peanut, peanut butter and jelly

I didn't sleep much last night. The fog was so thick, it reflected the lights from the city and it looked like a giant ball of light all night. (Nic taught me this phenomenon). We could have easily shut the blind- but I was on the far side of the bed and far too lazy. Nic and I still have not determined our sides of the bed here. We did immediately at the hostel, but we're going on a week here of alternating every night almost.

So, my alarm went off at 6:40 and I really debated whether or not I wanted to go into work today. I know starting Monday I have guaranteed 2 weeks in Prep at the far away school- so the money wasn't a huge issue. Nicholas tricked me into calling the company back saying if I didn't return the phone call, I'd worry all day. So I did. They asked me to go to "Special School". I didn't know if it was behaviour or abilities... but I went anyway. As it turns out, Special School is what they call school for Special Needs children.

I got to my class at 8:30 with absolutely no class plans. Now usually, I can make this up as I go along, but I had no idea what my student's abilities would be. Thankfully an aide showed up and I quizzed her on normal daily activity. The aide spent the whole day with me- and in my personal opinion, the aides should be paid the same as the teacher- they did just as much work as me even if it wasn't teaching the academic stuff. We couldn't go 10 minutes with out someone's behaviour being disruptive and she took care of it all.

Anyhow, I had 6 students. 2 with Downs, 2 with Autism, 1 with Tourettes and 1 unidentified (well that's a lie- the aide hadn't read the file that had been there for 2 weeks to know yet). Also, it wasn't left for me what my students were like at all- this was all determined by me asking the principal at the end of the day. It was a demanding day- no more than a day in prep- the day was just a little more physically demanding.

Our day started off with morning circle, exercises, me reading (complete silence) and musical chairs. Pretty good. Next, we went outside to walk the track while others went to the spa (swimming)- they had to walk the track with another class and I think we only had 3 full on brawls (2 teachers and 3 aides). I thought the swimming was a great thing- they loved it.

Next, they had recess followed by morning tea. I opted to do yard duty rather than food monitoring as I was told some kids had allergies but it wasn't written down who was who--- like I was going to put myself in that situation. Next, we went into tabletop work... not a favourite amongst my kids. Some trace their names and letters of the alphabet followed by painting masks, then colouring and cutting signs. The next part of the day was my favourite- I had to teach them how to make popcorn. We had an old popcorn machine and took turns pouring the corn in. Every week they learn how to make something.. cake was last week. They also have an excursion every week too.

The kids had recess for 30 mins and then lunch for 20. After that, we watched a movie. Monsters Inc. I probably would have fallen asleep if I didn't have one student stomp out of the room mad 3 times, 1 have a tantrum because I wouldn't let her hit and then 1 student start punching and screaming because he hated the noise that the tantrum was causing. The noises of course set off my student with tourettes. Then there was my one student who appeared to not notice anything happening because he was really into the movie. I was freaking out inside, but the aide assured me this was completely normal. We played with a ball throwing it to eachother around the room and we than packed our bags and everyone got on the bus. Over the course of the day, I managed to only get punched once. It was so good to see most of my student's smiling at the end of the day and feel comfortable enough to hug me when they got on the bus. One of them was non-verbal (learned some sign language today) and one refused to talk- so hugging me was a HUGE deal- they had accepted me.

I actually saw quite a few benefits to a secluded school. The student's with Downs all just "got" eachother- at recess they were having conversations that I couldn't follow but they clearly were on board because they'd listen and laugh all at the same times. I really liked the fact that no one "stuck out"- they were all treated and accepted equally. Their work was still differentiated and they got to experience more things to stimulate them (music therapy, physio, swimming, horse back riding) and they learned everyday skills so that the ones who may be able to live independently are learning important skills at school. I also know the advantages to inclusive schools, so if I'm ever in that position with my own children.. I guess I'll decide then. My personal faves today was the student with tourettes- cutest kid ever and one of the boys with downs- he was a dancing machine and just so happy. Lizzie Herman- all day I thought you would be so good in there.

One thing that's driving me nuts here is that they don't recycle! Not in any schools I've been in! In Canada, I taught units on recycling. Classes were disrupted for recycling collection- but everything goes in the "rubbish" here. I cringe throwing out my yogurt cups every day. I've brought it up and one of the teachers told me they've tried fighting for it- but it's a touchy subject with them losing every time.

Nicholas went to his 2nd day of training today- they've asked him to hit the streets tomorrow. For reasons I can not explain- he is so excited. I was getting use to having a house hubby- but alas, tonight I made dinner and tidied up. There goes the good ol' days.

I wasn't going to work tomorrow unless one of my "schools" requested me. Sure enough, grade 1/2 for me tomorrow. I also work in 3/4 friday- so it's a full work week for this kid. Tomorrow is Nicki's first paid day of work- wish him luck.

