July 2011
1 post
March 2011
4 posts
February 2011
6 posts
I'M SO EXCITED
Tomorrow is the first day of the rest of my life.
Let’s go.
I made a friend!
Her name is Claire. Awesome.
I must admit..
I feel this weird sense of pressure to prove to everyone how normal I really am.
Orientation Day!
Not gonna lie; pretty excited.
December 2010
3 posts
Woohoo!
I got a phone call from the University! Best possible result! Interview Monday!
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Going on my school visit on Tuesday!
So I got in touch with Mrs Bunn, one of my old teachers at Avondale / chess club extraordinaire / friend of my brother’s ex-girlfriend’s Mum (seriously), and she’s agreed to let me come down (to Hamilton, brm-brmmm) and observe her class on Tuesday! It’s the last official teaching day of the school year, so it should be pretty relaxed.
I’m really looking forward to...
Next hurdle: Monday!
I have to go in for an obligatory “literacy test”.
I’m quivering.
Nah, I guess this is the University’s way of sorting the wheat from the chaff? AND I AM SO WHEAT!
November 2010
2 posts
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Need to get some experience, yo
Apparently it’s prudent to observe a teacher working their classroom prior to my interview for Teacher’s College (not that I have one yet, but… well, you know). So I need to hit up some old school teachers or mates of mine that are teachers to come along and observe them working their magic.
Any volunteers?
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Application sent!
Well, I guess that’s step one. I’ve posted in my application (thanks, Helen) and have lined up some killer referees (cheers Nick and Helen).
I’m confident, but not cocky.
Oh, who am I kidding, they’d be crazy not to give me a shot ;)
There’s not much to do now but wait! I’ll update as soon as news comes to hand…
September 2010
1 post
August 2010
1 post
July 2010
5 posts
I think Hong Kong should be renamed "Sauna".
That’s all.
Hometime :)
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And I thought I'd seen it all...
Why did no one warn me Hong Kong was such an insane place?! Helen and I decided it’d be a great idea to split up at the airport; she’d take the luggage to the hotel by (inaccessible) coach and I’d walk there.
Yeah, bad idea.
After a full day in London and a fairly sleep-less 12 hour flight over here, each going our own separate ways in an utterly chaotic city was, in hindsight,...
Another freakin' puncture!
In London. Awesome.
ps. Les Mis was INCREDIBLE!
June 2010
19 posts
2 tags
Internet on a train?!
Would you believe I’m posting this at 300km/h en route to Brussels? Staggering. Anyway, apologies for the scant updates of late. I put it down to two things:
1) We’ve having way too much fun, and 2) The scoundrels in Amsterdam wanted to charge us 10euro a day to use the in-room broadband. Robbery! So we refused, and spent the money on dutch apple pie. Fair trade, I reckon.
...
We are still alive!
Just have no Internet. Happy and in Amsterdam :)
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Berlin! Wow.
What a day. Almost weren’t allowed to board our (final, thank god) easyJet flight because they tried to tell me my wheelchair was too heavy?! WHAT?! Anyway. More on that later. We are all settled in to our comfy abode on Rosenthaler Platz, and very very happy.
I must admit, there’s something hauntingly beautiful about Berlin. You can tell it’s got history, but not the kind...
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“Wow, the dogs here understand Greek!”
– American tourist
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So, it happened: I got a puncture.
Far from ideal, scoring a puncture at 9pm the night before we’re due to fly to Athens at 9am. So guess whose flight just left without them?
Thankfully we were able to change to a flight that leaves tomorrow, and it didn’t cost us tooooo much. Still. Not exactly delighted with this turn of events.
Currently ringing around various places trying to find someone who can fix it....
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Here's my latest correspondence with easyJet.
Me: Hi there, how can I ensure easyJet take better care of my wheelchair on my flight to Athens than they did on my last flight to Barcelona? They put it on the luggage belt!! (It's 120kg)... not impressed. I'm really lucky it wasn't damaged. Can't let it happen again! What can I do?
[easyJet Customer rep]: I advise you to pack it correctly and on the top kindly write 'Fragile Handle With Care'. Please ensure that you have adequate insurance to cover your baggage whilst traveling, as easyJet will not be held responsible in case of any damage.
...Mind-boggling.
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I just elbowed a 10 year-old Italian kid 'coz he...
Not even kidding.
Although in hindsight I think he may have been autistic, so now I feel kinda bad.
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Viva Italia!
To be honest, I’m not even sure if “Viva Italia” is, you know, a ‘thing’ but I’m gonna run with it anyway because it seems to exude enthusiasm.
Which is fitting, really, because I’m really stoked to be here. Unlike our arrival in Barcelona, this afternoon’s arrival in Rome’s Fiumicino Airport was hassle-free. We were taken off the plane onto...
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We
Helen and I have conferred and it is official: Barcelona is our favourite city so far.
From the architecture, to the food, to the general laid-back vibe of the city and its occupants, it’s probably the first time in the last three weeks we’ve both truly felt on holiday. Today, for example, we didn’t leave our cosy pensione (hat-tip to Jenny for that pearler) until 3pm! We were...
“You know, the thing about black children is that they always look like...”
– Another gem from the inimitable Helen Turnwald.
May 2010
35 posts
2 tags
SPAIN! BARCELONA!
We have arrived. But only just, I tell ya. Video blog to follow.
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I'm sick :(
Must’ve eaten something rotten, so I’m consequently holed up in our Paris hotel room while my Helen is out and about exploring! I think if you looked up “stink” in the dictionary, this is the example they’d provide.
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En route to Paris!
Helen and I are sitting in the Business Lounge in St Pancras, which we scored entry to after the checkin lady liked the look of us. It is most excellent. Free food and drinks abound.
It feels a little like our adventures truly begin now. Vancouver was great, and super-easy to negotiate. London has been mind-blowing, both in terms of sheer size and opulence. Both cities speak English as their...
