I’m Not Into Revenge (But If It Just Happens To Occur, Well Then….)

I’m just going to come out and say it. There is a huge potential for a poo in me and it’s bound to come out soon. I have eaten so much on this camp, Yesterday I had a huge lunch only to go into to town and order dinner a few hours later. There is a Zambian saying that comes to mind, the literal translation of their ‘how ya going’. Mwadyelah. Have you eaten.

Wadeylah. I have eaten.

I HAVE eaten. And eaten well. And thinking back, I’m yet to number 2 it so I am anticipating what’s to come.

Anyway, in other words, being a nanny finally, FINALLY paid off today. After a week of being forgotten: ‘Can we have all athletics over here, all hospitality to the music hall, counsellors to the hanger…”…*sigh* ‘what about nannies?’ (of which, up to a few days ago, there was only one). After a week of noone knowing my job description (even myself), after a week of having no group to belong to, I got my revenge.

This afternoon, the camp staff all partook in ‘work projects’ which was basically the entire staff fixing up the camp site. Scraping off peeling paint from old bench chairs, mowing lawns, cleaning canoes… all this dirty work in the hot hot sun.

I started my work this afternoon. That is, I looked after my three kids. That is, I looked after my three kids as they played in the lake. That is, I sat on a lounge chair with a drink as I looked after my three kids as they played in the lake, sporatically dipping my legs in the cool water when I got a little warm. Yes, I got my revenge indeed and I definately felt no guilt.

Tomorrow is Super Saturday, which is when the first lot of kids arrive. Staff week is practically over, finishing with a black and white dinner tonight. I just got my Camp Shirt, it’s ‘aight but it aint all that.

Well, it’s hot in this small room, as it is summer in the northern hemispere this time of year (much to the joy of us aussies and NZers). The NZ boys are actually pretty fun, what with the hinderance of them being from NZ. Hahaha that’s the type of theme running between us, Canadians wonder why I don’t get offended if someone mistakes me for NZ. It’s because I know we are better than them, it’s not even an issue.

My cough is, I like to believe, getting better. I’ve woken up for the last few nights with the cough which isn’t appreciated but the packet of BULK gummy bears I bought is quite effective. Medicine in a lolly. Another few days and I’ll be right. Especially if I spend all day at the lakeside watching children play.

That’s all for now my friends, hope you are all having a good day. Would love to hear from home as always so feel liberated to write to me however way you so desire. Snail mail is fine, the address is on the Muskoka Woods Sports Resort Website. Please, check it out, it’s top class, and you’ll have just a small taste of what it’s like where I am.

S,D.S.D. and all that (it’s a neurotic camp thing).

Peace out chickens

kez

EP and time delays

It would seem that I’m always rushing to write a blog before I quickly have to dash off somewhere for some meeting or some deadline. This blog is no different. The problem is that it took 10 minutes for me to get this page to load that any great writing time I once had disappeared.

My last blog didn’t load propoerly, but the point of it was that mum would be so proud that I couldn’t stand the dirtiness of our trailer that I had to clean it. Had to. Something in me compelled me (and I don’t think it was the Holy Spirit, I think it was mum’s reoccuring voice).

When I get off here I’ll rush to the bus that is taking us into town for the next while. Maybe once there I’ll finally get some Canadian dollars. And visit my beloved Walmart again. Staff week is almost ending, and tomorrow I work finally to look after the kids.

We had an EP today (emergancy procedure) and it was cool.

Right, gtg.

love you all.

kez

Mum Would Be So Proud

Snot-a-lot of Free Time

About time I blogged, eh?

I am in Canada, and more specifically, 3 hours outside of Toronto in a place called Muskoka Woods. We have started our staff week which involves much meeting of new faces (to me) from many countries. Only about a quarter are new staff, the rest are returned staff and so at first there was the feeling of not knowing what was going on. I’m meeting more and more people (because I could keep meeting them for the next 10 weeks) and slowly learning all their names. There are 320 summer contract staff, 50 full time staff and approximately 600 kids that will grace us with their presence each week. I only have to look after 3 of them.

