Holman (May 03/04) - Southern living has its perks like paved roads to rollerblade and skateboard on, cheap pop, indoor swimming pools, live hockey games and bowling.

Nineteen Grade 7, 8 and 9 students from Holman's Helen Kalvak school enjoyed them all during an exchange trip to Eston, Sask., March 25 to April 1.

"We had lots of fun," said Justin Memogana, a Grade 8 student who took the trip.

The highlight of his stay was a live hockey game where fights broke out in the stands and on the ice.

"Bowling," said Andrew Joss without hesitation, when asked what he liked best about the trip.

"I really liked it. It was my first time, but I did pretty good."

Joss said Saskatchewan wasn't quite what he expected, but he'd go back again, given the chance.

Memogana agrees.

"I expected it to be a lot bigger," he said of Eston.

"It was really hot," said Joss. Everyday was between 12 and 20C, he said.

An exchange like this one hasn't been done in about four years from Holman, said school principal and chaperon Helen Kitekudlak.

She said the experience is an invaluable one for students.

"It's important so they can see different cultures and different parts of Canada," she said.

"They need to see what's out there because all they see is what's up here."

She hopes that by travelling to southern Canada her students won't find post-secondary education such a scary thing.

Most students who want to pursue a post-secondary education have to move south at some time, which can be a barrier, she said.

Now it's time for the Holman students to show off what their home town has to offer.

Nineteen students and two chaperons from Eston are spending this week, May 1-7, in Holman to experience the Inuvialuit way of life.

During their stay they will go fishing, attend a community feast, build an iglu and see how authentic Holman prints are made.