do you ever...

do you ever feel so full of thoughts that go so deep you're almost afraid to let them have any space, because once you start peering into them and sifting through them you'll suddenly find that there is no bottom to this pool. so you maybe avoid them... or squelch them... and it works sometimes, and the bustle of life helps it work.

but then it gets real quiet. like... on a saturday that started out with blue skies that changed into churning black clouds with hail and lightning and thunder. and it's a beautiful sort of noisy outside... but inside... inside of you.... it's quiet. and the pool is there... and all those thoughts start rising... and suddenly it's hard to find higher ground to stand on.. where you can keep entirely dry of the full, deep thoughts.

and then you consider just dipping your toe into the thought pool. or maybe even diving right in. it's not so much fun to run away from thinking... cause full, deep thinking sometimes has much to do with full, deep feeling.

sometimes... in stringing words together, I can find a certain... rhythm to the chaos called my mind. I journal a lot. and even more so during those times when I'm swimming in the pool of thoughts. I find that it often helps put things in perspective... or bring a semblance of order. or help me come to terms with a total lack of order. sometimes I write in circles. but it's okay I think. anyway... I think I've been quiet in this, the blog world, because I've been so full of thoughts. and they're much too scattered for even me to sort into a coherent word-flow. and maybe too deep.

but. I need to remember that deep is not always a bad thing.

ladybug.... s.

it's spring here in my lovely city. the signs are everywhere. *I'm choosing to completely ignore the snowfall that lasted the entire day yesterday. it was probably just a foggy winter memory.... I was probably subconsciously missing winter.... and imagined the whole thing. in fact, I'm quite sure that's what happened.* anyway.... today, at work, I was on "supervision" for recess.... twice. fridays are the only day I'm on in both the morning and the afternoon, and when it was bitterly cold, I dreaded that duty. but, as I said, spring is taking the city by storm. and today, the ladybugs showed me that. and when I say ladybugs I mean ladybugs with a capitol S. I have never seen so many! it's exciting. and the kids.... well, you would have thought that they were finding diamonds in the leaves.... and they treasured them (in their own smothering sort of way) as those each ladybug had a little heart inside that was filled with feelings... this morning, one little boy had his hands cupped, with a little ladybug crawling around inside.... I asked if it had a name... and he said, "yeah, I named him Rosie." while all the other kids were collecting as many as they could and continually searching for more, he was content to love this one. he spent the whole time walking around with it, petting it like it was a kitten. talking in the little i-love-you sort of voice. you know the kind I mean. we set them free (even if they were mildly scarred) when we went inside and I told the kids we could find them again during the next recess. so, later, when we went back out, this same boy asked me, "Mrs. Cochrane..... can you help my find the baby ladybug...?" I said, "oh, the one you had this morning... Rosie?" "yea.." he said. I said I would.... so we begin rummaging through the leaves left from last fall, along with all the other children. I found my very first ladybug this spring.... (and it didn't take long) and asked him if this was "the one". he said, "oh! yeah!" and I give it to him, and he says, "hello Rosie! I missed you!" and presumed his playground stroll with his dear pet Rosie.... the man ladybug.

lack of google.

it used to go like this. a question or a thought would sprout in my mind....  and I would wonder about it. with that wondering in hand, I would walk to my computer and type a few key words into la google search engine and discover a whole plethora of information which would either answer my question or expand my vast knowledge into even vaster-ness. now... well, things have changed. I no longer have free internet that I can borrow from a neighbor. (they must have added a password. I'm glad for them... really. it's so much smarter to have a password these days. I'm not sure why... I just imagine that it is. smarter that is.) so now, things are different. I check the weather by opening my window. I have a thought or a question.... and it sits there. and I mull it over... and let the thoughts wander and grow and become creative. and I wonder. and then I wonder some more. and then I forget. which is sort of like an endless wondering... because, you see.... when the computer is in front of me and the internet is available, I'll have forgotten my urgent question. and all the wondering that I did, is all I did. for that moment. then the thought will come back, hopefully at another inopportune time, and I will allow it to grow more....  and more and more and more... because, one day.... it'll grow so big, it can't help but bloom into something beautiful..

*serious side note*- and not really serious.... but seriously to the side:

woah. I just discovered that the blinky typing stick..... you know... the one that follows the last letter you wrote.... blinks in time to my ticking alarm clock. each second. 

also, the internet really is a wonderful place. even a wonder-ful place. full of knowledge. and wonder. but I just think it's sometimes nice to not have an instant answer for the question that has barely been born. sometimes it's nice to have to wonder.

