Greetings to the new brunette

Last stop (for now)...Adelaide. Final post!

2008-03-11T05:30:00.000-07:00

This comic strip was sent over to Scotland by my parents. I think it sums up a lot about my travels this year!

I arrived home a little under a week ago and am a little surprised at how well I'm settling back in. Not that I expected to be restless but I suppose this is the first place I've come to in awhile where I don't have to figure it all out for myself, I already know it (like the back of my hand!)

Uni has started and feels manageable, while the job hunt is about to start. I'm going to take my time to get something I want and will tie it in with my postgrad studies (Grad. Dip. in Information and Knowledge Management). I'm hopeful for work in archives.

The Adelaide Fringe is currently in full swing and after having experienced the juggernaut that is the Edinburgh Fringe I can now definately say Adelaide's is much, much smaller! The weather is crazy at the moment, heatwave in Autumn! We've had a record-breaking nine days straight of 35+ degree weather and predictions are for no sign of relief for at least another 8 days.

Well, this will be my last post on this blog. Hope you've enjoyed reading my journey, and I'm glad I've got a written keepsake of some of my stories from my year of travel. I've been meaning to share many more stories with you, especially from Thailand, but alas, the moment has passed. Feel free to ask me any questions about anything via email (or in person) if you so desire!

My friend Tic (pictured) said the most beautiful thing when I left Kuraburi, and that was when she looked up at the stars she would think of me, and for me to do the same thing and think of her. I take the time out to remember Tic, and all of the great people I met on my travels and hope they remember me.

Thankyou for reading,

Besos (Spanish for kisses!)

Lisa

Perth-Moora

2008-03-03T16:49:00.000-08:00

I arrived in Australia with a jolt. A jolt from the plane suddenly aborting its landing about a metre from the ground. The girl sitting next to me whom I'd been talking casually with then burst into tears and threw up into her blanket. For some reason neither of us had sickbags in our tray. Mmm. We circled for another half an hour and tried another runway, that did the trick in the particularly windy weather.

Greeted by customs (yay, nothing got taken off me) and then Jen at the airport standing there with masses of helium balloons, the envy of every small child that walked past her in the last two hours. I spent the rest of the day pointing out things I hadn't seen in a long time "Wendys!", "Coles!", "Holden Commodores!" etc. It amused me no end, poor Jen having to put up with it.

We headed to Jen's home in rural Western Australia. It's not quite a 3 hour drive to Moora, North of Perth. It was an amazing drive, just taking in the colours on the ground and in the sky, everything is so dry but still has life. Except the roadkill on the side of the road, yep I'm in country Australia.

It was my 24th birthday on that first weekend back and Jen organised to go camping at Sandy Cape with friends and Chris' (her fiance) brothers. Sandy Cape has a beautiful beach that rivals Thailand's, except the water is much, much colder! The next day we went for a swim in the morning as well then off to the Jurien Bay Hotel for a counter lunch. And a birthday cake which somehow the group had managed to keep secret (and cool!) for the weekend. The icing read "Happy Freakin' Birthday" which apparantly the girl at the Cheesecake Shop had problems spelling. Always a joker, that Jen...

And the last week and a bit has been full of either full on on the go in Perth, driving to and from Perth, or flat out on the couch watching Foxtel in Moora. It's been great fun. Other highlights include seeing Ben Lee play with the Western Australia Symphony Orchestra at King's Park (pictured), going out in Freemantle, dinner at the Little Creatures Brewery and shopping at Myer (a girl can't help it!). Also helping Jen with wedding plans, seeing her try on dresses and having our trial makeup done - fake lashes included!

We leave Moora later today and have tickets to see Miss Saigon on Wednesday. Then Thursday I will be home in Adelaide. University has started and I have started to grasp the fact that I will have a lot of work to do in amongst trying to find a job, catch up with friends and family, and enjoy the last week of the Fringe Festival. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Singapore

2008-02-20T19:34:00.001-08:00

EDIT: My Thai mobile doesn't have international roaming so is rendered useless from now on. Was good while it lasted.

I left Bangkok yesterday for my final international destination, Singapore. Had two wonderful surprise phonecalls from two great friends from Kuraburi, Tic and Kelly while I was in the taxi to the airport. I had another awesome few days in Bangkok which I really want to write about, perhaps in a few days. Highlight was going to Lumphini Park which is Bangkok's version of Central Park and watching mass aerobic dance taking place at dusk. Lots of fun.

I was met at Changi Airport by Sherilyn, who I met when I was in Spain. We both spent the week helping to teach english at Vaughantown. We kept in touch and it was so nice being greeted at the airport by someone. She even brought me a little present of a cake made with pandam (sp?) leaves. It was a ring sponge cake, the lightest I've ever seen and very subtle flavour, kind of like a green tea cake. Very traditional in Singapore. And yum.

She's got this funky little car we spent the evening driving around town in, seeing the sights before having tea on the East Coast at a restaurant that is known for it's chilli crab. It was amazing. We had a huge spread with drunken prawns, veggies, rice, cuttlefish cakes and sharkfin soup (delicious) and Tiger beer. I have not eaten at a sit down dinner like that in a long time, in fact my time in Bangkok I didn't have a meal at all, just picked snacky things from the street all day, also very good.

After dinner we rolled out for a stroll along the East Coast, lots of locals eating out at the restaurants along the seafront and great atmosphere. Every table had something different and as it is still within the 15 days of Chinese New Year (now I understand why Happy New Year signs were still up in Thailand, oops), it was very busy with company dinners and families celebrating. We then went to Bugis market which is like a little bazaar selling all sorts and everything. I tried a local dessert which I have forgotten the name of but it was shaved ice with different coloured syrups, with red beans and grass jelly at the bottom. Was nice, but cold!

So I will be in Singapore for one more night, no doubt eating my way through the country with Sher. I suppose apart from shopping, culinary delights are what the locals are known for. That and the fact that everything is so clean and fragrant. My Dad seemed to think everything in Singapore had a fragrance, even the shower water. I can tell you my mixed dorm room smells too, but certainly wouldn't describe the mixture of mouldy feet and someone's unwashed clothes as fragrant. One more night of goddamn hostels!

I fly out tomorrow morning at 9am Singapore time bound for Perth. Should arrive about 3.10pm WA time and cannot wait to see the greatest friend I have ever had in my life, my precious Jen. Get to spend my 24th (eek) birthday with her also which comes up in a few days. Party!

Mai pen Rie

2008-02-17T02:42:00.000-08:00

One essential phrase in Thai I have kept in the back of my head on the trip from Samui to BKK is 'Mai Pen Rie'. It means 'it's okay, never mind, doesn't matter'. A few days ago I had booked a VIP bus for the trip to Bangkok with a minivan pickup at my hotel in Samui. Simple, right? Minivan, airconbus, ferry, aircon bus. 18 hour trip for $30AUD. Cheap Cheap in terms of money but that's a lot of time spent journeying!

On Saturday I check out of the hotel at Samui and await the minivan that will take me to Na Thon Pier for the ferry to the mainland. Twenty minutes later, a taxi rocks up. Apparantly the mini van is busy today. Mai Pen Rie. The driver overtakes on the narrow, curvy, busy island road whenever he gets the chance. Even with oncoming traffic coming, apparantly that's a chance. It's at this time I think putting on my seatbelt is a good idea but despite it being a newish car, the buckle is missing. Mai Pen Rie. 30 minutes later, we take a turnoff, that's okay, we must be picking up someone else...turns out to be a family of 3 and their luggage. We can't fit them all in so we drive off for the taxi driver to hail another taxi down on the main road. This takes awhile. By the driver's continuous glancing at his watch, I start to think missing the ferry is a distinct possibility. Thankfully, we find a taxi for them and speed off to the ferry and I arrive in one piece. Bonus. About 30 of us and our luggage are squeezed onto a bus with fans and we wait on here for the 2 o'clock ferry to arrive. The ferry ride is okay, I feel a little odd, a little clammy and hope I'm not getting sick. Amuse myself for the almost 2 hour journey by falling asleep and by watching the crackling tv in the passenger's lounge. A 'Saturday Kitchen' style programme is on, then all of a sudden a Japanese Iron Chef-style programme comes on (dubbed in Thai). It's about croquettes, and every five seconds in between the Thai commentary, I hear the word croquette. 10 minutes into this one hour show I really feel like eating a croquette which is weird because I don't normally like them. Subliminal message 'croquette, croquette, croquette...'.

Depart the ferry and take the bus from the pier to the town of Surat Thani, another hour or so away. We suddenly pull to a stop on the side of the highway and I am the only one to be told to get off. The people around me are all taking trains or planes so this must be the bus station stop. Except it's not a bus station. Wait around for 5 minutes of so before being told to jump in the back of a taxi truck. We drive around for 10 minutes and the journey we take on back roads tells me I'm not headed for Surat Thani bus station. Really hoping at the time I haven't been done by a fake travel agent selling bus tickets to Bangkok, but again I override these thoughts with 'mai pen rie'. We stop at a little roadside cafe and I'm told to write my name and nationality down on a list of people going to BKK. At least I'm not alone, there's a group of Libyans here too. I've got about 3 hours to kill so eat some food, write this journal entry down in my notebook, beg Mum and Dad to entertain me by giving me a phonecall. All in all, the time passes quickly. Slowly, more people arrive and by 8pm, a gaudy double decker bus arrives and we all pile in. We watch 2 movies, the classy 'American Pie 4' and a film about the Mayan hill tribe that I didn't catch the name of. About 1.30am it starts to rain big time for the next couple of hours and I'm thankful the bus driver is relatively safe, a lot of these overnight runs are nailbiting affairs as the drivers often take methamphetimene to stay awake. About 2am wes stop for a meal break (you don't feel like eating at 2am? What!) and get chauffered under big umbrellas to the shed like structure at the fuel station. Like the fact we aren't stopping at a 7/11 which illuminate the roads here, there are just so many it's unbelievable. Don't like the fact they have a microphone blaring telling us about the different foods they have available. The Thai tones at 2am in the morning do not sound nice over a squeaky microphone.

We arrive into BKK only half an hour late and I'm at my hostel by 7am, ready for a shower and bed! The last 20 hours or so are why I would never recommend Thailand as a holiday destination for my parents. The logic here isn't the same as logic back home, things aren't as straightforward, perhaps. It would make my Dad's blood pressure rise and completely baffle my Mum. Mai Pen Rie!

Stay classy, Thailand...

2008-02-15T05:34:00.000-08:00

My time in Koh Samui has been bizarre. For example, right now I'm having a late lunch at a beachfront restaurant and one of the staff has just turned on the music. The CD? Kenny G Christmas Album. Seriously...IT'S FEBRUARY! Signs here (all over Thailand actually) still proclaim Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Now even with Chinese New Year over there is no excuse!

Looking out onto the beach, there are A-frame signs littering the sand advertising day trips around the island, elephant treks, snake shows etc. Local touts trawl up and down the beach selling icecreams, tennis paddles, footballs, sarongs and souveniery knick knacks. The part of the beach I am on is quite rocky so not many swimming but certainly lots of people baking themselves silly on loungechairs. Some people look purple they are so tanned, and also don't give a care that Thailand is quite a conservative country and are walking around topless. My first thought upon arrival was how ugly the island looked with resorts cutting into the mountains, lessening the beautiful greenery. People think this place is great, but to me it's just overwhelmingly awful. Admittedly, I'm staying on the busiest beach in Samui - Chaweng - where the main road is a mecca to Globalised food brands. McDonalds, Burger King, Starbucks, Pizza Hut etc. There are girly bars everywhere where socially inept men can buy coolness for the night and play pool with a girl who tells him how "handsome" and "strong" he is. I'm not scrubbing Samui entirely, I know there are other parts of the island which are less developed, but I just think Chaweng screams awful, the equivalent of Patong Beach in Phuket. The one thing I do agree with here is the Thai massages on the beach. I've had one already today and I may go back for a second. Hooked, I tell you...

My speech at Rotary went well, spoke to about 20 members (one of them an Honorary Consul for Australia). It was located in one of the most exclusive resorts here in Chawend and we had a WEstern style buffet dinner before the meeting. Pork in mushroom sauce, potato, baked veggies...all these "new" flavours to me...yum! I just talked about my experience with Andaman Discoveries, and how I found the experience. Rotary helped fund NATR so it gaves them an update of how things are going now they are no longer working in the region. On a selfish note, I wanted to do this as an exercise in self confidence as I hadn't made a speech really since my school days as 'El Capitano'.

So I leave Samui tomorrow on a hellish trip to Bangkok on the bus. Leaving Samui around Noon, I get into BKK the next day areound 6am. Wish me luck, and curse Bangkok Airways having a monopoly on flights from Samui as they are ridiculously expensive.

Mobile phone and update

2008-02-12T01:13:00.000-08:00

Those that use my number are already in the know but I should broadcast that my UK mobile phone number has no more credit has been made redundant. Delete that number from your phone and for the next few weeks I have a Thai number if you need to ring or send a random text message (highly recommended!):

+66836477793

When I get to Australia that number will also become redundant and I will probably get another Australian number. Keep you posted.

Today is my last day in Kuraburi and it's been a busy one. Starting to get sad with all the goodbyes I am doing as I have made some great friends. I spent the morning at school and the afternoon polishing off a speech I have written. For what, I hear you ask?

Well, when I arrived at the Andaman Discoveries offices last month I saw Rotary flags for Ko Samui and Patong Beach Clubs. Upon further investigation I found out that both clubs gave millions of baht to NATR immediately after the tsunami and also for sustainability projects after recovery work was finished. My connection to Rotary is that they gave me my first taste of travel overseas on an exchange to New Zealand in 1999 and gave me the love for travelling differently (ie. not in a hotel). I got in touch with the Samui club and they invited me to do a talk on Wednesday 13 February about my recent travels and what Andaman Discoveries is up to now. This opportunity justifies me lying around Samui's beaches for the following few days, something I definately did not plan but will enjoy. Update you on how it all went down soon.

Ironically, I will be staying in a hotel...pah to all this ponce about 'travelling differently'!

Side note:

I just read PM Kevin Rudd has released the wording of his apology to indigenous Australians, and it will be read out at 9am on Wednesday morning. I am amazed. I don't have much to say on this yet but for those that want to make a joke about this on my messages, please refrain. Opinions otherwise welcome, for or against it. A nice resource:

http://www.reconcile.org.au/

http://www.reconcile.org.au/getsmart/pages/sorry/sorry--faq.php

Lights, Camera...can I go lie down in the shade?

2008-02-08T20:44:00.000-08:00

The film crew arrived in Kuraburi on 1 February and the next few days were a complete spin.

A little bit of background...the crew are filming for a television show for TV5 in Canada. The show is called 'Partir Autrement' which I am told loosely translates "to leave otherwise" The first season is currently showing on Monday nights at 10pm, I think they are up to the 4th episode and have been told it's become quite popular. They have a website if you read French http://partirautrement.ekim ondo.com/. Looks like when the episode airs there will be video on the site and at that time I should also get a dvd copy in the mail.

We will be in episode 13, the finale of Series 1, which means it should air in 8-9 weeks time. The show, as the title suggests, is about travelling differently eg. fairtrade travel, community based travel etc. Emily and I played the "tourists" and we were filmed doing a range of activities in 2 villages near Kuraburi, Ban Talae Nok and Tung Nang Dam (my third visit there! It was only supposed to be once but it was nice to go back).

Here are the activities we filmed in the 4 days they had the cameras rolling:

--making soap with the ladies who run the tsunami soap cooperative in BTN. The group was set up after some funding and training was given to the community. The women who work on this project all lost their husbands in the wave and do it for a source of income. There is a website http://www.tsunamicrafts.com/. The soaps smelt gorgeous...the use all natural ingredients like lemongrass, tumeric, avocado and I think palm oil.

--Fishing with nets from the beach. We used a giant net which we walked out into the sea then dragged it back to shore. First time wasn't too successful but the second time we managed to catch a few fish and crab, and a whole lot of lil fish that needed to be rescued to go back to the water. The water was warm and we had beautiful blue skies. I bet the colours will look great on film. Didn't mind being filmed in the water so much as it is a Muslim village we had to wear tees and shorts in the water so lucky no getting my pasty, wobbly bum on camera.

--Nipa palm weaving. I didn't do this activity as it followed straight from coming out from the water and I needed to put on some dry shorts. These weaves are used to roof and decorate the exterior of houses here although demand is dwindling due to most houses now having corrugated roofs. Obviously the lifespan for iron is a lot better than the 2 years the nipa palm weaves last but certainly not as aesthetically pleasing.

--Cashew nut shelling. Around this time of year the ladies in the village are sent cashews in 5kg bags to be peeled from the factory, which then have to be sent back, same weight. So they have to send back shells and all to get the weight right. Very odd. They use a homemade peeler/knife object and it's a delicate art not to break the cashew! The ladies do it at lightening speed and gossip about the day's events, while I struggle with one! A lot of fun, though.

--Sea buffalo herding. I was not present for this one but basically the deal is at the same time each evening the sea buffalo all head down to the beach for a spa. What a sight!

--After dinner on the first day, we watched a fishing net weaving demonstration. It was filmed in a villager's house and a few people were watching but only P'Tui and I were watching whilst being filmed. The lady demoing was doing her thing making the nets and we were admiring in silence when suddenly...the sound guy farted. Do you know how hard it is not to laugh, or even let out a bit of a giggle when a camera is on you? Well, P'Tui and I did it, true professionals. however as soon as the camera crew left we were in stitches. I get my high brow humour from my Mum, by the way.

--The next day in the morning we took a longtail boat out to some mangroves, Ban Talae Nok are really getting into conservation and are planting lots of mangroves. We got our hands dirty and planted some mangroves although some had to be replanted as Emily wasn't listening and didn't realise she had to take off the plastic bag acting as a pot! Very very muddy work. The canal we took to get to the mangroves used to much narrower but since the tsunami they had to widen it in order to take out all the material that washed up. There are still some boats lying out of the mangroves that were destroyed by the wave.

--In the afternoon we attempted to do some batik, another cooperative started up by ladies in the village as the soap was not bringing in enough income for all. It was fun first outling the drawing in wax then filling the rest in with paint. Quite delicate work and I have quite a few splotches on my little canvas to show that it was my first time. Very vivid colours, wish we weren't so rushed from filming, otherwise mine would have been a lot nicer!

--Being a Muslim village, we also got to do cultural dressing in the community centre. Headscarfs are really really warm to wear and all I wanted to do was pull out a bit of fringe to funk up the outfit but then I remember that's not the done thing. Add a cheesecloth shirt, a traditional sarong and voila!

We had filmed so much that the film crew didn't think it was necessary to spend a second night in the first village. I welcomed the fact I could go back "home" to Kuraburi to have a nice, cold (bucket) shower. I was sweaty, stinky, and grumpy from the days filming and sometimes travelling on your own means that when you are around too many strong personalities you just need some bloody time alone!!!

