Alida Fernandez Santoyo
November 2008
Update
November was a very
different month for me. During the last two weeks I prepared for my
exams and attended to finance study groups. The atmosphere at the
university and the village was more calmed. I attended to the
village goodbye dinner and the ECU end of the year bash.
I was busy applying for
visas, enrolling for next semester units and looking for places to
live next semester; this way I have different options apart from
the village.
The weather was very
nice at the beginning of the month but lately it has not been as
hot as before.
During the second
weekend I went to Oktoberfest, which was incredibly fun. It was
very interesting because I went with mostly German friends and they
showed us different songs and dances. The end of that night was
bad; we did not find taxis to go back home because we were far from
the city. I was a little bit scared because the area was dark and
lonely but at the end we got a lift, took the train and safely
arrived back home.
I gave some Spanish
lessons to an Australian classmate, who is going to South America
on holiday. It was very difficult teaching him, mostly the
pronunciation, but it was also very fun and we laughed a
lot.
Last weekend I did a
wine tour with my friends; we went to Swan Valley and visited four
wineries, one brewery and Margaret River’s chocolate factory. All
the places were beautiful and people were really kind. We tried
different Australian cheeses, wines, chocolates and
beers.
During exams week I had
a problem with my computer, luckily, my housemate Daniel had backup
discs and helped me to reinstall all programs.
This week I have been
preparing my suitcase and doing different paper work. This past
weeks have been exciting, there is a shared mix of feelings. I feel
really sad because most of my friends are going back home but at
the same time I am happy about vacations and looking forward to
live in a different place, find a job and changing
routine.
October 2008
Update
This month was the
busiest month during the whole semester. I had group assignments in
three of my units and we met twice a week. Working in teams was
really complicated and took a lot of time, either of my teammates
spoke English as their first language; therefore we had a lot of
trouble communicating. This was very useful because it helped me to
communicate clearer, accept my mistakes and accept other’s
opinion.
The weather was very
good the last 2 weeks in Perth and I went to the beach twice with
friends from the village; it is amazing to be able to go and have a
nice day at the beach after a week of study.
The last month I sold
the chocolates for the fundraising. I was very happy because people
were very supportive when they knew the cause. I sold chocolates at
the international office, where they were very supportive and
promoted the chocolates.
Semester break was
exhilarating; I went North up the West Coast. We visited different
bays; the best one was shell bay, where instead of sand the beach
was full of shells. We visited the pinnacles dessert, the national
park and did sand boarding. During the third day we went to Monkey
Mia where dolphins swim to the shore and are fed. The fourth day we
went to Exmouth and did kayaking and snorkeling; it was incredible
to see turtles, fishes, coral and starfish less than twenty
centimeters from me. During our way, we saw Emus, kangaroos and
eagles. We went to a mountain where there was a lighthouse and we
saw whales. Also, we visited a natural zoo where I petted and fed
joeys (Australian term for baby kangaroos) and held three huge
snakes.
Last week I have been
studying finance and solving problems with my classmates. I really
like this unit but I need a lot of practice in order to have a
deeper understanding.
I went to the CPA
(Chartered Public Accountants) which is located in the city; they
gave me useful information to apply for a job for next semester
related to accounting. I love Perth city: the lake, the buildings,
parks, restaurants, shops, everything is wonderful. People are very
friendly and the general atmosphere is comforting.
September 2008
Update
This month was really good; it was different
because I was more pressured, with assignments and exams. I went to
Melbourne the weekend after my birthday, where I met some Mexican
recipients. We went to the beach and walked a lot through the city;
we went to the botanic gardens and also to a famous street where
there are restaurants from all over the world. The weekend was
really fun because I knew different places, different styles of
life and I felt really happy to share some days with Mexicans,
speaking Spanish and sharing our experiences in Australia. I met to
boys from Queretaro (the city where I live in Mexico) and it we met
same people from the city, which was really nice and surprising.
I had various meetings with my marketing team
because we are developing a marketing plan; finance is harder every
time but now we are combining all the knowledge which makes more
sense than at the beginning. I have been doing research for my
final assignment of management, I am not used to write essays but
now, after some practice, I feel I have been improving.
Last weekend, the 3 girls from Perth and me
went to a Mexican party, I was expecting something different but it
was really good. We ate Mexican food and a group performed typical
Mexican dances; we danced and talked to different Mexicans who have
been living here for many years. I was surprised because many Latin
people and Australian people were at the party; they really
appreciate Mexican culture, which makes me feel proud of my
country.