Miss... not Mrs.

so I have a few things that have happened in my life since we last spoke. important things, such as flying back to winter, and getting very ill, and getting a job. this post is mostly going to be about the very last thing. and maybe a little about the first. and preferably not at all about the one in the middle. cause that one is over. and I'm trying to keep the memory out of my consciousness.

I have a new job. it's quite different from the jobs I've done before. most of the people I'm dealing with through the course of the day are under three and a half feet. I'm an "educational assistant" in a kindergarten classroom. and there are fourteen children. fourteen. fourteen. it's.... an adventure. it really is. and they really say the funniest things. such as.....

-"Miss Chochrane, Miss Cochrane.... she said "duh" and duh is a swear word!"
-"(name inserted here) just said the O word! they said, "oh my gosh!""
-"are you a mom?" "no" "then what are you?"
-(taking off her glasses) "this is how I looked when I was young"
-"I'm in love with Justin Beaver"
-"I was here a looonnnnggg time ago. like when I was four!"

and a plethora of others. I'm sure you'll be hearing more and more about them. they have astounding personalities. but they haven't all caught that I'm a Miss.... not a Mrs. but I've begun to correct them in earnest as of today.

also, it's winter. and I'm ready.... no, I am SO ready for it not to be. but. things are looking promising. spring MUST be just around the corner. and I can't really go traipsing off to a hot place every time I get tired of the cold, now can I? ... can I? hm.
... well, I don't really want to leave, anyway.

so I suppose I'll just have to wait for the diamond dust to melt and convince the spring grass to grow the brightest green it's ever thought of growing.....

I hate mini eggs. and that hate grows with each egg that goes into my mouth.

also, I tried making falafels last night for a potluck I had with friends. they were nicknamed "awful falafels". you can tell the depth of their success by that nickname.

I'ma gunna go craft now. or something along those lines....

someday I'll share another photo with you. honest.

did you know?

spiders can grow to be quite large? they can. and they can jump on your back, and begin building a web... but you won't even notice until you look in the mirror. and see something on your back. oh... weird... is that your hair? and just while you're wondering at what that is, it'll fly through the air, like Peter Pan. and land with a thud on the counter top in the bathroom. and before your mind has fully realized what that is or even made the connection that it was on you, your mouth has opened and sound flies out. a sound that is something akin to a scream. but not a scream. your brain catches up. and you clutch your heart so it doesn't race right out of your chest. you step back... slowly.... and go find some boy to handle this situation. and you feel like less of a silly girl when you realize that they don't really like big spiders either. but they help you anyway. and the spider goes for a swim down the toilet. and now, you can shower in peace.

also... did you know?

you can ruin your iPod by having your water bottle barely open in your bag. and it can hold incredible amounts of water. and then, those same boys will help you be knowledgeable enough to totally take apart your iPod. and put it in a container of rice. and then you can hope that you'll be able to get all the rice out... and hope that you'll be able to put it back together. and then you can hope that it will work for you again.

and HERE is a little break for you... from all that learning.

I'm from Canada. I'm not a nurse.

I have an interesting thing that happened to me last week. so interesting even.

