Last week Erica and I went to a High Tea party, I brought swedish brownies (kladdkaka -always apprechiated) and we had a really nice time, even though I look like a gypsy.
The last two photos are from Australia day, last Thursday. Erica and I went to our school captain's house for a barbie and we had a really nice time - except all my new mozzie bites!
I finally finished my first Swedish school work yesterday, in the subject Försäljning och Service (Sales and Service/Business and Service). It was a quite fun topic to do, but mostly it felt so reliving to send it to my swedish school teacher.
It's only a start though... Next in line is Social Studies - Politics, my favorite topic..... Jokes, I hate politics, so incredibly boring. I'm willing to give up already, but I know I'm pretty determent, if I get something to do, I will do it.
And soon I'll be going back to my Aussie school too. Too soon acutally. Monday morning, uuuuh, mixed feelings, I'm excited to start my new subjects, I don't think it'll be very hard either, maybe in Maths and English, maybe some in Spanish, but they are beginners - I'm not. So that'll be alright anyway. Maybe some in Hospitality.
Ok, this post was more to run away from the Social Studies, maybe I should try go back to work..
Buuhu... There's only a week left of the summer holidays! That so sucks! I don't feel like going up at 6am every morning to feed the calves in time before the bus comes. I wanna sleep in to 7.20am. Oh well... speak of the little creatures, my little Leo didn't drink any milk at all today! He's supposed to be the fastest sucker of them all, but he just didn't drink today! I gave him some pellets, but he hardly ate them either. Retard.
A man was here yesterday to fix my internet, and it finally got fixed. Well, don't cheer yet people, he didn't fix my wirefire, he fixed the internet connection so I could plug in my laptop in the cable in my room. BUT, this morning it just disconnected! So all my happiness about using my own laptop disappeared. It really makes it easier with all my photos and school work if I have my own laptop to work with.
Oohohoh, just remembered, yesterday, me, Toni, Erica and Rosemary (a friend of theirs from Sydney on visit) went to a family friend's dairy farm on the island, and helped milking the cows... Well, me and Rosemary more kept an eye on the cows so they didn't poo on anyone! HAHHA.
And we also bought a new little calf, it's actually a her... And her name is Promise, by some reason.
I haven't written anything since my birthday, almost a month ago. I'm sorry about that.
So what's happened in the since last? HEEEAAPS!
New years was spent out at Farquhar, with my second host family, the Shaws' and all our camping neighbours. Had a good new years, but I've had better too.
We spent a week at Farquhar, just relaxing, swimming, tubing, wakeboarding.... Yes, I did finally get up! The first time i tried, well... The first day I tried, I didn't get up with about 10 tries, but the next day, Nick came out to visit and jumped in the water with me to show, so much easier, got up straight away! Such a happy face, so now I can officially wakeboard, except turning. But that will come eventually.
2 weeks ago, 7th of January, I moved from the Shaws' to my 3rd host family the Thorntons'. They live out on a farm on Oxley Island with 100 cows, 4 horses, chucks (chickens), 2 dogs and 1 cat. We've also got 3 calves that we're raising.
The family consist of Philip (host father), Toni (host mum), Erica (17), Miles (14), Averil (14).
8th of January we went up to Bellingen, for the Camp Creative. It was great, I was quite over camping but the camp creative was good, even though I didn't get the leather course that I wanted to do. I did my cooking class (youngest in the class with the youngest above me most have been about 33). I had a great tutor, Vicki Harris, and her assistant Linda.
We arrived at Oxley Island on the Saturday, and on the following Monday, we went to buy our 4 calves.
It's great to raise them, I love feeding my little Leo. They suck your fingers so they can get to the milk... Mine started sucking my knees today, that's a good sign of a healthy calf. Though something terrible happened yesterday, Erica's calf died... And we think Miles one is sick, but I hope that he's a little fighter if he is. I'm happy I wasn't home when the calf died yesterday.
I also went riding couple of days ago! It was great and I can't wait till next time!
My Friday was spent at Zoe's house for a bonfire. And I slept over too, the next day Nick picked me up after his work and took me to the Shaws', because we had planed a surfing afternoon. I didn't really get up quite enogh, but I got up on my knees, so for the first time, I did.... alright. HAHA.
