daily routine...

Life is getting a bit 'domesticated'. All I do is sleep, eat, work & sew. Winter came back after a few 'warm' days. This morning it was so cold again, we are back to using 2 hot water bottles instead of 1.



Ah well, can't complain, I actually love winter as much as I love summer if only it was a bit more varied. Dutch winters are always unpredictable...it can freeze, snow, rain or be sunny, whereas here it's dry most of the times and always around 15 degrees. One thing I really miss is ice-skating...it's just not the same on an icerink.

The crafty business is going well, I'm loving it and some other people too because I sold some things already. Mum absolutely loves the cushion covers I made for her birthday. All is good.

Check Hollabee for my crafty stuff.

snowboarding...

On the 6th of July we got in the car and headed for the snowfields. At around 9am we picked Nic up in Hawthorn and we were on our way. It's approx 2 hours to Warragul, where we booked a cabin and then another 2 up the mountain.

So after dropping our stuff off at the caravan park, we went up to the mountain to have our very first afternoon in the snow. I hadn't been on a wintersport holiday for 2 years and Marcel & Nic had never been. It was all so exciting.

We hired our boards & boots and I tried to explain how things work to Marcel & Nic. Marcel got the hang of it pretty quickly, but Nic was struggeling a bit. So for the Saturday we booked a private lesson for the two of them, which helped.

The snow was awesome and we all loved it! for a pic & more news on the trip, click here.

Daylesford...

Long time since I last updated my webpage.
On the 8th of June we left for Daylesford, about an hour drive from Melbourne. We stayed in this lovely cosy room at the back of Mc Arthurs Books & Cafe in Maldon.
Maldon is such a cute and lovely little place with great country shops and restaurants, the town is still beautifully preserved and the buildings are amazing.

The first day we drove to Daylesford and Hepburn Springs to visit the Daylesford Foto Biennale. We went to a seminar and visited some great locations.

This is basically most of what we did...

We visited the Andersons Mill in Smeaton, which is an absolute must see!
Then we went to the Tuki Trout farm to buy lamb & trout..This was quite funny as all we could see from the road was a sign, but no farm....after a few k's the farm finally showed up...I don't really like dirt roads and I don't think my car does either...worse of all..Marcel (on his L's) was driving. Thank god it was in the middle of nowhere and all he could hit was rocks or sheep.
Some of the great exhibitions were Jason Edwards (National Geograpic) at the Glenlyon Shire Hall, and the exhibitions at the Clunes Bottle Museum and Clunes Town Hall. All I do is look at buildings to be honest...I mean the photographs are amazing, but I find the buildings really interesting...must be the huge difference with Europe...I am just fascinated.
Ow, we also went out for dinner at the old macaroni factory in Hepburn Springs, this is a great place to eat..the atmosphere and the wood fire make it really cosy.
We also went to the Chocolate Mill, and all I can say is Yum Chocolate! Have to say it's quite pricy, but well..so is gold.
Before I forget, we had an awesome Devonshire Tea in Trentham. It's in an old bank building (can't really miss it as the town is really small) and they have crafty things as well. It's absolutely yummie, the scones are delicious...in fact they're so good that I absolutely had to go back the week after...

Well, that was our trip really....It was freeeeezing cold, but we loved our time away. Our next weekend away is on the 6th of July...to Warragul and hopefully we'll go skiing on Mt Baw Baw...I'll have to teach Marcel how to snowboard...wish me luck :)

It has been a while...

Sorry sorry sorry....

I know you all had to wait a long time for this blog....and to be honest...it's not that special...just an update...
Where shall I start...ehm...well my parents left on the 3rd of January, so it has been a while.

Things have just been pretty steady...working, relaxing, being busy etc. Summer has gone by so quickly.

Just recently I changed jobs and am really enjoying my new job with the Union. I'm basically supporting the organisers with various admin tasks, which gives me the opportunity to be a sponge and learn a lot.

Weekends are used to relax and we are slowly getting used to the colder weather even though the temperatures are still in the mid-20's.
Last weekend it was a long weekend because of Easter and we did some small day-trips, which was great. On Friday we went to Hastings to go fishing and enjoy the great scenery and weather. Then on Saturday we went on a shopping spree to buy some new clothes for winter. On Sunday we went to Queenscliff for some more fishing (too bad we never catch anything worth eating) and on Monday we went to the wineries in the Yarra Valley region. It was a great weekend, full on fun and a relaxing time.

That's it for now, I seriously can't think of anything interesting to tell you now, but I'll definitely post it if I remember something important.

van Meeuwen's down under...

On the 4th of December it was a big day... I had to work first, but in the evening my parents and brother would land after a 24 hour flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur to Melbourne. We were waiting at the airport and it took ages...I was getting nervous after an hour...

Luckily nothing (serious) had happened...after about 1.5 hours they walked through the door and I hugged them....It was Marcel's first time to meet my family but that was hardly noticable...him and my brother were 'mates' within minutes.

Sadly my brother's bag hadn't arrive, but more about that later. We took them to our place and they started unpacking their suitcases....heaps of presents (yessss). Then we took mum & dad to the hostel and Gerard stayed with us.

The first few days they went shopping...as my brother was walking around in Marcel's clothes and he desperately needed clothes cuz he didn't have his bag....not that he was worried about that...he loved shopping here in Melbourne.

On the 8th of December we flew to Adelaide to stay the weekend with my relatives there. On the 9th we did a winery tour in the Barossa valley....with 44 degrees. Then on the 10th we went to Victor Harbor, Gowra and Normanville where we stayed the night in a cabin. The next day we did some exploring and in the evening we flew back to Melbourne.

That week my parents made some day trips around Melbourne before heading off to the Great Ocean Road and Grampians. They met kangaroos and koalas...which they really wanted.

After about a week...the airport called...my brother's bag was found...so now he had more clothes...but he had to buy new clothes because nobody can live without clothes for a week plus he didn't expect the bag to be found....luckily they did, cuz my chocolate recipe book was in there (hehe)

On the 24th we planned to go to Christmas Carols and we did go there...however, we didn't see anyone perform because it started to rain and it was so cold. Then on the 25th we had a christmas dinner at home... yummie prawns, salad, potatoes & ham...all prepared by...Me!

On the 26th it was time for our big adventure...the 5 of us in my car...First stop was Lakes Entrance, along Victoria's east coast. We stayed in Lakes Entrance for 2 nights...the boys went fishing...and we had awesome dinners at a seafood restaurant. The hostel wasn't all that....and especially sleeping in one room with the whole family & Marcel was an adventure...

After 2 nights in Lakes Entrance we drove along the coast towards Narooma (NSW)...and the further we got, the more beautiful the scenery... mum laughed everytime we got over another hill and Marcel would shout 'OHHHH WOOOOOOW'. It was a great trip. We stayed in Narooma for 2 nights, and this time the hostel was great...especially the people...YHA Narooma...if anyone is interested. The 2nd day in Narooma the boys went fishing (again) and we saw massive stingrays from the wharf, a dolphin and a seal....also...a boat caught a marlin and I can tell you...these are BIG!

Then after 2 nights we continued our trip to Sydney where we arrived on the 30th of December. Marcel, Gerard & I stayed with Marcel's parents and mum & dad stayed with Marcel's family friends. We had a great time...went to Manly on the ferry to have dinner with Courtney and Irene and in the evening we went to Belinda & Jim's place to celebrate new year. They live opposite the opera house and have a shared rooftop terrace. The view was perfect...we could not have had a better spot. Mum & dad loved it...the best New Years eve ever... for dad's album click here

Then it was time for us to drive back to Melbourne...which we did in 2 days, so we arrived on the 2nd of Jan and my parents & brother left Australia on the 3rd of Jan.

Thanks mum, dad & Gerard ...for coming over...it was a great trip & Marcel & I had heaps of fun! See you next time..whenever that is...Take care.

Christmas dinner...

Last night we had a big christmas dinner with our friends here in Melbourne. A total of 18 people were invited and the idea was to cook a dish from your 'homeland' so that everyone could try that. Most of you know that our group consists of different nationalities so the dinner was a real multi cultural bonanza. Me and Marcel started cooking in the afternoon since we had a lot to prepare.

We decided to make 3 dishes, of which 2 were dutch and one chilean. I made a dutch vegetable soup with little meatballs and dutch appelflappen. The appelflappen are made with pastry, apple, sultanas, cinnamon and sugar. Then we also made empanadas, which is chilean. They are made of pastry, mince meat, onion, garlic, herbs, olives and a little piece of egg. It was all yum!

At around 7pm we went to Fernanda's place to present our dishes and our Kris Kringle's. It was fun to do a Kris Kringle, buying a present for a friend not knowing whom got you a present in return. The shopping for the Kris Kringle was fun and in my opinion I did really well ;) hope the person will be happy with it....

We first had dinner, trying all the delicious dishes from Germany, Brazil, Hungary, Chile, India, Indonesia, China, Australia, Poland and the Netherlands. Then we had the Kris Kringle...and the real Santa came over to visit and hand out the presents...we all had to sit on his lap and do either a trick or sing a song to get our present. Once everybody got their present, we had our deserts (best part of the dinner ;) and sang Christmas carols.

It was a great night...Thank you Fernanda & Tom...we'll be there again next year :P

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to everyone!

Family down under...

Today is a very exciting day... My family from the Netherlands will arrive to spend one month with us here in Australia. I just received an update that they arrived in Kuala Lumpur and are waiting for their transfer. Tonight at 8.35pm we will pick them up at Melbourne airport. They must be very tired then, but I can't wait to see them and show them around.

