I cannot believe I will be at the airport same time tomorrow.
Aisle seat.
And in Berlin in two days.
Back to the real world.

The city is terribly nice today, too nice, it hurts.
Sun is shining, people are beautiful, summer is approaching.
I walked a bit and even today I discovered new spots I did not know.
There are millions left. And that's only Sydney.
Australia demands a life time.

I keep saying goodbye to people.
Funny I am getting hugs from big bosses.
People tell me I have to come back. That's not news.
I will.
Sometime.
And maybe I'll stay.

But from now I will be planning on and working towards another destination.
I have been receiving so much. It's time to give back.

I have to be honest and complete the picture ..

What I am looking forward to

- Seeing YOU!!
There is nothing material that I missed so much down here that I felt I can't do without.
Whenever someone asked me if I felt homesick, I said:
I don't miss Germany at all. But I miss some good people.
The conclusion of that can only be that you have to come here, rather than me coming back.
Got it?!

- Riding my Bike..
Without being told how brave that is. And without a helmet:)
The Aussies are actually pretty green. But they haven't learnt about bicycles yet.
Maybe, with the increasing fuel prices,that's gonna change slowly.

- World News
I miss my every morning n-tv. I had to switch to "sky news"here.
Hardly any international news. I'll have to catch up with what's going on in the world.
I can't bare my own ignorance.
I wonder how the Australians do it. Many have Digital TV which I didn't.
Maybe that covers a little more. I hope so.

- Schwarzbrot
Although I have to admit that @ some places I found some decent alternatives.

- Buying 2 Toothbrushes for 0.69Euros
My habbit on chewing toothbrushes to death within 5 days has gotten pretty expensive over here.

- Running in Treptower Park
Yes, you find places to run in Sydney. But living in the CIty Business District is tricky, if only for that reason. I look forward to stepping out of my apartment and running.

- A 'Living" apartment
Meaning my cute pets and all my (still?) green plants! Didn't have any here.

Althought the list will never be complete I start it and I will probably add a lot as soon as I get aware of it..

What I will miss

- The beautiful weather
I shouldn't give in to it, but I can't help it. My mood depends so much on weather.
A city where winter is as warm as a mild summer day in Berlin is my place to be.

- Australian Mentality
Might lie in the weather, too. They are positive, outgoing and energetic. Laid back at the same time. Great mentality. Three months here have actually shown me who I truely am.
If I can.
Australia: Smile at people and you start great conversations.
Germany: Smile at people and they believe you are insane. Or on drugs. Or selling hoovers.

- Travelers' Mentality
People who travel are special. I am talking of travelers, not of tourists.
I will miss the exchange,the great attitudes, the openess.

- The Great Outdoors
Australia happens outdoors. I am an outdoor person.
Germany happens indoors at least 6 months of the year.

- My boss and collegues
I have been working with some very bright, critical,analytical and wise people.
I actually felt that what they do works very well.
I wish the headquarters had more of them. More who AREN'T BA-students, that is.

- GLORIA JEAN'S
A great Coffee Shop. A little like Starbucks, but much greater choice and
far more affordable.

- Asian Food
Forget about the Chinese at the corner in Berlin. They are crap.
Go to Australia and you find authentic asian cuisine, korean,chinese,japanese,thai, malaysian,vietnamese, whatever you can think of. Indulgence. And so cheap.

- The English Language
I even started thinking in English. I will give you a very hard time mixing up
German and English. I'd rather stick to English though, if anyone agrees.

- Getting the washing done in 28 minutes
I should find out if I can get that kind of washing machine back in Germany.
28min are enough to get everything nice and clean, I can't see why Germans don't know that yet. We are greenies too.
I am thinking of all the TV ads for detergents.
NO I DON'T usually get my finest bright yellow silk blouse messed with motor oil, blueberry juice or chocolate sauce. So what's the point?!

I suffer from a lack of sleep!!!!!!!!!!!!


Yesterday's quote of the day:
I was talking to that Japanese doc and he was mentioning life in Tokio.
Me: " So are you living in Tokio?"
He: " Noooo, I am a human being!"

Yesterday's high light:
Gala Dinner in the Arts Gallery of New South Wales.
The whole museum as a function venue.
Fantastic experience.

I HATE to even think about it, this is my last Friday in Australia.

Returned to Sydney yesterday. After a dreadful 13,5hrs bus tour.
I could literally feel how the air condition was blowing germs deep into my chest.
Today I have the flu. Exactly what I need for the World Congress.
Also I didn't get much sleep because the bus was packed and I squeezed into my little seat, no chance to find any agreeable position to close my eyes for longer than an hour.

Anyway, when the bus crossed Harbour Brigde I knew I was back in the best city on earth.
The sun was shining and the best boss in the world offered me to drop my big suitcase at my apartment later on, so I didn't have to pick up that thirty-something kg thing from the office.

On my way to the apartment I stopped at a hair dresser's - the 13$ per cut offer had caught my attention. I wanted an appointment cause I had all my luggage with me and I felt like looking
rather disastrous, desperate for a shower. But they pulled me in, which was their own fault.
The guy had a pretty hard time with my naugthy hair (salt water and no brush for 24hrs) but it all went right.
Didn't look like Tarzan's Jane anymore for a start. Only like a bloody backpacker.
After an additional 30min deep cleansing shower the metamorphosis job was complete and I was a city girl again.

At nights I went to the movies, they show "Pride and Prejudice".
I remembered how I enjoyed it when I read it (Jane Austen).
It was lovely. Not the movie, it was shallow, really, but again, I loved that fairytale.
Sometimes I need such cheesy stuff to remind me that I am a girl.

Talking about good books, the news of the day is: I went into that book store to get a little something for my boss. I was flipping through travellers' literature to find something funny about Germany.
As my eyes were screening the titles and authors they suddenly stumbled over the most unexpected name. I admire that person so much, for may reasons. (Except her recently proven bad taste when it comes to men.) But her being a writer, that's the cream tip on the strawberries.
My Godness Goddess!
(click on it)


Needless to say that I got that book without a second thought.
I want to enlighten my flight back to Berlin. If anything can, it is THIS book.