20 years ago on January 20th 1993, I embarked on an adventure to Australia at the age of 17 as an exchange student. It was a year of exploration where racy, sometimes embarrassing to admit, and downright outrageous experiences were written in a set of rag tag journals. For the first time since they were written – the stories and experiences within will be posted on the same day it occurred 20 years ago. The posts will be the exact entries in the journal along with the photos photo’s taken that day.
May 23rd 1993 – What’s a Sausage Sizzle?
I didn’t really get a chance it write last night about the tennis club. It was a crazy night! We basically socialized and people who wanted to play tennis played tennis! It was great! Svend kinda hung around like a loner and we actually hung out together for a little while. That was cool. There is something strange between us! Like a strange air about us! It’s crazy.
Me and Andre are buds as usual. I hung out with Arturo and Marcos and Aldo quite a lot! I love those South American boys.
We played a game similar to Truth or Dare. We had a couple of Good ones, but I think we needed to be pist drunk to really have fun with it!
And of course we ate!
We made a kind of Australian bread called Damper. It takes three cups of flour and one can of beer, and when it’s done they pour golden syrup over the top with margarine! It is excellent!
The place we were at is called Camden South Tennis Club.
The next day – which is today – well, this morning was really funny. The family I stayed with, the Laurence family was like the Brady Bunch meets Mr. Rogers! It was really …strange…to say the least! On our way to Bents Basin were we spent the day – Teddy (the young nerdling) drove! He is a “L” plate driver, that that in itself was very annoying. He drove slow and when we turned the corners we were all thrown to one side of the car – because those beginner drivers don’t’ know how to use the breaks property of course! He also wore super nerd sunglasses! And, while we were driving Super Nerd Dad was making “Mr. Rogers” small talk! It was great! To make thing even better, Super Nerd Dad has a short fuse – he goes off!
So, after all that, we arrive at Bents Basin. At first we were the only ones there! So, I slept in the sun! The day was full of fun activities! We played tug-o-war, jump rope, egg on a spoon race (even though we used golf balls), potato sack races, and wheel barrow races (which Andre and I won, thank you very much) We also had a sausage sizzle – I skipped the sausage though. Holly and Nat and myself took a nice bush walk around Bents Basin. It was mostly rock climbing so it was really cool! We also took a bunch of photo’s! It was great! It was just a great lazy day at a park, in the mild sun, having a great time playing and flirting! It was beautiful.
Overall, it was a great weekend and I had a wonderful time with all my buds!
Then – the ones of us going to Central Station all went home on the train together, and that was really fun as well!
And, here I am at home and I got to my new home tomorrow!!
Until next time love…
May 22nd 1993 – Sheep Shearing & Boomerang Throwing
Wow, I woke up this morning and I knew I had a dream but I couldn’t remember it for the life of me. Then all of a sudden it came to me!
I’m in a shopping mall – we had a shop and so did my Grandma (of all people to dream about). I was walking around this mall with a guy; I have a feeling it was Brad from Neighbors. He met up with one of his friends and they started to talk about this hot girl that Brad had met. He described her as a skinny Emiri. God that is crazy. He said, “Yeah man she’s so hot, just like a skinny Emiri.” When he said this, I was walking away because I was so annoyed. They were also paying me out about my glasses. They were absolutely insulting me! It was awful. So when I walked away I found my mom and we went into my Grandmas shop. She was selling all this tacky Grandma stuff and she had made a T-Shirt for my Mom for Mother’s Day with a really stupid saying on it and things hanging off of it. I’m not sure what the shirt said – but it was the equivalent of “World’s Greatest Mom.” Crazy and that’s all.
I went to sign out at school. I got quite a bit of attention from everyone who had heard rumors but had no clue what was going on. SO I told them what I could without really saying anything at all. Then I got everyone to write in my journal. I was so sad when I saw Wateeb and Katrina! Oh, Man! That was too hard, and when I said bye to all my teachers, most of them had some comment about Tempe High. But a lot of my teachers seemed a bit sad to see me go! I must admit I’m a lot sad to go! It’s a cool school with lots of great people!
After school, I came home and packed and got a lift to Central Station to go to the camp. Me, Halla, Andre, and Maika, met at the station and got on the oldest train I have ever seen. Then at the next station we happened to find Arturo and Natti. It was so great to be together. We talked and laughed and messed around. Mostly we talked about how much weight we have gained. Most of us have gained 10-15lb’s. I can’t believe it. It sucks. But it’s nice to know your not the only one. All we do is laugh about our clothes getting tighter.
