Wow - so it has been two weeks since I landed here. It feels like so much longer!!
Finally seem to have almost regained my health!! No more fever!! Just a lingering cough remains. Not sure if the fluid is gone from behind my eardrum but I'm not in any pain so it's good.
Spent yesterday and today shadowing some of the other instructors so that was really neat to see some of the activities and stuff I will be running eventually. We still have three more weeks of training before we actually start but this week gave us a pretty good feel for what we will be doing.
For training we will be at some other sites Mon-Wed doing mostly theology training then back here for activities training on Thursdays and Fridays. Should be fun and educational.
I have lots of pics and even a video of my house ready to post I just have to bring them up to the staff computers.
Hope all is well with everyone :) :)
Oh - it was warm today!!! Summer is on it's way!
Kind of sad that I've only been here fo two weeks of cold weather, and it wasn't even that cold, and I'm already ready for summer again!
Friday, September 12, 2008
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Training
Monday September 8, 2008
On Mondays we start at 8 with breakfast and a devotion. From there Dan and I spent the entire day getting orientation talks from different staff members and different departments – lots of information. Luckily, they don’t expect us to remember it all!
Also got to do some archery so that was fun as I had been teaching it all summer but had spent little time actually shooting myself! Would have enjoyed the whole experience a bit though had I not still been sick; coughing, nose blowing, having a headache and probably a fever – ugg. Hopefully the antibiotic starts working soon and does the job!
Got out T-shirts and keys and everything so I feel very official now!
Tuesday September 9, 2008
Didn't feel quite as sick today and actually had a temp of 97.1*F instead of a fever - huh.
Spent the day doing food hygenie training and child protection stuff. they train you in everything here. Humm guess that's really it - not much exciting here today!
On Mondays we start at 8 with breakfast and a devotion. From there Dan and I spent the entire day getting orientation talks from different staff members and different departments – lots of information. Luckily, they don’t expect us to remember it all!
Also got to do some archery so that was fun as I had been teaching it all summer but had spent little time actually shooting myself! Would have enjoyed the whole experience a bit though had I not still been sick; coughing, nose blowing, having a headache and probably a fever – ugg. Hopefully the antibiotic starts working soon and does the job!
Got out T-shirts and keys and everything so I feel very official now!
Tuesday September 9, 2008
Didn't feel quite as sick today and actually had a temp of 97.1*F instead of a fever - huh.
Spent the day doing food hygenie training and child protection stuff. they train you in everything here. Humm guess that's really it - not much exciting here today!
Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired
Sunday September 7, 2008
So this is day four of being sick and it’s getting kind of old. I’ve been waking up in the morning with a fever ranging from 101 – 102 and then it will fluctuate throughout the day but not go below 99. Paid $40 to go to a doctor on Friday; he said there is fluid behind the ear drum – yup, figured that, and he gave me a prescription for amoxicillin, which I filled yesterday.
Despite the fever I went with Dan up to Sydney to do some shopping. We went to a mall, where I filled the prescription at the Chemist (pharmacy). We also went to an outdoor store as well as an op shop (thrift store). Here we both found bed-side tables (night stands). I got one for $10. It is old and dirty and falling apart but it has potential and the price was right :-P Figure I’ll clean it off and give it a nice coat of purple paint.
I’ve managed to get all of my clothes into the wardrobe, after buying three 10 packs of hangers. But my floor is still covered with all my miscellaneous items which will go into the bed-side table when it is done.
Saturday was totally rainy and really gross for shopping, especially since I was sick. Carried my Gatorade and water around with me all day – I’ve been drinking TONS of liquids, especially Gatorade, so as to avoid getting dehydrated as I tend to get when I have a fever.
Today is Father’s Day here. Again, woke up with 102*F fever. Took it easy this morning; finished unpacking my clothes, folding my laundry, and cleaned the huge pile of dishes covering our counter. I am really going to appreciate a dish washer after these nine months. I guess I did have to do dishes senior year but we weren’t usually cooking full meals there so we weren’t generating quite as much dishes.
