Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Monday, May 28, 2007
Federal Budget
Some interesting facts and figures from the recent Federal Budget which will affect migrants (all dollar figures to be paid over a 4 year period).$123 million to fund the new citizenship test (resource booklets, DVD and setting up test centres etc).
Annual Humanitarian quota to remain at 13,000
$ 8.5 million to subsidise rental costs and public transport tickets in first month after arrival.
$12.2 million increase in funding for torture and trauma assistance.
$ 127.8 million increase in funding for provision of intensive English in schools. This DOUBLES the current allocation and is much needed (in 2005- 2006, some 42 per cent of humanitarian arrivals were of school age and they had an average of three years’ education).
A new program to support proposers of humanitarian arrivals ( $16.6 million).
Welcome back to Mary-Anne !
Friday, May 25, 2007
Evacuation Drill
This is planned for Thursday 7 June at about 11 am. Please refer to your instruction sheets.
Market
Provisional date for the grand market is Wednesday 6th June.
Simon will be circulating a sheet soon.
Start time will probably be 11 am so that pm classes can take part without coming in too early.
Time and date to be confirmed.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
The Adelaide AMEP Forum had some very interesting sessions. I will be mentioning some of the research findings on the blog over the next few weeks.
The comment made by Tony Burke, the Opposition immigration spokesman, in support of the Government’s crackdown on job-seeking requirements that "We want to see a seamless transition for new arrivals from the airport to the workplace. “ was quoted several times. Maybe we could fit out some buses as mobile classrooms, collect new arrivals from the airport and teach them all they need to know before delivering them to the factories?
With the addition of the seventh evening class last week ( a Pre Cert class being taught by Barbara) we are now up to 29 classes in all. One manager from Sydney told me that at their Cabramatta centre there are now more evening classes than day.
Sonia tells me that there are three new readers available to teachers : “Clothes”, “Furniture” and “Sewing”
Class photos will get underway this week. Please let me know if you have a good turnout on a particular day.
This week’s footy tipping winner was Sonia (again!). Her method requires hours of studying the form and injury lists before making her selections (just kidding, she chose all the home teams!).
Maryanne is recovering well and is being treated to a week in Dunsborough before coming back to work next Tuesday. We look forward to her return as the office staff has been fully-stretched of late. Thanks to Mary, Samantha, Shahin and Sonia for taking on the extra load.
Another very enjoyable email from Mary Crogan.
Hi everyone,
Am loving Vietnam. As this is a lightening tour, I'll have to come back. After the chaos, and unrelenting dusty heat of India, Vietnam seems so organised and clean. In a Vietnamese post office I can post mail in about 5 mins at one counter. In India it takes about 2 hours as you have to queue up at 4 different counters, ie. 1.get the price, 2. get the stamps, 3. apply glue to the stamps and stick on envelope, 4. get letter franked with airmail stamp... so exhausting and time consuming.
Hanoi was very pretty. I saw the water puppets (similar to, but better than, one of our WA festival events), the ethnic minoritiy cultures museum which was very interesting, experienced the night markets, and walked, (and commuted by motorbike taxi many times) around the picturesque lake. I found it quite a busy city particularly with the narrow streets and all the motor bikes, bicycles and cars. I loved the florist shops in Hanoi. Their commerce was organised in a very sensible way. Whole blocks or streets would cater for the same products, such as children's toys, silk and material shops, electronic goods, etc.
The ANZ teller machine withheld my card at the airport, as I was too slow with my calculations, but the tour company got it to me in Hoi An, without any hassles. The bliss of being on a tour... as there is someone to help you solve most catastrophies.
The city of Hue was lovely. Much wider streets there. Went on a river cruise to see the 4 emperors' tombs and the 7 tiered pagoda. The scenery was beautiful along the river with misty mountains in the background. Am enjoying cyclo and motor bike transport. The weather was also a lot milder there. It rains most days (approx 300) of the year. We only had a few spells of misty rain, so only had to use my raincoat there once. The overnight train trip there was enjoyable. I shared a carriage with one man from our tour and 2 French guys. We played cards till 1am which helped to pass the time quickly and enjoyably, and then managed to get some sleep.
Hoi An with it's quaint French influence was delightful. I also had a meal at the Cargo Club, John. As I had a very nice local spicy squid speciality, I didn't get on to the sweets! The tailors and dressmakers there are absolutely amazing. We're back in to very hot humid weather and few of the clothes I have are suitable. Everything sticks to you.... even cotton. So I had some loosish clothes made.
Our next stop was Whale Island where we had 3 days and 2 nights. Apparently whales do come in to the bay of the island, but it isn't their season now. This island was like paradise. The bamboo huts we stayed in had fans (most important), but otherwise blended in to the vegetation and coastline of the island. I went snorkling around another island with some of our group and saw beautiful intact coral reefs, sea horses, and brightly coloured fish. The water of this part of the South China Sea is very warm, and much to my surprise it's very easy and attractive getting in to the water for swimming or snorkling.
