Ok so many have asked how has it been during my first week In Yirrkala. What can I say ... its been BRILLIANT! Such a beautiful place and such an amazing community. Everyone has been so welcoming and so inviting - Going hunting in the next few days for muscles and crabs with the local women, dinners with friends each night, outings out, music and art scene is huge. Just got invited to join the community gardening group. Out tonight with the mob to a local jam session. So thats the social side. The landscape is just picturesque, and the wildlife absolutely crazy. Havent had a day not spotting wedgies overhead, and osprey are a regular thing in the back garden. the geckos goes crazy at dusk with their squeaks and squeals. The flora is magic. So induction day - well half of it was spent on the beach learning about the Yolŋu culture, and partaking in fish trap building. The other half was practical knowledge of ESL and a crash intro course in Yolŋu Dhäruk. Teachers partake in professional training each week for 1.5 hours in language studies. School ... well school .... WOW the kids are beautiful and so enthusiastic and inquisitive and extremely intelligent with most of them speaking four languages apart from Yolŋu Dhäruk. Its a magical time to arrive up here as last week and next week are frantic with Garma Festival preparation. The performances start at our school and then carry on to Gulkula. Hmm frantic is not the word to use actually as everything is done very patiently and thoughtfully at local pace. It actually gives me a whole new perspective and appreciation of time. Just being here I feel very honoured and privileged. Instead of me coming back for the term break, the kids are coming up for the two week break which will be so wonderful. Ill have to start applying very soon for land access passes so I can show them around properly. Posts will be long from now on but infrequent - net service is rather finicky - kind of unnecessary really apart for communication as there is a wealth of .... well how should I put it ... its not a place where one would be bored ... Morning coffee on the back porch watching the sunrise is eventful in itself, let alone sitting and distinguishing all the wildlife sounds. Quite happy that I have distinct barriers around the house as there was a buffalo in the back field a couple of days ago ... and life goes on :-)
Posted on: Sat, 26 Jul 2014 10:07:29 +0000
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