An illegal immigrant koala from Brisbane

Hello, and how are you?

Amidst my mass hysteria and extremely busy days of basic unemployment- yesterday I stood in a shop aisle for upwards of three minutes, trying to decide which coffee to buy. On the one hand, I could be a jar of instant, but it is ridiculously expensive here...seriously...and I would most likely poison my veins trying to complete a whole jar in two weeks. On the other hand I could buy a box of sachets. Not the strongest caffeine fix but will definitely get them finished, they are delightfully foamy, and the one I decided on featured a fine ass chocolate companion, amidst the foam of cappucino- I have managed to find a moment to write up my latest blog entry. As I'm sure you all can barely contain your excitement.

I have recently been delighted to discover that country music is finally getting some exposure in the U.K. Only small right now, but there's a definite community arising and there is the first ever country music festival happening in the 02 arena this March. I want more than almost anything to go to what will surely be a milestone of development, but I can woefully ill-afford the weekend pass, even though it isn't over-priced. I'm so fed up of being unemployed, I really am. Ripe time for this old bird to get a job. Tickets go on sale in two days...and I'm yet to come up with a solution as to how I can possibly afford to go...when I literally have less than the cost of a ticket in my bank account :(

Also, apparently Easy Jet are very mean people. They won't let me cancel my flights back to Switzerland after Christmas so I thought I'd change the flights to a different date. Although there is no difference in flight cost, they want to charge me an extra 35 pounds PER FLIGHT to change it...it would literally be as cheap for me to buy new flights. I just want a refund! <:( Wish they didn't have this policy.

In other news, I have had a lovely week since my last entry. I've been away visiting my special someone ;) in St. Gallen for like three full days. And what a marvellous adventure has been had. First of all, there was loads of snow. How absolutely glorious. It seems to be refusing to snow in  Basel so it was an absolute treat to be able to frolick in the snow. I stood waiting for a bus outside at one point, just letting the snow flakes fall down on me like the happiest little freak in the world, a fresh Cappucino in my system, a smile on my face and a dream in my heart... *barf* sorry, had to add that last part when I sounded so gushy. It was an accident, I promise!

It was a great weekend for many reasons, not many more so than the fact that we made two new friends this weekend. There we were, watching a little bit of CBBC on a Sunday morning when a very wonderful thing happened.

Along came a little show called 'Bear Behaving Badly' and two little guys called Nev- who some of you might recognise from a little show called Smile- and...wait for it....Krazy Keith. I don't know if you're aware, but Krazy Keith is, and I quote "An illegal immigrant koala bear from Brisbane, Australia" I hope that has whet your appetite. If not, I might add he has an inanimate bunny girlfriend who he has NUMEROUS conversations with. Oh yes.... television just got real.

The real love affair in our lives began, and there hasn't been a conversation since which has not contained at least one reference to either Keith, Nev, or Keith's STUNNING quote "Streuth! You're one sausage short of a Barby!" Oh how the laughs were had.

I also fulfilled one of my childhood dreams...and I must add here an apology to feminists everywhere, you might want to look away... I got to pretend to be a housewife. Like a cool one, from the 50s. I tidied his house, made dinner, put on some scenic country music and welcomed him home from work with a smile and a hug.

And then we watched Pointless. The ultimate ending to any dream. Well, Alexander and Richard are an amazing team, after all. I don't mean to boast (well actually, that's technically a lie) but I was totally scoring some pretty low scores on the show...in the very near place to being pointless ;)

In other news, we went to see Cloud Atlas in the cinema as well. A much anticipated viewing and one of the best things about living here. Because poor old U.K isn't getting this film until March for some reason. It's kind of ridiculous really, that the film has been dubbed and translated into every language and shown to pretty much every other country by now, but it can't be shown in English. In the original English speaking country... seems a bit weird. Especially as I watched the film in English...in rural Switzerland.


