藝術高等學校 School of Arts
葉旭宏 (視覺藝術課程) YE XUHONG

 

My name is Arron and I’m still overwhelmed by the happiness that this trip has given me. This was my first visit to Australia, and the first thing I want to do is thank MPI for giving me this incredible opportunity, and also Miss Diana who has done so much for us. I really enjoyed my time in Brisbane and the unforgettable experience.

 

During the two weeks I spent a fantastic time with my home-stay families. They were very warm, easy-going and generous people. They always talked with me and cooked different kinds of food for me. They showed me the jewelry they polished, played games with me, taught me some local songs, and took me to see the kangaroos. That kind of life was really new and fresh for me, and I got to know so much about Australia, Australians, and the way of life there.  Australians are kind, polite, creative and don’t waste any water!

They don’t pursue luxury, know how to enjoy their lives, don’t leave work too late and say thank you when they get off the bus. The houses there are not high, but comfortable, simple and beautiful. In some ways, the Chinese could learn from them.

 

Life on campus at UQ was colorful. The campus was very big, beautiful and well equipped. I could have a cup of coffee on campus, I could buy some handicrafts at the flee market on the campus, I could buy a novel in the book shop there, I could take part in the dancing club on Wednesday, I could visit the museum on the campus…  Different classes were arranged for us including listening, speaking, pronunciation, music, local food culture, local aboriginal culture and animals, some polite manners, the communication with home-stay families and strangers. The most exciting excursion was to go to the Lone-Pine. We saw different kinds of Australian animals there such as kangaroos, koalas, platypus, possums, emus, wombats, and we also could take photos with koalas and feed the kangaroos.


I also visited some very special scenic spots. During the first weekend, I visited the south bank district where there was an artificial beach inside the centre of the city. It was beautiful, clean and full of children. I also visited Eagle Street Pier which had beautiful creative arts and crafts and I bought a lot of souvenirs there. I visited Art Galleries and Museums; the two buildings had a lot of modern art works and local aboriginal art works, which gave me fresh inspiration. I visited the State Library which is the most beautiful library I have ever seen. I visited Mount Coot-tha, which is the highest point of Brisbane, and from there I could see the full panorama of Brisbane.  I also had a tour with my friend with John, lin and Danni. We took a long time to get there. There was a big rainforest and with waterfalls and amazing natural views. We were also able to visit the Glow Worm Caves where we could see thousands of glow worms in their own cave.


Being the member of this overseas study programme, I got to know the local culture more clearly, communicate with local people and increase my understanding of Australia. It broadened my mind and improved my English listening and speaking skills and made me much more confident to communicate with others. It was an unforgettable opportunity.