This one doesn't really fit in chronologically but after about 7 weeks here now (as of writing on October 8) I wanted to take time to reflect on a few things...
When I first arrived, the days were long and generally warmish (although it still rained occassionally). These days (apart from the positively lovely bout of sunshine we've had the past few days) it rains regularly and darkness falls at least an hour earlier - so around 7.30pm/now. Aparently we turn our clocks back one hour at the end of August. The nights are also colder now, you can really feel the chill in the air when you step outside. It's not cold inside yet but I am confident the heating will work beautifully when that becomes the case.
One positive is all the leaves are changing. All along the roadsides there are these carpets of golden maple-shaped leaves and the climbers which cling to the outside of so many of the buildings have turned from green to a striking, deep red. It's almost as if its snowing leaves as you cycle down the street - one drifted down from a branch and right into my face the other day!
On the down side - I must get a wriggle on and buy a rain coat before I get caught out again. I've found these black, thick poncho looking things, very Darth Vader-esque, with a hood and which come down to cover your legs and handle bars when you're on a bike. Although I'm afraid I'll scare little children if I ride around under something like that, so best keep looking.
I also need to get a proper warm winter coat, but that involes what I term reconaissance shopping (lots of looking around for quality and price) and I don't have the bloody time! I also consider myself a bit of a recovering shopaholic over here (after abstaining for at least 6 months before leaving home) and am loathe to go back into the shops for fear I'll relapse! So far anything I've bought here has been on sale and has replaced something that broke! But I can't avoid it forever ... apparetly last winter was an average of minus 10C or something equally ridiculous and my brought-from-home target hoodie ain't gonna cut it in that.
I suppose I feel at home here by now. I'm starting to know the shortcuts to uni and town, where I can and can't ride my bike and remembering to turn my lights on at night to avoid the 35 euro fine. I know which shops to go for which essentials (even found a place the other day that sells Milo!), when they're open (NOT Sunday, hardly any of Monday - and Business SA thinks Adelaide has it bad!) and which are the best Dutch snacks to buy at the supermarket (although I haven't quite figured out the best cheese, or found somewhere that sells houmus!!! withdrawals much?)
I've accumulated enough bits and pieces to make my room colourful but, contrary to my existence at home, I don't actually have enough possessions to create much of a mess! (I swear Mum and Dad!) It's quite the little community at our guesthouse. There's a sport park up the road, a playground out the back, you always bump into someone at the supermarket not five minutes away and you never have to eat alone - there's always group cooking going on in someone's kitchen. We even have our own facebook page dedicated to the "Countryside Guesthouse" cause we're practically out in the sticks compared to the more central guesthouse. The upside for us tho is we each get our own room and only have to share our bathroom/kitchen/laundry with one other person (except for the odd occassion when ur place gets invaded by bored and hungry exchange students bearing beer!) as opposed to up to 30 in the main guesthouse. And you can actually get some peace and quiet here - instead of trying to drown out the noise of a Germany vs Sweden beer chugging competition in the communal kitchen outside your door at the main guesthouse.
So all in all, I've settled in ok, I guess. It's about now that it starts to sink in that this is it for the next 10 months. Of course, there'll be plenty of side trips to far flung places, but for the majority of those days this is home sweet home. As long as I don't run out of Vegemite I think it just might work...!
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