They will have some time off before we'll start our 'big' trips. Tomorrow they will probably need to recover from the trip so I have given them 'a day off'. The day after they can go and explore Melbourne's CBD and Queen Victoria Market. On Thursday they can go to St Kilda, Prahran and surrounds. Then on Friday morning we (Marcel will not be able to come) will fly to Adelaide for a long weekend with our relatives. On Saturday we'll make a trip to the fabulous Barossa Valley, on Sunday we'll do whatever our relatives recommend us to do and on Monday we'll go on a fishing charter off Cape Jervis...to catch some big ones (hopefully). In the evening we'll fly back to Melbourne.

After that my parents & brother will have about 8 days off to tour and explore Victoria's beautiful scenery before they're heading down to the Great Ocean Road and Grampians. On the 23rd of December they will be back in Melbourne for Christmas Carols and Christmas dinner...

Then on the 26th our adventure along the coast will start. The five of us will go in my car (hope she'll make it)...On the 26th we will drive to Lakes Entrance to stay there 2 nights....then we will continue along the coast towards Narooma where we will spend 2 nights as well...Our final destination will be Sydney where we will be for New Year with Marcel's family!

On the 1st of January we will drive to Wagga Wagga and then back to Melbourne....

My parents & brother will leave on the 3rd of January... Will miss them!

New job...

Wednesday the 8th of November was a big day for me ... the start of my new job. It was exciting and a little scary but I can assure you .. I am part of the team now and enjoying it a a lot! I still have a lot to learn but I'll get there and it's a great job which is very important. So far I have revised their corporate image incl. stationary, business cards etc and I am working on a website for them, which is very exciting seen the fact that it's one of my hobbies. More news later...

Last Thursday we went out for dinner with Courtney, her parents who came over from Canada, Fernanda, Tom and Huy. We went to Toto's, a Vietnamese restaurant on Victoria street in Richmond....the food was yummie!

On Saturday we went to the Latin Festival in Fitzroy. That was great fun...a lot of Chilean and Brazilian food...yum! And of course the latin music...salsa! We didn't want to go home too late, cuz we planned a trip to the beach on Sunday.

We left home around 11am to go to Portsea surf beach...It was meant to be 31 degrees..which would be nice for the beach you'd say...Uhm..not really...once we got there it was cloudy which made the temperature drop tremendously Cry so we left quite early because we felt cold. Then in the evening we watched Idols and went to bed early.

In two weeks my parents are arriving in Melbourne, and we're really excited about that...Celebrating Christmas together...

Road trip...

Friday - Melbourne to Sale
On Friday the 3rd of November we left Melbourne at around 5.30pm to start our trip on the Great Alpine Road. This road starts in Bairnsdale, 3 hours east of Melbourne, and ends in Wangaratta, 3 hours north of Melbourne. We spent our first night in the Motor Village in Sale, the Gippsland area east of Melbourne.

Saturday - Sale to Buchan to Omeo
On Saturday we drove from Sale to Bairnsdale, and then we went a little off track because we wanted to visit the Buchan Caves. This is an amazing place where they take you underground through the caves. We can recommend it to anyone.

From Buchan we drove back to the Great Alpine Road and up to Omeo, where we would spend the second night (in the Omeo Motel). Omeo is a little ‘gold rush' town that is still very well preserved. It looks very cute and is a great stop before you start your trip into the alpine area. We had dinner there on Saturday evening at a place called Mesley's and we can absolutely recommend having dinner there...the menu is fabulous and the deserts are yummie! Definitely a top class restaurant.

Sunday - Omeo to Dinner Plain to Mt Hotham to Harrietville to Bright to Mt Beauty
The next morning we got breakfast at the local bakery and petrol before heading to Dinner Plain and Mt Hotham. These two alpine villages cater for the winter sport lovers and for that reason there's not much to do at this time of the year apart from walking the extensive mountain tracks. We just stopped and took some photos. Then we took of to Harrietville, a picturesque little village. In this village we went to the trout farm where we caught two trout (after trying 10 times...we have proof...it was hilarious...but the sad thing was that I had to knock it on the head with a stick to kill it) which we took to cook for dinner later. From Harrietville we got to Bright, an absolutely stunning place with beautiful oak trees that give the town colour. I can advise anyone to visit this place (it's my favourite). Since all accommodation in Bright was fully booked, we stayed in Mt Beauty (Bogong Moth Motel). This village is half an hour east from Bright and has a wonderful bakery (which we found out in the morning). In the evening we prepared our delicious trout with garlic, ginger, parsley and spring onion and went to bed early.

Monday - Mt Beauty to Happy Valley to Myrtleford to Beechwort to Wangaratta
After our tasty breakfast in the Mt Beauty bakery we continued our trip. We drove through the Happy Valley back to the Great Alpine Road. We passed Myrtleford on the Great Alpine Road. Since Marcel's Uni friend Jess lives near Myrtleford we went to visit her on the farm. It was great fun, since we had no clue where to go, Jess had to come get us and we followed her on a ‘dirt' road until we finally reached her place. Her mum prepared a wonderful lunch including pavlova. Jess has horses and we could go for a horse ride...it had been ages since I last rode a horse...great fun...definitely would like to do it more often. After our time on the farm, we took a ‘back' road to Beechworth, one of Victoria's best preserved ‘gold rush' towns. The main attraction in Beechworth is their fabulous bakery and cake shop (try one of their yummie pies) and the lolly shop (seriously...lollies from all over the world). From Beechworth we drove down to our final destination...North Cedars Holiday Park in Wangaratta.

Tuesday - Wangaratta to Milawa to Oxley to Mansfield to Yarra Glen to Melbourne
Melbourne cup day...but we were not going, because we had to drive 3 hours to Melbourne. After loading everythin into the car and getting petrol, we drove towards Milawa and Oxley, two little towns situated in Victoria's gourmet region. In Milawa we bought the famous olive oil and olives from the olive shop, mustards from the mustard shop and cheeses from the cheese factory. I wish I could go shopping there every day. From Oxley we drove to Mansfield and along the way we stopped at Powers lookout which gave us a magnificent view of the valley. Mansfield is a little town at the bottom of Mt Buller (another skiing resort) and then we drove all the way home through the Yarra Valley.



This trip was both amazing and shocking... Victoria is still remarkable but it was really tragic to see how the land is affected by severe drought. We have seen for ourselves that we need to do something, because this is not only a ‘farmers problem'. Soon everyone in Australia will be affected by the drought! Lakes are dry, creeks are dry, rivers are dry... it scared us. The once famous lake in Bonnie Doon is no longer there...it is dry... Don't get me wrong, Victoria is beautiful (especially Bright...my favourite) but spring time used to be ‘green and full of flowers' and now it is yellow and dry... what is summer gonna bring?



Have a look at my pics ...and see for yourself....a wonderful but tragic landscape



Had an awesome time with Marcel, we did many nice things and had great weather everyday...if you want to visit the alpine area, you should take the great ocean road and buy some of the best local produce available....the gourmet country is certainly worth it....hopefully we can do it again soon...

Birthday & BBQs

On the 21st of October it was my birthday and we went to Jells Park for a BBQ and nice day out with friends. Even though the weather wasn't as good as I hoped, it was a great day. First of all we had to get the BBQ started since it was not one of those electric ones as I expected but a real woodfire one...Well..we got it working and soon it was hot enough to put the sausages and burgers on...It was very nice and the BBQ gave us what we needed....warmth...
Most of the girls stayed close to the fire and the boys went to play soccer...it was a great day! Thanks all! Since the gallery on my site isn't working fully, have a look at the pics here

Last Saturday we had another BBQ in St Kilda, because Fiona is leaving soon..She's going back home (Indonesia) for a holiday. Had another great day!

Tonight we're going out for dinner for Fiona's farewell...and now I'm enjoying my last day at work (Sporting Shooters) before going on a mini-trip tomorrow. Marcel & I are going to the Great Alpine Road, from Melbourne to Sale, to Omeo, to Mt Beauty, to Beechworth, to Wangaratta and back to Melbourne on Tuesday. On Wednesday I will start my new job and I'm really looking forward to that :)

More news soon.

got a job...

Good news this week...I found a job....I haven't started yet, but it sounds like a great challenge and I am really looking forward to starting my new job...



The company specialises in fabric cutting systems for a variety of industries such as apparel, furniture, transportation and industrial. My job will be setting up their marketing, starting with their website (so keep an eye out) Furthermore, I'll assist with creating a support system for their distributors and agents, creating marketing materials, marketing plans, advertising, customer relations, PR etc. The company has recently moved to brand new offices in Tullamarine and has great facilities for R&D, design and manufacturing.

The rest of this week was as usual... worked 4 days in Box Hill (my current temporary job, which will finish this Thursday). Today we had a BBQ with friends in St Kilda, tonight I went to Courtney's to assemble her new bookcase and watch tv and on Thursday we'll go out for $4 pizza's because Fiona is flying to Indonesia on Friday...A lot of activities as you can see, and this will only increase cuz summer is on our doorstep :)

More news on my job & life soon...

picking it up again...

I'm transferring the continuation of my adventures back to this blog...

my blog ends here

My blog will end here...I now have my own website on which I will post my stories...check www.biancavanmeeuwen.com

Job hunting

Well, an update from me...at the moment I am still job hunting..Have had millions of interviews but no answers yet..maybe it's part of the laid back Australian culture to wait for a couple of weeks before getting back to someone. I called a few times but everytime they tell me that they haven't made a decision yet or that the managers are travelling...guess I'll just have to be patient.

The rest is pretty much the same, apart from the weather which is way too hot for the beginning of October. Like today..it's 30 degrees!!! Last year around this time I still had my winter jacket on..crazy isn't it..but most of all it's scary (I refer to Al Gore's movie "an inconvenient truth"). I think I never ever before wished for rain, but actually..now I do want it to rain and a hell of a lot. Australia is in drought and this means severe water restrictions (we only have 45% of our water reserve, last year this was 60%) and cattle, sheep and crops are dying...it's crazy! Please let it rain.

