I had my longest converesation ever today...

...with a member of my host family that is! Was with Michi, started at the train station, talking bout how school was, stopped for the train ride, then all the way home... for the 10 minute walk from the station! I think my family is starting to learn that I'm not so quiet as they initially thought, and that should show them...!! Admitedly it was mostly about legal ages for things in Australia - drinking, smoking, 'discos', thanks mum for the stats on Aussie smokers (did you know only 1 in 6 people in Australia smokes... that's only 15% and is one of the lowest in the world!) very handy for backing me saying I hate smoking (this is just after he'd finished his ciggy... hmmm...!) but was a conversation! Can't explain how satisfying it is to do that, and only go 'huh/bitte?' (pardon?) once or twice!!

Had a good German day today! Somedays it really feels possible that I'll be fluently speaking in the near future, and other days I just have no idea how I'm ever going to get there... Of course I know I will, but sometimes it's just so far off and seems such an impossible goal... Talked a fair bit to my classmates in German, they've adopted the attitude or 'we've got plenty of time, have a go, we'll correct you and if it makes no sense go in English..!' Sometimes there are things that I have to say in English though... but it's a start! Had three lessons of Englisch today as well, which made me more pleased that I was able to speak in German...!! Had the elective two lessons this afternoon, taught by the principal of the school, who's really nice, and just about insists that I come to his lesson, says he always likes having someone to be an assistant English teacher! For my Thursday elective I do religion, which doesn't make al lthat much sense, but hte teacher is nice, and I can understand bits here and there, and it will be itneresting when I can understand, I'm sure!

They get to choose two electives, Monday and Thursday, then everything else is chosen for the whole class (although they choose between French and Latin). I'm going to French.. only cos I'm meant to go to everything, and I can just sit there and watch Amelie..!! Without subtitles... Or dubbing... The French teacher now thinks I speak French though, because I was laughing, since I knew what was going on. Apparently she said something to me in French, the class told her I don't speak it, and she was insisting that I do because I understood the film... Oh dear...!! DUnno if she's convinced about my inability yet!! Understand bits and pieces here and there though, from listening to people jabber at school in Tas, but mainly from the similarities to English! Could work out what a question was, atlhough not a clue as to how to do it (Michi in my class (a different one) always gives me the French sheets anyway... kinda funny!)

Have officially chosen my subjects that 'll be graded in. Managed to avoind Maths, Physics, Chemie and French... I'm marked on my improvement apparently, rather than my knowledge, so that's good! There's a saxaphone group here, but not having a sax means I can't be in it... May take up the drums or something instead... (says she who sometimes has issues singing and clapping in time... :-p)..!!! FInally got my textbooks today... Get them for free because I'm an exchange stdent, yay, although apparently they usually only cost like €20 or something, then get returned to the school at the end of the year, I think... Dunno really!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! On Friday, I have to RUN! RUN!! RUN!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! I hate running for no purpose with a vengance, and we have to run to somewhere for Sport. Don't mind if it's in a game of something, and you have to chase the ball or soemthing, but just running for the sake of it... Last year they were apparently given 2 hours for it, this year we get one... Here I was thinking all those hours at the gym (well, all 3 sessions or something) had been for nothing... Maybe I'll just be sick.. Like on wednesday, when we've got chem instead of maths (despite the massive maths test being on thursday, and the class not knowing a thing....)...

I don't acutally have to do any of the exam type tests, except English, because they're all the subjects I've cleverly avoided! Am going to be going to a German for non-native speakers clas hopefully though, so somy be something in that... Hooray though!

Well, that's all folks, may be downloading MSN sometime, although very rarely on the computer when you're all awake (but I'll be able to talk to people from here), but have to check with Hans first!