Just Keep Swimming!

This past weekend we traveled to Cairns, Queensland home of the Great Barrier Reef. We brought our bags to school and headed to the airport at the end of the school day. Whites Hill was going to provide free transportation through their mini bus, but something occurred and it was no longer possible. The school then arranged for Deanna, Jess, and I to be picked up via taxi (as well as the other girls at Camp Hill) and paid for the trip. It was a very kind gesture and we were extremely thankfully that we didn’t have to pay for a taxi ride! We left at 6:40 and landed in Cairns around 9pm. We made it to our hotel, The Cairns Colonial Club. We arrived in what Deanna, Jess, and I called a “mini rainforest.” We unpacked; explored a little, and then headed to bed fairly early—Saturday was going to be a big day: THE GREAT BARRIER REEF!

            Saturday was spent at the one and only, Great Barrier Reef. On the way there, I was still in shock that I would be visiting such a renowned place and one of the Seven Wonders of the World…it was just unfathomable, until, of course, I arrived! We had about an hour bus ride and an hour and a half boat right before we got to the reef. Along the way, we were informed of some pretty cool Great Barrier Reef facts:

1.      The Great Barrier Reef is 2,300 km long.

2.      It is considered one organism.

3.      The Great Barrier Reef was formed over half a million years ago (CRAZY!)

4.      The current state of the Great Barrier Reef is, roughly, 8,000-10,000 years old.

5.      Reefs grow 3 cm every 100 years! (Just think: that’s very little progress made in just 100 years and the Great Barrier Reef is 2300 km long…AMAZING to think of God’s handy-work and creation.)

The Great Barrier Reef is out there somewhere! :) Simply Beautiful!

Just me on the Quicksilver! Such a lovely day!



Once we arrived at what they guides called the pontoon, we slipped into some protective wear: full body suits (we paid 5 dollars for these very attractive suits). The guides highly recommended them because it was jellyfish season. Deanna, Jess, and I were not going to take the risk of being stung, so we opted for the lovely suits! I’m glad we opted for those suits though, I felt safer! After a complimentary lunch, Deanna, Jess, and I decided to venture out on the reef prior to a group tour some of us had signed up with. Jess and Deanna had never snorkeled before, so I took them out for a little mini lesson and help comfort them on their first experience! Turns out the waves were fairly rough and made it a little difficult but they were troopers; Deanna went back out on her own and Jess joined the group on the “Advanced” snorkel tour!

Looking good! :)

With all of our gear!

On the tour we saw TONS of fish: small, big, skinny, fat…all types! I learned that butterfly fish always travel in pairs. They meet their “mate” fairly early in their life and travel with them always. When one dies, the other then travels alone the rest of his or her fish life. CRAZY! I also learned that clown fish undergo sex changes; they often change from male to female. I held a mushroom coral, a sea cucumber, and a bright blue starfish. I also got to touch a clam on the reef. It was crazy to touch it and then see it close…AMAZING. This experience was definitely a once and a lifetime one. I was completely amazed at God’s marvelous creation. The fact that He could create something so unique, so beautiful…I was in awe of the beauty surrounding me and completely humbled by the fact that I witnessed such a magnificent place. It was breathtaking and it was amazing…I definitely fill blessed to have had experienced the Great Barrier Reef and all of its inhabitants!

The next day we took a bus into Cairns and explored the city…found a casino (in which we did NOT gamble…we were already spending too much money!)…a dome filled with a rainforest and saw the beautiful Cairns harbour! We (Jess, her roommate Lauren, Deanna, and I) went to a great restaurant on the Harbour and we all ate burgers and fries! It was a great lunch! We spent the rest of the day walking around and exploring! Lauren and I found a mall and more importantly a nail salon. We decided to get manicures and pedicures; it was a nice treat and I was able to relax! After that we headed back to the hotel, killed some time, and then headed to the airport and headed back to Brisbane!

My roomie and I :)

The harbour at Cairns!

