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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1984-08-15, Page 16SECOND SECTION Serving the communities and areas of Brussels, Dublin, Hensall and Walton xpositor THE HURON EXPOSITOR, AUGUST 15, 1984 — 91 'Splendiferous' PENPALS WITH THE QUEEN—Tracy Roth Elizabeth II. Done In calligraphy, their letter and Theresa Campbell were recently sur- Is so long, Tracy has to stand on a chair to prised by a reply to their letter to Queen display it. (Hundertmark photo) After spending an afternoon in May at the cottage looking at her grandmother's books on ()Peen Elizabeth iI and practising her calligraphy, Tracy Roth and her friend Theresa Campbell decided to write a letter to the Queen. And to their surprise, they recently received a first class reply from the Queen's lady-in-waiting. "It was fun to write and we're glad we sent it but we didn't expect a letter back. We didn't tell anyone about it until wengot the reply. We didn't think anyone would believe it, says 12 -year-old Theresa, "Everybody knows now. My sister told everyone at swimming lessons," says Tracy, who's also 12. While writing the letter, both Tracy and Theresa say they had fun. After getting some ideas from Tracy's grandmother's books, the words began to flow and sometimes • they made up words when normal adjectives couldn't express how ,they felt, "1 think we made up 'splendifferotis'. We looked it up but we couldn't find it in the dictionary," says Theresa. From their research, they decided, the Queen looks best in the color mauve. "it goes with her dark hair," says Theresa. Because the reply is signed by the queen's lady-in-waiting, the girls aren't sure wheth- er the queen really read their lette@r or not. "My dad said the queen probably said, 'Oh, just another letter from one of the kids in the colonies," says Tracy in her best English accent. When everybody knows your address, you must get millions of letters. There's only one Queen Elizabeth and one Buckingham Palace," says Theresa. Both Tracy and Theresa say they're fans of the Royal Family even though they don't understand what they do. "I don't know what her (the Queen's) job really is but 1 -know she gets paid well for it. I don't know how she got to be so rich and powerful," says Tracy. Another favorite of the girls is 'Princess. Diana but they didn't write her because she Isn't as powerful as the Queen, says Tracy. Theresa didn't watch the wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana but Tracy did. "1 thought her dress was wild and it was funny when Princess Diana messed up her lines and then Prince Charles messed up his lines," says Tracy, Tracy and Theresa would like to find out where the Queen is visiting when she comes letter gets reply j,. L2,5' to 4u 1ete-c c° l' °� £'c /°'/ assana I 8.5' Clank onyhC °" 6'1-6 , i'l n� an �h as 'V r s d°� vrc tit e es t. re ween Cin �teY o,i C° wx. e 4.le of 9 ens y° l..v1. Ia� s° °Y 9°ns thank so. o Canada so they could track her down. "I'd like to, buy her a rose and ask her if we cotild babysit prince William. I wrote Thrill of a Lifetime last year and asked to babysit Prince William but I doubt if the Queen would let anyone` near him," says Tracy. We'd only want to babysit him for a day though because he's probably used to anything he wants," says Theresa. Of all the Queen's possessions, the girls say they like her gold chariot, her guards and her big, big house. "I'd get lost in her house. 1, wouldn't be able to find my bedroom," says Theresa. Some of the customs of royalty may be hard to follow such as Prince Phillip having to walk two steps behind the Queen. "I'd like my husband to walk behind me but I wouldn't want to walk behindhim," says Tracy. "I'd 'rather have him walk beside me," says Theresa. And, although they both agree they like rich and powerful people, both Tracy and Theresa say they wouldn't want to be them. "You'd have to go to boarding school and be surrounded by rich and powerful people and guards. You'd have no privacy. After a while .it would be boring,'• says Tracy. "Everybody wants to kill you and you have to have your room checked before you go to sleep," says Theresa. At least two photocopies of the reply from' Buckingham Palace'wiil be made for one of the girls and Tracy's grandmother. The letter will go into their hope chests so they can "cherish it 'forever", And, if they ever get to meet the Queen, they say they may greet her by saying, "Hey, remember us; we're the ones who said you look good in mauve," Tfe re cvufc-f 6-e no words to dscri6e. Fowq[arnour- ons you appear to u5 on LcIz5lon and an our L'anadan ddl1ar £/Zi 1-0e fief you rook- nicest in fie eolur mQuve_ Ta.the, dear and honourable Queen Elizabeth After several years of you reigning over our nation, we have realized that we really appreciate you being our queen. There could be no words to describe how glamourous you appear to us on television and on our Canadian dollar bills. - We feel you look nicest in the colour mauve. Even though you can look attractive in almost anything you select. You and your family show a great importance towards our well civilized country and the other countries in which you dedicate yourselves to, each and every day. We wish for you to be reigning over us for many more successful years. We hope we have not taken too much of, your valuable time which is spent on making our country a splendifferous place to live. Yours Affectionately, Theresa Campbell, 12 Rural Route 4# Walton, Ontario, Canada NOK IZO c/o Brian Campbell and Tracy Roth, 12 155 Jarvis Street Seaforth, Ontario, Canada NOK IWO c/o Ken Roth P.S. Please. we would each like to receive a letter from you, to cherish for life, if you could just take the time. Trading lifestyles are days of discovery BY LIZ SCOTT Settling into a lifestyle totally foreign to your own is a difficult task but the Berkahn family of New Zealand have done it with relative ease and a certain sense of dignity. Participating in a year long exchange with Andy, Susan and Gaby White of RR 1 Dublin. the Berkahns arrived here in late November. 