it was a Monday. a fairly normal sort of Monday. and I was sitting... quite normally... at the bus stop. waiting for... you guessed it... a bus! I happened to be in the midst of writing a letter to a friend of mine, and minding my own business. suddenly, I hear a man saying, "hello, ma'am...  I need you to help me! can you help me?" or something along those lines. it almost felt like I was in slow motion... I'm sure it's because  I'd been so deeply engrossed in the letter writing. I looked up.. first to his face... and then down, down.. down.... (all in slow motion) to the bloody hand he was cradling in front of him. there was a lot of blood. and it was dripping. dripping down, down... down (all in slow motion) to land *splat* on the cement. but it didn't stop there. oh no. from the *splat*, it continued to a splatter. a splatter the decorated itself on my toes... and feet.... and ankles. as all these slow motion things were happening in my world, his seemed to continue on at a normal speed... and when our speeds matched up again, I found that he'd never really stopped taking about what was happening and telling me that I had to do something. I finally opened my mouth and asked him what had happened. he explained how he'd taken the bandage off and then blood started squirting everywhere. yes, he used the word squirting. I looked at him, then back to his hand... then back to his.... and out came the words...... "well what do you want me to do?". (helpful and productive, I know.) he told me that I just had to help him (he even threw in a foul word... for dramatic effect I suppose) and that I had to do something.... go to my parents and get bandages or stitch it up or do something! I explained in a mildly exasperated tone that I was not from around there... I am Canadian. and I most definitely am not a nurse. I told him that there was a hospital nearby. that was not good enough I suppose.... he continued his dramatic, flustered begging and continued dripping blood that had to first *splat*, then splatter. onto my feet. I was becoming a little annoyed with his lack of listening or understanding. and by his insistence that I must DO something! finally, I could take it no longer. nor could I refuse him. the story of the good samaritan keep nagging in the back of my brains. sigh. so I jumped up and said, "okay! come-on!" we walked about 30 feet down the sidewalk to a restaurant... him still going on about it all. I tapped him on his arm and said, "wait here." and I waltzed into that restaurant, and right up to the bar, and asked for some napkins. one man ignored me as he thought I was just a person interrupting the flow of his day. (actually, I don't know what he thought. he may not have thought that at all) so I was a bit more demanding with the next man. I asked for some napkins and he said, "just a moment please." and I said, "there is a man bleeding outside. may I have some napkins?" that caught his attention, and he gave me a pile of them. then he picked up his plates of food and followed me out. his manager didn't much care to have the employee standing with the customers food and watching the excitement rather than doing his job. so now, I have the manager handy. I plopped the napkins on desperate-bleeding-man's hand and he tells me that he thinks the bleeding has stopped. I looked at this tiny little pinprick on the back of his hand (it must have gone to the vein to create that much blood... maybe an I.V....? I really have no idea..) and agreed. the manager told him how to get to the hospital and DBM (desperate-bleeding-man) says he's not going back to that hospital. ohh-kayyy then. I see how it is. the manager felt that he had done his duty, and waltzed off back to his job. and these ladies told me about a medical center down the street. I told the man how to get there, and told him that he really just needed to clean all that blood up, and maybe run it under cold water a bit and keep some pressure on it and he would be fine. he seemed grateful. and then, he went his way. and I went mine. back to my letter writing at my bus stop. the only change being the puddle of blood in front of me.
and, of course, the splatters.

who could forget the splatters.

a change in plans.

warning: this is ferociously long. I give you permission to skim.

there has been a slight change in plans. and when I say slight, I mean slightly drastic. I feel as though you may be disappointed in me, and then I feel as though I care maybe too much what others think of me. so let me expand, and maybe even give you my perspective, and if you don't understand, or you are still disappointed, I'm sorry for that.

you see, once upon a time, I decided to go to Australia. people asked me why, and my common response was, "to work and hang out and explore".... but let us be honest here. that wasn't really all. I may not dive overly deep here, but I do want you to have a better picture of this all as a whole. when I decided to come to Australia, I needed to have some space. for a few different reasons. a couple of those reasons changed along the way, but some remained too. I wanted to take a break... a break from life as I knew it. I had/have a really wonderful life back home, don't get me wrong. but like many North Americans, I struggle with juggling those flaming torches called busy. I really enjoy being busy. I do. usually I love the things I'm busy with. but busy needs to be kept within reason. and I think it's so easy to lose a proper perspective on life and how it's meant to be lived when our life begins to speed by on fast forward. things become overwhelming and I become irritable and then I know things have gone wrong when you don't stop to smell the flowers.

I don't really know why I'm going on about this. when I planned on leaving, it had little to nothing to do with busyness. I wasn't out of control. but the quiet, and having this TIME, has been an added bonus. but that's somewhat besides the point at the moment. oh. I feel that this post may not have a very proper flow at all.

alright. I always thought it would be fun to go "live" somewhere else. somewhere that I'm not used to and where things are new and different. I looked at my life and realized that I was/am at an ideal place in my life to be able to do that. I don't have a mortgage to pay off, nor a family to care for. no school or career that I've committed to and no debt tying me down. what more perfect time would there be to do something like this? why not? so I dreamt and prayed and planned to go. as I planned, I began to think of all the purposes I had for this trip. and as I now look at my list (and even then) I see that these are things that can be done anywhere.. you don't have to go to the other side of the world to do them. although... if it's January, the other side of the world has summer, which is a big advantage. so... my plans and "purposes" looked something like this.... more than anything, I really wanted take some time getting to know my God in a deeper way. this is, I suppose, an area where the busyness of life wiggles in and messes with things. it seems that when I get busy, the first thing to go is my time with Christ. but for me to starve myself of the source of my life is a sort of slow suicide. and I dislike the sort of person I become when that happens. anyway. I tend to lean towards the artsy/thinky/explory side of things. so I also wanted to make time to take photos and journal and read those books I don't make time to read. I wanted to wander and see things I hadn't seen before. I wanted sit in cafes and ponder life and drink good coffee. I wanted to shop and skip out on winter and lay on a beach and swim in the ocean and wiggle my toes in the sand. I had planned to work in a cool cafe to support the cost of all these lovely little things. I had also planned to be here for four months.

