And the Fourth Week rolls on...

I'm working my way through the weeks at a more steady pace than that of the first week. As time goes on and more students return to their homes in various countries, the stress and agony of the first two weeks dims and fades to not a lot.

We have around 200 students and staff in total in Reading now, and I will admit it's so much easier to deal with - as opposed to 500+!!! The students are a great deal calmer, and things seem to go smoother for everyone... Not always (yesterday 9 individual students missed the coach for the excursion into Reading, but oh well, they got there eventually), but most of the time now things are calm.

Several Teachers, Welfare and Activity staff have their contracts end this weekend. It will be sad to see a lot of them go, I've gotten to know them and it's been good to have now familiar faces to talk to each day.

Tuesday just past was the head of sport - Georgie -'s 21st. On Monday night/Tuesday morning, someone had organised a GIANT cake for her, and got as many people as they could upstairs to the kitchen to surprise her with singing happy birthday and getting her to blow out the candles! It was so sweet to be a part of that, I'm glad I was there. Tuesday night saw us go out for her birthday, so after night shift out the last of us went. 3am saw me come back in, along with most of the others. As usual, it was an entertaining night...

Oh Deer!

Oh deer, deer, deer!

Well! Where to begin on this fine day (imagine I am up to date on my blog and it's the day of my next adventure)! It all started with a message from Sami. Sami was my room mate at university in first year. It's taken us four and a half years, 13922.2 km, long plane flights and coming to the other side of the world in both ways for us to meet up!The greeting outside the train station was a blur of arms into a giant hug from both of us, much to onlookers annoyance, because we almost hit several people as they walked past! Oops ~ sorry about that! But in any case, it was awesome to see her again! The questions on both sides didn't stop for at least an hour, and in that time we had managed to walk up to Richmond Park.


"Richmond Park is the largest Royal Park in London covering an area of 2,500 acres. From its heights there is an uninterrupted view of St Paul's Cathedral, 12 miles away. The royal connections to this park probably go back further than any of the others, beginning with Edward (1272-1307), when the area was known as the Manor of Sheen. The name was changed to Richmond during Henry VII's reign. In 1625 Charles I brought his court to Richmond Palace to escape the plague in London and turned it into a park for red and fallow deer. His decision, in 1637, to enclose the land was not popular with the local residents, but he did allow pedestrians the right of way. To this day the walls remain, although they have been partially rebuilt and reinforced."



We saw deer! It was only 4 or 5, two doe and three fawns (I think it was three), but even so that was pretty amazing! I'm going to plan another trip there some time soon, and find out where the herds are mainly found before I trek through the grasslands again. Then later on, Sam and I saw another deer through the trees in a small thicket of trees, and it just felt so magical! Just like out of a faery tale! (It's the first picture, see if you can spot it?)


We also saw a lot of people walking dogs through the thick ferns! It was like a Jurassic with all the ferns covering the ground, the deer were able to hide so easily within it because it was higher than them! It was very cool walking along then all of a sudden seeing three old people sitting surrounded by ferns and their pet dogs - one's name was 'Scruffy', he was a bear like dog and his name suited him so much!


We walked so much that afternoon, and had lunch at a pub called 'The White Cross', which overlooks the river Thames. It was great catching up with Sam, hearing all the stories she's collected as she's traveled a little more than me in the last few years!

A Trip to a Old House

A week ago I went to visit a couple of beautiful kids at their granny and grandpa's house.
Ellie and Finn, thanks!

I think I would have gone crazy if I didn't get the chance to have a hug from those two kids, and visit their grandparent's home, which is an adorable little house which is over 400 years old!
It was soooo cool! Yes, so I hit my head on the door when I went through because it was very low, and yes I can touch the ceiling, but it was just amazing!

There is a a treehouse and ponds, and a lake and a little forest and just so much stacked into this gorgeous little house! Yes I'll get photos up, eventually.

We went for a walk through the forest, and around the lake - where Finn found the wasp nest and successfully got stung on the bum! Sorry Finny, but that was a little funny! Lunch saw me eating the yummiest home mde vegetable soup ever (I need to get the receipe), and the afternoon saw Ellie and Jack, Jane and Rick, Grandad Black and I go for a walk up and across the downs (I just really like saying that it sounds so cool!).



Before I left, I met Granny and Grandad Price, and had an awesome time chatting to them! Oohh and I went on the lake in a boat and we didn't capsize the boat! Ellie you made an excellent weight at the nose! I was perfect in the center!

now to end with a joke...

