A fitting song....

"Another airplane, another sunny place, I'm lucky I know, I'm just too far from where you are. I wanna  come home. Another winter day has come and gone away in Paris and Rome but I want to go home. And I am surrounded by a million people but I miss you, you know. I've had my run, but baby I'm done."

 Blake Shelton -Home

 So okay, maybe I'm ready to admit that I'm ready to go home. Five months is a long time. 20 days and counting until I'm State-side again!

Cheers, from a girl with an undying love for Chicago

Doing something new

In North Perth (just a 20 minute walk from the Student Village) is a Bikram Yoga studio. I've walked by it for volleyball training and took the bus by it countless times into the the city but as of yesterday it is no longer a landmark on the way somewhere else but now it is the destination.

My gym membership expired last week so instead I have signed up for a 10 day unlimited pass for Bikram yoga for only 20 AUD.
I am not a complete novice to yoga for I have dabbled my fingers in power yoga, yoga videos and a few drop in classes here and there.

However, Bikram is taking yoga to a whole other playground. One that happens to be very hot. In Bikram each practicing studio is heated up to 38*C/100*F. Each session has participants transition through 26 postures (two rounds of each) to compose the 90 minute class.

For comparison sake, think forward to the middle of summer when it hits the first 100 degree day. It's a little hard to gather energy, and when you grab a cold beverage out of the cooler there are condensation droplets being born immediately; soon to monopolize the entire surface. Well, in Bikram that surface is your skin. Places you can never remember sweating from before like the tops of your feet are now dripping so that when you reach forward from triangle pose into impossible-to-hold pose you look around to see sweat rivers cascading off reaching arms and strained necks. Sound fun?

I don't mean to deter anyone from practicing Bikram it is calming (towards the end), strengthening, endurance building, and something new!
I mean, hey, I'm going back today so that must be saying something (smile).
If you would like more information feel free to visit the studio's website:  http://www.perthbikramyoga.com.au/

Cheers, from a sweating but intrigued girl

p.s. photos via wehearit.com

Just a thought...

Happiness is not a station you arrive at, but a manner of traveling.

-Margaret Lee Runbeck

A page from my journal..

I am required to keep a journal during my prac here with observations about my classroom, notes on my experience and comparisons between the education system back home and here.

So a page from my journal:

When considering documents and procedures that the Western Australian curriculum is based on, Outcome Based Education (OBE) comes to mind due to the most recent shift in the Australia education system (started in 1990). Outcome Based Education focuses on  individual student learning outcomes with accountability on what students specifically achieve. OBE  allows for school's creating their own tweaked version of the curriculum in which all schools strive for the same goals with varying ways of achieving them. However another shift has occurred with a National Curriculum being instituted in 2011. Currently National and State priorities in the education system includes: literacy, numeracy, civics, and ICT.

As for now, during my prac, documents to reference while planning lessons are: the Curriculum Framework, Curriculum Guides, K-10 Syllabus, Early Years Learning Framework and the Pre-primary Profile. With so many documents to reference many educators will be welcoming in the National Curriculum, hoping to have more specific guidelines for each developmental level.

When creating lessons I currently lean on the Curriculum Framework. I find all the curriculum documents to be very broad in comparison to the Michigan GLCEs. Who would have thought one day I'd truly appreciate the GLCEs?

Cheers, from a lesson planning girl

p.s. picture thanks to weheartit.com

Remember this girl?

 

The girl with the graduation cap dressed in Green and White?

Well, Sparta... it is official!

My last exam of undergrad is completed.

Now for a little bit of life and a little bit of play.

Cheers!

Galileo

 

I've loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night

-Galileo

Exam time

Here's the week, it never fails.
It makes me want to pull my hair.
When it comes I want to wail - Exams! 

*Enjoy my nice little song* (sing to the tune of Blue's Clues Mail Time Song)

One exam done. One more to go.

All assignments well done and then three week of full time prac!

