There's something serenely beautiful about Sydney City after dark. While it is a busy city and a bit fast-paced, I don't feel uneasy about Sydney. London, however, was an uncomfortable city---one you wouldn't necessarily want to live in (granted you'd love to go back for visits, but not truly live there). I think I could live in the heart of Sydney---in the very bowels of the Centrepoint Tower, even---and be perfectly content.

I write this entry at 10 p.m. on board the 423 bound for Undercliffe. It's Monday night and I've just come from a Rotary meeting in Balmain. I simply can't get over how great the Balmain Rotarians are! They're among the kindest lot of people you'd ever hope to meet!
As it stands, I'm trying to coordinate the Glebe/Camperdown/Darlington arm of what has traditionally been the Balmain Blanket Drive (sponsored by Balmain Rotary). At any rate, I'm sort of liasing between Balmain Rotary Club and the postgrad council of Sydney Uni. I'm very optimistic about this endeavor! The blankets donated will be supplied to Just Enough Faith, which many of you know has a very special place in my heart. I'm hoping to get the other Ambassadorial Scholars involved in a similar drive. More on that later.

I've put in my first morning at Undercliffe Public School. The kids there are adorable---they're so well behaved and extremely advanced for their ages. I worked with one kindergarten class today. Tomorrow I think I'm scheduled to work with the Reading Recovery teacher and I think year 1 on Wednesday. I have been scheduled to volunteer 4 days a week, but I think I'm going to have to limit it to three so I can attend council meetings on Thursdays and still get a bit of research done. Anyhow...I'm looking forward to tutoring the kids with literacy.

I picked up my ticket/name tag for tomorrow night's Lord Mayor's Welcome at Sydney City Town Hall. I hope I get to actually meet the Lord Mayor! I'll post photos from the event on my Photobucket site (to view them, follow the link titled MY PHOTOS to the right of my blog entries).

I've submitted my first article to Rotary Down Under Magazine. It was blogged last entry (regarding the night out on the food van). Judith---the complete star that she is---gave me constructive criticism. She's a journalist (in addition to other corporate hats she wears/wore). Anyhow, I've passed it on to the magazine editor and he has gotten back to me with some very positive feedback. I'll post the link to the online edition of the mag if the editor decides to use the article.

We're in Marrickville now---just on Illawara Road---so not too far from home for me! I'll wrap this up for now...but more tomorrow night or the following evening on more recent goings-on!

Until then...