Robert Papel: Eton College Exchange (January-March 2012)

The Eton College Experience

             In January 2012, I left Nashville for England. I was lucky enough to be chosen as MBA's representative to Eton College for the Lent Term. After the long lines at Heathrow, I was picked up by Mr. Oliphant-Callum, a house-master at Eton. So began my foray into the English way of life.

The Life-style

            At Eton, the exchanges are set up through the individual houses. I stayed in Manor House, the house of both Prince William and Harry. Each house at Eton is known by its house-master's initials - for example Manor House is known as TEJN, after Justin Nolan. Each boy has a room to himself, but with college-style hall bathrooms. About half of the twenty-five houses eat "in house," while the other half eat in a dining hall. TEJN's head-chef is named Rick, a man with a heavy cockney accent straight out of a Dickens novel. The food was filling, like MBA's fare, but entirely English. Lunch is the formal meal of the day - everyone stands until the arrival of the house-master and the dame (the mother-figure of the house). Once Mr. Nolan says grace, everyone sits down and is served by the house staff. Every other meal is informal, and the full tail-suit is not required.

The Uniform

            One of the most peculiar traditions is the uniform. Each boy is required to wear tails, pinstripe pants, black shoes, and an attachable collar (see photo). One of the stories I heard was that a top-hat used to be part of the uniform. Due to the struggle of juggling books, a top-hat, and a gas mask (WWII), they stopped requiring one.  The uniform, by far, was one of my favorite parts of Eton. I loved every time I put on my tails.

The Courtyard- with the Statue of Henry VI - The Chariots of Fire footrace was filmed here

The Tails

Schedules

            The equivalent of junior year is known as "C-Block." The senior class is called B-Block.  The schedule is very similar, for each student takes four classes. I took Politics, English, History, and Art. At first I was put in the American Civil War history class, but I switched into the French Revolution class. They call classes "divs," which is short for "divisions." Each div is only forty minutes long, but they are spread out until five or six in the evening. English class was great because you have two different teachers teaching two different books. I studied Hamlet & A Streetcar Named Desire (Stelllaaa!!!).

Sport

             All athletics take place right after lunch during the Lent Term. I did rowing and played "Sine" (jv) Field Game. Rowing is their most intense sport, and I helped out whenever they needed a coxswain. They built their own lake a few years ago, and the Olympic rowing took place there. Field Game, on the other hand, is fun and very complicated. Only Etonians play the game, which is a mix between rugby and soccer. The rules (like cricket) are strange, but you can still have tons of fun. We were Sine runner-ups for the term.

The Boat House

The Sine Field Game Squad

Outside of Eton

            The students come from all over England and the world. There were three other Americans in the house, all full-time students. A lot of kids go home on the weekends, and I went with them several times. During the "long-leave," (a week off in the middle of term), I stayed all over southern England. I visited Kent, Hertfordshire, Hampshire, and a few other English counties. I stayed with one family whose house was owned by Henry VIII at one point. While I was in London over one weekend, I was lucky enough to go to a Premier League Match, Fulham vs. Newcastle. Clint Dempsey, an American on the Fulham squad, scored the first American hat-trick in the Premier League. It was quite a game.

Craven Cottage-  the home of Fulham

Speakers

             Since Eton is one of the most prestigious high schools in the world, they attract some of the coolest speakers. I saw James Murdoch, the son of Rupert Murdoch, speak. He mostly talked about his business endeavors, and stayed away from the recent controversy. I also saw Boris Berezovsky talk, who was one of the Russian Oligarchs who put Putin in power. He's been exiled, so he lives in England. One of the more fun speakers was the #4 darts player in the world - he gave an exhibition and played some Etonians.
             Eton has many societies, or clubs, that bring the speakers in. There are also some very exclusive societies, like the Wine Society or the Cheese Society. B-Blockers have to be invited to join, as they are the most popular societies in the school.