Then when we got to Cambeltown, we met up with everyone else. Of course we all hugged and reunited. It was great. Then we get with our host families for the weekend.
Well, I was taken to the local Pizza Hut to meet the 16 year old daughter. She’s very cool and very cute! She took me to an under 18 dance party! The dance was very lame. I felt like I was in Jr. High. There were 11 and 12 year olds there. All the girls and the guys were talking about each other and giggling! God, I laughed half the time because I couldn’t believe I was there! It was crazy.
Now for today!
It has been an excellent day so far and I’m sure It’s going to get a hell of a lot better. We all met at this place. It’s like a park were tourist go to watch sheep shearing and cattle milking, boomerang throwing, and baby animal holding (I held a little lamb and petted a baby cow), wine tasting, horse riding, clay pigeon shooting, etc. I think the place is called Glenswoods. It was great!
We all just hung around and flirted with each other and hugged each other. Those people are great! We all love each other so much. I talked to Svend quite a bit! He’s so cute! I always hold myself back from drooling! He’s so cute! Yum. He looks great! I also hung around Arturo and Marcos quite a bit! Just me and the South American boys! We are going to a tennis club tonight so I’ll write more later!
May 21st 1993 – Adventures in Dream Land
Here I am again at 10:30am to write about last night adventures in dream land.
Well, there was a party! I got really drunk and I didn’t remember most of it, but I do remember the houses. At least on the outside, they were terrace houses and they were virtually identical. Other than their color, just a fraction of a shade different! But I noticed it and kept staring at the line where the two houses met. Examining it, and looking at the two houses and finding every difference I could. The railings on the balconies were a bit different, one was smoothly painted, the other had bits of white under the black paint. Oh – the houses were pinky purple colors, and I was in a car driving away from them. As we drove away I noticed how the colors seemed to almost match. God it was weird. I still have the image of those two houses sitting at the end of a dead end road in my mind. It was crazy.
This is where it gets crazy. The woman who was driving the car told me that Mael and Khamen were at the party. Now those are characters in ‘Queen of the Dammed.’ Actually the Vampire Chronicles. I remember being so mad because I didn’t notice them and I thought, shit I was drunk and I would have been all over them. The woman was a vampire, but I don’t know who she was. I just remember the owners of the terrace houses we partied in had names of Vampires – one was Jesse and I’m not sure of the other!
All of a sudden we were in the snow at the ski slopes. I have dreamt of this place before, but last time it was on a very basic level. This time all of them were there – all of the Vampires. Everyone! I got introduced to them, but the names rolled off my head. I remember thinking they were all really beautiful, very white. Now the men were all dressed in very nice, very sexy ski outfits – all very Patagonia. They were excellent skiers and they would go off cliffs and levitate there. One young one was clawing on ready to fall, but we got him up. It was strange because I was observing all this.
Then we all gathered in a huge tent set up over the ice. Everyone was in there and I got really Closter phobic and I thought the tent was too close to the edge of the cliff, so I poked my head out and got a couple of deep breaths! Then I went back in and sat next to one of them who I really liked, I think I called him Mael, but it wasn’t’ him. He was shy, but that’s not the reason, I remember he took his legs out of the sleeping bag he was under and they were small and bruised and almost a yellow color. I thought how he could be a vampire with all the bruises, especially if it was Mael because he was old enough to heal very quickly, especially just a little bruise.
We all went to the Mall. It was like an all-night place to eat! The place you go to when you are drunk off your ass and you need to eat! It was just me and one other who were mortal, so obviously we were the only two who ate! I stood at the counter with a baby alligator in my hand and ordered a hamburger with bacon and cheese for my friend.
Now I’ll explain the baby alligator. One of my guy friends was just turned into a vampire and when he walked into the place he ran into a counter and all of a sudden he was an alligator playing with a loose lid on a jar on the counter. So I picked him up and took him with me to order!
I woke up!
Categories: Journal Entries
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May 20th 1993 – It’s a Beebe in Feathers
Wow, I had quite the dream last night. It was about Peter Garrett the lead singer of Midnight Oil. He owned a shop and we (me and some chickie babe) were on the street and he walked out from behind the counter and said, “I’ll be watching you!” I thought he meant because I was going to steel something out of the store – but he didn’t. Anyways, I said, “Hey!” and reached around and caught his hand and as we walked away from each other our hands slid apart! Then we were staring at each other over the counter! Crazy. Then I left and thought he was going to come with us, but he didn’t, bummer. So we went to spend the night at this hotel and Trev was there with some chick. So I said, “let’s call Peter!” Then I woke up. Crazy dream.
