More than I expected

Yesterday I hopped on a bus to Circular Quay and took a ferry around the harbour - it was a little cloudy, so the pictures aren't the best, but it was very interesting and quite enjoyable. I then walked over to the aquarium, where I took lots of pictures - to be found on My Photo Blog. After the aquarium I wandered around the harbour area and then walked up to the Sydney Tower where I did the Sky Tour - an amusement park - like ride that tells you all about Australia - and then I took the ride up to the top (almost) of the tower. Awesome view of Sydney. I then had dinner in the restraunt which goes around and around and around... that was a new one - dinner in the clouds. Literally.
Today I walked around a bit, did a few errands, then headed down to the Opera House. I got tickets for Twelfth Night, which I just got back from. Loved it. They had the actors in modern clothing - with a few other modern changes, but it was pretty true to Shakespeare. And! I didn't know this but Jonathan Hardy, the voice of Rygel from Farscape - mom and I had JUST had a discussion about Farscape! Irony! Was an awesome play - and then... I wound up hopping a bus with one of the lead actors. Uhm who knew actors took buses? *boggle* I kept it on the dl though ;) But it was cool to have a brush with stardom :)
I also have tickets for an opera tomorrow night - The Barber of Seville, an Italian Opera - and I got front row seats!
And now... to bed and to rest - for another days adventures - before I return to New Zealand.

Faking it

I've gotten really good at faking it.
I've adapted the "Don't mess with me kid" - teacher look I've been working on for the classroom – for roaming the streets of Sydney. It seems to work pretty well. Nobody has bothered me yet - except for the Red Cross guy wanting me to donate blood.
I've spent the last couple of days walking around down-town Sydney - amaaaazing the things you see. For example, there is a fettish shop right around the corner from my hotel and next to that is the gay-male strip club. These are things you wouldn't necessarily find in my home town... at least I don't think you would. I’ve certainly never seen them. You need to go into Dallas or Ft. Worth I think.
Sydney is probably a very typical Big City. Though I must admit my encounters with BIG Cities has been limited – much by choice. I was in New York for a week, but I was with my high school, so everywhere we went we were somewhat sheltered.
But yeah, see lots of interesting things here. Keeps me entertained, that’s for sure.

On Sunday evening I saw The Lion King and it was awesome! I love the way they made the puppets become part of the actors. Truly amazing. And the music... /happy sigh
Even had a guy from the new Star Wars movies; JAY LAGA'AIA (Captain Typho) who plays Mufasa. Who knew he could sing? :)

I had dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe today.

Other than that I’ve been taking it easy, sleeping in, enjoying not having to do anything. Being able to decide what to do as I go – VERY unlike me. I must admit.... I broke down today and made a list.
/hangs head in shame
I had to do it! I had absolutely no drive to do anything and there are several things here I’d like to do; Aquarium, Opera House, Tower (like Space Needle), Harbour Cruise – Day and Night. That’s the extent of my list... and I have three and a half days to do it in.... soooo... Time to get busy again!

Did you say Pictures?

I've just posted 20 pictures from the past week.
To see the site go to My Photo Blog
Hope you enjoy!

PS I'm in Sydney now. I slept almost 11 hours last night/this morning. Trying to catch up from a wild and crazy week in Cairns. I really don't have any plans for the next week - except for going to see the matinee of The Lion King tomorrow! Otherwise I'm going to go with the flow. I know I want to see the Aquarium and maybe take a tour of the Sydney Opera House. Oh and they have cruises around the harbour. I think after the past couple of weeks I deserve a nice break. So I maybe I'll head down to Bondi Beach, sit around and do absolutely nothing!

I did it!

/pats self on back!
I did it Aya! I went Parasailing over the Great Barrier Reef yesterday! I caught a boat out to Green Island and went snorkling and then Parasailing. The view was amazing - water, island, reef, mountains!
This morning I went up in a hot air balloon, my favorite activity yet... well tied with helicopter... no better than helicopter. I'd say Balloon, Helicopter, Scuba... yeah... It's hard to rate them though, they've all been amazing. But on the balloon I saw Kangaroo hopping about in the wild - which was just awesome.
I met a guy from Switzerland this morning, Andre and a guy from South Africa, Johan. Both worked for the Hot Air Balloon place, both very nice guys. I had a talk with Andre about living so far from home... *cough* for future reference ;)
I've taken loads of pictures this week, but haven't had a way to upload them yet. I'll do it asap.
I have a few hours to kill now before I catch a plane back to Sydney, time to hit the tourist shops downtown and maybe go for one last drive. I still can't believe I've learned to drive on the left side of the road - scaaaary!

Trains, Buses, Koalas, and Kangaroos - Oh My!

Yesterday I took a train ride up a mountain to the town of Kuranda - very touristy place. I went to an aviary and then hopped on a bus which took me to a rainforest area. I petted a Kangaroo, CUTENESS! Through a Boomerang. Had an introduction into Aboriginal culture; didgeredoo, spear throwing, dance, etc. Took a sky-rail back down the mountain. Had dinner at an Indian restraunt where I met a guy from Wyoming and his Aussie wife & their adorable 2 1/2 year old son.