A little after lunch Dan came over and I ended up going on a run with him and Phil; probably not the best idea. Luckily it was a short run but I was still feeling pretty tired. Ran down to the jetty / dock thing on the river – pretty neat.
Went to church with Phil, Dan, and Mel, one of my housemates. We went to All Saints Anglican church so that was interesting. They had good music but the sermon was a bit random I guess you could say. Although it’s really not fair to judge a church by one sermon :-P Last week I went with Julie to Nowra Baptist Church. Their music was okay, sermon was pretty good and everyone was very friendly. The service was in kind of a big room though – didn’t feel too much like church – not that the room should really matter. Yup. So still trying them all out!
So this is day four of being sick and it’s getting kind of old. I’ve been waking up in the morning with a fever ranging from 101 – 102 and then it will fluctuate throughout the day but not go below 99. Paid $40 to go to a doctor on Friday; he said there is fluid behind the ear drum – yup, figured that, and he gave me a prescription for amoxicillin, which I filled yesterday.
Despite the fever I went with Dan up to Sydney to do some shopping. We went to a mall, where I filled the prescription at the Chemist (pharmacy). We also went to an outdoor store as well as an op shop (thrift store). Here we both found bed-side tables (night stands). I got one for $10. It is old and dirty and falling apart but it has potential and the price was right :-P Figure I’ll clean it off and give it a nice coat of purple paint.
I’ve managed to get all of my clothes into the wardrobe, after buying three 10 packs of hangers. But my floor is still covered with all my miscellaneous items which will go into the bed-side table when it is done.
Saturday was totally rainy and really gross for shopping, especially since I was sick. Carried my Gatorade and water around with me all day – I’ve been drinking TONS of liquids, especially Gatorade, so as to avoid getting dehydrated as I tend to get when I have a fever.
Today is Father’s Day here. Again, woke up with 102*F fever. Took it easy this morning; finished unpacking my clothes, folding my laundry, and cleaned the huge pile of dishes covering our counter. I am really going to appreciate a dish washer after these nine months. I guess I did have to do dishes senior year but we weren’t usually cooking full meals there so we weren’t generating quite as much dishes.
A little after lunch Dan came over and I ended up going on a run with him and Phil; probably not the best idea. Luckily it was a short run but I was still feeling pretty tired. Ran down to the jetty / dock thing on the river – pretty neat.
Went to church with Phil, Dan, and Mel, one of my housemates. We went to All Saints Anglican church so that was interesting. They had good music but the sermon was a bit random I guess you could say. Although it’s really not fair to judge a church by one sermon :-P Last week I went with Julie to Nowra Baptist Church. Their music was okay, sermon was pretty good and everyone was very friendly. The service was in kind of a big room though – didn’t feel too much like church – not that the room should really matter. Yup. So still trying them all out!
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Sick in Shoalhaven
So the cold water episode has caught up with me I'm afraid as has the water that seeped through my ear plug and is now laying inside my inner ear - fun. Woke up last night shivering then really hot. Having experienced this before I knew it was a fever so I went and got my water bottle, drank it, refilled it, then took it with me back to bed. Staying hydrated is key. So, yeah, not fun.
Finished the bronze medallion today despite feeling sick and achy - ehhh. Had to do the 50m tow which involved swimming 50m then towing an "unconscious" person back 50m in under 3:15min. I did it in 3:12!! phewwww Had to do some scenarios and other stuff then went back to Port Hacking to take then written test.
A bit of lunch, cleaned up the house and we were on the road back down to Shoalhaven.
Tim and Naomi have dinner every Thursday night for all the instructors so that is where I am now - on their wireless.
Yup, so that's the update.
:) Yay for bronze medallion being done boo for feeling sick b/c of it
Finished the bronze medallion today despite feeling sick and achy - ehhh. Had to do the 50m tow which involved swimming 50m then towing an "unconscious" person back 50m in under 3:15min. I did it in 3:12!! phewwww Had to do some scenarios and other stuff then went back to Port Hacking to take then written test.