Now, to explain the photos. I am sure we all remember that glorious photo of me that Nicholas posted earlier in the blog. I was acutely aware that I sleep with my mouth open and am the ugliest sleeper on the planet- but could have done with out you all knowing that as well. Well the little gem I'm posting shows how feral Nic really is. While we were living in the hostel we didn't have much in the way of cutlery- however you could go downstairs and get some. Nope- Nic had a better idea. Yes ladies and gentlemen, that is Nic preparing a peanut butter sandwich with his TOOTHBRUSH. You should have deleted it when I gave you the chance Armstrong.

We're off to the gym and then I am starting to plan our first vacation... Fiji in September! We're hoping to hit Sydney before then- but we'll see how the money situation is.

knock knock knock

Turns out a couple hundred thousand people rely on the public transport train system in this city. It's not a pretty site when they fail to deliver all the trains due to an power failure in the city. This is what we woke up to this morning, Shauna has a school she needs to be at and the only way she had planned was out of commission. I guess this sort of thing is quite unusual in the city of Melbourne. Not a big deal, a 25 dollar cab ride and she was there right on time.As for me, by the time I had to get to my training at my new place of employment, the trains were back up and running. As for the training, well it's a new angle for me. A sales person. You know the guy you don't want to talk to when he approaches your door, I guess that's going to be me. The company takes your everyday electricity bill and natural gas bill and combines them into one. If you pay your bill on time you get a 10 % discount. Interested? Well lets talk. The numbers is what intrigues the most. Apparently there is no other company in this area that offers anything close to this discount. So if this is true it should be a easy sell, if I explain this to the customers well enough. Then of course I get paid based on the amount of customers I sign up. I will learn more about this tomorrow, and then i will see if this is going to fit me.

Shauna's work placements are keeping her hopping. Yesterday she had 4 different classrooms through out the day. I think it was kinda of hectic for her, in the same breath I think it made the day fly by. Today she was in grade 1 all day, one her favorites, again no problems there. She has work tomorrow, maybe, friday and the starting next week she is booked for 2 weeks at the first school she went to. So things for her are looking great. Well I am exhausted from my big day today... and Shauna is pretty much out. unill next time, don't forget to spay and neuter you pets.

breakfast at song-li's

Nic is opposed to writing in the blog tonight. I think it is because he types as fast as my father and I criticize his spelling and grammar. He's too busy watching television, so sorry, you're stuck with me.

Nic had his safety course- and 200 dollars later- he says all it was, was construction worker story sharing time. He has also chosen to not go to the construction job tomorrow for 2 reasons. 1) a hammer that costs 40 dollars at home is 140 here and 2) he is getting used to the whole not working thing. He claims he's going to go to the Carpenter's Union which he just learned about yesterday. He's lucky he has other income or else he'd be back at the hostel alone. We've also decided we're venturing into the stock market world. This should be interesting. I've mapped out my Paying Back Phil & Joan plan- don't hold your breath Mom and Dad... but do trust, a plan is in place.

We were up early today (8 AM) and had plans of going to Nic's buddy's place for breakfast. His buddy is the oriental woman who runs a cafe around the corner- I literally felt like the 3rd wheel the whole time. Either way, as soon as we arrived in the lobby of our building, we were welcomed by the drunken man laying on the floor (photo above). He clearly lived here as he had keys- I was concerned for his health but Nic chose to photograph him. The other photo is the breakfast menu- it reminded me of the days we'd all stay at Cassie's place and then venture to Zoni's for breakfast where we'd normally order toast. You see how expensive toast is here-- $3.50! No cheap Neiler's breakfast here. After 20 dollars and full bellies, Nic promised his new BFF we'd be back next Sunday. Apparently this is our new "thing".

Nic ended up getting home early yesterday- and I didn't go to the market. Annnd- when we went to the cinema it was ridiculously busy, so we decided we would go today.

We went to the market where we bought fruit & veggies and stuff for my niece and nephews. It was HUGE. It has brand names at considerably lower prices- I'm hoping Sue has a baby girl so I can buy her baby uggs. Even though this is the Ugg Boot Mecca with stores on every corner- very few people actually wear them outside of their houses. It appears to be considered a faux pas here.

Our day was punctuated by the man with the ladder (video above) as well as a drunk man on the tram who took a particular interest in Nic's hat. Inception was good and made me terrified of the dream I had last night... not good at all.

Well, we have a skype date with Nic's parents shortly- Greg is famous in the HC right now, tackling issues such as marriage & driver's licenses. I work in St. Kilda tomorrow in grade 4 in the morning and 6 in the afternoon. I am armed with my bribery techniques and hoping for a good day. I don't really know what Nic's plans are- but I assume the laundry will be done, dinner ready and the house clean as well as exhilarating conversation about whatever he spent an insane amount of time researching. I've learned a lot about the opium trade in afganistan-- feel free to email Nic for further inquiries.

