....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
Monday, April 24, 2006
ANZAC Day
I awoke very early this morning to take part in an Aussie tradition. Every year on this day they celebrate ANZAC Day to remember all the soldiers that have died in past wars. ANZAC stands for Australia-New Zealand Army Corp, just so you know, but back to the story.
I awoke at 2:50 am so that I could be on the 3:44 am train, in order to make the 4:20 am mass at the ANZAC temple in ANZAC square, which is in downtown Brisbane. It was a wonderful ceremony. The governor of Queensland gave a short speech and she placed flowers in the Memorial, along with a member of each branch of the service. Then a bugler (a person who plays the bugle) played "The Last Patrol" which is similar to our Taps. After that, people went up to see the temple/memorial and then the festivities were put on hold until 10 am when the parade began.
The parade consisted of former soldiers, their family members or family members marching in honor of departed loved ones. It was a good parade, although almost every division had a group of people that marched, so it went on for a while. I finally left at 11:30, with no end in sight.
It was a great experience and I enjoyed seeing how the Aussies remember those that have fallen in battle. It was moving and I had never seen so many Australia flags before!
One funny part was that some of the old military Jeeps that they drove had the steering wheel on the left side of the car (not the right, which they normally do). Then on some of those vehicles, you could see "USA" stenciled on the side of the vehicle. I smiled.
I hope all is well, Egypt is back on track and looking like a go, so that should be sweet!!
I miss you all, be good and take care,
Bill
I awoke at 2:50 am so that I could be on the 3:44 am train, in order to make the 4:20 am mass at the ANZAC temple in ANZAC square, which is in downtown Brisbane. It was a wonderful ceremony. The governor of Queensland gave a short speech and she placed flowers in the Memorial, along with a member of each branch of the service. Then a bugler (a person who plays the bugle) played "The Last Patrol" which is similar to our Taps. After that, people went up to see the temple/memorial and then the festivities were put on hold until 10 am when the parade began.
The parade consisted of former soldiers, their family members or family members marching in honor of departed loved ones. It was a good parade, although almost every division had a group of people that marched, so it went on for a while. I finally left at 11:30, with no end in sight.
It was a great experience and I enjoyed seeing how the Aussies remember those that have fallen in battle. It was moving and I had never seen so many Australia flags before!
One funny part was that some of the old military Jeeps that they drove had the steering wheel on the left side of the car (not the right, which they normally do). Then on some of those vehicles, you could see "USA" stenciled on the side of the vehicle. I smiled.
I hope all is well, Egypt is back on track and looking like a go, so that should be sweet!!
I miss you all, be good and take care,
Bill
The Gabba
On Saturday night I attended a real Aussie past time. I went with my cooperating teacher Jude and her boyfriend Stuart to see the Brisbane Lions take on Richmond in Aussie Rules Football at The Gabba. The Gabba is a local stadium that they play cricket, soccer and Aussie Rules. The sport is amazing and the guys who play it are incredible athletes.
Other than being one of the most brutal sports you could have, these guys can run over 15 miles in a single game (which lasts roughly two hours). I was impressed and amazed.
Other than fighting the temptation to get a one-time-use gift, I managed to purchase a decent t-shirt and an Aussie Rules football so I can show everyone at home and maybe take it to Egypt. We'll see.
On Friday I taught for the entire day, as my teacher was sick. It was awesome. I had 3 students pretend they were sick and when I sent a fourth student to the office, he sprinted out the door and ran around outside for the next 30 minutes until school was out. Good times.
Well, time is almost up and I'm getting up early tomorrow, ANZAC Day. I'll explain it more later.
I hope everyone is well, and as you know, I'm still....
livin' the dream,
Bill
Other than being one of the most brutal sports you could have, these guys can run over 15 miles in a single game (which lasts roughly two hours). I was impressed and amazed.
Other than fighting the temptation to get a one-time-use gift, I managed to purchase a decent t-shirt and an Aussie Rules football so I can show everyone at home and maybe take it to Egypt. We'll see.
On Friday I taught for the entire day, as my teacher was sick. It was awesome. I had 3 students pretend they were sick and when I sent a fourth student to the office, he sprinted out the door and ran around outside for the next 30 minutes until school was out. Good times.
Well, time is almost up and I'm getting up early tomorrow, ANZAC Day. I'll explain it more later.