Andy "The Hammer" Hamilton in action

Chapel        
            A huge part of the routine is going to Chapel daily. College Chapel is a soaring cathedral, though smaller than some of the others built around the same time. Students mostly fall asleep or read off kindles during chapel (suit overcoats make the action easy). The chapel itself dominates the Etonian sky-line. It is easily the most recognized part of Eton besides Upper School (the famous room where Etonians carve their names, eg Percy Shelley).

Prince Harry's name in TEJN

Vocab

Divs = classes
Beaks = teachers
Chambers = break
Prayers = nightly roll call
Dame = house mother
Old Etonian = graduate of Eton (eg David Cameron is an OE)
Rut = a general term of disgust
Wet Bobs = rowers
Head Man = headmaster
Reader = study hall
Tap = the school bar (yes, they serve alcohol to those over 16!)
Tardy Book = demerit hall
B-Block = seniors
C-Block = juniors
D-Block = sophomores

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FtZkVRkusQ

Lindisfarne College - John Powell

     Upon arrival to the Hastings Airport, I knew I was soon to encounter an entirely new world. As Alex and I approached our host families, jet-lagged and hungry, we tried our best to be cheerful and personable. Tom Nicolle and his parents Patrick and Belinda greeted me with open arms and smiles on their faces. Patrick, a maize farmer by trade, was born in Zimbabwe, but moved to Hastings to start a family. Tom, my host brother, had come to MBA the semester before. He welcomed me and immediately began telling me all the plans their family had arranged for my stay. I was thrilled, yet, in the back of my mind, all I wanted to do was take a nap. When we arrived at the Nicolle’s home, a white brick farm house with blue detailing, I was greeted by Mo and Suzy, the Nicolle’s two dogs. I could not have asked for a better welcome. After unpacking my belongings, as well as a few Tennessee themed gifts for the Nicolles, I ironed my shirt, pants, and blazer for the Lindisfarne Ball. We had some time before the ball, so Tom and I headed to “The Farne,” Lindisfarne’s athletic fields located across the street from the school. The D-Grade rugby squad had a match against St. Paul’s Boy School, and I met many of Tom’s friends as well as multiple teachers and administrators from the school. They were all overwhelmingly kind and never failed to mention how rugby players were tougher then American football players, who wear “all those pads.” We made our way back to the Nicolle’s farm to get ready for the Ball. 

Tom had arranged a partner for me, and we soon made our way to Tom’s friend George’s house. There I first encountered mince pies, and New Zealand’s famous soda, L&P. As we walked toward the school, we passed many Maori children, New Zealand’s indigenous people. The Ball was structured much differently then MBA’s homecoming and prom. All students ate on campus, and took buses to the city hall in downtown Hastings for the dance. The dance was set up very similarly to MBA’s, and a DJ performed as well as a band. Unfortunately for Alex and I, the dance lasted for about 4 hours, and we could not leave until then. We were both extremely tired and longing for our beds. When we finally arrived back at Tom’s, I fell fast asleep, unsure if I would ever wake up. 

On Monday, Tom and I departed for school sporting gray slacks, black socks, black shoes, black belts, white shirts, and blue blazers with the Lindsfarne insignia on the right breast. We met with Mr. Findlay, who had been at MBA during the spring, and he gave us our class schedules and a run through of how the day is structured. We were set to study English, Maths, Media, History, and Physics. 

I found the Media Studies class to be the most enjoyable, in part due to the fact that I had never taken a class similar to it. Mr. Kidd, a body builder turned round bloke, lectured us about how most media comes from the States, but constantly reminded us that the Lord of The Rings trilogy was filmed and produced in New Zealand. On the first weekend, we ventured to Wellington, New Zealand’s capitol city, for a media trip. We filmed, produced, and acted an entire TV show parodying NZ’s most famous sports talk show, The Crowd Goes Wild. We learned about all the difficulties that come along with making the show. 

