Hobart School Visits (9 April 2009)

Yay! Such a good decision to come here a few days early. My energy is back and I am feeling re-energized after two nights with Rebecca, Dave, Katie, Claire, and Roseanna. I feel almost like a part of their family. Very comfortable and welcome and able to relax. And the school talks today! Hooray! So much fun! The recess time with the "Green Cadets" was a bit chaotic and out of control, but okay. They seemed to have fun with the web of life string game and then the limbo at the end.

The year 3-4's were awesome! I talked for about 10 minutes about my journey so far then asked for questions. They had a never-ending amount. What was in my pannier? Where did I sleep? Where did I go to the toilet? What did I eat? Who was my favorite superhero? (this was the toughest question!) Did I carry a TV with me? Where did I get the money to do this? Had I fallen off yet? What was the duct/gaffa tape for? What were my favorite foods? I passed around my 'bike maintenance' kit and one boy pulled out the greasy chain cloth, holding it lightly between two fingers. "And what is this!?" They wanted me to ride my bike for them which was a strange request, but hard to deny. So as I circled around the netball court, they yelled, "faster! go your fastest." I gave them one small trick: a wheelie! They didn't seem to mind that my front tire only got 3 inches off the ground!

After talking to the 3-4 years, Rebecca and I rode down past battery point, beautiful historic homes and sea views! Then we had veggie lanska at Salamanca Square, yumm! Then off to Katie's school where I talked to two year 6 classes. They weren't quite as excited about everything as the last group, but still very polite and had lots of questions. Afterwards, Rebecca showed me to the Sustainable Living Foundation where I read all sorts of info for over an hour. One stat sheet said that cyclists burn between 9-16 calories per minute! That still seems really high to me, but it would explain my never-ending appetite. On the way 'home, I got a bit lost and had to bike up the craziest hills. Terrifying! And at the top I was only met with a dead end. After asking for directions, I finally found my way back. Felt exhausted and chowed down nachos with Katie and Rebecca. Made Lemon Delicious Pudding for dessert and then went to sleep, stuffed beyond belief.