All things must come to an end...

The day has come, I have finally arrived to the city I call home, (for now) Portland, Michigan. Arriving home just past midnight on Friday July 18th marks the official end to my life altering trip. I have a whirlwind of emotions going on right now so I wanted to past asap.

I last left you in Hollywood. I was able to experience the Glamorous part of LA for a couple days and then ride my bike with my gear on my back to Venice, CA. It is roughly 13 miles and was an amazing experience. It was challenging but rewarding. I rode through Beverly Hills, UCLA's Campus, over Rodeo Drive and into Venice. I found the hostel I was booked into, dropped my things and went to the beach, Venice Beach. I walked the boardwalk which was full of vendors, shops and street acts. A very different atmosphere then the not so far away Hollywood, a feel that matched better with my personality than Hollywood. I spent one night in Venice, a very relaxed night that followed by a very relaxed last day in California. I found myself very fortunate to be able to experience all that I had and wrote it in my long hand journal I've been keeping throughout my trip.

I landed in my home state of Michigan, Detroit to be exact around 1:00 am on July 16th. My good friend Jesse picked me up, we were both all smiles. We went back to his place, shared stories and current events then went to sleep. I slept for quite a long time. Due to the time changes my body has had different sleeping patterns to adjust to for the past two weeks. I woke up later than I usually have been, got a great home cooked breakfast and went out and explored a local park. Later on a couple of other really good friends who live in the area stopped in and we all shared stories, it felt good to see friends again. The next day (today) we rode our bikes around downtown Detroit. Oddly enough, I haven't ever done this. It was really cool to check out a familiar place and have it be a completely new experience!

Through close friends I was able to catch a ride from Detroit home to Portland. Thanks Adam and Allison! Arriving home on a weekday night where everyone is resting for their work obligations the following day makes it a bit odd. It is different being home, settling back into a place that is oh so familiar. Recognizing what has changed in a familiar place rather than looking to understand an unfamiliar place is interesting. Maybe people would enjoy more of their surroundings if they adapted a traveler's mindset and looked to understand the things they don't understand rather then finding changes in what they already know, just a thought.

It is good to be home. It will be great reuniting with family and friends. I already miss those who I came in contact throughout my travels, thank you once again to all of you for our shared moments.

This is my last narrative update on this blog. I will however, be posting pictures as I upload and edit them, so don't sign off just yet! Thank you for following along with me throughout my travels. I hope this was some form of entertainment for you and possibly inspired you to travel abroad to unfamiliar territory, meet strangers and attempt to understand our great world. I experienced a great deal on this trip, I created lifelong relationships and learned a great deal about myself, the world and cultures. Traveling is an amazing form of education, I hope everyone experiences different places!

Living the Hollywood Life

I arrived into LA around 5:30am Saturday. I caught a shuttle bus to my hostile in Hollywood. It is a pretty cool place right behind Hollywood Boulevard. I got in, took a nap, got some free pancakes and went for a walk. I checked out a couple places such as the Kodak Theatre and the Chinese Theatre. I took some of your everyday Hollywood pictures. I am not big on the whole Hollywood scene, but thought since I was in LA, it is my duty as an American citizen to check out the history of film here.

Later on in the day, I went back out and walked Hollywood Boulevard again. The nightlife is much different then the touristy stuff during the day. There are street performers all over the place just like there was in Honolulu. Pretty interesting people of all walks of life.

Today I am planning to do more of the same touristy stuff. Walking around seeing the glamour part of LA. Tomorrow I am going to Venice Beach and staying in a hostile there. I am looking forward to being back on the beach! Hopefully I can get on my bike one last time before I have to head home. As the day nears, I am looking forward to seeing friends and family.

Aloha

I am currently in Honolulu, Hawaii, finishing day three here. I have been hanging out with a few of the other CMU students, Tiff, Beck and Jeremy, they have a hotel room which has come in handy.

I had a great ending to my trip to Australia. Sydney was amazing, I met so many great people, especially Guilia (Julia) who is an Italian college student who was studying in Sydney. She had been living in Sydney for six months, and she was able to show me around a bit and give me some tips on what to do and where to eat, thank you! Bacio! I would like to thank everyone who helped my in Australia. I don't have enough room for everyone's name but you know who you are. From strangers on the street helping me with directions to people opening up their homes and their hearts, Thank You, you made my experience amazing.

