Days 66-68 Look out New Zealand, cause here I come!

April 2-April 4, 2012

I cannot believe the day has finally come, this afternoon I depart for New Zealand. I will arrive around 5 am Thursday morning and will be even further ahead in the future from you guys (about 19 hours). It was been a pretty awesome week so far and I wanted to share with y'all my happy times before I took off to Kiwi country. Not sure how reliable my internet connections will be, but I promise to update y'all as frequently as possible!

As previously stated, this week was my last week with my kiddos at my school. On Monday, we had a fun day- an Easter celebration. I was very surprised it was called "Easter Day" seeing that most of the people here are far from religious... The day was absolutely wonderful for the students- filled with Easter egg hunts, sensory exhibits, face painting (Karley and Angelina- one of my students requested a mustache, naturally I thought of you two!) , potato sack races, egg races, and spray painting. As most of you can imagine, the paint ended up everywhere but the canvas, including my leg. I spent the entire day with my legs looking like a neon frog! The weather has been quite gloomy here lately, raining the past couple of days, fortunately the rain held out for us and we were able to enjoy a lovely day outside of the classroom.

Yesterday was quite relaxing at school. Since the holidays are coming up and the students are pretty much at their whits end, we did a little work and even more play time. At the end of the day one of my students brought out the most precious card and said "Thanks Elizabeth." When I opened the card my eyes began to swell with tears. My wonderful teacher and her staff praised my good work and begged me to come back whenever I felt the need to! I also received a huge box filled with "heaps" of teaching supplies and a wonderful school calendar. One of the aides even practiced my accent because she said the students loved it so much! It was nice to know that my work was truly appreciated. I just wish I could pick up my classroom and move it back to Alabama with me. Once the students left, I enjoyed some down time with my teacher and educational assistants. It's so strange being away from them already, this will definitely take some adjusting.

Definitely going in a frame when I get home.

Well I am off to finish some last minute things before my adventure of the south island of New Zealand begins. I am so blessed to have this wonderful opportunity. I am a bit nervous about traveling alone so all prayers are appreciated. See y'all in just 15 days! Hooray :)

Days 58-65 "I'll think about it tomorrow."

Another week has gone by and my oh my how it has had its ups and downs. From stressful times with school work to feeding kangaroos, it has been an emotional whirlwind as I creep along in my final days in Australia. I have learned to live by the wise words of Scarlett O'Hara from Gone With The Wind, hence the title. ;)

March 26th- March 30th

This week at school was pretty relaxed. I taught all of the lessons but I felt as though I was finally getting into the groove of things. One really valuable thing I have learned from my teacher is that it is pointless to stress over minuscule things, it's best just to go with the flow. Especially with this population of students. My supervisor came in and observed my sensory lesson which was a big hit. I had my students create Easter eggs for their program this week using different materials such as jell-o, cereal, markers, etc. We discussed how each smelt, felt, and even had a little taste of the fruit loops- my childhood favorite thanks to many hours with my wonderful Father on the golf course. I also taught a cooking lesson and had my students make honey joys, which were devoured by the students and the staff! There were some behavior issues along the way and I experienced my first bite and being spit on by a student, definitely not my happiest moment but I dealt with pretty well if I do say so myself. My teacher was out on the day this happened, so I was completely in charge along with the help of the aides and substitute. Everyone had nice things to say about how I dealt with behavior issues and managed the students throughout the day. I think I deserve a pat on the back for handling that with grace. I was able to celebrate my successes with my teacher and other faculty members with after school drinks on Friday. Something I am definitely going to push to incorporate wherever I work, maybe after I have been there a couple of years or so...

Other than school work, the week was pretty calm. I am continuing my 10K training and have just about completed week 3! I am surprised with how consistent I have been. A perk is that Stacey is doing it too and when I see her doing it, it motivates me to quit being lazy! I also attended another Zumba class with my host mother and got to experience the wild teacher I had before. Very entertaining. Also experienced some cultural lingo differences this week. My roommate asked our host family's son who he was rooting for when the footie game came on television. Our host mum quickly let us know that saying that is quite offensive... We were in shock. Apparently using that phrase here means asking someone who they are intimate with. Fortunately, Ryan and the rest of the family laughed it off. I was nearly on the floor dying of laughter when everything was clarified for us.

March 30th-April 1st

After a quiet evening in on Friday night, we began our day at 5 AM to head down for our day tour to Margaret River. Once we arrived in a city Stacey, Bob, and myself awaited for our luxury coach to arrive so we could begin our adventure. Little did we know we were going to be making the three and a half hour car drive in a 1980's van with nine others. It was a pretty cramped ride but it wasn't too bad minus the bumps. Definitely an interesting adventure. We got to meet some fellow tourists and what was very relieving was the fact that half of them were traveling alone. Made me feel much better about next week's adventure to New Zealand. For those of you who watch Lost, we had a couple with us who were identical to the characters Jin and Sun. Bob and I joked about it throughout the day... It was crazy how much they were alike.