It was quite an eventful weekend and memories were definitely made; these memories will last a lifetime! It’s now time for the last week of school and camp with my year 9 students! We leave Wednesday…time is sure flying by here in the Land of the Aussie!

Until next time,

Kelsey Michele

Thanksgiving in Australia!

The first greeting as Deanna, Jess, and I entered the staff lounge was “Happy Thanksgiving!” The staff were so warm and welcoming to us! They were curious if there was a specific greeting, dance, or handshake…We, sadly, had to inform them that there was not…unless they wanted to say “Gobble, gobble!” After talking to the staff for awhile Deanna, Jess, and I headed to the Home EC room to start preparing our three side dishes for the Thanksgiving Festival: Scalloped Potatoes, Green Bean Casserole, and Cream of Corn. We spent the majority of the morning preparing the dishes. We definitely used our math skills…lots of conversion from the customary system to the metric!

Getting ready to cook in the Home Ec room! 

Cooking! :)

The Turkey Cupcakes that one of Jess' students made for the three of us! Precious!

Once we had the casseroles prepared, I went to my classroom and presented a PowerPoint on the state of Texas! My students enjoyed and of course, one was especially excited about the Armadillos! After that I went to morning tea; it was nice to get a break from the kitchen and hang out with the staff! Deanna, Jess, and I headed back to the kitchen to put all the dishes in the oven, then we just monitored! Everything was ready for lunch at 12:45! We had quite the feast: rolls, chicken, stuffing, green bean casserole, scalloped potatoes, cream of corn, pumpkin pie, and chocolate mousse cake! Needless-to-say, I was stuffed after lunch! Thanksgiving was a great success and felt much like home! After eating the delicious meal, all the male teachers were guled to the Ashes game (England vs. Australia…it’s a HUGE deal). There were cheers and screaming…reminded me of my family watching football!

The Thanksgiving Feast at Whites Hill State College!

Pumpkin Pie made by my teacher, Robyn! 

Ms. Baker with the middle school crowd! :)

The staff at Whites Hill! So hilarious and thankful for the laughter provided at every morning tea and lunch! 

After the meal my teacher took Deanna, Jess, and I to the Scholastic book fair! We found some great deals on Aussie books! :) Glad she was able to give us a ride and much appreciated tour of Brisbane on the way there! After that she dropped us off at a CityCat station. These are catamarans that take you places...A taxi on water basically! It was a smooth ride and tons of fun! 

Jess, Deanna, and myself on the CityCat!

Being away from family on Thanksgiving is not the norm. Typically one goes to be with family. Even though I am away from friends and family this Thanksgiving, I still have tons to be thankful for! I consider myself truly blessed to have the ability to communicate with friends and family due to the advancement of technology. I am thankful to be here, in Australia, experiencing the world and whole different art to teaching. I am thankful for the friendships that have strengthened due to this trip. I am extremely thankful for the life the Lord has given me to live and live to the fullest. I am thankful for all my friends and family and the blessings they bring to my life. I am thankful for the redemption found in Jesus and His sacrifice because we are all sinners. I am thankful for life and the ability to live it. There is so much to be thankful for during this time of thanks, but more importantly daily. It’s a reminder to give thanks in all circumstances and in every aspect of life. During this time, I am reminded of a hymn that should be our song daily:

“Give thanks with a grateful heart. Give thanks to the Holy One. Give Thanks because He has given Jesus Christ His son. And now let the weak say I am strong. Let the poor say I am rich because of what the Lord has done for us...Give Thanks.”

Give thanks today and always.

Tons of love sent your way,

Kelsey Michele

Miss…Are you going to Camp?

“Miss, are you going to camp?” is the question I have been asked the most this week! Each grade at Whites Hill State College has what they call camp. Camp consists of the grade going somewhere together, hanging out, and getting to know each other; there are set activities and it costs for the As I mentioned previously, I am with year 9 and it is their last year in middle school. And to answer their question: yes, Ms. Rostron will be going to camp! We head out next Wednesday and won’t return until Friday afternoon. Prayers please as I will be traveling and with 40+ year 9 students!

