The Festive Season is here again...

Greetings dear reader(s)!

Another year has nearly flown by, and I haven't found time to blog as regularly as I would like. Hopefully that might change next year, with a little more organization and good time management. Anyway, let me start this post with what's been happening lately:

- After much dithering and editing of my lesson plans, I have finally completed the practical teaching component of my TESOL Level III course. Now I just have to submit a reflection on the experience and also a feedback form before I receive my certificate.

- I have decided to resume playing my trumpet as part of the worship band at church. Having barely touched the instrument in the last few years, it needed some repair work. So I sent it to the professionals at Billy Hyde, who were able to restore it for $124, and I spent a little extra on some slide grease -- to prevent the tuning slide from getting stuck again! -- and a trumpet stand. If anyone knows where I can find a cheaper brass instrument repair shop in Melbourne, please let me know! Now that my trumpet is fixed, the challenge is to practice when I can find the time, in order to rebuild the conditioning of my lips. It's going to be a little difficult next year when I resume full-time study at uni.

This holiday will be quiet as usual, even more so as Mum and my siblings are flying to Malaysia after Christmas to attend a cousin's wedding. So it will be Dad and I keeping house for four weeks. Although I'm disappointed not to be attending, the upside of staying is that I get a car and the home internet all to myself. Fair deal, I reckon!

I've decided not to take any of my accrued annual leave from Big W (now up to 50 hours), but instead to continue working until the end of January. Then I shall resign from my part-time contract and take out my annual leave in a lump sum payment, which will go toward funding a winter trip to Germany/Austria in 2012-13.

OK, I'll leave it at that for now. More to follow very soon.

Cheers and God bless :-)