Weekly Reflection: Week 3

Week three was Health week. I began the week happy knowing that I was improving at blog writing and excited to know that I was finally going to learn first aid (one of my goals). The first session was based on non-CPR first aid. I cannot believe I still remember the acronyms and what they stand for :) (COWS, DRS.ABCD, RICE). One of the activities was acting out an accident and what we'd have to do. It was fun... though luckily I didn't have to undo my partner's 'tight clothing'. The next session was also extremely fun, as well as disgusting because we had to put our mouths on these dummies that smelt HORRIBLE!!! However doing CPR to music was great :D

I really don't think my view of health has really changed at all. I had always thought that there were three main 'branched' to do with health, and if one of them failed, the whole 'tree' would crumble as well. The discussions we had in Galileo (I think it was the Tuesday one?) were kind of based around that, and so I stuck with my view.

The positivity diary was a great idea, because it shows that you can still find a silver lining in a cloud :). My diary included: having a 30 second Gangnam Style break during team project session with Carly, realizing that I had nearly finished my speech  for the presentation on Monday (which I hope I did alright in, and I actually think I did improve my public speaking a bit) and COMPLETING THE 30KM BIKE TRAIL. Well, that last one was interesting. Despite the fact that my day didn't go as planned (uhh: my bike was less than a metre tall so it was hard for me to catch up to the others, falling once (due to a steep slope turn), bumping into the fence twice (a different one each time) with the second time having someone accidentally ram their bike into mine and after happily rolling down a huge hill at Docklands Park (without my bike), I got a GAZILLION mosquito bite looking things on my arms and legs), I still REALLY ENJOYED IT and wouldn't have missed it for the world (well, maybe), even though the bad experiences definitely outweighed the good experiences.

Community Service was great, as usual. For a whole two or so hours, Emily and I sat at a table and helped the kids (it feels weird calling them kids, especially since they are all older than me) write things out for Duke of Ed, something I am really excited to do next year (sadly, I am leaving for MacRob). It was kind of tedious, as some of them didn't have the 'ability' to maintain a stream of thought. However, at the end, I felt extremely good and my patience has definitely improved.

Also, about my nail biting goal. I found that usually, I would subconsciously put one my fingernails near/ on my teeth, however that was just it. I didn't bite it (and still haven't)  at all, though it gives the impression that I do.

I know I don't need to write it, but I am still excited the I got I GOT 90% IN MY ESSAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hope that this week, Justice Week, will live up to the standards of fun and enjoyment as the other weeks, though I'm still a bit worried about the focus question essay coming up.

Thao-My :)

Is Melbourne more livable now than in the past?

This year Melbourne, a city founded in 1835, rated perfect scores for healthcare, education and infrastructure in the latest Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) livability survey, helping it maintain the title of the world’s most livable city for the second year running. However, is the Melbourne now more livable than during pre-settlement? Some people would definitely say that now is better, others would disagree. In my opinion, there is no exact response to this. You would have to consider many different factors, and yet there is no yes or no answer. 

Firstly, what does livable mean. According to the Galileo Wiki, livability is the sum of the aspects that add up to the quality of life of a place, including its economy, facilities and services, environmental sustainability, health and wellbeing, equity, education and learning and government. Since the mid 1830’s, when the first Europeans ‘founded’ our great city, much change has occurred and many of these changes make up what Melbourne is today. No one can deny that the technology nowadays is much more advanced. Electricity has been invented. Television, computers and phones have also become part of our daily lives. Now we are able to do things, which would have been tedious and long during the early settlement period, a lot faster. For example, one of the methods that was used in the past is described very clearly by Richard A. Gould in his book "Yiwara: Foragers of the Australian Desert", ISBN684-71787-5, published in 1960 by Charles Scribner's Sons. It explains how time-consuming and tiring it was. Now, you can light a fire with just the flick of a hand. 

However, though short cuts may sometimes be good, this has made people become lazier. Where the aboriginals walked the lands around 200+ years ago, there are now roads which people drive cars on. Though it may be a faster means or travel, it has caused pollution, global warming… Before European settlement, the indigenous people hunted, celebrated rituals… (learnt from the Koorie Heritage Trail) for leisure. Nowadays up to 70.5% of Australians watched t.v. at home on an average day, watching an average of 143 minutes per day. These statistics stress that people have now become lazier.

