Jarrod

I taught a Gr. 2 class yesterday. One boy was named Jarrod. As I called out the names, the class protested when I called out Jarrod’s name.

Class: “It’s not Jarrod, it’s Jay-rod” they said.
Me: “Jay-rod?”
Class: “No, Jah-rod”
Me: “Jah-rod?”
Class: “Ja-rod”
Me: “Ja-rod”
Class: “No, Jarrod”
Me: “Jarrod?”
Class: “Ya, that’s it.”

I have a lot to learn.

Where's the title?

This blog should be titled "Mark is in: Old Bar" but the title doesn't show up. What gives?

Pictures of my house

Here are some pictures of the house I'm sharing. It's got lots of room and views of the ocean.

The official photo of 11 Old Bar Rd. I feel pretty important living in an actual house.


This is the view from the balcony. That is the ocean my friends. I can go surfing there... when I learn.


Unfortunately, I could not bring my Indonesian maid to Australia without marrying her. Alas, I am washing, hanging, and ironing my own laundry. Shed a tear for me.

July 2, 2007, Old Bar / Taree

I missed Canada Day yesterday! I got to the end of the day, looked at my watch and realized it was July 1st!! I felt like a terrible Canadian. I did feel better knowing that Canada Day in my-neck-of-the woods Ontario didn’t technically start until 3pm Sydney time. So I wished Canada a happy birthday a day late.

Today was a day full of terrific adventures. Let me tell you about them all. I woke up at 6:07 without an alarm clock (which was set for 7). Being up so early I did some laundry, ironed a shirt, and watched the morning show while eating toast and peanut butter.
I had an appointment for my car at 8am in Taree (about a 15 minute drive out of Old Bar). I had a bunch of little things to get fixed as well as a service. I found out the car would take until 3:30 in the afternoon (!) so I would have the opportunity to get to know Taree very well.
I started walking toward the downtown area. Stopped at a glass place to price a piece of glass for an old desk top. $71.00. No thanks.
Continued to walk towards the downtown area, and realized very little was going to be open. So, I went to a café and had a cappuccino. Saw a guy from church there, picking up coffees for the staff at his work. We chatted for a minute, and then I read the Manning Times. A very exciting read as always.
I then headed towards the Salvation Army Thrift Store, or ‘Salvos’ as they’re called here. I was looking for a dresser for my clothes. Currently my clothes are sitting on my floor, laying on and around my backpack. Some are hung up on a clothes rack, but most are not. Salvos had some interesting things, but no dresser.
I headed to the Lifeline op-shop and they had 3 dressers, obviously from 3 different periods of time. Candidate A was a 1960’s dresser made of formica or some other wood-alike material. Candidate B I think was from the 1950’s and had a door that hid the drawers. Candidate C was a wooden dresser from the 1940’s with two giant drawers. I opted for Candidate C, as the drawers could hold all of my clothes, and it was a pretty cool piece of furniture.
I got some money at the bank, paid for the dresser, and then walked further down the road. Saw another guy from church who works at Retravision. We chatted and talked about going biking some time.
Around the corner was a travel agent, and I thought I should check out flight details for Christmas. It turns out it will be about $1900 if I go after Christmas, and $2400 if I go before… ugh. Mahal Sekali. Maybe I’ll just buy a canoe and start paddling this week.
Going to the library I wanted to check my email, and was able to, thanks to the library card I obtained on the weekend. Free internet! Praise!
I spent an hour on the net, and by this time it was 12, and thought I’d putter around a bit. Went to an import furniture shop and saw some nice but well overpriced items. I then went to Subway for a 6” ham sub with lettuce, tomato, pickles, and honey mustard sauce.
After lunch I thought I’d go back and sleep at the library, as my adventures had made me sleepy. Instead of the library I ended up at this clothes store and looked at shoes. I only have 2 pairs of shoes, and one pair looks really raddy (I bought them with Julie T in 2003) and another that are black and were worn with my school uniform in Indo. I hate trying on shoes cuz my feet are wider than they are long and have cathedral sized arches. After about an hour I did find a rather snazzy pair of green not-too-sporty, not-too-dressy shoes.
The plan was then to start back to the car place (it was 3 by this time). I passed by ‘The Fight Centre’ and thought I’d check out prices. It turned out the agent I talked to was from Cambridge, Ontario… small world! I think we both felt that Taree wasn’t big enough for two Canadians. She looked into a cheap flight for me… don’t think I’ll go for it… Sydney-Fiji-Honolulu-Los Angeles-Chicago-Detroit-Toronto. Yes, that’s 5 changes… right.
In the middle of this I got a call that my car was ready. $293. I think I’ll be swimming to Canada for the Christmas.
I arrived at the mechanics knowing they were going to remove the instrument panel to send away the odometer to be fixed. I didn’t know they would remove the driver’s side dash! It turned out, I would not be able to use my hazard lights, rear defroster, or my turning blinkers as a result of this. I would be able to drive home, but not really use the car in the mean-time. Oh right… fixing the odo will be another $250… sigh.
Thought I’d end the day by going for a swim. The pool was pretty empty which was most excellent for a swim. Went to the hot tub after as my reward. A lady had been taking lessons beside me in the pool, and we chatted about swimming and horseback riding. She is learning both, and found swimming might come in handy as her horse got her into interesting situations involving water.
I was thinking a quick trip to the steam room was needed after the whirlpool. A big aboriginal guy was in there. It turned out he was a preacher and had been all over the world. He told me a bit of his background, how he led a gang and was into drugs and pimping before he met Jesus. He gave me a bottle of water, which was good, as I was interested in talking to him, but feeling as though I was going to pass out from the heat.
It was dark by this time, and I suddenly realized as other things in my car were not working, my lights might not be as well. After I had dried off and changed I approached the car with a lot of prayer. I did not know how I would get home if the lights didn’t work. Thankfully they did, and I would only have to make two turns to make it home. No accidents, and I was able to judge speeds by what other people were driving and what gear I was in.
I arrived home and thought I’d pop in on my neighbours, AKA my new bestest friends. I wanted to know if they knew of a spare ‘ute’ hanging around that I could use to get my dresser home. They said they could try strapping it to the roof of their SUV and I agreed to look after their kids while they did this. Community is a wonderful thing. They then asked me to join them for dinner, which was fresh fish. After that G was working on an art piece using bits of broken glass. It was amazing watching her doing her work and looking at the pieces of glass and carefully finding places to put them. Really interesting.
So there you have it, my exciting day. I hope each day turns out this eventful. It is now 9:37 and I’m falling asleep as I type this. Good night and hope you get to read it soon. I still don’t have internet, but will take this to the Old Bar internet café tomorrow.

