Week One - Orientation

Before coming to cornerstone i agreed to writing a blog each week... im foreseeing this being a pain but i can see the usefulness. i suppose its something i can fill my time with on my days off... although there isnt alot of those... anyways, this is how my week started...
The parentals drove me here Saturday afternoon (15th? maybe?). i must say that i was pleasantly surprised with the area. the scenery is amazing and the space is larger than i imagined. i remember thinking "great! if i end up hating everyone i can just walk off into the wilderness and they would never be able to find me!" ... or something like that anyways.
I was greeted by Chris and Georgie, some familiar faces to help ease the strangeness of the place and everyone else :) i was then bombarded with people, names and faces, knowing that i could never ever remember them all within the next few hours. i decided when approached by someone i had already met to just launch straight into conversation, skipping over the need to greet with the traditional " Frankenstein! Hows it going mate!" and avoid the awkward "... ... ... im really sorry but i just cant remember your name!" and then when they tell it to you, you automatically respond with"oh hi. my names Mark. nice to meet you." and get the awkward "i know..." implying that they didnt forget my name so why arent they good enough to be remembered.... so yeah i tried to avoid that entire scenario.
didnt work though.
we then went for a swim, had a ritualistic slug ceremony, and then came back to meet the nezt lot of arriving first years.
Josh, my new roommate, i met in the dining room . He was wearing a singlet top, khaki pants and army boots. He had a decent amount of muscle on him i suppose and a short haircut. Then, when we showed him the room, he flicks out this knife, telling Chris and i how he wants to join the army and kill people... well he didnt say it like that but i remember thinking "oh my goodness. this guy is going to practice his knife skills and kill me i just know it. i better look up how to treat knife wounds..." lol ok so it wasnt like that but the tough fella persona seemed to come across quite a bit. hes a nice fella though. really polite and friendly. im considering nicknaming him joshy squashy just to see the reaction...
man writing this blog is taking forever. i will have to use less detail...
over the next two days most of the first years turned up. there is...
The Girls

•  Amy who was a first year last year as well. she has red hair and is great at helping out all the new guys work their way around the community and how stuff works...

• Carmel from Swan Hill. short, talkative and as funny as ever. if you let her, she will probably talk non stop all day. and she has the coolest laugh coz when she does, her whole face wrinkles up in amusement.

• Georgie who i had already gotten to know well over the past two years. she would have to have one of the coolest senses of humour ever. she tricked me into thinking a spider was on my neck on outward bound and laughed hysterically when i jumped in fright. so funny.
• Jess W who is amazing. she hurt her ankle right in the first few days but didnt complain and did all the work anyway. legend.
• Jess C came late due to flooding in toowoomba. shes almost always encouraging people and she gets right into lecture discussions.
• Millie who is amazing. she has the nicest personality and always gives 110%. shes the best to have around when working hard and when haivng fun relaxing. totally awesome
• Alyssa (pronounced Aleesah) is the oldest first year being 27(?) she teaches early childhood. im really glad shes here and i think that we can learn alot working alongside her. her extra experience and wisdom shows

The Boys

• Joshy Squasy my rommy. already told you about him
• Tim who is a league player. lol i love the fact that he is so much like Tim from Thailand. hes all buff and totally into the work and stuff. Tims awesome lol.
• Paul the wine guy (i added the wine guy part for the benefit of those FRIENDS fans lol like you Jenna) hes also older being 25 but that doesnt stop him joining in with all us young fellas (yes im still young. 19 is def young) hes got a mad beard going down and he is great value for conversation and stuff. he also has a great sense of humour. im so glad eveyone here seems to have good senses of humour. i think i would have died otherwise lol
• Chris... we dont talk about Chris. lol nah. Chris is great. talented and humourous as ever. no sense of personal space. always seems to catch you at your most embarrassing moments. its gonna be fun having him around all year.
• Jordan, who i have called jason, jackson, james, etc. because for some reason Jordan is just too hard to remember lol. its terrible i know. hes a great guy though. he came late but managed to become part of the group quicker than anyone else i think. he just fit straight in lol. great guy

There are also other guys and girls from last year still hanging around or leaving but this blog has already taken too long so im not writing about them :) sorry
This week we eased into work. I have now done two days of official work though. Watermellon picking. and i got the most painful rash both times. feels similar to a painful sunburn. not the greatest feeling ever. my skin is meant to toughen in a week or so though. or so i hope.
The lectures are amazing! i feel so sorry for all you people not here. you seriously have no idea what you are missing out on. there is so much i didnt know or hadnt thought about and am loving learning all this stuff. seriously. its the best.
i wish i could write more coz there is so much more to write but ive already been typing away for 45minutes and Tim has no one to talk to lol. so i will stop and go talk to him so he doesnt die of boredom lol. i will write later i suppose.
and i dont know how to end a blog...
umm... the end?