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.