First Aid

Dear All,

I have a First Aid Certificate again! The first one since 1956! Wow! The two-day course was held up near Casuarina Shopping Centre at the local St John's Ambulance Station. There were 12 participants, and only 3 of these were female! We paired off (I was with Max, who was excellent to work with) and after Sharon talked and demonstrated, we did whatever was to be done - eg. CPR on a dummy. Then we recorded what we had done on assessment sheets. I did a fair bit of crawling around on the floor on my knees, which wasn't something I do often if I can avoid it, but it was OK. I really enjoyed the two days and, lo and behold, passed the final test without error and was given the certificate (which was already printed!) Success! Here are some pics:

1) Sharon explaining; 2) Sharon, demonstrating with the help of David & Kurtz (participants);

3) I have Max all ready for transport with his 'broken' leg!

4) The Dummies look cute - especially the baby. In the background you can see a Darwin teacher, then in the corner, a Refugee from Nepal (but Bhutanese) whose family was given Refugee status to come to Australia (Tassie) last August after 17 years in a Refugee Camp in Nepal! The girl was married 15 days ago to a man who talked to her parents and her over the phone and was acceptable (they are Hindu) and now she lives in Darwin with her husband! Her English was fair because they had school in the Refugee camp with an English teacher but she never left the camp and said that often were short of food etc. She works in a migrant centre and says there are about 7 other people in Darwin from Bhutan and about 70 Nepalese. Her husband is studying at the Uni. The man on the right of her is Kenyan, here with his wife and two young children to give the children a better chance in life. He is a Chemist and doesn't know of any other Kenyans in Darwin, although he has a sister in Adelaide (I think - I may be mixing him up with the girl)

5) Here are James (from Montana, USA, but living in Darwin with his Australian wife - first baby due in October) and his pal Darren. Both are studying for boat licenses - one to be a Coxsin (??? how do you spell that?) and the other for his Master's. They have both been with the same company on the prawn trawlers in the Gulf and came across to Darwin from Cairns. James has left that job and is looking for other work.

6) Max is getting my arm in a sling to help me with my 'broken collar bone'! Max has been through the 'wars' having suffering countless breaks coming off/crashing his motorbike(s?) which he loves. Name a bone and he has probably broken it. He was very sanguine about it all. He has two young daughters who he says are wild about motorbikes. (I didn't ask him what his wife thinks, but then, she married him!)

The First aid started at 8.15 am and was scheduled to finish at 4.30 pm but we finished at 4 pm both days, which gave me time to head up to Nungalinya College (one block down Dripstone Rd) and check emails and what was going on. Much is going on in planning for next Semester.

Tomorrow and Thursday I will be at the ARDS (Aboriginal Resources and Development Services) Conference here in Darwin City with the speaker being Richard Trudgen who wrote that book Why Warriors Lie Down and Die. That starts at 8.15 am and finishes at 4.30 pm. It should be worthwhile. I will be able to walk to it. People here speak highly of him.

Sufficient for the week! I head off to Brisbane this coming Friday morning at 12. 40 am and won't be in Brisbane until 8.05 am having come via Sydney. No choice up here. I couldn't get the plane which leaves at a more 'respectable' time because I am giving a Presentation on my Thesis on Friday evening at Colloquium which starts over at Banyo at 6.30 pm. I am the 3rd presenter for the evening so I hope the audience perseveres. Anyone interested is welcom at the Colloquium in lecture theatre 1, under the library at ACU. Hope I am conscious enough to make sense.

Looking forward to catching up with everyone in Brisbane, but finishing the thesis is first priority!

Love from Rita