Quebec City

Day 2: 12.07.09

After weathering a tumultuous and stormy night, we awoke somewhat refreshed and ready to explore Quebec City. This is a city we have visited previously during Carnivale and the temperature difference and overall look of the city could not be more different.
We soon made our way to Quebec City’s historic Citadelle. The Citadelle is a site where 300 years of military history meet and is the largest fortification built by the British in North America. The Citadelle overlooks the historic and scenic Plains of Abraham where, in 1759, the British under the command of General Wolfe defeated the French in a battle lasting no more than 20 minutes. This event changed the course of Canadian History, flinging control of Canada into British hands.

After a guided tour of the Citadelle, we made our way into the historic old section of the city where we walked for a while absorbing the atmosphere. Summer time in this city is a time of street performance and we were able to experience some of this. The kids barely complained and when they did, we fortified them with hot dogs to keep them going. Upon returning to our van late in the afternoon, the boys hit the hot tub whilst Em and I took it easy reading and generally relaxing before dinner and bed.

Our Journey Begins

Day 1: 11.07.09
Today we woke early to finalise our packing in preparation for our long awaited camping trip to the Maritimes. After having driven to Gananoque yesterday to pick up our trailer, we subsequently spent all afternoon packing and preparing the van. After years of tenting it, the camper trailer seems very luxurious. From its queen size bed, fridge and indoor lounge area to its automatic winder, we hope it will be a great arrangement for the next seven weeks.

With the kids safely ensconced in the back, up to their ears in IPODS, PC games, books, food and other essentials designed to keep them quiet, we headed up the 401 for Quebec City, around 8.30am. It was a slow drive – we were worried about the load our trusty van was pulling so we pulled in to Juneau Chalets Camp Ground (just in time for the rain), unpacked and settled in. John’ expert trailer backing ability was showcased for all the family to see.

By 5.00pm it was really raining and at this point, it looks as if it has settled in for quite a while. What’s a true camping trip without rain? At least we can lie in our luxurious beds as we listen to the constant pitter patter on the roof of the now obviously waterproof trailer and ponder what lies ahead for us over the next 48 days!

Max has a Birthday

Prince Edward County

Today we took a drive down to Prince Edward County. This is a picturesque area about an hour West of Kingston. I wanted to visit the small township of Wellington. I thought it important to have a phot here as John and I lived in Wellington, NSW for a while, and, in fact, were married there in 1990. Wellington is a small tourist town on Lake Ontario. we visitied its beach so the boys could have a swim. They found the water to be very cold but bravely dived under the small waves.

We wandered around the town for a while and found the most fantastic playground for the boys. On the way home we stopped at an ice cream place named "Slickers" for some delicious local fare.

Canada Day

Bennett's Lake

June Joys!

Ottawa CLEE Weekend

Last Friday we decided to take up the Ottawa chapter of CLEE's invitation to attend their end of year dinner. We left Kingston and made the two hour trip, arriving at our hotel at about 4.30pm. Dinner was at the Emerald Buffett - an all you can eat Chinese Buffett. The boys were in heaven. They took the "all you can eat" invitation literally and indulged, indulged and indulged.

Afterwards, we went to the RCMP Barracks to watch the famous Sunset Ceremony ride. Here dozens of highly trained riders and their horses performed a variety of precision moves and dance routines to an appreciative audience. Apparently, this only occurs for several days once a year. We were very lucky to be a part of this event considereing there was a two hour break between thunderstorms whilst the performance was taking place.

On Saturday, before returning to Kingston, we decided to visit the Canadian War Museum. This was interactive and interesting. The Museum traces Canada's historical involvment in warfare from the earliest times of the First Nation's People, to the battles between the French, English and Americans on it's own soil. It also chronicles Canadian involvement in large scale warfare. In many ways, the story of Canada at war mirrors our own Australian story. Apart from Iraq in recent times, Canadians and Australians have fought along side each other in both world wars, Korea, Vietnam and more recently, Afghanistan. In many ways, Canada and Australia may be considered closley related. We are both Commonwealth countries with a very similar political structure and we both consider key battles during WW1 to be watersheds in our coming of age as nations,

Graduation Time at HCSS

Last Thursday was the Grade 12 Graduation at HCSS. With 260 students graduating, it was apparently the smallest cohort to go through the school in a long time.I was eager to experience the North American High School graduation and found it very interesting. The students paraded into the hall in caps and gowns. The awards themselves took quite a while but were punctuated by performances from the Grade 12 Jazz Band and some very talented singers.

