Monday, 5th October
Sunday, 4th October
To be continued...
Saturday, 3rd October
To be continued...
Friday, 2nd October
To be continued...
Thursday, 1st October
To be continued...
Wednesday, 30th September
To be continued...
Tuesday, 29th September
To be continued...
Monday, 28th September
To be continued...
Sunday 27th September
To be continued...
Saturday, 26th September
To be continued...
Friday, 25th September
To be continued...
Thursday 24th September
E I D D A Y
Wednesday, 23rd September
To be continued...
Tuesday, 22nd September
To be continued...
Monday 21st September
Exchange reception
Monday 14th September - Friday 18th September
To be continued...
Sunday, 13th September
To be continued...
Saturday, 12th September
To be continued...
Tuesday, 8th September till Friday, 11th September
I awoke this morning at around 4am, 5am and 6am and 7am, as I was coughing the whole night. I went to my 1st period, Human Biology, where we wrote a Practical test on Primate Skulls. I then went to the Health Centre, where I was kept for the rest of the day. I spent the next 3 days in the Health Centre, as I had some sort of an 'Aussie Virus'. The doctor at the health centre saw me on Wednesday morning, and he said that i'll be fine, even though I was seriously sick. I then phoned Mrs Khan, who organised Antibiotics and other medication for me in a matter of a few hours. I'll never forget when my mom called me in the health centre to tell me that she got my GP in Cape town to prescribe medication from SA. I got really angry because once again, my mom failed to realise the entire point of the exchange program, to learn and become independent by doing things for oneself. Getting better, sorting out medication etc was another challenge for me, but my mom, once again, decided to do it for me, which kind of made the whole 'learning-to-do-it-yourself' thing pointless. Nevertheless after a few sickly days in the health centre, i came out ready for the weekend, about 90% fixed up. My hosts picked me up and we went home after a rough week.
Monday, 7th September
I awoke at 7am at my hosts house, and got ready to go the Orthodontist at 8am to fit in my plate for my braces. I then returned back to my hosts at 9am, and I got ready for school. I rode down to the pharmacy to buy something for a sore throat. They gave me a throat spray, which really did help. I then left for school as usual. School was quite the average day, but that evening saw something special take place. At 8pm, we were invited to Mr Walsh (Head of Boarding)'s residence for dessert. We were all allowed to bring a friend from the boarding house with, so I took Jarrod Northey, who is a fellow boarder and a really good friend. So the 5 exchange students and their 5 friends headed off to Mr Walsh's house, where we were spoilt with Ice-cream and Hot Chocolate brownies with all the toppings that one could think of. We spoke about our experiences in the boarding house, experiences in Perth and in Australia as a whole. We also looked at some Aboriginal art and had a few laughs. We left at around 21h30. We then headed back to the boarding house, and fell asleep.
Sunday, 6th September
To be continued...
Saturday, 5th September
Today i went to the Khans. We went...
Monday, 31st August till Friday, 4th September
We awoke at around 7am, where I got ready for school. This next few days saw quite a lot of assessments, as this was the first Monday after the Mid-term break. Since the first half of the term was very disruptive due to the Exmouth camp, it was time for the teachers to get their marks in. I wrote about 6 tests and 5 assessment tasks this week. Tests included Physics (Pressure), History (both Essays on Australia's involvement in WW2), English (group panel discussions on protest poetry), Geography (Wellbeing and Quality of Life), Human Biology (Primates), Commerce tests (Marketing and SWOT Analysis) and Maths tests on Probability. ie. just to name a few!
The week went by just like that, with nothing special in particular. Friday afternoon, I went to my hosts at around 5pm where we had a peaceful night after a drive around City Beach.
Sunday, 30th August
We awoke at around 6:30am, as Amanda got 4 tickets for Theodore, Benedict, Laurence and I to run the 4K City to Surf Marathon. We met up with Jamie (Kings Exchange Student) and his exchange partner, Aron. We ran the race, but I lost everyone after like 500m. I finished the race in 25min, and met up with everyone at the end. We were then directed to Mrs Silbert's house (Friend of Amanda) and dropped back to the Wilsons residence. Theodore, Benedict and I then went to the Downs (IGA - like Spar), where we met up with a few of the boarders. We ordered Hot Chips, then headed back towards Theo's house, when he decided to go to the boarding house instead. I went back home, and waited for Amanda and Dr Ian to come home, as they went for the 10K run. They came back at around 3pm, and one of Amanda's friends came back with them. I then went with Laurance to his friends house, where I picked up my pet fish after our return from Sydney. The afternoon went just like that, and the next thing I knew, it was homework time and then straight to bed.
Saturday, 29th August
Today was a rather typical day. I slept in till about 10pm, then went with Amanda to watch Theodore's Soccer match till around 12. We went to Karrinyup for lunch, where i ordered butter chicken from an indian kiosk take-aways in the food court and Theodore ordered Subway. I then took Dotty for a walk to the Downs, where i met up with some boarders to play a few rounds of pool. I returned home at around 5pm. Amanda and i then went to Nandos to order and pickup dinner. We went to the Nandos in Scarborough. I found that the Aussie Nandos is between 1000 and 1202 times better than the Nandos here in South Africa. I don't know why, but it just is. We went to bed rather early because it had been a real hectic week and we were doing a marathon in the morning.
Friday, 28th August
After school today, I reached the Wilsons residence at around 5pm, when Dr Ian (host-father) took Benedict and I to a 'food hall', which is basically a round floored hall with 20 food stalls specialising in different cuisines from all over the world. Obviously, I went to the North Indian stall and bought Butter-chicken and a Roti. We met Amanda there, and then headed home at around 7pm. Theodore then came home, and asked me to accompany him to the Club Hockey match at the Hale Astroturf with a few of his friends. We went, met up with a few of his friends and headed home. I got lost while walking home, as it was 11pm and they locked the gates that I was familiar with. I then decided to find my way back, which I did after about 30min. I got home, and we went straight to bed.
Thursday, 27th August
Today was Laurence's 12th Birthday!!! After school, I headed straight to the Wilson's residence, where wished Laurence and gave him his 'gift'. Even though I probably gave him the worst of all his gifts, its the thought that counts...right? Theo and I then met Amanda, as Theo and Amanda had a subject choice meeting at Hale. I was then invited by the Wilsons to go out for dinner for Laurences birthday. I requested the 2h leave from the boarding house, but I then found out that I was having dessert with the headmaster of Hale, Mr S Meade that evening at 8pm. No-one told me, as the house master forgot to tell me. So I was allowed the leave, as long as I was back by 19h45. So we went to Innaloo, where we went to a restaurant called 'Sizzler'. Its like 'Kaleidoscope' at Atlantis in Dubai...similar setup. I had a Battered Barramundi with potato wedges. I also had access to the Salad bar, where there were countless types of salads and soups up for grabs #unlimited. We then celebrated Laurence's birthday there, and I had to be back at the boarding house for dessert with the other exchange students and the headmaster at his residence. I arrived at the doors of the headmasters residence at 19h59, where I met my fellow exchange friends, Hugo, Jamie, Rob and Tony. We were welcomed by the headmaster, Mr S Meade, and led into the dining room, where we spoke mostly about the Kings school and footy in Australia. I spoke more to Mrs Meade, as they were in Cape town during the holidays while attending the IBSC Conference on our school campus. We related to so much things, as she told me about the experiences they had whilst summiting Table Mountain, exploring Cape Point and the Cape Winelands (and something about cherry blossoms!). We were served with a Peanut butter and Ice-cream topped chocolate cake. We then headed back to the boarding house at around 10pm.
Tuesday, 25th August
By the time we got to the car in the Long-term Car-park A, It was already the early hours of the morning. We headed back home, where we just fell asleep. We had to awake at around 7am, as it was a school day. It was day one after the Mid-term break. Theo and I headed up to school at exactly 8:30. We had an excursion to the Perth Zoo, for Human Biology class. We jumped straight in the bus, and reached the zoo in South Perth around 20min later. We had a lecture on Primates, and then had a field-trip worksheet to do. We ended at around 11:30am, and were given free time till 13:10. I went to the restaurant, and ordered a Peri Peri Chicken with chips. I then bought a 1m long kangaroo stuffed animal for my little sister at the Perth Zoo Gift Shop. Yes, I had to carry that thing all the way back to school. We then went back to school, where we still had2 more periods till the end of school. After school, Mrs Khan kindly dropped off a parcel with one of my favourite edible delicacies (goti-halwa). I then went to the Wilsons residence to fetch my luggage, and then headed back to the boarding house. I had tons of homework to do, so got that done and hit the hay!
Monday, 24th August
We awoke quite early, as we had tons to do on our last day in Wondrous Sydney. We packed our bags, and had to catch a cab. I stood at the pedestrian crossing, where I stood for like 10min trying to get a cab. I thought that being from South Africa, i'd be a pro at this, but obviously not. Eventually, we I caught a cab, and we headed to the Australian National Maritime Museum, where we wandered through the exhibits. We then went for lunch, where I ordered a Seafood Mac&Cheese. It was yum! Theodore and I then headed to Madam Tussauds, where we took countless selfies with famous people. I got a photo with Barack Obama, Nelson 'Rolihlahla' Mandela, Iron Man, Spider Man, Steve Irwin, and Leonardo Da Caprio, just to name a few. After a blast, we headed to the Sydney National Airport. The Domestic Airport is the size of Cape Town International Airport! Its huge, with every store you can think of inside. I had some Maccas (McDonalds) for a snack before we left. I also had a few rounds on one of those massaging chairs. We boarded the 8pm flight back to Perth. We spent around 40min taxiing to the runway, as we had to wait for 12 planes to land and 7 to depart before us. We just stood on the taxi-way... We eventually left, and headed back for Perth. We landed at around 11pm, Perth local time.
Sunday, 23rd August
I awoke at around 8:30am, as Aunty Yumna and Uncle Adam was coming to fetch Theodore and I for breakfast. We went to an Israeli restaurant in a shopping mall, where we had a very interesting breakfast. It was a poached egg in this tomato 'curry' sauce thing with everything good in it! It was spectacular, and Theodore and I enjoyed it a lot. I also played Theodore in a game of chess while we waited for our food. I used the Sicilian Defence, and won the game (it was a close ending). We then hit the Apple store, where I priced a few things for personal use. Afterward, we were dropped back at home. I then greeted them as I wasn't going to see them till December! I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Aunt Yumna and Uncle Adam for having Theodore and I for the two days. It was a truly amazing experience, and it wont go without saying that we had a blast...Thank You!
We then had to catch a ferry across to Manly, which is the Northern Coast of Sydney. It was quite a long ferry ride, but we jetted through the Sydney harbour, and this gave us all another view of the city from the northern side. We reached Manly, where we disembarked the ferry, and met Dr Ian's cousin. He lives in Manly, so we went to his house, where we had a 'lekker' dinner (roast chicken and all that goes with it!). We then played some games, chatted and boarded the ferry back to Circular Quay. This was our last night in Sydney, so we hit the hay shortly after.