“Just stay cool. Don’t get uptight. Just stay cool.” This little sheep is singing this song on a cartoon on TV. But it’s cute.
I’ll write later…
I’m back – this time with a new color. I’m plugged into The Doors! Boy, music has a huge effect on me! This takes me back to my days with Natalie and Darren, spilling candle wax in our hair and drinking wine in the cemetery! Those were fun times! My first summer in town, riding my bike to the theatre to see Alex, and he would ride me half way home and we would kiss – the worst kisses! At first we just couldn’t figure out how to kiss each other. We soon learned after a lot of practice! Those were the days.
It also reminds me of Griffin of course! The night we laid on the floor of his room talking for hours! I was so turned on it was unreal! Just sitting there talking! I thought if he touched me I would scream. I was hoping he would just kiss me! But I was with Cody so I couldn’t get myself to! But boy did I want too! Also, the day he played Harry Connick Jr. and sang along with it – and of course the first time we kissed. It was snowing and cold. I stopped were we usually ended up across from his house, we kissed the slowest – look in the eyes type kiss! It was excellent! He’s definitely a cute one! Too bad he’s such a slut, it really turns me off when guys are sluts!
He shared everything with me. He is good. Maybe I should write him and remind him of our night on his floor! I told him everything! When I asked him not to tell, he said, “It’s a Beebe in feathers, it goes in and then is lost!” Good Answer I recon! He’s so cute.
I talked to Ethan this morning! I called him at the restaurant and they gave me the number of Mom and Al’s office. I called him there and it was really cool because he never expected me to call there and he sounded really excited! So was I, so we both laughed most of the time! We talked about Alex for a second. Ethan said he just gets uglier as he gets older! I said that his eyebrows get bigger, and Ethan said, His nose! It’s crazy to think how much everything has changed. Ethan said he was going to write me, I wonder if he is going to. Hum!
Well, today I lost it and chowed. I think I know why. I was trying on bra’s and I saw all my flab and kinda freaked out! So I’m just going to accept and chill and put them aside before I go insane.
Until next time love…
May 19th 1993 – Stuffed Ourselves at Sizzler
I thought I’d write this morning at 9:10am because I wanted to write down a little dream I had last night!
Ok, we (my sister and I) were sliding down this slide into a huge gross pile of garbage. And we would laugh and say to each other how gross it was and then we would have another go!
Then the dream would switch to our house – or where ever we were staying, and I had a little puppy. It was so cute and it came and laid on my pillow when I was going to go to bed. The little guy was sooo soft.
Then it switched again, to the place where we were sliding. It was Disneyland. There were these girls in huge while dresses dancing around below and I was on the balcony of a restaurant were people where eating and watching these girls dance.
And that was my dream – crazy. I will write later…
Well, I just remembered another part of my dream, a really strange part. It seemed my scar on my knee was an open type wound. Actually I kept hitting it and kneeling on it and I just kept on hurting it. It was all scabby and sore.
Well, I’m back and it is 1:00am. I’m soooo tired! We went out and stuffed ourselves at Sizzler and then went over to Dori’s house! She is a very cool gal who I’ll probably hang out with sometime.
Until next time love…
May 18th 1993 – Yummy Vegemite & Ginseng Tea
Tuesday, 15 til 9pm
I’m in heaven at the moment! I’m plugged in to Pixies Doolittle. I’m in nice cozy clothes, and I’m sitting by a nice cozy fire! I’m calm, cool, collected, and most importantly totally relaxed!
Today has been a great day. If nothing else it was productive! I went and bought socks and undies! I got a bus ticket! I also went to the health food store on Glebe Point Road. It was an excellent day. I got home at 4pm started a fire and read “Queen of the Dammed” for a good hour. Mickey came home and I talked to her for a while. That was good! Then I cooked myself an onion, mush, and cheese omelet with a slice of toast with yummy Vegemite. Yum. I love that stuff. Then I watched TV for a few minutes and here I am. Relaxing and hanging out and putting all my thought to productive means.
Oh, I also checked out a very cool shop! The guy who runs the place is very cool! Be back I need more tea – to make me pee – hee hee –
No Seriously, I’m listening to the song “Lala Love you” It’s so cool!
