Jingle Bells Aussie style

Sorry we haven't blogged the last few weeks. Just been busy, the camera broke and really so much of what we do is not that interesting. Daniel is away in PNG, so maybe he will have something interesting to say when he comes back.

We have just a week and a half left of school. Summer arrived in force on Wednesday and I gave in and put on the air con. The humidity is very high, so we are all sweating. We spent Tuesday evening at the end of year presentations at school. It was pretty hard going sitting through two hours of presentations in that heat, even though I was outside. 

They seem to do lots of fun things here at the end of term. Caleb is off to a Japanese restaurant with his Japanese class, and there are trips to the cinema, bowling, the barrier reef and sports things, art things and hiking.

No traditional Christmas meals here, it is all BBQs. The MAF Christmas party is a BBQ with a trip to a water park. This year I think I must have eaten a record number of sausages.

Just so you get the picture, here are the words to the Australian version of Jingle bells:

Dashing through the bush

In a rusty Holden ute

Kicking up the dust
Esky in the boot
Kelpie by my side
Singing Christmas songs
It’s summertime and I am in
My singlet, shorts and thongs


CHORUS
OH! Jingle bells
Jingle bells
Jingle all the way!
Christmas in Australia
On a scorching summer’s day
HEY!
Jingle bells
Jingle bells
Christmas-time is beaut
Oh what fun it is to ride
In a rusty Holden ute!


Engine’s getting hot
Dodge the kangaroos
Swaggie climbs aboard
He is welcome, too
All the family's there
Sitting by the pool
Christmas Day the Aussie way
By the B-B-Que!


Come the afternoon
Grandpa has a doze
The kids and Uncle Bruce
Are swimming in their clothes
The time comes round to go
We take a family snap
Then pack the car
And all shoot through
Before the washing-up



Just in case you don't speak Australian, a Holden is a make of car, ute is short for utility vehicle (i.e. pickup).  A kelpie is an Australian sheepdog, an esky is a cool bag, thongs are flip flops, a swaggie is a homeless person, and to shoot through is to leave quickly. I think you can work the rest out!