Australia Day in Deutschland

My third Australia Day away from Australia has definitely been the best to date; 2010 I had my handbag (which contained everything important, including passport) stolen in Prague, last year was fun but I went home pretty early, but this year almost felt like an actual Australia Day.

On Wednesday night, Monica (who is from Melbourne) and I went to Rowan's place, as her housemate has an electric beater, which we needed to make the various delicious Australian things that we did. First we attempted a pavlova, which, for our first try making one actually worked out pretty well. While that was cooling (for an hour!) in the oven, we made ANZAC biscuits, and the sponge cake which was to be lamingtons. Eventually, around 2am, we left Rowan's, burdened with baked goods which we took to my place to finish in the morning.

There were decorations thanks
to my supplies from Laura C!

I intended to go to sleep, but ended up starting to listen to the Hottest 100, and then skyped with Libby for an hour.

Four hours later, I woke up to shower and put the ANZAC biscuits on to cook that we didn't do the night before because it was already stupidly late. Monica arrived shortly after with cream and fruit for the pav, which ended up looking fairly excellent!

With two of my housemates (the third mysteriously moved out yesterday without saying a word to any of us), we took the bus to the Mensa (cafeteria) where we tried very unsuccessfully to find a table inside... so set up outside in the 2 degree cold. Although the lamingtons weren't very spongy, and the biscuits were rock-hard, everything seemed to be a hit - an English guy even ate a Vegemite sandwich!

After my class that evening, I took the train to Tuebingen to meet up with Rosie (from Perth; we met at Stuttgart uni last winter and now she's on exchange in Tuebs). We walked up a giant hill while it was snowing to a frat house, where Neville (from Adelaide; I had a class with his brother Glenn in 2010, and Glenn was on exchange here last semester) lives. 

There was a book of breasts and some beer, music and much laughter. Some of Rosie and Neville's friends were there, along with some of the guys who lived there. Eventually we moved down from the tv room to the room with the bar (this place was seriously HUGE. There was also a basement with fencing equipment in it, what) where we proceeded to drink more. At one point tequila was brought out, everyone was given a shot... then the German pouring asked who was Australian, we three put our hands up... so we had an extra shot. Then there were flavoured shots in little bottles, and the wine that Rosie and I had brought with us, and more beer. We eventually coerced the Germans into letting us put Rosie's ipod on, as it had an Australian playlist, so she and I went crazy to My People and Ice Cream before it was turned back to the other music. Schade. Oh, and I broke a light. WHOOPS. That was followed by us all just walking away from it shiftily.

Probably about 1:30am (though we really have no idea), some random middle-aged woman APPEARED in the kitchen, and said something like 'I live underneath', then probably something about how it was 1:30 and she couldn't sleep for all the noise. But who lives under a frat house, I ask you?! Anyway, we cleared off pretty quickly, and walked off back down the hill with everyone; Rosie and I singing many different Australian songs along the way. Damn noisy drunk people!

The next day, we woke up feeling not too terrible, then went on a trip to the Ritter Sport factory, though the factory part wasn't open, just the shop... at which there were many delicious purchases.

I came back via Stuttgart after saying goodbye to Rosie until we meet again in Australia at some point... and realised it would be my last time being in Stuttgart, too. It's really strange to think that there are all these things that I'm going to be doing for the last time, and that I might not even realise that they're for the last time... Until I return.