Day One

As I'm just starting out with this blog, I think I will probably end up writing a whole lot, but that won't happen all the time! It's just that there's always so much to say at the beginning.

Today was the very first official day of school. There were a lot of novelties, such as taking over the Year 13-only common room, and the scary, thrilling little '13' in front of our subject codes on our timetables, and the maroon jumpers (which no sane person should be wearing in this heat, but of course there's nothing wrong with carrying them casually over your arm to state your seniority), and the little impact of finality about everything - this is the last time I will ever have a "first day of the school year", this is the last time I will buy a locker, this is the last time I will receive a new timetable...

I had design first, so there was nothing unfamiliar about that, I know Mrs Kempster really well, and she's lovely. So that was all very blah-blah, new rules, recycling, course outline. We have to start brainstorming 'youth organisations' to centre our work around, or make up our own. I'm thinking it might be interesting, having been around the South Island and visited many so-called 'accessible disability units' for Mum which fell ridiculously short of the most BASIC requirements around being wheelchair-friendly - to work on some kind of support organisation for people with disabilities who want to travel, or even just to lead a relatively ordinary, relatively stress-free life. I think there is an initiative like that in Wellington, called Walking Is Overrated.

Then we had French, with Mr McAlpine. He's a short, rotund, energetic man who speaks quickly and pushes you urgently through all the work in an extremely efficient manner. It forces you to learn, actually, but his demeanor is so funny and idiosyncratic that you don't often find yourself minding all that much. He gave the lesson almost entirely in French, and I was relieved to find that I could still understand it all after six weeks barely speaking or thinking a word of it.

After that it was interval and I had a meeting for the Diversity Forum, led by one of the school counsellors, Jeannie. The Diversity Forum is a group that meets and talks about 'issues surrounding diversity' including gender/sexuality/disability/religion, and... well, I personally never feel all that enlightened by it, but some good discussions do eventuate, and it's a good place to express your opinions.

Next was English. This year I have Mr Hawthorne, who was my teacher in Year 11, too. He's fantastic. Really, really knows his stuff, and I feel very privileged to be in his class. Even if he did once tell my mother I'm a freak... he meant it in a POSITIVE way, apparently! He has always been a strong supporter of my writing, (at least in the essay-writing and formal writing field, as I haven't shown him more than a couple of my poems) and I'm looking forward to a year in his class. We're going to be studying 'Othello' for our Shakespeare text, 'The Colour Purple' by Alice Walker for our novel, and the New Zealand film 'Rain' for our film.

That same period, my dear friend Helen got a note from the principal's secretary asking her to meet him at 12:15, and then she did, and it turns out that she is the Head Girl. And I'm so happy for her, really, but of course I'm disappointed for myself. And I had just hoped to be deputy, but it hasn't happened, and I'm alright. I'm not an all-rounder, and I'm satisfied with that, because I love being good at the things I am good at and the things I love so much.

After that, media. Oh, media. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. This year we are studying documentaries (yuss!) namely music documentaries... rock and roll especially. I'm thinking it would be good to watch the Jeff Buckley one, Amazing Grace... that was stunning.

At lunchtime we all went out onto the grass beside R Block under the trees and ate lunch and talked very loudly and laughed and exchanged outrageous stories and frightened the new Year 9 children. I heard from Alex that some people in our year call us the 'alternative' group. It's so true! There's Alex, the rule-flouting, piercing-wearing loud and wild party girl; Nandita the studious, generous, thoughtful and committed one who does nothing whatsoever for banishing the stereotypes about Indian kids yet is essentially as Kiwi as you get in any other aspect; Helen who is the most rules-oriented, practical, left-brained, responsible, straightforward and effervescent girl I know; Megan the pretty, popular type whom you would almost expect to be one of 'those girls', and yet she isn't; Karina who I've known since primary school, one of my all-time best friends, skipped most of Year 11, is impossible to pin down, is as restless and gregarious and flirtacious as the day is long; Eva who is a creative and sensitive and lovely friend with so many similar interests to me, a sister from another mister(!)... oh and there are more, but it's so cool. I love how interesting we are, and how people must think "wow, what are they doing in a group?"

And last I had painting and it was pretty much the same as design, except we had Ms Gröber (who looked very foxy, you were right Eva!) our lovely, eloquent, thin German teacher who has a PhD in Painting, and she always calls me Holly and reprimands herself, but I always forgive her.

THEN, triumph above all others, I GOT A JOB. At a butcher's shop called The Mad Butcher, can you believe it... More about this tomorrow, I must go. But I am elated. It feels as if my plans are moving now.