Greetings! its currently 10:00 pm and 70 degrees! I could live in this weather! Its not much warmer during the day. There has been a nice breeze and enough clouds coming through to keep it cooler and there is no humidity in the air so my hair doesn't go crazy.
Today was the first day I had to be at the school. Since this is the beginning of the school year all of the teacher orientation is going on. This makes it so much easier being on the right page! Today I met so many people, it was a bit overwhelming. I did meet my cooperating teacher and my supervisor. They seem very nice and I feel like it will be a great experience working with them. I was also able to see more than just the boarding house.
The morning started off with a staff chapel, where the chaplain gave a challenge to the staff. After the chapel service they named off all the new staff and had them stand, and then they introduced me, it was sort of scary! But I think it was good that people knew I was not only new to the school, but also to the country. So many people were so nice and helpful, but I think that is just Australia in general. People are so laid back and patient here. (The money is a bit different and the coins are different denominations than in the states so going to the store is a little challenging and intimidating, but all the cashiers have been so nice about it!)
Bev Moyle, my cooperating teacher, showed me around the Middle School building. Instead of the students moving from room to room with their schedule, the teachers move, but I will have to get used to that. I was happy to learn that the school is very technologically suited. All of the students from the Middle School through the Senior school have laptops and the classrooms are equipped with projectors. This is a big difference from the last school I had a field experience in. Through out the school year each of the grades get to have a week long camp and the seventh grade camp will have theirs the 9th week of the term and I have been invited to come along. I love camp! So I think I will definitely take the opportunity.
After today I am even more excited to get started. Scared, but still excited!
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Pictures!
Here is the house I am staying in this week with Jess and Jaimi.
Yesterday I went for a walk down to the school, Jess showed me around the boarding house where I will be staying. I didn't get any pictures of the inside yet.
There is also a big park across from the school with lots of trees and athletic fields.
Monday, January 28, 2008
First Day Down....
My first full day was pretty relaxing. Jess (one of the girls in the house) and her boyfriend brought me down the the big mall just to walk around and get some groceries. Onces the term starts I will be eating at the school, but before then I am making my own. They have grocery stores in their malls! I don't think I have ever seen that. Jess also showed me the campus of her Uni.
The rest of the night was spent just lounging around. I watched some tv. They show a lot of American shows or Australian versions of American shows. We are hoping to go down to the beach sometime within the next few days and to take a look around the Annesley College campus.
I forgot to tell you, when I arrived on the 26th it was Australian Day! How fitting that I would show up on that day. Here's some information on Australia day:
The rest of the night was spent just lounging around. I watched some tv. They show a lot of American shows or Australian versions of American shows. We are hoping to go down to the beach sometime within the next few days and to take a look around the Annesley College campus.
I forgot to tell you, when I arrived on the 26th it was Australian Day! How fitting that I would show up on that day. Here's some information on Australia day:
Australia Day. Celebrate what's great.
Australia Day, January 26, is the biggest day of celebration in the country and is observed as a public holiday in all states and territories.
On Australia Day we come together as a nation to celebrate what's great about Australia and being Australian. It's the day to reflect on what we have achieved and what we can be proud of in our great nation.
It's the day for us to re-commit to making Australia an even better place for the future.
There are many great things about this country:
The people - The life savers on the beach and the farmers in the bush; the larrikins; our sporting heroes, artists and visionaries; the volunteers who dedicate their lives to others; the spirit of pulling together in hard times and achieving beyond expectation; the eminent Australians from all walks of life, the battlers and the ordinary Australians who are anything but ordinary.
Our land - Fragile yet enduring. Harsh and extreme, lush and bountiful-a continent like no other. Our ancient land offers boundless opportunity, sustains us and makes us who we are.
Our diversity - A nation of difference and unity. People from the city, the country, different nations and backgrounds; we are one people, living together. Through our diverse beliefs and experiences we learn from each other and grow together.
The indigenous cultures - The rich and resilient spirituality; the knowledge, art and history. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are part of Australia's identity and culture.
Our freedom and democracy - A society built on fundamental rights and responsibilities. Freedom of thought and expression. Participation in government and respect for and equality under the law.
A fair go for all - An enduring spirit of mateship and fairness. A compassionate society committed to access to employment, housing, health and education. Ours is a land of opportunity where we can do anything.Saturday, January 26, 2008
Greetings from Australia!
Made it here safely, with some delays, but all in one piece. I will write a real update after I take a nap.
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Now for the update.
I left Seattle Jan 24th on a 9:51 AM flight to LAX. I was supposed to have left on the 23rd at 4:00 PM have a short layover in Dallas/Fort Worth and continue on to LAX for a 20 hr layover. I had gotten that ticket with frequent flier miles and it was the only one that would give enough time in LA to get my bags and get checked in again. However the morning of the 23rd that didn't seem too appealing to me, so I called up American Airlines and got it switched to an award flight through Alaska Airlines that wasn't posted on the AA website.
