Day One in London

Well, after a 7 hour flight followed by a 14 hour flight, we were well and truly ready to get off the plane once it hit the dirt at Heathrow. Cabin fever was definitely beginning to set in.

After a lengthy wait in the queue at customs, it was off to collect our bags at the carousel. We were wondering if we were going to be too late to collect them, but as the normal bun fight that goes with the 'Carousel Collection' was not happening (as we were late getting there) we were able to just waltz up, grab our backpacks straight away and off we could go.

Next big decision... Do we take the Underground into London ( the cheapest) the Heathrow Express (dearer and classier) or a taxi ( quaint, but the dearest).

I suggested to Jen that the Underground would be great as we'd never used it before, so down we went. 

I must admit that I had to stifle a few sniggers every time an announcement came over the PA as we came to a station..."This train will terminate at Cockfosters"

I wonder how many takes it took the woman announcer to record that without laughing!!

We quickly found our accommodation in Kensington, only to discover that reception had closed 25 minutes after we got there. We rang them, and they promised someone would "be there in 10 minutes" 

Well, their version of 10 minutes was different to ours, as we made a few more calls and eventually got in 1 hour later.

Perhaps they were using a sundial, and with the overcast weather it held them up? Who knows!!

It was while we were waiting on the stairs that there was a knock on the door to the building. We were unsure whether or not to open it as residents have their own keys, and we were only inside as a cleaner let us in to wait out of the cold. Were we potentially letting in a criminal??

Anyway, we open the door to be greeted by our son Sam who had travelled across London to see us. We had told him where we were staying but didn't expect to see him yesterday at all, only thinking we'd see him today. Regardless, it was a brilliant surprise and I reckon he was as happy to see us as we were to see him.

Well, the photo doesn't really display untold joy and happiness, but it was there!!

This morning we woke at about 6.00 as our body clocks are still out of whack. I decided to go for a run in Hyde Park, while Jen decided to have a shower. That's when our morning went kaput!!

Jen turned on the shower, only for boiling hot water to pour down from the knob to the top-right of the taps. There was no way we could shower!!

We rang the reception people who said they would ring maintenance at 9.00, more waiting.

In the end Jen jumped in and managed to use what water pooled in the recess, so she was clean.

I decided to go for my run anyway and worry about the shower when I got back. 

There was water coming out, so I'd still be able to get clean was my thinking.

Run done, body clean thanks to jamming my socks in the plug hole and having a sort of shower/bath.

We ducked out for a walk, and when we got back there was a cleaner downstairs, so I said to Jen that I'd tell her about it so as to speed up the fixing process.

Jen wished me luck, as the cleaners all seem to be Russian with very limited English. She seemed to be magnetised by natural charm and said she would contact reception again.

Within 5 minutes there was a man at our door to 'fix' the problem, which he did by pulling a cord that was hanging from the ceiling next to the shower. Shower works perfectly, Bingo!!

Did he give us the klutz/nuffy tourist look or what!!

I had asked Jen earlier if the cord had anything to do with it, but she said it was an emergency alarm cord, as she had seen one when she stayed in Italy 2 years ago, so we left it alone.

Looking forward to our next showers!!

Also, while on my run I must have looked like a complete knob, as I'm sure I was the only one in Hyde Park wearing just shorts and a t-shirt. Everyone else was really rugged up in tights and long tops due to the cold ( it was 4 degrees) but after a while I warmed up a bit.

Imagine my surprise when I saw this bloke jogging slowly towards me. No shirt, and with 10 kg weights in each hand slowly being lifted while he jogged along. I had a great chat with him, and when I asked to take a photo he went into a series of poses, complete with sound effects. He was brilliant, doing what he loves with scant concern with whatever others thought about him.

There is a shop nearby called Whole Foods that we discovered on our trip last year, and which sells the best fresh food and range of foods that is totally amazing.

We wandered down there to stock up, only to find that it opens at 11.00. That was fine with us, so we thought we'd go for a walk and have a coffee. But just as we were turning away, the girl at the door also told us that although the shop opened at 11.00, they were not allowed to put anything through the registers until 12.00 due to a local bylaw that allows only 6 hours of trading in High St Kensington on a Sunday.

Imagine that, they are open, but for the first hour you cannot actually pay for anything!!

So back to our digs we went and grabbed some beautiful stuff for tea later on.

Around 12.00 our son Sam came around after finishing training with the soccer team he is playing for. He is so focused on training properly and eating correctly as the team is so professional. There have been regular weigh ins, and it is amazing to see how careful he is with what goes into his mouth. Let's just say his parents aren't displaying the same discipline in front of him!