Well that's it for now, take care..talk soon (which will be next week saturday, after my birthday)

Unexpected trip

On the 24th of September I dropped Marcel off at the airport to get his wisdom teeth removed in Sydney and stay with his parents for a week. I was going to be home alone for a week, however, I went to Sydney on 26 September (totally unexpected). Had a good time, nice weather, nice days, eve's and awesome dinners.... We both flew back on Sunday 1 October..not on the same flight though...but I just had to wait for one hour...
C ya...By the way...the Swannies lost :(

Back Down Under

Hi all...just an update to let you know that I am back in Australia.

I had a great 3 weeks with my family back home and I have finally graduated (although I'm gonna miss Uni).

On the 6th of September I arrived back in Australia and I have to say that it was the best thing ever...I was HOME! (sorry for everyone back in NL) Marcel, Fernanda and Tom came to pick me up from the airport and I just can't describe how happy I felt at that moment...well...so happy that I cried. It was just so good to be back with my love, we missed each other so much!
Well...now I'm back home and living the life I feel very comfy with. I had a temp job, working for Fernanda and am now looking for a full-time job for 6 months or more (visa restrictions etc) More about that later.

As you can see...I have completely settled down here and I'm loving it....both Australia and Marcel of course...

Take care and talk soon!

Back in the Netherlands...only for a short time!

It has been a while since the last post...well...some things have happened...I have graduated (yippey)
The last month was a hard and long one...I was finishing my thesis and couldn't wait to get it over and done with...On the 12th of August I flew back to the Netherlands, to work on my thesis defence, which was on the 28th of August...and I have graduated! I can call myself Bachelor of Business Administration and BA (Hons) Business Studies now (it's a double degree)
On the 5th of September I will fly back to my sweetheart in Melbourne (poor thing has been alone for 3 wks) and until that time I am keeping myself busy...well actually I enjoy it since I have been visiting high school, college, uni and Aussie friends...which is awesome. I haven't seen some for 2 years, so it is really good to catch up with everyone...and of course I won't complain about dining out ;) heheh
On the other hand...I can't wait to go back..I just feel that I am not a real 'dutchy' (as they call me in Australia) I miss the warmth and friendliness of the Aussies..."G'day Mate, how u goin" ;) that sort of thing...and of course I miss my friends, the beach, the barbi's and most of all I miss my man at home...wouldn't know what to do without him...Marcel..You're the best! I'll be back soon...

Ciao!

Stefanie's visit

Sorry for the delay...

From the 19th till the 23rd my friend from university came to visit me & Marcel. We picked her up from the airport around 9.15 pm and went home. The next day we spent exploring Melbourne, going to the Rialto Towers and the city centre...by tram. In the evening we went to the pub for a wine and then home because the next days were reserved for the Great Ocean Rd. We left home at around 10am and it was a beautiful day...We stopped at some beautiful places and took photos. Then we had lunch in Lorne...the best fish & chips...It was Stefanie's first time...and she loved it. We spent the night in Apollo Bay...in a new YHA hostel...it was awesome! The weather was sooooooo good!The next day we went to the Twelve Apostles and to all other sight seeing spots and again the weather was really good... We drove all the way to Port Campbell, had another good lunch and then drove back to Melbourne. In the eve we went to Fernanda's new house to have dinner with her, Tom, Courtney, Marcel, Stefanie and Fiona. Had a good time with friends....
Today we went to the Dandenong Ranges and fed the beautiful red & blue coloured birds...how beautiful do they look...check the pics and see for yourself...
That was Stefanie's time in Melbourne...in a nutshell..She's on the way to Sydney now and then to Cairns along the beautiful east coast...And then I will meet her in the Netherlands in August...
Bye

Dutch Queens Day

Who said Koninginnedag (Dutch Queens Day) was for Dutchies only... Have a look at this... It was an awesome party including Dutch Food, Dutch Music and Dutch People.

Pete Murray and dinners...

Just wanna say that Pete Murray's concert was AWESOME!!! Am playing his cd's constantly now...he's great!

On Sunday we went for dinner @ wagamama's again, with Jess, Jules, Julia & Neil, on Monday I went for dinner @ La Porchetta's with Courtney, Fernanda, Huy and Jacqui....after that we went to Pete's concert...and Yesterday we went for dinner with 12 people...to celebrate Tom's 24th birthday....On Saturday we'll have a big party for this....a Dutch Orange Party (Koninginnedag) so keep an eye out for pics...

Ciao

Three 4 day weeks

The last 2 and coming 1 weeks I only work 4 days a week...this is because of Easter and Anzac Day...How good is that.
With Easter we went to the Dandenong Ranges to find 'old and abandoned' things for Marcel's photograpic assignment. And on Anzac day we'll do that again, just to some other place..

Last Sunday we went out for dinner @ Wagamama's...awesome Japanese food! We hired movies, and just had loads and loads of chocolate eggs.

On Monday I'm going to Pete Murray's concert....YESSSS... am really looking forward to that.

Well that's about it...weather is getting cold now... 16 windy & showers over the weekend..not really good, but that's Melbourne.

Foster Grand Prix F1

Long time... I know... The last few weeks have just been pretty much the same... doing the daily stuff, going to the beach, the festivals for the Commonwealth Games (which has finished now) etc etc.... BUT...Yesterday I went the the Formula 1 Grand Prix on the Albert Park circuit... one word... AWESOME!!! Jeez, those cars make a lot of noise but it is great to see and hear them, they have so much power! Of course we had ear plugs, cuz it's just not doable without them.

Some sad things happened though... Felipe Massa was out quite quickly, and then Schumacher and Montoya were out too... Sh*t really, because I support the McLaren team... Ah well..Alonso did a very good job...and I feel sorry for Button (riding such a good race and then the engine fails 20 meters before the finish)

I had a great day...will do it again next year ;)

Photos will follow soon...

More things...

As said... I went to the beach last weekend...not with Marcel tho...but with Tom, Matt and Julia AND...the bodyboard of course...
It was a beautiful day, nice weather... perfect to get sunburned :( (which is what happened). On sunday we did some shopping in St Kilda, I bought a beautiful Java style coffee & tv table (and am still waiting for delivery) and Marcel bought me a very very stunning vase & matching plate (check here).
Yesterday Marcel's mum came over from Sydney and we had an awesome dinner in a vegie place in Brunswick street....very good, recommend it to everyone. Tonight we're just gonna stay home and wait for Marcel to finish work & tomorrow I've got a birthday dinner. Saturday will probably be shopping in Chapel street or a trip somewhere (it's gonna be 33 degrees) and relaxing on Sunday...I guess....

Well..that's my week...will give you more exciting news soon...I hope

Things...

Just an update...I can't really remember what all happened after my last update...but I am still decorating my apartment...got a fridge, tv, bed, dining chairs, cutlery, tableware etc now...am expecting my sofa soon...So I'm actually getting somewhere...
Last Saturday we had a party @ rupert street, because it was brazilian carnivale...you can have a look at the pics here & here.
Before the party we went to the beach with the 5 of us but at around 3pm it started p*ss*ng down so we were all soaking wet in the car :(
This weekend I will probably go to the beach again, hoping there are waves this time (on Saturday it was flat as a pancake). Marcel has to work on Saturday, but we'll probably go on Sunday again...will let you know...
That's it for now...more news later...

Last week...

Well..the title is 'last week' but to be honest I don't have much to say. Last Saturday, I had a look at the apartment I signed up for and decided to take it cuz it looks great! I did all the formal stuff and then went to the market with Marcel. On Sunday we went to the beach, but we were only there for 2 hours...because it started to get really windy..and it felt like a sandstorm..not very pleasant to get sand in your eyes, and everything blowing away. In the evening we went to see 'MUNICH', a good but very violent movie. Now I'm back at work and it's a 'normal' working week again...tomorrow salsa, thursday or friday to IKEA and Saturday I'm moving into my own apartment...and then Sunday...probably the beach again (if the predicted 30 degrees will stay)

Ciao

Moving out...

This weekend both me & Marcel were moving out of our rooms/house. My new address will be Prahran and Marcel was moving from Preston to North Melbourne. I was lucky really...because Ben ordered removalists for Friday. The only thing I had to do is make sure everything was packed on Friday and put it in the dining room. Also I had to move my bed out of my bedroom because the carpet cleaners were gonna come. No big deal, I only had one big box and some loose things like my backpack and bodyboard. The next day (Saturday) I was going to help Marcel pack & move. Can tell you this... I have never seen a guy with so much stuff... Clothes, books, pots, pans... the whole thing... We had 3 boxes, 1 suitcase and 2 big bags...however, that was not enough !?!?!?!?! The first time we went with 2 cars, and after that Marcel & I had to do 2 (or was it 3) other trips to move everything out... On top of that, we also had to go to a party... so we decided to do that first and then move the last shift... which was at 1.30am !?!?!?!?! I was so happy to be in bed... I don't mind helping with moving stuff, but this was just really bad timing...

Ow and another thing... when we went with the 2 cars... (2 of Marcel's uni friends helped us) we had to park in his 'new street', BUT...because it is the city AND market day (he lives across the road from the market) it was hard to find a parking space. I just stoped in a driveway and stayed with my car, so did Juliana... Then, right in front of the door, we got 1 parking spot. Juliana was gonna drive around the block because it was one way traffic and Jess was gonna stand in the spot to keep it free. Then this *ssh*le comes up with his b*tch and Jess was really polite saying 'I'm sorry but we have this spot'. This d*ckhead starts reversing...driving towards Jess...So she sort of had to move, but I thought it wasn't fair and I stood in the spot because it was our spot and Juliana was only around the block. This st*pid mofo just reversed right into me... He RAN ME OVER... I got so angry, so did Juliana, so she just double parked next to them, so they wouldn't be able to get out when they would get back. Guess what...they came back and wanted us to move...NO WAY... we told them not to park there and we were unloading our stuff!!! This d*ckhead pushes Juliana away and tried to get in her car !?!?!??! Can you imagine how angry we were... the whole thing was just sooooo rude! We finally moved the car then the drove past and threw water at Juliana (how childish)... then they drove past me and did the same.... I must say it was refreshing...but come on...GET A LIFE! We'll probably try to get them in the records, which means they won't be able to get anything when there's a 'check' on them...

