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<-- my life, by webgoddesscathy -->


:: Friday, March 26, 2004 ::
Could my body move into this time zone please?

For goddessakes, I woke up at 4am. I tried to go back to sleep for 2 hours before deciding it was useless and getting up for my morning tea and to start work on my scrapbook.

And now? I'm TIRED.
About as tired as when I arrived in Perth after almost no sleep. When I was falling asleep on my feet. Except now I'm falling asleep at the computer.

Today has been a fixing-computers-day (catchy title, huh?). My dad's computer is being weird, so I've been trying to run ScanDisk and Defrag and I think I've got it working now. Then I had to tweek a few things on my mom's computer at work before going to my doctor's appointment. More work on Dad's computer. Got an x-ray. Got a new Health Card in Barrie (a half-hour away). Returned to do more fiddling with my dad's computer. Picked my mom up at work and now I'm taking a stab at my mom's friend's computer. <poke>

And this weekend, Matt is bringing me MY computer! I can't wait til I get my computer in my hands so I can pet it and give it kisses.

Today, as I was driving around, I remembered some things that I had forgotten to miss about Canada:

  • the radio - ohmygosh, Aussie radio sucks ass
  • Canadian music (somewhat related) - today I heard Sarah McLachlan, Barenaked Ladies AND Our Lady Peace. Heaven!
  • driving standard (manual) with Canadian music blaring on the radio!
  • free health coverage


I found out that stupid people from Holland and the UK can get free Medicare in Australia, but not nice Canadians. What is up with that?!

Equally sadly, it's raining and muddy and there's still snow at the side of the road. In Perth, it is a perfect 24 degrees. Kill Perth. OK, maybe just hurt it a little. Then I won't feel so bad.

Another piece of sad news is that the "handy-man" who's "working" on our bathroom still hasn't finished the shower. I cannot be nice to the man. I feel bad that his wife is sick but, come on, seriously. My parents have only one bathroom. They TOLD him when it had to be done (that was Tuesday). I don't know if you've noticed, but it's Friday night.

It's not done.
So I'm having a shower at a friend's house. (And using their computer. And eating their yummy Pizza Hut which is WAY better in North America than it is in Australia, trust me.) However, perhaps I should ban pizza because I tried on some clothes that I left behind and discovered that they... um, shrunk. Ya, shrunk. Spontaneously, right there in the drawer! Weird.

Good things:

  • My brothers are visiting me tomorrow! (Actually, they're coming so that my dad can help them with their taxes, but I can pretend it's to see me. I might even be able to go shopping with Matt!)
  • I found my yoga tapes
  • At least I have new clothes (and shoes) to wear that I don't have to carry around on my back
  • My cat sleeps at my feet. That's not to say he likes me, but that I'm a convenient prop. Well, at least he lets me pet him. And he's not dead.
  • I chatted online with Jan last night and made a date to do so again tonight! See? Australia's not so far away! It's REAL!
  • I might be able to use my Australian mobile here in Canada with Rogers AND I found out that since I've been away, they've introduced text messaging. YAY!


:: Cathy 3:36 PM [+] :: 0 comments




:: Wednesday, March 24, 2004 ::
Last night I slept in my OWN bed. My lovely, sweet bed. I can't even TELL you how amazing that was. Ohmygosh. It was almost as good as having my mosquito bites scratched.

Almost.

Actually, on second thought, it didn't even come close to being as good as that.

Still, sinking into my mattress was heaven and I slept so deeply, that I woke up and had no idea where I was. But I still managed to wake up at 6am.

Sigh.

Well, then I got up with my dad and made a fire so that I could read my book and drink my tea with my feet up on the woodstove. Magic.

But it all seems so strange. Nothing seems to have changed. I mean, OK, my parents' house has changed. They don't have a bathroom, for example. Right now, I'm at my mom's friend's house so that I can have a shower and do my laundry. (And, as with most modern homes in Canada, she has high-speed Internet access and a lovely computer, so I can geek-out a little while I wait for my washing.)

But Australia (or "Straya" as my mom pointed out that I say it) seems so far away and it scares me. I miss my friends already and I want to talk to them. I read my emails from them greedily, laughing and wishing I were there. So strange.

Don't get me wrong, it's really good to be home. I almost cried when I saw my parents at the airport. And they almost did, too.

And when my brother, Will, called me last night, I almost cried to talk to him. I'm so excited to see him this weekend. I found out that Matt and Kendra will also be coming home to see me this weekend! I have missed them all so much!

But, writing in my journal last night, I had to go back and read over some of my old entries just to remind myself that it all really happened. And I'm sure that I'll be boring everyone, showing them all my photos over and over. I just need these tangible things to bear witness that I've not dreamt it all.

So this week, as the handyman finishes up the bathroom and my mom goes to work, I'll throw on my Jack Johnson or Powderfinger CD and start putting together my Australia/NZ scrapbook.

And, based on how emotional I am these days, I might just cry a little. But let's just pretend that I won't. Let's just pretend that I'm going to believe what I'm telling myself about this all being part of my continuing adventure...

... to bad this part of the adventure is so cold (it's a grey 5 degrees here, but a sunny 25 degrees in Perth).


:: Cathy 10:19 AM [+] :: 0 comments




:: Monday, March 22, 2004 ::
Sitting in the Narita Airport Starbucks. A chorus of "konitchewa" (however you spell "hello" in Japanese) rings out from all the girls behind the counter whenever someone enters the shop. Cool.

Just waiting for my flight to board.

Japan is so strange/cool/different.

The bath last night? MMMMMmmmm so good. But you can tell short people live here. I think Jan might have gotten his butt in the tub, but that's about it (he's about 100 feet tall). Still, it was nice and decadent and I slept really well and had a lovely free breakfast and met lots of people from Canada heading home.

Yay, home!! I can't wait to see everyone at my welcome home party on Friday!


:: Cathy 6:03 PM [+] :: 0 comments





In Tokyo, land of weird keyboards.

The flight was OK. The hotel is lovely and I am going to have a BATH tonight!! I am really just trying to make Jan jealous here. But I am still pretty excited about the fact that I have my own room with an ensuite bathroom that actually has a BATHTUB in it.

Tomorrow morning I board yet another flight bound for Chicago. Then, something like 14 hours later, I change planes and head to Toronto. There I will finally see my parents and I am SO excited about that now!

Have finally decided to stop being sad about leaving Australia and instead think about how lucky I am/was to meet all the great people here and what a new adventure I am heading towards when I return home. Anything can happen! And I know that I will meet up again with all the truly important people from my trip. So, what is there to be sad about in the end??

Only that I am just slightly terrified that I will no longer fit into my old life. Ya, just that.


:: Cathy 4:22 AM [+] :: 0 comments




:: Sunday, March 21, 2004 ::
PLEASE NOTE: I may not have Internet access again for a while.

I'm leaving Sydney tomorrow morning, early, and staying overnight in Tokyo. There MIGHT be Internet access in the hotel they're putting me up at, but I don't know.

Then I'm headed home on Tuesday. My parents live on a farm and they do not have Internet access. Seriously, they're lucky to have their own phone line, for goddessakes. So be patient if it takes me a while to post and to answer emails. I know you'll all be waiting with baited breath for my return.

Good bye Australia!
sniff.


:: Cathy 12:26 AM [+] :: 0 comments



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