Poppies, Bogens and Glue sniffers

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Met a girl on couchsufer and she invited me to a ukelele party her firends were having, which was good fun. Her friends were both 20-something but their uke group ( H.U.G. Hobart Unkelele Group) was made up of people over the age of 60...

BUT, it was fun and they were very good. Had my first taste of pavelova (have no idea if that is how it is spelled) but it is very Australian and is basically a light cake with whipped cream and fruit on top. Its fantastic. Then Jacqui (my new Australian friend) invited me over to stay at her parents for the night and for dinner and they made a delicious rice lamb and veggies and it was wonderful to have a good meal. Since i have been here i have been eating cheap crap food because food is very expensive in Australia. Her parents were so great, her mom got on the internet and researched a rental car for me and printed a bunch of google maps so i wont get lost, it was really nice.

Jacqui later told me that her parents had origianlly disaproved of the idea of couchsurfing and hosting people from other countries that you dont know, but now after just a couple months she tells me her parents love that she brings her surfers over for dinner and her parents chat them up for hours and make them dinner and show them around. Its very cute. They were lovley people and made me feel very at home.
So the next morning Jacqui and I headed back up to Launceston where she lives which is only a 2 hour drive, but the weather is SOO much better here! its a good 5 degrees warmer and very sunny. Jacqui is a reporter so I got loads of great information about the happeneings in Tas. On the way we passed sheep farms (they are everywhere here, so if anyone wants some Merino wool.. ) and there is alot of poppy fields, which apprently are sold overseas to make into codene for medicinal uses.

Anyway I plan to stay here in Launceston for a few days until i find a car (which is proving very expensive for anyone under 25) but it is the only way to explore the island besides going on a tour and i just wont have that. SO, once i have a car i will head to the north west coast and back down to Lauceston over to the northest coast and back down to Hobart, where i will fly to meet Ryan on the 16th!!!! 10 more days!
That whole plan came together last night with the fabulous help of Jacquis mom. so that is about all that is new...

about the title, apparently young people here in Oz are into glue-sniffing, at first I thought that was a joke, but unfortunatly it isnt. And Bogens apparently are like dodgy, dirty people that hangout at bus stops. Thankfully i havent seen too many bogens since ive been here. Actually Tasmania feels very safe. It reminds me alot of Montana in that sense. Peole dont lock their doors, everything moves at a fairly slow pace and it feels like a small town, even though it realy isnt. Anyway I really like it here.

Oh another Australian thing Ive had this week- meat pie. And it was actually good. Today i did some wine tasting and tomorrow i will have my car and Im off to the cheese factory and the Chocolate factory on my way to the coast! Im dreading the day when i step on a scale again...

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