en-us Copyright 2008 - All Rights Reserved. Mon, 23 Nov 2009 06:34:57 GMT 15 By Travis Sims
Six months ago, freshman Jake Dunne moved to Texas from Sydney, Australia, along with a family full of high hopes. Jake’s father wanted to expand his business, Universal Rocks, which made garden features for lawns. “Things were getting a little boring over there for my dad,” Jake said. “He wanted to change up his surroundings and make a fresh start.” Though his father found a new environment, Jake was uncertain about his own transition. “I wasn’t too sure how much I would like living in a different country and leaving all my friends, but everything seems to be going smoothly,” Jake said. “Things here are different, but not that different. I went to school and had friends like any other kid in the U.S., I even ate most of the same food.” Though many things stayed the same, Jake saw some differences in the size of school from Australia to America. “Schools aren’t nearly as big there as they are here,” Jake said. “At my middle school we only had 400 kids.” Jake also felt that school size wasn’t the only difference. “Football is for yankees,” Jake said. “Rugby was the biggest sport over there if one is looking to hit someone.” Jake has appreciation for rugby because he played at his former home in Sydney. “I was on a rugby team for three years in Australia,” Jake said. “I had to stop after I hurt my back playing. It’s a real fun sport.” Although Jake lives many miles away from his friends and relatives, he still remains in regular contact. “My family and I keep in contact through a computer program that lets us communicate through webcams,” Dunne said. “It’s really cool whenever I’m feeling home sick.” Though Jake has only been here a few months, he has enjoyed the experience of moving to a different country. “I love it here,” Dunne said. “America is a real good place to make a new life. The people are great, and I made loads of new friends. I thought nothing would be as great as Australia, but this comes pretty close.” ]]> Fri, 18 Apr 2008 18:03:00 GMT