Thursday 17 November 2011

Snowflake

I am one of a kind. Unique. Different. Individual. Solitary. There is no other like me. How can that be? I mean, surely there must be SOME other that is exactly the same as me. But no, I am told that none of us are the same. We are all created individually. Surely God must have had at least a bit of trouble at some point in time, creating a different pattern. I mean, there are only so many you can have ... right? But no. Every one of us is different.
I dream of this as I flutter softly, slowly, sometimes speeding up but slowing down again in a matter of seconds. The wind takes me where'er it chooses. I am content. I know that where ever I fall, it is that place where I was always intended to be. There I will sit, until the warmth of the ground melts me, first from the outside and slowly moving in until I am a mere drop of water. Someone may come. Perhaps they will fly straight over me in a toboggan or on a pair of skis. Or maybe the rain will wash me away. Perhaps I will land in a stream or a pond and be melted almost instantly by the cold water. Maybe I will land on a busy street and some tall man in a black suit will stand on me as he waits for the bus. Perhaps I land on the tongue of a small child trying to taste the snow. Or maybe I will fall in a wood, and not a living sole will notice me.
But it is no matter where I land. For that is where I shall remain ... well, that is until I am whooshed back up into the air as I am evaporated and I will become part of a small cloud once more. I can see the ground now, the cloud from whence I have fallen has disappeared. All I can see is a field of white. White trees are scattered throughout this field and a small white house I can just make out over to the north. I can see a small dot down below. Closer I fall, faster I fly. Yes, the dot is becoming clearer. It is a small child. A little girl. With a sledge and mittens, a red hat and a fluffy cream coat, which appears yellow against the pale snow. Closer, faster. Yes, there she goes, flying down the slope. Closer, faster. I am almost there now, my flight will shortly end. But wait, the wind has picked me up again. I am swept away. Now white is all I see. Here we go, falling once more. I am going to fall onto the roof of the white house. Smoke is billowing from the chimney. No wind, do not take me there where I will be melted before I land. Yes, over to the left a little. That's it. I have fallen. I can see more flakes up above slowly falling towards me. There is the little girl. I can see her from the roof. She is laughing. Someone is with her. A woman. A pregnant woman. Now they are embracing.
They are gone. I cannot see the woman or the girl. I have been covered and will shortly melt. I am content. This is my life. The life of a flake of snow. Different from all the rest. Unique. Individual. Solitary.
Miss Aalyn xx

Tuesday 15 November 2011

Wonderful Voices

Some people have beautiful voices. They just seem to make music with their way of speaking. The best of them can make you feel wonderful inside, even when reciting the contents of the dictionary or a shopping list. Some of my favourites are;

-George Clooney
-David Attenborough
-Rupert Everett
-Cary Elwes
-Liam Neeson
-Eric Bana

Miss Aalyn xx


ps. and no, there is no particular reason they are all guys ... just a coincidence I guess.

Thursday 15 September 2011

Hippies at the Beach

So 'I haven't written for a while' would be kind of an understatement. Yes, I do realize that I have been neglecting you all for quite some time. I still have my queries as to whether anyone ever actually genuinely reads this ... well if you are, then people must. But who are you? Where do you come from? Do I know you? I suppose I will never know.

