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Department of NSW Holds Welcome and Training Hello Elementary Friends, Last Friday (19th February) I attended a required training at the New South Wales Department of Education.  Here is the content of the opening slide of our presentation from one of the executives in the Department: Hard Yakka It’s bloody bute that you have come on a walkabout, I am sure that you will give it a fair crack of the whip, although I reckon your folks think you’re a ding bat for havin a go. It’s a bonzer place so have a Captain Cook. Check out the big smoke, visit the coat hanger, go to the never never, go out into the big red, watch some aerial ping-pong and chuck on the cozzie or togs (budgie smugglers or thong) and have a splash. The tucker is ridgie dige so enjoy a cut lunch, spag bol, hot chook or dog’s eye with the occasional coldie.  Or if you prefer a chardie or cab sav …… even the clean skins are  good for a rage. If you are a bludger, a wowser or a wuss I’m sorry. Its better to yab...

A Australia is a Coffee Lover's Dream Come True! Hello Elementary Friends, I know that I have MANY coffee loving friends out there.  If you want good coffee, you have to come to Australia!  They take their coffee very seriously here.   Australians are members of the world’s great lovers of coffee.  They love those black beans more wholeheartedly than most countries in the world.  According to Tourism Australia, when coffee was originally brought to Australia on the First Fleet in 1788, it was of questionable quality and it was not until the 1950s that good quality espresso coffee was introduced to Australians.  This largely came about with the influence of European migrants.  Those Australians whose families came from places such as Italy, Greece, France, Turkey, Austria and Hungary had always enjoyed a decent cup of coffee at home but it wasn’t always easy to find their favoured espresso or latte in a neighbourhood café. The last couple of decades hav...

Exchange Teachers Gather at Cabarita Park Hello Elementary Friends, Happy Thursday again!  It's hard to believe that I am already into Week Three at school.  There are just 9-10 weeks in a term, so they are going by fast!  This past weekend we went to a picnic at Cabarita Park in a north western suburb of Sydney.   It was a gathering of the newly arrived exchange teachers and their spouses/families.  This gathering was only for exchangees in New South Wales.  There are other activities for exchange teachers in Queensland, Victoria, and South Australia.  It was very interesting to meet some of people here from all over the world.  Right now in NSW I am the only person from the USA.  Later in July two more teachers (who are actually married) will come to start their year then.  They are from my district (Jeffco) in Colorado, and we are communicating about getting together after they arrive.  I will tell you more about them then, but a...