September Weekends

Hi Falalas,

Feels like another eternity since I've been on here. How are you all? I hope that you are all feeling strong and fabulous. It's a dreary Sunday morning here in Mildura and the lack of sun has meant that I slept in until 9am. I'm usually up when the sun creeps into the lounge room but not today, instead I'm sitting at my breakfast bench listening to old Mariah Carey & Destiny Child. So I thought I'd touch base and share a few pics with whats been happening with me the last few weekends.

Last weekend we had a visit by our lovely Level 2 sister Lolo. She was one of your youngest to graduate and she's doing great things in Melbourne with her teaching. We had another cause to celebrate because our other Level 2 sister Lo got the news that she was successful in her transfer to Melbourne for next year. She was out in Mildura for 4 years teaching. It wasn't one of those "serve your time in the country gigs" (and FYI Mildura is NOT country. Try Meekatharra and you'll see what real "country" is!) she loved growing out here in a smaller school; advancing to Deputy Principal in such a short period of time.

So we spent the last weekend laughing, picnicking, churching, dancing, brunching and chilling.
It was sooooo good to catch up with her and Alex and it reminded me that I need to organise a catchup with all my other college girls in the holidays.....YUSSSSS! Only one more week this term. This time last term I was in New York and now I'm gearing up to pack up my house and finish my time here in Mildura. It's going to go by so quickly, so we are making an extra effort not to let work get in the way of hanging out and having fun when we are not working.

1) Homemade garlic studded pizza 2) Asparagus Pea and Olive Salad 3) Brunch 4) Lentil & Current Salad

Brunch crew

Yesterday we were making our way into church when our Samoan family told us that they weren't staying for church because they were going to a wedding in Robinvale. We were about to say our goodbyes when Lo's Mami asked us to join them. It was such a beautiful day yesterday, there were two things that ran through my mind when she asked me: a nice road trip & fob food. YES I'll come.

We dropped our niece of at her friends place and set out on the drive. We arrived and sat through the long service (it was a lovely traditional Tongan wedding) and we chatted with all our Tongan school students who were there (they looked so beautiful and it was lovely to see them in their element with their family). Stelle loved seeing the contrast between a traditional service (she thought it was serious) and the joyous wedding reception where the dance floor was littered with Mums and Aunties and cousins and sisters dancing and singing shouts of praise. She loved the food and gobbled down the Ota (raw fish marinated in lemon juice and coconut cream) and lu (beef and coconut cream wrapped in taro leaves and baked). She spent time with her student and just really loved being immersed in another culture. I love how we can have these little adventures and I'm excited for our Hawaiian one coming up!

Stelle watching bridal party enter the reception

I also made my way around to visit Tae. She is a member of my Newman family. Everywhere I go, I always make a new family with the people I'm surrounded by. She is my friend Lupe's Mum and we all worked and lived together in Newman WA before my final year of college. I worked there for 2 months to save for my college fees and my trip to Europe.

I also saw her nieces. Lupe-Carmel (the girl nestled right into my shoulder was named after us both) and made arrangements for us to have some fun next term before I move away again. Aren't they just beautiful!










After the reception headed back to Mildura and I spent the evening running around a rollerskating rink with my students. We had a church social cake auction to raise money for the orphanage that our Grade 10 students visited in Vietnam earlier this year. Such a nice way to spend a Sabbath.

Big Love,

Falala Mele

Tunnel Hill: ootd black and foral 03

Shirt $25 Best and Less Tights $15 Target Shoes $8 Kmart

Just wanted to share some pictures from a Sabbath afternoon outing. We go bush so the kids can run around and be free. Tunnel hill is one of my most favourite places in WA because its so pretty..... and fun.... can you believe that most of; if not all of the students climb everywhere WITHOUT SHOES!! Lol these kids are hardcore!! I got sore feet with my orange shoes...so I have no idea how they did it cause the rocks were sharp....although; I also hate coming here with the kids because Im scared they will hurt themselves...They jump out onto the ledges climbing down and up with ease....Its almost as if each one is a lil spiderman!!! Also two of the photos are not mine.....someone else took them from back down the bottom at the buses while we were up the hill.

