STUDENT EXCHANGE, MACAU

This year in the end of the month of March we took a team of eleven children to ‘The School of Nations,’ Macau under the Student Exchange Programme.

We were overwhelmed by the warm welcome we received there. Children stayed with their respective buddies where they were loved and looked after. The school has children of almost thirty five different nationalities. Through this programme our children learnt about the host country. They discovered their own ability to adapt themselves to the new environment, new culture and new lifestyle. They attended the school and participated in many activities of the school. Their interpersonal skill came to the fore. The Exchange Programme also helped them to a great extent in improving their spoken English as they were totally immersed in the language.

The amazing part of the school is that there are almost sixty staff members from fourteen different parts of the world. Their nationalities differ, they speak different language yet they are striving towards one goal to steer the young learners towards a bright future.

On our way back to India we visited Hongkong also. The Disneyland tour for them was the cherry on the cake.

Rekha Anand

My desire to experience something new led me to experience the amazing trip to Macau. It all started when a trip to Macau was announced in my school. I instantly wanted to go for it and went home that day and asked my mother. She asked me, “Why do you want to go so eagerly?” I gave a simple honest answer, “to explore a new world independently. My mother saw my aspiration for this learning experience and gave me permission for the trip. She did a short background check from school and other children’s parents who had gone earlier to satisfy her motherly concerns and then completed all formalities. She gave me wings to fly high and let me open my eyes to the upcoming experience in my life. That moment onwards a spark of happiness lit in me and I got a feeling of real independence.

Then I started all the preparations for the travel. On the day of travel, I was all set with my bags and checked my passport and documents. We checked my our bags and finally boarded the flight. Seated in the flight , I realized that independence is great but it is also so different and strange because I was so used to having my parents around me every time .

On reaching Macau I was awestruck by the beauty of the foreign land. Breathing the sea breeze filled my heart with excitement .I was already enjoying my like Alice in wonderland. We were taken to our to the school in Macau and met our buddies. My buddy was Milly, She was God sent, wonderful person and she were as excited to meet me. I also met her loving and caring family. I realized that they made me feel so loved and cared for just like my parents. From then on wards roaming around the city , shopping , watching plays and movies , dining out , it was great fun . It was a great feeling to enjoy the buzz in the lively streets of Macau . But more than everything else I enjoyed it all with my buddy’s company . She took care of me during my visit and never let me feel that I was away from my home. Coming back to India , it was nice to be back home again . However I will always miss the company and fun that we had in Macau . The trip taught me so much . To be independent , to enjoy the life ahead freely but to also take the right decisions so that it may take me a long way in life .

Written by Aisha Shaikh