Now we can laugh about it, but it was so rude, he just drove his car straight into me...can you believe it!

Well, the rest of the weekend wasn't too spectacular. We went to IKEA...that's it...

Update...

Just an update of some of my days here... Last Wednesday I had my first salsa lessons, and I can tell you...it was fun! We were with a big group and most of the people had never done it before, it was great! Then on Thursday we wanted to go to the Australian Open to see Hewitt play, but it was already sold out. On Saturday we went to the beach with a group of 14, the weather forecast was 36 degrees...perfect day for the beach. Some people brought their surfboards and bodyboards and I had loads of fun with the bodyboard. I tried surfing....with a longboard...but it was so hard...the current and waves were a bit too strong for me. Yesterday we didn't do much, it was simply too hot to do anything. It was 41 degrees and going outside was like walking into an oven...

Xmas & New Year's Break

I'll start right at the beginning...on the 22nd I flew to Adelaide (the flight I originally had to take was cancelled but I could go on an earlier flight) and Dennis was waiting for me at the airport. He gave me a quick tour of Adelaide in the car and then took me home. It was very nice to finally meet my family in Adelaide, I immediately felt at home. We had dinner together and a lot of talking...The next day we (me & Dennis) went to the city centre and Dennis could tell me a lot about it (he's a tour guide...so he has to...lol) We met up with Gerben Jan and Eva and together we went to Glenelg, the beach in Adelaide. Too bad it was a bit windy. Gerben Jan and Eva were invited for dinner and we had a great time. On the 24th I went to the shopping mall to do some last-minute shopping...I went on the bus...nothing special...I know, but this bus is an O-bahn and it can drive on its own...there are only 3 of them in the whole world. In the eve I met some more family and family friends and we had a great christmas eve. The next morning it was time for presents....whohoo...We unpacked them in our pyjama's (Dennis, Margaret, Joanne, James, Smokey & me). I got some lovely prezzies...wonderful! Then we went to family friends to have christmas lunch/dinner...that was awesome...toblerone mousse..yum! On boxing day we first went to the Barossa Valley to visit the wineries and do tastings. Bought some nice bottles to give to my 'in laws' (oof that's a big word) and then we went to Dee's place...Dee is Margaret's sister and she and Frank (her husband) live in Katmantoo...don't ask me where that is...well...it's in the Adelaide Hills...which is: the middle of nowhere! They have a great house and a great backyard...one I wanted to walk in...Instructions were: put shoes on, pants, a shirt and a hat...AND...let the snakes know you're coming by putting your feet down a little harder than normally...ok...all that for just a walk...Nevertheless, I went for a walk...didn't see any snakes and was back within 10 minutes because it was simply too hot! Took some beautiful pics...have a look. We had a lovely dinner and then went back to Adelaide. The next day, Dennis took me to Victor Harbor, a lovely coastal city...very famous among tourists and pensioners. Had a tour in the Adelaide Hills and then went back home for dinner. Then it was almost my last day, did some shopping, had coffee with family friends..all the little things... and then it was time to pack my bags and leave...Finally going to Sydney...to my sweety! 10 days was a bit long....

Marcel was waiting at the airport...and so was Gerbrand...what a lovely surprise to see him again. After we collected my baggage we went outside where Marcel's mum was waiting with the car...it was good to meet his family, everyone is so nice! Sydney was awesome! We went to coogee beach for lunch, to bars, saw the fireworks near the harbour bridge & the opera house on new years eve, to bondi beach with 44 degrees, to manly beach by ferry, to Taronga Zoo and I met a lot of Marcel's friends....I really had a great time! Sydney is awesome and Marcel's family and friends are such wonderful people!

On the 5th we were going to Brisbane. We hired a car (a nice new Toyota Corolla) and stayed at the Hilton (hehe). Did some shopping in Brisbane, great city...especially by night! On the 6th we drove down to the Gold Coast, enjoyed the views from the awesome house Marcel's family friends have...walked along the beach, watched the thunderstorms & lightning and slept in...On the 7th we went to Byron Bay, a sort of hippie town in New South Wales..to meet up with Gerbrand...That was great...Byron Bay is really nice. We did a coastal walk up to the lighthouse, which was nice but very very windy...and it started raining...Then we had Thai food together and Marcel & I still had to drive back to Queensland...The next day it was time to move on...through Surfers Paradise to Brisbane to Sunshine Coast....Too bad there wasn't much sunshine...it was absolutely p*ssing down...horrible weather to drive in...We got to Noosa and found accommodation for the night...I think Noosa is very nice, but because of the weather we couldn't see much of it. We had the best dinner in ages and then went to our apartment. Then the last day had come...we drove to Sunshine coast airport to drop the car of and then we still had 6 hours before our flight was going to Melbourne. We went to Mooloolaba to go to underwaterworld, the biggest aquarium in the southern hemisphere. Enjoyed it, went to the beach, had a salad and then to the airport.

This trip was awesome...And we are gonna do a lot more!!!

Quick update from Sydney

My Christmas in Adelaide was very nice...we had a good time...it was very nice to meet more relatives...It was a new experience for me...not freezing during Christmas...

I went to Sydney yesterday and that was the best part of my trip so far...being with my schatje!! I really missed him...we're gonna have an awesome new year....with all our friends here....

Happy New Year to everyone!

XMAS Holidays...

Hi everyone...

Today is my last day at work...for this year...Tomorrow I will fly to Adelaide to spend Christmas with my 'family'...Then the 29th I'll fly to Sydney to spend New Year with my 'schatje'...On the 2nd I will fly to Cairns to see the environment and meet up with someone from Uni...Then the 5th I'll be in Brisbane...driving to Noosa (Sunshine Coast) ...to relax...and then back to Melbourne on the 9th...

So if I don't write a blog until then....I wish you all a Merry Christas & a Happy New Year!!!

Great Ocean Road

Last weekend me & Marcel went on a roadtrip...the Great Ocean Road..meant to be one of the most beautiful roads in the world...well...it was absolutely beautiful, breath-taking views, wild surf, cosy villages...
On Friday evening we left Melbourne to drive the first bit towards the Great Ocean Road...we stayed the night in a comfortable cabin in Anglesea...the next morning it was time to hit the Great Ocean Road...have a look at the photos and experience a little bit of what we experienced...It was amazing! We had a stopover in Lorne, a cosy little town and then we went to Apollo Bay for lunch...which was again a nice little town...Then we went to the Twelve Apostles...of course...we had to see those...Must say, it was a bit cold because it was very windy, but still they look incredible...Then it was time to go to our next accommodation, a nice cottage in Port Campbell. The cottage was so lovely, and the owners so nice, very friendly...I'd love to go back...Me & Marcel had a great time there...very romantic ;)
Yesterday it was time to go back, but first we went to see Loch Ard Gorge and do a tree top walk in Otway Fly. It was a great, breath-taking, romantic weekend...and we'll certainly do more trips...next year...

Keeping busy...

Last week was pretty hectic...on Monday we came back from the Grampians (awesome)...on Tuesday we went out for chinese dinner with 8 of us and then we went to Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire...on Wednesday I went to see Marcel...on Thursday we had a poolparty and photo night at the Rydges with Gerben Jan, Gerbrand and Marcel...(the water was bloody cold and the sauna didn't work the way it should)...on Friday Fernanda's birthday...on Saturday morning we (me & Marcel) took Gerben Jan and Gerbrand to the airport, then we went shopping...in the evening we watched 'Napoleon Dynamite' (Gosh!)... on Sunday we slept and went to the beach and in the evening we went to a birthday/goodbye party from one of Marcel's friends...Yesterday evening I went to Rydges again to cook & have dinner with Marcel (actually Marcel cooked...I was watching...it was delicious)...that's about it...pretty busy as you can see...On Thursday we will have our Christmas diner from work...and on Friday me & Marcel will go on a trip to the Great Ocean Road...and then it's almost holidays... :) :) :) I'm very excited!