In regard to sports, Lindisfarne did not offer the range of sports at MBA, but the concentration on the “big three,” rugby, football, and hockey was seen among all grades. The rugby teams, which I was most interested in, were divided by skill level. The first XV (comparable to the varsity), was the top team, and they represented the school in all rugby competitions. Behind them were the second and third XV’s, and then after that was D-Grade. Before all major first XV rugby matches, both the home and away teams performed the Haka, New Zealand’s traditional ritual where the team tries to intimidate the opposing team through chants and synchronized moves. Without a doubt, the Haka is one of the coolest sports rituals around the world. The Kiwis take their rugby seriously, and won the Rugby World Cup in 2011, an amazing feat for a country that has only 5 million inhabitants. 

The boys at Lindisfarne could not have been kinder to Alex and I, and this trip is something that I will never forget. Being able to experience a culture so different than my own, and being blessed with a family that looked after me is truly a gift. This exchange has taught me so much about the world outside of Nashville, and the lessons I learned will lead me on to bigger and better things. 

Christ's College New Zealand: James Higgins

Few words can describe the experience I had this summer of going to New Zealand's Christ's College. I traveled with John Powell, Alex Floyd, and Clay McLemore to New Zealand, where I had the privilege of staying with the Fowler family, Jonathan and his brothers, Alexander and Sam, and attending Christ's College with Clay. At Christ's College I was able to take the following classes: English, Chemistry, Machine technology, Classics, Economics, and Physical education. The teaching styles for the most part were discussion based, even in Physical ed. which surprised me. Along with the classes we had chapel every Monday, Congers, which is singing practice, every Tuesday, and House Sport on Thursday. I was in the Harper House, one of the day boy houses, and I earned a House Point by playing in a house basketball game that we won. The house is where I spent most of my downtime at school. It creates strong bonds between classmates and is also a very fun environment. The house is an aspect of College that I enjoyed and admired greatly.

While I was in New Zealand, the Fowlers went to a great deal of effort to make sure that I saw as many party of the country as I could. I was fortunate enough to go to an All Blacks verse Ireland Rugby game, a Crusaders verse Highlanders rugby game, swimming with the dolphins at Akaroa, the Antarctic center, and a wildlife reserve. Because of these events, I had one of the most memorable months of my life. I got to share it with pretty good company too.

After my third and final week of school, it was time for a week of holiday. My family and I detoured through Terrace Downs golf resort on our way to Tekapo. Once at Tekapo we went to an observatory, where I was able to see the most stars I had ever seen before in one sky. We also visited the Fowlers's relatives in Tekapo where we hunted rabbits and celebrated American Independence day. The main event of Tekapo, however, was the ski and snowboard hills. I had never snowboarded before, so I was on the bunny slopes, but I still had a great time and kind of got the hang of it by the last day.

I would like to thank the Warner family, Mr. Gioia, and MBA for making this wonderful experience possible. I would like to extend a great deal of thanks to everyone at Christ's College for making me feel welcome, especially the Fowlers. I would not trade this trip for anything and I will never forget it. I hope to return to New Zealand again, sometime soon.

John Braun, Raffles Institute Exchange, Singapore

This summer I received the opportunity to go on exchange to Singapore. I would like to begin by saying that I am extremely grateful for this opportunity and many thanks to the Warner family for making this possible. This is just a small summary of the many things I experienced in Singapore.

Singapore Airport in Changi

Traveling to Singapore and Initial impressions.

