An Easy Saturday Morning...

The first week of Term 2 is done and dusted. I was up early this morning, for no particular reason, and decided I might write a post or two. So, it was off to the study, grab the laptop, back to the kitchen to make a Chai Latte, and then outside to sit on the porch in the brilliant morning sun. The mornings are cold, perhaps brisk is a better choice, but the days have been very warm for this time

Some Graduation Photos...

Well, I have now officially graduated from the University of Western Sydney with a Master of Teaching (MTeach) degree. The next box to tick is a professional competence one with the New South Wales Institute of Teachers. With a bit of a luck I should have satisfied all those requirements by the end of 2011.It would be nice to say "thus begins the next phase of our journey", but the reality is

Australian Aboriginal Proverb...

"We are all visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love... and then we return home."It is important to learn something new every single day. It keeps the mind fresh and active. I found this proverb on a bookmark. I post it here because it says a lot about how I want to live my life "to observe, to grow, to love" and

Term 1...Done & Dusted!

Well, Term 1 is done. It has been a long term in both the literal and figurative senses. In the literal sense it has been an 11-week term instead of the usual 10. In the figurative sense, it has also been long as teaching every day gives rise to new and different challeges every day. These challenges arise irrespective of the fact that the students stay the same.Nevertheless, when it is all said

Indonesian Nationals and Foreign Spouses...

Whenever I have had an extended break from posting I always feel the need to apologise for my absence. I am not sure why that is. Maybe it is that I really enjoy posting odds and ends on my blog, and the fact that I have been way so irregular in doing that probably bothers me more than it bothers anyone else. But hey, duty or work calls and I have been busy doing the thing that pays my

Collarenebri Thoughts...

The big move took place starting on 25 January 2011 and culminated on 26 January 2011 with our arrival in Collarenebri. As poor excuses go, this is why there has been a dearth of blog posts, and the fact that it has been more than a week since we went into the local Telstra retailer to get a landline and internet connection set-up. The landline works, but we are still waiting for WiFi modems and

I'm Back...

No apologies for the lack of posts over the past week and a half or so. I have been on holidays of a sort. The first day was spent driving some 650 kilometres from home to Moree for a couple of staff development days.As some may be aware, I have been appointed to a permanent teaching position at Collarenebri Central School. If you are wondering, it is about 140 kilometres to the west of Moree. I

Carols by Candlelight...

There are always plenty of ways to identify the season to be jolly. However, carols by candlelight are always fun. This is the first one we have been to since we have been back. I cannot recall why we did not go last year. Anyways, we decided to walk up the road to Panania Public School and check out the festivities.It was like a mini fair. There were all sorts of goodies on sale. There were also

Will, Family & Christmas...

The Baiton Boys...

A little pre-Christmas gathering and exchanging of gifts before we all head separate ways.The photo was taken in Martin Place in Sydney. They whack up this really huge Christmas tree to draw in the visitors (seems to work a treat).