Grampians

Finally…my first ‘big trip’ in Australia… Last Friday we drove to the Grampians, a National Park about 3 hours from Melbourne.
We planned to leave Melbourne at 6pm, first I went home to get the food and my backpack and then to Preston to pick up Marcel, and then to Spotswood because that is where the rest was (Maria, Roza, Jason, Gerben Jan and Gerbrand). Then it was time to go… to the Grampians!
Gerben Jan, Gerbrand and Marcel were in the car with me and we ‘followed’ Jason and the girls. The weather was terrible… the rain made it very difficult to drive…especially because it got dark and we didn’t know where we were going. We had dinner in Ballarat, went shopping and then continued the rest of our trip… We arrived at our ‘cabin’ near Halls Gap at around midnight. We first checked the ‘cabin’ and we were all amazed…it was not a cabin…it was a mansion more likely (Playboy Mansion according to the guys). There were 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms (one with spa), a big kitchen, big living room…Really…it was amazing…GREAT! Then we unloaded the baggage, watched TV…and some of us went to sleep… Marcel, Gerbrand & me stayed up, went outside in the middle of the night to take pictures…I then went to bed and Gerbrand and Marcel decided to go for sunrise the next morning…Don’t ask me anything about that, because I was fast asleep…

On Saturday I got up at 10am, had a shower, heavy breakfast and then we got in the car for a trip to the balconies and McKenzie Falls…We stopped at the car park and walked up to the balconies, and I can tell you… the view from there is incredible, you can see the valley which is full of trees…everything is just green, but so untouched. My colleague told me this…you’d expect dinosaurs to walk around there, it is so untouched…and she is right! Then we went back to the car and drove to the car park near the falls. I saw my first Kookaburra (that’s Australia’s National bird, for those who didn’t know)… we did a bit of a walk and then we got to the falls...one word…beautiful! Everything is so peaceful in the Grampians, really amazing… After that we went to Halls Gap for a bite to eat and some shopping… Then what… Well we didn’t want to go back to the ‘mansion’ yet… Marcel found a field with kangaroos, so we took our time there and took pictures of them…Really weird how close you can get to them…some had little joeys in their pouches...cute… Then we went for a walk, through the ‘bush’, did a bit of climbing (sort of stairs made out of rocks) and got to a ‘creek’… Of course the boys had to do their thing…climb as high as they could etc… I wanted to try as well…jumped over the water, but then I had to go back… and jumping back was not as easy, so I had to find another way…Finally, after a bit of rock climbing I got back to where the others were… Then we saw Marcel who found his way up the steep mountain…but he was in trouble…carrying his tripod, heavy camera and lenses… jeez he nearly killed himself… Gerbrand went up there to help him, luckily… then we all got back safely J We decided to walk (climb I should say) further and Maria and Jason stopped halfway and they would wait for us… Me and Roza went a bit further with the guys but then we stopped and went back…then we had to wait for the guys, but they came back soon after… Right… back to the ‘mansion’ for a Barbie! That was really nice, having a Barbie in the middle of nowhere… Great to be out there with all of you guys!
After dinner we all sat down, the guys chopping wood outside to get the fire place started. I fell asleep on the sofa, until the guys decided to go out for a walk at night…after a while they got back, they found a pond and some surfboards and they were going into the water on the surfboards…remember it was midnight!!! They asked if I wanted to come out…at first I didn’t want to because it was so cosy inside and cold outside, but I didn’t want to miss out on the fun ;) so I went with them…quite scary, but after a while you get used to being all alone out in the fields… it is so quiet… and the sky is just wonderful… the stars are so much brighter out of the city, I could just stand there for ages looking up…
We got back inside and had the crazy idea to fill the spa and have a bath… only one problem… there was no hot water… ah well…never mind…we’ll fill the spa with boiling water from the kettle… L How funny…it took quite a while to fill it up… but once it was done, we had a nice warm bath, put the jets on and enjoyed it… As far as we could because sitting there with the four of us was not exactly comfortable, but it was fun! I found out that we had electric blankets in our beds… so those were used of course, nice cosy and warm after I spent one night in a cold bed…

Got up at 11am on Sunday, shower again, breakfast and then it was time to hit the road again. First we got on the top of the mountain, Boroka Lookout, from where we could see Halls Gap and the entire valley. We could even find our ‘mansion’. Marcel thought that it would be beautiful to see sunrise from there so it was decided that we would do that the next day…but more about that later. We got in the car again to go to some other falls…this was really nice, because there was a small pond and we got into the water. The weather was absolutely great, very hot actually, but with a nice wind. We (the guys and me) climbed up to the top of the waterfall, and the views are just incredible… I cannot describe how beautiful, peaceful everything is… Must say, after all this climbing, my legs didn’t do exactly as I told them…all the muscles in my body hurt… and it was a bit more difficult to climb down…but hey…even though I am a girl, I can climb (had to prove myself to the boys :P lol) After spending some time at the waterfall we had to get back to the car, because Maria, Roza and Jason still had to drive home that day. We went to Stawell (after driving on a dirt track…) had a bite to eat at Subways and then it was time to say goodbye to them…It was lovely to spend the weekend with them…thanks all! Me and the guys went back to Halls Gap, got the bikes out (yes the mansion also had bikes) and got into the fields to chase kangaroos… (sorry for all ‘animal lovers’…although we didn’t really do something bad) Initially we wanted to chase Emus but we couldn’t find them… When we were done with that we got back to the mansion and watched telly at about 12 we went to bed… ;)

As said before, Marcel had the idea of going up the mountain to see the sunrise in the valley…so the alarm was set on 4am Monday morning and we got up…sleepy… at 5 we were on our way… It was sooooo scary…because at that time the kangaroos become active, and you can’t see them...and seriously…you don’t want to hit a kangaroo! If you hit one…your car is a wreck…and you could even get killed… So we drove slowly…got up there and then found out that it was all foggy L We waited and waited and then got back in the car…and just as we drove away, the sun appeared…sh*t… back back back… Watched the sun for a while and then went back to the mansion to sleep for another few hours…We had to leave at 11am so we got up at 10, loaded the cars, had breakfast and then left. Because we still had time, we went to another waterfall and enjoyed the sun and beautiful environment. And then we still had time, so we went to the Grand Canyon …. Wow!!!! That was sooooo nice…absolutely astonishing! The weather was quite hot though, but that didn’t stop us from going up there, climb some rocks and walk around… It’s funny how you think you’ve seen it all and you’re still overwhelmed with every new view…Australia is so diverse…this is such a wonderful country…I don’t want to leave…ever! Sadly it was time to go home, we still had a 3 hour drive to do…I drove to Ararat and was fighting to stay awake…I just needed a boost, so we stopped in Ararat…It was good to stop, however, I was too tired to drive home… Luckily Gerben Jan has his driving license and he already had some driving experience here in Aus…so he drove home…thanks a lot for that…I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer… We got to Melbourne at 7pm, went shopping and then back to the hotel where Gerbrand prepared a lovely salad, French sticks and drinks…a great way to end a great weekend! Then it was time to go home…to bed ;)

Quick one...

My weekend in a nutshell:
Friday: party with the guys..got absolutely blind
Saturday: waking up with a headache...was absolutely useless...watched a movie in the eve...
Sunday: getting better...walked on St. Kilda beach with Fernanda, had drinks with Fernanda, went shopping with Fernanda, had dinner with Fernanda...I spent the afternoon with Fernanda...enjoying St. Kilda & the weather...

Until next time...take care!

Another week & weekend....

Had lots of dinner parties last week...Tuesday we all had dinner in Brunswick (Tom, Matt, Fernanda, Luc, Gerben Jan, Gerbrand, Marcel & me) Tom (NL Tom) cooked a lovely pasta and we had loads of fun! Then on Wednesday Luc took me out to the fields for an evening picknick. That was lovely, enjoying the beautiful views and a delicious meal. On Thursday I went for a walk on Brighton beach together with Tom (Oz Tom). That was just great, the weather was nice (27 degrees) and the sunset is beautiful in the bay. On Friday I went to my family's place. I met them (my grandma's cousin and her husband) once last year when they were traveling in Europe. They live in Adelaide and came to Melbourne because their son, his wife and their son moved here last September. I was invited to their place and we had a barbie. There were lots of other people and we had a nice chat and fun! On Saturday I did all the usual stuff...shopping, cleaning etc...and in the afternoon I went to see Matt, Tom, Fernanda, Luc, GJ, and Gerbrand because Matt was celebrating his birthday. Watched them drink tequila and corona and then I decided to go to another party. However, I never got there..cuz 1. I couldn't find it and 2. My flatmate wasn't there...Then Tom (Oz Tom) sent me a message to meet him at the cinema that evening (we actually wanted to meet during the day, but something went wrong in his backyard..the sewer pipe or so...so he had to call an emergency plumber)...so that's where I went. :) We watched Flight Plan with Jodie Foster, and it was a good movie...has a good twist in it. After that we stayed for a chat :) ... and then we both went home...Tom had to get up at 5 the next morning...and I 'had' to get up at 8....Got up at 8, watched my boss on tv and then went back to bed again...This is where I spent most of my time yesterday...I just couldn't get up...In the afternoon I went for a walk on the beach with Fernanda..lovely weather..nice views..nice icecream..nice chat (girls talk..heheh) and then we went shopping, back to Fernanda's place and had dinner there...and then I went back home...

Quiet but nice weekend...

Had a quiet weekend but still a nice one...Although the planning was camping..I did not go. On Friday I bought a tent and matress and all that I need to go camping but when I got home I was tired and didn't feel too well...Nevertheless I went out with the guys & Fernanda and had a great time. Met new people yet again...which was great. We went to Robarta in St. Kilda and had fun dancing and chatting to people.
Luc stayed over at my place, because he was going camping the next day..I decided to stay home because I was tired and would go the next time.
Saturday was a relaxing day, going to Westfield shopping centre...getting lost because it is massive and then go home and watch TV.
Sunday I went to Fernanda and together we went to the beach in Frankston. Beautiful weather and we both got a bit of a tan....I have never been on the beach IN BIKINI in November...but it is a pleasant thing to do..I can tell you that ;)
In the evening I went out for dinner with Tom (someone I met at the party on Friday) and we had dinner at Brighton Sea Baths cafe, which was lovely. The cafe is built on the beach and gives beautiful views on the bay, also it was beatiful because we were there with sunset..I had a nice evening!
Now I'm back to work, and I am sooooo busy now. I started changing the standard forms we use for registrations, introducing coaches etc because we need to look professional and CONSISTENT! So the thing I'm doing is basically changing things and use it...so the student is telling what's going to happen...funny isn't it....

A day @ the beach...

