Creighton exchange students learning more about the world – and themselves

“The world is a book, and those who don’t travel only read one page.”

These words, attributed to St. Augustine, have been penned in many a journal by adventurous youth off to explore new horizons.

Joining their ranks are Roxann Mousseau and Sidney Brown, both 18, who graduated from Creighton Community School last June.

In August, the two young women started their Rotary Youth Exchange experiences, with sponsorship from the Flin Flon and The Pas Rotary clubs.

Mousseau headed off to Vejle, a city in southern Denmark, while Brown ventured to Bratislava, the capital city of Slovakia.

Since their departure, the two Creightonites have been living with host families and seizing opportunities to connect with students from around the world, learn new languages and test the waters of international travel. 

Via email, The Reminder caught up with the two exchange students halfway through their year abroad.

Reminder: What did you know about your host country before you arrived?

RM: I knew absolutely nothing about Denmark, at least nothing concrete. I, like so many other people, watched The Prince & Me, as well as studied Hamlet, and Beowulf, but, unsurprisingly, that didn’t teach me anything actually applicable to Denmark.

SB: I knew [Slovakia] had the most chateaus per capita, and that it separated from Czechoslovakia in the early 90s, that they’ve produced a couple hockey hall of fame players, as well as it being a Slavic country, otherwise not too much.

Reminder: Did anything surprise you while living there? What are some major differences you have experienced between life in northern Canada and life in Slovakia/Denmark?

RM: How alike they are culturally, but that is also what surprises me the most sometimes.

The only thing I can liken it to is if there was an alternate universe almost exactly like ours, and you went to that version of Flin Flon, then lived your life almost exactly the same way, except for moments when you encounter something that reminds you [that] you are in a different version of your home than the one you know.

SB: I noticed the smell and taste first, the smell was way different and all the food here has a distinct taste to it.  Since I’m in a city, and not in the mountains, it is a lot warmer here than good ol’ Flin Flon.

Reminder: What does a Rotary exchange include?

RM: While on exchange it is fully expected of the student to attend school, and engage with the family that is hosting them. Other criteria may differ from country to country. In my country there is a language class, as well as an intro camp at the beginning. There is also a Eurotour at the end of the year, as well as a few district get-togethers.  

SB: I go to one of the top rated schools in the country, I live with three different and lovely host families who treat me like their own; we have “inbound orientations” which is when my half of District 2240 (the district covers both Czech Republic and Slovakia) get together and we all just have fun.

We recently had a Christmas weekend and all the exchange students in Slovakia came to my city and we walked around the Christmas market and went to Vienna, and on the 10th of January I go on a six-day ski/snowboarding trip with the whole district. I go on a Eurotour in a few months. I also get to participate in all Rotary events, like our Christmas gala and the Christmas bazaar.

Reminder: Can you tell us about your most interesting experiences in Denmark/Slovakia so far?

RM: The sheer amount of people that don’t know/can’t pronounce “Saskatchewan.” I know it’s not really surprising, but even the Americans have no idea. As a joke, one time I said it was a type of salad dressing.

SB: There are so many. The most recent is New Year's. These people know their fireworks. I was in a village 18 km away from the city, so think Denare to Creighton, and I could see and hear all the fireworks, which lasted almost two hours. 

Bonding with the three other Canadians here (all from Ontario) and the four of us being able to make more and louder prideful whoops when it came to our country being mentioned than the 20 Americans and 15 Brazilians. Honestly I can’t even put into words all the amazing things that have happened so far.

Reminder: How were the Christmas/New Years holidays different there compared to Creighton?

RM: Christmas was on the 24th of December, and instead of opening presents in the morning, they do it at night. The day begins with going to church and attending a Christmas service, then they go home and spend the day together, playing games, eating food, etc.

