Last day before Hong Kong

So today we went out as a team to the National Park and saw the "Grand Canyon". Then we went into Bundanoon and ate at a Chinese restaurant, the food was amazing. We had Jasmine Tea to drink in little tiny flower cups, funny to watch the guys use them. Then our entree was Dim Sim's, so yummy. They have meat and vegetables wrapped in a thin dough and you dip them in a sauce. After that we had 4 main courses with rice. There was King Prawn in garlic, Szechuan Beef, Chicken, and sweet and sour pork. It was quite the feast and we all learned some Catonese phrases as we ate. Woodsey talked to the waitress in Chinese which was pretty neat. As we left the guys were still practicing their Chinese. All I could think about was how funny it would be to walk fast us and hear Chinese coming out of us (definitely white) ;).

Tonight we are ordering out for pizza. Randy, Adam, Seth, Regan, Nicole, Olivia, Taylor, Rachel, Miriam, Shelby, Brittany, Rachel and I are the people staying at Capers tonight. I think we might watch some movies as well, although I'm going to make sure not to stay up too late. Still recovering, this morning my head felt really heavy and it was as if I had been running around in my sleep since I was SO sore. I guess some people snuck out last night to go swim in the river, I definitely wasn't one of them!

Well tomorrow at 6:15 am, Breakfast before we take off to the airport... Our flight leaves just before noon so if at 7pm you think of me, Prayers would be great!!!

I don't know that I'll be able to access the internet while I'm gone so I'll write lots when I come back!!! :D

2 week Break and other news..

And the countdown begins! At 11:45 am, there will be exactly two days before we board the plane to Hong Kong!  It's going be the biggest, most upper class plane I've ever flew on! A-380. I should probably do a lot of packing tomorrow. Some other students are staying here Friday night and getting a ride with us to the airport in the morning as well as the others who are working. Woodsey is going to serve us all breakfast at 6:15am on Saturday, so that night should probably be an early one. But on Friday I think we are going to do something as a team... go out for Chinese food (as if we won't be sick of that by the end of break) and then do something fun. Woodsey has tickets for the Opera that night so he's probably going to be exhausted the next day.

So if you are wondering what everyone else is doing for two week break... here it is.

Jamie is going to Korea for two week, Brittany and Shelby are going to surfers paradise, Nicole, Miriam, Rachel and maybe some other girls are going on a road trip, Olivia is heading to Colorado, Emily is going with Nathan, and the 2 Johns in Rosa Parks(their car). Hmm, and I think some of the guys are heading to Sydney. Ashley, Dustin, Morgan, Emma, and Amanda are going to New Zealand I think... Randy's family is coming up to see him. Kyle is going home to Tasmania. We get back a few days before break is over and are probably going to hang out in Sydney. Regan and Seth were making plans to meet up with some of the guys so I figured I was on my own but now I might end up tagging along and go to the Sydney Zoo.

So tonight was the bush dance.... SO much fun. It was our equivalent of a Barn Dance with square dancing, line-dancing etc. The principal here used to work at a radio station and he was the caller. We all dressed up in something we deemed Australian and had steak for dinner and Pavlova for dessert!

Oh and Haldane announced that if anyone was considering staying for second semester they had to let Kim know by the end of this week, so I guess we'll see if anyone else is considering staying. Kyle told me that he is pulling out of second semester because of his health, which makes sense since he misses so many lectures. Anyways that's all for now....

My week so far

Seems like it was a VERY long week. Baking was great and a lot of fun on saturday. Hannah and Regan made cookies and I made cinnamon twists. Both of them tasted great, the cookies didn't look the same as when we make them back home and I figured it was probably because of the margarine (canola oil spread).

We also signed up for our Prac Week teams where we go off campus for a week into a community and get involved in programs that they have going on. We may or may not get our first choices. I was hesitant to pick Woodseys group because they will be sleeping on the floor in a building with one shower and have to cook meals for themselves. However, none of the other leaders seemed sure of what they would be doing. There are three teams, two to Victoria and one in Goulbourn.