A bit of lunch, cleaned up the house and we were on the road back down to Shoalhaven.
Tim and Naomi have dinner every Thursday night for all the instructors so that is where I am now - on their wireless.
Yup, so that's the update.
:) Yay for bronze medallion being done boo for feeling sick b/c of it
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Is It Summer Yet??
Wednesday September 3, 2008
So today was the first day of bronze medallion training. There are only three of us doing the course and we are all from Shoalhaven: Tim, who works as a “casual,” which I have taken to mean part-time, Dan, and I. We are being taught by Angelo, a guy form India who just finished his 9month internship here and is now teaching and taking courses. Michelle is also helping teach the course; she just spent two years in CA w/ her husband at a Christian camp in San Diego learning and writing curriculum for YouthWorks. Such a neat company. Youthworks is very organized, very Christ-centered, and just totally awesome!!!! They have 3 locations and lots of programs. They offer so much training and opportunities to their employees.
Anyhow: we spent the morning indoors watching videos and filing in workbook pages. But then after lunch we headed out to the cold, dirty outdoor pool. So I mentioned it has been fallish weather but with everything here being in *C I’m still not sure exactly what the temperature was today, although I would say in the 50s or 60s and windy.
Can I just say I was soooooo happy I brought along my wetsuit. That water was icy, freezing, soooo cold. I would say it was in the upper 50s lower 60s but idk. Yup, you can bet my toes were going numb, turning white as they do. Luckily my fingers stayed with me as we were moving around a bit.
They first had us doing different types of entries so we would just go in then hop out asap. But then they had us doing different rescues and tows and it was just freezing. The two guys only had on their bathers / swim shorts so you can imagine just how cold they were, poor things.
They finally had us get out and drive to a pool in town. But pool Dan was showing very clear signs of hypothermia so we had to turn around, take him back to the house and warm him up before heading to the pool. Poor guy. Luckily we had just learned about this and Michelle had experienced it not too long ago. So we had him take off his wet swimmers, wrap up in a sleeping bag and some blankets, put him in front of the heater, and gave him a hot drink.
Yup, so that was an experience. Michelle stayed back with him while Tim and I went with Angelo to the pool. We did some towing exercises and such in the outdoor, 50m long, heated pool. It was 25*C so much better then the cold, cold pool at Port Hacking. We did our 400m swim and got that out of the way. 4 diff strokes in under 13min – I did it in 12:50 – phewww, maybe I should have taken swimming lessons as a kid! The side stroke was a new one for me but it went okay I guess. Tomorrow we have to do a 50m tow with a person in under 3min. We start fully clothed, have to swim 50m to the person then tow them back all in under 3min. I’m a little worried but hopefully I’ll do okay.
Bronze medallion is apparently a step below a lifeguard but man I wonder what lifeguards have to do.
Alright, I think that’s it for tonight. Two guys are up here helping out from Shoalhaven and one has an external modem so I’m jumping off his wireless – isk how it works but yeah it’s nice to use my laptop :) :)
I put up some pics on the older posts!!
This one is for Allison!!! Had a Kebab last night and thought of you :) :)
So today was the first day of bronze medallion training. There are only three of us doing the course and we are all from Shoalhaven: Tim, who works as a “casual,” which I have taken to mean part-time, Dan, and I. We are being taught by Angelo, a guy form India who just finished his 9month internship here and is now teaching and taking courses. Michelle is also helping teach the course; she just spent two years in CA w/ her husband at a Christian camp in San Diego learning and writing curriculum for YouthWorks. Such a neat company. Youthworks is very organized, very Christ-centered, and just totally awesome!!!! They have 3 locations and lots of programs. They offer so much training and opportunities to their employees.
Anyhow: we spent the morning indoors watching videos and filing in workbook pages. But then after lunch we headed out to the cold, dirty outdoor pool. So I mentioned it has been fallish weather but with everything here being in *C I’m still not sure exactly what the temperature was today, although I would say in the 50s or 60s and windy.