We are now in Nha Trang, which is a coastal city. Even although on the coast, it's still very hot. This morning we went to see some Chan temples. North Vietnam is influenced by Chinese Budhism and practices, whereas in the south there is evidence of much earlier influence by Indian Buddhism in the form of the Cham temples, from the 5th Century I think. They are constructed of red brick and do resemble Hindu temples, although of course they are Budhist. It was amazing to see that the Chan temples are still an active place of worship, even although they're heritage listed.
Tonight we travel on an overnight train to the Mekong Delta, arriving at about 4am. Shortly afterwards we'll be going on a tour to see some of the Viet Cong tunnels. I could've seen some tunnels further north out of Hue, but as there was this later opportunity, I decided to postpone it, and I'm glad I did. I've realised why I haven't been all that eager to come to Vietnam in the past, and it's because of the war. The males of my generation were conscripted to service, and many still bear the emtional scars... Not to mention all the terrible stories told to me by friends and students who are Vietnamese refugees.
Being a communist country, I expected there to be more evidence of the aftermath of the war, or of oppression... or something. Occasionally in some of the cities, announcements come over loud speakers in the streets, but of course I don't know what is being said. All the places we've visited have been lush in a tropical way, the people very relaxed and friendly, and the rythm of life very busy. The Vietnamese are very early risers, and many shops are open by 7.30am, compared to the 10 or 11am start in India! Although in the afternoon, many of the Vietnamese private businesses enjoy a siesta from 1.00 to 3.00pm, but are open till 10.00 or 11.00pm.
The Mekong Delta is the place to be wary of mosquitoes. There were hungry sandflies on Whale Island, but generally we haven't seen many mosquitoes.
This tour group is great, just as the Indian one was. There are 18 of us, and we all get on very well. The biggest group are South Africans, who are all very nice and from diverse backgrounds (two of whom are Chinese). I spend most time with the South Africans. One of my South African friends was hit by a motorbike last night while crossing the road (always a hazzard). The motorbike lights weren't on. She's bounced back remarkably well today, as she's very resilient, however is not sure whether or not she's broken her nose. We've got 2 nurses in the group who attended to her, however she refused to go to see a doctor. There's one older Australian man who's the biggest spender, and thrives on retail therapy, outdoing all the women. There are also 3 New Zealanders, 1 Irish girl, 2 English girls and 2 Canadians (one of whom is Japanese). It's great that we're all so multinational. For the Vietnamese leg of the tour, we have an excellent male New Zealand tour guide, who's also around 30, as the Indian one was. He's very relaxed, but on the ball, and always willing to help.
Am looking forward to Cambodia and the hill tribes of Thailand.
Hope all is well in your part of the world.
With love and the best of wishes, Mary
The comment made by Tony Burke, the Opposition immigration spokesman, in support of the Government’s crackdown on job-seeking requirements that "We want to see a seamless transition for new arrivals from the airport to the workplace. “ was quoted several times. Maybe we could fit out some buses as mobile classrooms, collect new arrivals from the airport and teach them all they need to know before delivering them to the factories?
With the addition of the seventh evening class last week ( a Pre Cert class being taught by Barbara) we are now up to 29 classes in all. One manager from Sydney told me that at their Cabramatta centre there are now more evening classes than day.
Sonia tells me that there are three new readers available to teachers : “Clothes”, “Furniture” and “Sewing”
Class photos will get underway this week. Please let me know if you have a good turnout on a particular day.
This week’s footy tipping winner was Sonia (again!). Her method requires hours of studying the form and injury lists before making her selections (just kidding, she chose all the home teams!).
Maryanne is recovering well and is being treated to a week in Dunsborough before coming back to work next Tuesday. We look forward to her return as the office staff has been fully-stretched of late. Thanks to Mary, Samantha, Shahin and Sonia for taking on the extra load.
Another very enjoyable email from Mary Crogan.
Hi everyone,
Am loving Vietnam. As this is a lightening tour, I'll have to come back. After the chaos, and unrelenting dusty heat of India, Vietnam seems so organised and clean. In a Vietnamese post office I can post mail in about 5 mins at one counter. In India it takes about 2 hours as you have to queue up at 4 different counters, ie. 1.get the price, 2. get the stamps, 3. apply glue to the stamps and stick on envelope, 4. get letter franked with airmail stamp... so exhausting and time consuming.
Hanoi was very pretty. I saw the water puppets (similar to, but better than, one of our WA festival events), the ethnic minoritiy cultures museum which was very interesting, experienced the night markets, and walked, (and commuted by motorbike taxi many times) around the picturesque lake. I found it quite a busy city particularly with the narrow streets and all the motor bikes, bicycles and cars. I loved the florist shops in Hanoi. Their commerce was organised in a very sensible way. Whole blocks or streets would cater for the same products, such as children's toys, silk and material shops, electronic goods, etc.
The ANZ teller machine withheld my card at the airport, as I was too slow with my calculations, but the tour company got it to me in Hoi An, without any hassles. The bliss of being on a tour... as there is someone to help you solve most catastrophies.
