June Happenings

Photo by Giulia Bertelli on Unsplash

Life

My life has changed so much since I last wrote a blog post. For starters, I have moved back to my hometown, and I have a new job. I teach at the local school. It’s been a bit of learning curve for me as all schools have different ways of doing things. I also had some high behaviours in the class which made me rethink my decision to move back home. Thankfully, I have supportive admin who were able to help me, and the class is going as it should.

Photo by CDC on Unsplash

Watching

I’m currently binge-watching Sea Change. It’s an Australian tv show from 1998-2000. Sigrid Thornton stars as Laura Gibson, a city lawyer who moves to a small coastal town to be the magistrate. She must deal with adjusting to life at a slower pace and the kooky town folk. I can relate to being in a small town, having lived in a few of them. I would agree that there’s never a dull moment in a small town. I also get nostalgia from looking at old fashion and technology.

 

Reading

I’m still reading Piranesi by Susanna Clarke which Jon gave me for my birthday last year. It’s an interesting story. It’s about this man named Piranesi who lives in this strange endless house which he believes is the world and there are marble statues everywhere. The only interaction he gets is from another man who is called the Other.  

 

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Carlyn's Diary: January 2022

 

Life

My best friend is getting married! I’m a bridesmaid and helping her with the wedding. She’s still in the early stages of planning. It’s been fun looking at dresses and shoes. I’m currently thinking about what to include in my bridesmaid’s speech.

 

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Reading

I am reading Midnight Sun by Stephanie Meyer. It’s a retelling of the book Twilight by Stephanie Myer from Edward’s perspective. I like the different perspective as it adds more to the original story.

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I have also subscribed to Audible and I have listened to many novels. It’s a great way to catch up on books. I like to listen to audible when I’m doing chores. The book I’m currently listening to is I can’t make this up by Kevin Hart and Neil Strauss.

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Watching

I’m loving The Princess Switch movies starring Vanessa Hudgens. Vanessa Hudgens plays three characters, Princess Stacey, Queen Margaret and Miss Fiona Pemberly who all look alike and switch places a lot. The Princess Switch is a fun Christmas movie. If I were a kid, I’d probably watch it nonstop.

Carlyn Diary: December 2020

 

Life

I’m at home with my family for the holidays. I haven’t been home since January because of travel restrictions. It’s been great catching up with everyone and visiting old haunts. I’ve also been stocking up on my favourite things to take back to my own place.

Reading

I’m catching up on reading the Babysitters Club. I love those books and my collection is at my parent’s house. I’m also still reading Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. It’s a book I’ve been reading on and off for the past few years.  Next year, I want to finish up the booklist that Jon and I created back in 2011! I have three books left.

Watching

I live in a remote island for work and I don’t get to watch a lot of tv. So whenever I come back to my family home, I always try to catch up on tv. I’m currently watching Star Trek Discovery. I have been a Star Trek fan since I was a child and I’m always delighted when there’s a new series or movie.

December 2018

I’m back home for the holidays and intend to blog more. I got a new job in August which has kept me pretty busy. I’m a teacher and I went to teach in a remote location. It was a very rewarding experience, I have lots of good memories about the people and the place. I’m going back next year once the school year starts. I hope to make a lot of improvements for next year.

One thing that I want to improve on is giving priority to my personal goals. Before I got my job, I had started on an Arts degree majoring in creative writing. It was something that I had always wanted to do.  I dropped out of college when I got my job because I felt that I would be too busy to do it.

I missed writing and having that creative outlet, so I’ve enrolled back into uni. I’m still working full time, but I’ll make the time for my studies.

I have a few weeks of summer vacation which I intend to catch up with friends, go out and watch lots of movies. What I like the most about being back in city is the availability of everything and catching up with people.  I do enjoy living in a remote place, but a change of scenery is good.

Reading

I am currently reading The First Days of School: How to be an effective teacher by Harry K. Wong and Rosemary T. Wong to get some tips on teaching. I’ve been a substitute teacher for most of my career but now I have my own class. Subbing is different from being a classroom teacher. A substitute fills in for a classroom teacher who is away. Now I have to do some planning. I am looking forward to seeing the growth of the students throughout the school year, which was something I wasn’t a part of as a sub.  