Can I just say I was soooooo happy I brought along my wetsuit. That water was icy, freezing, soooo cold. I would say it was in the upper 50s lower 60s but idk. Yup, you can bet my toes were going numb, turning white as they do. Luckily my fingers stayed with me as we were moving around a bit.
They first had us doing different types of entries so we would just go in then hop out asap. But then they had us doing different rescues and tows and it was just freezing. The two guys only had on their bathers / swim shorts so you can imagine just how cold they were, poor things.
They finally had us get out and drive to a pool in town. But pool Dan was showing very clear signs of hypothermia so we had to turn around, take him back to the house and warm him up before heading to the pool. Poor guy. Luckily we had just learned about this and Michelle had experienced it not too long ago. So we had him take off his wet swimmers, wrap up in a sleeping bag and some blankets, put him in front of the heater, and gave him a hot drink.
Yup, so that was an experience. Michelle stayed back with him while Tim and I went with Angelo to the pool. We did some towing exercises and such in the outdoor, 50m long, heated pool. It was 25*C so much better then the cold, cold pool at Port Hacking. We did our 400m swim and got that out of the way. 4 diff strokes in under 13min – I did it in 12:50 – phewww, maybe I should have taken swimming lessons as a kid! The side stroke was a new one for me but it went okay I guess. Tomorrow we have to do a 50m tow with a person in under 3min. We start fully clothed, have to swim 50m to the person then tow them back all in under 3min. I’m a little worried but hopefully I’ll do okay.
Bronze medallion is apparently a step below a lifeguard but man I wonder what lifeguards have to do.
Alright, I think that’s it for tonight. Two guys are up here helping out from Shoalhaven and one has an external modem so I’m jumping off his wireless – isk how it works but yeah it’s nice to use my laptop :) :)
I put up some pics on the older posts!!
This one is for Allison!!! Had a Kebab last night and thought of you :) :)
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
First Day of Spring – First Day of Training
Monday September 1, 2008
First day of Spring today, although it feels an awful lot like our fall – the end of our fall – cooooollllddd. Not sure if it is because I am coming out of our summer or just because I dislike the cold so much but ugg :-P It’s all right though – should be getting warm here soon enough I suppose. Kind of neat to have fall-like weather for a little bit. I guess having cold weather for a little will make me appreciate the warm weather more when it comes.
So I’m back up at Port ‘Hacking after two nights down at Shoalhaven, where I will ultimately be working. It was nice to go down and meet some of the people I will be working with, all of whom are awesome and amazing and aussie and nice! I got to sort of start getting settled into my room, although most of my clothes are still in bags! And I got to check out the site where I will be working – eventually. Seems like I do have about a months worth of training before I actually begin working but it will be good.
Today was the first day of first aid so it was pretty much a repeat of what I had at Sandy Cove at the beginning of the summer just with a bit of a different twist.
Aussie word of the day: snipper whipper
US translation: Weed Wacker
My whole CPR training class, about 10 people, got a laugh out of that one! Which then led into a debate of which word made more sense – although both are pretty funny if you think about it!
Staying at a house here at beautiful Port Hacking and working on connecting to their wireless!!! I got connected but then needed a user name and password, grrrrr. . . .So hopefully I can post all of these tomorrow. So annoying that I can write each night but then have to post them all at the same time – oh well.
Guess that’s it for now – trying to keep them shortish
Tuesday Sep. 2, 2008
REALLY MISSING MY INTERNET ACCESS :( :-P Good thing I mentally prepared for this but I am still experiencing withdrawl. Wish I could post more and add pictures but I'm using a staff computer at Port Hacking b/c they don't have their wireless hooked up properly yet. Quite annoying b/c I can connect but then no user name or password will let you in b/c it isn't set up yet - grrrr.
More Pictures and posts will come asap - which could be a while.