I’ve met the kids I’m nannying for on Saturday and they seem fun, each with their own unique personalities. The cabin that they stay in is right by the lake which is very handy so much time will be spent by the water, I am sure.

I have a ferocious cold at the moment which I can’t shake because I don’t get enough rest time. This week is beyond busy. It’s amazing that I have right now to write to all of you. After this blog then it’s off to bed for me for a nap before dinner. After dinner there are another two sessions and while normally I might think it’s fun to run around the campsite doing crazy activities, when I am sick, I am much against it. But I don’t say anything and just take it. Character building or something.

There are four australians here, including myself. The other three boys are from the east coast and it’s lovely to hear their accent. Smile. There are some NZ boys here too so I talk to them because if all I’ve heard is Canadian accents then I can fool myself for a moment into thinking they are Australian. I overheard them mock each other and it was so nice to hear. I told them that and how you can’t be too liberal with American/Canadians. They agreed. I’m sure there’ll be many more inappropriate conversations to come.

For summer, it sure rains frequently. Today was the second time it rained. Not all day but the fact that it rained at all made me understand why Canadians love Australian summers. Hot and dry. Come to think of it, I love Australian summers too.

There are a zillion mosquitoes here and they all come out at night. Most of them also come out in the daytime too. I am now counting and as of the last 30 minutes, I’ve killed 6. One NZ guy and I were saying that if every person at camp killed 50 a day, we might see a change. Then again, there are so many, we might not. :S

I’ll be off now, I see another girl eyeing me for the computer… it can be a difficult task trying to get onto here, what with many other people also wanting to! Oh well, seems my time has come to an end now anyway for I have nothing else to say.

Pray that my snot disappears, it’s driving me insane.

kez.

Hey US of A, I’m Leaving Today (aren’t you going to say goodbye?)

Hey hello there beloved ones!

This shall be my last blog from the great US of A and you know what? I’m going to miss this place. I’ve been having such a blast, with no sadness at all, not even when I washed dishes!

We visited Starbucks yesterday, to do the typical American thing and it was really cool! The whole setting was fun, with jazz music and the like and it made the fact that the coffee tasted really bad not so important. It was the experience that counted, I guess. P.S. Leith, don’t read that part, I wrote you a letter that pretty much said that exact thing and I have a feeling it’s the only funny part of my whole writing…

Tomorrow morning I leave to go to Canada. Due to some crazy circumstances, my beloved friends are now driving me to Toronto!!! Sweet, beats a cramped bus anyday! And more time spent with each one too. There I will (hopefully) meet up with Muskoka Woods peeps and start becoming something like a person who looks after kids…

Nicole took me to a real life american mall yesterday. It was cool, although not unlike our shopping centres by a different name, but the clothes were different which was fun. Me being me, bought nothing. I saw shops like Abercrombie and Fitch, Victoria’s Secret and ummm… other… cool… ones. That I can’t remember at the mo. I should probably write my blog when I’m not sitting at a library uploading photos.

Speaking of photos, not being able to load some on this site, I’ve done the Facebook thing so if you Facebook, you’ll get first glance. If not, ummm, I’m working on it.

I have new farts now, but they make noise!! How embarrassing. Unless you own up to them straight away and then you are King.

Melissa, who is Nicole’s housemate, does the most bestest burps I’ve ever heard. Yes, even better than Penny’s, if that’s even possible. She is my hero. I liked living there.

So, my bags are re-packed again, it’s always a bit amazing to me how I now have more stuff than when I started. I did buy a BEACH TOWEL so I’m thinking that had a fair amount to do with the lack of space I’m now facing.