Last Saturday we planned a day at the beach. We would go with 7 of us: Matt, Tom, Fernanda, Luc, Gerben Jan, Gerbrand and me! At 8.30 I arrived at Rupert house to pick up Matt, Tom and Fernanda and at about 9 we were on our way to Torquay. We took 2 surf boards (yes it fits in the car) so the guys could go surfing. At approx 10.30 we arrived in Torquay and there was plenty of space on the beach because we were early. Fernanda and I got on to our towels and the boys went surfing (with wetsuits because the water is cold). At approx 1pm the other guys arrived and they went surfing as well. Fernanda and I spent our day on the beach because the water was simply to cold. At some stage Luc said 'your bum is getting red' and oops I got sunburnt...Even though I used 30+ sunscreen all day. Anyways, I kept on putting more sunscreen on and thought it wasn't too bad...at least not at that moment....At approx 4pm we went to the car and got our barbie stuff out so we could find a nice spot for our barbie. We had our barbie at 5pm or so and had loads of fun..this was great! Then we drove back to Melbourne (1.5 hrs drive) cuz Matt, Tom and Fernanda had a birthday to go to. They asked if we could come as well, and of course..we'd go to a party!! The guys (Luc, GJ & Gerbrand) decided to stay at my place for the night cuz I live close to everything and they could drink now. They arrived around 11pm and then we were off to the Belgian Beer garden...Had some drinks and fun and then we went to St Kilda to continue the party. We ended up in a bar and Fernanda wanted to dance, however, there was no dance floor.....ah whatever, so we started dancing...We had a lot of fun but I don't think we should go back there....Everyone was looking at us...but who cares :P
We went home around 3am and started watching a movie...Luc fell asleep on the sofa...so did GJ...Only Gerbrand and me where watching the movie. We finally went to bed around 5pm....Yesterday was 'resting' or 'hangover day' and I basically did nothing! The weather was beautiful, but I couldn't go in the sun, because my legs and ankles were all burnt (I even had trouble walking) so I stayed inside (apart from going to the supermarket)...That was it...end of a great weekend (even though I was sunburnt, it was an awesome weekend)

Party, Penguins, Trip, Barbie & Melbourne Cup = BIG WEEKEND

Friday: Party
Last Friday it was Ben's birthday and we went to the Kinger for a couple of drinks and chats....But first Luc came over for dinner (just a quick dinner). We got into a cab and went to the bar. It was a nice eve, had some drinks, a chat with lots of new people. Yes..Dutchy was introduced to more people...Got home pretty early, which was nice because we (Luc stayed over) had to get up early the other day...

Saturday: Penguins
As said, we got up early because Luc was going on a boat trip and I was going on a road trip. At approx 13.00 I met up with Gerben Jan and Gerbrand (Dutch guys I met here) because we planned a trip to Phillip Island to see penguins and then go around the bay. We drove down to Phillip Island, which was a nice route...especially because I didn't see anything but city up till now...We stopped at a few places in Phillip Island to see the beautiful views and environment. We went to see the Nobbies, which are some rocks and we'd been told we could see sea lions...well can tell you this...I haven't seen 1...not 1!!! The only thing we found there were nesting sea birds, and they are terrible...because they sh*t on people...guess who was the lucky one this time..yep, me...right on my knee. I went to the ladies, washed it off and then we went to the penguin parade because we came for the penguins. When we got there we decided to have dinner first, then go back to the car to get warm clothes and then to the beach for the penguins. That's what we did..once we were at the beach (together with loads of other people) we had to wait for the penguins to come out of the water. They come out when it gets dark, so it is hard to see them, but luckily they have lights on the beach. Those penguins are really small...that's why they are called little penguins. Very cute little animals. They walk to their nests where their partner is waiting for them. The partner stays on the eggs at this time of the year, and waits till the food is brought in. It was a funny happening, especially because those little creatures are soooo noisy. They call each other so they know where to go. Also, they snog in public, which is quite funny. It was good to see the penguins, but had to move on...
At first we wanted to stay the night in Phillip Island, but after spending an afternoon there, we decided not to. We went to Mornington instead and asked for help at a local pizza restaurant, they found us a caravan park and we were allowed to used their phone. I called the caravan park and this lady (who picked up) was sooooo rude...It was about 22.00 and I asked if there was a place..she replied 'at this time of the night, are you silly' and she hung up on me...who goes to bed at 22.00 on a Saturday night????? Never go to Mornington Gardens Holiday Village because they don't really care about customers! We decided to go to Frankston instead, however we couldn't find a place to stay there either. It was only 40kms back to Melbourne, so that's where we went. We got home very late and the guys stayed over at my place because we wanted to continue our trip on Sunday.

Sunday: Around the bay
That's exactly what we did, we got up early because we wanted to leave at 10.00. However, we knew that Daylight saving was gonna happen that weekend, but we didn't really think about it, so 10.00 turned out to be 11.00. Not that it mattered. We went all along beach road, which gave us beatiful sceneries. Absolutely amazing views. We went to Port Sea (at the end of the bay) and the guys went swimming. It was just a little too cold for me, so I just stood in the water. Then we went to Sorrento to catch a ferry to Queenscliff. The ferry was great fun, and gave us nice views. Also, for the guys so they could dry their clothes because they had to sit on a towel (don't want my car to get wet). Queenscliff was nothing special so we went to Geelong. We walked along the waterfront and then decided to go for dinner. We had a lovely Indian dinner and great fun. Then it was time for the long, boring drive back to Melbourne.

Monday: Barbie
Monday was my laundry and relax day. I did my laundry, went to Chapel street and to the hair dresser. In the evening I went to Brunswick (Tom, Fernanda & Matt) to show Fernanda my dresses and decide what to wear for Melbourne Cup, which was Tuesday. We did all that and then we went to a barbie. It was a housewarming barbie from one of the people from Tom's office. We stayed there till late but had great fun, it was a nice barbie and nice to meet new people yet again. When I got home I still had to put the laundry away and make my bed, so before I got to bed it was late (2.30).

Tuesday: Melbourne Cup Day
I got up at 7.00 to get ready for the races. Put my dress on, feathers in my hair, high heels and off I went. It was pretty weird walking down the street all dressed up, people looking at me etc. But once I got to the station I felt a lot more comfy. Fernanda and I agreed to meet up on Flinders street station and then go to the races by train. Well, everyone does that, so you find a lot of people all dressed up going on a train. That was a nice happening already. We got to the racecourse at approx 10.00 and the weather was nice already. It was meant to be a nice, hot day with 28 degrees. First we went down to the grounds to see all the people and racecourse. People dressed up, with picnics, that was nice. Then we found Darren, who is Fernanda's friend. He was with Tony (his dad) and 2 asian girls and they were betting on the races. They showed us how it worked and we decided to bet on the Melbourne Cup (everyone does..so why not) The melbourne cup race (most important race of the day) was at 15.10 and we placed our bets and went down to the grounds to see the race. I can tell you, that is such an experience...We placed bets for Makybe Diva, the horse that won 2 years in a row...and she broke the record by winning again!!! Everyone went mad, it was such a great experience! I cannot describe the feeling and excitement you can feel when you're down there but it is great, super, excellent! I turned my $15 bet into $66 thanks to Makybe Diva winning, and of course the good advise from Darren.
It was a great day and I will definitely go to the races again!

My weekend was amazing and I hope many will follow! Thanks to everyone who contributed to my great weekend :P

Long weekend..

Hi everyone,
Just to let you know...I wont have internet until Wednesday because we have a long weekend off....It's Melbourne Cup weekend and the company decided not only to give us Tuesday off, but Monday as well....Great isn't it...

I will probably go on a trip....but I will tell you all the details when I get back....

B-day party

One word: awesome! Thanks everyone for coming, I really appreciate it....
We went to a bar (HolliAva) for a couple of drinks and a chat and I really enjoyed myself. It was great that everyone was there..good to see all the dutchies together ;) and of course it was good to see Matt & Fernanda as well...we'll do it again soon ;)

Driving on the wrong side...

Got my car last tuesday and it is great to be on the road...Made a couple of little mistakes but I guess that's allowed...One thing I'm not so happy about is that I ended up on a freeway..and it was a toll one..so I called the Citylink to ask what the fine would be..luckily I could still buy a daypass..because otherwise I would have to pay a lot of $$$...Won't make that mistake again (I hope)

Other than that mistake I'm doint pretty well...went to Brunswick yesterdag (about 20mins drive) to see Fernanda, Matt and Tom..and I was happy I could find it...didn't end up in some random place...well done I would say :)

Bought this awesome gadget...a device that you can put in your car and broadcasts music from your mp-3 player..The reason I bought this is that my car used to have a cd-stacker, but I think the previous owner took it out...so I can't listen to my own music..and the radio isn't that great in the morning (endless conversations)...so now I can listen to my own mp-3's...great the way technology is progressing isn't it...

Best thing is that it was delivered today...so I got myself a birthday prezzie...And guess what..this morning when I walked in...there were flowers on my desk..absolutely beautiful flowers, I got cards from my colleagues and a stunning necklace...then just after tea/coffee time they brought in small cakes...Thank you everyone!!! This day will definately be unforgetable...Hopefully I will have many more birthdays in Australia...but first I have to 'mentally' prepare for tonight....the BIG PARTY!!!

Will give you an update on my birthday party next week...

Another weekend...

Last Friday I went to a housewarming party in Brunswick. The party was organised by Tom, Matt and Fernanda, who are international students from The Netherlands, Poland and Brazil and they are here with AIESEC. We had loads of alcohol, a barbie (BBQ) and then music & dancing!! I really didn't wanna go home but I had to because of public transport. Too bad I didn't have my car yet, otherwise I would have stayed longer....
Saturday I went to the Melbourne Exhibition Centre to find out what the options are of staying in Australia. They had an expo about skilled visa nominations etc...
Then Sunday was my relaxing day...did a bit of shopping, went to the park to enjoy the great weather and in the eve I went to Ricky's place for dinner...

My car...

