Straddie :)

Monday, February 2 8:09 am



I don't have internet again, so I have no idea when I will be able to post this.



The last day I haven't talked about was Saturday (I think). That day was fun, and like every other day very unproductive work-wise. We started by the three of us driving into the jungle during the morning, which was beautiful. Right behind C and W's house is jungle, and just five minutes driving felt like it was out of suburbia and into the bush. First we drove through eucalyptus forests, where that was basically the only vegetation growing. We took a very hot and sticky but pleasant walk, and although didn't see any koalas as my mother was hoping it was still fun. We then drove a little further and took another walk that started in eucalyptus forest but partway through morphed to rainforest-- the whole way there were little green signs with cartoons or "Billy and Ranger Ruth," telling us everything we needed to know about what we were walking through. I had the feeling that this walk was one thousands of school children go on every year in class trips. The next walk we took was completely in the rainforest. As we got back to the car, I sat down in my seat and started to take off my shoe to dislodge the rock that had found a home under my foot. As I looked down at my Chaco-ed feet however, I saw many little black wiggly things on and around my feet/sandals. I shrieked a little, exclaiming "there are leeches on my feet!" I quickly tried to pull one giant on off the top of my foot, but it was so deep inside my foot I couldn't. My mom came over, gave some muttery shriek of acknowledgment that there were leeches on my feet and tried to pull the big fat one out. She managed, and to pull out the many others on my feet, then went on to get the leeches out of her feet (which weren't as many). Two places my feet were bleeding from fat leech's anti-coagulate, which proved very hard to stop. After a few band-aids, I continued to try to remove the remaining leeches from the car, mostly unsuccessfully. EVentually we drove on our way back to the house, admiring a few leeches still on the car (the really fat one from my foot was there most of the ride-- it was kind of unnerving knowing that it was so fat because it was filled with my blood .hat whole incident was amusing, because earlier that day I was thinking about leeches, and remembering one time walking in the woods that my feet got covered with them. I thought at the time that was in Oregon, but later realized it was probably the last time we were in Australia, probably even in the same area.

We got back to the house, was cooked delicious ravioli for lunch, then got to work. M and W talked work, and my dad helped me with some math homework looming over my head. We worked basically all afternoon, and although I felt vaguely productive I only got two math sections done. Bother.

That night we took out hosts out to Indian food, which was delicious. Two of W's kids were there also, who I talked to over most of dinner. They are making a movie together, and plan to go to the US once it is done as their treat for finishing. They asked many questions about the States, some very amusing. They asked about accents and cities, as well as many questions about LA, California in general, and politics. One question they asked was, "so, do you see famous people all the time? Like just walking on the street?" I said no, maybe in LA, but even then probably not. Dinner was yummy and fun, and after that we organized some to leave the next day and went to sleep.



One thing I've neglected to talk about to far is how interested everybody is in Obama (and US politics in general). Every person we meet we end up talking about Obama and the election, some people starting with a little reservation to make sure we really are Obama supporters. The people I was talking about over the Indian dinner even pointed out that whoever is elected to US president is really being elected to run the world.





The next day we had to leave Brisbane and head towards Stradbroke Island, which is the worlds largest sand island just east of the city. W and C were kind enough to let us borrow their vacation home here for three weeks, and they even took the barge over with us to show us around. It's beautiful here-- lots of beaches, eucalyptus trees, and jungly palms. The house is a little weird but charming, very close to the beach and with a big back yard. We're the last house on the street, so All around us is unbuilt-up bush. It reminds me a lot of the houses in the Cane Toad movie we see in Geography freshman year. It has the stone and tile one-story house close to the ground, the big yard full of slightly crabby grass, and behind it the trees, grass, and bushes. I haven't actually seen a Cane Toad yet, although I know they're here because they were purposefully introduced to Dunwich (the main town on the island). Anyways, yesterday (the day we got here), we got a little settled, got lunch with W and C, went grocery shopping, and best of all went swimming. The ocean right by our house is rough, but the perfect temperature-- cool enough to be refreshing but warm enough that there is no pain getting in. There was a little lagoon-y pool on the beach (which I assume is only there in between high and low tides), which we swam in because the ocean itself is too dangerous to really go swimming in. We saw many skilled surfers getting inside giant rolly waves and stay riding them for awhile. We went wading in the more shallow surf, body surfing some of the bigger waves in (which was SO much fun. The sand on the beach is pretty soft, so it didn't even hurt too much getting thrown against is by the waves.



Today we plan to take a walk (explore the bush behind our house, probably get lost), work for a couple hours, then go swimming today. I think that will be our plan every day-- walk, work, swim (with many meals between those). I should go now so I have time to work later.



Bye.