The Perth plan of fundraising changed and now
we are selling chocolates. Next month I am going to participate in
a multi-cultural day, organized by the student council of ECU.
On September 15, Mexico’s Independence Day, I
had taco night in my unit, with my housemates; we were celebrating
the arrival of a new housemate. His name is Rio and he is from
China, we are very happy with him and now we have one person from
every continent living in my unit.
Some of my friends and I went to a Latino night
and we met people from Ecuador, it was very interesting and fun to
be with them.
I have been going to ECU football games; they
are very exciting because people are interested and involved with
their teams. I have been in contact with the International
Student’s office and next month I’ll be participating in different
activities.
I went to play volleyball to the beach, it was
really good but the weather was windy. Last week I and my housemate
did a tour around the campus taking pictures, which I needed for my
home university newspaper.
August 2008
Update
The last month has been amazing. I feel at home
every time I wake up and I am really happy every minute of every
day. I have been experiencing really multi-cultural experiences. I
am living with one Swedish and one Australian girls; one Kenyan,
English and German boys.
Almost every week we share a different typical
meal. We have had French, Swedish and Mexican meals. Last week I
had a talk with the Kenyan boy and we talked about his and my
religion and traditions, which was really interesting.
I have been hanging out with people from all
over the world, which makes me really happy. Sometimes is difficult
to identify if they are angry, happy or sad, but I get to know them
better day by day.
One night I had dinner with French and Swedish
girls and with the English boy who had lived in Dubai for the past
10 years; we talked about abortion, death and law, it was really
interesting to know what the thought and how people from different
countries deal with those kinds of situations.
3 weeks ago I went to a place called Fremantle,
where there is a famous market and after that I went to a brewery,
where they make beer and wine.
This weekend, my French and Swedish friends and
I went to a horse race with Australian girls and boys and then we
had dinner together. It was a different experience, because I have
been sharing with people from other parts from the world, but not
Australians. It was really good to be in a normal Australian day
and know what they do every day, where they work and how they spend
their free time.
My units are very interesting and different
between each other. I have to write essays, practice finance, do
on-line exams, do research in journals and read a lot. I am really
happy because education here is very different from my home-town,
which will give me new learning tools to apply in the future.
Teachers are very supportive and easy-going.
I have to do group assignments, which has been
really interesting because sometimes we do not understand each
other perspectives, which makes it more difficult but at the end
the outcome is varied and better.
2 weeks ago I had fever for 3 days and I missed
one class, but I felt really happy because my class-mates supported
me and brought me the class material. I rested a lot but it was
helpful because I read a lot.
Last week was my birthday and I was really
happy. On Wednesday I was watching a movie with the boys and girls
I live with and at 12:00 they sang me the Australian’s birthday
song. My friends made me a surprise cake and they all gathered to
congratulate me. The next day we went out for dinner and I had
lunch with Melissa, Victoria and Ana in Perth. My Mexican friends
made a special reunion in a friend’s house and they were all there
to congratulate. I was really happy because I saw them all in
web-cam and felt really special.
The Perth girls have been thinking different
ideas about the Afghanistan’s fundraising. We are planning to make
a fundraising in our 3 universities, where people can donate
anything they have. After gathering everything, we are going to
sell this in a market, where people sell second-hand items on
Sundays. We are also going to sell chocolates during September and
October.
I am happier than I expected, I feel I am
really living every day of my life fully, without worrying about
the future, just every minute of every day.
July 2008
Update
July 2: I went to the bus station and my
friends were there to say goodbye to me, then I went to the airport
with my father, we said goodbye and my plane took off at 7 p.m. I
was really nervous because I had to take the connection flight and
I had never traveled by my own. Then I took the connection flight
to Los Angeles, everything was perfect and then I took the second
plane to Sydney.
When I arrived to Sydney I went to the wake-up
hostal and I met Ana at the hostal, we went to Chinatown and we ate
a hamburger at the hostal.
