hey all,

Thursday was a great day. Pretty much just had the morning off and then just did sport all arvo with the senior boys on the all weather court (which is currently covered in ice).

Then at night, i went to play indoor volley with John Gore, (director of studies). He looks and sound like Hugh Grant! It was so much fun! All the guys were really professional – knee pads and everything. Got smacked a few times from some huge spikes. This will be a weekly thing, so will be getting smacked regularly.

The school internet system is incredibly frustrating! It has a filtering system that blocks almost EVERYTHING!

It blocks almost all forms of email that aren’t through the school. 
It blocks my website.
It blocks, of all things, google. (but apparently, so the kids tell me, not the belgian version!)
It isn’t even consistent. I can be on a website one minute, close it and open it again and it’s blocked!

So i’m writing this (and everything else) from the kiwi guy’s house (the really awesome bloke). he has a 2-yr old son named hamish who’s says no when he means yes and no when he means no. The trick is trying to find out which of the two he actually means.

e.g. “hamish, would you like a drink?”
“No.” So, you put the drink away, and then he cries.

e.g.2 “hamish, would you like a drink?”
“No.” So, you pour him a drink and he screws up his face and says “no”, and tips it on the floor.
You just can’t win.

Today was my actual first working day – and pretty hectic too.

 Morning was waking up all the boarders in the junior boys dorm (about 25 kids aged 7-9) and getting them dressed and ready for brekky. Food is actually really quite good! Apparently, the food at Ardvreck is to be made as an example of what food should be like in all independent schools! Continue reading this post…

The local supermarket sells vegemite!!!!!!! 🙂

I’m in Scotland and it’s bloody cold!

Arrived in Crieff (a small town about an hour north of Edinburgh) a couple of nights ago and have been staying at the school (Ardvreck). It’s a tiny, picturesque little school/castle, with breath-taking views of the scottish snow-capped mountains. It was snowing as we arrive. yes, very beautiful, and yes, very, very cold. I’ve met the other three gappies. Joe, Kat and Chloe are each from the Hunter Valley, Canberra and Armadale. They’re all pretty cool people. There’s a kiwi bloke here who’s looking after us. He’s Continue reading this post…

Hi guys.

Thanks for your emails and for posting comments on this site – i really appreciate it. At the moment, i am currently unable to reply to your emails, but i can receive them. I will sort this out when i arrive in Edinburgh. If you read one of my blog posts, please post a comment! Just Continue reading this post…

Hi everyone!

I’ve arrived in England!

As i write this, i’m on a train from London to Edinburgh!

Currently, when i load my pics onto this site, the memory for each photos is HUGE, so would take you about 10 mins from a 56k modem to see them (thanks for the tip brendon).

I left Australia from Brisbane airport on the 3rd. Luggage was a few kilos over the limit (so a massive fee), but I slipped my foot under the luggage conveyor belt and lifted my foot up when they were weighing the bags – reducing the total weight by about 6kg (sneaky sneaky).

On the plane with Sean and jez was awesome! The first few hours were the most i’ve laughed in ages – a pity the plane trip lasts a lot longer than a few hours.

7 hours later, and after a few in flight movies, we arrived in Singapore Airport. After another 7-8 hours (and even more in flight movies and a colouring book) we arrived in Abu Dabi (don’t have a clue how to spell it), in the United Arab Emirates. Weirdest airport ever! It was like being inside a huge mosiaced soccer ball.

Another 7-8 hours, and we arrived in Heathrow airport – absolutely massive!

All the all saints gappies went our separate ways (there were 10 of us on the flight). I went with Nick Hare (the guy who runs ‘Letz Live’, an ex-student from ASAS. He organises gap for school leavers) and his group of about 15 gappies (from all over Australia). We dumped our bags at a backpackers and then set out to see the sights of London.

London was amazing (and bloody freezing!). Old buildings, cobblestone roads and English accents! We walked through a park (Hyde?) to Buckingham palace to see the changing of the guard (along with about 5000 other people). The fluffy-hat brigade marched in with a marching band – a whole lot of fuss really. But then again, if i had to stand completely still for that long, i’d want a big celebration to mark the end of my shift too! (this happens every single day at 11:30 am).
                

Also, got an awesome photo with an english policeman. (again, will post all these photos when i get it sorted – watch this space). Then just sort of wandered around London, using the Tube (subway) to get around.

Had dinner at an old english pub – or tried to. I kept falling alseep. Nick Hair was awesome. I thoroughly recommend anyone going on gap next year to get in contact with nick (www.letzlive.com.au).

Got up the next morning at about 5:30 to catch the train from Kings Cross (that’s right, the one from monopoly) to Edinburgh, Scotland. I’m currently on the train now, watching the beautiful English countryside roll by.

So that’s everthing up to date. Hope everyone is well back home and i’ll write some more when i arrive at my school (Ardvreck).

Mitch

Today’s the day.

On a plane from Brisbane at 12:30, then the long haul flight in cattle class until Heathrow. I’ve finished packing (just), and weighed my bags at least a million times to check that’s it not over the 30kg limit. Ok, maybe not quite a million.

I will arrive in London and am staying a night at a backpackers before catching a train to Edinburgh from Kings Cross Station (yes, that’s the one from monopoly). I’m being picked up from Edinburgh by the school along with the other gappies going to Ardvreck.

And then, it begins…

Click below to see my preparation for Scotland.

Preparing for Scotland