TAFE Placement

I have almost finished a TAFE course, Diploma in Community Services and Diploma in Community Development. (like a social worker, but not at a degree level)

For months I was fretting over placement. Having to do 300 more hours of unpaid work. It is a bit silly taking 9 weeks off a full time job, to be unpaid and I wasn't sure what I would do.

There have been a lot of changes at my TAFE due to Government budget cuts (bastards) and our placement teacher left. They bought in a new sessional (contract) teacher and I had an appointment with her. She was a beautiful dread locked blonde Amazon, dressed in pale pink. I couldn't stop staring at her. I wanted to be funky and dreadlocked, instead of looking like a middle aged bag lady, I mean middle aged office worker. 

Most of the students at my TAFE end up doing placement at DHS in Child Protection. I considered it, but didn't know what to do about time off work. Work have been very good to me and I didn't want to push it. The placement teacher suggested I apply to do holiday camps with children with disabilities. She explained that if you are there overnight, it counts as 24 hours and you could possibly complete all the hours by doing three weekly camps. I discussed it with work and they agreed as it was much less disruptive.

The time came to write the letter of application and I just couldn't do it. I read up a bit on the camps, and the one-on-one carer is supposed to be active, and do stuff like playing cricket, or flying fox, or footy. Obviously that is not me. Plus, I wasn't sure if I wanted to do child care on such a high level. Like the time I was asked to mind some kids at the caravan at Lake Eppalock and they told me they were allowed to play with matches and I believed them.

It got me thinking, what else could I do that was overnight, that would be suitable for a student. It is a big responsibility keeping a student supervised etc. even a mature aged one.

I remembered one of the blokes at work telling me about a place one of his family members went into. A privately run live-in wellness center, that had Reiki, massage, meditation, Western Medicine, yoga and other New Agey stuff. It is mainly for addictions, mental health and respite from the modern lifestyle. He was a non believer, until he saw the miracle himself.

I wrote to the center to ask if they would consider me for work experience. I expected a NO. As I said it is a big ask. I gave them enough time to think about it and then made a follow up phone call. I had butterflies. I was almost stuttering. Anyway they said YES! Which made me start babbling in gratitude.

It is in country Victoria and so far I have completed around 250 hours, mainly overnights and weekends.  It is amazing. I can't believe how wonderful it is. Below are some of the things I get to do, while 'working'

. Doing the 'rounds' of an evening, lighting incense on the way, checking clients and external doors
. A farewell ritual for a departing client, barefoot, on the grass by the river
. Sitting in the sun, chatting to the clients between therapies.
. Curling up on a leather couch, in my pyjamas, with a cup of herbal tea (from a selection of ten, with names like Blue Moon, Calm, Zinger) hearing life stories of clients
. Philosophy, yoga (aarrrgggh) Qi Gong (double arrrgghh cos it goes for an hour and a half)
. Walk along the river
. Day trips to the Oak Forest and Hanging Rock
. being jealous of the clients, because they have specially prescribed chinese tea (fondly nicknamed 'river mud') and bruises from cupping and acupressure and I don't.
. listening to the frogs croaking in the nearby pond
. saying hello to the resident magpies
. watching the ducks visit the pond, when the magpies don't chase them away
. chasing the cat out
. feeding bacon to the yoga teachers dog on Sundays. Should have seen how shitty it was when I cooked eggs benedict and it had to have Virginia ham instead of bacon. I nearly got my leg gnawed off.
. making candles
. using the Quickfit vibrating machine
. hanging out in a Himalayan salt room/cave
. colouring in in the art therapy room
. watching the apple tree change from bare branch, to green buds, to blossoms

Next week I will be there for the whole week. I am looking forward to it. When it is over, I will mourn, but will be forever grateful I had such an opportunity.

Bad daughter

After mum's adventures overseas, where she was missing, you would think that when she came back, I would be fussing all over her, grateful to have a second chance. Well yes, I am grateful for our second chance, but we went straight back to what we always do, ignoring each other. We like it. Same as I like ringing her on Mother's Day and saying 'Happy fucken Mother's Day' and then we race to see who can hang up first. And then laugh like maniacs to ourselves if we think we won.

The other night she was unwell, it is horrible being sick on your own and she was thinking the worst. Of course she doesn't ask for help, she could have a terminal illness and wouldn't tell us. Anyway she sent me and The King of the Poodle Mafia an email, giving us her death bed instructions on what to do with her dogs.

My response was something like this:

1. you are a drama queen 
2. when you die, your body wont be found for days and your dogs will eat you, we will have to call the ranger and have them put down because they will have the taste for human flesh and blood lust. They will be zombie dogs.
3. I will make you an appointment with Dr Wang and you can try some acupuncture.

My own kid will also follow in this proud family tradition. She is overseas and I know she is missing me a little bit, but as soon as she gets back, she will lock herself in her bedroom, ignore me (unless she has lost something, which is my fault) and grunt occasionally. If I am lucky I might get a hug without stiff arms.

Not enough work

Well that isn't quite correct, I probably have enough work, I just don't want to do it. I keep getting distracted by interesting websites.

Pretty, colorful, interesting and funky
http://petit-poids.tumblr.com/

Great photos
http://inkbutter.com/the-photography-of-brock-elbank?utm_source=scribol.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=scribol.com