I love Brisbane rain. When it comes down, it really comes down in great splashing balls of rain. I love the way it makes every smell more vibrant than the already naturally sweet air. Its downfall is the sticky humid aftermath because the Brisbane sun will always shine.

I like it here. Mischief is sleeping on the dining chair behind me, looking serene and sophisticated like always. She's a grown cat who loves to be admired from afar, but starts playing with the wall hangings or a marble as soon as she thinks you're not looking. I wish we could keep her, but she's only here until Kara's mom gets back from Beijing.

I can't believe I don't have work today. I thought I got a great new job at the cafe--for the first week I had a shift every day. Now I'm scheduled for one day, Sunday, for a mere five and a half hours. I hope I can find a second job. It would help if I knew how to make proper coffees; they could put me on all day as a barista. I'm really thinking I should take a short course.. I still work at the vet--as a housekeeper more than a groomer. I don't really mind. What else can a 20 year old with no degree or certification expect?

It's nice having some time though. Afterall, I'm sitting here drinking chai tea and listening to the rain. I was reading On The Road for a while, and it made me miss America a little bit. What it actually made me miss was Mexican food. And not taco bell, but real tacos and tortillas and beans. I've only had "real" Mexican food once--by that I mean food actually from Mexico made by Mexicans. But I love American Mexican restaurants too. mmm... I miss Spanish class with Ms. Warwick.

There's a place around here called Warwick, but it's pronounced "War-ick." I've never been there. Warwick isn't one of them, but there are so many unique names for places in Queensland. Mt. Coot-Tha, Indooroopilly, Toowong, Woolongabba, Yatala, Coorparoo, Yeerongpilly, etc. They's all aboriginal names. I don't get made fun of so much for trying to pronounce them anymore. Most Australians are really good-natured people. The more they make fun of you, the more they like you.

I have to say my favorite part of the day is waking up in the morning in our angled- high-ceilinged bedroom, and seeing Kara laying next to me. The room is always so bright because the walls are white, and there are three windows that take up an entire wall, as well as three smaller windows at the point of the slant. I used to wake up with the sun, but I've gotten used it. Just like the trains that go by every hour with their amazing screech for a full thirty seconds. And just like the alarm clock on the bedside table that can buzz as loud as a fly in your ear, if you get yourself focused on it for too long. It's funny how you can zone out of noises you hear often. Just now I realized someone is using a woodsaw (or something) in a house nearby, and they do it all the time because I think they're remodeling, but I don't really hear it.

As I was saying, my favorite part of the day is the moment I wake up, as long as I don't have to get up for any reason like work. Kara and I snuggle for a long time, and then make our way downstairs to have some freshly ground coffee from our espresso machine. I swear, I'd rather have an espresso machine than a couch. We could not have made a better investment. Sometimes I think I have an addiction. How will I survive in the US with my parents drip-coffee machine? How will Folgers suffice??

A lot of things will be different in the US. But I'm really excited to show Kara everything. I want her to meet all of my friends; I want to take her to a couple parties. I want to take her to The Bitter End, around East Town, The Hookah Lounge, around Cedar Springs, even to Morningstar. I know it's not such an exciting place, but I grew up there so there's heaps of sentimental value everywhere in GR and Cedar and even Rockford, Sparta, Sand Lake, Comstock Park... I've met Kara's friends and family, seen her high school, her city, her Hungarian city and family, and now she'll get to know my side of life and growing up. That's something I'm really looking forward to. I also can't wait for all of those little differences that you don't realize are there between countries. I can't wait to see her culture shock.

Well, I just wanted to write for a while. I don't feel like going on with anymore trivial thoughts so now I'm going to browse facebook and then go looking for a second job. Er. third job.