Perhaps he'll be able to find the time to blog on Tuesday.

Chateau Clark- Armstrong

Good morning ladies and jelly spoons. It's 11:47 AM on Saturday morning and it's the first time I've been by myself for an extended period of time since we arrived in Australia.

Nic has gone to get the Carpentry Safety Training he has to get to work here. He got a job last week as a carpenter- but then he went to an interview the next day for sales. You know the people who knock on your door and you want to stab them because they disrupt your day by trying to convince you to buy something (these are Nic's words not mine)- well, yes, he was offered that job too. So, as Nicholas would- he took both jobs and is going to debate which to do over the weekend. Personally, I think he is only thinking the carpentry route because he thinks that is what I want. We know that his hours would match mine at school and his pay cheque would too. The sales job could be quite lucrative, but it is more of a gamble. When he came home from the Bruce- he complained about hating his job all of the time. I just want him to enjoy his time here.

I had 4 days of teaching last week, but was offered 5. I've only been to the 2 schools, but they have kept me busy since I've been here. The grade 1/2 teacher whose class I always have is on the leadership team, so she is away a lot in term 3. I've been in her class 5 times now and the students are really great. I've been there enough that I have some sort of relationship with each kid and we know about each other's lives.

For a couple of days in a row, one of the girls brought only an apple every day. She is one of 14 kids. Every single one of her siblings in the school including her, has funding because they are so far behind. This week, I ended up buying lunch for her because it broke my heart.

It's a long commute and of course there was no train running to take me home at night this week, so I had to take the bus. I got to see more of the area that these kids lived in and some of the houses were disgusting. It makes me feel so bad that these kids will probably never be able to leave that life because parental influence is so great. During our class discussions (talking about money)- one student explained that his parents didn't have any. break.my.heart.

Then, there is the other school. It's in St. Kilda (practically the beach). In my class of 20, I had a set of twins leave early as they were vacationing in Fiji and then I had 2 others return after their families spent their break in Japan. The 2 schools are 2 different worlds- and I like them equally. In each class I have the students that make me not want to have children and then the students who I hope my kids will turn out like. Then, I see their parents and it usually all comes together.

The education system is dramatically different in one major way here. Discipline and Affection. Teachers hug their students almost every night, or when they are sad or hurt with out any fear of being sued. Also, the students face consequences for misbehaving. The rules and consequences are clearly laid out in every class room- I think it's a good deterrent. There is even a section for talking back to a CRT (supply teacher).

I had 3/4 at the "tougher" school this week and I had never felt so incompetent in my life. The morning was terrible (I HATE RAISING MY VOICE) and I did a couple of time. 3 boys got time outs. After we all had our little chat, and they saw the stash of candy I bring with me for behaviour, the afternoon was considerably better. I rewarded them with art and let them play music. I probably let them have the music way too loud but no one said anything. We ended up having a lot of fun (myself included). I was terrified when my door opened suddenly and California Gurls was playing- it was another teacher. To my disbelief- she actually started dancing before asking me to borrow pastels. ANNNND this is how I got the reputation as the teacher who likes to dance. I'm famous in the 3/4 portables... it's too bad I don't think I'll ever agree to go back. I thought I seemed like the grouchiest teacher in the world, but the next day on yard duty, the girls came up and hugged me and the boys who had time outs actually apologized and they told me they wanted me to come back. It made me feel a lot better because I hated who I was that morning.

I'm really tired when I get home. I've had a strict bedtime of 9 o'clock and getting up at 6- and I sleep like a baby. This morning I woke up at 5:30 and then went back to sleep around 6... slept in until 9:30- meaning I may actually see 10 o'clock tonight.

I'm about to go for a swim and then to Victoria market to get our fresh produce for the week. At 4, I have to meet Nicki and we're going to see Inception. We're also going to this uber expensive steak house in South Yarra. It's his treat for getting not 1, but 2 jobs this week and for taking care of the home front while I've been working. So yes, we've been here for 16 days and the wedding is still on for anyone who is wondering. To be completely honest, I am actually more excited for it than I was when we left.

I've tried to upload a video of the apartment. I hope it works. Learned 2 things- I really dislike my voice and I'll never be a commentator.

I hope all of our HC/UWO/Windsor friends & family are doing well.

Remember to floss.

We're in!

So our position in Melbourne has been secured. We signed a 6 month lease for an apartment right in Melbourne, down town so to speak. We are 22 floors above the ground with a pretty sweet view of the city. The location is great, it's only a couple of minutes to walk to the main Hub for all the trains that take you every where you need to go. The convenience for Shauna was a key factor in deciding where we end up,as she will be going to different schools all over the GMA. (Greater Melbourne Area) I made that up. The Fact that it has a gym, pool and sauna where selling points for me if i plan on keeping this temple in top physical shape.

