Flags

I tried to catch the flags when they were unfurled by the breeze but that didn't work. The Aussie flag has the Union Jack in the upper left corner, symbolising the ongoing tie with the Mother Country, and the Southern Cross constellation across a navy blue background. The stars have 7 points. I don't know what the significance of the 7 points is.

The Great Court

UQ is known as one of the 'sandstone universities' in Oz. The name refers to building material and also to age and prestige. It was founded in 1909 (young but old for here), and it's highly ranked among Oz unis and even in the world. The Great Court buildings use the English cloister look and native sandstone, which has a lovely cream/tan/pink colour combination. A nice place to sit and read or talk with friends.

UQ: the student union

Here's a series of photos of the St Lucia (main) campus of the University of Queensland, where Phil and I both work. He is actually based on this campus. I'm based at Ipswich, which is about 35 km southwest of Brisbane. I'll have photos from there later. Anyway this shot is the student union. It's a series of shops and food outlets in a cluster in the middle of the campus. You can get school supplies, candy, coffee, a haircut, bike supplies, greeting cards, smoothies, and more here. Roughly over lunchtime and into the afternoon, people set up outdoor displays of clothing, sunglasses ("sunnies"), books, and fruit in the space adjacent to the student union shops.

Eden

This is Eden, who was born on 1 Oct to Mel and Dave, our landlords. We went over to their house for morning tea last Sunday. Eden was very happy for me to hold her while she slept, and slept.

First day of school

Today I spent all day at school. I sat in with Susannah, the course coordinator, on her class day with the 2nd year B.Mid. students. They're doing a problem-based learning program, and currently they are focusing on vulnerable newborns. The problem patient was a woman who didn't know she was pregnant who ruptured membranes with twins at approximately 29 weeks. So the issues of twin birth, breech birth, and neonatal resuscitation came up, among other things. The PBL model is fascinating. In this model, the students themselves do most of the teaching to their peers.

After lunch there was a practice hour for their upcoming practical exam, known by the acronym OSCA. Objective Structured Clinical Assessment. They are all terrified that they'll have to do something they don't know about, despite Susannah's reassurance that it's all normal midwifery that they do all the time. I took a station at the practice and helped them through their mechanisms of birth.

I felt like I was back at Downstate! Today was 'pirate day' and they all came in with striped or white shirts, head scarves, hoop earrings, lots of clinky jewelry, and someone even had a stuffed parrot. They bring food to share and are clearly well bonded.

The students, in this group anyway, have great energy, and they know so much already. Only one is a nurse now and she is an enrolled nurse (equivalent to LPN). They are all at least in their mid-20s and a couple are a fair bit older with kids. It's really demonstrating the beauty of the midwifery baccalaureate, completed in 3 years.

I'm still learning about how it all works, which is handy as I'll be expected to have my own section of students starting in February.

Next week's class is their last; they all spend the 3rd year strictly in clinical placements. They'll do presentations on the topics pertinent to the end of the problem scenario, and they're planning lunch out together at a pizza place. I'll bring my camera and post some photos from that class.

The new normal

We've been here 10 days now. I'm still running around doing errands -- looking into health insurance, signing up at the video store, the gym, opening the bank accounts, etc. At the supermarket, Woolworths (yes, same company as our old Woolworths but here they seem to be just supermarkets) I take forever because almost nothing there is anything like what I could buy in the States, with the possible exception of some types of produce. Also, this Woolworths is located inside a massive 4 story shopping mall, along with Target, Kmart, a department store and many, many small shops selling everything from...well, pretty much anything you might need.

Yesterday I made my first visit to the local quilt shop. It appears that fabric is quite expensive here, if I'm interpreting the prices correctly; at the top of each bolt it said $24 or sometimes $23, which I interpret as the price per metre. Now that is $AUS, and the exchange rate is such that the $US is worth a bit more, but I'm accustomed to prices more like $US 9 or 10 per yard, and a yard is only a little bit smaller than a metre. Ergo: my visits home will include fabric shopping!

On Monday I met with my school advisor to start my education and employment process. I chose mid-February to start my school (and scholarship) clock. It works out to the beginning of fall semester, and it gives me time for some preliminary preparation and investigation. My part-time job is set to start next week, 1 day a week doing various odd jobs around the School of Nursing and Midwifery (hereafter SONM).

