OK, I'm back!

Now I have my own account thing on this computer... is XP, so can have own little thingo!

Went for a nice walk this afternoon down to the trainstation. That's right, DOWN, to the station, where I'm going to be catching a 6:30 am train to school... am so going to FREEZE!!! Oh well... Lift in tomorrow though...

Well, I think I'm actually going to getto like fizzy plain water - they drink it by the bucket loads here, and must thik I'm strange because I drink orange juice straight, without adding fizzy water!!!!

Funniest church service this morning, didn't understand a word of it, but the songs were fantastic - electric keyboard, plazing with the organ tone, and a drum beat under it... as in one of those pre-recorded drum beats those pianos have... was quite funny!

Well, I think I was bveing told something about not being on the computer for too much longer because it's needed by other people, or something (I am actually improving immensly with my comprehension.....) so hoororoo!

BTW, have decided that in movies, when it's snowing, very ilttle of hte snow actuallz comes from the sky - most here just blows off one roof, onto another! There are also these fantastic big ice stalactites hanging off everthing, including cars that are driving around! I've got some speccy ones outside my bedroom, which incidently is litterallz about 4 times the siye of my room! Has a little 'bathroom corner' with a sink and towel rack and mirror and stuff, and mz bed is a double bed, well 2 bwds pushed together...

Anyway, please pray that I'll start to reallz enjoy being here, and my homesickness (especially the nighttime stuff - that's the hardest to get rid of!!) will go away!

Cheers!

Imo

Yesterday was cool!

Alathouhg i did spend the day being asked if I knew all these tv shows by a three year old, with a cold, speaking dialect rather than high german... That made me a little sleepy.. Actually I am very tired from having to concentrate all the time, and I really miss being about to just speak and be understood - I think my fmaily probablz thinks I'm a very quiet person because I barely say anything! we went 'rutchen' or bobsledding in their backzard (or someones field just over the fence) which was a lot of fun! Everything is covered in snow, looking all proper and winterish! I'm loving my downie, although i borrowed some better clothes, waterproof, fleecy trousers, snow shoes etc for sliding down hills!!!

Watched a fair bit of tv yesterday too, figured I was immersing myself in the language.. The simpsons in German is still funny! Am loving little kids tv though - has so much visual humour!

Am really missing home though, I think I'd actually rather be there right now, in a place where I can be understood, have all my fdamily and friends nearby and I kinda feel that this is too selfsih a thing for me to be doing right now, and should be doing something htat will really help other people, not just myself! If someone gave me the choice of being here or there, I'd probablz choose to be there...

Well I start school tomorrow, a bit scary scine I'm going to have to be catching a train there from tuesday i think, alhtough getting a lift tomorrow, whih is good! Hoping there will be another Australian exchange student there, i know there is a Melbournian in LInz, hopefullz she'll be at the same school! That'll give me someone to talk to....

Must be off... comuter is needed!

Be balck at some stage!"

Well I got here!

And have email and internet access at home which is good, although it is a slightlz freaky keyboarad with the z and y swapped, and other random characters on different keys and things (umlauts for instance - öäü)

Well the flights were good, 24 hours of actual flying time, 34 including airport time! Over to Sydney I was next to a lovely lady who was going to her nephew's wedding, and the flight attendents were all very cool and funny! The trip to Vienna, via Kuala Lumpur was interesting, I was window seat (so couldn't walk around as much as I'd have liked, but did mean i got about 5-6 hours sleep...) next to a Polish girl, with little English, had to use every part of mz drama skills there, but she was very nice! Next to her was an Italian lady with very good English (and about 50 other languages!)

I watched lots of terrible movies - Alien vs Predator, don't watch so predictable, Little Black Book, alright, to see for free! Mr 3000, awful and one good one, a German movie, Die Edukators, with te guy from Goodbye Lenin (and Ladies in Lavender...!) That was actually ok...

Anyway, if you ever hve to get from Vienna to LInz, fly! It was this little plane, about the size of a bus, with big wings and propellers and was verz funny! The distinction between first and general class is a little 20cm plasctic screen... all psychological! Although they got cups of coffee and stuff, for the half hiour flight.....!!

Got to Linz, was met by my family, went home, was feeling a little jetlagged (having just gained an extra 10 hours of life...!), ate some weird purple cabbage stuff, rang my family, went to sleep for 15 hours... I think that'st hte best way to beat jetlag, don't staz awake for as long as possible, just go and sleep umtil it's a normal time to get up (normal here being about 7am...!)

Anzwaz, I'll ocntinue this in the next post, so go and have a break if you fel this is too much reading!

My last night in Tassie!

Roast dinner tonight... yum yum... feels kinda weird to be finally going, have been waiting forever I swear.... anyway... please keep checking... Have finished packing, just about, bit scared to weigh the suitcase though... have my onboard entertainment just about sorted... Almost ready... still not scared though... should I be?

Tomorrow, Tomorrow, I'll leave you, Tomorrow, it's only a day away!

The roast calls.....

Given the all clear!

Apparenlty my mouth is not longer an oozing pussy mess now, looks all lovely and healed, which is good!

Oh, only have one more day before i go! Still now scared! Excited though... funnily enough!

Finished the shopping for pressies today! THink I just about ahve everything I'll need, hopefully... alhtough need another pack of tim tams!

Yada yada! Hi to everyone who's only just looking here for hte first time!

Imo

Now that's just silly!

My mouth has been perfectly happy just calmly healing for the past 3 weeks, was looking lovely last week apparently, but now I have an infection! I ask you, what is the world coming to? It's so much fun, I'm on some antibiotics, seen the pens, but can't remember the name, they're capsules, so I can just mix the powder in with mushy food, did try swallowing the whole things, but they just do a magic disappearing act under my tongue..... Anyway... the powder smells like gas, as in Bunsen burners, and tastes like it too... very bizarre! Apparenlty there's a great big hole, but it's sealed over on the top kind of thing, trapping the germs in... not much I could do to prevent that, except have taken antibiotics from the beginning, but I wasn't offered them.... I don't think....

Well, The Elephant is on, then Lost, then Cutting It (yep, I have an evening of worthwhile tv in front of me!), so I must be off!

See you all on Saturday! IF you could bring some chips or drink or anything, feel welcome to! WE've got a few packet of chips, and several bottles of liquid sugar, but any more would probably be quite welcome! I'll be sending an email about that though...!

Imo

I leave NEXT WEEK!!!

Eek! Next Week! That's so close! I think I should be scared... and I'm starting to get a little anticipative!

Hada nice movie night on Saturday night... watched 6 movies, ate way too much sugar, got too much sleep!! Isn't natural to sleep at a sleepover...!! Silly billies who have to go and do things that make them exhausted...!!

Anyway, leaving NEXT week! Don't forget my farewell thing on Saturday, if you need the details ask me, and I'll tell you (although if I don't want you there, I'll tell you the wrong details... Nah, just kidding!)

Here's a postcard I received from my host family! I'll be living in this area, although 5km out from the town, or somthing along those lines!

I'M GOING TO AUSTRIA!

I GOT MY TICKETS AND VISA AND FINAL DETAILS TODAY! WAHOO!!!!!!

(is that short enough em?)