The job hunt has been in full swing also. I have a job Monday morning on a big job site just 10 minute from home. The boss tells me this morning that it's hard to find good carpenters around here. I have another job interview in the morning for a field I have absolutely no experience in. Sales. I was told this morning that I can make $1000 a week very easily, if i am any good at this even more. We will see how i feel after the interview. Selling Locked in energy prices, i figure that it should be something everyone want's a deal on, seeing as that everyone has to pay for this, it's not like i'm going to be a vacuum cleaner sales man. I figure this should be a step up.

As for Shauna she has been busier this week then expected. On sunday night she had two days scheduled. As it stands now she could have worked all five days. The School she went to first has offered her two extra days this week, and now have asked her if she would want to take a 2 week job for her favorite grade, kindergarten. The more she goes to work the more work she gets offered to her, she must be doing something right. Today was her biggest test yet, grade 3/4. The first thing she said to me when she got home was,"no kids ever!" After she went through the day with me it didn't sound that bad, they made her a card and finished the day with a dance party, so it must not have been that bad.

As for the city life i think the two of us are going to take a while to get use to it. We still find ourselves riding around on Trams aimlessly, not sure where it's going and where we were suppose to get off. We always get were we are suppose to go, it's just sometimes a little bit later then expected. The hustle and bustle around here is a little overwhelming from time to time, usually because we aren't a hundred percent sure where we are going. I think we are going to be alright though.

a great day all around

My alarm went off at 6 AM. I turned it off and had no intention of working today. I am still nursing this cold and yesterday another monthly joy showed up. (TMI I know). This is what created the photo for this posting. This ladies, is tampons. In the package, you buy 2 of these little tins and they had 8 tampons each. My 95 year old grandmother must be brimming with pride--- yes, I am part of your genetic make up. And yes, she will read this because she emails, youtubes, would be a my top phone a friend in millionaire and could probably last longer on a treadmill than I could. In short, she's remarkable and I am her 24 year old tampon photo taking grand-daughter. Either way, I was baffled when shopping- no such thing as playtex here ladies.

However, at 7 o'clock my cell rang and they asked me to cover Prep (Kindergarden). I couldn't say no and was on the train at 7:50. I met the assistant principal at the door and she showed me to my room. Absolutely no lesson plans to follow. Thankfully- 2 other prep teachers were close by and I just followed their day but added my own on the spot lessons. I had 22 kids- very well behaved.

This school was great. Instead of bells- they play music- like the kind of music you dance to when your drunk at a wedding reception. I loved it. Also, the children don't call any of the teacher Mr. Smith or Miss Clark. Everyone is called by their first names. Even the principal. The school was in a good area and there was lots of parent involvement. At the end of the day, the assistant popped in and asked me back next Tuesday. That school was so close and so good- I want to go back there as much as I can. The only downside to going to work- i have pretty much completely lost my voice. Thank you lisa taylor for teaching me almost every way to save my voice in teaching. I lose it about 5 times a year- and my profession will probably only make it worse. Also, mom- the whole talking really quiet to get their attention- possibly the best advice yet.

While I was out- Nicholas secured our apartment. We have an address! We move on Wednesday (but I am teaching- so technically Nic moves us). We're living right in the heart of the city, next to Southern Cross station (literally a minute away for me) and we have a pool and gym. I need to buy bed sheets immediately because there is no way I am sleeping on those fully furnished bad boys. Our weekly rent is more than my monthly rent was in Windsor. AND WE GOT A DEAL.

Last night, we went to the movies. After seeing everyone's facebook status about Inception I was certain I needed to see it. So, we get there and to my dismay- they were advertising for next week online. Instead we watched Get Him To The Greek. Now, I am by no means cheap in my opinion, I wouldn't even say frugal (which I am slowly learning that I need to change my ways) but the movie cost us 35.00. I thought that was ridiculous. Also we were assigned seats. I didn't think that was completely necessary. All in all, we had a good night.

We didn't go to Victoria Market yesterday- we went to the outlet shops instead because I needed a warmer winter jacket.... which I did get. Sara Rubino- you would love it here- floral EVERYWHERE. There was some glorious floral leggings that reminded me of you and I may have picked up some cheap floral treats for your 84 year old grandmother inspirational dress.

I really noticed my accent today when I did role call and came across the name Harry.. which I pronounced Hair-y. The children lost it laughing because of how I was saying his name. All day they corrected me, it's Har-rie. One of them asked me if I was Irish???

The food here doesn't have half the taste as back home, and I am not too hungry. However, nicki, poor kid hasn't been out much today so I should probably buy him dinner. Only 2 nights left at the Hostel. I imagine when we get back to Canada- this will be one of our favourite memories.

