Week 4: Patterns & Events

Dear All,

I hope everyone is well down south and that Kevin's birthday card arrived by 18th! Next is John and the big O. I have had the card for two months, so I must remember to post this one in time.

This week's Nungalinya activities were all Sessions - first two more TAA days (Certificate IV) up at the Chamber of Commerce beside Casuarina Shopping Centre, then two AQTF days (Australian Quality Training Framework days) at Nungalinya with most of the staff , while Jane, the Deputy, took us through the implications of the whole framework for us as a RTO (Registered Training Organization). It could be summed up in one word: 'Work'. Most of it I am not in a position to do, although I am sure I will be able to contribute in some way (I offered to dust the others' rooms, if that would help!) I have homework from TAA and one exercise is to plan a lesson in my workplace!!!! That poses challenges, but I am using my imagination, plus course notes I've found lying around!

I've booked to come to Brisbane from 3 - 19 April (staying at Corinda). My time will be full of Thesis, Appointments, Catching up on people, including family & Rochedale etc. The Thesis is a stone around my neck but I am soldiering on. Working on Part III this weekend - should be finished by 8th April. Another 2 weeks to cover Part IV will take me to 22nd March, then the Conclusions before I head to Brisbane where I will have to do all the fine-tuning of footnotes, pages, set up, links etc etc etc. Watch out Mary! I could be visiting for all the wrong reasons! I can finish the printing up in Darwin and send the copies south by the end of April. Then I will be a free woman. Yippee!

Last night our local Community (5 comprising 4 from St Mary's and 1 from Salonika) went to visit the 'Dominican of the Holy Cross Sisters' who have moved to Darwin this year (last year, actually). They have set up a house here to enable Asian sisters from their Order to stay in Darwin and do intensive English courses to help them with their work situation. They found a house which could have been purpose-built (plenty of living areas and 5 good bedrooms plus 3 possibilities for emergencies) and we had a most pleasant evening with them chatting and getting to know each other. They are from Adelaide, but are not the Dominicans we are used to in Brisbane. I found out when I was in USA that there are a wide variety of 'Dominican' Orders. When we entered the living room, I was very interested to see a map of the world and several Asian areas highlighted, then, surrounding the map (on the wall) 5 different clocks each set to the time of one region and a ribbon connecting it to the relevant part of the map. That would be so welcoming and helpful if you came from another country and stayed there. The visiting sisters will go to Charles Darwin University which runs 10 week and longer courses in intensive English. Nungalinya is only 'around the corner' from Charles Darwin, so the Domincan Sisters are quite close to where I work, but Darwin, being rebuilt since 1974, has 'modern' street structures once you get off the main roads and they go around in semi-circles and into cul-de-sacs etc. You need a map until you know your way around.

I see that Cardinal Pell is coming here in May and saying a Mass for all the Religious followed by breakfast at our place. It is a pity I will not be able to attend because it clashes with my work time! (read my mind!)

I explained the difficulties of morning walks and I have to sacrifice the TV news to go for evening walks, so I am settling for one or two days in the evening and then on Friday (presently a Thesis Day), Saturday and Sunday I am able to get out for that reasonable length walk. Today I came a cropper on the footpath, distracted by some boys skateboarding on and off the path ahead of me and not watching where I was going - did quite a fancy run and landeda about two paving stones from where I tripped! No harm apart from dignity and a few grazes! I was more worried about the camera around my neck, but no worries there either, so I took a few photos of scenes along the way.

1) The path goes along beside the Darwin Public Golf Course. The Deputy at Nungalinya lives in one of the units in the block you can see - a first floor one, which has a wider balcony! She loves her view.

2) I walk along the path beside Gardens Road. On the other side, a bit further down, the Botanic Gardens start. It is very pleasant.
3) Past the palm trees in photo 2 there are spreading trees in a wide 'picnic' area between the road and the golf course.

1) The Gardens Road Cemetery is beside the path at the bottom of the hill. Behind the cemetery you can see the Football stand at Gardens Oval (AFL)

2) In one corner there are lots of little fenced plots. I found most were children.

3) Here is one of the small, fenced plots with a sad notice.

There are these lovely Torres Strait Pigeons up here during the wet. I saw this one in a tree beside the path last week and, lo and behold, there it was in the same tree today! There are little green berries all over the tree. S/he was most reluctant to be photographed and I had to be very patient to get even these less-than-perfect shots, but each shows a different part of the bird. They are very attractive birds and you know how I like birds. Expect more photos. There was a flock of magpie geese on the golf-course last week, but I didn't have the camera. I've also had red-tailed black cockatoos in the trees at Nungalinya.

The hair trim went VERY satisfactorily on Friday - comparable price to what I paid in Brisbane and the girl was right on time. It is near Nungalinya so I will be able to keep going there at lunchtimes or after work. All of this because a nice Chinese lady chatted to me as I crossed the street in Darwin City last week and I said, "Do you know anywhere in Darwin you can get reasonably priced hair trims?" and she told me about this one. It cost less than half of all the other quotes I had (a quarter of one!) and the whole arrangement was very satisfactory.

A note to John L (Rochedale) Thanks for your Comment on a previous Blog. I was chuffed to discover you are a 'follower' and I have your photo in this section. It is really good when people comment because then I know someone is reading my blog. Otherwise it is like sending balloons into outer space with no radio attached!

Back to the Thesis!

Love to all. Rita