Felt very refreshed the next day as we met to head to Kuraburi Pier, the crew did some filming there while I caught up with P'Noy who was going to take us all the Tung Nang Dam again. Orchid conservation, jungle hike and beach walk for the third time meant nothing new and frustrating time with nails again making orchid pots. Beautiful surrounds though and fantastic hike. That night we spent filming at the mosque where things came to a head when budding photographer Emily took a picture with flash just as the film crew was getting his perfect closing shot. Oh oh. Staying out of that one...

Last day of filming and we are lucky to arrive just at the time when the cashew nuts are ready for picking! P'Noy has an orchard(?) of cashew trees on her land and we picked a whole heap, roasted them on the fire (literally, as the pan we were using broke and all the nuts spilled out, then peeled them from the hard shell and ate them hot. With freshly picked young coconuts to drink. Mmmm mmm Dad would have really enjoyed this activity! Did you know the cashew nut is poisonous before roasting? The outside of the shell has a poison in it that irritates your skin and mouth. Nasty stuff.

Last but not least, we headed to a floating fish farm to feed the fish. Well I fed the fish anyway as Emily the veggie refused to. This involved me putting my hand into a bucket of slimy, smelly small fish and feeding it to the bigger fish. Lots of girly squealing involved and thankful for the journalist who offered antibac handwash straight after to get the smell off. It was here at this location where I was interviewed about my experience and wonder if part of it will get to air.

All in all the filming was fun, educational, frustrating, tiring, HOT! Ultimately I hope rewarding for Andaman Discoveries. Disappointingly, I didn't learn any French. But I now have contacts in the French part of Canada (it's the technical term ;)) so I will be putting it on the list of where to travel next. Before the crew left Jeff, the cameraman and director offered to buy us a round of beer then bloody left without paying for ours...tsk tsk! It was my first beer in 3 weeks too. The next day I got a stomach bug. Coincidence? You decide. Some beer brands rinse their bottles with formaldehyde here...spent a few days recovering as the combination of dehydration and heat wiped me of energy. Think I'm right now though, tally ho! As the sage Jen said, it had to happen sooner or later...

Get back to class!

2008-02-01T05:04:00.000-08:00

My first day of teaching at Kuraburi Pittiyakon was like throwing me off a jetty. Of sorts. I had just arrived at 8am right before the school assembly, held out on the school oval. 760+ students file neatly into line and the Thai National song is played by the school band - in true school band style with a few extra squeaks where there shouldn't be. Then announcements are made. And then, apparantly, that;s when you give the farang standing to the side grinning nervously like an idiot the microphone to introduce herself. Ooh! I manage to eek out hello, my name is Lisa and I come from Australia before handing the microphone back.

First class is at 8.40am, classes go for 1 hour and I did 3 classes before 12noon. The first class is a shocker, my lesson plan goes out the window as the kids are a little older (17 and 18) and it seems a bit patronising to play Simon Says and learn about telling time. I thought my first day was a bit of a shambles but the teachers with me though otherwise. I quickly learn there's not a great deal of structure within lessons and start going with the flow. Much better! Walking around the school the kids smile and wave and wai (press hands together) at me, say hello or Sawadee ka. Feel quite the celebrity. It is rare for them to see a Westerner in their town let alone have them teach at their school.

The levels of english vary, even in the same class through to nit noy (Thai for a little) to non existent. Same goes for the English teachers! Teacher Jack is my buddy, good englsih teacher in terms of grammar but not so good at speaking english. so he too is loving having an english speaker at the school. We muddle through conversations at lunchtuimein the cafeteria . He is very camp (though not sure if he is gay(!)) and loves taking photos and having photos taken of him. The other teacher s include Shinwut, a teacher who has come back out of retirement as the school was desperate for an english teacher. He starts off every lesson by getting the kids to sing along to a karaoke DVD of 'Sailing' by Rod Stewert. Yep, I'm telling the truth. The kids love singing in class, if you ask a class 'who wants to sing a song?' they go crazy and it gives you a chance to sit dpwn for a minute! They do the whole fake microphone thing, int heir own little world with closed eyes and facial movements. It's gorgeous!

It's so much fun just observing the kids here, the boys are constantly pulling up and tucking in their too big shorts. Without even thinking, the boys and girls both enter the classroom and seperate to sit down on opposite sides of the room. The kids take off their shoes before entering a school building so the entrances to buildings are littered with shoes.The school colours are navy blue and white and lilac. The lilac is because the King's daughter came and visited the school a few years ago and gave them a lot of money for computers and a new school building. Lilac corresponds to the day she was born.

On my first day Emily arrived and also a newly married American couple travelling around Asia on their honeymoon. So on my second day they all came to the school for a day of teaching. It was nice to have others there for ideas and to also play music as Amy and Ramon brought a guitar and mandolin on their travels. They have a blog which is http://www.ramamymon.wordpress.com/. Hop over and have a look as they've just posted a blog about the homestay village in which I am staying in so have some great photos of my surrounds which I have not yet gotten on to. Some pictures include my homestay family, Tic, Godam, Su and Cookie, the little mischievious girl. I saw them off on their bus to Bangkok earlier this evening, wish them well and know they'll have a fantastic time traipsing around this crazy planet of ours.

Okay, I'm writing this on Friday night and tomorrow I am heading to another village for the next 5 days. A French Canadian film crew has arrived and is doing a story on Andaman Discoveries and community based travel. I'll keep you posted as to what it is like when I get back. I have to play tourist which sucks as it's bad enough having to have my sweaty photo taken let alone video! It will be cool to visit another village, though. We have 3 days in Ban Talae Nok and 2 days in Tung Nam Dam, which will be my 3rd visit there in 2 weeks as I went for a few days with Amy, Ramon and Emily earlier this week. Teaching was out because the kids had a Boy Scout Camp.

See you soon!

Australia Day Weekend

2008-01-27T21:08:00.000-08:00

Happy Australia Day, and also Happy Burns Night to my Scottish friends. Hope both events were filled with much fun and laughter and bbq/haggis. Nice to know that I am so behind the music that I have never heard the Muse song which came in at Number 1 on JJJ's Hottest 100 this year http://triplej.abc.net.au/hottest100/. Very surprised that Josh Pyke didn't rate higher as his album did so well in the charts for an Australian artist. He did, however get several entries (3 or 4?) in so well done. Sounds like Architecture in Helsinki have had a stellar year and seems like BritPop has made a small comeback in Australian radio with lots of Muse, Editors, Kasabian etc. Only 4 Aussie songs in the top ten this year, hoped for better!

I spent Australia Day with my homestay family, extended family and new friends. We bundled into the back of the ute and went to a waterfall about 10km outside of Kuraburi town (picture above). The water was so clear it was unbelievable and the surrounds so picturesque. Reclining myself in a nook of the gentle waterfall and having the cool water wash over me in the hot sun with the kids playing in the background was bliss. One of those "this is what I am travelling for" moments and a big smile on my face all day. I love the water (typical Pisces, eh?) Had a yummy picnic there (rice of course) before returning in the afternoon a bright shade of pink. My sunburn on my arms and legs is settling down now but I've had a few uncomfortable days...silly girl.

Sunday was my "Visa Exemption Run". Originally I was thinking I would have to fly to Singapore but turns out all I needed to do was travel 2 hours north to Ranong and cross the border to Myanmar (Burma), get my stamps, turn around and come back. Ranong is not much to write about and the boat ride to Myanmar was smelly and hot. Once in Myanmar the sense of calm that Thailand has was completely missing. At Port Victoria there is chaos, confusion, poverty, corruption and oppression all staring you in the face. Not a nice place to live and no photos to show you as if the authorities catch you taking photos they can confiscate your passport and camera. Most Westerners just go to get their Visa/Visa Exemption, buy cheap whisky, rum, cigarettes and viagra(!) and turn around and head back to peaceful Thailand. It was nice to not have to experience this alone, I had Emily to chat with (in picture), a volunteer working for Andaman Discoveries office for the next few months join me. She's only just arrived in Thailand last Thursday from London and plunged herself into daily life here really well. Great girl and has some amazing pictures I hope to copy, she always pulls out her camera whenever I cannot be bothered.

Kuraburi - Tung Nang Dam

2008-01-24T22:02:00.000-08:00

As part of my 4 weeks volunteering in Thailand, I spent the first 5 days on a 'cultural immersion' programme. The first day I arrived in Kuraburi, I had spent the say travelling from the top to the bottom of the country.

At 6am I left my hostel in Chiang Mai to head to the airport for my Air Asia flight to Bangkok. All smooth sailing except for the fact they wanted to charge me for my excess 2kg baggage. No worries, snap off the front part of my pack to carry onboard and took it down to 15kg exactly. Gol! Once in Bangkok I hung around for about 4 hours at the airport waiting for my flight from BKK-Phuket. The time went quite quickly once I got some food, had a few texts from Mum and dealt with baggage again. Same airline for this flight, I added the front part of my pack back onto my checked in luggage and no mention about excess baggage. Excellent. Cut price flights are cheap here so I treat myself to flying instead of travelling on trains/buses for this journey.

Walking outside at Phuket Airport, it is POURING with rain. What a welcome! Tony, one of the young Thai workers for North Andaman Tsunami Relief (NATR) is waiting to pick me up and drive me to Kuraburi, my home in Thailand for the next little while. NATR is the NGO from which has grown Andaman Discoveries, the community based development organisation. Have a mosey on their websites http://www.andamandiscoveries.com/ and http://www.northandamantsunamirelief.com/unamirelief.com/.

For those that can't be bothered clicking, Andaman Discoveries' mission is to "support community-led development by acting as bridge to respectful visitors and volunteers through sponsorship of education, conservation and cultural empowerment". I am really impressed with this organisation and how it is run and would definately recommend it to anyone wanting to travel to Thailand for a bit more than beaches, sunburn and cheap sunglasses (or if you really want you can do both!)

Anyway, back to the story at hand.

So, Tony and I drove up Highway 4 to Kuraburi. It was a pleasant (straight!) drive of about 3 hours. I met Kelly, the Director of Andaman Discoveries. She is English but has been in Kuraburi for 2 years and Thailand for several more. Once the organisation is a little more set up, she will leave all the running to the local Thai team which are doing a great amount of work already. This change may be as soon as mid 2008.

Kelly and Tony took me to my homestay where I would stay for the night then take a long tail boat to Tung Nang Dam village the next day. Details of my homestay family and surroundings coming up in a later story. In short: delightful!

So good nights' sleep and a visit to the Watermelon Festival (another story on it's way) and off we go to Kuraburi pier to meet noy, my homestay host and local guide for the next 4 days in Tung Nang Dam. The boat ride was about half an hour and we travelled through mangroves to get there. Noy lives with her ageing (but still sprightly!) parents and looks after them. She has quite a few brothers and sisters, the youngest is also living in the home. The home is two level, is clean and cosy - as cosy as you can get with a cement floor and a few plastic chairs, no hot water or refrigerator. In fact, not much electricity at all, they have solar power so they save it up at night to watch a little bit of telly in the evenings. Pictures are of the living space downstairs and the hong nam (toilet!).

During the 4 days Kelly left and Tony arrived to stay and help with translation. We did plenty of activites where I learned so much and made me look forward to a cold shower twice a day...it is very hot on the island, shade or no shade!

On the first day we made pots of Noy's orchid conservation project. She has set up a nursey as people used to come to TND and steal the wild orchids to plant in their gardens. She plants cuttings from orchids, focusing on rarer varieties and when they are grown a little more and ready, she replants them in the jungle on the island. These pots we made from wood and bamboo and I am frustratingly bad at hammering nails into these materials! The nails we used were covered in black sticky stuff, they had been dropped in the sea water so to stop them from being unusable they soaked them in petrol. It saved the nails, but they were very unhappy to use the petrol as it is very expensive. Anywhere else we would just have thrown the nails out and bought new ones, hey...

Another day we made a traditional Thai dessert out of coconut. We shredded the coconut by hand (not as easy as it sounds!) then made milk from the shreds. The milk was poured into hot moulds and fried. Very sweet, not so tasty in my opinion but good experience!

The jungle hike was my favourite part of this trip. Hard but not too hard, stunning views and well worth reaching the top. So nice to see the wild orchids also, as well as various wildlife (snakes!). I am debating about whether to include my photo here as I was looking like a hot, sweaty Farang (westerner) - UGLY! After that we walked to the beach.

One of the days I was supposed to help build the community centre on the island but this didn't go to plan as that day they were building the roof. Instead, I watched them build whilst breaking countless Occ Health and Safety rules. Not wearing shoes on site, or whilst operating a chainsaw, almost falling off the roof from trying to pick up a lit cigarette (with their feet!) and children running about the site without a care in the world about the various offcuts and general construction materials lying about the playspace.

I made a mobile/windchime with coconut shells, sounds great in theory but bloody hard work and boring when drilling the holes without a drill! I hate being from the instant gratification generation. I made this for Jen as I was going to buy a windchime but I'm not sure if i'll get it through Aussie customs. I'll try!

One of the main sources of income in the village is natural rubber and I saw how it is extracted from the tree and made into sheets to sell. It is extremely had work, very low pay and as such a lot of Thai won't do it, so Burmese families come over the border for work. Same goes for the work on fishing boats.

Finally on one of the days we took the boat and went fishing for the day and visited a little island about 90 minutes away. I really don't enjoy fishing! We caught some squid as well and it's just so mucky with the black ink squirts and all. My only princess moment :)

Spent the day on this "deserted island" (by my standards ie. there was no one but us there and no buildings). We had lunch (cooked on board!) with rice and the fish we had caught that day. tony also made a fire to BBQ the squid on the island.

The food situation was amazing, every day we would make several different Thai dishes to share with lots of rice. Being an island there was a lot of fish to eat which I struggled with a little. Getting used to the spice now though.

It is hard to write just the bare bones of my experience but I wish I could share so much more with you. What I have seen, the smells, the weather, the mosquitoes(!) All pretty amazing. Living with a Thai family and doing normal things for them was completely new for me. Like rounding up the goats and feeding the baby ones in the evenings and waking up to rice soup for brekky. This is Noy and I in the picture as I was leaving the island. Great fun, great smile.

Lots of stories, jumble jumble.

2008-01-24T21:46:00.000-08:00

So many stories for you I have not been writing down.

In chronological order I have:-

-BKK craziness in Bangkok

-Been to the Couch Surfing Collective in Pai, Thailand.

-Talked with a monk in Chiang Mai

-Travelled to Kuraburi on the Andaman Coast. Met my homestay family who I will stay with for a month.

-Been to a Watermelon Festival

-Stayed 4 days in an island village off the coast of Kuraburi

-Started my teaching at Kuraburi Pittayakorn (High School)

It is here where I am until mid February volunteering teaching English. It is amazing, surreal, crazy fun. I am treated like a bit of a celeb as they don't see Farang (foreigners) here in the town very often. Like I said, crazy.

Slowly I am getting together my thoughts and experiences to tell you. They will be out of order so when you read them as I update, story number one is on it's way next!

Thailand

2008-01-14T05:05:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile blog!

So New Year's went grand, big party and silliness and I got on my 12.30pm 5 pound train to London from Edinburgh. Much fun especially having Ezara (pictured) visiting from Dublin to stay with us as well - the flat was full. Some tears from Briony and I at the train station, can't believe I won't see her in a little/long while (who knows?) after such an epic 2007 with her by my side for much of.

My flying visit to London went so smoothly, would have loved more time to catch up with people before I went but alas. Like I mentioned in my last post, I stayed with Claire, a lovely friend of mine who would probably be in Australia right now, visiting for the first time...lucky her! It was a great base to get all my last minute messages done and I was able to mosey to Heathrow very easily from there on the tube in the evening. Still can't believe I am on my way home and that I won't be hopping back to London any time soon. Flight went well and had a fantastic hostel in Bangkok, met some people and saw some sights...and had never yearned for fresh air more in my life. Would have liked to have spent more time in BKK but Pai beckoned 3 nights after my arrival in SE Asia.

Pai is a little town in the mountains in Northern Thailand. Quite an artistic community and it is so nice to have lots of music and art all around all the time. I don't have much internet time so I will post a little more about it another day but to cut it short I've been having a great time with beautifully hot days but freezing my bum off at night - it's the cold season here and the temperature DROPS after 8pm. I had a flight to Chang Mai from BKK then caught a rickshaw/"bus" (pictured, and PS the doors didn't shut for most of the ride, safety third in Thailand!) on the 4 hour drive to Pai...with a journey that encounters over 760 curves in the road. I had dosed up on travel sickness medication and unfortunately missed what I am sure was an amusing journey as I was knocked out for most of it.

2008 already?

2007-12-31T05:29:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to everyone! It's about that time right now in Australia (42 degrees I hear!) and all going to be happening soon in Edinburgh. It is cold and grey and I am not sure about the fate of the street party if the weather continues to go downhill. Having a great time back here but it no longer feels like "home" and that makes me want to come back to Australia even more. Still, though I have one more major leg in my journey which is Thailand. I fly out from London on the evening of the 2nd of January (staying with good friend Claire who I met at VaughanTown) and arrive the next day in Bangkok. Have a few days there then off to Pai in Northern Thailand for a weeks then down to the Andaman Coast. Sometime around the 1st of February I will have to leave and reenter the country as I won't be able to get a Visa due to having no time in London! So I'll be wasting a weekend by flying from Phuket-Singapore or somewhere similar then turning straight around to head back so i can get another 30 day Visa exemption stamp in my passport. Crazy rules, who needs them?

So I wish all the best for everyone in the new year and hope you are all happy and healthy. See you in 2008!

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-25T06:16:00.000-08:00

Photo: On top of the Bell Tower in Valencia, Spain.

Although very aware that for most of you, Christmas is already over and you are kicking back on Boxing Day, or hanging out for the Stocktake Sales - right now it is Christmas Day in Madrid!

Staying with Marcos' family, last night we had a supper with 10 members of his family (lots of seafood, and yummy prawns) and today after a lazy morning people are coming back for Christmas lunch, which will probably be in a half an hour (around 4pm!) or so, so I must dash.

I hope you all have a great time over and around Christmas and am thinking of you. Family, friends, all the people I have met over my travels.

Leave me a comment if you still drop in on this page, lately only my everloving Jen seems to be the only one to be replying to my posts (which makes all this effort typing absolutely worth it). It takes no effort at all to click on the comments button below and would give me great joy if you do! I am surrounded by beautiful people here in Madrid but it is still so nice to hear from dear ones around this time of year.

Spain, Part 1

2007-12-19T10:13:00.000-08:00

Caught the plane from Rome-Madrid. Everyone on the plan must have been hungry, by the time the food trolley rolled up to 18F there was no food left! They guy next to be in 18E nabbed the last packet of Pringles and offered them to me. Alas, I was stuck with my bottle of water and a rumbling tummy for the next few hours. A few hours later I was in Spain! No Passport control at the airport, so I walked straight through with no stamp in my passport, damn! Followed the directions Diana gave me to her train station, it was really easy and in no time I was with Marcos and Diana in SPAIN! Rest assured there were many exclamations from all of us "Lisa is in SPAIN!" Crazy. Stayed that weekend with Diana and Diana's family (who had visited Edinburgh before, beautiful family). Later that night we went for rationes, like tapas but in bigger portions. Our choices included patates bravas - potato with spicy tomato sauce, calamares - calimari, and orecheo(sp) - pigs ears!!! Now I can say I have tried them but they won't become a regular fixture on my plate...it's a texture thing. The bar we went to had a medieval theme and the tables had real tree stumps as bases. Weird. Also, you can sit at tables with a keg and beer tap all set up so you can pour your own Mahou and help yourself! Apparantly they measure how much you use after you've finished drinking so you can settle the bill.

