Completely burnt out

I cried a couple of hours ago. I cried out of tiredness from spending the whole weekend studying. I know am close to the end. I know it's only this set of 3 assignments and then is free time for quite a few weeks, but after spending the whole day in front of the computer, with a sore back, tight neck and a completely burnt out brain I realised that what I wrote today may have to be re-written. In light of a professional discussion with a fellow student I had to face the fact that being 100 words from the end I would have to consider spending a couple of extra hours today and more during the week to edit, check and re-write. I couldn't handle it. I walked out to the backyard and cried aloud, wanting to pull my hair out. A little calmer now I'm drinking a cup of tea and I am resigned to go over it all during the week. Friday is cut off day and then I swear I would have a drink. A big drink.

My new top

I love this top. My sister and mum sent it from Argentina via my mother in law. I love the colours and the fabric. It's so silky and fresh I think that I am going to wear it out like my other top from Rapsodia, in Buenos Aires. Thank you family!

Me encanta esta blusita. Mi hermana y mi mama me la mandaron desde Argentina por mi suegra. Me encantan los colores y la tela ademas del diseno. Es tan sedosa y fresquita que me parece que la voy a gastar como mi otra remera de Rapsodia de Buenos Aires. Gracias familia!

A 2 Day Vacation

A 2 day vacation does wonders for the soul. Visiting Cumberland River was enchanting. The place is nestled in the Great Ocean Road only 4 km from Lorne. The holiday park is beautiful, peaceful and isolated: the perfect recipe for a rest. We hired a cabin (which was comfortable but so small compared with the ones in Tatra and Merimbula) and had a king size Argentinian bbq for our dinner. What I love about this camp is that you can make a camp-fire. Every site has its own half drum where you can make your fire. It is an amazing site when the sun is setting and you walk around the place spotting smoke climbing to the sky here and there and you hear the sounds of nature dying down to be replaced by the distant crush of the waves and the hushed voices of the few people there cooking their dinners.

The second day we spent it in Lorne, walking and visiting the shops, eating chips and calamari and drinking coffees. I even fitted it some studying while overlooking the ocean and Ric and Anton descended the Erskine River bush track. It took them 2 hours. Now back at home with the cats who missed us and couldn't wait for a little bit of attention.

Unas vacaciones de dos dias hacen maravillas para el alma. Visitar Cumberland River fue encantador. El lugar esta anestado en la Gran Ruta Oeanica a 4 km de Lorne. El camping es hermoso, pacifico y aislado: perfecto para el descanso. Alquilamos una cabina (comoda pero super chica comparadas con las que alquilamos en Tatra y Merimbula) y comimos un gigante asado argentino para la cena sobre un fueguito de campo. Eso es lo que me gusta de este lugar que podes prender tu propio fueguito. Cada cabina y/o sitio de carpa tiene medio tanque sobre unas patas de fierro donde podes prender tu propio fuego a lena. Es hermoso cuando baja el sol y vas caminando por el lugar y ves el humo subiendo aqui y alla mientras escuchas lcomo os ruidos de la naturaleza se apagan y se reemplazan por el sonido de las olas rompiendo a lo lejos. El cielo se llena de estrellas y lo unico que queda son los sonidos de los pocos que quedan cocinando la cena.

El segundo dia lo pasamos en Lorne caminando, visitando negocios y comiendo papas fritas, calamares y tomando cafes. Yo pude incluso estudiar un poco mientras Ricky y Anton bajaron la camianata del rio Erskine. Les llevo 2 horas. Ahora de vuelta en casa con los gatos que nos extranaron mucho y no veian la hora de que les den un poco de atencion.

Happy18th Birthday Son!

Hapy 18th birthday son, welcome to adulthood. I can't believe that you are 18 years old already. I am so proud of you all the time and I will always be. I hope that this part of your life is as fun and beautiful for you as your childhood was. I promise to always be here for you. I love you.