Campus Map for Year 5-6 at Raffles Institute

6:30 in the morning at Nashville International Airport, I meet Falkner Werkhaven and George Swenson at the gate to go to the Minneapolis Airport for our international flight to Japan. At the time we had no real understanding of how long our trip was actually going to be. 27 hours later we arrived in Singapore at 12:20 in the morning on the 22nd of July. The tremendous difference in time change was a huge initial shock to all of us. We had basically flown for two days. It wasn't until about an after we landed that we didn't spend a minute on the ground on the 21st, it was almost as if we had skipped it. Once we landed we literally walked through customs without even having our bags screened. It seemed very relaxed. We knew that we were supposed to find Rachel, the woman who was going to be helping us throughout the trip. It took about a half hour to find her, but it wasn't a problem. We waited in line for a taxi and I remember saying to myself remembering taxis in New York "Oh goodness, after a 27 hour plane ride we are going to get into a nasty cab". Once I saw the taxis, they were nice Mercedes and I knew this country was going to be nothing like I had ever experienced in my life.

We got to our dorm at about 2:30 in the morning. Falkner and I were given room 12.10. The twelve was for the 12th floor. Our dorm building was thirteen stories tall! Both Falkner and I were so tired that we fell asleep in our clothes almost immediately. We woke up five hours later for breakfast. I don't know if it was getting off of airplane food or something else but the Indian breakfast with pan our first morning really set the standards high. We didn't do too much that day except for sleep; however, we did take a walk around the campus. The campus is enormous. If MBA's campus were to be placed inside of the Raffles Institute campus, it would take three MBA campuses to fill just the one of the Raffles Institute. The picture on the right is just half of the campus committed to only two grade levels.

Singaporean Culture

Merlion

Singapore is a country that prides itself on its diverse culture and deep history. Singapore got its name from an ancient name Singa-pura. Singa being lion and pura being city, and putting the two together you get lion city. The name is ironic because there has never been lions on the island. This accounts for half of the history behind Singapore's perhaps most known feature, the Merlion. This statue has the head of a lion and the body of a fish. The fish comes from the historic economy of Singapore. Singapore has historically been a fishing village and that is where the second half of the Merlion comes from. The other aspect to Singapore that is unique is its cultural diversity. Singapore is split up into three ethnic quarters (Chinatown, Kampong Glam, and Little India). The most interesting of the three from my perspective was Kampong Glam. This is the Muslim quarter of the city. Right in the middle of Kampong Glam there is an elegant mosque covered in gold. There was also a lot of local food vendors there so we got an excellent taste of Singaporean food. 

Buddha Temple in Singapore

Mosque in Kampong Glam

Thanks

I learned so much from my trip to Singapore and I can not express how grateful I am for being able to experience this once in a life time trip. Thank you so much to Mr. and Mrs. Warner, Mr. Gioia, the Raffles Institute, our classmates in Singapore Gladys, Jess, Deborah, Jean, Emily, Kendra, Niki, and Joey, and to Rachel who did an excellent job showing us the country of Singapore. 

Myself, Falkner and George enjoy one of our last full days in the gardens in Singapore.

The King's School (Parramatta, Australia) : Bradley Long

I was very high up and very far from home. Standing atop the Sydney Harbor Bridge taking in one of the most spectacular views I will ever see, I had the realization that it was almost over. In two days I would be on a plane over the Pacific Ocean on my way home. I couldn't help but look back on the past three weeks and remember the incredible experience that I had enjoyed. Tomorrow would be the last chance to see all the new friends I had made and to make the bus trip to and from the King's School once more. The sun began to set over the Parramatta River and I knew that unfortunately all good things must come to an end. I had not known what to expect when I arrived in Sydney three weeks earlier and I was quite nervous about what was to come. I can honestly look back now and say that the trip shattered any expectations I had and I am thankful for the opportunity I had to take this journey.


 The First Week

 When I arrived in Sydney after a full day of travel, I was groggy and confused but I knew I  needed to push through the obvious jet lag to get through the tough first day. I was picked up at the airport by my host parents, Elizabeth and Peter Tugwell who quickly and hospitably welcomed me not only into their home but also into their family. I arrived at the King's School in Parramatta not long after I had touched down. I met my host brothers Will, a Year 11, and James, a Year 8, as well as Sam Black, my guide at King's. I was immediately welcomed by everyone at King's and was shocked at how eager everyone was to simply meet me, the American. I shouldn't have been surprised after seeing the way we treat our exchange students, but it still caught me off guard the first time I was asked if I play guitar and sing country music. The first week of my trip absolutely flew past as I got to meet all of the boys at King's and settled into the rhythm of daily life there. The highlight of that first week was definitely the spectacular light show I was able to see in downtown Sydney. It was one of the coolest things I have ever seen.