My flight to Honolulu was great, Qantas is a very good airline. I Landed here and instantly felt the heat. At 10:00am it was 84 F, humid and sunny. I was all smiles, built the bike up and rode into Waikiki which is where the tourist spot is. Everything is so much cheaper than Australia, which I was shocked to find out, but I'm not complaining!

Since being here I have swam in the beautiful Pacific Ocean, layed on the Waikiki Beach, checked out a bike shop, a skatepark and rented a moped. Yes, I rented a moped. Myself and the other CMU students decided it would be a good idea, and it was a GREAT idea. We rode around the island of Oahu all day. We checked out Pearl Harbor, which was something I will cherrish for the rest of my life. I also rode around by myself and found an amazing place to take pictures. I'm really happy with a couple of them.

For now...

Lucky number Two

Consecutive posts, I must be sick! Luckily enough, the hostile I am/was staying at has free Internet, so you are benefiting. Today I woke up early and checked out of my room. Doing this you can leave your bags in the main office, but still have access to the hostile and its features, such as restrooms, showers, laundry and Internet. Good process! Anyways, so I am back at it. Once I checked out, I set off on foot with a map, my camera and a water bottle. I walked for about 3 hours, checking things out. I was able to see SO much of Sydney today. I walked around Darling Harbo(u)r, checked out the Pymont Bridge near there. Then I hiked quite a ways away to the famous Sydney Harbor Bridge which is near the Sydney Opera House. I was over taken more by the Opera House, but being able to see and take pictures of both of them is awesome! When I saw them both, I received a huge sense of cultural respect. I had to just sit and take it all in. I wish I could post a couple of the pictures I took, I was really happy with the way they turned out, which doesn't' happen too often. On my way back I felt compelled to get my special order (Raspberry Mocha) at Starbucks. This was the first Starbucks I have seen since I left the LA Airport, so it put a smile on my face. On the walk back I walked down Pitt Street. This is the high end business district of Sydney. In a pair of cargo shorts, a blue t shirt, flat bottom shoes, shaved head and a camera, I was out of place walking by designer stores like Dolce and Cabana, Prada, Gucci, Versaci, etc. Pretty much you name it, it is on Pitt Street. I can think of a few females who would have had a great time playing Barbi there. From there I continued walking and got to see the Sydney Tower. They do a good job of blocking it from the public view with other buildings and expect you to take their expensive tour. Riding up in an elevator doesn't sound oh so exciting for their prices, I may change my mind though, I'm sure the view is unbelievable.

As for tomorrow I think I am going to check out the markets. They sell everything you could think of there. Not that I am going to buy anything really, just cool to check out each city's markets. I know of a couple the surrounding parks that look really good on the map that I am going to check out. I'm sure I'll visit the bridge and opera house again! As for now, it is tucker(food) time!!

Sydney

I have arrived to Sydney! Which means I have left Perth, been to Cairns and then traveled here. Leaving Perth was VERY difficult. Saying bye to people I may never see again is hard. Saying those good byes to people who have opened up their house and their hearts makes the process much more difficult. I love those people, they have changed be personally and professionally for the best. I've learned so much from them that I could write a book, which I kind of have done through my journal. So thanks again!

Cairns was dream world. I wish I could have stayed another week and had another $3,000! There is SO much to do there. I can't upload pictures to this computer because it is a public one at the hostile, but when I can I will, you will all be amazed! It is so picturesck! I swam in the lagoon, rode their amazing skatepark and bike path, went skydiving and enjoyed the amazing "winter" weather.

Now I am in Sydney for the first night. I am staying at a hostile that no other CMU student is staying at, by choice. This trip is a learning experience and a chance to adjust to those suttle uncomfortable situations, something I am grateful for. Tomarrow is going to be a lazy day. I'll be just riding around taking pictures figuring out what I want to really do while I am here. I think it is the best way to travel if you have time. Just show up, find a place to stay, eat and be entertained. The experience then feels more authentic and ultimately more enjoyable. Keep up the comments and e-mails, I'll anwser them when I can!

Good Bye...

This past week has been awesome! Monday night I played bball in a rec league with Alex, who is one of Gav and Ness' friends. We won by 12 and I had a blast. Here at Govo there is a USA vs. AUS bball game every year. Ours was on Tuesday night where I bet Gav we would win. The penalty of a loss meant a shaved head for him or I. Well the score was 20-13, I came out with a sprained ankle and a shaved head, better luck next year USA. I can't complain, it was awesome.

