An old saying goes “The tragedy of life is not so much what men suffer, but what they miss.”

　　With this kind of original intention, I stepped on the journey to Australia this summer to catch a glimpse of the south of the world.

　　It was a grueling 20-hour flight. Leaving Sichuan, assembling in Beijing, and transferring in Singapore, we finally arrived in one of the most famous cities of this picturesque country-- Sydney.

　　Situated in the southern hemisphere, Australia is winter in July, with a sense of coldness. Then we took a coach to the University of Sydney. The first thing we did was meeting our host families. I stayed in Mrs. Amanda and Mr. Normans’ home, accompanied by our team leader teacher Mr. Liu.

　　We were at a loss at first. For instance, we wash our dirty clothes only with machines etc. However, we still enjoyed seven amazing days with our host families. As for the study, we had classes during the day, which were the combination of cultural education and entertainment. It enabled me to compare Australian education system with that of China. In addition, we also visited many sight spots, such as Sydney Opera House, Hyde Park, some harbors that I cannot remember the name and countless museums in the University of Sydney. We saw a lot of fantastic places every day. Nevertheless, the most impressive thing for me was the attitude of the Australians towards their life.

　　Because of the long distance, we had to leave from the host family by bus before the sun lighting up the sky. The driver always arrived at the bus stop on time with his partner--bus, and greeted the first sunshine with a big smile. I said “good morning sir” when getting onto the bus, and he replied friendly. The downtown was very busy in the morning during the weekdays. However, the drivers were still very willing to let the people go first in the streets. The local people were extremely enthusiastic for they’d like to greet you with “GOODAY MATE”, which is a kind of dialect in Australia. And they were even willing to return the phone to one’s house if someone has lost it, and a simple “thanks” would be enough.

　　In my home stay family, Mr. Norman is a cook, but the different thing is that he only has to work 2 days every week. He told me that he only treats the job as a hobby. The family does not earn much but they still live happily. They preferred to sit in front of the TV, watching the concert of rock music. That is life. It also makes me deliberate about a question “What is the base of their happiness”?

　　Living in the suburb though, the Normans live relaxingly in a big villa with 2 floors and own two cars. However, in my home, the vexation of work and the pressure of study have taken up most people’s lives. This is the so-called difference between living and surviving. I wish that one day we Chinese can also live in a better atmosphere--blue sky, white clouds and clean water; lighthearted children, trouble free middle-aged and easy seniors.

　　Besides Sydney, we also went to other cities. I saw the Pacific Ocean and the Aussie landscape in the flesh.

　　In conclusion, I have harvested a lot in Australia, not only the scenery pictures but also my progress and my clear ideas of the future. I wish one day in the future that I have the opportunity to go back again by myself, reviewing the beauty of the country.

　　Last but not least I want to thank my teachers for their guidance and care.