We head back home after a few drinks and it is cold! There is also a really heavy fog which is baffling - I wasn't expecting this from Madrid at all! Apparantly the change came over that day and was the first day of "cold"...good timing Lisa!

Saturday I was greeted in the morning with Spanish muffins for breakfast - Magdalenas - Marcos loves these even more than Tesco chocolate muffins, which is a lot. Off we go into town and Marcos and Diana give me a grand walking tour of Madrid. Puerto Del Sol, the Heart of Spain (aka kilometre zero), the Royal Palace and Gardens, the Opera House, Gran Via and lots of other places I can't remember right now. The other photo with all the people is in he laneways leading to the Christmas markets, sooooo many people out this Saturday it was unbelievable.

Madrid has real pride of its art collections and I had planned on seeing the Prado or the Reina Sofia but it's a long weekend in Spain and lots of people have come to the capital - the lines for these places are crazy!

We have a yummy lunch, more walking and then time for a coffee stop. By this time, it's 7pm and time for me to head to my Tapas reception for VaughanTown...next post!

Venice-Rome

2007-12-07T01:57:00.000-08:00

Although more "luxurious" (and expensive) I was more comfy on the sleeper train from Berlin-Krakow than i was on this one. The 4 person female only sleepers are lockable from the inside which makes me feel more comfy about the safety on this train. the ride is not very smooth and sometimes jolts us awake (really jolts us) and also, 2 ladies come into the cabin at a later station about 1.30am and chat etc. before going to sleep. Arrive 6.50am bleary eyed. head to the hostel which is a metro ride away, get crammed in to peak hour public transport and see people sleeping rough at the station. The hostel is more like a hotel, I'm in a 4 bed dorm with a young British couple and the boy's father. they have connections to Australia and the father had been to Adelaide earlier in the year so we chat a lot. I am relieved as my couchsurfing fell through in Rome I booked this place at the last minute and didn't have high hopes. I have a shower and a nap then head out about 10.30am, armed with my sunglasses (one of my simplest pleasures is being able to wear my sunnies, Scotland isn't a great place to indulge in that). Again, take a million photos, everywhere you turn you want to take a picture. It is so sunny I find a patch to lie down and soak up the rays for half an hour.

Met two girls from South Africa and spent the rest of he day with them, we all got along really well. One is studying medicine and they have 2 weeks in Italy before her break is over and she has to return to study in Johannesburg, Siena is next on their itinerary. We visit the Colosseum, Pantheon, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (picture), the Spanish Steps and Fontana di trevi. When we were in the Collesseum, I run into one of the girls who was on the Paddywagon tour in Ireland...small world. She is doing a Contiki tour at the moment and sounds like she is having lots of fun. Surreal moment, running into someone you know at the Collesseum!

At 6.30pm the SA girls and I separate so I can go home to pick up my jacket and we meet up again about 10pm for a few drinks in the Trastevere area. I love all the little bars and clubs but wish I knew more Italian to speak with the locals! Have a great night, again on Italian wine. Sleep soooo well that night as I must have walked 15 kilometres today (or it felt like).

The next day I head to the Vatican City, i'm too late to go to the museum and Sistine Chapel but that doesn't bother me. Hang out and look for the Pope but don't spot him. Again, another beautiful day, slightly colder but still sunny and clear blue skies. Have two gelatis today (!!!) one is Nutella flavour, my world is complete. After Vatican City I walk a few blocks to a lively food market in a residential area. Sadly it is starting to close by the time I get there and I wish I had a fridge so i could buy the yummy cheeses and meats to bring to Marcos and Diana in Spain. The rest of the afternoon I spend in Palazzo del Popolo, sitting next to a group of art students drawing the area (picture). When I did art at school we would draw pieces of fruit and bottles of Coke and erasers, these guys are spoilt!

Spend the night at the hostel bar, there is free pizza and hang out with a few Aussie travellers then later Holly and Dan (dormmates). They are a lovely couple and we chat for hours about nothing and it is great fun. They are waiting for their visas to come through so they can return to live in Australia for at least 3 years, in Maroubra. If all goes to plan they might be back there in about a month. They give me their address in Maroubra and I think next time I'm in Sydney I will definitely catch up with these guys.

It's now Friday morning and I'm at the internet cafe typing up all my nonsense...hope you're still reading! After this I will head to a cafe for a coffee and maybe another gelati and then start to head to the airport for my flight to Madrid. Spending 2 nights with Marcos and his family and can't wait to see Diana also. On Sunday morning I head to Avila which is where I will be for the following 5 nights at VaughanTown doing my spot of volunteering helping to teach English. Just a note there is no internet there, Wifi but no internet so I won't be checking my email or updating my mobile until after the 15th December most likely. See you then :)

Venice!

2007-12-07T01:48:00.001-08:00

It was a toss up between Verona and Venice for me to see before rome. I kept changing my mind as I thought Venice would be so much nicer with someone to share it with. I am glad i ended up choosing Venice as I'm having a great time. When I get into the train station at 2pm it is so sunny I consider leaving my jacket with left luggage. I stay wise and keep it on though. i have the rest of the afternoon and evening before getting on the overnight train to rome at midnight. I'm getting a couchette as theives work on this route apprantly.

But before that, yes, that's right - I explore! I don't even bother with a map as I knew I'd get lost so instead just follow the yellow wall signs to San Marco. Take a million pictures, the scenery is intoxicating...as is the smell sometimes (not in a good way). I do hate to think what it would be like in summer with the heat and the crowds. Go to Castello and follow the Canale di San Marco to Lido while the sun sets. There is a beautiful park along the water and it's further up than a lot of tourists bother to venture...very rewarding. At Lido I catch the Vaporetto 1 (water bus) all the way down back near where the train station is. It takes an hour and is my cheat's gide to an expensive gondola. I dit right at the front and my hands freeze but the scenery makes up for it. The sun is down now but the buildings are all lit up and the place looks magical.

I spend my evening in Dorosduro, a place where students and locals go for bars and nightlife. the university is right here. I visit a church which is open where a choir is practising and i listen for a little while then head to Cafe Blu, a place I'd been recommended - and get lost. Find it eventually after finding out I'd been walking in the wrong direction for 10 minutes. It is here I am writing this entry, drinking a glass of Italian Red that's going down pretty darn well. A little bit before this I had the biggest slice of pizza (funghi, of course) which was yummy and cheap compared to the tourist areas. I'm putting my high school Italian to the test as well as lots of hand gestures...when in Rome(!!!)

PS - look at all that Nutella...Italians go crazy for a bit of Nutella. These jars were like the size of my head...bigger...that's a lot of Nutella...mmm Nutella. I no longer have Vegemite withdrawals because of Nutella.

Lucerne

2007-12-07T01:26:00.000-08:00

Pictures coming soon!

3 trains from Nuremberg to Lucerne, it's an early start and I see the sunrise on the first train. Beautiful scenery...and then the train went to Switzerland. Breathtaking. Giant waterfalls on this side, mountains on the other, green, green, green and beautiful houses. The line from Zurich - Lucerne was especially lovely, I can't believe I am in a place as beautiful as this. Laura is my host, I am couchsurfing with her for 2 nights. She lives right in the middle of the city in a beautiful apartment, set up perfectly and she is so lovely. What a character, we chat for over an hour over a yummy cup of tea and then she has to do a bit of marking (she is a teacher, her students are around 11 years old), and also go to the basement to get her Chirstmas decorations, so I leave her to it so i can explore the city. I basically just wander around, window shop at all the gorgeous boutiques, jewellers and watches! Stroll along the water and there is a concert on the waterfront, put on by Coca Cola for Christmas time, some kind of Coke festival with a big red semi trailer as the centrepiece! There is a music stage and a famous Swiss band plays, as well as gospel singers and a pop star. Good fun and i got a free Coke. Now that's advertising!

During the day I wander up to the Old City Wall. There's a little bit of fog aorund so it hampers the view of the mountains but lovely nonetheless. i wish I had more time to check out the rest of the country, maybe even try to attempt to ski. Or not...other sites in the medieval city inlcude the Chapel Bridge (picture), water tower and the city squares. The lake running through the city is gorgeous and I have a picnic lunch looking out across the river.

In the evening Laura comes home from work and we hang out and chat before she goes to her dance class. i go out quickly as well to get some supplies for the train ride tomorrow and spend the last few franks I have. When i come back I have a shower and it is so nice to be able to take my time instead of getting frustrated at timer showers like the hostels have. When Laura returns from her dance class we chat some more (noticing a theme, she has no TV so there's nothing else to do and it's great!) and exchange bands we think the other might like. Great evening, I wish I could stay longer but Italy is beckoning!!!

The train ride the next morning is long but scenic, the mountains and ravines and even waterfalls make Switzerland one beautiful country. The train takes us past Lugano, and in Italy Como (wow). There is a sparkling blue sky and even heat from the sun coming through the window. What a lovely feeling!!!

the train from Milan-Venice is so crowded I have to sit on a pull out seat in the hallway. No wonder it is a 'recommended reservation' journey! Only 1 hour though and I nab a proper seat. Food trolley and passers by make for interesting contortions with bags and what not from me and all the other people sitting in the hallway.

Nuremberg

2007-12-07T01:15:00.001-08:00

To break up the journey from Prague to Switzerland, I chose Nuremberg to stop overnight. Originally I had planned this for Munich but it was simpler connecting to and from Nuremberg. Jen, Cara, you'll be pleased to know i think there was an emo convention upon my arrival at the train station, I have never seen so many emos in my life, seriously hundreds! The emos over here are much better than Australian emos, they have better hair. My Chemical Romance or some crap band must have been playing Nuremberg that night perhaps. Seeing them puts me in a way better mood than I was in in Prague.

The hostel is standard, disappointing as i had stayed at the same hostel in Berlin and that had more character. Spent the afternoon and evening wandering around the town, despite the rain. The city was packed as the Christmas Market has just started and the one in Nuremberg is the biggest in Germany, possibly Europe. It spilled out across several squares and the connecting streets. There are trinkets and lots of delicate gifts but more importantly Bavarian food! Everyone has food or drink in their hand so I decide to join them. First I try Bratwurstl, little sausages i bread which are scrumptious. then after a while I have potato pancakes and apple sauce, served on a wafer. Can't remember what these are called. The people serving at this tent were all in singlets as working with litres of hot frying oil is probably a little warmer than being on the other side of the counter. Hillarious!

The sweet stalls had giant cookies, little cookies, gingerbread in all shapes and sizes and lots of Christmas Cake, so i get a small slice of that. One of the photos I have added is of a stall selling half a metre long hotdogs...yes, that is serious. I really wanted a photo of someone holding one but alas, felt too much like a stalker. Changing the subject, there are bands playing on the stage and the place has a great feeling to it. I'm really glad I came here, the city is gorgeous, totally Bavarian and the view from the Castle is worth the uphill walk. Over on one side of the city the houses look like the view from the glass elevator from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I just googled it and the place was Rothenberg, oh well, I was close!

Prague

2007-12-07T01:10:00.000-08:00

On the train from Olomouc I have this overwhelming sense of sadness as we approach Prague. This time last year was the time when I had to face a lot of hurdles with my back injury and Bella dying. I dont want to make a big deal of things as it will only make me sadder and I have done a lot of things in between then and now which has made me so proud. My back is really good at the moment, but it sucks just being so aware of it all the time, how it's feeling etc etc. There are some times where it still stresses me out but it's certainly not holding me back from doing anything and I am so grateful of that.

Feelings wise, I still get a bit blue and of course homesick sometimes, but nowhere near like I was. Again, it's keeping active and keping my back healthy as I know if my back gets bad then my mood tends to tumble.

It sounds silly, but if anyone who is still reading this knew Bella, I'd love if you could post a message on here and tell me a story about her. It will make me laugh, God knew that dog gave me a lot of laughs, stealing food etc. I don't think I ever told Mum about the turkey roll incident one day where she jumped up on the kitchen counter and grabbed a turkey roll fresh from the oven. Five second rule, it was still good (and too expensive not to eat it!). Hi Mum!

Prague is lonely. It's the first bit of the trip where I havent befriended anyone. I think I am also on 'beautiful sights' overload. On Thursday night upon arrival at the hostel I was accosted by a group of young American students studying Spanish in Madrid. They are loud, anoying and drunk but I don't say no when they invite me to join them on the town. I last the tram trip into town nd about 10 minutes of them stumbling aorund. There are two kinda sobre ones so i let the know I'm going off on my own and I think they wish they could join. They'll be babysitting the other 6 all night.

I walk around for an hour or so before the cold gets to me and I head back to the hostel. It's got a great bar downstairs that's like a friends' living room. Lots of comfy chairs, good music. there's a good group of people there to chat with but most are leaving the next morning. I retire about 1 am, full of Kozel, one of Czech's favourite (cheap!) beers.

The next morning I get up to head to a walking tour of Prague. The guide is lovely but we spend 3 1/2 hours and only se part of the Jewish Town, the Main Sqare and Wenceslas Square. I didnt learn as much history as I did n the Berlin walk although our guide was more than happy to tell us all about going to a Czech university, the admissions process and so on. Why, I don't know as the group clearly weren't into it.

After the tour, I visit the Museum of Communism, conveniently locaed above McDonalds! It took 3 weeks after the fall of communism here for the first one to appear in Prague, amazing. It was done quite well to show what it was like living in communism but I would have liked more of an exploration into the Velvet Revolution and the toppling of Czecheslovakia's communist regime.

At 8pm I go to a concert in St Nicholas' Church in the main square. It goes for an hour and a group of 9 muscians play pieces from Mozart, Handel and Werner and finish with 'Still Night' (Silent Night). It is a beautiful (albeit it freezing!) church and it was a great atmosphere listening to this classical music.

Get lost walking to the tram to take me back to the hostel and the workers are putting up Christmas decorations in the street with the tram line so service is suspended for the evening. Get lost again trying to find an alternative tram, but eventually make it back to the hostel. Organise my Couchsurfing in Lucerne for Sunday and Monday nights and my train to Nuremberg the following day then go to bed. I know Prague is a beautiful place but I found it very solitary and also the main parts full of tacky souvenir shops.

Krakow - Olomouc (updated 7.12.07)

2007-12-03T07:34:00.000-08:00

I took the overnight train to Krakow on Sunday night. During the day there was a Couchsurfing meeting where we were supposed to go iceskating but the outdoor rink was closed. Instead we drank Gluhwein (hot wine with spices) and chatted, there were about 15 of us all sitting around a long table in an wooden building as part of a Christmas market.

I head to the train station after this and the train ride is fine, except we arrive about an hour later than expected in Krakow. My couchette cabin is full but surprisingly comfy for such a cramped space with 6 people and luggage. Perhaps I was pschying myself up for it to be a lot worse..

Hostel I stay at is great, good choice again. Staff are so friendly and give me the rundown of the city. But first things first, it`s laundry day. I picked the right place to do it as its free here! As they have no dryer I spend the whole day lounging around the place as I have no trousers or socks to wear! Lucky this place is small, like an apartment, feel right at home in Krakow watching a big plasma tv and using the free internet. There is free brekky and free supper too, I am getting the vibe Krakow has a very competitive backpackers market.

Make friends with some other travellers, and we go to dinner at U Babici Maliny. My clothes are not dry yet so must head out all rugged up on top but wearing 3\4 length leggings and no socks! I wish I knew Polish for "its washing day" so I could make a sign and wear it on my head. Everyone takes so much pride in their appearance here I feel like a bit of a fool. Oh well! I had a massive meal, as did Alan the guy who came out to dinner and with our beers all together the meals only cost about 5 pounds each! Its suprisingly not that bad walking back in the snow with my shins uncovered but Im glad to get back to the warmth. We organise to go together to see Auschwitz the next day, early in the morning.

So, we get up at around 7.15 to have brekky and take the bus to Osweicim/Auschwitz, it takes about 90 minutes. We decide doing a guided tour and its a good decision, we take our time with the museum instead of just being rushed in and out. Of course the exhibits are shocking in Auschwitzs museum but we are more struck by the sheer siye of the second camp, Bikenau. At Auschwitz you got an insight into how the victims of the Nazis were treated, some sense of the people and thier lives before the troubles and a very good display on the Polish Resistance. There were rooms which held amazing amounts of peoples property inlcuding suitcases, shoes, glasses, hairbrushes and human hair. The human hair was kept by the Nazis to make into material.

Birkenau was not so much a museum but gave you a feeling of how awful the conditions were for the Jewish. Absolutely awful, it made us even more sombre walking the length of the camp with the railway with the gates of death at the top at one end and the crematoriums at the other, while it snowed hard. We were frozen and in many layers, the victims had no more than a pair of pyjamas, not even shoes. Their calorie intake was counted so that with the labour they performed, they would only live to see 3 or 4 months before expiring. We take a long, slow ride back to krakow. it wasnt a pleasant day but something I felt I needed to see. No amount of seeing will ever make me understand how the Nazis could do so many atrocious things to so many people. Never.

That evening about 5 of us from the hostel go out to dinner at a Georgian restaurant. Good to chat although the big tables are only in the smoking section - bars are one thing but smoking in restaurants I just find repulsive now. Get over it though and have a yummy chicken dish with rice and the best thing about Georgian food is that it comes with lots of sauces you can add to the dish.

Left the gang who were all heading back to the hostel but I needed to walk off some of that sauce! It's so pretty all lit up at night and people are having snowall fights in he park. The next morning I do a bit more sightseeing before I catch my train to Olomouc. I took a tour bus as I thought it would be quicker and easier than walking but it was a waste of time and I have never been so cold in my life sitting on the top of a bus while it is snowing in order to get some good pictures. Especially when we picked up speed (for some reason we went on a highway), the wind was like knives. I wasn't the only one suffering either, there were a group of Enlgish tourists as well (although I suffered more than them as I had to overhear their very bad jokes).

Onto Olomouc, in Moravia, Czech Republic. I have a few train changes and one completely baffles me. In Katowice after askin at the window what the next train transfer I have a young Polish guy comes up to me ad says thats what he was wanting to ask too, he's going to the same place. I have to get rid of my Polish loose change so say to him 'see you on the platform'. Thank God I did after spending about 20 minutes of not knowing what was going on he spots me and tells me the train is delayed. We chat for the next few hours on the train he's a medicine student on an Erasmus programme in Olomouc. It's his last year of study. I am Couchsurfing with Anna, a uni student as well and we find out that they both live in the same uni residence...small world!

