High Tea at Raffles Hotel

Girls just wanna have fun! Even big girls! And what do big girls do to have fun, you may ask? They go to High Tea at the Raffles Hotel. The Raffles Hotel is the oldest hotel in Singapore. Named after Sir Stamford Raffles, a British sailor who founded Singapore, this colonial-style hotel is the oldest in Singapore. The Raffles is supposedly where the sole surviving wild tiger in Singapore was shot and made extinct, and the hotel is where the famous cocktail the Singapore Sling was invented. 

Please note the extended pinky.

Outside the hotel by an orange tree.

Take a look at that! Our yummie treats.

A look at Marina Bay Sands.

Christ is my helper

School has begun and life has resumed to "normal". It has taken awhile to get back into the routine of things - getting up early, being on my feet all day, talking to eighteen children, and so on. Some days are easier than others, but Christ gives me the strength I need for each day.

I am blessed to have two new students join my class. Two more boys, one from Korea and one from California, bring the grand total to eighteen. Eighteen kids who bring energy, excitement, frustration, and love to my days. As Christmas vacation came to a close, the separation from my students began to get to me. I never knew how much I would miss them; what am I going to do when we say good-bye for the summer?! 

Since kindergarten, I have wanted to be a teacher; mostly, because I loved telling others what to do and I loved writing on the white board. In high school I began to realize the power teachers have - for the good and for the bad. College taught me how to teach. Now finally, I have my own classroom full of my own students. Half way through my first year it finally feels real. No longer does it feel like I am playing school like I did so many days as a kid. I use to dream of standing in front of a class and filling their brains with knowledge; I use to dream of using those colorful markers to write on that smooth white surface; I use to dream of being an influence in children's lives. Now that the day has come that all my dreams are coming true, it is...different. I am tired, I always feel like I am one step away from being sick, I have a new found love for being alone, I have decided that chocolate is indeed a food group and a crucial one to my sanity, I find myself referring to myself as "Miss Jorgenson" in random conversations, the list could go on. The reality is, teaching is hard and being a grown up is even harder. How did my parents make it look so easy?! I have only been a grown up for about seven months (I am counting from college graduation), so maybe I should give myself a bit of a break? Much of what we learn is through simply living and experiencing. 

No matter, Psalm 46 tells us "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help." This truth is one I am clinging to. There is no way I can do all God has called me to without the His strength. As each day passes, God amazes me at his generosity and his sustaining power. Whether it was a lesson going very well or it was a hug from one of my kids, God never fails to help me. Help me in my job, help me see how much I am loved, see how much He loves me, or just help me see Him. God never fails! 

Miscellaneous sights and sounds of Australia

Not sure what this is, but saw it everywhere. Some sort of fuzzy, upside down blossom.

Uggs, boots that were first manufactured and sold in Australia, are sold everywhere. The store I took this picture in also sold souvenirs, Pringles, pop, gum, etc.

Even the public transportation could not deny that it was Christmas.

Jamie, a uniclycing street performer, who happened to be from Minnesota.

Our ferry stop

TARGET! How I have missed you!! We went out of our way to find this store and do some shopping.

Pancakes on the Rocks. 

A famous pancake restaurant in Sydney.

Yum. Yum. Yum.

Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville 

Santa was on every lamp post.

The Rocks 

The more historic part of Sydney. The streets were lined with vendors selling products varying from soap to scarves to baby blankets.

Luna Park, an amusement park. Not that exciting, but fun to explore.

I found Leonardo DiCaprio in Sydney!! I quickly ran up and got our picture taken. 

A beautiful lighthouse I discovered on a walk.

And that is Sydney. 

I had an absolutely wonderful time in Australia. It was relaxing, fun, and full of sight-seeing. What more could I have asked for?

Thanks be to God.

Australia, the beautiful contrasting country

Australia truly is a contrasting country. On one continent there are mountains, beaches, forests, and the desert outback. It was great being in Sydney and seeing all the sights, but it was so good to get out of the city and explore the mountains. 

When out on the water you are surrounded by beautiful pieces of land, jutting out into the water.

