our sister school in Essen, the Maria Watchtler Schule. I was in Germany for a week, and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience My ITost family in Essen, the Padbergs, were \, ery hospitable, and took care of me well for the week I was there. They took me to the Rhine to see Drachenfels castle which was in agriifi- cent, and their son SIefan took me to his class break-up parry which was a lot of fun. I also went to see the Starlight Express, in German of course! ^ t

at the heated table called the kotatsu. The group at Matsusaka met Lip one day for a somewhat Taucous karaoke session - in EnolislT - and ItInch at a restaurant we couldn't find Holidays over. it was back to school once nTore. With three weeks' extra Japanese practice Linder OUT belts, understanding what was going on was an easier task. But no-one had lost their fascination witlT the gd!jin, or foreigners, who ITad blonde hair pulled, blLie eyes stared at in disbelief ("Can you really see?" was one comment) and English exploited in English and Music classes. We also had lessons about the tea ceremony, paper doll making, koto playing and flower arranging. The Nagoya group

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.,,-- (L-R). K Killi. E. Ross. A. ,Wrtide, I, F. Hns!, t, ,W. BrMnski/10, I " trip to Ibe snO!"fom Alls1,1111" Gills'High was even taken to see solTTe snow! Braving the cold each morning (neither home nor school was healed, as a general rule), we clutched our bobkaiios - little packets with ITeat inside - and braved seven- and eight-0'CIOcl< bicycle and train Tides to school, and measured the temperature by I}ow foggy the classroonT windows o0t by the end of the day. "Warm" meant double digit temperatures All too soon, it was time thouglT to return to Australia and reacclimatise to a summer ITeat wave! We farewelled our new ,. ... ~L, ,

During my stay in Essen, I attended school for three days - an experi- ence which was both interesting and educational. As it was the last three days of school, not inuclT schoolwork was done, but I did get the chance to sample a variety of German food (in the classroom), and I had the OPPortu- make a nity to number of friends 11 was certainly a change to see peo-

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PIG attending schoolin plain clothes, and to finish school in time to go home for' a late lunch. whiclT was a contrast to our usual school routine O\, Grail, although I was not in Germany for veiy long. I felt that I benefited immensely fronT this trip. My language jin- proved, even in so short a time, and I was able 10 gain an insight into German culture, which is normally not possible. I would like to thank Mrs Thornquist very much for organising my eXchange, and making the entire trip possible LUCY HARRINGTON

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friends. the schools, 11Te language - even the drink-vending machines on even, corner - and saicl our last good-byes 10 our host families. Expectino the ITeai to ITit Lis suddenly. we were

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