Part 12: Final days in Warburton, the end of a great adventure.
Well I am almost at the end of my adventure out here in Warburton! As I type it is the morning of my last day at school. I can not believe it is the last day already! I have been awaiting this day for ages, counting down, visualising, anticipating, and finally, I am here.
The feeling is bittersweet however! I have had such an eye opening experience out here on the lands. I have learnt so much about myself, aboriginal people, how they live and the way they learn. This experience is certainly not for everyone, but I feel like I have made the very most of it. I made friends outside of school with community members, even local aboriginal elders a little bit. I got chatting to an elder lady after school yesterday, I even gave her my uneaten sandwich, which she was grateful for, and she told me a story about one of her paintings. I then later went to the gallery and had a look at it. At one time in the past, she asked to paint on a massive canvas, and I mean BIG. 4m by 2m at least. And she completed the painting in a quick time, and now it hangs in the gallery proudly here in the Warburton collection. She felt compelled to tell her story. To paint and express and pass on her wisdom, and I really admire her for this.
I have loved all the photography opportunities out here. I love the countryside and have been snapping away at so many beautiful landscapes. Go along to my Instagram page @Ozolins813 for more of an insight to my photos. I do not post all of them here!
I have also really enjoyed being more creative out here. I was lucky to find a basic set of watercolour paints and have used those to create some beautiful artworks. I have felt really inspired by all the colours out here, and it has really translated to the pieces I have made. I did nearly 30 pieces of art! In Perth I would never do that much art in a month. Not having so many distractions out here has helped, and once I am home, I focus on finding things to do that keep me entertained, and art has been one of them!
I have been invited to submit some of my artworks and photos to a Latvian Art Exhibition which is being held later in the year in Perth. I am so pleased to have some works to contribute now and be a part of another exhibition.
I have also been practising my Spanish, which has been great! I have been using the Duolingo app and am surprised how far I have come with my written Spanish, I know I have improved. Speaking is another matter entirely different! But I hope it is doing my brain some good, flexing it in different ways.
And ofcourse, talking about my brain, I have not had anything to drink in the whole month that I have been out here. So that has been good to take an extended break from alcohol, reset and find other ways to entertain myself. There have been so many benefits about living out here!
I really do hope to return to the lands to Teach. Although the kids have been challenging to teach at times, I know they need help, and guidance and instruction and learning. Their literacy and numeracy levels remain very low, way below the level they should be at. Many still can not read and write, and high school kids are writing at a very basic level, about a grade 2/3 level I think. Persistence, patience and practise is what it takes. And I hope to keep coming out here to help them.
In the last few days, I managed to go out on a few more little road trips around town, play some more Dominoes, Yahtzee and Backgammon, and generally make the most of being in Warburton! I even played some table tennis which I love! This town continues to surprise me, and I can see how locals have stayed on for so many years. The red dirt gets under your skin. This way of life is so unique and different compared to city life, it certainly is the wild wild west.
I hope you have enjoyed my teaching experience vicariously through me over the last 4 weeks, it has been quite the adventure hasn’t it? I wonder where I will go next!? I am off to Europe mid June of this year, so I look forward to sharing with you those stories. I dare say I will return to the lands before then!
Cheers to living an adventurous life!
Anit xx
Live Your Truth 
I’ve loved your stories, observations and photos. Amazing!
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Thanks so much! X
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Anita, I have just read your entire 12 chapters of your trip to Warburton. What an incredible experience. The landscape of Central Australia is so stunningly beautiful, so different from the coast. You are so impressive, optimistic, brave and so open about your ups and downs. The way aboriginal people live is so different from those of us who live a white, urban life – you hear many opinions about what should be done, from the people who have nothing positive to say about aboriginal people, to those who think more money should be spent, better houses built in aboriginal communities and more sophisticated infrastructure, but none of them understand what life in an aboriginal community is like. The people don’t want fancy houses with all the household appliances we take for granted. But I know there is a dark side that desperately needs to be fixed, domestic abuse, child abuse … keeping the alcohol out is part of it, but it shifts the problem. We visited Fitzroy Crossing 2 years ago and found it amazingly changed since our previous visit, this time it was calm, busy, children in school, whereas 2 or 3 years before that it was a scary place to be, car tyres screeching all night long, yelling and screaming. The improvement was the result of no alcohol. But then we were told that the problem drinkers had just shifted to Broome. In the end, I believe the best thing the rest of us can do is encourage education. If the children can be encouraged to break the bad habits, but learn to live well and with self-respect within their communities, it is the best gift anyone can give. So bravo to you for everything you achieved!
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Thanks so much Anna! And that is some great reading, all the blogs in one go!! Yes it certainly was an amazing experience and I will return for sure. I loved the countryside and the kids need as much help as they can get! Xx
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And I bought some Mungyo paints today!!! Yay!! One step down from Winston…but still very good quality. I will photograph the results 😉 thanks for the inspiration and keep painting! Xx
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Thank you too! Enjoy your paints!
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