....well, in Australia anyways. I'm sitting at the airport, remembering what I felt like when I stepped off the plane two and a half months ago. I was hot and in awe of the tropical feel as I waited for a bus to take me to my hotel.
This time around it's a little different. I took the train to the airport this morning. Then my bag was too heavy!! So I had to switch some things around and make my carry on a little cumbersome, but other than that all is well and everything is heading back to the States.
I just wanted to thank Julia, Jude, Stuart and John for helping me out while I was here. Thanks for hanging out with me, taking me to some memorable places and for putting up with me in the classroom! I truly appreciate it.
I board my flight in about an hour. The flight to LA is a monster. I fly for roughly around 14 hours and I land 4 hours before I left!! Then I'll trudge my way through customs and around 10 am I board my flight to Chicago where Mom is waiting. After that, it's a short 5 hour drive back to Altoona!!
Good times just keep on comin'.....
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Monday, May 29, 2006
My long day
Today I finished up my wonderful little jaunt in Sydney and flew back to Brisbane. On the last day I thought it would be a wonderful idea to go to Bondi Beach (pronounced Bond-eye). After taking the train to Bondi Junction I walked about 1 km to the beach. As I suspected, it was a giant beach. There was strike one for the day.
I decided that I would head back to another rail stop on the way back to the center of the city. I thought I say a little harbor that looked similar to the one in Finding Nemo, so I walked the 1 km back to the station. Once I got on the train, I looked at my handy map and guide book and saw that I was near Fox Studios Australia, the place where The Matrix trilogy, among other films, were made. I decided after looking up the description that it might be fun. So I walked another 1.5 km to the studios.
Strike two came when I arrived to find that it was nothing more than some restaurants, crappy shops and a giant grass oval. That was a bit of a bummer and a waste of time. After this I figured I would try my chance at the harbor, so I walked another 1.5 km there. I couldn't take a train because I was in-between the two closest stations and neither one would get me any closer.
Once I got there, I looked at the harbor and said, "yep, that could be it." I took a picture and proceeded to King's Cross. Oddly enough, King's Cross (much like Fortitude Valley in Brisbane) is the adult entertainment sector of the city. How is it that I always manage to find these places???
After walking back to the station I looked at the map and realized that I was almost back to the city. So I decided to walk the rest of the way. I figured I'd probably never do it again, so what the heck. This is where strike three comes into play. The pain I felt that night was something that I've avoided for most of my trip. Any man will know what it feels like if you've walked way too far in a single day and they may even describe that raw feeling you get. Ouch.
I figured today would be better, since I was heading back to Brisbane. I got to the airport and all was going well. Then the entire high school showed up and they were on my flight to Brisbane. Good times.
They weren't that bad until the landing. I've never heard someone scream for no apparent reason on a landing, but low and behold, a couple of girls did. Why? Your guess is as good as mine.
So now I'm back in the Sunshine State, sitting at a computer in a shady arcade and whynging, which if you ask Jude, is what I do best!! ; )
I decided that I would head back to another rail stop on the way back to the center of the city. I thought I say a little harbor that looked similar to the one in Finding Nemo, so I walked the 1 km back to the station. Once I got on the train, I looked at my handy map and guide book and saw that I was near Fox Studios Australia, the place where The Matrix trilogy, among other films, were made. I decided after looking up the description that it might be fun. So I walked another 1.5 km to the studios.
Strike two came when I arrived to find that it was nothing more than some restaurants, crappy shops and a giant grass oval. That was a bit of a bummer and a waste of time. After this I figured I would try my chance at the harbor, so I walked another 1.5 km there. I couldn't take a train because I was in-between the two closest stations and neither one would get me any closer.
Once I got there, I looked at the harbor and said, "yep, that could be it." I took a picture and proceeded to King's Cross. Oddly enough, King's Cross (much like Fortitude Valley in Brisbane) is the adult entertainment sector of the city. How is it that I always manage to find these places???
After walking back to the station I looked at the map and realized that I was almost back to the city. So I decided to walk the rest of the way. I figured I'd probably never do it again, so what the heck. This is where strike three comes into play. The pain I felt that night was something that I've avoided for most of my trip. Any man will know what it feels like if you've walked way too far in a single day and they may even describe that raw feeling you get. Ouch.