On Wednesday Tim Allie and I went to John Forrest Tavern, which is just a few miles away from our school. At this tavern you sit and feed, pet and take pictures of Kangaroos. Yes I said pet. They are wild and just come up to the back patio of the place and expect you to enjoy their company. It was surreal, I can't explain it.

Thursday was our last seminar ever. We met at the Guildford Hotel and turned in all of our projects and final evaluations. We took dozens of pictures with everyone and just had one last laugh.

But today is my "Good Bye" day.

Good bye Governor Stirling Senior High School. Good bye CMU. Good bye 2008 Australian Student Teachers. Good Bye Tom and Lois.

Today is my last day here at GOVO, it is my last day as a CMU undergrad student, it is the last day I will see dozens of people who have had a huge impact on my life. It may very well be the last day I see my fellow CMU students who are on this trip with me. Not too sad and not too bad. I've enjoyed my many days here at GOVO. I've enjoyed my many laughs and experiences with my peers. I have had an amazing experience during both of my student teaching placements. Absolutely no regrets, no complaints and "no worries."

Tonight most of our group flies out of Perth to venture off on their trips. That is, if Qantas (our airline) can find some way to curb the strike the engineers have started today. Qantas is saying the strike will only disrupt the flights by about a half hour, but we will see how real it is tonight. I am going to the airport to say my good byes to many people who I have experienced a great deal with. Those strangers have become amazing friends. Our introductions have turned into emotional farewells. We have become connected forever. I can't say enough about how awesome this group is. Our professors Tom and Lois Kromer were better than I could have ever imagined. Doing so much so often I will miss them.

I fly out Sunday night for Cairns. You can track my trip after Perth at the bottom of this page, just scroll down. I will not be able to post before then, and I am unsure of when I will be able to post during my trip. I will have my original phone back in action(517-526-0072) as soon as I get to Honolulu. Until then, I will be relying on pay phones and my trusty phone card my uncle Louie gave to me, thanks! I will be camping in a tent a friend named Jesse lent me. I will be riding my bicycle for transportation and taking as many photos as possible. I have 6 GB's of memory which I sure hope lasts for the remainder of the trip. I'll try and keep in good contact with people and not be totally isolated from everything. I plan to meet up with people from CMU and others I have met during my experiences here. I feel pretty planned for this next couple weeks, so wish me luck.

When I return home I will post, and hopefully fill in any gaps that I have left in the past couple of weeks. I will get *hopefully* all of my pictures online and let everyone know. Thank you for reading and your interest in my trip. I look forward to hearing your opinions and stories that have happened while I have been away. Once again, thank you and talk/see you soon!

Some pics...

I placed a few pictures up on my flickr account. Check them out here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/11362236@N05/?saved=1

This is my last week of student teaching here at GOVO. I'll be sure to have a good post before I leave Perth.

Daily turns into Weekly?

The lack of updates is killing me, sorry they have been so slack. I could name a number of excuses but it isn't worth our time. I have uploaded a number of photos for your viewing pleasure to my flickr account, click HERE to access them. I have done so many things since the last post, and I hate saying that without posting, but hopefully the pictures help out. Last night I went to an Australia Boomers basketball game. They beat Iran's national team by about 20 points. I was able to meet Luc Longley, which was awesome. He was actually very nice and interested in my situation. Then Gav got a number of signatures from the team.

School has been very good, it is sad it is coming to an end. I've learned a great deal about my teaching here and how it holds up in stressful and tough enviroments. It definitely has helped me become more of a professional. Not over yet though.

Less than two weeks left, and so much to do here in Perth. I'll try and post more.

Quick update

I have added photos to my flickr.com photo stream. You can access them and their descriptions here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/11362236@N05/

Sorry for the short and quick update, class starts soon. I will update more later.

Thanks for looking!!!

More Pictures

Although dated, these are some pictures that our Coordinator has taken over the course of our trip
Thanks Tom!



Our Surf Group With Instructors After The Surf



Tom's Picture Of A Close Sunset On Rottnest Island



Abseil Group Before Our Plunge



50 Meter (164ft) Abseil (repel) Down A Cliff With The Indian Ocean In The Background



In Margaret River



Our Group After The Dolphin Swim In Rockingham



My First Ever Surf!