Saturday, 22nd August
We awoke at around 10am, got ready and left for the Sydney Red Topless Bus Station. We hopped on upstairs, where we were given a guided tour around the CBD, with live commentary in 6 different languages. We hopped off the bus in Bondi Beach, which is probably the most prime beach in Australia. We just about reached, and I headed for the T-shirt store, where I bought Theodore and I a souvenir shirt. Aunt Yumna had fetched me in Bondi Beach, and took me out for the rest of the day. We went to go and fetch her husband, Uncle Adam at the University, as he was doing and MBA. We went to the Jamie Oliver Restaurant in town, where I ordered a prawn pasta. We then drove around to places such as the Sydney Harbour National Park, where we went for an amazing walk. We were at the point where the ocean was, overlooking the city of Sydney from once again, another angle. Its truly an amazing city. We then went to a place called "The Gap", which is basically a place in Sydney where people travel all over the world to come to commit suicide. Up to 300 people lose their lives at that point annually. that's nearly 6 a week. We then headed to a nearby viewing point, where we watched the sunset over the city. Once again, another perspective! We then drove the their flat, where we chatted, cooked dinner and 'caught up'. We had Butter-chicken for dinner, with rice and parathas. I was definitely a satisfied customer! I was then dropped back at a friend of my hosts residence, where I met up with Theodore, Benedict and Laurance. A few minutes later, my hosts had returned from a Jazz festival. We then called a cab, and drove home, where we fell asleep as soon as we saw our beds.
Friday, 21st August
We awoke at around 9am, but only got out of the house at around 1pm, as Theodore, Benedict, Laurance and I had tickets for the "Oz Jet Boating experience', which is basically a red 20 seater speed boat, that does stunts on the Sydney Harbour. We did Canon-balls, Doughnuts etc. We were so wet after that, that we had to go change our clothes back at the house shortly afterwards. We just walked around until in was about 3h30pm, as we had to meet at the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb centre, as we had booked tickets to climb the bridge in the evening. We were briefed about safety precautions, got our 'space-like' suits, harnesses and equipment, and hit the bridge. Benedict, Theodore and I led the group in the front, with the rest of the 16 people following. We summited to the top of the bridge, taking pictures and video's on the way. It was amazing views of the city, with clear skies and no wind. The views of the city were spectacular, seeing all the high rise buildings, skyscrapers and of course, a view of the Sydney Opera house from another angle. It truly is a work of art. I admired it ever since I set my eyes on it. We summited the bridge, and hiked down again. It was an unforgettable experience. We headed back home, when we came across a little Turkish restaurant. We stopped there, had kebabs, and then headed back home. We watched a bit of TV, then shortly after hit the hay.
Thursday, 20th August
We landed in Sydney at around 6am local Sydney time, where we left the airport without the stress of baggage claims. We got a taxi almost instantly, and headed for about a 20min drive through the city until we reached our residence for the next few days...'The Rocks'. We were literally 30sec away from the Circular Quay, where one overlooks the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the world famous Sydney Opera House. We put our bags down, checked out our cute 4 story Victorian home, and fell asleep till 1pm, as it was still early morning. We awoke at 1pm, and then headed out to explore the Quay. I set my eyes on the Opera house for the first time, and I was truly amazed. I've seen it on pictures, but now I was looking at it in real life. Its truly a view worth seeing. We stopped at a 100% Italian restaurant, where everything from the waiter to the menu was in Italian. I had a seafood pizza, which was scrumptious. We walked along the quay, stopped at the Opera house, where we bought tickets for an opera show that evening called "The marriage of Figaro". We headed back all excited to see our first opera show at the Iconic Sydney Opera House in just a few hours. We headed back, and Amanda made us Carbonara Pasta, and we headed back to the Opera house. We had a 7 o'clock show, so we ran to be on time. We made it by the hair on our teeth, sat down and had an experience of a lifetime. It was in Spanish, so we had to read the subtitles on a little screen, but the experience was fulfilling. Tickets ranged from like $450 to see the show. It was really outrageous, but it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. At half-time, Theodore was half asleep, and we were all still tired from the flight in the morning. We headed back to our house, and hit the hay.
Wednesday, 19th August
Today saw the last academic day before the Boarder's Long Weekend aka Mid-term Break. Tonight was our flight to Sydney, which would take up 140% of the weekend. Even though the break only started Thursday afternoon, we had a flight the previous evening. School went smoothly, but after school, I packed by bag, left it in the boarding house, and walked to the Wilson's residence. Theo and I came back to the boarding house at around 5ish to play some pool and fetch my bags. We greeted all my friends at the boarding house, saluted the Sydney Exchange students and then walked to the Wilsons residence. We had Nando's for dinner, then prepared to leave for the airport. Dotty and Bruce (the two dogs) were dropped in the kennels earlier in the afternoon. We took twilson (fish) to Tarini (Amanda's good Sri Lankan friend). After packing all our bags into the boot, we left for the airport at around 9:30pm. We arrived at Perth National Airport (domestic terminal), where we boarded JQ989 to Sydney. We left on time, and had a 4h flight ahead of us, plus a 2h time difference (4+2=6h!).
Sunday, 16th August
I awoke at around 8am, showered and had some delicious home-made pancakes, muffins and doughnuts for breakfast. We (Mr & Mrs Khan, Munaaf, Minaaz and I) headed off to Whiteman Park, where we saw many of the wildlife that dwell in Australia. I got the opportunity to feed a kangaroo, which was definitely a highlight. We also met up with Mr Khans brother and his family at the park. From there, we headed to a local restaurant for Kebabs. Like I mentioned before, a Kebab in Australia in not what we all think. It isn't chicken on a stick over the fire, but rather like a taco. I, once again, loved it. We then headed home, refreshed ourselves, then headed to Hillary's Boat Harbour, where I had a Bubblegum Icecream (for those who don't know, its my favourite!) and Churos. We then headed home, and shortly went to Mr Khans brothers residence for a dinner invite, as well as a weekly prayer service (Qadri khatam shareef). We had roast chicken with salads and everything that goes with it! We had the 20min service, where I met the rest of the Khan family. They were all increadibly friendly and welcoming, and I appreciate their great hospitality! We then returned back home, as it was already around 10pm, and it was school the next morning.
Saturday, 15th August
I had a hockey match this morning, against Wesley College. It was the last match of the season, so we decided to play tough. We managed to win the game 3-2. After the match, I took a shower and Amanda and I went to fetch 'Milly'(Amanda's mother, who stays in a caring home, because she has Alzheimer's and Dementia) at her room, took her to Amanda's sisters home, where we had 4 o'clock tea, where we chatted about Exchange thus far, Cape Town and whats coming. We then dropped Milly back at her room, and Amanda dropped me off at the Khan residence, where I was to spend the rest of the weekend. I arrived at their home at around 6ish. That night, Mr Khans brother and family came over, and we made pizza in their pizza oven. We watched a few movies, played Fifa 2015 and headed off to bed.
Friday, 14th August
I awoke extra early this morning, as Theo was coming back today from camp, His bus was due to arrive at 7am, so I decided that I'd surprise him at the bus. I met him there, and all we could talk about was how we both were starved on the islands on the camp. Amanda came to fetch him, and I went back to class. After school, I headed back to the Wilson's residence, as it was the weekend. I got back at around 5pm, when Amanda told me that we were meeting up with a friend of theirs for dinner at a restaurant called Saffron in Floreat Forum. We headed off, and I had BUTTERCHICKEN again. Theo and I just flashed back to camp some more, comparing the abseiling and rock climbing experiences. Theo's group also, by accident of course, set the park alight while burning their faeces. Apparently they had to call the helicopter to bring water to put the fire out. Lets just say that it was quite a reflective evening.
Wednesday, 12th August
The bus arrived 3h late at the school campus. I got off, gathered my bags and met my host-father, Dr Wilson there. He took me home. I looked at myself for the first time in 10-days. I looked like an Aboriginal Australian (haha). I took a shower, groomed myself back to a comfortable view and had some Butterchicken for lunch. I just chilled the rest of the day, as I was really tired. It took me about an hour to remember my passwords for my laptop and cell-phone, as I had completely forgotten about technology (surprisingly). I headed back to the boarding house that evening, and went straight to bed.
Monday, 3rd August till Wednesday, 12th August
After a long bus ride up north of the WA province, we finally reached Exmouth. Even though it was a 14h bus ride, we only covered a third of the coast of the WA province. We got off the bus, were provided with breakfast, issued our rucksacks and packed our equipment into them. We were then lectured about the dangers and precautions on the camp. We were taught basic first aid, and briefed about what was to come. We then had lunch, and took an hour and a half bus ride to the West coast of the Exmouth Peninsula. We arrived, and were issued with tents, which we would sleep in for the duration of the camp. My tent partner was Brodie. We were then issued with 'group items', which is basically an item that we had to carry and look after throughout the camp. I had to keep the 'Disso and brush'. We were then placed into 'Wok Groups', which is basically a group of 3 or 4 who will be working together to cook food everyday and to carry the food for the next 10 days. I had Justin, Shale and Josh (aka funny guy) in my group. We worked well together, and i enjoyed being the Masterchef for a few nights. By the time we were all sorted out, it was nearly sunset, so we set up camp at the base camp called 'Bungalup' on the West Coast of the Exmouth Peninsula. Sunset was definitely a highlight every night without fail. I would just sit on the rocks and admire the Sun setting and the Moon raising, and the stars coming! I have never seen that much stars before. The sky was so clear that every star was visible. We were told stories about the true dwellers of the Australian soil, the Aboriginal people, of how they used stars to tell and predict the future. We then went to bed.
The next few days included sea kayaking along the North West Coast of Australia, along the Ningaloo Reef. We went snorkelling in the reefs, where the water was crystal clear. A few days later, we then had to begin the Range. The range is a 3-day hike across the Exmouth Peninsula, approximately 30km wide. We had to carry all our food, clothing and equipment in rucksacks for the 10days. During the last day and night at Scrape (camp-site), we did rock-climbing(which I enjoyed), and abseiled off the Mandu-Mandu Gorge. I was incredibly terrified of the fact that I had to lean back off a cliff, with only a rope holding my life. After a push, I was abseiling! That evening, we had a solo-night, where we all slept about 100m apart from each other. It was a mystical evening, with me just looking up into the crystal clear skies filled with stars and the pale white moon lighting up the sky. The following day we went to the Islands, which was the last section of the camp. We were quite unfortunate as there were terribly dangerous winds across the coast when we reached the beach after a 1h bus ride. Due to this, we were unable to row to the island, but we set up the exact same scenarios on the beach as we would have on the island. It was a ship-wreck scenario. We were starved, given hard-tack, muesli bars and fruit for meals. We were given the opportunity to fish for fish, but we managed to catch 12 octopii and a mud-crab. We also had to build a shelter using the 6 oars, sails and ropes. We did a great job, and no-one slept outside. We also had to do boat watches at night, so for 1h30min, a group of 2 would have to watch the boat so that it didn't get pulled out into sea. My time was from 1:30am-3am. The last day of camp, we headed back to the base camp, packed our bags and set out for the park, where we had lunch, played some games and then headed on the 14h bus ride back to Perth. It was an amazing experience, and even though while on the camp I was dreading it, towards the end, I started thinking about the experience and thinking about the good instead of the bad. Since I made that mind-change, it became an enjoyable time. I am indeed keen to get on the Epic Camp later this year. I'd like to thank Mick and Julie (camp instructors) and Mr McPartland for the amazing time.