1983. Mr. Berkahn and Mr, White, both health inspectors, traded jobs for a year. Because the exchange was individually organized. Kingsley and his wife Elizabeth both say it was perhaps more successful than other exchanges because they had a long period in which to exchange letters and get to know each other's family far better than if the exchange was organized by another party. The two families had to pay their own expenses and Kingsley says the private exchange of letters helped "to build trust and confidence in one another". The transition from one country to another couldn't have been easy but Elizabeth Berkahan says, "We feel at home with Canadians and 1 think the family in New Zealand must feel the same way." The Berkahns say they find Canadian people very warm and welcoming and feel everyone they have come in contact with has been most hospitable and very kind. The Berkahns hail from Palmerston North, New Zealand. which is on the North Island. (There are two -the other is the South Island) The city they live in has about 70,000 people so living in the "country" is quite a change of pace. Palmerston North is a very strong educational centre where the emphasis is on agriculture but is fast becoming involved in arts and literature as well. The centre for agricultural research is located there and Elizabeth says that most of New Zealand's exports are agricultural. Christina, the Berkahn's ei ht -year-old has noticed a change from city life to country life and says how "quiet and lovely it is here". Kingsley and Elizabeth, and their child- ren, Jonathan, Amanda and Christina enjoy the rural life but all agree that transportation is a minus, but not a major drawback. Elizabeth says her family has adapted to life in the country very well. Surprisingly enough. the Berkahns are glad they arrived at the beginning of a Canadian winter. This enabled them to follow the natural cycle of seasons and experience them first hand. With everything being backwards to what they know, Christmas in the winter was very different. The snow was a real novelty because in New Zealand there is only snow on the mountain tops. The Berkahns were eager to try every- thing and over the winter experienced cross country skiing, ice skating, tobogganing and of course, making snowmen. Another pastime was taking walks to the nearby bush. This was particularly interesting because in New Zealand there are only coniferous forests and so Canadian maples, walnut trees and birch were all new to them. DRIVING A CHALLENGE One real challenge that Kingsley and E7izaheth had was driving an automobile. Not only to drive on the "wrong" side of the mad but to master whiteouts. ice and deep snow was a major hurdle. Elizabeth says she's glad they had the winter to settle in and get used to Canadian life. Over the winter they had time to adjust a routine and had settled into the Canadi n lifestyle when spring came. She says t ey were more able to appreciate spring bee ise the turmoil of the move was behind them. "When the first leaf bursts on the maple tree, you know spring is here" says Elizabeth. Since the seasons are so different. her family was able to see farmers planting crops. ice melting in rivers, and realize just how much was happening that Canadians perhaps take for granted. When thev return home it will be summer in New Zealand. The Berkahns will compare notes and see just how different the two countries are. The Berkahns. especially the children. are enjoying their sampling of Canadian life. School is the main focus for the children. At school, they make their comparisons. Jonathan, in grade eight, while missing his field hockey. seems to feel that school isn't too bad here: "about the same", he says. He says schools here are "more rigid". That is, while the work is a little easier here, there seems to be More of it. Amanda, grade six, says she feels the same way but notices there are fewer field trips here and in New Zealand the hours are longer and fluctuate somewhat with grade level. The holidays in New Zealand' too are different, breaking for only Six weeks in the summer time, but having''��wwo two week-long breaks in May and Aug sit. NEW ZEALAND SCHOOLS DIFFERENT Christina, in grade four, says that schools are much the same but the grade system is different. In New Zealand there are four "primer'• stages, four "standard" stages and seven "farm" stages which make up the "grade school" years. Each of these steps is not a year in school, but rather a stage of development. There is also more intergrating together of these stages to accommodate each child's development Christina says she enjoyed the swimming her class did at Vanastra this year. in New Zealand. swimming is part of everyday curriculum and each school, even small country schools have their own pools, The children notice there are more professional development days here and that is something that Elizabeth, a teacher. approves of wholeheartedly. She says she can appreciate the need, for development among teachers. --Tit-New Zealand. teachers