Frustration with the Australian Nursing Review Board

WARNING! NEW SOUTH WALES BOARD OF NURSING: DO NOT RISK GIVING THIS WOMAN OR OTHER INTERNATIONAL NURSING VOLUNTEERS A NURSING LICENSE IN YOUR STATE!

PHOTOS FROM THE PERUVIAN AMAZON CLINICS

Well, tomorrow I head back to the USA for five weeks! This is a trip that I did not want to make, but I have had nothing but grief trying to obtain my nursing registration in Australia and I need to earn some money ASAP. I applied for my nursing license in May of 2009 and it is still waiting for approval!! The New South Wales Board has found a RED TAPE issue that has put my nursing license on hold. It has nothing to do with my credentials or qualifications as an RN and has put my review for my Nurse Practitioner license on hold as well. Just a little back ground on the issue: I have been a volunteer with Amazon Promise, a US non-profit humanitarian health organization since 1995 and I have spent many months as a volunteer in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest. I have volunteered with this NGO and have never worked in Peru as a nurse, but the nursing review board is requiring a letter from a "Peruvian Authority" stating I don't need a PERUVIAN nursing license to volunteer in Peru! NO one so far in Peru or the Peruvian Embassy will write a letter as they have nothing to do with the US NGOs. And frankly, everyone I have spoken to about getting this letter thinks it is the most ridiculous thing they have heard of! The nursing review board has letters from Amazon Promise stating the fact that I do not need a Peruvian nursing license to volunteer in Peru with them, but insist that the letter needs to come from a Peruvian authority. It is so absurd to say the very least. When I have explained to them that I have not been able to obtain the letter, they have actually told me to write to the board stating that I am refusing to submit the required paperwork. grrr.....

Frankly I have had it with this Australia bureaucracy and xenophobic attitude! So, back to the USA to work for Group Health for 5 weeks, then the long flight back here, while I wait for them to review and hopefully wave the ridiculous red tape bull shit! If they won't wave this requirement, then it is their loss on so many levels!

Maybe it will be time for me to rethink what I want to be when I grow up.

Green Visitors in Our House

My photo of the frog in the bathtub

Another day living in the bush of Australia. You never know what insect is going to hatch out next and fill the room at night while you have a light on or what creatures are going to come visiting unexpectedly .... Our home was visited by a Green Tree Frog and a Spotted Katydid!. They must have crawled in through the hole in the bottom of the screen door. The green tree frog was in our dining room about a week ago and had a great visit, then it returned again today. Buddha was barking and I went out to see what was up. The frog was baking in the hot sun just outside the front door. I was worried the frog would get chomped, so I brought him inside and Susan put water in the bathtub so it could get a good soak.We had a fantasy that the frog would just hang out for the day in the tub, relaxing in the cool water, but it had other plans. After a quick escape out of the tub, I brought it into our cooler bedroom. It is now hiding in our bedroom, asleep in the corner. I have set out a pan of water for it and we will let it go tonight when it is cool and let him do his hunting. The frog is so beautiful and we feel honored by it's visit. I hope he stays hidden from the dog. There are good reasons that dogs and cats do not belong outside. We try to be sensitive to the fact that this is land for the native species, not our dog.

Also, last night the beautiful luminescent green grasshopper came flying in for a visit. He flew into the room and I took the opportunity to get some photos. I then sent it on it's way outside. Susan likes to point out that he is not the average brown grasshopper that we get in Olympia.

Internet Facts about the Frog and Grasshopper:

Spotted Katydid - Ephippitytha trigintiduoguttata

The Spotted Katydid is a large insect. Spotted Katydids are also known as Mottled Katydids and Speckled Grasshopper. It is green in colour with brown spots on wings resemble chewed leaf. They live on top of gum trees and feed on gum leaves. Male makes short soft calls at night.

This is my photo, not the internet photo.

Litoria Caerulea

The Australian Green Tree Frog, simply Green Tree Frog in Australia, White's Tree Frog, or Dumpy Tree Frog. The Green Tree Frog is larger than most Australian frogs, reaching 10 centimetres (4 inches) in length. The average lifespan of the frog in captivity, about sixteen years, is long in comparison with most frogs. Green Tree Frogs are docile and well suited to living near human dwellings. They are often found on windows or inside houses, eating insects drawn by the light.

Due to its physical and behavioural traits, the Green Tree Frog has become one of the most recognisable frogs in its region, and is a popular exotic pet throughout the world. The skin secretions of the frog have antibacterial and antiviral properties that may prove useful in pharmaceutical preparations.

Stay tuned for more......

They Say Owners and Their Dogs Look Alike. Hmm... What do You Think?

Even though Buddha is "OUR" dog, really he and Susan have the bond.

Toby was the Weiner Dog I had in the USA.

Nothing Like a Great Hike in Your Own Backyard!

Well, what can I say? We are blessed to live here. Enjoy the photos of our "backyard"

Our immediate backyard is now full of a ton of grapes, they are not quite ripe yet and we are not sure what to do with them when they are! Any ideas?