After meeting up with Anna, we all take the tram back to the residence and get numbers to meet up again that night in town. I get freshened up nd we head out to dnner at 'Torture' restaurant which was quite funny, the food wasn't very good but it was like eating in a dungeon (hoping that was part of the theme). After that we head to the club where Anna's classmates are (they study Chinese). It's great fun and many drinks are consumed, mine includes Kofola, the Czech alternative to Coke! I think it's nice although it has a lot more flavour than coke and is not as fizzy. There are a few Slovakian students and I get the lowdown on why I should visit Bratislava. It was on my wishlist, but again some other time. Next time. there is a guy who smokes cigarillos but is convinced he is not a smoker and I rile him up a about it. there is also another guy who was obsessed with Scrubs and loves the fact I know it as it is not shown over here.

We stumble home at 2am, my plans for getting up early the next morning are foiled but I spend mid morning enjoying a crisp, clear blue sy and the sights of Olomouc. This includes the many fountains, the astrological clock and the Christmas market, where I buy some things and a potato pancake for lunch. I ignore the amount of oil it was fried in and it as delicious. My host Anna showed me a great time in Olomouc an I'm glad I made the stop off there before continuing to Prague. I got a great glimpse of Czech student life and saw another city I'd never heard of until a few days before but would now recommend to anyone who will listen!

Maastricht - Berlin.

2007-11-30T14:22:00.000-08:00

Arrive in Maastricht late afternoon. Stay OK is a brand spanking new hostel which is great but it has zero character. There are 3 other girls in my dorm and later that evening one came with me for a big walk around the city. It's a very beautiful place, right down the bottom of the Netherlands...it's so beautiful I could imagine living here very happily.

The next morning I get up a bit earlier and walk around the city again to take some photos and see the city in the daylight. Beautiful sunrise. I go back to the hostel to have the yummiest and biggest brekky ever, before catching my train at 11am. Bad point, for about an hour before catching my train I was fruitlessly searching for an internet cafe with my big pack on my back. The library didn't open until half an hour before my train left so ended up going there to check my email then running to the train station, with 15.7 kgs (my life!) strapped to my back.

I have to catch 4 trains to Berlin, the first two are only short and on the last two I have company from one of my roomates from the night before. Anya is 20 and spent last year in America as an au pair and although is German speaks perfect english with an American accent. She came to Maastricht to find a flat as she is studying at university there in the new year. We chat the whole 6 hours to Berlin and she invites me to her town about 1 hour out of Berlin. Sadly, I don't go as there is way too much going on in Berlin!

Once in Berlin I'm straight to the hostel, it's again a great choice and I have a whole dorm all to myself on night 1. 7 requests for couch surfing here have all been denied - it's pretty tuough handling all these denials but people already have guests, are travelling or not able to host. Oh well!

I walk al day Friday from noon til 10pm. Come back to the hostel to relax, it's been a good, but LONG day exploring. In the afternoon I did a walking tour which went for just under 4 hours and took in Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag, Hitler's Bunker (well we stood on top of it), Luftwaffe HQ, the Holocaust Memorial, Potsdamer Platz, Berlin Wall, SS HQ, Checkpoint Charlie (even though it's all replica now and surrounded by souvenir shops), Bebelplatz and the book burning memorial, Museum Island and Gendamenmarkt. It was really good (for free! The guides work on tips...don't worry I gave him a few euro) but feel like I need to go back and visit a lot of these sites again, especially the Holocaust Memorial. After the tour I tried to get a last minute, cheap student ticket to the opera 'Aida' but alas, it's all sold out. I'll try for whatever's playing the next night. I wander around the city, stumble upon a few cool things but felt like I was missing something. This is the one city Jen and I need to visit together, and being there without her is just not as cool as it would be with her...can't wait to see you in Perth, my darl!

On Saturday I take an 'Alternative Berlin' walking tour. It's a good group of about 10 people (yesterday was over 25) and we all get along well. Again, the guide works on tips, but instead of seeing monuments and historical stuff we see things like street art, graffiti and the districts that make up Berlin. We use the public transport as well so we can get further out. Had lunch at Curry, cheap and filling German nosh. We visit a vintage shop called Colours where you buy clothing by the kilo! I finally found an awesome beanie and it was only 1 euro 20! I also bought a silk scarf for 1 euro, noice :)

Visited Kreuzberg, Friedrichshain, Prenzlauerberg and Mitte. We visit Eastside Gallery, a 1.3 km stretch of the Berlin Wall (and climb it - see photo) but walk along it on the other side, so have it to ourselves instead of tussling with tourists on the other side! In summer the tour would have finished here at a daytime rave! Instead, we escape from the Berlin Wall by crawling under a fence at the end...it's all very funny and really interesting to be going around town with a local. Amazing sunset. Great diversion from seeing monuments and cathedrals (not that there's anything wrong with that).

End up at this place which I've forgotten the name of which is a famous space for artists. Have a beer here and finish the tour.

Oh, and we also broke into an abandoned building (seriously) and climbed up onto the roof. This is all part of the tour (and the guide has his lawyer on speed dial should anything happen. Apparantly we wouldn't get in trouble if we got spotted by the cops because there is no sign on this building saying "no trespassing".

I decide I need a bit of culture to make up for my breaking the law (this photo is my bemused face at the top of the building and the one above it is another Aussie making his entrance). I head to Opera House half an hour before performance. I nab a ticket for 12 euro but it's the state ballet tonight (Jerome Robbins 'Balletabend") and not opera. It was lovely although completely weird to go to such a beautiful building in a hoodie, jeans and sneakers. It's Berlin so no one cares, at least that's what I keep telling myself.

Head back to the hostel and decide to call it a night but my dorm mates invite me out, I can't refuse. We leave the hostel at 1 am and head to Weekend, a club on the 12th floor of an office block overlooking Alexanderplatz. It's a crazy, Berlin nightclub and we dance until 5 am and then decide to go...and it's snowing outside! I feel giddy from the excitement of snow but that quickly disappears when I have to walk thorugh snow and slush in my 5 pound ballet flats with holes in the soles. They go in the bin on arrival at the hostel and my feet surprisingly defrost quickly.

What an amazing day that was! Graffiti, abandoned buildings, climbing the Wall, ballet, electronic music and snow. And that's just the main things I remember! I'm satisfied with my time here in Berlin and decide to head to Krakow a day earlier than planned.

Clearing the backlog of posts...a current update

2007-11-27T14:57:00.001-08:00

Hi All,

Just a quick note to say my travels are going really well and so far I've been handling the last three days of snow...real snow!!!

Journey so far after Ireland has been Brussels, Brugges, Maastricht, Berlin, Krakow, Osweichiem (Auschwitz). Tomorrow I leave Krakow for Olomouc, then Prague, then after that it looks like Cesky Krumlov, Munich, Lucerne, Venice and Rome. I have bought a cheap flight from Rome to Madrid as i will be pushing it too much to travel overland to get there by 7 December in preparation for my english teaching.

By the way, yes, i am aware I am completely shunning France on this trip. How rude! No real reason why other than I'm just running out of time. I'll get there another time, perhaps when I am able to shop in Dior and wear high heels, Carrie Bradshaw style.

Until then I will be a dag doing silly poses like this (picture) on the side of the Berlin Wall where rave parties are held in the summer.

Slowly i will add photos and updates from my trip, over the last few days i've been clearing the backlog of older stories I've been wanting to share. Scroll down and happy reading!

Belgium

2007-11-21T03:23:00.000-08:00

Monday 19 November

Up at 5.15am and a quick taxi to the Dublin airport. We are waiting on he tarmac for 1 hour before the plane takes off to arrive in Brussels. Brussels Chaleroi Airport is about 40 minutes away from the city centre so I jumped on the local bus to take me to the train station to christen my interrail ticket. Weird feeling to just get on a train and not have to pay for a ticket, ah the joy of prepaying!

Brussels Midi Station, I left my luggage here and walked into town. Saw Manneken Pis, Grand palace, Parc De Bruxelles to the Australian Embassy to vote in the federal election (see photo, yes it is the wrong way but I don't know what rotate is in Polish!). After 3 solid hours of walking, (no rain though grey skies) I treated myself to a Belgian waffle with hot melted chocolate on it. Amazing. Caled 'jolie' by a French boy wanting a light for his cig - I told him smoking was bad for his health.

Walked back to meet my Couch Surfing host Jemiro, just after 6pm. It is the first time I have been in a left hand drive car and it feels weird! Jemiro's place is just outside the city and he rents the second level of an older ladie's gorgeous flat - she is scared of living alone. the house is 4 levels and there are paintings al in the hallway and I assume all throughout the house - the women's father was a famous Flemish painter. I feel as though I am in Europe totally.

Jemiro and I get along great, he is such a polite, friendly, nice guy and gives me a great rundown of Belgian history - much more interesting hearing it this way than from some guidebook. We go for a ride around Brussels and he points out the European Parliament, Royal Palace and the Atomium (picture, also sideways), amongst other things. The Atomium is the weirdest thing Ive come across since travelling but I guess that's one of the quirks of Brussels.

We bought some vol au vents and made tea. Jemiro sneaked off and also bought some frites (fries) which we had talked about earlier. Had a great chat all through the night before retiring on the comfy couch.

The next day we head to the local bakery for a croissant and a chocolate croissant(!) for brekky. Jemiro drops me off at Centraal Station and I take a day trip to Brugges on the train. It's a beautiful medieval (I think?) city with a small, gorgeous layout. One of its main squares has Belgium's oldest Stadhuis (city hall). In the same square there is the Basilica of Holy Blood where a few drops of Jesus' coagulated blood is kept. Make of that what you want, the basilica was closed for lunch, when I arrived, as is most of the town until 1.30pm. I go for a big walk and fall in love with the little apartments and their lace curtains.

The begijnhof is home to a 13th century religious community of unmarried/widowed women, known in Belgium as Begijen. It has gorgeous grounds and you are welcome to wander through these in silence. I almost die when I go past the giant door to the church and it opens from the other side. Try expressing shock to the person on the other side when you can't go "Jesus, you scared the bloody hell out of me!". I think I did well. The place is lovely and it's good to know if I never get married, I can always head here and hang out with all the sisters who run this place.

In the evening, Jemiro met me back at the Centraal train station and we walked through a lot more sights including the Guild Park which around its perimeters has a statue representing each of the trades represented by a union at that time (a few hundred years ago???) ie baker, blacksmith. Didn't notice a nurse up there, I must get the RCN to do something to change that!

On the way to this we came across something SO strange, one of the universities was holding a night for its students, they line the streets and drink in a convoy of trucks and semi trailers which dispense the beer. Realy weird site and apparantly alumni come back and do it every ear. There were thousands of people there, i swear. Jemiro says it is the end of 'initiation' for the new students as they lead into exam time. An absolutely giant pissup, me thinks.

While we leave the students to continue debauchery in the streets, we head to Delirium Cafe, a bar with over 2000 beers on its menu. Jemiro thinks he does the right thing and orders for me a strawberry flavoured beer because "that's what the girls like". Not me, unfortunately, it's too sweet and I've had something like this in the past and not liked it. Oh well, 1 down at least 1999 to go.

Later, Sounds Jazz Club is where we meet up with two other local Couch Surfers (photo). Clare is originally from France and George from the Dutch speaking part of Belgium. Great company, food and of course music. The band playing was really "groovy" and the club had a really nice atmosphere, full of people. We shared a giant plate of pasta and lots of red wine as well.

Ireland. In all fairness, like, it's pretty beautiful...

2007-11-21T03:22:00.004-08:00

Stories to accompany these pics coming soon!

Leaving Edinburgh

2007-11-21T03:22:00.003-08:00

After returning from London on a Sunday night, I had only a few days left before leaving the flat to start travelling again on the Friday. Each night after work was filled with catching up with friends, going out, packing and reminiscing. I'd also like to add I had a massive cold which is still lingering, weeks later and involved me blowing my nose every 5 seconds. Seriously, not a good look. I moved out of my room for the new girl, Nat to move in on Wednesday and spent the next two nights dossing in my own apartment on the couch. Weird feeling! The new housemates seem cool and I'm sure will be happy in the next chapter of 53 (2f1) George IV Bridge. Diana and Marcos (picture) left on Wednesday to move back to Madrid, with bulging suitcases and smiles about going back to family, warmer weather and Marcos' beloved Spain. I will visit them in December and can't wait to hear how they are going and also to indulge in copious amounts of nutella crepes and chat.

My last day at the RCN was Thursday and I was spoilt rotten by the great colleagues I had come to know over the last seven months. I will miss in particular my "team" - Alan, Pat, Jilly and Aileen. They are a great bunch of people and I hope to keep in touch with them. On my last day we held the obligatory afternoon tea where we ate yummy cakes and chatted over cups of tea for a wee while. Alan (my boss) made a lovely speech which I really didn't expect and gave me a card signed by the office staff and a bag of goodies. I couldn't believe that they had gone to this amount of trouble for me. I'm going to list what I got because there were some really funky things in there, they'd had a good old brainstorm on what to get a travelling wilbury!
-Swiss army knife (which I christened about five minutes after receiving it by slicing my finger nicely...still have a little scar)
-A lipgloss in the shape of a Ferrero Rocher...mmm chocolate.
-An Edinburgh cosmetic bag, which now houses my first aid kit in my backpack.
-A hammock - thanks Jilly! I am so taking it with me to Thailand...there will be photographic evidence of its use.
-A gel handwarmer in the shape of a heart, it has a great saying about listening to your heart and not your head but I haven't got it with me right now.
-A hot water bottle with a knitted cover with hearts on it (are you sensing a theme here of my complaining about the cold?)
-I also got a considerable amount of Euros which helped my budget in Ireland no end and also saved me a trip to M&S to change pounds over.

Pat also gave me a silver necklace with an amber pendant. I think it looks great and was such a nice pick, very special. Pat sure does have an eye for great jewellery.

Lugging all this down to Bierex after work finished, we had a great crowd come down for dinner and drinks. I had my first Hot Toddie (whiskey, hot water, lemon, sugar and cloves) courtesy of Emma, I don't know if I'd rush to have another any time soon. It was good to have some laughs outside of work and again being spoilt rotten by my generous colleagues. this picture isn't from my farewell do but I think this picture of Jilly is hilarious. Did someone say 2 for 1???

Friday I spent packing, finishing last minute jobs and catching up with people. Nic met up with me for a pot of tea and a huge chat, we hadn't seen each other in ages and I am glad she's heading back to Australia over Christmas (she'd be on her way now!) and then back to Edinburgh a little bit into the new year to start a new job. I hope it's a lot more creative than her last one for her sake. Blast from the past, after tea with Nic I met up with Rachael, who I worked with back at Myer. We always talked about meeting up in the UK as she was going on a roadtrip with her cousin and Aunty around Britain...and we did! It was great to hear her stories about Contiki in Europe and how the roadtrip was going so far. She is going to live and work in the UK for the next year I think which is awesome, sad I won't be there to catch up with her again. We went to Monster Mash for a good, stodgy meal.

Soon enough it was time for me to leave to pick up my bags, say goodbye to the housemates and catch the bus with Noni to the airport to take off for Dublin. As usual, an uncouth Ryanair flight took place with rowdy, loud, disgusting drunk Brits. I loathe low cost flights on Friday nights, peace and quiet on the plane is out of the question. Post about Ireland coming soon!

Mum and Dad's visit

2007-11-21T03:22:00.001-08:00

At the beginning of October Mum and Dad left for their first overseas adventure. And what an adventure it was - at the end of their trip they'd visited more countries than me!

After a few days in Singapore, they came straight to Edinburgh to see meeeee! I was very excited to see them and had been missing them so much - more than I ever thought I could. They arrived at the airport looking exhausted after a bloody long time stuck in aircrafts, and of course the first thing Mum pointed out was her flat hair - like mother like daughter, always on about the important stuff!

They were in Edinburgh for 7 nights but really only 5 days to sightsee. I stayed with them in the apartment they rented and we were very comfy on the fringe of the city. We had full on days doing lots of touristy stuff and seeing the sights.

My favourite part would probably be our visit to the Botanic Gardens, it was a lovely afternoon for a late picnic lunch and enjoying the surroundings. This was also Mum and Dad's first peek at squirrels which delighted Dad no end. The pidgeons were so well fed we were amazed they could even leave the ground to fly. Being Autumn, the gardens were alive with colour as the leaves have started to turn.

Amongst other things, we

-had dinner with briony at the Tower Restuarant at the royal museum. Dad ordered the yummiest white wine I'd ever tasted (it was German, that's as much as I can remember), and I had pidgeon as a starter. i finally got my revenge on my worst enemy over here!
-went to the Royal Yacht Brittania. The Queen has simple taste when it comes to decorating her boats!
-Holyrood Palace, the Royal residence in Edinburgh. The Queen was last here only a month before.
-Edinburgh Castle
-day trip to fishing village Anstruther and a few other towns in Fife. Spent the afternoon in St. Andrews, very nice.
-went to a scotch whisky exhibition and I now know the 5 steps to appreciating whisky:
1.Colour. Is your whisky light gold, bright copper or rich amber in colour?
2. Body. Does your whisky have a light, medium or fulll body?
3. Nose. Which aromas do you recognise when you nose your whisky - is it malty, smoky, fruity, chocolatey?
4. Palate. What characteristics do you notice on the palate - is it softly sweet, rich and fruity or peppery and spicy?
5. Finish. Does the flavour remain for a long time or does it disappear quickly?

It was great to show them around the place I've called home for the last little while and see the sights, but the best part was just relaxing with them at the apartment in the evenings. We'd just sit around and talk and nibble yummy things from Peckham's.

Here are some photos from Edinburgh:

After they toured Europe and Ireland, I took a few days off work to meet them in London before they went home. I caught the train up (down!) which was pleasant enough although halfway through the trip dad rang to tell me that the hotel Andy (their travel agent) had booked for us was like Fawlty Towers. It was certainly that and not a nice ending to the trip for them, more like a B&B than a hotel. We were that close to finding another nicer hotel but we ended up sticking it out and just having a laugh about the incidents that included:
-Reception that seemed baffled upon Mum and Dad's check in
-Weird staff
-Missing lightbulbs in the breakfast room
-An extra bed appearing in the room for no apparant reason
-A bathroom the size of a cupboard.
-The electricity mysteriously going off in our room one afternoon
-only 2 cups for tea/coffee, despite there being 3 of us (and beds for 4!)

That's London accommodation I suppose! On the bright side, it was a great location, right in Paddington and quiet at night.

On the second day in London it was Mum's birthday and as Mum and Dad's birthday presents for this year I bought us all tickets to go to the London Eye and a Thames River Cruise. We had a nice lunch and later in the evening I caught up with a mate of mine in London and saw Picadilly Circus all lit up at night. I went back to see Mum and Dad and drag them out to see it, so iconic.

The next day we did a bus tour around London and saw more sights, got tickets to the tower of London but arrived to late to enter. Got in touch with Jas Luteria, a family friend who's been living in London for a year and a half. We went to dinner that evening and it was really good to see her again.

Saturday was jam packed. We went back to the Tower of London to see amongst other things, the Crown Jewels. Amazing. not the sort of stuff you'd see down at Bevilles!

A small relax in the afternoon (that's when the electricity went off) and then off to a matinee performance of Les Miserables. We all admitted to nodding heads in the first act, but a Haagen-Daaz icecream at the interval perked us up and we all really loved it. The voices of the cast were so powerful and the theatre space so intimate, it was very moving.