So since you have gone to all the trouble of reading this far, I suppose I had better tell you what's been going on in my life recently. Well, let's start with everything that has happened (everything major that is ... I don't expect you to be interested in every minute of my life as that would just be sad and kind of creepy) since I last wrote. Let's see, well I went to see Jane Eyre again and ... well, let's just say it wasn't really much better the second time. Oh, and the Julia Child cookbooks arrived and they are AMAZING!! I haven't actually read through them yet but I have flicked through the pages and they look simply divine.
Two weeks ago I had the flu ... yughhkk! It was absolutely hideous and I spent the whole week in bed, coughing like a honking duck and crying shamelessly. I also managed to read a whole book in that time. I am now slightly tired of Harry Potter. A week of reading it non stop has kind of exhausted my 'Harry Potter Meter'. I also watched hours of terrible lifestyle shows which were highly amusing. Mostly they were about weddings or fashion or renovation. Oh yes, I went there.
At the end of that week I felt much better and managed to heave myself out of bed long enough to undergo a barista course with my best friend. It was TERRIFIC fun and I even managed to be the only one in the class to utterly make a fool of myself by spraying milk all over the floor and myself, much to the horror of the young assistant yelling at me to 'turn the mixer off, switch it OFF!'. By the end of the 3 hours however I was rather exhausted and I couldn't hold off my 'inner duck' for much longer. Almost as soon as we exited the building I burst into a major bout of honking and spluttering ... oh dear.
Anyway, the next day I went to Northshore again. Remember that place I told you about? Where we go and have picnics? Well, as it was father's day, we thought it would be nice to take my mum's dad along with his wife and other daughter (my aunt) with her husband and sons for a picnic. It was a lovely outing, and the boys enjoyed it thoroughly. My youngest cousin (around 1 and a half), was absolutely fascinated by the beach and the sand and consequently spent most of the time buried knee deep in dirty brown sand, smiling broadly. The elder brother (5 and a half) managed to find himself a 'follower'; a beautiful little girl with lovely blonde hair who ran after him wherever he went. I went up to check on them at one point and shortly found myself playing 'horsey' and galloping around wildly, 'running away from Indians' and eating apples until I was quite breathless and mum called me in, slightly startled that I should be gallivanting around like that so soon after being sick. Seeing her logic, I politely quitted the game, shortly followed by my disappointed cousin.
Last week, I was invited (via facebook) to a friend's 18th birthday party. I was rather touched that she should think to invite me and so immediately agreed to attend. I was also enthralled to discover that my best friend would be attending also. Reading the invitation further, I discovered that the party would be 'hippie themed'. Having absolutely no hippie clothes currently in my wardrobe, I invited my best friend to come along on a shopping trip with me. I was thoroughly pleased by the end of the experience (which is rare) as I had bought everything needed to transform myself momentarily into a 'modern hippie'. I purchased; a long tan skirt (short to the knees at the front and long to the ankles at the back), a white formal shirt that could be tucked into the skirt, two sets of gold bangles, medium sized gold hoop earrings, a brown and lace small handbag, a thin cotton headband and a pair of 5-inch tan heels. Okay, so I went a little overboard with the accessories, but hey, it is hippie! I was so excited with the success of my purchases that I completely forgot who I was shopping for; myself. Ah, yes ... a 15 year old girl with a single mum ... oops! You can imagine the shock on my mother's poor face as I reached into the shopping bag and pulled out the 5-inch heeled shoes. She would probably have crashed the car if we hadn't been pulled up at a set of lights. Actually, I think she was so shocked, she found it slightly amusing. So now I am forced to show them off to anyone who comes over, only to be pelted with a torrent of disapproving 'tut-tut's' and 'oh dear's' and 'goodness gracious''. But graced with my mother's good nature, I have been allowed to keep the shoes and even wear them to the party! I guess that comes from being such a good child (cough, cough).
Well, this is becoming rather long my dears so I think I shall have to leave you there for now.
Toodle-oo!
Miss Aalyn xx

