Am happily loitering like a menace in Sydney.
Am doing well in classes, broke my finger twice at baseball last season and am gearing up for the cricket season.
At the request of my wonderful equal opportunity organisation I am adding a link to my page.
KOoEE, Kuring-gai's Organisation of Educators for Equality is reaching out into the teaching and learning community through events, fundraisers, awareness campaigns and teacher education.
their website is
http://home.exetel.com.au/kooee/kooeeweb/index.html
check it out
Love Lynley aka Jade aka Schmoo aka 'captain my captain'

posted by Schmoo at 7:56 PM

Well now its time for the amazing adventures of little schmoo and her tattered but trustworthy sidekick tigger to head home after what has been a trying, amazing, sometimes terrifying, sometimes wonderful experience here in nihon (Japan).
with a few more skills and a few less braincells and many fewer clothes but funnily enough more luggage I will be boarding a flight tomorrow evening in Fukuoka heading to Brisbane via Cairns just as the sun rises. on the plus side I get home cooked bacon and eggs for brekky on Tuesday!!!

I cant wait to develope my Boston film and go through all of my photos which have been steadily sent to Mum`s over the past months.

It will be an interesting experience settling back into life in Sydney. I can only hope that the culture shock will wear off quickly as I start uni in March.
Until I see you in person
live long and prosper
xxx
posted by Schmoo at 12:40 AM

Ok sorry about yesty but more people needed to interview me so I had to run.
As you may have heard by now I was in a pretty serious fire.

about 9am I awoke (I was working at 1pm till 9pm so I was sleeping in), to the sound of my housemate screaming and a very short firealarm.
I got up, grabbed my phone (my alarm/phone was next to my bed) and padded over to my door to see what was the matter.
when I opened my door my temp housemate Claire raced past and outside and Alanna`s entire room and bedding, which she had been sleeping in was on fire. As I watched in seconds my living room was on fire.
She too ran out, screaming "Fire Get Out Get Out Get Out".
I grabbed my wallet, watch and keys which were next to my door, turned tailed and fled as the living room plastic floor caught fire and the house filled with black smoke, The caretaker was stepping out of the elevator as I bolted out the door, the caretaker`s wife got a nearby residents to call the firebrigade and evacuated upstairs apartments, the caretaker grabbed some extinguishers and ran in, I grabbed the front door and propped it open so he didn`t get caught and helped manhandle the emergency firehose into the apartment. we started flooding the apartment and another man went in trying to extinguish the blaze. By this time the entire house was billowing with thick black smoke which was falling like rain (on my beautiful winnie the pooh pj top and tigger bottoms, trust me to pick an unmatching pair!!!), everything was starting to flood (including downstairs) but 2 rooms were already ablaze, we were merely keeping the fire contained in the main area of the house.

(Side note, my house has two parts, a balcony and large square area divided into 2 bedrooms on the left and the living room and kitchen on the right, and the second section which has a seperating concrete wall and door for my room on the right - behind the kitchen- and the toilet and bathroom on the left - behind the other bedrooms.)

About that moment being about 3 mins later someone else grabbed the door and I bolted upstairs to find Paul. There was no central fire alarm so the warning was being done by foot.
I ran into his house, screamed "my apartments on fire, NOW, my apartments on fire" and ran back to find my housemates.
Paul checked we were out safe and ran downstairs to 207 - the other boys NOVA apartment to tell them, then went to direct the fire dudes up stairs. By this time I`m back at my apartment but the smoke is so thick I can only direct the caretaker - with poor Japanese- to where the fire is. The fire dudes turn up and I escourt Alanna who is near blind without her glasses to 207. She was pretty hysterical but Claire was completely silent - more worrying.
Got them to sit down, drink water. The police and fire investigation unit turned up. 3 hours later with Miyo`s ( a Japanese NOVA staff member) help we successfully made a statement. Accidental fire in Japan is a crime.

"Anything you say may be used against you and may be recorded. You do not have to answer if you do not wish. I am not a translator, you may ask for a translator." Now that I hope never to hear again in my life.
Mostly it was directed at Alanna, as Claire and I were nowhere near the fire we could only say that there was a fire in Alanna`s room.
I counselled Alanna and suggested that if she felt ok to tell the investigation crew what happened in as short a manner as possible. If she was unsure that she should contact her embassy and request assistance directly from them.
several hours later after questioning and inspection we were left to the apartment. Lucky us and I began the task of finding stuff.
Claire returned to her home branch in FUKUOKA immediately in a very stressed manner. She had brought new clothing, money and a camera not to mention personal items for the help shift/holiday in OITA city. She lost everything.
Alanna returned to apartment 207 and spent the day there.
I raided the apartment.
Being the only one to have a significant number of items to save I had a vested interist in remaining.
I located tigger, my passport and what is mostly my degree portfolio.
I tried to wash some clothes in 207 but most are smoke ruined. Anything above head height melted - such as coat hangers, anything low was wet - flooded, such as books and bedding and everything in between layered in smoke. Anything completely sealed in plastic at a low to medium height was ok - such as my summer clothes - which I am wearing now. shorts and a t-shirt are not very appropriate for midwinter in Japan but I`m managing.
NOVA put me up in a hotel where I will remain for a week.
Am working late today and I am going to the apartment for more hopeful salvaging.
Que Sera Sera
XX