On Monday (November 22), my students performed a play entitled “The Brute Family.” The students practiced the previous week and then performed for other classes in the middle school. The students did an excellent job and I was SO glad that a majority of them memorized their lines! Check out a few of the pictures!

9B performing "The Brute Family." We got Dred & Drac (the ones with the knives), Flam (the boy in the chair), and Angelic (the girl in the dress). 

Check out Gladys (the one with the crazy wig)! "She" was OBSESSED with dynamite! 

9A performing "The Brute Family." 

:) They did such a great job!

On Tuesday (November 23), Deanna, Jess, and few other girls on the trip went to West Side Story at the Lyric Theatre in Brisbane. I had never seen the movie or Broadway before so this was quite the treat! The actors and actresses did an excellent job! It was an all-Aussie cast; I was impressed with their accents and singing! They did an excellent job imitating the New York and Puerto Rican accent! It was a great show and a very somber ending, but it definitely had a strong message, which I appreciated!

Thursday is Thanksgiving…Aussie Style! Deanna, Jessica, and I will be cooking 3 side dishes for the staff Thanksgiving Feast! Excited to be experiencing Thanksgiving with WHSC and my dear friends, but will be missing the family, too!

That’s all for now…Get ready for a Thanksgiving update!

Much love,

Kelsey 

Be Safe and Watch Your Mates!

On Friday (November 19), I went to school as usual except we had assembly in the morning. This assembly was for all year 12 students (like our seniors). It was a farewell assembly, but not near as formal as a high school graduation in the states. It was a celebration with lots of clapping and of course, tears. As most of you know, I’m pretty emotional. Well, this ceremony reminded me of my upcoming graduation from Baylor in May…I was sad to be reminded that I’ll be leaving a place I love, the people who mean the world to me, and a place that has become my home.

After school on Friday we hopped on a train and headed for the Gold Coast. The train ride was about an hour and five minutes and we were there at Nerang Station at the Gold Coast. We were excited to arrive and finally get away for the weekend! We checked in to the Watermark hotel, cleaned up, and then went to dinner at a restaurant called Sage. This place was AMAZING! It was fairly pricy but it was worth it. I ordered filet mignon and a glass of red wine…perfect meal, perfect evening! The next day (Saturday, November 20) we explored the Gold Coast: the beach, the shops, and the people…The people are definitely interesting and show really no sign of modesty: short shirts, short tops, short EVERYTHING! Also, this happened to be the start of Schoolies week, an event for all recent high school grads…on the Gold Coast. Luckily, we stayed Friday to Saturday and just missed the craziness the Aussies call Schoolies!

Filet Mignon @ Sage...It was DELICIOUS!

View from our room at the Watermark!

Another View! So pretty!

Gold Coast Beach! Check out the reflection of the clouds!

The girls on the beach! It was a bit windy and chilly!

These signs were everywhere along the beach! It was for those Schoolies that would be inhabiting all of Surfer's Paradise at the Gold Coast!

Sunday (Today) we woke up early and headed to Hillsong in Brisbane. Getting there proved to be quite the challenge. We caught the right bus and got off at the right stop, but little did we know that it’d be a 3 km walk to the church from the bus stop. Needless to say, Deanna, Jessica, and I power walked to Hillsong while the others decided to catch a ride back to the apartments. We ended up getting there at 9:30am and the service started at 9am…not to shabby for having to walk so far! We got there in time for the sermon and one praise and worship song! The process of getting there was frustrating and I was getting cranky…But God definitely has a way of putting you in your place. The sermon focused on Philippians 1: 27, “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ…” Wow, shot to the heart, because I definitely did not do that this morning. The message hit home and was a reminder that in ALL things, all places, and in ALL situations, to always conduct myself in such a way that brings glory to the gospel of Christ. What a simple message that is so crucial and essential to a Christian’s life and walk... So thankful for God’s scripture and a good word this morning!!

Finally...we made it to Hillsong! We were EXTREMELY excited to see this sign! 

