Post on 05-Apr-2018
7/31/2019 Report 4 (Maggio)
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RotaryYouthExchangeAustralia/Italy
District9680
MONTHLYREPORT
EvaDiPaolo
SponsorClub:Glenhaven,AustraliaHostClub:Trieste,Italy15thMay2012
CurrentHostFamily:ManuelaBenes
SoinmylastreportIexplainedthetripmyschoolhadorganisedwithanart
schoolinSerbia,andhowtheSerbianstudentsspentaweekinTrieste.WellthismonththeItalianstudents(includingme)wenttoBelgradeinSerbia.Welearnt
alotaboutthecityingeneral,thehistory,thecultureandthepeople,wesawlots
andlotsofmuseumsandIliterallythinkifwehadaddeduptheamountofwalkingwediditwouldequalamillionkilometres.Also,IthoughtIwaseating
enoughforthreeelephantshereinItaly,butMarijasmother(theSerbiangirl
thathostedme)fedmelikeIwasfourelephantsinsteadofan18-year-oldgirl.MostofthemealsweremeatandthedesertswereAMAZING!ExceptasI
explainedveryclearlyinmyfirstreportnothingbeatsItalianfood.
WhenwewereinSerbiawehadalotofdifferentEnglishtourguidestoexplain
thedifferentfamouslandmarks.OneofmyfaveouriteswasastatuethattheycallTheVictorMonument
Thedaywesawitwasabitrainy,sothisphotodoesntreallydothemonumentjustice.Thestatueissituatedinahillthatoverlooksthecityandthewaterso
theresabeautifulviewatthefootofit.Thetourguidetoldus(withthethickestSerbianaccentinthewholeentireworld)thatitusedtobesituatedinthecentre
ofthecity,butfemministsprotestedthatitwasinnapropriateandtoo
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confrontinghavingthegenitalsofamaleinplainsightofallthepeopleof
Belgrade,soinsteadtheyplacedthestatueonagianthillfacingtheentirecity,forthewholepopulationtoseemakessense?
Belgradeisabeautifulcityanditseasytosay(withhelpofthegiantnudeman
lookingoutoverthewholecity)thattherearealotofdifferentandstrangecharacteristicstothiscityinSerbia.ButthatswhyIlovedit.AnotherthingthatIthoughtwasreallycoolandinterestingwastheQuestionMarkRestaurantor?
Itsarestuaurantthatsliterallycalled?becauseitsownerhadnameditAttheCathedralChurch(obviouslynotinEnglishbuttheresnowayIcanremember
howhowsayitorspellitinSerbian),whichwasagainstrestaurantregulations
ofthecityandchurchauthoritiesdisagreedwithit.So,theownertemporarilyputupaquestionmarkwhileuntilhefoundasuitablename,butitendedup
beingthepermanentnameoftherestaurant.Iloveit.
WhileinSerbia,wealsovisitedtwomonastaries,whichwereabout3-4hours
outsideofthecity.Onthesamedaywevisitedagiantcave,andIfeelreallyguilty
butIcanttellyouthename.ItstoohardtopronouncethingsinSerbianandIremembertheytoldusthenamebeforeweentered,andabouttenminutesafter
whenwewerewalkinginsideIhadalreadyforgotten.Italianissomucheasiertoremember.
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ThehighschoolthattheSerbianstudentsattendinBelgradewassimilartothe
highschoolinTrieste(obviouslybecausetheyrebothschoolsofart),exceptthe
schoolinSerbiahadsubjectslikePackagingDesign,GraphicArtandPhotographythattheschoolinTriestedoesnthave.Iwasinterestedthemost,
however,inthefashiondepartment.
ItmademesoexcitedtocomebacktoSydneyandstartstudyingatthe
Whitehouse!
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ImhappyIwenttoBelgradebecauseIgottoexperienceyetanothercountry(an
exchangewithinanexchange!Whoknewitwaspossible?!)andIgottoseewhattheartschoolsarelikeinSerbia(wenotonlysawtheSerbianstudentsschool
butalsoasmalluniversityforart).ImhappyIwenttoSerbiawithmyschoolbecauseIgrewsomuchclosertomyItalianfriendsandeventhoughthewhole
Trieste/BelgradeexchangewastohelptheItalianandSerbianstudentswiththeirEnglishithelpedmewithmyItalian.IprobablyspokemoreItalianthatweekthanEnglishbecauseIwaswithmyItalianfriendsalotofthetime.But
mostimportant,ImhappyIwenttoBelgradebecauseitmademerealisehow
muchIappreciatemyhostcountryandhowcomfortableIfeelinmyhomehereinItaly.AlsoitmademerealisehowluckyIamtobeinacountrythathasa
languagesimilartoEnglishSerbianisCOMPLETELYdifferent,nottomentiontheyhaveawholenewalphabet.Ihadagreatweektherebut1weekinSerbia
wasenoughandIstartedtomissItaly,whenIcamebacktoTriesteIwashappy
tobehome.
AfterBelgrademymonthwasveryrelaxedandlaidback.Ilovegoingtoschool
becauseImfindingiteasierandeasiertounderstand.Myclasshadachemistrytestacoupleofweeksagothatwasaseriesofmultiplechoicequestionsand
writtenanswers,andmyteachertoldmeIonlyhadtodothemultiplechoicequestions.IcansafelysaythatIwasabletounderstandeverythingthatthe
questionswereaskingandIunderstoodtheanswerstochoosefrom(A,B,Cor
D)butIvenevereverhadonesinglebitoftalentinmybodyforanytypeofscientificormathematicsubjectthatexists.SureatschoollastyearIcouldjust
scrapeapassinModernHistoryandifIreallytriedIcouldgetanokaymarkinEnglishArtandTextilesIdidnthaveaproblemwithbutCHEMISTRY?No
way.Therefore,eventhoughIunderstoodtheItalianwrittenonthepageinfrontofme,IhadNOCLUEofwhatthecorrectanswerswere.SoIguessed.ThegradesinItalyarealwaysoutof10(itssomuchsimplerthanATARs)andIgot6!Iwas
proudthatIpassedinmyabsoluteworstsubjectthatALSOwasntinmymother
language!
TodayIalsostartedreadingmyfourthbookinItalian.ReadingherehasbecomeahobbythatIvestarteddoingmoreaswellascooking.LastSundayIcooked
porktortelliniandthentiramisuwithmyhostmum.AndImhappytosaythat
thetrayoftiramisuwashuge,andseeingasImcurrentlynotlivinginthesamehouseasmybrother,Ayrton,(oranymaleforthatmatter)theresplentyof
tiramisuformetoeat.
Imsorrythatthismonthsreportisabitshorterthantheothers,butnext
monthswilldefinitelymakeupforitseeingasnextmonthwillbethebeginningofsummerandthethreemonthbreak,mybirthdayandmyItalianTour!Ihope
alliswellinSydney.Imissmycountryeveryday,butIknowIllbesayingImiss
mynewcountryeverydaynextyearwhenImhome.
Ciaofornow!Eva