Term 1 Week 5 - DONE!

This week was planning week at work as well as my staff room clean up week.  During planning week the specialists are used to cover the classroom teachers who are given time (an ENTIRE DAY)  to meet with one another.  Because of this the time tables are all messed up and so while I've worked hard to set up routines they went all a muck this week.

On Tuesday I met with the other prep and grade one two teachers.  We had the entire day to plan our first semester (which runs until the end of June).  It was a luxury we don't get at my school back home.  After our all day planning session we had a PTL (principles of teaching and learning) meeting.  It ran over time which was too bad for me because someone at work was going to drive me to my local post office so that I could pick up the small box of winter clothing that I sent ahead.  It would have to wait.

Wednesday with no meetings on the agenda allowed me to get out of work with enough time to ride to the post office to pick up my parcel.  It only took eight weeks to arrive!  

In the  evening I went out for dinner with two of my friend Ida's friends.  It was really nice.  Sally knew my mother and Simone is her daughter (and my age).  Simone is very active and involved with martial arts and she lives in Melbourne.  Hopefully we'll do a few more things together during my year here.  We ended up going for dinner on Lygon Street and I had a wonderful pasta meal.  From there we went for dessert and we each had a special hot chocolate from a specialty chocolate coffee shop.  It was a nice to be out for dinner.  I have no problem taking myself out for breakfast or lunch but I find sitting in a restaurant for dinner a bit too lonely.  The company was very much appreciated.

Thursday was a long day at work because my students didn't get to go to art because the older grade teachers were meeting so the specialist weren't available for us.  Thursday after work I went to the pool and met with the man in charge of the triathlon and master swim program.  He set up my one week free trial to start on Saturday.

Friday was an even longer  day .  As I mentioned in an earlier post Friday I've chose to have most of my yard duty - 45 min.  It isn't too bad usually because I have an APT (ie Prep time) but this week was mixed up because of planning week so no APT on Friday.  I ended up going from yard duty at recess into a staff meeting for the second part of recess. During the staff meeting I was doing my staff room clean up.  At lunch I ate quickly did my staff room clean up jobs and headed outside for my 30 min yard duty.  It wasn't fun.  After school I didn't spend any time planning but instead I tried to get the room more organized for my liking. I'm still not ready to post pictures of it but hopefully there will be a blog shortly showing you around my Australian school.

On Friday evening one of the Kylie's from work (there are two) invited me to join her for a fundraising dinner/house warming being hosted by her friend.  It's was called "Curry for Kids" and the monies raised are being sent to an orphanage in India.  Below is a picture of Kylie and I enjoying our home made curries.

Saturday morning I made my way to the pool to try the 8:30 am masters/tri club swim session.  I introduced myself to a few people and quickly made my way to the back of the slow lane.  I haven't really swam since I left Canada so I had no idea what I would be able to do.  As it turns out I still remember how to swim but I am out of swim shape.  I wasn't even the slowest in the lane and if I work hard I may be able to move myself up the lane ranks.  The question is I'm not sure if I want to work that hard.  The swim sessions here are 1.5 hours and once the final 200 back stroke, 200 m breast stroke, and 300 m kicking hit the work out board I pretty much  decided that I was done.  It was a good work out though and the coach seemed happy to have me there.  So now I need to figure out when I can get back before I make the official commitment to join them.  I actually think I'm just going to buy the drop in passes until I have some sort of routine in my life.  I'm out of town a fair bit and I seem to have to work later than I'd like a lot too.  I hope I can make the swimming a part of my routine though as I really enjoy it.

After swimming I headed home and caught a tram into the city.  I then got on my first train and headed out to Frankston to meet up with my friend Jessica from Vancouver.  She's married a man from Melbourne and they are raising their two daughters here.  I took a big purse so that I could bring my camera with me but stupid me forgot the camera at home.  The train ride was easy and very uneventful.  I took sixty minutes from the CBD to Frankston.  About 40 min into the ride the train followed the shore line.  Frankston was really beautiful.  It's on the Mornington (?) Pennisula which means it's right on the water.  We had lunch at this beach side cafe and sat at the best table.  After we headed back to her house and we hung out with her daughters.  We had dinner together and then I headed back on the 8pm train.  It was a really nice day and I'm so sorry there are no photos.  Jess has a great family and it was so nice to be with a friend that I've known for a long time.  For lack of a better word it was just easy.

So now it's Sunday.  This morning I headed into the city to go the Sunday Arts Market.  I've caught a small bit of it  twice but this morning I wanted to see it all.  It was nice to see the local crafts but in the end I didn't buy anything.

This is the South Bank.  The white tents on the bottom left are part of the market.

A small snap shot of the market.

I then left the market and decided I'd do a bit more exploring around Melbourne.  I hopped onto a tram and headed to the suburb of Camberwell.  In Melbourne what we would call a neighbourhood is called a suburub.  You have your inner city suburbs (like North Fitzroy where I live) and you have your outer city suburbs (like Frankston where Jessica lives).  If I were to compare them to Vancouver I'd say Kerrisdale, Commercial Drive, South Granville, or Marpole would all be considered inner city suburbs while Burnaby, Surrey, Abbotsford, White Rock, or Coquitlam would be considered outer city suburbs.  If you walk a few blocks in any directions you're into a new suburb.  So while they consider them suburbs I just think of the inner city suburbs as neighbourhoods.  Which brings me back to Camberwell.  Jessica had mentioned that Camberwell was a nice suburb that I should visit and that it even had a market on Sundays.  So figured out which tram to take and made my way there.  I was surprised to see that there was a Lulu Lemon in Camberwell so that may give you and idea of what type of inner city suburb it is.  

I made it to the market just before people were packing up.  It was more like a flea market with people selling their goods.  I'm sure there were some great bargains to be had though I just had little time and desire to find them.  I walked around the main street and then decided that I'd take the train back to the city instead of the tram.  It was a quick ride and brought me right back to Flinder's station.  

Camberwell Sunday Market

One of the main shopping streets in Camberwell.

From Flinder's station I made my way by foot to the Queen Victoria Market.  I guess it was just a market day for me.  The market sells fresh produce, meat, fish, cheeses as well as many other items.  I loaded up with groceries and headed home.  

So, that's a sum up of my week.  It's probably good that I didn't post any more beach pictures from Frankston because I'm sure it isn't nice to read this blog each week and see these amazing beach shots!  Next weekend I have a long weekend but I think I may be staying put.  It's the Melbourne Moomba festival so there will be a lot going on. In addition the food and wine festival is on and I'm hoping to hit a wine tasting event later in the month.  If I'm able I'll take part in some of the special luncheons they have (sort of like dine out Vancouver).