"if a deaf person commited a crime would he still get a hearing?"

The Third Round

Well, well, it's time again for the update on insanity in Reading!



I've now ended the third week of work at Reading, with plenty to talk about - my boss (who is pretty awesome, and wants me to say g'day every morning), the many nationalities of students, my room (which I still haven't taken a picture of), and just general adventures around Reading.

My boss and everyone I work with are very cool. There is 4 Managers, 5 Welfare Leaders, 14 Activity Leaders and 10 (I think) Teachers. The insanity of this place is slowly dying down, as students and groups leave to go home or to move on to the next summer school. We had 15 boys from UAE leave today, and although Bridges is going to be super quiet now - no more kebab call outs at 12 midnight - they were great guys to talk to and have a laugh with!

So far I've met people from France, England, Wales, Scotland, Italy, Spain, Ukraine, Russia, Germany, Brazil, Poland, Japan, China, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emerites, Andorra, and Holland. It's been interesting trying to understand students when they are yelling at you in italian or french, and you stand there saying 'english, please!' I have learnt how to say hello and goodbye in french and arabic, and that italian boys don't eat dinner until around 9pm.

The campus we are staying on is pretty cool, there is a lake and a little stream with ducks, geese and moor hens that pop in and out of the water, and dart past you as you walk over the bridge between classes. AWESOME! Between them, squirrels and hedgehogs, my interesting animals list is getting a great tick! The magpies here just look different.

My room - well being on the ground floor where kids can bang on your window at night when you're sleeping, and there isn't any stairs has its ups and downs!

The Second Week

So....

The madness continues! This week honestly has started with a bang - loads of students arriving and not a lot of time to even breath, let alone survive the day through! Monday is thankfully over, between new kids getting lost on the way to class and door handles being stolen by members of various groups around, the day has been highly eventful.

My legs are now broken. Not really. But by the end of each very full day - I want to curl up into a ball and sleep. Just crazy. I'm certainly getting all of my exercise each day, with running up and down stairs, across campus, and just doing all the odd selection of jobs! I'll be great at hiking!

The First Week

Wow!

So far I've survived MOST of the week here. I still have three days to go, including today (which also happens to be my day off) and then I can say I've survived a week in Ardmore.

This is my job (kind of)

As a welfare officer I am a part of a team that welcomes and assists new students into the Ardmore program. I also do several things outside of welcoming

- dragging bags upstairs
- taking small children to the hospital when their FGL isn't present (FGL - Foreign Group Leader)
- making sure kids aren't on the roof of the building they are staying in
- signing off individuals on a certain list to ensure they are accounted for and eating
- trying to stop fighting between Spanish and German kids after football matches in the world cup
- patrolling the building perimeter and corridors from 10pm till 1 am four nights a week
- escorting lost kids to class
- finding lost kids and taking them somewhere (usually class)
- going on excursions when Harwood says I can and Georgie says there is space
- having fun and laughing my head off at all the daft things the activity and welfare groups say and do at any point in the day or night
- (seeing HEDGEHOGS during night duty!!!)
- and lastly... having fun along the way

all in all - I'm having fun!

Ardmore in Reading

So I started work yesterday.

Got lost trying to find my way to the building I'm living at for the next 6 weeks, which was highly entertaining I can say. The building I am going to be living in is big, creepy (by Darwin standards), and very confusing to walk around! The individual students and groups of students arrive today. I won't be living in the building with the individuals, I've been placed in the one which will house the groups of students coming in.

It all sounds very hectic. Until I get into the swing of things, I think I am going to be knackered after the first couple of days with running around and night shifts, my first one being tonight, where I have to do 10.30 to 1.00am to make sure no one has nicked off, or is doing anything daft in the corridors.

My uniform shirt is pretty cool. A nice, bright red. You won't lose me in a hurry with that shirt!

Another Day in London

Well I'm back in London, if only for a short while.

I got back yesterday, and spent most of the day reading in Kensington Gardens, and watching squirrels fighting and chasing each other up and down and around trees... They're feisty little things when they get going! Oh and I recommend Terry Pratchett to anyone who is into humorous and quirky stories - Wintersmith is the next book with The Wee Free Men (Nac Mac Feegles to themselves), and it is brilliant! The first two, The Wee Free Men, and A Hat Full Of Sky, sadly are both back in Australia... So I have to make do with memory.

Today though - I'm catching another train down to Reading - COS I START WORKING TODAY!

Pop Quiz - And the Wooden Spoon Award goes to...

