This week I accomplished a lot of goals. Wednesday was when it began. The classifieds here are best on Wednesdays and Saturdays (as Thomas told me), so Wednesday I decided to look for nanny/babysitting jobs posted in the paper. I only found one, but I gave them a call. So far I haven't heard back from this family, which is ok because it got me rolling. I put together a resume appropriate for this situation, and tried to google the "going rate" for babysitting/nannying around here. While googling, I came upon a fantastic website (gumtree.com.au), with everything from TVs for sale, to friendship and dating ads. From there I stumbled on one great opportunity after another. I found a TV that is being sold by a couple moving overseas (imagine that!). It comes with a DVD player and TV stand, and we're picking it up today. I also found a book club, Literature Loving Ladies (nerdy I know, but I really want to find a book club!). So far, I have emailed them, and plan to join the group on Thursday. The book is 'The Book Thief,' by Markus Zusak, an Australian author, but the book is published in the UK and US. It is incredible, and I haven't even finished yet. Hopefully it's a fun group, and if not, I found out about this extraordinary book in the meantime.
I've also organized one interview for a nanny position--Monday evening. They are right up the road, so I am keeping my fingers crossed that this will work out. It will be great to have some income, and something to do. Not to mention, who knows who I might meet from there. I've been emailing with another family, and I might interview with them, but it's not for sure yet.
Otherwise, I do need to get out there again musically, which involves practicing! I've taken a bit of time off from that, so we'll see if we can't amend that situation. I'll keep my ear to the ground for potential low brass students, but I am trying to be patient.
Monday I go back to my volunteer job at the museum, so it will be nice to see everyone there.
Thomas is doing very well. He is enjoying having me back, and we've settled easily into a routine, though it's changing all the time. In early September he will be auditioning for the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, so soon he will be working even harder toward that.
That's all for now. I might wander down to the store for a paper (it's about a 2-minute walk from here).
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Day 7 Update
It gets dark here at about 5:00pm. This is very confusing for me, considering that it is summer at home, and it gets dark around 9:30pm there. So by 6 o'clock, I am thinking, "Wow, it must be closing in on bedtime!" Wrong! It's very weird.
Otherwise, I am trying to adjust to life again as an unemployed foreigner. I'm trying to fit in and make friends, and feel comfortable. I guess this is to be expected when you move to a new place (let alone, country). I'm planning on starting my volunteer job at the museum on Monday (my usual day there), and tomorrow I will begin my search for a possible nanny job (the best days for classifieds are Wednesday and Saturday apparently).
So far, winter here is very pleasant. I use the term, "winter," very loosely though. It does get chilly at night, and I am usually curled up tightly under the blanket in bed. But today on my walk into West End (about 30 minutes), I was glad to have put sunscreen on my face. The sun was very bright! I am slowly adjusting to walking everywhere I go. I definitely need to do more walking for exercise, which will make walking for transportation easier.
That's all for now. Hopefully next week I will have more exciting things to share!
Otherwise, I am trying to adjust to life again as an unemployed foreigner. I'm trying to fit in and make friends, and feel comfortable. I guess this is to be expected when you move to a new place (let alone, country). I'm planning on starting my volunteer job at the museum on Monday (my usual day there), and tomorrow I will begin my search for a possible nanny job (the best days for classifieds are Wednesday and Saturday apparently).
So far, winter here is very pleasant. I use the term, "winter," very loosely though. It does get chilly at night, and I am usually curled up tightly under the blanket in bed. But today on my walk into West End (about 30 minutes), I was glad to have put sunscreen on my face. The sun was very bright! I am slowly adjusting to walking everywhere I go. I definitely need to do more walking for exercise, which will make walking for transportation easier.
That's all for now. Hopefully next week I will have more exciting things to share!
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Safe arrival!
After 28 hours of travel, I have finally arrived safely in Brisbane! Everything went according to plan, beginning with my flight from Detroit to LA, which left at 5:30pm on Monday, June 4th. I arrived in LA at around 7:30 LA time, and waited for my 10:30 flight to Auckland. Conveniently, the Northwest flights from Detroit to LA land in the same terminal as Air New Zealand, and also the same terminal as the $10 per value meal Burger King restaurant (!). I boarded the flight to Auckland, and from what I could tell, it was under 50% full. I ended up with my own row (although the arm rests didn't go up, so I couldn't lay across the three seats like most people--not a big deal), and had a pleasant 12-hour flight. The longest wait seemed to be when I was in Auckland, as it was the home stretch, and I just wanted to get the rest of the way!
Finally, I arrived in Brisbane, went swiftly through customs, and each of my 3 bags arrived on time. After going through the final screening, I purchased phone credit for my Australian cell phone, called Thomas, and was on my way to a taxi. Thomas was in rehearsal, so the landlords let me in the apartment and helped me with my luggage. The taxi cost about $45, which isn't too bad.
Since arriving back to the apartment, we've mostly sat around, and I've shown Thomas some of my new clothes. We're both very excited that I'm back, and adjusting to the fact that we don't have to do any math equations to figure out when we can talk to each other. : ) I took a short nap, but it felt like hours and hours. When I woke up, it was about 5pm, and already getting dark, so my body is VERY confused! I do think the trip was easier this time than last year, but we shall see.
That's all for now. I hope to post regularly this time around... we'll see how that goes.
Finally, I arrived in Brisbane, went swiftly through customs, and each of my 3 bags arrived on time. After going through the final screening, I purchased phone credit for my Australian cell phone, called Thomas, and was on my way to a taxi. Thomas was in rehearsal, so the landlords let me in the apartment and helped me with my luggage. The taxi cost about $45, which isn't too bad.
