Although I have been on school holidays, it's been a very busy week. I have already posted about the first half of the week on my last post, so this one is from Thursday. I spent about four hours on Thursday at Kawungan school. My friend, Sandy, who teaches grade two and has the classroom next to me, was going into the school and she had the code to turn off the alarm on our little block. Sandy and I get along really well, so it was fun as well as productive getting our plans sorted and picking up supplies so that I could get some things ready at home this coming week. It felt really good to be able to get so much done - I really like being as prepared as possible ahead of time.
Friday was another day of doctor's appointments. The first one was an ultrasound and yes, having to hold a litre of water for over an hour is not a fun time. :-) The doctor was really nice and chatted while he did the ultrasound. I was never so happy to get to the bathroom afterwards, though. :-) After a quick trip to the chapel to open up the Family History Centre, we went to my second doctor's appointment which was a skin check - and it was exactly what I thought it was - the doctor checked over every inch of my body for moles - every now and then he used what looked like a jeweller's spyglass to look at something closely. He said there was nothing for him to be concerned about which I was really happy about.
Whenever this doctor has to do something where the patient has to undress, he has a nurse come into the room. The one on Friday was the same one who had come in when I had my pap smear last Monday and so she and I chatted while the doctor was checking me out. I asked her why she was there and she said that she is usually typing up whatever the doctor is concerned about re: the skin check, but she didn't have to do anything with me (she did type up one thing at the end when I told the doctor that Dr. Nixon in Canada had taken care of one mole, so the doctor here wants to keep an eye on it). I think it's also protects the doctor from anyone saying that something inappropriate happened, but of course, they didn't mention that.
Yesterday, we spent the day helping the Gilbert's move - since the Gilbert's are not residents of Australia and have a South African driver's license, they have had difficulty renting vehicles here in Australia for some reason. So, they asked Dad if he would rent the truck and drive it from their present house to their new house. I spent most of the time helping Haidi clean out their garage - they had a lot of boxes in there and I managed to help Haidi 'throw out' a lot of stuff - she was even telling others how good I was at helping her to cull things. :-) I told her that Jennifer was the queen of culling and that I had learned a lot when we had to decide what to bring and what not to bring to Australia.
Today Dad and I had to give a talk in Sacrament meeting. My talk was on how we can always have the spirit to be with us and Dad's was on faith. Both talks went really well - we had both practised them a number of times so that we were able to look up a lot of the time as we gave the talks. Dad and I were both told by a number of people how much they enjoyed our talks. I told them that I was very grateful that we have lds.org to go to on the net to get copies of talks from the church magazines because that's where I go to to get a lot of what I talk about in my sacrament meeting talks. I got very emotional when giving my talk - the spirit really touched me and I love that feeling. :-)
Dad and I are going to the temple this week - I am so excited - we haven't been able to go to the Brisbane temple since we have arrived here. I was told today that it is a beautiful temple (aren't they all? :-) We are planning on borrowing our friends' tent trailer and staying at a 'Big 4' campground which sounds and looks a lot like the KOA campgrounds over there. It will be nice to get away, relax and spend some time in the Temple. :-)
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Time sure gets away from you sometimes, eh? Well, it has from me since we have returned home from Brisbane. My second week at school went very well again - the kids are getting used to my way of doing things (a little different from Bronwyn). There were a number of children away this past week, though - there was some kind of bug going around - plus, a few went on vacation early. So, on Friday, I only had 12 children. I couldn't do any teaching, really, so we spent the day mostly doing fun stuff - painting, reading, cleaning up the classroom. :-) I have spent this week planning for the two weeks after the holidays. I went into school today to do some prepping and to get some supplies which I will sort out at home.
On Sunday, we had our first run-through for the Primary Sacrament meeting presentation and it went quite well - I was really pleased. The three children who can read were away, so we had others reading their parts (just to get an idea of the timing) and the other children parroted what the grown-up sitting with them read from the script. I photocopied the presentation and drove around town on Tuesday delivering the scripts to the Primary children. I am just hoping that they all show up for the next two practices.
