Man, I have gotten to post a lot more than I thought I would--it's probably a good thing too cause I can't remember most things longer than a day.
Yesterday was the Branch Activity--Cecelia (the mother of my host family) and I have been devising games for this Fear Factor Activity all week! It was tons of fun and a great way to get down and dirty with the rest of the Branch. I brought Bertie Bott's Beans from the States and we had to pick numbers and eat the number that we got (not knowing what flavor it was). We passed cracked raw eggs to our teammates and tried to fill a cup (every time that Sarah cracked an egg into my hand she squirted it all over the both of us). IT was nasty and reall slimy! We drank shots of straight lemon and lime concentrate--it must have been all those years of going to IU because I am one good shot drinker. And of course my favorite was digging gummy snakes out of a pan of Cool Whip (or the equivalent here) and putting them on a plate for our teammates to eat--using only our mouhts. I was a mess and we got some pretty nice pictures that I will try to post!
Today was Church and that was quite the experience. The Branch PResident asked if I would introduce myself and bear my testimony. COme on folks, we all knew that it was coming--in a Branch of 25 people. (And for the record there were 18 there today). Also, the word got out that I play the flute and I think they already have me lined up for something- had better start practicing! Everyone was relaly friendly though and on Tuesday we are playing NEtball--which I have wanted to learn since I got here. It sounds like it is a cross between Ultimate Frisbee and basketball. Should be interesting...
After Church, SUe (the teacher that I am working with) took me and a friend around to do a Garden Walk. There is a Garden competition in Bathurst and the gardens were open this weekend for viewing. It gave me a really good idea of the city and they pointed things out for me. They took me up on Mount Panorama which is the site of this huge car rave in AUstralia--think Indy500 in a town of 30,000 people. The race is around this mountain basically and I had been told that it is also a public road. Well I was picturing a normal road that they raced on but instead imagine the Indy 500 race track as a public road. Complete with side rails on the turns that are smeared with paint from the cars hitting them at high speeds. There was a pit, garages for the cars, starting line, advertisements over the road on banners, the whole rac-car-loving-nine-yards. And to top it off there are normal street signs that you would see in any neighborhood and homes--homes that were winners in the Garden contest. It was quite a fascinating combination and an awesome view of hte Blue Mountains and the valley that Bathurst is in.
After my Garden Walk I went to the neighbors who have been dying to meet me since I arrived. I thought that they watned to quiz me about AMerica. BUt come to find out Mike's Dad was an American who married his mother while on tour wtih the Navy. THey got married but his Dad returned to the states and to make a long story short Mike didn't see his Dad after he was three and his father died when he was eight. But the connection to me is that his Dad was from a little town called Carfolk, Indiana (between Indy and Lafayette). They were dear people and it was so fun to chat with them and for his to show me pictures from when he was in the States 40 years ago. It is always nice to know the neighbors and they want me to come over for barbie sometime while I am here. I amt telling you, such nice people live in this country.
After dinner tonight I was talking to Cecelia and Tia came in--now Tia is three. And she starts babbling about something. I asked Cecelia what she was saying and Tia said "hokey pokey!". APparantly the Couple missionaries that were here from the States taught Tia to say "Okie Dokie" but instead Tia yells "HOKIE POKIE!" It was HILARIOUS--with her little AUssie accent.
ANother story I forgot to tell you is when I was doing the times tables with the kids last week. They were all giggling about something and I couldn't figure out what because they weren't talking to each other. Finally SUe yells, "STOP!" I thought that I was doing something wrong but hse turned to the kids and said, "stop trying to say it in HER accent!" APparantly the kids were trying to mimick my accent while we were doing the times tables. "Just do it in you AUstralian accent!" Of course I was totally oblivious... my kids make fun of me and I don't even know it--Crickey! :)
AND a SHOUT OUT to the 2006 WORLD SERIES CHAMPION Cardinals! Man I am stoked about this one! I can't wait till I get back to the States so that I can watch the highlights! First WS victory for the Cards since my birth! Ahhh...it's good to be a baseball fan! :)