The city of Hue was lovely. Much wider streets there. Went on a river cruise to see the 4 emperors' tombs and the 7 tiered pagoda. The scenery was beautiful along the river with misty mountains in the background. Am enjoying cyclo and motor bike transport. The weather was also a lot milder there. It rains most days (approx 300) of the year. We only had a few spells of misty rain, so only had to use my raincoat there once. The overnight train trip there was enjoyable. I shared a carriage with one man from our tour and 2 French guys. We played cards till 1am which helped to pass the time quickly and enjoyably, and then managed to get some sleep.
Hoi An with it's quaint French influence was delightful. I also had a meal at the Cargo Club, John. As I had a very nice local spicy squid speciality, I didn't get on to the sweets! The tailors and dressmakers there are absolutely amazing. We're back in to very hot humid weather and few of the clothes I have are suitable. Everything sticks to you.... even cotton. So I had some loosish clothes made.
Our next stop was Whale Island where we had 3 days and 2 nights. Apparently whales do come in to the bay of the island, but it isn't their season now. This island was like paradise. The bamboo huts we stayed in had fans (most important), but otherwise blended in to the vegetation and coastline of the island. I went snorkling around another island with some of our group and saw beautiful intact coral reefs, sea horses, and brightly coloured fish. The water of this part of the South China Sea is very warm, and much to my surprise it's very easy and attractive getting in to the water for swimming or snorkling.
We are now in Nha Trang, which is a coastal city. Even although on the coast, it's still very hot. This morning we went to see some Chan temples. North Vietnam is influenced by Chinese Budhism and practices, whereas in the south there is evidence of much earlier influence by Indian Buddhism in the form of the Cham temples, from the 5th Century I think. They are constructed of red brick and do resemble Hindu temples, although of course they are Budhist. It was amazing to see that the Chan temples are still an active place of worship, even although they're heritage listed.
Tonight we travel on an overnight train to the Mekong Delta, arriving at about 4am. Shortly afterwards we'll be going on a tour to see some of the Viet Cong tunnels. I could've seen some tunnels further north out of Hue, but as there was this later opportunity, I decided to postpone it, and I'm glad I did. I've realised why I haven't been all that eager to come to Vietnam in the past, and it's because of the war. The males of my generation were conscripted to service, and many still bear the emtional scars... Not to mention all the terrible stories told to me by friends and students who are Vietnamese refugees.
Being a communist country, I expected there to be more evidence of the aftermath of the war, or of oppression... or something. Occasionally in some of the cities, announcements come over loud speakers in the streets, but of course I don't know what is being said. All the places we've visited have been lush in a tropical way, the people very relaxed and friendly, and the rythm of life very busy. The Vietnamese are very early risers, and many shops are open by 7.30am, compared to the 10 or 11am start in India! Although in the afternoon, many of the Vietnamese private businesses enjoy a siesta from 1.00 to 3.00pm, but are open till 10.00 or 11.00pm.
The Mekong Delta is the place to be wary of mosquitoes. There were hungry sandflies on Whale Island, but generally we haven't seen many mosquitoes.
This tour group is great, just as the Indian one was. There are 18 of us, and we all get on very well. The biggest group are South Africans, who are all very nice and from diverse backgrounds (two of whom are Chinese). I spend most time with the South Africans. One of my South African friends was hit by a motorbike last night while crossing the road (always a hazzard). The motorbike lights weren't on. She's bounced back remarkably well today, as she's very resilient, however is not sure whether or not she's broken her nose. We've got 2 nurses in the group who attended to her, however she refused to go to see a doctor. There's one older Australian man who's the biggest spender, and thrives on retail therapy, outdoing all the women. There are also 3 New Zealanders, 1 Irish girl, 2 English girls and 2 Canadians (one of whom is Japanese). It's great that we're all so multinational. For the Vietnamese leg of the tour, we have an excellent male New Zealand tour guide, who's also around 30, as the Indian one was. He's very relaxed, but on the ball, and always willing to help.
Am looking forward to Cambodia and the hill tribes of Thailand.
Hope all is well in your part of the world.
With love and the best of wishes, Mary
Monday, May 14, 2007
Central TAFE CSWE practice task books have arrived.
As mentioned in last posting, I will be away in Adelaide from tomorrow (Tuesday15th). Will be back on Monday 21 May.
Thanks to Nina for this article in the Australian: It is long but very relevant
Refugees' job hunt time halvedCath Hart14may07REFUGEES will have to start looking for work six weeks after arriving in Australia or face the temporary loss of weekly welfare benefits - halving their existing job search exemption.
Workplace Participation Minister Sharman Stone said yesterday the crackdown, which would also apply to migrants in the humanitarian program, would put them on the same penalty footing as existing Australians.
Under the changes, likely to start in September, refugee and humanitarian entrants still learning English would only be exempt from looking for a job after six weeks if they were completing 20 hours of English tuition a week, Dr Stone said.