I'm not working tomorrow- we have to sign papers (and buy bed sheets).

xo

hostel life we live

Here we sit on our 10th day in Australia. I still have no work lined up, no apartment lined up and I'm down roughly $1000. It's a cool Sunday morning and you might think it sounds like's things aren't going that great. Realistically I haven't tried that hard to get a job, and the apartment thing is in the works, so it's all good. The $1000 will never come back, but it never does. We just got through having a dance party in the room and that's a great way to start any week. As for of our apartment, we went and looked at a real nice studio apartment real close to the main subway hub. It's right downtown in the muck of things, it's a little pricey for what we are use to, but then again it's comparable to living downtown Toronto. It's partly furnished with full access to a gym,pool and sauna. Seems like we would be on a holiday, I guess that's what visa say's, working/holiday.

The upcoming week is a big one, we need to get into this apartment, I need to take a construction safety induction course and get a job, and Shauna just needs to keep doing what she is doing. She was at work twice this past week at the same school and she was called the very next morning to go back, requested from the school. Needless to say she left a good impression with them. So she has two days booked this week and she missed a call for Monday morning,it's still only Sunday. I'm thinking if she keeps this up, maybe I can just keep being this little domestic diva she speaks of. I think I could handle sleeping in, cleaning up a bit, getting some food for the fridge. I mean really someone has to do it.

This weekend was very low key, as per usual Shauna ended up getting a cold from her students. I decided i should go rent a movie on friday night, I never imagined i would end up spending a hundred dollars. For a deposit it was mandatory to put down $100 deposit down that i would get back when ever i want. Seeing as that it was the only movie store within walking distance, they had me. Large price to pay to see Slumdog Millionaire, not a bad movie. Saturday morning Shauna felt as if she was already over this thing, so thought we should go to Luna park for a surprise for me. After talking the bus the wrong way, roughly 45 min out of our way, and asking the bus driver when the luna park stop was, the surprise was blown. 45 min later we made it there. Free admission, good thing. As we wandered through the park and made a loop, Shauna asked me how we get to the other side? I responded with that's it, that's the park. Damn internet, it looked like Canada's Wonderland on the website but once we there it more like the clinton fair. We walked down to the peer and wandered out to a restaurant at the end of it. I think at that point is when Shauna realized she was not feeling that well yet. It was a cool 12 degrees with wind off the water reaching 20km/h. Winter time in Melbourne.

Today We are going to head down to the Victoria Market to look for some deals of fresh fruit and cheese. We may try to find a coat for her also, so she doesn't freeze next time we are on the peer.

mrs. clack...she's from canada

So, even though I've been teaching for 2 days- roughly 10 hour days, and Nic has all of the time in the world, apparently he couldn't find the time to write in the blog. Granted, he has become quite the domestic diva- he did our laundry, grocery shopping, cleaned the room and looked for housing. He says he "checked" out job sites- I am sure he's just calculating where he'll make the most money- and that really doesn't bother me because it's expensive here.

Anyhow, I worked in grade 1/2 for the past two days. My class was pretty good. They weren't as good at following rules- (not calling out, talking over me) but were learning way more advanced stuff than the average canadian grade 1. We read a book called sea jellies- and I learned more about jelly fish than I ever expected to in my life. The kids were able to read HUGE words (for a grade 1) with ease. Also, when we were investigating the long eeee sound... they came up with words like Emu and Broccoli.. I was impressed. And I wasn't in a "good" school. They rate every single school here in Australia and it falls below average. This is because of the socioeconomic status of most families. I was about a 45 minute train ride from the city and over half of the families had never visited the city. Yet, some parents were lawyers and very involved in their kid's life. Yard duty was, well, terrifying. A child brought a pocket knife to school.. and this was discovered while I was on yard duty. which was a HUGE area that I was in all alone. Canada has their butts covered when it comes to yard duty- enough teachers, and keeps the kids separated.... the school i was at integrates all grades in all areas. It was fight club. Literally kicking and punching. I was shocked at some of the swear words the kids knew... and one of my integration student's called her mother a bad word at pick up time. Granted, the kids were good for me. No complaints. The biggest dilemma was when one little boy kept telling a girl that she was his girlfriend (she didn't want to be) and she started to cry.

The kids taught me a lot too- like when we were learning about money and I was calling it a bill and they had no idea what i was talking about ... it's called a note mrs. clack (they really don't pronouce the "r") i was told. I showed them canadian money and they thought it's pretty neat that our 2 dollar coin is so big (australias is smaller than our penny) and i felt like i was at yuk yuks when i told them we call it a twoonie.

the staff was great and they asked me to come back. I shared a room with another 1/2 teacher- so I am assuming it was the fact that she was close by that they noticed me. They asked me back tomorrow- buuuut, nic and i really need to find an apartment (and i want to sleep in) and I had already taken myself off of the call list yesterday. It was a really great 2 days.