Sunday, 2nd August
I awoke at around 8am,and chilled till about 11am, when I was fetched at my residence by the Khan Family. Mr Aslam, Mrs Dilshaad, Munaaf and Minaaz Khan came to fetch me. We drove to the CBD, where we parked and walked around for a bit. We then stopped at a Japanese restaurant, where we had sushi and authentic gourmet Japanese food and delicacies. I had a Californian Rolls (sushi) and xxx. We then carried on and bought some stuff for my camp that night. We went to Woolworths (not the same as Woolworths in South Africa! Its like Pick'n Pay or Checkers) to get some toiletries, and a local camera store to buy a disposable camera to take with on the Exmouth camp that was to depart in 5h. We I was then dropped back at the Wilson residence, where I gathered my stuff and Amanda, Theodore and I left for Hale, where my Expedition would begin. The bus left at around 7ish, and for the next 14h, I just chilled with friends on the bus. When the bus stopped, I bought liquids, snacks and TIM-TAMS! I eventually fell asleep.
Saturday, 1st August
Today, I woke up to a Hockey match at 8am. The opposition team never had enough team players, so we had to surrender 3 of our best players. Due to this, the match became a bit of a friendly game, and we lost. After the defeat by our own team players, I went with Amanda to Karrinyup, where we went to buy some things that I needed for camp the following day. We met up with Travis and his mom in the mall, and we just did some shopping together. We then went for a coffee, and shot back home. As soon as we got home, Theodore came up to us to say that Benedict, Laurance, him and I were invited to dinner and a movie at a friends house just down the road. I was a bit stunned, as this was indeed very new to me. A few seconds later, a car pulled him, and came to fetch us. I couldn't help myself but to decline the invite, as in my culture, an invite usually happens at least a few days in advanced, and its arranged between the parents and its just...different. In this case, we were invited 5 minutes before the car came. I just never felt right, so I said that i'd pop in after to say hi. Benedict went with them, and Theodore, Laurance and I stayed behind. I told Theodore to go, but he refused to go without me. I then got a distress call from my mom in Cape Town, saying that the Hale School wants last minute letters and medical/dietary forms to be filled out, the evening before camp! I had to act quickly, so after dinner at my hosts house, we printed out all the respective forms, filled them out and got everything sorted out on the last minute. I then got a phone call from the Khan family, requesting a few hours the following day to take out to town for lunch. I accepted, and then left to the family that had invited us, and we just hung out for an hour or so, chatting and having a ball. We then left, and headed home, where I backed my bag for camp the following day.
Friday, 31st July
Friday saw the end of the academic week at Hale, and just 2 days before the Exmouth Camp on Sunday. I stopped in the Hale Parking Lot, where I met up with the Khan Family. We caught up for what felt like 90min (it actually was). I finally met Munaaf and Jaabir, who are in Year 9 at Hale. We talked, and later on I went to my host family. My hosts treated me to a movie at the Innaloo Cinema, which happened to be a Bollywood movie: Bhajrangi Bhaijaan. It was a typical full three hour Indian movie, but it had a bit of a spark in it, that separated it from the rest of the blockbusters. I wouldn't be surprised if it won the Movie of the Year! We then returned home, and hit the hay.
Saturday, 25th July & Sunday, 26th July
Saturday, saw Theodore and I playing our sport matches at the Trinity Playing Fields. I was involved in a hockey match, and we won 7-0. Theodore played a Football match, but sadly they lost. During my match, I was at the goal posts, and the ball came onto my stick, and the Goal-keeper slammed me over with his armour-like gear, and stood on my knee, which i swear made a crackling sound. I got up though, and carried on. However, on the bus-ride back to school, I let it lay flat on the bus, and when i got up to disembark the bus, it cracked again, but this crack was more painful. Theodore wanted to watch the 1st Team AFL Match, and as much as i didn't want to turn down his request that i stay with him, i had to decline, as my knee was really sore. I took a walk down the road, using my hockey stick (upside down) as a walking stick, got to my hosts house, and just chilled. It was my host-fathers birthday, and i had no idea. I felt so bad, as i was staying under his roof, but i didn't know that it was his birthday. Ashamed, tired and embarrassed, i went straight to my room. Amanda (host-mother) and I went around, did some grocery shopping together, and headed home again. That evening, it was one of Theodore's friends' Sweet 16th Birthday bash, and I was apparently invited! So Theodore and I went, where we met up with a few other fella's from the Boarding house. We had a good time, and returned home at around 11ish. Theodore then got an invite then and there, to come over to watch the Rugby match (South Africa vs New Zealand) at one of his friends home (Flinn), just 4 houses away. We went, watched the game, slept over, awoke the following morning, had DELICIOUS crumpets, that were made by Flinn's mother. We then went back to Theo's house, as it was Sunday! Theodore had a Footy match at around 1pm, so we dropped him off and did a few errands, then joint Dr Ian at the game. Their team lost, which was a bit of a downer, but they still played some great footy! Amanda bought me a pet fish, a Siamese Killer Fish, which i put in my cubicle in the boarding house. It was then the end of the short weekend, and I headed back to the boarding house.
Friday, 24th July
Friday, the end of the academic week! At 4pm, i took a walk down to my hosts residence, just a few blocks down the road from school. That night, i was invited, along with the other Exchange students and a few of the boarders to a Year 10 Social, hosted by Perth College. It was a nice occasion, and i met some of the other exchange students from a few of the other schools in Perth. I returned home at around 10pm.
Thursday, 23rd July
Thursday, I went to hockey practice, and i was told that i was being put into the first team. This surprised me, since as Bishops, i usually play in a lower team. I was, too, told that i was playing a match against Trinity College (The RBHS of Perth) on Saturday. I was too thrilled, that i ran all the way to the boarding house, sprinted up the staircase and aggressively opened my door... (I was so excited, that i forgot where i was, and that i was 20 000km away from home. I was so happy, that i forgot that i was on exchange, and thought that my brother was at home, and that i could run and tell him... but i realised that he wasnt there only when i opened my room door.) I just stood at the door for a minute, as i realised that there was no-one there...just me. I gently closed my door, curled up on my bed, and spent a few minutes flashing back to happier memories. I think that this was the first time since i left Cape Town, that i actually felt something, that something was missing. I cant explain it. But anyway, the day carried on as normal after that.
Tuesday, 21st July
I awoke at 5h30, as i wanted to get done before everyone else, so that i wouldn't be late for my first day of school (i have never stayed in a boarding house, as you've probably noticed). I showered, shaved and made sure that everything was tip-top perfect. I spent 25minz on Youtube, watching video's on how to tie the perfect Windsor tie.
At exactly 7h30, Roll-call was taken, and we went for breakfast, which is just out-of-this-world! Its a 3-course meal, starting with cereal (5 to choose from), then Eggs (done however you want them, but everyday its done in a different way) with toast, cold meats and everything, followed by yoghurt with fruit. There is also freshly squeezed juices, and with 5 to choose from, i had absolutely no problem! After a filling breakfast, we headed at class at 8h32. My first lesson was Geography with Mr Walsh (Yes, it took me 22 minz to find the classroom!). After an introduction to the semesters content, we got onto the work immediately. We had a few discussions about the Geography in South Africa, as i was a South African amongst 20 other Australians, so they all learnt a bit from me, like for eg. how South Africa has 3 capital cities! At Hale, they have 2 breaks. One 15min break called 'Recess' and another 40min break called 'Lunch'. These two breaks are separated by 3 periods. Hale has 8 Periods everyday, with a Period 5A, where Assemblies, House Meetings and Chapel Services are held. If there is no service taking place during this period, then the Period 5 class continues for the duration of Period 5A. It is a bit confusing, but it makes sense. I was served a snack at Recess, which was a classic chicken roll wit everything on it! Lunch, i was served with CURRY! School ended at 15h25, and i then ran back to Wilson House (name of the Senior Boarding House), threw my hockey gear on and tried to find the hockey practice amongst the jungle of a campus. After seeking directions from 5 people, i finally found the field, being 15minz late for practice, i was sent for a bit of a run! Practice was good, and ended at around 5ish. I then ran back to Wilson house, showered and put on my Hale School attire again, as after dinner, we had a 'Start-of-Term Eucharist' Service in the chapel. Dinner was, once again a 3-course meal, with a soup or salad as a starter, Pasta for main course and Ice-cream with Chocolate sauce for dessert. I then dragged myself to chapel, as i think i over-ate! We had a very different type of Eucharist service. At Bishops, we had an Organ, the verses were sang with the organ, and it was just more...traditional. At Hale, we just read the verses, and the hymns had different lyrics to what i had learnt. It just felt weird, but it was still a sacred time of worship, so i just respected the Communion, and went up for a blessing. After Chapel, it was Prep from 19h00 till 20h45. This is the time that is compulsory for us to do our homework. It is indeed very strict, as teachers walk around the boarding house, to check up on your homework progress (ie. we are allowed to work in our rooms). At 20h45 till 21h25, he are allowed access to social media, such as Skype, Facebook etc in order to communicate with family/friends. At 21h30, Roll call is taken, and we are then sent to our rooms for the night. I had soooo much homework, that i worked till 11pm. I dont think that Bishops assigns a third of the homework that Hale does. I had homework for each and every subject. The thing with Hale is, is that almost everything is 'self-study', whereas Bishops, we get taught the work, and can refer to the notes to study. At Hale, the teacher is there if there are any questions, but one gets given a booklet of notes and worksheets, and one has to work through these during class and homework times. In a way, it is a good thing, as its ones own responsibility to ensure that one is on par with the rest of the class, and if one is absent, then one can do the work at home. Also, it gives one a chance to comprehend the content better, as one can learn at a speed that is comfortable. Anyways, i headed off to bed, as i knew that the following day would be another hectic day...of getting lost!
Monday, 20th July
The next morning, i awoke at around 11, and Theodore suggested a trip to the Downs (shops just down the road, no pun intended). Theodore, Benedict (brother), Laurance (brother) and I had breakfast at the bakery there, and then headed back home, as i needed to sign into the Boarding house before 1pm.
I packed all my suitcases back into the car, and Amanda, Theodore, Benedict and I left for my new school for the next term, the Hale College. I arrived at the front door of the boarding house, with my legs twitching and my head filled with thrill. I ran in. The head of the house, head of Year 10's and the house-mothers were all there. All the other exchange guys had arrived: Hugo Mackenzie-hood & Jamie Mcdonald from the Kings School, Sydney; Tony Ferreira from Uplands College - Mpumalanga, RSA; Robert Bromley from St Johns College - Johannesburg, RSA; and myself, Rayhaan Ahmed from Bishops Diocesan College - Cape Town, RSA. We were the 5 exchange students at Hale for the year 2015. We went straight into uniforms, then got our school laptops. We then chilled till around 8ish, when we had a house meeting, as all the boarders arrived from 6-8pm. We were introduced to the Wilson house (its just a coincidence that the house that i am in on the school campus, and the surname of my hosts, are the same). I lucky enough to get my own room, which was a bit of a gamble, as there are 3 rooms and 5 students, so the two Sydney Exchange guys shared one room, and the other 2 RSA students are sharing another, and I have a single room to myself. Its just luck (i think). I slept at around 1am, as my sleeping patterns were still out by 4h.
