Inter Cultural Typing In Commencement

Have you all recognized? The picture above? It's the skyline of the city I dream to live in in about three months: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The trip journey I'm planning to make has been the most important reason for me to start blogging. Yes, I do love writing and reading and yes, I am curious to enter the world wide web, but as I might not see my family and friends for what will almost be a year, I hope we can keep in touch this way. So I will try to catch you up and meanwhile I bit-by-bit create a document for myself as a memory.

As you see, I write in English. This way I practise the language and if needed, anyone will be able to read my blogs. This might also be usefull for me in the process of becoming an aupair or in other similar situations. (You may know I don't think I'll live in The Netherlands in the future.) And moreover, all the errors in my writing and typing can easily be owed due to the fact I'm not a native speaker, while in Dutch I wouldn't have an excuse. So, mom and dad: no -d and -t faults to point me at! ;) (If I make a lot of mistakes in English, don't hesitate to tell me!)

At last I'll explain the curious why I called this weblog ictic. It has nothing to do with the title above, which I just made up. I could also have called this blog I Cannot Typ In Chinees - what might have been a better title, because it explains why I don't write in Chinees but in English. Ictic is some kind of English / Old-Dutch degeneration of Ik tik, what was - according to the legend - the shortest Dutch poem but one, written by Joost van den Vondel. (For the record: the shortest poem was U nu, by Jacob Cats!!) And as I type quite loudly, I believe this name suits the blogs identity. (Ik tik means I tap or more modern I type.)

Well, I guess that's it for today. Next time I will tell you all about my first phone interview with an Australian family. I hope it's my last too, because they look absolutely great and I believe theu are a nice family to stay with. The children look cute, smart, funny and the copple are very enthusiastic. If it all turns out well, I might just stand at that skyline in a few months, with those three lovely kids surrounding me!!

With love,

Astrid