The ever present wallabies in the fields.

A little perspective on the size of some of the trees on the hill behind the house.

Susan and Buddha on a walk, following the cow trail on the ridge.

The old barn behind the house on the hill. If you notice, off to the right, there is a water tank. This is part of our water supply and it goes from the metal roof to the gutters, into the tank...to our house to drink!

A beauty of a mango tree! Just a 5 minute hike from the house and covered with many hundreds of mangos!! The cows eat any and all that are within their reach. That is OK with me, there are enough for all of us. YUMMMMMM!

Evening mist over Sphinx Rock.

Our view from the hill behind our house..... what can I say? Heaven!

Literally, this is our backyard. I keep looking for Bilbo Baggins!

A Few Ramblings

Close up of the cactus flower

At our house in Kunghur we have two large cactus plants. I have no idea what type of cactus they are, but find it very strange that they grow right next to rainforest plants! One evening recently I was on the front porch and noticed the cactus had produced many flowers and they only opened up at night. It was a treat to see the blossoms, but they only lasted about one week before they all fell off.

Smaller cactus outside the front door in October, and below the same cactus in bloom in December

The cows continue to entertain us daily as they hang out in the pasture that surrounds our house. At times there are 40-50 cows grazing, dozing, or just watching us inside our fence and house. It is not uncommon to sit on the toilet and notice there is a cow watching you! The calves are our favorites. The mother cows and calves are closely bonded and they take turns taking care of the calves as they form a "nursery". One or two mothers stay with the calves while the rest are nearby grazing. It is very sad to hear and see the emotional pain they go through when they are taken away (?to McDonalds?)

Front gate onlookers

They love hanging out at our front gate.

One small "nursery"

Another one..

Happy New Year's 2009

We celebrated New Year's in Bollywood style this year at a lovely private party up in the hills, overlooking the local mountains. We had a great night of delicious, fresh homemade Indian food and delightful encounters with new and "old" friends.

After several nights behind the clouds, the full, "blue" moon popped out five minutes before midnight and shone her gorgeous light on all of us.

Blessings to each and every one of you and may you have a fantastic, healthy and happy 2010!

Aussie Dishwasher!

Hmm..... Susan wanted a dishwasher, but this was the best I could do! Pray for heavy rains when you have dirty dishes :) .

Ten Days in Oz With Kari!

When airfares dipped into an affordable range last spring, my niece Kari and I picked a time for her to visit the Land of Oz. Kari is in nursing school in Washington state and her free time is very limited, but she had a 10-day window right before Christmas. I was so excited to have Kari come and visit us!

The first 4 days Kari was here we went camping at Byron Bay. Susan's dear friend Monique spends the same week in Byron every year with her kids. This was Susan's third year with them, and Kari and I were invited to join. We had a great time suntanning, swimming, eating, walking, talking, visiting beautiful beaches and partaking in a little partying, too.

With Jonah's death and Kari's mother's death (my sister) just 11 months apart, Kari and I have taken each other on. It is a nice gift to have Kari in my life.

OK, some photos...

We spent one evening at the local pub in Uki to give Kari an authentic Aussie pub experience. We had a great time introducing her to some friends, drinking, and as much as I hate to admit it, doing a little dancing once the inhibitions were released with a few beers. Pool shark Susan held onto the table until she was too tired to beat anyone else!

Kari, our friend Gary and new friend Nick outside the Uki pub.

Susan and Kari enjoying (to say the least!) 80s music. (You had to be there!)

Stokers Siding friend Sonja, Susan and Melonie at the pub

The next day we visited the village of Nimbin, not far from us. Still a bit of a social experiment in the open use of marijuana, although there are police who patrol the town and things are changing there. Interesting place to visit for the morning!

Well, on the way home from Nimbin, we stopped at the local veggie market for eggs and ended up staying as there was a great tribal reggae band playing at the cafe next door. We eventually made it home three hours later!

Then on to Australian Zoo on the Sunshine Coast. The zoo is owned and run by Steve Irwin's family. It's a wonderful zoo even if you don't like zoos. The animals are the priority there and they have two workers for every animal!

Kari trying to escape the big hungry salty on the way out of the zoo. (There were many kids waiting, but the adults had to take a turn, too!)

Me and a roo... so very soft (the roo is soft)!

Our feet got really sore, so we resorted to taking the tram. YEA! We were a happy trio.

Now back to the beach! Susan and myself at Flat Rock, just south of Byron Bay. It has beautiful tide pools.

Kari talking to a "hottie surfer dude" on the beach at Tallows.

Beautiful Kari in the tide pools at Flat Rock.

The trio -- Susan, Kari and myself at Tallows. We cannot show you our topless photos, of course!

We have many more photos and stories, but just know I cannot wait until Kari returns and I know she feels the same. Who knows, maybe once she has her RN license she could work here, too?