It was Sam's day to take us around London, so we took off to the Camden Markets.

This is an entire area of London where the streets and buildings are just one massive series of stalls. 

Absolutely jam packed with people, and with every range of food, clothes, trinkets and goodness knows whatever else floats your boat for sale.

As Sam is so careful about his diet, it was a challenge to decide on which one of the hundreds of food stalls to go to. It wasn't that he was knocking back the choices, there was just too many to choose from that were unbelievable. Eventually we settled on some pulled pork wraps that just melted in our mouths.

After leaving the markets we headed off to wander around Leicester Square, Trafalgar Square and Picadilly Circus.

Here you can see people from every corner of the world, the place is bustling and so alive.

Every stage show imaginable is happening here and there are block upon block of theatres, restaurants and entertainment venues.

On Monday night we are heading back here to see Les Miserables, something which Jen is really excited about, but as for me...ho hum!

A brilliant day out together, tomorrow we are exploring the Tower of London and its surrounds.

Bored!!

Perhaps I should have read the warning signs about calf size before using the massage machine at Singapore!

Believe it or not, it did feel good afterwards.

We've been flying for 9 hours, and still have a few more to go.

I'm running out of things to watch as I can't cope with the Chinese subtitles on lots of the movies, some which can be disabled, but many that can't.

The journey so far...

Okay, given that we only left Melbourne at 1.05 Saturday morning, and we are now in Singapore cooling our heels for the next flight to London, there's not a great deal to report.

Part of our transit through Singapore however gives us this sort of Monopoly money to spend at the airport here, $80 of what I think they call 'Changi Dollars'.

By the time you find the little counter that issues these 'dollars' ( they mustn't want it known to everyone!!) you just flash your passport and boarding pass and Bingo! Off to the shops to spend money that isn't yours!!

So after scouring the shops for stuff that wouldn't be a nuisance to carry around, we are leaving Singapore with a new set of earplugs each and some gifts to share when we get back home.

We also used some of them to spend time in a private lounge where there is unlimited food and drink on tap (no alcohol!!😪). The best bit was that we could have a shower as well, everything supplied, so that was a treat. We reckon we'll avail ourselves to it again on the way home in a few weeks.

One slightly embarrassing moment when we had a go on one of those massage chairs that give your feet and legs a really good massage. I wasn't really coping with the instructions, so this Indian guy nearby started telling me what buttons to press, which I did. Little did I know that the massage to the calves was REALLY deep, so much so that it hurt my ample calves somewhat and I let go with the F Bomb which shocked him a bit, to the point that he wouldn't talk to me after that.

I just seem to have problems with foreigners in airports it seems! (Especially after the incident at Doha last year!!)

Anyway, after I got the machine sorted, the massage was excellent.

So as we are just about to board the flight to London, my mind is racing with so many questions...

1. Do I watch the other half of 'Wild' that I missed as we landed here, or do I go for another movie?

2. Should I take up the offer of those eye patch things for sleeping, or just live on the edge and go 'commando'?

3. Movie marathon, or sleep ( and risk missing the meal)?

So many questions, so few answers!!

Looking forward to reporting from London later tonight.

Departure day is here!!

,Well, after a really busy final few days at school as well as home, we are finally at the airport and ready to roll ( or actually fly!!) 

I actually squeezed in a quick run before I got home, and I think Jen suggested this so that I wouldn't be a fidgety bag of worms on the flights to London.

I did manage to get my bags packed, getting the job done by about 5.50 pm tonight. Considering that we left home at 6.00 I did really well to leave myself some extra time to stuff around the house with the boys while Jen gave 'concerned looks' at her watch as a subtle hint to get my backside in the car!!

Once here at the airport everything has gone ultra smoothly, mainly because Jen was so organised
with all of our bookings and paperwork.

Currently we are just lounging in the bar having a relaxing drink before the flight to Singapore, and I'll be really cranky if Jen finds a better movie to watch before I do!!

We just had a very enjoyable visit to duty free and look forward to picking up those presses when we return in a few weeks.

Stay tuned for the next post!!

A bit of a holiday...

Well, after a great trip to Europe last year, Jen and I were shocked as well as amazed to see how so many people struggled to get around the various places we visited due to their age and mobility.
So, we have decided to head back again, and spend more of the inheritance the boys are expecting!!
It's less than a week before we shoot off, and I have had many 'subtle reminders' to start packing, as my better half is practically packed already and ready to go.
I was actually thinking this morning that I should get my act together, so I made a start...but the start finished fairly abruptly as I found more important things to do:
1. Go for a run
2. Bottle some beer that I have been brewing ( that was mega important!!)
3. Watch Richmond play Port Adelaide in the NAB Cup ( which we won by 11 goals!!)
4. Catch up on some school work that had to be done before we go (Done!)