Mind blowingly excellent, confusing and downright bizarre, it's a film I'm not going to forget for a while. The actors' numerous roles and disguises were just...amazing. The sheer vastness and depth of their transformations are something I never could have imagined possible, and what an amazing project it must have been to be a part of it. A stellar decision on the film maker's part to cast big names for every major and minor role. Beautiful.

The days are racing away with me lately, and I know it probably seems like the longest and most pointless countdown you've ever encountered- as I keep mentioning it in every blog- but it is literally only two weeks now until I am at the airport. A fortnight. Fourteen days. This doesn't seem like too much time left. And I'm running out of days here to say goodbye to people, or have last days of fun or try and get my head around the fact that when I leave, I might have to leave as someone who is alone, or forgotten about. Truthfully, there are only about five people who actually want to say goodbye to me. And I'm struggling to figure out whether I should bother having a 'leaving do' or just say goodbye to these few on their own and use my time with goodbyes to the only few people who might actually think of me occasionally after I leave.Why waste my time if I'm only a passing thought in a busy mind? I'm sure the five people here know who they are, and I'm pretty sure I've already been in discussions with all five about what we're gonna do for my last few days here. I hope I am still in touch with them all and that we can meet up other times in our homelands, or if I come back for visits.

What an amazing period of my life this has been, though. If I think back to the place where this blog started out, it's fascinating to track my progress here, and how completely things started to turn around. I was reading my bucket list that I wrote back in August, if some of you were reading back then, and this is shocking news but:
I fulfilled everything on the list.
Everything.

And I know it was only a mini one, for the months until I turned 22, but I did it. I did it all. I became it all. I made it all happen. And I did it all before I reached my birthday. I can't believe it.

So, even if those wacky Mayans are right...although as the wonderful Brad Paisley has tweeted:  "Using the Mayan calendar to say the world is going to end can't be right.The Mayan Swimsuit Calendar has a Miss January." But even if they are right, I'm pretty okay with what I've conquered in the last few months, and how far I've come, and how much I have matured and grown up in so many different ways...and it's given me a pretty laissez-faire attitude to life the last few weeks, as a few lucky people can attest to, of thinking "Well, if the world is going to end, I may as well do what I want to do, and not be scared of anything anymore" and that's a pretty empowering way to think. I guess that's why lots of people preach 'Live like it's your last day on Earth'. True that. Has anybody else been thinking like this lately? If so, I'd love to know I'm not alone in these wackadoodle thoughts.

And then Barbie mounted the other llama

It's actually been a week since my last entry...I have once more become a weekly blogger...so sorry! For anybody out there (hi Mum) who's been checking back to see if I have updated and discovered I haven't posted anything, I'm really sorry. I'm not really sure why I never seem to be here to post anymore...it might be because the weeks are going so fast that I can't keep up or it might be because I'm really lazy or it might be because I have actually been out living a little bit rather than sitting at my computer screen, and this is a good thing, right? For me it is everything. To have actually had a weekend where I feel like one of the things on my life long bucket list has finally been fulfilled. Bearing in mind, this is something I've been wishing for since I was about 10 years old that has finally been fulfilled. I'm not going into details. Some of you know what I am talking about. Just to say: I feel really good about this and it has filled me with a completely new vigour for life. It seems to be that I actually have the potential to be treated as a normal girl, not a girl people think it is alright to say to 'You're a bit strange'. I am. But it's not okay to say so. Everything seems a bit more HD in life. Hallelujah.

It's been nearly two months since I arrived here now and I can't believe it. I feel already like I have grown up in so many ways and learnt so much. I have met so many people lately that just seem like they're worth knowing. This makes me really excited that I have the potential to have a large and varied group of friends here. I feel like inside I am a warmer, happier person than beforehand. I am also a bit less of a cry baby. My skin is getting so thick that things just bounce of me like a Mr Bump/Mr Strong collision...That's right. I don't mean to boast, but I can literally read Mr. Strong from start to finish without the book in front of me. Impressive, right?

