Hot, Damn Hot

As promised, some pictures will soon appear. We're using dial-up here, so it's slow... I will eventually get to a faster system, and then more pics will be there.

Since I last wrote, we have enjoyed 40+ C temperatures. Hot, damn hot, we've been saying, like a comment on one of our favourite albums, the music from the movie "Good Morning Vietnam".

Following the Australia Day holiday on the 26th of January, Tom had 3 days of meetings at Beaconhills College -- getting to know the new system, new school, new people, and new curriculum. On Friday, he had a day of instruction for using a canoe ... he will accompany a group of students on a canoe trip on the Murray River in March. One of the instructors lived in Golden, BC for a summer, and he commented that it was a bit ironic teaching a Canadian about the use of a canoe! Much hilarity ensued when the Canadian was asked to introduce himself, and he noted that paddles in Canada are made of wood, not a mixture of plastic and metal.

The kids and I spent last week trying to keep cool -- we found pools in two little towns near us -- Olinda and Belgrave (both very funky with friendly people and cool shops), in the town where Tom teaches (Pakenham), and in Lysterfield Lake Park (where Tom was having his canoe training). When you reach the highest temperatures ever officially recorded, your main goal is to drink much water, fizzy water, lemonade (they have fabulous lemon squash here), and try out different kinds of iced treats, all sold at the various pools. Believe it or not, it was too hot to drink the red wine I had in the house, until I added a few ice cubes (sacrilege, I know).

We've been invited to two bbqs already... the legendary Aussie hospitality is a real thing. Welcoming people, happy to talk about their world and ours, happy to learn about Canada (Saskatchewan is a name everyone loves to say! ... they've been getting the show "Corner Gas" on one of the interesting tv channels here), including a lot of knowledge about Canadian politics. Of course, I hadn't checked much prior to getting here, so I had to run to the internet and read a items on the Globe and Mail, Free Press, and CBC websites. By the way, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) has some great radio shows, and an excellent tv station that we've found. We also have been reading a Melbourne paper, The Age, which is also fabulous, with some great articles and writers.

We've also found a car -- a 1997 Saab (something I've always wanted to own!!), red. Hopefully it will sell when we are ready to leave. One of Tom's colleagues is selling the car ... it's their 3rd car, and they don't need it. We are getting used to driving on the other side of the road, although I am cautious when I say it, because you always have to think before you make a quick move. The car is manual, so that will be FUN as well! Good for the brain, I think -- like a real, live Brain Age game. The kids weren't too happy with the back seat because the car only has 2 doors, but we assured them it's a "cool" car, and they thought that was ok! Apparently it has a 9 CD deck in it, so music will be part of our driving trips.

Nicole, Gabriel and Kai started school on Monday, 2nd of Feb. The school, Ferny Creek Primary School, is in a beatiful location on the side of one of the hills here. It's a 1/2 hour walk to the school (and a 10 minute bike ride back...) I think I will get whipped into shape on these walks/rides. This week is a bit cooler, with some rain and mist. This morning, as we walked up the hill beside a horse paddock, about 30 cockatoos were sitting in the field, just white heads and yellow top feathers sticking up amongst the mist and grass. Must have been some worms or snails ready for snacking. There were snails crossing our path, so I'm guessing that's what the cockies were eating!

Kai and Gabe's teacher is Hailey (sp?) and Nicole's teacher is Heather. The Principal is Matthew. Everyone goes by their first names, a distinct contrast from Tom's school, which is much more formal, with strict dress codes and rules regarding makeup, piercings, and shaving (for facial hair... with a dry razor). Our kids do wear uniforms, and Mr. Roberts is now clad in jacket and tie.

I get to dress less formally right now, shorts and t shirts, or whatever fits the temperature of the day.

Stay tuned... more to follow. I'm going to back track and talk a bit about NZ and what we did and saw there.