Well here we are, heading quickly towards the 12th and final month of 2009. It's time for me to sit at my computer, grumbling about the rain outside and think of brighter topics like flying to Australia in 2 weeks time!! French winter has made me finally appreciate the fantastic weather we have in Queensland especially. The last few weeks I have been dragging my heels, particularly through muddy puddles, complaining about the grey skies and the rain pouring down as I try to drive to work in the dark at 7am.
The heating has been on in our house now, at varying levels since the beginning of November. We had a burst of pretty damn cold weather at the start of the month, causing us to turn it up high, then a week or so of fairly warm weather where we turned it off as the thermometre hit even up to 20°C! Then now we're back to pretty cold. Apparently for November, it could still be worse. It's been about 10ish degrees, sometimes a bit more as a maximum lately. No excuse for the rain though. I particularly hate the sound of rain when the alarm rings in the morning, telling me that I'll have to be driving through it on the way to work, which is already early and dark enough without rain and possibly fog.
So to Australia...
Just 2 weeks to go and we'll be jetsetting off to Brisbane via Paris, London, Singapore, and Sydney. Yes, that's why the flights were cheaper - lots of stops, but really not too much extra travel time in the end. We do arrive in Brisbane in the morning, a bit of a pain, but at least we have good weather to look forward to!
Also, we have just been able to book 2 nights down the Gold Coast in a 5 star apartment! With some lastminute deals, we got a studio for just $88 instead of their price of $300+! Leniortais and I will have one and my parents have booked another. Absolutely gorgeous photos. 2 pools, just near the beach and in the hub of Broadbeach. Leniortais is stoked (although he is yet to learn that word for it) and we're all going to have a great time! Originally, we were looking to go after Christmas, but we didn't get our act together early enough and it's pretty much all booked out. So we opted for a couple of days just after we arrive (and have recovered from any jetlag).
We'll then have a weekend down in Sydney with my best friend! We'll be there the weekend of the Carols in the Domain, so leniortais will get a good chunk of Australian culture then and there! I really should start playing Christmas carols at home now to get him used to the idea... Christmas tree goes up soon - it's almost the first of December!
After Sydney we get a few days back with my parents before Christmas itself. I expect this time to be the silly season, and to be honest I'm really looking forward to it! I don't care about crazy carpark jams at the local shopping centres! I am just glad that I'll be doing it not wearing a coat and layers of winter clothes. Waiting time and busy shopping centres seem much more manageable when you're wearing open sandals (or thongs if you must) and summer clothes. I want to take leniortais to one of the shopping centres when they stay open all night (a once-a-year event in Brisbane). At first he didn't really get it, thinking, "ummm can't we go shopping another time?" until I pointed out the novelty value and the fact that just couldn't be done in France. The first year they did it in Brisbane, the shop assistants got dressed up in PJs and slippers and it was really festive and a novelty. I'm waiting to see what it's like this year. Actually, I should go google and check that it still is happening! My aunt reckons the best time to go is about 2 or 3am. The late nighters come out and usually are heading back home by midnight or 1am, while the earlybirds are starting to pull into the carparks around 4.30 or 5am. The middle of the night, the pure novelty factor, is usually fairly quiet and extra special.
Yay - just checked the website and yes, Chermside is open all through the night of December 23rd. Definitely a novelty outing!
I'm finding it pretty hard to think about boring things like work at the moment. Admittedly my classes are all organised for the next two weeks. Bonus. But I do have an exam to write for my PH4 students. it shouldn't take too long as I only take them for half of their class time, the other teacher has to give them an exam too, so they'll both be fairly short. So again, easier for me.
I think I'll get back to doing my "2-weeks-to-go" dance, possibly while pulling out the Christmas tree and dusting off the Christmas CDs...