Since arriving back to the apartment, we've mostly sat around, and I've shown Thomas some of my new clothes. We're both very excited that I'm back, and adjusting to the fact that we don't have to do any math equations to figure out when we can talk to each other. : ) I took a short nap, but it felt like hours and hours. When I woke up, it was about 5pm, and already getting dark, so my body is VERY confused! I do think the trip was easier this time than last year, but we shall see.
That's all for now. I hope to post regularly this time around... we'll see how that goes.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
For anyone who even reads this
I'm not sure if anyone actually reads this, but lately I have an overwhelming need to be heard (or in this case, read).
The wait for my visa is continuing. I am hoping that next week will be the magic week. That's what my mom said, and she's often right about matters of life and such. In the meantime, aside from working (and playing on the computer at said jobs) all I do is read. And I love it. My love of book stores and libraries even applies to the Charlotte Community Library, which has 6 rows of fiction at most. Despite its tiny size, there are still more books there than I could ever possibly read. Sometimes I have to try very hard to be humble when I think about the fact that I have a master's degree and teacher certification in two countries, and yet, I am excited when my weekly paycheck is over $300 (one week for one job, one week for the other--you get the point). Hopefully very soon this chapter of my life will end. And when it does, I may be slightly saddened that I won't have the time to read nearly a book a day, and at least I have improved my skills in patience. But man will it be nice to start teaching, after working a long time toward this goal.
The wait for my visa is continuing. I am hoping that next week will be the magic week. That's what my mom said, and she's often right about matters of life and such. In the meantime, aside from working (and playing on the computer at said jobs) all I do is read. And I love it. My love of book stores and libraries even applies to the Charlotte Community Library, which has 6 rows of fiction at most. Despite its tiny size, there are still more books there than I could ever possibly read. Sometimes I have to try very hard to be humble when I think about the fact that I have a master's degree and teacher certification in two countries, and yet, I am excited when my weekly paycheck is over $300 (one week for one job, one week for the other--you get the point). Hopefully very soon this chapter of my life will end. And when it does, I may be slightly saddened that I won't have the time to read nearly a book a day, and at least I have improved my skills in patience. But man will it be nice to start teaching, after working a long time toward this goal.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Subbing
I've been subbing a lot lately, and it's pretty great. Today I went for a half day of middle school, and the teacher didn't leave any plans for me. I definitely prefer when they actually leave plans. I just can't wait until I will be a "real" teacher; my own job, my own students, real money. That will be the day. I don't think I'll believe it until I get my first real paycheck. And then I will frame it and hang it on the wall.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Michigan
I didn't do very well with this whole blog thing... Oops. Now I'm back in Michigan already, applying and waiting for my visa. Maybe I'll write in the blog from here and then by the time I go back to Australia, I will be an expert. Who knows.
Life is very different for me than it was two weeks ago. The weather couldn't be more different! Everything is covered in snow. It's nice to be driving again, although the un-plowed roads make for an interesting time. I have started working again as a security guard, and will be substitute teaching beginning next week. I'm trying to practice euphonium and catch up with friends, though both are proving to be very challenging. I guess I've only been home a week, so maybe I should give myself a bit of slack.
We're off to Myrtle Beach tomorrow morning to visit the family and see Sara and Mike's house. I am very excited!
Life is very different for me than it was two weeks ago. The weather couldn't be more different! Everything is covered in snow. It's nice to be driving again, although the un-plowed roads make for an interesting time. I have started working again as a security guard, and will be substitute teaching beginning next week. I'm trying to practice euphonium and catch up with friends, though both are proving to be very challenging. I guess I've only been home a week, so maybe I should give myself a bit of slack.
We're off to Myrtle Beach tomorrow morning to visit the family and see Sara and Mike's house. I am very excited!
Friday, November 23, 2007
Losing Thanksgiving
As my family and friends back home are eating their last bites of pumpkin pie, and washing the remaining dishes, I am here in Australia, where there is no Thanksgiving. People know about it, yes, but it went by without much fanfare here. Now that I've just spent time talking to the family on Skype, I have realized that I may never have a real Thanksgiving again.
I love Thanksgiving. I think I've always loved it because it's near or on my birthday, so growing up I guess I thought it was about me. And it's a great holiday because there are no presents involved. Just family and food. I will truly miss the Northern Hemisphere autumn, and everything that I used to associate with November. Orange leaves, turkeys, pumpkins, warm sweaters, apple cider... all things savory. Of course we will celebrate Thanksgiving here over the years, and I can introduce the tradition to my friends here. But we might have to create our own traditions.
Sunday we're having a barbeque for Thanksgiving and my birthday... well that's how I'm treating it. Others are treating it as the end of the year (school year, orchestra year, etc.). So it will be a fun experience to have a warm, sunny birthday.
Maybe someday we will move back to the US, and I can return to the cold winters and the beautiful fall season in Michigan, which I have always loved. Until then, I will try my best to keep from losing Thanksgiving.
I love Thanksgiving. I think I've always loved it because it's near or on my birthday, so growing up I guess I thought it was about me. And it's a great holiday because there are no presents involved. Just family and food. I will truly miss the Northern Hemisphere autumn, and everything that I used to associate with November. Orange leaves, turkeys, pumpkins, warm sweaters, apple cider... all things savory. Of course we will celebrate Thanksgiving here over the years, and I can introduce the tradition to my friends here. But we might have to create our own traditions.
Sunday we're having a barbeque for Thanksgiving and my birthday... well that's how I'm treating it. Others are treating it as the end of the year (school year, orchestra year, etc.). So it will be a fun experience to have a warm, sunny birthday.
Maybe someday we will move back to the US, and I can return to the cold winters and the beautiful fall season in Michigan, which I have always loved. Until then, I will try my best to keep from losing Thanksgiving.
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