Week Five Term Two

 After two weeks writing narrative stories the students are typing up their good copy.

This is the tram stop where I get off to catch the train back home. That is exactly where it stops, on a corner and the pedestrians cross to the train.

 Instead of monster homes they build a row of houses on one building lot.

 Houses here do not have ashpalt singles, they have ceramic or metal tiles (and no basements).

A week's worth of Woolworths soups eaten with a small can of flavoured tuna on top of a kale salad. Easy peasy.

May 9 to 13^th.

Another week of school goes by in a blur. The weather was cool, windy and wet. This week I got my first cold and although it felt like it might become quite bad I managed to nip it in the bud with sleep and taking it easy at night. Don was away the whole week recovering from his plague. I didn't ride the bike at all this week because of the weather and my energy level because of my cold.

The report card system is finally up and running and we have started talking about them. We have been asked to write one high, one medium and one low student report so that admin can see if they like what we have written and if it makes the curriculum.

I spent the evenings at home relaxing, typing and watching some television. I can't believe the crap that passes for prime time entertainment. I think it is even worse than back home, with endless 'reality' shows, ridiculous cooking shows and their version of that long time ludicrous game show 'Family Feud'. They are advertising a new reality show where contestants are blindfolded to see if there can be 'Love at First Kiss'. And there is another dating show where the participants parade around naked with all their naughty (or interesting) bits digitized out, as they talk and flirt with each other. Makes you wonder who is watching this crap (other than me that is).

A large number of suburbs in Melbourne have been designated as high density areas because they know that Melbourne is expected to grow by leaps and bounds in the next decade and they need space to put people without eating up their farmland. They seem to have an aversion to condos in the suburbs, so when a lot gets sold they either build new houses in the backyard or knock down the original house and build a row of four or five from the sidewalk to the end of the lot. I live in one such development. I wouldn't mind finding something like it at home, a small row house.

The only social event this week was a staff party at Libby's house in Parkdale. Unfortunately, only Carol, Bev, Shawna, Ann (the French teacher who picked me up at the airport) and I showed up. Libby's partner Margie was there of course. Another couple attended as well, a teacher (and her husband) who worked previously with Libby. The rest of the staff either thought it was an inconvenient location, or had family duties at home or were starting to write their reports. I felt bad for Libby. We had a good time regardless.