After catching some z's on the drive down we began our adventure at the Naturaliste Reptile Center. We spent about an hour touring the place (easily could have been done in 20 minutes) and even got to hold a carpet python. I was a bit hesitant at first but told myself that these opportunities don't come often, so might as well! What was frightening was when the snake's tongue began to tickle my arm. The guide reassured me that she didn't have any venom and I wouldn't be affected. Needless to say, not the best feeling in the world. We also were able to see lizards, crocodiles, frogs, and turtles.

The Aussie Wanderer... 

This little guy was my fave. 

Holding the snake!

After our tour at the reptile center we were off to the Margaret River Chocolate Company and a wonderful wine tasting. Mom- you'll be happy to know I am bringing you one of their best bottles home, only to share with me of course. We enjoyed a nice lunch alongside the Margaret River township with the others and then we were off to experience Mammoth Cave. Mammoth Cave dates back over 1.5 million years and is composed of limestone. We were able to see all sorts of stalagmites and stalactites throughout the chilly cave. It reminded me of a field trip to Desoto Caverns as a child and made me want to go back one weekend. Although this cave was very interesting, it didn't hold a candle to what we have back in Alabama.

Providore Wine Vineyard

Margaret River, obviously named after me. Duh.

The guided tour headsets rocked! 

Mammoth Cave

Later in the day we headed up to Surfers Point and Prevelly. Apparently this is the best spot to surf in the world. Just the week before, Kelly Slater and other pro surfers were in town for a big competition- hate we missed that! The waves can reach up to 7 feet at times. We were able to see several paddle boarders waaaaayyyy out in the ocean. Even though they were wearing body suits, they had to be freezing- the temperatures were quite nice throughout the day ranging between 65-72 degrees. The coastline was absolutely breathtaking. I truly felt blessed at the moment to have the chance to experience something as beautiful as the Indian ocean and its rugged scenery. On our way home we made a quick stop in Busselton to experience their famous "jetty" aka marina/pier. Apparently, there was a shark attack early in the morning and unfortunately, the person did not make it. Our tour guide explained to us that in 2011 there were 12 shark attack fatalities in the world. Guess where five of them were? You guessed it, Western Australia. We steered clear of the waters and enjoyed some ice cream and checked out the scenic 1.5 mile pier.


Today was quite the exciting day- a festival in our local park and an adventure through Caversham Wildlife Park. Hazel, our supervisor's wife, was kind enough to take the three of us down and explore Australian native animals as well as some familiar faces- cows, horses, goats, sheep, and even deer. The best part of the day- feeding the kangaroos and petting the koalas. Definitely a lifelong memory. The kangaroos were so kind and gentle and you literally could lay beside them and nap if you wanted to. At the koala enclosure we were able to gently touch their backs as they slept. They're quite lazy animals- sleeping almost 20 hours a day. To our benefit, one of the toddler koalas woke up and began to run all around the exhibit walking right up to our feet! I was very tempted to pick him up but was warned by the guide that they can be quite evil.

This week marks my last week at my school, I can't believe how fast it has gone by. Tomorrow the kids have "Easter Day" at the school filled with an egg hunt, visits from Peter Rabbit, and much more. Tuesday is my last day with the students- I definitely may cry. Despite how challenging these students have been, they truly have left a lasting impression not only on my teaching but my way of life. Wednesday I am off to New Zealand for a tour the south island. I can't believe it is finally here! I am getting ahead on schoolwork so I can truly enjoy this once in a lifetime trip. A special thanks goes out to my wonderful parents who have helped make this trip a reality! Once I return on the 12th, I only have one week left in Perth and then it's back home to Sweet Home Alabama. Roll tide roll. See you all so very soon!

-More pictures soon to come as soon as BlogSpot allows me to use more space! 

Day 50-57: "I can't be bothered."

The title of this blog comes from an Australian saying that I hear quite often- "I can't be bothered" or "I just couldn't be bothered to do a thing." Basically the phrase means that either you just weren't feeling like doing much of anything or something isn't very appealing to you. I found this phrase fitting for this post seeing that I have been slacking a bit with my updates. So here goes nothing, hopefully you all won't feel bothered by reading my weekly edition of life down unda.

Day 50- March 17th

Happy St. Patrick's Day from Oz! After a nice evening in finishing some homework (I know that comes as such a surprise for some of you) I woke up early to get a quick workout in and most importantly write a bio. Apparently, my school will be spotlighting me in this month's newsletter. No worries, I will be getting extra copies for mementos for all of you dying to have one! It was much cooler than it has been today which was nice compared to the grueling heat we have faced the past couple of weeks. Janette even said it was freezing out! Not to Stacey and I!

