Happenings

Wow, a lot has happened in the 9 days since I last posted.

(Yes, I totally just looked up on my blog when I last posted, and counted backwards.)


Sorry to leave you in the lurch- I've been pretty busy!

(The only reason you're getting a blog post out of me now is because instead of being at dancing, I'm babysitting my dance teacher's kids, and all 3 of them are currently asleep. Or very good at faking it. I have my eye on the middle one, their 5 year old daughter, because out of all of them I reckon she's the one who could pull it off.)


Anyway. I've had some good news and some bad news in the past few weeks.

In the very bad news department, on Sunday I found out that one of my good friend's Dad died very suddenly and unexpectedly last Friday. For as long as I've known him (and that would be about 12 years) he's battled cancer and needed kidney dialysis regularly, but apparently he was the healthiest he'd been in a long time when he had what is thought to be either a stroke or a heart attack. His death is a blow to the entire family of my friend, and to everyone who knew him.

He always called me "Pinky" because of my love for all things pink, and I now feel a little bittersweet when I am reminded of that.


In other news, I found out that I wouldn't be able to work with the St Vincent de Paul Society anymore for my agency placement. The training days they have requested unfortunately fall on a Thursday, a day I have classes; and a Saturday, which is the day of my graduation ceremony!

Instead, I'll be working with Fast Forward, which is a program run by my university in low socioeconomic status schools. Since I joined the program pretty late, I didn't think I'd get to sign up in a school near my area, but I actually did!

I will be mentoring students who are enrolled at Bidwill High School. This particular school is in a pretty rough area. Bidwill is dominated by public housing and is associated with social and economic problems. There is a significant crime problem and riots have been common in the past.

The main reason Bidwill has been chosen as part of the Fast Forward program is that the program's aim is to encourage high school students to go on to complete tertiary education. We mentor kids with the aim of motivating them to go to uni. This is particularly important in Bidwill, where out of 2500 residents, less than 180 go beyond secondary education to university.

Fast Forward's ambition is to "raise participant's aspirations for the future". Since these days jobs that don't require a university degree are few and far between, I'm excited to work with these students and encourage them to enrol in university after they finish high school.


I'd be lying if I said I wasn't also a little terrified.

Upon telling a few friends from church that have been to the area that I'm "going to Bidwill", the first things they said were

"Do you have a bulletproof vest?"

"Your car will probably get robbed"

and

"The guys will probably be rough on you".


Yikes. And they're sending 3 of us girls to this school.

By ourselves.


I'm trying not to be too judgmental or have too many preconceived ideas about the school before I've even walked through the gates. But it's hard.

I'll keep you posted.

:)