As I told you, I'd like to share about my trip in Warrnambool. It was a student exchange program that provided by my college to Warrnambool College, Warrnambool, Victoria. Well, it was not just about how the education runs the students to study and have a fun learning but more than that, I learnt how they life and felt how excited is being Australian! Sorry Indonesia, may this because of I've never been abroad before hehehe.
So I departed to Melbourne on 24th of October 2011 at about 7.30 pm. Oh, I haven't mentioned who guys were going to Aussie: Me, Adli, Ulin, Nisa, Ama, Yuka, Danissa, Eva, Sari, Christy, Mr. Kusworo and Mrs. Rini. Later I'll show you our photos. Then we arrived at Melbourne Int'l Airport in the morning (Australian Time), I forget what time it was. We went straight to Southern Cross Station by SkyBus, then we got tickets to Warrnambool at 1 pm. It took about 4 hour to reach Warrnambool from Melbourne. When we arrived, Mr. Gleyson (Warrnambool College's Teacher) picked us up then we went to Coastal Thunder Point (it's a beach) then dropped us to Warrnambool Beach Backpackers (it's such a homestay place). We didn't go directly to our host-families's house, because we just got arrived in Warrnambool, so we stayed there for a night. On the night, we had dinner with Mr. Gleysons family, in Mr. Gleyson's house of course.
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| Southern Cross Station, Melbourne |
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| In front of Mr. Gleyson;s House. That's Lucia with red jumper and Dobby with blue jumper. They're Mr.Gleyson's children |
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The 2nd day, we went to Warrnambool College. We met new friends there and..... we were amazed to Warrnambool College! The buildings, atmosphere, people around, they are truly great! 1st day of living in Warrnambool was just started :D I met my host-sibling either: Iolande. I stayed with her family when I was there with Nisa also. Then I spent my 1st day school with them through English, Science, and Indonesian! Haha. It was fun doing subjects there, may be because of they just took some subjects as they desire for, then they can focused on what they're doing. The next thing to do was came after Iolande to see her ballet class! Yeah, I envy her to be able dance well. Then me and Nisa had dinner with our host-family. Our host-family consist of Greg (host-father), Mercellez (host-mother), Fletcher (host-brother), and Iolande (host-sibling). We were really please to have a lovely host-family like'em. I miss them so badly :(
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| Met new friends :D |
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| Ballet Class! |
The 3rd day, we went to Hopkins Falls, Cheese World, Twelve Apostles, Port Campbell, and Loch Ard Gorge. They were nice and beautiful!
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| Loch Ard Gorge |
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| Twelve Apostles |
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| Cheese World |
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| Port Campbell |
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| Hopkins Falls |
4th day. It was Friday. It was a Formal Dance day! So, formal dance was a agenda of assembly just for year 10. It was held in the gym from 7-11 pm. Me, Nisa, Yuka, and Ulin were either invited to the Formal Dance and we had a huge excitement there! We danced all the time with Iolande, Molly, Erin, Rachel, Shannon, Tziganne, and others! But because we're not accustomed of this atmosphere, we decide to get home at 10 pm. But it was no matter, we stiil kept the fun :)
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| Formal Dance! With Iolande and her lovely friends :D |
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| Formal Dance! With the guys :) |
5th day. We had no classes on Satuday so we could get rest until fully rested on that day and..... it was good. Saturday was also a quality time with my host-family. So, my host-mother is one of Flagstaff Hills Maritime Village staffs and also a ballet teacher, my host-father is working for Warrnambool City Council, for the theatre and Art Gallery to be exact, and my host-brother is a graduated student from Warrnambool College (he finished his study already, he's going to go to Melbourne Uni next February) but he also takes a part-time job in Flaggstaff Hills. Flaggstaff Hills is a place of tourism object, it's a duplicate of Native-Old-Australian Village and had stories about Loch Ard Ship that sinked along time ago, around the Great Ocean Road coastal. Me and Nisa were going to Liebeg St. (main street of Warrnambool) and visited Flagstaff Hills on that Saturday. And they also have a very good show about Loch Ard history; they show it using a very gorgeus laser and lights; they called it 'Shipwrecked Show'. We don't have any kind such this object in Indonesia, it's a very greaaaat place to visit and explore! I spend my time full of excitement there. Amazing!
