Off to the Ball!

Tonight at the Dragon we are having our Summer Picnic Ball.. Staff only of course :)

Now we have an excuse to wear heels and get really dressed up!

Hello Summer!

Today in Oxford it is 25 degrees!

I am dying of heat

Having to stay in the shade

Still working on the tan though

It's HOT HOT HOT

How am I going to survive an Australian Summer?

All in the name of Florence...

So this weekend I was off to see Florence and the Machine in London. I was leaving work at 5.00 and catching the train to Paddington. From there I had to take 2 tube lines to get to Charing Cross to then take yet another train out to Blackheath. I was pushing it for time but I had my fingers crossed that I would make it. I was sitting on the train about to pull out of Charing Cross when I got a message from Lucy telling me that they had left and where all ready on their way to the concert. So I then made a huge scene on the train and found my way off somehow. It was then the hard task of getting to Hammersmith where the concert was on. So another 2 tube rides later and I was one stop from Hammersmith when I found out that my next tube line that would take me directly there was closed. I now had to get off and take another 2 tube lines to get me to Hammersmith. Eventually I got there though and I was red, hot, sweaty and still carrying all of my bags. I had arrived with about 15 minutes to spare but it was worth all the trouble. Florence was AMAZING and kept us on our feet all night!

My Mum and Dad are truly special I know that I can live on the other side of the world and they will be where I left them forever, dependable and unchangable!

This is us!

The Dragon Gappies of 2010

I LOVE EBAY!

So my fellow crusha cats aka, Amelia and Ellie Chapman bought tickets to the Florence and the Machines concert about 2 months ago. I was insanley jealous and desperatley wanted to go. Next thing you know a ticket became avalible and was quickly snatched up by none other then the other crusha cat herself Lucy Cush. I was now heartbroken and because I always work weekends it was something I thought I had to sacrifice. So SUnday afternoon good old Crusha Amelia was doing some searching on ebay and came across a ticket for Florence and it was exactly the same as the ones that the other 3 had. So after many text meassages a conversation to my boss Caroline I was able to have Saturday night off to take the train to London and go to the concert. So thankyou ebay member: intersoulwax you have made my weekend possible!

4 months and counting...

Somehow time has flown and I am 1/3 of my way through my gap year. So much has happened and so much is still to happen. So far there has been the big move to England, a new school, meeting new people, then a trip to Ireland, visits to London, Paris, Spain and Portugal, many birthdays and nights out, over 1000 photos all ready taken and the new hair cut in Tony and Guy in London. Yet the most exciting things to happen are now just around the corner. There is Florence and the Machines concert this weekend, a visit from the Krelle women in 1 month and 13 days, then I have a whole month to travel with my best friend through Europe and the cherry on top, the visit from my Family where we are travelling through France on boats and then to our villa in Italy. It is amazing to think how quickly this year is going and that I have to make the most of every day!

This is what kept us laughing through our holiday!

MESS

Never again will I complain about the mess that Anna leaves in the bathroom ever agin! After living with 40 boys a bit of water splashed here and there will be nothing compared to the crazy stuff I find all over this house. Oh the joys!

International Night!

Last night was International Night here in Gunga. Considering that over half of the boys live overseas it was fascinating to here about where they live. Some of the boys brought back food for us to try and I made them some good old Lamingtons which they loved. All in all it was a great night!

Holidays!

I had the most amazing easter holiday! We travelled all through Paris, Spain and Portugal and even managed to get stranded in Lisbon for an extra week due to a volcano! It was one to remember for sure! We took all modes of transport from buses to trains to planes and also a train hotel where we went from the far side of Spain to the other side of Portugal all in the comfort of ourown cabin! The beaches were stunning and our villas where to die for with amazing veiws! We had great weather the whole trip and even managed to work on our tans! Here are some snapshots from our adventure!

The countdown..

So less then 48 hours to go until I will be in Paris!

Words can not express just how excited I am..

Bring on the Eiffel tower and of course Euro Disney!

(I am still a 3 year old at heart)

Our fingerprints never fade in the lives we touch...

Mum, Mumma, Mummy, Mother!

So waking up in the middle of the night in agony is something no one enjoys. Especially when you are on the other side of the world with no Mum down the hall to look after you! Well that is exactly what I experienced this week. On Tuesday I woke with a throat like sandpaper and practically no neck I was that swollen. Turns out though that I had tonsillitis and glandular fever and with no Mum right at my beck and call it was HELL!! I have spent the last week off work, bed ridden and now as a result am completely sick of day time television! This week has also showed me how much it means to have your Mum right there. There to help you when you are sick, upset or just for a hug! Mum thanks for all your hard work and un conditional love. You mean the world to me!

Money Money MONEY

Well I have learnt my lesson! Leaving things to the last minute is both scary and silly! Even though I knew about the bus from Paris to Barcelona that I have to take the whole booking situation was a bit put off. The fact that it was all in french was not helping either! Luckily Miss M and G travel (lucy) stepped in and saved the day.. but at a cost :( Definatley booking as soon as possible in the future!