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I am also reading the bible to better understand the community that I work in. Most of the community are Christians and the school is sensitive to the culture of the community despite being a public school. We have a prayer at every staff meeting and school function. I’m a Buddhist but I don’t have any problem with learning another religion.

In contrast, I’m also reading The Davinci Code by Dan Brown. Jon Bear and I are reading the book together and I’ll post a review about it later.

Watching

I started watching The Alienist on Netflix. It’s set in 18^th century New York and follows a psychologist, a newspaper illustrator and police secretary who are investigating serial murders. I’ve only watched one episode and I’m hooked.

October Update

Life

It’s been a long time since I blogged. In August I accepted a new job teaching in the Torres Strait. The Torres Strait is a series of islands located up north of Queensland. I live on a small island of 250 inhabitants and I teach primary school.  The island is very small and it only takes an hour to walk around the whole island. I’ve really enjoyed the experience. The people are very friendly and welcoming. It is a bit of an isolating experience in some ways. Mobile phone reception is limited to a few hotspots on the island and the internet is slow. This island is not open to the public as it is a part of the Indigenous Protection zone.

I’ve recently had a short vacation in Cairns. It was refreshing to be back in a city again. I went shopping and explored the sights. My brother came up from Brisbane to join me on vacation. I hadn’t seen him since I left.

I am looking forward to the end of the year. There’s going to be a lot of fun events happening. The school will have a Christmas Concert and the grade six students will have their graduation. When the students have finished all their assessments, we’ll play games, do arts and crafts and watch movies. The last week of school was always my favourite time of year when I was a kid.

Reading

I am still reading Dracula by Bram Stoker. I think it’s a very exciting book although some might see it as tame compared to the horror genre in modern times. I think the story is told in a very interesting way. I like how the story is told through different viewpoints by diary entry, newspaper clipping and telegrams.

Watching

I’ve recently started watching Doc Martin. It’s a British drama series about a cantankerous surgeon who moves to a sleepy coastal town after he develops an aversion to blood. The town inhabitants get on his nerves with their stupid questions and beliefs. He is a very serious and blunt person which is what adds to the entertainment.

Life Updates in June

Life

Last month, I started some reading and writing goals. It’s been going great even though I’ve had a few setbacks.  My reading goal is to read ten pages a day. It’s not a lot but I find it very easy to manage. I enjoy reading but I don’t do it as often as I like. I’m one of those people who read a bit and then not pick up the book for months. It takes me a long time to finish any book. So I try to read a little bit in the morning. I usually find that I end up reading more than prescribed.

Another goal of mine is to write 100 words a day for my novel. I’m participating in a 100 word for a 100 days challenge  http://goteenwriters.blogspot.com/2018/05/register-for-100-for-100-writing.html . It’s a challenge open to all ages. The challenge has been really good for me.  I am making good progress in my novel. I’m writing more than what I usually do. Prior to the challenge, I wrote sporadically whenever I had the time. Sometimes, I would hardly write anything even though I would spend a long time on the computer.

Reading

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I’m currently reading Mary Poppins by P.L Travers. I’ve had that book for four years, so I figured it was about time I read it.  I actually haven’t watched the movie either.

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I’m also reading The Host by Stephanie Myer. This book was gathering dust on my bookshelf for a long time too. I watched the movie adaption some years ago. I really enjoyed it. I think that if The Host had been Meyer had debut with this novel, people would have recognized her talent. The writing and the story is stronger than Twilight.

Watching

I’ve started watching the third season of The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.  It’s a comedy series on Netflix about a woman who gets freed from an underground doomsday bunker. Kimmy tries to rebuild her life.

May Happenings (2018)

Life

This month, I’m trying to turn over a new leaf. I have a terrible habit of procrastinating. I put off what I need to do, and I think I’m too busy to do the stuff that I would like to do. So, I decided to stop being lazy and have weekly goals. I mainly want to read more, exercise and get more things done.

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I’m always tired so being healthier will help me with the having energy to get things done. I’m going to bed earlier and trying to focus on sleeping instead of thinking about everything.

As for exercise, I’ve started walking for thirty minutes on a treadmill and doing squats and sit ups. I’m going to do Pilates and yoga too. It’s something I enjoyed doing years ago.