Later that day we made the long trek down to Mandurah, a small city about an hour and a half east of Perth. After riding the train through the bush aka country in the middle of nowhere we finally made it to the Mandurah crab festival. The setup was similar to any event you would see at home but was hosting a special event- a boarding competition. We sat and watched several boarders do some pretty impressive tricks and even met a few famous ones. Don't ask me their names... But apparently, they were a big deal. So we got a picture and an autograph just for good measure.

Mandurah 

Gnarly 

As we were walking through Mandurah, we came across an Irish pub covered in people celebrating. I couldn't resist. I began to miss home so much and everyone back at Innisfree having a Guinness so I decided why not celebrate down unda? We only stayed for about an hour because the place was entirely too crowded. It was nice though, it felt like I was sort of back in my element, not thousands of miles away from everything I know. We finished up our day at our favorite fish and chips spot- Cicirello's and watched a firework show that took ages to start. Needless to say, after waiting two hours for a 15 minute firework display, we weren't very happy. After finally getting in, I was exhausted but couldn't think of sleeping because I knew Will would be here in a few short hours. I was so ready to see someone I knew I was like a kid waiting to open their presents on Christmas morning...

St. Patty's fun 

Day 51- March 18th

Well after staying up half the night planning things for Will and I to do in the short amount of time we have together I was up early as usual. I am being pretty consistent with my 10K training so figured might as well get up and do it to pass some time while waiting for Will to arrive. I always see the same people when I am out on the running trail and we have even began to exchange a friendly hello or wave. My favorite is an older gentleman who practices riding his unicycle. Entertaining is an understatement. He has improved tremendously since he first started. I feel as though I am watching a child learn to ride their bike without training wheels. I always get the giggles as I pass him. I never let him see me laugh though because his dedication proves just how much this means to him!

After finishing some things around the house it was off to pick up Will at the airport. Once I arrived, I rushed over to his terminal to make sure he would see me as soon as he got here. I quickly realized I was at the wrong gate and sprinted halfway around the airport to make it just in time. Obviously the 10K training is paying off because I wasn't nearly as exhausted as I normally would have been once I finally spotted him. One thing that is very nice about Australia is their security in their airports- it's a breeze. You literally can walk right up to the gate of where someone is arriving to get them the second they get off the plane. Once I saw Will I began shaking! It was so strange, a good sort of strange though. A sense of relief filled my body. It was reassuring to see that someone I know and care about still is real as silly as that may sound. Social media has made home seem less far away but it was so nice to actually be with someone I knew all over again. After waiting for ages for Will's lost luggage (it was shipped back to LA, way to go Quantas) we were off to his hotel. Just to give you an example of how small our world is, the conceigre picked up on my accent and informed me he was a boog fan.... Of course I gave him a big Roll Tide as I got on the elevator. Once Will got settled in we took the train down to Cottesloe Beach so I could show him the Indian Ocean for the first time. I must admit, I was very impressed with his ability to stay awake and be a trooper throughout the long day of walking. We had a late lunch/early dinner at a lovely restaurant and walked along the beach to see all of the sculptures by the sea.

Cottesloe Beach

Indian Ocean 

Will really didn't like my clumsy self climbing these rocks...

Day 52- March 19th

After getting a good night's rest, in bed my 8 PM might I add, I was well rested to take on another week at my wonderful school. Will woke up to walk me to the train station to keep me company, I'm sure he went straight back to rest to recover a bit from his jet lag. I gave him so info on places to see while I was away to keep him entertained and of course some sunblock! 

Today was one of those days at school where I realized just how fortunate I am to enjoy what I am doing for a living, or will eventually be doing for a living, for now I am just free labor. One of my students who has Down Syndrome is such a little rock star. He has awesome spiked hair that he rocks everyday with huge boots and to make it even better his name is Axl Kane. I mean does it get any better than that? His personality definitely matches his rocker appearance. Any who, he can be quite the challenge to work with, especially because he bats his big blue eyes at you making it hard not to giggle when he is misbehaving. Most of the kids in my classroom use sign language to communicate. Axl's speech is limited but he is able to get out a few words. I have been working with him to sign my name, which for him is just the letter E. Over and over again I sign it to him and say the letter E with no response. Today on the playground I look over at Axl on the slide and hear him screaming "E! E! E!" as he is using the appropriate sign at the same time. My heart melted. I had taught him something, something he remembered and even knew how to use. It may sound quite silly but something as simple as that means that I have done my job and that makes me one happy girl. 

