Last Three Weeks

     I haven't had the chance to blog much since Tasmania because I have been so busy with school. The week after I came back from Tasi, I moved into a new home, with the Farr's. Joanne is a teacher at the school and I spend I week in her class on the second. Her house is wonderful and she has an incredible family. Over the past three weeks I have met her dad, sisters, nieces, nephews, in laws, and friends. Her father and in-laws have been so wonderful to me and her husbands parents let me stay in their house one night when Joanne had to go out of town for a conference. They were very interested in where I came from and even google imaged my house!
 

Chelsea, myself, and Kelly at the race track

  The week after Tasi, I was with the music teacher and basically got to play drums with the students all day. I loved it. It didn't even feel like I was supposed to be working. Then, that weekend, I hung out with two ladies from the school. Kelly and Chelsea have been my two closes friends at school. They are so much fun to be around and constantly cracking jokes. They told me they were going on a road trip and didn't give me any details on the matter. We ended up going to two pubs (before noon. . . ) and then going to a country horse racing event. We met up with some of their friends and ended up hauling coolers (like I said, everything is BYO) into this little track that was packed with people in the middle of the country. It was so much fun, although I won nothing in the horse races (despite the fact there was like 5 horses in every race).  I ended up spending the night at Chelsea's and she brought me back in the morning.
     The following week, I was in a teacher's class who did not show up to school on Monday. The school was running low on money for substitutes, so they told me to run the class. I asked if the teacher had any sub plans or if there were any instructions. Kelly, who often relieves teachers, said, "you basically just show up and teach whatever you feel like." I was so surprised, things sure are different here than they are at home in the schools. Then, last Friday I went to a special needs school with Kelly, who goes there on Friday. It was a lot of fun and I am glad I experienced it.
 

Joanne, Matilda, and I at the beach 

 Joanne has two kids, Cooper and Matilda. Matilda is 10 and she and I have hung out quite a bit. We play cards, swim in their pool, and watch Sabrina the Teenage Witch (an old favorite of mine that she happens to love as well). Cooper is a very polite 14 year old who loves soccer. Last weekend, the five of us went to their beach house. Craig, Joanne's husband, attempted to teach me how to surf. I did okay. He swam out with me and would tell me when to get up. I thought that I was ready to try it on my own. I guess I had the impression that he was there for emotional support, but then I ended up swallowing salt water immediately when he left. I realized that he was holding the board steady for me while I was taking off and did an instant roll to the side when I tried it on my own. I ended up doing okay and I can't wait to try it again in Sydney.
     This week has gone by so fast. I finished everything for IU and applied for my teaching license. I have one more day at the school! The whole staff threw a party for me during the break today and everyone brought in authentic Australian food. I will really miss everyone at the school. They all went out of their way to make me feel welcome and apart of the group. Also, Joanne and I have became really close. We have a nightly routine. After dinner we will drink a glass (or two) of wine and stay up and talk about whatever is on our mind. Sometimes we work out beforehand in their gym or swim in their pool. After I told her about Thanksgiving, she had a roast at her house and invited her in laws and parents over. It was really touching. Her dad gave me a little carved box of a koala, my favorite Australian animal. They have all been so thoughtful.
    Trey leaves tomorrow morning and is flying to Sydney. I am going to meet him in Sydney on Saturday morning. We are planning on going to Cairns on Sunday. We are going to go on a tour out in the Great Barrier Reef on Monday and snorkel! This next week should be a lot of fun. I am looking forward to seeing everyone from home but I will miss it here.

Communication Challenges

This is a small list* I compiled about the different ways I have made a fool of myself here

1. I put raw bacon on my sandwich for lunch thinking that it was ham because they look the same here

2. When I first met someone in the staff room at the school, they told me a story that involved their "partner." I just thought they were talking about their same sex partner. Then, a few days later, someone else was talking about their "partner" and then I heard the term a few more times. Right around the time I thought the school was full of lesbians, I asked someone and they told me that "partner" was the term used to describe boyfriend or girlfriend.

3. I had an entire conversation with someone who was telling me about how they were buying a new car on the weekend. When I asked what kind it was, I was confused because they didn't know. They said their sister found it for them and it was grey. Then, after a five minute conversation, I realized that they were in fact talking about a cat, but their accent made it sound like "cah" so I was confused.

4. On the second day of school one of the kids was telling me about a blister on their skin. They told me about "Mossy's" which are big insects here that bite them and they get big red welts on their skin. For the remainder of my stay, I kept hearing about "mossy bites" and I kept a look out for these big insects that would get me. Then, a fellow American told me that "mossy's"are just mosquitos. I felt so stupid.

5. I also got very confused when Vic, my first host dad, was "sneaking" wine into a restaurant. I was surprised because I didn't peg him as someone who would do that. How in the world were we going to bust open this bottle and drink it without getting caught by the people that work here? Then it was explained to me that almost every restaurant is "BYO." You can just bring your own alcohol into restaurants and drink it.

6. Ben, the music teacher, was telling me about how "naked" he was after a long day. It turns out that "knackered" is a term here for tired. It still strikes me as odd when people say it

7. When a student asks you for a "rubber" don't look at them shocked and horrified- just give them the eraser in your hand, because that is what they are asking for.

8. The first night I was here, my host mom, Raelee, asked her son if he was coming back home for tea. I just assumed that they all sat around and drank tea together at night. Then I found out that "tea" is another word for dinner here. . .

*This is just a short list because I make a fool of myself almost daily