There was a nice, warm feeling inside me when I first stepped my foot on the ground at Tullamarine airport almost four weeks ago about 6 o'clock in the morning. I had been here a year ago and liked it, so I felt confident I would feel like home soon. The flight went great with a good book, and the taxi drive was nice with sun rising up and colouring the sky yellow. Although I dropped out in front of a wrong house - how could I have known that the Aussies put the apartment number first and only then the street number? :)

In addition of beach volley the first days consisted of getting to know the neighbourhood, all kinds of day-to-day business not to forget a couple of minor culture shocks. Getting myself a mobile phone number and an Australian bank account were a piece of cake. On the fifth day I got familiar with the Australian Quarantine and Customs offices at the airport, while fetching my second suitcase arrived by cargo. It took me almost two hours, one 4-paged form to fill and lots of queuing to finally get it. Another shock was paying the rent... I went with the "rent card" from the post office to a bank, and finally found out that it is possible to pay with a cheque or postal order to the lessor. In the end, "when in Rome do as the Romans do"!

The worst morning I've had so far began with waking up from a horrible nightmare... I was in a court room, saying the final goodbyes to my family and closest friends before the execution! My God, it must be the terrible incidents of Singapore, where the Australian guy van Ngyen were sentenced to death after smuggling drugs to the country. Next shock that morning was when I got to the bath room to wash my face: I screamed like a maniac because I saw a 5 cm long, black spider coming out of the drain! Luckily my prince was ready to kill the beast and save his princess :)

Since Juha's got hands full of work bringing the money home now, and I'm the one on vacation til the Uni would start in February, I will have to do the housekeeping in our family. It has been big fun to cook and clean for a change, like a "Desperate Housewife"! There was a lot of things to sort out, like where can you buy the cheapest food, where's the nearest laundry and where the hell they sell clothes pegs...

I was lucky to have met a few people here on the last visit, so I had a couple of familiar faces on the beach, and of course our spectacular tourist guide Minna :) Now I have got acquainted with several new volleyball players, including my partner Keata, and some of Juha's friends.

Now I'd better get some lunch done... Today I was supposed to find out some scholarship offerers but this new hobby of mine really captivates me... See you!