After school, I met Will and we went off into the city to see all of the sites. We did all of the touristy things of course- the Swan Bell Towers, Northbridge, Supreme Court Gardens and stopped for a quick Mexican meal at Zapatos. We covered a lot in the few hours we had and were quite exhausted pretty early in the evening. 

Perth City 

Swan Bell Towers

Supreme Court Gardens 

Seeing his first roo! 

Drinks at the Bird's Nest, way too "posh" for us Alabamamians. 

Day 53- March 20th

Once again, Will was nice enough to walk me to the train station. I was extremely jealous that he was able to go spend the day at Hillary's Harbor and visit the aquarium while I was stuck feeling not so good at school. As soon as I walked in, I went straight to the nurse who suggested I go home. Fortunately, I was a good sport and toughed the day out. I'm glad I stayed because I was able to work with one of the students who is severely autistic and do some intense behavior management assessments which will really help me in the long run. 

Braving the windstorm, wearing a dress wasn't the brightest idea...

King's Park

After a staff meeting, I met Will in the city this time to see King's Park. Google it. The walk up the steep hills (when I say steep, I mean steep...) was well worth it once we were able to see the breathtaking views of the city. We also were able to wonder around the WW2 Memorial which honors all those lost, not just Australians. I enjoyed a quick coffee as we watched the sunset before making the trip back down the dreaded hills. After a twenty minute detour to the train station, Will's sense of direction is about as good as mine..., we finally made it back to his hotel for a nice dinner at Paddy Hannan's another Irish Pub. We made our way over to the Burswood Casino where I was carded right when I walked in. Let me remind you the drinking/gambling age is 18 here. The bouncer giggled as he checked my passport and knew he had just made my day. I won $20 playing roulette and figured my odds couldn't get much better and called it a night...

Day 54- March 21st

I slept in a bit late since I wasn't feeling too well, knowing I would need all the rest I could possibly get for what the day had in store. It was my first excursion (field trip) since I have been in Australia and we were off to Bike Week. Each year, the school goes out to Burswood (where Will was staying) to ride bikes, see farm animals, have a "sausage sizzle", and have a go on a tractor ride. The smiles on the kids faces were priceless. 

My little rocker Axl Kane

Tractor Shenanigans 

Farm animal fun 

Not everyone was a fan of the animals...

To celebrate Will's last night down unda, we found a lovely Japanese steakhouse in his hotel complex called Nobu. Normally, this isn't our scene at all but why not branch out when you can. Well it was quite worth it, we nibbled on four different courses and of course I splurged and had a yummy dessert- fried bananas with ice cream and passion fruit. Bill if you read this, I looked to see if they had key lime pie but unfortunately they didn't...

Amazing light fixture 

Appetizer

Appetizer 2- Tuna, my fave! 

Creamy Crab, lucky for me it had eggs in it... I scraped the plate just so Will wouldn't feel too bad...

Cod

Dessert. Heavenly. 

Day 55- March 22nd

Thursday was a bit of a sad day, I knew waking up that I would have to tell Will goodbye. I also was a bit nervous because my teacher was evaluating me on my Science lesson. Since the students are high needs, we have to keep lessons simple and engaging which can be extremely challenging. I chose to do something with a bang- the bubble bomb explosion. The first round was a dud, the second a hit, and the third nothing to write home about. The kids loved it though, the thought of something popping and spraying water on them had them intrigued. After school Will ran a couple of errands with me and I showed him around my neck of the woods here in Bayswater. He was able to meet my host family and Stacey which was nice. Once his taxi got to my house I was immediately a sob fest. For those of you who know me, I cry over anything, especially saying goodbye. It was back to reality and back to my normal boring routine of school and homework...

Days 56-57 March 23-March 24th

March 23rd

Back to the real world, John my supervisor came in and watched my cooking lesson with the students. To say I was worried would be an understatement. Most of you know, I am no Betty Crocker in the kitchen, so teaching students cooking wasn't something I was especially experienced in. I chose to keep it simple with an easy sweet treat- "Bananas in Pajamas." I froze bananas over night and had the kids melt chocolate and dip them in their favorite toppings, it was a hit. The cleanup wasn't bad at all because most of the students ate whatever they dropped on the floor, extremely sanitary but oh well, you do what you can. John was overwhelmed by the needs of the students and thought I did a wonderful job of managing their behavior and meeting their individual needs. Point for me. The day ended nicely with another student's birthday party our classroom was invited to. After school I decided to stay in and catch up on some work. Out on my run I heard Willie Nelson blaring out of someone's car, felt like I was back in Alabama again.

March 24th

Stacey and I met Bob, another COST student, in Fremantle today. We both are always so tired after the week so we decided to keep today low key. We did some shopping and had a yummy Mexican fiesta before needing a much-needed siesta... 

