Attacked by Eyeliner...This is the Modern World!

In the past two days my artistic skills have been criticised by a nine year old, another nine year old saved me from a cockroach, I learnt how to make an exfoliating rub using sugar and oil, I got attacked with eye liner, I attempted to exercise but was distracted by the amazing scenery and ended up taking a thousand photos, I knitted as fast as an old woman and drank enough coffee to feed the world just to keep up!! And now you all get to hear about all of it!

I know that I'm not an artist. But Kiara, a Primary C student doesn't. To her, all adults can draw better than kids. Yeh, all but me. She asked me to draw a bird for her and despite me saying over again I wasn't the person for the job, a pencil was thrust in my hand and paper shoved in my face. You can't say no in a situation like that! So I drew, as best as I could and concentrating as hard as I could to make a bird come alive on the paper. The result? EPIC FAIL!! Sure, it was better than what I usually come up with but Kiara looked at it stunned, told me 'not sausage bird!' and stormed off. According to her, my bird looked like a sausage with a beak and wings which, when you think about it, is not what a bird actually looks like. I'm pretty sure word got around the classroom that I was the WORST artist ever because I haven't been asked to draw a single thing since Wednesday. Oh the shame!

Later that day I spent a few hours with the secondary girls from Balgo and also a few girls from Mulan who were participating in an incursion called Deadly Diva's. Run by an organisation called Garnduwa which is based in Derby and runs sport and recreation activities all through the Kimberley, the girls spent time cooking, learning about healthy habits and having makeovers which proved to be a lot of fun. We exfoliated with a mixture of raw sugar, olive oil and lavender oil and while I was not game enough to try it, the oatmeal and water facials looked quite nice (I do plan to try it in my own home, without an audience!) It was here that the girls turned the attention away from themselves and onto me and I was attacked by Heidi and Shania from Balgo and Renea, from Mulan with a stick of blue eyeliner and some orange lipstick. I was able to deflect the attack by suggesting a new shade of eye shadow for each girl, but must say for a while it was looking like I was going to end up looking like one of my attempted portraits of myself...not good! The day was a huge success and I really enjoyed spending time not just with the Balgo girls but meeting some great girls from Mulan who I hope to see around.

Shania demonstrates the face mask

Renea with her lovely orange lipstick

Shania gets a makeover

Renea and the flower I helped her make

Shania, after she got her hair curled

After the whole 'garden almost getting burnt down and Maggie saving it with a garden hose' incident, the wounds were still raw on Wednesday when Azarious and Kingston began lighting what was left of the vacant block on fire. I thought the guys were going out to tell them off but when I saw a video camera in their hands, I thought 'meh' and followed them with my own. We tend to ignore the burning around, as long as it doesn't damage any property because it's what the kids do, as apart of their culture! With this in mind we didn't feel that bad taking photos and videoing, the guys getting a little too into the fire lighting. I'm pretty sure at the end of the year, a couple of pyro's will be departing Balgo. With this said, I know my fireman father is going to love coming up in a few weeks and lighting fires, just to put them out!

Kingston lights some fires!

Cody saved me from a cockroach the other day! Well, I suppose my life wasn't in any real threat but I'm sure that if the fear had of increased any more, my heart rate would have sky rocketed and I probably would have dropped to the floor, giving the clinic a heavy work load. I have a horrible fear of cockroaches and when I saw one on the classroom floor the other day, jumped a mile and asked Cody in a shaky voice if he could dispose of it. He kind of gave me a look like 'please, you're the adult' but went and got a tissue and put it in the bin without question. He's my hero!! I was so happy and it was so cute the way he did it, like he wasn't scared of anything! Bless :)

As well as the First Aid Officer at the school, I am now also the Uniform Coordinator! This job entails basically ordering new uniforms and selling them but means that any junk mail the school receives adressed to the Uniform Coordinator gets chucked in my pigeon hole. It's amazing how much is irrelevant and I bet uniform places must waste an absolute fortune on advertising. But regardless, it's something else to add to the end of emails amongst the staff. It's a bit of a running joke here as to who can make the most medial tasks and roles look incredibly professional at the bottom of an email. So far Anthony is winning but he may have some competition!

Afer feeling sick and tired for a long time, I finally went for a long walk out to the Pound. I didn't end up making it to the end because I made the mistake of bringing my camera which brought out my photographic side and I snapped almost everything along the way. I did get some stunning shots of the sunset however next time I want to get a bit of adrenaline pumping will stick to the gym where the scenery is a lot less impressive!

The Watertower

A typical Balgo sunset

  

The photography genes took over...

I'm off to dinner with Vin and Judy tonight along with the guys and Cassie and Leesa. It's their last Friday night in Balgo (so sad!) so we're having a gathering. I have finished the scarf I knitted for Judy and am halfway through Vin's Richmond coloured scarf so hopefully get that done by next Friday. I will miss them both terribly; they are such good company and like my Balgo grandparents! But it's been great knowing them and they have done so much around the Parish and I know we'll stay in contact. Goodbyes are so hard though!

Here are just a few photos, to finish off the post of my awesome students doing some great block activities and shapes during Maths time today. So proud!!

Rechelle

Antonio

Tegan