In The Course Of An Hour And A Half I Got Up Three Times. You Can See How Big The Boards Are! Surfing Is Much Harder Than I Thought, Yet So Much Fun!

Finally an Update!

It is Tuesday, and it has been ages since I have updated, sorry! But to make it up to you I have some photos! We had a 4 day weekend due to holidays, which was a good little break. As I left you with the weather dilemma, we got hit hard on Saturday. It stormed hard. All day we had thunder and lightening. We even experienced some hail, which was crazy. It was dark and rainy all day, which meant it was relax time. We sat around, watched some tele and took naps throughout the day. It was good to relax.

We needed to relax because Friday was the Govo (Governor Sterling) school ball. (prom) It was cool to experience a ceremony like this overseas. It was much better then any prom I have ever had in terms of the dinner, lights and DJ. I had a great time chaperoning and helping Gav take pictures. Most of all though, it was good to interact with the students outside of the classroom.

Sunday, Tim, (CMU student) Gav, Ness and I went to Cottesloe and walked through their city hall park. Cottesloe is a very well off suburb of Perth, and it shows. It was breath taking to see what things money and hard work can create. Their gardens were amazing. If you click the link to my pictures you can see one snap of one garden.

From their we drove down along the beach side and planned to go swimming but it started sprinkling so we drove a bit further to Freo. (Fremantle) There we walked around the city and got a quick lunch. Then Gav had a spur of the moment idea to get tickets to the footy. So we went up to Subiaco Oval and got four tickets and went to the game. It was amazing to experience a footy game. Australian Rules Football is a mix between soccer, football and rugby. I can't really explain it. To gain a better understanding click HERE it explains most of the rules.

On Monday, Gav, Ness, Tim and I experienced a true completely homemade Italian meal from Gav's Mother and her husband. I have never eaten a meal so well done. There were 5 courses, all of which tied together so well. It took a few hours to eat and was totally worth it. Their house was built by them and is done so perfectly. I can't really put it into words, but they are both hard workers and perfectionist. Both of which show in their home, their gardens and their food. Thank you!

Today, I am back to school, which is good. I enjoy getting back into the teaching part of this trip. It is tough to realize my student teaching will be finished in four weeks. The CMU students and I are just over half way through our experience, which is mind boggling. I have had a great first half and look forward to the next month here.

Oh I can't believe the Wings lost! 3OT isn't enough time?! Well I guess there are still a couple games left, and #7 is at home. I'll tolerate my odds. I had the whole PE department here at GOVO watching it live online. I had a live update going on the extra computer, it was intense. I think my excitement has rubbed off onto these Aussies. Good on them for it too. My cooperating teacher was letting me pop into the PE office for a look every so often, thanks Brian! Following American sports is pretty tough without cable tele or the Internet at home, but I've been managing, using the school's computers and getting updates from other CMU students.

Not having a computer at home is another topic that I have brfore just brushed over. I thought at first it would be terrible, but I have learned to work around it. It really makes you more active and get out and about. I've done so many different things just because I don't have a computer at home. I have learned to enjoy walks and bike rides. I've learned to think outside the box in terms of management. Having to multitask and make every trip away from home useful. I can't just get on the Internet to look things up or spell check everything. It was interesting at first, but now I have started to enjoy what I have around me. A lesson that I don't think I could have learned back home. If some thing would have went wrong with my computer, I would easily find a way around it. I am sorry to those people who I promised a daily updated blog, more frequent emails and those who just expected more communication. I'm not happy these people have been let down, but I do feel fortunate to learn new lessons.

Enjoy the pictures by clicking HERE

Rain Rain...

Go away! Today is the beginning of a forecasted weeklong of rain. It is rainy, humid and around 75 degrees F here. Winter is full on now and it is declared the "wet season." We have been feeling it moderately in the past week or so starting to come upon us. The forecast looks terrible for the upcoming week, probably similar to what the Michigan is like. Hopefully it clears up for this weekend because we have holiday on Monday because it is Foundation Day here in WA. Gav and I are trying to plan an excursion for our CMU group this weekend to the Pinnacles. Which is an interesting desert located in Southern WA. We may be camping out and possibley sand boarding. Although nothing is set in stone because the sky is falling, we are trying to get things established.

