Finje's English/Aussie phrase of the week is:
"Check out my new skateboard mate!"
I'm not sure what's more concerning, the fact that she has actually started to end her sentences with Australian twang or the fact that we were talked into buying a skateboard by a five-year-old child.
I, for one, had no intention of purchasing the bone-breaking, elbow-scraping, gravel-chewing contraption. I went to the shop to buy some shorts. Of course, here in the land of the surfer, it's totally normal that skateboards are on sale, in the same store, with bikinis, shorts, thermal underwear (should the temperature drop below 15 degrees) and gas barbecues the size of our kitchen.
It would seem that my girl, not content with picking up Australian slang within 10 days, is also digesting the Antipodean culture with abandon. Most days it's a battle to convince her that she really isn't old enough for a surfboard. And anyway, wouldn't the ability to swim be an advantage when riding the Big One?
Not one to be easily dissuaded, she spotted the skateboard and approached the assistant before you could say "G'day".
"Pleease, pleease may I the skateboard try?"
The girl, pronouncing Finje's accent "way cute!" handed her the board before I had a chance to at least attempt protestation.
To my extreme surprise, delight and pride, Finje jumped right on and was off like a mini pro. It was a sight to behold. A five year old German girl, brought up in the country, milking cows and riding in tractors, assuming the perfect skate/surfboarding position. I was informed of this perfect stance by a young, tanned, bare-footed, (cute) Aussie who most certainly would be called "Dude" by his mates, and insisted she was a natural.
After some consideration, and despite distraction from surf-dude eye candy who was suddenly my daughter's new best friend (I may have to start getting used to that!), I came to a decision.
I figured, when we return to North Germany, with the Baltic as our nearest sea, the chances are she probably won't have much chance to stoke the fires of her surfing desires. So, pushing images of underwear showing low-slung jeans and spray cans deep into the back of my surely sun-stroked mind, I bought the board.
As long as we are here in Australia, we are staying with my brother. He is a consultant in emergency medicine.
Could come in handy!