June 26, 2007, Old Bar

Friday went very well… I worked with a difficult class, but we all survived with no tears… an apparent success. I then picked up the car, and enjoyed a low-key Saturday. Went to a local church Sunday Morning…. It was nice, and the people were really friendly, but not a lot of people around my age. I’m not sure what to do, whether to try others or stay where I’ve started. I would really like to meet some people to hang around with…
Worked at the school ½ hour away yesterday and today… it’s been rainy, so the kids have been squirrelly. I feel like I have to stand on my head to try to get them to listen.
I’m finding television here a little obnoxious. I’m watching this duo singing contest called “it takes two” and the host is on some kind of narcotics… he’s really quite happy, suspiciously so. “Deal or No Deal” is a game show that has another host-with-issues. I am frankly annoyed. I am enjoying Home and Away… it’s on like every night, and always good, wholesome entertainment.

The Car

Here it is... the '91 Pulsar for your viewing pleasure.

June 21, 2007, Old Bar, NSW

June 21, 2007
Old Bar

I woke before the alarm this morning… feeling a little chilly. The house is technically a beach house with lots of louvered windows and no form of heating,. So the outside cold seems to seep right in. I was sleeping with a sweater on and quickly threw on some socks. Once at the school, I sent off some emails, and then went to Wingham to take the Pulsar for its check in Taree. It took me a while to find the place… it was one my host recommended, a place run by a family at the school. I went up and down the street looking for the place… eventually stopped at an electrical supply store and asked… no idea. I went down the street to turn around at a gas bar, and got stuck… there was an incline I had to stop on, and I couldn’t get up it! I kept stalling. I finally backed the car onto the busy street and tried again with success. I then drove to the other end and asked at a plumbing place. The guy I spoke with knew the guy at the car place, so he gave me directions.