The rest of the day was spent lounging around and catching up with friends and family…Tomorrow starts week 2 at Whites Hill State College! I’ll be distributing letters and presenting to students about Baylor, Music, Sports and Texas…here goes nothing!

Love sent to my friends and family...missing you all!

In Him,

Kelsey Michele

Whoa...You Don't Have an Accent!

The past few days have been very laid back and uneventful. Except this: Deanna, Jessica, and I were on the way to the grocery store on Tuesday night and ran into a man from California. He was looking for a good pub in Brisbane and we were not that helpful. However, when we answered his question, his first statement was, “Whoa…you don’t have an accent.” Deanna, Jessica, and I thought this was hilarious, considering we don’t feel or look one bit “Aussie.” We took it as a complement and it made a memory for the night. Later on Tuesday (November 16), some of the group went bowling at Strike bowling alley off of Queens Street. The night was full of fun and laughter; I even won a free game of bowling!

The bowling shoes! Quite different than the ones we have back in the States!

Some of my students are real characters…Within the first two days I already knew a few names due to their behavior! Crazy how as a teacher you instantly know the names of those students who disrupt the class or have poor behavior! Also, my teacher displayed the Texas handkerchief I gave her. One of the students asked me, “Miss, is Armadillo where all the Armadillos come from?” I could not hold back the laughter! The student had though that Amarillo was spelt like Armadillo, thus inferring that Armadillos are from there! It made my day. Also, students seem to like my use of y’all…mainly because it is different. I really think they try to get me to say just so they can hear and make fun of my accent. But being in the classroom has made me more conscious of how much I use the word y’all. Believe me, I use it a ton! Crazy how your culture influences you and your use of just one word!

Today (November 18), Jessica, Deanna, and I were introduced to Vegemite and Chessybite. Believe me, this was quite the ordeal. A majority of the staff were present to watch us Americans attempt to down one piece of toast with Vegemite and the other with Chessybite. My teacher, Robyn, made up our dishes and thankfully, had chocolate for us to eat afterwards. Vegemite and Chessybite are disgusting, absolutely GROSS. There are really no words to describe it! After we all completed both toasts, Robyn gave us all crowns for surviving the taste test of Vegemite and Chessybite. We conquered and we will NEVER try that again. 

This is the plate...One piece contains Vegemite, the other Chessybite. SO thankful for the chocolate to follow this!

Here is this tasty, delicious spread...

Reaction to tasting Vegemite and Chessybite...Cleary it's SO tasty!

Crowns because we conquered the task! :)

Other than that, today has been very dreary and rainy, not typical of Brisbane. It has been cloudy all day and it rained around lunchtime! After school, we went to the train station to try and get our tickets for the Gold Coast tomorrow, but turns out we will have to wait until tomorrow…no big deal! Tomorrow after school we are heading straight to the train station and to the Gold Coast. Should be a fun one-night get-away! Looking forward to the beach, laying out, and reading a good book!

Ohh…here’s the INFAMOUS HILL:

The infamous hill...Our apartments are up past the 2nd palm tree! Definitely a good work out!

That's all for now...off to the Gold Coast for a night! I'm sure I'll have plenty to blog about and more pictures! :)

Love to all,

Kelsey Michele

First Day of School!

Today (November 15) was my first day of school at Whites Hill State College! I woke up fairly early because Deanna and I had purchased internet for 24 hours (mainly for the BU game) and I wanted to do one last update…Turns out I had the chance to Skype with three of my friends studying abroad in London: Allison, Lauren, and Lisa! It was such a joy to see their lovely faces and get to talk to them; they are truly amazing women who inspire me daily! I also had the chance to Skype with my sister; I ABSOLUTELY LOVE HER! Once again, another blessing!

We took the bus to & from school and we did not get lost! Yay! We have to catch the bus at 7:33am at the bus stop and don’t arrive to our school until 8:20. We spend about an hour, both ways, just getting to and from school! After the bus drops us off at “our stop” we have a 15-minute walk down a hill and back up another…Jessica, Deanna and I will definitely get our work out in! We arrived at the school and had an orientation with the principal, Belinda. She informed us of everything we needed to know and gave us our placements! I am with Robin, or Ms. Buchanan as the students call her (this is her maiden name, but she is married with two sons), and she teaches Year 9, which is equivalent to 8^th grade in the States.

