I Found Nemo in the Reef!

This weekend we traveled to Cairnes (sounds like cans). On Friday, we were slightly stressed about finding transportation to the airport. Fortunately, Kelsey's teacher, Robyn (our Aussie mum), arranged for a taxi to pick us up from the school and Whites Hill paid for the charge which was $60! The teachers at Whites Hill have been very thoughtful and considerate throughout our stay here.

Our flight from Brisbane to Cairnes was at 6:40 p.m.. The security at the airport was much different from the United States. Not once did they ask for identification! We also did not have to take off jewelry or shoes when going through security.

When we arrived in Cairnes, the hotel transportation picked us up at the airport. Our hotel was very unique. We literally had to walk through a rainforest to get to our room. At times, we were asking ourselves, "Where the heck are we?" It was raining when we arrived so we sat by the pool for a bit before going to bed.

On Saturday, bright and early, the Reef tour bus drove us to Port Douglas where we hopped on a boat to drive to the Great Barrier Reef site. There are 50 tour boats that you can take to see the reef. While we were at the reef, we did not see another single tour boat. This tells you how big the reef is... REALLY BIG!

On the boat, they served coffee and biscuits. The trip from the shore to the reef was about an hour. Lunch was immediately served upon arrival which included chicken, potato salad, beef stir fry, seafood pasta and fruits. We ate and changed into our snorkel gear quickly.

I have never snorkeled before so it took some getting used to but after a while I was an old pro (with a noodle, haha). A guy working on the boat gave five of us a discount on a tour farther out into the reef. This time I had to leave my noodle behind. We swam for several hours. Let me just say one thing... the Great Barrier Reef absolutely deserves to be one of the 7 wonders of the world! It was incredible and so surreal. Millions of fish are swimming everywhere. There is a whole new world beneath the water that we don't even realize.

We were able to touch a blue starfish, a sea cucumber, a giant clam and learn about many fish and creatures as well. For example, the butterfly fish only swim in pairs, one male and one female. Once they find each other, they are meant to be together for the rest of their lives. If one dies, the other soon dies as well.

Here are a few other interesting facts about the Great Barrier Reef:

-2,300 km long

-Started forming half a million years ago

-Current state of the reef is 8,000-10,000 years old

-Reef grows 3cm every 100 years
-350 hard coral species, 100-200 soft coral species

My trip to the Great Barrier Reef was the best experience in Australia so far!

We arrived back at the hotel around 6:30 p.m. Deanna, Kelsey and I sat on the dock at the pool. Then we ordered pizza from Dominoes (yay, somewhere we actually know!) and relaxed in the hotel. It was a long and exhausting day of fun!

On Sunday, we explored the harbor, casino, mall, market, and shops in the city of Cairnes. We ate lunch along the harbor. Then we went back to the hotel and bought internet for a while before we had to pack up and head to the airport for some more sitting and waiting. We arrived back in Brisbane at 10:15 p.m.. Overall, the weekend was a great success!!!

The Didgeridoo

The didgeridoo is a wind instrument developed by Indigenous Australians of northern Australia at least 1, 500 years ago and is still in widespread usage today both in Australia and around the world. It is sometimes described as a natural wooden trumpet or "drone pipe."

Thanksgiving in Australia

When Deanna, Kelsey and I walked into the teacher's lounge this morning with our backpacks and hands full of groceries, the teachers asked us if we have a special greeting, dance or handshake for Thanksgiving. Deanna responded with "gobble, gobble!" It's weird to think that right now Thanksgiving day is practically over in Aussie Land, while the holiday is just beginning in the United States.

Kelsey's teacher, Robyn, is the home economics teacher at Whites Hill. Since we do not have ovens at our apartment and we did not want to have to haul all the dishes to Whites Hill on the bus, she let us cook our 3  dishes including scalloped potatoes, green bean casserole, and cream of corn in the home economics room.

We prepared the dishes very quickly and had time to go to the classroom and present a Thanksgiving PowerPoint to my class. The students enjoyed learning about a holiday that their country does not celebrate. One of the girls in my class even baked cupcakes for the three of us and decorated them as turkeys!

