Footprints

Its been 1 1/2 months.

Much has happened. Highlights?

1) Completed practical and all assignments = I'm a graduan.

2) Mum and dad's coming to Adelaide.

3) IELTS results were a little too good to be true. Praise God for it.

4) Star Trek - not the movie, the series. Pretty hooked on it thanks to Janice.

5) An end to a dream.

So what's in the future?

1) Spending more time with God

2) Finding a job

3) Much to think about.

Can't blog while watching Star Trek. Will blog more soon.

The week gone by has been very stressful. Almost one of the most stressful weeks of this year. I look back and I know there is much that I can do better. Nonetheless, I choose to say to the best of my knowledge I have done my best and look forward.

Teaching four different subject areas in one school is very tough. Having 2 groups of students who are easily bored, have almost no sense of ethics in the class and who are not interested in doing well due to the stereotype that the subject is not important has been challenging.

However, these few things highlight my week.

• I am situated in the music and drama office with all the musical and creative people. The room's noisy, next door on the right is the music room and on the left is the drama room but they are most vibrant. It is pretty awesome.
• I have noisy students who can do work well. The only problem they have is that they cannot .... JUST CAN-NOT keep quiet. It is Pretty amazing.
  
• Being in this school community has been pleasant, people are professional and very helpful.
• I am teaching 3 classes at the moment and I will be adding to the number, 1 more. Pretty awesome but pretty freaky too. I just need to be MUCH more prepared than I am in the 1st week.
• I drove almost 1 hour from Jade's work at NIGHT. I have NEVER driven at night and now I have! Thank you Jade. She tried so hard not to freak out. She did a very good job keeping calm.

A few bad things about the week...

• I had no time to cook AT all from Monday to Friday.
• Today I felt so tired I was in bed till 2:30pm. I woke up once at 9am.
• I still have SO much to do (planning and studying)

So what's the plan for this week?

• Try to cook when I get back (by not bringing back work from school)
• Plan as much as I can today and tomorrow so that I don't have to do much planning next week!

Thanks to a few people who were there for me throughout this super stressful week. It was only really stressful because I believed I could not handle all that I am doing.

Being on holiday can be really relaxing and productive as well.

At least for me, this has been the case since I got back from busy and rushy Melbourne.

Baked some chicken (inspired by Juwen's pseudo kfc recipe)

Working on unit plans were like planning for training sessions for people and I love it. There are so much I could think of and I guess when creative juices flow, all I can do is write and plan, improvise... write more and then pRayerfully, all plans will work in the class from next week onwards.

Today, I went out to bind my notes. Behavior management, Introduction to Judaism - a research I've taken on because I'm teaching it and also a few little books of research I have photocopied and printed. Feels good to reorganise

On a different note, I just heard this news being read (word for word) on channel Ten. I am so inspired. When I'm older, I hope to have enough saved up to adopt kids like that or at least sponsor kids (especially those who know what they want) for their future.

Back to writing the titles on the coloured pages above. I love my job.

Taking off from Adelaide for a getaway, I have not regretted my decision to attend Belgrave Heights. Not only did I return from the Convention knowing a few people so much better, I have chewed the Word of God and tasted its sweetness. These are the lessons I have learnt. Surely... surely by now I have known my God better. Not only because He stirred my soul but because I have come to truly believe that the Word is His Word and is infallible.

When I registered for Belgrave Heights, I did not realise the word Convention meant that it wasn't anything like Easter Camp or Youth Camp or Family Camp. I was then told that there would be a thousand people attending the conference and more plus, there would be no physical outdoor games nor challenges planned. Looking up the program online, I then found out. There would be 3 sermons preached in one day. Lol. I wasn't sure I would survive. I did nonetheless! and I must say, I am starting to thoroughly enjoy sermons preached by the passage or book in the Bible.

Thanks to the OCFers, I have also thoroughly enjoyed Take-two, Scattergories, Snap, Taboo and Boggle. Now, my passion for board games have increased and time will come when I will be able to afford buying some to play with housemates, friends and family! On top of the games, I enjoyed helping the team cook Sunday Lunch. I didn't do much to be honest, I guess in the end, it was a blessing to serve. One day, I'll be good enough to cook for others. In the meantime, its more practice and observation that will keep me up to date.

Lessons I have learnt from Belgrave are many and thus are in the Open Space.

Enjoy your holidays most of you.

A day in the life of Mel, working only on assignments.