Currently, humanitarian entrants can extend their 13-week job search exemption if they are doing only a few hours of part-time English tuition a week.
"Learning English and entry to the workforce are major steps in helping new arrivals build a future for themselves and their families," she said.
Dr Stone said the move was "not punitive" but designed to tackle welfare dependency and boost support for those who wanted to look for work while learning English.
Currently, humanitarian entrants are paid unemployment benefits but do not have to start looking for jobs or meeting other Job Network requirements for their first 13 weeks in Australia.
Refugee and humanitarian entrants receive 510 hours of government-funded tuition on the Adult Migrant English program.
Dr Stone said welfare dependency had emerged among some who endlessly "rolled over" their tuition.
Some had been in the country for up to five years before they started to look for work and would benefit from more on-the-job English training, she said.
Government-commissioned research shows 61per cent of refugees remain on welfare payments 18 months after they arrived, while 55 per cent were on welfare two years after arriving.
Under the changes, refugees and humanitarian entrants who failed to meet the Job Network participation requirements after six weeks without an adequate reason would face the same penalties as other welfare recipients.
From June last year, welfare recipients who fail to meet "participation requirements" three times incur an eight-week non-payment period.
A spokeswoman for Dr Stone said that people who lost their welfare payments were "case-managed" so that they were not left destitute.
The Government announced in last Tuesday's budget that Australia would maintain the number of refugee and humanitarian entrants it accepted at 13,000 places in 2007-08.
Opposition immigration spokesman Tony Burke said Labor supported the crackdown.
"Labor has been calling for Australia's English language program to be more vocational," he said.
"We want to see a seamless transition for new arrivals from the airport to the workplace.
"Policy should aim for people being self-sufficient and earning their own pay packets as soon as possible.
"This announcement seems to work towards that end and we look forward to making sure the detail delivers on this principle."
Australia has accepted more than 650,000 refugees and people in humanitarian need since the end of World War II
Evacuation Procedures. I hope to find out later today when the practice will take place. A copy of the following will be placed in your pigeon hole.
Our Assembly Area is No 1 - Lawn Area Loxwood Road South, (Through Gate 3 – outside I Block )
When the evacuation siren is sounded or you are advised that an emergency exists requiring evacuation, take the following action:
Providing it is safe and time permits, students are to be requested to remove their bags from the area being evacuated and carry them to their appropriate assembly area. Lecturers need to take the Class Rolls with them to account for students. All machinery is to be turned off together with heaters and gas.
Ensure students are directed to the nominated assembly area.
Advise students that no-one should move or shift vehicles unless authorised by Senior Staff, the Fire Brigade or Police Officer.
Proceed to assembly area with students remaining in class groupings so that the Lecturer can account for all students against those marked present on the roll.
Once the roll has been checked report to Block Warden (Andrew or Simon) that either all students accounted for or if any are missing. If a student is missing the lecturer is to report this to the Floor Warden in the Assembly Area who will report it to the Chief Warden making sure that the name and last location of the missing student is available.
Exit lists are being distributed today. Susan and Maureen are currently concentrating on arrival talks but will be starting exit preparation sessions when OA talks are underway.
Union meeting Tuesday 22nd May. 10.30 - 11.00 in Room J001.Ramona has offered to come out, as last year, and give us a talk and update on the new certified agreement, new changes in IR legislation, and any other specific queries.
As mentioned in last posting, I will be away in Adelaide from tomorrow (Tuesday15th). Will be back on Monday 21 May.
Thanks to Nina for this article in the Australian: It is long but very relevant
Refugees' job hunt time halvedCath Hart14may07REFUGEES will have to start looking for work six weeks after arriving in Australia or face the temporary loss of weekly welfare benefits - halving their existing job search exemption.
Workplace Participation Minister Sharman Stone said yesterday the crackdown, which would also apply to migrants in the humanitarian program, would put them on the same penalty footing as existing Australians.
Under the changes, likely to start in September, refugee and humanitarian entrants still learning English would only be exempt from looking for a job after six weeks if they were completing 20 hours of English tuition a week, Dr Stone said.
Currently, humanitarian entrants can extend their 13-week job search exemption if they are doing only a few hours of part-time English tuition a week.
"Learning English and entry to the workforce are major steps in helping new arrivals build a future for themselves and their families," she said.
Dr Stone said the move was "not punitive" but designed to tackle welfare dependency and boost support for those who wanted to look for work while learning English.
Currently, humanitarian entrants are paid unemployment benefits but do not have to start looking for jobs or meeting other Job Network requirements for their first 13 weeks in Australia.
Refugee and humanitarian entrants receive 510 hours of government-funded tuition on the Adult Migrant English program.
Dr Stone said welfare dependency had emerged among some who endlessly "rolled over" their tuition.
Some had been in the country for up to five years before they started to look for work and would benefit from more on-the-job English training, she said.
Government-commissioned research shows 61per cent of refugees remain on welfare payments 18 months after they arrived, while 55 per cent were on welfare two years after arriving.
