Yesterday I had my first exam in Australia, and it was my final bit of work in the unit ITB227 Web Applications. I think I did quite well, but we won't know until the results come in a couple of weeks.

Before I left Trondheim I got hooked on the latest production from J. Micheal Straczinsky, namely the television series Jeremiah. The series is about the world 15 years after a bioweapon got loose and killed everyone above the age of puberty. It left the kids to fend for themselves and create a new world on the ruins of the former United States. However, in a world filled with lunatics, neo-nazis and remains of the U.S. Military, this is not an easy job. I have just downloaded the first two episodes of the second season of the show, and I really like what I see!

After the masterpiece Kim Stanley Robinson did with the Mars Trilogy, I expected his next work to be another awesome journey to a foreign world. So when I found his newest book, The Years of Rice and Salt, on sale I started reading it with great expectations from the description given on the back cover. Imagine a world where all the european civilizations were completely wiped out by the big plauge raging in the 14th century. Imagine a history where the armies of the east find Europe as an empty land with only scattered ruins to tell that it had ever been inhabited. The book gives us the alternate story of the next 700 years in a world where the Muslim hordes and the Chinese Empire remain as the major powers to determine the course of history.

Since returning from hospital most of my time have been spent working on assignments and preparing for exams. Last thursday I turned in the second assingment in web applications, and shortly I will complete an assignment in digital libraries. Also, yesterday we recieved our take-home-exam for digital libraries, and on wednesday I have the final exam in web applications. Then there is only the final exam in Network Planning on the 6th of November to go before I can kick back, relax, and simply enjoy summer in the sunshine state!

Early this week when I expected to be fully rested after my vacation, I still needed lots of sleep and felt exhausted most of the time. Then suddenly on Wednesday I felt an aching pain in my stommach, and when it did not subside overnight I took a taxi to a hospital. It turned out that my appendix had started acting up so they prepped me for operation and removed it a few hours later.
Everything turned out well, so except for me having lots of holes in my stommach and having to keep somewhat calm for the next 4 weeks I'm once again well and alive :-) And now I must work on assignments...

... red fish, blue fish, and the occasional dingo.

A trip by Extreme Adventures starring Svein, Gary, Darren, Daron, Jessica, Jeanne, Bina, Michele, Katherine, Katie, Kate, Laura, Laurie, and last but not least; our excellent tourguide Nathan!

Here I finally present the full traveldiary from the most awesome springbreak-adventure ever! In short this was the trip of the four B's:
Busses, Boats, Bathing and Booze!!

The last couple of days have been completely amazing and the most actionpacked and wonderful of the entire trip. Just during the last 48 hours we have done no less than all of the following:

• Been living at the 5-star Cairns Colonial Resort
  
• Scubadived at 7 meters for 30 minutes on the outer Great Barrier Reef.
  
• Snorkeled and freedived for hours around the same waters.
  
• Performed a tandem skydive from 10.000 feet above Cairns with 30 seconds free fall!
  
• Bungeejumped off a 54 meter high tower out in the rainforest.
  
• Been whitewater-rafting down the category 4 Tully River.
  
• Partied excessively every night at the Woolshed, whereafter we have been doing nightly swims in the pools off the artificial beaches at the resort.
  

So how is this for a springbreak-vacation? :-D
But unfortuanatly everything is now past, tonight we are having a good-bye party as it is the last day of the trip and we have to leave all our newfound friends *snif* We'll all try our best to keep in touch!
Love you people <3