All the teachers pitched in and helped make the Thanksgiving dinner a success! The men bought the chicken and rolls, a lady made the stuffing, another lady made a moose cake and Kelsey's teacher made the pumpkin pie and gravy. At 12:45 p.m., our food was prepared and the teachers were ready to dig in. The one thing that felt the most like home was the fact that the men teachers were glued to the television during the feast. Instead of the traditional football, the men were watching cricket. At this time, Australia is competing in what is known as the Ashes, which is a cricket tournament against England. It cracked me up to see these men acting the same way the men at my Thanksgiving in Texas act. Everyone enjoyed the meal and many went back for seconds of our dishes.





The students in my class have been creating movies for about 8 weeks now. In the afternoon, we watched several of these movies. Parents will be able to view these movies next Wednesday night. I am very impressed by their technology skills and the freedom these students have to be able to complete assignments like this.

Kelsey, Deanna, Ms. Baker and I

At the end of the school day, all the students said "happy thanksgiving!" as they were leaving the classroom.

Kelsey's teacher kindly offered to take us to the Scholastic bookstore sale after school. We were able to get a free ride and tour of another part of the city... and we didn't waste time getting lost, which was a plus! We all got really cool Australian children's books including My Aussie Mum and The Night Before Christmas Aussie Style. Once we spent way too much time and money at the store, her teacher dropped us off at the CityCat (the boat transportation) so we could ride back to our apartment. We felt very accomplished today because we were able to cross off some things on our To Do List :)

Tomorrow we head to Cairns for the Great Barrier Reef tour! Yippee!!!!

The West Side Story

Last night, we went downtown to the Culture Centre to watch the Broadway musical, West Side Story. A little ironic that we travel all the way to Australia to watch a musical about New York. During one part of the play, the men begin to whistle "Our country tis of thee, sweet land of liberty..." I felt we were the only viewers in the audience that actually knew what song they were whistling. The entire show was played by 33 Australian members. I was very impressed by their ability to disguise their Australian accents and speak like New Yorkers and Latinos. The show was excellent and we enjoyed it very much.

Today, the entire Year 8 class, about 60 students total, came into our classroom to vote on the student council members for next year. Each candidate was required to make a speech and persuade the students to vote for them. Some were more prepared than others, but for the most part, all the candidates spoke well in front of their classmates.

Afterwards, Mr. Seipel introduced me to the students that we do not have in our class. Then I presented my Baylor PowerPoint to the entire 8th grade. I was not expecting to present to such a large group of students but it went well, and they were all interested in asking questions about the university. I told the students about the school system, the activities at Baylor, the locations on campus, the fight song, the school song, the Baylor line, etc. I wore my Baylor Line jersey and taught the students a Baylor Sic 'em! Now all the students want to come to Baylor! Ha!

When the students went to swimming class today, I went to Kelsey's room to sit in on a Year 9 sexual education class. Man, was it different than sex ed. classes in the States! They are so laid back and relaxed when talking about this topic. By year 12, 50% of students in Queensland are sexually active. The teachers focus more on safe sex rather than abstinence.

After our 1 hour lunch break, we went down to the pool for the rest of the afternoon. What a wonderful way to end the school day! Wish we could do that in America! Ha!

Be Safe and Watch Your Mates

The 10 of us went to the Gold Coast for the weekend. We packed all of our things in a backpack and carried to school on Friday morning. Immediately after school we road the bus to the train station. For $11.20, we bought a bus ticket to the Gold Coast. The train ride was about an hour long. When we got dropped off at the train station in the Gold Coast, we caught a bus to our hotel that was located a block from the beach. By the time we arrived, it was about 7 'o clock. The hotel was very nice and we ended up getting an upgraded room.

We were all ready for a good meal so we rode in a taxi to a restaurant called Sage. The food was very expensive but it was so worth it. Kelsey and I, the two small town girls, needed our meat so we both ordered steak and mashed potatoes. The other girls ordered chicken or pasta as well as a bottle of wine.

