LYUDMILA - Week 2: Getting Around

This is only the second week I have been in Sidney,  but I feel it like home. The subway, the difficulties with the new city, the language, the new school and the new classmates don’t terrify me like a week ago. In addition, the family is so friendly and in these days I’ve  started to get more familiar with their daily life. I really like living here because in the morning things are so different from Moscow, because of the school and the new activities I do, (and I love new experiences) and in the afternoon I love watch Jennifer helping Mark with homework stay with Amber!! I'm  so happy with  this new friendship.  The first half of the week has been perfect, except for Friday, which was a totally disastrous day!! At school I've met many classmates and  they are really friendly with me, except for one girl. Her name is Greta and she is the captain of the cheerleader team of the school. She is one of the most popular and beautiful girl in the school and obviously she is a close friend of James’, the guy of my dreams!!   Greta  doesn't to want be only a friend to him...she wants more! Like me she wants to be her girlfriend  and for this reason she does everything  to discredit me. Friday morning was terrible because she made fun of me all the time and James was there, too !

When I got back home I was quite sad and a bit nervous! I sat to the sofa and I watched the television all   afternoon!! Even when Mark  arrived (he wanted to to play with his new play station)  I didn’t let him use the TV and so he ran off crying!!

After dinner I apologised with him for my behavior,  but he sulked  until the following day. Christopher and Jennifer saw that I was a bit sad because of my argument with Mark and they also saw that something at school had  happened ;   for this reason they decided to take me to around the city at the week end and  to show me some of the major tourist spots.

First of all we went to the Opera House. It was fantastic and I took a lot of photos. Then we went to Darling Harbour; it is a nice neighborhood full of shops and nice restaurants. After a lot of shopping and a substantial lunch,  we visited the Sidney Aquarium and the Sidney Zoo, with fish and animals from all over the world.  

                                         

On the way back home we went to Port Jackson, the largest harbour in the world and finally to Bondi Beach, where people surf all  year round.  There I saw something unforgettable:  James was surfing and when he came ashore,   he waved me helllo. I'll never forget this!! The most poupular boy of the school   greeted me, the "beetroot"!! That's incredible!! I definitely love Australia:)  

                                                                                                  

                                                                  

Matteo Fontana

IN BETWEEN- WEEK 2: GETTING AROUND

June 30th, 00:30 p.m.

Dear Diary,

this is my second week in Melbourne with my new family. Everything is ok but

yesterday I had an argument with Eliza because I forgot to clear the table and to

tidy up my room. She was right because I should have done it, but I think she

had been too aggressive with me, I didn’t deserve it! At home I’m not used to

doing the housework because we have a cleaning lady, so she can’t expect me to

do everything by now. As a punishment for that, I have to

clean the stables for two weeks . She is too strict and she should employ a

cleaning lady!

Two days ago I went for a walk with Nerissa along the beach; there we met some

friends of hers. Among them I saw a handsome, tall, sunbathed, muscled boy and

I asked Nerissa who he was and she told me that he was her brother: unbelievable!

She introduced me to him and we talked for a while, I think there was a great

feeling...

At school I have also met other guys; I hope they’ll become my friends: Neha,

an Indian girl who attends the biology class with me, Paul, Jesse and Mark,

who play tennis with me in the afternoon, and Keira a nice girl who lives in my

neighbourhood. They are very kind to me and with their help everything is easier!

In fact living here is amazing and I really like it because it's like a new life; I love

the climate, the beaches, the Australians , my new family.- Nevertheless it is not so

easy for me. Starting off a new school is difficult for everybody and sometimes I

feel a little unwelcome, especially last week when those rude boys were pulling my

leg, but with my new friends' help I feel more comfortable .

As I had never been in Melbourne before, my host family took me on a

sightseeing tour of the city. So yesterday morning we went to Queen Victoria

Market, a huge open-air market full of traditional and ethnic stalls. We spent there

one and a half hour and then we walked as far as the public zoo which is a 150-

year- old zoo were there are several animal species. I really enjoyed seeing the

penguins because it was the first time in my life, they are so sweetie and funny!

At lunch we had a sandwich at the zoo café and in the afternoon we went to the

Immigration Museum.I loved visiting it because my host family told me their

story: they are the descendants of British immigrants, it means that we have the

same roots! That's why they are so understanding with my cultural shock!