I hope everyone is well, and as you know, I'm still....
livin' the dream,
Bill
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Quarantine, Prep and sunshine....
Well, I'm back to the grind in the beautiful little city. According to the TV, it's been 13 days since the last time it rained here. Yes, it's been sunny and warm the entire time. I think I even got burnt again, but we'll see.
A funny little story for everyone to enjoy. Australia is very particular about what they let into the country. My mom sent my soccer shoes to me as well as some yummy trail mix. I was really excited when I picked up the box at the Greenslopes post office (about a 30 min walk). On the side of the box in BIG letters said: "QUARANTINE", then in little letters at the bottom it said "passed". I decided to walk around and make it so that everyone could see the quarantine part of the box, just for fun. Back to the point though, the Government has decided that my shoes were too dirty, so they've taken them and have put them in quarantine. AFTER I respond to their letter, it will take 2 weeks to decontaminated them and then they will send them back to me. However, my trail mix, arrived safely.
Other fun news, I was fortunate enough to help decorate a puppet theatre with some Year 1 students yesterday. We painted and painted and painted, while trying not to paint our neighbor. It was fun, but draining. I don't think I could work with 1st Graders.
On Tuesday I went to a meeting about Prep. Prep is basically kindergarten. They have just decided that prep would be a good thing to do in schools, so as of next year, Queensland will begin doing prep. Great Idea.
Other than that, I'm still alive. I've been pretty tired lately. I'm trying to watch the Champions League games here, but they start at 4:30 am!!! It makes for a long day. I'm cheering for Barcelona, only because I hate Arsenal.
I hope all is well for everyone else, be good and God Bless!
Bill
A funny little story for everyone to enjoy. Australia is very particular about what they let into the country. My mom sent my soccer shoes to me as well as some yummy trail mix. I was really excited when I picked up the box at the Greenslopes post office (about a 30 min walk). On the side of the box in BIG letters said: "QUARANTINE", then in little letters at the bottom it said "passed". I decided to walk around and make it so that everyone could see the quarantine part of the box, just for fun. Back to the point though, the Government has decided that my shoes were too dirty, so they've taken them and have put them in quarantine. AFTER I respond to their letter, it will take 2 weeks to decontaminated them and then they will send them back to me. However, my trail mix, arrived safely.
Other fun news, I was fortunate enough to help decorate a puppet theatre with some Year 1 students yesterday. We painted and painted and painted, while trying not to paint our neighbor. It was fun, but draining. I don't think I could work with 1st Graders.
On Tuesday I went to a meeting about Prep. Prep is basically kindergarten. They have just decided that prep would be a good thing to do in schools, so as of next year, Queensland will begin doing prep. Great Idea.
Other than that, I'm still alive. I've been pretty tired lately. I'm trying to watch the Champions League games here, but they start at 4:30 am!!! It makes for a long day. I'm cheering for Barcelona, only because I hate Arsenal.
I hope all is well for everyone else, be good and God Bless!
Bill
Saturday, April 15, 2006
Speechless.....
I arrived in Brisbane safely Friday afternoon after my 1.5 hour flight from Proserpine. I had a blast the last couple of days, although I did get a bit of a sun burn at Whitehaven Beach on Wednesday. Thursday I went out to Hardy Reef, a place 2 hours from the coast and snorkeled a little bit. It was a blast and a great experience.
None of this though can be compared to the shock I had when I went online Friday night in Streets Corner. I saw that Iowa City had been hit by a few tornados. I didn't realize how bad it was until I saw some of the pictures this afternoon. I'm completely speechless at the damage. I saw the devastated apartments on Iowa Ave and realized how close that was to where I lived. I saw the Sorority House that was on the corner of Washington and Governor and realized that was about a block from my apartment. I wonder if there was any damage at my old place? I wonder what I would have done?
I'll keep this one short. Thoughts and prayers go out to my friends in Iowa City. I know your safe and hopefully all is well.
God Bless,
Bill
None of this though can be compared to the shock I had when I went online Friday night in Streets Corner. I saw that Iowa City had been hit by a few tornados. I didn't realize how bad it was until I saw some of the pictures this afternoon. I'm completely speechless at the damage. I saw the devastated apartments on Iowa Ave and realized how close that was to where I lived. I saw the Sorority House that was on the corner of Washington and Governor and realized that was about a block from my apartment. I wonder if there was any damage at my old place? I wonder what I would have done?
