Salzburg, Vienna, London, Munich, Berlin, All of Austria...

Well, my list is getting longer and longer... Am going to get an Austria wide train ticket, which basically means i can go on as many train trips around Austria as I like, on just this one ticket.. is VERRY good value! Hopefully should be able to get it (keep on finding silly rules like you have to have been living in the EU for 6 months before you can buy a certain ticket... etc etc) and it'll make life sooo much easier!

Meeting Imo K in Salzburg in a couple of weeks, soooo looking forward to it!!! Can't wait to see someone from home! We'll be doing te SOund of Music tour (so Bibi isn't going to come with us to Salzburg, which i9n some ways will be nicer, but she can't stand the Sound of Music) and then Imo might come to Linz for a day or something...

We also want to go to London in August (I'm really looking forward to this, hopefully will happen, just for being in an English speaking country again...), so if anyone has rellies or friends there who'd love to have an Austrian and an Australian to stay for just a couple of days, please tell me!! I love being in Europe - it's what they do here, just go off to other parts for a few days at a time!!

Anyway, have to go, longer at some other time, I know I'm not writing as much at the moment, but not really doing much, and the stuff we do do just kinda fits in to the day and I can't be bothered!! I think it's a sign that i#m really fitting in with the famiy though!

Will tell you all about Salzburg though, and it's the 'fun' week next week (well more fun) where we do interesting stuff, and clean the class room, get reports and then HOLIDAYS!!!! two months of SUNNY WEATHER!!

A BBQ here is a big deal!

I'll tell you all about the 'grille' we had on saturday, but first, to the comments on the other post!

Alex: picked Warren Clarke, he looks almost identical to now, with fewer wrinkles! Thought that was funny! We're actually not going to finish watching it, because it doesn't work properly, but Bibi wants to see it fully as well, so we'll borrow it off someone (they don't seem to do video shops here... or something!) alhtough it'll still be in german, but better than nothing! Btw, had a very strange dream where everyone from home went weird, and you got about 10 ear piercings for each ear, looked a bit like Rimmer from Red Dwarf when he loses all his cowardice actually, including the hair... I'd just read 5th Harry Potter, with Tonks who can change her appearance at will though, think that's where it came from, because you could do that to your hair too... Can't actually remember how other people went weird though... unfortunately!

Mum: Dunno know about the Old Vienna Choir boys, will keep my ears open!

Kat: What's your new blog address?

And now the important bit, the bbq! It is a process that takes several hours! No such thing as 'hey, how about we 'grillen' these chicken wings today', instead all the food gets prepared (salad, being the weird kinda lettuce that I don't really like, but eat a lot of here, because it's absolutely coated in olive oil and vinegar, and the meat, and any grillable vegies). The bbq has to be dug out of the cellar, and assembled (just like lego actually), and then lit and then everything gets cooked while you sit and eat the salad entree... Very strange I think.... Is kinda hard to explain how they're so different to aussie bbqs, but they are! Like the sunsets which are completely different, still fantastic, but aren't as colourful (they go through stages, rather htan having every colour at once), but are much wider (maybe that's just the horizon is wider) and last for ever! Today is the longest day of the year!!

Have discovered my complete favourite cake! Erdbeer Kuchen (Strawberry cake)! Would be learning how to make it now, but started checking my emails, and writing this, and then Margrete asked me how long I'd be, said 20 minutes, and she's making it now.. but I'm sure there'll be more opportunites! The cake however is a kind of sponge base, with a yummy custardy layer and then strawberries with gelatine all over that! I'm sure I've seen them in Australia, but can't remember them being so yummy! Yesterday I ate 3.5 slices (they were FORCED upon me! Really!)...!

Oh and I#m staying here unti lthe first week in January... Just thgouth you shoudl all know! Will leave here somewhere between the 1st and 8th.. i'm thinking the 5th would be a nice date! Christmas in Europe! Hooray! And NEw Years!

Must be off! We might be going starwberry picking soon! Ahhh, I love summer here! ANd my legs have actuyll tanned! They never tan in Tassie! Usually i'm just too scared of sunburn I think, but here they've gone a nice slightly brown shade (mainly on the front though....!!!!)

What do Songs of Praise and The Sound of Music have in common?