After the ceremony, the staff adjourned to Minos Restaurant for some much needed R & R. I wont say too much more except that the night was lots of fun and I indulged in some drinking games - something I have not done for goodness knows how long! The people I work with have been very welcoming to both myself and my family. I value their friendship and will really misss them when I return to Australia.

Summer Time in Kingston

It's summer time and the days are very long. The sunsets at around 9.30pm and is up by 4.30am. Last week was the summer solstice and I ventured into the garden for some twilight snaps of the abundant foliage growing there. We have a mulberry bush and an apple tree - both of which are starting to bear fruit.

Yesterday, the boys took a picture of a little ground hog that ventured onto the lawn to graze. These animals are very cute. I never realised they were actually creatures - all I can think of is that film with Tom hanks - Groundhog Day. I do believe there is actually a real Groundhog Day in Canada. It is used as a litmus test to signify when winter will end.

Secret Confessions of a Supply Teacher

SECRET CONFESSIONS OF A SUPPLY TEACHER
As the spouse of a teacher on exchange my main role this year has been to keep the domestics up to date, drive the kids to the million and one things they have to do, provide support to the full time worker in the family, and try to find as much part time employment as I can that doesn’t interfere with our travel plans.
My first job in Kingston was to deliver newspapers once a week. Each Thursday (rain, hail, shine or snow) I walked the streets of Kingston for eight hours. The first day was minus 27 degrees, the second it rained, but by the time I finished up and the snows had melted, I was actually enjoying the experience and my work colleagues.
Thanks to the kindness of Anne Wemp, the Secretary at Mother Teresa Elementary School, who rang one day in February and asked me to come in and teach French for a day, I was able to get a foot in the door at the Algonquin and Lakeshore District Catholic School Board, and I registered as an emergency teacher. Not much fun, as I only got called when there was absolutely no one else available, but it gave me a little work while I waited for my accreditation from the Ontario College of Teachers, the document you must have to teach in Ontario.
Some hastily organised references from Australia, and two interviews at the Catholic Board Office in Napanee, and I was accepted onto the Supply List, pending accreditation. This finally occurred on the 4th April, after a nine week wait, and I was ready to begin as a supply teacher.
Initial thoughts? I had never taught supply before, so it was fairly daunting to head into a different classroom or school each day with no knowledge of the students and a short time to acclimatise myself with the room, the school and the work. However, armed with my trusty toy kangaroo, koala (and at times Nick’s wombat!) I ventured forth, determined to make the best of the situation.
As we head into our summer break, I have now been teaching supply for about eleven weeks, and have had over thirty days of teaching, which has been a very positive experience and invaluable to our bank balance.
As the only Australian I know of on the supply list in Kingston, I am a bit of a novelty, but that has worked in my favour. Each new class gives me the opportunity to begin the day by telling them about myself, the exchange process, schools in Australia (especially my beloved Central Tilba Public School), and some of our native animals. I haven’t had a class yet that has not been interested to listen and find out about Australia. I’ve had many more great days than bad days, and have been honoured to think that some children have found me to be their best supply teacher ever!
I have been impressed with the way most Canadian children I have taught have been respectful and eager to work well. I have now taught all grades from One to Eight in ten different schools in Kingston, and have enjoyed nearly every day. I have often been stopped in the street or at sports ground by children I have taught so far and who want to say hello. Unfortunately, teaching so many for such a short time does not give me the chance to get to know many children well, but I am warmed by the fact that some children remember the day they were taught by the supply teacher from Oz!

Cruising The 1000 Islands

Life in the Fast Lane

Driving my twelve year old son home from school the other day, he commented on how much he was enjoying his experience in Canada and remarked that: “after a while everything seems normal and you feel like you’ve lived here your whole life”.