I'll keep this one short. Thoughts and prayers go out to my friends in Iowa City. I know your safe and hopefully all is well.
God Bless,
Bill
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Where's the Beach?
I'm sitting the dining area of the Airlie Beach YHA, a youth Hostel, in Airlie Beach, Australia. My trip here was interesting, as was this first day. I boarded a plan from Brisbane and flew 1.75 hours north to Proserpine (pronounced Pross-a-pin I believe) airport. There was no real airport, just a Morten building with two ticket counters and a sitting area outside to wait for your plane. They pulled our luggage up to the building and let us go nuts getting it off the cart outside.
After a 35 minute car ride with 7 strangers, I was dropped off at the YHA, in a city that is maybe a little bigger than Milo. The main drag is pretty small, but it has a lot of businesses waiting to part you from your money. My key didn't work in the door, so I wondered around while the locksmith came to remove the super-glue from the lock (ha ha).
Today I went on a "Croc Safari" down the Proserpine River. We went on a tractor ride through the flood plains to try and see some wildlife before heading down the river. It was no surprise (to me at least) when we arrived back at the camp an hour later having only seen some Ibis (a bird that is every where), some other birds and a couple of toads. I managed to see the back of a kangaroo briefly as it hopped out of site, but that was it. For a while I felt like Ian Malcolm, the character from Jurassic Park. I almost raised my hand midway through the "safari" and asked, "Now, will there be any actual animals, on the wildlife safari? Any animals? Hello?" This little joke entertained me for the next 2 hours (seriously-I laughed to myself for a while).
After lunch, we jumped on a little boat and went up and down the river looking for crocs. We did see about 5 or 6 and a baby croc, so that was cool. The river we were flows into the ocean, so the guide said that the water also contained sharks, sting rays and jellyfish. Why is everything in this country dangerous??
After my contact fell out half way through the boat ride, I held it in my hand until we returned to Airlie Beach about 2 hours later. It was fun though and the Jurassic Park joke got me through the day. Tomorrow I'm off to see some islands and the reef!
Be good, have fun and God Bless,
Bill
After a 35 minute car ride with 7 strangers, I was dropped off at the YHA, in a city that is maybe a little bigger than Milo. The main drag is pretty small, but it has a lot of businesses waiting to part you from your money. My key didn't work in the door, so I wondered around while the locksmith came to remove the super-glue from the lock (ha ha).
Today I went on a "Croc Safari" down the Proserpine River. We went on a tractor ride through the flood plains to try and see some wildlife before heading down the river. It was no surprise (to me at least) when we arrived back at the camp an hour later having only seen some Ibis (a bird that is every where), some other birds and a couple of toads. I managed to see the back of a kangaroo briefly as it hopped out of site, but that was it. For a while I felt like Ian Malcolm, the character from Jurassic Park. I almost raised my hand midway through the "safari" and asked, "Now, will there be any actual animals, on the wildlife safari? Any animals? Hello?" This little joke entertained me for the next 2 hours (seriously-I laughed to myself for a while).
After lunch, we jumped on a little boat and went up and down the river looking for crocs. We did see about 5 or 6 and a baby croc, so that was cool. The river we were flows into the ocean, so the guide said that the water also contained sharks, sting rays and jellyfish. Why is everything in this country dangerous??
After my contact fell out half way through the boat ride, I held it in my hand until we returned to Airlie Beach about 2 hours later. It was fun though and the Jurassic Park joke got me through the day. Tomorrow I'm off to see some islands and the reef!
Be good, have fun and God Bless,
Bill
Sunday, April 09, 2006
Lessons I've learned....
Here are a few of the lessons I've learned in my first month living down unda....
1. Sunglasses are to be worn at all times.
It doesn't matter if you are indoors, outdoors, cloudy or sunny and even sometimes at night. You should always wear your sunglasses.
2. Flaunt what you got, no matter your age.
It doesn't matter how old you are, you can always look young, or at least try to....when it's obvious to me (who isn't even from here) and everyone else on the street that you should have given up 10 years ago when you were 45 (no offense to anyone 55+ plus intended because you don't dress as though you were 16).
3. Be prepared to sweat
It seems like it's always hot here. Even when the locals say it is "cooling" off, it still gets to around 25 at least during the day, and I still sweat. Sure, at night you may require jeans, but not during the day....which brings me to:
4. The weather is insane
Other than always being hot, I have seen it rain on perfectly sunny days with only a few clouds. I've seen an absolute down-pour 5 minutes after it was sunny. AND the down-pour continued for around 2 hours. Ridiculous!!