A few days ago we travelled to St. Joe and met up with a friend of Nicole and Kelli’s and made pottery, it was so weird and neat. I have the most surreal life sometimes. How do I even get into situations like that? I’m not the best potter, but I’m better than Harry Potter although Beatrix Potter is more in touch with rabbits than me. That being said, I totally saw a wild rabbit outside of Nicole’s friend’s parents’ house. We ate strawberries and cream and biscuit. Soooooooooooo drool-worthy.

I must go, there is much to do and much junk food to eat before I leave. I’ve put on weight. Yes, crumbs.

Hope y’all are fantastic eh, I’ve got much adventure before me so don’t stop praying! God is pretty okay in His fabulousness so I’m happy I’ve got Him. He’s got my back, dawgs.

Catchya on the flipside,

kezza

P.S. Hershey has agreed to be try and fit into my sleeping bag cover since there’s no room for him in my backpack because of all my clothes. Tough luck Hersh.

Mockfiesta, Walmart and the Girl.

Well, here I sit in pandemonium, screaming children running around me, aforementioned kitten somewhere hiding for her life (from a certain screaming child) and myself hiding in the basement typing this to you. It’s just your regular Sunday night Mockfest.

It stands for something, so I’m told, but I couldn’t figure it all out.

Mockfest… Movie and breakfast I am now told. Where the ‘ck’ comes from, I don’t know. Oh, from breakfast… interesting. It’s hard to fit into america.

Upstairs they are cooking pancakes, eggs, sausages, and we are going to picnic on the floor and watch a movie. I can smell the odour wafting down here. Tantalizing.

Today, Nicole and I did the heathen thing and skipped church (this is because church was cancelled due to a STORM!!). We ventured out into the local lake, and it was JUST like the summer camp movies. Lake, trees, ummm… sand…. not our beautiful Australian white sand but it was ‘aight. Different. I didn’t get sunburnt which was good, except for a few tiny places I missed…

Last night I went to Walmart for over 2 hours until 10:20pm. It has everything and is open 24 hours. Nuts. I have a photo of the sign when we came out but I keep forgetting to bring my cable and upload. I bought a few nice things like a beach towel and some Eeyore paraphenalia because he has my love that one. He’s so sad, he needs a hug and it’s okay to be sad sometimes I feel like telling him. Maybe nobody has yet.

Today was Father’s Day here so hi dad! I’m sure I’ll make a bigger dealio about it when it’s F.D. in Australia (that is, if I remember…) but it was nice that Nicole got to hang with her pa. Which is where, if you are interested, Nicole gets her unique take on life. Hilarious.

” Ello. My name is Nicole Dominguez. You are my father. Prepare to live.”

Accent and all. Almost peed myself.

Tomorrow I will figure out once and for all how I am getting to Toronto. It’s a bit sad to think that my time in the US is coming to an end. For not being incredibly interested in the US, I’ve certainly come to like this place. Maybe it’s the small country town thing, but I’m learning ever-increasingly that I shouldn’t judge a country by it’s media. Almost every person I’ve met has apologised for how the media portrays them, they don’t all want to sue me for looking the wrong way and hurting them mentally and most of them don’t want to vote for either Obama or McCain. How I misjudged them.

They seem to, in general, yell at their kids alot. Which is fine, that’s their unique way of parenting. It just makes me more sure that my kids will know my word is LAW.

Mwahahaha

… wait, did I laugh out loud? Again?

Must stop that.

Hoping all you Oszies are enjoying the cold of winter, summer here is lovely. Hey to anyone not from Australia, all one of you, I hope you are enjoying your summer too. Won’t be long.

Peace out my bruddas, happy eating.

Kez.

Every Yank Needs An Aussie.

I sit in my new friend Kelli’s basement and am being spied by a little kitten who likes to toy with my toes. Life is strange.

This kitten is so cute, quite psychotic apparently and definately restless. Ok, no more cutesy kitten talk, I can fondle kittens in Australia.

What’s been happening since my last blog? Well, it feels like I fit alot into each day. That may have to do with Nicole being one of those cool people who does stuff all the time (as opposed to myself who does nothing all the time) and since I tag along with her like the accessory Aussie that I am (‘everyone should have an Aussie’), I seem to have many adventures in just one day.