Later on we went for a walk in the harbour and we had dinner in a restaurant in

Federation square which was not far from the market. Everybody was pretty tired,

so we called a taxi to go back home. On our way back home I saw something that

I will never forget: injured kangaroo in the middle of the street. The taxi stopped

and we got off the car. The animal had a major wound on its right leg and it could

not move at all. Adam called the vet and we waited for him for twenty minutes.

At midnight we eventually got home and everyone fell asleep immediately!

It was a beautiful day, I discovered a lot about my new city and my host family,

I'm so happy to be here...

Federica Bertagnin

IN BETWEEN: WEEK 3. A NATURAL DISASTER.

This is my third week with my new family in Australia. Last week we had fun visiting the city and I also met some new friends at school. But this week an unimaginable disaster has happened! Suddenly a tsunami raged the city and many  people were killed. On Monday at 2 p.m., while I was doing my homework, my host family was watching the News and I heard they were broadcasting videos about a flood in the Australian coast near Melbourne. I ran downstairs and I asked Eliza and Adam for more information because I was really scared, but they told me it wasn’t so near us. They also told me that it is a quite common phenomenon on this coast, and it causes a lot of damages, but usually on a small area. I was a little reassured but I continued watching TV because there were a lot of frightening images  about the victims of the tsunami and I hoped I would not hear them call my friend’s names. In the evening the flood had definitely ceased but, as a consequence, a lot of people had lost their homes, so the local council gave them shelter in a large hall. On the next day my parents called me up: they wanted to get information about me and my host family because the news of the tsunami had reached England. I reassured them saying that we were completely safe. After that, I checked up my e-mails; there were many letters from my English friends asking me what had really happened. Obviously, on that day, the local authorities decided to  keep all schools near the coast closed. On the following days, it got better and better. The streets were cleaned of the debris and the beach  was also cleaned with the help of many volunteers. Some days later there were organised some activities to help those who had become homeless. Some school bands played concerts to raise money and which was donated to these unlucky citizens. Also clothes and other useful items were collected among the residents and given to them.I was really astonished by the generosity of the  people and the effectiveness of the authorities  Also, Melbourne town hall have decided that one particular day would be  devoted to remember and honour the memory of those who had lost their lives in the tsunami. It's been an extraordinary week, full of events. I will never forget it.

Carolina Rossi

NINA - Week 2: Getting Around

                                                                                                                                 October 7^th, 10 p.m.

Dear Claire,

How are you? Is the school going well?

Here everything was great but, on Monday afternoon, I had a brief argument with my host family. I came out of school and I ran home because I knew that the wedding of Juan Carlos  Borbon’s son,  Felipe, was going to be broadcasted at 3.00 o’clock. I was interested in seeing his bride, her   wedding dress  and if   they had invited  any celebs. When I got home, however, I saw seven men glued to the TV watching a football match. I absolutely hate football matches!! I immediately thought: it’s just like home; when there’s a match, my brother invites all of his classmates to watch it.  So, I come close to   Francesco and I reminded  him that I had told him a week before that I would have liked watching this wedding. Nevertheless, he said that he hadn’t noticed it written  on the calendar. I had forgotten to do it. But I didn’t want to give in so, like a tiger, I ran to the TV and turned it off. As soon as I did it,  they all furiously shouted at me to turn it on. So my host mom arrived and she   proposed going her friend’s house. I turned the TV on and followed her. Over  dinner I asked my host father if he was cross with me but,  surprisingly, he wasn’t.

During the second week at school I met some students from the other classes. On Thursday, after Philosophy class,  I went to the school  library to revise some notes. It is quite nice and cosy,  not crowded as the one in Barcelona. I took a seat in  opposite a boy called Tom who at once  understood that I was a new arrival  at  school so, we introduced each other. I spent a lot of time talking about my new experience in Italy:  because of that I didn’t do what I had planned. He was very fit and he told me that he had practiced  athletics up to a year before, but now because of his girlfriend, he is forced to spend all his free time with her. Romantic, I thought. On the following day I saw one of my classmates, Luisa, kissing Tom.  And it was clear to me why he was forced to give up   his passion: Luisa is the most moody, competitive and  jealous girl that I have ever met, but also the prettiest in the school. I hate her!!!! The first time we saw each other was at school and she told me arrogantly: “What are doing here? Go back to your country, we don’t want foreigners here !!!”. I would have liked to strangle her but, she was rescued by the English teacher. Apart from this episode,  I really like my classmates and I also like living here.