Monday, my first day of vacation, was spent going to doctor's appointments - my doctor is getting all sorts of tests done since I am a new patient - so I have been to get blood tests, did the mammogram and pap smears, and have to go tomorrow to have an ultrasound of the uterus/ovaries area and also to have a skin check. I haven't had a skin check before, but I am guessing it has something to do with checking moles, etc. as Australians are very susceptible to skin cancer as so many of them spend a lot of time out in the sun. The only thing left to get at the doctor's is a physical - phew, I will be glad when it's all done, at least for another year. It is good to know that the doctor is being very thorough, though.
On Tuesday, Dad got the call he's been waiting for about the job he interviewed for - he was so excited about what the guy, Chris, was saying on the phone, that he kept giving me the 'thumbs up'. :-) It was so great to get some good news re: a job for Dad - he is very excited to start on this new adventure! He will be travelling down to Melbourne at the end of November for three weeks to sit in on a course - it's a course about the A330 airplane - Dad has a license on the A300, A310, and the A320 and some experience with the A330, but hasn't got a license on it. So, Chris wants Dad to sit in on the course (like auditing it) so that he can learn the differences of the A330 (so he can eventually teach the course himself) and also Dad wants to see how the instructor (who's been teaching for this company for nine years) teaches. The company will pay for Dad to fly down and back and also will put him up in the company condo in Melbourne. He is going to ask if I can join him - I hope they say yes - Melbourne is a beautiful city and I would love to spend some time touring it.
Yesterday, I went out for lunch with my friend, Haidi. She and three of her children are going back to the UK for an extended vacation, possibly leading to them staying there (being joined by her husband and two other children who are staying here til the end of the year to complete their high school education). We had a great time chatting with each other and eating a good meal, as well. I'm sad for me that she is leaving, but I am happy for her as she feels that the UK is her home (even though she was raised in South Africa). It sucks making new friends and then having them leave - first Julianne left so that her husband, Clive, could get more work, then Rosalea left to be closer to her granddaughter, and now possibly Haidi. I had so many friends in Canada that there was always someone to hang out with, but of course, it took me years to make that many friends. I am glad that Robyn and Geoff have no plans to move out of HB. :-)
On Sunday, we had our first run-through for the Primary Sacrament meeting presentation and it went quite well - I was really pleased. The three children who can read were away, so we had others reading their parts (just to get an idea of the timing) and the other children parroted what the grown-up sitting with them read from the script. I photocopied the presentation and drove around town on Tuesday delivering the scripts to the Primary children. I am just hoping that they all show up for the next two practices.
Monday, my first day of vacation, was spent going to doctor's appointments - my doctor is getting all sorts of tests done since I am a new patient - so I have been to get blood tests, did the mammogram and pap smears, and have to go tomorrow to have an ultrasound of the uterus/ovaries area and also to have a skin check. I haven't had a skin check before, but I am guessing it has something to do with checking moles, etc. as Australians are very susceptible to skin cancer as so many of them spend a lot of time out in the sun. The only thing left to get at the doctor's is a physical - phew, I will be glad when it's all done, at least for another year. It is good to know that the doctor is being very thorough, though.
On Tuesday, Dad got the call he's been waiting for about the job he interviewed for - he was so excited about what the guy, Chris, was saying on the phone, that he kept giving me the 'thumbs up'. :-) It was so great to get some good news re: a job for Dad - he is very excited to start on this new adventure! He will be travelling down to Melbourne at the end of November for three weeks to sit in on a course - it's a course about the A330 airplane - Dad has a license on the A300, A310, and the A320 and some experience with the A330, but hasn't got a license on it. So, Chris wants Dad to sit in on the course (like auditing it) so that he can learn the differences of the A330 (so he can eventually teach the course himself) and also Dad wants to see how the instructor (who's been teaching for this company for nine years) teaches. The company will pay for Dad to fly down and back and also will put him up in the company condo in Melbourne. He is going to ask if I can join him - I hope they say yes - Melbourne is a beautiful city and I would love to spend some time touring it.