I finally bougth a car..my very first car and I can't wait to pick it up.
It is a Honda Civic Sedan, a red one and it is automatic..which will make it easier for me because driving on the left is already hard enough...another thing is that the suburb I live in is very busy..I think we have the most traffic in Melbourne...well..that is on a Saturday or Sunday because absolutely everyone wants to go to chapel street then..

Anyways, I will put some pics on as soon as I have my car....

Change in Christmas trip...

My new schedule will be:

22-12 : Melbourne - Adelaide
29-12 : Adelaide - Sydney
2-01 : Sydney - Cairns
5-01 : Cairns- Brisbane - drive to Noosa
9-01 flying back from Sunshine coast to Melbourne

I guess I'll have to do the whole trip again but then longer...so I have a good reason to stay here...

5 weeks already...

I can't believe I've been here for 5 weeks already...time flies really...and I'm not too happy about it because I absolutely do not want to go back to The Netherlands (yet).

On Friday, Ben and I went to the "Kinger" (Kingston Hotel) and met up with Tony and Paul...and a whole bunch of other people...We had a couple of drinks and then we went to some sort of 'club' (sorry can't remember what it was called). Anyways, it used to be a garage and they made a club out of it now. Really, it's in the middle of nowhere and you really need to know where to go. We had a good time there...drinking, dancing...

The place closed at 1am so we had to leave...then I had my first 'driving on the left' experience...Ben could not drive home, so I had to...Can tell you this...it was not hard at all, despite the fact that it was absolutely pissing down, I had to drive a 4x4 (really big) and Ben was singing and dancing in the car...

On Saturday I went shopping, but the weather was really bad so it was not much fun...In the evening I met Kai and he brought along two other Dutch guys and we went to see Cinderella Man in the Jam Factory. I had a good time on Saturday...It is always good to meet new people and do something together...and going to the movies was a really good option because I didn't wanna make it too late (again)...

Yesterday I went shopping again (this time the weather was better) and bought some nice clothes AND a phone...so people can call me at home...when the provider activates the line...

Well, that's about it...I'm back at work now...and still looking for a car...Hopefully that's gonna change soon...I will let you know!

Weekend..

Short update...
This weekend was ehm...a tough one...

The weather was very nice on Saturday so I went to the city with Kai, we went for a walk and do some sight seeing. Pics are online.

In the evening I went out with Ben & friends. We went to the London Hotel for a couple of drinks and after that we went to the Corner Hotel. We had a great time, and I got absolutely blind. Of course this was not so nice yesterday. I just couldn't get up without feeling sick...I stayed in bed till mid-day and then it got a bit better.
Eating was out of the question when I got up, but luckily after a shower I got hungry...So I made myself a fat & heavy breakfast to get rid of the 'hangover'..guess what...it worked!

I went out for a walk in the late afternoon and enjoyed the nice weather.

& don't worry...I feel fine now!

AFL Grand Final Party

Big weekend! Last saturday it was Grand Final day: Sydney Swans vs. West Coast Eagles!
For people back home, the Grand Final is an Australian Football Game. Australian Football is different from our football, which Aussies call soccer.
The ball used in footy is not round and players are allowed to touch it....don't ask me anything else about this because I have no idea how the game works.

Well...I went shopping with Ben on Saturday morning. All we got was fingerfood...,which was very nice, and some mini dogs.
The first people arrived at 12.00pm and that's when the alcohol was served as well. The game started at 2.35pm and the house was pretty full by that time. The game was interesting to watch and very exciting. We were supporting the Sydney Swans and they won!!!

Of course we had an after party and everyone got absolutely blind...obviously... when you drink alchohol all day. We had great fun and people were dancing on our coffee table...

Guess what it looked like yesterday...as if there had been an explosion....seriously, popcorn everywhere and a sticky floor..not even to mention the toilet (used by men who were drunk).
Nevertheless, I cleaned our apartment and although the floor is still a bit sticky, the apartment looks much better.

After cleaning I had a shower and went to the city centre to take some pics with my new camera. Then I met Kai and we went for dinner in St. Kilda.
I got home at approx 9.00pm and watched 'just married' and then 'the transporter'.

Then it was bedtime!

Goodbye party

Just a quick update.

Kristin (from work) is leaving because her visa expires soon, so we had a small 'get together' at work on Tuesday, which was great.

Yesterday we had a goodbye party at her house and it was a good party but I really feel sad about her leaving. I have only known her for 3 weeks but I just don't like it that she's going back home.

She will come back, definitely, but the question is....when?

Kristin, enjoy your time at home and be back soon.
We'll all miss you!

Crown casino

Hi,
Don't have much to say, cuz I am still a bit tired...
This weekend was amazing, the best so far. Ben's friend Ricky called me on saturday evening and asked me to come over to Tony's house (another friend). We had a couple of drinks and a chat, and it was good fun. Then Ricky wanted to go to the casino, but Ben was just too pissed so he'd never get in. Ricky took me to the casino and we met up with his sister and her husband and some other friends of theirs. The casino was massive, probably the biggest one you can ever imagine (although I am sure that there must be bigger ones in Vegas). The casino we went to goes for approx half a kilometer and has several floors...absolutely amazing.

The only thing we did.....sit in the bar..haha...we had some (read..a lot of) drinks and soooooo much fun! Ricky's sister is so cool and her friend is too. I just cracked..because they were so funny...It was a great night....Good on ya girls!

As you can imagine...yesterday was really needed to get a rest. We got back from the casino at 4.30 (guess) and I went to sleep..got up at 10.30 to go home, have a shower and then back to Ricky's place to have breakfast. Ben cooked us breakfast...(good innit) and then they (both Ben and his friend Ricky) sort of collapsed on the sofa & floor. After an hour they woke up cuz we were going to the cinema. That was good fun. We went to see wedding crashers, and although I had seen it already...it was funny!

Everyone of us was absolutely useless yesterday, but hey...we're still young and we can always sit at home when we're 60.

Oh and by the way...they got me a nickname...everyone is calling me either Dutchy or Little Dutchy...well..at work they just call me Bianca...

Christmas trip planning

Forgot to tell you this...

I planned and booked my Christmas trip already...bit early I know, but the tickets are cheaper now.

I will fly to Adelaide on the 22nd of December to spend Christmas with my family, then to Sydney the 29th to celebrate New Year (on my own), then to Cairns on the 2nd of January to see the beaches and experience the hot climate. Another student from ABS lives near Mission Beach (2 hours from Cairns) so I guess I will visit him as well, maybe he can show me around. And then I will be going back home, to Melbourne, on the 7th of January.

Am so excited...Oz is great! I'm not going home...ever!(ehhhm not sure about that yet, cuz visa arrangement s*cks, but I'll try)

Seminar

Yesterday I was invited to the breakfast seminar given by my boss and one of the coaches. I had to get up at 5.30am but that was allright actually. A colleague of mine stayed over at our apartment because that was easier. We left the apartment at 6.40am, so we could be there 7.10am.

First breakfast was served, after which the coach started the presentation. It was good to be there, since it explained exactly what the company is doing and why businesses should enrol for the programme. My boss told his personal story, which makes a lot of impact. It is a very interesting story and it will help to convince people that a business coach is ideal for their company.

After the presentation we cleaned up and went back to the office. Because my colleague's car was loaded with all the equipment for the presentation, there was no space for me. Luckily, the boss was going back to the office as well, so he could give me a ride. Very interesting, because he just got his brand new Porsche Carrera....jeez....that car has got power!

It was a very interesting ride as you can imagine....

Week #2

I’m in my second week at work and I’m very happy I know what to do now. My task will be writing a Marketing Plan for the company. The plan is that I will search the intranet and extract marketing strategies used by other divisions. After that the management will have a look at what will work for us and what will not. Then I can start writing the plan and test and implement it. I think this is going to be a good start for me. It will help me a lot in my learning process and it is a challenge as well. Luckily, I will get a lot of help from my colleagues, whom are all very nice!

At home everything is still the same story. Not much changed. I like my apartment very much, apart from the fact that it is so cold, but I cannot really blame the apartment for that can I? It’s just that it is so cold outside (14 degrees) and the heaters are a bit !@#@&! But nevermind….summer will come soon….I hope!

Last weekend I went to the city center, which was pretty cool. Everything is huge. Very nice..think I’m not going back home..well..maybe for a holiday.
Then on Sunday I went to St. Kilda beach, which was absolutely beautiful apart from the weather. In summer that place must be smashing! Beautiful scenery, but I was absolutely frozen when I got home. Pictures are on the net!

That’s it for now…take care..and will chat to you soon!

My first week at work

This week was my first week at work. Since the boss is not in, there is not really much to do yet. My task for this week was basically getting to know the company, which I found a very good idea because you need to know what you're talking about when working in a company....
The main thing I did was reading...brochures, articles and a book written by the founder. I found this book very interesting and relevant to what the company actually does. This book has helped me most in getting to know the company.

Yesterday I attended a workshop given by 2 of my colleagues. I must say, that was absolutely fun..I very much enjoyed it! The main topic was behaviour and various character styles and I learned about my own character as well as others and how to deal with different characters...very interesting.

Today it's Friday and weekend's coming up. I don't have anything special planned because the weather forecasts aren't that good. Let's just hope and pray it won't be as bad as predicted.

Hopefully I'll have internet at home soon. The telephone guy will come over on Tuesday, so that means we will have a landline then.

The car will come soon as well..I hope...although I still don't know what type of car I want to buy..Well I do know...but that will be too expensive..(Toyota RAV4)

Will let you know later...Love, Bianca

My first days in Australia

Hi,
Finally a new update! Sorry it took a while but I don’t have internet at home, unfortunately
As you must know, my flight was last Wednesday 07:45AM and we (dad, mum, S & me) drove to the airport very early.