Tuesday 16 August 2011

A Picnic with Jane

Another lovely day, another picnic. Northshore is a lovely place to sit under the shade and read for hours on end. Mum, Mel and I drove up on Saturday for the second time this month to have a beautiful, relaxing picnic by the shore. I just love the sound of the waves lapping against the sand and the grass waving gently in the breeze. We have our own little spot to sit now and it's a really relaxing and lovely thing to do on a Saturday afternoon. We just sat there for hours; reading, listening to music and munching on my own homemade chocolate cake. I hope to have more of these precious moments, where we are all together, happy and relaxed. I think that people make too much of the big 'in your face' moments, and don't cherish enough the 'boring' ones; the ones that don't shout 'I'm so amazing!'. The ones that pass you by without you even really noticing they had even taken place. Or when you just think too much about the little negative things and don't focus on the big picture. I mean, I will probably cherish this moment right now in about 50 years time. And all the times I've walked to school with my sister in the morning, which now appear to me such a chore, will probably seem so pleasant and lovely to me in the future.
Jane Eyre; a fantastic novel by a wonderful author. I went to see the movie on the weekend. I must say I was a little disappointed by it. I mean, I didn't really like it as much as I thought I would and ... get this ... I didn't even CRY!!!! IT'S A MIRACLE!!! I cry in EVERYTHING. But, it was almost as if it didn't give me enough time to work up an emotion and tear up. The moments moved by so swiftly that I found myself getting rather annoyed. I wanted to feel more emotion and attachment to the characters. But I just couldn't! I don't really think it was a movie for people who had not read the book or did not know the story because it wasn't exactly very clear. I read the book about two months ago and absolutely loved it but the movie didn't quite exceed my expectations. The characters were portrayed poorly I must say and I just didn't buy it. It's really a great shame, because I wanted to be able to say how amazing and enthralling it was. But I speak only my opinion, the rest of my family thought it was great. So I shall just leave it at that then. I am seeing it again this weekend anyway, so hopefully I will grow to like it more the second time.
I just bought the Julia Child 'Mastering the Art of French Cooking' two book set! I'm so happy! Ever since I saw the movie Julie and Julia I have been just itching to buy the cookbooks. I suppose now this means I shall have to be more inventive with my cooking and broaden my horizons to something more advanced than spaghetti bolognese and chocolate cake. Well, bring it on I say!
I now have a lovely two day holiday ahead of me and I am exceedingly glad of it. I think I needed a holiday, which is an absurd thing to say as, compared to most adults, I have far too many. But still, I am very happy about it and shall relish in the much needed rest!

Much love,
Miss Aalyn xx


Friday 5 August 2011

Curious Imaginings

Last night I had a dream. Not a particularly good dream, but not a bad one. I was running. Somewhere in the countryside, probably in England. Hills were surrounding me. I was running with another person. It was my future husband. I never saw his face (woe is me). We were running across the countryside and then through a great mound of snow and under a bridge. We came to a pile of material. Plastic mainly; huge sheets of it. They were all different sizes. Most of them were probably as big as a small tree and as wide as two cars. Massive! There were two other people there also. It was another couple. For some reason we were trying to steal the sheets of plastic and glass off them. It was materials for a house. We wanted them for our house but they had got to them first so we tried to steal as much as we could. It was kind of a race to see who could get the most material. But before we could haul the first sheet, the image faded and another segment of the dream took place. All I remember from this is a mountain and a huge house, and a lot of running and snow. But the snow wasn't cold. It was just ... there. I also remember vaguely something to do with a cup of tea. But that is all. Very strange indeed.
Miss Aalyn xx

Stuff and Nonsense

10 reasons why I love food:
-It satisfies hunger
-It comforts one when in times of trial
-You don't need to have a reason to eat it
-It is highly enjoyable to prepare
-It relieves tension during an awkward moment
-It is different where ever you go but, at the same time, never changes
-It provides a topic to blog about
-To prepare it requires love and attention
-It tastes good!
-It draws people together
Yes, as you can probably guess, I LOVE IT!!! I mean, really, I absolutely adore it. But I hate it at the same time. Isn't that funny? Well, talking about food, tonight I cooked a most delicious Chinese dish called 'Garlic and Ginger Chicken'. Yummo! I also prepared some of my 'famous brownies' for a birthday party this Sunday. They were even better than usual, if I do say so myself. I'm sure my cousins will most enjoy them. Well, that is, if they actually eat anything, which is seldom the case, with two of them at least.
I am determined to learn French. Just putting it out there, not that you will care most likely. But I do so love it and wish more than anything to be able to speak it. Sigh, imagine speaking in French! How I would love to babble away to someone in French and for them to not understand a single word I was saying. As it is, I can hardly say a single word myself. Well, apart from bonjour and au revoir. But, then again, who can't?
Au revoir pour l'instant, mes chers!
Mademoiselle Aalyn xx

