I saw a Kangaroo, and a lot of Kangaroos

This evening I went on a nice cool run with Pete who I live with along with his family. On the run I saw  my first kangaroo and then a bunch more. Kangaroos are protected animals in Australia so there are a lot of them. We saw them in a national park that's near the house. Kangaroos don't live on the streets of Melbourne. In the national park there are a lot of them. Kangaroos are quite odd animals. They have big hips, big feet and really big thighs. It's really neat to see them jump around because they're very fluid and smooth. Also their ears can turn completely around. They are very strange animals. Pete told me he has hit a couple with his car. I hope we don't hit one while we drive to school.

On a more educational note, I thought that it would be good tell how Maranatha's daily school schedule works. It was extremely confusing for me at first. Once I realized that it's similar to a college schedule I began to understand it a little better. The teacher and students don't meet at regular times or places. They meet for a total of five periods a week, but it's mostly at different times and places. For instance, today I met with my year 10 history class for periods 6 and 7. I'll next meet with them for period 1 on Thursday. We won't meet on Wednesday. Sometimes I'll meet with them in a different classroom. It's a bit of a struggle to plan since it's hard to wrap your head around that type of schedule. Overall though I think I'm starting to figure it out though. It gets more complicated when you look at the whole term, but that will be for another post.

Footy, Sports and School

Today I had my first opportunity to play the sport of footy, otherwise known as Australian Rules Football. I also scored my first goal. It was exciting, but I didn't know what to do half the time except kick or hit the ball toward the opponent's goal. Footie is kind of like soccer, rugby and a bit of lacrosse mixed in together. It's hard to catch on unless you play. I certainly didn't appreciate it until I played. In looking at sports in general though, it is interesting how sports in Australia are played in schools.

In Australia most public and private schools are not big on sports. Unlike the United States you don't have major rivals or huge powerhouses. Rather, if you want to be really good at a sport, you have to join a club or a special school. It's an interesting adjustment for myself, but I kind of like it in a way since the students are more focused on school and not sports. Yet, you don't have the comradery that comes along with having a team.

With that said, I'm glad I scored a goal today but not happy with how sore I'll be in the morning. 

First Impressions

Today is my third day in Australia. It has been a very interesting learning experience. I am still working on adapting to a different culture and school environment. The students began their last term yesterday, and I begin teaching tomorrow. So far, I am teaching two different classes on the Vietnam. My teacher wants me to take on one more prep. We'll be deciding what I add by Friday.

I have found the Aussies to be a very humorous group of people. They are very dry and a bit harsh in their jokes. It's rather funny. Last night at the dinner table with my host family I laughed quite a bit. It's very true that you can judge how much an Aussie likes you by how much they make fun of you. They are also a very chill group of people. They're not work alcoholics like Americans. They do their work, but it doesn't seem to consume all their lives.

Very surprisingly, Australia is a very diverse country. I went to the mall, or shopping center, and I heard about three languages. Because the Australian government recently changed their immigration policies, there are many more immigrants from places like Asia, Chile, Africa and the Middle East. Yet I haven't noticed an animosity or outrage against immigrants like the U.S. is struggling with on the Hispanic immigration issue though some illegal immigration occurs, especially out of Indonesia. Lots more to tell, but I'm stil dealing with jet lag so I've been going to be early. Tonight is no exception.

To Australia!

For over a month now I have been teaching at a wonderful school, Westlane Middle School. I taught 6th grade Humanities and learned so much. Later this afternoon, I'll be getting on a plane for Melbourne, Australia. I'll be teaching at Maranatha Christian School. I'll arrive on Monday and school starts on Tuesday.

A Thought on Sleeves

The other day I was running in the sun, and I was wearing my t-shirt. Like all t-shirts, this one had sleeves. I suddenly realized a major problem with my t-shirt. Why on earth does it have sleeves?

When it is cold outside we often wear coats or long-sleeved shirts. Perhaps sweaters as well. When it is warm, we exchange or warm clothes for cool clothes. T-shirts are one of them. Yet these pieces of cloth that hang on to the body of our clothes appears unnecessary. Is it because of modestly? I wasn't aware that you might morally stumble because of the lack of covering over the region of the upper arm.

As I began to question my sleeves, I noticed that they lacked more then a purpose. They also are a nuisance. I was quite hot, and those sleeves held in heat. I thought we wore t-shirts for the purpose of keeping cool yet sleeves keep heat in! Not only are sleeves purposeless they inhibit our comfort.

Therefore, I propose we take scissors and snip off these pets from our cool clothes. Let us be free of the sleeves.

(I am not responsible for anyone irrationally cutting all their t-shirts nor am I responsible for people making poor wardrobe choices. Furthermore, I am currently wearing sleeves.)

Why You have a Bible Study Notebook

At the end of each semester, I take time to review my bible study from the past semester. It is a bit time-consuming since most of the time I'm struggling to decipher my handwriting. Yet it is spiritual encouraging. For me, its like getting a dose of encouragement. I'm able to see how God has worked through my life in ways I was not expecting him to be working. Also, it is a good reminder of how I failed, like forgetting to fulfill certain applications I've made.

My Dad does a yearly review of his bible study, but I've found a three quarter system to work well. It lightens the workload that comes with reviewing my bible study. Though the process of going through past studies is time-consuming it is encouraging and exhorting. Bible study notebooks exist for a reason so we can review what we have written down.

Does having a Racial Identity lead to Racial Conflict?

When dealing with the issue of racial identity, sometimes people decide to deny or reject identifying with their race because of the conflict race has caused. One does not have to look far in order to see that having a strong racial identity can lead to racial conflict. For instance, the civil rights conflict of the 1960s in the United States. One should note that when I say "racial identity" I do mean just the color of your skin, but also the culture, ideals, philosophy behind your specific ethnic group(s).

Does racial conflict justify rejecting the idea that it is important to develop a racial identity? I don't believe that the above argument works. There are many things that bring about conflict. For instance, the existence of the nation-state brings about conflicts between groups of people. Obviously, this isn't justification for ridding the world of nation-states. Just because something can bring about conflict, it does not mean we should reject it.

It is important to see that having a racial identity does not necessarily bring about conflict. In fact, I would argue that the more we think and discuss this issue the less likely conflict will come abou. The reason being, people will have a better understanding of what other people are thinking. (Though this is not always true, and we should be careful to avoid making our racial identity the core of our identity.)

Also, there are sad consequences for rejecting our racial identity. People forget their history when they don't have a racial identity. The past helps us discover who we are and what is best for the future, and it is tragic when this is lost. Lastly, we can't rid ourselves of our racial identity. Our race is a part of who we are and denying that it exists, denies a part of who we are as human beings.