but the moral of the story is this: plans sometimes change. and that is very alright.

the big news flash is that I'm coming home in a week and a half. so one month, instead of four.

I've decided to simply call it a holiday and recognize how swell it's been and come home and dig into life there. this trip has been everything I've expected and totally not what I'd expected... all at the same time. it's been.. like living a dream. that sounds sickeningly cliche (and I'm not even at the cliche part yet), but it is entirely true. every morning I have my quiet time on "my" veranda. I smell the summer air and hear the symphony of birds and insects celebrating that summer. I see the most beautiful fig tree I've ever seen in my life and a grand old church next door. sometimes the wind-chimes dance... along with the vine that's been creeping towrds me.... closer and closer, every day. I watch a tiny lizard scurry to find a warm brick to be still on, and I watch the clouds race across the hard blue sky. and as I sit, quiet and still, I am refreshed. and what I've just described to you is only the twenty minutes or so I spend on "my" veranda.... think of all the other moments in a day that I could go on about. it's been so, so, SO much of a gift to be able to be here.

but I'm ready. I'm ready to go home. I feel that this trip has turned out differently than I'd originally planned, but I don't mind that at all. it's been a much needed break from life and I feel refreshed and re-focused. (that makes it sound like I now have life figured out. if that's what you got, you got it wrong. fix it quick... to this: "Danielle still doesn't have life figured out, and she's okay with that.") the biggest intended purpose for this trip has been abundantly fulfilled.

and I've learned a few things along the way that I hadn't expected to. I will even make a list for you. because I'm one of "those" people. (now, please bear in mind that this next bit is going to be the cliche sounding bit and that I knew some of these things before, but they were re-instilled into my brain recently.) and actually... this isn't a list I'm making for you. that was a lie. sorry. it's actually a list I wrote in my journal. so a lot of it is simply the sort of thing I would like to look back and remind myself of....
-life is going to mostly be what you make of it. it doesn't have too much to do with location.
-the things you think are important sometimes aren't. and the things you've maybe not thought much of, are more important than you'd once realized.
-I can get freckles.
-life can be lovely and fulfilling anywhere, anytime.... if you're finding your purpose in Christ and clinging to Him. living and loving in Him.
-God doesn't always make things crystal clear.
-they know how to do coffee in Australia.
-there is beauty to be found everywhere... one only needs to look. and the opposite is also true.
-exploring and adventuring are beautiful gifts that we should be more intentional about.
-foreheads can swell if seriously sunburned.
-it's okay to make mistakes.... just make sure to make the most of them. and learn from them.
-don't be afraid to show kindness to a stranger.
-allow yourself to feel. deeply.
-bats in Australia are terrifying and incredible.
-never lose you're ability to wonder and marvel.
-always be willing to learn.
-money doesn't grow on trees. but I believe that God will always provide me with enough. you don't have to be rich to live a rich life.
-try new things.
-everyday. be still. and know that He is God.
-I must create.
-laugh too much and love too deeply. I think God delights in that.
-don't ever live in regret.
-be who He's made you to be.
-delight in His love.
-trust Him.
-never let worry eat away at your days, and eat up your life.
-relationships are important and worth the effort it may take to grow them.
-hold your dreams and plans with open hands.
-read the Bible. period.

whew.

I have a few interesting stories for you, but this post is already far, far, far too long and tends to get even longer when I use the word "far" three times instead of just one, and then continue on to talk about that.

so I'll just end it.... here.

boomboomboom.

