The Land Down Under

           When I first saw a kangaroo on the internet, I knew that a crazy country in the Pacific Ocean was a place I would visit sometime in my life. My interest was only fueled when I met an Australian guy in 5^th grade named Jack who told me many amazing stories about such a foreign country. Having spent two months in the Dominican Republic the summer before, I was keen to leave the United States again and further my international interest. The smile that I received from Mrs. Warner when she informed me of my selection for a Warner Exchange to The King’s School in Sydney Australia augmented my inner excitement.

                The number of stories and feelings Brandon, Coleman, and I acquired and felt would fill an entire novel so I wish to only recount a few.

My favorite part about the city of Sydney itself is its legitimate international appeal. Any American family could relocate to Sydney and find amenities and living conditions that make them feel at home. For me, food relaxed me at every turn when I began to be homesick. Near King’s there is a market called King’s Den (KD) that served deep fried Mars Bars, a food closely synonymous with heaven. The gooey goodness of chocolate and cake batter allowed me to truly experience the life of a teenager in Sydney. Other international food options became obvious when at Manly Beach we saw a Hungry Jacks or Burger King.

However my two favorite food items that I ate while in Sydney and the Blue Mountains were Meat Pies and Moo Burgers. Meat Pies combine the heritage of English influence with the manly sport of eating meat, a true combination of Genius and Genius. One can imagine my surprise when I entered a bakery and huge slabs of pork and chicken were being placed in pastry to be baked into delectable creations. However, if meat in pies doesn’t sound stomach melting, a Moo Burger might. A classic Australian food, a Moo Burger sports the size of two Big Macs combined with the ingredients of a subsistence farmer in Australia. Add egg, Beetroot, rocket, and tomato sauce to a normal cheeseburger and you are half way to a moo burger. To eat the whole burger, I had to take 3 breaks which was easy to do seeing as I sat upon a third floor balcony at Manly Beach.

On top of the lovely culture like seeing an Aussie Rules Football Match, I met some of the best people I have ever met in Australia. That starts with the lovely Bojanic family who hosted me throughout my month stay in Sydney. They were so welcoming and kind that I feel so sad that I will not be able to reciprocate such generosity when Matt comes to MBA in October. I also was excited to meet Exchange Director Mike Symons who endorsed our many excursions into Sydney and cared for our many Rugby related mishaps. Our house Matron and our Master Mr. Chadwick both cared for us and washed many of our clothes throughout our stay. However, the most important people that I met were undoubtedly the friends I made throughout my stay. Whether it was Miwang and Siddarth the Indian exchange students who shared our room or Rowan Brae and John-o Chadwick who played numerous pranks on us throughout our stay including “Dumptrucking,” everyone made us feel welcome. Finally a huge thanks to the “Scenario from Ontario” for the brotherhood that he brought to the dorm life at King’s and we hope to visit Niagara Falls soon.

Thanks again to the Warner family and MBA for being so generous in sending me to Australia. This experience was life changing and I hope to capitalize on everything that Australia and its people have taught me.