Having a fantastic time though - soooooo many nice people. EVERYONE I've met is sooooo nice! I feel so welcomed and "right at home" besides my accent standing out heaps :-P
Miss you all though.
First day of Spring today, although it feels an awful lot like our fall – the end of our fall – cooooollllddd. Not sure if it is because I am coming out of our summer or just because I dislike the cold so much but ugg :-P It’s all right though – should be getting warm here soon enough I suppose. Kind of neat to have fall-like weather for a little bit. I guess having cold weather for a little will make me appreciate the warm weather more when it comes.
So I’m back up at Port ‘Hacking after two nights down at Shoalhaven, where I will ultimately be working. It was nice to go down and meet some of the people I will be working with, all of whom are awesome and amazing and aussie and nice! I got to sort of start getting settled into my room, although most of my clothes are still in bags! And I got to check out the site where I will be working – eventually. Seems like I do have about a months worth of training before I actually begin working but it will be good.
Today was the first day of first aid so it was pretty much a repeat of what I had at Sandy Cove at the beginning of the summer just with a bit of a different twist.
Aussie word of the day: snipper whipper
US translation: Weed Wacker
My whole CPR training class, about 10 people, got a laugh out of that one! Which then led into a debate of which word made more sense – although both are pretty funny if you think about it!
Staying at a house here at beautiful Port Hacking and working on connecting to their wireless!!! I got connected but then needed a user name and password, grrrrr. . . .So hopefully I can post all of these tomorrow. So annoying that I can write each night but then have to post them all at the same time – oh well.
Guess that’s it for now – trying to keep them shortish
Tuesday Sep. 2, 2008
REALLY MISSING MY INTERNET ACCESS :( :-P Good thing I mentally prepared for this but I am still experiencing withdrawl. Wish I could post more and add pictures but I'm using a staff computer at Port Hacking b/c they don't have their wireless hooked up properly yet. Quite annoying b/c I can connect but then no user name or password will let you in b/c it isn't set up yet - grrrr.
More Pictures and posts will come asap - which could be a while.
Having a fantastic time though - soooooo many nice people. EVERYONE I've met is sooooo nice! I feel so welcomed and "right at home" besides my accent standing out heaps :-P
Miss you all though.
Good Thing I'm Stayin A While
Saturday August 30, 2008
Wow, I can’t believe it has only been two days since I landed here! So much has happened since I last wrote from LAX. The flight from LA was looooooooooooong; so very very long. I kept reminding myself that I was staying for nine months so the plane ride was worth it. I don’t know it just felt sooo much longer than last time. Having to go the extra hour and a half or two hours to Sydney didn’t help nor did being trapped in the middle seat :( There were lots of students on the flight headed off to Bond so it was fun to talk to them. Lots of them asked if I was going and I was like “no but I have been there!” They were going through Arcadia University and headed down to Melbourne first for a few days orientation before going up to the Gold Coast. So I was seated between two Bondis to be! Poor things, they probably got sick of me – tossing and turning throughout the sleeping portion of the trip and just being antsy for the rest. They were both pretty much out though as they both had taken some sort of sleepy drug! I was sort of wishing I had too as I think I slept maybe 3 hours.
Wow, I can’t believe it has only been two days since I landed here! So much has happened since I last wrote from LAX. The flight from LA was looooooooooooong; so very very long. I kept reminding myself that I was staying for nine months so the plane ride was worth it. I don’t know it just felt sooo much longer than last time. Having to go the extra hour and a half or two hours to Sydney didn’t help nor did being trapped in the middle seat :( There were lots of students on the flight headed off to Bond so it was fun to talk to them. Lots of them asked if I was going and I was like “no but I have been there!” They were going through Arcadia University and headed down to Melbourne first for a few days orientation before going up to the Gold Coast. So I was seated between two Bondis to be! Poor things, they probably got sick of me – tossing and turning throughout the sleeping portion of the trip and just being antsy for the rest. They were both pretty much out though as they both had taken some sort of sleepy drug! I was sort of wishing I had too as I think I slept maybe 3 hours.