I had to ask myself if I had it in me to make this post. my head has a rhythm that it insists upon pounding out. but... we'll just have to take it one small word at a time. it's been a nice couple of days. it is absolutely summer here, in case I ever had any doubts. complete with barbecues and ice cream. yesterday I did some laundry and then went to the beach for a short bit of time. it was very busy. then I got home just in time to go to a farewell barbecue. it was such good hang-out-in-the-park weather. later that night we got a movie and visited. it maybe doesn't sound thrilling to you.... perhaps I'm doing a poor job of describing it with this aching head. aching heads do indeed hamper ones creative genius. anyway. it was perfectly lovely. I'm afraid that's all for now. and not even a photo. I'm sorry. I guess there were a few last time... maybe that will make up for it...

my today.

today I went for coffee, and wrote a long letter as I sipped on that coffee. then I went walking. and took a couple photos. along the way I managed to buy a red dress. it's so nice and summery. this whole not working thing could become expensive in two ways. not only and I not making money, but I'm also spending it... hey, I suppose it was only $20. (I'm just not sure how much the alterations I want will cost...)

and then I got lost. on purpose. you have to be sort of good at emptying your head on purpose to get lost if it's not something that comes naturally to you. getting lost, that it. along the way though, this man said "g'day!" to me. and it was natural and real to him. and I felt so... amazed. I actually didn't even reply because it all happened so quick! I did smile though... and that's kind of like a reply....

anyway. I got quite lost. (side note: is it wise to trust the directions of a woman who apparently doesn't speak English? ... and even more importantly... is it wise to trust yourself when you think you understand what she means? today I say to you, "no." the answer to both of those questions should always be no.) so. I got lost.... and then asked for directions (a couple times) back to where I wanted to be, and found the grocery store I wanted to find. there, I bought almonds and ice cream. the last two ingredients I needed in order to make my smoothie/shake.

lets talk about that for a moment, shall we? I had it on my second day here in a little cafe-like place. it was so super tasty and I thought I'd give it a whirl. Alanna said she tried making it and it worked out for her. so I figured it would work for me. and it did! well, once I got help with the stubborn blender. so let me tell you how you can make this super tasty smoothie/shake in your own home. I'll warn you though.. it's rather filling.

lets call it "super tasty banana smoothie shake"...

all you need is one banana, vanilla ice cream, milk, almonds, and a few ice cubes. oh! and honey! place the banana in the blender and maybe a half cup of milk, maybe a cup of ice cream, 4ish ice cubes... and I did 20 almonds... and about a Tbsp. of honey.... and then blend away! it made a couple servings. all of the measurements and amounts are just guesstimation. I'll probably modify it a bit next time around, and you can feel free to play with it too. the almonds would probably be better if they were sliced and slightly toasted.

these photos are from my day. the t.v. was in between a couple buildings. I've seen a few other of these these things around... it's just a cemented thing... like a t.v. or a gun or a cellphone by a street light. they're cemented to the ground. I'm not sure what the purpose is, but I kind of like it. it's so random, yet interesting. it's sort of like vandalism but it doesn't seem so bad. I hadn't noticed anything written on the other things. I'll have to look closer next time.

speaking of vandalism. I watched a group of boys leave a friend behind as he sprayed bright blue paint on a wall. and I didn't know what to do. I felt like I should do something... but .... what? I kind of shot a "you know better" look in their direction, but maybe they don't.

I love the stormy sea.

that was a bit of my day. how was yours?

slang?

so they supposedly speak English here in Australia. but it's not the same English that I'm familiar with. they have an accent, but that's not all. they have the most... interesting phrases. so often I have to ask for clarification, and all the other times I just feign understanding. it's been a... growing experience, to say the least. so, upon special request, here are a few uniquely un-Canadian ways of speaking....

-they "have a go" at something, or give it a go...

-they do indeed call prefect strangers "mate"...

-french fries are called chips and chips are called crisps.

-they use the word "bizarre" more often than I realized was possible.

-it's perfectly fine to ask where the toilet is in a shopping centre. I haven't yet been able to bring myself to do that. it seems too... abrupt.

-"fairdinkum".... I believe it's a term like, "I couldn't believe it!" or "seriously?" I don't think I'll be picking up on that one.

-they "suss" out things. I asked for clarification on this one as well... Alanna said it maybe comes from the word suspect. so... to suss out a job, is to search for one. or to to suess something out is to look into it. I think.

-"heaps and heaps". I've had heaps of coffee since coming here! it's just so tasty.

-"quick sticks" is something that your grandma would say to you to hurry you along..... (my mom always said "quick like a bunny"...)