Then at night after supper, they go to the tree, which is decorated with lit candles, and proceed to sing and dance around the tree. After that, they open their presents, and spend more time together before heading off to bed. Their New Year's is celebrated much like ours, except instead of a firework show, or isolated, safe fireworks, people just buy fireworks and set them off wherever. Their backyard, the street, really anywhere, and the fireworks last for an hour to an hour and a half, it is very impressive.

SB: Christmas is celebrated on the evening of the 24th not the morning of the 25th.

The supper is carp and you have four different parts to supper (at least in my house). First you eat this crepe-like but dried out thing called oplatky, with honey and garlic on it, then you cut an apple and if there is a star in the centre (cut horizontally) then your next year will be good, and then you cut a piece off for everyone and share, and you do this with an orange as well.

Then you eat one of four soups, then you eat carp (unless, like me, you’re a vegetarian who doesn’t eat fish. I ate vyprážaný syr [a fried cheese dish]) then you open presents. 

Stockings are done on the 6th of December, the Hungarian Mikuláš comes and gives coal or spoons for bad kids and candy or a chocolate bar in a shoe for good kids.

Reminder: How have you grown or changed as a person through this exchange?

RM: I’ve grown in the sense that I’m more aware of how others perceive me, and more conscious of what I do or say.

I was used to a situation where people knew me for years, and knew that my face just looks like this, I wasn’t actually mad. So I have to make a conscious effort to make sure my facial expressions are inviting, and my words aren’t as blunt as they sometimes are. 

SB: I’ve definitely learned a lot more about who I am and how I deal with things that can be overwhelming at times (like Slovak language tests) but I’ve also learned a lot about what kind of person I am ethically, seeing as a major part of the culture here is drinking and that’s just not something I agree with or partake in. 

I’ve learned that being far away from family and friends doesn’t have to mean we lose touch or that I can’t speak to them, and also that no matter what they will support me.

Reminder: What do you miss about home?

RM: To be completely honest, I miss food, you don’t really think about it but a lot of my favorite foods are unattainable in Denmark. For example: Cheetos, poutine, perogies and lemon poppy seed muffins/cakes.

SB: I miss the ease. I knew what was happening and what on earth people were saying to me. I also miss driving due to the freedom it granted me. I miss video games with a burning passion, and another thing I miss a lot is work. 

I also miss my friends. I won’t be there to see either of my best friends graduate, which upsets me, but I know that they miss me too.

Reminder: Have you learned to speak some Danish/Slovak during your exchange?

RM: Yes, but I’m not as fluent as I would like to be, and I understand a lot more than I can say. There are certain sounds that my mouth just refuses to make.

SB: Yes, I’ve written two language proficiency tests, but I’m still not very good since I go to a bilingual school where everyone is encouraged to speak English and my host family understands English and all the inbounds speak in English. My next host mom speaks absolutely no English, or so she says—we have a theory that says otherwise—so I’ll get a lot more practice in.

Reminder: What are your plans for the future? Will you continue to travel?

RM: I got accepted to the University of Saskatchewan and plan on attending there until I get my bachelor’s degree, after which I will take the foreign service exam with the hopes as working as an ambassador. Whichever career path I end up pursuing I fully intend to continue travelling.

SB: People keep asking me about my future, whether I’ll continue modelling [Brown competed in Top Model Search Canada last year and ranked in the top 100 entries nationally] or head to university seeing, as I was accepted to two. For this I have no answer.

I want to do both and I’m going to try to do both seeing as university is a dream from childhood and modelling is a recent opportunity that I don’t want to pass up. As for travelling, that’s simple, yes.

Reminder: Is there anything else you would like to tell our readers?

RM: If you are planning on becoming an exchange student I fully recommend you embrace the very possible reality of being sent to a country you didn’t choose and know nothing about.

Also, be prepared to talk to and live with people you know nothing about, who know nothing about you. I also recommend not jumping to any quick judgments, and being open to any and all friendships that present themselves.

SB: That no matter how many bad or unfortunate things happen to you, you can still do things like this. Also, I can’t thank the Rotary clubs in Flin Flon and The Pas enough for this phenomenal opportunity.