In order to get to know midwifery in Australia, I've set myself a task of writing a piece for the JMWH, in 2 parts: clinical practice, and education. Our landlady is, this very day, being induced at 41 weeks ('I really don't want it, but my doctor doesn't want to wait any longer') and I hope to add some spice to the piece with interviewing her after she's had a chance to recover and settle in with babe #2.

Brisbane

This photo was taken from the CityCat, a high-speed catamaran ferry that makes several stops along the Brisbane River between the western and eastern suburbs. It's a great way to commute. From my neighborhood ferry stop, I can be downtown in about 15 minutes. It's a real city, there are nice bridges and tall buildings...

Jacaranda tree in bloom

I shot about 12 of these trees before I got a shot I liked. They have gorgeous purple flowers. It is spring here, after all!

That's per LITRE, mate!

I'm posting this so that you all in the States won't feel too bad about what you have to pay for fuel. Because it's WAY less that we're paying here (one gallon = approximately 4 litres...)

Yup, it's hilly here

You might not expect this -- but Brisbane is very hilly, and some of the hills are really rather steep!
This is the foot of our street, Prospect Terrace. And yup, they drive on the left here.

1/74 Prospect Tce, St Lucia

Our front deck overlooks a park.

Cool centerpiece at Bobbi & John's

It kept changing colours (this is just a snapshot, as it were) ... could have stared at it for hours.

Farewell party @ HFC

The MAH OB department threw Marcia and me a fantastic farewell dinner on the evening of 10 September. Here, L to R, are Phyllis, Charlie, Marcia, me, and Robyn.

Moving chaos

I took this photo before the movers came, and it doesn't really show just how chaotic things were during the whirlwind of activity that ensued when they arrived. I can only say how glad I was when it was over!

With TH

The same weekend as the reunion, we detoured to Elmira so I could see Dad, aka Big Grandpa, one more time before leaving the States for Oz. We spent a little time with sister Mimi, brother-in-law Jan, and niece Karen and her fiance, soon-to-be husband Vince (see previous post). Dad was our last stop before heading back to Cambridge and inventorying pre-move. Dad & I talked of nothing momentous; it was fine just to listen to his commentary on life for a little while.

He's thrilled when I call him from Oz. Yay SkypeOut!

Gang of Four at the reunion

Back to the reunion -- these women are the girls I spent most of my high school life with, 40 years ago. Next to me is Sharon Liberatore, now a women's health NP involved in pharmaceutical research; standing behind Sharon and me are Marylou Murry on the left and Carol Pouliot on the right, both retired now but still active. We've aged pretty well, if you ask me...

LHS reunion

Last weekend was my 40th high school reunion. One of the weekend's activities was a tour of the school. It was strange and familiar at the same time. Phil took this photo of me at the main entrance.

Karen & Vince on the Duck Tour

Karen & Vince came to visit us in Cambridge at last. I think they had a good time, mostly, although Vince looks a little skeptical in this photo taken by Phil in the front mirror of the duck boat.

Zara's visit to Marmee & 'Buelo

We had a brief solo visit with Zara at our house in July. It didn't work out that well; bedtime was a challenge (sob, sniff, wail); and there was no such thing as a nap! But once Mama and Dada were back, things were pretty good. Z was thrilled to ride the pony, and enjoyed cooling off in the sprayground later that same day.

Sam

Sam has been my friend since 1995, when I adopted her from a shelter at the age of 3. She's 16 now, and about a year and a half ago, her hind legs started to fail. I remember so well her prowess at frisbee catching, how she loved to swim, the many times we went running together, the few times she stole food from the kitchen counter. No squirrel could rest easy with her around, and she just knew that cats were put on Earth for her to chase. More than one person who met her agreed that she could smile.

But the signs are all there; her romping days are long past. She's lost interest in almost everything, and I'm at the point where I don't think I'm doing her a favor by keeping her with me in this life. So tonight she'll keep me company on the bed, although I'll have to pick her up to get her there and she won't like it! And tomorrow, we'll take our last ride together, and if there's a doggy afterlife, she'll be running again.