My new flight got me to LAX at 12:20 PM and my next flight out of LAX would be leaving at 8:30 PM. Still a long layover, but much better. I had to pick up checked bags at baggage claim and get over to another building with them, I checked in with Qantas Airlines and waited in the International terminal for hours. I got lunch, there weren't many things to do in the International terminal, all the food and coffee and shops were outside the security, so there weren't anything to look at and see. Somehow I kept myself busy, talked to my mom and Ben, watched The Office, cleaned up the files on my laptop... Finally it was time to board the Boeing 747-400. We didn't end up leaving until 11:45 PM. We waited on the airplane for over 3 hours. First they had to replace a filter on the plane, then an elderly lady started having some medical problems, they had her on some oxygen and we waited for an ambulance to drive out to the airplane to get her. While all this going on another lady started getting cold feet about flying across the ocean and wanted to get off too. Once all this was done they had to refuel the plane, I guess top it off since we waited there for so long.
There was a layover in Auckland, New Zealand but the delay didn't matter for this flight because the same plane I was on from LAX was continuing on to Melbourne, Australia. Everyone continuing still had to get off and go through another security check while they cleaned up the plane. We reboarded and headed to Melbourne. Because of all the delays I did have to get my flight rebooked. We got off the plane, went through customs, waited for our bags had to check in again (while in line to recheck my bags a nice lady helped me out, I had way too many bags for one person to carry so she moved my bag up the line so I wouldn't have to move my other two bags and come back for the last one every time the line moved.)
While waiting for my last flight I exchanged some money, got some coffee (my first purchase with Australian money! and it was good!) and then tried to call the school to let them know that my flight was rebooked because of the delays. Making a call in Australia is a little different then in the states, and the payphones didn't give change so I lost a few bucks while trying to unsuccessfully call the school. I got online for $5/hr and emailed them to let them know.
Finally, I was on my last flight to Adelaide, it was a pretty short flight compared to all the others (SEA to LAX: 2.5 hrs, LAX to AKL: 12 hrs 40 min, AKL to MEL: 4 hrs, MEL to ADL: 1 hr 20 min). When I got picked up at the airport it was like in the movies when the limo driver stands at the bottom of the escalator with a sign with your name on it. Except my driver didn't drive a limo, he had a van, and it was almost my name, it was spelled wrong (that's OK, I am used to it). The driver was very nice, his name was Garry and he gave me a lot of information about Adelaide and the Gum trees and the sporting events (quite different then the big events in the US - Cricket and the tennis open) and the festivals coming up (hopefully I will be able to go to some of the things going on around here. He guessed that my family came from Germany and said that there are a lot of Hoffman's living in Adelaide because a lot of Germans came here in the 1800s to flee from religious persecution. Also, I road in the passenger seat, which would be the drivers seat in the US. Its very hot here, like in the high 80s.
I haven't seen much of the school yet, it looks amazing and beautiful, the architecture looks pretty old. For this first week I am staying with a couple girls in a house, then I will move over to the dorm on campus. Which is good because then I will know at least someone. I have meet one of the girls and we talked for a little while about being away from home (she is from a small country town, population 200) and is in Adelaide to go to Uni (University, they don't call it college here, that is like High School I think), we also talked about differences between here and the states. Like they have a fast food place I saw on my way from the airport to Annesley that has the same exact logo as Burger King back in the states but its called "Hungry Jack," I will have to try it to see if it tastes the same. She said that Burger King here is a doughnut place, funny huh?? I went to sleep last night and slept for like 13 hours. I felt so good to sleep in a bed! Well, that's all I have so far about my adventures down under, I am hoping to go explore sometime today or tomorrow so hopefully I will have some pictures to post soon. It's beautiful outside! Its currently 70 degrees outside! Its a great change from winter up in the states :-)
-----------------------------------
Now for the update.
I left Seattle Jan 24th on a 9:51 AM flight to LAX. I was supposed to have left on the 23rd at 4:00 PM have a short layover in Dallas/Fort Worth and continue on to LAX for a 20 hr layover. I had gotten that ticket with frequent flier miles and it was the only one that would give enough time in LA to get my bags and get checked in again. However the morning of the 23rd that didn't seem too appealing to me, so I called up American Airlines and got it switched to an award flight through Alaska Airlines that wasn't posted on the AA website.
My new flight got me to LAX at 12:20 PM and my next flight out of LAX would be leaving at 8:30 PM. Still a long layover, but much better. I had to pick up checked bags at baggage claim and get over to another building with them, I checked in with Qantas Airlines and waited in the International terminal for hours. I got lunch, there weren't many things to do in the International terminal, all the food and coffee and shops were outside the security, so there weren't anything to look at and see. Somehow I kept myself busy, talked to my mom and Ben, watched The Office, cleaned up the files on my laptop... Finally it was time to board the Boeing 747-400. We didn't end up leaving until 11:45 PM. We waited on the airplane for over 3 hours. First they had to replace a filter on the plane, then an elderly lady started having some medical problems, they had her on some oxygen and we waited for an ambulance to drive out to the airplane to get her. While all this going on another lady started getting cold feet about flying across the ocean and wanted to get off too. Once all this was done they had to refuel the plane, I guess top it off since we waited there for so long.
