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| GLOBAL EXPERIENCE NEWSLETTER | SEPT/OCT 2011 |
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| STUDENT FEEDBACK CORNER | |
"Thank you very much for helping me to find a homestay! I really like my homestay family. They are happy to share their experiences with me. Their children are so friendly. They taught me how to make banana bread and use the kitchen. My room is comfortable and I sleep well every night. Sometimes they'd play music at home, even while we are having dinner. I learnt a lot from this family. They are so lovely!"
Huei Yu Li for Fiona Howe Family, Dulwich Hill |
| HOMESTAY HOST INSURANCE-PLUS | |
The homestay Host Insurance-Plus cover is AUD $100 or $110 per year depending on the cover option selected, including all statutory charges, premium and brokerage.
You are not limited in the number of students you can host during the insurance year - only one confirmation of cover each year.
When you register with this insurance, please quote reference as follows:
AUS01
For further info please visit:
www.homestayhostinsuranceplus.com |
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F R O M T H E D E S K |
In the welcoming of the new season, I also would love to give a warm welcome to every new client in NSW as well as in the other states. We look forward to developing a strong business relationship with you all in the coming months. Thank you for trusting your clients to the care of our Global Experience Host Families.
As Christmas approaches, the theme of an open heart and loving thoughts is extended as we invite hosts to put their names down to welcome students during the summer and festive season. We will be receiving many individual students plus Study Tours from different cultures just before the end of the year and within the first few months of 2012. We want to make sure these students find the right Global Experience family to be with. Please do contact us if you feel you are one of these special families.
In this issue, we are pleased to feature Ms Tina Mesiti as "Host of the Month", she is an open and warm host. She is cultural sensitive due to her own migrant experience. Many of our students have provided excellent feedback about their stay with the Mesiti's. Congratulations to this caring host!
The cultural feature in this newsletter, very interesting and informative, at least for us at the office, although we pride ourselves in having a multicultural team, South Africa is a land we have not explored a lot as yet. Let's hope you will find the information on that vast land and the recipe of the month as interesting as we do.
Until next issue
Sonia Ortega
Managing Director |
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HOST FAMILY OF THE MONTH - TINA MESITI | |
By Tina Mesiti
 I was born in Italy, Sicily. I arrived in Australia in 1970 and I was only 12 years old at that time. I'm now proud to be an Italian/Australian. When I first arrived in Sydney I was not able to speak English and it was very hard to adjust myself. I could barely speak English! I can relate my experience with my students - how they feel when they arrive in a strange country and not able to communicate. It's hard and very stressful but with time everything improves.
Now I'm proud to be here and thanks to my parents to come to this country. I have achieved so many wonderful things in Australia. I have a great family, two children that I love so much. Dominic, my son, is a Business Manager who lives and works in London. My daughter, Vanessa, she is a Graphic Designer and last year she got married to a wonderful man, Andy whom I love like my own son. I've been working in the State Government (NSW Treasury) as a Stamp Duties Assesor since 1974. I enjoy my job and have built a great circle of friends.
 I've been hosting students since 3 years ago and very passionate about it. On their first day, I always encourage them to contact their families back home and try to be as much as I can. If asked, I will also assist them with their homework. I sometimes do assist them with their homework research. If they have a presentation at the college, I'll listen and correct them with the grammar issues.
I'm very close with my students and we do a lot of activities such as cooking day, BBQ, birthday party, sightseeing, road trip and so forth. I really enjoy having international students. They bring a new dimension to my living, the interaction between the students and my family is just wonderful. Many times my students call me 'Mom'. They are comfortable because I treat them like my own children and they do feel like home when staying with me.
 We live in a global world and it's great to be able to understand various cultures. On some levels, people will behave in a manner that is based on their racial, religious or national heritage.
When a student comes to a new country they bound to face a lot of changes. That can be exciting and stimulating, but it can also be overwhelming. They feel sad, anxious, frustrated and at times they want to go home because they have grown up with values and beliefs that different from us and because these differences, the way they act could be totally different than us.
I have also referred one of my longest students, Jessy, from China to work at my friend's accounting firm for 6 months. She enjoyed the experience and I could see how happy she was.
I have had more than one student living in my house and at times I need to make everyone happy. Therefore having regular communication with the students is very crucial. We share our thoughts and work things out if need be. |
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SOUTH AFRICAN WORLD |
 South Africa is one of the most multicultural countries in the world. In urban areas many different ethnic groups will make up the population, indigenous black (75%), white (13.6%), coloured (8.6%) and Indian (2.6%). South Africa has 11 official languages. English is the language of administration and is spoken throughout the country. The other official languages are Afrikaans, Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Southern Soto, Swazi, Tsongo, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu..
The basic unit of South African society is the family, which includes the nuclear family and the extended family or tribe. In traditional African society, the tribe is the most important community as it is the equivalent of a nation. The tribe provides both emotional and financial security in much the same way the nuclear family does to white or coloured South Africans.
 The coloured and more traditional Afrikaans cultures consider their extended family to be almost as important as their nuclear family, while the English speaking white community places more emphasis on the nuclear family. The nuclear family is the ultimate basis of the tribe. The tribal and family units are being disrupted by changes in the economic reorganisation of the country. As more people move into the urban areas, they attempt to maintain familial ties, including providing financial support to family members who have remained in the village.
In general, South Africans give gifts for birthdays and Christmas. Two birthdays - 21 and 40 - are often celebrated with a large party in which a lavish gift is given. It is common for several friends to contribute to this gift to help defray the cost.