Under the changes, refugees and humanitarian entrants who failed to meet the Job Network participation requirements after six weeks without an adequate reason would face the same penalties as other welfare recipients.
From June last year, welfare recipients who fail to meet "participation requirements" three times incur an eight-week non-payment period.
A spokeswoman for Dr Stone said that people who lost their welfare payments were "case-managed" so that they were not left destitute.
The Government announced in last Tuesday's budget that Australia would maintain the number of refugee and humanitarian entrants it accepted at 13,000 places in 2007-08.
Opposition immigration spokesman Tony Burke said Labor supported the crackdown.
"Labor has been calling for Australia's English language program to be more vocational," he said.
"We want to see a seamless transition for new arrivals from the airport to the workplace.
"Policy should aim for people being self-sufficient and earning their own pay packets as soon as possible.
"This announcement seems to work towards that end and we look forward to making sure the detail delivers on this principle."
Australia has accepted more than 650,000 refugees and people in humanitarian need since the end of World War II
Evacuation Procedures. I hope to find out later today when the practice will take place. A copy of the following will be placed in your pigeon hole.
Our Assembly Area is No 1 - Lawn Area Loxwood Road South, (Through Gate 3 – outside I Block )
When the evacuation siren is sounded or you are advised that an emergency exists requiring evacuation, take the following action:
Providing it is safe and time permits, students are to be requested to remove their bags from the area being evacuated and carry them to their appropriate assembly area. Lecturers need to take the Class Rolls with them to account for students. All machinery is to be turned off together with heaters and gas.
Ensure students are directed to the nominated assembly area.
Advise students that no-one should move or shift vehicles unless authorised by Senior Staff, the Fire Brigade or Police Officer.
Proceed to assembly area with students remaining in class groupings so that the Lecturer can account for all students against those marked present on the roll.
Once the roll has been checked report to Block Warden (Andrew or Simon) that either all students accounted for or if any are missing. If a student is missing the lecturer is to report this to the Floor Warden in the Assembly Area who will report it to the Chief Warden making sure that the name and last location of the missing student is available.
Exit lists are being distributed today. Susan and Maureen are currently concentrating on arrival talks but will be starting exit preparation sessions when OA talks are underway.
Union meeting Tuesday 22nd May. 10.30 - 11.00 in Room J001.Ramona has offered to come out, as last year, and give us a talk and update on the new certified agreement, new changes in IR legislation, and any other specific queries.
Monday, May 07, 2007
I will be going to Adelaide next week (Tues to Fri) for an AMEP forum- “Learners in Transition”. It will cover ways in which the AMEP supports students’ settlement needs as they begin their new lives in Australia. By next week classes will hopefully have settled down and the four citizenship courses will all be underway so there shouldn’t be too many problems. However Sonia has agreed to deal with any issues that do arise so her interview schedule for Mon to Thurs will be cut back.
There will be a practice emergency evacuation some time this week. I will let you know when it will take place. Later in the year there will be a “surprise” practice.
On Arrival talks will be getting underway in the next two weeks so Susan and Maureen will be contacting teachers soon. If you suspect that someone in your class has been left off the list please let Susan know.
Lee Lenyk, whom many of you will know from her AMES days is conducting a series of talks on natural medicine (she’s now a qualified naturopath). I have a flyer for anyone interested.
Sonia was winner of tipping last week. She and Branka both got seven but Sonia was four points closer in predicting the Docker’s result.
Staff meal on Friday 25 May- don’t forget to sign up!
Mary-Anne is home and has had her 50 plus staples removed. Still sore and on painkillers but improving.
Veronica and Alison will be attending the TAFE CSWE meeting at Balga today.
and now for the next instalment from "Mary's Travels" !
Dear all,
As I've mentioned to some of you, I've decided to move on from India. I didn't stay in Dharamsala, as I felt all "Indiad out", as you so rightly put it Tom. (Don't know how you survived 3 months in an Indian city Pam, and managed to collect research data! You deserve a distinction for that alone.) The previous 2 places in the northern moutains area, ie. Shimla and Manali, were a lot more appealing to me. (One of the English girls on my tour actually tried to get the name of an English friend of hers, working as a teacher in Manali, thinking that I may have been able to do some voluntary work there, but couldn't get the contact.)
Dharamsala is long and stretched out (lower, middle and upper) basically along a narrow road snaking up the mountain, with a few places where habitation, religious buildings and business coexist. To walk up and down this path is hazardous to say the least, as cows, taxis, buses, jeeps, motorbikes and pedestrians all have equal right of way. The incessant blaring of horns is exhausting, as you have to continually check that you're not the target being tooted at. There are no limits on the decibel ratings of vehicles and some of the horns are excessively shrill and loud.
