Halloween (What the?)

I haven't had a chance to update in a week because of School stuff, and I felt a bit sad at the beginning of the week. I was fine by Wednesday, but it was all just a bit overwhelming.

Preston and I stayed the weekend at Chesapeake Beach and walked the beach and stuff. Preston did the most amazing thing and came all the way from Maryland to Richmond to help me register my car and then we both drove all the way back again. He had to play in church today.



Preston's recital was supposed to go ahead this month, but he has been able to put it into the next semester since he has so many other performance commitments this month.



It was the weekend before Halloween and the locals were out in full spirit. There were children happily digging graves and their parents constructing giant puppetry; Bats and Ghouls and Spiders ... and shit. Aparently the most freakish of all the exhibits, even more freaky than the video below were the two men in love walking along the boardwalk. Yes folks, my first public "shame" as an out gay. three 10 year old kids laughted and kind of screamed, one had some kind of fit on the side of the boardwalk as we returned from the end of the pier. But the best of it was the 'parting of the red sea' on the 8 metre wide boardwalk. Some actually got off the boardwalk because they were so afraid of the creatures. And then a "sick queers" shout out from an african american youth, who was obviously trying to get the girl he was with to sleep with him. So we instantly remembered that we must have been in McCain territory and are crossing EVERYTHING that he doesn't get into the White House tomorrow.

I was a little shocked and Preston was quietly outraged. Everyone else was out for a walk, holding hands and enjoying the sun, but it's clear what kind of world we live in. Perhaps that's why I felt a bit low at the beginning of the week. But I'm well over it now.

Check out this video to see who our competition was for most freakiest creature of the day.




But we made our own fun!

Getting into the groove

This is Leonor and I on a very hot and stinky day!

Well I've been here for about FIVE WEEKS now and still haven't been paid. Preston and I are both bled dry, but we still find the energy to smile about it. My new found Spanish friend Leonor is in the same boat. She only had $100 left and decided to spend it on a $70 pair of shoes, and she looks foxy in them.

I find it hard to like my year 10 class for a whole period, but there are tiny glimmers of hope, it's just most of the time, I'm too sleep deprived, hungry or run off my feet to notice. I'm sure very soon we will realise that the hate we feel for each other really is love and it will all work out.

I'm missing Aus more than ever. A wise colleague of mine who migrated to the US from Argentina says that you never stop being home sick, but you learn how to deal with it. I think that will pretty much be my experience. I really miss my Coast crew. Irreplaceable. The Melbournites, and the boys from the Shire. My workmates at St Peter's... Man I miss my job... But it's all worth it.

I won't bore you with the soppy romance, but it's so much better than that and just have to report that I couldn't be happier in that department, and it makes living here all the more barable.

In fact it's not bad living here at all. In fact, when I feel more settled, I'm sure I will actually love it. I'm getting used of the roads. Peston came here last weekend and we found THE BEST Gelato shop. I've had 8 different flavors already. This weekend I'm going to go to DC and hopefully get to see Jimmy and David (Preston's mates), and have a great time running around the Smithsonian again. Or meeting the President. It's my goal. I'm going to see if I can get all the way into the oval office just to say 'hi' from all my mates in Australia who are 'huge fans'.

Well enough crap. As you can tell, nothing much has really happened. That's because I'm always fucking working!!! God Bless America.

PS I'm even getting fatter. And you should see how fat some of them are! Woah. You ain't seen fat until you get over here. I've seen some drinking diet coke for breakfast!

Only Just Begun

Hey folks, I've decided to keep a blog of my new life in the US. I have lots to say already, but it's past 11pm and it's become apparent that teachers are overworked and underpaid here, so need all my energy to get through to lunch time without peeing or eating. Loving it though and have great kids but more on that later.

Stay tuned...