ps. And yes, I did use google translate. So nobody correct me if there is anything wrong with what I have said. Goodness, translator does do strange things to phrases. Once I typed in 'best friend' and it translated back into English as 'fluffy duck'! How my best friend must have laughed when she read it!

Wednesday 27 July 2011

Adorableness

I came across the most adorable video the other day. It is located on the abc iview website under 'All Programs' and then click 'Drama'. It is called 'Ten Minute Tales; Deep and Crisp and Even'. Here is the link for ABC iView:

http://www.iinet.net.au/my/media/abc/index.html

It is the sweetest and most beautiful thing you ever did see. It only goes for about ten minutes, as the title suggests, so it doesn't take up too much time. But its definitely worth a watch!
Aalyn xx

Tuesday 26 July 2011

Sorrows, Plays and A Bickering Family

Dearest readers,
Well, that's it. I shall not see my father now until Christmas, maybe not even then, if things don't work out. I'm glad he's gone in one way, because now I can probably have a white Christmas, or at least a cold one, in a cottage in the Scottish countryside. But, on the other hand, my dad has just moved half way across the world and I will not be able to see him very often at all or talk face to face! Sigh, that moment when we said goodbye was not the happiest of times. He looked so incredibly sad. Almost as sad as when he told us that he and mum were seperating. His eyes looked as if they were going to roll off his face and onto the floor, they were so wet with tears. And his lips were trembling, he could hardly talk. But, then again, he did much better than either Mel or I could. We were hopeless. We couldn't utter a single word. We just stood there, tears rolling down our cheeks, lips trembling. I could hardly stop myself from bursting out with sobs. But I couldn't say anything. There were so many things I wanted to say, things that would have made the situation lighter and less awful, things that I would have been very glad to have said. But no, I couldn't even speak. I regret that now, not being able to say what I wanted to. I shall probably keep looking back on that moment and kicking myself for not being able to form the words. I just kept thinking 'Don't cry, don't cry, you silly girl! Do you want to make things harder for dad than they already are? Do you want his last memory of you to be a blubbery mess? How do you think he'll feel, leaving you like that?' But, anyhow, that moment has passed now and I shall just have to move on I suppose. Anyway, now I have someone to write letters to and I'll be able to use my wax seal and beautiful new pens and paper.
School is slowly droning on in the background of my life. I am glad of the subjects I have chosen to undertake, but that does not stop them from being incredibly 'schoolish' and uninteresting. Why can't they think of interesting things to do? Things we will actually enjoy doing? I mean, there are plenty of ways to make learning fun. School just doesn't seem to quite get that concept. For me anyway. I had drama today; a generally good subject. We are studying a play called 'Juice'. It is basically a fairly dated play about a group of teenagers in Grade 10 who are celebrating the 'end of childood and the beginning of adulthood' by having a party. It involves lots of alcohol, stupid dares and, strangely enough, a dead canary. Very strange indeed! I am not really looking forward to performing it, to be honest. I just couldn't think of anything more boring; a play about a stupid teeanage party! I hope I can get an interesting charactert to play. I think we can choose whether to video it or to play it live to the audience. I know which one I will choose! Most definetely the former. I hate performing! I know that's kind of strange, as I'm doing drama, but I really think I need to get over this fear and face up to it if I want to be successful in life. So that is one of the reasons I chose drama. But also because I do enjoy acting, just not performing for a live audience! Filming is fine, and so is voice recording. But actual live performing kind of freaks me out!
I am becoming incredibly snappy toward my close family. This is a horrible thing, and the feeling is also very unpleasant. I just can't seem to stop myself. It's strange, whenever they ask me about my day or something completely innocent and friendly, I just get really annoyed and I simply cannot talk. I eventually manage to mutter something very short and sharp, and that only succeeds in making them angry. It's so silly of me to get angry but, I can't describe it. It's like I'm angry at them for not knowing. Or that I'm angry at them for daring to ask. I'll quite happily just tell them things about my day, but if they just ask, the words refuse to form. Like, tonight, mum asked if I had had drama today. I said that I had and that we were studying 'juice'. She politely asked me questions about it but I could only answer in short, very unexplanatory sentences. And when she continued to ask questions, I got angrier and angrier. She began to get angry too, until we were both bickering away like old ladies. This has begun to happen more and more, but I can't seem to stop it. Another example; I will be on my way to go and do the dishwasher or tidy my room, and mum will ask me to go and do them. Suddenly, I don't feel like doing them at all. It's like I'm angry at her for not knowing that I was just about to do them. It's utterly stupid. Or when I will be thinking something and almost say it out loud but decide not to, and then Mel says it, I get really angry. It's like she stole my idea or my thought and made it her own. Urghh, I cannot stand how annoying I am sometimes! I must be a nightmare to live with!
Goodness, this is getting very long. So I shall say goodbye.
Ta-ta!
Miss Aalyn xx

