Melbourne Grammar School

Arrival and Week 1 (Steven): Kiran Peterson left for Melbourne on July 9th and I (Steven Mason) left on July 13th. Upon arrival Kiran settled in with his host Sebastian and his family. Kiran spent the first few days before school touring the city and attending an Australian Football game. I arrived the day before school and was introduced to my host Nathan and his family. During my stay I would be staying at the boarding house on campus also known as (The Boardo) for the next 4 weeks. The first week of school Kiran, and I settled into our schedules and our daily routines. Melbourne Grammar School offered a variety of different courses such as Business Management, Economics, Psychology, and Woodworking. MGS also requires the students to participate in sports 2 days a week. Kiran ran cross country while I played Australian football. On the weekend Kiran toured the city while I traveled to Northern Melbourne for my first Australian Football game against a rival school. Kiran and I were also divided into 2 of the 12 houses on campus. I was put into Perry House which is one of the two house in the Boardo and Kiran was put into Bromby house which was one of the day student houses.

Week 2 (Kiran): As Steven and I got into a routine for the school life there, we began participating in the house activities, which were competitions within the school between groups designated by houses. Each house had their own name, symbol, and color, which all contributed to the incredible spirit and fierce competition generated by the rivalries between the different houses. It was an amazing way for the school to come together and compete during the school day. I was asked to play house basketball for the Bromby House during the lunch period. I also got involved with the school sports, and I trained with the cross country team both during the week and competed in their meet with other schools. Steven got involved with the Australian football team, and he played a game on the weekend with the team. On Saturday, my host brother and I took to the city again, this time experiencing the vast Chinatown and diverse Asian cultures that influence the area. There were many Asian immigrants from Indonesia, China, Japan, and even Korea that came to experience the diverse city of Melbourne. Steven visited the Melbourne beaches during his weekend, which are one of the many destinations of citizens and tourists during the warmer months.

Week 3 (Kiran): On Tuesday of the third week, MGS organized an excursion for all the exchange students on campus, including Taiwanese, Japanese, and French students, to Healesville Sanctuary, a place for all native Australian animals, including different species of kangaroos, koalas, and wombats. They also had some of the Tasmanian devils, which are extinct on the Australian continent due to dingoes, wild dogs that hunt the devils, but still exist in Tasmania where the dingoes never reached. It was an incredible experience to see all the exotic animals that people aren’t usually able to see on the North American continent. It was also awesome to see some of the countryside on the way there, as our experience was largely centered in the city life. On the weekend, Steven and I continued our athletics, with Steven’s having another football game and my having another cross country race.

Week 4 (Steven): As the end of our trip grew near Kiran and I enjoyed all the elements of Australia. On the second to last day Kiran and I ventured into the city on our own without Nathan and Sebastian. Kiran and I visited Melbourne Central and the Emporium which were massive shopping malls with tons of stores. We also visited Chinatown and went to one of the highest rated Chinese restaurants in the city. On the last day their was a campus wide cross country race between all 12 houses. Kiran and I both ran and Kiran got top 10 in the grade. The next day we said goodbye to our host families and went on our way back to the States.

Final Remarks (Steven and Kiran): We would like to thank the Warner Family for this incredible experience, and thank you to our host families for their great hospitality.