SN@ C went REALLY well on sunday night, we raised over 800$ from the head shave and 8/10 people that volunteered for the event went "for the chop", including me. Zach's name was pulled first and his head got shaved, but not his beard... Then Sam's name got pulled and now he is staying for next term. Woodsey wouldn't have had to cut his hair but said if someone donated another 40$ HE WOULD, and someone stepped forward right away with a 50! It was a very successful fundraiser!

I'm still getting used to my short hair, it's about shoulder length which is shorter than I've had for a long time. Yesterday was the room switch. I am now in the three person room at the end of the hall with Jamie and Brittany. Right behind us are the guys dorms and room D's window is right across from mine. Regan, Seth and Taylor are in that room so I told Regan we'd have to call "Good Night" out our windows before going to bed and he did, it was really funny.

Workday is today from 8:30-4, and then after that we have a Bush dance. I'm really hoping that the sky clears up so that we can be outside!

Friday

Friday, Friday.... not gonna write out the Rebecca Black song. So, I'm not feeling the greatest and have been getting a bad cough :(. Pray for me! My Devo is on Tuesday and I have yet to choose my topic, uggh. A group of us went to the Hunger Games tonight, it was a pretty great movie. Then 6 of us walked and bought pizzas for dinner, I also got the ingredients I need to bake! They definitely don't have the same stuff as us but I think I got all the equivalents or at least I hope.

We found out our new roommates for next semester. I'm with Jamie in the big room, it is going to be interesting let's just say. When I read the sheet I wasn't really surprised, it was as if God had already told me that I would be with Jamie and I even was hoping to be in the big room.  I think if Olivia were staying though that she would be rooming with Jamie, they are pretty close.

Shopping Trip #2

So another shopping trip, and we did good. They have what is called the Reject Shop here and it is similar to a dollarstore, except more like the Buck or Two pricewise. We got a bunch of stuff for the people in Hong Kong such as chocolate eggs, toys, and deodorant. Then we headed to Woolly's ( Woolworths), we bought cheese and crackers there, oh yea if I haven't said before they LOVE their cheese and crackers. There are SO many different cheeses to buy as well as Biscuits (cookies).

After that we headed to the Centennial Vineyards, to buy wine for Jackie and Margaret. The place was beautiful and as we drove down the driveway I thought of the movie Letters to Juliet and the scene where they find the grandmothers lost love ;).  Woodsy sampled the wine and picked out the best stuff. He recommended that we buy a raspberry nectar and take it home to our mom and she will love us forever. As soon as he said there was alcohol in it, I thought, "ya..... NOPE, not something I'll be bringing home for my mom!" haha. It smelt really good though and if anyone is planning on visiting Australia, you will HAVE to go there, whether you just sit in the restaurant for coffee or sample wine and buy a bottle!

So this morning the guys got fake tattoo moustaches, and decided to leave them on while we went shopping.... Regan accidentally wiped his off, but Seth had his on the entire time. Through the checkout lines, and the pictures at the vineyard.... haha. No one said anything but I'm sure that they noticed.

Olivia has been trying to convince her parents to let her stay for second term but to no avail. She will be leaving on Saturday morning, when I leave for Hong Kong. However she is planning on coming to Alberta in December!!

Happy Birthday Brittany!!!

Brittany

From the time she was born, I knew she was mine

My sister

My Friend

and more often than not My shopping companion

I answered the questions that were asked of her,

(you can blame me for her quietness)

In her little muffin man outfit,

she paraded around,

such a sweetheart

A listener

with laughter

My sister

Love you Brittany, Happy 16th!!!!

Letter Day

Definitely Letter Day today for me! I feel SO loved!. It seems that workdays are the days that God thinks I need a letter, or two or three... or maybe nine.  At lunchtime I sat and ate my burger while reading some cards, letters, and jokes :).
What a great day, all morning I was feeling exhausted and that I could just fall asleep at any moment, the arrival of my letters in the mail brought me some energy to work through workday.
Thank-you Darren, Carrie, Robin, Ellie, Sadie, Auntie Jess, Tia, and Daddy Richard!!!! Love you all!