Robin is a very fun and fabulous teacher! She is very energetic and I could tell that she truly loves teaching…I think we’ll have no problem getting along! The school day is very short. It starts at 8:45 am and ends at 3 pm. In between the students and teachers get a 20-minute tea break and a whole hour for lunch! White Hills State College definitely wins when it comes to breaks & a super short school day…sorry Connally. Students, how would you like to have an hour lunch!? I bet some of you would have more time than you would know what to do with! Robin teaches social studies and English! Hmmm…I bet some of you are wondering, but you teach math?! Yes, I do, so every now and then I’ll be going to the Math/Science teacher, but I will mainly be with Robin! On the first day, my students were researching other countries government and comparing that type of government to Australia’s. The students will have a test at the beginning of next week comparing the two. Another class was working on their play for English class entitled “The Brute Family.” It was SO much fun seeing the students practice and getting to see their personalities come out through the play! They’ll be performing this Friday or this coming Monday…I can’t wait! I also had the chance to watch Robin demo for the Home Ec class; we made Pumpkin Soup in the summer...in Australia. Interesting choice, but I can now say I feel that I can efficiently make my own Pumpkin Soup!

All in all, my first day of school was a successful one! My Australian students are EXTREMELY excited about being pen pals with my 2^nd and 3^rd periods. One student has consistently asked me questions about it and what not; he is SUPER excited! Can’t wait to start the process of pen pals and get to help out more in the classroom.

Oh and just FYI: the male teachers here are participating in what the Aussie’s call MOvember. They are growing out their mustaches for Prostate Cancer! It’s much like No Shave November in the states, just with mustaches!

That’s all for now!

Kelsey

Kangaroos…Koalas…Dingos…Oh My!

Today (November 14) was an eventful day! Deanna and I woke up and decided to go on a morning jog. We jogged down the peer and ended up at Brisbane’s botanical gardens. It was a great run; it’s amazing to run along the peer in a beautiful country…you tend to forget about the rest of the world for a while! I am hopeful that we will continue these runs every now and then!

After the run, we came back to the apartment and decided to purchase a day of Internet. The main purpose of this: to listen to the Baylor game. So…Baylor Bear Football…you had some very dedicated fans in Brisbane, Australia! Deanna and I were fairly impressed with the bears until the second half until we left to go to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. Bears, we are loyal fans, but we were very disappointed in the loss today…it was sad, very sad, however, our spirits were uplifted when we got to the sanctuary and saw some koalas.

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary has been around, I believe, since 1927. In this sanctuary, there are, of course, Koalas, but also multiple other animals. I had the opportunity to see and be insanely close to kangaroos! I also got to hold a Koala! It was a once and a life-time experience and I am truly thankful and blessed for it! Australia is a beautiful country, with beautiful creatures and people!

Here are some pictures from the day:

My attempt at making a "Hot Toastie" aka a Grilled Cheese for lunch...yep, they didn't have non-stick pans in the apartment.

Kasey and I on the cab ride to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary.

Just chilling with the Roos...Yes, I got that close! :)

Precious, sleeping Koala. What was funny is we passed by the "Kindergarten" sanctuary...they were suppose to be the MOST energetic and playful...they were definitely asleep!

This one is for my students! Here is a Dingo! So yes, they have them here and yes, they are like a dog!  

Holding the Koala named Serenity! :) So Precious.

The crew (Jessica, Kasey, Deanna, Me, and Sarah-Beth) at the sanctuary!

Tomorrow is my first day at Whites Hill College! Here's to a scheduled routine and the start of more work than "play." I'm nervous, but SUPER excited to meet my students and teacher...here goes nothing! :)

I'll try to keep up the posts as best as I can. All is good here in the land of the Aussie and God has truly blessed this place with His creation. Look forward to sharing more!

Until next time,

Kelsey Michele