Max’s statement pretty much sums up how my family and I are viewing our current exchange experience to Kingston, Ontario. Six very short months ago, we were frantically preparing for our odyssey. Amidst the chaos and cleaning, the thought of spending a year in another country did not quite seem real. At times, I wondered if I were doing the right thing. My husband was initially cautious about going and my 15 year old daughter definitely did not want to go. Three days before departure she was determined to stay with her grandparents for a year. Nevertheless, after two days of travel my family and I made it to Kingston just in time for New Year’s Eve.

Kingston is a city of 120000 people located on the St Lawrence River. Initially the site for Canada’s capital, it is rich in history and culture. Big enough to have every facility at your fingertips, Kingston is still small enough to travel easily from one side of town to the other. I have heard that it has been rated the third most liveable city in Canada and I can quite believe this. We are lucky to have our exchange here.

My teaching assignment for the year is at Holy Cross Secondary College, a school of 1400 students in Kingston, Ontario. The Ontario secondary education system differs greatly from that of NSW. For a start, students do not have to sit external exams in order to receive their High School Diploma. They have to complete a certain number of credits along with compulsory volunteer hours in order to graduate. Our school day is sectioned into four periods. Teachers teach the same class at the same time each day. I currently have three classes under my care and am enjoying the experience. The universality of teachers and their joys and concerns was most noticeable for me. We all share the same hopes and ideals for our students, deal with the same issues and care deeply for those under our care. The kids themselves find my “Aussie-isms” quite humorous at times and I as I settled in, very quickly acquainted myself with the Canadian lingo. Last Friday was our last day of classes before exams and I cooked Kangaroo on a grill in my classroom. Some were a little grossed out but most were happy to try some and judged it to be quite satisfactory.

Settling in to another country wasn’t all that difficult. Once we got over the shock of the cold, we soon felt very much at home. We quickly became acquainted with a snow shovel, snow scraper and various types of snow, snow boots, toques and mitts – all essential items for getting out of the house on a school morning. Looking back, I can’t believe that initially I thought -5 degrees was actually cold. After days where Arctic Highs bought temperatures of more than -27 where doors freeze close on the car and tissues in your pocket freeze, -5 seems almost tropical. Having said that, as the weather warmed up, we were amazed at how winter very quickly turned into Spring and suddenly, our landscape changed from winter white to green and luscious. We have now become familiar with black flies and bugs!

My children quickly settled into their various schools and have made many friends. Most of whom, wish they had accents like the Aussie kids. We find this amusing. For my boys, the transition of coming from a school of 42 into a large elementary school was made easy by the number of friends they quickly made and the friendly professionalism of the teaching staff. My daughter also made a smooth transition from Carroll College, a school of 500 students to Holy Cross with almost three times that number. The community here has been truly welcoming. One of the benefits of travelling with children is that you get to meet a wide variety of community members through their activities like soccer, swimming and dance.

Naturally, with a year of living in another country comes the opportunity for travel. We have been on several weekend events conducted by CLEE (The Canadian League for Educational Exchange). These have included trips to Toronto, the Winter Carnivale in Quebec City and the Tulip Festival in Ottawa. These events have given us the opportunity to meet with other Australians currently on exchange. It’s great to be able to share stories and experiences. We have also met some wonderful Canadians who have organised and hosted these events. Our March Break was spent in New York City where we were able to visit some of those famous cultural icons we had seen on television for years. We even managed to take in a Broadway Show. We have also visited places like Niagara Falls, Montreal and the Algonquin Provincial Park where we managed to spot a Moose!

With the summer break looming, we plan to travel to the Eastern Maritime Provinces for most of the summer break as well as spending some time at various cottages nearby Kingston. The possibilities are endless.

In less than six months we will return to Australia with mixed feelings. My three children are already dreading the time they will have to say goodbye to their Canadian friends. Even the reluctant 15 year old is enjoying herself more than she cares to admit. For me I can barely imagine life without Tim Horton’s, driving on the wrong side of the road, never teaching at Holy Cross again and the sadness of farewelling new friends. We will, no doubt be glad to be home. However, we will bring with us a wealth of experiences, memories and friendships that hopefully will stay with us for life.

