well, last week, i went to my rotary club for a standard meeting, at the Marion Hotel. it was ok, and fairly interesting, but it was surprising to see how many people didn't turn up.
the meeting's focus was on youth exchange, and I met the local MP for the area, Kris Hanna, who was an honorary member of the club. He was incredibly nice, and fascinating to talk to, especially about political subjects. i found out that he went to Cape Town about 30 years ago, during Apartheid, and that he found it so difficult to get along with his white host families, that it was easier to talk to the black maids, cooks and assistants! Most of the evening was spent hearing about Yasuyo (a girl here at flinders on a scholarship provided by rotary) talking about a recent trip to indonesia.
but, i found myself thinking, after seeing the two girls from NZ on a short term youth exchange, living with two rotarians that live quite close to me, if this was what i wanted to be doing?they're really nice as host parents, but these girls just became so disinterested. I hope that i don't turn into them. I want to be able to use this experience to the full, i don't want to spend it watching movies, shopping and eating junk food with another australian, like they were.
Also, the other day, i realised that it was only 6 months until i leave!! i'm so excited, most about the school, i think. i reckon that will be the best part, by far. But going to a rotary meeting will be very interesting as well, just to see the differences between the two cultures, and how that affects the meetings. Marion's meetings were quite informal, but they still had the basis of "… as i have the floor" and requesting to speak, and things like that. My Japanese teacher, who was a rotary exchange student also, told me that most meetings for Rotary happen during lunch in Japan, so that would be fairly odd, i think! :D
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