Felices 18 hijito, bienvenido a la adultez. No puedo creer que ya tengas 18 anos. Estoy tan orgullosa de vos todo el tiempo y siempre lo estare. Espero que esta parte de tu vida sea tan divertida y tan hermosa como lo fue tu ninez. Prometo siempre estar aca para vos. Te amo.

"La Susi" llega a Melbourne!

After a long trip and a lot of stress my mother in law safely arrives in Melbourne to meet her sons, daughter, daugthers in law and grandchildren. She said "it wasn't as hard as she thought" so Ricardo prepare yourself for many more trips. It was really nice seeing her again.

Despues de un largo y estresante viaje para mi suegra, finalmente llego a Melbourne sana y salva para re-encontrarse con sus hijos, hija, nueras y nietos. Dijo que el viaje "no fue tan dificil como se imaginaba" asique preparese Ricardo para mas viajecitos. Fue muy lindo verla de vuelta despues de tanto tiempo. Se la ve bien!

Taking a break from studies AGAIN

On Sunday I was cooked up in the house studying all day, trying to start writing a literature review but failing to narrow the topic of discussion. It took me 6 hours of research to finally decide how to start. At 3 pm I was totally burnt out and went out to meet my son and hubby who left me 2 hours earlier. We met, had a coffee and sat in front of other human beings instead of my computer monitor.

El domingo estuve todo el dia encerrada estudiando, tratando de empezar a escribir una critica literaria, pero fallando terriblemente en definir el tema de discusion. Me llevo 6 horas de investigacion para decidir como empezar. A las 3 pm mi cerebro no podia mas y sali a encontrarme con mi hijo y mi marido quienes me abandonaron 2 horas antes. Nos encontramos, tomamos un capuccino y me sente en frente de otros seres humanos en vez de la maldita pantalla de la computadora.

Glamour

Last Friday I became a star when I decided to perform my "boss' funny dance" wearing my boss' face as a mask in front of 30 staff members including my boss, who I discovered has a great sense of humour. The funny thing was that because I was wearing the mask I couldn't see what was happening and I assumed everyone was doing the dance. To my dismay when the song ended and the mask fell from my face I discovered it was only me and my friend who were still on the stage. This picture is of me getting off the limo to receive the MTV Award.

El viernes pasado me transforme en una estrella cuando decide hacer la "danza ridicula de mi jefe" usando una mascara de la cara de mi jefe en frente de 30 miembros del staff, incluyendo mi jefe, quien he descubierto tiene un gran sentido del humor. Lo gracioso fue que como la mascara no me dejaba ver nada yo asumi que todos estaban haciendo la danza. Para mi sorpresa cuando la cancion termino y la mascara se cayo de mi cara, descubri que yo y mi amiga eramos las unicas que quedamos en en escenario. Esta foto es cuando baje de la limousine para recibir el premio MTV.

Asadito

Well...Saturday came around finally after a long working week. I went shopping to Casa Iberica to get some Spanish goodies and like every time I go there I end up spending too much and buying things that are not on the list, especially if it is a Saturday "day of indulgence". I bought prosciutto serrano (the best prosciutto in the world), dulce de leche (made in Australia), morcilla (black pudding), quince jam, chorizo and yerba mate. Of all of that I only ate the chorizos and the black pudding on the barbecue. We hadn't had a proper asado in ages. Asado is the name of the Argentinian barbecue. Like Clive James said once jokingly "the asado originated when a cow accidentally caught fire", which made laugh a lot, because it is true. Compared with other barbecues the argentinian one is kind of gross in the sense that we eat everything from the cow, hence the joke. This time though, our barbecue was not a typical argentinian one. We didn't buy asado, we only got some american ribs and the morcilla and chorizos as well as chicken. Ric is making a "parrilla" a special grill where you can actually grill the meat slowly...as the true asado must be cooked. Nonetheless the food was very nice and especially enjoyable since we haven't had a barbie in ages.

