What a Day!

It started out fine......down to breakfast, busy, but interesting to see the different travellers.

On the way out I stopped by Reception and mentioned that I still wasn't sure if my furniture would arrive and was promptly informed that my room had been let, so I had to vacate anyway.

With nothing packed and only 45 minutes before I was expected at school, it was panic stations. My room was a mess, things everywhere. How was I going to, pack it up, get it to the car, drive to the unit, unload and get to school on time.

Well yes I did it, but stressed wasn't the word.

Not a good start to the day.

The class was fine, perhaps a little unsettled, but that's to be expected.

Around 11.15a.m. I got a phone call from the office. "Grace Removals are on the line," said a voice I didn't recognise.

The furniture van was at my unit and I had to be there now, well ten minutes ago. As it happened my class were with other teachers till lunchtime so that wasn't a problem.

Walking out I remembered that I had lunch duty. Ho hum, walking back to the office, I told whom I thought might be a sympathetic Deputy, but no.

"You'll have to arrange a swop."

"But they want me there now."

"Well I can't do it, I'm already doing one, you'll have to find one."

Feeling disgruntled I walked back to my block looking for someone who would change duties with me. Aren't I lucky to be working with some great teachers, two who offered to change with me.


That sorted, I raced around to the unit. Nothing seems too distant in Kalgoorlie and I was there in a few minutes.


A huge truck loaded with two containers blocked the driveway. Boxes and furniture littered the the concrete. With three men off loading everything was in the unit before I could catch my breath.

Ah yes, but.........always a but..............my dining room table wasn't there.

Promised it by the end of the day. You've guessed. I'm still waiting.

I returned to school with the unit in total disarray. Boxes to be unpacked and bits of furniture scattered here and there across the floor.

It didn't matter. I could get Chardy out of kennels. At 5.10 he was released.

He was haaaapppppy and so was I.

Stressful but enjoyable

Today was quite a big day. It was my first at Kalgoorlie Primary school.

.I was immediately struck by its resemblence to some of the old English schools I'd taught at when on long service some years ago. It had an internal hall for one and very high ceilings. The school was built five years before CY O'Connor's famous pipeline was installed, so for WA it is pretty old. Having said that there have been a number of later much modern additions so it still has that Aussie feel about it.
http://www.watercorporation.com.au/education/cyoconnor.cfm

The school has a pleasant atmosphere and my colleagues seem to be the same dedicated bunch that I've come to expect in WA schools. Teachers are so under valued.

Off the hobby horse and back to to it......

Yesterday was the first time I'd seen my unit, my home to be for the next nine months. To be honest it's was pretty good..........small, but then I hadn't expected anything else and it seemed quite well cared for. The backyard will be ideal for Chardy, a bonus.

This afternoon I went and checked it over quite carefully and filled in a takeover sheet, noting cracks, chips, hooks on the walls etc. Not at all bad, but it did have a few that the Department people hadn't mentioned on the sheet.

Tomorrow will be another full on day.....new class to teach......furniture to be delivered (fingers crossed it arrives) dog to collect and probably move in.

By the way, for those of you interested, I went to the dining room early this evening and had my meal within 5 - 7 minutes of ordering. Quick wasn't it!

First Day

After a sleep interrupted night I woke up bleary eyed and not a little apprehensive.

The day progressed without noticeable hitches, though I did manage to ask the retiring Principal who she was. Possibly not my best career move, but then it was her last day, so there are certainly worse scenarios.

This evening ......... well remember my comments about the dining room and the interesting service. Gordon Ramsey eat your heart out. Tonight I waited over an hour for my order. The waitresses very properly apologised to the other patrons, also waiting, but somehow a lone female does not seem to merit the same attention.

However the cold crept into my bones as I sat practising meditation and tuning in and out to other people's conversations. Eventually after an hour and ten minutes, I grabbed what was left of my glass of wine and asked them to send my meal to my room. Of course it arrived not five minutes after me, making me feel quite petulant.

The meal was hot and delicious.

Hm I can't help being very thankful that breakfast is buffet style.

The Journey and....

A gloomy day, an early start.....well I got up early. Didn't actually get away from home till about 9.30, but that was ok I thought.



