KatieTheKat

Ok, so, apparently this is not a unique story... there are all kinds of Google results for "ipod through wash". I, like the others, heard a lot of clanking as I was doing laundry today. Acutally, I didn't hear it with the washer - only the dryer. I did even get around to investigating at one point in the middle of the cycle but couldn't really see anything wrong. It was at the end of the cycle when I opened the door that I noticed the cord of my headphones wedged firmly into the edge of the rotating part of the machine and the empty ipod sleeve in their vicinity. With a faint twinge of hope, I thought that perhaps I had taken the ipod out and that the headphones had just gotten caught up in my clothes, but a small amount of digging revealed the shiny and unscathed-LOOKING ipod there amongst my clothes. Being pretty familiar with electronics, I did know it was best to just leave it alone and not turn it on at least overnight and possibly for a few days, but the pristine-lookingness of it and sheer impatience made me reach for the on switch. Black screen. Well, I've come this far, maybe the battery is just completely dead... why not try plugging it in to my computer (heh heh..)? Still nothing. Still the stories from others (and past experience with similar situations) keep me hopeful that it might be revived by morning. And if not then, perhaps a little later? I will keep my fingers crossed...

Meanwhile in other news, first day of practicum went pretty well. My sponsor teacher is friendly, the school principal is a very approachable and jovial fellow, and I am looking forward to actually meeting the class tomorrow!

kat

So, 3 weeks ago now was my first day of classes at Malaspina University-College. It seems longer ago already, and yet I still do not feel completely bogged down with work as I had been warned I might. My first practicum starts next week and the only detail I know about my placement is that it will be in Nanaimo (and I only just found out that tidbit this afternoon - I could have been as far afield as Shawnigan Lake, Saltspring Island, or even Tofino). I thought that going into the first practicum would be a daunting prospect, but actually I suspect it may be the easiest part of the program so far - no homework, just observing the classroom, getting to know the kids and the school, and perhaps participating in some fun activities.

Studying education at Malaspina is nothing like studying computer science at UBC. All of my classes are in a fixed schedule which I share with a group of 32 other student-teachers. We have breaks at the same time and often have nothing better to do with those breaks than play hackeysack or toss a frisbee around (or catch up on some reading). The classes we take include drama and art, things that I haven't pursued academically since elementary school. Of course it is not all fun and games but, well, those are big parts of being an elementary school teacher..

Living in Nanaimo again, well, it has its bonusses. The lake and so many parks so nearby. The mountain so close to home - I don't have to cross the center of town to get to it. Goaltimate is actually pretty fun, and ultimate will be starting up pretty soon too. The bakery, of course, which I have actually hardly taken advantage of since I have been back - it seems like too much of an indulgence to go too often, I guess. Having Spatz for company every time I come home, and Bruno to teach frisbee skills to. Feeling like the air is fresh and clean and having the option to camp out in the backyard every night (maybe I will actually get around to doing that tonight!). Despite these perks, I do miss Vancouver, but not as much as I feared. It is really a nice change of pace.

I don't have a really functional camera yet, but I can always chase after Spatz or Bruno with the one built in to my computer:
So I have generally been keeping pretty busy. The weekend before last, I went on a hike with mom and a friend of hers (and Bruno) in Strathcona. We hiked up Mt. Albert-Edwards on Sunday morning and Hans buzzed over us in his plane. While we stood on a snowpatch, he circled around a few times then let drop a package out of the window. I ran over to retrieve it from the rocks and opened it to find chocolate bars, cliff bars, and of course his delivery bill :). This last weekend was a little more lazy, though I did run around the lake with Bruno, go for a swim, and play some goaltimate, which I am starting to appreciate more than I did the one and only time I played it in Vancouver. I even almost managed to visit with Deb and Andre at the ferry terminal, but instead ended up spending some extra time on my homework :).

Well, that's my story so far. Perhaps I will discover some great horrors of the first practicum next week, but in the meantime I will remain optimistic.

kat

P.S. I have discovered that I have nearly a month off at Christmas time.. anyone up for a trip of some sort? Mexico, maybe?