The next day we went to the botanic gardens,
the cathedral and the opera house. We met Diego at the opera house
and we went for a long walk in the city and he showed us new
shopping centres. On July 6 everyone arrived and we went to a pub
and walking around diferent places again. The next day we all went
to Bondi beach, we took pictures, we lied in the sand, talked and
then we went to a pub.. when we came back from the beach I went
with Erica to some shops, then we met Eleanor at the hostal and we
all had dinner together, I stayed in the side-bar for a while and
we danced…it was really fun! The next day we went to the peace
scholarship meeting at the university, we ate there and we talked
about ourselves and shared some ideas for some proyects. On July 9
we went to a tour around the city, then we went eating to
chinatown. At night I met with one of my mexican best friends in
the hostal and also with her Australian friend and we went to have
dinner at a sushi restaurant. We spent the next 3 days together and
we went shopping, to Bondi beach and Bondi Junction and walking
around diferent places. 2 days befote I left Sydney I went with
Azul to Manly beach by ferry, we went to a museum there and had
dinner. The last day I went to the aquarium with Azul and
Maritrini, it was really interesting..better than I expected! The
next day I flew to Perth.
I arrived to Perth on Monday. The Edith Cowan
University sent a driver to pick me up and he brought me to the
students village. When I arrived I met the 2 girls I live with, one
is Australian and the other was born in Iran but she has always
lived in Sweeden, in the afternoon we went shopping and I was
really anxious and scared. I slept really early that day because I
was tired. The next day I talked to my parents and my boyfriend in
the Internet and I cried a lot (I was not sad, I was anxious and I
felt lonely, like I needed a hug) but then I went to another unit
(the units are the village departments) and I met a French girl.
Sheyda (sweedish girl), Charlotte (french girl) and I went shopping
again, we had dinner together and it was really nice but I still
felt anxious. The next day I started feeling much better because I
met more people from all over the World.
I have visited diferent cultural places, for
example:
Fremantle: I went with 10 students from the
village, we took the train and we went to the harbour and to the
Fremantel prision.
Cottesloe beach: I went with some girls at
night, but the beach is really beautiful and I am looking forward
to visit it in summer.
Perth Zoo: I met Ana and Melissa at the train
station and we went to the zoo, we spent like 4 hours there. It was
really funny because a kangoroo got out of its place and it was
jumping around, Melissa and Ana touched it (I took the
pictures)..but it was 5 cm. from me!
I am really happy because I have been meeting
diferent people everyday, they come from: Germany, Austria, France,
Peru, Zimbawe, USA, Sweeden, Swiss, many Australians too and more.
One day I gave them to try a mexican candy and they liked it but
another day some girls and I made “tacos” and I did “guacamole”
(avocado with lemon, onion and tomato) and it was a hit!
I have been attending the orientation days:
there was a welcome day, an orientation for the business students,
a general orientation, a library tour (they showed how to search
for books, where are they…), tomorrow I will have the village
orientation and then pizza lunch.
On Monday I applied for my tax number because I
want to work few hours a week, I also went for my university card
which has the Transperth card attached and I opened my bank
account.
My classes start on Monday and I am really
looking forward to it! I also joined the gym because I want to do
some excersice to stay healthy.
Next to my university there is a shopping
center which has almost all the Essentials!, there is a free cat
bus which can take me from the University to the shopping centre.
Next to the ECU there is the police Academy and diferent places
like banks, karaoke bar and coffee shops.
I have been in touch with some of the peace
scholarhip recipients and that really makes me happy, talking to
someone who feels and is living the same as you! I talked to Ana
and Melissa about our projects but we have to plan it more
carefully, each of us is going to ask our university if we could
sell things or through a party or some other things we want to do.
Ana and Melissa told me that they have a volunteers office in their
school but I dont have, so I am trying to find a good oportunity.
In ECU there is a guild office where I can find diferent and
interesting things to do. Victoria is going to arrive today so
hopefully we will see her this weekend.
I met 2 latins, one girl from Ecuador and a boy
from Venezuela.
Perth is really beautiful, I went to the
Joondalup lake and I loved it, it is quiet, clean, with beautiful
sceneries, ducks all around it, a lot of birds. There are tables
for picnics, a path where you can run or walk in the middle of the
forest and it just takes me 15 minutes to get there! One night I
went out with all the group to North bridge, we had dinner and
after that we went to a pub, this area is really famous and it is
also really beautiful. It has been raining, but sometimes the
weather is perfect!
Today I had a village orientation and a pizza
lunch, I met one girl from a group called the Red Frogs and I
talked to her about joining some activities (community service,
parties…)
I am really happy right now, I am starting to
fill at home and I am really looking forward to start classes on
Monday!
I attached some pictures of my days in Perth.
One is in the Joondalup lake (i am in the picture), the one called
"9" is with my friends of the village in Fremantle, Ana and me in
the zoo and another one is the lake of the ECU
