Nothing

I cannot tell you what I've done the last weeks. I don't know anymore but I do know that there was no time to rest. Working, helping kins, rushing from agency to agency, working, preparing for the TOEFL, working some more...
Yesterday was the first day for a long time I had the morning off. Though instead off doing something I did nothing!
I laid down in the garden for an hour or so and it was great - 28°C, some wind and sun! I could have slept! You can't imagine how good it felt to do nothing and just relax!

All right, in the afternoon I went to work again - for 7 long hours.
Due to the fact that I passed the TOEFL and going to quit my job tomorrow (as I cannot keep on with that one during my study) I decided I would need a new time filler.
After surviving DSD (discover scuba diving) 10 days ago I signed up for a OWD (open water diver) today. There is a DVD to watch (3 hrs), a book to read and learn (about 8 hrs, the instructor told me) and then time to find for doing the diving...

Just recognized that I didn't write anything about the DSD yet - let's change that:

Quite some time ago I googled to find a dive school nearby. When I found one in Bochum they offered a diving trip, so called 'Discover scuba diving'. Though, after I had changed my shifts at the station and went for it.
It was great - allright, I had some problems first: couldn't get down onto the ground - I got 4 more kilos of lead and that was fixed. Furthermore I had some trouble with the glasses and my ears, but after sometime that was allright as well.
Last I lost the breathing tube! I don't really know how that had happend, but I actually didn't get any O2... What I did remember was to sign my buddy that I didn't had any air - but I was way to agitated to think about my or her 'octopus' (the emergency breathing tube). We ended up to arise and I switched between coughing and gasping for air...
An hour later I went down again. This time with a male instructor who took my hand and was leading me around - he didn't speak a word while being above the water but just signed to go down and let me... What a feeling! I couldn't see any fish - not because there weren't any but because I didn't had lenses at that time and was halfway blind. Anyway, it is a great feeling to go down, equalize the pressure and then just floating.....

Kernie's Wunderland

Today I went to an amusement park in Kalkar - that's close to the Dutch border, 90km away from where I live.
My cousin and her two daughters (8&10)came along.
The day started out fine - cloudy but dry. We went on a pirate ship, spinning cups and a fairy wheel. Everything was fine. Unfortunately rain started around midday - and hasn't stopped yet. We continued with a couple of rides - roller coaster (without looping, what a pity!) included.
Rond 2pm we were seaked to the skin and freezing although we were drining hot chocolate.
So we diceded to put a stop to all of that and drove home.

The park is great - enough rides for adults and children to have fun. Something special is, that softdrinks & coffee, icecreame and chips are included in the admission - the children loved it and even I did eat some chips (which tasted really good).
We think about going there a second time - with good weather forecasted!

Harry Potter and the Halfblood Prince

I have seen part 6 already - and forgot to write about it!
I went to the movies a week ago to see that part.

It was the same like the last ones - just to hard to get the story of a 700 page broad book into a 150 minute movie.
In short - disappointing!

You don't get to know the complicate progress in Tonk's & Lupin's, Hermine' & Ron's or Harry's & Ginny's love life.
The Halfblood Prince is slightly mentioned. Harry isn't asked to wear his unvisible cloak with himself all the time. All the time I waited for the death scene, imaging how it will be made. And again - disappointing. Harry is not petrified but walking around instead. The school is sleepy instead of the DA fighting....

There is one scene I do like:
At the very end, Dumbeldore is already dead, Prof. McGonegall points her luminous wand into the air and all the others follow. That way the Dark Mark vanishes.
It is a great scene to watch - all together they fight the dark...

For not repeating myself and writing again about something disappointing, just take it from me:

There is no chance to put a story like HP 6 in a movie right down to the last detail, I know. The movie is all right. You get to know main parts, others are left out. I can say for sure - even when not being overly excited about this part I will be in the first row when parts 7 & 8 are shown in the cinemas...

The Proposal

I went to the movies again to see the new Sandra Bullock release.
What a fun!
The story in short: Margaret Tate, a Canadian working in N.Y., stands to lose her visa. She brings up a story when telling she is to marry her assistent, Andrew Paxton.
The big problem: Andrew hates his boss and they don't know any detail from the others life. As if this wasn't enough the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)starts invetigating their case. While attending a family feast in Andrews hometown of Sitka, Alaska they come to know better...
He hates her, she is not interested in anything that happens during the time in Sitka. Margaret and Andrew have to tell Andrew's family of the planned marriage, feign a couple and sleep in the same bedroom - lots of funny moments are bound to occur. When being forced to kiss each other things seem to change...


I haven't laughed that much in a movie for a long time. A great evening - hope you enjoy the movie as much as I did!

TOEFL Results

YEEEEAAAAAHHHHH!!!!

After finishing the test two weeks ago I felt really bad. It seemed I had done so many mistakes and did not understand a thing. Just now I have get my results!
I claimed 89 points!!!! I assume, this is not a high score but enough for being allowed to study English at uni! I feel so relieved!
Yesterday I got the consent for university and today these results. Even with working the whole weekend I am feeling great!!!!

What I missed last year

I have done and seen so many things last year! I had visited every capital city in every state and stepped in the four oceans which surround Australia! I saw Kangaroo Island, Tasmania, Blue Mountains and Hunter Valley; Kangaroos and Koalas; travelled by air, train and bus; could do a boat trip, and so on.
But what did I miss?
I didn't find time to do the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb. Furthermore I had to skipp the diving and surfing course when I ran out of time as well as the sky diving trip.

While being back I have been thinking about these thigs so often. Now I found a diving school nearby my home - but because of my two jobs I don't find time to give it a whirl. Hopefully I can arrange a test diving lesson for the next weekend....

All the other things have to wait...