Woke up today, Kim came into my room banging with a spoon in a saucepan... Singing Happy Birthday.
Had breakfast, toast with fetta. Got my birthday presents, golden earings from Shaws, Alpacka poncho and cupcake set from Cutts. Then we packed up to go out in the boats to Farquhar Park.
Set up the tents and then we went back home to drop Brooke at work. We went to Bunnings to buy some more camping stuff, went out to Farquhar again and had dinner. Then Trev dropped me and Kim at the wharf and we drove the car home again and picked Shayelle up from Wallabi. Then at 9.30 we picked Brooke up from work and I bought a McFlurry Double Choc Fudge.
That was my birthday.
Tonight Im sleeping in my bed, but tomorrow I'll start my 'boot camp' as Kim calls it (since I'm not really a camping girl, and not used to Aussie style camping either).
Tomorrow we'll also have my birthday cake. Raspberry White Chocolate Cheesecake! YUUUM!!!
Now.... The birthday girl says goodnight and thank you for all birthday wishes and all.
ps. thank you mum and dad for my christmas present and birthday present... not. ds.
Today we were going out to the island to set up the tent and stuff... But the boat stuffed up, so we had to go home again. We're not really sure about if we'll make it out there, but we'll see.
Anyway, had my first real experience of currents.
Me and Nick went to Crowdy Beach, Harrington, to teach me how to surf, but once again, we had to change our plans to a swim again. The storms in Queensland are showing on the beach, and Nick told me that if it would have been home at Old Bar Beach, they would have closed the beach. But that wouldn't stop me from going in the water at Harrington which was open with lifeguards.
A current is you know when the water takes you out and not in... Really strong waterstream from underneath sort of.
It was really annoying, you couldn't lay down in the water because you knew it would take you out, and you had to fight to stand in one place all the time. The waves were really close to each other and as I am not (yet) really Aussie I haven't had very much experiences at the beach before.
Today is our last day of Christmas, 26th Decemer, boxing day.
I'm about to have a morning shower and then pack my bag for camping. We're leaving in a couple of hours to go out to an island. On the island there is nothing else than us and other campers. No toilets, no showers, no water facilities (except the ocean/river right next to it)... And other animals... Wiiie. Well, I better learn the Aussie way of camping since that's why I am here, to learn.
How nice Christmas presents did I get???
-Milkshake maker and body lotion coconut from Nan and Pop (Brooke and Nicks nan and pop)
-Beach cardigan and shorts from Zoe and Brooke
-NATIO handcream and nailpolish from Priscilla and the family (neighbours)
-Australia aprint and sloppy joe from the Cutts family (my 1st host family)
-Ipod Touch from Nick (his old one)
-Billabong wallet from Brooke
-Necklace and Cadburry chocolate stocking from the Shaw family (my 2nd host family)
Hope yall get a happy, Merry Christmas. For me, it's Christmas Eve mid day right now, which means I would probably just have woken up for Christmas in Sweden wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and probably hunt for a Christmas present Santa hidden for me... But I'm in Australia, just cleaned the shower out because it looked disgusting, and I've also made my Ploppkakor (Caramel Cookies) this morning. YUM O!
And now I'm here, home all by my self, Nick's at work, Kim's at the hairdresser and Brooke and Trev are in town. Yup, that's my Christmas Eve. Sweden is a wierd country celebrating Christmas the 24th... Here we're celebrating tomorrow. And I will come back later to tell you how a Aussie Christmas is celebrated, and how I celebrated mine.
So, if you don't hear from me before your Christmas Eve,
In my blog I let my readers read about my everyday life which includes my great passions of life, sewing and baking/pastery work, aswell as my exchange year in the land down under, Australia.
My name is Johanna and I'm born in a snowy winter day in december 1994, 17 years ago. In year 10, my 1st year at Swedish high school I did Handcraft-textile fashion design, just because I love sewing and designing clothes. I make all my patterns myself if I don't tell you something else. In year 11 I took a gap year to go as an exchange student with STS High School to Australia.
Read about my life as an Aussie!
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