A teaching exchange is truly a privilege. As a professional, I have gained so much from this experience. Personally, my family have grown in ways I can’t begin to express. We have become closer and the quality family time is something I’ll never forget. My kids have been taken out of their own personal comfort zones of life in Australia and have embraced the change and all that comes with it. My husband, a school principal in Australia, is enjoying the challenge of supply teaching and the lack of stress associated with running a school. One thing we have realised as a result of this exchange is that if you have your family with you, you can live anywhere.

For those of you in Australia, if you are even remotely considering a teaching exchange, I say do it. It’s something you won’t regret.

Cooking Kangaroo at Holy Cross

Last Friday was the last day of official classes for the school year. As a treat, I had been promising to cook some kangaroo meat for the kids in my classes. Fortunately, there is an Australian butcher in Kingston who imports kangaroo meat. (At exhorbitant prices mind you!)

I was lucky enough to be able to borrow a grill from my colleague, Chris and so I set up the good old Aussi BBQ in my classroom.

Whilst the kids chilled out and watched an Aussie movie, the smell of Kangaroo meat permeated the classroom and wafted out into the hall. Someof the kids were a little grossed out but most were fascinated by it all.

Most kids had a taste and declared it to be good. There was plenty left for some of the staff to try as well. The kangaroo was a success. It's not everyday skippy gets cooked at Holy Cross!

The photos are of my period two and period four classes enjoying a little tase of Aussie culture!

The Cottage Life and Algonquin Provincial Park

The Black Flies are Coming to Get You!

Thanks to Jenny Knight for the heads up on this song. It rings true for us after our weekend in the Algonquin Provincial Park.

BLACK FLIES

Album : extract from: This Land is Your Land(Wade Hemsworth)

The Travellers

Black fly, the little black fly

always the black fly,

no matter where you go

I'll die with the black fly pickin' my bones

in North Ontar-i-o

in North Ontar-i-o

Marvellous May

I can hardly believe we have come to the end of May. It's cliched but true; time is really flying. As a family, this adventure has bought us closer together and we are all enjoying every moment this unique experience is bringing us. As we move into June and the warmer months (we hope) Summer Break and our planned activities are on our minds. We plan to travel to the Eastern Maritime Provinces for a month or so, squeeze in a couple of trips to Toronto and, to really feel like Canadians, spend some quality down time at a lakeside cottage!

Kingston Sharks swim Meet

On Sunday, May 31st, Max & Nick swam for the Ernestown Barracudas in what was effectively the last meet for the season. Here in Canada, things seem to slow down for the summer break. Both boys did very well with Max achieving firsts in the 200m free, 100m free, 200m IM, 100m Back and the 100m Fly.

Nick also did well considering he has to compete against 10 year olds. He placed third in the 100m free and 100m Back. He achieved 5th place in both the 50m Breast and 200m Free. His relay team also won their event!

Both boys achieved a couple of personal bests during the day.

They have had an enjoyable season with the Barracudas and as a result of our contact with the club, have made some good friends.

Mother Teresa Rep Soccer

My Trip to Canada's Wonderland

On Friday May 22nd the grade 9 concert band travelled to Toronto to Agincourt High School to play in the Trills and Thrills Music festival. One judge gave us 94% AND the other judge gave us 95% which put us in the superior category. With an average of 94.5% we were the highest scoring grade 9 band in the province of Ontario. In the concert band I play Alto Saxophone.

After the festival the most important bit came. We went to Canada's Wonderland. We were let loose at the park to run around and have fun for four hours.
The park is so big and we didnt get enough time to do everything and we didnt get to the waterpark so I have convinced mum and Dad to take the family back there is the summer for two days which will be fun...

When we go back I am definately going on the Behemoth which is Canada's tallest rollercoaster (to see the height just google behemoth). It was a great day and we'd been looking forward to it for ages.

Written by Emily Carter.

Birthday Fun

Yesterday I celebrated my first ever birthday in the Northern Hemisphere. It couldn't have been a more perfect day. It started with a sleep in and a visit to the gym. When I arrived home, the kids and John had presents for me - a new Pandora Charm, two tickets to the Tragically Hip Concert at the K-Rock Center and some shopping money.

We decided to go to lunch as a family and since it was my choice, it was Red Lobster. We had a great time and the very friendly waiter had a brother in Australia so we had a good chat. For a chain restaurant, it was pretty good. John and I enjoyed the lobster andd shrimp meals.