The following days went by very fast and my relationship with my host family has got really good. Last  Saturday they organized a sightseeing tour around Vicenza. Firstly they took me to the Olympic Theater. It was absolutely fantastic. The most interesting thing are the seven streets which represented the city of Thebes. The first performance was held during the Carnival of 1585. 

Then, we had lunch at a farm house where we ate typical food: wonderful!! I really liked    the stockfish.  During the way back, Francesco took a shortcut to show me the “Villa Rotunda” which, with the Basilica and the Olympic Theatre, are the most popular buildings by Palladio. The villa was built in 1570.  In 1591 it was bought by Capra family.

Finally, tired but happy,  we returned to the city centre for an aperitif. We parked our car not too far from the town centre. When Francesco got out,  a man dressed in black  approached  him, and pulled out a gun from under his coat. At first I thought it was one of his friend who was simply joking,  but then   I saw that he was   terrified and before the robber could say  a word, Francesco  gave his wallet  to him. The robber ran  away leaving us speechless. A few days later, we would have discovered that the robber  had been  arrested. I’ll never forget this experience, I have never been so afraid  for myself and for someone at the same time . 

Now I must go. It’s really late,

Goodnight Clare, I’ll write to  you tomorrow.

Giacomo Filippo Segato

LYUDMILA - first week:culture shock

Friday, 23 march 2012


My first week in Australia has passed and I’m terribly homesick.

Jennifer and Christopher are kind and Mark and Amber are really friendly. During this week Amber and I have become close friends: we talk about school, boys and sports. I’ve also started  school: I’ve  noticed that is very different from my school in Russia. The school building is very big, there are lots of subjects and classes. Students must know how to get organized   and how to choose different courses: it’s like university!! I don’t know what to study, I’m following Amber like a shadow and I do the same classes she takes, even if I know that it is wrong. In Russia you don’t choose because the course of studies is fixed. Here we finish classes at four o’clock p.m. and we go swimming or surfing: the only problem is that in Russia we don’t swim or surf because we almost don’t know what a sea is. In addition I often get sunburned because my skin is white and delicate,  so I am as red as a beetroot! I must wear a t-shirt and so someone has started to pick on me and call : “Beetroot, beetroot!!” I’m furious: yesterday I had a temperature and I layed on my bed crying.

Today I feel better: my back doesn’t “burn” anymore. Amber promised  she will take me to Opera House: my friends told me that it’s amazing! during this week I’ve also improved my English, even if I still have problems to understand and talk  .. Sometime I wish I could fly and go back to Moscow, just for one night: talk with Aleksandr, tell mum and dad everything about  my problems and then return back here. I know that Australia is a great opportunity for me and then here there is…..James: that’s the name of the guy of my dreams, my charming prince. I saw him at school, during lunch time and since that moment I haven’t  stopped  looking at him: he’s like a drug! He’s so handsome: he has very short blond hairs and green eyes. There’s only one problem: he is the most popular guy of my high school, the captain of the rugby team, so I don’t know what to do to conquer him. Don’t forget that I’m called “beetroot”! Today Amber is not going  to school, so I must go along Sidney alone. There is a lot of traffic and the subway terrifies me. In Moscow I take the bus in front of my house and I’m at school in twenty minutes’ time. So, if I’m not going to write anymore you should know that I definitely got lost in one of the large streets in Sidney! Now I have to go, Jennifer has cooked her delicious pancakes with syrup: they aren’t like our “palacinke” but they are really good!

Riccardo Vinci

IN BETWEEN- WEEK 1:CULTURE SHOCK

This week has been very hard because I started to discover Australian culture and

lifestyle which are quite different from that I was used to. First of all the temperature is higher than in the UK , even if here it is winter . The weather is always sunny and dry.

