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.