Fishy
My first weeks are over now and I feel like I've really settled in here. I've settled in with the family, I've settled in with the Australian habits, the language and the food. Though I still eat hagelslag and ontbijtkoek. Not my fault, my hostdad bought it for me. Anyway, I don't feel like a complete stranger anymore. I've taken the bus and ferry enough times to be able to pretend that I've been doing it for years now. In the meantime I hope people don't notice that I still ask the ferry-man if I'm on the right ferry. Every single time. You never know.
What I do know is that I'm really coming back in June (at the latest, maybe sooner)! Yep, all because I've found my perfect study. I've told everybody that I'm going to study at the Roosevelt Academy, but looking back on that idea, I was mainly going to study there because I'm expected to go studying. Which I didn't really feel like doing. That's the reason I thought of staying here longer. Until I found the study 'Journalism'. Why did I think the Roosevelt Academy suits me? I hated learning out of books in high school. I need to be creative, to do something with my hands. To write, take photos, make music or whatever. Fortunately, that's exactly what the study journalism is all about. Besides, after I've got my degree, I can work all over the world! If I even get the chance to get my degree. If I even get the chance to do this study. I couldn't make it too easy for myself; it's a (to avoid really weird translations, I'll just use the Dutch word) 'loting studie'. 50% Of the students that apply get in. Please, please, please, let it be me.
Another really nice thing is that Jemima finally seems to have gotten used to me. No more crying when I talk to her, no more slapping when I try to put on her shoes and no more screaming when her mum leaves her alone with me. Well, maybe a little bit. But not too much. She even starts laughing with me and cuddling me. I've got proof of her cuddling me; a photo! You know where to find te photo (photogallery). And yesterday I noticed for the first time how lovely she can be, as we went to the aquarium; Claire, Jemima, Matilda and me. Jemima couldn't stop talking about the sharks and I think if she'd had the chance, she would've swum with them. We saw lots and lots of fish, took photos, touched a starfish and talked to a 22-year-old aquarium-employee who wants to have 4 kids with a wife he hasn't found yet.
Besides fish in the aquarium, I've also seen a real fish. A whale, to be more specific. That's not even a real fish. Anyway, I was just walking at the cliff tops near the house, looking how beautifully the water was sparkling, until I saw a weird movement in the water. It was black and shiny, but before I could see it clearly, it was gone. For two seconds. There it was again! Wow, I think I'm looking at a wild whale right now! Not a tourist-whale-watching-trip-whale (which I would also love to do), but a real whale! Unfortunately I didn't have a chance to take a picture of it, so I don't have proof. For all you know, I could just be making up a story. But for all I know, I'm not going to forget that moment.