Easter Show

The Sydney Royal Easter Show is a big annual event in Australia. As its name implies it is set up during Easter time, although it has nothing to do with the Easter message. In few words it is a festival that promotes Australia's diverse cultural and rural heritage.

"Each year, the Show aims to highlight Australian agricultural excellence through Competitions and education, while promoting national and international awareness of the country’s proud rural heritage. " Quoting from the official Easter Show website - halli hadd ma jghid li qed naghmel plagerism! :p

Anyway, after giving you all that info about what the Easter Show is let me show you some photos of what we saw there. We saw a presentation of how sheep dogs manage sheep when in fields, sheep shearing (bil-Malti: kif iqaxru n-nghag mis-suf taghhom... hehe), cows (qatt ma rajt baqar kbar daqs kemm rajt hemmhekk!) , goats, pigs & piglets, sword swallowing show, luna park games and rides. It was an interesting place to be. :)

Keeping Tradition - Eating Figolli at Easter

An experiment that really turned out well! Since it's tradition in the family to eat figolli on Easter Sunday, I made it a point to make some. I had never made them before, and so having such a really good outcome made my day!

The funniest thing about it all was the icing. I didn't add enough water to it and so when i went to pour it from the pot on to the figolla it just went down as a blob! I really laughed! I was in the kitchen. Bren's father there ... he just looked at me and laughed.

Quote for today

"Let the life that you live be the life that wants to live in you. "

-J. Palmer, Let your life speak

It's interesting isn't it, that sometimes the life we live is not the life that wants to live in us. God has created us in a particular way for a particular purpose - it is the life that wants to live in us, but sometimes we're so into doing want we think we want to do that we miss out on discerning what life wants to live in us.

Preparing Catechism lessons

I've been teaching for 4 weeks now... conclusion: A real lot of work I tell you!!! I have 8 classes in all:

two year 1 class;

one year 2 class;

one year 4 class and

four year 6 classes.

It's a new experience teaching Catechism to a class for just 30 minutes a week. Seems very little to me but it's all the children attending state schools are allowed for. It is a demanding and challenging experience at times but equally rewarding.

Missing home

Over two months have passed since I left my home country and entered a new country. Many new things have happened since then. I'm getting used to the system and to the different culture. I think of Malta very often. I think of all you guys who give meaning to my life. Today I received Matt's cd containing video clips of some of you guys... :) Thank you so much for all your beautiful thoughts and messages. You make made me feel loved, accepted and wanted. It is something I always thirsted for in my life.

Missing home? - Yes, but it's a peaceful feeling because it is backed up with that feeling that it is God's plan for me to be here at the moment. Your comments, messages and encouragement have reminded me of how important it is for me to make the most of the time I have here, and make sure I don't miss out on any time or opportunity I have. :) Thanks for your support!

I've posted a picture of the bookshelf I have in my room. The shelfs are covered with the cards you guys gave me before I left and the birthday cards I got by post... :)

It is not so sunny ... it's RAINY instead!!

Many are telling me how lucky I am to be in sunny Australia... well to tell you the truth it's not so sunny... it's rainy and stormy in fact! The news people reckon that Australia hasn't had such a rainy and cold summer since the 1950's!! So it's either I brought the Maltese weather with me or the World Youth day Cross going around Australia proclaiming God's love, has opened up the heavens and broken the drought that's been around for 10 years. It has rained so much that the dams that were nearly emtpty are now up to 65% full.

A small moth found refuge in my bedroom yesterday. So small and so beautiful! It had beautiful amazing contrasting colours. Creativity is not a quality you lack Father! :)

Singing Maltese songs

When packing my luggage to come to Australia, one of the things I made sure I put in were the lyrics and guitar chords for some of the old Maltese songs. I got the opportunity to use them two weeks ago.

Brendon's nanna is Maltese. She left Malta when she was 23. Unfortunately she's suffering from dymensia and is now living in an old people's home. She doesn't speak much. She spends most of her day sitting in a chair, and any abrupt movement tears her skin because it is so fragile.

Two weeks ago I took my guitar with me and played some old Maltese songs to her... Hawn tal-pastizzi, il-Vapur ta' l-art and il-Karrozzin. They're the oldest songs I had. It was so beautiful to hear her sing along with the refrain!! Her face changed from being gloomy to being a cheerful old lady. She loves singing and those Maltese songs must have triggered some old memories. Those few minutes when she joined in were worth it all.