Lots of yummy lunches and dinners, a little bit of shopping, bought cara's birthday present and time was up. We spent a few hours at Heathrow Airport together, Mum and I were absolute messes before they went through the gates but it won't be long until I'm home again.

London:

Scottish roadtrip. You pay in haggis at the toll booths...

2007-11-21T03:21:00.001-08:00

On the long weekend in September, Cheryl, Noni and I hired a slek car to do some touring of what has become our home country. The Friday and Saturday nights are quiet, Noni and I watch Sex and the City again while Cheryl works. On Saturday evening after a completely lazy day I knew I needed to go for a walk otherwise I´d be as restless as anything all night! Great 2 hour walk, went down to the Water of Leith for the first time. It´s a stretch of water going through Edinburgh all the way down to the City of Leith (sister city Rio Di Janeiro. Hilarious.). beautiful scenery, many statues and footbridges along the way. I giggled as I watched a dog go fetch sticks from the water thrown by its owner. They both looked like they were having a great time. Edinburgh is raised on a hill from the water so when you walk under a bridge like the Dean Bridge, it´s a really lovely sight.

The next morning we woke up early and headed down to collect our rented car for the next two days. On Sunday the city branch of the rental company is closed so we headed to make our way down to the airport. Despite feeling a lot older these days, I take heart that I still have to pay a ýoung driver´surcharge. I suppose I should enjoy that while it lasts! Slight hitch, the lady behind the counter thinks to hire an automatic car you need to be at least 26. Having read the terms and conditions a million times before booking I know this is bull. She becomes adamentand rings a colleague who agrees with her. She talks us into getting a manual when another lady comes in and happily butts in to say the girl at the counter is wrong. And off we go!

It´s started raining now, and continues for most of the day, which means we do a lot of driving but not much sightseeing or getting out of the car to explore.

We head to Perth, Dundee, and Aberdeen. I am surprised (and shocked at my assumptions) at how big these cities are. I laugh at how Aberdeen looks all one colour - grey! Our drive from Aberdeen to Inverness is a lot less fun for me as I announce I am feeling carsick. Feel gross for half an hour before pulling over and throwing up, do it all again a few towns after. Yuck! I am instantly reminded of when i was younger on trips to port Pirie and having to pull over on the side of the road...I would never be allowed to have an iced coffee at Port Wakefield for years!

We arrive at inverness around 8.30pm and quickly decide we are ready t settle down for the ngiht. It´s another half hour travelling beside Loch Ness before we find a nice, safe, carpark to stay in at Drumnadrochit (this could be misspelled). We are with a few other cars and there is a toilet block ajoining the tourist office that opens early the next morning. I´m still feeling crampy from being sick so am happy to listen and heryl and Noni chatter away. We retire about 11.30pm. I´ve scored the backseat of our Astra which is cosy but had to put up with the seatbelt buckles jutting into me all night. I´m also amayed my legs stayed in a folded position for 7 hours. It´s cold but my sleeping bag and slipper socks do the trick. It´s now 8.10 am, Iäve been up since 7.30am to go to the toilet, where I´m chatting to the cleaner - she´s quite a talker! She saw us rock up last night. I check to make sure we wouldn´t get in trouble for staying in a place with ´No Parking Overnight´signs. She said they had to put those up as they were having trouble with caravaners emptying their waste into the toilet blocks and the chemicals stuffing up the pipes. Mmm. The girls are still fast asleep in the front, npo doubt I´ll be the first to drive this morning!

Spend the day checking out Loch Ness and surrounds in the AM, then heading back to Edinburgh to return the car about 9pm. We drive along the Lochs and the scenery i beautiful, especially when the clouds break - we had amaying bits of sunshine coming out. it swapped from rainy to sunny all through the afternoon. Wish we have time to stop in all the little quaint towns along the way but we have a lot of ground to cover. We do make a stop at gorgeous Fort William where Cheryl shows us a place to have afternoon tea and scrummy strawberry scones with clotted cream. I don´t think Australians get clotted cream, in my opinion there´s just something weird about it. Could be the cream clogging my brain with fat, who knows...

After high tea, we took a walk along a creek that runs through the town, it´s a nice way to stretch our legs after being in the car so much.

back in the car we head through Loch Lomond National Park. It´s a fairly bland drive, the landscape doesn´t vary in this part as much as our drive earlier in the day. When our radio cuts out that doesn´t help the boredom either. Those not driving doze and awake to fighter jets letting off an almighty roar over our heads. It was like the Apocalyse coming and gave us a bit of excitement for the next half hour. A quick stp in Sitrling and we are back in Edinburgh, tired, smelly and looking forward to sleeping in a bed!

Looking back on this now I have left Scotland, I would have liked to have gotten off the route to do a little bit more exploring. This includes the West Coast and further up in the Highlands. Of course time didn´t allow for this, but it just means I´ll have to return to see it all again another time.

Final fringe recap

2007-11-21T02:43:00.000-08:00

So, as you can tell i got a bit bored with typing up my blog over the last few months. It's all down on paper so slowly I will trough through it. I have a laptop to make use of over the next hour before I catch a train from Brussels to Maastrict so let's see how fast i can type on a European keyboard - apologies for the mistakes, especially if I put a 'q'where an 'a' should be.

Sunday 19 August 16.00 Umbrella Birds, WC.

Briony, Diana and Marcos and their visitor Marta finally listened to my continual cry of 'Go see Tom Tom Club'. While they went and saw that, I bought a ticket for WC. It had been sold out all week and I soon found out why...it's set in a portable loo. The audience of about 10 crammed into a toilet trailer and I sat, wedged next to a basin for the performance. It was 4 girls doing a sketch show playing lots of different characters and lots of lightening quick costume changes in the dressing rooms/shanty town set up just outside the toilets. Imaginitive writing.

After our performances finished, we all met up for a coffee afterward. I also went back to Spiegeltent lost property to see if my H&M scarf showed up but I think someone claimed it for themselves as it was not there. I also got a grand tour out the back of the Spiegeltent which was very interesting with VIP lounges and bars and lots of comfy couches in portable buildings.

On a side note, tonight was also a crepe night, much Nutella was consumed by all of us back at home. Mmm.

00.00 Ali McGregor's Late Night Variety Nite Night, Gilded Balloon, free tix.

The previous day I had entered an SMS competition one of the newspapers were running. I had wanted to win tickets to the last night of Silent Disco but instead won tickets to this show, which we had tickets to see later in the week. No bother as it is a variety show the guest lineup changes each night so we wouldn't see the same show twice. The room was all set up caberet style - small tables, candle light and great atmosphere. Ali hosted the night, sang a few songs, and was ably assisted by her comedy butler. this guy was an absolute hoot, and played his role of a bumbling, indifferent servant to the hilt. He even had his own spot where he hammered forks up his nose and also performed the 'sexy diablo'. Ah fringe. Other guests tonight included Andrew McClelland and Lawrence Leung.

Monday 20 August
00.00 Ali McGregor's Late Night Variety Nite Night, Gilded Balloon, 241, £5.50.

Gluttons for punishment or just a really good show? The latter tonight with our ticket proceeds going to an Angkor Wat orphanage. The difference with this show is that Ali got a bunch of performers to donate their time and instead of doing their usual act on stage, they sang a song of their choice, loosely based around the theme of 'lullabies at midnight'.

Stephen K Amos sang an African song by himself which his uncle sang to him when he was a child. Phil Nichol sang a song and played guitar, which he had written for his daughter. Adam Hills performed Clancy of the Overflow again and Geraldine Doogue and Casey Bernado also performed - they're the names I can remember.

Ali sang UNKLE'S Rabbit in Your Headlights, Sammy J sang (butchered) Crowded House. The finale could only belong to one group. Tripod did their AMAZING version of Radiohead's 'Paranoid Android'. Just three voices and an egg shaker have never made a more beautiful noise. Hundreds of pounds were raised and a beautiful sense of community was created that night - worth waiting up for.

August 21

9.15pm, Attempt 3.4 @ C Cubed (Royal Mile), 6.50pounds (no pound sign on this keyboard...the netherlands is just like home...le sigh!)

This was supposed to be a night off, but of course when an offer for a show comes up I take it. Just around the corner at a venue on the Royal Mile, Diana, marcos and Marta had tickets to a piece of theatre tonight. I didn't know anything about this piece and neither did they but i thought I'd go along and join them.

this was the craziest piece of theatre I've ever seen. Crazier than ''Killer Joe''! I didn't even udnerstand it as it was happening - let alone my Spanish friends with their language barrier. total weirdness. the cast greeted the audience as we entered the space to sit down, they were polite young English folk, getting changed into their work coveralls, hard hats and then the play began. They explained how they were going to build a city in 50 minutes, which they did by putting some sticky tape on the floor around them then reeling off a whole heap of lines like "a car travelling at 50 mph hit me head on. I died.'' andflicking on red and yellow lightbulbs when talking and if one of them stuffed up a line, they would turn all the lightbulbs off. A crazy audience member yelled at them throughout the play and then stormed off about two thirds of the way through. We think he was a part of the performance.

Pure craziness, but it made me think about the premise of the play for days after so it left a mark, even though we all left the performance going ''wtf!''

22 August, 00.00 Ali McGregor's Late Night Variety nite night (again!), 2 4 1 tickets, 5.50 each.

Tonight we were gluttons for punishment. And we struggled. By the third late night variety night nite Noni and I had heard Ali do her version of Creep on the harpischord one too many times. Plus, seeing a show at midnight required stamina we were fast running out of. I cannt remember the guests to be honest, except a guy from Tom Tom Club who did a flip off a tower with a goldfish in a cup. We ended up leaving a little before the show ended, eager to crawl into our bed for sleep before work the next morning and more fringe!

23 August, 5.45pm Andrew McClelland's Mix Tape, 8.50 pounds, Gilded Balloon.

A show I had missed at the Adelaide fringe, so I'd been looking forward to it for months. I must admit I had high hopes. I took my mate Nic along with me. The duo of Andrew McClelland and Lawrence Leung I had seen doing their 'Somewhat secret society show'' the year before and lvoed it. The geeky chic of Andrew solo and talking about music. How could it fail in my books? Festival fatigue, perhaps, both on his part and mine. His performance was shiny, happy, incredibly slick but I just wasn't laughing. Smiling yes, but not laughing. This show guides you through a mix tape Andrew put together and the story that follows is poignant and almost too genuine. Some songs featured include included work by Sigur Ros and The Postal Service. He dances, he sings, he pulls out dodgy record covers...a young Alan Brough? Definite possibility.

24 August

6.00pm, Ali McGregor´s Opera Burlesque, Gilded Balloon, about 6 pounds 241.

Big night, my first Couch Surfer arrives. Pierre is a journalist from France and stays with us for two nights on our couch in the lounge room. He had just enough time to join Briony, Marcos, Diana and me for our final Ali McGregor show, her Opera Burlesque. It would have been a nice introduction to the fringe for him. Ali and two other singers do a number of costume changes and songs, the harpischord reappears as a mix of pop songs and classical/opera is the order of the day.

After the first show, I took Pierre to the Spigelgarden for a few beers and watched a radio show being broadcast from a caravan which entertains the crowds between shows in the tent. Crazy 70s dancing out the front of the caravan takes place. Great atmosphere again tonight, have some random chats to peple and also get to perve at Bernard Curry again. Cant believe he is running the Spiegelgarden.

Pierre and I have dinner and chat to learn more about each other, he pointed out that although his english was very good he could never be an english reporter as they write completely different to the French! We meet back up with Noni and line up for Amos´final weekend chat show. The guests included Ali McGregor (thought we´d seen the last of her!!!), someone else I cant remember and Christian Slater. How funny is that? Apparantly him and Stephen did some theatre last year in London and he´s back in town so came on to do this show at the fringe only. Didn´t have anything that interesting to say, but it was a spinout just listening to him and Stepen chat like it was old times. He´s a lot...stouter than you think in real life.

25 August

12.00 midday ´This Show Belongs to Lionel Ritchie´, Arthurs Seat, free.

Pierre and I leg it up (literally zoomed up as we were running late, but so were some of the characters so that was alright) Arthurs Seat to see this beautiful space be turned into an official fringe venue. We are rewarded with a very windy, cold amphitheatre. It was great though, the show was just a mix of sketches from various fringe shows including someone who has changed his name by deed poll to Lionel Ritchie and wants to own everything in the world. Stickers were placed around the town on everything during the fringe ie. a sticker on a public telephone/bus stop/small children/library books saying ´this belongs to Lionel Ritchie´. He even made his own merchandise including pens, badges and tshirts. Does part of your birthday present make sense now Cara?

In the evening we head to a Salsa night with Briony´s friend Letticia and a friend of hers, as well as Marcos and Diana. It was a fun, sweaty night and I felt so sore he next day I could hardly walk. Climbing Arthur´s Seat then dancing the night away did my body lots of good and no good at the same time!

26 August

As Pierre departed, my second Couch Surfer Tarek arrived. he stayed with us for under 24 hours, it was a whirlwind trip to go sharkdiving in Fife he had come from London for. Great guy. Because we went to Fife we didn´t fit in a fringe show but in the evening the Couch Surfing community put on a film night at the Brass Monkey and we headed along to that. A few short films and a feature length film that was based in Edinburgh, made in the 80s but can´t remember what it´s called. It was quaint. The night was packed, the room had at least 50 people all squashed in on comfy cushions to watch the movies.

27 August

9.10pm Lawrence Leung Learns to breakdance, Assembly on George St. 10 pounds.

It is a Monday, and the last night of the Fringe Festival. Briony and I can barely be bothered going to see one final show but we make it out just in time to catch Aussie Lawrence´s show. It´s a corker. He tells such a good story and it was the perfect way to finish the fringe. We go to talk to him after the show but he is so busy bumping out so the next performer can bump in s we dont say much more than congratulations. He, like us looks utterly exhausted but happy at what we have achieved during this monster of a festival, the fringe.

Life resumes back to normal a few days later as the arts festival wraps up and there is a fireworks spectacular in Princes St Gardens. We see the fireworks from our bedroom window. they are not spectacular. Tumbleweeds now blow across the street where thousands of people walked 24/7 only a few days before. I can´t believe it´s over. Time for my bank balance to start growing again!

My ticket shrine (picture): no paint was harmed in the stickytaping of the tickets to the wall, I promise!

Edinburgh wins first prize

2007-10-18T02:18:00.000-07:00

Go Edinburgh!

http://news.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=1663202007

Despite it being decided by a television show, the locals are still proud to have Edinburgh named as the number 1 city to live and work in in the UK in 2007.

Now if only we can stop people from crapping in the streets we could turn this place into Utopia!

Ever wondered what my blog title is about?

2007-10-16T11:21:00.000-07:00

As you can see, I've run out of steam on my fringe postings. I'll get round to it sooner or later.

Thought I'd take a departure from my normal "what have I been up to" blog to a wee wandering from my mind. I've had a moment of inspiration from my mindless temp job. I'm barely able to string a sentence together now so this should be a treat!

3rd October, 1998. This was the year I got my first passport and hopped on a plane to go to New Zealand on a student exchange. I can't believe I haven't been back yet and it's almost 10 years. My God. Anyway, I was in Year 10, mostly mucking around with friends I still have to this day in a green and fawn school uniform. I loved anything to do with music, had just started my obsession with Something for Kate and Triple J and live (underage!) gigs.

TV wise, it was all about the weekend. Friday nights were dedicated "Good News Week" watching, on the ABC, the national broadcaster. No secret I had a big crush on Paul McDermott, the host and I thought I was smart laughing along to the witty banter. Many nights out were spent trying to ring my brother/mother/father/dog if I didn't set the VCR to tape it. I would be devastated if I missed an episode (coincidentally, it was only before I left to go overseas this year that I finally chucked out all my tapes of Good News Week. Obsessed? Non.).

Late Friday and Saturday nights, nothing would satisfy me more than coming home and settling into the couch to watch Rage, the ABC's late night video music clip show until dawn. I'd have to be so quiet, having the tv up just barely audible to fool my parents into thinking I'd gone to bed. Friday nights I saw all the new music videos and Saturday nights guest programmers hosted Rage.

On this particular October Saturday evening, I settled in to watch Paul McDermott and Mikey Robins guest programme Rage. Some good songs, any I didn't like I pressed pause on the remote so I wouldn't have to watch them back on the VCR. About half way through the show, Billy Bragg's 1986 ode 'Greetings to the New Brunette' came on. I'd never heard it before but the cheery guitar at the beginning of the song drew me in. The images he used for his clip were taken from decades gone by, of people falling in love. I immediately put on my rose coloured glasses and got sucked into the song. How could you resist when a song sings:

I'm celebrating my love for you
With a pint of beer and a new tattoo

I think this is hiliarious. Bragg's plays on words and phrases are gorgeous and so is the guitar in the song (courtesy with a little help from the great Johnny Marr). Another reason I'm so fond of it is because he is singing to a 'Shirley', who reminds me of course of my lovely Nanna - and it is also my Mum's middle name - what a nice personal touch to add for me, Billy.

Aside from the song, I've always liked the title. It's always stood out to me and when I came to naming my blog I instantly remembered this song.

You Tube link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gozdCwvHK6M

Enjoy!

18 August

2007-09-26T02:52:00.001-07:00

5.15pm 'Truckstop', The Zoo Southside, £5.

Rain. All. Day. Miserable. It's supposed to be high summer! My arse. Spend the whole day relaxing with Noni, we are all bundled up in jackets, scarves, hats and hoods. Coffee and tea breaks are long and plentiful, think we had morning tea and afternoon tea! We buy tickets to see a piece of theatre called Truckstop which was originally written in Dutch and has been translated, yet the characters are Dutch but speak English and the music is Dutch. Crazy, amateur theatre. The acter's performances are okay, a little stock standard raise my voice here, double take there, cough, fake cry. The play deals with disability, loneliness, relationships, trust and death. By the end of the play, all 3 characters are dead. Not exactly uplifting, life affirming theatre. The funniest thing was seeing the muck out afterward, I think they were running a bit late which meant they had less time to pack up and they needed to vacate the space so the next lot of performers could set up. They couldn't even wait for the audience to finish clapping before starting to pack up the set with a worried look on their faces, made funnier by one costumed in a fluffy dressing gown and flannelette pyjamas.

23.15 Stephen K. Amos - Weekend Chat Show, Gilded Balloon £5

Go home to dry off and relax before heading back out into the wet night. We have to lineup for this in the rain and the show is running late. This is Amos' blatent attempt at trying to pitch himself as an ace television variety show host and, as much as I love him, he fails. It was plain as day to see he had absolutely no interest in the guests that were on which got painful at the end. He should stick with stand up, that's for sure. Tripod were the house band, solid as always. Guests that I can remember were Faith Brown, kind of like an english Joan Rivers, but with a Dolly Partonesque figure. Her Fringe show is 'Boys in the Buff' and they performed a song from it which did indeed have boys in the buff. It was hilarious seeing Amos trying not to look interested in the bums on stage right in front of him. Next was a reviewer from one of the loal rags. She swore too much and was very brash but did have some good stories. She absolutely panned Christina Davies' stand up show (remember Christina Ballerina from Big Brother 1?) which made briony and I absolutely crack up.