Next week is my last full week at my school. I am so sad to leave these kids behind, they really have a special place in my heart and have taught me so much in such a short amount of time. It's unbelievable how fast my time with them is flying by. Only 25 days before I am back in Alabama the beautiful and to all of your lovely faces!

Days 45- 49: The Twilight Zone

March 12- March 16, 2012

Unfortunately other than starting my first week at my new school this week things have been pretty tame here in Australia.  I titled this blog twilight zone because sometimes Stacey and I joke around about how different things are here... Hopefully through my postings, you can see why... I won't run through the days because they basically are quite the same. Just going to give you  guys a quick run down of how everything went!

My new school, "Smith Street Primary" is absolutely wonderful. The school is designed for children with high needs which can be quite intimidating. The staff are all so laid back and have a strong desire to truly help their students as much as possible. I was able to teach the little "cherubs" a couple of lessons this week just to get my feet wet before teaching full time! We had a wonderful art lesson where the kids made leprechaun picture frames with their faces planted in the middle (pictures soon to come).

I am loving finally getting back to working with the younger students, my class ranges from ages 5-7. One thing I found quite funny during my teaching was one of the students with autism mimicking my southern accent. Apparently she tends to pick up on things like that fairly quickly. I didn't notice until I read the word "apple" and she repeated "aaaaaaaappppppllllllleeee." The teacher and aides got a good laugh out of it. Speaking of the staff, I couldn't ask for nicer people. My teacher is only in her fourth year of teaching but is wise beyond her years. It has only been one week and I feel like I have learned so many valuable lessons from her already and received "heaps" of resources to bring back to my classroom.

Other than going to school everyday, Stacey and I began training for a 10K! We downloaded an awesome app to ease our way into it. I have been pretty consistent with it so hopefully the hard work will pay off. The weather has cooled down significantly here. Picture a perfect fall day, just a tad bit warmer, and that's what it's like. I'm finding it hard to come inside after running, which is really hard to believe...

Taking the bus to school everyday hasn't been ideal, but I am learning to deal with it. Getting up earlier and beginning my day means I have more time to enjoy here. Hey, at least I am trying to stay positive about my hour commute every morning...

Tomorrow, Stacey and I are heading to Mandurah to a Crab Festival. Apparently, it's a big deal with fireworks, food, bands, and everything in between. Looking forward to an adventure away! Will arrives Sunday morning, I am beyond excited to see a familiar face. Hopefully he won't be too jet lagged to enjoy my one day off with him.

Days 42-44 "I'll think about it tomorrow..."

My oh my, it has been quite some time since my last post! I am going to try to catch y'all up as fast as possible. Beginning with last weekend...

Friday, March 9th

Well, finally my last day at my first placement. I really was surprised how sad I was at how sad I was to leave my staff and especially my students. What I wasn't so sad about- the heat. The high was 40 degrees, that's 102 back home. Anyways, back to school- the students were all pretty upset to have me leaving, they even got together and made me a wonderful card as well as some much needed hugs.

I spent my day getting everything together and visiting my new school, which I am very excited about. I did a couple of things out of the ordinary at school like reading "To Kill A Mocking Bird." After doing a short reading, I asked the students if they had any questions for me. The first girl raised her hand and asked "can you please say y'all for us?" I replied "y'all have a nice day, I'm off to class." They absolutely loved it! After school ended, my wonderful supervisor gave me a lovely card (that made me tear up, sigh) and a water bottle she had heard me talk over and over about. It has a filter inside, how convenient! How thoughtful of her to remember and go out of her way to purchase it for me!

Miss these guys already!

After school, Stacey and I took the bus into the city to meet up with Bob to go to the Rooftop Cinema.
As we were waiting in line, I saw the first polo button down I have seen since I have been here, I was in shock. This boy was a super frat star! Rarely do you ever see guys dressed in anything other than skinny jeans and v-neck t-shirts! It was nice to see some guys here know how to dress or dress the southern way I should say! We were starting to get quite nervous that we wouldn't get in to see one of my all time favorites- Dazed and Confused. The setting was perfect, with a gorgeous view overlooking the city. The entire "car park" was decked out as if we were back in the 1970's. Absolutely lovely! I couldn't believe that Stacey and Bob had never seen such a classic! After the movie, it was off for a late dinner- wine and pizza in the city. We were quite exhausted from our weeks so it was back home for some shut eye.

lovely

Saturday, March 10th

Well it was another early morning here in Bayswater, mainly due to the heat. I got up for a morning jog and quickly returned home. It was entirely too hot to do anything! After finishing up some homework and a little lunch (I even had a little vegemite on my sandwich, google it) Stacey and I headed to Subiaco to the markets and the West Coast Eagles footie game. We met up with the other COST students to take on this new experience. The first quarter was quite confusing, because none of us had a clue about AFL. Fortunately, two young lads were behind us and gave us a play by play of all the action. I think I have a pretty good understanding of how the game works, nothing like rugby or football to my surprise. On a side note, one of the guys asked me if we still had slaves and played banjos back in Alabama. I laughed and replied "yep, and we still use outhouses too." Not too sure if he could tell I was joking or not.. They consistently played their fight song over the loud speakers. All I could think about was my brother googling sports in Australia and singing the song over and over before I left. The heat got the best of us and it was back to bed for all of us...