Yesterday, I went out for lunch with my friend, Haidi. She and three of her children are going back to the UK for an extended vacation, possibly leading to them staying there (being joined by her husband and two other children who are staying here til the end of the year to complete their high school education). We had a great time chatting with each other and eating a good meal, as well. I'm sad for me that she is leaving, but I am happy for her as she feels that the UK is her home (even though she was raised in South Africa). It sucks making new friends and then having them leave - first Julianne left so that her husband, Clive, could get more work, then Rosalea left to be closer to her granddaughter, and now possibly Haidi. I had so many friends in Canada that there was always someone to hang out with, but of course, it took me years to make that many friends. I am glad that Robyn and Geoff have no plans to move out of HB. :-)
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
I have been so busy with teaching and so tired from teaching all day - that's why I haven't written until now. I love being back in teaching mode - doing all the planning is exciting to me - I definitely am meant to be a teacher - it's totally in my blood. :-) I am teaching a grade two class and there are 21 kids in the class. There are two little monkeys, but the rest are quite good. There are more girls than boys which suits me well - having said that, there are some sweet boys and some annoying girls in the class. :-) There are so many things that the government is telling us to teach now (explicit lessons have been given for language and math), that I feel that there is so little of "ME" in my program. This is nice for me right now with doing a contract position for just four weeks, but I am not sure I would be a fan of it if I was permanent/full-time. Teaching is taking up pretty much all my time. I get to school around 7:30am and am usually there until between 4:30pm and 5pm each day. After dinner, I usually spend between 1 1/2 and 2 hours doing more school work. It's a lot of work and it's tiring, but I wouldn't give it up for anything. :-) Other than school work, the other thing that keeps me busy is church - on Sunday, I typed up the Sacrament Meeting Presentation which the Primary children will put on in October. We usually have 11 children in Primary, but two of them (both of who can read and know the songs) are leaving for England before the presentation - so, we are really going to find it hard, I think, to make it work, but we are going to try. We are going to have a run-through on Sunday to see how the children cope with what I have prepared for them to say and then make a decision on the final draft of the presentation.
Now for Dad - he has some good news - we think. :-) He is still waiting for a phone call to 'seal the deal', but he feels very hopeful - and very excited. He drove down to Brisbane this morning (3 1/2 hours) to have an interview with a guy who owns a company which teaches aircraft technical training. Harry (the owner of the company) and his son interviewed Dad (for 1 1/2 hours) and Dad reckons the interview went really well. He said that they sounded like they wanted to hire him, but be thought that they might need some time to figure out when they could use him, when he could get some training he would need, and also to give him some time to get his ABN (Australian Business Number). Basically, he would be working as a contractor and so he would bill the company every time they use him to teach and then that means he would have to pay his own taxes. Dad has also been busy with church stuff - mostly getting his lessons together to teach on Sundays. He also has been busy working on things around the house and at the Family History Centre.
We both need a cruise to go on to get a rest.
Now for Dad - he has some good news - we think. :-) He is still waiting for a phone call to 'seal the deal', but he feels very hopeful - and very excited. He drove down to Brisbane this morning (3 1/2 hours) to have an interview with a guy who owns a company which teaches aircraft technical training. Harry (the owner of the company) and his son interviewed Dad (for 1 1/2 hours) and Dad reckons the interview went really well. He said that they sounded like they wanted to hire him, but be thought that they might need some time to figure out when they could use him, when he could get some training he would need, and also to give him some time to get his ABN (Australian Business Number). Basically, he would be working as a contractor and so he would bill the company every time they use him to teach and then that means he would have to pay his own taxes. Dad has also been busy with church stuff - mostly getting his lessons together to teach on Sundays. He also has been busy working on things around the house and at the Family History Centre.
We both need a cruise to go on to get a rest.
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