Sunburnt Suburbia

Susan's job in Omeo

Today we decided that Susan will accept a 7-month teaching position at Omeo Primary School. Driving to Omeo takes nearly 6 hours, so Susan will move into an Education Department house next to the school. We will only see each other in the weekends, and school holidays. We plan to take turns for the weekend journeys. My job will allow me to do some work when in Omeo, so I will be able to visit Susan for longer periods. 

Susan will have a class of 14 Preps and Year 1 children to teach, in a school of three other teachers and a supportive principal. As teaching roles go, the job has many merits. Its main downside is Omeo. I suspect the town has sat in a time warp, fixed in the 1950s or 1960s. It certainly has significant social disadvantage, which is why a state school can have 15 pupils per teacher. 

We will find this time apart hard, as we are used to being together. We have a strongly physical relationship. It is physically being with Susan that I love. Her whole presence gives my joy and peace. 

Whatever we arrange for keeping our marriage working while Susan works in Omeo, I think that we have to separate the practical aspects of lives. While she lives in Omeo I must do all my shopping, cooking and cleaning alone. She will have no household responsibilities here, as she has such responsibilities in Omeo. 

Susan the German scholar

Earlier tonight I took Susan to the airport. She flew off to Düsseldorf for 3 weeks on a Federal Government scholarship. She will spend 5 mornings each week at a German language school affiliated with the University of Dusseldorf, and each afternoon and each Saturday on a cultural activity organised under the scholarship. 

She won the scholarship when teaching at Old Orchard Primary last year, and became part of a Government initiative to improve the standard of language teachers in Australian schools. Susan will not be on holiday, which is why I decided not to go too. This will be longest time apart since 2007, when Susan went to Europe to pick up the children from their German exchange. 

Bryony's new hair

As part of her enrolment in Fine Arts at RMIT University, Bryony decided to change her hair colour. The transition took many hours, with the first step a hair cut. Then she became a blonde. 

The final transition was to...

Life with Bryony has its distinctive twists. 

Susan graduates as a teacher

After 10 years of study, Susan graduated from Deakin University. She was awarded a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Primary Education. 

We all go to Geelong to see her awarded her degree and celebrate with her. 

Susan has had a long journey, but she has got there. 

Callum's First Vote

Another rite of passage, Callum voted for the first time today. Susan made sure he got to wear an 'I Voted' sticker. She suggested that the blog headline could be 'Democracy gets a new Devotee', but Callum said she was being very silly.

More milestones for Callum!

This week Callum had two milestones - acceptance into Monash University and gaining his driver's licence. Early in the week he found out that his application into the Bachelor of Business at Monash University made the grade. He begins his University activities in late February. Given that my years at University were among the most important of my life, as I think often occurs to people, I am pleased for him. 

 

The information day at which Susan caught this image occurred on the day that Callum had his driving test. He passed, and so can now drive alone, with one other peer, or with as many people over 25 as legally fits in the vehicle. 

This transitions Susan and I into a nervous time. There is a marked spike in the death rate of young men in the years after they gain their licences, and at least twice a year there is a fatal car accident that kills multiple teenagers. Just before Callum got his licence five teenagers died when their drunk teenage friend drove his car into a tree. Callum though, is very sensible and risk-adverse for his age. This gives us some comfort. 

Callum celebrates the end of school years

Last night Callum, Susan and I went to his Year 12 Valedictory Dinner. We all dressed up nice for a formal sit-down dinner interspersed with speeches and performances. Callum and his friends organised a table for them and a table for their parents. We sat with Pam and Michelle, who we have known for years as our children have grown through primary and secondary school together, and a group of other parents. 

Everyone looked good and behaved well. I didn't get too bored, though I have to admit that I did spend some 10 minutes playing on my iPhone during some particularly boring speeches. Callum won an award for being the 'Most Camera Shy' student in the year - I suspect it was ironic. Given that he regularly turns up to school events in unusual costumes, or a slightly more formal outfit than many of his class mates, he doesn't really qualify as camera shy. 

Finishing secondary school represents a significant milestone in his and our lives. He is a full adult now, with no reason to be here with us other than he wants to, and we want him here too. He has a much larger array of choices before him. 

However, Susan and I can't see him moving out soon. It is comfortable and cheap at home. That will change over the coming years as we steadily introduce him to the economic realities of adulthood. 

Michael

Touch typing should be like learning to drive

In Australia, more than 90% of adults have a driver's licence. To function effectively in the community you need one. As we attempt to become a knowledge-based economy, I think that the majority of Australians should also be able to touch type. More Australians will become 'knowledge workers' as we try to improve our productivity and well-being. Knowledge workers will need to work extensively with information technology, for obvious reasons. Consequently the ability to touch type, and thus input information into a computer effectively, will become more significant over time. I may be wrong, as many people including myself function as effective knowledge workers without touch typing.

However I have decided that I want to record all information I create electronically. Being able to search notes has proved worthwhile. To do this effectively requires being able to touch type. My favourite place to learn is typeonline.co.uk

Salad days

This was a bit of fun I had playing with Comic Life.  When we lived in England, Callum & BR learned how to make Mars bar slugs on 'Blue Peter'. Instructions: Wash your hands. Take a mini Mars bar. Trim all the chocolate off. (You can eat the chocolate as it is not needed.) Now squidge the caramel topping down the sides and mold it into a slug shape. (You can see why you must wash your hands) Warm a tablespoon of honey on a saucer in the microwave. Mix in some black food colouring. Paint the slugs with the shiney, slimey black coating. Add some licorice antenae and you are ready to shock your father with some added protein in the salad.

Bryony & Callum's success at school

Last night was 'Presentation Night' for Bryony Rhoda's and Callum's school. We had good cause to attend as both received awards this year. BR was best in her year at German and Callum was best in his year at History. They each got a medal with the details of the award engraved. As Susan said, they are wonderful children and we are very proud of them.
Michael