I miss mom & dad's tub the most. I so badly want a soak, book and glass of wine. But I settle for double bed, 8 channel television and painful shower... (nicki did buy some wino for me yesterday...)

I'm craving Pad Thai like nobody's business, so we're off to get dinner. Last night I was asleep by 8:30 and slept until 4:41. I am not as tired today, so maybe I'll make it a late night and stay up until 10!

Happy birthday shout outs to aunt cathy!

lovers in a dangerous time

this is going to be short & sweet.... for 2 reasons.

1) our life is somewhat routine and boring now

and

2) i can barely stay awake.

the day started off like usual with the exception that steph and will greeted us in the morning. they were heading off to sydney at 3 today- so we went for lunch. i also invited our new hostel friends, mitch and julie. mitchell is working with the company I originally signed up to work with. they're from calgary (lethbridge) and very nice- so they are allowed to be in our wolfpack... which has grown from 2 to 4.

side note: we are exhausted. we had uncontrollable laughing attacks on the train tonight and i am pretty sure other passengers thought we were on something. train etiquette is to look really angry, sleep, listen to ipod or stare aimlessly out the window. there is no speaking. it's actually very depressing. so you can see how we stuck out (or as nic says: we're being gooned)

then after i beefed up nicholas' resume- i got my first teaching call! i have a grade 1/2 split. being the overly cautious lady i am, nic and i set out to see the school so i would know the exact route to take tomorrow morning. this time we only ended up 40 minutes away from our intended destination. alas, it wasn't our fault. the metlink guy told me to get on that train and i was so panicky that i faithfully trusted the kind man. when we finally arrived back in the city 2 hours later, he was coffee break. lucky for him, he missed the wrath of shauna. i was a grumpy gus in sunbury- it was cold, pouring rain and the city train was a 30 minute wait- this combined with being hungry and surrounded by an unsavory bunch of characters did not bode well for my mood. i have since ate and currently sleep next to the equator (armstrong)- so 2 major needs have been met, food and warmth.

so that's pretty much the day. i am extremely nervous about tomorrow because i still don't know exactly where i am going and i've never been a supply on my own. i'm glad it's grade 1/2 because they should be easy to win over (especially having them thursday and being able to use treats for good behaviour) but i think they'll probably be rather unhelpful when it comes to their daily routines. i'm excited either way.

we also were able to talk to both sets of our parents today. p & j on the mobile and greggy and patsy on skype. it was nice to hear familiar voices... and made me a little bit sad.

well, this girl needs to shower and prepare for tomorrow. mom, the forecast is calling for rain so i picked a bright colour per your advice.

stay classy.

xo

so much for the late night snacks

So today started just as the last 3 mornings,early. Shauna was up at 330 and couldn't get back to sleep. I on the other hand was sleeping quite easily. By 7 I was out of bed and down stairs for our complimentary breakfast. After eating as much as I could, I decided to plan for my late night snack. I'm not sure if it was the fact that I was filling a tupperware dish with peaches, or if it was that I had been down in the area for half an hour, but the lady that takes care of everything down in the kitchen area was on to me. So much for the late night snacks.

After the morning excitement, we ended up downtown. It was pretty close to where Shauna's meeting for work was. We found the place just in time after a bit of confusion with the public transit. It never fails though, the system may be confusing but if we figure how it works I'm certain there isn't anywhere in this city that we can't get to.

The meeting went real well. Shauna is feeling a lot better about having a job after actually meeting with some people face to face. They say that she may be able to start work this week!!

I guess this means that I need to start getting myself some work. I looked yesterday morning on line and it appears that there is a lot of construction work in this city as of right now. There seems to be one company that dominates the industry- HAYS Construction. I think I will work on my resume this morning and see if maybe they will hire a Canadian Carpenter. My dreams of becoming a travel guide are slowly slipping away, the construction industry is so busy right now that the wages they are paying are to good to just ignore.

Our hunt for a permanent location goes on. We were certain that we found the perfect building to live in on Sunday morning. After emailing the fella that we really liked the building and area,he responded with "great then, the apartment is yours. Just wire me $2400 and we will send you the key."

Now I'm not a detective or anything, but when a man asks you to wire money for an apartment

and we haven't seen the inside of, or have any proof that he even owns it, no keys or anything like this, it kinda throws a RED flag. This was pretty sure indicator that he was trying to scam us out of $2400. We emailed him back and asked if we could see the inside of the apartment-we haven't heard back,and don't expect to. As we walked down to Borders last night,(the biggest book store I've been in),we talked about how we really do like this area that we are in right now, the more we get out and discover it, the more we think and say "We could live here." So I think we may try using a real estate agent to find us a spot. I guess that's who does a lot of the leasing in this area for the Landlords.