Sunday, March 11th

Up bright and early for homework, once again. So close to the finish line! I have a countdown app on my phone until graduation that I find myself constantly looking at. After finishing up, Stacey and I headed over to Chelsea's for a barbecue with other COST students and some true Aussies. There never is a dull moment over at that household, always quite entertaining! I was able to sample some new cuisine- lentil, which will be my last time trying, and trifle- my favorite Aussie dessert. Well technically, it's European, but whatever...

I would love to post some pics of my adventures but am having a difficult time with the blog website. Apparently I have run out of room, party poopers...

Days 39-41 "Ohhhh we're halfway there..."

These past couple of days have flown by and I can't believe I have reached my halfway mark! It's all downhill from here, literally. Although I am ready to see everyone and get back into the swing of everyday life, it is quite sad how quickly things are going by. I remember my Mom telling me, "don't wish your life away" and thinking "yeahhh, whatever Mom." Now I TOTALLY see what she means, everything in life as you get older is gone in a blink of an eye. I am trying my best to be thankful for every little blessing that comes along the way!

Tuesday, March 6th

After having the long weekend, it was tough to get up and back to school but I was anxious to see my students and spend what little time I have left with them this week. To my surprise, the students were STILL upset I wasn't their teacher, I must have really left my mark on them! We watched a news series that highlighted the Republican Primary back home, the kids were far from intrigued but I did get a lot of questions from the staff. It is amazing to me how much our news is a part of theirs here in Australia. Every time I turn around there's something on the TV about what's going on in America!

After school, I went for a run in the park, which never gets old. Running here is great for people watching AND dogs. I know I have said this over and over, but it really is such a delight seeing all of them enjoying themselves, I know Andy man is doing the same back home but I wish he was here with me to play! I even saw a three-legged chiwawa running along the trail! It brought back memories from when I was a kid and Laura Beth having a three-legged lab! Later I got to work on some things for school and began getting quite overwhelmed, the amount of work is unbelievable. However, I took a look at my final grade rubric for internship- all of this work, only 8% of my grade. 8%!!!!!! I cannot believe the amount of time I have spent at the computer and typing for this to only be 8% of my final grade. With that being said, it is quite a relief, as long as I keep up the good work in school, there is no reason to stress over 8%! The Aussie way of life is really starting to rub off on me. The whole "no worries" attitudes is quite catchy! I just need to scheme up a way to make all of my advisers and professors at home think the same....Suggestions appreciated.

Wednesday, March 7th

Well, no shock here, another hot morning here in WA. Oh and guess what?! You guessed it, another heat wave... Over the weekend heat is supposed to rise to 39 Celsius. For those of you who do not have a converter on hand, that's close to 102 degrees Fahrenheit. Needless to say, I will be spending the days indoors... Any who, it was off to school once again. My supervisor had been out sick so it was nice to catch up with her on the ride to school. She had yet to observe me teach and wanted to see me in action. We had planned for my lesson to be on Thursday, but things do change and I was thrown on the spot to teach within the hour. So I decided to teach what I knew best, the history of Alabama. I found a lovely video that highlighted just about everything from the Civil War, Rosa Parks, music, food, weather, etc. The kids loved it and I received rave reviews. The students were especially interested in the information regarding the tornado and couldn't seem to wrap their minds around the fact that it took so many lives. After the lesson, there was a little free time so I gave the students the opportunity to ask me questions about the United States or Alabama. I was expecting questions about our food, animals, malls, and that sort of thing. You know, things that 12 year old boys and girls like. So when my first question is- "Miss, Miss (the students rarely call teachers by their last names here) do you know if Arnold Schwarzenegger going to be making any new movies any time soon? I keep waiting, but my Mom says he's having issues in his life" I was quite surprised. My supervisor and I both died out in laughter... I did get a couple questions about fast food restaurants. The kids seemed shocked when I pulled up a picture of our McDonald's and the fact they look exactly the same... Oh and while at school, I received an email from my wonderful Father saying that we just missed Taylor Swift over the weekend. She was at Cottesloe, where we saw all of the sculptures, just a couple of days before us! She's touring over here at the moment. Maybe I'll have a celeb sighting while I'm down unda! I decided to show Stacey around the park by our house after school. I found out along the way that Stacey isn't as much of a dog person as I am, but she still seemed to have a good time checking out the scenery. We went on a nice, long walk and enjoyed the sunset. It is so relieving to have someone always around who is experiencing the same type of emotions and things as I am! I was able to get a lot of work done for school, just still have to push through the next couple of bits to get this project finished!