I figured today would be better, since I was heading back to Brisbane. I got to the airport and all was going well. Then the entire high school showed up and they were on my flight to Brisbane. Good times.
They weren't that bad until the landing. I've never heard someone scream for no apparent reason on a landing, but low and behold, a couple of girls did. Why? Your guess is as good as mine.
So now I'm back in the Sunshine State, sitting at a computer in a shady arcade and whynging, which if you ask Jude, is what I do best!! ; )
Friday, May 26, 2006
My Perfect Ending....
....came today. I'm currently hanging out in Sydney until Monday when I fly back to Brisbane. I flew here yesterday, checked into the hotel (which can only be described as a converted office building) and I immediately started to explore. I went to the Sydney Aquarium yesterday, which was pretty cool. I saw a platypus (awesome!) and then I explored the town a little bit. Oddly enough there was a show called Defend Your Turf, which is apparently sponsored by MTV and Nokia. It's a 5 vs 5 soccer tournament for local teams in which the winner gets $10,000. Then they get to play "The Boys from Brazil", which is a team of about 9 Brazilian that are pretty good. I checked that out for most of the night until I couldn't feel my fingers anymore due to the cold. Then I wandered back to the Office.
Today began with a cool tour of the Sydney Opera House. That was pretty sweet. Then I went to Taronga Zoo, which is a short Ferry ride away. I went on a Gold tour, which was like a behind the scenes tour. Then it happened.....and if you all know me, you know that I'm a dork and I love zoos. I got to pet an echidna!!!! I also got to pet a red and grey kangaroo and a possum. It was AWESOME!!!
After the zoo I wandered around a bit and went to a movie (even though I swore I wouldn't due to the prices down here). So it was a good day.
Oh, for those of you still wondering....Origin was pretty sweet. We (Queensland) were down by 10 with about 20 minutes left. Then we came back and tied the game with only 4 minutes to go. Then sadly, some punk from NSW scored a drop kick goal (which is worth 1 point) and we lost!!! Blasted NSW.
Other than that, all is well in Sydney. The showers are pretty gross, but other than that the office is good.
Today began with a cool tour of the Sydney Opera House. That was pretty sweet. Then I went to Taronga Zoo, which is a short Ferry ride away. I went on a Gold tour, which was like a behind the scenes tour. Then it happened.....and if you all know me, you know that I'm a dork and I love zoos. I got to pet an echidna!!!! I also got to pet a red and grey kangaroo and a possum. It was AWESOME!!!
After the zoo I wandered around a bit and went to a movie (even though I swore I wouldn't due to the prices down here). So it was a good day.
Oh, for those of you still wondering....Origin was pretty sweet. We (Queensland) were down by 10 with about 20 minutes left. Then we came back and tied the game with only 4 minutes to go. Then sadly, some punk from NSW scored a drop kick goal (which is worth 1 point) and we lost!!! Blasted NSW.
Other than that, all is well in Sydney. The showers are pretty gross, but other than that the office is good.
Saturday, May 20, 2006
My Preparations....
.....with State of Origin coming up, I decided to rent a DVD of the greatest Origin moments of the last 25 years. I watched it last night in an attempt to figure out what the big deal was about these upcoming rugby matches. I knew there was some hatred, so I was thinking along the lines of Iowa vs. Iowa State or something like Michigan vs Ohio State football, something where the two teams really don't like each other. To be honest I think I underestimated the whole thing.....
But first, for all of you Origin virgins like myself, State of Origin is a best of three rugby test matches between the best players from the state of Queensland (the Maroons) against the state of New South Wales (the Blues). You play for the team where you first played rugby at a competitive level. It all sounds pretty simple right? Well, there is some history here....
Previously most of the best players from Queensland would play in the rugby league in Sydney, then when Origin time came up, they would play for NSW against Queensland. The problem was that most of the best came from Queensland, so they were playing against their home state.
This all changed in 1980 when State of Origin began. The tag line that goes with the Origin series is State vs. State, Mate vs. Mate. Mate vs Mate meaning that guys who play in the rugby league together would play against each other.