Thursday 21 July 2011

Poems and Wax Seals

For the past few days, as you know, I have spent my time at home. I have mainly spent it on the computer recording things into the microphone or watching Upstairs Downstairs (which I am now absolutely obsessed with). But I have been doing something particularly special for my cousin Rueben. I have been recording A.A Milne poems through the microphone and onto the computer. I did around 30 of them, it took me quite a while to perfect them all. Once I thought I had done one correctly, I would listen through it again and realise that there was a noise in the background like a plate clinking or something like that; very annoying! But, anyhow, it's all done now and we dropped the finished CD off tonight and listened to a few with him. I think he enjoyed it very much. I even did up a cover and a list of the tracks on the back. Hopefully he listens to it. I think he will. He's having an operation tomorrow to pull his tooth out and put a fake one in its place. I'm not entirely sure why, but hopefully the CD will cheer him up.
Today I received a parcel in the mail. I had been expecting it, but that didn't stop me from being absolutely thrilled when it arrived. It was a wax seal with the letter 'A' on it. You see, my father is going away to Scotland to live and we thought it would be nice if we could write to him whilst he was there, every month or so. Letters are so much nicer to receive than emails, don't you think? And, yesterday, he took us out to 'The Pen Shoppe' to buy some letter paper, envelopes, two fountain pens (each), a wax seal and red wax. We did want to buy a letter opener also, but they didn't have any particularly nice ones. But dad says that he will send us each one over from Edinburgh, which will be very lovely indeed to receive in the mail. Anyhow, they didn't have any 'A' wax seals left, so the lovely lady at the counter promised she would send me one in the mail, express style. And it has arrived, just as she said it would. It is beautiful. I couldn't have asked for anything nicer! To think, my own wax seal. Ahhh, its just too lovely for words!
I had better be popping off now, though, as mum is calling me up to bed.
Farewell, faithful readers.
Miss Aalyn xx