They gave the car a thorough look over, and delivered the verdict: a split alternator belt, something leaking oil, worn rear tires, and a few other general maintenance things. On the way back to Wingam I also discovered the odometer was broken! Arg… I tried to bargain a cheaper price, but I couldn’t quite bargain it to where I wanted, so I went away to think. After expert consultation (with my host) I decided to go with the price they asked, as I had already spent time with and money on the car, and I really did like it. Not an easy car to drive (don’t think it has power steering) but it’s got a bit of juice. It looks pretty sporty too.

While in Wingham, I also visited a school and they seemed excited to have me. They have booked me all next week (another good reason to get the car). So I’m excited that I’ll have a bit of money in the bank account.

Came back to Old Bar, and went for a walk along the beach… beautiful. I am happy to be living in this little burg, and I’ve found out I’m able to billet with my host when he moves to his new house. It’s hard to believe a week ago I was finishing up classes with my students in Indonesia. There were so many things I was worried about and God has shown faithful in working out the details.

Tomorrow is my first day in an Aussie school, and I hope it goes well.

June 20, 2007, 7:20pm, Old Bar, NSW

June 20, 2007
7:20pm
Old Bar, NSW

Today was so busy…. I was on my way to visit a school when I saw this sweet 91 “Toyota Lexcen” station wagon for sale… looked really good for camping. So I called the number and went to the school. I met the principal and then remembered I had an appointment to see him the next day. Arg. My brain is still in Indonesia… and I need to buy a day planner and not rely on post it notes. Anyhow, I’m scheduled to work on Friday! Praise God! I’m excited, but this is supposed to be a rough school…. And I’m afraid Indonesia has softened me up. I was pretty tough as a sub in Canada, so we’ll see if I can regain that image.

After that meeting I got a call to see the wagon… it was in pretty rough shape. It started with a bit of a rattle and I tried to roll the drivers’ side window down and it fell off the track. Went for a drive… it lumbered like a tank. It was pretty dirty too, and was obviously smoked in (the ashtray overflowing with cigarettes was only my second clue). One rear door wouldn’t open from the outside, the antenna was broken, and there was a crack in the windshield. So I passed on that one.

My second car was a 96 Ford Falcon. It is a bit of a grandpa car and drinks gas like it’s free. It was nice to drive (as grandpa cars are) and had enough room for all the grandkids. It had a great price and even though it was an enemy of God’s creation, I liked it.

The last car I looked at was a 91 Nissan Pulsar “Vectra”. Pulsar was in small words, and Vectra in big words. I don’t know what that means. I The Pulsar here is more like our Nissan Sentra… very similar to Old Rita….*tears* and it was bright red! Just like old times. This car had a standard transmission and really wasn’t the easiest thing to drive. It was definitely clean, however, and the body was in good shape. Only 191,000 km too (which was relatively low). It had an alarm and a subwoofer in the boot. The only drawback was it was more than I was wanting to pay. The lady selling it did come down in price to something more in my budget.

So, I hmmmed and hawed and talked to my host at the Christian School… he reckoned the Pulsar would use half as much gas as the Falcon. So, I decided to go with the Pulsar… The extra gas savings will make it worth it, so I would continue to be a friend of the earth. I may remove the subwoofer, as I’m not really into a lot of noise and I want the trunk space for my stuff. I think I may christen her “Rita” Jr.

That was Wednesday, my friends. I have accomplished much in these 3 days. Tomorrow I will try to get said car arranged, arrange some tax stuff, and heck, maybe I’ll try to publish these blog entries to my blog! I’m exhausted and need a vacation… In just over a week is a two week holiday… I may splurge and actually go somewhere, car pending. I just need some friends now, who might want to go. Maybe, with a cool car, friends will flock to me.

It’s been a bit lonely without you folks. I miss you and wish you were all here.

June 19, 2007, 8:00pm, Old Bar, NSW

June 19, 2007
8:00pm
Old Bar, NSW

I arrived last night in Taree. My host met me at the train station in his school’s bus. The good news is that my stuff fit. AND I got a tour of Taree and Old Bar. What a busy day. At least I didn’t have to worry about my stuff getting to the house.