Sunday, 19th July
Sunday morning came, the day of departure. Luckily, my flight was only in the late afternoon, so i could still see a bit more before leaving. We attempted, once again, to go to the Daisy Hill Koala Centre, where we made it with heaps of time to spare. I saw a Koala bear for the first time...such cute little creatures!
We then drove a bit more around town, and then the time came. 14h30.....time to leave for the airport. I threw everything back in my suitcase, and we left for the domestic airport. I checked in, boarded and took off for Perth, as school was starting the following day! I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Mr & Mrs Zalgaonkir, Dilnawaaz, Muneebah and Mohd. Zeeshaan for hosting me in Brisbane, taking their precious time off to show me a bit of Brisbane, and for the 200% Effort that was put in to ensure that i was always comfortable, happy and all sorted out. Their hospitality was, too, out of this world, and i cant thank them enough for the opportunity. THANK YOU!
After sadly leaving the hosts in Brisbane, i had another 5h flight ahead of me, which i was very confused on. I couldn't sleep, nor could i stay awake. I was a mess... I think that the 24h journey from Cape Town to Perth was already quite hectic, and then just a few short days later, i saw myself on another flight to Brisbane, then another 4 days later, i left back for Perth. Maybe i wasnt completely over the jet-lag yet...(what am i saying? I don't get jet-lag!! haha)
I landed in Perth at around 20h45, where i met a family that my parents have been communicating with to ensure that i am alright! Yes, its the Khan family. They came to meet me at the airport. Dr Wilson was also there to take me back to Wembley Downs. I left with him, got home and went to bed...zzz
Saturday, 18th July
Saturday Morning, EID DAY!!! I awoke at around 6am, shower, shaved and put on my Eid clothes, and got in the car in order to make it to the mosque prayer service. There was easily 1000 people that attended the service. I didn't think that there were so many muslims in Brisbane (haha).
After the short service, we headed to the grave-yard. I found this to be rather interesting. A gigantic piece of land was dedicated to those who has passed on. So the entire graveyard holds the bodies of all religions. Christians, Muslims and Jews are buried in the same graveyard. Obviously, they are all separated by a few plots of ground. Just in the Muslim section alone, i saw many different types of graves, such as those who were Persian, Malaysian, Iraqi, Spanish etc. All the different nationalities all buried the same, but their graves all looked different. Even in the Christian section, i saw tombs where families were buried in. This is something that i've never seen before! Anyways, we then went home for breakfast. Shortly afterwards, heaps (slang:lots) of people started coming to greet us. Family after family, they kept us busy the whole day!
That evening, we shot off to the Gold Coast, a tourist holiday destination thats just a 45min drive out of Brisbane. Along the road, we saw all the Theme parks, such as Water-world and Movie-world, and many more. We reached the Gold Coast...what a beautiful place it is. It truly is the surfers paradise! The first thing we did was feel the sand...wow! It was like icing sugar...white, soft and fine. We then went to a Take-Away place called Baha Grill Kebab & Pizza. We all ordered kebabs, now a kebab here isn't a kebab like we all know it (ie. spiced chicken on a skewer), its like a wrap, but with EVERYTHING inside! I loved it, and wouldn't mind flying back for another! We then drove down to the docking area, where i was shown what happened a few years ago when the Brisbane river overflowed, and the city was flooded. I was fascinated by how just a simple overflow could cause such disaster in such an economically developed city, state and country. But i guess if it were meant to happen, it WILL happen! We then drove back to Parkinson, and fell asleep the very millisecond our heads touched the pillow on our beds, but a little earlier (ie. in the car) on the way home already for some.
Friday, 17th July
The following morning, Zeeshaan and I played Nintendo Wii for like what felt like the whole day. At 12pm, we headed to the mosque for the weekly prayer, then jetted off to the Daisy Hill Koala Centre, where we intended to see some koala's (i haven't seen one before). After driving for about 30minz, we reached an empty parking lot at 16h10, to find the gate shut with a sign saying, "Sorry we closed...at 4pm)". We then drove back towards Parkinson, when a distress call made its way to Mr Zalgaonkir's phone. The oven had broken down, and was irreparable. We were at least 40km away from home, and still had pizza to pick up and other errands to do. We then rushed home, and Mr Zalgaonkir sprinted off to buy a new oven at 17:15, and the stores all close at half past five in Brisbane. After buying a new one, they delivered it in a ute (slang:Utility Vehicle), installed it and it worked like a bomb. We then sighted the moon, and the announcement was made, that Eid would be the next day. We all then broke our fast, and started to feel the celebration of Eid in the air. The sweet smell of Falooda (Badam Milk - Pink Milkshake - Persian) was sniffing its way through the house. Eid had arrived. I then got all my Eid clothes ready for the following day. Mrs Zalgaonkir was still cooking and baking till the early hours of the morning, and I commend her on keeping her word on keeping up the Eid traditions of sweet-meats, savouries and delicacies. Zeeshaan and I carried on playing Wii Sports, with me dominating in Boxing, Golf and Bowling, and him thrashing me in Tennis and Base-ball. We ordered Sam's Pizza, which is probably the best pizza i've tasted since i left SA. We then retired to bed, as tomorrow was the big day.
Monday, 5th October
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E I D D A Y
Wednesday, 23rd September
To be continued...
To be continued...
Monday 21st September
Exchange reception
Monday 14th September - Friday 18th September
To be continued...Sunday, 13th September
Saturday, 12th September
To be continued...
Tuesday, 8th September till Friday, 11th September
I awoke this morning at around 4am, 5am and 6am and 7am, as I was coughing the whole night. I went to my 1st period, Human Biology, where we wrote a Practical test on Primate Skulls. I then went to the Health Centre, where I was kept for the rest of the day. I spent the next 3 days in the Health Centre, as I had some sort of an 'Aussie Virus'. The doctor at the health centre saw me on Wednesday morning, and he said that i'll be fine, even though I was seriously sick. I then phoned Mrs Khan, who organised Antibiotics and other medication for me in a matter of a few hours. I'll never forget when my mom called me in the health centre to tell me that she got my GP in Cape town to prescribe medication from SA. I got really angry because once again, my mom failed to realise the entire point of the exchange program, to learn and become independent by doing things for oneself. Getting better, sorting out medication etc was another challenge for me, but my mom, once again, decided to do it for me, which kind of made the whole 'learning-to-do-it-yourself' thing pointless. Nevertheless after a few sickly days in the health centre, i came out ready for the weekend, about 90% fixed up. My hosts picked me up and we went home after a rough week.
Monday, 7th September
I awoke at 7am at my hosts house, and got ready to go the Orthodontist at 8am to fit in my plate for my braces. I then returned back to my hosts at 9am, and I got ready for school. I rode down to the pharmacy to buy something for a sore throat. They gave me a throat spray, which really did help. I then left for school as usual. School was quite the average day, but that evening saw something special take place. At 8pm, we were invited to Mr Walsh (Head of Boarding)'s residence for dessert. We were all allowed to bring a friend from the boarding house with, so I took Jarrod Northey, who is a fellow boarder and a really good friend. So the 5 exchange students and their 5 friends headed off to Mr Walsh's house, where we were spoilt with Ice-cream and Hot Chocolate brownies with all the toppings that one could think of. We spoke about our experiences in the boarding house, experiences in Perth and in Australia as a whole. We also looked at some Aboriginal art and had a few laughs. We left at around 21h30. We then headed back to the boarding house, and fell asleep.
Sunday, 6th September
To be continued...
Saturday, 5th September
Today i went to the Khans. We went...
Monday, 31st August till Friday, 4th September
We awoke at around 7am, where I got ready for school. This next few days saw quite a lot of assessments, as this was the first Monday after the Mid-term break. Since the first half of the term was very disruptive due to the Exmouth camp, it was time for the teachers to get their marks in. I wrote about 6 tests and 5 assessment tasks this week. Tests included Physics (Pressure), History (both Essays on Australia's involvement in WW2), English (group panel discussions on protest poetry), Geography (Wellbeing and Quality of Life), Human Biology (Primates), Commerce tests (Marketing and SWOT Analysis) and Maths tests on Probability. ie. just to name a few!
The week went by just like that, with nothing special in particular. Friday afternoon, I went to my hosts at around 5pm where we had a peaceful night after a drive around City Beach.
Sunday, 30th August
We awoke at around 6:30am, as Amanda got 4 tickets for Theodore, Benedict, Laurence and I to run the 4K City to Surf Marathon. We met up with Jamie (Kings Exchange Student) and his exchange partner, Aron. We ran the race, but I lost everyone after like 500m. I finished the race in 25min, and met up with everyone at the end. We were then directed to Mrs Silbert's house (Friend of Amanda) and dropped back to the Wilsons residence. Theodore, Benedict and I then went to the Downs (IGA - like Spar), where we met up with a few of the boarders. We ordered Hot Chips, then headed back towards Theo's house, when he decided to go to the boarding house instead. I went back home, and waited for Amanda and Dr Ian to come home, as they went for the 10K run. They came back at around 3pm, and one of Amanda's friends came back with them. I then went with Laurance to his friends house, where I picked up my pet fish after our return from Sydney. The afternoon went just like that, and the next thing I knew, it was homework time and then straight to bed.
Saturday, 29th August
Today was a rather typical day. I slept in till about 10pm, then went with Amanda to watch Theodore's Soccer match till around 12. We went to Karrinyup for lunch, where i ordered butter chicken from an indian kiosk take-aways in the food court and Theodore ordered Subway. I then took Dotty for a walk to the Downs, where i met up with some boarders to play a few rounds of pool. I returned home at around 5pm. Amanda and i then went to Nandos to order and pickup dinner. We went to the Nandos in Scarborough. I found that the Aussie Nandos is between 1000 and 1202 times better than the Nandos here in South Africa. I don't know why, but it just is. We went to bed rather early because it had been a real hectic week and we were doing a marathon in the morning.
Friday, 28th August
After school today, I reached the Wilsons residence at around 5pm, when Dr Ian (host-father) took Benedict and I to a 'food hall', which is basically a round floored hall with 20 food stalls specialising in different cuisines from all over the world. Obviously, I went to the North Indian stall and bought Butter-chicken and a Roti. We met Amanda there, and then headed home at around 7pm. Theodore then came home, and asked me to accompany him to the Club Hockey match at the Hale Astroturf with a few of his friends. We went, met up with a few of his friends and headed home. I got lost while walking home, as it was 11pm and they locked the gates that I was familiar with. I then decided to find my way back, which I did after about 30min. I got home, and we went straight to bed.
Thursday, 27th August
Today was Laurence's 12th Birthday!!! After school, I headed straight to the Wilson's residence, where wished Laurence and gave him his 'gift'. Even though I probably gave him the worst of all his gifts, its the thought that counts...right? Theo and I then met Amanda, as Theo and Amanda had a subject choice meeting at Hale. I was then invited by the Wilsons to go out for dinner for Laurences birthday. I requested the 2h leave from the boarding house, but I then found out that I was having dessert with the headmaster of Hale, Mr S Meade that evening at 8pm. No-one told me, as the house master forgot to tell me. So I was allowed the leave, as long as I was back by 19h45. So we went to Innaloo, where we went to a restaurant called 'Sizzler'. Its like 'Kaleidoscope' at Atlantis in Dubai...similar setup. I had a Battered Barramundi with potato wedges. I also had access to the Salad bar, where there were countless types of salads and soups up for grabs #unlimited. We then celebrated Laurence's birthday there, and I had to be back at the boarding house for dessert with the other exchange students and the headmaster at his residence. I arrived at the doors of the headmasters residence at 19h59, where I met my fellow exchange friends, Hugo, Jamie, Rob and Tony. We were welcomed by the headmaster, Mr S Meade, and led into the dining room, where we spoke mostly about the Kings school and footy in Australia. I spoke more to Mrs Meade, as they were in Cape town during the holidays while attending the IBSC Conference on our school campus. We related to so much things, as she told me about the experiences they had whilst summiting Table Mountain, exploring Cape Point and the Cape Winelands (and something about cherry blossoms!). We were served with a Peanut butter and Ice-cream topped chocolate cake. We then headed back to the boarding house at around 10pm.