Thursday, March 8th

Well ladies and gentleman, I am halfway home. Today marked 42 days until I am back in the land of the free. I have a feeling it is going to go by fast with Will coming to visit, trips planned on weekends, teaching full time again, and NEW ZEALAND! Speaking of NZ, I was able to talk to a girl I work with who happens to be a Kiwi (native to New Zealand) today at school about my trip. She gave me tons of great travel advice and assured me my dollar would go quite far, which was quite the relief. After school, Stacey and I ran to the Galleria with Ryan and Janette to grab a couple of things. Stacey was just as surprised as I was at first to see all of the lovely things their K-Mart has to offer! If only they were like this at home!

Tomorrow is my last day at Belmont City College. Although I am sad to leave the lovely staff and my students, I am ready to move on to my next placement. Tomorrow morning my supervisor is driving me over to Carson Street to meet my teacher and find my way around. Keep your fingers crossed that everything goes well! Oh and I failed to mention what I will be doing period one tomorrow.... a guest reading. One of the English classes is reading "To Kill A Mockingbird" and I have been asked by the teacher to read an excerpt. She believes my southern accent will really get the students engaged, we shall see. For once my ole redneck accent is good for something!

Days 35-38: Carpe diem

It truly is hard to believe that I am almost halfway through my journey in Western Australia. The past few days have been absolutely wonderful and allowed me to see how blessed I truly am to have this opportunity in my life. Special shout out to my family who helped make this trip a reality :)

Friday, March 2nd

Hooray for my last day of solo teaching! As excited as I was to get the day over and on to the weekend, I did get a bit said towards the end. When one of my students asked if I was going to be teaching again and I replied no, the whole class responded "noooo, we love having you teach us Miss Carlton!" Hearing them say that made my heart almost melt right on the spot. It meant a lot to hear that although they have put me through it all, that I did actually leave a good lasting impression on them. The students concluded all of their post assessment materials so I could see if they really did learn something after all. To my surprise, they did! For the most part, every single one of them aced the closing activities. The little things like that make me realize how special my job really is and so happy that God has blessed me with the opportunity to make a difference in children's lives on a daily basis.

Putting together our work throughout my two weeks of teaching. 

Of course I blinked!

Love my Year 8's! 

It was nice being on my own teaching the last two days. My teacher was away for a couple of days, so I really got a feel of what life is like as a teacher. I also got to leave a little early, which is always a good way to start your weekend. John, my supervisor, came and picked me up from school to pick up Stacey from the airport. John brought with him Bob, another COST student, who goes to school with Stacey. I must say, I am quite envious of these two. They have a familiar face from home and someone who can help them out with assignments whenever they need it! I did get a bit homesick when I entered the airport. Seeing family members reunite with their loved ones made me miss home and everything else that much more. Then, I remembered, the next time I would be in that airport I would get to see someone I have missed- Will! That quickly put a smile to my face, I can't believe he'll be here in less than two weeks!

It is so nice having someone else around that is my age! Stacey is a very sweet person and I am looking forward to getting to know her a bit better in our short time together. After a delicious dinner with the family, we decided it would be best for Stacey to stay in and get a little rest. I think she was asleep by 7:30, I don't know how she managed to stay up that long! I finished a little homework and stumbled across an Australian version of one of my favorite American television series- House Hunters. Needless to say, I am a little worried now that I will be losing sleep staying up to watch! 

Saturday, March 3rd

Once again, I was up bright and early, around 7 AM. Of course I was up early the one day I could actually sleep in. I decided to make the most of it and head out for a work out in the park while the weather was still nice. After breakfast, Stacey and I made our way to the train station to head to Fremantle and meet the other students. It never gets old to me riding the train and coming to the point where you meet the Indian Ocean. It almost feels as though you are in a boat you are so close to the water. Once we arrived, we met up with Bob for a coffee at Gino's and to explore the wonderful Freo Markets. There is absolutely everything one can imagine in these markets- food, soaps, candles, clothing, artwork (the Aboriginal is my personal favorite), you name it, it's there! I found some lovely souvenirs for a few of you lucky ones! After a bite to eat, Western Australia's best fish and chips might I add, it was off to meet the other girls for a little sight-seeing! 