17 August

2007-09-26T02:45:00.000-07:00

11.15pm, Mitch Benn Music Club, Udderbelly Pasture, £10.
http://www.mitchbenn.com/

The poster for this looks fantastic and sraws me right in fromt Day1 of the festival. The special guests they get on the show are really good as I see the lineup on the boards at Bristo Square daily. I must admit I have high hopes. When I finally make time for this show, it's a really nerdy radio dj who has his own band and does musical parodies, click on the link to hear the kind of stuff I'm talking about. His voice is good, it's just all a bit too polished and sometimes seem forced. He knows when the funny lines come up and just expects the audience to double over. I end up leaving before the performance ends, it goes on far too long. My first walkout!

16 August

2007-09-26T02:29:00.000-07:00

No shows today, but hanging out at Speigelgardens all night.

Thursday was my colleague Steinunn's last day working at the RCN. The following day her and her parnter Nick were driving to London to live and work their for just under a year before moving back to Steinunn's homeland, Iceland. We had a lovely afternoon tea for her in the office with lots of yummy scones and brownies from Lynda who does RCN's catering. After work, a good group of us walked up the Meadows and got a plum spot in the Speigelgarden. I nipped back home to get a warmer jacket before starting to indulge in ridiculously overpriced beer. We also saw Jilly for the first time in a few weeks since her wedding. She'd been on her honeymoon in the Dominican Republic and came back so tanned I just stared in awe for an hour or two! Steinunn will be much missed in the office, I think all of us would one day love to go and visit her in Iceland! In a strange twist, her leaving means I get to stay at the RCN for longer, as I was temping here while she took some leave. We ended up kicking on until after midnight, not bad considering almost all of us had work the next day!

15 August

2007-09-26T02:15:00.000-07:00

10.00pm Ali McGregor's Midnite Lullabies, The Famous Spiegeltent, £8.
http://www.alimcgregor.com/images/Press_Release_Midnight_Lullabies_ED07.pdf

Back at work today, it's been a great little holiday. Finally, this is my first time in the Spiegeltent here in Edinburgh. It's not the same one that comes to Adelaide, it's much smaller. I think there are 11 or so of these little flat-packed beauties travelling the world.

This show was based around the notion of 'midnight lullabies'. Ali McGregor has a great knack for storytelling and introduces each song and why she likens it to a midnight lullaby. She sang opera, rock, folk, and Radiohead, all in her classically trained beautiful voice, often with her harpischord in hand. Ben Hendry accompanied on percussion and the pair worked really well on stage. For those of you who think she sounds familiar, she performed as part of 'La Clique' in 2006 Adelaide Fringe and also did her own show in Adelaide this year. Think she also guests on ABC's 'Spicks and Specks' every now and again. Adam Hills was the special guest at this performance and he came on and read the poem 'Clancy of the Overflow' and it all got rather patriotic and nostalgic in the Spiegel for awhile. Until Ali sang a version of Justin Timberlake's "Cry Me a River". Funk!

14 August

2007-09-24T03:19:00.000-07:00

1.30pm Eleanor Tiernan - "Help!", Gilded Balloon, Complimentary ticket.
http://www.chortle.co.uk/shows/edinburgh_fringe_festival_2007/e/15861/eleanor_tiernan:_help/review/

I still had an unused ticket for this performance from last week so decided to try my luck being cheeky and using for today - it worked! They never look at the ticket stub anyway...I really enjoyed this play, starring two sisters and dealing with inner demons and self doubt when performing. Honest and earnest acting. I think the play was written by these two sisters as well as their brother Tommy who is a standup comedian. Gorgeous Irish accents, too!

4.00pm Tom Tom Club, £10, Udderbelly.
http://www.abc.net.au/centralvic/stories/s1886599.htm
This site has some good photos from the show when it toured in Victoria

I bought Cheryl a ticket for this as a thankyou for doing my hair the day before. I met up with her and some of her flatmate's friends at the Udderbelly Bar beforehand. The lineup for this show had started 45 minutes before so about 30 minutes to go we left our primo bar seats to join the line. Despite not being at the front of the line we managed to score 3 seats front row and centre. Cheryl is very much into hip hop and high energy stuff so I knew Tom Tom Club would be a great show for us to see. The act is made up of a whole heap of Australian guys, all graduated from the Fruit Fly Circus. Each had his own special niche or trick. There was a drummer, DJ/MC, beatboxer, breakdancer and four guys who did acrobatics. They had the right mix of theatricals and loads of natural talent. I felt like a kid at a circus - the tricks these acrobats were doing were amazing and it was also bery nice that they were shirtless (way to trivialise the situation, eh?). Tom Tom Club is very much into getting the audience into the performance, not up on stage but through keeping the energy up, clapping, making lots of noise and being vocal during tricks and acts. Everyone walked out of that show with a huge smile on their face, including me. Great fun.

13 August

2007-09-20T02:04:00.000-07:00

Cheryl cut and coloured my hair this afternoon, was nice to not have to go anywhere to have it done but the downside was having to clean up all the hair! We had a sheet down but it musn't have been big enough, I was cleaning hair out of the cracks of the floorboards for days after...ick! We went out for coffee at Hula on Victoria Street afterward, then Stephan met up with us and we went for a pint to escape the rain which had descended on us.

10.30pm Simon Amstell "No Self", £9.50, Pleasance Courtyard

Sold out Fringe run, very popular comedian here in UK. We were lucky to nab these tickets the week before from the venue box office, most tickets had sold out way in advance. The lineup to get in snaked completely around the large courtyard space and once we were in the venue we had to squish up on the end of a bench seat. This meant we were absolutely packed in like sardines, no personal space between you and the person next to you. When Simon Amstell finally came on thank God he was funny as it took my mind off the non-laughing wriggler next to me. A really good set that I can't remember any of the jokes to now tell you that it was worth it.

www.simonamstell.co.uk

August 12

2007-09-20T01:45:00.000-07:00

http://www.edfringe.com/story.html?id=2002&area_id=31

Fringe Sunday is a big free event put on by the Fringe organisers in the Meadows. Unfortunately when we got down there the weather had gotten really festy and I was in thongs (flip flops). We stayed for an hour or so, checked out the markets and got handed about 10 million flyers. The ground was too muddy and the free entertainment tents were too packed so we ended up going on a giant loop walk around the city to look for lunch. Every place we went to either had a waiting list, no places to sit or didn't have anything we felt like! After an hour of walking we arrived at Bruntsfield, just next to the Meadows where we ended up sitting outside at the Golf Tavern, outside the Bruntsfield Links, a small golf course. We were told they'd be a wait for the meals but we still ordered up an entree to share and a main each. An hour later I went inside to see what was going on and they had gotten so busy with orders they actually had to stop taking new ones just after we ordered. They were very apologetic and offered a round of free drinks - pity we'd had plenty of cocktails the night before and could only muster enough strength for Diet Cokes. 10 minutes later they brought out our entrees and mains at the same time, we were still sitting outside and the weather had gotten windy, so our food went cold quickly. It was nice but it would have been even nicer to taken time to savour instead of scoffing it all down quickly instead of it getting cold. Also quite strange to end up having lunch at 4pm.

The weather was getting yuckier by the second so we walked up to Alphabet Video in Marchmont and got Family Guy DVDs. 20 minutes into the first episode and we were both out cold around 7pm. All the late nights had started to catch up with us!

August 11

2007-09-19T02:58:00.000-07:00

7.30pm, The Edinburgh Military Tattoo, £40 (ticket given to me), Edinburgh Castle.

http://www.edintattoo.co.uk/

Saturday and my turn to go to the tattoo had arrived! Briony, Cheryl and Stefan had gotten last minute tickets and went the night before. We invited Cheryl and Stefan up to our place for some drinks and a late lunch. they came armed with cocktail ingredients and made a potent drink with lime juice, sugar, ice and vodka. That's it! Went down very nicely but I had to pace myself as I had to sit through the tattoo soon. At 7pm I walked up the street to join the lineup, just a huge mass of people filling the street. This is only part of the crowd behind me:

I got through the crowd and entered just as it was starting at 7.30pm. Those who were behind me would have missed the first 15-20 minutes of the show as they start dead on time. The lady who offered me her free spare ticket, Christine, arrived 2 minutes after me. She was a lovely lady and I hoped she liked the little gift I bought her to say thankyou. We had great seats, and on the aisle as well so we weren't piled up on top of each other if we were in the middle of an aisle - they really do pack you in like sardines. I'm so glad I got to see the tattoo as it was a real show. A lot of the acts I'd seen in the Festivals Cavalcade so they weren't a surprise, but what they did in their acts was. the backdrop of the castle was stunning. This is a photo from the final part of the performance, where all the acts were on stage together:

After the tattoo I met up with everybody again for a bit of a night out on the town. Tried to get into Spiegeltent but the lineup was huge. Ended down in Broughton Street with all the housemates except Noni, who'd wandered off the wrong way to what we were going. Crazy dancing at CC's, a dodgy gay place with mirrored walls and way too much glass on the floor. We left Lawrence to enjoy it while the rest of us caught a taxi home as it was pouring down with rain!

August 10

2007-09-19T02:22:00.000-07:00

Today was another day for doing various tasks. I strapped on my backpack and walked up to work where Mum had sent my new mp3 player all loaded up with my songs courtesy of Cara and Mike. Also scored two new tops Mum had bought on sale at Myer. I felt very spoilt! Chatted to the girls at work for awhile about the shows I had been to, then walked into Morningside to grab a sandwich from Marks & Spencer for lunch. I sat outside people watching while munching away. I had a stack of old timesheets to give to my recruitment company so I wander back into town to catch up with everybody there. I see what Nic is up to, she's going to see a few bands at Henry's Bar later that night and invites me along. Done deal. I wander into Princes Street to use the toilet in House of Fraser (department store) where I lose a charm Cara had given me before I left on my trip. The padlock from my bracelet popped open and it fell off. I looked like a crazy woman in the toilets for 10 minutes searching for this charm but I couldn't find it. A lady who came in and saw me looking for something offered to help me and thinks I'm American - Quickly correct that situation and resign myself to the fact that I've lost my heart (charm). Sorry Cara, at least I've still got a couple more left, eh? Wander up George Street and am just in time to see a show as part of the Free Fringe, non ticketed events as part of the Fringe. The show was called Kerplunsky and the Pope and it was like watching your mates mucking around in drama class. Good fun but I'm glad I didn't pay for it!

August 9

2007-09-14T03:40:00.000-07:00

11.50am Early Edition, £6, Udderbelly.
http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=4429

My latest show yet followed by my earliest show yet. Lucky this one offered free croissants and coffee (served in a plastic cup, they'd run out of styrofoam ones...hello Occ Health and Safety!) Basically a panel show discussing the days papers, quite funny. Ran by Marcus Brigstoke and one of the guests was comedian Andrew Maxwell, whose off-topic meanderings were often funnier than the proper stuff.

2.30pm Frank and Dolly, Gilded Balloon, Complimentary ticket.
http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=4589

I knew this was going to be pretty average but a free ticket is a free ticket and the girl who gave it to me starred in the show so points for trying. Two women playing dancing partners at a ballroom competition and the events that follow after one throws up of the other's dress. Through the play I cleverly thought how well the woman was playing a man, but all the reviews since said they playing a lesbian couple. I didn't see that, but whatever. Good acting in a crappy play.

7pm Angus and Julia Stone + The Magic Numbers at Liquid Rooms, £20.
http://www.themagicnumbers.net/
http://www.angusandjuliastone.com/a_book_like_this/index.htm

Another big ticket to see this band, but so worth it. Our first trip to Liquid Rooms and I almost fainted as the sold out crowd made the venue so sweaty and hot. I squealed on entry as the opening band were (unbeknowest to me) Angus and Julia Stone, who I'd last seen at Caberet Voltaire a few months back. This Aussie brother and sister duo had a full band with them this time and played my favourite 'Mango Tree'. They went down so well the Magic Numbers themselves urged them to play longer than their set time, which you could see spun them out. Must have been nervous as they completely mucked the song up. The two of them have so much charm however it wasn't a problem.

A wee break and then the Magic Numbers bounded onstage. The ice in my Magners had all but melted and left a watery cider to drink. Played all the songs I knew, one after the other at the start, about 5 in a row so the beginning was awesome and set the mood for the rest of the night. It was an absolutely great live show, they really got the crowd moving and singing along. Great sound and strong vocals - really strong from all of them. Harmonies between the two girls especially worked with the lead male singer. Will have to get their albums back home I think.

August 8

2007-09-14T03:00:00.000-07:00

Tough day for free tickets.

3.45pm, Mouse, in the Underbelly Rooms, Complimentary tickets.
http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=5163

Was running late for this performance but as soon as I walked in I knew I'd made a mistake. No escape! One man monologue that was billed as a comedy but was actually a really disturbing tale of this guy who worked in IT and read and intercepted colleagues emails. Ends up becoming infactuated(sp?) with one and killing another. This was made eerier with the theatre space being inside a vault.

12.45am, Phat Cave, Gilded Balloon
http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=5309

Noni wanted a night off so I wandered to Bristo Square on my ownsome to catch a late show. Got a free entry (Mickey D snuck me in) to Phat Cave, which was great as I only had 40p in my purse, having paid rent that day - getting any more £££'s out of the ATM was not an option. Hung around for 20 minutes or so talking to various comedians in the Adelaide comedy scene, some nice and others are ridiculously up themselves - you are now on my blacklist Rohan Harry and Kath Dwyer! Phat Cave had good guests on, amongst the Sista She, Gamarjobat (like a funnier, Japanese version of the Umbillical Brothers), Tania Lee Donnelly (a midget standup), Fleetwood Mick and more. Luckily I didn't have to work the next day as that didn't wind down until just before 4am. Nice to live so close - I was tucked up in bed less that 10 minutes later.

August 7

2007-09-13T08:51:00.004-07:00

Breaker Morant, 1.40pm, Udderbelly, Complimentary ticket
http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=4161

Although I had already been given a comp ticket to a play in the Gilded Balloon, I was being cheeky and staking out for Breaker Morant tickets. The play is something I'd never seen (nor the film) but definately have always wanted to. The play was being staged in Edinburgh by the Comedians' Theatre. Phil Nichol directed it and Adam Hills was cast as the lead character, joined by fellow Aussie comedians Brendan Burns, Heath (Ronnie Johns, Chopper) Franklin and Sammy J. I had high hopes for this play but as time went on it became more obvious it was a bunch of comics trying to be serious actors. Sammy J played the defense lawyer extremely well though. The next nhight before Phat Cave I went up to Heath Franklin and he introduced me to a whole heap of the cast and asked if I'd seen them on an 'acting' day or a 'non-acting' day. At least he could see that perhaps their acting wasn't the finest.

4pm, Jarlath Regan - Nobody Knows Jarlath Regan in the Gilded Balloon, Complimentary ticket. http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=4852

Young Irish comic, very affable and great storylines. Cute, too but he doesn't let it slip he has a girlfriend until the end and then drops the bomb that after 7 years he proposed to her a month ago! Awwww. Room was so hot he had fans on each seat. Nice touch. Hope he comes to the Adelaide Fringe next year and if so, he comes highly recommended!

9.15pm Mickey D - Shame 101, in the Gilded Balloon, £7.50
http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=5122

Paid for this but wished we had freebies. I love that Mickey D comes from my hometown but when it came down to it, his act was a bit crass, and not actually that funny (and I've seen him do funny before - it is possible!). Highlight was him saying how he'd worked at KFC so I dobbed Noni in saying "she did too!" They reminisced about CHAMPS, and I joined in saying I'd worked at Pizza Hut so we were all part of the Adelaide Tricon family. By the way the room was tiny and only had about 15 people in it so it wasn't that embarrassing singling Noni out!

August 6

2007-09-13T08:51:00.003-07:00

I think I spent my first day off work sleeping most of the day and doing other mundane chores. No shows.

August 5

2007-09-13T08:41:00.000-07:00

This afternoon we headed to watch the Festival Cavalcade, in the rain. We went to the start of the route and couldn't stand the crowds or see anything so went to the end of the route and got a plum spot! Lots of Community floats and also most of the acts from the Tattoo. Some great costumes, much flyer handing-out. Here is my favourite - this day was certainly not what it said on the banner!

This site has a whole heap of photos up from the event - can you spot us in any?
http://www.edinburghcavalcade.com/

Made up for no shows yesterday by seeing 3 shows today with Briony. All female, one woman shows and also all Australian. How very patriotic!

Kate McLennan - The Debutante Diaries, 5.15pm in the Gilded Balloon, Complimentary tickets.
http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=4924

Earnest young Aussie performer, more of a theatre monologue than comedy (hard to pidgeonhole I suppose but the Brits like to do that). One woman show playing about 9 characters, all working towards the event of a Deb Ball. You could see she wrote the show as her performance was very passionate. I hope she did well here, I think Kate McClennan has a bright future in entertainment.

Jackie Loeb - Things I Can't Talk About , 7pm in the Gilded Balloon, Complimentary tickets.
http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=4838

Traditional standup, ala Seinfeld "what's the deal with (insert topic/item here)?" Taboo topics, quite funny, slightly confronting. This woman swallows her pride for a laugh and gets them in spades.

Kitty Flanagan - A Festival of Me, 8.20pm in the Pleasance Dome, £6.80
http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=4936

One of my personal favourites, grew up with Kitty appearing on many a sketch show including Full Frontal, Micallef Programme etc etc. A delight to watch, she now lives in London. Kitty opened her show with a short film she tried to enter into the Edinburgh Film Festival but it was rejected. So she made a standup show based loosely around it to be in the fringe instead. Fair enough and I'm glad she did. The short film was a better version of Bridget Jones Diary, if you ask me.

August 4

2007-09-13T03:13:00.000-07:00

For the life of me I can't remember what we did this day but it didn't involve any Fringe shows. Yes, remember now! We went to my workmate Jilly's wedding reception at a castle 40 minutes out of Edinburgh. Beautiful night which ended in Briony and the RCN counsellor sucking helium balloons and singing classics such as Grease Lightnin'. How odd. I bought sparkly new (flat!) shoes for the occasion which were comfy in the store but resulted in me going barefoot at the reception and bleeding red raw heels upon my return home from walking up the Mound. Intense pain. I never learn...

Here are some photos:

This is me taking a photo of my new skirt (£10 at Debenhams, was £80. It's a full skirt with a tulle underlay. Love it!). Why I've taken this photo here as the toilets were like little caravans outside the marquee at the castle, but trying to be stylish by adding carpet on the floors. If the stupid flash wasn't on you would be able to see me hair which had been done earlier that day by Cheryl, with the help of about 450 bobby pins. Glam.

This is the Castle where Jilly, my workmate and her parnter of 13 years tied the knot. The reception was in a marquee at the front. Favourite moment was watching the kids in all their finery, roll down the grassy hills near the castle, totally wrecking their outfits but having a good time doing it.