-OH! this one confused me a few times and I'd just mumble through an answer. "how you going?" it's like... a combo of our "how are you doing?" and "how's it going?". fairly simple I guess. But I usually just reply... ".. good. how are you?" and it continually seems mildly awkward.

-they say "cheers" instead of thank-you and good-bye. it's nice but I'd feel like a pretender if I said that one.

-"ta": see "cheers"

-"whinging" is the equivalent of our "whining"

-"cozzies" are swimmers. I have no idea why.

-to "stuff up" something is to mess it all up.

-"sunnies" are sunglasses.... that seems like a fun one, wouldn't you say?

-and garbage is actually also referred to as "rubbish". actually. like, in all seriousness.

there's another phrase or two that isn't supposed to be bad sounding. but they are. and I'm not going to share them. you can thank me later.

it rained today. maybe now that the weathers gotten that out of it's system, I can walk to the store. I'm going to try out a new smoothie/shake recipe. if it works out, I'll be sure to share it with you.

ta!

driving gloves.

today we went for a drive. well actually we went for a drive a few days ago, and today we came "home". we went to a wedding. it was a really nice wedding. I had met the groom about a week ago. he seems really cool and his now-wife gave me a hug and said she was glad I could come. this was after I'd told her that I don't even know her. but she knew I was "the Canadian". so I like her. they got married in this littler town that kind of sort of reminded me of home. I obviously didn't go to the reception, but a few others didn't either, so we purposed to have much more fun than "the reception people".... we went out and bought steaks and made a greek salad and had some potato salad and oreo ice cream for dessert. then we played settlers of catan. oh yes.

anyway. on our way home, we stopped in this field to take photos. there were hay bales, you see. it was such a gloriously sunny day. and as we traipsed through the field, I felt as though I'd been transported to the prairies.... and August. from there, I got to drive to the next town.

now, maybe you skimmed over that sentence, not fully understanding the significance here. you see... I'm in Australia. they are backwards here. it was kind of something I wanted to try.. this whole backwards driving business... and today, that dream was realized. now, I didn't drive all that far, and not really much at all inside the city. but I drove. and nothing too terrible even happened. I hit the rumble strip a few times on the left side.... and turned on the windshield wipers when I intended to signal. and.... well... I mean, I was accidentally doing 130 at one point in a 100 zone. *whoops* that car was easy to speed in.... it just rode really smooth. and maybe I forgot to slow down once we were in the city. but my friend kindly reminded me. and I everything ended up being just fine, and a really grand experience.

and tonight, I went to church. I like that.

it's sort of late, and I'm feeling uncreative. I'm very sorry.

but my gift to you today is this: click here if you love mario kart and cheesy-ness of the sweetest sort.

perhaps employed.

ello. so it seems I may have a job. I suppose we'll see how it all plays out, but for now, I have a shift from 12-4pm tomorrow. I hope it goes well... I'd really like to have to go to work. it's funny how you often don't feel like going to work... but once you are unemployed, the idea of working and being productive and earning a living is so.... appealing. I've been doing heaps of reading and a fair bit of writing. (maybe not quite as much writing as I should) it's so nice, but kind of tiring for my brain. so I've begun to go through all of the photos on my computer as a sort of productive mental break. I've also been doing quite a bit of walking. and I've even gone running a couple of times. it's so nice to pretend it's summer. well, I guess it's not pretending... but sort of. if you're from Canada, I'm sure you catch my drift. (heh heh.. get it? drift...? ;)) anyway... I'll tell you more about the job sitch later on. I think I'll take the bus there, and walk home. it's about a 5.5 or 6 km walk. maybe I'll work up to walking both ways... but there is a hill in there.. and I'd also have to be very good at planning to be on the road at the right time. the bus system is really good here. I've never been on a city bus back home, but I really like it here. it's fun to people watch, and go for a drive... only since I'm not the one doing the driving, I have more opportunity to take in the sights. I don't know that I have too many exciting to tell you about. my days have been somewhat lazy or boring sounding... which has been so nice, for a brief time. it will be good to work. but we've been over that already. emm..... hm. well, that cat and I are friends. more from his end of things than mine. I mean... I'm glad he doesn't dislike me.. but we don't need to be as close as he wants to be. cause.. you see... he sheds. and that is definitely hindering our relationship. also, he's a cat. another negative point for him. oh, he's a fine cat... not overly cuddly, like some I've met. and not mean like some I've met. but that's the problem. I've just met too many mean cats. so it'll take a while for me to get over that I suppose. OOH! Yesterday and today, the cutest little girls have been around. Their daddy and a few other people are doing some work here at the house, so they've been visiting with my in their most precious accents.