Lunch at Cicerello's

Gino's flat white, my fave. 

Fremantle Markets 

Our first stop for the afternoon in Freo was the famous Fremantle jail. This place is almost identical to Alacatraz, or so I was told by those who have been. It is a very interesting place and just closed its doors in 1991. It was quite bizarre seeing the way the prisoners lived. What was even more shocking was the standards they lived up to into the early 90's. Prisoners were forced to use a bucket to relieve themselves! Can you believe it, a bucket!! Another thing I found quite interesting was the fact that there was an old piano that was in the prison chapel that today is worth $700,000! As soon as our knowledgeable tour guide shared that bit of information everyone rushed over to snap a picture. I absolutely loved everything about the tour, but then again, I am quite cheesy and enjoy doing "touristy" sorts of things.

The poop bucket 

Probably the happiest prisoner this place has seen. 

Shattered glass to prevent prisoners from escaping!

Ladies and gentleman, the half a million dollar piano. 

If you read close, you'll see this is a letter from a father to his daughter. Heartbreaking.

After doing the tour, we decided it was time for a little fun and relaxation. We took the crew back over to the Little Creatures Brewery for another tasting. Later, we made our way over to the bar next door and met some interesting characters. Turns out, this group of older men were on a bachelor party with their son-in-law. Hence the fact they were dressed in prisoner clothing... They were quite entertaining to say the least and seemed to be having a great time... Our train ride back home also was full of entertainment. We even had our own personal DJ blaring Dolly Parten and Kenny Rodgers the whole way home...

Solitary confinement, YIKES! 

The couple from the Netherlands who offered to role play a prison beating. Hysterical. 

Execution room... 

Making COST proud! 

Sunday, March 4th

Another early morning, but this one a HOT one! I went out for my usual workout in the park and drenched. I quickly found the shade to finish, the temps reached the high 90's on Sunday. We had a lovely breakfast on the patio at our house and overlooked everyone running through the park. I'm finding it hard to say no to yummy food while I am here, I probably am going to come back an oompa-loompa from all the terrible food, oh well..."When in Rome." What is so bizarre is the fact that our bad weather at home is making the news here! I walked into the living area and listened in as they were going over all of the tornadoes that swept through the states last week. My supervisor even sent me a text to make sure everyone at home was alright, which I found very thoughtful. After breakfast, Katherine took Stacey and I to the up-markets which were held at UWA's campus. No not University of West Alabama, the University of Western Australia. It is quite historic for Australia, nearly 150 years old. I quickly learned why they were named "up-markets" everything was very expensive, but definitely fun to look at! Katherine dropped us off in Cottesloe where we had a look at the "Sculptures by the sea." The artwork was incredible and something I'm glad we had the opportunity to see! The sand was so hot it burnt your feet if you had your "thongs" off. We quickly found a nice restaurant to cool down in and enjoy our Sunday Session. Sunday's are the big going out days here in WA, and even more "chockers" (crowded) when there is a Monday holiday. All of the pubs were crawling with people celebrating their day off. Of course, service again was quite terrible... We waited close to 20 minutes just for a drink!!!

University of Western Australia Campus 

Cheesing by the Indian Ocean 

Sculptures by the sea 

One of my favorites!

Windblown

Monday, March 5th: "Labour" Day

After a night in, our host family decided to take us out to celebrate our day off. We were off to Yanchep for a swim and a visit to the National Park. We went for a quick dip in the ocean, which was absolutely FREEZING! Apparently, to them the water was quite warm, not for Stacey and I. Our hands were purple only after a couple of minutes! Once again, the sand was so hot it would burn your feet without shoes. The water there was crystal clear and because there was a reef there was an area to swim without waves at all. Swimming in tough current will work up your appetite, Janette packed us a lovely lunch and we had the beautiful view of the ocean to look at as we munched on some sandwiches.

Wet hair, don't care! 

Ryan, my host "brother!" 

Once we were done eating lunch, it was off to explore the rest of Yanchep National Park. We were able to see this lovely beach called Two Rocks, where you guessed it, there are two enormous rocks out in the water. For those of you who have watched the TV series "Lost", it reminded me a lot of settings from there. After taking some photos, we explored the rest of the park where we were able to see koalas and kangaroos. Stacey and I were so excited to have this experience! After some ice cream it was back home for dinner- tacos, one of my favorites! It was definitely hard to get back in the swing of things after a long weekend. I am getting overwhelmed with school at the moment and keep finding out more and more that I have to do. All the prayers and positive thoughts would be greatly appreciated as I finish up my last week at my school! Then it's on to the next one...

One of the "two rocks."

Rock two! 

More roo's! I love the baby Joey's! 

Leap frog challenge? 

Cool, calm, and collected. Tough life...