Today was Laurence's 12th Birthday!!! After school, I headed straight to the Wilson's residence, where wished Laurence and gave him his 'gift'. Even though I probably gave him the worst of all his gifts, its the thought that counts...right? Theo and I then met Amanda, as Theo and Amanda had a subject choice meeting at Hale. I was then invited by the Wilsons to go out for dinner for Laurences birthday. I requested the 2h leave from the boarding house, but I then found out that I was having dessert with the headmaster of Hale, Mr S Meade that evening at 8pm. No-one told me, as the house master forgot to tell me. So I was allowed the leave, as long as I was back by 19h45. So we went to Innaloo, where we went to a restaurant called 'Sizzler'. Its like 'Kaleidoscope' at Atlantis in Dubai...similar setup. I had a Battered Barramundi with potato wedges. I also had access to the Salad bar, where there were countless types of salads and soups up for grabs #unlimited. We then celebrated Laurence's birthday there, and I had to be back at the boarding house for dessert with the other exchange students and the headmaster at his residence. I arrived at the doors of the headmasters residence at 19h59, where I met my fellow exchange friends, Hugo, Jamie, Rob and Tony. We were welcomed by the headmaster, Mr S Meade, and led into the dining room, where we spoke mostly about the Kings school and footy in Australia. I spoke more to Mrs Meade, as they were in Cape town during the holidays while attending the IBSC Conference on our school campus. We related to so much things, as she told me about the experiences they had whilst summiting Table Mountain, exploring Cape Point and the Cape Winelands (and something about cherry blossoms!). We were served with a Peanut butter and Ice-cream topped chocolate cake. We then headed back to the boarding house at around 10pm.
By the time we got to the car in the Long-term Car-park A, It was already the early hours of the morning. We headed back home, where we just fell asleep. We had to awake at around 7am, as it was a school day. It was day one after the Mid-term break. Theo and I headed up to school at exactly 8:30. We had an excursion to the Perth Zoo, for Human Biology class. We jumped straight in the bus, and reached the zoo in South Perth around 20min later. We had a lecture on Primates, and then had a field-trip worksheet to do. We ended at around 11:30am, and were given free time till 13:10. I went to the restaurant, and ordered a Peri Peri Chicken with chips. I then bought a 1m long kangaroo stuffed animal for my little sister at the Perth Zoo Gift Shop. Yes, I had to carry that thing all the way back to school. We then went back to school, where we still had2 more periods till the end of school. After school, Mrs Khan kindly dropped off a parcel with one of my favourite edible delicacies (goti-halwa). I then went to the Wilsons residence to fetch my luggage, and then headed back to the boarding house. I had tons of homework to do, so got that done and hit the hay!
We awoke quite early, as we had tons to do on our last day in Wondrous Sydney. We packed our bags, and had to catch a cab. I stood at the pedestrian crossing, where I stood for like 10min trying to get a cab. I thought that being from South Africa, i'd be a pro at this, but obviously not. Eventually, we I caught a cab, and we headed to the Australian National Maritime Museum, where we wandered through the exhibits. We then went for lunch, where I ordered a Seafood Mac&Cheese. It was yum! Theodore and I then headed to Madam Tussauds, where we took countless selfies with famous people. I got a photo with Barack Obama, Nelson 'Rolihlahla' Mandela, Iron Man, Spider Man, Steve Irwin, and Leonardo Da Caprio, just to name a few. After a blast, we headed to the Sydney National Airport. The Domestic Airport is the size of Cape Town International Airport! Its huge, with every store you can think of inside. I had some Maccas (McDonalds) for a snack before we left. I also had a few rounds on one of those massaging chairs. We boarded the 8pm flight back to Perth. We spent around 40min taxiing to the runway, as we had to wait for 12 planes to land and 7 to depart before us. We just stood on the taxi-way... We eventually left, and headed back for Perth. We landed at around 11pm, Perth local time.
I awoke at around 8:30am, as Aunty Yumna and Uncle Adam was coming to fetch Theodore and I for breakfast. We went to an Israeli restaurant in a shopping mall, where we had a very interesting breakfast. It was a poached egg in this tomato 'curry' sauce thing with everything good in it! It was spectacular, and Theodore and I enjoyed it a lot. I also played Theodore in a game of chess while we waited for our food. I used the Sicilian Defence, and won the game (it was a close ending). We then hit the Apple store, where I priced a few things for personal use. Afterward, we were dropped back at home. I then greeted them as I wasn't going to see them till December! I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Aunt Yumna and Uncle Adam for having Theodore and I for the two days. It was a truly amazing experience, and it wont go without saying that we had a blast...Thank You!
We then had to catch a ferry across to Manly, which is the Northern Coast of Sydney. It was quite a long ferry ride, but we jetted through the Sydney harbour, and this gave us all another view of the city from the northern side. We reached Manly, where we disembarked the ferry, and met Dr Ian's cousin. He lives in Manly, so we went to his house, where we had a 'lekker' dinner (roast chicken and all that goes with it!). We then played some games, chatted and boarded the ferry back to Circular Quay. This was our last night in Sydney, so we hit the hay shortly after.
We awoke at around 10am, got ready and left for the Sydney Red Topless Bus Station. We hopped on upstairs, where we were given a guided tour around the CBD, with live commentary in 6 different languages. We hopped off the bus in Bondi Beach, which is probably the most prime beach in Australia. We just about reached, and I headed for the T-shirt store, where I bought Theodore and I a souvenir shirt. Aunt Yumna had fetched me in Bondi Beach, and took me out for the rest of the day. We went to go and fetch her husband, Uncle Adam at the University, as he was doing and MBA. We went to the Jamie Oliver Restaurant in town, where I ordered a prawn pasta. We then drove around to places such as the Sydney Harbour National Park, where we went for an amazing walk. We were at the point where the ocean was, overlooking the city of Sydney from once again, another angle. Its truly an amazing city. We then went to a place called "The Gap", which is basically a place in Sydney where people travel all over the world to come to commit suicide. Up to 300 people lose their lives at that point annually. that's nearly 6 a week. We then headed to a nearby viewing point, where we watched the sunset over the city. Once again, another perspective! We then drove the their flat, where we chatted, cooked dinner and 'caught up'. We had Butter-chicken for dinner, with rice and parathas. I was definitely a satisfied customer! I was then dropped back at a friend of my hosts residence, where I met up with Theodore, Benedict and Laurance. A few minutes later, my hosts had returned from a Jazz festival. We then called a cab, and drove home, where we fell asleep as soon as we saw our beds.
We awoke at around 9am, but only got out of the house at around 1pm, as Theodore, Benedict, Laurance and I had tickets for the "Oz Jet Boating experience', which is basically a red 20 seater speed boat, that does stunts on the Sydney Harbour. We did Canon-balls, Doughnuts etc. We were so wet after that, that we had to go change our clothes back at the house shortly afterwards. We just walked around until in was about 3h30pm, as we had to meet at the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb centre, as we had booked tickets to climb the bridge in the evening. We were briefed about safety precautions, got our 'space-like' suits, harnesses and equipment, and hit the bridge. Benedict, Theodore and I led the group in the front, with the rest of the 16 people following. We summited to the top of the bridge, taking pictures and video's on the way. It was amazing views of the city, with clear skies and no wind. The views of the city were spectacular, seeing all the high rise buildings, skyscrapers and of course, a view of the Sydney Opera house from another angle. It truly is a work of art. I admired it ever since I set my eyes on it. We summited the bridge, and hiked down again. It was an unforgettable experience. We headed back home, when we came across a little Turkish restaurant. We stopped there, had kebabs, and then headed back home. We watched a bit of TV, then shortly after hit the hay.
We landed in Sydney at around 6am local Sydney time, where we left the airport without the stress of baggage claims. We got a taxi almost instantly, and headed for about a 20min drive through the city until we reached our residence for the next few days...'The Rocks'. We were literally 30sec away from the Circular Quay, where one overlooks the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the world famous Sydney Opera House. We put our bags down, checked out our cute 4 story Victorian home, and fell asleep till 1pm, as it was still early morning. We awoke at 1pm, and then headed out to explore the Quay. I set my eyes on the Opera house for the first time, and I was truly amazed. I've seen it on pictures, but now I was looking at it in real life. Its truly a view worth seeing. We stopped at a 100% Italian restaurant, where everything from the waiter to the menu was in Italian. I had a seafood pizza, which was scrumptious. We walked along the quay, stopped at the Opera house, where we bought tickets for an opera show that evening called "The marriage of Figaro". We headed back all excited to see our first opera show at the Iconic Sydney Opera House in just a few hours. We headed back, and Amanda made us Carbonara Pasta, and we headed back to the Opera house. We had a 7 o'clock show, so we ran to be on time. We made it by the hair on our teeth, sat down and had an experience of a lifetime. It was in Spanish, so we had to read the subtitles on a little screen, but the experience was fulfilling. Tickets ranged from like $450 to see the show. It was really outrageous, but it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. At half-time, Theodore was half asleep, and we were all still tired from the flight in the morning. We headed back to our house, and hit the hay.
Today saw the last academic day before the Boarder's Long Weekend aka Mid-term Break. Tonight was our flight to Sydney, which would take up 140% of the weekend. Even though the break only started Thursday afternoon, we had a flight the previous evening. School went smoothly, but after school, I packed by bag, left it in the boarding house, and walked to the Wilson's residence. Theo and I came back to the boarding house at around 5ish to play some pool and fetch my bags. We greeted all my friends at the boarding house, saluted the Sydney Exchange students and then walked to the Wilsons residence. We had Nando's for dinner, then prepared to leave for the airport. Dotty and Bruce (the two dogs) were dropped in the kennels earlier in the afternoon. We took twilson (fish) to Tarini (Amanda's good Sri Lankan friend). After packing all our bags into the boot, we left for the airport at around 9:30pm. We arrived at Perth National Airport (domestic terminal), where we boarded JQ989 to Sydney. We left on time, and had a 4h flight ahead of us, plus a 2h time difference (4+2=6h!).
