Hi there!!
Sorry I just disappeared on you all! Have been without phone or internet for a week or so. (That’s like extreme survival in todays society isn’t it??)
Our service provider has killed something and its not coming back to life very quickly.
Oh, and apparently you can’t do anything unless you call them. They don’t allow for those of us left who don’t have mobile phones.
We got sent a new modem and of course it didn’t help with the overall issue but its redeeming feature is a sim card that accesses the internet via mobile (or something) so we have limited connection.
Still working on the phone and the proper internet connection. Have been using Kirrilys mobile tonight to talk to the tech people… who keep telling me how they will call me back tomorrow. Amazing how people can’t grasp the concept of “We Have No Mobile Phone”
Challenges challenges
Anyway… things have changed very little here. Its still permanently twilight and still raining. There is a severe weather warning out for the next 24 hours so will be watching those trees nervously!
I have been trying to take it easy since the international students left last week. I was pretty tired out from that escapade. Not sure I would do it again. To be honest – I didn’t enjoy it all that much. It was uphill work the whole way and more like extreme babysitting rather than the cultural exchange we were hoping for.
I think they were just too young socially to really appreciate and embrace the opportunity they had here. They never got excited or verbally appreciated anything from the food to the outings – I constantly had to ask “did you like…” I’d get a yes but nothing more. The lack of enthusiasm was tedious.
And if it was up to me I would have thrown their mobile phones in the ocean!! Even on a ‘modern kid’ scale, it was just ridiculous.
So… it was an experience. There was obviously a lot more to it that I won’t go into minute details, but I was disappointed as it felt a bit like a failure, but I know we tried. Their goodbye letters were sweet as they finally let us know all the things they enjoyed, but it would have been so much better if they had made the effort to interact with us more rather than spend all their time either on the phone or in the bathroom.
I cannot explain about our recent hot water bill. Best not dwell.
So life is back to being a bit quiet. Trying to get some direction and find some motivation among the dark weather.
We had to palliate a chook this week. Sadly we lost our speckled ‘pink chook’ She was just old and it was her time. Her last couple of days were being fed on a bed of comfy straw inside in the cat carrier in the warm house.
The other girls are laying eggs like champions and I am able to start supplying family again with them.
Pip is on a diet of wallaby mince and he is vacuuming it up like nothing else! Its seems to be suiting his problematic digestive system.
Plus he is jumping up on really tall things a lot… hmmm
Hopefully I will be back again soon with more regular posts if this tenuous connection holds out!
Cheers
YES, I DID MISS YOU! One of my daily highlights is to read about your life there. Since l-o-n-g air flights are no longer possible for me, my travel is through reading blogs like yours. [I am hoping that I will be able in thenear future handle one more hop to Europe, but don’t even know if that will be possible.]
Hi!! So glad you enjoy the posts! Hopefully will be more daily as things move into spring and I am being more interesting haha
I know what you mean about the long flights. Even when you have no medical issues, I find as we are getting older the international flights are killers!
I hope you can get up to the point of managing a smaller hop to Europe! So much fun!! 😀
Yes you have been missed! So good to hear from you. Hope the sun comes out for you soon!
Thanks Teri! Yes… got a bit of sun today… even got outside in it for a short while! Bliss!
I was wondering if you had a surprise vacation or some getaway time. Nothing so exciting, I guess.
It is too bad about the girls, but you must be proud of yourselves for the effort you put into making their stay as good as possible with the day trips, shopping, baking, and good food. Hopefully they have a lot of good things to tell their families. I know from your daily blog that you really did try and you did care about their experiences.
It’s good to see you back,
Janet
Yes… A surprise getaway would be more fun than tussling with Telstra! (Which is what I am doing right now via internet chat and I am not having fun haha)
At least I got out in the garden for a short while today! yay!
Have a lovely day!
Hi Lisa-I was wondering what had happened to you as you are usually posting daily!
Regarding the exchange students. Don’t take it personally, Lisa. The device addiction is global with teens ( and most people.)They had a wonderful opportunity with you but there seems to be an epidemic inability to communicate and engage with real people in the real world these days.
As a teacher, I observe it becoming more serious each year.
You certainly did a great job of providing some wonderful experiences!
Sorry to hear about your tech problems. I don’t have a cell phone and it is getting harder to function without one; eg flight delays and cancellations at the airport recently where a cell phone was necessary to change flights and rebook!! It all makes me glad that I’m a home body who is happy in my garden! Cheers and good luck with the server!
Hi Robyn! Interesting what you say about observing the lack of communication abilities as a teacher! I hated talking to thin air when they couldn’t get their noses out of their phones! I agree things are harder at times without a mobile as everyone and every thing expects you to have one to complete certain tasks… like right now typing to my service provider… they still want a mobile so I can talk to them while they ‘fix’ things. Sigh. Isn’t it lovely though to leave the house and not be pestered by anything or anyone?? Often going out with other people with mobiles, its constant interruptions. Its nice just to concentrate on the thing you left home to do!!
I missed you too!
My mum isn’t on the internet (but does have a mobile phone) and she gets ‘If you go to our website…’ and they don’t get that the reason she’s phoning not emailing is because she doesn’t have any form of computer (or smart phone. Think her mobile is coal powered!)