Now you have the historical background, but there is one element missing....hate. These two teams literally dislike each other to the point of hatred. There have been tons of all-out brawls during the past Origin games and I saw clips of guys playing with blood all over their faces. I personally would never play rugby, some say I'm not fast enough or big enough or strong enough, but I prefer to think that I'm just to pretty....but that's me.
The closest comparison I can make to this is if in the NFL Pro Bowl, the two teams where divided by where you were born, North or South. Then the two teams played for Real. None of this, no hard hitting, or take it easy type of hits. NFL Playoff intensity and hitting, but with All-Stars. That would come close to the type of game that starts on Wednesday night. Oh yeah, and then they would play two more times in the next two weeks. Then it would come close.
But first, for all of you Origin virgins like myself, State of Origin is a best of three rugby test matches between the best players from the state of Queensland (the Maroons) against the state of New South Wales (the Blues). You play for the team where you first played rugby at a competitive level. It all sounds pretty simple right? Well, there is some history here....
Previously most of the best players from Queensland would play in the rugby league in Sydney, then when Origin time came up, they would play for NSW against Queensland. The problem was that most of the best came from Queensland, so they were playing against their home state.
This all changed in 1980 when State of Origin began. The tag line that goes with the Origin series is State vs. State, Mate vs. Mate. Mate vs Mate meaning that guys who play in the rugby league together would play against each other.
Now you have the historical background, but there is one element missing....hate. These two teams literally dislike each other to the point of hatred. There have been tons of all-out brawls during the past Origin games and I saw clips of guys playing with blood all over their faces. I personally would never play rugby, some say I'm not fast enough or big enough or strong enough, but I prefer to think that I'm just to pretty....but that's me.
The closest comparison I can make to this is if in the NFL Pro Bowl, the two teams where divided by where you were born, North or South. Then the two teams played for Real. None of this, no hard hitting, or take it easy type of hits. NFL Playoff intensity and hitting, but with All-Stars. That would come close to the type of game that starts on Wednesday night. Oh yeah, and then they would play two more times in the next two weeks. Then it would come close.
My Deja Vu.....
....so this weekend has started out similar to one of my first weekends in Oz. I went with John down to Beenleigh to watch his son play a soccer game and then we went out to Springbrook National Park again to check out some things we missed (the car broke down last time!)
Life in Oz is still good. I only have 3 days left in the classroom, and then on Thursday I head for Sydney!!! I'm so pumped. I can't wait to see where Finding Nemo was filmed!! I may ask some locals if I can't find the place....
Sorry this is short, but time is running out. State of Origin is coming up this week, so the entire East coast of the country is in a tizzy. It's pretty sweet. I'll explain next time...
Life in Oz is still good. I only have 3 days left in the classroom, and then on Thursday I head for Sydney!!! I'm so pumped. I can't wait to see where Finding Nemo was filmed!! I may ask some locals if I can't find the place....
Sorry this is short, but time is running out. State of Origin is coming up this week, so the entire East coast of the country is in a tizzy. It's pretty sweet. I'll explain next time...
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
My last week.....
I have become some sort of science man in my time at Morningside. I've done more science experiments with the students than I had done in my previous 25 years of life, which comes to around 4 or 5 (?).
This fun filled trend continues today when we look at the difference between the freezing points of freshwater and saltwater. After doing the experiment with the students I have to then explain to the students why this is.
Now many of you know that I am not a man of science. If it wasn't for Andy Luse and Matt Buthel I would have failed physics and I spent most of my junior year in Chemistry playing with a salamander. Now I have to explain to my students why something happens.....thank God for the Internet.
Hope all is going well, I have to go and paint some Aboriginal art with Year 1 before the experiment this afternoon.
Good times....
This fun filled trend continues today when we look at the difference between the freezing points of freshwater and saltwater. After doing the experiment with the students I have to then explain to the students why this is.
Now many of you know that I am not a man of science. If it wasn't for Andy Luse and Matt Buthel I would have failed physics and I spent most of my junior year in Chemistry playing with a salamander. Now I have to explain to my students why something happens.....thank God for the Internet.
Hope all is going well, I have to go and paint some Aboriginal art with Year 1 before the experiment this afternoon.
Good times....
Sunday, May 14, 2006
My first lesson....