I awoke at around 8am, showered and had some delicious home-made pancakes, muffins and doughnuts for breakfast. We (Mr & Mrs Khan, Munaaf, Minaaz and I) headed off to Whiteman Park, where we saw many of the wildlife that dwell in Australia. I got the opportunity to feed a kangaroo, which was definitely a highlight. We also met up with Mr Khans brother and his family at the park. From there, we headed to a local restaurant for Kebabs. Like I mentioned before, a Kebab in Australia in not what we all think. It isn't chicken on a stick over the fire, but rather like a taco. I, once again, loved it. We then headed home, refreshed ourselves, then headed to Hillary's Boat Harbour, where I had a Bubblegum Icecream (for those who don't know, its my favourite!) and Churos. We then headed home, and shortly went to Mr Khans brothers residence for a dinner invite, as well as a weekly prayer service (Qadri khatam shareef). We had roast chicken with salads and everything that goes with it! We had the 20min service, where I met the rest of the Khan family. They were all increadibly friendly and welcoming, and I appreciate their great hospitality! We then returned back home, as it was already around 10pm, and it was school the next morning.
I had a hockey match this morning, against Wesley College. It was the last match of the season, so we decided to play tough. We managed to win the game 3-2. After the match, I took a shower and Amanda and I went to fetch 'Milly'(Amanda's mother, who stays in a caring home, because she has Alzheimer's and Dementia) at her room, took her to Amanda's sisters home, where we had 4 o'clock tea, where we chatted about Exchange thus far, Cape Town and whats coming. We then dropped Milly back at her room, and Amanda dropped me off at the Khan residence, where I was to spend the rest of the weekend. I arrived at their home at around 6ish. That night, Mr Khans brother and family came over, and we made pizza in their pizza oven. We watched a few movies, played Fifa 2015 and headed off to bed.
I awoke extra early this morning, as Theo was coming back today from camp, His bus was due to arrive at 7am, so I decided that I'd surprise him at the bus. I met him there, and all we could talk about was how we both were starved on the islands on the camp. Amanda came to fetch him, and I went back to class. After school, I headed back to the Wilson's residence, as it was the weekend. I got back at around 5pm, when Amanda told me that we were meeting up with a friend of theirs for dinner at a restaurant called Saffron in Floreat Forum. We headed off, and I had BUTTERCHICKEN again. Theo and I just flashed back to camp some more, comparing the abseiling and rock climbing experiences. Theo's group also, by accident of course, set the park alight while burning their faeces. Apparently they had to call the helicopter to bring water to put the fire out. Lets just say that it was quite a reflective evening.
The bus arrived 3h late at the school campus. I got off, gathered my bags and met my host-father, Dr Wilson there. He took me home. I looked at myself for the first time in 10-days. I looked like an Aboriginal Australian (haha). I took a shower, groomed myself back to a comfortable view and had some Butterchicken for lunch. I just chilled the rest of the day, as I was really tired. It took me about an hour to remember my passwords for my laptop and cell-phone, as I had completely forgotten about technology (surprisingly). I headed back to the boarding house that evening, and went straight to bed.
After a long bus ride up north of the WA province, we finally reached Exmouth. Even though it was a 14h bus ride, we only covered a third of the coast of the WA province. We got off the bus, were provided with breakfast, issued our rucksacks and packed our equipment into them. We were then lectured about the dangers and precautions on the camp. We were taught basic first aid, and briefed about what was to come. We then had lunch, and took an hour and a half bus ride to the West coast of the Exmouth Peninsula. We arrived, and were issued with tents, which we would sleep in for the duration of the camp. My tent partner was Brodie. We were then issued with 'group items', which is basically an item that we had to carry and look after throughout the camp. I had to keep the 'Disso and brush'. We were then placed into 'Wok Groups', which is basically a group of 3 or 4 who will be working together to cook food everyday and to carry the food for the next 10 days. I had Justin, Shale and Josh (aka funny guy) in my group. We worked well together, and i enjoyed being the Masterchef for a few nights. By the time we were all sorted out, it was nearly sunset, so we set up camp at the base camp called 'Bungalup' on the West Coast of the Exmouth Peninsula. Sunset was definitely a highlight every night without fail. I would just sit on the rocks and admire the Sun setting and the Moon raising, and the stars coming! I have never seen that much stars before. The sky was so clear that every star was visible. We were told stories about the true dwellers of the Australian soil, the Aboriginal people, of how they used stars to tell and predict the future. We then went to bed.
The next few days included sea kayaking along the North West Coast of Australia, along the Ningaloo Reef. We went snorkelling in the reefs, where the water was crystal clear. A few days later, we then had to begin the Range. The range is a 3-day hike across the Exmouth Peninsula, approximately 30km wide. We had to carry all our food, clothing and equipment in rucksacks for the 10days. During the last day and night at Scrape (camp-site), we did rock-climbing(which I enjoyed), and abseiled off the Mandu-Mandu Gorge. I was incredibly terrified of the fact that I had to lean back off a cliff, with only a rope holding my life. After a push, I was abseiling! That evening, we had a solo-night, where we all slept about 100m apart from each other. It was a mystical evening, with me just looking up into the crystal clear skies filled with stars and the pale white moon lighting up the sky. The following day we went to the Islands, which was the last section of the camp. We were quite unfortunate as there were terribly dangerous winds across the coast when we reached the beach after a 1h bus ride. Due to this, we were unable to row to the island, but we set up the exact same scenarios on the beach as we would have on the island. It was a ship-wreck scenario. We were starved, given hard-tack, muesli bars and fruit for meals. We were given the opportunity to fish for fish, but we managed to catch 12 octopii and a mud-crab. We also had to build a shelter using the 6 oars, sails and ropes. We did a great job, and no-one slept outside. We also had to do boat watches at night, so for 1h30min, a group of 2 would have to watch the boat so that it didn't get pulled out into sea. My time was from 1:30am-3am. The last day of camp, we headed back to the base camp, packed our bags and set out for the park, where we had lunch, played some games and then headed on the 14h bus ride back to Perth. It was an amazing experience, and even though while on the camp I was dreading it, towards the end, I started thinking about the experience and thinking about the good instead of the bad. Since I made that mind-change, it became an enjoyable time. I am indeed keen to get on the Epic Camp later this year. I'd like to thank Mick and Julie (camp instructors) and Mr McPartland for the amazing time.
I awoke at around 8am,and chilled till about 11am, when I was fetched at my residence by the Khan Family. Mr Aslam, Mrs Dilshaad, Munaaf and Minaaz Khan came to fetch me. We drove to the CBD, where we parked and walked around for a bit. We then stopped at a Japanese restaurant, where we had sushi and authentic gourmet Japanese food and delicacies. I had a Californian Rolls (sushi) and xxx. We then carried on and bought some stuff for my camp that night. We went to Woolworths (not the same as Woolworths in South Africa! Its like Pick'n Pay or Checkers) to get some toiletries, and a local camera store to buy a disposable camera to take with on the Exmouth camp that was to depart in 5h. We I was then dropped back at the Wilson residence, where I gathered my stuff and Amanda, Theodore and I left for Hale, where my Expedition would begin. The bus left at around 7ish, and for the next 14h, I just chilled with friends on the bus. When the bus stopped, I bought liquids, snacks and TIM-TAMS! I eventually fell asleep.
Today, I woke up to a Hockey match at 8am. The opposition team never had enough team players, so we had to surrender 3 of our best players. Due to this, the match became a bit of a friendly game, and we lost. After the defeat by our own team players, I went with Amanda to Karrinyup, where we went to buy some things that I needed for camp the following day. We met up with Travis and his mom in the mall, and we just did some shopping together. We then went for a coffee, and shot back home. As soon as we got home, Theodore came up to us to say that Benedict, Laurance, him and I were invited to dinner and a movie at a friends house just down the road. I was a bit stunned, as this was indeed very new to me. A few seconds later, a car pulled him, and came to fetch us. I couldn't help myself but to decline the invite, as in my culture, an invite usually happens at least a few days in advanced, and its arranged between the parents and its just...different. In this case, we were invited 5 minutes before the car came. I just never felt right, so I said that i'd pop in after to say hi. Benedict went with them, and Theodore, Laurance and I stayed behind. I told Theodore to go, but he refused to go without me. I then got a distress call from my mom in Cape Town, saying that the Hale School wants last minute letters and medical/dietary forms to be filled out, the evening before camp! I had to act quickly, so after dinner at my hosts house, we printed out all the respective forms, filled them out and got everything sorted out on the last minute. I then got a phone call from the Khan family, requesting a few hours the following day to take out to town for lunch. I accepted, and then left to the family that had invited us, and we just hung out for an hour or so, chatting and having a ball. We then left, and headed home, where I backed my bag for camp the following day.
Friday saw the end of the academic week at Hale, and just 2 days before the Exmouth Camp on Sunday. I stopped in the Hale Parking Lot, where I met up with the Khan Family. We caught up for what felt like 90min (it actually was). I finally met Munaaf and Jaabir, who are in Year 9 at Hale. We talked, and later on I went to my host family. My hosts treated me to a movie at the Innaloo Cinema, which happened to be a Bollywood movie: Bhajrangi Bhaijaan. It was a typical full three hour Indian movie, but it had a bit of a spark in it, that separated it from the rest of the blockbusters. I wouldn't be surprised if it won the Movie of the Year! We then returned home, and hit the hay.
Saturday, saw Theodore and I playing our sport matches at the Trinity Playing Fields. I was involved in a hockey match, and we won 7-0. Theodore played a Football match, but sadly they lost. During my match, I was at the goal posts, and the ball came onto my stick, and the Goal-keeper slammed me over with his armour-like gear, and stood on my knee, which i swear made a crackling sound. I got up though, and carried on. However, on the bus-ride back to school, I let it lay flat on the bus, and when i got up to disembark the bus, it cracked again, but this crack was more painful. Theodore wanted to watch the 1st Team AFL Match, and as much as i didn't want to turn down his request that i stay with him, i had to decline, as my knee was really sore. I took a walk down the road, using my hockey stick (upside down) as a walking stick, got to my hosts house, and just chilled. It was my host-fathers birthday, and i had no idea. I felt so bad, as i was staying under his roof, but i didn't know that it was his birthday. Ashamed, tired and embarrassed, i went straight to my room. Amanda (host-mother) and I went around, did some grocery shopping together, and headed home again. That evening, it was one of Theodore's friends' Sweet 16th Birthday bash, and I was apparently invited! So Theodore and I went, where we met up with a few other fella's from the Boarding house. We had a good time, and returned home at around 11ish. Theodore then got an invite then and there, to come over to watch the Rugby match (South Africa vs New Zealand) at one of his friends home (Flinn), just 4 houses away. We went, watched the game, slept over, awoke the following morning, had DELICIOUS crumpets, that were made by Flinn's mother. We then went back to Theo's house, as it was Sunday! Theodore had a Footy match at around 1pm, so we dropped him off and did a few errands, then joint Dr Ian at the game. Their team lost, which was a bit of a downer, but they still played some great footy! Amanda bought me a pet fish, a Siamese Killer Fish, which i put in my cubicle in the boarding house. It was then the end of the short weekend, and I headed back to the boarding house.
Friday, the end of the academic week! At 4pm, i took a walk down to my hosts residence, just a few blocks down the road from school. That night, i was invited, along with the other Exchange students and a few of the boarders to a Year 10 Social, hosted by Perth College. It was a nice occasion, and i met some of the other exchange students from a few of the other schools in Perth. I returned home at around 10pm.
