AN UPDATE FROM OUR DANISH EXCHANGE STUDENT, ASTRID

Just a quick little report of what I have been up to lately.

I have been very busy with school since the summer holidays ended, I'm now in year 12 at Brauer college, so it keeps me busy.  I have also moved from Sharon and Michael's to Judy and Phillip Ross, so now I live almost beside the school so it's so easy and quick to get to and from school. I also helped at Port Fairy folk festival, and really enjoyed the music and met some lovely people there.  Sunday the 8th of March Judy and Phillip invited me to Ballarat to visit their son and daughter in law and two grandchildren, I really enjoyed the day and Phillip showed me around on the farm and told me a lot of history from the gold rush time. I also went to the white elephant sell in Wangoom, and helped a little bit on one of the stalls.

The 20th to the 22th of March I went to district conference with Svetlana (our lovely driver), Judy and Cecilie (the other Danish exchange student from Warrnambool Central), we had a lovely time there. All the exchange students were staying at a camping ground outside Maryborough, in small cabins. Saturday night was our Scottish night, with lots of different costumes and tartan everywhere, it was good fun and lots of dancing.

The Rotary Lights night out at Deakin, was a nice social night with a good atmosphere and lots of sausages. Friday the 27th of March was Emmanuel College’s Debutante Ball night. I went to Rachel Melican's (neighbour from Wangoom) Deb there, and it was very interesting to experience because we don't celebrate Deb in Denmark. The 30th I was off to Bendigo with Judy and Phillip this time to visit the daughter and grandchildren. Tuesday we drove to Echuca to sail in a paddleboat, later same day the grandchildren and I joined a circus school, and I also crossed the Victorian border towards New South Wales for the first time. Thursday morning we were heading towards Avalon airport to pick up Robbie, on the way Judy and Phillip showed me Mt. Macedon where their son and daughter in law got married. Friday Robert and Veronica Cuzens invited us all out for lunch and to show the farm. And as some already know after a lot of begging Robert allowed me to shear a sheep, so I was one happy Dane. Easter Sunday Judy and Phillip had the whole family down to celebrate Easter, which was a nice experience because I'm use to having a big Easter lunch back in Denmark so it was nice to have my Aussie family around me.  Sunday night Roy Slater invited Bella (Brazilian student hosted by Portland Bay) and me to the speedway for the first time. We both had a wonderful experience and lots of fun, after the racing finished Roy took us down to the pits, and we met heaps of people and got lots of autographs, I also got the chance to sit inside a race car just so I could imagine what it would be like.

Wednesdays I packed for Safari with help from Judy, I am very excited to see more of Australia and spend a long time together with the other students from all over the world, and I will try not to be too hard on Stephen Giddens. ;) 

See you all in 3 weeks, lots of love Astrid.