Week 2

 



Waterfall in the Blue Mountains

One of my favorite experiences occurred over a long weekend celebrating the Queen's birthday. I spent the weekend with another family from King's, the Bartons, who lived on a farm about 5 hours away from Sydney. It was a wonderful change of pace to see a completely different side of Australia and learn about the rural lifestyle. I got to ride ATVs, play golf, and hunt kangaroos (didn't kill one but still). The country was absolutely beautiful and I am really glad I got to visit both the roiling plains and the Blue Mountains in the area. Upon returning to school I got to play in my first rugby game and came out relatively unscathed. Rugby became one of the things I most looked forward to for the rest of the trip.














Week 3

During the third week of the trip, we got to spend a day at a local zoo. Unlike American zoos theirs had animals wandering around in an open area where visitors could simply walk up to kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, and emus. I sampled Australian food staples like fish and chips, sausage rolls, and meat pies. I got to attend a professional rugby match at the Olympic stadium in Sydney and learned a lot about how it is actually supposed to be played. The highlight of the week was definitely the rugby match on the weekend. Joined by my fellow MBA compatriots, I ventured to one of King's rival schools to defend our honor. Though we were unable to achieve victory, we emerged covered head-to-toe in mud, always smiling. It was one of the best moments of the trip and I loved the camaraderie we had with our friends at King's. 


A muddy day at the rugby pitch



The iconic Opera House

Week 4

The final several days brought some of the busiest times of the trip. I spent a day with my host family visiting some of the beautiful beaches around Sydney (though it was too cold to swim). I also spent one final day in the city with Kevin and Furman as we visited the Opera House and saw all of the sights. The trip all culminated in the climactic bridge climb that left us looking out over the city we had called home for the past three weeks. Looking back now I couldn't have imagined a much more exciting, memorable experience. I met so many great people and saw countless things I will never forget. Every moment was one that I will cherish for the rest of my life and I am sincerely grateful for the experience I had.

I want to thank several people for making this trip possible. First of all, I thank Mrs. Warner and Mr. Gioia for making this trip a possibility in the first place. I would also like to thank everyone at King's for their hospitality and amicability, especially Sam Black for making me feel at home immediately. Finally I want to extend my sincerest thanks to the Tugwell family for welcoming me into their home and their life for three of the best weeks of my life. 




Goodbye Sydney

"No we don't ride kangaroos"

Michaelhouse School (South Africa): Vince Panvini

 

This past summer I was fortunate enough to go on exchange to Michaelhouse School in KwaZulu-Natal South Africa. I chose South Africa because I wanted to experience a culture that is completely different than ours here in the United States.

Upon arriving in Johannesburg, Chris Habermann, my fellow exchange student, and I noticed the heavy influence the soccer World Cup had had on the city. The airport looked renovated and new and after talking with the families they mentioned that the city had been cleaned up quite a bit for this world wide event. A few days later we would visit Soccer City and take pictures outside the stadium.

In Johannesburg, Chris and I stayed with the Truda family. Gianluca, age 16, will be on exchange for the month of October. The members of the Truda family were wonderful hosts.

On the first day, Mrs. Truda took Chris and me to the Lion and Rhino game reserve where we saw zebra, ostrich, wildebeest, lion, rhino, and hippo among other new and exotic animals. In the afternoon, we saw the “origin of man” exhibit in an area called The Cradle of Man where the oldest known human fossils were discovered.