Another difference is food. I found out it on Tuesday , when Eliza cooked an

Australian specialty for me: kangaroo meat with mushrooms. At the beginning I hesitated a bit ,but, after the first bite, I enjoyed it. I also tried bugs,which are little crabs, but I didn’t like them very much. At breakfast Australians usually spread a slice of bread with Vegemite, a dark paste made from yeast extract, but I definitely prefer jam.

Yesterday all the family and I went to a local festival , the Lions Imparija Camel Cup,

a race between jockeys who ride camels. It was strange and a bit frightening because camels are really big and fast. Despite my initial fear, I tried to ride one and I found it really exciting.

The day after my arrival, we went to my new school to collect my application form.I also met my new teachers and the headmaster met me in his office. My first day

at school has been extremely stressful: I met a lot of new classmates, I explored the

school and I tried a new sport, softball.

I met Nerissa, a very friendly seventeen-year-old girl, who showed me the school.

Then we had lunch together. She was very kind to me, not like some other

students who stared me and pointed at me when I was crossing the garden. I think

they were pulling my leg, because , every time I turned to them , they

stopped talking. I can’t understand why they were so rude to me, because I didn’t

do anything. Moreover I'm having some difficulties with my English: it may be the Australian accent totally new to me It sounds strange and they use

many strange words, for example , they say good lurk instead of good job or oil

instead of information. The first time I met Nerissa she told me “G’day mate!!” and

I couldn’t understand what she was saying, but later she filled me in.

Once, while I was at home, Eliza shouted that “tea” was ready and I

thought that she had made a cup of tea for me. While she was talking about dinner. Actually they call the evening meal “tea”.

In spite of all these little problems, I’m truly happy to be here and live my dream.

Adam, Eliza and my new brothers are great and they are helping me to go through my cultural shock, they teach me their habits and they are very understanding. I’m sure I 'll get integrated with my new classmates even if this first week has been frustrating.

I’m looking forward to seeing what tomorrow will bring me and who I will meet.

Emma Tessari

BLONDE - the first week

    

                                                                                                                             September 30^th, 9 p.m.

Dear Clare,

                      One week only has passed? Will I ever come back to my family? I knew it wouldn’t be easy to stay in a foreign country where people speak a different language but…I must be sincere with you, I feel alone! My host family is nice, Lucia often speaks to me and Andrea (the good-looking guy) is really kind because he has already introduced me to some of his friends and I appreciated that,  but…you know I miss my friends Lola, Pilar and the people from Spain! In Spain everybody likes talking and teenagers are always cheerful! It’s not simple to explain,  but here people look embarrassed when I am with them. I’ll give you an example: yesterday I was at the bus stop waiting for the bus and when I asked Andrea the time (mixing up Spanish and Italian because I did not know how to say it correctly) everybody around us stopped talking and started to stare at us, you can’t imagine how awkward it was! I can now understand what people mean by “culture shock!”. Italy is not far from Spain and my parents are Italian so I thought that these two cultures were similar but they are not! In addition to the from teenagers’ attitude, the climate in winter is awful! It has rained every single afternoon this week and more than that every morning, when I leave the house, the fog is so thick that I can’t see through 2 metres ahead of me …how I miss you and your mild climate,  Barcelona!

Even if my mum often prepares Italian food, I like Spanish dishes: Lucia cooked paella with fish and vegetables for me. It wasn’t that  bad, but she asked me for the Spanish recipe and I think next time I’ll help her because I understood she is not a very good at cooking!

During these months I’ll attend a high school : It is called liceo Pigafetta. It’s in an ancient building in the centre of Vicenza and I like it. I’ve already begun classes. My new classmates showed me some of the main rooms,  for examples the auditorium, the library, the chemistry lab… My impression is that they are really proud of their school even if I think mine is better-equipped!

I met my new schoolmates: there are quite a lot of them! 31! On the first day ,  they were all curious and they wanted to talk with me because some of them study Spanish, so I had fun   listening to their pronunciation and their answers. I think the class is divided into two groups: in one there are quiet guys, in the other they are rowdy  and I think they are not united because during this week the two “factions” have  already had two arguments! Francesca, who is the chief of the rowdy ones,  made a strong impression on me because she seems like a baby, she is a teaser and I think (I say “I think” because I did not understand  much of what they said) she offended two girls while they were discussing and they both cried…how sad! I don’t like Francesca and I think she doesn’t like me either. On the second day I was trying to explain to my maths’ teacher who I am and what I’m doing here and she made fun of me because of my mistakes. I hope we’ll become friends in the future but the beginning hasn’t been good.