Watching

Search Party 

Search Party is a comedy mystery series about a bunch of millennials who try to find their missing friend Chantel. I am watching season two now. I would say the first season is more compelling than the current season. There were lots of twists and turns. What I find appealing about the show is that it is current with trends and events happening. All the characters are little ridiculous in their own way. The second season is more comedic. Australians can watch the show on sbsondemand.

Imposters

Imposters is a show about three people Ezra (Rob Heaps), Richie (Parker Young) and  Julia (Marianne Rendon)  who were scammed by Maddie (Inbar Lavi) . She married each of them and stole all their money. They manage to track her down to confront her and find out that she’s part of a bigger conspiracy. Meanwhile, they are all being tracked by the FBI and a mysterious doctor.  I’ve only watched three episodes of season 2 so far and I like what’s going on. They are in Mexico and it’s just gorgeous there.

Reading

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I’m still reading The Blue Flower by Penelope Fitzgerald which has been on my booklist for eight years. It’s a fictional biography of Friedrich von Hardenberg, a German philosopher who lived in the 17^th century. It’s an interesting read. I find the character to be a bit silly, but he is young and a dreamer. The only thing I have contention with, is that he courted Sophie von Kuhn, twelve-year-old girl when he was twenty-two years old. It was something that he really did do. However, I understand that it was a different time.

The characters do find it peculiar that he would be so besotted with a twelve-year-old. They think she’s just a child but Hardenberg says there’s something special about her. He was an honourable man though. Hardenberg asked her father for permission to court her and she liked him. They got engaged when she was thirteen years old. *spoiler* They were to wed when she turned fifteen, but she sadly died of tuberculosis. *

Life in April

Work

I’m no longer working as a teacher aide but it was a wonderful learning experience. As a teacher aide I assisted many different classes and I was able to learn ideas on classroom management and activities. I was working with teachers who had been teaching for many years and it was great seeing the level of experience they had in action.

I had some fun times at the school. Everyone was friendly and polite. It was a positive environment which was a nice change from some of the places I have worked at before. I will miss the children and the staff.

Life

One of my goals this year was to catch up with old friends. During the school holidays, I met up with my old teaching buddies from when I taught in the desert. We had a nice lunch together and chatted about old times and what were up to now. I also met up with one of my best friends. We finally swapped Christmas presents from last year as she’s been away travelling.

Watching

I’m currently watching Chrisley knows best which is a reality tv show about a rich Southern family and their life. They all have big personalities which makes the show entertaining. I like how the episodes are around 21 minutes, so I can watch it while I’m eating and finish an episode during that time.

Reading

I’m still reading The Blue Flower by Penelope Fitzgerald. It’s a fictional biography of Friedrich Von Hardenberg, a German philosopher. The book has been on ‘to be read’ pile for years. I’m liking it so far. I’m also reading Dawn and Surfer Ghost by Ann Martin. It’s one of the books from The Babysitter’s club.

 

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February Happenings

I haven’t really done much this February. Most of my time has been spent on my new job as a teaching assistant. It took me a while to get use to working every day as I use to be a part time worker. The people at my new work place are very friendly and welcoming people. Everywhere I go, people say hello and ask me how I’m doing. I must have the same conversation three or four times. I bet the others go through the same convo cycle.

 I find it a little tedious, but I try to remember that it’s the first time having that conversation with that person. I think this is what celebrities feel like when they are asked the same question in press junkets.  I try to remember what people say to me too and inquire about their lives as well. I’m totally anti-social, I do like my colleagues and care about them.

I really value the weekend now and love Fridays! In my downtime I have been reading Soon I will be Invincible by Austin Grossman. It’s one of the books on my ‘to be read’ pile since 2011! It is a book about superheroes and alternates between the villain’s point of view and the perspective of the hero. Jon Bear has read it before, you can read his review here.

I’ve also been watching Star Trek Discovery on Netflix. It’s different from the other Star Trek series. The main character is Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) as a science specialist on the USS Discovery. It features the Federation during war time and the ship has a secret weapon which hasn’t been seen on Star Trek before.

First Day of School

The 22^nd of January is the first day of school for Queenslanders. I got a new job as a teaching assistant so I will be there on day one. It will be fun watching the children arriving into school. Some will be excited and run into the classroom with their parents in tow and others will be clinging to mum or dad’s hand, fearful of their first day of school. In contrast, one of my new colleagues has children starting high school this year. She would love to be there for her kids but they rather not be seen with their mother. They have reached the stage where parents are embarrassing.  I remember my first days of school and thought I would share them.