If you are invited to a South African's home, bring flowers, good quality chocolates, or a bottle of good South African wine to the hostess. Wrapping a gift nicely also shows extra effort. Gifts are opened when received. If you are invited to a South Aftican's house make sure you arrive on time if invited to a dinner. You also need to contact the hostess ahead of time to see if she'd like you to bring a dish. Wear casual clothes and this may include jeans or pressed shorts. It is a good idea to check with the hosts in advance. In Johannesburg, casual is dressier than in other parts of the country. Do not wear jeans or shorts unless you have spoken to the hosts. Always offer to help the hostess with the preparation or clearing up after a meal is served. |
ARE YOU A HABITUAL STARTER? | |
By John Halderman
 How many things have you started and put aside?
If you can answer, many, you are a 'starter'.
Do you tend to get excited about doing something, start it, then get sidetracked by interest in something new? This can be a project, new career, hobby, business idea, investing idea, whatever, that has been put aside before completion for another.
If you can relate to this, you are also likely quite frustrated with the lack of money, satisfaction and happiness in your life. What's the problem? You try so hard, you are always doing something yet no results.
Here is what is going on with the vicious cycle you are in.
You don't have an overall in life to serve as a beacon to keep you on track. You have not set specific goals, targets or a path to serve as benchmarks in your progress. You are not managing your time well or sticking to appropriate tasks. Bouncing from one thing to another shows you are not fully committed to a big picture,
 You are not benefiting emotionally from the accomplishment of anything. Your confidence is likely not what it could be. Your frustration level is damaging to your energy and motivation. There must be a, yea but, in the back of your mind when you choose to do things.
Now a picture of what a success cycle looks like.
The fact that you are bouncing from interest to interest reveals that you are not aware of your purpose. Discovering your purpose in life gives you a solid foundation as to what you should be doing. You then can determine specifically what to do to fulfill the purpose. Your purpose is what you are here to do to serve the world and your work is something that supports that.
Seeing and feeling your purpose will reveal a deep intent and a strong motivation. You will feel more like you are on a mission. This is what will help you keep focused and on task. You will have power to take command of your thinking, directing your thoughts and actions towards what supports your mission.
The, 'yea but' I mentioned above comes from your inner self trying to speak of what you really should be doing as you are doing other different things. Without consciously knowing it you will not give your all to one thing while your inner self is yearning for something else. All the things you are doing are just attempts to satisfy your ego thinking.
 When you determine what you will do to accomplish fulfilling your purpose, you then need to set up the steps that will lead you to where you are fully engaged with your intent to support your purpose. You don't need to know exactly what each step is at the beginning, just enough to get going will do. You will discover more as you proceed in the right direction.
Accomplishing specific goals or targets along the way will give your confidence and motivation a boost. This is important in order to keep your energy and interest up at a high level. Continued accomplishment helps keep you motivated and willing to do what is necessary.
Daily planning and refocusing on the speciifc tasks to be accomplished each day is important. You must have a plan each day as well as the self-discipline to stick to it. It is so easy to get distracted with things that do not directly support your goal. You can actually be busy all day and not accomplish anything that you had set out to.
Time management is critical to your satisfaction and progress. There is no time to do everything you can think of in a day, you must learn to be selective in support of your immediate goal. This is reinforced with daily reminders of your purpose, intent and goals. Then set up a routine to plan your daily activities every day and be determined to stay on course.
Even if supporting your purpose includes several things, realize you can't do everything at once. One thing accomplished is more motivation that three things half-done. Determine in what order the projects must be done in and focus your attention.
Your personal development in your responsibility, take control of your scattered thinking and find the key to focused attention. Happiness and satisfaction come through purposeful accomplishment. |
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RECIPE OF THE MONTH - SOUTH AFRICAN ROLY-POLY BAKED DESSERT | |
Ingredients:
- 2 cups flour (500ml)
- 3 teaspoons baking powder (15ml)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter (125gram)
- 2 eggs (beaten)
- Milk (a few tablespoons)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- apricot jam
Sauce:
- 1 1/2 cups boiling water (375ml)
- 1 cup sugar (250ml)
- 2 tablespoons butter (30ml)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Methods:
1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Grease a suitable oven dish, like a rectangular Pyrex dish.
3. Mix the flour, baking powder and salt and rub in the butter.
4. Add the beaten eggs and then just enough milk, tablespoon by tablespoon, to make a fairly firm dough.
5. As soon as a firm ball forms which is not sticky, but soft, the dough is ready.
6. Roll the dough out quite thinly. On a surface sprinkle with flour and form a rectangle by cutting off bits and adding it on again.
7. Spread the dough with apricot jam.
8. From one of the long sides, roll it up like a swiss roll.
9. Cut this roll into 1 inch slices.
10. Pack the slices, cut sides up, closely together in the greased dish. Scoop the jam which oozed out on the surface you used and just plonk back on to these rolls.
11. In a pot, mix the boiling water (from your kettle), sugar, butter and vanilla and stir until sugar dissolves.
12. With a tablespoon, ladle evenly over the slices of pudding, but beware, you'll have more sauce than the baking dish can take. Usually you'll be left with about 3/4 cup. Keep it.
13. Bake for about 40-45 minutes.
14. When the sizzling pudding comes out of the oven, carefully pour the extra sauce over the centre slices.
15. Now that the hot pudding will absorb much of the leftover sauce in seconds. Use as much or as little as you like.
16. Serve hot with custard, ice cream or sweetened whipped cream. |
"We learn wisdom from failure much more than success. We often discover what we will do by finding out what we will not do."
- Samuel Smiles -
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