For some reason I can't add this picture on the page, so you'll have to click on the link. Let me know if it doesn't load.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sQaJ0trZdKk/RtqO_QjlV7I/AAAAAAAAAJA/xWaWLGzxCa4/s1600-h/P8050217.JPG

August 3

2007-09-13T03:06:00.000-07:00

Stephen K. Amos 'More of Me', 9.40pm, Pleasance Courtyard, £7.
http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=5622

Briony had booked this for us a few weeks before. Amos is a great UK comic who always treks to Adelaide for the Fringe. He has some great jokes about Haighs and knows the city quite intimately. Amos is great at observation so laughs come easily from that, then adds twists to make you laugh at the absurdity of some things. He was clearly still working out what works and what doesn't work in his show (Still seeing previews before the festival actually starts, the toss up of seeing a cheaper show is not seeing it quite as polished). Was slightly disturbed at how much he sweats on stage - these venues are like saunas most of the time, so standing in front of a heap of glaring lights wouldn't help. At the end of the performance he gave free tickets away to his other show 'Weekend talk show' but Noni wanted to go to bed, Piker. We slink home while the rest of Edinburgh gears up for a big Friday night.

August 2

2007-09-05T08:33:00.000-07:00

Show: Greg Fleet and Mick Moriarty in Fleetwood Mick, 9.30 pm. £5, Gilded Balloon.
http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=4675

Stalwart of Aus comedy and a nod to my time spent devouring Good News Week episodes. Mick Moriarty's band the Gadflys was house band on GNW's Nite Lite. Show went really well until the end where their story goes downhill about them both lusting after a girl on a picture of a pack of cigarettes. Distasteful. Spent hald the show wondering if Greg Fleet was still a junkie. Juy's still out on that one.

PS - I've added a few photos to my post about Dublin. Go back and have a gander!

August 1

2007-09-05T08:31:00.001-07:00

Show: Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre. Complimentary tickets, Gilded Balloon, 10.45pm.
http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=5502

Noni and I watched one man in a kilt behind a giant piece of tartan. 2 sock puppets. great idea for the first ten minutes, but a 50 minte performance was a bit of a stretch. however, high energy and enthusiasum for the month ahead meant laughs came easily. Helped that it was free too.

Almost August...

2007-09-05T08:16:00.002-07:00

Fringe Festival rundown. Previews started on the 1st August, with the Fringe officially kicking off on the 5th. The 1st is when things started buzzing around here. All in all I saw over 30 shows, many free, mostly comedy, lots of Aussie acts. Scots all clear out of Edinburgh for August and the populations' accent takes a real nasal twang - the Aussies swamp the town!

Work kindly let me take a week and a half off to enjoy the festival which was great as there are so many things on during the day as well as late at night events. I really came to enjoy the long lie-in for that time. I'd wander down to a venue, usually Bristo Square where a cluster of venues are - the Gilded Balloon, Pleasance Dome and Udderbelly (a venue inside of an inflatable giant, upside down purple cow), and try to get as many free tickets to shows as possible. In the first week this was particularly easy and I saw some great neat things. It was also nice to not have to choose as the choice was so great sometimes you don't know where to start!

I think the best way to go through the shows I saw is to go through each day of August, start to finish. Better order another coffee...

Lead up to my August posts (in September)

2007-09-02T03:11:00.000-07:00

Slightly out of date as I am writing this a week after the Fringe finished. Agata and Lawrence have gone to Connect Festival and the house is even more quiet than usual. I have actually been looking forward to a Friday night by myself as August has just been madness. Briony was going to a workmate's house to watch the Big Brother final. Not realy my cup of tea. After work finishes, I walk down to Alphabet Video to hire some dvds. The weather was so nice, I decided to walk the wrong way home up to Bruntsfield to wander the gorgeous little boutiquey shops and get some dinner. I get some pasta and some flavoured peanuts from the little Thai store which sells Asian groceries, so much cheaper than the supermarkets. Get a message from Cheryl, her and her flatmates are going out tonight. I'm all set up for a night home so sadly decline - my time with Cheryl is limited as she is leaving to go travelling at the end of the month.

Diana and Marcos join me in my room to watch Somersault. This Aussie movie has a soundtrack that i adore - I hired it purely on that basis. It was a good movie for Marcos as there wasn't much dialogue. I put Rushmore on next as I love Wes Anderson films but I've never seen this one...and fall asleep halfway through.

Saturday Morning and I get up nice and early to do a spring clean. Washing, cleaning, vacuuming. The house is spotless (for now - it never takes long for noni to leave her mark!)

During the morning I went across the road to pick up my new book from the library. Alan Alda's autobiography. I have high hopes. I also listen to my first bit of "Speak Spanish" CD, also from the library. I want to surprise Marcos and Diana, which I do. I can mimic very well but don't retain them in my old age so practice practice practice. Also used Lawrence's computer to rip the CDs I've amassed onto my new mp3 player...all 2 of them - the new Crowded House and Something for Kate albums.

It's now 3pm and I've escaped the house to go across the road to pen this long time coming blog post about the fringe (when I know it's a big one I write it on paper first). I've come to the Elephant House which is where JK Rowling supposedly wrote a bit of Harry Potter. Because of this fact during August tourists flocked to this place, taking photos and the like. I don't know why I'm here as the coffee is shocking, the service ridiculous, plus the chairs are uncomfy. Perhaps I wanted a bit of my own inspiration? I must look like a tool sitting here, jotting things down but who cares? I'm most excited about getting this ticked off the list today so I won't have to do any chores tomorrow. Father's Day will be a day of complete choice to do whatever I please. There are a few exhibitions in their last weekend here I could make time for. If it's a nice day I might go down to the Botanic Gardens. In the evening there is a fireworks spectacular on which we will hopefully be able to view from our lounge room window. If not we will wander down the Mound and watch from outside (NB. my dinner was still in the oven when fireworks started, but we say them from our bedroom window. Twas no SA-FM Skyshow!).

The fireworks mark the official end of the 'festival' and already the town has gone so quiet, it's weird not getting accosted by a flyerer or having to walk on the road as the footpaths are full of roaming tourists who just stop abruptly for no reason, right in front of you. Also, having to play umbrella wars with those that don't realise that they're walking too close to you and are poking you in the head - has stopped.

September 1 and summer is officially gone. The general concensus is that it never arrived this year. Autumn has been quite agreeable so far with mild days, not much rain and wind at all. Hope that keeps up for a few more weeks - this will be great weather while Mum and Dad are here.

My Space Update

2007-08-24T08:05:00.000-07:00

Alas, the moment was shortlived. Cannae longer access MySpace at work, which means once more my page will slide into oblivion. I know you posted a comment there Jen but haven't been able to read it yet! And yes, Facebook is all the rage here but I shall resist that for as long as I can like I did with MySpace!

Last weekend of the Fringe, incredibly sleepy yet want to make the most of the last few days including going to see a comedy sketch show at the top of Arthur's Seat - I'm laughing already!

MySpace Ramblings

2007-08-18T03:43:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd double post this up as a poor excuse for a blog entry. Those of you that read (read) my MySpace, feel free to frequent it again as I am slowly going to be doing it up. Enjoy my MySpace rambling...

Ooh, an update...can you believe it? It's only been 5 months but now I can access MySpace at work - hooray!

Have been settled down in Edinburgh since April, November will be time for me to move on though. My existential crisis of earlier this week turned into revelation on Friday when I discovered if I save and work hard in September and October, I probably will have enough money to travel around Europe for 2 months, thus seeing more of the continent. Then I'll be able to use a bit of my Australian account money for travelling in Thailand and surrounds in early 2008 before coming home to Adelaide and contemplating my next move. I'll be excited to see my family, my friends and my best mate's wedding in August.

For now I'm just going to enjoy the rest of the month and the Fringe Festival and quietly plot my plans for world domination.

Notes from Dublin..no room at the inn

2007-08-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

So on the last Saturday in July Cheryl and I had booked cheap flights to Dublin to stay there for three nights/days. Briony had a lazy day Saturday and a nice lunch downstairs at the Villager and it wasn't until 6 in the evening when I had to walk down to meet Cheryl at Waverley Bridge to catch the bus to the airport. Oh, when I say lazy day it was kind of indispersed with my being lazy and my fretting that Dublin was extremely busy that Saturday and we'd been trying to look for accommodation for days with no success. We'd booked a hostel no worries for Sunday and Monday but Saturday was proving a hard task. So I was on the phone a lot of the day ringing places seeing if they had cancellations. Finally around 4pm one place did have 2 spare beds so that sorted that problem.

The bus ride is only supposed to take 25 minutes but ended up being over an hour as a great big football match between Barcelona and someone had finished and people and cars were pouring out of Murrayfield Stadium and we were stuck in traffic similar to AAMI stadium after a match but only 2 lanes of traffic not 4 or whatever there is on West lakes Boulevard. The bus driver was getting all riled up - poor thing once we did get to the airport he would have had to turn around and head straight back into the crowds. We had a heads up on the match so factored in that we needed to catch an earlier bus so were not worried about missing our flight at all.

I'd borrowed Lawrence's little suitcase so I wouldn't have to check in any luggage (RyanAir charge you £10 per flight per bag to have this luxury can you believe?). Unfortunately Cheryl had a whole heap of liquids (hair stuff, good shampoos and other hairdresser stuff) so she either had to chuck them out and not check her stuff in or keep them and pay the price. So once we'd sorted that out she'd checked her bag in and on the plane we hop. I mentioned to Cheryl how I haven't got any luggage tags on my bag but since I'm not checking it in I don't worry. The airports here aren't as generous with those paper labels like QANTAS and Virgin are.

Flight was no worries, only an hour but the plane reminded me of a giant safety vest - Ryanairs colours are yellow and blue...not soothing colours. They also hock Ryanair scratchies on the flight as well - how classy. Arrived in Dublin in a makeshift terminal reminds me of Avalon Airport but Dublin's excuse is that they are building new terminals. It's half past ten before we get out of passport control and baggage collection and I am anxious to get to our accomodation by 11 because that's when reception closes. They guy behind the desk knows we might not make it there in time but is still adament we have to be there before 11. So i'm a bit anxious when i get on the bus. Half way into the journey some young local blokes get on and ask us what we're up to, tell them we're heading into town and have to go to blessington street. they tell us we'll have to catch a taxi once we get off the bus, no worries they'll hail us a cab when we get off. So when we get into town we all rush off and they flag down a cab, cheryl and I bundle in and thank the guys, off we go to the accomodation. It's ten past 11 when we arrive there and thankfully someone answers the door. We just want to drop our stuff down and go have a beer but he shows us our beds and expects us to get in them then and there. The place is like a homeless mens shelter I swear, we're not given a key but told to ring when we want to be let inside and that the beds are 40 euro each not 16 like the guy on the phone told me. it's at this point in time when Cheryl whispers in my ear "where's your suitcase?"

Shit. I told her to run downstairs and check to see if the cab was still downstairs, I say to the guy thanks but no thanks now we have no accomodation and are missing my suitcase. Remember, no idenification on the bag (but it was locked). I didn't know if I'd left it on the street when we got off the bus in such a rush for the cab - could be anywhere. We flag down another cab and when I actually stop and think about it the suitcase is still on the bus. Ask the cabbie how we'd get in touch with lost property and he helps us out ten fold, ringing up the bus company and also stopping other buses on the street to ask them what to do once we found out lost property wouldn't be open at midnight on a Saturday. We spent about an hour with this guy and he only asked us to pay 5 euros but he'd helped so much as tempting as that was I paid him twenty and thanked him for his help. You see, we'd found out that the bus was heading back to the depot, but not straight away so while we waited for it, our cabbie Alan took us to about 10 different places to try and see if we could find a room for the night. All places fully booked, one hotel had just sold their last room 20 minutes before. At a quarter past 12 we go to the bus depot (you'd think it was scary but we actually felt safe the whole time) and wait 15 minutes for my case and me to be reunited. Hooray! It didn't have anything important in it except for clothes, but still. While we were waiting we were chaitting to the drivers at the depot about how booked out Dublin was and they got out the yellow pages and started suggesting places we could go. They were ringing hotels and hostels and conferring with one another about where best to try. "Two football matches and two hurling matches on this weekend, see", they say "that's why it's so busy here". One younger, cuteish guy says he's got a half an hour before his night run starts and that we'll try some places. So at 12.30 on a Saturday night cheryl, me and this bus driver are riding a double decker bus through the streets of Dublin stopping wherever we saw a hotel, hostel, B&B, anything that looked like it might have a bed for us. I kid you not,we tried about 20 different places and the closest we got to a vacancy was a B&B where the guy said we could have a room for 50 euros each person but her was overbooked so he could kick us out if he needed to. Right....

The guy (Declan) has to start his bus run and we just want to look after ourselves, it has been so nice of everyone to help us out but it's like we're being killed with kindness and still not getting anywhere. But he's got one last idea. He takes us to the equivalent of North Adelaide on his bus run and says theres a whole row of B&Bs and hostels there. If we don't find anything he swears to god he'll pick us up on his way back into town, gives us his number and we get off the bus. Try the row of B&Bs, nothing and then rock up top a hotel called the Skylon. All the reception staff are young and having a fag break out the front, we ask them if they had anything, even a broom closet and they don't. BUT! One guy knew a friend who worked at a hostel and rang him to see if we could sleep in the tv room. it's no 2am and we're completely over this, just want to crash for the night. Thank God the guy says this is okay and we hop in a cab back into town and have the greatest nights sleep on a couch at a hostel, no charge, plus we have our luggage stored safely in lockers. We get kicked out at 8am and we are so grateful for their patronage. I let Declan know we found accomodation and he is pleased and also takes this opportunity to ask me out...So that's why he was so nice to us! I don't end up catching up with him but safely tuck this night away to remember when I'm old and decrepid that this jaunt overseas has provided some memorable adventures.

After this, Dublin turns out to be a great trip! We go to our new hostel and drop our luggage off but have to wait until 2pm to check in and have a shower. We while away the hours then at 2pm on the dot we hear drums, lots and lots of thunderous drums. Sounds so inviting we must investigate, maybe it's a parade but instead we stumble upon a free concert as part of the Big Bang Festival (first two photos) and it's great fun for a few hours, lots of different acts on stage music and dancing and all sorts. Plus, it's sunny so it's great to bask in the sun and listen to good tunes with lots of other people. there are hundreds of us sitting on the floor like we're back at school assembly so we can't resist to get up and dance when the finale of this concert starts, 100 drummers up on stage. Fantastic.

Finally at 5pm we head to the hostel for a shower. Litton lane is super central, just off o'Connell Street facing the River liffey. Couldn't get more central if we tried. The hostel is clean but the batrooms are a bit rundown. Really friednly roomates, 4 of them from Glasgow on holidays from Uni (all studying medicine), the other two were young guys from LA. Once we've chatted and freshened up, Cheryl and I go out to have a (real) sushi dinner and back to the hostel for drinks where we sat with our LA mates for awhile. Off we then head to Temple Bar, the touristy nightspot and see some live music. Met some Irish people and had a chat, I went to the toilet and when i'd come back Cheryl and this guy sitting next to her had just had a drink thrown on them! There had been a fight and it culminated in a drink throwing and Cheryl and this guy were sitting right behind it all.

We rounded Sunday night out by going to a Persian restaurant for some yiros (my first since New York) and chatting about what it would be like to have OCD with the guy who'd also been hit by the drink being thrown. Completely random but totally Dublin.

Monday and it's time to get out of Dublin for a day. We have coffee just off of grafton Street in my new favourite part of town, very relaxed but still stylish area. We catch a train to Howth and again, bask in the sun for the afternoon in a little fishing village. Haven't felt sun like this in ages, it's bliss!

Monday evening we go back to near grafton Street for a long dinner and drinks. Find a great kitsch Italian place with amazing food and go all out, have antipasti, main, wine, desert and coffee. The waiter brings us complimentary zambucca shots which was a nice touch. We head to Bruxelles, a little pub and sit outside until it closes, people watching. It's midnight but we want to dance to some Irish music so we hunt for an hour then almost give up when we find a place with live Irish music until 2am. it's a laugh and a half getting the place to dance, but we do it and by the end everyone there is dancing to the band, who were great.

Tuesday is a lazy day spent shopping and again, basking in the sun (and people were paying me out for choosing "sunny Dublin", it was gorgeous) in St Stephen's Green. We'd bought stuff for a picnic (3rd photos is of our spread) and it was grand, we were supposed to go to the Guiness Storehouse and do the touristy thing but by the time 3pm rolled around it was still too nice weather to head inside. I read my book and slept and relaxed in the sun, as was everyone else around me in the park.

We arrive back in Edinburgh and I'm in my door by 10.30, all ready to tell my stories to Briony who I haven't talked to all weekend. Unfortunately I haven't taken many photos but I will put some up here soon.

I'm actually writing this piece up a week after this all happened so in the next few days I will write about FESTIVAL FEVER which has gripped Edinburgh, now the fringe has started. I've got the next week and a half off of work to totally enjoy what I came over here for.

Dublin town

2007-07-27T03:49:00.000-07:00

Hello all

Long time since I have posted. I promise I'll get back to it soon...it's hard to find the energy to post even though I want to tell you about everything that is happening. Lots of things but at the same time nothing, just living and working and having fun and being bored and all that jazz.

This weekend (well, Saturday to Tuesday) I am going to Dublin with Cheryl for a few days so that will be exciting to visit the second most expensive city in the EU after Copenhagen...kinda takes the happiness of getting a 99p flight to the place!

I'm going with Cheryl, Briony can't make it unfortunately as she has just started a new job with Harvey Nichols working in HR and needs the moolah. I just wanted to get out of Edinburgh for a few days before the Festival starts which is a few days into August. Can't wait. Opening weekend (next weekend) I have a wedding at a castle to attend (story and photos I promise!) on the Saturday and then a week off work to enjoy the festival to the fullest. I see the Edinburgh Tattoo on the 11 August.

So just a friendly hello to all those who have sent me emails this week, it's going to be a few days before I reply (sorry Jen, Jo, Melissa and Thea and Melanie (so nice to hear from you!) from Myer). That way I can let you know all about my travels to Dublin town. I have actually been busy at work this week so less time to reply to my emails. Life can be so hard! Keep the emails coming of course, I love love love hearing from all of you, no matter how boring you think the emails are I can't wait to read them. Same goes for comments on my blog, it makes me feel better about writing them if I read that someone is actually reading these things!

Sparkle and Glitz

2007-07-10T02:02:00.000-07:00

Here we are looking very glam for a housewarming we went to on the weekend. The next day we didn't look so good, went for a double feature at the Cameo (Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. Hot Fuzz was RIDICULOUS!) and ate so much junk it wasn't funny. Couple of hours walking and enjoying the sunshine fixed that, though.

Apparantly Edinburgh had the best weather in Britain yesterday! Makes a change from all the dreary weather we've had last month. Fingers crossed it keeps up x

I'm getting a tattoo...

2007-07-09T07:15:00.000-07:00

A ticket to the Edinburgh Military Tattoo!

Someone just offered a spare (free) ticket at work and I nabbed it.

Not normally my cup of tea but what a great experience. I'm sure there's a great difference from watching a snippet on television to being there, perched high in the stands with thousands of others. Looking forward to it!