So here is the evidence that I have been diligently packing so that we are ready to go in just a few days...

Post Conference

Well this time last week I was really starting to worry about putting my conference workshops together. Since the theme of the conference was 'Engagement in Learning', I had to do more than just play maths games, which any flog could do, and I was worried that this was what people might have been expecting from my workshops.
There really had to be a message of engagement and how to try and get teachers to be more engaging in how they teach.
The conference has now finished and I ran my two workshops yesterday and one today, and from my perspective they seemed to go well, but the real proof can only come from what the participants gained from them.
My initial feedback has been really positive, perhaps they were just being nice!!!

There were more than 2 people in this workshop! This is just the table at the front of the room, and who ever wants to sit there!!

As you can see, we are playing a maths game here, but the focus was on how to use this particular game as a hook to engage children into participating more fully. It has always worked for me!

Someone even kindly videoed part of my workshop, but for some reason I can't get it to load.

But as I always say, there are no problems, only solutions! So stay tuned!!

Inspiration has finally come!

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I am presenting some workshops at a Conference this week on 'Engagement in Learning'.

Everyone else that they were after must have had more important things to do, such as cleaning out their sock drawers which is how I got the gig!!

Anyway, for a few weeks I have had loads of ideas swirling around in my head, and the hardest thing has been to pick and choose which ideas will be what the participants can benefit from most.

Then the problem was "How do I present this"?
I always operate on the belief that no matter how much I worry about something getting done, when the time comes it will be ready, so despite my angst with the conference only a few days away, it all just seemed to come to me last night, so today I am banging away putting it together, fairly confident in the knowledge that this is what I believe will be what the participants can relate to.
I hope!.

A highlight of the preparation came after a discussion with my 17 and 20 year old sons about a clip I wanted to use, and one which they knew very well from an Adam Sandler movie of all places!! We had a great chat about what it meant in the bigger scheme of things, even though it was presented in a less than 'professional' manner.
I suppose it all comes down to three words that I try to use in whatever I am trying to teach..."Intent and Purpose".

Check it out here:

http://www.wingclips.com/movie-clips/mr-deeds/what-did-you-want-to-be

So, I am a lot happier today knowing that I am on track. That is until I have a last minute panic attack and go and change everything!!
My work space looks messy, but as long as I've got my music playing and I know where everything is, life is good.
Let's see how the rest of the planning goes...

Just a polite request...

Hi Readers,

Short and sweet.

Please feel free to leave a comment in the comment box at the bottom of each post, I'd love your feedback, particularly if you are an overseas reader.

And for Aussie readers, I could include you in future posts as I have lots of photos of many of you, as well as stories to share. (Don't worry though, If it couldn't go on our school newsletter, it wouldn't go on here)

Cheers,

Bernard

Was I really a traitor???

Every year, early in February, the Marong Cup race meeting is held in Bendigo.
This is a major fundraiser for the Catholic schools in Bendigo, as we get half of the ticket sales, provide bucket loads of volunteers to help run the day and generally build community.

Apart from the nags having a few runs, the ultimate blue ribbon event is the School's Relay, an event held between races later in the day.

For this event, each school enters a team of 6. That is two teachers, two parents and two kids.
The idea is to start with a full cup of water, run 50m, then pass it to the next runner and so on until the final runner reaches the finish line.
It is good to finish first, but it is first with the most amount of water in the cup who gets the ultimate glory. They also get a prize, which for the life of me I can't tell you what it was this year, as it is the participation that is valued, not so much the physical prize.
The bragging rights as the winner is often valued the most.

Anyway, my current school quickly got a team organised well before race day which suited me as I ran for them last year. However, the school where my wife works was struggling to get two teachers, so the night before I just told her I'd run for them.
No problem with that.
Or so I thought.

When I rocked up to the track I was greeted with a lot of good natured ribbing from parents and teachers and children from my school who had already heard that I was running for "the opposition".
The St Kilian's team who I ran for crossed the line in 2nd place, but due to the extreme heat on the day most of our water must have evaporated during the race, so we were relegated to a spot further down the field that we didn't even bother to care about.

We raced, we had fun, we bonded.

All teams bonded, schools with schools, teachers, parents and kids- it was great.

Each school will get a cheque soon for anything upward of $5 000, so the day is a great way to build community and raise funds at the same time.

Here's a shot of the St Kilian's team who I ran for, I'm not sure if St Francis of the Fields will allow it to happen next year!