El sabado llego finalmente despues de una semana de arduo trabajo. Fui a comprar a Casa Iberica, y como siempre que voy ahi, termino gastando demasiado y comprando cosas que no estaban en la lista, especialmente si es Sabado (dia de indulgencia culinaria). Compre yerba, dulce de leche (hecho en Australia- no el mejor pero pasable), membrillo, oregano, pimenton ahumado, morcilla, chorizo colorado y chorizitos para la parrilla. De todo lo que compre comimos solamente la morcilla y el chorizo a la parrilla. Lamentablemente no consegui asado, el autentico corte estilo argentino para la parrilla. EL asado es tradicionalmente argentino y como una vez dijo Clive James en chiste, se origino cuando accidentalmente se prendio fuego una vaca, refiriendose a que en el asado argentino se comen todas las partes de la vaca. Me causo mucha gracia cuando escuche eso. Ricky esta haciendo una parrilla para poder cocinar el asado despacito como debe hacerce en vez de a fuego fuerte y rapido como se hace la carne asada en Australia. Igualmente a pesar de no tener asado, la comida estuvo riquisima y la disfrute mucho.

This weekend I had an assignment to start writing using Google documents with another student in Tasmania. It is something I don't look forward to. I don't think I like writing with another person. There's always a big part of your thoughts that you must give in order to make room for the other person's writing. I know that collaborating is a skill that is being sought after, but I still can bring myself to enjoy doing it. I am enjoying using the technology though, I think that using Google documents to write collaboratively is the best tool. It has so many uses and could be explored immensely in classrooms around the country and the world to expand students' notions of team work, collaboration and new technologies in authentic forms.

Este fin de semana tuve que empezar otro trabajo para la facultad usando Google docs, con otra estudiante que vive en Tasmania. Es algo que nunca me entusiasma hacer (trabajar en equipo), especialmente escribir con otra persona. Es muy dificil porque uno tiene que ceder gran parte de los pensamientos, las ideas, la estructura para hacer lugar para la escritura de la otra persona. Y que pasa si los estilos conflictuan? Yo se que colaboracion es una abilidad que es muy buscada hoy en dia, pero sinceramente no me gusta compartir escritura con otro. SI estoy disfrutando usar Google docs, me aprece una herramienta technologica fantastica. Tiene tantos usos y podria ser utilizada en aulas alrededor del pais y del mundo para expandir las nociones de los alumnos de trabajo en equipo, colaboracion y tecnologias nuevas en formas autenticas.

Sunny Sunday

At last the weekend brought about a little bit of sunshine. Sunday started really nice, talking with my sister and my 2 years old niece on Skype. She is so cute and funny. I find it extremely amazing how she understands our unique way of communication. She talks to the computer and takes me with her around the house. Whatever she wants me to see she brings it to the screen and knows that I can't see what she's doing if she goes away, which demonstrates an advance stage of development (conservation property in Piaget's cognitive development). It is simply amazing, she truly is a "digital native".

Al fin el fin de semana trajo un poquito de sol. El domingo empezo lindo, hablando con mi hermana y sobrinita por Skype. Es tan linda y graciosa. Me parece totalmente increible como entiende nuestro sistema de comuncacion. Le habla a la computadora y la lleva con ella a todos lados de la casa. Lo que se le ocurre mostrarme, lo hace delante de la pantalla, claramente entendiendo que si desaparace de la pantalla yo no puedo verlo, lo cual demuestra que su desarrollo cognitivo alcanzo la propiedad de 'conservacion". Es verdaderamente sorprendente, claramente es una "nativa digital".

I really enjoyed the day. I mowed the grass and it smelled so nice. I really love the way the grass feels when it's just cut. It is really green at the moment with all the rain we had this winter. We also had a nice coffee in the afternoon just to get out of the house a little. We have had a horrible couple of weekends so it's nice to start the week feeling a little bit rejuvenated.

On another note, on Saturday it was Anton's concert. There were three ensembles playing. His was the first. They played 3 pieces, I didn't particularly like them and it seemed that the other ensembles picked weird pieces too. I always enjoy watching Anton play anyway...so now I hope that the end of the year concert will have a better choice of pieces.