The second day, however, was the real eye opener as we were taken on a tour of Soweto. The driver and a native of Soweto called the region “the other side of the coin.” Soweto is a poverty stricken region just outside the city of Johannesburg. There are many sectors of Soweto however that range from the upper class (a nice one or two story house), to middle class (a small house but has indoor plumbing), to the majority which was the lower class (at best four pieces of sturdy metal with a roof and some furniture). Fortunately the winters are not unbearable. We were there during the coldest part of the year and the lowest it would get at night would be around 35F but it warm up to the 80’s during the day. During our tour of Soweto we saw open street butchers selling cow face, many stands selling goods ranging from fruits and veggies to clothes to movies. Also, the Soweto taxi ring was unique as civilians would make different signs with their hands based on where they wanted to go. We finished the tour by visiting the house where Nelson Mandela lived before becoming president of South Africa. To end the day we visited a mall in Johannesburg which was quite large by comparison to the malls we have here in Nashville.   

After our brief stay in Johannesburg, Chris, Gianluca and I flew to the coastal city of Durban where we stayed at the Green’s beach house looking out onto the Indian Ocean. Campbell, age 15, will also be on exchange at MBA for the month of October. Highlights in Durban included swimming in the Indian Ocean, eating fresh sea food, shopping at gigantic malls, and seeing giraffes at a local game reserve. After two days of fun in Durban, it was time to go to Michaelhouse.

 Upon arriving at Michaelhouse, the first thing I noticed was how beautiful the campus is. Set in the middle of the KwaZulu-Natal region, the campus is surrounded by rolling hills and fields. Although isolated from the cities, Michaelhouse sits in a wonderfully charming rural environment and has a great sense of community within the walls of the school. Chris and I were assigned to stay in A block in McKenzie House. A block would be equal to our senior year. However we took B block (junior) courses. Our course load included: Maths, Science, English, History, and Theater (for me, Chris took Biology). Personally my favorite was theater. Mrs. Tarr made the class interesting and fun with new games and exercises as well as teaching us about melodrama, which was the subject that they were studying. Our History teacher, Mr. Thomson, invited Chris and me on the C block history camp of the Zulu Battle field. At the camp we learned about the war between the British and the Zulus as well as meeting a tour group from Wales. At night we would play games of fire ball hockey. For sport, I played 7’s rugby while I was there, which is like normal rugby just with less people on the field. I would have played in an official match had it not snowed the second to last day we were there. This snow was a first for many Michaelhouse boys as they had never experienced true snow before. The snow totaled to about two inches and school and sports were cancelled. Having had experience with snow, Chris and I soon became champions at the epic snow ball fights that pursued. Some interesting words I learned while at Michaelhouse include: Howsit? = what’s up?, shot = thanks, jingerd = ripped or buff, admin = too much unnecessary work, oak = person, cack = microbe and just now = later. 

After the snow had a chance to melt, Chris and I left Michaelhouse and its generous hospitality and traveled back home to America.

Personally I would like to thank Mrs. Warner for all of the time and energy she spent to give Chris and me the opportunity of a lifetime and also Mr. Gioia for allowing us to take part in this wonderful program. I would especially like to thank the Truda Family and the Green family for taking us into their homes and showing us great hospitality. And finally I would like to conclude by encouraging all juniors who are thinking of applying for exchange to consider South Africa. It is a life changing experience and one that I would repeat in a heartbeat.                

Conner Griffin-Bishops Exchange

My Exchange to Cape Town, South Africa:

The Bishops Diocesan College

We arrived at Cape Town, South Africa after over a day’s worth of flying, and were greeted by our host families at the baggage claim. Kaylor and I said our temporary good byes, and each headed off with our hosts. I stayed with the Freunds, who have two sons, Paul (18) and Richard (16).