Getting nervous about this one...

As some of you might already know, I have a strong interest in making learning engaging, particularly with maths as this is the area that I have tried to specialise in over the years.
It doesn't always happen, but that doesn't stop me from trying.
Late last year I was approached by a good friend who is a local school Principal who had the task of helping to organise a conference for a cluster of schools extending from Heathcote to the northern part of Victoria.

Titled "Engagement for Improved Outcomes 2015", I was asked if I could present some workshops with a numeracy focus.

Thinking that my friend was displaying the early signs of dementia, I quizzed him to see if he was pulling my chain (for overseas readers, this means trying to trick me/lead me on) but he assured me he was for real.
I found his request to be incredibly humbling because not for a moment do I consider myself any sort of an expert in this area, I just have a very active interest in it and love teaching it.

So, after discussing what they were after, I accepted his request and have been nervously planning the workshops over the past few weeks.
In my mind, it is vital that I get this gig right, because schools are closing for the conference, and teachers will be expecting bang for their buck.
I have so many ideas running around my mind, it is now a case of trying to put together something that will appeal to teachers of all age groups.

Over the weekend I received the conference summary, and this only made me more nervous when I saw who else was presenting.
Think of the TV show "The Weakest Link", and that's how I feel when listed with the other presenters.
Rather than wallow in self pity, it has only spurred me on to ensure that I deliver something that will influence change.
So, check out the conference summary, and hopefully I'll have only positive responses to share with you late next week!! (And don't you love the professional shots of the other presenters, and then there's me pointing to a sign outside the Richmond Hotel that I stumbled across in Rome late last year!)

(I'd actually be getting more done preparing my workshops if I didn't stumble across an Ed Sheeran doco on the TV that I am watching with my son who is a very talented guitarist as well- it is great sharing a discussion about what we are watching with someone who is just as passionate about his music as I am about my learning beliefs!!)

Heading away again...

Last year, Jen and I took off on the holiday of a lifetime when we headed to Europe for a few weeks by ourselves. The original plan was to take the boys as well, but with their own plans, work, sport, school etc, none of them wanted to come, so off we went.
We were nervous leaving a 16 year old ( who turned 17 while we were away) and a 19 year old, but as Sam (23) was around for one of those weeks before he too moved overseas, we were confident in their ability to:
(a) Feed and wash themselves
(b) Keep the dog and cat alive
(c) Clean the shower and toilet (at least to a hygienic standard!)
(d) Use the washing machine
(e) Not trash the house.
(f) Not crash any of the cars
We were pretty pleased to see that nearly all of these were achieved by the time we got back, although to what standard was debatable!!
Let's just say that it wasn't part of our plan to re-carpet a room upon our return!!

Anyway, one of the things that really struck us while we were away was that many older people were really struggling to get around the various cities that we visited, and that perhaps they could have taken these tours when they were more mobile.

Of course, for a number of reasons, this is not always possible, but it really stuck with us.

So much so, that a few months after we got back we thought "Stuff it, let's do it again while we can".
Don't think for one minute that we have won Tattslotto, we haven't. We have just decided to put off a few other things so that we can do this, and yes, we are leaving the boys behind again as they are not interested in coming. If it was America, then I'm sure we'd be paying for four fares.

And probably the main reason we are going is so that we can catch up with our son Sam who has been living and working in London since September, and has also been signed up to play soccer at a very good level. Hopefully we'll see him play while we are there.

We are really looking forward to seeing Sam and getting his spin on London, as well as seeing a few places that we didn't get to see last year.
After a few days with him then it's off to the continent to explore a few countries before a few more days in London with Sam.
As he is not sure how long he will be over there for, this will be a very special time for us.

That's Sam on the left.

A part of London I'm really looking forward to seeing again, I just loved everything about this entire area, so much history to absorb.

And something else I'm really looking forward to.

One of the best ways I've ever found to explore another place is to go for a run and check it out that way. This was our first day in London, so what better way to get my bearings than go for a dawn run through Hyde Park.

I just love soaking up the atmosphere of a foreign place, getting the smells, sounds and general vibe of the area, as well as the opportunity to stop and chat with fellow joggers, even if we don't share the same language.

On our next trip the language barrier will be tested even more than on our last trip, but this is what makes the whole experience so exciting.

Goodbye to 'The Stump'

We have been living in our current house, a mudbrick one on a large semi-bush block on the very edge of Bendigo for about 10 or so years.
 While our boys were young they continually played in the yard, but as they are now a lot older ( and one lives overseas) we rarely if ever use the majority of the yard.
 Since we have lived here, a key fixture in the yard has been 'the stump' just outside our door. It has been the site of many a photo, a place to stand to keep away from the dog and a prop for countless games.
However, the poor old stump has had its day as termites have moved in, so during our recent summer holidays it was decided (by my wife of course) that it had to go.
That meant I had to get rid of it!
The decision making process in our house is sometimes so democratic!!