I had an extra class last Friday and it was really cool. We had class in a tapas bar..and no, the irony wasn't lost on me ordering tapas in German...It was nice though, it felt more like an evening out with friends, than being students and a teacher. We even all said goodbye to each other with literal cheek kisses on street corners. I felt like a major European. I really wish this sort of thing happened at home too. People'd be a lot happier in life! I would be anyway... ;)

What's been happening lately? That's a good question. Except for my obvious self revelations, I've learnt so much more about how people work too. I've made friends. I've lost some too. It's a shame. But I'm trying to live without regrets. On a similar vein, Fizzy Man and me are now on the outs. He sent me a text message today saying 'You're a silly girl. You do things I don't approve of. I don't have time for silly little girls.' I couldn't even bring myself to respond. The children told it true though. They shook their heads at his cheek when I read the message and said 'You should not marry Fizzy Man. You will find someone better.' On the plus side, I got married to a five year old while we were pretending an elaborate make believe in which he was a pretty red haired woman in a nice dress smoking a cigarette and I was a really cool handsome man also smoking a cigarette. Match made in heaven.

Today I was watching Barbie the llama with the children and she suddenly legged it after the other llama down the field. Ever saw a llama run? It's worth a watch...seriously. Anyway, we instantly thought it was a fight between two female llamas...and then I noticed something. And thought...'Oh crap, is she gonna...no, she can't be, she's a she...' and suddenly it was the bathroom scene in Mrs Doubtfire all over again. Turns out love is in the air on the llama farm. And Barbie? Barbie is a dude.

This weekend I went to Zurich on Saturday to watch the GAA 10 year celebration tournament. It was great. I couldn't believe the crowd of Irish people all in one place. They had come from all over the North of Switzerland to compete and socialise. For me it was a great chance to meet some new people. And I did meet some people I really dug. And people I definitely want to see again. The only problem being making friends with people who live upwards of two hours away. Will they ever be bothered having to make the train journey to hang out? Will I ever buy the half-price ticket for train travel?? All these questions, and a few more. It was a great day, though.  I wasn't home until 1AM which is practically sunrise by my normal standards of bed time going. 

Yesterday I went to see the end of the Basel half-marathon as two guys I'm friends with here were competing. It was a cool day to get out as well. It was lovely to hang out with three people who really have been good friends to me since arriving here, even though I'm a bit of a pain. Not to mention the wee baby, who sometimes is necessary to restore my faith in the goodness and sweetness of little ones. We all went for lunch. Where I managed to get sunburnt. Under an umbrella. On a cloudy day. I had a lovely salad worth mentioning just because it was both peaches and feta cheese and yet was still delicious- such a good combo actually!!

We all went to the pub in the afternoon and I got a chance to for once have a bit of a girly gossip with my friend outside. It was great because normally there's no other girls about. I also got a chance to chat to some awesome people I already know and meet some new people. It always surprises me to get compliments. And when people are so nice to me. People were saying my accent is beautiful. Never usually get told that. And one really nice guy offered to basically be my friend if I wanted to go to the cinema or for dinner or for anything really- how nice is that??

If I was to review this weekend...I'd be getting near to 10/10. The only real problem I'm having at the minute is my usual post-weekend fret that I imagined all of these lovely people I met were actually interested in me and actually wanted to see me again. You never can tell. Other than that, I feel pretty much complaint free. I feel like a Cheshire Cat if I stop to think of how far I've come from when I first arrived. So here it is, I'm happy. I have a place here. Almost. I'm so close I can touch it. I just need to reach a little bit more...

Anway, fingers crossed this entry will take me up to the 2000 views mark on my blog. Thank you for reading, watch this space....for the next manic depressive rant is due, I guess!

And remember, always check your llamas for phalluses before you name them after female icons. ;)

Ode to my housemates

Today was a sad day. The first of my friends moved out of our house here in Lancaster. It's the strangest feeling ever, because you can say things will still be the same and that nothing is going to change but can we ever guarantee such a thing? We all want to do such different and great things with our lives, when we see each other, will we still be the same people? Will they all still be the best friends I've ever had.