5. I have an accent
No matter how many times I try to pronounce something, it's always wrong, thanks to my accent. I have struggled with simple things, like a student's name, to more complicated words (Indooroopily-a city, is pronounce "IN-drew-pilly" not Indoor-opoly as I thought-foolish yank).
6. Some words are only used locally
I don't know who the genious was that decided to call swimming trunks togs, but it confused me beyond belief the first time I was told to bring them to school. I just looked at my teacher with a funny face.
7. Everyone is Nice
Everyone that I have spoken with has been so nice to me. I hope it's this way when I travel to other parts of the country!
More rules will follow later, but my time is up!
God bless,
Bill
1. Sunglasses are to be worn at all times.
It doesn't matter if you are indoors, outdoors, cloudy or sunny and even sometimes at night. You should always wear your sunglasses.
2. Flaunt what you got, no matter your age.
It doesn't matter how old you are, you can always look young, or at least try to....when it's obvious to me (who isn't even from here) and everyone else on the street that you should have given up 10 years ago when you were 45 (no offense to anyone 55+ plus intended because you don't dress as though you were 16).
3. Be prepared to sweat
It seems like it's always hot here. Even when the locals say it is "cooling" off, it still gets to around 25 at least during the day, and I still sweat. Sure, at night you may require jeans, but not during the day....which brings me to:
4. The weather is insane
Other than always being hot, I have seen it rain on perfectly sunny days with only a few clouds. I've seen an absolute down-pour 5 minutes after it was sunny. AND the down-pour continued for around 2 hours. Ridiculous!!
5. I have an accent
No matter how many times I try to pronounce something, it's always wrong, thanks to my accent. I have struggled with simple things, like a student's name, to more complicated words (Indooroopily-a city, is pronounce "IN-drew-pilly" not Indoor-opoly as I thought-foolish yank).
6. Some words are only used locally
I don't know who the genious was that decided to call swimming trunks togs, but it confused me beyond belief the first time I was told to bring them to school. I just looked at my teacher with a funny face.
7. Everyone is Nice
Everyone that I have spoken with has been so nice to me. I hope it's this way when I travel to other parts of the country!
More rules will follow later, but my time is up!
God bless,
Bill
Thursday, April 06, 2006
My Address
Here is my address, in case anyone wanted to know or gets bored!!
Bill Flinn
30 Baron St.
Greenslopes 4120
Queensland
Australia
Bill Flinn
30 Baron St.
Greenslopes 4120
Queensland
Australia
Harmony Day??
I have just been given a break at school and I thought I would put a little post on the board. We just finished our Harmony Day celebration here, which was a lot of fun. The students sang songs about Australia, read some speeches and had a few laughs. Then we ate food from all over the world. It was interesting, but fun. I got to be the DJ, which amounted to me with a boombox on my lap sitting in a chair behind the kids on the stage. Good times.
I know what you're thinking, what on Earth is Harmony Day? That was my question too. It's a day where Australians celebrate unity, harmony and the respect of other cultures and beliefs. They even have a Harmony Day color (orange) and a phrase (You + Me = US).
This past week has been a real blur. I've been a carpet cutter, a babysitter, a gopher (go-get this & that), a coffee maker and I even fit in some time to teach. The kids are getting eager for break to get here, just like the teachers. Next term we're doing a unit on Antarctica, during which we will go see March of the Penguins at a local movie theater. That should be fun.
I leave on Monday for the Whitsundays, so I don't know if I'll be able to post until I return, but we'll see! I'm still just livin' the dream.
Bill
I know what you're thinking, what on Earth is Harmony Day? That was my question too. It's a day where Australians celebrate unity, harmony and the respect of other cultures and beliefs. They even have a Harmony Day color (orange) and a phrase (You + Me = US).
This past week has been a real blur. I've been a carpet cutter, a babysitter, a gopher (go-get this & that), a coffee maker and I even fit in some time to teach. The kids are getting eager for break to get here, just like the teachers. Next term we're doing a unit on Antarctica, during which we will go see March of the Penguins at a local movie theater. That should be fun.
I leave on Monday for the Whitsundays, so I don't know if I'll be able to post until I return, but we'll see! I'm still just livin' the dream.
Bill
Saturday, April 01, 2006
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