I went up the coast with Jude and Stuart this weekend. I think the place was called Marcoola, either that or Macoola, I forgot, but I have it written down at home.
Stuart's parents have a little house up there near the beach. It was awesome! Stuart gave me a surf lesson on Saturday and to be honest, I suck. I couldn't even stand up! Every time I tried I would lose my balance or the board would slide out from under me. It was fun though.
That night we watched Crackerjack and The Castle, two classic Aussie comedies. They were both pretty funny. I wish we had Lawn Bowling in the States or at least in Iowa. It would be a blast!
Sunday we went back out to the beach. This time it was with the boogey board. I had a little more success. I was able to catch 1 or 2 waves, but other than that, I still suck. It was a lot of fun though.
Stuart's parents have a little house up there near the beach. It was awesome! Stuart gave me a surf lesson on Saturday and to be honest, I suck. I couldn't even stand up! Every time I tried I would lose my balance or the board would slide out from under me. It was fun though.
That night we watched Crackerjack and The Castle, two classic Aussie comedies. They were both pretty funny. I wish we had Lawn Bowling in the States or at least in Iowa. It would be a blast!
Sunday we went back out to the beach. This time it was with the boogey board. I had a little more success. I was able to catch 1 or 2 waves, but other than that, I still suck. It was a lot of fun though.
Sunday, May 07, 2006
My Curse....
I have been labeled as a curse to the Brisbane Lions, the local AFL franchise. I have been to two of their games and sadly they lost both of them. Jude has brought this to my attention and informed me that I will not be allowed to attend anymore games while I'm here! I'm a little sad about this, but I will move on. I will have to find a new team to cheer for, maybe the Magpies, because they have a sweet nick-name. There is also a team called the Crows, so I'll choose one of those two.
Other than that, the weekend was fun. I didn't really do anything on Saturday other than see The New World, the latest Colin Farrell movie that was more of a love story than I was expecting. I'm also curious about it's historical accuracy, but with a love story, any accuracy goes out the window!
I hope all is well back in the States. The munchkins are about to come in, so I must run.
Till next time, I'm still.....
.......Livin' the dream,
Bill
Other than that, the weekend was fun. I didn't really do anything on Saturday other than see The New World, the latest Colin Farrell movie that was more of a love story than I was expecting. I'm also curious about it's historical accuracy, but with a love story, any accuracy goes out the window!
I hope all is well back in the States. The munchkins are about to come in, so I must run.
Till next time, I'm still.....
.......Livin' the dream,
Bill
My Mistakes....
Okay, so Jude (one of my cooperating teachers) and her boyfriend Stuart have hacked onto the blog and informed me of some corrections that I need to make.
1. The song played on ANZAC day is The Last Post, not the Last Patrol as I had called it.
2. Stuart's name is spelled Stuart, not Stewart as I had also tried.
There, now that I have tossed those on here, I'm sure there will be many more corrections in the future, as my accent seems to be causing many difficulties. Just 5 minutes ago, I was arguing the correct pronunciation of the word zebra. I say ZEE-bruh. The kids say Zeh-bruh. We argued for a couple of minutes and when one of the students tried to draw it on the chalk board, it looked like some sort of chubby dinosaur with stripes. It was awesome!
Good times at Morningside.....
Bill
1. The song played on ANZAC day is The Last Post, not the Last Patrol as I had called it.
2. Stuart's name is spelled Stuart, not Stewart as I had also tried.
There, now that I have tossed those on here, I'm sure there will be many more corrections in the future, as my accent seems to be causing many difficulties. Just 5 minutes ago, I was arguing the correct pronunciation of the word zebra. I say ZEE-bruh. The kids say Zeh-bruh. We argued for a couple of minutes and when one of the students tried to draw it on the chalk board, it looked like some sort of chubby dinosaur with stripes. It was awesome!
Good times at Morningside.....
Bill
Saturday, May 06, 2006
My Big Night......
Last night (Friday) was huge!!! I went to the Australia vs New Zealand Rugby match in Brisbane. It was awesome. To hear all the Aussies singing their national anthem at the beginning was a great sight. Then I was able to see the Kiwis do the Haka, a dance/intimidation ritual that is meant to scare their opponents, basically telling them they will be eaten. Sweet.
