The seven deadly things that’ll ruin your summer

If you have a good think, there’s probably a range of things that you could insert into your own list regarding things that always destroy your summer plans. Here’s guessing however that the seven things below have most likely ended up on your own lists at one point. So have a flick through whilst sipping that cocktail- it may very well be your last.

1. Flies

They’re the scum of all insects. At least ants seem cute and live in some sort of a family. Flies insist on buzzing around the barbeque as if you were cooking up roadkill found on a highway strip in Indiana. As one of mother nature’s most deathly creatures, I do wonder their point of existence. They’re the typical summer nuisance and not enough fly spray in the world could get rid of the colony dwelling in my backyard. Not even our dear friend Louie the Fly could be killed with ten tins of Mortein…

2. Bindies

Something resembling a flower with a sting like a bee, these weeds are the dread of shoeless children the country over. More ferocious than a wasp’s point, messing around in the garden was more of a torture than a treasure come summertime. Break out the weedkiller before you dare go barefoot on your own front lawn.

3. Old ‘tin-can’ trains

It’s just a shake, a rattle, a roll. That’s all there is to it for a typical ride on a K, C or V set train carriage on the Cityrail network. Tin cans until they hit the scrapyard or are transformed into a gimmicky tourist attraction in Eveleigh, these trains are noisy, airless time-sucking monsters. The asian megacities Hong Kong and Tokyo look down on Sydney’s train fleet in utter dismay, incredibly confused as to how the Fat Controller running Sydney Trains just can’t place an order for some more air-conditioned people movers. Gladys Berejiklian certainly has her work cut out for her when it comes to “fixing the trains”. Good luck, love, good luck.

4. Mosquitoes

Time to prepare your shopping trolley for copious amounts of Air-raid and anti-itching cream, because as the sun goes down and the moon comes up, so do a million of your worst nightmares en-masse. Mosquitoes are notoriously spiteful the world over. Blood-sucking demons known to spread malaria, they swarm underneath Australian patios and pergolas, waiting to strike with the swiftness of a ninja on steroids. Move over Edward Cullen, it’s time to mesh up the fly screens because these suckers are coming for your delicious blood.

We are young…

In the noble words of former Britpop band Supergrass (and no I’m not referring to keeping our teeth clean, although dental hygiene is important), “see our friends, see the sights, feel alright. And that’s exactly what I intend to do… make the most of my youth, in fact the most of my life. :]

You never know when one may just kick the bucket…

So quite recently I took to seeing those upbeat lyrics in action and rounded up a few friends and explored Augsburg’s amazing alleys, main streets, christmas lights, and cinemas… (yes, that’s a plural). Photos can be seen below. ;]

So get outdoors kiddies, and I don’t mean kick around a football… try something new…
because we are young, and before arthritis and wrinkles kick in (I hear it happens sooner than you think), we seriously need to live the true meaning of being a fun-loving teenager.

Ryan
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The second Christmas Dinner

Legit. I didn’t realise how big christmas was in Germany until Christmas dinner… well, the second one at least. Last night I visited my former host family in Zusmarshausen and we nibbled on a delicious goose with traditional Bavarian cuisine such as blaukraut (red cabbage), knödel (potato dumplings) and even a christmas salad as entrée. It was a delicious [second] feast…. it was surely worth a couple of photos. ;]

An amazing Christmas was to be had! I hope everyone feels the same way. :]
Ryan
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The feast begins…

It’s not every day that a family sits around the table and gorges over a hot stone….
So is the tradition in my lovely current host family… we devoured the most delectable treats grill-able, ranging from salmon, prawns, beef, calf and lamb, to capsicum, mushrooms and beans.

Not to forget the other bowls of food which required no grilling whatsoever… ;]

Here are just a few shots of our evening (it did start off rather traditionally by attending church at St. Ulrich’s).

Even more joyful Christmas love to come.
Ryan
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P.S. My Christmas adventures (much like those fine moments in my every day exchange life have inspired recent sketches for the ANIMAILS collection).

A Feast for Fourty? No, six. [Animails #8]

One part of my year on exchange in Germany that I’ll never be able to forget is Christmas Dinner. With lashings of food decorating the dining table, I believed we’d be accompanied by a bunch of guests… I was wrong.

It’s something else that I find quite humorous. :]

This picture is highly inaccurate; double the amount of food on the table for an estimate of the amount food that was splayed out before me on Christmas Eve.

Ryan
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Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree… [Animails #6]

For people living in countries where having a christmas tree is completely normal, they might not see the novelty in choosing a christmas tree from a number of hundreds…

For me, it was a rather amusing outing… spending 30 minutes trying to find the perfect tree, despite the fact they all look the same to my untrained eyes.

I also found it amusing that the trees came pre-packaged , as if freshly off a factory conveyer belt, and were then repacked for transport home.
Strange as hell…

Hope everyone had an AMAZING christmas. :]
Ryan
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Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!

So yesterday I was singing in the rain snow. :]

Two shots of my street blanketed in a fresh layer of fluffy white snow and two of Munich’s Marienplatz in the evening… gotta love living in Germany. <3

Ryan
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Rainy ol’ Regensburg

This past weekend was a tough one for me…
it was officially the last time I would be with all the other exchange students before my return home in January. Saying that, it was a rather emotional outing to Regensburg for our Christmas weekend, and I tried my hardest to keep in the tears when we had to say our “goodbyes”, or as I preferred it, “see you soon’s”.

Thankfully I will see some of them again soon… namely the english speakers and those living in my town. :] I’ll definitely try to visit the others all around the world!

Here are some of the photos I took over the weekend. The main sights included the Regensburg Cathedral and the Turn Castle, where we wandered through the stalls of the lovely Christmas Markets.

Christmas is getting closer! :]
But I really don’t want my time here to end. :’[
Ryan
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Feuerzange…what?

Celebrating Christmas with a traditional Feuerzangenbowle….
you’ve got to love Germany. ;]

Many thanks to my amazing host family for showing me the spirit of the festive season so far. :]

Ryan

 

We’re off to see the market, the wonderful market of Nürnberg.

The title of this blog entry was meant to be sung. I hope all the Wizard of Oz fans out there figured that out quickly enough.

The past weekend was one of my most special to be had during my entire exchange year… and why? Because I saw the world famous Nürnberg Christkindlmarkt with two lovely people; a classy French VIP and a crazy girl from Washington, USA.

With a whole bunch of mischief up our sleeves, we headed off to Nürnberg early Saturday morning and returned later that evening…

Whilst there, we wandered the streets of the old town, ventured into towering churches and ate the most delicious lebkuchen and Nürnberger Würstchen.

Here are some of the photos I captured on our day out. :]

Is everyone enjoying the festive season?

Ryan
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