Germany

Pascal Roth

Hello my name is Pascal and I've been here for nine months.  I am an International student and I really enjoyed it at school and just anywhere in the beautiful country New Zealand.

When I first came to school, everything was new and strange.  After a few days though it was much better and I knew a few other students.  In class it was actually pretty hard because I didn't understand that much to follow in class.

Anyway, soon the big holidays started and I did heaps of stuff around Upper Hutt or even in Lower Hutt.  On December 21st I flew to Christchurch.  Down there I met my family from Germany, because we decided that they are coming and visiting me.  So we were traveling around the country and had many adventures.  On the 26th my brother and I have been on our way up to 13000 feet.  We did skydiving.  I have to admit, it was the best feeling ever in my life; one minute freefall and then about 5 minutes diving around in the air.  I was even allowed to guide the paraglide.  I would love to do the jump again.

But I didn't only do something like a trip with my family from Germany.  My host family took me up to Taupo and Rotorua and we had heaps of fun as well.  I did something I always wanted to do; Quad biking.  It was heaps of fun to drive around at the fields and then in the bushes and to speed up the hills.  The Luge, which probably everyone knows, was amazing.

At the start of Term 2, Mr Wyeth asked me if I want to go to OPC.  I managed all the paper work and then the next Sunday we drove up to Tongariro National Park.  The whole group has been excited and we all looked forward to arrive there.  It was such a cool area up there and it already seemed like heaps of fun right from the beginning.  At the third day we did the "Big Swing".  It was 15 meters high and we were attached to the ropes and then we had to jump, or actually we were supposed to side step.  So I did a little jump and I faaaaalllll...  I was swinging in the air and it was, as well as the skydiving, an awesome feeling.  Apart from that, I nearly hit the platform again on my way back but everything was good.

So we finished our week at OPC on the Friday and then we were heading off back to school.

And now I'm in school and wrote this letter.  I will leave in 5 days and then I will see my family, my mates and my girlfriend again.  I am looking forward to seeing them again.

Pascal

Julia Barth

Hey, my name is Julia and I am from Munich in Germany and I spent four and a half months in Upper Hutt, New Zealand.  At first I didn't want to go abroad but a friend of mine, Sally, convinced me to come to New Zealand with her and in October  I was organising my flights. Three months later at the end of January I got off my plane in Wellington.  Deciding to come to New Zealand was one of my brighter moments.  The first two days were really hard: climate change from Winter to Summer, Jetlag, but most of all the fact that I was 18,000 kms from home in a place I had never been before.  As soon as school started I began to settle in really well though!

With Sally and my host family as my guides I got to know Upper Hutt and Wellington, Waiterere, Palmerston North and Auckland.  I went to rugby games, becoming a huge Hurricanes fan over night:-), and even learned some cricket rules (thanks to my host dad).  At first it seemed hard to get to know people at school but that changed soon.  I joined the Hockey Girls Second IX and had an awesome as time playing with the team!

Being supposed to go back home in April I decided to stay for two more months just four weeks before my leaving date.  Seems quite hard to organise, but not for Karen, who actually did all the work.  In the end I got my Visa extended and had the joy of experiencing a real Wellington Winter.  Honestly, it's not the best thing ever, but it was definitely worth it!  In those two months I got to know all the people a lot better and made all the friends I am still in contact with.  I actually started to dive into Kiwi culture and began to understand it as well.  I even managed to understand the youth slang in the end.

My English improved a lot and the whole time was full of great experiences and people.  Going home is hard, much harder than I would have thought.  Somebody said to me that now I'll always be homesick; in New Zealand for Munich and in Munich for New Zealand.  That's probably true, but it was definitely worth it!  This was the best time of my life and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!  If you get the chance, do it!

All in all I had the best time possible and I'll definitely be back!

Julia Barth