"Do you want some rock melon?" "Huh?" "Rock melon..." "OH! Cantaloupe!"

Since I last blogged, I handed in my first assessment, I just finished my second assessment and I got the topic for my third assessment. In other words: I need to hand in my second essay and I need to begin/research/write/finish my third essay. I know that I will get it done. I've worked really hard to do my best here, and I am constantly reminding myself that even if I don't get an A or a B (well, the Aussie version, meaning a 6 or 7), I am doing my best and I have been working hard. I know I will come home possibly with grades I don't usually get (well except for the year that was really difficult), but as Mum and Dad always say, "You can only try your best." :-)

Besides working on midsemester assessments, I have hung out with my friend Bella a few times. Last week we went to Indro (short for Indooroopilly), a "shopping centre". We'd call it a mall back home. (Here a mall is a street full of shops.) It was a lot of fun, especially at first since it was my first time in a car as a passenger, meaning I was confused why there was no steering wheel in front of me! ;-) After that experience, I am A-okay with cars.

Last night after our lecture (which our friend Meg didn't come to! :-(), Bella and I got dinner at a nice Thai place in her suburb, Fig Tree Pocket. (Seriously adorable suburb name!) It was really good and I even have leftovers. I ended up going to her house, which is one floor and reminded me a lot of home.

Bella generously lent me her laptop to sign up for courses for next fall (their summer but our first semester back home). It is strange to say...I have signed up successfully for my senior fall classes. I am taking: 19th Century Human Monster, Topics of Geometry (I have avoided maths as long as possible...), Creative Writing: Non-Fiction and my second internship class Fieldwork II.

I also fell completely in love with Bella's cat Primrose. I was pretty pleased I wasn't going home to Mum after. :-P

I ended up staying the night (I had to borrow pyjamas, and a toothbrush etc. because this was impromptu), and this morning I got to have an Aussie breakfast. I had vegemite with butter and melted cheese on toast (not as bad as everyone says, though I definitely could not have it every day), and Milo (which is very similar to Ovaltine except more thick). I am proud to say I am now a true blue Aussie! (Minus the American accent.) After that I headed off to uni with Bella and we had our tutorial. Today I also bought a charger for my computer since mine died.

Next week I go to uni for the usual amount of time (Monday through Thursday), and then on Saturday I leave for Christchurch, New Zealand. On the 24th of April, I start a 7 day tour with a company called TopDeck and I am getting to do all sorts of fun things (ex: go to a glacier and hike in it!). Our tour ends on the 30th, but I am staying an extra day or two to celebrate my birthday there. On May 2nd, I come back to Brisbane and courses begin again on the 3rd. I am so excited and thrilled to have this opportunity, and I CANNOT wait to get my Hobbit on! :-P