Thursday, I went to hockey practice, and i was told that i was being put into the first team. This surprised me, since as Bishops, i usually play in a lower team. I was, too, told that i was playing a match against Trinity College (The RBHS of Perth) on Saturday. I was too thrilled, that i ran all the way to the boarding house, sprinted up the staircase and aggressively opened my door... (I was so excited, that i forgot where i was, and that i was 20 000km away from home. I was so happy, that i forgot that i was on exchange, and thought that my brother was at home, and that i could run and tell him... but i realised that he wasnt there only when i opened my room door.) I just stood at the door for a minute, as i realised that there was no-one there...just me. I gently closed my door, curled up on my bed, and spent a few minutes flashing back to happier memories. I think that this was the first time since i left Cape Town, that i actually felt something, that something was missing. I cant explain it. But anyway, the day carried on as normal after that.
I awoke at 5h30, as i wanted to get done before everyone else, so that i wouldn't be late for my first day of school (i have never stayed in a boarding house, as you've probably noticed). I showered, shaved and made sure that everything was tip-top perfect. I spent 25minz on Youtube, watching video's on how to tie the perfect Windsor tie.
At exactly 7h30, Roll-call was taken, and we went for breakfast, which is just out-of-this-world! Its a 3-course meal, starting with cereal (5 to choose from), then Eggs (done however you want them, but everyday its done in a different way) with toast, cold meats and everything, followed by yoghurt with fruit. There is also freshly squeezed juices, and with 5 to choose from, i had absolutely no problem! After a filling breakfast, we headed at class at 8h32. My first lesson was Geography with Mr Walsh (Yes, it took me 22 minz to find the classroom!). After an introduction to the semesters content, we got onto the work immediately. We had a few discussions about the Geography in South Africa, as i was a South African amongst 20 other Australians, so they all learnt a bit from me, like for eg. how South Africa has 3 capital cities! At Hale, they have 2 breaks. One 15min break called 'Recess' and another 40min break called 'Lunch'. These two breaks are separated by 3 periods. Hale has 8 Periods everyday, with a Period 5A, where Assemblies, House Meetings and Chapel Services are held. If there is no service taking place during this period, then the Period 5 class continues for the duration of Period 5A. It is a bit confusing, but it makes sense. I was served a snack at Recess, which was a classic chicken roll wit everything on it! Lunch, i was served with CURRY! School ended at 15h25, and i then ran back to Wilson House (name of the Senior Boarding House), threw my hockey gear on and tried to find the hockey practice amongst the jungle of a campus. After seeking directions from 5 people, i finally found the field, being 15minz late for practice, i was sent for a bit of a run! Practice was good, and ended at around 5ish. I then ran back to Wilson house, showered and put on my Hale School attire again, as after dinner, we had a 'Start-of-Term Eucharist' Service in the chapel. Dinner was, once again a 3-course meal, with a soup or salad as a starter, Pasta for main course and Ice-cream with Chocolate sauce for dessert. I then dragged myself to chapel, as i think i over-ate! We had a very different type of Eucharist service. At Bishops, we had an Organ, the verses were sang with the organ, and it was just more...traditional. At Hale, we just read the verses, and the hymns had different lyrics to what i had learnt. It just felt weird, but it was still a sacred time of worship, so i just respected the Communion, and went up for a blessing. After Chapel, it was Prep from 19h00 till 20h45. This is the time that is compulsory for us to do our homework. It is indeed very strict, as teachers walk around the boarding house, to check up on your homework progress (ie. we are allowed to work in our rooms). At 20h45 till 21h25, he are allowed access to social media, such as Skype, Facebook etc in order to communicate with family/friends. At 21h30, Roll call is taken, and we are then sent to our rooms for the night. I had soooo much homework, that i worked till 11pm. I dont think that Bishops assigns a third of the homework that Hale does. I had homework for each and every subject. The thing with Hale is, is that almost everything is 'self-study', whereas Bishops, we get taught the work, and can refer to the notes to study. At Hale, the teacher is there if there are any questions, but one gets given a booklet of notes and worksheets, and one has to work through these during class and homework times. In a way, it is a good thing, as its ones own responsibility to ensure that one is on par with the rest of the class, and if one is absent, then one can do the work at home. Also, it gives one a chance to comprehend the content better, as one can learn at a speed that is comfortable. Anyways, i headed off to bed, as i knew that the following day would be another hectic day...of getting lost!
The next morning, i awoke at around 11, and Theodore suggested a trip to the Downs (shops just down the road, no pun intended). Theodore, Benedict (brother), Laurance (brother) and I had breakfast at the bakery there, and then headed back home, as i needed to sign into the Boarding house before 1pm.
I packed all my suitcases back into the car, and Amanda, Theodore, Benedict and I left for my new school for the next term, the Hale College. I arrived at the front door of the boarding house, with my legs twitching and my head filled with thrill. I ran in. The head of the house, head of Year 10's and the house-mothers were all there. All the other exchange guys had arrived: Hugo Mackenzie-hood & Jamie Mcdonald from the Kings School, Sydney; Tony Ferreira from Uplands College - Mpumalanga, RSA; Robert Bromley from St Johns College - Johannesburg, RSA; and myself, Rayhaan Ahmed from Bishops Diocesan College - Cape Town, RSA. We were the 5 exchange students at Hale for the year 2015. We went straight into uniforms, then got our school laptops. We then chilled till around 8ish, when we had a house meeting, as all the boarders arrived from 6-8pm. We were introduced to the Wilson house (its just a coincidence that the house that i am in on the school campus, and the surname of my hosts, are the same). I lucky enough to get my own room, which was a bit of a gamble, as there are 3 rooms and 5 students, so the two Sydney Exchange guys shared one room, and the other 2 RSA students are sharing another, and I have a single room to myself. Its just luck (i think). I slept at around 1am, as my sleeping patterns were still out by 4h.
Sunday morning came, the day of departure. Luckily, my flight was only in the late afternoon, so i could still see a bit more before leaving. We attempted, once again, to go to the Daisy Hill Koala Centre, where we made it with heaps of time to spare. I saw a Koala bear for the first time...such cute little creatures!
After sadly leaving the hosts in Brisbane, i had another 5h flight ahead of me, which i was very confused on. I couldn't sleep, nor could i stay awake. I was a mess... I think that the 24h journey from Cape Town to Perth was already quite hectic, and then just a few short days later, i saw myself on another flight to Brisbane, then another 4 days later, i left back for Perth. Maybe i wasnt completely over the jet-lag yet...(what am i saying? I don't get jet-lag!! haha)
I landed in Perth at around 20h45, where i met a family that my parents have been communicating with to ensure that i am alright! Yes, its the Khan family. They came to meet me at the airport. Dr Wilson was also there to take me back to Wembley Downs. I left with him, got home and went to bed...zzz
Saturday Morning, EID DAY!!! I awoke at around 6am, shower, shaved and put on my Eid clothes, and got in the car in order to make it to the mosque prayer service. There was easily 1000 people that attended the service. I didn't think that there were so many muslims in Brisbane (haha).
After the short service, we headed to the grave-yard. I found this to be rather interesting. A gigantic piece of land was dedicated to those who has passed on. So the entire graveyard holds the bodies of all religions. Christians, Muslims and Jews are buried in the same graveyard. Obviously, they are all separated by a few plots of ground. Just in the Muslim section alone, i saw many different types of graves, such as those who were Persian, Malaysian, Iraqi, Spanish etc. All the different nationalities all buried the same, but their graves all looked different. Even in the Christian section, i saw tombs where families were buried in. This is something that i've never seen before! Anyways, we then went home for breakfast. Shortly afterwards, heaps (slang:lots) of people started coming to greet us. Family after family, they kept us busy the whole day!
That evening, we shot off to the Gold Coast, a tourist holiday destination thats just a 45min drive out of Brisbane. Along the road, we saw all the Theme parks, such as Water-world and Movie-world, and many more. We reached the Gold Coast...what a beautiful place it is. It truly is the surfers paradise! The first thing we did was feel the sand...wow! It was like icing sugar...white, soft and fine. We then went to a Take-Away place called Baha Grill Kebab & Pizza. We all ordered kebabs, now a kebab here isn't a kebab like we all know it (ie. spiced chicken on a skewer), its like a wrap, but with EVERYTHING inside! I loved it, and wouldn't mind flying back for another! We then drove down to the docking area, where i was shown what happened a few years ago when the Brisbane river overflowed, and the city was flooded. I was fascinated by how just a simple overflow could cause such disaster in such an economically developed city, state and country. But i guess if it were meant to happen, it WILL happen! We then drove back to Parkinson, and fell asleep the very millisecond our heads touched the pillow on our beds, but a little earlier (ie. in the car) on the way home already for some.
Thursday, 16th July
Thursday morning saw my cousin, Dilnawaaz and I to tour Brisbane (well a fraction of it). We went on an hour-long bus ride from Parkinson to her University, where she showed me the Library, lecture halls and all the different fields that the university has to offer. Universities here in Australia are all top-class, with the latest technology and modern ways of teaching. The architecture of the buildings on the campus are all a wonder to look at. We then took a walk up to the Wheel of Brisbane, where we took tons of 'selfies' together while on the ride. I met a 'bogan' for the first time here at the wheel. After saying a few words to her, I decided to stay clear of bogans for the rest of my stay in Australia. Looking at the Brisbane CBD from 60m above the ground gave me a new perspective of the city. From every angle, the city has a different feature, especially from this angle, as it has the Brisbane river flowing right next to it, separating the city from the residential areas. I found this very interesting, and i was intrigued by it.
We also walked the South Bank Grand Arbour, which is basically a 1km long sculpture of steel tendrils on which purple bougainvillea bloom all year round. We then caught another bus to one of the main shopping malls in Brisbane, Westfield Garden City Mall. We shopped around, bought Theodore a birthday present, got myself a pair of shades, and much more. After walking the mall flat, we retired back to the Bus stop, where we caught Bus 150 back to Parkinson, broke our fast and went out...again! We drove up and down the high-ways, and Mr Zalgaonkir, my host in Brisbane explained a couple differences in Brisbane, compared to Perth and most importantly, South Africa. We stopped at Max Brenner (probably the Aussie version of Haagen Dazs), had some interesting yet delicious dessert and headed back home.
We also walked the South Bank Grand Arbour, which is basically a 1km long sculpture of steel tendrils on which purple bougainvillea bloom all year round. We then caught another bus to one of the main shopping malls in Brisbane, Westfield Garden City Mall. We shopped around, bought Theodore a birthday present, got myself a pair of shades, and much more. After walking the mall flat, we retired back to the Bus stop, where we caught Bus 150 back to Parkinson, broke our fast and went out...again! We drove up and down the high-ways, and Mr Zalgaonkir, my host in Brisbane explained a couple differences in Brisbane, compared to Perth and most importantly, South Africa. We stopped at Max Brenner (probably the Aussie version of Haagen Dazs), had some interesting yet delicious dessert and headed back home.
Wednesday, 15th July
Wednesday morning saw me wake up at 04:10 to have breakfast, as I decided to carry on fasting the last few days of the holy month of Ramadaan. After downing food like crazy, we decided to have a look at one of the major hardware stores in Australia, ‘Bunnings’. This place is enormous, stocking literally EVERYTHING in great variety at great affordable prices, from nails to nurseries, paints to power-tools, barbecues to bitumen. In Brisbane, the Muslim festival of Eid is indeed very different, compared to the festival of Eid back home in Cape Town. In Brisbane, gifts are exchanged between the muslim/non-muslim families in the community. This was very new to me, and i was indeed stunned by it. It was almost like Christmas, where gifts came when the bells rang (no pun intended). So we spent majority of the afternoon taking beautifully wrapped gifts to the people in the community. We then headed back home, broke our fasts and went out for a scenic drive through Brisbane. I saw all the major car-showrooms, skyscrapers and hotels, but the best was at a place called Mt. Coot-tha Summit Lookout. This is basically a lookout venue on a hill overlooking the city of Brisbane...at night! We took loads of pictures and what not, and headed back home.