Fun tidbit of information, the Australian grading scale:

50%-Pass

60%-Credit

70%-Distinction

80%-High Distinction

Although the grading scale is a bit different the highest grade still requires  heaps of effort to obtain.

Cheers, from a studying girl

You say winter?

At Mallory's door, for another biking adventure!

Starting next week it is officially winter time... now, I ask you when is the last time that you saw bright flowers like this with winter next door?

 

We stayed along the coast taking in the scenery until we thought maybe playing on the beach would be fun.

My love for you, nice and big!

Not too shabby of a view hey? This is somewhere up the coast from Cottesloe.

 

We ventured down to the jetty and grabbed ourselves a front row seat to the sunset. 

The show? Free of charge.

I will not claim it was the most vibrant sunset ever but it was a nice sight.

Plus how can you complain when in good company?

I am thinking I should take more advantage of living so close to the beach...

Perhaps more running on the beach and maybe a sleepout?

Cheers, from a beach babe even though it's "winter".

It's a small world after all....

Meet Perry and Glenn. Perry I have known since the beginning of Junior High. Anyone remember our Perry-Perry April Birthday Party in the eighth grade? We went our separate ways in High School going to different schools. Turns out after all these years we have a common love for studying abroad. Two years ago she to came to Melbourne to study and on one of the first nights she met Glenn- the more confused looking of the pair (smile). She stayed for eighteen months, returned to Chicago for her final semester and now is in Perth! Why Perth? Glenn plays for the Australian Olympic Hockey Team, and was asked to move to Perth for training purposes. The picture pretty much describes their relationships : a bit of romance with a lot of goofiness.

 

Both Perrys in the same city? How could we not meet up? I kept Perry company as one of Glenn's hockey games and had a blast! Notice the green hockey field? Hockey= field hockey.

Turns out my jumper wasn't needed for my imagined ice arena...

A lot of laughter, new acquaintances, and a few drinks later we called it a night with plans for next time.

Cheers, from a Perry girl

Curry Time!

 

I wouldn't be surprised if a prerequisite of living in Australia was knowing how to cook curry. Or maybe I am just one of the few Americans that don't know how? Can anyone back me on this?

Anyway, enough was enough. Today I learn how to make curry. May have been an easy curry lesson but have no fear a more advanced recipe sure to follow.

First step choose which sort of vegetables you wan and chop em up to bite-sized bits.

Ollie made a capsicum cup! Talent.

Next chop up your protein of choice, in our case chicken. Mix in the correct portion of coconut cream (400ml) and curry sauce (200ml) either home made or purchased from the store alongside partially cooked chicken. Cook for a few more minutes before throwing in all your vegetables in, the more the merrier.

Let simmer until cooked (10-15 minutes).

Note if including potato might want to pre-boil for five minutes before adding to the curry pot.

Not spicy enough? Add jalapeno the last two minutes!

Enjoy on it's own or atop rice.

My curry mentors, so proud!

Cheers, from a spice flaming mouth (just right!)

Says the Suit...

Meet the Suit. The clothing outfit that labels you the serious type perhaps even with spoonful of fashion sense. Yesterday while at the station I caught myself looking at a polished man in such a suit carrying a briefcase so I automatically labeled him as a business man : whether searching for work or already well established I couldn't tell you.

Here comes the fun part. My mind carries off on its own thought train, what was this guy like as a child? The thought of him as an eight year old dressed in a suit while ripping up his mother's petunias made me smile. What about his briefcase? What if it is full of such said flowers? Wouldn't it be humorous if he had a whole bag of lollies next on top of business report? Or if his boxers had Buzz Lightyear on them? Now, he is much more than a suit.

I suppose it doesn't matter where I am, people watching makes me be the girl walking around with a smile even though I am alone.

What sort of crowd observing games do you plan? I'd love to try em out!

Cheers, from girl with reindeer underwear

P.s. picture thanks to weheartit.com

Bicycle Built for you!