I’m sorry that you didn’t get much response from your students. You definitely deserve a medal for the effort you put in.
Glad Pip’s feeling brighter!
Hi Hazel! It seems people/businesses don’t have a category for those who are not fully connected!
We are still not connected and they are still wanting me to go out and borrow a phone! Um. No. 😀
But I got some sunshine today!! 😀
Certainly have missed you. I hope they reduce your monthly bill significantly. I guess threatening to change carrier isn’t an option? It must be an awful feeling having no connection with the outside world.
Sorry to hear that all your efforts went unappreciated, or so you felt. Some people are just that way. Not even the fact that they are of a different culture, and I agree with you totally about cell phones.
Stay safe and hopefully the storm won’t be as bad as predicted. Let us know when your phone is back up. Lots of love to you both. xxoo
Hi Judy! We will call you when we get this sorted but don’t hold your breath! I could change carrier but I need to work up motivation to go through all that! Lazy me!
Still raining but the storm didn’t bring down the other trees yet! Phew. Hopefully we will catch up soon xxxx
We have been missing you. Hope things get straightened out for you soon and you get rested up. We will be looking for you. Take care of yourself. Hugs!!!
Awww – thanks Carmen!!! Still in a tussle about the phone/internet. Just glad we now have a temporary internet connection. It helps. No phone is a pain though!
Enjoying a wee bit of sunshine today so that was nice! Have a lovely day!
Of course we missed you!!these devises can really mean trouble sometimes. Sorry about the students. I know you gave 110 percent!!hope your storm won’t be bad. Now kick back and rest!!!
Pip is eating wallaby mince? Is this a pet food thing or do you buy it in the market like beef and lamb? Never would have thought there would be commercial farms of wallaby ranchers ! Very interesting. The most different food item where I’m from is something called scrapple. (Pennsylvania, USA) It’s a loaf made from pig parts and organ meats mixed with ground corn meal leftover after the butchering. It comes precooked and you slice it and brown crisp it in a little oil. Usually served with a sweet (King syrup, maple syrup, grape jelly) or ketchup depending on your neighborhood and is eaten for breakfast. Other variations are souse and paanhaas(PA Dutch/amish).What does wallaby taste like? Does he eat it raw or cooked?
Hi Samantha!
Re the wallaby mince. Its actually in the supermarket along with kangaroo mince and steaks. Its for human consumption like beef or lamb.
Jeff wants me to buy some of the mince for us to try so when I do I’ll let you know. Kangaroo is more lean. Wallaby apparently a little more fatty. I give it to Pip both raw and cooked. I was trying to cook it as cooked meat is easier to digest. But he is being a little piggy and it was hard to keep up! 😀
The vet suggested it as its a protein his system might not recognise – and so far so good…
Fascinating about the scrapple! What a great name. I wonder if I would be brave enough to try it?? It doesn’t sound like something you would sweeten up! I had never heard of it but a great way to use the not often used parts (in first world countries anyway) Do you like it or eat it often?
I’m the only person in my 4 person family who will eat it, as i ate it as a child growing up. It has a mild liver taste as an explanation. As far as sweetening it I compare it to chutney on meat, sweet and umami(?) I make some for myself about 1-2 times a year. Also interesting you feed your cat something you don’t get for yourselves! What we won’t do for our furbabies! If you try it let us know what you think! Hope it helps with Pip’s problems, poor kitty. I love how much of a blanket snuggler he is. More pictures please!
Thanks for the explanations! Sounds like something mostly you would enjoy if you were brought up on it!
PS – Pip is still snugged up in a blanket! Cold night tonight!
Hi Samantha!
Re the wallaby mince. Its actually in the supermarket along with kangaroo mince and steaks. Its for human consumption like beef or lamb.
Jeff wants me to buy some of the mince for us to try so when I do I’ll let you know. Kangaroo is more lean. Wallaby apparently a little more fatty. I give it to Pip both raw and cooked. I was trying to cook it as cooked meat is easier to digest. But he is being a little piggy and it was hard to keep up! 😀
The vet suggested it as its a protein his system might not recognise – and so far so good…
Fascinating about the scrapple! What a great name. I wonder if I would be brave enough to try it?? It doesn’t sound like something you would sweeten up! I had never heard of it but a great way to use the not often used parts (in first world countries anyway) Do you like it or eat it often?
Lisa, Yes, I missed you. You both made a big effort to make your home and time with the exchange students memorable. Perhaps you made a larger impact and made more memories for them than you think!
I enjoy reading your posts!
Janet-Woodway WA
Hi Janet! I think the girls will go home with good memories – they really did a lot both with the school and with us. I just wish I had enjoyed it more. Oh well.. its all a learning experience isn’t it?
Brrrr… I let the fire go out and I think it might be time to go get it started again! Have a lovely day!
Yes, you were missed! Hope you get your connection issues all straightened out soon!
Karen
Hi Karen!! I hope so too! Its such a pain! And makes me nervous too… the last ‘issue’ we had lasted 11 months!!! I would need therapy if I had to go through that again! haha.
Lucky I am not a person that finds connection vital to my existence. Convenient tho and it would be good to call a few people to get on with things we want to do!! 🙂 More crochet I think! lol