Kindergarten

My dad took me to my first day of school.  I think I was nervous because I didn’t know what to expect. We found the classroom alright. On the desks were labels with each student’s names that were to go on our tidy trays. My dad covered the label in contact before I could colour it in. My teacher’s name was Mrs. Hanson. She looked like Queen Elizabeth ll. I wonder if she is still alive.

High School

My dad came with me on my first day of high school. A lot of new students already knew each other but I barely knew anyone. It was a novel experience, going from class to class for different subjects. The other students were very friendly and invited me to hang out with them. Eventually, I found friends that I clicked with and I had a good high school experience.

University

This time dad didn’t come with me. I didn’t ask him to and he didn’t offer. I took the train and bus to get to campus. I felt small and awkward on campus. It was just a day of walking around, trying to find different classes, getting lost and trying not to look lost. I eventually dropped out of that uni and tried again at a different one. I think I was too young and overwhelmed with it all. When I started uni again, I had a bit more life experience and I majored in something that I had better interest in.

What were your first days of school like? Were you excited or nervous? Did you have a positive school experience?

December Goals

I work as a substitute teacher and school is about to finish for the year. As I don’t have to do any school planning like regular classroom teachers, I have two months to do anything.

Here’s my list of things to do:

1. Read every day

I have a huge to be read pile and lots of books collecting dust. I’m not one of those people who can sit for hours reading, unless I’m riveted on the book. So, I’m going to aim to read a little bit every day. I’ll finish off all the half-started books first.

2. Exercise regularly

I’ve been glued to the computer all year, not really doing anything. It’s time to get active again. My family has a treadmill that we bought last year. I’ve only been on it twice. I’ve recently installed a pedometer app on my phone and going on the treadmill will help me to reach 10,000 steps a day.

3. Netflix

To pass the time on the treadmill, I’m going to watch all the movies and tv shows that I have on my list. I keep adding shows that I will watch one day.

4. Blog

I haven’t been blogging much this year.

5. Finish Teacher Portfolio

6. Go out solo once a week

I need to get out more. I rarely go out by myself. I think it would be a healthy experience for me. 

October Life Update

For the past few months, I have been living in a bit of a funk. Just family stuff. I became directionless to avoid thinking about stuff. Now I’m trying to get myself out of the hole that I dug.  I’m making goals and lists again. This time around I’m not going to give myself a hard time if I don’t achieve them. I just remind myself that it’s good to get started and  I can always pick up where I left off. So far, it’s been good. I feel more productive and that sense of accomplishment makes me feel good.

Study

Semester 2 is finished! I won’t have uni again until next year. I had the option of doing semester 3 but I’ve decided to take a break. My creative writing course was fun. I learnt a lot from the experience. I wrote a lot, more than I would have if I hadn’t started the course.

Reading

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I just finished reading Escape by Carolyn Jessop, which is an autobiography about a woman who escaped from a polygamous marriage and cult. It was very admirable that she could escape with six children in tow and leaving everything behind.

Watching

I’ve been watching Brooklyn Nine Nine which is a comedy show about a fictional Brooklyn police precinct. The episodes are short, and I can watch it while doing other stuff.

Carlyn's Diary: September 2017

I have two weeks of holiday time. It’s spring in Australia, my favourite time of the year. It’s also my birthday month. This time around, I’m having a staycation. I plan to catch up with old friends and mostly binge watch through my Netflix saved list as well as finish one book. I plan on watching, The Age of Adeline, Albion: The Enchanted Stallion, Pulp Fiction and Room. As well as a whole bunch of series.

 I would like to get through a ton of books too but I know myself enough to know I won’t do it. So my goal is to just finish reading Gulliver’s Travels by Johnathan Swift. It’s been almost two years and I’ve read the book on and off, forgetting about it all the time and starting new books.

I haven’t decided yet on what I will do for my birthday. I usually have a big plan but this year I’m aiming for something low key. I was thinking of having a roast dinner with my family and going out with my friends later.

August Life Update

Study

I changed from my journalism degree into creative writing. I decided to go with my heart as all I really want to do is write fiction. I originally chose journalism to be sensible because it has better job prospects. However, I thought I might as well be happy because this will be my second degree and I’m not young anymore.