 

In the words of Queen, " I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride it where I like. "

Okay, so even though I abandoned my beater green bike at MSU, I miss my bike.

So Mallory and I went off last Sunday on a bicycle ride following the Swan River.

And oh gracious me! What did we see?

A random train stop. Some carnival camels.

A precious pup.

A babbling brook, autumn leaves, and fellow bicyclists.

About 13 km later we called it a day and hit the Freo Markets!

Cheers, from a biker chick

P.s. photos thanks to Mallory and weheartit.com

I'll have the whole Lot!

I did it! With less than five weeks to go I was conscious about getting my true Aussie colored burger in.

Welcome to Alfie's in Guilford, WA! Number one burger joint in Perth since the 1940's. Outdoor style just like a Dairy Queen except filled with delicious burgers.

Judging by the crowd of people on a Wednesday night, Alfie has rightfully stayed in business.

Meet the infamous Australia burger stuffed with egg, pineapple, tomato, BBQ sauce, cheese, onion, lettuce and hold the bacon. The Lot burger is suppose to have beetroot on it as well, but hey close enough.

 

With the pineapple and BBQ sauce it was the perfect mixture of sweet and meat.

Asten and I super satisfied. Enjoying our burgers by the fire!

 

Pretty cool atmosphere nixing the plates and tables. 

Just gather round the fire for a ol' fashion burger n chips!

My burger was 8.50 AUD and well worth it.

Unlike American burger joints asking how'd you like your burger, you are served medium.

More simple that way and I am sure less stress about Mad Cow disease (Moo!)

 

Still full two hours later.

And to think we contemplated having dessert afterwards.

Whew! Glad we didn't!

The Lot Burger (hold the bacon) gets the BP seal of approval!

Cheers, from a stuffed tummy 

Want more info? Check out :  

http://www.australiablog.com/history/archive/australiana/the-aussie-classic-burger-with-the-lot.html

I love you too

Remember when I said that Western Australia received the same box office movies that those in Midwest American did? Well there is always an exception. 

And the movie, I Love You Too, will serve as a case in point. 

Turns out the film hasn't reached American Cinemas and perhaps isn't intended to...

Featuring Brendan Cowell and Peter Halliar the Australian film tells the tale of a bachelor who falls in love and after three years of dating presents a 'commitment' ring without ever saying I Love You. Well you can guess how the love of his life could be fed up and decides to leave Australia 

for her home in London leaving Brendan alone. 

The movie serves as a comedy and had many similarities to the American film, I Love You Man.

My personal feedback? Cute. Made for both genders. A little slow but makes you smile.

Cheers, from a film critic
P.s. photo thanks to www.tvauscast.com

Annalakshmi

Welcome to Annalakshmi! Annalakshmi is the Hindu Goddess of Food and also a vegetarian Indian restaurant right next to the Bell Tower along Swan River. It is the kind of place that doesn't bother with advertisement because word of mouth travels faster.

The second story dining room is only open for lunch and dinner which probably helps keep costs down. The food was scrumptious. Mallory and I visited tonight and helped ourselves to naan, a sort of pumpkin soup, jalapeno jasmine rice topped with cauliflower curry, and this cabbage salad including cranberry with some sort of nut (that tasted real fresh since there wasn't any time of dressing on it! Simple but a nice tool to cool the tongue off after curry).

Naan (Indian Bread)

Now here comes the cool part : they believe that each guest should "eat as they like, and pay as they feel". Meaning after the meal has been enjoyed you pay the host what you feel was appropriate.

Even more impressive is that the cooking/help staff isn't really staff at all but volunteers from the Perth area. Then, each guest's donations are taken to resupply the restaurant in addition to helping out a health organization for women around the world.

Neat place, hey?
Don't only take my word on it, check it out:
http://www.annalakshmi.com.au/mission/

Cheers, from a well fed guest

P.s. pictures thanks to www.annalakshmi.com and www.south-africa-tours-and-travel.com

A Stirring of Seasons

Autumn!!!! Two weeks ago, tonight, at 11: 06 I asked my mates to join me outside. Alright, I kind of insisted.
Why? Because it was the first night of Autumn air : the crisp air that makes my mind go a tad crazy.

