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. ;)

Ain't that a kick in the teeth!

Hello and how are you? Everytime I write a new blog entry I feel more and more like I might be morphing into Miranda Hart...no bad thing, the woman's a living legend...as am I ;)

Hey, rude!

Previously in my life (okay, now I'm doing it deliberately) the legend began of the mythical SonofaPreacherMan. There'll be a small segment on him later on, although unfortunately it is not the story I wanted to be telling you now, and I still want to change the story now, but this is what we are dealing with. And it is the wrong ending. But I know you are almost as fond of him as I am readers so I felt he needed to be mentioned. More on that later.

Some other interesting things about my last few days first. I went to a very cool farm with the children the other day. It had bison, goats, ostriches and llamas all roaming together. Anyway, on first arriving, a white blonde llama sidled over to me and we had an instant connection. I swear in my head I could here this playing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zB2gPZRsz0Q. We had the most lovely conversations and she was desperate to lick my face, she kept sidling right up as close as I would let her, but I couldn't quite face a slimey llama kiss. Two rough looking male goats, who were so fat they seemed pregnant, had a massive fight over my affection as well. It was about the most exciting moment of my life so far. Well, certainly the first time two males have been vying for my attention.Ohhhh, my life, who'd have it, eh?

Yesterday, after a gorgeous morning of getting given cuddles at the top of the really cool slide in the nearby playground (seriously, it's a rush to go down that slide!) in the afternoon, we made our way into Basel city centre as I wanted to see where my language course is held, and it was goooorgeous weather! We went down to the shore of the River Rhine for some paddling and there were some very lovely and very frightening things which happened. I had a nice cool beer on the shore, got to dip my feet into what has to be the nicest cleanest river ever, and got to go collecting shells with the children. The one frightening thing: the nearly poo incident. While both parents were absent, the little girl decides she can't hold in her poo anymore. She's screaming 'It's Coming!' in front of crowds of people. I'm shouting 'Hold it in!' and everybody is staring at me like I'm a terrible mother. It's just that she was meant to be doing it discretely in the water to be immediately caught by her dad once they returned so I was waiting for that and I wasn't dressed in my swimsuit so couldn't do it myself. But, my goodness, that was a tense few minutes! Particularly as she was starkers as usual...

After Basel, we went out for dinner at a restaraunt, where I managed to eat a ginormous ham and pineapple pizza alone. Uh oh, I'm a right greedy pig! The children got given these ice creams for dessert in the shape of Pingu's head, I was super jealous!

When we got home late at night, I watched 'The Italian Job' for the first time with the parents from a perch of a car seat, eating ice cream with chocolate sauce and drowsing until nearly one in the morning.


 Another funny thing that happened yesterday, just proving that you never know what's going to happen next. The door bell rang. We all went to answer it in mass form. It was a random student from London trying to sell home made cards for an extortionate rate. We all have a nice chat with him, and of course I'm urged to tag along with him and his other friends who he is travelling with. So he is told to write down his email address for me, and I can't help but see an echo of SOTPM (come on, we all know what that stands for!) except I was never able to email number one. I give him a plum while he waits, and we have a nice chat, he seems like a nice guy. He says as a parting comment 'Drop Me An Email'. So I did. He never replied. Hmm...I'm no genius but this seems like another case of boys being absolute liars, to me anyway. It gets a bit annoying!

This morning I decided, after a night's sleep of only four hours, so my decision might have been a bit misjudged, to go to church. THE church. Where THE preacher man preaches. Now, bearing in mind, it's in a different village, it's a long walk, and church started at 9.30. I headed off with my Sunday Best on, two plums to eat on the way, and a plucky can do attitude that was thinking, 'Yes! I'm doing something great and independent! And yes, this is when I'm going to talk to SOTPM and ensure he does want to hang out, because I'm a CATCH!! And also apparently...an IMBECILE!

I arrived at the church a little early, but thought 'Ah well, I made it here, I'll just wander the grave stones and wait for other people to show up!' I saw a lovely grave stone which said 'Der Herr war meine Herte' which means 'The man was my heart' and I just thought that was the sweetest thing ever! Plus, I was in such  close vincinity to his house and this was his church, that I thought 'Surely, I'll get my chance now to chat to SOTPM! But no, nobody showed up. Not one person. Not one soul. I checked my watch at 9.30 and then thought 'What the frig??? Are they all inside?? I ferreted around to each and every door. Not one sound.There was however a sign saying 'No Entry' (I think) and a map directing people towards a random old school house instead. Missing my chance, I hung my head and went home.

If that wasn't a sign that I'm not meant to SOTPM again then I don't know what is! So, there were my grand plans ruined. No nice cosy chat. No friendly greeting. No sighting. All that's left is my ability to stalk him on Facebook and the loss of my plucky can do attitude- so THAT'S why I'm not a natural optimist! 

In the wilderness (literally) of my wild mind (figuratively) I meandered home through corn fields, feeling hot tears of frustration and anger. That's what happens when I try to be independent! Singing 'All By Myself' to the nearby fields of horses is probably not one of the highlights of my life. Neither is getting my hopes up about someone that never really showed an inkling of interest.