Sister cities break down barriers

DUBBO REGIONAL COUNCIL is offering Dubbo families an opportunity to host Chinese exchange students who are visiting in August as part of the Sister City Exchange program.

Sally Payne and her mother Rosslyn hosted two Chinese students last year and cannot praise the experience enough.

“We had two students together, Betty and Emily. They were best friends which I think helped. Me and my mum had a great time learning about their culture. If I could I would love to host again this year,” Sally told

“They were shy the first day and it took a while to get them to open up. By the second day they were talking a lot more and came into the lounge room at home. When they left, we were crying at the airport,” she said.

Dubbo Regional Council sister city program coordinator Kylie Sutherland says families who host exchange students share “wonderful stories of those ‘lost in translation and memorable moments’ when the visiting students experience something new and totally removed from their life back home.

“It might be the students’ amazement at the number and brightness of the stars at night, or the sheer quantity and variety of meat available in our supermarkets. The host families delight in their role in creating these memories for the Wujiang students,” she said.

Mrs Sutherland arranges all aspects of the visit including day tours for visiting students, home stay accommodation, school placement and activities at night and over the weekend for the students and Dubbo host families.

“I’ve been facilitating these annual sister city student exchange visits between Dubbo and our Asian sister cities for 11 years.” Wujiang, China has been a sister city of Dubbo since June 1995.

“A highlight for the visiting students is time spent at school with their host student. The visiting teenagers are impressed by the wide variety of subjects and modern infrastructure of our schools,” Mrs Sutherland said.

“They enjoy the less structured approach to teaching and learning and are amazed at the class sizes (generally smaller at around 25 in Australia, compared to over Dubbo families who host exchange students from our Sister City in China enjoy a full program of activities coordinated by Council. Left: Betty and Emily were students from Wujiang who visited Dubbo last year and were hosted by Rosslyn Payne and her daughter Sally. PHOTOS: SUPPLIED

40 per class in China) and short the eye when it comes time to say school day (8.30am to 3.30pm bye. They describe hosting a sister here compared to 7.30am to 6pm city student as a privilege and an or even later in China). honour for their family.

“They love hanging out with the “I can’t recommend this cultural Aussie kids, whether it be kicking exchange opportunity enough, it a ball or just sitting and chatting really is special to be able to share during recess and lunch,” she said. our Aussie lifestyle with a student

Making new friends is also at visitor from Wujiang, and to learn the top of the list of best experiences about China – first hand – through for the Wujiang students. the eyes of a teenage visitor to our

“They really appreciate the hospitality city,” Mrs Sutherland said. extended to them by their The student exchange is reciprocal host families. There are always with Dubbo students visit tears and fond farewells at the China in the September school airport as the kids say goodbye to holidays. their Dubbo host families. For information about becoming

“It’s often the host parents – a host family, contact Kylie even the Dads – who have a tear in Sutherland on 6801 4000.