one more list for the masses

everyone else has one so i may as well join the throng. and besides, it seems to be the thing to do at this time of year. so here's my list of things i want to and should do before the new year is up.

1. get off my arse and learn german and spanish. i've been here in germany for 3 months now and i still haven't learnt anything new apart from random words. and i still don't know how to form a sentence in spanish. although i have learnt the word for pimp, which can only be a good thing.

2. become one of the employed masses. although i am enjoying taking an extended break from the workforce, i am starting to get paranoid that a credit card company may be able to track me down and demand some kind of payment.

3. make some german friends. although i did make some friends in frankfurt, with german transport being close to the price of a moon landing, it seems a little hard to hang with them any time soon. plus it would be nice to go out for coffee with someone who could help me learn about the culture and language.

4. write more. i'm not talking about this blog, which i must say i am impressed by the fact i've kept it up even if i don't think anyone is reading it. and irish pete told me that my blog writing wouldn't last! ha to you! (note, he wasn't saying it in a mean fashion, but just an observation on his own blog writing ability when in melbourne)

5. travel more. i know, it sounds stupid coming from a melbournian in germany, but i would hate myself forever if i didn't take the chance to visit paris, see portugal, check out spain and chill out in roma.

6. find some worthy postcards to send back home. this one may seem a little trite compared to the rest, but i hate basic postcards and i don't want to send just anything to my nearest and dearest. every postcard here is the same and it's started to really bother me i can't find random and tacky, just upmarket drek for the well-to-do. where are the bum-titty-bum-bum cards with the naked girls? where are the classic german liederhausen cards? do i have to go to bavaria for this nonsense? at least that'll appease thing to do number 5 i guess.

7. try some new food - possibly german. i have eaten so many different foods here, but most of it is either stuff i know already or cuban/spanish in origin. just about the only thing german i have eaten is bakery sweets and wurst.

8. try to be less harsh on the whole american occupation thing in germany. i know the germans did bad some 60 odd years ago and probably deserve some of it. and i know the americans that are here now aren't to blame, it wasn't them who set this occupation and base thing up.

9. stop being on the internet so damn much. big call i know, especially for someone who's keeping a blog going, but i still don't understand why i am addicted to reading all the articles and forums on IMDB, or why i keep reading the age online religiously. i know it probably has something to do with the fact that i can't understand german tv or papers, but i really must stop.

10. stop comparing everything to back home. it sounds a little simple, but it really is hard to not compare things to what i've known for teh last 28 years of my life. and it's made even harder by the fact that people who aren't that excited about being in germany ask me all the time about what australia is like.