It has been the best decision I made. I’m enjoying my course and I like being around like minded people. I was a bit nervous about sharing my work as we have to critique each other but I’m there to learn so it’s necessary.

Watching

Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (Goblin)

My little brother introduced me to this kdrama. It’s about a Korean general Kim Shin (Gong Yoo)  from ancient times who is executed by the emperor who is afraid he’s too powerful. He gets stabbed with his own sword but doesn’t die. Instead he becomes an immortal known as a goblin and must wander the earth until he meets his bride. The love of his life is the only one that can pull the sword out and grant him death.

It’s an interesting concept and well written. The costuming, special effects and locations are excellent. I recommend the series.

Boys Over Flowers

In this Kdrama is set in high school. It’s about a girl named Geum Jan Di (Ku Hye-sun) who gets a scholarship to Shinhwa High School, a private school in Korea. Students take a disliking to her because she’s not rich especially Gu Jun Pyo (Lee Min-ho), the most popular boy in school. Gu Jun Pyo is the heir to the Shinhwa company and his family owns the school. He does a series of pranks on Geum Jan Di to force her to leave but she rises to the occasion which leads to him falling in love with her.

The two get together but their love is tested by Gu Jun Pyo’s mother who doesn’t approve of the relationship. The couple have the support of Gu Jun Pyo’s friends Yoon Ji Hoo (Kim Hyun-Joong), So Yi Jung (Kim Bum), Song Woo Bin (Kim Joon) who are all heirs to large fortunes. The boys make up the group known as F4 who rule the school.

Reading

The Reinvention of Skylar Hoyt Series- Book 1 Me Just Different by Stephanie Morril

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Skylar Hoyt is this popular high school student who decides to change her life after something bad happens to her at a party. She becomes estranged from her friends as she tries to work out who she real is and finds herself liking an unpopular boy. I thought it was a cute story, it reminded me of the stupid fights you have with your friends in high school.

Carlyn's Diary: June 2017

University

This year I decided to go back to university and study journalism. I am a teacher but I wanted a career change. I’ve always liked writing so I want to work in a field with writing. Now that I have finished my first semester, I’ve realised that journalism is not for me. I would like to do creative writing instead so that’s what I’ll be doing next semester.

I was first interested in journalism as I wanted to be a better writer and blogger. However, I’ve decide to go into creative writing instead. I started to write a novel because it was something that I always wanted to do. Then I realised that I need some help in writing a good story and that learning about creative writing would be better for me.

What I’m watching

 I finished watching Anne with an E on Netflix. It’s a new series based off Anne of Green Gables by L.M Montgomery. A story about an orphan girl warms the hearts of two elderly people that adopt her. I like this new adaption which I feel is made for this generation. It’s more darker and veers off the books a little bit.

I’m currently watching Designated Survivor on Netflix as well. It’s about a minor politician who becomes the President of the United States after a terrorist attack.

What I’m reading

I’m currently reading Eve by Jenna Moreci . I’m only at the beginning so I don’t have all the answers but it seems to be about a young woman who is a mutant who is despised for being a mutant and there’s aliens and she is in college. Good read so far. 

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My goals 2017

I was kinda stumped when deciding on my goals this year. I like working towards goals each year as it gives me some purpose and direction. So, I asked myself where I would like to be in five years time. When I was younger, I didn’t know how to answer that question because the future seemed so far away and I was still growing as a person. Now, I feel that I can answer that question and from there I can work out how I would like to fulfill those goals.

In five years time I want to be:

• Financially stable and relatively debt free.
• Living independently.
• A capable driver who can go anywhere.
• Working full time in a job that I love.
• Well travelled.

My 30th Birthday

On the 27^th of September, I turned the big 3 0. This year I decided to mark the occasion by going to an Escape Room with my friends. An Escape Room is themed room where players are locked in the room for about an hour and they have to solve a series of puzzles to get out. The rooms themes usually have a mystery or crime theme. The rooms are monitor via camera and players are usually given a telephone so they can call for clues.