We spent two afternoons at Manly Beach. It was only a thirty minute ferry ride. The white sandy beach, the cool, refreshing water, and the roar of the waves created a truly relaxing afternoon.

In the southern hemisphere, everything is opposite. The sink drains the opposite way and the needles on pine trees point up. I am not actually sure if that is true, but it sounds true :)

View of Manly Beach. The first afternoon it seemed like we had the beach to ourselves. The second afternoon (which was also a Sunday) was much more crowded. 

A seagull posing for his picture.

I am LOVING Australia!

B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L

After spending a week in Sydney, we packed up and headed for the mountains. After about a two hour drive we were in the mountains. Leaving the hustle and bustle of Sydney...and of Singapore...I embraced the seclusion and slow pace of the mountains.

The mountains not only provided seclusion from the world, no internet, no responsibilities and no sense of time, it also provided separation from a tropical climate. It was a blessing to wear jeans and sweatshirts again and snuggle under blankets while sitting next to a fire place.

The Blue Mountains, on the border of New South Whales and Queensland. This mountain range gets its name from the mist that gives an illusion of blue.

Echo Point, home of the Three Sisters. It a very dreary day but the fog lifted just enough for me to snap this photo.

A new day! Mr. Sun has come out to play. A beautiful view of one of God's masterpieces.

A beautiful waterfall found during a hike in the Blue Mountains.

Katoomba Falls

It was lush and green everywhere.  

Photos truly cannot do justice to what God has created.

Australian wildlife

A day at Taronga Zoo and a day at Featherdale provided many opportunities to see and interact with wildlife one can only do so while in Australia.

Did you know koalas are awake for only four hours each day!? Needless to say, it was hard to find a koala awake and doing something.

Mufasa; King of the jungle

Echidna - a mammal that lays eggs. Related to the ant eater, porcupine, and hedgehog, this spiny animal is exclusive to Australia and New Guinea.

Koalas are my new favorite animal. 

How could you not love these animals? To help them balance in the trees, koalas did their claws into the trees.

How precious are they?!!

Just some kangaroos lounging in the afternoon sun.

Look Mom! I am hand feeding a kangaroo! Their fur is extremely soft and their claws are very sharp (last fact gained from personal experience).

Mommy and baby. Little Joey is curious of the outside world.

The Tasmanian Devil. Although this little guy looks cute, his little jaws have the capacity to crush bones. Ironically, these animals have caused their own endangerment. Due to their very aggressive nature and history of killing livestock, humans have began killing this animal in effort to protect their livestock.

My new pal, Bonnie.

At a seal show at the zoo. This is Murphy; he was showing the audience that he was from America (the trainer had him "bark" in his American accent). Murphy is the only seal at this zoo born in America.

Isn't our God creative? Living in and visiting other countries has given me opportunities to see the vast amount of creatures God has put on this planet.

Christmas in Australia - Sights around Sydney

School is out for 3 weeks! 

I, along with my aunt, uncle and cousins, spent twelve days in Australia. The first half we were in Sydney and the second part we traveled up to the Blue Mountains. 

While in Sydney we used the ferry for transportation, visited the Taronga Zoo, walked around the Opera House, visited the Powerhouse Museum, shopped at Target (a definite highlight!), went to Featherdale (a wildlife park where we could pet koalas and feed kangaroos), and went to church at Hillsong.

Below are some sights around Sydney.

A look across the wharf into Sydney. 

Much of Sydney is based around the water. The use of ferries is a popular choice of transportation. It is quick and easy; just hop on and hop off at your choice of location.

A ferry. Most are double-deckers while a choice of inside or outside seating. 

We got a multi-ride pass; with this, we had unlimited bus and/or ferries rides.

One morning I took a walk around the wharf. I found beautiful boats on tranquil waters. 

Along the water there are big, beautiful, old houses. Many have cascading gardens (like the one above) and stone staircases. 

Circular Quay. The ferry station.

Along Circular Quay there were various street performers. 

Aborigine men performing - they played this long instrument (man on ground on far right). 

I saw this man almost every time I went downtown. He made a lot of progress in the time I was there.

The Sydney Harbor Bridge

The Opera House