Before European settlement, Melbourne had already been settled for 31,000 to 40,000 years by the Wuthaurong, Wurundjeri and Boonwurrung people of the indigenous tribes. On our trail this week, I got the opportunity to gain insight into what life was like before, in the eyes of these indigenous people. Donna, our guide from the Koorie Heritage Trust, told us that, even though technology had not developed a great deal, it was pretty much peaceful. The tribes were close knit communities, excluding a few clashes, and the land was undisturbed. People could hunt for fish in the wetlands and gain access to clean water from the Yarra River. Most would be immune to the diseases that were already there and there would rarely be an outbreak of new diseases. Before European settlement, the Indigenous people were happy with their lives and didn’t expect anything better. But as a flock of new immigrants took over the land in 1835, most of this changed. Melbourne became populated with not only foreigners, but their flora and fauna as well. The numbers soared up to hundreds of thousands. Soon, the crime rate rose, pollution became more crucial and global warming. Unknown illnesses broke out and with the blink of an eye, 80% of the indigenous population were gone. Now Melbourne, and the world, is polluted, is being affected by global warming and poverty is occurring in many parts of the world. These are just a few of the problems we face today.

On the other hand, you could argue that there were fewer outbreaks of sicknesses because the population back there was significantly less than now. If there were a higher number of aboriginal people, there might have more diseases. Melbourne is facing global warming, poverty and many other problems, but we are still trying to bring to an end to these disasters. Furthermore, many different facilities have appeared for our leisures that definitely would have existed in the pre-settlement period. There are stadiums for sport, medical centers that provide more advanced medicines than before and gyms where people can 'work out'.

As for education, I am actually leaning towards the past. In the past, the aboriginals passed on their history by orally speaking to them. The children were taught how to hunt, fish and which plants were edible. They taught the next generation things that they actually needed to know! Now, we are taught maths, geography, history... many of which we aren't necessarily going to use in our futures. Comparing the two education 'systems', The earlier one stands out to be more efficient and useful than the latter.

Therefore, after taking into consideration the different parts there are that decide whether a city is livable and comparing them two periods, I still cannot say which was the better time era to live in Melbourne. To me, it really depends who you are, what you prefer, and how high/low your expectations are. I enjoy living in Melbourne in this time period; there are many more facilities available and the technology has evolved (which is what I'd prefer). However, I wouldn't mind living in the past and embracing the many difficulties and simplicities that come my way.

Sources:

http://www.primitiveways.com/pt-firesaw.html

http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/2f762f95845417aeca25706c00834efa/a1b5d7636e6719f7ca2570ec00753522!OpenDocument

Galileo trails

Myself :) 

Weekly Reflection: Week 2

So, it's the end of another great week of Galileo. With NO nail-biting, fun trails and an exciting first day at community service, even meeting my old year 1 and 2 teacher again; it's hard to know what to start with...

I began the week wondering where I was put for community service. I had hoped for a placement at a childcare centre (which would have improved my patience... though this skill has gone nowhere this week), though I wouldn't have minded the others. In the end, I got put in Ascot Vale Special School. Immediately, I started getting worried not because of the school, but because of how I was going to arrive/ depart from there. Living in North Melbourne, it's only a 5-10 minute walk to school, so I never really had experience with public transport... ALONE!!! Luckily, I found the journey not a terrifying as I though, because I had someone to travel with me on the way back (though next week I'm alone). The actual time spent at the school was AMAZING! I felt extremely good working with the kids (who were all older than me) and I know both of us (Emily and I) got attached to one of them (each!). I can't wait to go again!!!

On Tuesday, I went to a reading group with three other people and my English teacher. I wasn't really there for the poetry studying (I find that BORING!!!), but for the fact of meeting up with my teacher again. So, we read the poem. Then, we got into discussing sexism and prejudice, and I actually found it fun. At one point I found myself putting in my opinion without really being prompted (a first really) and it felt extremely weird to hear my own voice saying these things, because (other than just simply answering questions when being asked to) I had never really done that before. On Wednesday, when we were having the multicultural discussion (also in a small group), I tried voicing my opinions, and I got a little more comfortable. I guess that if I start talking to groups that get bigger and bigger on each turn, I can start getting more and more comfortable with speaking out loud.

