Greetings mates!!
Well, I am here in Australia, and yes, they do call just about everyone mates here! It's a not a joke, so let me bust that myth for you right off the bat. I have only been here three full days now and I have managed to see kangaroos by the packs (?) and the beautiful roaring Indian Ocean.
Even though Australians speak English and look enough like me, it is VERY different here! Everything from what they call breakfast to the style of their plugs and light switches, Australia truly is a whole different world down here.
Because I didn't blog my first three days here due to extreme jet lag and being at school all day, I will just lump everything I've seen, heard, learned, and what not into one post.
They call breakfast Brekky here, which is pretty wonderful. My mentor teacher/roommate, Wendy made pancakes for brekky my first morning. They make their pancakes much thinner here, and think Americans have just gone bonkers for putting chocolate chips and blueberries in their pancakes. They cut up lemons, squeeze them onto their pancakes, and then sprinkle sugar on top...an absolute delight!!! They got that idea from the French, or so I heard.
They drive on the other side of the road and the driver's seat is on the right side of the car, not the left. When we walked to Wendy's car at the Perth airport, she walked to what would be the driver's side of the car in the U.S., so i thought she wanted me to drive home from the airport! I'm so glad that wasn't the case! (and now I'll pause for a funny moment: I'm sitting here with Wendy, and we're both on our laptops. She just asked me "what's Kool-Aid?" I was happy to tell her that it's only the greatest drink I had growing up, EVER!) They also call their gas petrol.
The time difference has been just crazy, but I guess I'm adjusting. I have been invited to a church by the chaplain at the school I am teaching at, so that's evidence of God answering my prayers. God is here too, but I wasn't seeing that at first. God didn't just create North America; you can see his beauty and amazing handiwork here in Australia too! What a beautiful land.
It IS cold here right now though! Well cold only because I came from the sweltering humidity of Cleveland to the non-humid crisp 18 degrees celsius (55-60 degrees farenheit) of Perth, Australia. But, when I throw on a jumper (sweater/sweatshirt) I am just fine!
The kids at my school are beautiful! They are very sweet and were excited to meet me as I was excited to meet them. A few of them had heard of the Cleveland Cavs (thanks to he who shall not be named) and also the Lakers (Kobe!). The teachers at the school are very friendly. Such a laid-back culture and people. They have "morning tea" in the staff lounge at school and they have a "cupper" or in the states we would just say a cup of coffee or tea (how boring of us!) The children call their lockers/cubbies, "pigeon holes" which I think is awesome and their candies are lollies. Also something I noticed while looking at a map today, their map of the world is a mirror image of the one we have in our textbooks here in the states. It is this way so that Australia is more central, making North America be in the upper right hand corner (northeast of Australia) I just thought that perspective was so interesting.
My students are also planning a "journey" across Australia from Perth to Sydney. They get to pick their own route, plan places to stop, tell what you can do there, and chart how many kilometers they travel altogether. It's such a fun project!
well, that is all for now because jet-lag stinks and I'm exhausted. Time for bed! I am still overwhelmed and truly miss home, but I trust God will hold onto me and sustain me and continue to provide comfort and wisdom. Lots of love to you all, and goodnight mates!
Caitrin
well I tried to post a comment and it didn't go through...basically what I said was I just had my brekky and a cupper and am off to work now! I'm wondering though do they have a nicer name for work??!! I love reading about your adventures! It sounds wonderful! And I can't wait to hear more!!!
ReplyDeleteSounds like they have a lot of the same names for things that they do in Ireland! They make the thin pancakes there too with lemon juice and sugar (or Nutella! they're addicted to Nutella over there!) and I've been trying to make them that way ever since I've gotten back, without much success! Maybe you'll have better luck with me at perfecting the thin pancake! Then you can show me when you get home!
ReplyDeletebetter luck "than" me, I should say!
ReplyDeleteI get to talk to you throughout the week, but love reading this! Maybe post a pic of Wendy for everyone to see? Love you
ReplyDeleteI'll just grill up some sausages and make some huge, thick and fluffy chocolate-chip pancakes and send them out for you and Wendy to have for brekky tomorrow. Then she'll see the light.
ReplyDeleteThanks Caitrin for the update. I must say, those pancakes sound delightful and refreshing. God is at work for you and it so exciting to hear about, especially being invited to church:) I call those little things "little kisses from God". Can't wait to hear about all of the "little kisses" to come.
ReplyDeleteBrekky... love it! Glad to hear you got there safely and have been enjoying your new surroundings!
ReplyDelete(Btw, this is Amy Timco! It's making me use my Google email ID.)
So...I was definitely cracking up at the image of you trying to drive Wendy's car. "Oh hi! Nice to meet you! Oh, what's this? You want ME to drive?" "Umm...that's the passenger's seat. (crazy Americans...)" Miss you fran!
ReplyDeleteHi Catrina, hope you enjoy Perth. Luckly I was able to vist perth back in 1982 and had a great time even tho it was only a week. The people were really great and friendly.
ReplyDeleteThere's a really big park north of Perth that you should go and see while your there it's just wonderful.
I know you don't know me but I went to school with your mom.
Gary Syllaba