so, they drive on the other side of the road here... we've been over that. but we've not yet talked about walking. in Canada, I suppose it's this unspoken rule that you keep to the right, if you walking on a sidewalk and passing people. or even in a mall... I never really thought much of it. until recently. they must have the same unspoken rule. only instead of right, it's left. it's actually provided for many an awkward, "shall we dance?" moments with strangers.

this weekend I'm going to tag along with my friend and go to a wedding. it's a road trip! I love road trips.

fun fact: the color on my nails should also be the color on your nails. if you're a girl. (although, it may be one of those colors that looks better in the summer and with a tan...? you could go out and buy it now, as a way of reminding yourself that summer will indeed come again) It's called "hopelessly in love" and it's made by OPI. it's swell.

that's all from me for now. I have to go hang my laundry to dry. how fun is that? that sounded sarcastic. but it's not. the only problem being the spiders.... see, I've strung the string up on my *veranda* (as my little three year old friend called it today) but the *veranda* (such a big word for so little a girl!) hasn't been used much lately (I think) and there are some... webs. which is fine. I'm fine with webs. really. but there's also spiders. and usually, I'm fine with spiders too. but these are big. and I can't really use the line I use back home which is as follows: "it's fine.. it's big, but harmless" because everything here is probably poisonous. except for the cockroaches. they're just gross. but, I'm still alive.. and so long as that monster spider stays in the middle of his monster web, we'll get along famously.

stay warm. kill spiders.

here.

I haven't been harassed by anyone back home, so I don't feel too bad about my tardiness in posting. but now I'm ready to make a real and true post...

I have arrived. I'm here. and it's real. sometimes I have to remind myself of that fact. it could just be a dream that I'll wake up from. I mean, people don't really live on the other side of the world in the summers sunshine, whilst we enter into our annual ice age. not really... right? but I am here. and typing. so it can't be a dream... (although, on an enormous side note: last night was silly and fun, and I'll tell you about all that later, but as it ended up, several people went to McDonalds around midnight and there was a TV show on, in McDonalds, that was about people who have weight issues... but even more so.... sleep issues! this one woman would get up four times in the night to eat.... she'd eat frozen pizza, or anything she could find... if there wasn't food around, she'd find an alternative. AND ALL IN HER SLEEP! so interesting! anyway....)

I'm not sure how to do this whole "travel adventure" portion of the blog. shall I give you a play by play of what my days look like? the things I've been filling them with? or maybe I should instead give you a window into my mind, and share the feelings my heart has been feeling, or the thoughts my mind has been thinking? should I write about the funny things or the interesting things? I'm not really certain which avenue is the right one to take, so I'll just sort of share a tad bit of it all.... BUT.. if you have any questions you'd like answered... at all... just ask away!

alright. I boarded the plan on January 4th and landed here in Sydney on January 6th. fourteen hours is a long time. just let me tell you that, straight off. the flights were boring and uneventful. the very best kind of flights I suppose. one thing that was interesting to me was the yawning. you know how yawns are contagious? well they are. but there were a couple times on the flights that I caught a strangers yawn, or they caught mine... and it was.... awkward. awkward, yet interesting. anyway. the plane landed over an hour early, what with the wind working to our advantage, which was alright. it means you have to wait for them to find a spot to let you off, and maybe your ride won't be there yet, but I was quite alright with it. I had time to get my bearings and even freshen up just a bit. my dear friend Alanna was the one to pick me up and it's actually her family's home that I'm staying at. things are backwards here. (although they would probably say the same thing about us...) they drive on the left side of the road and the drivers side in the car is on the right. it makes your heart race a little at first, when you're sitting in the (north american) drivers seat with no control and they turn into the (north american) oncoming traffic lane. maybe it teaches you trust or something... I'm sure someone clever could work that into a lesson or something...