Even though I miss home and the shops and my friends when Im here for work...I know Im going to miss this just a little more.

Big Love,

Falala Mele xo

Black and foral OOTD. 2

 Sorry about the mirror pose....I really hated doing it....cause I usually see tweens doing this with a buttload of eyeliner and their little bras exposed....and its in the toilet....ARGHHH SO TACKY! 

Anyways this is an outfit from Broome that I  forgot to post and I had no one to take a nice photo....*giggling to myself*....while my collegues are the sweetest....I am totally different from them. I mean I can get along with most people because I try to talk and generate SOMETHING to talk about.....but on most days I think they look at me and think "Why does she dress up? Poor girl, we are in the middle of nowhere".....well chap sometimes thats the point! 

If I'm bored I will usually wear something loud, funny or silly just to get a reaction....or for the fun of it.....I mainly do it as a game between myself and the kids in my class. I have a pair of bright yellow flat shoes...and I have the same pair in black....I wore them odd to school one day because I had black and yellow on in my clothes....and the kids FREAKED out...and laughed and told me all day "Miss you got wrong shoes on"....one of the smaller kids who doesnt really speak that much english looked at me, then my shoes and then shook his head....not as if he was disapproving....but he was just trying to tell me that I got it wrong.....But really, who says odd is wrong? Odd is just another word for different and I'd rather be different than the same as anyone else!

Totally being a tourist....I have no shame)

 

Big Love,

Falala Mele xo

LG: Life's Good

Hi!
 

 Just wanted to share a few snaps of Broome....Like I said before....it was HOT and very pretty...and I miss it atm because it is..... *clears throat to sing*

"RAINING its pouring, the old man is snoring"

and that is freaking weird because it is usually so dry here (being the desert)....for the last three mornings I have woken up to the sound of rain......partly because I love that sound and it is so foreign out here and also because the rain brings CENTIPEDES and I am scared shitless of them because they are fugly looking creatures, they move so fast, they can be hiding in your bed, shoes or ANYWHERE and they are supposed to HURT like a mo'fo if they bite/sting you (I don't know exactly what they do, and I do not really want to find out).....so I got up and sprayed the doorways and around the floor with insect spray in the hopes of keeping them at bay...and so far so good! 

The rain really poured today.....after a trip into town to restock my groceries (and paying $4 for one red capsicum.....>.< the prices of fresh (if you can call it that) produce out here is ridiculous) and wading through various flooded roads.....I was home....and today I didn't miss anyone or anything....I heated my vegetable and lentil soup, hung up my new jacket (I made it into the Op Shop again) and curled up in my bed and watched Mad Men. 

LG Life's Good <3

Big Love,

Falala Mele xo

peace and love

Well the sun has gone once again and the cooler weather made me want to rug up again. There are two things that I love to collect and wear....the first is sunglasses.
I have purchased two new pairs in the last two days. I cant wait to wear my new super colourful clear specks from Equip and I paid $20 for them (I never pay that much for sunnies so I must really love them).
I also love to wear beanies and or head bands/scarves/wraps......this beanie that I'm wearing is my sisters purchase from Cotton On.... I usually annoy my Ma to crochet me a heap in different colours before winter... outfit is kinda boring but I only went to town to pick up a few things...

Off clothes and onto other things.... I know there are a lot of big world problems at the moment, but just watching the news had made me so sad. The first was the beating resulting in death of Iasinita Paraha, 22 from Sydney. It was reported that she was targeted because of her cultural heritage. She was a Tongan girl out with her friend and she wore a shirt with the Tongan flag on it. A group of Samoan people abused and went on to beat her to death. I know shit happens all the time all over the world....but its so damn senseless and just plain wrong to even lay your hands upon another person....period. I feel like I could go on and on about it because it makes me mad. Old silly rivalries. Both beautiful Polynesian cultures and now a really fucked up situation :(

Click on the link to see the story
http://www.topix.com/forum/world/tonga/TC822NI1NQNSDJNTK


The other concerning issue was the video release yesterday of a boy who has bullied constantly.......and then retaliates and hurts the bully who has been bullying him. Many people are applauding him for standing up for himself...and I have to say I wouldn't take that shit either.....but then it made me think about all the poor kids who get bullied and have no help to get through that shit.

 http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/bullied-boy-at-chifley-college-dunheved-campus-suspended-after-fighting-back/story-e6freuy9-1226021940542



Why can't we just leave people alone? Hell I'm not say lets all hold hands and paint rainbows....but if you don't like someone....just go your own way and leave the bullying, the hate and murdering alone.