Monday 18 July 2011

Man Hands

Today I enjoy nearly a full week off school. Not because I am sick or because I am on holidays, but because my whole grade is going away to camp. Many people have asked me "Why didn't you go?" and I reply simply "Well, I guess it's because of the people. If I were going with a really close group of friends or with my family, then I may enjoy it, but not with a bunch of strangers and a couple of friends dotted here and there". So, this week, I am spending my time cleaning, cooking, reading, singing, writing and listening to music, maybe watching a few movies in between. I shall rather enjoy it. And my father might be dropping around to take me shopping. No, not clothes shopping. Shopping for a quill, ink, letter writing paper, envelopes, stamps, wax seal (eeeeeeeee!!!!) and wax. Maybe also a few 'drippy' candles for my wine bottles.
Although I do love and relish the time spent away from school and on holidays, I can't help feeling rather 'fat'. You see, most of the time I spend on the computer or reading or watching a movie (which are, as you can guess, all done sitting/lying down) and I begin to feel very tired, lazy and fat. It's really not a very nice feeling. But then, when I'm asked to get out of the house to walk the dogs, I don't want to go. I don't know, I guess being cooped up all day makes you tired and so you don't feel like exercising. But I'm very glad and grateful of the break, school can be very grueling and tiresome.

Last night, my mum went to the hospital. Not because she was ill, but because of her 'man hand'. You see, a few days ago, she was in the park. Walking along. Minding her own business. When something drops onto her head. Thinking it a leaf, she brushes it carelessly away with her hand. Suddenly, there is a sharp pain in her right pinkie and she stops in her tracks. A bee falls to the ground, dead. She stares at her hand and nurses it as it starts to swell. She remembers that she is allergic to bees. Finishing up the walk, she calls the dogs and takes them home again. Reaching home, the swelling is spreading. In a day or so, her hand is puffed up like a balloon and she can barely move it. It is very painful. So she takes it to the doctors and she gives her some medication. She sternly recommends that, if the swelling does not die down within a few hours, she must go to the hospital, as she could have an infection that may worsen. The swelling increases steadily and she decides to call a friend to take her to the hospital. They wait ... and they wait. For hours they sit, bored stupid, in the waiting room. Finally, a nurse sees her. She takes her to a doctor. She is then put on a drip and advised to stay the night, until the swelling dies down. And so she is in hospital. Everyone is calling it her 'man hand', as that it exactly what it looks like. Although, if I ever met a guy with hands like that, I think I'd run for the hills without a moment's notice. Hopefully, she will be back again sometime today. Last night, we stayed with some family friends and now Mel and I are at home, as Mel took the day off.
Here is a picture of mum's hands. The one on the left is the swollen one (just in case you couldn't tell).
What a bore! I have an English analytical essay to write on 'nationality'. It's so incredibly tedious and boring that I cannot think how I shall survive it. I think I'm going to do the English nationality, but I'm not really sure what my points will be. Most people will likely do Australian and some American, but I think I shall be different and do English. We basically have to pick one picture, one literary source and one non literary source. We then have to talk about each of them and discuss what relevance they have to the nationality we've chosen and how they may be similar. Well, at least we don't have to write an essay on the government. I think I'd rather die. I don't really see how we will use essays in real life, except maybe if you're working for a magazine company or something, even then. Then again, there are many things we are taught in school which we will never need to actually use in real life, and there are things they don't teach which we will. I'm just glad I have such fabulous parents who teach me pretty much everything I need to know and more.

Well, chaps, toodle oo then, for now!
Fondest affections,
Miss Aalyn xx

Sunday 10 July 2011

More Names

I've decided that I don't much like the name Christopher anymore. The only real reason I liked it in the first place was because of Christopher Robin in Winnie the Pooh. But, as a whole, I don't really think I like it. And I think I shall call my first-born child Diana Mary rather than Charlotte and my last-born Edward Charles Benjamin rather than just Edward Benjamin, I do so love the name Charles (like Pa in Little House on the Prairie) or Charlie for short. But I think I prefer the name Edward, and Benjamin is such a charming name for a little boy, don't you think? Not Ben, oh no, Benjamin. And Edward could be shortened to Eddie and Diana to Diane or Di and Violetta (my second-born: Violetta Anne Rose) to Violet. Ahh, I shall have fun naming my children I'm sure. And for last names I also like; Wood, Snow, Rose and Willow. There are many more, I'm sure, but they are all I can at present name.
Much love,
Miss Aalyn xx

ps. My sister did cut her hair and it looks rather like this:

Saturday 9 July 2011

Names, Colours and Woes

I think that, if I somebody came up to me today and said 'you have to change your name', I would change it to Diana Rose or Diana Mary or something like that. I don't know why. I just really like the name Diana (Diane) and I think I might suit it. It just sounds so gentle and soothing. Can you imagine if your mother's name was Diana? Somehow, that would make her seem kinder and gentler. Well, to me at least. I guess I have only really heard of Diana's who were pleasant people. I also love the names; Charlotte, Amiella, Sophia, Violetta, Madeleine, Anne, Mary, Antoinette, Grace and Rose. For boy's names I like; Christopher, Edward, Benjamin, Charles (Charlie) and Daniel. Yes, I know, I love all those English old fashioned names and some of the romantic Italian and French names. I'm sure my children will be most horrified.
I think, when I have children, I want them to call me either mother or mamma (pronounced mu-mar). And, when my children have children, I want them to call me Grandmamma or maybe Grandmother.

My favourite eye colour is either blue or grey but I want my husband to have hazel eyes. I don't know, just something about a guy's eyes being brown is very appealing to me. If they had blues eyes, they would seem too 'pretty', if you know what I mean, rather than handsome. I also want my husband to have big hands, to hold mine in or to wrap around my waist or lift up my child with. Very strange, I know, but true.
Back to school in two days. I can't believe my holidays are already pretty much over. Time really does fly when you're having fun. But, at the same time, it feels as if I have been on holidays for ages and school seems like a distant memory. It's as if school was decades ago. Do you ever get that when you go on holidays? Especially when you travel to another town, city or country.

Well then, as I have so little time left, I had better go and make the most of it while I can hey?
Much love,
Miss Aalyn xx

Wednesday 6 July 2011

Sydney Highlights; from Indian sweet to crazy gorillas ...

Dearest readers,
I have just returned from a trip to Sydney with my sister and father. Funny, a few months ago I had never been to Sydney. Now, I have been twice. Once with my mother and sister and once with my father and sister. It does make a pleasant change. Although it is a modern city, it has a certain feel about it that's hard to describe. Sometimes I feel I am in Europe, especially when in Hyde Park next to the fountain. Although our stay was short, again, we managed to squeeze in a number of activities over our three days and I am now convinced that we have done everything you can possibly do as far as sightseeing goes in Sydney. We saw the Opera House, went up Centrepoint Tower, caught the ferry over to Toronga Zoo and had a look at the Powerhouse Museum. It was a pretty exhausting few days but we all enjoyed it immensely. The hotel we stayed in was a bit of a let-down but, as we were only there to sleep, it did not really affect us too dreadfully. We mostly just got into the room and flopped down onto the beds, utterly exhausted anyway!