Last night I went to a pop quiz at a local pub with Becky and some of her chemistry friends, and some others who just tagged along (like me, only not as cool 'cos they aren't Aussie). The only Australian question Dave (the quiz master) asked was about football.... Aussie Rules footie. Seriously. I had the HUGE dilemma of not actually knowing WHICH of Australia's footy was considered Aussie Rules! So naturally - we got that answer wrong...

All up we were winners. Our team (The Usual Critters - Critters said in an Australian accent seems to be said with a soft 'd' not 't' sound) verses the boys who had come along and created their own team (We Eat Critter Fritters ... Nom Nom). The boys didn't win anything at all - where as we on the other hand - the wooden spoon award! The wooden spoon award meant we received a (very) cheap bottle of rose wine. The smell - I could smell it whilst it was still 10cm away from my face. It reminded me somewhat of paint stripper. And nail polish remover.

But as a joint winner of the wooden spoon, I felt obliged to drink it, and tell stories to the English folk around me of drop bears, platypus, echidnas, yowies, bunyips, and eventually the geography of Australia. I didn't however, scare them with stories of crocodiles and snakes. Oh and I taught them 'Aussie Words', things such as 'critter', 'feral', and 'bogan'... They seem to like the word 'feral' a lot! Which I found very amusing.

The Isle of Wight

I didn't get too lost on the trip over to the Isle of Wight!

I left Southampton Ferry Terminal on Red Jet Ferry Services, and 25 minutes later I arrived in West Cowe ferry port on Wight. The buses over on Wight are well adapted to taking very sharp corners and winding roads, however - the passengers then have this deep fear of who exactly are we going to hit on this road! I had to take a bus to New Port, which is about 15 -20 minutes away from West Cowe. To get down to Wight's biggest attraction (The Needles at Alum Bay) you have to catch another bus that can go several different ways to get there.

I however, went through Freshwater Bay and the small village of Freshwater. On the way, I had to get off the bus - Julia Margaret Cameron - (Julia Margaret Cameron (11 June 1815 – 26 January 1879) was a British photographer. She became known for her portraits of celebrities of the time, and for photographs with Arthurian and other legendary themes.) She did various printing processes that I learned about in photography history class! Her home, Dimbola Lodge, has been transformed into a museum dedicated to her and her work. It is sectioned into three galleries, her work in one, and two different contemporary artists and photographers in the other two sections.

The rooms dedicated to her were so well set up! There was even a camera obscura set up with the black cloth covering the viewing plate so you could see what it actually looked like under darkness!After spending LOADS of time there (I think I'll consider what the fellow I spoke to when I got my ticket - starting a friends group in Australia) I left to catch the bus further down the Isle. By about lunch time, I arrived down in Alum Bay. I caught the chair lift (it wasn't likely to see me walking down those stairs!) and had my first view of the rock formation off the point of the island. It was absolutely amazing!

To get a better look at the formations, I caught a boat - Wild Rose - out to see the lighthouse that was built on land, then pulled apart, then put together out at sea. It was very beautiful to be out in the ocean looking at the lighthouse and the formations made from time, water and wind. While we were out there - I was sat on! A little English (very very pommy English) lady SAT ON ME!!! She was asking the man next to me if it was ok if she stood next to us, then they started the boat again. This caused her to lose balance and land on my leg. She didn't even notice - nor did she notice me saying 'mam you're sitting on me' at least three times! It wasn't until I had to move (she had a very bony bum) and bumped her in the head with my camera (with a filter on front - a cokin one at that!) that she got off of me, very apologetic (in an absurdly pommy accent!)

Back on land, I caught the lift back up to the top of the coloured sand cliffes (its sandstone, so has the mixture of colours you expect to see) and took a few more photos, then visited the stores of Alum Bay. It was fun to listen to all the school kids in the store, screaming at each other and carrying on about nonsense, and not having anything to do with it!

While I was still there, the fog horn started sounding as the sea mist crept in and grew so thick you could no longer see the walking path up to the old army barracks at the top of the cliffs.

It was home time then, and an hour bus trip through the villages of the isle saw me back to the ferry terminal. Then another red jet trip back to Southampton, where I took yet another bus ride to Becky's place, before going to yet another pub with her and her friends - to try yet another cider. Bulmers cider (especially the pear flavoured one) is so far the nicest one. There is so many different brands of cider here, its quite fasinating. Now its time for a pop quiz at yet another pub, before packing my bags for a train trip back to London tomorrow, before going to Reading for work. Let the good times roll on....