Tomorrow is Australia Day.  I realise I've been neglecting this journal somewhat, but tonight I am in the mood for writing.  We've been here nearly a year now (just another 3 weeks), and we have been changed by the experience.  In that year's time we have bought a house, made new friends, and started to tentatively set roots down in this new life ( Read more... )

Seeing a friend's photos of her parents' visit to Australia has made me wonder, what would I show you when you come to visit?  Of course, everyone is different and wants to see different things.  We took Gilly & Rob up a hill or two and then left them to their own devices the next day, and they spent most of it in museums. Someone else might want ( Read more... )

On Tuesday this week, the 14th, Pete and I hit the 6 month mark of our arrival in Canberra.

It still looks like this:

( Read more... )

Now, I am not a sports obsessive, but given the amount of trash on today's TV, I'd say that there's a 70% chance that whatever I'm watching will be sport. However, I genuinely like a lot of the Olympics.  I like watching gymnastics, and oh the rhythmic gymnastics, and swimming, and athletics, and showjumping, and basketball, and tennis, and.. The ( Read more... )

In the last few months (5 months since we moved. Wow.), we have had some ups and some downs.  We've had some major downs.  Depression, a miscarriage, and, although it may seem like a small thing, most recently a disappointing holiday. Other friends, too, have had some big crises hit them.  And through all of these, I try to keep trusting God. ( Read more... )

This is apparently a Southern Hemisphere thing.  I'm not entirely sure why it started, or how, though wiki does give a few possibilities ( Read more... )

Moving country, the journey this far (4 months in), in song quotes:

I gotta feelin' that tonight's gonna be a good night

This is Australia calling

All my bags are packed Im ready to go

Such a feelin's coming over me
There is wonder in most every thing I see
Not a cloud in the sky, got the sun in my eyes
And I won't be surprised if it's a dream

Tumble outta ( Read more... )

Life is falling into place ( Read more... )

• It's 'Mah-noo-kah' not 'Ma-new-ka' and 'Act-yoo-A.G.L' not 'Acti-waggle'.
• Canberrans navigate by suburb, then district. If you don't know where all the suburbs are, you'd better learn fast.
• Belconnen and Civic have the best malls. Belconnen has better parking though.
• There's always some free parking somewhere for an hour or two if you hunt.
• Australians ( Read more... )

I went to a ballet class today. Apart from the weird accent, it was home. Ballet, ballet is special. Ballet is the same the world over. We all speak the same language. We all understand the same grading system. And the result is that you can walk into any ballet class, around the world, and know what to expect. 
I mean, every teacher teaches ( Read more... )