There has been an ongoing discussion at the expat forum I belong to about Australians really overdoing the slang when they get overseas. Opinions of course vary, but most people really dislike hearing others around them carry on with full on slang expressions or ockerisms that they would never been caught dead saying in Australia. I personally don't even like hearing G'day, Mate! as I have never heard anyone apart from people in the tourist industry ever say it! But the biggest peeve seemed to be that by deliberately choosing an expression like dunny (rather than toilet or bathroom) was a way of excluding the other person because no foreigner would know what it meant. It would also draw attention to themselves and a discussion would ensue about what it meant etc. Yes, it seems to me to be both very smug and rude.

Of course, there are expressions that I use not realising that they are exclusive to Australia. When talking with Americans over here, I've had to explain things I thought were universal English like sunnies (sunglasses), wagging school (taking the day off) and even capsicum (a bell pepper). But I would never dream of becoming an atrocious parody of Australia, by stringing a lot of slang and a broad accent together like Steve Iwrin does.

I was speaking about accents with friends the other day and they thought I spoke very much like the characters on an Australian television series being broadcast here at the moment - McLeod's Daughters. Having seen about five minutes of this program, described to me as a "show about these Australian women running a ranch, with a lot of barely dressed Aussie men", I cringed at the thought of how broad the accent was. "Do I really sound like that?" I asked in disbelief and they answered "Yes, pretty much". I don't know whether it is because I don't hear English every day, but the accent sounds so much stronger than I remember it. So I wonder if I sound the same as I used to when I lived in Adelaide, or has my ear become desensitised to the accent.

The spring weather continues to warm us all up. For several days I've been able to have windows and the balcony door open to let in the warm, welcome breeze. Having spent a few years here now, I can really appreciate it when the light and warmth returns and can understand why the Swedes head out of doors and sit facing the sun like sunflowers as soon as it makes an appearance. Everything seems brighter and cheerful when the sun shines.

Lars-Göran went down and set up the infra-red lamps yesterday, beginning with the rudder and trim rudder area.



When he said he was going to use these warming lamps, I had no idea they would be this big. I asked him what one would normally use them for and he looked at me as though I had three heads and said "Well, to warm up the deck! We are in Sweden you know". It never is really warm outside in the evenings and even in summer, people use these lamps on the patio to keep the chill off the air. Something I could never have imagined. Anyway, I'm glad that Ulf had these to spare and was able to loan them to us. I only hope it works out and that Fiona will then be ready to paint and launch. The Baltic beckons and it has been far too long on land for our liking.

Now to study the charts and work out where to go. I'm angling to go up the coast a bit to drop in on some friends along the way, then strike out across to Malax in Finland where his aunts and cousins live. I'm really curious about where he was born and he speaks with such fondness of the place that I want to go and see it for myself.

Now I hope the sun and the lamps will dry the hull quickly.