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Maddie with
the Brazilian exchange student, Alexandra Flores,
living in the same town in
Germany at the language camp
organised by District 1860 for the exchange
students
who arrived in August 2012.
|
Madeleine White returned from
Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany. Maddie
had a wonderful time enjoying the many sights of Germany and further afield around Europe whilst studying at a German secondary school.
‘While it is great to be home, I am hoping to get back to Germany soon and
travel more abroad in the future’ she says.
Learning to live with
other families who speak a different language can be interesting and sometimes
testing, but the chance to be immersed in the language helped Maddie to develop
her German. She is now fluent in both the spoken and written language, and has
grown to love Germany, the culture and people there.
Maddie is keen to stay in touch with the new friends she has
made, not only those from Germany but also the other exchange students she met
from around the world and also her host families. ‘It was a special feeling to be an ambassador
for New Zealand, which is the furthest country from Germany on earth’, said
Maddie.
Georgina Paskell also just returned from a year in
Aichi in Japan. She spent her year living with several different host
families in Nagoya, Japan whilst she attended Aichi High School, a private
Buddhist school. ‘I really enjoyed making many friends, both at school and
through Rotary’, said Georgina. ‘My highlights were my school trip to Hokkaido,
taking part in my school festival and attending a popular fireworks festival
with the other Rotary exchange students’.
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|
Georgina (centre) with Shaylin (Canada) a
nd Renwick (America),
two other
Exchange students,
trying on kimonos at a textile
store |
‘It will be hard to find a better experience than this exchange’,
she Georgina. She wants Japan to be a part of her future. Whether she
lives in New Zealand or Japan, she expects the Japanese language to be an
important part of her career.
And one student sponsored by the Rotary Club of
Plimmerton just left for her year abroad.
Mihi Gardiner-Parata left Wellington to make her way
to Doullens (two hours north of Paris) where she’ll spend the next twelve
months. The area where Mihi will be living is in the heart of the cemeteries
around the Somme where so many battles took place during the First World War.
At the airport, Mihi said, ‘I am very excited but
haven’t thought much yet past the two days I’ll be spending in Los Angeles with
the other exchange students’. Mihi’s sister, Rakai was at the airport to
farewell her sister and to give her some last-minute tips. She came back to New
Zealand in January 2012 after spending a year in Araraquara in Brazil.
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Mihi, centre, being farewelled by her mother,
Hekia and
sister, Rakai.
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By Wendy Betteridge, Rotary Club of
Plimmerton, Wellington, NZ