I was considering all of the positive things about changing schools:
1. No more Modern History! Yeah, no more US CIS Relations, no more hard assignment I never do or her yelling at us
2. Don’t’ have to see Emiri’s scowling face every day
3. I don’t’ have to make a toy for Mrs. Sumners Class
4. I got to skip all those exams!!
5. I get to see someone from the opportune sex during the day thank god so I don’t’ go insane
6. No more French! Score!
7. No more Fort Street kids crowding up the bus and sitting on my hair
8. Bye bye choc chip muffins
9. No Wateeb – boo hoo
10. No more year 7 fan club
Well anyway, I’m excited and in shock at the same time! I just can’t believe I’m actually going to start at a new school! I get to go through all the new kid stuff again! In a way it will be cool. I will be something new once again! I just hope it’s a good something new. I guess it makes me a tad nervous to have guys at my school! It just adds a little catch – but I’m definitely curious if there are any nice ones!
So looking forward once again to another new beginning. Today I lived in today. Not, when I get home! I like living in today quite a bit better!
I’ve drunken so many ginseng teas today I should be really potent! I just wish I had someone to take it out on!
Until next time love…
May 17th 1993 – I have a Bed and a Place at the Table
“If you want something in life – then go get it and don’t let anything stand in your way!” Some guy on ‘Home and Away’ said that. Doesn’t that sound stupidly obvious! I will definitely have to keep it in mind.
Well something is bothering me! I know this because my nails are gone! And I’ve been chowing down for no apparent reason. Those are my two warning signs! Now, I have to figure out what’s up! One thing is lack of a guy. I haven’t really been meeting any guys or hanging out with any, and I think that is one thing. I would love to have a guy to google over and to hang out with after school and do things with. I hate having to have a guy to be happy! That just sounds so dependent and old fashioned – women – type! I really must admit it would be great too – hum!
My Karate teacher comes to mind quite a bit and I won’t be seeing him now until he comes back from America! Bummer! I love to “say good bye” to him. Hehe.
Ok another big stress I must admit to and come to terms with, people at home. They all want me to come back skinny and beautiful. I feel huge stress about that! It’s time I admit to it. That has been the driving force behind my stress lately. It’s other people’s expectations. I really have to stop now and realize that those expectations are not the important thing. The important thing in my life now – should be now, and only now. I mean staying calm and sane and low stress, and not to worry about going back to all the expectations, and to live for now and myself. To have fun, and enjoy every second in Australia. I’m getting a second chance at a new environment! I’m going to recognize this expectation as a problem and deal with it! I will do that by living and enjoying life doing things only because I want to do it and no other reason. Facing this and dealing with it! I will!
Another thing that is getting to me is feeling temporary. That will be solved in a day or two so no worries on that end. And the big clincher – the thing that causes me to chow and chew my nails is feeling insecure! Ahhhh the dreaded word! Unlike some, I take my insecurities out on myself. I mean I will go along with my day feeling pretty good and if my confidence gets shattered at all I lose all control and chow! If I get a look at myself in the shop window or something like that I will lose it! I completely stress! I have to relax and when I’m in control for a couple of days that it’s a lot easier! Just one day behind me helps. I just can’t bottle up my feelings any longer!
My new “work out’s” will be activities that mellow me out so I don’t lose control! Painting, reading, and writing in this very book! And Acceptance! I’m going to try and not go off halfcocked about things and taking them too far! Like Karate! I am so good at taking things that I love and find a lot of fun and ruining it and taking it was too far. Like Karate – I just took it too far until it was no longer fun but an obligation!
One more thing! My Mind! It never stops thinking. I’m constantly – I mean constantly revising, planning, and thinking. I have to learn to relax and mellow! I am going to take a new direction in life – low stress! Three deep breaths before every thought I have.
Oh, I just thought of another stress! School. It’s really been bothering me! I feel really almost stupid! Like someone who lacks education. I really need to quit that! I either need to take school seriously and do well – or just do bad and not care! I know I will always care – and that’s another thing – I get a fresh start and can take advantage of that!
Of course this is a particularly stressful week because I’m suffering from PMS. In Australia they call it PMT – Pre-menstrual Tension.
! I’m Happy !
I’m excited to settle into my new family. They seem great! I even like the Dad. The thing that really stands out to me about him is what he did at the Restaurant the other night. He sat down next to me and elbowed me a little and said, “So you’re going to come live with us!” That just was so cool of him! He broke the tension by touching me and by bringing up the subject! It was very cool. I really like him! Gloria puts off nice ora! (or however you spell it) But who knows how it will be living there – hopefully great!
I just received a phone call from a man who is going to host me for the weekend. There is a regional exchange weekend next weekend. I’m going to a Dance on Friday and a farm on Saturday! It should be fun. The man sounded really nice. There is a 17 year old guy, 16 year old girl, and a younger one I think he said 12. Anyway, it was really cool that he called to welcome me – he told me I have a bed and a place at the table!
