Only 1 week and 1 day left! ... Again

I have resumed the count down until I officially start my exchange. A plane flight has been booked for me to leave the country on the 8th of February which is only a week and a day away!
My visa isn't in Perth yet but I have been told by the travel agent that it is expected to arrive any day now.

Sunday was Australia Day which is a day of celebration for the whole country. The celebrations include traditions such as listening to the Triple J's Hottest 100 count down on the radio and eating iconic Australian food. My brother and I had a go at making lamingtons, which didn't turn out as good as they looked in the picture on the recipe. They were extremely hard to coat but still tasted delicious.
As much as I love the Aussie spirit, Australia Day is becoming more and more commercialised. Some stores are going overboard with the amount of Australian merchandise they sell, this year I've even seen Australian print tissues!

The lamingtons we made on Australia Day

Yesterday I caught up with Carla and Valery who are currently on exchange from Mexico and Venezuela. I showed them around Fremantle and we had lots of fun talking in a mixture of English and Spanish. We also talked about differences and similarities between our home countries.

My bags have been packed for a couple of weeks and I can not fit anything else in my luggage! Over the past couple of weeks I have been buying bits and pieces that I think I might need for the next year. The final bits I packed were the essential Australian foods that I will miss while I'm away; Milo, Shapes, Vegemite and Tim Tams. Fingers crossed that the suit case will be under the weight allowance!

Finally, a special thank you to all those people who have offered their support. I can't believe how many people have introduced themselves to me and have said 'I am here for you if you have any questions.'
I have had correspondence from people all over the world! Some are currently on exchange, some are with Rotex (returned exchange students), some are Rotary members and some are getting ready for their exchange like I am. Your kind words are very encouraging and I feel very supported knowing I have plenty of people that I can turn to.

The waiting game

6 days have past since all the other students left for exchange and I am still in Perth with no definite leaving date.

In every situation there are good and bad things, I am trying to focus on the positives more than the negatives at the moment. For example, I have had time to enjoy the 42 degree heat wave in the comfort of my air conditioned house with friends, rather then a crowded airport.

I spent Monday night at the Melville Glades Golf Course for the Rotary Willetton meeting and was able to get photos of some kangaroos that live on the golf course. There were lots of kangaroos and there was even one that had a joey in it's pouch! I have never seen kangaroos so close before that haven't been road kill. For all non-Australians, road kill is the name given to dead animals on the side of the road, generally they have been run over by accident.

 

Yesterday I caught up with a newly returned exchange student named Zac. He spent last year in Mexico and is from the same Rotary district as I am. Zac was able to teach me some helpful Spanish words as well as some tips for getting the most out my exchange. Much to my disappointment he also told me that siestas only happen in Spain, not Mexico.

 

A plot twist

Not long now until I leave!
I'm almost ready to go and I'm starting to get butterflies thinking about the year ahead.

On Monday night I made a presentation to my sponsor club- the Rotary club of Willetton. At the end of my presentation, I was officially given my blazer. The Australian exchange students' blazer is dark green, most other countries have black or navy blue. My speech was about me and what I think it will be like in Mexico. I also told the Rotarians about my preparation so far.

 Rotary Willetton member Greg Vines is on the left, I'm in the middle and the Willetton Club President for 2013-2014, Marcos Carot is on the right.

 

Tuesday was my sister's birthday so we had a girl's day out to celebrate. We went to IKEA for a bit of shopping and to eat some Swedish meatballs for lunch before we headed into the city. Since I am going on exchange, my sister thought it would be funny to take a photo of me looking sad next to a 'love it of exchange it' sign...

For a change of plan, I won't be leaving Australia tomorrow. Unfortunately my visa hasn't come in time so I will not be boarding the plane to Mexico. Currently I don't have another flight booked but as soon as I get my visa, plans will be made. Hopefully it will be sorted in the next couple of weeks. I guess now I have more time to tidy my bed room and say good bye to every one before I go :)

Only 1 week and 1 day left!

With only 1 week and 1 day left until departure, I am busily running around like a headless chook trying to organise everything. During the week, my aunty and I made pins that I can exchange while I'm away. For those who aren't familiar with Rotary exchanges, each student has their own blazer and while they are on exchange they collect pins from other exchange students that they meet. By the end of exchange the blazer weighs a couple of kilos and is full of pins from around the world! We ended up making 119, so hopefully that will be enough. They are made with yellow and green ribbon looped over a safety pin which is held together with a glued on 5 cent piece. They were pretty easy to make and look good, but I felt like a sweat shop worker making them!

I think the hardest part so far in preparation for exchange has been packing away everything in my bedroom. There will be an exchange student live with my family who will be staying in my room for a couple of months while I'm away so all my stuff needs to disappear into storage. Given the current state that my bedroom is in, it is going to be a mammoth task!

I've also found time to catch up on some movies that I haven't had time in the past to watch. I was watching 'Confessions of a Shopaholic' and picked up some tips on how not to dance while I'm in Mexico. This scene is so funny and I hope that I can learn to tango better than Isla Fisher.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLIOPL_ApBY

Today I went out with my brother to shop for more souvenirs in Fremantle and I also got my stomach use to Mexican food by eating churros. For those who haven't heard of churros, they are Spanish donuts that are shaped like sticks and are dipped in chocolate. They are seriously yummy but should only be eaten occasionally. If you haven't tried them yet, you are really missing out!

 

The beginning

Through the Rotary Youth Exchange program, I will be spending 2014 in Veracruz, Mexico! I'll be arriving in late January and will return to Australia mid-January in 2015. This blog has been set up so family and friends from around the world can see what I'm up to without having to ask. I'm hoping to post weekly updates but it could be less or more regular depending on how busy I am. Feel free follow my adventures, ask questions along the way and check out my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/assieinmexico