I wanna be a celebrity...in Bendigo

Well, it was finally back to school for me today, and with it the start to another school year for the students at Spring Gully Primary School in Bendigo.

There were different routines than I have been used to in Calgary; the mandatory uniform try-on being one; the opening of a new building being another.  However, there were many similar routines as well: writing in the agendas, setting out books and lockers (more like what we would call cubby holes back home), and learning names and routines.

I have also begun settling in to life in Bendigo.  We have walked around a few of the parks in the city,  all of which seem to include a wonderful park with baby swings that my daughter cannot get enough of.  They are all also kitted out with public bathrooms, the quality of which we could only wish for in Calgary.

The temperatures have finally begun to subside, no more +40 days and the nights are blissfully cool to the point of being frigid.  Upon my arrival Luke’s lovely parents pointed out a thick wax candle that they had left on the bistro table in our backyard had melted like it had been in a fire. (see picture)  This did get me to thinking about how cool it would be to leave something out in the Calgary winter to see how fast it would freeze to show Australians (think about a water balloon, a wig or possibly one of the dead kangaroos from the road en route to Bendigo).

I have also attained the level of local celebrity after the Bendigo Advertiser ran a story about me in the local paper.  It read something like this:  Handsome man-of-the-world from Canada has come to Bendigo to teach for a year.  His eloquence, grace and intelligence rivals that of kings and philosophers of yore….blah, blah, blah.  Unbelievably, the story didn't run until page 14, being judged less important than new Taxi stands in Victoria, the Melbourne opening of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and another school in Bendigo that has 4 sets of twins all set to start today.

It actually was quite flattering to have such a fuss made over me, and completely unexpected.  I only hope Luke is enjoying such ado in Calgary.