Week 13 or A Quarter Done or Three-Quarters to Go or Month Three

As my mother took great delight in telling me last night (repeatedly) I am now a quarter of the way through my time here. Yesterday (Thursday 15th October) marked exactly 13 weeks, and today marks exactly three months. So either way, 52 weeks, or 12 months, the last two days have covered that quarter of a year milestone.

Another duty done this afternoon, and not much to report. A game of indoor soccer tomorrow, and umpiring/coaching my Year 9 B side tomorrow morning. Unfortunately all grades of cricket have been cancelled tomorrow afternoon by the ATCA, which gives me sleeping and ironing and relaxing time. And saves on my subs. Though is still overall a bad thing!

So anyway, what I have I learnt since I've been here? Here are some thoughts, hopefully for your general amusement and entertainment!

1. (And most important) Granny likes my blogs and I haven't emailed her enough (Sorry!).
2. Neither have I emailed my Mother enough.
3. Australia can be very cold, and is not sunny and nice all the time!
4. Australia is HUGE.
5. Australian's, especially anywhere other than Queensland and New South Wales, aren't actually very good at rugby.
6. Australian's drink a lot of not-very-good-beer.
7. There are several different variations on a "pint" down under.
8. Its O.K. for a male to order a class of wine in a pub!!!!!
9. I am more likely to be a Padre than I am a teacher (and given the extreme unlikelihood of that, again, sorry Granny, the chances of me being a teacher are extremely slim. As I heard one boy put it "the vending machine is more likely to fall on me").
10. Iced Coffee is the greatest drink in the world.
11. I understand why Mum likes her 0.9 or 0.8, or whatever it is, teaching.
12. Australian males are all sports mad, but don't all have blonde hair and perma-tans.
13. Kangaroo's don't hop around everywhere but do taste nice.
14. As do camels.
15. Monopoly City Streets is quite possibly the greatest Internet game ever invented.
16. P.O.M. stands for "Prisoner of Her Majesty", which now means I really do take offence to it.
17. Most Aussies don't know the difference between England and Britain, and think Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (if they know there are two) are entirely separate countries.
18. The financial crisis will strike here in about two years time - they are quite a way behind in everything!
19. Not knowing who Kevin Rudd is is a good thing and entirely understandable.
20. The Red Centre really is Red. Very Red.
21. Did I mention they drink a lot of beer?

I would say that's a pretty good list. And sums up my time here quite nicely!

So I'll leave you with a few photo's from my first three months or so here...