Peace and Love people xoxo

Footloose

So last weekend (this post is like 3 weeks late now, had terrible internet connection) brought the arrival of 3 extra housemates to Karalundi. Joanne, Theresa and Mae. It also brought the Meekatharra Ball, the annual event where our high school students get to dress up and strut their stuff in town. I dont know if you know what Aboriginal kids are like, but for the majority, they are painfully shy. They hate to stand out from their peers and their community and they rarely do things that draws attention to themselves. But on this night.... they were all really beautiful and I got a sense that they felt beautiful too....

But the funniest thing was that the whole hall and the students within the hall reminded me of Footloose. My sister mentioned it and I was like "YES!" thats exactly what is was like. You have all seen the movie with Kevin Bacon right? Awww it was sooo cute and country and the kids were too damn shy to dance..... luckily for them, we (being Theresa, Mae, Catherine, Joanne and I) have no shame and since we have had little to no club/music/dance experiences in a LONNNNNG time, we had no problem in getting up and dancing to a little bit of DYNAMITE (I knoowwwww extremely old, but hey it was that or Bad Moon Rising or White Wedding).... yeah the DJ was a little mean...... I think he may have been transported back to his ball days cause he seemed to play his favourites and was happily rocking out behind the DJ booth while we waited for a song we could dance to.

All in all, it was one of the most fun nights we have had all year.... the kids did get up and dance and we stayed on the dancefloor until we had to leave.
"EVERYBODY CUT EVERYBODY CUT, EVERYBODY CUT FOOTLOOSE!"

Dress:City Chic

Shoes: Target

Belt: Big W

Makeup: Face of Australia Bronzer and Napolen eyeshadow

Lashes and nail colour: Gloss

open day

so we had an open day...... I spent that day painting faces....... there was a long line and this one kid from Meeka refused to go home until his face was painted even though his grandparents were walking away; starting the car and driving off...... I started to paint his face as fast as I could and then hurried him off in the hopes that his family were hiding around the corner..... but he still refused to go until he got the skeleton arms too....... all this communicated without words.....bless him..... I hope he didnt get into too much trouble....

Many Blessings,

Falala Mele xo

out

Being so remote and far from anything, most weekends are spent at home trying to avoid the mob of kids that are constantly knocking on my door...."Miss Carmel! Miss Carmel can I come in?"....... Just the other day my housemate and I recorded some footage of it. If its not a hassle to upload I will put in on the blog so you can see what I mean....and watching it makes me laugh...... but to get away for the weekend, well that was really nice.

Although I wanted my housemate to come, she was stuck working :(   so off I went with two work mates. Minus the 16 hours of driving....the one free day we had at Kalbarri was really beautiful.

 

The open space and height of this lookout made me want to lie down.... lil scary but the view was amazing

 There were so many beautiful views and various lookouts at Kalbarri National Park

 Natures window <3

I guess to dress for comfort is sensible when your out and about in the elements.....it was really windy, hot and there were a million flies around. But I wore my lovely Niuean Outriggers top cause I always like to rep my island.....

Shorts and canary yellow top: Big W

Shoes:Target

Tortoise Shell Glasses: Rockmans

Earrings: Gloss
Hat: Von Zipper

Best fun was spending most of the dirt road time in the back of the Nissan holding on for dear life......like the most fun free roller coaster ever......and doing my "footloose front kicking" with this old lady who felt sorry for my because my friends didnt want to dance with me and the live band...... Wish I got a pic with Kerryl cause she's cool like that! Oh and we found a pink saltwater lake too :)

and sadly we made the long trip back............hope you are all well wherever you may be in your travels.....

Love and blessings

Falala Mele xo