Found out this morning I have a new baby cousin! Marshall Thomas! Woot woot! Can't wait to see pictures!

Today I'm going to hang out at the beach. Tomorrow is another reef cruise to Green Island - they have sea turtles! Really hope I see some :) Friday morning I have a hot-air balloon ride and then I fly back to Sydney on Friday evening.

Traveling a Land Down Under...

Starting my 4th day in Australia, or Oz as the Kiwi's say.
I spent one day walking around Sydney and then flew up to Cairns. Yesterday I was a major tourist - I went on a bus ride up to Port Douglas, then a boat ride out to the reef, out on the ocean they have this floaty thing with stuff to do. I did a helicopter ride for 15 mins over the reef - front seat! - and then into a semi-submersable submarine, then scuba for an hour! Was far out! My fave would have to be the heli, followed closely by scuba.
Today I'm off to see the rainforest, with a train ride and a sky tram thingy.
Gotta run!

So much to blog, so little time

Almost 6 full weeks in New Zealand, with almost 5 full weeks of Student Teaching under my belt.

What an experience. All sorts of things have been happening; good, bad, and in between. I was sick last week and missed three days of class, Tues-Thurs.
Our school is doing a production this week, well half the school, with over 230 kids involved. I'm working backstage, doing microphones and trying to keep the kids in order, on stage at the right time, and whatnot. It's a lot of fun, excellent experience, but so incredibly tiring. I am always at school around 8 am and home by 6 ish, but with production I have to go back at 6:50 and am not home until after 9:30pm. Makes for a very long day. But! Really and truely, a good experience. I am enjoying it.

The lady I am staying with, Anne, went into the hospital on Sunday morning. She'd been sick all night and was having terrible tummy pains. Turns out she had gallstones and an infection in her galbladder. She's been in the hospital since, it's Weds afternoon here. They may let her out tomorrow night/evening.

I've had several more firsts... Don't think I'll tell about all of them *cough* most have been good though. I've been hanging out with Andrew a lot, but he's going back down to the South Island next Saturday, and I will only see him for two more days.
I leave Saturday morning to go to Sydney for a night - then fly to Cairns for a week, then back to Sydney for the rest of my holiday. I fly back to New Zealand on Friday, October 1st. I'm looking forward to a one-day cruise of the Great Barrier Reef, a rainforest walk, and who knows what else!
I'm sad he's going. We keep each other entertained :) It will be quiet when I get back from my trip. But! I do have several short trips planned around New Zealand. John is taking me to Taupo, a crater lake north of here, to go camping. He also took me out fishing again, last Saturday, on the rocks. A new experience, lots of standing and dodging the spray, but good. I saw dive-bombing seagulls! It's cool to watch them go under, you think they'd need to come up for air soon, but they keep after their prey until the emerge with a juicy fish of some sort.

So many incredible experiences, in such a seemingly short time. All the people, the place, the entire feeling of the last six weeks - and I'm sure the next nine. I don't want to leave. I won't want to leave. I must find a way to come back.
I'm hoping that after I have my masters, in two years (please?), I will be back in New Zealand, teaching. A lot can happen between now and then, and who knows if I will ever return. But honestly, I can't imagine not coming back. I could really see myself living here. And I've only been around Wellington. Wait til I hit the South Island, Whales, Penguins, Dolphins, Mountains, Fiordland... /sigh... I wanna go now!

Hope everyone at home is doing well. I managed to sneak a peek at Aya's blog just now. Sounds like all is going well for her! Makes me happy :) I need to talk to you chicky... I'll try to find time to call you during my Aussie trip.
Renee, good to hear from you :) will try to sneak a peek at your blog soon.
Thanks for the bagpipe link too Aya.
Gotta run. Need to eat lunch before the bell!

Week 3

Its crazy being so far from home - so out of touch with the world as you know it.
New Zealand is such a small country, and it seems so very far from home at times. Yet it has an admirable quality about it. It seems younger and more innocent than America. I'm living in a suburb of Wellington and everyone here is so laid back. Many of the daily stressors which affect us in the states simply do not exist here.

How many states are there in America/The United States?
I challenge you to ask this question of every person in every foreign country (outside Canada and Mexico) and see what they say. Every person, except one, has answered 52. Craaaaaaaaaazy!

I've been doing quite a bit of teaching. Some of it has been my own planning and some has been just gradually taking the lead when my cooperating teacher has been tied up with something else. I have just completed my third week of student teaching and I can see an enormous change in the way the students relate to me. I have gone from being the cool foreigner to the cool foreigner who is respected by the students. I love that I have been developing my own teaching style. I am INCREDIBLY lucky that the structure, set in place by my cooperating teacher, fits me so well. She is very strict/stern with the kids, expects respectful behavior at all times, and likes a quiet classroom. She's done all the hard work, in setting the standard of what is expected. All I had to do was come in and learn her cues. The kids have decided that I am someone to be reckoned with! But they also can have fun with me and often ask me about America. Their favorite question is "Do you know (insert name of someone famous)?" Not "Have you heard of __?" but do I know them... they crack me up!

In short, I'm really enjoying my time here. I've started researching what it would take for me to get a job here. It's looking like a real possibility.