Im smiling!!!

I have just looked at my message board (its so cool) and i have new messages from magical people!! Kimbo, Mumsy and Sarah! Can't believe Sarah is trying to advertise that i had more than one drink!!! It was Graham's fault i think - he was in charge of ordering things!! tee hee!!

Today i have been 'cleaning' (if this wasn't online i would elaborate) at the 'other' house (21 Wales Avenue). It was previously a second part of the hostel for the summers when - it gets so busy; and is now for longterm stays - so that it where Trim, Deb, Lorena, Lady Rachel, Johann and Selena stay. Anthony is working on the new hostel at the moment - 100 beds - its going to be great but will be more 'hostel like' than where i am staying here at the Planet Traveler!!

I have had a really bust day - i literally haven't sat down all day - for one thing there is so much laundry at 21 Wales because there are more rooms and the house is just generally bigger. I love being busy though - and i will sleep so well tonight!! The weather is still making an effort to be spring like - its not so cold anymore - i have stopped wearing my thermal layers and have worked in a T-shirt (even outside) all day!! Maybe im just toughening up! haha!!

I considered doing some sorting out and a little bit of packing this morning before i started working - but it was just a passing thought!!! I'll probably do what everyone does and pack the night before i leave! Or... maybe i'll have a go at being just like my brother and pack 5 minutes after the time i was supposed to have left the house!!!! Its never failed him yet! That is of course when our mum (best mum in the world) is not around to neatly roll and pack his bags for him!!!!! haha!

I have a really buzzy happy feeling - i keep expecting that it will go away as i settle into travelling but i've been away for 3 months and i still feel giddy - and very happy!

The benefit concert is next Wednesday - it is going to be such an awesome night - god bless Selena i think she will drop afterwards - she has been doing 'all nighters' to get stuff done. I was supposed to be picking up some more donations today but with working i haven't had time. I'll go tomorrow; i think i will do a massive poster session too and hit all the shops and galleries and cafes in the main downtown and harbourfront areas. Selena is stressing loads because at lunchtime yesterday only 3 tickets had been sold online! She's forgetting about the 400 strong email invites that have gone out to councillors (or is that counsellors - but aren't they the people who are for therapy - oh...mum??!!! my english has failed me!) and politicians and musicians; also its the weekend coming up so i think tickets sales will have gone up by monday! I have tried to tell her this but she only takes it board for 5 minutes and then starts screaming again!! I think my dad would call her a drama queen!!!!

Speaking of my english failing me - I now have 3 Spanish girls (travelling together) staying in MY (tee hee!!) room; but i feel so so so ignorant - they can and do have perfectly good english conversations with me....can i even speak a single word of Spanish??? 'Ola, me noble Natalie' is about it!! All the Spanish, Italians, Germans, French, Dutch - speak perfect english and can converse with each other and everyone else - not me - i can only speak english - so they have to speak to me i can't speak to them (obviously i reply but what i mean is that i can't strike up conversation with them in their language). The more this trip goes on; in that respect; i feel quite ashamed of myself. I think it is time i did something about it - i have long wanted to learn a second language properly but just never really made the time to do it - now... i have the time and the perfect resources - i am constantly surrounded by european speaking travellers. I have helped Johann and Lorena with what i guess to them is 'advanced english' and other travellers who point at things and ask me or they will say '...how do you say...?' and then try and explain what they want so..... im going to start asking them stuff and point at things. I think all of this became even more apparent when i met the first english person on this trip last week. He cam to stay at the Hostel for 3 nights and though he was a nice enough guy he was very typically ....erm...english - it kind of made me cringe a bit. He was originally from Colne and had lived in London for 10 years; worked as a teacher. He wasn't at all rude - but his .. attitude (i think is the word i want to use but maybe there is a better way to put it) was very much that he could take for granted that everyone would be able to talk to him because he spoke english and everyone can speak english so he didn't need to bother making an effort.

I hope i don't come across as much like that as he did but i suppose i must do. Time to make a change!!!!

I have sent some more mail but i don't know if it all got there - i think about everyone daily and love them all very much