Another day, another article

Aussie word of the day: Fringe = bangs, "I got a fringe when I had my hair cut."
Aussie phrase of the day: Have a sticky beak = to have a look or a peek at something, "Have a sticky beak of the menu." - this is one of my work supervisor's favorite phrases to use, usually when she wants us to review the menu for the function we are working.

It's the end of the second to the last week of the semester for me - Hallelujah! I can finally start to the see the light, but it's not over just yet. In the last two weeks my ass has been glued to my desk chair almost nonstop and it has probably grown increasingly flat from doing so. I have interviewed a circus ringmaster, Burmese refugee, and an Australian bobsledder. All made for interesting stories, two of which I would love to get published... but let's not get ahead of ourselves. First, they have to be marked for a grade, then I can see where to take it from there.

Next week, I turn in an article on the cancer survivor whom I mentioned in a previous post and my thesis proposal. With bated breath and bitten fingernails, I will wait to see how it all goes. This semester has been hell - or at least the last few weeks of it - and I can't wait for it to be over. I can't wait to be boarding a plane to freedom (aka the USA) and the sanctity of my parents home which awaits me. Their house is beginning to seem like an oasis of rest and relaxation... and home cooked meals to die for.

I'm also looking forward to summertime at home as the climate in Perth turns sour with rainy winter weather. In the summer, I couldn't get cool enough in my house and now I can't get warm! Don't forget there's not central heating and cooling system - not even in newer homes. Most people rely on space heaters and electric blankets to keep them warm in the winter; some houses might even have a wood-fired stove or fireplace, but it is not that common. My landlady does not approve of space heaters in our bedrooms and she believes electric blankets are dangerous as well. That means I have to pile on the clothing and huddle around the one space heater we DO have which is in the lounge room (living room). It actually warms the room up really well, but when I bundle into bed at night, my tootsies and my nose are cold and my teeth are chattering as I dream of central heating in the houses back home. Yes, we Americans are quite lucky and I wouldn't have it any other way.

I'm going out for a beer with Debbie tonight to reward ourselves for all the hard work and effort we have put into our studies over the last few weeks. To all of you out there, goodnight and God Bless!