I have had my phone off for a couple of days because I am trying align my last day here as a full month of service. I'll hopefully have a better post soon with pictures.

Friday and so much more

Today is Friday (for us) and that means the end of the week, the start of the weekend and stories will be made for Monday news. This week has been fun, I've learned a great deal about my own teaching skills. I have been receiving constant feedback from my coordinating teacher about the good and the bad, which is great. I've also been observed by my university coordinator Tom and he also provided great feedback for me to use in the future.

The reason for the title is becuase today is Gav's 31st birthday! Ness got him a couple things this morning and we will be having dinner tonight. Our CMU group has been invited and it sounds like we will have a pretty good turn out. Gav has done SO much for everyone on this trip so it is great that we all have a chance to give our respects.

The last two days Tim (CMU student) and I have wen kayaking and canoeing down the Swan River, which luckily for us is right at the edge of the school property. Being a PE teacher I have free access to the recreation and physical education equipment, so we've been taking advantage of that! Gav and Allison (CMU student) went with us yesterday and I was kicking myself for not having my camera. Maybe next time I go I will be able to bring it. There were dozens of different species of birds, different wineries and beautiful landscapes. Due to the increase in rain this week, everything is green and luscious, which provides one the positive aspects to precipitation!

There are more pictures that our CMU coordinator has posted HERE.
They cover some of our festivities of Margaret River; abseiling and caving, we also went on a wine tour and went surfing. That weekend was one of the best trips I have ever been on!

I look forward to posting on Monday, enjoy your weekend everyone!

More Pictures

To view the pictures click on them, for some reason they don't seem to show up here, sorry.

Again, I have to apologize for the lack of pictures. I know I always so this, but I will try to get better at it. I've started to get used to not having a computer which I think is good, it keeps me active, and I learn to multi task at school. I've also started to learn to write long form lesson plans, and I feel for teachers who used to do that. (or still do) I provided descriptions of the pictures on the Flickr website so for more details look there or HERE

This past weekend was our Margaret River Trip. This is where our CMU group took a 3 hr (or so) bus trip south to Margret River from Guildford, WA. Guildford is about a 40 minute drive from Padbury (my home) and thank god for Gav, he dropped me off and picked me up, he is an angel. I know I've said this before but our group works well together. We all had a wonderful time and seemed to help each other out in those times when we needed it most. When people had tough times abseiling, caving, cooking or surfing we all seemed to pull together and make it happen, lovely!

I started full on teaching today. I had a pretty good time. I am learning a great deal, even just today. These students are not diverse racially, but nearly every other type of difference is present. From geographically, (some boarding here who live over 100 miles away) socio-economically to culturally and then some. I think this week will be a test of what stand my teaching will take, but I already see some respectful relationships between myself, the students and other teachers formed. I only can smile about how this experience has already shaped me both personally and professionally. I am looking forward to the next couple of months.

Enjoy the pictures, I hope for more to come.

Settling In

Yesterday (Monday) I met my cooperating teacher Brian Owen for the first time. There was a little bit of confusion at the start of my student teaching experience, and he was on leave, so essentially I have to play catch up this week. It isn't as bad as it sounds, for I have met all of the students and I have actually helped out the relief (substitute) teachers out quite a bit. So when Brian got back, everything transitioned smoothly. I am excited to be able to implement some American sports next week Hopefully the students respond well, they seem excited to learn them.

I was able to get on my bike this weekend, which was the first time in two plus weeks. I peddled down to the mall and then down to a marina. It was good to just get out and be able to ride around.

The winter season is creeping up on us. The weather has been marvelous since we have gotten here, but the rain is starting to increase. Being fortunate for the first two weeks, it has rained two times in three days here. That is expected, just tough to take in after the spoiling weather since we have arrived.

Last night I was treated to some spectacular food, a BBQ. Wonderful steaks, corn on the cob and a salad. I've been eating really well here, I have to stay active or this health teacher wont look so healthy.

Hopefully I can upload more pictures, I know the writing probably gets a little old, sorry.