so that thursday morning, Alanna and I went for a coffee.... and I have to say a latte is just better here. I'm not sure what it is... the type of milk they use or the way they steam it, but something makes them wonderful. then we went back "home" and I showered and felt human again. THEN, we went and had a very tasty Thai lunch. There are heaps of Thai restaurants around here and it's fairly affordable. I suppose Thailand is closer to Australia than Canada. After lunch, Alanna had a wedding to go to, so I took the opportunity to I adventure around in this area where I'm staying. it's a really fun area to live... there's a close street that is chocked full of cafe's and bookstores, and secondhand clothing shops. and it was so lovely to be able to stretch my legs after such a long time of sitting. I did some unpacking and setting up my room.... and managed to stay awake until seven pm. but I simply could not keep my eyes open any longer. so from seven till about nine, I slept. napped. whichever you'd like to call it. after that I had a late dinner and a good visit with Alanna's dad. He's cool. Her whole family is pretty cool actually. I was in bed by 10:30 and it wasn't hard to convince my body to go back to sleep when it tried to wake up at 5:30 in the morning. I slept until 8:30.... and was/am pretty proud of how well I've adjusted to the change.

friday was a full day, and in a really nice way. we (Alanna's mum, Alanna and I) drove up the coast a couple of hours to visit Alanna's grandma. she's cute. we got to eat fish 'n chips and I had a wonderful smoothie that was comprised of banana's and honey and toasted almonds. I'd like to figure out that recipe when I go home! Alanna and I got dropped off at the beach for a while and it was basically a miracle that we could have a beach day. it had rained the whole time we drove up the coast, but once we arrived, it was a perfect sort of day. it was somewhat busy since this is their summer break from school. we went in the water for maybe 10 minutes and I realized that I am, indeed from the prairies. one wave finally got the better of me and I was done for the time being.... content to lay in the sweet sunshine and soak in the warmth it gives. about 15 minutes later, the lifeguard (or "lifesaver" as they're commonly referred to here) made an announcement, but we couldn't make out what he was saying. it wasn't until we were walking back to the cafe to meet Alanna'a mum, that we saw that no one was in the water anymore. and all along the shoreline were "blue bottles". google it. they're a wicked little thing... similar to a jellyfish with a long string thing that they wrap around you. and it hurts like heck. from what I hear. I missed out on experiencing that firsthand... and I'm more than okay with that. it also clouded right over as we walked off the beach. I'm not even kidding you. I also got to see a beautiful rainbow bird... I'm not sure what they're actually called. but they sure are amazing. I also got to do some grocery shopping. which is always fun in a new place. that sounded sarcastic, but I'm being very serious.

mmm... on saturday I went to a market.... thing. like a flea market. and I bought a dress and a top. ....

this post has begun to feel long....

so I'd like to wrap it up. so that I can post again on another day.

just a few more highlights.

sunday evening I went to church, and it was so lovely. it's a pretty young crowd and the teacing was very Bible-based. we're learning about Jonah. I love that story. after church we went to a cafe and I had a milkshake. (and yesterday I realized, to my horror, that I hadn't paid when I left the cafe!! the dine and dasher strikes again! so I went back and explained my story to them... offering to pay. they were very kind and told me not to worry about it. but just the same.... I couldn't bring myself to leave a resume there.) after the cafe we went to the beach.... and there was this amazing thing happening. the waves that were crashing a ways out had a blue light coming from within. I should do some research. it was so neat. THEN, after the beach, we went to McDonalds. all in all, a very good evening. so yesterday I handed out ten resumes and tonight I'm going into the city with Alanna, and I'll drop some off there too. anyway, I polished yesterday off by going for a very brief run with Alanna and then we painted our nails afterwards.

ok. I'm all worded out for now.

peace.

pressure.

there's all this pressure on this post. first of all... I only have 10 minutes before I get the boot from this wireless server. also, there's no photo to go with it.. ALSO, this is the first official post of my Australian adventure. also... I may (or may not) have a few extra readers who I told to check here for travel updates. I may have doubled my 8 readers. I'm going to explode from the pressure. but not really.

and the worst part of it all is.... I'm not sure that I have anything exciting to tell you! shocking... I know. the things I share may be things you already know. but.. whatev's. I got 6 minutes.

I don't really like goodbyes.

I didn't talk to the man/boy who sat beside me on the last flight... neither of us seemed interested in conversation. and I was okay with it... but it almost seemed a bit odd.

now there are some (Australian) parents who are teaching their toddler about recycling beside me.

oh. right now I'm in San Francisco. killing time before my 12 or 13 or however many hour flight. I do hope I can sleep... I never was one to sleep much the night before a trip...

I hope, for you're sake as well as mine, that the future posts I post are much more worth posting that this post has been.

for now, simply remember to "keep fit and have fun".