7:30am - wake up

8:10am - walk to uni

9:15am - reach uni

9:25am - 150words

10:00am - 431 words

*man.. so slow... I have to finish 3500 words and I want to finish them today*

meanwhile - youtube is playing "romeo romeo...." hehehe  you can fill in the blanks...

10:01am - still blogging. Ok. Back to work.

11:30am - hungry... *munch munch... while working....*

11:49am - 1,200 words. Hmmm. thats progress. Part 1 done. *back ache though*

*Just remembered, walking to uni today I walked past many women who looked great in their work clothes and who smelt awesome! hehe I love the Autumn look... some... *

11:52am -back to work!

12:46pm - 371 words (part 2)

1:56pm - 813 words *man the back ache is killing me. taking a break - tramming home*

*the essay will be finished in 2 hours. yay!* byeeee!

There are two great things about today.

One - it is POURING in Adelaide. By Pouring, I mean... M'sian rain rate. Thats an awesome start for a very very dry and parched land down under.

Two - I have no more headaches! After 2 weeks of having headaches every single day, I took a panadol and went to bed. I guess the fact that I think and agonize too much, walk under the scorching sun, sleep in odd hours, did not have proper and balanced meals and I don't usually like taking medication for any pain did not help with the prolonged pain. Took me 2 weeks to figure all the possible causes.

I've got tutorials at 12 ending at 6? I hope he lets us out early. hehehe. Although, I think I would love the tutorials today. Lecture yesterday was short and sweet. 45 minutes and we were done. I thank God I don't have 4 more written assignments to do. I think I have 2 more written assignments and 2 presentations. Lets see what happens when I find out all of my assessment types today.

OH! before I forget. I'm driving this Wednesday! FINALLY.... *so jakun. as if never drive... haha no car to drive mer.* This week, those driving lessons begin. As for you, take care! God Bless.

Lectures are starting again this Monday and it'll last for 7 weeks.

After that, I can wave lectures goodbye. I'm serious and I'm happy about that.

I have 4 more assignments to complete (and I believe they are all written essays).

I am happy that this semester is shorter than other semesters I have ever had. Although, I have a major decision to make and it hangs over my head like a dark cloud. I can't sleep at night, I wake up thinking about it. Its worse that having a crush on a guy! er. maybe its just different.  

Those are minor updates but nothing much has been happening other than massive headaches because I think too much and fainting spells because I have been going for 1 hour swims and walks and not having enough food.

hehe. I'll run along and take care of myself. see u very soon. I miss you.

Its the 22nd of February 2009.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAREN! Thank you for inspiring me to be more efficient with my work, to be more health conscious, more aware of caring for the planet and for being there for me when I needed someone. You are a blessing and I miss having you as my housemate.

After 2 weeks of being back in Adelaide, I have much planned in front of me for the month of March. Talk about busy, I thank God that I could drop 1 less course at university this semester. Save me 2000AUD. I also thank God for a smooth transition back into Adelaide life. I have a few courses lined up for me in the next few weeks, uni is on going since I got back from Melbourne and this week, I will meet the guys from school!!! Oh so exciting! I wonder what year levels I will be asked to teach and I wonder what an Australian private school feels like. First up tomorrow, swimming as well.

Been watching Spooks (British Series) and Monk (American Series). LOVE IT!!! I wish for the full series for my Xmas present??? hehehehe

Its good to be home again although I miss some people from Melbourne. I hope for a great week. First aid course is on Thursday. I'm going to have fun.

Be inspired by this

.................................................................................................. <3

Application for jobs has started.

This first week of university has been difficult. Not only because lectures and tutorials stretched across 6 hours, it was and is difficult because of the challenges in teacherhood that I am due to face. At this point, my eyes and heart are wide open not just with terror but with anxiety knowing the complexity of issues history has passed on to us as a unit. As I sit in lectures listening to the history of Africans and the Indigenous people of Australia, I am very aware that I benefit from these by knowing the issues now rather than encountering a culture shock due to the lack of understanding and knowledge.

What more will I learn tomorrow? I can only wonder. Although, the process of learning is more painful at times like these. Feeling like the weight of the world is on your shoulders because teachers spend the most time teaching and modeling everything can be daunting. I assure myself that I will do my best and maybe my best will not seem like enough. I am certain only of this, that the God I believe in is in total control of every dear life I will come into contact with.

Time to sleep. Rest before I need to walk out of this house and face the world. To be very honest, I wish I was with a significant other, in arms of a non-judgemental, caring, affirming, encouraging, and pleasant person. I miss being around warm, pleasant and inviting people. whole day in uni, not a good idea I guess.