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| Flagstaff Hills Maritime Village |
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| Me with my roommate, Nisa :) |
6th day, Sunday. Nisa, Iolande, and I were going to Warrnambool Show. Here, it's much a bit like 'Sekaten'. So there were many rides and also an exhibiton of agricultural. Also a hirse riding comptition, nursery house for animals, and a music show were settled on the other side. Nice and really cool! In the afternoon, we went to Tower Hill, Port Fairy, and Coles Supermarket with Greg and Mercellez also. In the evening all of us; Greg, Mercellez, Iolande, Fletcher, Nisa, and I; went to have dinner in India Gate (Restaurant of Indian Cuisine). We had much of conversations, laughs, shared things, and many other more! I love how this family run their life lively and happily. I wondered can I apply this way of life in my real life in Indonesia? Mhh... it's hard I thought.
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| Warrnambool Show |
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| My beloved hostdad (Greg), hostbrother (Fletcher), and hostmother (Mercellez) |
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| Nisa, Me, and a very dearly my hostsibling: Iolande! <3 xoxo |
7th day, Monday. Cooking class and quality time with classmates and Iolande's close friends!
Grampians on the next day. I actually hated to leave for Grampians. Why? Because, when I left for Grampians, just for 1 day, Greg was also leaving for Adelaide to see her mother that had been sick for long. So..... when I left Warrnambool to Melbourne, I didn't see Greg. I just, not disappointed, but, missed him. I just wanted to be hugged by the most concern man and best host-father in the world. And took some photos with him. The other thing was, Fletcher was doing his VCE exam (it;s like UNAS here) when I left Warrnambool. So he's busy studying preparing for his exam when I packed my belongings. We also didn't have time to take photos together :( Well...... I concluded that I didn;t suppose to leave Warrnambool that day. I supposed to stay in Warrnambool, as long as it's possible! You know, all of my friends and I are really really love Warrnambool. This town is really lovely. We can get everything within just 10 minutes to reach'em. Falls, beaches, lake, rivers, mountains, old nice buildings, parks, everything! And..... I just couldn;t stop crying in the bus, in my journey to Melbourne. My dear..... Oh God :'( :'(
Then, in Melbourne, we went to Melbourne Uni, Melbourne Aquarium, Flinders Street Station, had trip with City Circle Tram, then straight to Parliament House, Federation Square, Queen Victoria Market, Royal Exhibition Building, Cartlon Gardens, crossing Yarra River and that unexpected thing was: heading in to Crown Entertainment Complex! LOL. We saw many fancy things that I even can't buy it after saving my money for a year. Damn, it was freak but fun! Hahaha :p
Melbourne was a very crowded and hectic city. It's much more like New York I thought. So when I got Melbourne, I felt like I just wanted to sing Alicia Key's Empire State of Mind but replace the 'New York' to 'Melborune', so it becomes:
Melbourne! Concrete jungle where dreams are made of, there's nothing you can’t do, now you're in Melbourne! These streets will make you feel brand new, the lights will inspire you. Let's hear it for Melbourne, Melbourne, Melbourne!
Huahahahaha! And I kept singing it in my mind, and I suddenly got a very big ambition to live in Melbourne, spend the university years in Melbourne Uni and then have my career here in Melbourne also.
Yes, since that time, because of that song, my ambition to have a life in Melbourne keep spinning in my head, force my heart to make it surely happen, and prepare myself to get it all. :) :)
That's all from Warrnambool!
P.S. I love my host-family so baddddly! And I believe that I can come visit back soon, for sure :) I love you, the Diamantises! <3
Sorry for the photos are still not being uploaded. Something's error with the connection >:(
Your Little Girl,
Nana