The game was great with Australia winning 50-12. It was awesome! It seemed like the Kiwis were only out to hurt people, not really win the game. One guy on their team kept giving out cheap shots after a tackle. I know that if it was the NBA or NHL or even MLB and you go for a cheap shot, normally a big guy on your team sends a message to the other player.....especially in NHL. But this didn't happen. I was waiting for someone to drill him or something, but no luck.
The game really changed when this guy nicknamed Shrek came in for Australia. He looks similar to Shrek and he wasn't afraid to hit someone, or run the ball right at them.
It was a great night and probably the last sporting event I'll get to see. That's okay though. I'm still trying to arrange Sydney, so we'll see what happens.
In the meantime, I'm still just....
Living the dream,
Bill
The game was great with Australia winning 50-12. It was awesome! It seemed like the Kiwis were only out to hurt people, not really win the game. One guy on their team kept giving out cheap shots after a tackle. I know that if it was the NBA or NHL or even MLB and you go for a cheap shot, normally a big guy on your team sends a message to the other player.....especially in NHL. But this didn't happen. I was waiting for someone to drill him or something, but no luck.
The game really changed when this guy nicknamed Shrek came in for Australia. He looks similar to Shrek and he wasn't afraid to hit someone, or run the ball right at them.
It was a great night and probably the last sporting event I'll get to see. That's okay though. I'm still trying to arrange Sydney, so we'll see what happens.
In the meantime, I'm still just....
Living the dream,
Bill
Thursday, May 04, 2006
It's been a while.....
I know, I know, it's been a while since my last post and I STILL haven't been able to get many pictures up for everyone. I'm sorry, I'm a slacker!
If it helps, I've been extremely busy. I've been teaching for most of the days this week and I had a visitor last weekend. Lauren Trolley, a student teacher from Iowa who is in Canberra, Australia, came up last weekend to enjoy some of the sunshine. We had a good time and we went to Noosa Heads, a national park 2 hours north of here. We also went to a Brisbane Broncos Rugby match. That was awesome!! They were even playing the Canberra Raiders, which added to the fun.
The best part of her visit was being able to spend time with another student and American who is going through the same thing. We laughed about some of the phrases we've heard and some of the things we've had to explain. Sometimes it's great to be able to use a phrase and not have to explain what it means.
This weekend should be exciting too. I'm going to see the Australia vs. New Zealand test match on Friday night with Stewart (one of my cooperating teacher's boyfriends). He's pretty cool, so that should be fun. I also need to go back down to Surfer's Paradise and see if I can get a shot glass for my uncle at the Hard Rock Cafe.
I'm also trying to plan a short trip to Sydney after I'm done in the classroom here (which is in less than 3 weeks). I found cheap airfare and a cheap hotel, I just have to check it out again and book it. Cheap is the key word, because I'm short on funds!!
I hope all is well back in IA!! I miss you all and I can't wait to see you soon!
God Bless,
Bill
If it helps, I've been extremely busy. I've been teaching for most of the days this week and I had a visitor last weekend. Lauren Trolley, a student teacher from Iowa who is in Canberra, Australia, came up last weekend to enjoy some of the sunshine. We had a good time and we went to Noosa Heads, a national park 2 hours north of here. We also went to a Brisbane Broncos Rugby match. That was awesome!! They were even playing the Canberra Raiders, which added to the fun.
The best part of her visit was being able to spend time with another student and American who is going through the same thing. We laughed about some of the phrases we've heard and some of the things we've had to explain. Sometimes it's great to be able to use a phrase and not have to explain what it means.
This weekend should be exciting too. I'm going to see the Australia vs. New Zealand test match on Friday night with Stewart (one of my cooperating teacher's boyfriends). He's pretty cool, so that should be fun. I also need to go back down to Surfer's Paradise and see if I can get a shot glass for my uncle at the Hard Rock Cafe.
I'm also trying to plan a short trip to Sydney after I'm done in the classroom here (which is in less than 3 weeks). I found cheap airfare and a cheap hotel, I just have to check it out again and book it. Cheap is the key word, because I'm short on funds!!
I hope all is well back in IA!! I miss you all and I can't wait to see you soon!
God Bless,
Bill
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