Three of our GapBreak students reflect on their weekend at the Antipodeans Abroad GapBreak Training Camp, held in February. Nerves, excitement and late nights were all part of the fun as students get to meet the Antipodeans staff that will be looking after them, as well as their fellow travelers!
" The Gapbreak training weekend 2010 was, for starters, really fun. More importantly though, it was a bit of a reality check and incredibly informative. Sitting in comfy chairs at Elanora Conference centre discussing various scenarios that we could be confronted with, it was easy to joke about them. But there was silence as Colin relayed the importance of safety whilst travelling overseas. It put things into perspective for most of us.
We also had an in depth analysis of every possible health issue that we need to be aware of whilst on our placements.
Three hours of intensive teaching instruction was one of the best parts of the weekend, especially having to structure and execute our own lesson plans. I felt that all awkward barriers between my group and me dropped in this exercise as we drew happy faces on the whiteboard and had to use high-pitched voices and actions to demonstrate ‘weather.’ That was real teamwork.
Being able to talk to experienced travellers and past- Gapbreakers about anything and everything from the best bus company in Kathmandu to how to decline another mountain of rice on your plate was reassuring and amazingly helpful.
My brain had expanded ten-fold from the information we were given. Thanks so much for the training weekend Antips! Loved every minute of it."
Jess Guiiliat (Nepal)
"It all began here. The journey we had all been waiting to embark on had finally begun in Sydney; the weekend where many queries, concerns, and questions were confirmed and answered. It begun with a comforting introduction of the experience that was ahead of us. We were then able to meet the closest thing we would have to family; our fellow travellers (and to my relief they were all open, friendly and welcoming people). Throughout the weekend we undertook teaching classes, where we were brought to the basics on how a teacher should be addressed, how to interact with students and how to address the needs of students of a “beginner” or “intermediate” level of English. It definitely was beginning to sound harder than it looked – as reality struck – I realised the real existence of a language barrier between us and the students, so communicating activities and keeping them attentive was going to be a challenge. It was amusing to see, after only a few hours, that we had formed these little clicks depending on our destination. We all moved as one. We lined up for meals together, we sat together, we left the table together, we moved as a team. Before the weekend came to an end, we were given the opportunity to talk to Hayley and Tamsin who had returned from Ghana in December – I couldn’t decide whether it was comforting to know they survived it and thought of it as the most amazing experience they would ever have, or whether it was daunting hearing of the challenges that arose over the 3 months (i.e. sickness, confronting situations, unfamiliar lands, etc) and realising how real and life changing this trip is going to be. All in all, the weekend prepared us for an experience of a lifetime. "
Alice England.(Ghana)
"Walking into the large Stewart Hall at Elanora Conference Centre, I knew no-one. I was there for the training weekend, an opportunity to meet our fellow travellers and learn all about the adventure we had all signed up for..Over the next two days, these companions would become firm friends as we learned about each other, our destination and the challenges we would face. After an initial general briefing, we split into destination groups, providing an opportunity to learn a bit about the people we would spend 3 months with. The remaining sessions covered a lot of information and variety of experiences - from tales of an ex-student to the more general information of who we stay with and how to dress. Broken up by food breaks, the sessions allowed us to learn, marvel and build our excitement for what is sure to be a great trip. I cannot wait."
Emily Jacobs (India)
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