After lunch, it was off to one of my favourite places - the mall. Max came with me and we searched for some new T-Shirts for him. Aeropostle is the choice of style for every self respecting 12 year old boy in Kingston so Max had to get himself suitably attired. I even managed to get some Columbia gear for myself. It will come in handy when we travel out east for the summer.

By the time we got home, Emily had made a fantastic cake and had decorated it beautifully. So fresh and moist, the family devoured it immediately.

In the evening, it was time for John and I to go to the Tragically Hip Concert at the K-Rock Centre. What a chance to get out on what seemed like a date without the kids! Neither of us could really remember the last time we went to a real rock concert. We must be getting old. 20 years ago we would have been drinking and partying with the best of them. Instead, we set off with our bottles of water in tow. John remembered to take his glasses so he could see the stage. I wish I had mine. We also had to have a couple of toilet breaks during the performance and were quite shocked when the guy next to us lit up a joint and happily imbibed for the duration of the concert. What was even more concerning was that he was with his mum! Oh boy, we are getting old and conservative.

Nevertheless, the concert was fantastic. The crowd was rocking and the "Hip", a local Kinstonian band, made good, rocked out the stadium for about three hours. I guess the style of music would be a cross between Midnight Oil and Paul Kelly. I bought a CD and hope to use my contacts to get it signed by the band for my Aussie friend Dom, who is their biggest fan!

Driving home, I really thought that it had been a most perfect day. I couldn't ask for more; a great family and a unique adventure in a fabulous place.

If any of you blog readers ever get the chance to enjoy a teaching exchange, get out there and do it. You wont regret the experience.

Spring has Sprung

What a difference a couple of weeks make. It seems that only a few weeks ago, everything looked dead and tired. All of a sudden, with a bit of rain and some warm temperatures, we have a garden which seemed to spring from nowhere. I swear I could see the leaves growing on the Birch tree in our front yard. Canada is a very different place in warmer weather; lush and green. It really does feel like summer is coming. We even had a temperature of 27 degrees the other day which really reminded us of what hot weather is like. Bring it on!

Victoria Day Weekend

This year Victoria Day fell on May 18. We had a hectic schedule planned for the weekend. First up on Saturday Evening was dinner at Harry and Sandy Murphy's - our community sponsors. They have a lovely house backing right up on Lake Ontario. They made us fell very welcome and we enjoyed a lovely dinner. Emily provided some Aussie flavour with good old lamingtons. This is a desert unknown to Canadians but once sampled, I would say they were hooked.

The next evening we invited to the home of Sean Roberts and Anne O'Brien for dinner. Anne and Sean are colleagues at Holy Cross and their daughter Ciara is in Emily's English class. It was great to get to know people from school a little more closely. Anne and Sean are lovely and we enjoyed their company very much.Once again, Emily impressed with a pavlova and we even managed to find some Timtams. what a treat!

Monday morning, Victoria Day dawned bright and early. The days are really getting so much longer now. We were invited to Liz Rae dalton's property on Howe Island. In order to get tthere, we had to catch a ferry. This was an adventure in itself and the views up the St Lawrence River were impressive. Liz and her husband Bill have just built a beautiful house here and it really was spectacular. Liz is an artist and her home reminds me somewhat of an art gallery. The kids were really impressed, Bill took them for a ride on Louise, the backhoe. Even Emily got to drive it and scoop the dirt and rocks. There could be some possible careers in the earth moving business after this visit. It was hard to go home.

The day felt so much like summer that school seems to be a bit of an appendage at the moment. Bring on the summer break!

Ottawa CLEE Weekend

Sunday Brunch

Spring has sprung in Canada and it's May already. Last Sunday, we were invited to share Sunday Brunch with the Bouvier Family. Bob is a friend and colleague of mine who has made me feel very welcome at Holy Cross. We met his wife Teresa, and large, friendly family whilst enjoying the most delicious and hospitable brunch. After we ate, Bob and Teresa took us for a walk around the area. Despite the mud, we walked for several kilometeres to reach a man made pond. Here we sat for a while to savour the view and soak up the sun before making our way back to the house to enjoy ice creams. John and I had to agree; it was an idyllic way to spend a Sunday.