Tuesday, 14 July 2015
Awoke at around 7am, as Amanda had to go to work, and it was Theodore's birthday!!!! We all got up, and surprised him with gifts before she had to go to work. We went out for breakfast at a nearby cafe on the beachfront. I ordered a hot-chocolate. We then dropped Theodore and his brother, Laurance, at their residence in Wembley Downs. Dr Ian then took me to the Domestic Airport, where i boarded a Virgin Australian flight to Brisbane, Queensland Aus. It was a 4.5h flight, plus gaining 2h in time-zones. Domestic flights here are very different compared to those in South Africa. i didn't need any form/document to travel...just my boarding pass. This shocked me as i came all prepared with all my legal docs. They also don't offer Halaal meals on domestic flights, which i found weird too. We landed, and i met the Zalgaonkir family (dads cousins) at the airport. I was going to be staying with them for the duration of my stay in Brisbane. I landed around 19:15. After reaching Parkinson, we had dinner, chatted a bit and hit the hay on the ice-cold night in Brisbane.
Monday, 13th July
Monday morning, a cold yet hot day in Perth, saw Theodore and I catching a public bus (yes, a public bus!!! Its not anything like Cape Town...Its so much safer and nicer) to the Perth CBD. We walked all around the CBD, stopping at every other store to have a look around, and buying stuff at the odd store now and then. By now, i have picked up quite a bit of the Aussie slang. Here are a few words i've learnt and have started using, naturally:
-->Bogan - lowest-class Social Australian (bergie - afrikaans)
-->Biddies - girls
-->Derro - young adults gone astray
-->City-rat - Teens that do drugs and smoke, basically a derro.
-->Mate - friend
-->Bloke - friend
-->Servo - Service station
-->Rellie - Relative
-->Arvo - Afternoon
-->Barby - Braai/Barbeque
-->Snags - Sausages
-->Jumper - Jersey
-->Heaps - lots
-->Shit-house (favourite) - bathroom
-->G'day - Good day / Hello (standard greeting)
-->Dunny - outdoor bathroom
-->Reckon - think
Monday morning, a cold yet hot day in Perth, saw Theodore and I catching a public bus (yes, a public bus!!! Its not anything like Cape Town...Its so much safer and nicer) to the Perth CBD. We walked all around the CBD, stopping at every other store to have a look around, and buying stuff at the odd store now and then. By now, i have picked up quite a bit of the Aussie slang. Here are a few words i've learnt and have started using, naturally:
-->Bogan - lowest-class Social Australian (bergie - afrikaans)
-->Biddies - girls
-->Derro - young adults gone astray
-->City-rat - Teens that do drugs and smoke, basically a derro.
-->Mate - friend
-->Bloke - friend
-->Servo - Service station
-->Rellie - Relative
-->Arvo - Afternoon
-->Barby - Braai/Barbeque
-->Snags - Sausages
-->Jumper - Jersey
-->Heaps - lots
-->Shit-house (favourite) - bathroom
-->G'day - Good day / Hello (standard greeting)
-->Dunny - outdoor bathroom
-->Reckon - think
-->'Fair Enough' - means what it says!
-->'She'll be right' - It'll be alright
-->Yeee - Yeah
-->'Does that make sense?' - means what it says!
-->Indie - Individual
-->Far Out - Depends on Context
--> Velvet Bombshell -
--> Banter - Friendly verbal bullying
-->...How are we? - means what it says!
....For so much more, i have a book containing 1001 aussie slang words...
I've also started pronouncing words differently, like dropping the -er off of words and turning them into an -a. eg. togetha. I've also naturally started to roll my tongue on the L's. I reckon i could be fluent in the Aussie Slanguage in no time!
So we walked around, and finally found ourselves outside the office block where Amanda (host-mother) works. She is a chemical engineer at BP. We went all the way up to the 28th floor, and had a look at the city from another point of view (no pun intended). This is what i saw:
-->Indie - Individual
-->Far Out - Depends on Context
--> Velvet Bombshell -
--> Banter - Friendly verbal bullying
-->...How are we? - means what it says!
....For so much more, i have a book containing 1001 aussie slang words...
I've also started pronouncing words differently, like dropping the -er off of words and turning them into an -a. eg. togetha. I've also naturally started to roll my tongue on the L's. I reckon i could be fluent in the Aussie Slanguage in no time!
So we walked around, and finally found ourselves outside the office block where Amanda (host-mother) works. She is a chemical engineer at BP. We went all the way up to the 28th floor, and had a look at the city from another point of view (no pun intended). This is what i saw:
We then made our way down again, and stopped at McDonalds (called Maccers), and had lunch. We then carried on, and bumped into some biddies (Theodore's mates). We walked a bit, and made our way to the 'Cactus', which is a green cactus-like sculpture in the CBD.
We carried on towards Amanda's office once again, where we were lifted back to Wembley Downs (residence), and we then went to Karrinyup Shopping Mall, where we went to get Theodore his birthday presents, as it was his 16th Birthday the following day. We then headed home, and then to the Downs, which is like a small group of shops, comprising of a supermarket, pharmacy, internet cafe etc. We bought a few things at the supermarket in order for me to make 'cucumber fritters' that evening. It was Laylat-al-Qadr, which is an auspicious night in the Islamic calender. Theodore and i made it that evening, and had pasta with that and dessert.
Saturday, 11th July
I woke up at around 7:30am, and we left for East Freemantle Yacht Club, where we had lunch (Fish & Chips, battered with salad), and one of Theodore's friends, Travis, knew a lot about boats, so he accompanied us on a journey on Swan river (A river that runs through Perth). We embarked the boat, and set out on the river. We sailed to all corners of the river, seeing Perth from a new perspective. I thoroughly enjoyed this as it was something that i have never done before. I thank my host-family for the trip.
I woke up at around 7:30am, and we left for East Freemantle Yacht Club, where we had lunch (Fish & Chips, battered with salad), and one of Theodore's friends, Travis, knew a lot about boats, so he accompanied us on a journey on Swan river (A river that runs through Perth). We embarked the boat, and set out on the river. We sailed to all corners of the river, seeing Perth from a new perspective. I thoroughly enjoyed this as it was something that i have never done before. I thank my host-family for the trip.
For the first time ever, i naturally used the slang word 'reckon', without even knowing. I had just picked it up and started using it unknowingly. I was amused at how quickly i was picking up the accent and its lingo. We then came home, changed clothes and set out for an evening of fun at the Ice-skating rink in Perth's CBD. I started off terribly, but managed to get the hang of it towards the end of the session. We returned home, where we were dazzled by a 'Pizza DIY' dinner. We then watched a show on TV called 'The Voice' and '60 minutes'. My host-father then explained how the various systems work in Perth, such as the Medical Schemes, Parliaments and the government. I was amazed at how efficient and safe things were in Australia, compared to the rest of the world. I slept at around 1:30am.
Thursday, 9th & Friday, 10th July
Greetings to you, and welcome to my blog about my Exchange Experience to Perth, Australia.
I never slept on this night, as i had an international flight by myself in just a short number of hours! All the excitement that was building inside me since i feasted my mind on the idea that i was going!
I departed Cape Town (South Africa) at around 13:35 on Emirates Airlines. During the 9h flight to Dubai, i managed to watch quite a few movies (Spud 3 and Frozen...again and again...) and got quite a few hours of sleep, as the flight was relatively empty (there were around 20 people in the entire class. So i went to the back of the plane and claimed an entire row to myself. Around halfway through the flight, the air-hostess told me that there was a vacant seat in Business class, and that since i was a student and a Skywards member, i could move up for that flight free of charge. I was only too thrilled to sprint up the aisle to business class. I also spoke to all the crew onboard, where we all got to know and learn things from each other.
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After a smooth landing in Dubai Int'll Airport, i disembarked the flight into the hustle and bustle of the most busiest airport i have ever been to. I was told by one of the cabin crew that this was the peak time at the airport. It was also the middle of their summer, and it was 39C at 1am!!! After getting into the terminal building, i had that feeling of independence, as i was now alone, without a father to guide us with the travels. I was now amongst thousands of people in the duty free centre of the terminal. My connecting flight to Perth was to depart in 30min, and i just disembarked off of my previous flight. I ran, with all my hand-luggage, to gate B19. It took me 20min to get there from the gate that i was at (A8). I managed to make it to the gate just in time, and finally boarded the beastly Airbus A380. It was a magnificent bird. Ive always had models or seen pictures of it, but never actually seen one before. Before i could feast my eyes on the majestic bird, i was pushed over by an overweight arab man, who knocked me over and just walked away. He didn't even apologise or even turn around to see what he had done. 
Anyway, i boarded the mighty jet with much excitement, as i've been waiting for this flight for ages... I found my seat at 65K, where i sat with a Saudi arab, Ali, who was flying to Perth to finish his Paramedic degree, and a Canadian lady who was travelling to Oz to visit her fiancé. After another long flight from Dubai to Perth, i landed at Perth Int'll Airport, where i disembarked the swan into a duty-free shopping section of the airport. The line for the immigrations were snaking, with an easy 500 people in the queue. I decided to have a look through the duty free shops to pass time till the line shortened a bit. I bought a few things for my host family, and stood in the queue for what felt like 3 months (haha). Eventually i made it through and went to get my luggage, which wasn't very difficult as they were the last of the bags on the belt, so i just grabbed them and went to the security check section. They put my bags through the scanners and luckily nothing was found. However, they did threaten to fine me with a $500 fine for not declaring a product in my checked-in baggage, but thats a whole new story by itself.
Finally, after 22h of travelling, i made it......The International Arrivals section of the airport, where my host family have been long awaiting my arrival (I came out 2h late). I introduced myself to them, and we went straight to the vehicle, where we loaded my luggage up and left for a local Indian Buffet Restaurant, where we had a casual dinner. We then did 'Aangename kennis' (introductions) and got to know each other a bit better. After the tiring 2 days of travelling, we arrived at Wembley Downs, Perth, where my host family resides. We got my bags up to the guest room, and i immediately started unpacking the suitcases to see if everything survived the hectic flight.
I asked my host parents to fill out a questionarre, which were just basic questions about simple house rules and regulations. My host-mother, Amanda, handed me a very interesting book, titled 'Great Australian Slanguage'. I eagerly paged through it, and came across some interesting lingo (shit-house - bathroom etc.) I went to sleep at around 1am that night, and slept all the way to 1pm! This is something i have never done, so i was quite shocked at the situation. My host-father took me to get a local Sim-card at the local shops (Floreat Forum) so that i could be connected once again. We (Host-father, Dr Ian Wilson, Exchange partner, Theodore and I) also went to a local coffee shop, where i ordered a berry smoothie...Delicious! We then got back home, and Amanda (host-mother) invited her sister's family and mother to come over for dinner. We had Chicken Pasta, with Brownies for dessert. I slept at around 2am.
