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Busy Week - School Has Started in New South Wales! Hello Elementary Friends! Happy Thursday to you!  Quite a bit has happened since my last blog that I want to be sure to tell you about.  First of all, I have had a couple of instances of vernacular English that would be very clear in the United States (especially the south) and also to Aussies in Australia, but make it seem like we are speaking two different languages.  The first happened when Helen (my exchange partner) expressed to some of my Mortensen colleagues that she was unsure about how to take care of the pot plant (at my house). Now - of course, she meant my potted plant, but you can see how that would elicit some comments, especially in Colorado.  Then, my Australian principal was in Melbourne this past weekend watching the Australian Open Tennis Tournament.  He texted me a photo of Serena Williams on the court.  Being quite impressed that he was getting to have that experience, I almost texted -...

No Clothes Dryer for Three Weeks, and I am Alive and Well! with guest contributor, Mitch Hankins speaking on "Things That Can Kill You in Australia!" Hello Elementary Friends! I think I told you that there are a few things that we, as Americans think we can not live without that I am proving that we can.  First, we are doing fine without a drip coffee maker.  I love making coffee with the French Press, and it is actually really good coffee! Next, we are getting used to not having central air and heat.  For now, it is summer, so some days it does get hot in the unit during the afternoon, so we have solved that problem by planning our day to include trips to air conditioned stores, the library (where I am now), a walk down by the water, or just sitting on our balcony with a breeze.  The weather here is interesting.  The temperatures have been averaging in the upper 70's/80's on most days.  Then, there will come a spike into the 90's for a day or two.  Th...

Blog Post:  January 14 2016 Settling In and Learning About Sydney! Hello Elementary Friends, Did you know that The Sydney Harbor Bridge measures 1,149 meters, and it is considered to be the largest steel arch bridge in the whole world?   This is just one of many facts that I will share with you this week due to the upcoming Australia Day on January 26 th .   I want to learn all I can about Australian history so that I will be “in the know” prior to the national holiday that holds just as much significance as the 4 th of July in the USA! In this blog I will intersperse Australian and Sydney history facts within my account of our adventures to keep you learning as you go.  A little bit of Australian history never hurt anyone! History Tidbit #1:          Sydney was founded in 1788 when the first fleet arrived in Australia from England. On 13 May 1787 a fleet of 11 ships set sail from Portsmouth, England. On board were 7...