Global Experience

May/June 2009
Table of Contents
From Our Desk
Student of the Month
I Desperately Want to Feel Better About Myself
Common Challenges Faced by Homestay Families
 
 
Quick Links
 
 
Join Our Mailing List
 

"Happiness is not achieved by the conscious pursuit of happiness; it is generally a by product of other activities"

 

-Aldous Huxley-

 

 
From Our Desk 
 
Hi everyone,
 
We would like to share with you guys our happiness that we are now settled in the city CBD.  We really enjoy our new premises and we welcome everyone to come and visit us anytime you are around the area.
 
On this newsletter, we also present some common challenges in homestay.  We hope you can have better understanding about your homestay's situation.  Be tolerant to their challenges and create a happy environment at your homestay.   
 
The article featured in this newsletter is also beneficial for those who don't feel confident about themselves as yet.  Hopefully it will assist you in developing the "new you".  Remember to appreciate who you are, be happy and dare to take chances in your life.
 
Lastly, we invite you to add us in your facebook; our email is enquiry@globalexperience.com.au. 
 
Until next issue.
 
Agnes Ong
Marketing Executive
 
Student of the Month - Mark Christl
 

Name: Mark CHRISTL
Age: 19
Country: Switzerland
Purpose of visiting Australia: to improve his English
Interests: web design, economic, girls, sports, shopping and clubbing 
 
According to Marc, Switzerland is a very different country, compared to Australia.  It is small but there are heaps of activities you can do there.  They have four seasons but summer is relatively short.  They don't have any seas, only lakes.  The food is more or less about the same.
 
During his visit in Sydney, he attended Embassy College.  He really liked Australia especially Hyde Park, Botanical Garden, Darling Harbour, Coogee Beach, Manly and Sydney Tower.
 
Marc was very impressed with the people in Australia.  He found them very friendly.  He made many new friends here. 
 
Marc was lucky because his homestay was very good.  He felt like part of the family as they treated him as one of them.  He became very close with the brother of his homestay.  He took him around on the first day and went to many places after that.  It was absolutely great experience.
 
Now that he is back in Switzerland, he misses Australia a lot.  Marc is currently working in Zurich and soon is going to continue his studies in Bachelor of Business Administration.
 
"I Desperately Want to Feel Better About Myself - 5 Steps to Overcome Shyness"

by Jeff Cohen

"A wallflower cannot succeed in this competitive world.  One has to stand out in order to be heard." 
 
If you are timid and shy, you will not be noticed.  You have to get your point across.
 
To overcome shyness, you have to give yourself more credit.  In other words, you must feel better about yourself.  Invigorate self-esteem.  Low self-esteem often results in being shy and afraid to speak up.  If you know your worth, you will not have a second thought about speaking your mind.
 
If you are shy, think of the many opportunities you will miss.  If you lack the courage to take that extra step, you will have difficulty in going after your aspirations and goals.
 
1. Start your day right with a positive image of yourself
When you wake up, you need to tell yourself that you are terrific.  This aura eventually carries through for the rest of the day and therefore generates a positive feeling. 
 
This simple exercise can also boost your subconscious mind.  By doing this, you'll have a good start in the morning. 
 
2. Dress up
If you look nice, you also feel good.  Have you ever noticed how those Hollywood A-listers walk down the red carpet with chin up and all?  They attribute their confidence to the designer gowns that they are wearing. 
 
You may not be clad in a multi-million dollar gown but as long as you have the right fashion sense and you are comfortable in what you are wearing, you will not be shy in approaching people.
 
3. Understand that it is alright to be afraid
You cannot remove fear or anxiety.  It will always be there in the back of your head.  What is important is not to show it.  People, like dogs, can also smell fear.  They can sense it.
 
Try to overcome your fears by taking calculated risks.  Face situations with a head-on attitude.  Try out things you have never even dared trying before.  Do not be afraid of rejection.  Ninety-nine people may say "no" but a single "yes" makes all the difference.  In fact, rejection is the best teacher for a person, for it drives him to reach his goal.
 
4. Be honest
In order to overcome your flaws, you have to admit them.  By facing the truth, you can figure out what to do about it.  By admitting to yourself that you are shy, you understand that you must do more.

5.  Be active
Engage in various activities.  Join clubs, interact, jump into any opportunity that will allow you to be in a network.  Be engrossed in self-development activities.
 
Accept yourself and appreciate your own being.  Realise that there are many opportunities for improvement and that you need to work on these. 
 
Common Challenges Faced by Homestay Families
 
1.  Attitude
Be polite, respectful and friendly to your homestay family at all times.  Remember that you live in someone's home and not in a hotel.  Treat them as your family if you want them to treat you the same. 
 
Don't bring visitors home without permission as it is considered rude in Australia.
 
Simple greetings such as good morning and good night are very important to practise.
 
2. Cleanliness
Quite often your homestay family comments that you don't look after your room.  Please consider that in Australia we don't have servants.  Therefore simple help from you by keeping the room neat and tidy is kindly appreciated. 
 
3. Water
Remember that water resource is scarce.  Consider to take short showers (10 minutes maximum) and wash your clothes once a week only.  Australians are environmentalists so if you decide to ignore these facts, issues can arise when you are living at their home.
 
4. Heater
We know that during winter we cannot live without heater.  However you need to remember that you cannot abuse energy by turning the heater on the whole night.  It can be very costly for the host family.  Considering this situation, what you can do is to turn the heater on for a few hours before you go to bed and then turn it off for the rest of the night. 
 
As it is winter, don't forget to put on enough clothes such as sweater and socks.  Get yourself an electric blanket if need be.
 
Also remember that over consumed heater can also lead to dry skin and dehadration.
 
5. Internet
Remember that internet is not part of your homestay package.  You need to pay extra cost (around $10 per week) if you wish to use Internet at your homestay. 
 
You need to consider the other user(s) at home, therefore kindly avoid excessive usage such as downloading movies/music, watching You Tubes, etc.  If you need to use high amount of Internet connections then you can go and purchase a prepaid connection yourself.  They can be bought from local internet providers such as Optus, Dodo, Telstra, etc.
 
 
Global Experience
Level 1, 141 York Street
Sydney  NSW 2000  Australia
P: 02 9264 4022
F: 02 9264 9322