For trails, I got to go to both the Melbourne Museum and Koorie Heritage trails. They were extremely fun and very interesting. I learnt heaps of new things on the Koorie Heritage trail and found it intriguing that an Indigenous person's entire life was printed on the inside of their possum skin, explained to us by our tour guide Donna. Though the Koorie Heritage walk was enjoyable, I found that I liked the Wednesday trail to the Huddle better, mostly because I met my old grade 1 and 2 teacher, Cindy. At the end of grade 2, she went on leave because she was pregnant (HER CHILDREN ARE SO CUTE AND PRETTY!!!), and I hadn’t seen her again. So it was a huge surprise when I saw her at the doorway waiting to introduce us to the Huddle. I smiled at her, a lot, but I didn’t think she recognised me. Feeling sad, I told Carly, who yelled out to Cindy that she had ex-students. We had a nice, pleasant chat afterwards and though I (thought I) had put Melbourne Museum (to improve my knowledge of the streets of Melbourne which was still… not too bad) as the choice for the Wednesday trail, I am glad I didn’t! J

After an amazing week, I definitely cannot wait for the next one, where I can go on more exciting trails, visit the Ascot Vale Special School again and improve on my goals (apparently it is first aid next week right?).

Team Project Reflection

1.What are your initial thoughts about your team project topic and group? Well, because half of the people (excluding me) in the team were people that I hung around with on a daily basis, I guessed that we would have gotten along pretty well. With the other two, I vaguely knew them, so I was glad that they were in my team so that I could get to know them more. 

2.Has your sense of the group changed as a result of completing the trail together? Because the trail occurred with only the three of us (that is my two close friends and I), my sense of the group didn't really change at all because I already knew them pretty well.

3.What did you notice in terms of: leadership, cooperation, time management and humour? Leadership: In terms of leadership, most of us didn't really mind who was what. Cooperation: Again, because we were already close friends, the cooperation was pretty good. Time management: Yes, we did arrive a bit (if not very) late, however I don't think it was because of time management, it was because of transport management. Ok, maybe it was a little bit  because of time management... But it was mainly transport management. Humour: Yeah, though I may not have a lot of humour, the others did, so it 'filled in the gap' where my humour was missing.

4.What have you already learnt about yourself [working in a new group]? I have learnt that I'd prefer not to be leader (because I'm uncomfortable with public speaking) , but if the time came and it was what's best for the group, I would be leader. On both trails, I found myself wanting to be time keeper more than anything else (maybe it helps with my organization/ responsibility???). I also found out that though I 'know' the streets of the CBD, I could still get lost because I didn't know where the places actually were!!!

Welcome to Galileo!!!

As I finished Art on Monday, a million thoughts rushed through my head about what was going to happen next. What was Galileo? Why are we doing it? Are the teachers nice? Will I completely fail this program? And most importantly, for the moment, WHERE WAS I SUPPOSED TO GO???? Luckily, one of my friends, who just happened to have finished Galileo (Juliet) , told me just to go to the loft. So off I went, plundging into the unknown.

The first few days of Galileo answered most of my questions. I found the teachers funny, nice and interesting. The group discussions were great and I especially found the trails exciting as we were allowed to go about in the city with more independence as well as more responsibility. The only thing I didn't really like was how much we had to walk, though being a midget in a group of relatively tall people with much longer strides didn't help much. In the second trail, we also got lost and went the wrong way. :) I also liked the 'skill workshop' we had (if it was one), because it was really informative, and I didn't really know anything about the city before that. Finding out my home group, I think the rest of the term will be fun!!!!!

I hope that there will be more trails like the past two this week, where it was more independent. I also hope that the skills workshops will be as helpful as the one this week. Because we got lost and had to walk for ages in today's (Friday's) trail, I fear that we may get lost again, though I seriously hope not!!!!