Day 126

What a day! Rosemaree came back from the markets, had her two minute power nap before springing up again and what followed can only be described as 'major beef'! At lunchtime, I had went to have one of the left over sausages in my toasted sandwhich, slightly miffed to find the whole bowl gone. Well, Rosemaree was more than miffed :( Not only had Darcy and Peter eaten 5 sausages and 2 chicken fillets, but also noodles, several pastries, 3 whole jugfuls of Milo and crisps. After all that, Peter had the nerve to ask Rosemaree for a cheese and ham toastie. So Rosemaree had the biggest argument with Darcy about eating food which was for Brad's packed lunch for the entire week, with me and Rachel just sitting in the middle, not knowing where to look :S Despite that, Rosemaree was still lovely to us that evening during our X-factor viewing. She told us about solving the brown soap mystery; for the past week, the bathroom suite was looking a little brown like it was stained from dye or something and at first, she though maybe one of us had used some dodgy highlights.... however, she'd confirmed that it was actually Brad with some disgusting looking soap; well, he got a good lecture :P XFactor was great as normal, with me trying to explain to Rosemaree what 'naffer' meant, when it was used to describe a really naff performance of Katy Perry's 'melt your popsicles' LOL. Despite this knowledge, she then teased me about my pronunciation of the word 'harsh', when describing Kyle's judging. After several cringy impersonations, she said she's met a Scottish woman at the markets who lived in Holland; well, I hope I don't sound that bad!

Zach also came around to visit, to tell them about his visit to Melbourne and his recent job interview; there was something wrong with him though, I swear! Sneaking up behind me, as I entered Rachel's room, he clinked a little kid's plastic cup with Rachel's coke can and my glass...even as I was drinking from it, and made his new tattoo of an owl hoot. I have no idea what was in that plastic cup but Rosemaree didn't seem too concerned, simply saying he takes after Brad. Now that's a scary thought :P After his exciting visit, we remembered we'd left our washing out and not wanting Darcy to collect our underwear again (especially, after having to collect and squeeze his...), we ventured out in the dark with our laundry baskets. I was unpegging all my clothes in superspeed when Rachel suddenly screamed and leapt onto her basket. She later revealed that she had considered jumping into the basket, but at the time all she achieved was standing on it as it rolled like in the Pirates on the Carribean film and causing a loud crack to form in it. Coming back in, I had to explain the squealing and my hysterics to Rosemaree (though leaving out the damaged basket part); when Rachel couldn't even say what animal had brushed her toe, saying it might have even been a blade of grass, Rosemaree couldn't stop laughing :D

That evening, I also got an email from home with pictures of my sister's new gerbils... smokey and simpson. And, yes, apparently Kate sings simpson's name like the program's theme tune... what an awful name!

Day 127

I had my first exam today: molecular biology. The last half of the exam was a little tricky but I had revised all the topics that came up so hopefully it went well J On our way out of B block, we saw an 'exam support' tent with tonnes of freebies: Brad will be so proud of us both, managing to nab rubbers, pens, pencils, rulers, apricot and coconut sweets, bottled water and.... a go card with $10 already loaded! Then, having to double back to the library to do some printing, we passed the tent again... surrounded by a crowd of Chinese students confused as to why they were being handed rulers and rubbers, Rachel (being small :P) managed to sneak in and nab us two more free go cards :D I think another beach trip will be happening later in the weak, now that QUT are paying for the train there ;)

We came back on the bus (using my new freebie pass), loaded with snorkel sets. To buy the mask and breathing tube together, it cost $60-70 but to buy them separately, it cost only $35.... doesn't take a genius to work it out which one to get. Plus we used our $20 off voucher.... the day was full of bargains! So I'm now ready for many photos of me with my bright yellow tube and black goggles... bumblebee style :P

I also got my New Zealand dollars today - they look so weird, more English than Australian unfortunately. Brad asked the exchange rate and apart from being annoyed at the dip today, he looked totally confused at the small amount (in his eyes) that I was changing for 3 whole weeks. Brad, Frisbee sessions in the botanical gardens doesn't cost much lol

Day 128

After a break last night, more revision today mostly reading about the Graham Stafford case, guessing the topic of the essay and becoming slightly enraged about how messed up all the evidence was in that case. In the afternoon, with the weather being absolutely perfect, we decided... no needed to do a chocolate run down to coles supermarket, coming back with chocolate honeycomb, freckles, foam bananas and a few apples- the perfect balance, described in all those healthy eating books :P :P

