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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