            After a brief nap, I was awoken by Mr. Fruend, and he, Paul, Richard, and I got in the car and headed to Newland Stadium to see the DHL Stormers (the local team, based out of Western Cape Province) play the Melbourne (Australia) Rebels in a rugby match. The stadium was huge, reminding me of Neyland Stadium in Knoxville. As this was the first rugby I had ever seen, I didn’t really understand the rules, but the game was intense and I liked it. With the Stormers victory came mass pandemonium and jubilation in the streets, very similar to the atmosphere, or “vibe” as the South Africans say, of an NFL game.

            I arrived on a Saturday, and the following Monday was my first day of school at the Bishops Diocesan College, an all male high school very similar to MBA. I wore a uniform consisting of a white button-down shirt, tie, coat, and blue/grey slacks. Although it was July, it was winter in Cape Town, and very cold in the mornings. While at Bishops I attended classes such as Mathematics (or “math’s” instead of our abbreviated “math”), economics, life orientation, art, English, and South African history. The classes were an hour in duration each, and structured almost exactly like MBA’s classes are structured.

            Each day began around 7:40, and each morning students would go to their respective “houses” for a twenty or so minute socializing period. Paul and Richard were in Birt House. Each house had its own courtyard, locker room, billiards room, and a special room for the “matrics”, or seniors. Around 8:15 all students were required to attend Chapel, which was a mixture of our conception of a purely religious chapel and assembly. Chapel was held in the chapel, and during this hour long session students would sing hymns, take communion, and announce athletic or extracurricular news. The headmaster would also address the school in the same way Mr. Gioia addresses the school each Monday morning.

            After Chapel comes one period of class, then a snack break, then two more periods of class, followed by lunch. The lunch period is an hour and a half long, and students either bring their lunch, go through the “hot lunch” bar (similar to MBA’s cafeteria), or order food from the “Tucks” shop. “Tucks” is a colloquial in South Africa meaning food. The last two periods of the day follow lunch.

            For athletics, Kaylor and I participated in Rugby. This sport is huge at Bishops, and there are over fifteen different teams among the high school. I found rugby to be extremely physically demanding on both the lungs and the upper body, but it is an awesome sport and I think it’s a shame that Rugby is not played more in the United States.

            The exchange coordinator at Bishops, Mr. Phil Court, did a wonderful job planning out activities exclusively for the exchange students. These activities included a 3,600 foot climb of Cape Town’s famous Table Mountain; a trip to Robben Island, where we saw Nelson Mandela’s jail cell; a week long tour of South Africa’s coastline, where we participated in activities such as bungee jumping off of the highest bungee jump in the world, a zip-line tour of South Africa’s forest canopy, and a safari tour at a game reserve. At the reserve we saw animals including lions, rhinos, elephants, giraffes, and many more. I also received the opportunity to go shark seeing off the coast, and saw many great white sharks.

            My exchange experience was incredible, and on this trip I made what I hope to be life long friends from Pennsylvania, Connecticut, the UK, Whales, India, and South Africa. This exchange exposed me to many different cultures and broadened my global perspective a great deal. I would urge all MBA students to consider applying for an exchange grant, as I am eternally grateful to the Warner family and MBA for this amazing trip.

Adding on to Kevin’s idea, I thought I would post some things that are different in South Africa from the U.S.

1.     Instead of saying “guys”, South Africans say “oak”. For example “hey, what are you oaks doing tonight”

2.     They said “hey” at the end of sentences as well, “what a great game hey”

3.     Instead of saying “bro”, they said “bru”.

4.     They drive on the left side of the road, with the driver’s seat on the right side of the car

5.     They call any type of sweater or jacket a “jersey”

6.     They call clementines “narchies”

7.     They eat fish and chips

8.     Chips are French fries

9.     Potato chips are “crispies”

1. They call lifting weights “gym-ing”

1.  They say “cheers”

1. They say “Howzit” meaning “how’s it” as a greeting similar to our “hey”

1. They say “bleak” to indicate that someone or something is mad or bad

1. They ate Nutella sandwiches

1. A “barbeque” is what we call a “cook out”

1. They think American college students live according to what is depicted in American Pie

1. When they want to say someone can run fast, they say that the person “has a nice pace”

1. They call cleats “boots”

1. They eat something called “biltong”, which is almost exactly like beef jerky

2. They call the TV the “tele”

2. The Matrics at Bishops are all assigned an 8^th grader, and the Matrics can command their 8^th grader to run errands for them at school, such as take their uniform to the laundry mat, get them food at the Tucks shop, shine their shoes on the spot, etc.