Now it's breakfast time, we are going to revisit the breakfast area. Steph and Will are suppose to meet us down there. I guess they booked a room here in the same hostel last night. I am just hoping they have a different lady working this morning that deals with the peaches.

We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo

Today was a big day for Nicki and I. We woke up at 6 am which was nice from our usual 4 am and earlier. We have started our little routine of showering and then watching sunrise Melbourne (which seems to be overly pre-occupied with mel gibson) and then we go for breakfast.

Showering is terribly unpleasant here. The water pressure hurts my body. I can’t face the shower nozzle- it is that painful. There are signs up saying that Australia is in a drought and I am 100 percent certain this is how they have people avoid taking long showers. I haven’t attempted shaving my legs yet because I fear my skin may melt off if I’m in there too long.

Also, we’re thieves over here. We have taken to stealing the milk and cereal offered at breakfast and storing it in our room for late night snacks. I have a surge of adrenaline every time we do it… we’re looking into robbing a bank.

We travelled across town (using the train- which has become much easier) to Southbank to view an apartment. I fell in love with the outside alone. It has a pool, gym, key card system and a concierge…it’s almost like we’re somewhat important. We were able to google pictures of what it looks like inside, but couldn’t actually go in. The landlord is currently in London, England and is going to purolate the keys. It’s in really good area and it’s swankalicious for a reasonable amount of money. We haven’t signed anything yet, but fingers crossed

It was also on this outing that I made a mental reference to never have children in the city. Huron County may have been boring at times- but I think I would rather gouge my eyes out than raise a family in a city of 4 million. Which brings me to another point- there is an unreasonable amount of children on leashes here.

We then ventured to the Melbourne zoo. A highlight of my day was the train ride. There was a woman sitting facing us reading, and I kid you not “EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR BOWELS”. Who reads a book like that in public? I tried to take a photo but was unsuccessful.

The zoo itself was pretty much like every zoo- with the exception of the koalas & kangaroos- and in short, they sucked. They slept the whole time even when Nic started making what he was certain were their mating calls. We have planned a day trip which allows us to pet and hold these animals- so I wasn't too disappointed.

The zoo trip was completely worthwhile in the long run as there were 2 major revelations discovered today.

1) the toilets here have a button on the top that is in the shape of the ying-yang sign but with one side a bit smaller. I always push down the centre not knowing why it wasn’t a solid button. As it turns out, there is a half flush and a full flush- the smaller side is the half. If you can read this than you can probably guess when the half and full flush would be needed. I assume this was done because of the drought but is a water conscious idea none the less.

2) You can bring your own wine into restaurants! In fact, in some places, it’s all they allow. I will be taking advantage of this gem.

We’re catching on to the transportation system… but not the weather. I was frozen today. It was 14 degrees and really windy. You can pick out the Canadians in a crowd because we’re all wearing sandals while the locals are wearing boots and their winter gear. So far that's the only thing I wish I packed more of... sweaters.

Once we got home, I watched some North American t.v. on my computer (the t.v. here hosts 8 channels) and tried my best to not fall asleep. We were successful and are hoping we can stay awake until 8 pm tonight- party animals!

Currently, we’re going to get dinner now at a place called fiesta… it’s 5:45pm and if we make it until 7- I’d be surprised. I look like a raccoon the bags under my eyes are so dark.

Today was a good day and I personally feel like we’re catching on to things. I don’t know what I was thinking when I thought I could come over here alone. What Nic lacks in beauty, he makes up for in common sense and brains- and I’d probably be dead already if it weren’t for him. Rest easy Phil & Joan, I’m in capable hands.

To quote Dean Daer, Take Care Cuz We Care.

grammar check 1 2 3

And much to my dismay, I am writing on this blog, as I feel that we need my half of the story.

Since we will be documenting our daily occurrences, I have talked Shauna into letting me disclose my version of what has taken place every other entry. As per usual there is always two sides of any story, and somewhere in the middle is exactly where the real story lies. We made a deal not correct each other's story from the previous day so I guess you have to take our words for it when blog is entered.

This morning we woke up early. I was up at 4 AM, which I guess is due to the fact that at the start of the week I was on eastern standard time, therefore my body thought it was 2 PM and I would usually be wide awake. I feel this jet leg thing isn't a myth like I thought it may be.

After reading the paper and watching my beautiful fiance sleep for a couple hours, it was time for breaky. Down to the breakfast room were it was over populated with 19 year old males. It was tough getting a spot in line for the toaster, but Shauna just had no problem double toasting one kids toast just to help him out. I don't think he saw it like this. We eat as much as we can as the breakfast is included with our over night fee.

