Rotary exchange student revisits

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 5, Issue 31, 19 January 1988, Page 7

Rotary exchange student revisits

Where were you in '82, at Ruapehu College? If so you may remember Danish Rotary exchange student Chariotte Mertz who attended the college seventh form from August 1981 to

July 1982. Chariotte was in the Waimarino visiting her New Zealand 'families' over Christmas. While here she stayed a few days with Gavin and Paddy Jones of Karioi, Colin and Margot Webb in Raetihi and with Leslie and Bill Peach at

Rangataua, all of whom were her hosts while an exchange student. Originally from a small island in the south of Denmark, Chariotte n o w lives in the capital, Copenhagen where she works as a pharmacy assistant. After returning to Denmark in 1982 she trained as an assistant while working on plasma production. On her return Chariotte starts a new job working in a pharmaceutical laboratory in a Copenhagen hospital. She had finished her school education in Denmark before coming to New Zealand as an exchange student, but said she found her year here very helpful with her English. Her New Zealand school was much more disciplined than the Denmark schools, said Chariotte. There, students don't wear uniforms and are addressed by their first names, not surnames. Chariotte said she saw few changes in the Waimarino on her return. "People haven't changed much, just a few grey hairs and wrinkles", she said. "The biggest difference is

in the children, they're five years older, and bigger." She said Ohakune has changed with more lodges and shops, "but I expected that". After Christmas Chariotte planned to spend new year with other past exchange students in Palmerston North, then travel to Tahiti then Home. She is spending four months in total travelling, having been to China, Tibet, Nepal, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Bali, Sydney and Noumea.