For as long as we have lived here, we have known that the soil is only about one million times tougher than granite, so you can imagine how much I was looking forward to this.

One problem I have, and Jen keeps pointing it out to me, is that when I start a job like this I just go flat out and don't stop until it is done, nearly killing myself in the process. My brain must be wired to just start something and not stop until completion, it happens every time there is a really strenuous task to be done.
So, the chipping away started early one hot day (yeah, I know. Dumb time to do it, but as I've said, once I make the decision to do it, nothing much stands in the way). As I've dug out many trees before, I've learnt to keep the job tidy as the photos show.
It took the best part of 6 hours to get the stump cleared and ready to remove, but do you think it was going to come out of the hole? Not likely!
On my own I could rock it back and forth. With my son Will, who is tall and strong, we couldn't lift it out, so we pulled up stumps for the day.
I teed up a friend to come with his chainsaw the next day to split it, and early in the day 4 of Will's mates jumped in to try and lift it out, no luck.
My good mate Nev rocked up and duly cut as much of it as his chainsaw could, but we still couldn't get it out.
Solution? Tow ropes and a four wheel drive...Bingo!!
The trusty old stump is now cut up into good sized blocks ready to be burnt this Winter.

While do miss this trusty old friend, we do also realise that time caught up with it.

You can just see 'The Stump' in the foreground.

The green stuff is the grass that we have before and after Summer!!

Keeping it tidy...

Notice the distinct lack of anything green.

The frustrating stage of digging around the base.

Trying to split pieces from it.

It's starting to move...just.

So knackered I'm using the stump to hold me up!!

It moves!!!

The next day it was pulled out of the hole with a four wheel drive.

My Home Brew

For about 24 years now I have been an active home brewer.
What started out as a bit of a joke when I first said I would start it has now been turned into a well oiled machine. I brew constantly in the warmer months and it lasts me all year.
When I brewed my first barrel and it was ready to bottle, my wife, Jen, kindly offered to help, as we still had no kids at that stage.
For those who aren't attuned to the science of home brewing (which is pretty basic), you have to put a teaspoon of sugar into each stubby, fill it with beer and then let it ferment for about 6 weeks and then it is ready to drink. The longer you leave it though, the better. Not enough sugar and it is foul, too much sugar and funny things can happen!
Anyway, Jen said that she'd put the sugar in the stubbies while I filled them. Great, this would speed things up a bit!
We duly finished the bottling process and patted each other on the back on a job well done, now all I had to do was wait a few weeks...

Well, after a few weeks I would go down to the shed and check on my 'babies', only to find that quite a few were exploding at different times. I scratched my head about this and checked with Bob from the Home Brew shop what could be causing this.
His suggestion was "too much sugar". When I got home I told this to Jen and asked if she put the standard 1 teaspoon into each stubby, only to hear back, "Yes, but it didn't look like enough so I added extra".
Bingo !! Problem solved.
Solution - since that day I do everything on my own!! (apart from when the boys were young they'd help by putting the lids on the bottles).
I still get the occasional explosion due to heat or whatever, and it is amazing to see what is left of the bottle. Without fail, I always find the cap still attached, it is the rest of the bottle that is destroyed.

I haven't been very adventurous with my brewing, sticking to what works and what I like.
Why do I do it?
First of all, I find it the most refreshing beer as it does not contain the level of preservatives of commercial brands. This does not suggest for one second that I dislike commercial beer!!!!!
Also, the cost is amazing. For example, today I bottled 120 stubbies for an outlay of around $32.
At 26 cents a stubby, the cost is well worth it.

I've heard of people putting jelly beans in each stubby rather than the teaspoon of sugar, but for me, I just keep it safe.

I also experimented with cider making last year as I love cider, but the stuff I made is downright putrid and have to be careful where I tip it out as I don't want to kill the plants!
I absolutely dislike wine, and these taste like wine, which might explain why I dislike them so much. Others have drunk them and say they're good, but as for me... Roundup tastes better!
One of my boys is going to tip them out this week so I'll have more bottles for the 2 barrels I have fermenting at the moment.

I love the science behind making the beer, and I enjoy just knowing there is a stash in the shed whenever I feel like having one.

In the middle of the bottling process. To do 120 stubbies takes me about 90 mins on a good day.

Ready for storage, and good to drink in about 6 weeks.