This morning Nicole and I visited the Niles Museum and I learnt all about American History and saw a taxidermed lamb that had two heads (Mum, thought of you and how that mutation was a devolution because it died shortly after it was born). I read about the history of Niles and all the nationalities that have influenced it. Once the French were in control and everything was great with the Indos and then the British took over and screwed everything up with their superiority complex. Makes me feel a bit sad that I come from British descent a bit. Still, we are just the convicts so Aussies are okay.

Last night Nicole, Kelli and I went out to dinner and had crepes (with NO pickles, yay!!) and I realised that I have something special with these girls. It was the point where Nicole put her cloth napkin on her head like a nun and continued talking normally and I didn’t flinch that I knew we were all a little nuts. Just a ‘lil bit (as they say).

The obsessive gas still continues ALTHOUGH I think I’ve narrowed it down to the water. I had brief hope it was the iced tea, but nope, I’m leaning towards to water which isn’t so cool. Iced tea I can live without. Water I can’t… oh well, maybe I’ll deal with it and be fixed someday.

The weather is warm here which is LOVELY. I can’t remember winter back home anymore (woohoo!). The a/c comes on sometimes and Nicole’s room gets really warm but I love it. Immensely.

That’s all for now I would say. Write me emails, I read them!!

kez.

What Gas Shortage?

Greetings again!

Gee, I have gas! And not the petrol-type stuff they call it here, actual good non-stinky silent gas. I have a strong feeling it is from the water and once every two days I just have a few hours of gas. It’s not painful or embarrassing which means it’s quite interesting. Mum, you’re a nurse, what does this mean?

Ashley left this morning (was it really only this morning??) and it feels like I’ve been here a week, that’s how crammed in our days have been. Yesterday I played Volleyball outside near the woods, it’s so American, I loved it! We walked the downtown drag and I avoided all things pickle. We have a joke now that I won’t drink coffee because I’m afraid there’s pickle in it. You never know…

My jetlag is finally starting to wane, today I woke at 5am which was fine because we had to leave shortly after to take Ashley to the airport. I’ve had another rest on the couch and feel good that I am awake and conscious at this time of day (this is as opposed to the night before where I slept 11-2am and then 5-9 am)… *sigh*

Hanging out with Nicole is really such a refreshing thing. It’s been encouraging to hang out with single globe-trotting missionary-minded girls and talk about things that affect us all. (Nicole and I were just relating this morning about how money doesn’t impress us in a guy! Quite the opposite really…)

I can very easily pull out my american accent whenever needed, they think I’m a natural. All those years of tv have helped. Nicole is also getting not bad at the Aussie accent although I would imagine that ours is a bit trickier to master.

As we pulled out to drive (on the strange side of the road) to the airport, there was this doe standing in the next yard. Oh my word, this place is amazing. There are native little bunnies that hop around, and nice big squirrels. I’m yet to see a raccoon but apparently some live in the shed out the back.

The houses here are different to Aussie houses. Most are two stories and compact. Nothing like our ones that swallow space. There is actually lawn and space between the sides of the houses and their fences. A sight not seen in my land.

Apologies for lack of replying to emails, internet usage is limited. We are currently at the Niles Library using theirs but I’m not sure how long we are allowed on for, I didn’t check. I might get kicked off anytime now by the scary security library people. Well, not really, but let me see if I can upload some photos…

Possibly I can’t. May retrace these steps later and see what I can do.

So, that’s all for now folks, if you post a comment and don’t see it appear straight away, it’s because I screen them to make sure no money-wielding potential-husbands try to make a pass at me… you can never be too careful, you know).

Love you all, much love from Michigan which I learnt today is right by Indiana which is right by Illinois. Michiana they call it. I love mushed words.

Kez.

P.S. Hershey says he can smell my farts but I know he’s lying because ladies’ farts never smell.