On Thursday, I didn't respond to Kate's question right away for I was distracted by crunchy looking yellow leaves on the ground. *sigh, yes I tip-toed all over them.

Hi my name is Becca and I am a complete Autumn Dork.

Hold onto your Season caps for its about to get windy. It may be Autumn, but the crunchy multi-colored leaves I speak of are few and far in between. In fact, most people in WA don't own a rake. Instead of shedding life, many plants are just coming to life! Flowers and green shrubs are butting there heads out from the ground and taking claim to the sun.

Why? Because as Perth heads further into winter it also heads into the wet season. Unlike Chicago, with many layers of snow, Perth just gets drenched with buckets of rain. So it makes sense, since the weather does not dip down that low during winter and seeing as how plants love water, that places like King's Park are just blossoming starting in Autumn.

The weather makes it hard to dress appropriately. Before the sun wakes up, on my way to the gym I am layered with sweatpants and my jumper. However if the sun is switched on and warming my body I shed layers to a skirt and tank top (walking quickly through the shaded bits of sidewalk). Come night fall, I consider if I should have brought another jumper along because it really is quite frigid.

The sun certainly does keep things quite interesting!

Cheers, from a girl living with weather bi-polarism
P.s. top picture thanks to littlebrownpen.blogspot.com

The Travels of Music

Music! Oh how I love music.
I have experienced a bunch of new musical groups in addition to stumbling upon a few new ones.

City and Colour fits (quite nicely if I may add) into the "new one" category; introduced to me by my mate Steve.



Want another?



Pretty good hey?

Do you know any new bands I should check out?

Cheers, from a music collector

A Cuppa What?

Let me preface by saying I am not a "gotta love it" girl when it comes to coffee. Meaning, my eyes are open, my body is energetic and my mind functions superbly without a cuppa joe first thing in the morning. But I am a "like it" girl who sometimes knows a cuppa joe is just what fits the bill.

Well in my humble opinion, if you are looking for satisfying coffee or even a chai tea in Australia, keep looking buddy.

I don't even have that high of standards, I don't even mind the slight burnt taste when coffee has been sitting too long.
So that just tells you : if asking for a cuppa joe, know you aren't "in Kansas anymore Toto" or even Starbucks, grandma's diner or a seven eleven.

Your best bet is just to buy some instant coffee from the store, and fix it to your likings.
My mate, even had some hazelnut cream shipped over for her coffee addiction because the creams just aren't like at home.

That being said, WA might not have the best cuppa joe but they sure have an abundant of "cafe streets". An entire downtown street lined with more coffee shops than you can imagine staying in business so close to each other.

Now, I'm not talking about coffee chains but cute little shops (like this one below) with cakeilined display windows that make you salivate.

Have you ever seen a five n dime airplane machine in a flier wallpapered coffee house?

Or what about white lanterns cloaking the ceiling?
















And what coffee house is complete without a game cupboard under the sugar and napkins? Look at the wooden checkers set!

Cheers, from a "like it" coffee gal

Don't judge a book by it's cover

Remember looking through the library at your elementary school pulling out each book just slightly so you can peer at the cover to decide if it grabs your interest? Remember when an adult caught you in that act (because we know all adults have eyes all over their head -sorry for the horrid image!) and wisely told you not to judge a book by it's cover?

If we have been told time and time again not to judge a book by its cover than what about the infamous book so many are involved with today : Facebook?

Facebook goes against this age old advice and rather encourages you to judge a book, in this case a person, but its cover (a profile). Now, it is true you can Facebook stalk a person and climb through hundreds of their pictures to discover that they are images of skydiving, bungee jumping and cliff jumping to deduct that they are an adventure seeker. But what if you are told that at any given point one picture can be pulled out of context, pushed into the public eye, and hold you accountable for any public assumptions that may follow. As an educator I have images of my times in classrooms, working at day care, babysitting alongside pictures from New Year's and family camp. So, I don't have anything to hide. I am a fun loving, adventure seeking, educating girl and I feel my Facebook reflects that.