It's All about Looking After Yourself

So after countless dinning room, mass made food it got to the stage where I was craving a home cooked meal. It was a Friday night and all the boys had left the boarding house and Luce was coming to stay with me. I stopped at Marks and Spencers and after much thought and consideration I decided it was time for a feast. I bought the most amazing meat I have seen since I have been here and salad and of course the essentails like chips, ice cream and wine.. not neccessarly in that order though. It was a feast fit for a king.. although in our case two starving Aussies deprived of Iorn and a home cooked meal. We both miss our families and there amazing home cooked meals yet it is amazing what looking after yourself can do.

Ah Mcain you have done it again!

Be Jealous

So this is where I get to spend my Easter Holidays...

Are you green with Envy?

Dear England..

Your 13 hour time difference sucks..
Love Eliza

England, Oxford and The Dragon School

So here it is! The one thing I said I would never do yet here I am starting my own blog. I thought this may be a fun way to keep in touch with the family and I can also post photos for you all to see from my adventures here in the UK and also Europe.

The hardest thing now is finding where to start! I have been here for 68 days and it is finally starting to warm up. Gone are the days of getting up in the pitch black, quickly turning the shower on and then jumping back into bed to wait the 15mins for the hot water to reach my room on the third floor of the house. I start my day at 6.45.. A very gross early wake up! I venture downstairs by 7.00 to open all the curtains and turn on all the lights. It is a fact that when you are living with boys if you don't do it.. It will NEVER get done. Honestly they can sit there with all the curtains drawn and lights off all day. So it is then breakfast time. I sit on a table with 12 B block boys (year 7) and every morning I have the same thing for breakfast.. Corn flakes with sultanas and yoghurt, yet now the one boy that sits next to me each day now has the same breakfast as well. He watches how many times I mix it and how much milk I pour in and where and then does the exact same.. Would be cute if I could stand the boy! So it is then back to the house for the daily routine of pants and socks, washing, dorm tiddiness chart, sewing, cooking etc etc.. I must say though I am getting used to having to cook in mass loads. Everyday I am making some sort of cake or cookies to feed at least 50 hungry boys! By the way the photo is of my house that I live in with 40 smelly boys!

When the boys come back they normally switch on the television and have a chill out session for an hour! After this they then have an hour where they have free time. Normally the boys wither go and play football or saty in house. We have recently started a card craze in the boarding house and now we have a bit of a league going. It is amazing how competetive they all get even when there is nothing at stake!

Ok so now to some of the boys.. Of course with every school, I have my favourites. My number one is a greek boy called Jack. Impossible name I know! He is such a sweetheart and we have so much fun together! Yesterday he got dumped though by his girlfriend of 1 and a half weeks. He was heartbroken but after one of my magical hot chocolates and whipped cream he was feeling a bit better. He is also one of the leads in the school musical which starts this week and also the captain of the 1st! Each Wednesday they have a match and he always asks if I can come along and watch.. Makes me feel like a proud Mum on the sidelines :) So number two is Rupert. He is just a typical pom but we also have lots of fun together and are always laughing and have the occasional pillow fight! So that is just a taste of some of my favourites. There is however two boys that I always seem to have difficulty with.. One's name is Cheni and he runs away all the time and stresses us all out to the extreme the other is Duncan. Last weekend we had an exeat weekend which is a long weekend where all the boys have to leave the boarding house for the weekend. Duncan was asking me about what I was up to for it. Before I even had a chance to answer he came back with 'i think you should sleep.. you have really big eye bags!!' I couldn't believe it! Cheeky little bugger!

So now to Oxford.. This city is AMAZING and there is always something to do or see! On a Saturday night we get off at 7.30 so it is time for us to let our hair down and just forget about the piles of washing we have sitting back at house for us! A few weekends ago we got into a club being VIP's and I am talking our own area, free entry and even free drinks! It was an epic night and one I will never forget! We were treated like celebrities and now two of the girls work there doing promotional work!


But now to the all important stuff! The travelling and seeing the world! For our half term break all of the gappies here at the Dragon School and nearly every other gappie in England spent the week on a paddy wagon tour all through Irealand! It was a fantastic experience and so so much fun! We would travel all day through Ireland stopping at all the tourist destinations and then party all night! It was basically like schoolies all over again.. Just staying is hostels instead of a hotel.. I think I know which I would have prefered! The country side that backed right onto the ocean was spectacular, yet the cities like Belfast had this really scary feel to them. I can't really explain it.. However we are now coming up to the Easter holidays.. Although I am heartbroken that I am going to miss Copton Dam and camping there I will be spending my easter break going to Euro Disney in Paris and then a week in Spain and a week in Portugal! It is going to be an amazing trip just with friends so stay tuned for the photos of my Easter Sunday on the beach in Spain!

So twice a term we have a thing called an exeat. This is basically a long weekend where all of the boys have to be out of the house all weekend! This is something I really look forward to because we work every weekend considering the boys go to school on a Saturday! So for both exeats I went to London with Lucy Cush! the first time I went we did all the touristy things; saw big ben, the london eye, Buckingham Palace, Picadilly Circus etc etc. The second time however we went in for a GAP party! It was lots of fun and definatley an experience..

So the days are going by so fast and suddenly a week is gone and then a month has passed by.. It is weird to think that I only have the length of a pregnancy left here! So stay tuned for more updates from me and my year in the UK..

xx