Day 113

Our last parasitology lecture was full of hiccups, with the projector not working in one room and the microphone emitting a loud wailing sound in the other room... all anyone managed to gain from the lecture is that nematode infections are not good.... with some disgusting images shown.
After the lecture, I dropped off three vertebrate biology practicals... almost doing a little celebratory jiggle as I posted them into the assignment box. Just a practical exam and theory exam left before ic an say goodbye to that module!
In 4 weeks’ time, we will be on the flight o Christchurch... lots of exams and hard work before then but let the countdown begin!

Day 114

The forensics lecturer Barbara looked even more flamboyant than normal today, with long green skirt that looked like the hem had been caught skewed in the sewing machine (as my mum would say), a whit tasselled jacket, pink cloth woven into her hair and orange low-cut tshirt... all topped off with bright white trainers.... if all forensicists look like her, I might have to rethink my latest career path :P

Annoyingly, she revealed today that the content from guest lectures will not be tested in the final exam; that equates to about 4 out of 7 lectures and of course, eager beaver that I am, I had already studied and revised them, producing little booklets 
Another warm evening, so we sat out on the deck with Brad and Rosemaree. Danye, Rosemaree’s friend, is training as a beautician so has offered free waxing to us as she practises. Rosemaree said she could do our ‘eyebrows, legs, underarms... whatever’. Well, we all knew what ‘whatever’ meant; Brad tried to make it less awkward by saying that Danye could wax him... either Rosemaree didn’t hear him or he was ignored, but was all suddenly looked down at the floor lol

It’s 1 year ago today that me and Rachel met lol; back when April introduced us, little did we know we’d end up coming out to Australia together and living right next door. It’s crazy to think how things work out like that though I bet she wishes she didn’t know me SO well, now that all the barriers have gone LOL

Day 115

Our Molecular Biology textbooks were marked today by our demonstrator Justin, who had nothing to laugh at today :P Full marks! So apparently all those agarose gels accounted for something.
Also chatted a bit more to the girls who share our workbench and FINALLY learnt the chatty one’s name; she used that old ‘sorry, if forgot your name’ trick that I had been considering last week so we finally managed to make introductions. It’s such a shame that it’s the last week of the semester, as we’re finally managing to settle in with the QUT routine.

Day 116

Wow. So that’s private health care. An intimidating lift, receptionist and huge array of magazines but a doctor that actually listens, observes and prescribes medicine. I’m still in shock at how smoothly my appointment went. Slightly confused though taht different pharmacies charge different prices for exactly the same drug. Never thought I’d have to bargain hunt for tablets :P

I’d came in early for my appointment, leaving Rachel in her hotpants and vest top about to sneak in a sunbathing session in the garden when everyone else was out... only for the gardener to arrive and take 4 hours to mow the tiniest lawn ever...! So Rachel was still as pale as ever when she joined me for our last parasitology practical.... wearing make up that morning was a big mistake as all I could seedown the microscope was my mascara-ed eyelashes, which last time I checked couldn’t cause elephantiasis :P

As if the stress of a doctor’s appointment wasn’t enough stress for me (Afraid of docs... or at least English ones...), we decided that we must finally tell Brad and Rosemaree about the house in West End. It was finally time to tell them we’re moving out next semester, especially with all the hints this past week like ‘when you get back from your hols’, ‘I’m going to miss your giggling when you’re travellin’ and brad planning a family weekend away to Noosa next semester. It was clearly time but god , it was so difficult working ourselves up to it. All through dinner and two and a half men, either Rosemaree or Brad was up and down, up and down to the kitchen. It wasn’t until about 8, that we finally pushed each other through to the living room, only to find that Rosemaree had gone to bed early as she was ill. Right, just Brad to tell. I was prepared; I had the address, details of the bond and payment method of rent, how many people shared a kitchen, the facilities provided etc. So I told him, just came out and said we were moving into student accommo next semester (after a lengthy debate on whether to say move out or move into!). HE CRIED. Bright red in the face, tears brimming in his eyes and fogging up his glasses, he just sat there saying ‘I understand’. I had all my justifications ready to go yet he wasn’t asking any questions... just saying ‘I won’t tell Rosemaree tonight as shes ill but I’ll let her know tomorrow. She’ll be devastated but I understand.... his voice breaking on the last word. I was at a complete loss as what to do and in the end, he basically sent us out the room to end his embarrassment. Out of all the reactions we imagined, Brad crying was not one of them. I was so shocked, I began to cry though thankfully not until we’d left the living room. Moving into student accomo for the last semester is definitely the right thing to do... but it was so difficult.

Day 117

My last ever vertebrate biology practical today! Working with a 3rd year student who is about to graduate, I was relived to find I’m not the only one who’s been counting down to this day. Normally, we are given 3 hours to identify 6 skulls; today, we had 28 specimens and still only 3 hours! It didn’t go as badly as I expected, though we did end up with two flying foxes, a tail/toe (quite different, I know) and we got a bit muddled over the colours of some poo scats – brown or black, wallaby or deer????!

