Six exchange students from outside the US are enrolled at FHS this year: Ashlea Burt from Australia, Luca Castrignano from Italy, Maria Sutkowska from Poland, and Laura Boncjk, Marianne Schrell and Johanna Fiek from Germany. Each week The Locust Log will feature one of these students each week in a question and answer format. This week we are featuring Ashlea Burt.

Where are you from and how old are you?

I am from Melbourne, Australia and I am currently 15.

Whom are you staying with?

I am staying with the Hensleys.

Are you involved in any activities outside of school here?

What did you expect Americans to be like?

I expected them to be very friendly, loud, outgoing and patriotic.

How have people treated you since being here?

I’ve been treated extremely well here; everyone has been very welcoming and eager to find out about Australia.

Why did you want to come on exchange to the US?

I was originally attracted to the traditions, holidays and school spirit. I also loved the idea of challenging myself, becoming more independent and  having a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Have you ever been to the US before?

No, I haven’t, this is my first time going overseas. I am actually the first person out of my entire family to go overseas.

How does the school here differ from back home?

The schools here are so different to back home! First of all, we only have four classes a day. They go for 70 minutes each, and we also have two lunches a day. We start school in early February and finish mid December because our summer starts in December and goes till February.  After every term we have a two week holiday; a term is usually about 12 weeks long. Then at the end of the year we have a seven-week break over summer. I feel like here I get more work, but its easier; whereas at home we will spend quite a while on one difficult  task. We also don’t have clubs or sport teams. We only have two school dances: a year 10 formal and Deb  in year 11. We also aren’t allowed to leave school at lunches; you either bring your own or purchase lunch from the school canteen.

Have you noticed anything about here that you find strange?

When I first got here I found the clothing very strange. no one back home wears big boots and buckles. i’ve only recently just got used to it. I find the fact that no one here owns a kettle so weird, like how do you boil water then? Also that people say “where is something ‘at’” rather than “Where is it?”.

What is a slang word or saying that is said here that you’ve never heard before?

I had never heard the term “good deal,” when someone said that to me ,  I was thinking, “wait a second, when did we make a deal.” The language here is so confusing. No one knows what I’m talking about the majority of the time.

Have you been asked any questions here that you find really weird?

I surprisingly get a lot, “what language do you speak in Australia?’ A lot of people here don’t know that we speak English.

In the beginning I got a lot of questions about Germany. I think everyone got me confused with the German students.

Have you met anyone yet that can actually do your accent justice?

Not at all!, everyone that attempts it either sounds like a British accent or a dying seal.

Whats your favorite American food?

Dairy Queen, hands down!

What do you miss most about home?

The food! I miss that so much, as well as my family friends, and my cat, of course!.