The Journey Begins…

 

Greetings from Niles, Michigan!

Well,  it’s been a long and winding journey, but I finally got here last night…

As airports and traveling go, the journey was fairly uneventful (this is compared to the great passport-losing debacle of ‘07). That’s not to say that it wasn’t long and exhausting. My day started at  4am and finished at 6pm the next day – which is 38 hours of fun.

My greatest joy was probably seeing the sun rise twice in one day. Insane. That was when I was flying east to Sydney then to LA.

America is just like the movies, that’s the best way to describe it. I flew over a police station when getting into LA and the cars looked like how they do on tv and the police have those dark blue LAPD uniforms… how funny. I came across two Starbucks within 50m of each other at just one terminal at LAX and had to catch myself that this was a real live Starbucks IN AMERICA… sweet.

Nicole’s friend, Kelli, is amazing because they drove all the way to Chicago (2 hours away) to pick me up from the airport and then we drove all the way back. I am amazed and so grateful for their effort! And as we drove around randomly at 3am trying to find another airport to pick up this girl who is Nicole’s ‘friend’…  I eventually discovered that it was the one and only Ashley from Zambia! Trippy.

She had flown out to see Nicole like they’d promised when one of them got engaged (Ashley) and so timed it to when I was here. So it’s like one big Zambia reunion and it is trippy. We all agree. It’s so strange how here we are together again, hanging out and being us. Lovely. We got home at about 4am and didn’t go to bed until 6am because of all the catching up we had to do. Much sleeping in was done this morning/afternoon however since we weres knackered. I am alive and finally beginning to eat again (YAY) since the last few days I had found it hard to stomach anything. I think it’s just the tension that didn’t want me concentrating on anything except getting to Chicago.

They all love my accent here which I am much obliged to encourage. It’s very easy to pick up theirs since I’m already programmed in with it from all my years of tv and movie watching!

This town is so quaint and it’s warm here. The birds are singing. Yay for losing winter! The houses are smallish which is refreshing because it means there is  yard and BIG trees and nature.

Ashley made me a pickle, ham and cream cheese entrée dish which is my first pickle in America and no doubt not my last. I’m not a fan of pickle, but when in Rome… eat Roman food.

I’m still wary about what I’m eating because nothing is the same. Even the brands here that we have in Australia can taste different so I am clueless about what will taste good. Maybe I’ll just have to sacrifice my taste buds for awhile for the sake of getting food into me. Not that any of it tastes bad,

I’m just too fussy me thinks. Give me stir-fry any day. One without pickles preferably…

The most awesome thing about my 12.5 hour flight to LA was movies on demand (however, by the 11 hour mark, the appeal had greatly diminished). There were tvs in the back of our chairs and so I watched:

Dan in Real Life (Recommended!! As always, don’t go in with high expectations, but certainly a quality made movie. My good friends David and Margaret were quite right)

Jumper (purely for the Hayden Christensen angle because David and Margaret were also right, not a quality made movie)

Juno (was okay, but by that time I was pretty frustrated by sleep mode and not thoroughly impressed with my legroom options anymore)

I also watched a documentary called ‘How to Steal An Identity’ which I had seen talked about a few weeks ago. I have a friend whose identity was stolen and it’s a such an interesting topic. It’s so easy to do and with such dire consequences. Knowing that someone in South Africa has my passport is an interesting thought as well. Oh well, that doco was done in the UK, so I must be safe, right?

Well, time walk into town and upload this (wow, ringing a few bells!). At least the walk won’t take 30minutes and I won’t be accosted by people who want to talk to me because I’m white. They’ll accost me to hear my accent so that is different.

Peace out y’all, hope Australia is coping without me. I’m doing swell!

Kez

P.S. Hershey didn’t get too squashed in my checked-in backpack. He got a bit cold though.

If my brain were a room, then we have a fire safety issue…

*sigh*

I am going a bit mental.

Catch you all in a year, eh.

kez.