Open your eyes, the world is outside your door

Here's one for you mum and anyone else who is disgraced yet fascinated with the Australian language...

Hey do you speaka my language?

I can fly, but I want his wings.

First things first - what the hell is this hype thing with Facebook? Why has it affected all of my aussie friends (self included) yet when I ask people here about it, they look at me numbly. Why do aussies have such a computer addiction (look how many people have blogs/myspace/facebook) yet here NO-ONE (except the really intense IT junkies) has even heard of them. Perhaps people don't seem to leave home for vast periods of time like they do in Australia - and hence the blog phenomenon but I am still trying to figure out the facebook/myspace addiction.

The first question that springs to mind is 'why are so many people spending this time online in Oz when the weather outside is ALWAYS lovely?!' Are we a lonely culture? Do we find solace in sitting behind our PCs rather than chatting to our spouses/friends/children etc.? On top of that, I find it a little bizarre (perhaps just a tad bit sceptical!) that a computer tells me how many friends I have! - And I needed permission from the computer to say that Tom was my fiance...

Ok - I am a little black and white here, and do find some of the gimmicky things quite fun - but when it comes down to it, despite these sites being 'social' platforms, aren't we a little more antisocial than we used to be?

Just a smallish bee buzzing around in my bonnet.

My love she throws me back a rubber ball

No photos this time...!

Have pretty much settled back here in Edegem - and to my surprise (nice surprise mind you...!) we have another public holiday tomorrow. YES - another one. This one is for the original mothers day (apparently) but I just think that the Belgians like to take advantage of anything which has an occasion attached and call it a public holiday. I shan't complain!

Have settled back into work, sort of. I don't know what it is - whether I am easily influenced, whether my mood is dependent on the weather, whether subconsciously I am somebody else, or if it is due to my huge amount of time off work, but strangely it feels different to be back at work. I am not feeling as dependent on my friends as I did leading up to me leaving, and I have managed to offend one of them with my oh-too-frank foot-in-mouth attitude (as many of you are aware, I list this as one of my personality traits in Oz). I think I have played it pretty safe here for the past 3 years, and must be still switched on in Australian mode. Mental note to self - different things offend different cultures...

Have had a realm of reactions after announcing (what a pretentious word) our engagement. Typical for traditional Belgians, I have received many lots of 3 kisses (not just one - 3 means something REALLY good!) but conversely, some people have brushed it off as being a natural progression, with one person even going so far to say that 'nobody gets engaged in Belgium anymore - it doesn't mean anything. People just get married'. Up until that moment, I was sitting up on a big fluffy cloud, but you can be sure that the proverbial cartoon villain with the bow and arrow shot that cloud from beneath me and I fell VERY quickly. Am over it now though - have had enough kisses to last a little while!

Otherwise, not much has changed - haven't seen much sun (except through the window at work for around an hour a day), Gust is still behaving, Tom is studying his bum off and I am counting down for our trip to London. (Yes, always need to have the following vacation booked!).

More Pickies from our trip

Yes - I know I just seem to put up photos but bear with me - it isnt all that often that we get to go back to Australia and we had such a lovely time - my only regret is that I didnt get to see everyone that I wanted to see. But - I know there are no hard feelings...!

There will be more to come too...

Photos from the first days

I don't know what more to ask for, I was given just one wish

We have arrived, landed safely and are back in our lovely little apartment with only one drawback - I contracted that god awful ekka-time flu (yes - I do believe it is the flu for the first time in my life - sick for 1,5 weeks and counting...). So the flight was long and I felt dreadful from being sick, plus feeling sorry for myself for straining my (lack of) muscles playing with Emme's footsal team (sooooo much fun!) and being punished for it 2 days later. BUT - enough whining...!

Onto other news the blog has not yet heard... for something completely old fashioned (according to the Belgians anyway...) - Tom and I are engaged! We had a very romantic trip up to Bowen and Eungella 2 weeks ago, and he popped the question on the beach at horseshoe bay (with Sigur Ros playing in the background) with me bursting into tears in utter surprise! Now in true Tom and Ingrid style, we have been enjoying our relationship for the past 5 or so years, so now we intend on enjoying our engagement for some time to come! NOTHING is yet planned except for the resizing of my ring.

Am slightly missing home today - especially because a lot is happening for my dear little sister, but am sure I will become accustomed to the Belgian way of life again soon.

Bowen and Eungella

Some happy snappies from our little journey up north - despite long car trips, an entirely relaxing experience with a countryside littered with hundreds of cane farms...



With a spectacular arrival at horseshoe bay - we were able to see the sunset over the water (due to the geography of the penninsular)

The next day we headed up to Eungella and witnessed one of the local ringtailed possums eating al-fresco while we were inside with the warm fire.

We also did a little walking, attempting to spot the platypuses (yes, not platypi nor platymapus) and achieved some luck later in the evening. Unfortunately our little camera isnt cut out for night time photography (in great detail!)