In academic year 2018-2019, two of us participated in the exchange program with St Mary's Anglican Girls' School, which is located in Perth, Australia. We were excited to experience life for a whole month in another city, especially one that is so different from Hong Kong. We arrived during St Mary's term break, so we had the chance to spend two weeks with our respective host family doing interesting activities before school started. Here’s what our holidays look like!

My host family gave me a really warm welcome. We visited parks, beaches and a market in Perth. I was surprised by how when you look up you could see the whole sky, how people were so friendly with each other that they could pet any dog on the street, how there were no Starbucks but local coffee shops each with its own characteristics, how the beaches were so clean even if there were no rubbish bins around, and how you could actually relax during vacation in Perth. We spent some time with my buddy's friends, and then headed to Sydney for a five-day trip. Sydney, despite being busier than Perth, still gave off the welcoming and friendly vibe. We climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge, watched an Australian Football match, visited a zoo, and had lots of absolutely delicious meals. I realised there were actually people who could live feeling generally happy and relaxed.

School life in St Mary's was a lot different from DGS as well. The buildings for different departments, the dormitory, and the canteen were all spread out on the school ground; students sat on the floor or grass during break and lunch to enjoy their meals while chatting with friends; it was apparent that the students were generally happier and less stressed. In case you got upset, there’s an emotional support dog on the campus to cheer you up! St Mary's offered some school subjects that were new to us, such as technical drawing and money management. We participated in their sports day as well, which was very inclusive and enjoyable as everyone was assigned to compete in at least one event.

We learnt through observing the differences between life in Perth and Hong Kong. It had been a truly memorable trip for us.

Reported by: Cheung Hok Ching and Racheal Cai

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