I felt that Dharamsala was not the quieter stopping off point, I had imagined it might be. The views are beautiful, but everything is hot and dusty, and the beggars are very agressive and in your face. Their strategy was to crowd in on you and pinch your arms. As a lot of the beggars are organised in teams and have a "pimp" (or whatever the term is for the beggars' overlords that take their collected money), I don't have a lot of sympathy for the able-bodied ones who use their own stand over tactics with tourists. Interestingly, tourists on their own are probably at the bottom of the pecking order, unless you become a bit tough. India is a place where people are constantly jostling. As it's a way of life to get things done you have to try and find a place in the jostling. After the tour finished, it became very clear how much our tour guide had smoothed the way for us.
Carol, would you mind forwarding this email on to Clair Harris (the last email to her didn't go through)... Clair, I did find your friend in Mc Leoud Gunge in Dharamsala. I spent the afternoon and evening with her, which was one of the special highlights of the trip, and especially of my time in Dharamsala. It just so happened it was the Punchen Lama's birthday on that day, and I went with her to a special concert in his honour. Both modern and emotional, patriotic songs were performed by mostly young and very talented Tibetan singers. Most of the foreigners had to stand outside the packed hall, but as I was with Ani, I was one of the VIP's, and was in the third row from the stage. Your friend also took me to see the Tibetan museum and the temple where the Dali Lami gives lessons/talks to his Buddhist community. After seeing the Tibetan refugee community in Dharamsala, and knowing what the new railway line linking China to Tibet will mean for Tibet, your heart certainly goes out to them.
I loved the Sikh Temple at Amritzar ( the place of Indira Ghandi's assassination). It really felt like a holy place. The temple is enclosed with a wall like many of the palces, and inside the beautiful golden (literally golden) temple, is situated in the middle of a holy lake, the waters of which are believed to have healing properties. Some of the Sikh men were bathing in the water, and some collecting water in jars. The lake was entirely surrounded with marble tiling, and Sikh people sat quietly around the lake in prayer. Many of the people asked us to sit with them and face the lake as this in itself is believed to be healing. (It reminded me of lourdes, but there was no commercialisation permitted with stalls outside or inside selling "holy" momentos.) After all the hustle and bustle elsewhere it was a bit like being in a magical oasis. It's very opulent but also a very spiritual place, and meticulously clean and maintained. The main temple, after closing time late each night, is carefully cleaned throughout with milk. I think I detected a faint fresh milk smell. There's no entrance fee, and if you're there at lunch time a substantial vegetarian lunch is provided free of charge by volunteers.
I've decided to go on to South East Asia and do a 37 day tour of Vietnam, Cambodia and Nth Thailand (Tour SAIA), with "Imaginative Traveller", the same company as in nthn India. It's been an interesting excercise communicating with the UK to organise my tour and have just managed to get it arranged online.That in itself was quite a challenge as even in the professional business internet site I use, people are packed in like sardines, and I was very nervous entering all my personal banking details so publically, but there was no other option.
To be honest, I could have happily gone home after the wonderful trip in northern India, but have signed an agreement renting out my house for three months. I must say I am looking forward to the genteless of Vietnam and the Vietnamese, Cambodian and Thai people. The heat, dust, horns and contant jostling in Delhi is taking its toll on me. Before I leave India on 9th May, I'm going to Haridwar and Rishikesh for three days, by train. Both of these places have a lot of religious significance to Hindus, and at Haridwar people bathe in the Ganges. I'll be staying 2 nights in Rishikesh which is evidently in a mountainous location, and and is cool in comparison to Delhi. (Simon K, you'll be interested to hear that I was offered yoga 3 times a day during my stay, as this is a spiritual retreat for visitors as well as Hindus. I'm affraid I was a piker and only opted for one yoga session a day!)
In the afternoon and evening 2 days ago there was a burst of torrential rain which gives some idea of what the monsoons would be like. As there are no street drains in Karol Bargh, the area of Dehli where I'm staying, the streets were literally awash with water. It gave some temporary relief from the 40+ degree days (and probably nights), but you'd hardly know there'd been a downpoor today.
Well everyone, I'll sign off from India, and be in touch at a later date from one of my SE Asian countries.
Sorry there've been no postcards. They are actually very far and few between to buy, and what ones there are don't do justice to India.
With love and best wishes to all, Mary C
There will be a practice emergency evacuation some time this week. I will let you know when it will take place. Later in the year there will be a “surprise” practice.
On Arrival talks will be getting underway in the next two weeks so Susan and Maureen will be contacting teachers soon. If you suspect that someone in your class has been left off the list please let Susan know.
Lee Lenyk, whom many of you will know from her AMES days is conducting a series of talks on natural medicine (she’s now a qualified naturopath). I have a flyer for anyone interested.
Sonia was winner of tipping last week. She and Branka both got seven but Sonia was four points closer in predicting the Docker’s result.
Staff meal on Friday 25 May- don’t forget to sign up!
Mary-Anne is home and has had her 50 plus staples removed. Still sore and on painkillers but improving.
Veronica and Alison will be attending the TAFE CSWE meeting at Balga today.
and now for the next instalment from "Mary's Travels" !