Friday

Today is Friday, that means coffee and tea day. The typical school day goes as follows: Period 1 - 8:50-10, Period 2 - 10-11 then Morning Break - 11-11:25, Period 3 - 11:25-12:30. Period 4 - 12:30-1:30pm then Afternoon Break (lunch) - 1:30-1:55, Period 5 1:55-3:00. So on Fridays, morning break is coffee and tea time, where pretty much everyone brings in a small snack or dish to pass. Everyone sits, eats drinks and gets the latest on school news. Then on Fridays, a small number of school staff go to the teacher's lounge for drinks. The faculty atmosphere is much different then in the states regarding their breaks. Both have their benefits.

Yesterday was our year 10 (sophomore) Lightening Carnival. This event is when all year tens sign up for a sport, (football, basketball, soccer, etc) pay $5 and then meet at a location to play other schools in the region. They do not have rewards or a "most athletic school award" which I thought was odd. I traveled with the boys soccer team where the head of the PE department and Gav were the coaches. There were not any formal referees, coaches didn't really coached just watched and it was set up as a bracket type event. It seemed as though it was more laid back and a type of recess activity. I decided to jump up and help judge the lines, which did help the game run more smoothly. The students played five 40 minute games with only one 40 minute break near the end. I am very proud of how well they acted. The level of the game was pretty poor but at this school and this level, just having good behavior all day is tremendous.

For tomorrow, Gav and I have organized a bus tour that will take us through the heart of the wine country. Almost everyone has decided to do it, so I am looking forward to it. I'll see if I can't get some good pictures of it. Sunday is Mother's Day, unfortunately I can't be there for my mum, so HAPPY MUM's DAY Mum!

There are more pictures located here

There are more information and pictures from our CMU coordinator here

PICTURES, finally...

The first are some pictures I thought were funny, look closely, then is a picture of our group.

The next four are pictures of us at rottnest Island doing a bike tour. We are searching and locating real sea monkeys. The next three are pictures of the Australian Birds of Prey showcase. I was a little upset the Eagle is just a tad out of focus, eh oh well. Enjoy.

Twosday

Feel lucky, postings two days in a row. I met another relief (substitute) teacher today who was filling in for Brian. (my coordinating teacher) I enjoy meeting people everyday.

I was able to play squash yesterday after school with Gav and another teacher. I am terrible at it, and got smoked each time I played, even when they were taking it easy on me. A weird but fun game. On the way home I caught my first Perth Sunset at Hillary's Boat Harbor. It was a decent sunset, Gav claimed it wasn't very good, I enjoyed it nonetheless.

School differences are seeming to become more evident. For example, Athletics aren't connected with the school. Each community has a set of sports clubs where the students join the club and then play other clubs in the area. So this then changes the whole community and school connection that so many USA schools take for granted. This also means teachers are very rarely connected with students outside of school. I only know of one teacher who is a coach, she is a girls PE teacher who coaches netball. (female sport) She is also one of the harder working teachers in the school because of it. The same but with twist.

I'm am making it a point to have pictures up sometime this week! Mark my words. I feel terrible about that. A little shorter but more frequent, take the good with the bad. Hopefully be back soon...

Monday

Sorry that I have been here over a week now and this is only my second post. I hope to get many more. Heaps of things have happened since the last post. Of the few people I have called, I have heard I am picking up the accent/language here, which I am psyched on. I am in a much more social environment with a younger couple who enjoys talking and taking me places where many people tend to be, which I love. The language is the same but different just as I talked about in the last post. They mainly have a different choice of describing words. As "Heaps" for "a lot" or "bloke" for "guy/male" and such. I hope to provide more with each post as I learn more. I find that I learn many every couple of days. Today I was actually able to meet the students I will be working with in the future. I have been blessed to have a cooperating teacher who took an extra week of vacation, but it is for good purpose, nothing to be upset about. With that I have been able to meet many other teachers in the PE and Health departments who I have observed. Physical education here is much different then what CMU is trying to progress toward. Here is more games and activities rather than teaching of sport skills. At least, that is what I have observed thus far in this early part of my experience.

On Saturday myself and the rest of the CMU group were able to swim with dolphins. We weren't taken to a tank and dropped in, rather we boarded a boat and were taken quite a distance off the coast and out of this bay. What happens is the skipper is at the top of the boat and finds dolphins, drives up on them and then three groups of six get pulled by a lead person. The leader has a battery powered swimming device that pulls the group around. Then a person dives down with one machine and stirs and plays with the dolphins so they come within a yard of the three groups at the top. This was amazing, for it was real, wild dolphins swimming with other dolphins, mostly mothers with their calves. The sounds they make are unreal, something that I'll never forget. It seems like it was so overwhelming and surreal that it was a perfect dream that I had one night. Although the pictures I took were from the boat, I wish they would upload, I'll have to try another time. (Sorry again for no pics)

After that, it was Jeremy's Birthday so we all when out to the Brass Monkey Pub together. It was fun to see everyone out of their shell. It wasn't a negative time at all, everyone had fun and enjoyed their time. Group events seem to have a different go and everyone gets along well.

