The Beginning of a New Week

Yesterday (Monday) it reached 38 degrees, which is 100 F. Side Note: Went for a run yesterday & went back to the wrong house. I even tried to get in the door before I caught the owner's death stare & sprinted to the right house... Anyway, whenever it is predicted to be 38 or higher, ISWA has a half day because they don't have air con (shortened here). It was nice to send the kids home early, especially because you just can't teach (or function) in temps that hot. BUT we did have the routine Monday afternoon staff meeting in the air con computer lab. After the meeting, Mel dropped me off at the "shops." Everything here is a shop. Also, they have their grocery stores inside their malls (although they don't call them malls & they don't call them grocery stores). The kids all walk around in their school uniforms or their after school clothing (swim suits, although they call them "bathers" here.) All schools, private or state, wear school uniforms & every student MUST wear a school hat out to recess. It's actually very cute. Another interesting thing... people walk around EVERYWHERE barefoot. It's totally normal to be in your bathers & shirt, walking through the shopping center barefoot.


After dinner, Milea (another COST student living in Perth) & her host mum picked me up to go to the outdoor movie. It was an amazing. We bought a bottle of white, Toblerone, & grabbed our metal/lawn chair seats. The theater is cased in by massive brick walls & tall green shrub/tree things (Mom, I bet you're laughing at this description). After the sun went down, the movie began. The moon was as bright as a neon light & I could see SO many stars. We even saw a shooting star! Anyway, the movie was great & since the sun sets so late here, we didn't get home until late... which killed me today.

Today was not as hot as yesterday, but the humidity was definitely rough. There is a breeze outside, but in the classroom it is a bit stuffy. I taught my first lesson today about the difference between living and nonliving things. It is great to have so much flexibility in my planning (No GPS!) Today we were outside exploring & observing our environment. I was kind of nervous with Helen in the room, but I'm glad I finally started because I have been anxious about this first lesson for a while. Later in the day (after we spent an hour in the no air con gym) I noticed the new girl from Scotland had taken off her shoes because she said, "It's too hot for sand shoes and socks." Sick... The kids had a really hard time learning in the afternoon because they were all so dehydrated & tired. The heat slowed me down, too. After dinner, Mark, Mel, & I watched DVD's from their 3 month excursion up North. Everywhere they went was so beautiful. And now I am finally relaxing & having my bedtime tea & biscuits. I am SO tired from the night before & teaching the little ones today. Tomorrow I am starting a phonics program with our 3 new students who either don't know the language or are far behind the others in learning. They are from Spain, Germany, & Singapore. YIKES! But I will say that I am learning & growing SOOOO much from this whole experience. I am really enjoying it!

SIDE NOTE TO DAD & DANNY: Forgot to tell you that Neil Young played the 2 nights I was in Sydney, but I didn't want to pay for the tickets AND he played in Perth 2 days ago at the "Day Out in the Park" or something. But, again, I didn't want to pay for the tickets. Anyway, he's following me around Australia & I think of you both every time I hear his name!