Answer: I have NO idea, except that they were both mentioned in the same breath at a concert i went to on SUnday. It was a boys church choir, so that may have something to do with Songs of Praise, and it's (apparently) the 40th year anniversary of Sound of Music, or so I'm told (I'll find out when I'm in Salzburg I think) even though they genenrally hate the movie here... Why in the same breath beats me... It was then followed by a short scene from the Barber of Seville... I don't like to ask about the ways Austrians think sometimes! The concert however was nice (not really my taste in music, discovered i like loud classical music, with lots of loud instruments, not any of this timid, 'what if the audience has their hearing aids turned up too loud' business...) but it was quite nicely sung (although my bum was LITERALLY numb by the end, they just don't know how to make good chairs here or something!). The building however was beuatiful... It was a something-or-other, with lots of paintings of important people and stuff... Will go back soon hopefully and tour it, and then give you photos!

For some reason (once again the strange thinking capactities of the Austrians astounds me) we're watchign A Clockwork Orange in German. It's interesting, except that the dialogue has disappeared from both dvd players, so we were watching wiht just the music and people mouthing words (it's as though they turned off the english to dub it, and forgot to turn the german back on) so i really have NO idea what's going on... Hopefully we'll get to see the whole thing with words sometime... Won't be able to watch Singin' in the Rain again for a while without thinking of it though (man breaking into house, bashing up man, raping woman while singing... leaves an impression)... Despite the violence and stuff, it is actually a 'good' film, and has all those aspects that make me see why it fits so nicely into the 'you just HAVE to see it' category...

Watching Forrest Gump in English... Ahhh, first English film in 4 months... Ahhh... Bliss (going to Hitchikers Guide sometiems soon, in English with German subtitles...!!!)

Photo thing may be resolved sometime soon, this computer does have a usb port, and a cd drive, so I'll hopefully be able to do something with them! They're both cunningly disguised as a usb port and cd drive though... (was someone relevants birthday on Sunday or Saturday, from Blackadder I think, but cannot remember their name, and the newspaper is too far away... Speaking of newspapers, the Tassie devils got into the New York Times segment that is in the Standard every monday! Colour photos and everything!!)

Ok, going now!

If you're looking for fresh pigeon for dinner, come to Linz

The pigeons are so dumb here - was just walking along, and the pigeon in front of me decided I was a threat when I was about 10cm away, and then just decided to waddle sideways... Makes me think of the Goodies: Dumb animals...!

The guy in this internet cafe now knows me, and I don't have to show my card anymore - he actually remembers my name and everything...!

Going to Vienna on Saturday, to visit another daughter, so that'll be good! Then on sunday i'll prolly be helping Melanie with her English (she failed her test, so has to redo it, but needs help in prep...!) I got my test back, got an A, hooray, apparently there was a Texan girl last year who got a D (out of A-F), so I was a little worried, but then someone reported to me that i'd gotten a B, which I thought was funny. Then It turned out i actually had an A, alhtough a few mistakes (some I just say were colloquialisms or informal ways of saying things) but I have the advantage of being able to say 'that's how we say it in Australia'.

Well, really don't know why I thought i'd write an entry right now, nothing really to write, should be reading the Sydney MOrnnig Herald or soemthing.. SO byesybye

Me sleepy.

Can't write long sentences. Brain switched off. 6 hours sleep. From 6am till 12pm. Got home at 5;30am. Big birthday night out for Melanie.

Actually that's not entirely right, the times are, but I am kinda vaguely able to write longer sentences. Well... Last night...

The night started at about 7:30, when Bibi and I started to get ready, etc etc, then we literally ran to the train station at 9pm. Got into Linz (Bibi had two run ins with ticket inspectors, and having forgotten her pass for free travel, had to explain over and ove, and gain the sympathy of them...) and eventually met up with Simone, after a little confusion about meeting place. The four of us (Melanie travelled into LInz by train with us, she lives near us) then headed off to a pub/bar (what's the difference, as in definition?) called Walkers, where we met Maria. Not much happening there, so went to another place called The Living Room, which was very cool, but a bit smoky. After that we went down to their favourite pub, but it was almost empty, so we went back to Walkers, where we spent the rest of the evening. Apparently Maria is usually the popular one, all the guys vying for her attention, but it was Bibi last night. In the Living Room, the classic friend-asking-for-a-friend thing happened, wanting to know how old she was (disappointment, the friend was 16...!), then in Walkers a 'happy' man wanted to know if she was Austrian (I thought this was kinda funny to ask her, when I was there, but shows I looked the part...!) That was funny, except that he was leaning right over me, threatening to spill beer all over me! Anyway. Then I went to the loo with Melanie, and when we got back, there were three new guys. One was the most interested, called Christoph, 28 (!) from Vienna, and the others were similar ages. They were all nice, and we talked to them for a few hours... They had lots of fun when they found i was Australian.. Especially one who kinda spoke English... Anyway, was funny to watch them all trying to get Bibi's attention, but Christoph was the successful one..! This was the highlight of the evening... Bibi says it was very strange, that that's never happened before!