Darcy was so sweet this evening: he rushed out to the screen door to speak through it to me and Rachel sitting on the deck (notes, laptops, thousands of highlighters and a hidden stash of choc) to tell us about the new student moving in next week: Chinese (of course) with no English skills whatsoever and under the special needs section, in which you'd expect health problems, difficulties or perhaps special dietary requirements, he has listed ' must have internet'. Darcy was fuming as he read it, and (still talking through the wire mesh screen door) said 'please can't you stay? Really, I mean it...'awwwwwww <3

That evening, Rosemaree also talked about hiring a crowd for our 'Christmas in November' with Darcy (very cleverly, I though) asking whether that means he can get his presents early. Nice try, Darc :D

Day 129

Walking up Queen Street Mall (ridiculously early!), I noticed that the Christmas decorations had been put up - they were so simple but great, with these little coloured cones and great big stars at the top so they looked like trees, white, sparkly angels and jingle bells lining the open-air pubs. It will look amazing once switched on though we'll have probably left by then :( I reached campus earlier than planned and, wanting to avoid the mass cramming session on the library benches, went down to the exam room, where I met Tommy (the homestay student from august). He was so worked up about his first exam, especially as he hadn't done well in the coursework, but he put down his notes asking me about my exams, travelling plans and the family. When I told him about the last homestay student Ziyang, who called himself Tom, he found it hilarious and even as people were being called into his exam room, he was wishing me luck and arranging to meet in February when he returns from Indonesia :D

The forensics exam was perfect; multiple choice questions which my brother could have got right, although Barbara herself did need to come in and reassure us that a sentence was missing from the exam paper but that 'in toto' is actually a phrase LOL. The short answer questions were challenging but all topics that I had prepared and then the essay; 3 pages of me ranting about the miscarriage of justice in the Graham Stafford case - the question I had drafted yesterday :) Leaving the exam, I headed across to the library ready for my 'slavedriver' task; this morning, I had greeted a confused Darcy as he showed me a little parcel left on the breakfast table - a few mouldy old coins, a memory stick and a parasitology write up (in ridiculously neat handwriting) with a note detailing the slave order and finishing with 'enjoy your exam hahaha' :P So loading all the mouldy coins and my own loose change, I only managed $3.34 and the cost of the mass printing marathon came to exactly that. Although the computer lab was surprisingly empty, I still managed to pick a computer whose screen only worked when you swivelled it to point to the person next to you... so some girl got to read all our travelling docs and Rachel's lecture notes as I pressed control P with a crick in my neck :( Brad asked later how the exam went and when i said really good, he replied 'oh so better than Rachel's'. Rachel then said 'as always', causing Brad to say 'i'll say no more' and do a quick run - mega awkward moment!

The rest of the afternoon was spent out on the deck again, with the remainders of our chocolate run getting low and all normal coloured squash gone with me reading a Cecelia Ahern book I picked up at the library yesterday and Rachel interrupting every 10 minutes, with some disgusting parasitology questions; first, asking what 'decorticated eggs' were and suspicious of my response that it was eggs lacking a mammalated outer layer, she googled for confirmation, shocked to find that mammalated (although correct and in the lecture notes, thank you) was defined as 'nipple-like projections or bristles' LOL. By way of apology, she did give me an English galaxy minstrel (shipped over by her grandma) though so I didn't feel to rejected :p She then continued to distract me with disgusting questions regarding rectal prolapses, looking physically sick when I explained it was due to degeneration of muscles which held it in place (my advise is NOT to google this!).... eugh

Glee tonight, so another girl's night commandeering the living room, with me sitting (a little nervously) in Brad's place on the sofa, feet up, giggling and collectively drooling over one Mr. Schuester as he performs the Rocky Horror Show ;D Brad did try to sit through it... lasting about 5 minutes, before 'it got too hot for Brad' LOL. Howver, he did take revenge for being kicked out his living room, taking all Rachel's minstrels and putting the packet back in the fridge. We knew it was Brad straight away; as Rosemaree said, we can 'now read him like glass'(?!). Darcy look so scared, when Rosemaree told him it was shipped all the way over from England by Rachel's grandma lol and helped locate them from their hideaway :)