Whilst in Sydney, we had dinner at an Indian restaurant. The food was fairly good, if a little spicy, and afterwards we bought some Indian sweets to take away with us. Reaching Hyde Park, we decided to sit down and try them. We were unsure whether we would actually like them, in fact, we were pretty certain we would HATE them! We even videoed our reactions. First, we tried the orange twisty sweets. Mel and dad tasted them first. They both screwed up their faces immediately and remarked "urgghhh!". Then, I tried one. It tasted like frying oil inside a tube of hardened toffy which had all been deep-fried! It was utterly HORRIBLE! And the lady in the shop had recommended them to us! She said they were an 'Indian delicacy'. More like an Indian 'yuckicacy' as Dad put it. Next came the pale rectangular block with pistachios on top. This time, I went first, then dad and Mel. We all agreed that it tasted that cheese which had been stripped of flavour and left a tasteless lump which looked life tofu and didn't taste much different I would imagine. Next came the round toffy-like ball. I went first again, followed swiftly by Dad and Mel. It was by far the best, tasting like a watery doughnut dipped in maple syrup, still not very tasty however. Last of all came the other ball-shaped sweet. Mel went first this time, followed by Dad and I. Mel's face when she bit into it said it all. She almost spit it out, remarking 'oh, gross! It tastes like cous-cous dipped in syrup!'. We all agreed, throwing out the remains of the 'Indian yuckicasies' into the bin.
That was on the first day. The final day in Sydney, we took a trip to the zoo. We had a look at the red panda's and the lemurs and otters and the zebras and giraffes and chimpanzees. The funniest bunch, however, was definitely the gorilla's. One in particular evoked hysterical laughter and chortling whoops from on-lookers, as well as much camera action as people hurriedly took out their camera's to video this hilarious scene. One of the younger gorilla's, who was evidently the trouble maker of the bunch, decided it would be fun to dance around in excited circles and wave his gangly arms in the air above him. Oh, he did make a funny sight! His large grin took over his entire face and he went on and on in circles for quite some time until he flopped down, dizzy and exhausted in a lazy heap. Everybody was laughing, it drew quite a crowd!
Ahhh, anyway, we're back in Brisbane now and are spending quiet days at home. I must confess, I do get a little grumpy when I spend entire days indoors, doing nothing in particular. My sister is having her hair cut today, really short! I cannot wait to see what she looks like and how short it will be. It will be quite a change from her usual shoulder-length curtain. She is thinking of something like this:
Au revoir!
Miss Aalyn xx

Wednesday 29 June 2011

Holiday Gossip

Well, Skye is indeed getting better. She is almost back to her old self again! That is to say, she doesn't eat her breakfast and likes to be alone and growls at me when I cuddle her too hard. Yes, Skye is back alright. Hahahahaha, that is so funny! Bobby was playing with mel's old toy cat which meows and purrs when you press it in the right way and it meowed at him. He jumped about 4 feet in the air! He looked utterly startled and cocked his head to the side. Now the cat's going crazy! Goodness, both dogs are going for it now. And they keep getting these shocks when it meows! Ahhhhh, they can be frightfully dim at times!
Well, anyway, today my friend Melanie (yes, I know, two melanie's in the house does get rather confusing) is coming over for a sleepover. She said she will bring some lovely food treats and we can stay up all night ... well, most of it anyhow. Tomorrow we will go into the city, about mid-day, to meet up with some more friends. I don't know exactly what we're doing yet, and neither does anyone else. I have been trying to get some ideas but there's not really much besides shopping to do! I mean, we could always go and see a movie, but I checked the movie timetables and there doesn't seem like there's much on at the moment. You see, my friend Ana, from Columbia, is an exchange student and she came at the end of last year. She is going back to Columbia next week and she wanted us to do something special with her before she leaves, as we probably won't ever see her again. I would have thought, though, that she would have something planned for us to do. Well, I suppose shopping will just have to suit. Maybe we can go have a coffee somewhere, hrmmm...
Yesterday afternoon, Mel and I went over to my aunt's house to look after her two children- Rueben and Ethan. They were even more adorable than ever and I spent most of my time reading Wind in the Willows to Rueben. Seriously, I read him like half the book! By the end of it, my throat was hoarse and I kept slurring my words. I was almost glad when Ethan dropped a plate on the ground and it smashed, it gave me an excuse to stop and go help clean up! I didn't exactly want to stop, but I didn't mind stopping, if you know what I mean. I love reading to little children, but after about 2 and a half hours, it gets a bit much. That night, Rueben asked Mel and I to come in and pray with him and his mum. It was so cute! He just lay there, eyes closed, while his mum prayed that he would have a good night sleep and sweet dreams and that God's angels would protect him. I almost cried, it was so beautiful. Just a simple, innocent prayer for a small child.
Well then, I had better be going, as I have quite run out of things to say!
Until next time.
All my love,
Miss Aalyn xx