Day 326 - Victorian State Reception and ITF Dinner
The Ministry of Education Building in downtown Melbourne, was the site this evening, of an official reception (read free drinks) offered to all new outgoing Exchange Teachers, and those of us, like myself, who will be returning to their home countries. Julie Frei, the only American in our group, spoke on our behalf and did a wonderful job reflecting on the year.
I had raced home in the +30 degree heat from Camp, grabbed a shower, welcomed the Winsers (Winnipeg) and Neufeldts (Aylmer, ON) from Inverloch and Wonthaggi, on the Bass Coast (they asked if they could stay over at our house), and we all headed into the city for the evening's events.
We met many of the new group of exchanglings who have been selected to go overseas and do what we have just done. We were all dressed to the nines and looked so good, we could hardly believe we were teachers, let alone Canadians, at that!
Grabbing a taxi across town, we had a our final ITA (International Teacher's Association) dinner high above the city in the Rialto Tower. Overlooking the city and Port Phillip Bay, the sun set as we dined on salmon, lamb and beef, listened to stories and speeches, and socialised until well into the evening.
The highlight for me was when John Scott (Elora, ON) called me up to receive a gift from our group of exchangees, a framed watercolour print of Wineglass Bay, Tasmania painted by Joe Milling, partner of fellow echangee Leslie Parking. I was recognized for setting up "Canteachinoz," an Internet discussion group for all of the Canadians (and later many of the others) on exchange to Australia. The fact that we were able to contact most of the exchangees across the country, arrange accomodation, rendezvous while travelling, invite people to parties or just comment on how things were going seemed to reasonate with the rest of my colleagues. It truly was a special moment.
Joe's watercolour is quite sigificant to me, as we met Joe and Leslie twice one day while in Tasmania, the second time while they were on their way out, and we on our way in, to Wineglass Bay. I, of course, swam in the bay and it was a very beautiful place, perhaps my favourite, of the many places we have seen here.
We retired to our house, after saying tearful goodbyes to our friends from across Canada, the USA and the UK who we knew we would not see for some time. In another special moment, we were called to the front to receive back our goal setting sheets from last January. Whilst at the front, we had to sing our national anthems. We started out of key, and once I set them straight, we sang "Oh Canada" with great gusto. Then we kept on going with "The Star Spangled Banner" (as we did not want Julie to have to sing alone), and "God Save the Queen" (because Leon and Jeannie did not want to sing alone). Besides, it was symbolic that our group never cared for a moment where we were all from, but that we had shared a whole year together and had become great friends, not to mention a great source of support for one another.
It was 2 a.m. before all our house guests settled into bed, not wanting this wonderful evening to end.
I had raced home in the +30 degree heat from Camp, grabbed a shower, welcomed the Winsers (Winnipeg) and Neufeldts (Aylmer, ON) from Inverloch and Wonthaggi, on the Bass Coast (they asked if they could stay over at our house), and we all headed into the city for the evening's events.
We met many of the new group of exchanglings who have been selected to go overseas and do what we have just done. We were all dressed to the nines and looked so good, we could hardly believe we were teachers, let alone Canadians, at that!
Grabbing a taxi across town, we had a our final ITA (International Teacher's Association) dinner high above the city in the Rialto Tower. Overlooking the city and Port Phillip Bay, the sun set as we dined on salmon, lamb and beef, listened to stories and speeches, and socialised until well into the evening.
The highlight for me was when John Scott (Elora, ON) called me up to receive a gift from our group of exchangees, a framed watercolour print of Wineglass Bay, Tasmania painted by Joe Milling, partner of fellow echangee Leslie Parking. I was recognized for setting up "Canteachinoz," an Internet discussion group for all of the Canadians (and later many of the others) on exchange to Australia. The fact that we were able to contact most of the exchangees across the country, arrange accomodation, rendezvous while travelling, invite people to parties or just comment on how things were going seemed to reasonate with the rest of my colleagues. It truly was a special moment.
Joe's watercolour is quite sigificant to me, as we met Joe and Leslie twice one day while in Tasmania, the second time while they were on their way out, and we on our way in, to Wineglass Bay. I, of course, swam in the bay and it was a very beautiful place, perhaps my favourite, of the many places we have seen here.
We retired to our house, after saying tearful goodbyes to our friends from across Canada, the USA and the UK who we knew we would not see for some time. In another special moment, we were called to the front to receive back our goal setting sheets from last January. Whilst at the front, we had to sing our national anthems. We started out of key, and once I set them straight, we sang "Oh Canada" with great gusto. Then we kept on going with "The Star Spangled Banner" (as we did not want Julie to have to sing alone), and "God Save the Queen" (because Leon and Jeannie did not want to sing alone). Besides, it was symbolic that our group never cared for a moment where we were all from, but that we had shared a whole year together and had become great friends, not to mention a great source of support for one another.
It was 2 a.m. before all our house guests settled into bed, not wanting this wonderful evening to end.
posted by Rod Murray | 3:26 p.m.
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