In July Southland Girls High School had the ability to have an exchange with our sister school from Kumagaya in Japan and in September a range of lucky students went to Japan for a cultural exchange for two weeks. We spent time in Tokyo, our sister city Kumagaya, Kyoto and Hiroshima. Going to Japan was a very valuable and exciting experience for all of us.
“Spending time with my host family and fully immersing myself in to their culture were key highlights for me because they were unique and once in a lifetime. I also loved Hiroshima it made me appreciate Japan and its people.”
“Connecting with the group by experiencing Japanese culture/life together, making new friends in Japan and eating lots of yummy food.”
“It was an incredible experience, I didn’t speak the language or know much about the culture before we went but it didn’t end up mattering. I met so many amazing people who showed me what their lives are like in Japan. I loved the castles they were so beautiful and it’s amazing to see all the culture and tradition that they hold, especially since some of them were so old. I learned a bit about the culture and people but I would love to go back again and learn even more.”
“I feel I became more confident as a person because we had to be to do the host stays. I learnt that it’s good to try everything your given because you may never get that change again.”
Bonjour Tout Le Monde
This April of last year, twenty students from Southland Girls High School and James Hargest College along with three teachers boarded a plane to Europe. Our first destination was a town in the north of France names Le Quesnoy. We then headed to Belgium and were amazed by the amazing architecture in the cities of Bruges, Brussels and Ypres. We travelled back to France to stay with our host families in Bourg-en-Bresses which allowed us to experience what it is like to live as a student in France. After saying au revoir to our host families, we made our way to Switzerland, where we staying in the city of Lausanne. Then we finally made our way to the city of lights, Paris. A month later we returned to New Zealand. Now, several months we get to show the same students who hosted us our beautiful country, they’ve gotten to experience the life of New Zealand Students and we will be sad to see them go.