We decide it's time to get out on foot and look for an apartment. Saturday is the day everyone is doing this. All kinds of inspections today, as they call them. The first one we look at has a rather strong odour to it, it is kinda like the smell you have in an indian restaurant. We

skip out. The second place we enquire on is a little on the pricy side, $900 a week......$3600 a month. Needless to say I'm not sure what the inside of that place looks like. We then decide we need to plan things a little better for the next saturday, as we missed most of the inspection's in the morning-we will blame this on the jet leg.

We Have plans to meet one of Shauna's friends from UWO for lunch and then to a rugby game. I guess it's the thing to do over here. After heading back to the hostel and getting cleaned up a bit, we are determined to get on the tram service (bus) and figure we can use it to our advantage to get around the city. We purchased a weekly pass for the extremely low cost of $58 for a week. After some careful planning and a few people's input we are certain we are heading to the right spot, Fitzroy is the neighbour hood we need to get to. Well we get there, and ask lady in a small book store if she knows where the rugby games are held. Turns out we were closer when we started. In hindsight, your source should likely be familiar with the city and the neighbour hoods before giving directions.

Frustrated we decide to go back downtown to a spot that we passed on the way were there was a lot of different restaurants to pick from. After we indulged in a Hungry Jack burger, we figure that the rugby game is half over and we should just head back to our neighbour hood as we know how to get there at least. Lets try a new way, the train should get us back as we recon some of the signs that point us in the right direction. Well eight minutes later we are back in our neighbour hood and we also passed the stadium we were looking for the whole time.

Lessons learned today

1. train is better then the tram

2. always google map the building you are looking for

3. get directions from only one who lives in/or is familiar with the city

I Do believe that today was a learning experience on the area we intend on staying around for the next 10 months, so really no time wasted. I hope you enjoyed the game Steph.

We made it back to the hostel around 430, just in time to catch the last quarter of the game. Then guess what we did..... sleep until 9. We will blame the jet leg. I woke up at 9 and had to force myself to stay up. I can't believe how exhausted we both are. I am thinking that if we can stay up until 12 or so maybe we can sleep in tomorrow,or at least pat 4 AM.

Day 1

Nicholas and I arrived safe and sound. We got to Melbourne around 12 pm and after we checked into our hostel and showered, we immediately went to the bank (surprise, surprise- Nic's favourite place).

The flight wasn't bad. The Toronto to Vancouver, I had the pleasure of sitting next to an obese, sweaty man who could probably have fueled the plane on his own gas. It was gross. Then Vancouver to Auckland, I was between Nic and an Aussie guy about my age. I took 2 Gravol and was maybe awake for 3 hours that flight. I missed both dinner and breakfast. From Auckland to Melbourne, again, I was next to an obese man and Nic. This guy didn't smell but he laughed out loud at the movie he was watching. It must have been pretty hilarious because every 10 minutes he would startle me with a roar of laughter.

We caught our transfer and ended up with a teacher from Toronto who came here for his niece's wedding- and I am pretty sure he was on the prowl as he was staying for a month and driving to the location. We dropped him off in a dirty,little hostel. Brian- I hope you're still alive.

Our hostel reminds me of a haunted house on Creepy Canada. I like it. Our room is small, but my hotel room in New York was smaller. We have a fridge, t.v., desk, bed and window. We went to the bank and opened our JOINT account (Nic is petrified of sharing this with me) and then bought some snacks. 4 apples, crackers, laughing cow cheese and chips cost 15 dolla. We came back to our room and ate and then had a nap... this was at 4 pm... we woke up at 1 am.

At 6:30 we went for breakfast here at the hostel and got showered and ready for the day. Anyone who knows me knows I have a drastic fear of public washrooms. So far, I am impressed with myself. We took the train to "Chadstone Shopping Centre" and it was HUGE. I'm excited to go back without Cheapo McGee. We bought phones, a hair straightener and eye make up remover. Riveting, really.

I have my interview with my work on Monday and it looks like Nic will be able to get a job just fine. He really doesn't want to go into carpentry- so after we take a Day Tour, he claims he wants to get with them. Or his other idea is we buy a house here and fix it up.... I am really pushing Tour Guide.

So far we're having fun and just getting everything set up. It's not that different from Canada except for everyone loves our accents. And (I know Mom, never start a sentence with "and") we've been told how patient and nice us Canadians are. My pal, Steph, is going to be in Melbourne ASAP and I can't wait for Nic and her to meet.

We're currently living in South Yarra. It's a very affulent suburb in Australia. The only thing driving us crazy is that when we meet people on the sidewalk, we're always the ones who move out of the way. When I say we, it's more Nic. The whole driving on the other side of the road thing is tripping me out.

Our biggest dispute has been jay-walking. Nicholas has no apparent need to obey city rules and I refuse to cross until the sign says it's safe. It's been tough, but I think we'll make it.

Well it's time to activate our phones and find out our numbers! We've planned a nap and then a hot date in the Victorian Market for dinner. That's if we don't fall asleep and miss dinner....

Love you all.