We all have our misconceptions about things. All Canadians eat poutine and are nice and polite. All Germans drink beer and are not. Just for the record: I don’t like beer. And though I can be painfully honest, I still consider myself a nice person. Eh?
Just like Canadians do not ride polar bears to work, there are certain stereotypes about living in Australia that, I’m sure, just aren’t true. So I’ll do my best and try to debunk some of the myths of living Down Under with what little knowledge I have of the place so far. (And I might come back to this in a couple of months to correct my own misconceptions …)
1.Have you been in Australia before?
Yes, actually I have. We visited friends in Sydney 20 years ago, while living in Hong Kong. Our first son Calvin was still a baby then and I remember buying a hat and mittens for him, because their was friggin snow in the Blue Mountains! What the heck?
I’m sure a lot has changed since then – and I’m not only talking about my hair!
2. Will you be living on the beach?
No. While I’m moving to Sydney, Australia, I will actually live and teach in a suburb 25 km north of Sydney, called Terrey Hills. I’m thinking like Thornhill to Toronto. It will take a little over an hour to get to downtown Sydney by train. And an hour to the beach.
While Terrey Hills lies in the Northern Beaches Region, it is also part of the Forest District, also known as The Forest ( The Old Forest from LOTR comes to mind). Surrounded by two National Parks, the Garigal NP and the Ku-ring-gai NP, there will be more trees than sand I’m sure.
The first few weeks I will be airbnb-ing with a family in Terrey Hills that spends their summer, uh, winter (this still confuses me) in Dubai.
3. Will you be surfing all day long?
No. For several reasons. It’s hard to surf in the forest. I’m scared of waves. And I actually have to go to work.
The school I am going to teach at is called German International School Sydney. There are about 140 German School abroad and I have taught at a few of them: Montreal, London, Paris, Hongkong, Toronto.
German Schools Abroad can be very different in size and style. The GSIS in Hong Kong had over a thousand students, a pool on the rooftop and a view of the ocean from my classroom window. The GIST in Toronto had a little over 70 students and a view of Dufferin Mall on Bloor. What they all have in common, is bilingual instruction and an international flair. That’s what I like about them.
I will be teaching the Grade 1s as their German speaking homeroom teacher with an English team teacher in the room. ❤️
4. Will you be teaching in a shipping container?
Haha. Apparently yes. A friend of mine made me aware of the fact that the GISS uses shipping containers as teaching spaces, which also won them the prestigious Australian Good Design Award. It also seems to fit their school ethos of encouraging the students to be ‘progressive and forward thinkers’. Sounds exciting.
5. Will you drive to school?
Hell no! While I do know that you don’t need to wear a harness downunder (a misconception my third son is somewhat fixated on), I am very aware of the fact that they drive on the wrong side of the road. Unless accompanied by someone in the passenger seat next to me, who can remind me constantly what is right and wrong, I am planning to walk or take on public transport. Or ride a kangaroo, obviously!
Speaking of kangaroos:
6. Are you scared of all the deadly animals in Australia?
Well, yes. And no. I wasn’t until everyone (and I mean EVERYONE!) started pointing out the dangerous wildlife I would encounter during my stay. Venomous snakes, boxing kangaroos, poisonous octopuses, sharks, crocodiles, and, of course, creepy spiders. Lots and lots of big, fat, humongous spiders. Thanks to my second son I already have a vast collection of Australian spider photos – and I haven’t even left Canada yet! Here just a little taste of what is waiting for me in OZ…according to Chris! ( And no – that’s not snow! )
7. Will you be wearing a bikini and flip flops all year round?
Probably not. Since I am moving in July, I will arrive during the coldest month of the year, or, what they call “Winter” – though coming from Canada, their winter seems pretty pleasant to me.
An average temperature of 16 degrees in July, it can go down to below 10 at night and rise to a balmy mid-twenties during the day. My hosts have told me about lighting a bonfire in the backyard due to colder temperatures and to roast marshmallows …that sounds like a lovely winter night to me.
Now, summers down there are a completely different story. With temperatures rising above 40 degrees in December, I will definitely consider wearing a bikini and flip flops. Maybe not at school. Or when riding my kangaroo.
Which brings me to the last question often asked…
8. Will you be back?
Of course! With their summer (our winter?) being so hot, I am planning to spend Christmas in good old Canada. We have a 6 weeks break during the months of December and January and I am looking forward to some poutine, and nice, polite people!
Thoughts From the Upside Down 