posted by Schmoo at 5:53 PM

Boston
Yay snow and fun and festivities.
Yosh had less fun having seriously sprained her ankle on new years eve.
I was pampered to death by her family who insisted on overfeeding me - and who am i to complain?
I visited all of the major tourist sites in Boston including the JFK and Harvard museums the aquarium and the NUTCRACKER ballet by the Boston Ballet.
It was amazing.

FIRE
not so yay
my house caught fire while i was sleeping today.
I am ok and have salvaged Tigger and a few items.
My housemates have nothing but the clothes they were standing in.literally
more later
posted by Schmoo at 4:31 AM

IT SNOWED
I SAW IT
IT SNOWED ALL DAY!!!
Last Friday it actually snowed
heaps of little snowflakes which melted soon after reaching the ground (so sad) but they were really there.

So of course captainschmoo went completely bananas and was running around the office yelling and shouting much to the amazement of students and fello workers.
Most couldn`t believe that it was my first snow watching day.
I mean I`ve seen it on the ground 3 times now but all were perfectly clear and cool days.

I might say it was a tad cold, it prompted me to buy some completely stylish ear mufflers... cute I tell you!!! well its a fashion statement all my own anyway!!!
as for me tomorrow I am off to Boston to freeze what remains of my butt off even more. I really need to invest in some morewinter gear... oh but the heated toilets are interesting.....
later
posted by Schmoo at 3:38 AM

SNOW DAY
I saw the snow capped peaks of Kuju up close and personal today, what an experience!!!
Took a heap of pics of course.
I was absolutely amazed and slowly freezing my little butt off, it was around the -2 degrees celcius mark, eeeeeeeek
just a little brisk hey!!!
I took `Ellie` (the car- I didn`t name her) for a spin around the mountains to check out the view and ended up doing a 3 hour hike which I will no doubt feel a bit sorry for myself sometime later!!! The hike trapsed thru some amazing snow filled scenery with plants drooping under the weight of big chunks of snow and ice.
About 10mins further than where I went today is the Kuju snow field where the ski season has apparently alrady started. As I was completely covered in mud and had lost feeling in a few limbs, I decided against continuing on but went home after the little hike.
I trapse off to Boston in 6 days, and all of them I`m working... woe I say! Work has setled back into a routine and my kids are all happy to see me again, they`re so awefully cute.

My boss Paul has left for home in the UK for xmas, it`s the first trip home in a few years, I have a new temporary housemate Sandra, another Canadian. Shes a laugh which is cool.
Other than that no news is gathering no moss, as they say
later guys
posted by Schmoo at 3:30 AM

in the land of oz......
wow
did I have a wild time, did I actually sleep anytime in the last 2 weeks????
actually I think I did clock up a few hours rest, just a few mind you.
Thankyou to all those sweethearts who loaned and offered me places to stay and beer to drink and of course company to keep.

After acupuncture, swimming, soccer, shopping, family time, partying, eating and finally getting the last of my uni application finished I will now be looking to return to the land of oz in the new year.
when I can`t say but it will depend on enrolments and whatnots.

Now back in Japan (and loitering in Kansai airport) I have 12 madlem days before Boston which I am way happy about, although I ought to do some more xmas shopping, ah shopping, close to the love of my life really!!!
anyway guys thankyou for the fun and frolics and until next time from the land of Japan
Konnichiwa
xxx
posted by Schmoo at 7:25 PM

ok guys if you havent heard already heres some news
I will be in the land of Oz (Sydney in fact)
DEC 2nd and leaving DEC 10th.
My family will be around (hopefully) so they get dibs on my time but once thats sorted I expect to see as many people as I can possibly see coz I miss you guys dearly (sigh).
I will make myself available (giggle) in drinking establishments for evening entertainment and if I can hunt down a phone to put my SIM card in I will even be contactable by phone!!! Ah modern society.
I would love lunch, coffee, tea or any other form of saying please hunt me down and spend time with me.
Especially for those of you leaving the country soon whom I may not see for many moons.
Oh and if anyone`s curious when I leave sydney I`m forced to spend the night in Osaka as there is no connecting flight so I`m being put up (for free) at the Nikko Kansai hotel http://www.asiatour24.com/japan-hotels/osaka-hotels/Hotel-Nikko-Kansai-Airport-osaka-Hotel.html
I`ve included a tourist link for you to browse at your leisure but I can hear the cries of jealousy from here. What on earth am I going to do with myself in a five star hotel???
Later guys
love Schmoo
posted by Schmoo at 9:35 PM