Dear all,
As I've mentioned to some of you, I've decided to move on from India. I didn't stay in Dharamsala, as I felt all "Indiad out", as you so rightly put it Tom. (Don't know how you survived 3 months in an Indian city Pam, and managed to collect research data! You deserve a distinction for that alone.) The previous 2 places in the northern moutains area, ie. Shimla and Manali, were a lot more appealing to me. (One of the English girls on my tour actually tried to get the name of an English friend of hers, working as a teacher in Manali, thinking that I may have been able to do some voluntary work there, but couldn't get the contact.)
Dharamsala is long and stretched out (lower, middle and upper) basically along a narrow road snaking up the mountain, with a few places where habitation, religious buildings and business coexist. To walk up and down this path is hazardous to say the least, as cows, taxis, buses, jeeps, motorbikes and pedestrians all have equal right of way. The incessant blaring of horns is exhausting, as you have to continually check that you're not the target being tooted at. There are no limits on the decibel ratings of vehicles and some of the horns are excessively shrill and loud.
I felt that Dharamsala was not the quieter stopping off point, I had imagined it might be. The views are beautiful, but everything is hot and dusty, and the beggars are very agressive and in your face. Their strategy was to crowd in on you and pinch your arms. As a lot of the beggars are organised in teams and have a "pimp" (or whatever the term is for the beggars' overlords that take their collected money), I don't have a lot of sympathy for the able-bodied ones who use their own stand over tactics with tourists. Interestingly, tourists on their own are probably at the bottom of the pecking order, unless you become a bit tough. India is a place where people are constantly jostling. As it's a way of life to get things done you have to try and find a place in the jostling. After the tour finished, it became very clear how much our tour guide had smoothed the way for us.
Carol, would you mind forwarding this email on to Clair Harris (the last email to her didn't go through)... Clair, I did find your friend in Mc Leoud Gunge in Dharamsala. I spent the afternoon and evening with her, which was one of the special highlights of the trip, and especially of my time in Dharamsala. It just so happened it was the Punchen Lama's birthday on that day, and I went with her to a special concert in his honour. Both modern and emotional, patriotic songs were performed by mostly young and very talented Tibetan singers. Most of the foreigners had to stand outside the packed hall, but as I was with Ani, I was one of the VIP's, and was in the third row from the stage. Your friend also took me to see the Tibetan museum and the temple where the Dali Lami gives lessons/talks to his Buddhist community. After seeing the Tibetan refugee community in Dharamsala, and knowing what the new railway line linking China to Tibet will mean for Tibet, your heart certainly goes out to them.
I loved the Sikh Temple at Amritzar ( the place of Indira Ghandi's assassination). It really felt like a holy place. The temple is enclosed with a wall like many of the palces, and inside the beautiful golden (literally golden) temple, is situated in the middle of a holy lake, the waters of which are believed to have healing properties. Some of the Sikh men were bathing in the water, and some collecting water in jars. The lake was entirely surrounded with marble tiling, and Sikh people sat quietly around the lake in prayer. Many of the people asked us to sit with them and face the lake as this in itself is believed to be healing. (It reminded me of lourdes, but there was no commercialisation permitted with stalls outside or inside selling "holy" momentos.) After all the hustle and bustle elsewhere it was a bit like being in a magical oasis. It's very opulent but also a very spiritual place, and meticulously clean and maintained. The main temple, after closing time late each night, is carefully cleaned throughout with milk. I think I detected a faint fresh milk smell. There's no entrance fee, and if you're there at lunch time a substantial vegetarian lunch is provided free of charge by volunteers.
I've decided to go on to South East Asia and do a 37 day tour of Vietnam, Cambodia and Nth Thailand (Tour SAIA), with "Imaginative Traveller", the same company as in nthn India. It's been an interesting excercise communicating with the UK to organise my tour and have just managed to get it arranged online.That in itself was quite a challenge as even in the professional business internet site I use, people are packed in like sardines, and I was very nervous entering all my personal banking details so publically, but there was no other option.
To be honest, I could have happily gone home after the wonderful trip in northern India, but have signed an agreement renting out my house for three months. I must say I am looking forward to the genteless of Vietnam and the Vietnamese, Cambodian and Thai people. The heat, dust, horns and contant jostling in Delhi is taking its toll on me. Before I leave India on 9th May, I'm going to Haridwar and Rishikesh for three days, by train. Both of these places have a lot of religious significance to Hindus, and at Haridwar people bathe in the Ganges. I'll be staying 2 nights in Rishikesh which is evidently in a mountainous location, and and is cool in comparison to Delhi. (Simon K, you'll be interested to hear that I was offered yoga 3 times a day during my stay, as this is a spiritual retreat for visitors as well as Hindus. I'm affraid I was a piker and only opted for one yoga session a day!)
In the afternoon and evening 2 days ago there was a burst of torrential rain which gives some idea of what the monsoons would be like. As there are no street drains in Karol Bargh, the area of Dehli where I'm staying, the streets were literally awash with water. It gave some temporary relief from the 40+ degree days (and probably nights), but you'd hardly know there'd been a downpoor today.