Today was a very busy day, but a good one. I went to the Christian school to visit… it went very well… met lots of people and am ready to do some relief teaching. I also called a number of area public schools and have arranged to meet some principals. In the afternoon I was able to borrow the principal’s Renault Laguna. That’s a car, for you residents of North America. A very nice car indeed. To start it you have to put this electronic card into the dashboard and push a button. SO HIGH TECH. I zipped around Taree, and learned how to drive roundabouts. People don’t like it if you don’t follow the roundabout rules, and people let me know when I didn’t. Apparently, you need to yield to the right. It requires thinking…

Anyhow, once in Taree I went around and arranged a SIM card for my handphone, a phone card to use for a land line, and I got my banking finalized. I also looked at computer printers, but didn’t buy. Must… save… money…

I think I may be buying a car. I’ll be looking this weekend. I saw a Suzuki Sierra today, which is a 1.3 litre 4 wheel drive buggy… not a lot of guts, but it looked like a fun car. In the newspaper is a little Daihatsu, a Holden Commodore (GM), a Ford Falcon, and a Nissan Pulsar. I am really nervous about this whole car thing… It’s a big investment. It feels like a huge commitment. It’s making me a bit sick to my stomach. I think I need a drumstick.

June 18, 2007, 11:30 AM Sydney NSW

I am currently in my train at the Sydney Central Station waiting to depart for Taree. I thought I’d start to blog on my comp to help pass the time and get some of my thoughts sorted.

I left Lippo last night; a sad venture. This has, however, been the longest goodbye of my life. It started two weeks ago with our “Amazing Race Lippo Karawaci” which was organized for Caroline (an Australian teacher headed to Aceh) and myself. I’ve been to quite a few dinners and goodbye events; things that signaled my ‘lasts’ of Indonesia. It feels good to be on my way, but it hurts a lot to leave my friends. I’ll miss them lots. Johanna, Becky, and Liz accompanied me to the airport and I was on my way.

One of my major pains was organizing my luggage. I really wanted to take my bike, so I had it packed. I also had my big backpack full of clothes, my saxophone, and a black duffle bag that held my computer and an assortment of other things. Here’s a breakdown of my luggage and weights:

Backpack: 23 Kg
Bicycle (boxed): 20 Kg… dimensions: 140cm long x 80cm high x 30cm wide
Duffle: 15 Kg (I’m guessing…. It is HEAVY)
Saxophone 5 Kg
Total: 63 Kg

Lugging this junk through the Jakarta and Sydney airports required refined skill. I loaded the backpack, sax, and duffle onto a trolley and dragged the bicycle in it’s box behind me. I probably looked a bit like a homeless person… but a homeless person would be wise enough not to carry so much crap around with him. I hate traveling with so much stuff.

One of my worries was getting from the airport to the train station with all of this stuff. I could take a train from the airport to the station without spending too much, but I’d have to abandon my trolley and somehow carry all of this stuff on a train which may or may not be crowded. I opted for a shuttle bus (a Toyota Hiace van)… I rented the whole thing for $50… a 30 minute car ride, but worth it. (To compare, my train ticket (for a 5 ½ hour ride) was only $38).

Once at the train station I did have to carry the luggage, which was caused a lot of stares… I was awkward and slow and really hoped someone would help me. I pretended I was performing an experiment to see if any good Samaritans would help me. None did, but I managed to get the heavy stuff checked in and myself to a coffee shop for a little breakfast.

At the coffee shop I still had my duffle, sax, and a small backpack that I had to disconnect from my large one because of weight restrictions. I couldn’t manage all that stuff plus a coffee and fruit salad, so I asked a nice senior lady if she could watch my stuff while I picked up my food. She was very kind and said she would. The large coffee and fruit salad turned out to be $7.20!! Mahal Sekali as we say in Indonesia. I held my breath and handed over a plastic $20 bill. HOW AM I GOING TO AFFORD THIS PLACE?? Anyhow, I got my food, and returned to the table, where the lady was literally staring at my luggage; she didn’t take her eyes off of it, bless her soul. See the photo for the picture of my table… note the Hungry Jack wrappers the teenagers before me left for ambience. I read a Sydney Morning Herald, drank the strong coffee and ate the fruit salad with a plastic fork. After this I played Jawbreaker on my phone and listened to Cat Stevens. A Chinese man joined me and slurped his cappuccino and had a conversation on his handphone. What an exciting day! And it’s now only 12:07pm!

I will be arriving at 5:10 in Taree… I left a message on Steve’s phone (who I’ll be staying with) so that he doesn’t forget to pick me up.

Will the bicycle fit inside Steve’s car? Will breakfast make poor Mark broke? Will he have to make a tear-filled call to his parents to help bail him out of Australia?

Stay tuned to find out…. Soon.