Don’t think I even breathed in Melbourne – lol. Landed at about 8:00, had to get off the plane and wait in the customs line, go through customs, wait at the baggage claim, get my bags onto a trolley (cart) and then onto the quarantine search place where they inspected my left over cookies, chocolate covered graham cracker . . . and told me I could keep it all. From their I rode the moving sidewalk up to the domestic departure area and joined many other Qantas fliers. I had to check in on a computer but it told me it didn’t work and to go to the service counter. Finally at 9:00am (my flight was boarding at 9:10 mind you) I asked a Qantas woman if I should be concerned that my flight was boarding in 10min and I still had not checked my bags. Sooo she pushed me to the front of the line where they sorted out my problem, checked my bags and onto gate #3 I ran, just in time to board the plane. Soo needless to say my bags did not make it to Sydney when did and I was glad I has packed some spare clothes in my carry-on!
Since my luggage hadn’t yet arrived, Mark (the guy who picked me up and oversees training for all of the Youthworks programs staff) brought me back to his house where I spent the night with his wife and three adorable, Aussie accent speaking kids; ages 4, 2, and 9mos. ish) We went to the Port Hacking site in the afternoon so I got to see their conference centres, meet some of the people there, and help out with their Friday clean up.
Picked up some meet to put “on the Barbie” for dinner! In bed by 8:30pm and slept til 5:00am – not bad! Think that’s pretty much what I did last time too – have to force yourself to stay awake that first day and it makes the rest easier.
Only one day and I already saw a wallaby, echidna (such a neat animal!), cockatiels, and a possum! I’d have to say the possum was the highlight as I have seen the others before. They are nothing like our Opossum – ewww- but quite cute and this one even took fruit right from my hand when I offered it – so cool!
So it looks kinda freaky here but it was really cute and nice in person :)I HAVE MY OWN BATHROOM!!
Sunday August 31, 2008
So that was busy, long day one! Today we went to Cronulla (probably spelled wrong), a little town near Sydney that kind of reminded me of Burleigh Heads from up in Queensland; beautiful beaches and parks and an esplanade, or walkway along the beach. So we had breakfast outside at a café – kind of an exciting even with a four year old and two year old. Luckily the baby slept most of the time! After breakky we walked along the esplanade a bit, stopped at a neat salt water pool to feel the water – cold!! People were surfing but they had wetsuits – glad I brought mine!
Sitting on the edge of the beach pool with Mark's oldest daughter along the esplanade at Conulla.
Back at the house, played in the yard a bit with the girls until a couple with a 3 year old daughter and two girls from Shoalhaven came up. We all had lunch out on the porch then I said goodbye to Mark, his wife Roxy, and the kids and headed on down South with Julie and Mel, the two girls I will be living with while here!
Stopped at Tim’s house on the way down to visit and help make homemade pizza for dinner! Tim works at Shoalhaven in charge of programs and is actually from PA, although 7 years Down Under have rubbed off on him and you wouldn’t know by talking to him that he is American! They have a 1ishyear old son whom they call Linc, short for Lincoln – too cute – lots of young couples with kids – fun!
Finally made it to the house around 9, enough time for a shower in my VERY OWN BATHROOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can’t even tell you how excited I was as I was not really told much about my living conditions and therefore was preparing myself for the worst; living in a room of bunk beds with 12 girls and one bathroom. So my very own room with my very own bathroom – wow!!
So it is 11pm here and I can’t believe I am still awake! Tried to hook up to the dial-up since there is a phone jack right by my bed but no luck. Tim and his wife say they have wireless at their house so that will be nice and convenient! All the staff seem very close and friendly and open; really cool and really nice!! Everyone I’ve meet so far is really really nice, but then again, I am in Oz! :-P
Think I’m headed down to the beach tomorrow with Tim, his wife, and Linc, and Julie – fun!
Julie and I at the top of the coolest playground apparatus ever at Javis Bay!
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