"Life's Good when Phil Collins is Your Inner Soundtrack."

I teach some funny, cool kids. The following interaction made my week!

Today in my Year 7 French class, Student X was beginning to distract those around him. He's not a naughty kid usually. He's smart and quick to answer, question and make connections in class. Today, however, he was starting to sing a Phil Collins anthem like he meant it. "I can feel it coming in the air tonight, O Lord.... and I've been waiting for this moment all my life, O Lord...!!" ....and then there was the epic air drum solo...!

It was quickly apparent that I was about to lose the six boys in his general vicinity to a great '80s song and there would soon be no end to the group air drum solos....

Me: (as I wandered past him) Hey X, Phil Collins. Nice choice. Everybody likes Phil Collins.


Student X: Yeah Miss, Phil Collins is awesome! (singing loudly, but not unpleasantly) I can feel it coming in the air tonight, O Lo--


Me: So X, While Phil's cool, no question,  I'm wondering if you can have him as your inner soundtrack as opposed to your outer soundtrack. What do you reckon?


Student X: Sure, Miss. .... (Still singing, only a bit quieter) Nah-na-na- nah -- coming in the na ta-nah-- O --

Me: Yeah, X, I think the focus here is on the INNER part of the inner soundtrack...you know, like in your head where only you can hear it? Nobody else? 


Student X: Ah yeah. But what about the drum bit? (does the drum bit to emphasize it's value.)

Me: Yeah, well...I agree. The drum solo is the best bit... but...


Student X:  You want me to do it in my head.


Me: Like only you can hear it.


Student X: Yeah right. OK. Look, I'll try it, Miss.


Me: Yeah...give it a go, X. I think it'll still be cool. 

Student X squints his eyes and looks out the sunny window, very obviously singing Phil Collins in his head. He's cool. Undeniably. ...and then he busts out a very energetic drum solo involving his pens, a pencil case, the window and his seat partner's head.

Me: Yeah, nah, X...the drum solo is in your head too, right? 


Student X: (laughing) Ah right...I didn't know what you meant...


Me: (laughing too) ....Yeah right. You did so. See if you can do it now, okay.


Student X: Sorry Miss. ...in my head. Can I do it while I put this (rubbish) in the bin?


Me: Yeah. Give it a go while walking. I think that would be the coolest. 

Student X walks across the room  to put some paper in the bin. He moves smoothly, to the rhythm  of Phil Collins in his head. He pauses halfway back to his seat and looks out the window --- to the drum solo --- and then he moves back to his seat.

Student X: Hey Ms Unger, life's good when Phil Collins is your inner soundtrack.

Yes, yes it is.

On a Search for the Best Bomboloni in town

Here at Lord Street, I am well-situated to enjoy the excellent foodie offerings of East Brunswick and North Lygon Street. At the moment, I am on a personal mission to find the best Bomboloni, or Custard Donut in Melbourne.

Sugardough Panificio and Patisserie is right around the corner from me, and it is too easy to step off a tram and pop in for a treat and a latte. They have a great selection of donuts: chocolate, vanilla, strawberry and blackberry.

This is the Vanilla Custard Bomboloni, lightly dusted with icing sugar and not too sweet, but very custardy!

Holidays Are Over

Two weeks of holidays fly by, and as always, on the first day back at at school, it hardly feels like I've left! That's alright. I had a good time, and I guess it can be best described as an uneasy balance of work and relaxation.

Top 5 Winter Holiday Activities:

1. A weekend in Lorne.
2. Coffees, red wines, hot chocolates, Frangelico and limes on ice, teas and dinners with friends in the city.
3. Sleeping in and reading in bed on one or two mornings.
4. Completing official Turtle Lab business with Nadia.
5. Making big progress on my To-Do List for producing my Fringe show, A Second of Pleasure in September and The Drowning Girls in February.

Catch up with Jas and Ava

How cute is Ava?! Jas and Matt's little bub is almost 7 months old, and she is adorable!

We went for a walk along the foreshore in Lorne on a sunny, big wave Saturday.

Zephyr leading the way.

Big Swell

I went down to Lorne for the weekend, and was treated to massive swell! These shots are from Cathedral Rock. These shots don't really do it justice (while it is hip and cool, I haven't figured out how to make the best use of my iPhone Hipstamatic App) ...but the waves were huge and the hard core locals were out for some big rides. (They are the little black dots in the bottom left hand of the frame!)

The car park banter was highly entertaining, and as each new set came in, bigger and bigger, iPhones and cameras came out. All in good nature, the car park guys hung shit on those battling to get out back and avoid copping a mighty wave crashing on their heads.

Salty surf dogs compared this swell with another big one...back in '86.

Turtles at the Bank

Today, Nadia and I went to the Commonwealth Bank to open an account for our new not-for-profit Theatre Company, Turtle Lab Inc. Now let the fundraising begin!

Check out the uber-hip filters on my iPhone pics....

Happy Canada Day!

Happy Canada Day to all my friends and family back in a land so 'glorious and free'. I hope you are enjoying heaps of good beer and barbecues and some fireworks too.

These are the ways in which I got to celebrate my patriotism here in Melbourne today:

• I wore a splash of red with my de rigeur Melbourne black ensemble.
• It was the last day of work at school before the semester break. I'm now on holidays!
• The sunrise was amazing. (Thank you, volcanic ash cloud?)
• I listened to my "All Canadian, All the time" playlist on my morning walk to meet my carpool buddies.
• I have a student who has a Canadian parent, and she was sporting a temporary Maple Leaf tattoo to celebrate the day. She was excited to share it with me.
• My students were exceptional in behaviour and in demonstrating their skill sets today... in all classes.
• We finished teaching at 1pm, and had an afternoon tea in the staff room --- complete, in usual Aussie style, with a choice of beer, wine, cider or non-alcoholic beverages. (Side bar: sadly, drinking a Hahn Super Dry is not the same as having a Sleeman's Honey Brown on Canada Day.)
• The sun shone.
• I hummed the National Anthem.
• I had pancakes with bacon and maple syrup for dinner.
• The sunset was gorgeous.
• I had an after-school nap, and then met a friend for a post theatre drink at a cool wine bar around the corner. I wore my Vancouver Canucks t-shirt.

Good times.