Oh hey, I really did not expect to see you here!

A little birdy by the name of James Camden recently made me aware of the followings of mine and Henry's blog sites and I honestly cannot believe the extent to which our adventures are eclipsing your computer screens, sitting in your inboxes and chilling on the tip of your tongues in your daily conversations.  I remember promising my family and friends that I would find a communal way to update them of my happenings but could not have fathomed that the blog would have become so popular. It really is quite an honour to have so many people following our work in Balgo and me and Henry will continue to update you with all our exciting news. With that said, please feel free to email me or post a comment on any of our posts. Even if it's just a quick 'Hi', asking a question or better yet letting us know what's happening in the world (we're a bit behind the eight ball with no TV, radio or newspapers!) anything would be appreciated! Henry, Ale and I are very much set on making people more aware of the awesomeness of Balgo, especially the amazing students at Luurnpa Catholic School. So question/email/comment away! (After you continue reading this awesome post that is!)

With all that said, I cannot believe how long this term is! Even though we've only being here just on six weeks and aren't completely exhausted yet, we're all noticing how tired the teachers are. Twelve weeks is WAY too tough. An indication of how keen everyone is for a rest is that by 2pm next Tuesday (the last day of school), every single staff member in Balgo would have left for some much needed rest and relaxation in exotic destinations around Australia (capital cities are a popular destination). I have such an admiration for the teachers here; they are not only selfless individuals but have shown the STM crew a kindness and welcoming nature that we only dreamed of. It is an absolute pleasure working with such an amazing group of people.

As I'm writing this, I can hear a plane fly over head. On it is Neus, a Spanish volunteer who has been in Balgo since the beginning of the term working with the Primary B students. She has become a very treasured part of our Luurnpa family and leaves us to complete three more months of voluntary work in New Zealand, working at a La Sallian school in Rotorura. Watching her say goodbye to the school today gave me an insight to how hard things will be for us at the end of the year however fortunately, that is a LONG way away!

The Sturt Creek is slowly going down. Adding insult to injury regarding the La Salle Middle Swan Balgo trip that was canceled, the road is only closed for two kilometres. It's crazy to think a two kilometre stretch of road on a three thousand kilometre journey was enough to cancel a trip, but that's the Kimberley for you!! Brother Rick told me today that it is currently one metre high, and going down five centimetres per day. It should be low enough for us to get out when the time for our Broome trip comes around. Fingers crossed we don't get the remnants of a cyclone before then!

I always seem to forget the funny little things that happen here in Balgo but today, there were two memorable instances that made me laugh, and the cringe a little. For starters, I woke up to this, courtesy of Henry;

And yes, that is written on a tissue because the boys have not yet found my stash of paper. But it was nice knowing that all the cooking skills that I have built up over the past month and a bit did not deter the scatter brain I possess. Sometimes I actually think I'm loosing my mind. However the fact that Henry put a smiley face after that message made me laugh and remember the guys are just as crazy as I am. Just in case you were wondering, Henry turned it off last night and wrote the note after I'd gone to bed, so it's good to know there is one human safety switch in the house!

The second thing was kind of a kick in the teeth, but in the funniest way. This little boy Antonio, who is in my Primary C class has been really close to me since day one. We even have our own secret handshake and I was the ONLY one that wished him happy birthday today, until everyone else cottoned onto the date and realised. Anyway we were swimming today and he went to ask me something, then goes 'What's your name?' Like DEAD serious he had forgotten my name. Ouch!! Adding insult to injury, Henry was there laughing at the whole thing so I guess I'm not going to forget that anytime soon. I felt like the greatest person on earth, NOT! But Antonio is the cutest kid so it was kind of funny, kind of...