G'day! Here i am again, giving a bit more information of my life in case someone happens to be interested! Hopefully so.

Yesterday was my last day at work.. so far! Well, the job was at an exhibition centre as a member of the catering team and the event this time was called 'the home show' and it lasted for nine days. So I worked for eight days, had to take a day off to keep on going! Wouldn't have had enough energy to work every single day. Most of the time I was working as a cashier in a coffee shop and they trained me to be a barista, too. It's good news, now i can apply for cafe jobs more easily! Yeah and some days I was working in a restaurant - sometimes as a waitress, sometimes clearing the tables or helping to do the dishes. And the whole time the temperature was about 40 degrees! Only the restaurant has air-con so... lots of sweatting, disgusting! It was worse than in a sauna! It was funny, every second customer asked me the same question: "where does your accent some from? canada?" I've watched too much of tv i guess, i haven't spent THAT much time with americans! Anyway, all in all the work was ok, sometimes a bit hard though since it was so hot and busy and for example on saturday i couldn't even stop to drink water for about five hours! And my first break was after seven hours! Legal? Hmm... My colleagues were high-school drop-outs and bitter single mothers and you know, these kind of harsh and loud women who are lazy bastards and just want to smoke all the time. Ok there were exceptions, too (for exemple me of course!), but maybe 95% were just bad girls and boys. I don't know if i'll continue with them when the next show enters the town but we'll see.

Now i'm staying in a hostel calles cloud9 maybe 10 mins walk from the centre of brisbane. I know this sounds quite horrible as i tell you i'm staying in the same room with 15 others but i like it! it's so easy to get friends if you like and if you just want to have some time for yourself, it's easy too. It works really well. And it's cheap. And yeah, there's always something going on if you're bored - you can watch a dvd for free or go and play games or well, there's the hostel's own bar next door and nice speacial offers for example every monday $1 beers (=0.6EUR)

I like Brisbane althought most people don't seem to appreciate it enough, they're saying there's nothing to do. It might be also because of my background in Joroinen that even if there's a McDonald's, a cinema, a bar and a mall i'm thinking it's enough for me! Hah and there's lots more here! Basically the whole city is divided into two; north bank and south bank and there's brisbane river in between.  Almost everything's situated on the north bank but south bank is really nice, too. There's a big park ideal for walks - there's a small rain forest with its small rivers and a nepalese tempel and there's even an artificial beach next to the river! And small cafes and restaurants and a nice market on sundays.. Yeah, definitely my favourite place here!

Now I should call a few numbers (again) to get a new job. I'm trying to get something that would begin next week, now i've got enough money to survive a few weeks and besides of that jenny and sara are coming here for three days on wednesday and i want to spend time with them, so nice! My phone phobia has gotten a bit better, but still i need lots of time to prepare myself mentally for the conversation. But nowadays booking trips and hostels etc. is quite easy so i guess ordering a pizza in finnish would be quite ok, too.

Oh it's so hard to think because a guy sitting next to me is smelling really much - a mixture of sweat and glue! Most of all glue! I'm afraid to inhale cause maybe i'll get high... it's so strong ha ha!

I can't believe i've spent already five months in australia!  Where did the time go? Well, on the other hand it has been a long time and i have done a lot of things so i'm not too horrified. And now it's almost a year since i had my exams and left to france so yeah, i'm starting to feel that i should take it easy for a month or two to get more energy back. I'm getting tired. But i'm sure that if i just work and have time for myself for a month or two  (as if it would happen!) it'll be fine.

Just a reminder: someone's birthday is approaching.................... The 6th of april! When you'e thining of an address where to send the nice presents and cards just use my old address, it's good till i go back to finland!

Mari Avikainen
Level 7 Dymocks Bld, TCP2044
428 George St.
Sydney NSW 2000
AUSTRALIA

For the end of my teen years and my 20th birthday i decided that it's time to do something special. It depends on how much money i've got but eventually i'm gonna do skydiving. So, maybe soon! And also i started to think that now it's the last chance to do irresponsible things that teenagers sometimes do, and i realized i still haven't drank so much that i'd start throwing up and pass out. So i might just try that here, we'll see. I've actually tried it many time just to have the experience but it never works! I have my limits and then i just can't force myself to drink more. Hmm other typical teenager things? Give me ideas, i've got a few weeks left!

Ok this is enough for now i guess, nothing left to say! E-mail me! Ja anna, marja & miia voisivat ilmottaa osoitteensa! ironista etta ma en tieda parhaitten kavereitteni osoitteita ees! Ok see u soon, byeeeeee! And have fun there up north :D