A snapshot of Australia

By Chen Xin Chi, translated by Iris Chiu
It’s truly incredible that I went abroad to Australia on the afternoon of August 7th, 2007. Fearfulness and excitement had stalked me at the airport. But, finally, after flying 12 hrs, the airplane landed in Australia. Glancing at the surroundings, I found many differences between Taiwan and Australia. For example, the bus driver looked neat and trim, and was very kind to carry the heavy luggage for me. The houses were big and glorious and the air was also very fresh.
The University of Queensland was the first place we wanted to visit. On the way to the university, there were two rows of trees, just like in the fairy tales; and the houses were so splendid that I was perfectly enchanted. The university displayed old European architecture and grass as smooth as cushions filled the campus. I was sitting on the grass, eating my lunch, smelling the fresh air, and feeling like a bird in fight.
Next, I went to a supermarket. This was the first time that I used English to buy something. I was very embarrassed because I accidentally spoke to the clerk in Chinese! After shopping, I went back to my hotel, taking a shower and lying lazily on the balcony. I felt I was in the lap of luxury. From my vista balcony, I could see many shoals in the sea. Pelicans were flying casually all over the place. My accommodation was very cozy; I slept like a log after a big meal.
The next morning, I attended a class which was about basic manners and how to introduce myself to others. After the lecture, my friends and I went shopping at the biggest supermarket on the Sunshine Coast, but I did not buy anything since I could not afford it.
On the third day I had to go to live with my host family, the Homes. I was a shy girl who was visibly uncomfortable with other people. Separated from my friends and teachers in Taiwan, I trembled, felt my heart pounding, and had butterflies in my stomach. In the beginning, I must admit that I felt ill at ease and nervous, so I did not understand what they were talking about. But, gradually, we began to get to know each other, and I felt they were a friendly and loving family.
Mrs. Home was a babysitter. She took care of a couple of kids in the day time. I was amazed at what I saw in this Australian family; for example, many dolls were on the bed, and it had a beautiful canopy over it. The courses were finished at three every day, so Mrs. Home took us to the sports field to see a great basketball game. Her son also played basketball there. The next day, Mr. and Mrs. Home took me to the dance class. Her daughter was good at dancing, especially to rock music. She taught me how to dance and then we danced together happily.
Later, I joined a wonderful dance class and learned to dance in public. There were many international students there. At first, everyone was so shy that no one wanted to dance. But, a few minutes later, everyone cheered up such a rapturous atmosphere. We danced, we laughed and we almost forgot ourselves.
One afternoon, Mrs. Home asked us to go to their strawberry garden. I took some, but I still thought the strawberries in Taiwan were the best in the world.
I had so many unprecedented experiences there. One was the chance to communicate with international students. It was a fresh experience because I had to talk to them in English. Another was that we got to attend different classes during this week. The teachers and teaching methods in class were all different, so I could practice my listening. Another experience was demonstrating for the class, how to communicate with others and how to express myself in public. My language ability was challenged!
Far beyond my imagination, they emphasized the importance of acting something in our class instead of just sitting at my desk writing notes. I remember two experiments: one was when the teacher gave us play dough and asked us to shape it. The aim of this experiment was to evaluate if the clay could float on water. The other was when the teacher gave us a ball of Styrofoam, two steel wires and a string to weigh it in the balance. Having tried the experiment for a long time, I eventually had it done successfully. Though I was glad about my own results, I was annoyed by two foreigners who worked in the same group, but did nothing.
We took an excursion to the zoo where I touched a koala and saw the kangaroos. The fur of the koala was so soft that it reminded me of a sweet memory: my younger brother in Taiwan whose hair felt just the same.
Best of all, I met a friendly and scholarly Cantonese. Becoming close friends, we shared some experiences with each other between Taiwan and Hong Kong such as education, an entrance exam and the famous sights there. On the one hand, she came here earlier than me, so she spoke English more fluently. On the other hand though, she liked to swim, so we often swam together in the morning. Her eloquence and excellence in swimming impressed me and that was why I was glad to be her friend.
One day, I-Chi and I visited to the seashore with the Home family. Their daughter was very naughty, throwing sand and spraying some water on my face on purpose. In turn, she pushed us into the sea unexpectedly, so I swallowed some water. Moreover, Mrs. Home showed me the traditional market there; surprisingly, they sold few things like accessories, decorations and flowers, no food and no meat.
“All good things will come to an end.” they say. After 13 days of learning, I said good bye to the Home family. I was so touched that I could not help crying. I went through many wonderful experiences that I had never had in Taiwan. I believe that will become an important part of my life. And I would like to say thank you to my parents and teachers. Without them, these marvelous Australian memories would not be a reality.