Enjoying the cold and fireworks: Josie, Ruthie, Hannah and I

Three years ago, I met three girls on my first day of university. We've been inseparable and together ever since. The longest we've spent apart has been holidays. Even in summer we usually met up at least once. But now- it's truly over. The next time we're all together will be in over a month's time, wearing dodgy used black robes and enduring one of the most boring saddest days of our lives: graduation. I can't believe it.

At our favourite tapas spot for Josie's 21st this week

 Anyway, in this post I just wanted to mention how much I'm going to miss them all. I know it's exciting to be going out on our own but I know that they were meant to be my best friends. I can't imagine I'll ever meet any body I so connect with again. That sort of thing only happens once in a lifetime.

When I grow up I wanna be: Our leaving party

Let me tell you about my friends. Hannah is the wackiest, loudest, strangest little nutjob I've ever met. She comes out with amazing one liners but other times she won't have a clue what's going on! She loves Disney and toys and wacky jewellery and is full of surprises. We became friends straight away in first year when we had our rooms next to each other and realised that we listened to almost identically the same kinds of music. We've stayed close throughout the whole three years, even becoming branded as Crannah like we were some kind of celebrity couple.

Josie and I at Valentine's Day dinner at 1725

Josie is my blonde soulmate. Because every body needs a hair companion! We've been in class together for three years, surviving the cliques and cliches and phallic symbolisms of, well, everything in English. We bonded over playing our instruments and liking chick flicks and period dramas and being, quite frankly, a little bit weird. We have wild laughing fits at the strangest things, whether it was tiny tiny squirrels or rustling crisp packets or our brief stint in choir at university. Last summer we went to Barcelona together to au pair and that only made us closer. We're returning there in a week in a half for what I'm sure will be bucket loads more of whimsy!
 

Hannah and I at Christmas dinner

Ruthie Byrne, you must use her full name, has always been Ruthie to us. Never her given name of Ruth. She's taken abuse for being ginger, it is the U.K way after all, and survived the many weird collages we stuck in her room every time she dared leave the house. She's a wonderful little person, who is always good to have a Lord of the Rings marathon with, or talk about Game of Thrones, or watch Jane Austen films with, or watch Harry Potter. She reads a lot of books, like I do, so we always have loads to talk about. She's hilarious because most of the time she keeps a really straight face and is so sensible but then she'll do something so completely mental that you can't quite believe it when it happens! Such as donning a poncho and moustache and pretending to be a Mexican...

Ruthie and I at Bonfire Night in the park

So that's my gang: an eclectic mix of lunatics, who would rather sing songs and to lumberjack themed ballet in checked shirts, would rather make roast dinners and have themed parties, would rather midget run up stairs or play 'Irish Granny's handbag' while I imitate an Elderly Irish woman off to market while wearing a tea towel atop, yes atop, my head, than ever dream of going out to a night club. We've been through it all together: mean people, fights, the time someone switched around my spy hole and we all freaked out, strange encounters with people we never talked to again, Rainbow House and the big fall out, stalking Jehovah's Witnesses, explaining the intricacies of life to Hannah- again and again- dragging Christmas trees home, recording our own Covergirl commercials, making puppet shows and playing in the snow, wearing vampire fangs and pretending to be huge babies, weird neighbours and 5000 pound horses, laughs, tears and really odd impressions of each other. 

Just before Josie left this morning

The Brady Bunch

And now, here we are, at the end of the earth. At the end of life as we knew it. Wondering what we'll be facing next or where we are going to end up. Nothing but a few predictions of what'll happen in our, hopefully, bright futures. Where we'll go, who knows? I just wanted to write this post to say: I love you three and it's been a blast! I hope we keep in touch and are always a part of each others' lives. When one of you gets married, I'll be back to celebrate with you, probably covered in cats, wishing you joy and happiness. When one of you discovers the next big thing in life, I'll be there wanting some of your millions, after all...I invented Post-It notes!!! ;)

Thanks for the memories, see you all at graduation for one final boy band air jump!

QOTR