Well everyone, I'll sign off from India, and be in touch at a later date from one of my SE Asian countries.
Sorry there've been no postcards. They are actually very far and few between to buy, and what ones there are don't do justice to India.
With love and best wishes to all, Mary C
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Learnscope Last Call
There are still some places left on the Learnscope project for both casual and permanent lecturers.
You will learn about video: how to access ESL videos; how to add sub-titles to existing videos; how to make "digital stories", (photos with subtitles and/or narration), or just narrated text; how to make these accessible to students through public video sites; how to shoot videos for classroom purposes with a digital camera; how to edit these videos.
It may sound daunting, but we're doing it slowly with ten fortnightly sessions. And, you only have to come into the City for the first session. The other sessions will be delivered into the safety of your own home through computer and I will provide backup.
Here is a rough outline of the sessions:
1 Introductions
Use of Software (Elluminate, GoogleTalk and other communication software) {Everybody here in
2 Accessing YouTube and other video access sites; finding ESL sites; adding sub-titles to videos
3 Creating Digital stories with Photostory3
4 Creating a YouTube account and uploading digital stories; exporting YouTube addresses
5 Consolidation and review
6 Using a digital camera to take movies; uploading the movies onto the computer
7 Editing and saving movies with MS MovieMaker
8 Enhancing movies with MS MovieMaker; Recording dialogues and adding them to your video
9 Exploiting your video
10 Review
but these may be reviewed and altered according to participant needs and wants.
So, if you are interested, please let me know as soon as possible. Phone 9229 3609 or e-mail nichop@ames.training.wa.gov.au .
Philip
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
TAFE colleges which offer the CSWE meet on a regular basis to discuss curriculum issues, share resources and undertake moderation sessions. Our PD section usually attends but as next week’s meeting is at Balga we have been asked to nominate one or more lecturers to attend. If you are interested in clocking up a couple of hours of accrued PD which can be offset against regular PD or centre time in the future, please let me know. Maybe someone who missed moderation in January or who will miss it in October? details: Date: Monday 7 MayTime: 3:00 - 5:00pmVenue: Swan TAFE, Balga Campus - Room E001.If you wish to bring assessment tools/results for moderation, please remember to bring along 6 copies of your documents.
Maureen Burnett is our new counsellor who will be assisting Susan three days a week. The rest of the time she will be in the city and in Term 3 will be filling in for Ellen Clair while Ellen is on long service. Maureen has just returned to Australia after living overseas (mainly in Spain) for many years teaching ESL.
From Sonia:
“I received an msn from Mary Anne, who has now gone home. She is still in quite a bit of pain and is to take it easy. She is to go back to see her surgeon on Friday to take out some of the stitches. She said to say hello to everyone and will be in touch when she is able to.”
Anna is recovering from her first chemo treatment and expects to have three more treatments.
From our correspondent in India: “It looks like I will now head to Vietnam, Cambodia and Nth Thailand. India has been great but I have to escape the heat! Possibly SE Asia will be warm too, but there won't be as many cows! Warmest wishes to all, Mary C “
Maureen Burnett is our new counsellor who will be assisting Susan three days a week. The rest of the time she will be in the city and in Term 3 will be filling in for Ellen Clair while Ellen is on long service. Maureen has just returned to Australia after living overseas (mainly in Spain) for many years teaching ESL.
From Sonia:
“I received an msn from Mary Anne, who has now gone home. She is still in quite a bit of pain and is to take it easy. She is to go back to see her surgeon on Friday to take out some of the stitches. She said to say hello to everyone and will be in touch when she is able to.”
Anna is recovering from her first chemo treatment and expects to have three more treatments.
From our correspondent in India: “It looks like I will now head to Vietnam, Cambodia and Nth Thailand. India has been great but I have to escape the heat! Possibly SE Asia will be warm too, but there won't be as many cows! Warmest wishes to all, Mary C “
Interested in Learnscope?
I myself saw the advantages of using online video yesterday morning. With my CSWE3 class on Monday mornings I am teaching “instructions” in general and LOs 3B1 and 3D1 in particular. The theme of the next few weeks is “recipes” and after racking my brain for a few hours to find a new way of introducing the theme that will inspire me as well, ten mins before the lesson, I remembered that I am meant to be doing this Learnscope project on online video and why not use that. No time of course to film Barbara or Barnaby making bigos (the project will include making and editing your own videos) but time enough to search YouTube for an easy recipe. On the second page, I found “Carrot Cake” with sub-titled ingredients and lots of repetition of “add”, “mix”, “beat”, etc. With the class starting off in the Lab, the students were able to view the 6-minute video at their own pace before we went through it together.Now, there are plenty more uses for video than this in your classrooms, so if you are interested in participating in this year’s Learnscope project please contact me by the end of the week.
STOP PRESS: Coincidentally, I hear that Anna is doing video recipes in the Lab with the "Entree to work" course and is using a video site specifically on instructions. Have a look at www.videojug.com .
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