The expectations of a waitress in Australia are so different than in the States. The tip is included in the bill so this leaves no reason for the waitress to be very courteous or overly helpful at your table. Also, restaurants cannot split the bill for you. So when our bill was given to us at Sage we all had to pay in cash. How hard is it to split the bill!? Gosh! Nevertheless, the meal was excellent and it was definitely worth it.

Then we went to a club to hangout. Deanna did not bring her ID so she had to stay outside while we all went inside. After a while, Kelsey and I went to find Deanna and we caught a taxi back to the hotel. By this time it was about 12:30 a.m. and we were exhausted! What a long day of traveling!

On Saturday, we had to be checked out of our room by 10:00 a.m.. The hotel held our bags while we walked to the beach. We were hungry so we stopped at the McDonald's on the beach and had breakfast. There were "heaps" (as an Australian would say) of shops near the beach so we walked along and shopped for clothes and souvenirs. We also did a lot of people watching. The fashion here is so interesting and different from the U.S..

Eventually, with our luck, a storm came along so we hurried back to the beach to take pictures of the water before it started to pour!

We ate lunch at a restaurant near the mall and left the Gold Coast at around 4 'o clock. We needed to have time to get back to the train station and go home to Brisbane. Also, we wanted to get out of the Gold Coast before the crazy Schoolies took over the beach!!!!

1 Week Down... in the Land Down Under

Today was the last day of our first week at Whites Hill. Mr. Seipel wasn't at school so there was a substitute teacher. Today was also the last day of school for the Year 12 students. In honor of their achievement, all the students at Whites Hill State College, Prep - Year 11, as well as friends and family, joined in the auditorium for their graduation assembly. It was an emotional moment for the seniors and reminded me of my high school graduation 4 years ago. Although the students wore school uniforms instead of caps and gowns, the graduation celebration and the students' emotions were similar to the United States. We are halfway around the world but there are still similarities in traditions such as these.

I also handed out the letters from my students in America to my students here in Australia. They LOVED them and they are so excited to write back! They laughed at questions like, "Have you ever been punched by a kangaroo?" and they were surprised by a girl who said she loves to hunt for deer!

Tonight we are off to the Gold Coast to swim at the beach. It is also Schoolies week so it will be a very interesting trip. Schoolies is a party on the beach for students who have just graduated from high school. The estimated number of teenagers who will be at Schoolies is 35, 000! The concept of Schoolies just blows my mind. In the U.S., we have Project Graduation after graduation to prevent students from going out to parties, drinking and getting into trouble. But here, the country promotes Schoolies and the parents help to buy drinks and transport their children to the Gold Coast for the week. Wish me good luck that I make it back to Brisbane alive! Ha!

Oh, the Lovely Taste of Vegemite

          On Thursday, Deanna, Kelsey and I participated in the Vegemite Challenge. Vegemite is a blend of salt, yeast and whole bunch of other stuff that Australians like to spread on their food such as bread and crackers. The teachers at Whites Hill supplied the Vegemite and Cheesybite, another type of Vegemite that is mixed with cheese. The faculty sat and watched as the three of us shoved the nastiness of Vegemite into our mouths as quickly as possible. The Cheesybite was the worst thing I have ever tasted in my life. It makes me gag to just think about it. All the teachers got a kick out of our disgusted faces. Evidently, Australians here love their Vegemite and slather it all over their bread!

          After we defeated the Vegemite Challenge, the teachers gave us crowns to wear. We were also rewarded with yummy chocolate. Let's just say, I will never eat Vegemite again. But I think you all should definitely have a Vegemite Challenge of your own :)

Do You Ride a Horse to School?

          Today was the first day of school at Whites Hill State College. The bus ride is very long, about 30 minutes, plus a 10 to 15 minute walk up the hill. When we wake up we are ready to go, but by the time we finally get to the school we are tired and sweaty!

          The three of us girls spoke with the principal named Belinda and she assigned us to our classroom teacher that we will observe and teach with for the next 3 weeks. My teacher's name is Chris Seipel. He is very young and cute. His specialization is science but he teaches all subjects. Mr. Richters, the head of the department, gave us a tour of the school and led us to our classroom. This month is called "MOvember" at the school. The male teachers let their moustaches grow out during this month for prostate cancer. It is much like the "no shave" November in America.