Throughout an American collegiate experience how many times are you told to keep in mind that Facebook will be used as a deciding component of whether you are worthy enough to receive the position?

So here is the catch : Facebook has been in Australia for just one or two years shy of American and yet my mates haven't been threatened with the Facebook warnings and furthermore haven't heard of any companies using Facebook as a tool for evaluating employees.

Is it only a matter of time, are individual's privacy more respected, or does the Aussie culture not care about Facebook and the plethora of information it provides?

Cheers, from a Facebooker

p.s. picture thanks to weheartit.com

Another piece of the puzzle

A couple more pieces have fallen into place in this puzzle of Australian culture. I warn you they may seem backwards but all the corners fit.

I was asked this weekend on my sailing excursion how I feel Australians are different from Americans. I gave it some think and one response included that everyone is more relaxed here. Meaning : one of my classmates turned in a assignment an entire week late (did I mention it was 60 percent of our grade?) something that wouldn't fly at MSU. But here is the puzzler: if the people are more relaxed then why is wearing PJs outside of the apartment such a no-no? (this includes track pants in public, which you are guaranteed at least one comment inquiring if you are going to the gym)

Want another?
It is starting to get colder as the leaves change. This morning it was only 50 degrees at 8:30 am and 70 degrees by noon in comparison to the 105 degree weather in February. My roommate started singing the infamous Christmas carol to reflect the temperature change " Oh the weather outside is frightful..." and I am sure you know the rest. So here is the puzzler: If their Christmas is in the middle of summer here and often includes bbq on the beach then why are there not more Christmas songs about Xmas under the sun?
(warning: I already asked if there are Aussie Christmas songs and if there are, not any that my roommate acknowledged)

So there you have it, some backwards looking pieces that are indeed still a fit into the Western Aussie cultural puzzle.

Cheers, from a puzzling gal

p.s. picture thanks to weheartit.com

Sail Away With Me Hunny

Dearest Catamaran,

It is surprising how through my fifteen years of sailing experience I haven't met you yet.


I am glad Mallory was kind enough to introduce us!

For you see, Mr. Catamaran, it's blissful gliding over the Indian Ocean while watching a regatta take place.

And if I may say so, a bit luxurious with the sun reflecting off my skin and sharing some capsicum dip on Turkish bread.

It's sailing moments like this, that the cool breeze is a taste of home.
I am reminded of Lake Walloon and my favorite sailing companion : the Hobie Cat.

I hope you weren't jealous when little Captain Jack
snuggled up stealing the show

and the camera (smile).


In case you thought you were sly, I thought I'd point out that I caught you
listening to my conversation with Mallory about our dreams of log cabins, Haiti, simplicity, ten thousand villages and coffee shops.

Feel Free to sail away with me again
Cheers, from a happy sailor

Here's to all you Mothers

To all the new mothers in the world
(shout out to : Jenny & Nicole)

to the mothers who are no longer with us,
(Thanks for everything Grandma, who would say to this picture, "that's just bad")

to the mothers who have been through it all,
(The Alices of the world)

to the mothers who take you by surprise and become a part of your life
(gratitude to the Lauras of the world)

to the women who aren't mothers but sure have your back
(to the Janets in our lives)

to the mother's who deserve some added celebration
(to Mrs. Drzewicki, Mrs. Rice, Mrs. Pettit, Mrs. King, Mrs. Carino, Mrs. Fletcher, my Aunts)

to all mothers,

and to my mother:
Happy Mother's Day!

Cheers, from a daughter

side note: here in Aussie land Mother's Day (also the second Sunday of May)
is spent sharing a meal and appreciating family.

p.s. all photos thanks to weheartit.com