I really didn’t expect my accent to be such a challenge over here, especially considering the high concentration of Australian ex-pats in the West Grove area. Apparently I sound pretty funny though, especially when I try to introduce myself… Everyone seems to pick up on an AR sound instead of an O in Cobie, so a number of people now think my name is Carby. It must have been so bad when I first arrived, that my first visit to Starbucks in NYC resulted in this:

It’s pretty funny though, and I do give people a good laugh when I say weird Australian words. I think I might have to become one of those annoying people who develops an American accent after a short visit, just so people can understand me.

I’ve had a really quiet day for my first day off. I stayed in bed most of the morning reading Dover saddlery catalogues.. I am sooo excited to go on a shopping trip! Then I spent about 4 hours cleaning the bathroom and kitchen in our living area… While the barn is really organised and spotless, the living area seems a bit neglected, so my obsessive compulsive tendencies kicked in a bit. If I’m going to be here for 3 months, I want to use real appliances and cookware.. And not live on microwave pizza served on paper plates with disposable forks!

I’m not sure whether I’m going to come home skinny from all the physical work, or fat from all the ridiculous food here… Hopefully all the stall mucking will outweigh my new addiction to pop tarts 😉