I’m sorry Clare but I’m really tired and now I am going to bed, see you.

DARK- The arrival

It’s eleven o’clock p.m. now! I’ve just put on my pajamas after taking a refreshing shower and I’m laying down on my new bed. I’m in Australia, precisely in Sydney. I’m 14 504 Km far  from Moscow where now it’s about three o’clock p.m; Aleksandr, my younger brother, must be at school and mom and dad must be at  work.I’m a bit homesick but I’m sure that this feeling won’t last for long.I departed Moscow yesterday while it was snowing and it was -10°C and I landed at Sydney airport this afternoon at 1 o’clock. It was very hot, about 30°C, and it was sunny so firstly I took my jacket off. After collecting my  baggage, I met my host family who  was waiting for me just outside  the gate with a poster where they had written “welcome to Australia Lyudmila”. They welcomed me joyfully  hugging me and then they introduced themselves.In their family there are four people: Jennifer and his husband Christopher and their two children, Amber and Mark. They immediately made me a good impression: they are cheery,  kind people and they remind me of my family. Christopher is a doctor and Jennifer is a housewife but in the morning she works as a cleaner in his husband’s consulting room. Jennifer is a typical Australian woman: she’s tall, thin and tanned and she has blue eyes and long, blond hair…. The direct  opposite of my mother . LOL . Christopher, instead, has brown hair and green eyes and he is tall and tanned, too. We all  went to their car and drove to their house,  which it is located just outside Sydney. It is  detached house surrounded by a garden  with a rectangular swimming pool. A big porch with a wooden table and a barbecue overlooks  the neat garden .As soon as we got  home, Jennifer and Christopher showed me round the house and they gave me some time for refreshing myself and taking a rest.The interior of the house is well lit because of the several windows and French doors and it is furnished with modern/contemporary furniture. My bedroom is on the second floor next to  Mark’s and Amber’s .  It’s bigger than mine in Moscow and it’s all mine! There is  a  double bed, a big wardrobe next to a wooden desk and from my window I can see the sea in the distance. First of all I did the unpacking , I refreshed myself and then I put on a t-shirt and a pair of shorts. It’s very strange to wear light clothes instead of a heavy sweater and boots. Then  I went downstairs to the living room where Mark and Amber were watching TV and I joined them up.Amber and I are the same age; she is taller than me, she has curly blond hair  and she looks just like her mother. She is very nice and I hope we will become close friends. Mark is 7 years old; he has blue eyes and short blond hair. He is a bit live wire and he, like Aleksandr, likes playing videogames. We watched  a cartoon together and then we went out with Jennifer to buy an ice cream.They showed me the neighborhood and the main places  like the high school, the church, the supermarket, the cinema. The first thing  I noticed is that they drive on left rather than on right. At 7 o’clock we joined Christopher who was waiting for us at the restaurant. It was a bit difficult  to understand all  the ingredients in  the dishes, but finally I sought advice from Jennifer. The food was excellent and during  dinner we got to know each other a little better. I found it difficult to keep up a conversation , but somehow I could get by.At 10 p.m we got back home. Then  they showed me their dog Alvin, a German Shepherd, who  was waiting for us in front of the door. I really like dogs and in Russia I have got a nice white toy poodle, called Anastasia. After  stroking him for a while  , we drank a glass of lemonade sitting together under the porch.                                   Now I’m in my bedroom ready for sleeping.  I’m very tired; it has been a long and tiring day. I’m positive that this study tour will be very useful; in fact it will allow me to learn English easily and at the same time to mature and to discover the habits and the traditions of Australia. I can’t wait till tomorrow!

IN BETWEEN - The arrival

June 18^th, 11 o’clock p.m.

Dear Diary, what a day!!

I arrived in Australia only a few hours ago, at around midday, as I got off the plane I heard someone  call my name out loud and I felt embarrassed and lost because I couldn’t find where my host family was. While I was going to ask some information, someone grabbed my shoulder and said: “Hi Kimberly, I’m Adam! How are you? How was your journey?”