- Now for today –
I went to school for sport! I only went because Wateeb really wanted me too – which is really nice of her. But it was good to see her.
Tomorrow I’m going to shop – socks, underwear, are my main plan.
Until next time love…
May 16th 1993 – Co-Ed School – Score!
Today has definitely been interesting! I met my host family to be. They are pretty cool. It is about 5 or 10 minutes from New Town, Which is good! It is a less dense place – Urban wise. The house is absolutely beautiful. I was actually impressed when I saw it! It is a style a little like the Redmond house in a way. It has two dormers and look really cute and when you walk in you see an all wood stair case that goes up to an upstairs that just added to their house. It will be done in two weeks and I will have one of the new all wood rooms. The house is great!
Gloria is the Mom’s name. She is very gentle like Janie. Her hair is past her waist – it is beautiful. The Dad is so cool. I really like them and feel that they want me. The house is really homey! I just feel excited to go and live with them. I really like them. I also saw my new school. It looks good. I have a good feeling about it. I will be going to a COED school! Score – Boys! I can’t wait to check out the boys! I don’t even care I just cant wait to be with guys – I miss the little shits!
Until next time love…
May 15th 1993 – The Opera House by Catamaran
It is very early at the moment. But Timmy was playing and he half way woke me up, and the other part was having to go to the toilet very badly.
The dream I had last night was crazy. First of all I was in familiar territory. I had been there before and I seemed to react in all the same ways, and realized I had been there before and that what I did last time didn’t work. It was so weird. We (there was a large group and all I knew was that some were exchange students and somewhere not) were being attached by spirits. God it was weird. So I knew where we ran last time to be safe, so I led everyone up this grassy hill. There were leaves all over and lots of green grass and trees. Then the spirit came from under the grass and there were leaves flying all over. Then I got on a bus to escape just like the last time and the spirit takes control of the bus – but I knew he would from last time so I got off the bus. Then all of a sudden we were walking on a wooden foot path on the side of the bridge type track and there was water under us. Oh, and at one point I was going to move into a really rich home. They lived in an amazing huge house. That’s about all – I’ll write later.
I’m back! It’s now 11:30 – I can tell that because I bought a nice new fossil watch! It’s very cool! I also bought another jumper! I’m shopping like a very practical person – what’s happening to me?
Anyway, tonight we had a chapter dinner at this little Italian place in New Town called ZuZu’s! Very interesting – nice but everyone showed up! Including sparkling little Emiri! Boy did she look happy! As usual!
Anyway, I sat with the family I think I’m going to be living with! I go and meet them tomorrow at 10:30am. I’m excited to see the house and the area! Also there is a Co-ed school right down the road. That will be the school I’m going to! These people are really cool and mellow. The woman reminds me on Janie and the man reminds me of AL. It’s crazy. I also talked to Andre quite a bit – who by the way looked very good tonight with his hair down and dressed nicely! He looked good. He’s going to call me tomorrow! So hopefully we will get together and talk.
Mickey was going to take me on a catamaran tomorrow if the weather is nice! That would be very cool to see the harbor and the Opera House by the boat! So overall the last few days have been an experience to say the least!
Until next time love…
May 14th 1993 – Cool Hip Glebe
Today has been a quiet day to say the least! But a good one as well.
I woke up this morning knowing that I had to go to an Art exam at 1:30! Not! I decided I wasn’t going to go on account that there are no clocks in the house and I ended up being late.
So, in that case I talked to Wateeb on the phone. Man she really doesn’t’ want me to change schools, which is really cool of her, but I really think I want too. I would love a completely new start because the old one didn’t’ work out. She also told me that she called on Tuesday and Emiri very rudely said, “She doesn’t’ live here anymore!” How very nice of the fucking cunt! Excuse my harsh language.
Then I did my nails, took a bath, got dressed, painted, and then I walked around Glebe (which is a very hip suburb with lots of cool cafes etc.) I went into the health food store! Go, that place was my dream! It is huge and beautiful! I would love to get a job there! I would meet the coolest people! I love this area so much. Too bad I have to go! This is a really cool hip place with a good health food store! This house is so cute! The location is great! This family is so cool to me! I really like them.
Tonight at dinner we had a really good conversation, and it was so nice to sit down at the table and talk. It was great! She also bought me tofu. That’s so cool that she is thinking about me! It would be cool to stay here, join the gym on Parramatta Road and go to Glebe High! I just hope I find out what I’m going to be doing soon so I can feel settled and at home again!
Until next time love…