It would have been an uneventful journey except just before Merriden a very nice police officer, from Narrambean, clocked me at doing some 26kms over the speed limit. Still haven't looked at the fine, I think it might hurt a tad, so am foregoing that pleasure till I feel less weary.



After some seven or so hours of driving I had to take my beautiful dog to his home for the next few days. Yep Chardy had to to go kennels. Imagine my horror, when I, after hours of travelling on bitumen, had to leave the tarmac and hit the red, red dirt to get him to his destination.



To say my lovely companion was distraught at the thought of staying in this concrete prison is probably putting it mildly. Haven't felt so guilty since I left my three year old screaming his head off while I went off to work.



After sadly fare welling my dog, I travelled a further kilometer or two and checked into a very smart hotel at the top end of Kalgoorlie. The receptionist, whilst extremely pleasant simply pointed me in the direction of a large unwieldy trolley when I mentioned luggage. So with great difficulty I unloaded my overburdened car and struggled to the lift pushing and pulling said trolley. It was so funny, I was laughing out loud. Not only was the trolley awkward, it only just fitted into the lift, which until I undertook several maneuvers, refused to move. Sisters do you think we may have taken our push for independence too far???



The room itself is great, with all mod cons and numerous TV channels. Dinner was even more amazing. I ordered the lamb shank, and not only was it delicious there were two of them. Wow I felt completely spoilt and a little bloated. Mind you not to get carried away with it all, when I asked for a glass of water the waitress said in a rather flustered manner, I'm all on my own, and I'm doing my best. " Nothing wrong with that, except I counted another two waitresses and there were only three tables occupied. Then she managed to forget my latte.



Oh well, perhaps on quiet evenings service is slightly better.

On Its Way

Yes, the removalists were late, but they arrived and the furniture is on its way.

Chardy and I leave on Sunday.

Nothing's that easy

Last time I wrote I was inspired, feeling scared, but still excited and yes, quietly confident. Oh well, that didn't last too long.

I suppose on a scale of 1 - 20 the few setbacks I've experienced hardly raise me past a 4, but still, it was enough to make me wonder what on earth I thought I was doing.

My initial idea of simply picking up a suitcase, grabbing the dog and arriving after some 6 hours of driving were dashed after a brief discussion with the Dept of Housing and Tranport.

"No. I'm sorry Ms Turk, but we don't supply furniture with the unit, not unless you're a graduate."

"But, I'm only going for a few months."

"I can't take my furniture, a friend is house sitting."

The patient young man explained the government rules and regs yet again to my non-accepting or comprehending brain.

Ho hum,....so I've been buying second hand furniture. Not much and cheap.

In the middle of this my trusty computer was invaded by a Trojan Horse, which inflicted a fatal blow and caused a melt down.

Of course I've since found out that the furniture, however humble, won't arrive in Kal. till after my start date, which is a week next Monday. That means a hotel for me and a kennel for my dog.

Add to that an unexpected bill for four new tyres, "I wouldn't drive out there on those.", I heard the serviceman say; a late delivery date for my new laptop; and a number of other minor, but no less irritating obstacles and I was just about ready to call it all off.

Funny though yesterday I woke up and everything seemed to fall into place. So what is so bad about furniture arriving late, computers can be fixed and as long as you've backed everything up.... well that's another story, and new tyres well I'd have needed them going away or not.

Oh yes and my new laptop arrived today ahead of schedule......yea back online.

Moving....a new beginning

Hi, Well it's both exciting and scary, moving to a new place always is, least that's what I've discovered in the past.

I've lived in a few different places. My very earliest beginnings started in Germany, quickly followed by a number of years in the UK. Those early years were broken by sometime spent in Aden, which I remember quite vividly in parts. South Africa is where I spent my late teens and twenties before I and my family moved to the beautiful city of Perth in Western Australia.

Right now, well in around 10 days, I'm leaving my comfortable suburban life and heading to a sizeable outback, goldmining town some 600kms East. I'm going to live and teach in Kalgoorlie. http://www.kalbould.wa.gov.au/

Paddy Hannan, the man depicted in the statue, is credited with putting Kalgoorlie on the map by his discovery of gold in the region. In fact it's said that without this discovery of gold it is unlikely that Perth would have survived those difficult formative years.