There is the bell for 5th (last) period so I better run. Like I said I'll try to upload some pics at a public library sometime. I'm sure they would be much better to look at then my words. I'd like to know about how things are back home in the states; sports, news, your events. So drop an e-mail or send pics to my email. I miss everyone and hope they are enjoying the weather changing there. Later.

First Post Down Under

Just as the title says, this is my first post inside Australia, pretty exciting! I originally thought I would be able to post everyday and post pictures frequently. As you can tell that will not be the case. However, I will try and post as much as possible, the only place I will be able to access the Internet is here at school. So Mon-Fri 8-3 and then if I am able to stay afterwards. Since today was my first day of school this is my first post. I live quite a distance from the school, so coming here during my off time is out of the question. Fortunately, I get a ride from my housemate Gav who teaches at the same school as I do, so I am on his schedule rather than mine. No worries though he is very helpful and I'll figure a way to keep the updates and hopefully pictures coming!

With that information out of the way, I am having a blast! We came into Perth as a large group on a series of wonderful flights. The traveling was really good. I have been keeping busy traveling a bit to beaches, malls, restaurants and other places. I am spoiled by my host family in every possible way. I have experienced wonderful food, met amazing people and kept very entertained. If I could explain how Australia is, I would say it is just like the US, but with everything tweaked just a bit. For example, the date is written Day/Month/Year. So the numbers are all the same as we are used to, but the order is just changed a bit. Basically, everything is fairly easy to understand, just an American has to be used to the slight adjustment. The language here is fun to understand, it is quick and words are abbreviated. Very rarely do Australians say full words. We tend to get teased a bit when we enunciate our words, it is quite hilarious.

As I said before I have done many things, some of them you can take a gander with the provided links. Gav and Nes (my host family) have taken me to many places such as Scarborough Beach (http://scarboro.info/) where I swam next to a surfing footy (Australian Football) player, Chad Fletcher, who has played for the West Coast Eagles. (http://www.westcoasteagles.com.au/) This team would be equivalent to our Detroit Lions and having the same troubles this year as Lions fans are used to. Oddly enough, they won the Premiership Cup (Super Bowl) last season but lost some great players to be where they are now. Gav is a huge Eagles fan, which is very cool to sit next to on the couch during a game. Speaking of sports I also have been able to watch some Cricket games, where Indians (Citizens of India) dominate the sport. Very interesting sport. Our whole CMU group went to Rottenest Island (http://www.rottnestisland.com/en/default.htm) and stayed overnight there. We had a blast doing tons of bike riding, sight seeing, snorkeling and learning about the history of the island. It is sort of like our Mackinaw Island in the sense of it is touristy and a cool different place, but the two have their own personalities that are very different. As a group we all had a blast and look forward to our next excursion together, which is coming up this weekend. We all bring different personalities to the group that fit together well, like a puzzle.

Today (Thursday, May 1) is my first day at school. It is pretty exciting. I have met many people today and plan to keep that up. The physical education department is awesome, very inviting and I look forward to working with them. I have a large amount of learning to do, considering their major sports here are footy, cricket, rugby and net ball. All of which I had no clue about before this trip. I love the challenge and should be well read once I am able to teach.

I feel tremendously fortunate for all that has happened so far, I've experienced a great deal already and look forward to what is to come. If anyone has a preference to what they would like to hear about, feel free to let me know. I feel like I am unable to cover everything in these posts, but would like to tailor this to you and the rest of the readers.

Getting Ready

Being a planner and a semi-organized person, (OK, it is because I am excited) I have decided to set up my daily (lets hope) blog site so my readers and I can become more familiar with the site. I plan on shooting photos as much as possible and then posting them with the same enthusiasm. So in retrospect, if there is anything you as the reader would like to see now, during my travels or afterwards feel free to let me know. I will update this blog with more information as my departure nears. (April 22nd, 2008)