There was a layover in Auckland, New Zealand but the delay didn't matter for this flight because the same plane I was on from LAX was continuing on to Melbourne, Australia. Everyone continuing still had to get off and go through another security check while they cleaned up the plane. We reboarded and headed to Melbourne. Because of all the delays I did have to get my flight rebooked. We got off the plane, went through customs, waited for our bags had to check in again (while in line to recheck my bags a nice lady helped me out, I had way too many bags for one person to carry so she moved my bag up the line so I wouldn't have to move my other two bags and come back for the last one every time the line moved.)
While waiting for my last flight I exchanged some money, got some coffee (my first purchase with Australian money! and it was good!) and then tried to call the school to let them know that my flight was rebooked because of the delays. Making a call in Australia is a little different then in the states, and the payphones didn't give change so I lost a few bucks while trying to unsuccessfully call the school. I got online for $5/hr and emailed them to let them know.
Finally, I was on my last flight to Adelaide, it was a pretty short flight compared to all the others (SEA to LAX: 2.5 hrs, LAX to AKL: 12 hrs 40 min, AKL to MEL: 4 hrs, MEL to ADL: 1 hr 20 min). When I got picked up at the airport it was like in the movies when the limo driver stands at the bottom of the escalator with a sign with your name on it. Except my driver didn't drive a limo, he had a van, and it was almost my name, it was spelled wrong (that's OK, I am used to it). The driver was very nice, his name was Garry and he gave me a lot of information about Adelaide and the Gum trees and the sporting events (quite different then the big events in the US - Cricket and the tennis open) and the festivals coming up (hopefully I will be able to go to some of the things going on around here. He guessed that my family came from Germany and said that there are a lot of Hoffman's living in Adelaide because a lot of Germans came here in the 1800s to flee from religious persecution. Also, I road in the passenger seat, which would be the drivers seat in the US. Its very hot here, like in the high 80s.
I haven't seen much of the school yet, it looks amazing and beautiful, the architecture looks pretty old. For this first week I am staying with a couple girls in a house, then I will move over to the dorm on campus. Which is good because then I will know at least someone. I have meet one of the girls and we talked for a little while about being away from home (she is from a small country town, population 200) and is in Adelaide to go to Uni (University, they don't call it college here, that is like High School I think), we also talked about differences between here and the states. Like they have a fast food place I saw on my way from the airport to Annesley that has the same exact logo as Burger King back in the states but its called "Hungry Jack," I will have to try it to see if it tastes the same. She said that Burger King here is a doughnut place, funny huh?? I went to sleep last night and slept for like 13 hours. I felt so good to sleep in a bed! Well, that's all I have so far about my adventures down under, I am hoping to go explore sometime today or tomorrow so hopefully I will have some pictures to post soon. It's beautiful outside! Its currently 70 degrees outside! Its a great change from winter up in the states :-)
Monday, January 14, 2008
10-9-8-....
10 more days!!! I am very excited, nervous, scared, and again excited! I am looking forward to life picking up again. I have had a very...well...relaxing break. I have done a little work for my grandma and worked on my e-portfolio which I must submit to Cedarville before I go. Problem is that I have a lot of information on a flash drive that I am certain I brought home with me from CU but cant seem to find it. I probably just need to go through my bags again.
Right now I am at Corban College (Salem, OR) visiting my dear twin (friend, hehe) Nakiva. We worked together at Camp Gilead in '06 and instantly became friends. I have gotten to see a couple other friends while here. Its a small school so it wasnt hard finding them! I am going out to dinner with Kiva, Megan and Colleen (all camp girls) tonight. We are going to my favorite place ever: Red Robin! I wonder if they have those in Australia???
I am very thankful that I have a strong support group behind me. Thanks again for checking in! Keep praying for finances :-)
Oh YES! I almost forgot! I am planning on using SKYPE while in Australia. Its basically phone over the internet. So if you have a headset or microphone for your computer- WE CAN TALK! It's free to use. I just got my speakerphone for it so I haven't quite figured it out yet, but once I do I can help you out too. Email me or leave a comment if you want to try it out or if you are already a skype user and I can give you my Skype contact info.
Right now I am at Corban College (Salem, OR) visiting my dear twin (friend, hehe) Nakiva. We worked together at Camp Gilead in '06 and instantly became friends. I have gotten to see a couple other friends while here. Its a small school so it wasnt hard finding them! I am going out to dinner with Kiva, Megan and Colleen (all camp girls) tonight. We are going to my favorite place ever: Red Robin! I wonder if they have those in Australia???
I am very thankful that I have a strong support group behind me. Thanks again for checking in! Keep praying for finances :-)
Oh YES! I almost forgot! I am planning on using SKYPE while in Australia. Its basically phone over the internet. So if you have a headset or microphone for your computer- WE CAN TALK! It's free to use. I just got my speakerphone for it so I haven't quite figured it out yet, but once I do I can help you out too. Email me or leave a comment if you want to try it out or if you are already a skype user and I can give you my Skype contact info.
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