Seeing Canada Through Australian Eyes
Editor's note: Alex Richardson and Frank Finlayson, Year 10 students from The Scots College in Sydney, Australia, were the first participants in a new international student exchange program with Crescent School in Fall 2019. They were hosted by the families of Grade 10 Crescent students Charlie P. Bunker and Andrew Jaques. Here’s how Charlie describes the experience.
As Alex and Frank arrived in Toronto in late October, the first thing they noticed about Canada was that the stereotypes are in fact true. They described that people are nice, it’s cold, people say “eh” and hockey is everywhere. It took them about a week to adjust to our time zone. After all, it’s over a 12-hour difference for them! Throughout their first week, their shock at being in Canada was evident. They were constantly saying “Wow, I am in Canada!” and “I am halfway across the world!”
Their first North American experience was Halloween. They decided to spend it by running around the neighbourhood asking for candy as any kid would do…if they were 10 years old! Almost every day, they were discovering weird and new things about Canada, like different traffic rules and squirrels. For Andrew and me, it was fun to watch our exchange partners discover these things that we see every day. In fact, it made us realize and appreciate how cool and interesting the little things of Canada are.
Despite a love for rugby and soccer, Alex and Frank both took a liking to hockey. I am proud to say that they are both Leafs fans for life. They liked to watch lots of sports on TV including hockey, basketball, and even football. They had heard of and watched highlights of the sports most popular here. However, they were so excited to watch the major leagues we love all the way over here in Canada.
A highlight of my experience with the Aussies was when they agreed that they “could live here.” To me, that is the ultimate compliment for Canada and Toronto. Crescent’s first exchange has been a successful one.
I asked Alex a few questions before he left. Here's how he responded:
How is Crescent School different from The Scots College?
As a boarder at Scots, it was quite a different school experience as I was a day boy at Crescent. It’s also different in that Scots College is a religious school, being Presbyterian. This makes Crescent more diverse when it comes to religion. Crescent school also has a four-period day while all schools in Australia have six periods.
What was surprising to you about Toronto and Canada?
The first thing that surprised me was the cold. I knew it would be cold but I didn’t realize how badly I would take it. My immune system rapidly deteriorated throughout the course of the trip leading to me being sick.
How is Toronto similar to Sydney?
Like Sydney, Toronto is a large city with a diverse population. Sydney has its own version of the CN Tower: the Centrepoint Tower. The people living in both countries appear to be fairly similar.
What was the most important thing you learned from your experience?
Aside from knowing the full Leafs roster, the most important thing I have learned is how to shovel a driveway.
What advice do you have for Andrew and me when we arrive in Sydney?
Watch out for drop bears.
Shown in the photo, left to right: Frank Finlayson, Charlie P. Bunker, Alex Richardson and Andrew Jaques.
Back
Their first North American experience was Halloween. They decided to spend it by running around the neighbourhood asking for candy as any kid would do…if they were 10 years old! Almost every day, they were discovering weird and new things about Canada, like different traffic rules and squirrels. For Andrew and me, it was fun to watch our exchange partners discover these things that we see every day. In fact, it made us realize and appreciate how cool and interesting the little things of Canada are.
Despite a love for rugby and soccer, Alex and Frank both took a liking to hockey. I am proud to say that they are both Leafs fans for life. They liked to watch lots of sports on TV including hockey, basketball, and even football. They had heard of and watched highlights of the sports most popular here. However, they were so excited to watch the major leagues we love all the way over here in Canada.
A highlight of my experience with the Aussies was when they agreed that they “could live here.” To me, that is the ultimate compliment for Canada and Toronto. Crescent’s first exchange has been a successful one.
I asked Alex a few questions before he left. Here's how he responded:
How is Crescent School different from The Scots College?
As a boarder at Scots, it was quite a different school experience as I was a day boy at Crescent. It’s also different in that Scots College is a religious school, being Presbyterian. This makes Crescent more diverse when it comes to religion. Crescent school also has a four-period day while all schools in Australia have six periods.
What was surprising to you about Toronto and Canada?
The first thing that surprised me was the cold. I knew it would be cold but I didn’t realize how badly I would take it. My immune system rapidly deteriorated throughout the course of the trip leading to me being sick.
How is Toronto similar to Sydney?
Like Sydney, Toronto is a large city with a diverse population. Sydney has its own version of the CN Tower: the Centrepoint Tower. The people living in both countries appear to be fairly similar.
What was the most important thing you learned from your experience?
Aside from knowing the full Leafs roster, the most important thing I have learned is how to shovel a driveway.
What advice do you have for Andrew and me when we arrive in Sydney?
Watch out for drop bears.
Shown in the photo, left to right: Frank Finlayson, Charlie P. Bunker, Alex Richardson and Andrew Jaques.