I turned and I saw a tall, blond, middle-aged man, looking friendly and helpful. I am a shy, clumsy girl;  in fact I could not answer with confidence, and I SIMPLY could not find the appropriate words. I lpuked up the courage and said something. I told him about the journey, my expectations for this trip as we were  heading for home.

The family is composed of Adam, the father, Eliza, the mother, who is really lovely, patient and always ready to help people. She works for a charity.  Their two children Brandon and Holly, 18 and 16 years old, are kind and outgoing. I didn’t know them when I got there ; I sometimes I used to chat with Holly just to get to know each other.

Their family is different from mine, because I was adopted when I was a baby by a young British couple who couldn't have children, so I'm an only child.

When we arrived home, they showed me the house: it is one-storey mansion near Melbourne, with a lot of rooms; in addition each bedroom has got a communicating bathroom ; there is also an enormous kitchen and a living room where they have three sofas opposite a big television.

Then Adam took me to my room: it is a room with a big window overlooking the garden. In the middle  there is a four-poster bed, like the one in my favourite film. I couldn't hope anything better. He also showed me my personal bathroom, where I eventually had a shower. 

In the evening, while we were eating at an Italian restaurant, we talked about ourselves and I discovered we had some common interests, like Brendon I love playing the piano. I also love lacrosse and I'm fond of cinema (I know every film by Steven Spielberg, my favourite director); I like pets and cooking, even if in England I can't improve this hobby, because we are bad cooks. Here in Australia I would like to learn to windsurf, so I hope my host family will help me.

After dinner, we had fun in a pub. We also met some very nice boys and girls.  I’ve  noticed that people are much friendlier here than in England.

BLONDE - The arrival

September 23rd, 10 o’clock p.m. 

Dear Clare,

                   I’m here, in what will be my room for the next three months. I arrived in Vicenza just this morning and I want to tell you everything!  At 10.30 a.m. my plane landed  at Valerio Catullo airport, near Verona.  I was so excited to be in Italy! Since I was ten years old this has always been my dream: I really wanted to visit Italy and the place where my parents were born. They have always told me how beautiful this country is, but now I am starting to know it myself. 

When I got off the plane I was really surprised to see so many people walking around, somebody was running but everyone was smiling. This reminded me of Barcelona, my city, a place where everybody is always happy and friendly. 

At first I got scared because my luggage didn’t arrive,  but a kind hostess helped me and she showed me the way to the gate where I saw my host mother for the first time. She is quite tall and a little bit chubby, but she has a nice, friendly smile. We introduced each other: her name is Lucia and she is a housewife, I suppose she is around 45 years old but she looks younger. She kindly offered to carry one of my heavy suitcases and then we went to her house.

The Bianchi family, this is their surname, lives in a nice apartment on the second floor of a block of flats near the centre of the town. In the house there is a warm and welcoming atmosphere. They have a dog called Sissy, she is a two-month-old golden retriever and looking at her I really miss Henry, my little dog. Lucia showed me my room: it is really nice, bigger than mine in Barcelona, the walls are light purple and there is a big french window through which I can get to a balcony. The bed is large and comfortable and I have all the space I need. I really like it! 

Then she showed me the way to the living room where I met the rest of the family: there was Francesco, my host father, a 50-year-old man with dark hair and strange bushy moustaches, he seemed friendly. Then there were Chiara, a 7-year-old girl and Andrea, who is 18. He is cute! He has blond curly hair and green eyes. 

They all started to ask me questions about me, my family, my country; I was embarrassed and quite nervous but Lucia saved me! She proposed to go out for dinner so we could get to know each other and that would have been the right occasion to show me the centre of Vicenza.

We went to a little pizzeria where we spent all the time talking about everything! Slowly I started to be less nervous and I enjoyed this first dinner all together, it was fun! I told them all about my country, my city and my family. All the family was friendly to me and they all tried to make me feel comfortable. After dinner we went out for a little walk and now I am here in my room.

I am really tired and I think IT is time to go to bed. I hope this experience will be as amazing as it started! I am excited to start school and I cannot wait to see how I am going to live for these three months!  I am glad to be here but I know I will miss my family and I am a little be scared to be in Italy on my own, but I will face this little problem!

Goodnight Clare, see you tomorrow.