Feeling freeeeeeee, I cam back home to find that Rosemaree had returned from work as she was still ill. She was acting completely normal and didn’t mention anything about us moving out, leading to a big debate over whether Brad had told her or not. This time, it was Rachel’s turn to break the news so once again, we geared ourselves up for an emotional reaction.... after finding her lying down on the sofa ill, my reserve crumbled but the floor creaked as I turned around! Rachel just started with ‘this is so difficult to say....’ and she cut in saying ‘I know’. She looked so sad but she understood perfectly, giving all these reasons why it’s a good thing which matched exactly with the justifications I had prepared for Brad. Rachel burst out crying, causing Rosemaree to leap up around the table and give her a hug; of course, she then began to cry, having to remove her glasses to wipe the tears. So we sat there on the sofa for a good 15 minutes, with Rosemaree and Rachel in a squashed, watery hug. Rosemaree said she wanted us to stay so much but that it was selfish of her; Brad had also asked her to ‘try and make them stay’ :’(

She didn’t ask much about the house, preferring not to imagine a student dive, but she said the West End is a lovely place to live. She ended, telling Rachel to ‘watch’ me; Rosemaree said she can read people very well, after doing homestay a=for 17 years and being a teacher, and she can see a little something in my eyes... a little naughtiness! My reply of ‘no, I’m an innocent girl’ earned a huge laugh and shake of the head, lightening the mood a little. Getting ready later for a night out to celebrate end of lectures didn’t help my naughty reputation, as Rachel told Rosemaree about my dirty dancing ;) After Brad lectured us about being safe, asking how we were getting back (taxi – ‘good answer’) and ordering us to ring him if there were any problems, we headed into the city. Queen Street at night is amazing and we walked up to Victoria bridge to see the wheel and casino all lit up with free salsa at Brisbane Square... being able to walk amongst all this activity, not even needed a cardigan was just surreal. The Down Under bar at Base Backpackers also had a great atmosphere – it felt so good to be out again! Loads of English guys there who are always so jealous when they learn we are here for a year; the group we stayed with had travelled all over Australia and New Zealand, headed up by a guy from Lincoln (‘but not a farmer’), ‘Justin from Germany’ and a shy ginger guy who only joined in with the dancing to YMCA, only to stop with embarrassment when everyone clapped. If this bar is anything like the ones in other Base hostels, we’re going to be in for a great Christmas!
Coming back (in the taxi, as promised), we tiptoed into the house – only to be told by Rosemaree th next day that she counted how long it took for us to get out of the taxi and into the house... apparently our dancing and tiptoeing made for a low pace, as she was about to come out and rescue us :D

How am I ever going to leave Brisbane?

Day 118

Despite getting to sleep about 3am, we were up with the rest of the house at 8.30am – I think Rosemaree actually jumped back in shock, convinced that I wouldn’t surface until lunch time. She quickly recovered though to reveal a breakfast of pancakes. It seems the closer we get to leaving, the nicer they all get :’(

Day 119

It was too hot in my room today, even with 2 fans and air con on so we moved out onto the deck to work through my parasitology practicals – more awful images from google searches but I have now finished all my notes for that module :D I made a list of things still to go through for vertebrate though = veerrrry scary!

Toasted tuna sandwiches for lunch and a ‘choc biccie’ from Brad; he offered and was out on the deck before we answered... he knows he doesn’t have to ask lol During lunch, we finished planning our week in Newcastle... confused to find ‘walk to Heritage Hill’ in our notes yet not record of this heritage walk on any website.... eventually concluded that it must be a physical ‘hill of heritage’... some old building on raised ground, perhaps, so that should make an interesting activity for our itinerary... :P Rachel also finished up Darcy’s chores, earning such a sweet thank you later... whispered secretively through the kitchen window, as Darcy took the credit of emptying the dishwasher in front of Brad... brotherly love :P

In the evening, Dennis (an ex-homestay student) came around; Rosemaree and Brad were taking him out for fish and chips, as he graduates soon so will be returning to Korea. Brad came in to tell me they were going, coming right into my room (no barriers anymore lol), saying ‘you know the reason you’re not coming is because you’re not coming back here next year’.... for the first time – THE FIRST TIME IN 17 WEEKS – I knew how to respond. So deadly serious, I nodded and said ‘ yes, of course’. No smile, no worry, no confusion. Brad didn’t know how to take it, opting for proud smile, disappointment that he could no longer wind me up and a kind of barking laugh. After telling Rosemaree of his teasing, he was sent back in to reassure me that I wasn’t being punished but there just wasn’t room in the car for me and Rachel.

When they were out, I took the opportunity to find one of Rosemaree’s tops; we want to buy her a new top for a goodbye/Christmas pressie but she’s losing weight so quickly, we don’t know what size to get without offending. Rachel’s standing out in the corridor on guard as I tiptoe into their room (crossing a definite barrier there... :S); 2 minutes later, Rachel shouts out ‘you’re not in the wardrobe are you??’ YOU ARE?’. Of course I was; where else do you find clothes?! The hunt didn’t help much as they ranged so greatly but at least we know which style to now get her. After having run of the place for dinner and the beginning of X-factor, they returned and had to stand out on the deck for a good 5 minutes before I realised they wanted me to unlock the door. Brad came in, teasing as usual, saying that locking them out of their own house was a bit of a harsh punishment for not being invited out. What a joker :D Still, I prefer that to the tears...

Brad was obviously back on form though, scaring us with yet another wildlife story; now the weather’s heating up, we can’t leave a single crumb in our rooms or in the kitchens else the ants get in.... apparently, their faviourite place is inside laptops; that slightly scared Rachel who’s currently got hundreds and thousands under all her keys from a late-night ‘freckle’ feast!

Day 120

Molecular Biology Techniques lab exam today; went in all prepared, able to picture my revision booklet in my head – bubble writing, formulae and drawings of deformed cauliflower.... and then the last question asks you the size of the total sheep genome... which, although the entire class could be heard searching and researching the test papers, was not to be found. Mmmmm.

Got lots of travelling errands done this afternoon... plans are finally beginning to shape up with just 3 weeks left. SO EXCITED! Just helped Rachel sort out her backpacking wardrobe and it’s much smaller than my own... I’m going to be like buckaroo, I swear :s