After I picked up my tickets, I checked in, dropped my bags and then we all went for a drink…the very last one for a long time. Then it was time to go, because I had to get checked at the customs and find my gate. It was a sad moment, saying goodbye, but I did not cry (promised myself not to). I said goodbye, gave everyone a big hug.

Then I went to my plane. I first had to fly to Vienna and that was a bit of a crappy flight since I was sitting all the way at the back with 2 very spoilt kids. Luckily it was only a 2 hours during flight.
Then in Vienna, I kind of had to hurry (I thought), but there was a huge queue for Melbourne. Because of this queue the plane was late, but that didn’t really matter, since there was no other plane to catch. This was the longest part of the trip…11 hours and 45 minutes. It was actually ok, it looked longer that it was. We had a stop in Singapore, where it was terribly hot and very humid…I was happy to leave…How can people survive in a hot sticky sauna?

We got to Melbourne a little late, but that didn’t matter because Stewart wasn’t at the airport at the predicted time of arrival. Stewart is my new colleague, who had to pick me up. Before I got out of the airport, I had to get checked by the customs. They check if you have anything that you shouldn’t have, but my Dutch sweets were ok.

Then I met Stewart, who took me to my new home in South Yarra where I could drop my luggage. After I dropped that, he showed me the trainstations of both South Yarra and Ormond (home-work) and then the office. Nobody was there, but it looked very nice. He also showed me a bit of the environment.

We got back to South Yarra and I went for a shower, because Stewart and Ben (the guy I live with) were to take me out for dinner to keep me awake for a little while so I wouldn’t get jetlagged. We went to a bar with friends of theirs, had a drink, dinner and then went back home. I was absolutely shattered and thought I’d sleep like a baby….guess what….NOT. I just couldn’t get to sleep. I was awake all night and got to sleep at approx 07:00AM. I planned to get up at 10:00AM, but didn’t hear my alarm and finally woke up at 02:00PM.

My first days were ok. I did a bit of shopping, sight seeing in the environment, sleeping and taking pictures. Also I watched TV on our new big ass plasma screen..hehe...however, I wish we had internet as well. Ah nevermind, maybe soon….

Well, got to get back to work…new updates soon…I hope….Miss ya!

Party!

Just a quick update.

I had my 'goodbye' party today for family and friends and we all had a good time (so I believe). The party was organised by my mum (she did really well, thank you mum) and held at their camping place, which saves us the hassle at home. Luckily the weather was beautiful, 23 degrees and sunshine...very nice! My mum got a big table and arranged a sort of buffet. She bought & made cake, punch, chicken satay, pork sausages, potato salad, greek salad, drinks, french sticks...everything was there. You can imagine how much food we've had. It was all lovely, mum you're a star!

All the family came over, some friends and S was there too.

That's it for tonight, now I'll spend a few days packing and getting everything sorted before I'll leave on Wednesday.

My wish will soon come true

Finally I got my visa. I had to work today so my brother was given the task to watch the mailbox, which he didn't like because he had to wake up early, was not allowed to play loud music and basically had to sit in front of the mailbox all day.

This afternoon he called...it had finally arrived!! As soon as I could I started checking fares on the internet. I ended up booking with Australian Backpackers, flying with Austrian Airlines.

My flight will be on the 31st of August, which is next week. I will leave at 7:45AM from Amsterdam, will land in Vienna at 9:40AM. Then I will depart at 10:45AM and arrive in Singapore at 4:30AM. My last part will be from Singapore 5:30AM to Melbourne, where I will land at 2:55PM.
Luckily it's only 1 hour in between so I wont have to wait long before continuing my trip and it will give me the opportunity to walk a bit.

At the moment I am focussing on my last day at work, which will be tomorrow. I had a great time there and learned a lot from the project I had to do. It was like a mini placement and it was good to be in control of something and have much responsibility, after all...it was 'my' project. I do hope they get the big amount of subsidy I have applied for. The company itself has to arrange evidence for the courses they have taken/will take.
Tomorrow I will leave, but they've got some homework to do and will benefit from my work for a long time.

I still have to arrange some things for Australia but the paperwork is all done. Now its only buying little things.

You cannot imagine how excited I am, hopefully time will fly...and then I will be nervous like anything...nervous but excited!

More soon...

Please bring my visa!

Still no exciting news, but I promised to keep you all updated.
To be honest I was expecting my visa to arrive yesterday, but the postwoman did not bring it and since they never bring mail on Monday, I will not get it tomorrow either. I really hope they will bring it Tuesday, so I can book my ticket for the 31st. Wednesday 24th will be my last day at work and then I will have 1 week to pack and buy all necessary things.

That's it for now. Will give a shout when my visa arrives...

Planning

What a weekend! Friday was a terrible day, rain rain rain! Nevertheless I had a great weekend together with S. He stayed over @ my place and that was really nice, I missed that after living together for a year in Leicester. We didn't do much exciting though. We went shopping, played games, watched a movie & had fun.

Now I'm back at work again, only 8 more days to go before I quit. Thursday I will have to do a presentation for the management and next week I will pass my work on to someone else. August 24 will be my last working day here. I really had a good time, learned a lot and have yet another experience to add to my CV.

Last week Thursday I sent my passport off to Berlin and I am still waiting for it to be returned. It will be the first stamp in my passport, and I can't wait to get it back. As soon as I have it back I can book my ticket and get ready. If I get my passport this week, I will be flying to Australia on the 31st of August. It is all going so fast now, and I am very excited to go. It is the experience of a lifetime and I don't want to miss it!

One bad thing up till now is that I bought a brand new digital camera, but when it was delivered I found that something was wrong with it so I had to send it back. Now I just received an email that investigation is needed and it might take up to 3 weeks to examine the camera. This is very disappointing, isn't it. I wanted to take the camera on my trip to Australia, so you could see and experience the departure, flight, arrival and my first days down under! I sent an email to the company where I bought the camera to ask if they can speed up the process, hopefully they can. I really wanna take pics and put them online to share my adventures with you. I will keep you updated on the progress of my camera.

Have not much to say, sorry, this is another one of all the boring weeks I have seen here..merely caused by the weather. Luckily I will have summer in Melbourne, so I will still get to see sun & beaches!

Finally..I can go!

Wish I could tell you how this feels....I finally got the approval for Australia! As you can imagine...I am totally crazy now, soooo happy!

I was at work when I got the approval. My company coach sent me an e-mail asking whether I already got the document attached because he had been away. When I saw 'approval' in the subject box, my nerves were already tested. When I opened the attachment my heart was kind of beating like mad, hoping that it was the document I was hoping and waiting for. When I found out that it was the required document I kind of started shaking, weird I know, but that document is my passport to Oz.

As soon as I could I sent the doc to Germany (by fax) so they can continue with my application. I only have to send my passport now, and then wait for Germany to send it back: STAMPED!

I will let you know what will happen!

Getting nervous

Just a short update of what is going on here.

Well, to tell you..NOTHING is going on. I am still waiting for my approval from the Immigration services in Melbourne. Haven't seen or heard anything from them, I don't even know if they are processing my application (nomination of the company).
Luckily the embassy in Berlin is busy with my visa application, but they cannot issue a visa until I receive the approval, so it is all in the hands of the immigration services in Melbourne :(

At the moment I'm still working at the housing society in Leerdam, and to be honest I'll be glad when it is over and I can book my ticket and go Down Under. My project is finished and I'm only doing follow up now, and some little things for my colleages. It is good money and the colleages are really nice, but the waiting time and adrenaline for Australia are killing me. I wanna go to Oz :(

I am already arranging things and trying to find out the how, what, where, why's of South Yarra and Melbourne. Found out that there is a sports centre nearby and I'm seriously considering to join one of the classes, maybe yoga will be nice. Or I'll just do fitness and swimming, although it might be a bit boring alone. I have also thought about travelling around and decided that camping would be good option for a cheap night so I decided to check my camping collection and I found my mini stove, which will be the 1st item of my collection ;) When I'm in Australia I'll probably buy some camping gear etc. Also I wanna travel by car and am thinking about buying either a Suziki Vitara or a Toyota RAV4, can anyone give me advice about which one to buy? It shouldn't be too expensive, have air conditioning, registration till Feb 2006 and if possible be automatic (it's already hard enough to drive on the left). That's about it for now, as you can see it's all about things I want to do or buy but nothing concrete yet.

I wish I could book my ticket already and be on my way on the 31st of August.....dream on!

Forgot...

Forgot to tell you that I will be living in South Yarra, a (rich & exclusive) suburb of Melbourne. I will be living in a 2 bed apartment with Ben. He is 31 years old, used to be a rowing instructor at a boys-school in Melbourne and has now taken over his father's company.

I will have February off, and wanna travel around for a month then. Have seen so many things to do on the internet, I really don't know where to start.

I definately wanna drive on the Great Ocean Road, go horse-riding (be a jillaroo), visit Sydney over Christmas or New Year, go see family in Adelaide, visit the parks in Melbourne, see kangaroos, see koalas, see pinguins, visit Brisbane, go camping, drive for miles, go swimming, go surfing, see white beaches, maybe go diving...o gosh...will I be able to see and do all of this....

Well you will all be able to experience my adventures, so you will find out later on...

Waiting....

Hi,

At the moment I really wanna leave Holland and fly to Australia but I am still waiting for approval from the immigration services in Melbourne. That is one of the most important documents for me. The rest of the docs are all sorted. I filled in my visa application, attached all other docs, had my medical check etc. I sent the whole lot to Germany and will add the rest when I get the approval...

Guess I just gotta keep on working and hope the immigration services will accept me soon. I cannot go to Australia before the 1st of September anyways because my visa will have that date on it (1 Sept - 27 Feb).

Will let you know what's happening...