Monsoon

It’s been raining, it’s been pouring, but I’m nowhere near snoring. For reasons that have yet to be discovered, I tend to sleep well when there’s a storm outside. The sun was out last weekend but this week has been nothing but grey, wet, & cold – Invercargill in October (or all year round I’m guessing). I'm still surprised that Christchurch is not under water after such a downpour. Apparently, it's supposed to clear up by Monday. I’ve had to switch over to my Avirex winter jacket when venturing out into the autumn bliss so that I don’t catch the rhinovirus (common cold) or swine flu. Hot food items such as hot chocolate, pizza, & pasta have become my best friends for the duration of the cold weather.

Aside from the crummy weather, the first week back at the College of Ed after teaching practice turned out quite well. It was great to see everyone back after nine weeks & we shared stories of the good, the bad, and the ugly during Professional Studies class. The main thing everyone wanted was Crisis Management Training, out of feelings of paranoia, and/or wanting to be prepared for the worst in the future. I spotted an ad in the NZ Education Gazette about an upcoming 4-day CPI training course this coming Monday, but researching the details proved disappointing because of prices ($645NZD for just one day; $1500NZD for 4!).

The Canadian midyear students (including myself) met with Mike Johnson, the director of CANTEACH, the program that made it possible for us to study here in Middle Earth. With only 4 weeks left, it was time to start thinking & practicing on how to best apply for teaching positions in NZ, and back in Ontario, Canada. (Mock interviews are practiced in Prof Studies). The Graduate Diploma in Teaching & Learning (Secondary) will certify us Canucks to teach in NZ, and the Canadian province of Ontario. If you wish to apply to a different province, Mike suggests to get into Ontario first, but to forget about British Columbia because of the insane amount of paperwork & requirements.

In short, to get certified anywhere, one must fill out a registration package, provide documents & evidence of your completed qualifications, and several hundreds of dollars for processing fees (filing). After the meeting, all I can say is one needs a degree in correctly filling out forms. Form filling . . . and lawyers are probably the main reasons why the world is in such a mess today.

Cadets is going steady with an upcoming lesson to teach on Monday about the role of the Engineers. In short, they build things then blow them up. The corps is currently studying the possibility of acquiring & renovating a portion of the Godley Head Defence Battery for future cadet exercises. Unfortunately, that portion does not include the bunkers, gun emplacements, and vacant armouries; those are publicly owned. (It would have been cool to recommission & rearm the battery so that cadets can train in coastal defence). But the barracks, officers mess, & community hall are not accessible to the public and in need of a touch up. All that's needed now are capital investments because the renovation costs are quite expensive.

It’s hard to believe that there’s just 4 weeks left in my course. The rainy weather makes it feel like I just arrived to begin my studies. In four weeks, I’ll be back in my Canadian homeland, resting up & taking several extra courses to strengthen my teaching qualifications. After that, I may be heading back to Middle Earth to begin teaching in 2010. Only time will tell.