          Immediately, we noticed many differences in the school building and atmosphere of the classrooms. The school is very open and spread out. Instead of air conditioning, the classrooms have ceiling fans and windows that open to the outside. The setup of the classroom is similiar to an elementary classroom in that the same students stay in the same classroom all day. The teacher teaches all subjects including maths, science, social studies and english. The students have 2 electives, sports, and swimming class. The students also have a 20 minute morning tea time and a 1 hour lunch period! The school day begins at 9 am and ends at 2:55 pm.

          In Australia, the schools are on a year-round schedule. All students, private and state school students, wear uniforms. However, the teachers can dress VERY casual. The men wear cargo shorts and tennis shoes, while the women wear low tops and spaghetti strap shirts. The atmosphere at this school is very relaxed and laid-back. The students go outside to identify trees in the "rainforest," work on the computers to create movies, and debate topics in front of the class. The students eat lunch outside and buy food from the tuck shop.

          Overall, the day went well and the students were very welcoming and interested in the United States. I've already begun to see many differences and similiarities in the school system and the culture of Australia!
         
        

Kangaroos and Koala Bears!

On Sunday, we went to Lone Pine, the world's first and largest koala bear sanctuary. We were able to feed the kangaroos, hold a koala bear, and watch a sheepdog get shaved. We saw platypuses, tasmanian devils, peacocks, and dingoes. It was great to see a part of Australia's well-known culture. 

Tomorrow we begin our first day at Whites Hill State College!!

I want my car...

On Saturday, the 10 of us were given "go passes" for the bus transportation in the city. We will use the bus system every morning and afternoon to get to and from the school that we will be observing and teaching at for the next 3 weeks. The 7 elementary teachers go to the Camp Hill Primary School, and the 3 middle school teachers go to Whites Hill State College.
We learned the bus route and how to get to the school, and then went to the mall for the rest of the afternoon.

At the mall, we discovered Baylor's official drink, Dr. Pepper!!!

The mall had a Target, grocery store, and Australia's version of Walmart, the Big W.

Also, the mall had a Wendy's... not the fast food restaurant... an ice cream shop!

After we spent the afternoon at the mall, we had to find our way back home using the bus transportation. By the looks of the pictures, it was an adventurous journey back to the apartments.

Where's the HEB?

In Australia, the people buy their groceries at Woolworth's. Here we are at the store buying our first groceries. What!? $8 for grapes!? We also found some Tim Tams which are delicious Australian cookies that come in many varieties. 

My first meal in Australia. 

Iguanas seem to be an everyday animal in Australia. This iguana here just happened to be on the sidewalk as we were exploring the city. 

Along the sidewalk is the view of the Story Bridge shown below which is just next to our apartment on the hill. Beautiful!!!

Where do I Live, and How do I Get Connected with the World?

The apartment is fully furnished with a kitchen, living room, washer and dryer.  We also have a huge patio that has a good view of the city.  Of course, I’ve slept on the couch the past two nights… some things never change, right? Hey, it’s a really comfy couch!

One thing that I have always heard is that the water in the toilets in Australia spins in the opposite direction than in the U.S.. Well, I tested it, and it’s true!! I also think it is interesting that the toilets here have 2 buttons…one for a half flush, and one for a full flush. What a great way to save water!!

For all you tennis players out there, the apartment complex has a tennis court to play on… a GRASS tennis court to be exact. How cool is that?!?! My friend and I both played in high school so we are super excited and hope to play soon.
The apartment sits on this enormous hill that we have to walk up and down on whenever we go to town. Needless to say, we don’t have to worry about gaining weight here…we walk everywhere we go!

Two things that I will never take for granted when I get back to the States… owning a vehicle and easy access to the Internet.  Australia is definitely not as connected as the U.S.. Get this… the closest place to get decent wifi around here… McDonalds in Chinatown!!  Yep, we travel halfway across the world to end up sitting at a McDonalds talking to our friends and family. 

If you want to buy Internet at the apartment, it’ll cost you $24.95 for 24 hours. Or how about go ahead and get it for the month while you’re here… for $200…uhhh, no thank you.