I booked the Forensics room at Strike Bowling in Brisbane. The bowling company has branched out to have themed Escape rooms too. The Forensics scenario is that players are hunting down a serial killer. My friends and I had a lot of fun playing detectives. Unfortunately, we didn’t solve the crime in time. What got us in the end was trying to put a code into a padlock. We actually had the right code but we couldn’t open the lock. It was some solace to my friend when the supervisor let her open the lock after the time ran out because my best friend was dying to know what was inside. If we had to do it again, we’d be more meticulous with the clues rather than turning the room upside looking for clues here and there. We’ve already made plans to go again and I have a feeling it might become a tradition.

Apart from that, I went out to dinner with various friends and family in celebration of my birthday. I got a few presents too, mainly money from family and beauty products from friends. I know it sounds silly but I do feel different by turning 30. I feel more of a grown up and closer to death! So, I feel that I ought to do more with my life such as go travelling and take more risks. 

Good things in term 3

I’m a first year teacher teaching in the outback. Term 3 was a series of ups and downs but I wasn’t so harried so I had time to enjoy myself and be present. Here are some good things that happened in Term 3.

Variety Bash

The Variety Bash is a charity event where drivers travel around Australia to raise money for disadvantaged children. Anyone can participate in the Variety Bash, as long as they raise $7600 and have a car that is 30 years old. The cars usually get outlandishly decorated for fun and the participants dress in costumes. This year, the group travelled from Melbourne to Darwin. They visit rural towns along the way and my town was one of them.

The children look forward to the event as the Bashers had visited the town before. They bring in a lot of business to the town and it’s good to meet new people. The group stayed in the caravan parks, motels and in people’s homes. I would have liked to have hosted someone but I didn’t have a spare bed. My school hosted the group for breakfast…. all 300 of them. I volunteered to help with breakfast. So on a cold Saturday, we served hot breakfast items such as eggs, bacon and savoury mince as well as toast, muffins, cereals and fruits.

The cars were beautifully decked out, each one having a theme and most seemed to be sponsored by companies. Most of the Bashers were in costume much to the delight of the children. It was like trick or treating in reverse as the adults were dressed up. They handed out treats to all the kids who had come and the children walked away with bags full of goods. Some kids had two or three bags. The kids received sweets and toys. I was given a usb in a shape of a racing car and stickers!

Career Week

The last week of school was career week for the high school students. The juniors had an in school incursion where people from various professions came to visit them. They also visited places in town and did work experience. I was lucky enough to accompany the seniors on a four day excursion out to a major city.  Some of the kids had not much exposure to the outside world and they had their first experience going to restaurants and hotel. We spent our time looking over the universities and colleges as well as taking tours of some companies. It was also a shopping trip as well as we stopped over at malls to have lunch. The children brought a lot of money with them to buy things they couldn’t get back home. On the trip,  I experienced laser tag for the first time! It was fun and I loved running around.

Wedding

I was invited to a country wedding for a staff member. She had a barn wedding and it was gorgeous.  The wedding was held in the backyard followed by a reception in a barn.  The barn was beautifully decorated with fairy lights and there were hessian table settings to suit the country theme.

I am looking forward to next term which will be final one for the year.  I’m looking forward to the end of year activities like Christmas carols, prom and graduation. 

My life in the Outback 5 months on

I’m now 5 months into my stay as a teacher of the Outback.  Not everything has gone according to plan but I’m making the best of it. I’ve recently changed my position in the school which wasn’t something that I wanted to do. However, it has given me new opportunities which will be good for my career. Instead of being a classroom teacher, I am now a learning support teacher. It means that I help students from various classes who are struggling with literacy and numeracy. It is a rewarding job to teach students who are falling behind. They don’t always want to be helped but I keep trying anyways.

Besides school, I have grown very comfortable in this town. It rained heavily a few months ago so the desert is a nice green. Well… as green as a desert can get. It will never be lush in the desert and while the plants are green, they are still rough sparse and pointy looking things. It’s almost spring and I look forward to anything that will bloom here.

Another thing I am looking forward to in spring is Spring Break! I’ve learnt my lesson when it comes to school holidays and that is to have all my work finished before I leave for vacation. The last time around, I decided to go on vacation in the first week and then finish my work on the second week. It was a mistake as I had unexpected delays.  I ended up doing all my work during the weekend before school would start. I nearly had a breakdown.

I will have my 30^th birthday in the holidays. I am planning to go back to Brisbane and have a big night out with my girlfriends. I was thinking about doing a spa day.