Winchester College- Parrish Preston

My wardrobe in Cook's House adorned with my bottles of Tabasco and hot sauce to enhance the British food!

 

With a short hop, a skip, and a jump across the pond, my comrades Mckay Proctor and Andrew Karpos and I found ourselves in the Land of the Brits in London, England. Jet-lagged and groggy-eyed, we spent an hour ride—on the left side of the road—to Winchester College, which would be our home for the next month. Having dropped Andrew off at Furley’s, Mckay and I settled into Cook’s House, a residence for 60 boys equipped with a squash court, gym, pool table, two music rooms and a spacious garden I would frequent to catch up on summer reading and throw the Frisbee with my housemates. 

Discovering what it means to be a "Wykehamist"

 Winchester College is similar in its commitment to educating boys in a rigorous environment. It varies, however, in its use of a block schedule. My “lessons” were taught by multiple teachers or “dons,” consisting of eight periods a day with varying study halls or “bookies” in between. I took four classes: History: British and European, English: Literature and Composition, Division: a theology and religion class, and Latin: Literature of Tacitus and history of the Roman Republic. 

My Division class and I on the roof of Winchester College chapel, overlooking the town

Mckay and I celebrating July 4th.                            Coaches and players on game day.

One of my favorite highlights from the trip was on July 4^th --not just because we were living in the country from which we declared independence 200 years earlier. Our house’s football team won the championship for Six-a-Side, the inter-house soccer competition. Mckay and I, finely dressed in suits, acted as the teams quasi-coaches, going undefeated for Team Cook’s. 

Athletically, I continued my love for rowing by participating on their accomplished crew team. I rowed and worked out with the team every day, actually accompanying them to several regattas including Redding and the Eton Rowing Centre. My time on the team was highlighted by my competing in a race in an eight with whom I had spent the past few weeks training. Spending this great amount of time and effort strengthened the bonds I had developed with my teammates. 

At the Eton College Rowing Centre

I also tried my hand at Cricket, a baseball-esque game very popular in England. Sticking out like a sore thumb on the pitch, I was apparently the “best Tennessean bowler” the coach had seen. I took this as a compliment, not sure how much it was based on fact, and played several matches with my housemates.

On a Saturday and one of my favorite experiences there, a fellow Cook-ite took Mckay and me to a free food festival called Taste of London. We lost many “pounds” shopping at many of London’s cheap retail stores and markets. We went through Heathrow Airport and iconic Waterloo Station after learning to navigate the extensive tube system of London.

Rite of passage: using a pay phone at Waterloo Station

Marti, Mckay, and I at Regent's Park.

I was absolutely amazed at the amount of greenspace in Regent’s Park, a park in London which we spent almost an entire day. This park features open fields, beautiful botanical gardens, an extensive jogging track, and a lake. 

The town of Winchester, virtually twice as old as the United States itself, is a quaint, historical jewel only a ten mintute walk from the college. Town life was bustling every day, especially in preparation for the London 2012 Olympic games. Mckay and I would frequent Winchester Cathedral and the many shops and restaurants in Winchester. 

I would like to thank Mr. and Mrs. Warner and Mr. Brad Gioia for not only making my trip possible, but also all of the International Exchange Programs. Thank you for supporting my first out-of-country experience, it was one I will never forget. I would also like to thank Mr. Taylor my housemaster, Nadia my house matron, and all my Winchester friends who took me in as one of their own.