My Recollections of Sydney

By:
Henok Daniel Anito
Middle School Teacher Manado Independent School (MIS)

WHEN one thinks of Australia, the kangaroos quickly come to mind. I had heard of these animals, read about them in books, and seen them on TV.

Yet, never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that one day I would come inches closer to a Roo and hand-feed it while posing for a picture.

That was only a taste of the adventure I had when Manado Independent School (MIS) provided me with the opportunity to attend a global workshop in Sydney on June 12-16, 2017.

Sydney is without a doubt one of the finest cities in the world where millions of domestic and international tourists are welcomed every year.

The icons of the city: The Opera House and the Harbour Bridge, are among Australia’s well-known landmarks.

The high point of the city tour for me was seeing Vivid Sydney, an annual festival of light, music, and ideas.

One cannot but be mesmerized by the magical exhibition of outdoor lighting sculptures.

The breathtaking view of the blue mountains region, the thrill of cliffhanger’ rides down a steep railway, and the delight of bushwalking and visiting a wildlife park were some of my most memorable junctures in Sydney.

All these combined, I could say, have given me an adventure of a lifetime.

Yet, the most significant activity during my time in Sydney was the privilege of visiting a world-class institution, University of Technology Sydney (UTS).

UTS & UTS: Insearch global workshop 2017 was prearranged as a familiarization tour for Indonesian high schools.

Because of its international curriculum and a growing presence of alumni overseas, MIS was selected to be one of the seven schools in the country invited to this workshop.

At that time, part of my responsibility at MIS was providing career counseling to our seniors.

It was a welcome opportunity for me when the school decided to send me to Sydney as a representative.

UTS offers a wide range of academic programs both in the undergraduate and graduate levels.