Alcohol just makes me sleepy... Why I don't know, but I was so close to falling asleep at times... What did I drink.. Hmm... I tried a bit of Maria's Sunrise tequila shot, some white wine spritz, rum and coke, and some cocktail (this was the ultimate fatigue giving drink) with rum, tequila, 'wodka' and gin.. And orange juice i think... Was very yummy though. I didn't actually drink that much - most of this was just stinging a sip from other people! I think I'm over my dislike of the actual taste of alcohol, but don't like being so tired! I think it was also because i always forget how tiring it is to live in a different language (should have told this to the three guys in walkers, they prolly think all australians are inactive, exhausted and can't take their alcohol or something)...

Well that's pretty much my evening from yesterday, as usual I'm sure there was something else...

We walked from 'Altstadt' to the train station (that'S why were out till so early, the first train was at 5am, and while there were parents willing to come and collect, it just isn't practical here) which was interesting. The sky was starting to light up, and there were heaps of drunks around, but we took a route that was almost deserted, by them. Good answer to prayer, was freezinh when we left, i said 'god, keep us safe, warm and let the train be running' almost immediately Bibi thoguth of a safer route to walk, the air started to warm up and the train was running. I felt completely safe, although Melanie and Bibi I think were a little scared. Really was fine though!

Don't know what i'm going to do about photos on my blog now, this computer doesn't have usb port, is an old laptop, so maybe at the internet cafe, or even a school, but the likelyhood of the school ones having usb is not high! Anyway, wil see what i can do! Gotta go, lunch in a moment...

Ok, new home and all!

New host father: Fritz, manager of a big company, think it's a steelworks or something, but not completely sure... Bibi doesn't really know...! Speaks English, reasonably well, so that's good, we all generally just speak in a mixture of English and German (more German though, but is good, my german is now leaping and bounding!!). He's very nice, funny, plays gol onsunday mornings, but that'S about all....

New host mother: Margarete, housewife (used to work, had kids, liked staying home so much she now does it permanently!) Very nice, anxious to make sure I have everything I need, especially in terms of food... Mmmm! Very good cook! I get hot choccie for brekfast, and cornflakes now... Also went and bought juice for me and stuff, she asked though!! Speaks a bit of English, I think its at about the same level as my german... understands a lot, but doesn't speak as much! I feel a little uncomfortable with her doing ALL the work around the house, but get the impression she enjoys it...

New host sister: Bibi (weird going from school friend to officially host sister)... Very nice... umm, in same class, hopefully we won't crowd each other, but shouldn't....

Also have two other host sisters (plus there'sa half one I think, but not nearly as comfusing as with teh others!) One lives in Linz and the other in Vienna, so we'll prolly go and stay with her for a bit in the holidays...

House, very nice, pool, good garden, i'm being taught how to mow lawns soon... They'Re really into art and stuff, so the house is very coordinated and smart looking. My room is in the cellar... WEll right downstairs, and I have a window that's at 'street' level (actually looks onto the pool...). Have my own bathroom, wuith shower, loo etc etc. Show kinda dodgy, but I think its just clogged up, so I'll have to ask! Have an old tv, no remote, but that stops me just lying on my bed channel surfing! Actuyll, not planning on spending too much time in my room... But is kinda cool to have a tv...!! Got to watch Desperate Housewives twice because of it (is on two nights in a row on diff channels!)... Umm.... Pets.... Two rabbits, Bibi has a horse she goes to everyday, might learn to ride.. .He's very nice, ad you know the saying about dogs and owners looking alink... I think it fits to horse as well! Very cute! Both have the same fringe!! Bibi isn't so sure...

Goota go