go on one or two week long development sessions and then a substitute is brought in. The teachers would not go en masse from a school but rather stagger the sessions among different teachers throughout the year. These are done on the teacher's own time. The family has been able to keep up their musical prowess in Canada. Kingsley, Elizabeth and Christina all play recorders. Jonathan a clarinet and Amanda a violin. They all play the piano as well and say they enjoy the harmonious feeling that playing together• brings. Although they have not engaged music teachers, the parents feel their children have progressed nicely at an acceptable rate. Kingsley says he is happy with the exchange and feels it has been a "very worthwhile experience for the whole family". The job is basically the same but in New Zealand he is employed by the Palmerston, North, City Corporation and works for the city. Andy White.' art toyed by the Perth District Health Unit and works ''for the sanpe organization. "The basic concerns are the same. The philosophy and attitudes are those 1 am familiar with and happy with", says Kingsley. He says he feels comfortable living in the country here because he was raised in the country in New Zealand and - says they have benefitted more by being able to live in the country here. That war, they are able to see more of a difference in their cultures. To experience such differences, the Berkahns have travelled extensively since coming and plan to do more before they leave. They've visited Bayfield, Goderich, Grand Bend, Leamington. Cleveland, Ohio to see Elizabeth's sister, Point Pelee and virtually all of Southern• Ontario. They will go to Quebec. New York, and Niagara Falls in the summer. When they leave, they will travel to Vancouver, partly by train, then to Hawaii. then home to New Zealand. They have attended cultural events like the Stratford Festival, which the children say they enjoyed immensely. They also plan to attend Blyth Summer Festival. MAKE OWN MAPLE SYRUP The time here has been a time of discovery: virtually everything is new to them. The flowers, birds and trees are all different and they enjoy identifying them. The foods are somewhat different and tasting the new ones is an experience in itself. The Berkahns tapped and made their own maple syrup this spring. a real accomplish- ment because they have no maple trees in New Zealand. The whole process. as well as tasting the final product. was new to them. Currently they are planting a garden and experimenting with new seeds and plants. As with evefy country, there are differ- ences in lifestyles and the cost of living ^is just one thermometer to measure those differences. "The cost of living is comparable. Salaries here are high but the cost of other things balances it out." says Elizabeth. Canadian„ food is more. gas (petrol) is less and clothes cost less, but Elizabeth makes most of theirs so maybe this is not accurate, she says. Elizabeth says the exchange has been easiest on her because she hasn't had a job to go to or school to attend so she has more time to relax and "fit in" gradually whereas Kingsley and the children had to adjust quickly. Her hobbies of -embroidery and sewing have flourished and the extensive (three hour a day) art course she is taking is both "fascinating and absorbing .% The television is good here, though they don't watch too much of it. They would like to see more Canadian content.because they feel it is of better quality, and as Canadians think, they feel there are too many commercials. They say they enjoy the Seaforth library and use it extensively and feel it is a very„ good library for a small town. They say the service is good. The supermarkets are much the same, hut Canadians seem to have more processed food and the move to "health" foods seem to be following on the heels of New. Zealand's. Because New Zealand has only three million people it is perhaps easier to influence the tastes of an entire nation. Both Kingsley and Elizabeth say the storage of Canadian fruits and vegetables is remarkable and think there must be sophisticated knowledge to store things such as apples for as long as possible. in New 2 -Zealand fruits and vegetables are available all year round so there is no need for storage facilities. EXCHANGE TEACHERS TOLERANCE The desire to experience Canada was born 2'h years ago when Kingsley and Elizabeth first visited Canada. They liked what they saw and were interested in seeing more. They were and still are, astounded at the natural beauty of the land. The chance for an exchange became a real possibility and they decided to take that chance. "it is a "marvelous experience for a child. h is not all easy growing up in a strange land but it teaches them tolerance and to respect ,their own cultures and to realize they are riot the only way," says Elizabeth. "It also teaches an understanding of living and working in a different country, completely different from being a tourist. And while the experience of at, exchange is not always easy. there are many challenges and it is amarvellous way of learning cultural differences yet realizing that basically people are the same wherever you go. These lessons. which we have enjoyed learning, we will take with us all our lives." CAMPING IN CANADA—The Berkahns have turned their lives around for a year with their exchange trip with the Andy Whtfe'' family, The Berkahns are seeing as much of Canada as possible with camping excursions. Helping set up tent are Jonathan, Elizabeth, Christine, Amanda anti K+ngstey Berkahan. (Scott photo) a