Link:
http://www.edinburgh-tattoo.co.uk/tattoo-experience/castle.html

The Amsterdam Experience

2007-07-09T01:46:00.000-07:00

Amsterdam 29 June - 2 July.

So, the time has finally rolled around. Briony and I are venturing to Europa! We've had our flights and accom booked for awhile and are very excited to be going to Amsterdam.

The night before our flight we celebrated Briony's birthday with a small gathering of friends at our house. We watched Borat and ate pizza from our new Turkish friend downstairs who runs the chip shop. I drop that it is Briony's birthday and he gives us an extra pizza for free. Bargain...it's really yummy too. By the time everyone leaves and we do all the dishes and pack it is only a few hours before we have to get up to head to the airport. Into bed and I check 100 times I have set my alarm before I nod off.

The next morning up we get just before 6am. A quick change out of pjs into clothes and B and I both agree there is to be no glamour on this flight - it is with Easyjet after all. So we're a bit stinky from not having a shower - it's first on our list of things to do once we get to Amsterdam. Wander down to Waverley Bridge and catch the Airport bus - no dramas and around half an hour later we are there. Edinburgh Airport is nothing fancy and the lines of people going on summer holidays are massive. Not quite chaotic - the Scots are too lazy, just a hell of a lot of people with what seems like very little organisation. After a long wait in the wrong line (we found out we were in the line to Birmingham or somewhere...oops) we checked in and went to wait at the gate. Filled in the time waiting to board our flight by watching the only coffee bar struggle with only one guy behind the counter and a line of 15+ people. He did well, and I do lie, he did have help - albeit intermittedly. There was a very pregnant, very young girl who kinda wandered in and out as she pleased, pressed some buttons on the machine for a minute, wiped over the bin, then wandered off to talk on her mobile phone for 10 minutes before returning again. We are also fascinated (and repulsed) by the fact the bar is full at 7.30 in the morning and people are gulping down lagers. Gates open around half eight and onto the plane we go. EasyJet is kind of like JetStar, no allocated seats and very budget. No TV screens and no life jackets (just kidding!). The cabin crew wear denim. Weird. Hehe, we have to walk on the tarmac as well. Such a backwater - even Adelaide doesn't do that anymore.

Find two seats together near the back of the plane and realise pretty quickly we're sitting in front of a crazy woman. She was yelling out things (attention seeking) at the gate before we boarded and is continuing to do the same to sttract the attention of the lads sitting in front of her on the plane. I think she is drugged out of her brain, but she gets attention cos she's got skinny jeans and stilettos on.

It's a rowdy flight, feels like I'm on a school bus, not an international flight. Lucky it's only 2 hours or so before we are landing at Schipol Airport. Crazy lady gets on her phone after landing (but still on plane) and declares her friend can meet her in departures because she "hid a knife in a pot plant there". We depart (again, walking on the tarmac - must be in vogue to do this again) and walk for ages before getting our bags and going to the train station to get into town.

Once we got tickets for the train (had to get change to put into machine, they didn't accept notes. Cha.), we head underground and toddle on a train. We walk on but don't go in the first carriage as it looks too classy and must be first class. Then we realise the whole train looks like that so we have a comfy journey for half an hour before arriving at Centraal Station - AMSTERDAM!

It is raining slightly but the air feels fresher. I see bikes everywhere. We have no idea how to get to our hotel so into a taxi we hop (they're all Mercedes Benz here) and first start to see what Amsterdam is like. I am reminded of New York almost straight away (later find out that New York was founded by a Dutch guy). Got to get used to driving on the wrong side of the road again, too.

Our hotel is just out of the city, next to Vondel Park which our taxi driver tells us was famous for something in the 70s. Something to do with hippies, I wasn't really listening. We check in at our hotel, called Hotel Europa 92, and we're given the keys to room 17. Up the steep stairs to Room 17, open the door and discover - there's other peoples' stuff in there! Quickly shut the door and head back down to reception, they don't seem too fussed and give us keys to Room 26. Not a promising start but that was the only hiccup our entire stay, thank goodness. Room is small but clean. Beds are comfy and the shower is massive. Jen - this is for you...the toilet had a shelf "for inspection" in the bowl. Weird! We have showers, put on our trainers and go for a big walk. The street up the road is full of designer stores like Chanel, Tods, Hugo Boss etc. Wish we could do more than window shop, but it was nice to soak up the atmosphere. We had coffee on this street Saturday morning, it was beautifuly sunny so we sat outside and did what everyone else was doing - watching people pass by.

But back to Friday afternoon. After our big walk we wandered to find late lunch/early dinner that wasn't too ritzy or too touristy. Found a little place serving traditional Dutch food in a really funky setting. Like a lounge bar but with food service. We got two dishes each and shared a pancake with bacon and apple, some potato with lots of yummy things mashed in with it, some bitterballen which was fried balls with I think cabbage in them and an open sandwich with brie in it. I don't know how people are so slim here, the food is quite stodgy!

After tea, we have another wander, notice that the Reijkmuseum and Van Gogh museum is near our hotel. The Reijkmuseum is being refurbished, only one wing open but still charging full admission. Puts me off the idea of going there. We'll think about it. Museums are 'de rigour' here, there's a museum for everything - diamonds, houseboats, sex, and drugs. I think we completely shun every museum except Anne Fran Huis. More about that later. We look into hiring a bike or doing a bike tour tomorrow, Saturday.

Amsterdam has quite a festive atmosphere. We'll walk along, then all of a sudden there's live music on the corner, or a painitng party on the banks of a canal. We also saw a game of giant chess!

In the evening, we head back to the hotel for a half an hour kip, then back out to take a cruise along the canals. Our host on the cruise is a guy called Olaf. He made me laugh as he had quite a dark, dry sense of humour. A European Jack Black, perhaps. The cruise went for an hour and a half, was a great way to see the city all starting to light up for the night. Olaf gave us lots of useful/quirky info about the city, while we took photos and snacked on peanuts and Dutch cheese.

After the cruise, we went to find a coffeeshop...an Amsterdam "coffeeshop", wink wink. Those of you that know me know I don't dabble in this kind of drug nonsense, but "when in Rome", it's legal! Found a place called the Rokery and met a jolly American man who was happy to show us the ropes of how to order stuff in a coffeeshop when he noticed us walking downstairs then walking straight back up as we had no idea as to what we had to do. We bought a little somethng called "Happy Buddha". It made me feel like I really needed to pick my feet up when i walked and also made my teeth feel really sensitive - I could feel them all the way up to the root! Briony went really quiet and later told me she was so paranoid she could hardly speak. Weird.

PS I know speaking this candidly will
A) open me up for endless joking among my friends who know I don't smoke, and:
B) make my parents give me a stern telling off....tsk tsk tsk.

Oh well, it makes a good story, doesn't it?

We wander home and come across a dance party in the middle of a public square. It looks so pretty all lit up with fairy lights and great atmosphere. Another unexpected moment in Amsterdam, always putting on something. We have a dance before heading back to the hotel for a darn good night's sleep!

Up 9am the next morning for a fantastic (free) brekky at the hotel. Huge spread, it's very tempting to make up a few rolls to have for lunch later on. No toaster though, but the bread is so fresh it would be a waste to toast it. We head to Vondel Park where there are lots of people jogging with their dogs. This city is full of beautiful people. Makes a nice change from Edinburgh, hehe. We bask in the sun for a while before heading to have coffee and juice in that fancy street I was talking about before. We walk to meet our bike tour group at noon.

The tour was a definite highlight of my travels so far. I really enjoyed seeing a city this way, on a bike and having little stops for information every now and then. It lasted into the early evening but was quite leisurely and not strenuous at all. It's all so flat in Amsterdam the only hard bits are going up over canal bridges! We covered a lot of ground and got to map out the city really well. The weather had turned a little bit grey in the afternoon but it held off raining. During the bike tour we left our bikes and all hopped on a canal cruise, where the tour guides gave us a few beers and we were able to have a spot of lunch and chat with others on our tour. We met 2 girls from America who were studying in France - Erica and Elaine. After an hour or so, we hopped back on our bikes for a little bit more riding before we went back to the bike garage. Great fun, sore bum tomorrow I'm sure. Highly recommend Mike's Bikes if anyone is going to Amsterdam.

Another walk was in order after biking, before finally giving in to the delights of FEBO (Dutch fast food store which is like a giant vending machine) and pommes frites - potato chips served in a cone with lots of mayonnaise. Yum! We head back to the hotel for a shower and then head out for the evening.

I wanted to have some Indonesian while I was here so we searched for an Indonesian restaurant for an hour or so (always there when you don't need them, never there when you do). It was a nice restaurant but pretty average service and there was a raeally fat man sitting next to us listening to our conversation and chewing really loudly. Thank God he left before our food arrived.

We were near the Red Light District so we thought we'd check it out that night. We'd ridden to it on the tour but wanted to see it again. We'd only just arrived before we saw Erica and Elaine. Crazy! They were with 3 Aussie boys they'd met at their hostel so we hung out with this group all night. Great fun, we did the rounds and looked at all the ladies in the windows and met a guy dressed up as Borat. Or maybe just dressed in the Borat mankini. Hilarious as every man and his dog spent the night trying to give him wedgies...front and back if you know what I mean.

We ended the night going back to their hostel and chucking water bombs out the window onto people below. Only people we knew were cruising for girls in the windows...poetic justice, perhaps. Very juvenile but oh so funny. 4am we decided to wrap up things and headed for home but got caught in the rain so hailed a taxi halfway, not before becoming completely soaked, though.

BIG sleep Sunday morning so we missed our buffet brekky. Walked to Anne Frank Huis (house) and saw the huge lineup so we went to get some lunch. Had a massive omelette from this place called the Pancake Bakery. I wish I'd ordered a pancake so I could have used the giant bucket of stroop (syrip) on the table.

Anne Frank Huis was very good, quite concise. It's so busy you're kind of in a giant procession the whole time and you're through the whole house before you know it. It was a little bit bigger than I imagined but still very sombre. No one talked the whole time we were in there.

Went for a walk on the way home (are you noticing a theme here? It's a very walkable city), took us 3 hours in fact, just strolling around, not taking a diret route but knowing we'd get there some time. When we got in to the hotel it was definately time for a relax and we watched the "concert for Diana" on the telly (Ricky Gervais stunk!), as well as flicking over to CNN for updates on what had happened in Glasgow/London. Scary! It was like the time Jen and I were on the Gold Coast watching CNN when the 7/7 bombings happened. You get addicted even though they aren't feeding you any new information.

Monday, our last day rolls around and we head to the Albert Cuyp Market. Sounds promising, but it's full of the same old crap that every market in the world has. Cheap clothing, souvenirs, gimmicks and knick knacks. Only thing that was unique was the chocolate genitalia on sale...crazy Amsterdammers.

We spent the rest of the day going over the shopping districts in the city. I didn't find anything I loved, though I was really wanting a new pair of shoes. Again, a lot of ground was covered today. Towards the end of the day we were just hanging around waiting for the time we had to get on the train to catch our flight to Edinburgh. I bought some Milka chocolate from a sweet shop called 'Jamin' and we had one more pancake before we left (one too many, felt sick and only got half way through it). Highlight was seeing a man rambling in the street and eating Milka...it must make you crazy!

Flight back was like a cattle call all over again, EasyJet sucks. Got back to Edinburgh about 10pm and it was around 11 before we got back to the apartment. We were interested to see what security was like at the airport after all the happened over the weekend. Police presence with machine guns and the forecourt was closed off to traffic. Apart from that it was business as usual.

Photos:
-Briony. Clog. Hilarity ensues.
-On your bike!
-That's the pancake that ruined me, on the right. Sooooo sweet.
-Cafe for people watching
-Multi-story bike park. I love it!

Not Glastonbury, the Outsider!

2007-06-28T01:33:00.000-07:00

The Outsider Festival, 22-24 June 2007.

I had known about this event pretty much since we arrived in Edinburgh that happened last weekend. I kinda forgot about it, thought it would be too expensive etc etc, until the Thursday before when I went to go have a look at the website. It was a weekend festival but you could also buy tickets for each day. None of the other bands on the bill interested me much except for one band you may have heard me talk about over the last 10 years - Crowded House.

Yes, they have reformed and have started to play again, 10 years after the massive Farewell to the World Concert on the steps of the Sydney Opera House. Never really thought I'd see it happen (especially after Paul Hester died) and was quite happy with the fact that over the past few years I have seen Tim Finn, the Finn Brothers (twice), and Split Enz (twice).

So, two days before they were due to play, my friend Cheryl said she wanted to get out of Edinburgh for the weekend, so I proposed we go to the Outsider Festival. Easy. We just get on the train and get a lift home after. Easy, right?

Here's a story for you. We meet at the train station at 9am to catch the 9.25 train to Aviemore, about 3 hours north of Edinburgh. As we line up for the tickets, which I looked up online and would be about £12 one way, we're chatting and talking about what we could get for brekky. When we get to the ticket counter, we were told the cheapest tickets we would get were £35. £35! It would have been cheaper to hire a car (which we considered). But first, a wander up to the bus station proved fruitful when we found it would be just £15 each. I paid for Cheryl's fare as a thankyou for her cutting my hair the previous night. We had an hour before the first bus left so we wandered to have some breakfast and a very chocolatey hot chocolate from Chocolate Soup. Wow, there's a lot of chocolate in that sentence. On the bus, very pleasant ride - glad we are inside it for a few hours as it is raining quite a bit. It's nice looking at the scenery, very green - reminds me of New Zealand. Only takes a few minutes to be out of the "hustle" of the city and into the countryside.

Being Sunday, Mum rings me for a chat about noon my time. She tells me about the tour they are booking for when they come to Europe and it sounds fantastic. I say how we are on the way up to this festival and will see Crowded House, we have a laugh because she knows how I loved them. I let it slip that we don't really have any solid way of getting home after the festival and no accomodation and that we might have to sleep at the train station - she laughs it off but, being Mum, worries. I'm not worried, I'm thinking it'll all work out and if it doesn't then work knows that I might not be in Monday morning.

Off the phone and an hour and a half later (and one on board bus toilet experience - yuck) we arrive in Aviemore. Lovely highland town, very picturesque and has a lot of outdoor gear shops. Not much more than a main street (that I can see). We go to the service station and go to the toilet before walking to the festival site, which is about 15 minutes walk away from the town, at Rothiemurchus in Cairngorm National Park. Lots of people around in plastic pants, gumboots, waterproof everything. I start to feel kinda inadequate in my sneakers and wide leg pants. There's this pesky rain that not enough to put a brolly up but still there - and it's just hanging round.

After a few minutes, we arrive at the festival site, looking nice and shiny when we are confronted by...the mud! The site is covered in mud - deep, thick and boggy! I take a photo of my shoes as I know I won't see them this clean in a while and head in. Lots of Scottish bands playing, some rally nice sounds and I discover a new Glsgow band called Make Model. Hopefully I will see them play again. The rain doesn't stop and we grab some food - really yummy which is surprising for festival fare. I love the fact there are vans selling porridge at a festival - how sensible. After hours of being kept nice and dry, my feet finally start to freeze just before Crowded House come on the main stage about 9.15 pm. It finally stopped raining about that time as well! THANK GOD!

It was a great concert, was quite close to stage and having great fun singing along. It was sad not seeing them with Paul behind the drums, but the new drummer (plays in Beck's band too) is cheeky and has a lot of energy. They played a few new songs, quite good but of course it was lovely to hear the old stuff. Neil is a great frontman and really seemed to love having the crowd sing along. It would be nice to have 10000 people singing you your songs, funnily enough.

So Crowded House finish and the mad dash to try and get home begins. Most people are camping the night and leaving the next day, but with no tent and no accomodation we have other ideas. Our hope of a ride home was dashed when they left before Crowded House started, they'd had enough of the rain all weekend and just wanted to get home. They left us with a contact which was almost successful but room for only one in their car. So. We tried hitchhiking for a half and hour or so, but everyone's cars are packed full to the brim. We check out the backpackers - those that aren't closed up for the night are booked up completely. We try to bribe one YHA to let us sit in the dining room overnight for a few pounds but the guy behind the desk is a nerd who says that's a fire hazard. No joy.

Our new best friend has become the 24 hour service station. It's our bathroom and kitchen. Now we just need a place to sleep. I suggest the police station but we decide to just have a wander around and find a small apartment block whose door was open. That becomes our new home for the night, sleeping under the stairwell. It's freezing but at least we're out of the cold. When we can't stand the cold any longer we head back to the service station to fill cups with hot water and hold them in our hands. We chat with the lady behind the counter and learn a bit more about the place. We get to just after 7 am when we walk to the bus stop and wait for our first hope of getting home, a bus to Perth. It doesn't connect with an Edinburgh service and is £10 dearer. We grit our teeth to wait for the 9 am service to Edinburgh. We are wet, muddy and smelly after sleeping in what I think was the bin area of the apartment block. No where is open yet to have a coffee and we are over the service station jaunts. Cheryl tries our luck in a ritzy hotel where they invite us into their lobby and make us a plunger coffee. The coffee is awful but it's lovely surroundings and big comfy couches - we make that plunger last an hour and a half - they don't mind.

Finally the bus comes and we almost don't get on - it's too full but luckily we got the last seats. Even luckier considering we didn't prebook our tickets. As we are in line a girl recognises us from the Josh Pyke gig we went to in Glasgow a few weeks back. I really want to chat with her but the line was moving. Hopefully we will run into each other again. It was weird to be spotted in Aviemore where we knew no one, being recognised for something in Glasgow when you live in Edinburgh.

The bus ride is shocking, we are sleep deprived, smelly, and the bus driver doesn't know how to change gears. There are young Spanish girls behind us who talk and giggle, non stop. By the time we got to Edin we were ready to kill them. They were lucky.

Thank God I live in the city, I was so knackered I paid a cab driver £2 to take me up the hill to my place, then into shower and fill the washing machine with my clothes and shoes. Everything (including me) comes up a treat.

Monday night was closed with us housemates celebrating Marcos' birthday. Diana made burritos and we had a great, lazy time. It's Noni's birthday tonight and we are doing the same thing. Happy times!

Here's a few photos from the festival, will hopefully make my story make sense! The last photo I love - it's actually a small boy covered in a poncho and has garbage bags over his shoes that he'd just changed so he was nice and clean (his last lot of plastic was not so lucky). What a snazzy idea! This sums up the festival for me.

Here is a link for a writeup of the Outsider Festival:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/6235238.stm
link to news article

Flatmates

2007-05-29T11:20:00.000-07:00

As promised to Mum and Dad (several weeks ago), here are some photos of my housemates. These were taken at our apartment warming party, hat themed and lots of fun.

1. I like this one as I'm the only one who looks sober - gol! Helped by the fact I'm hidden by the photographer's sneaky finger. These are my housemates Diana, Marcos, Noni, Agata and I. My other housemate Lawrence arrived at the party later, will post a photo of him real soon. Phil is trying to wangle his way in the shot to pretend he's a flatmate but fails.

2. Nic, Noni, Anna, Phil, Marc, John and Stefan. Stefan is now bkiking his way across Europe - brave boy! John is psyching himself to do the Running of the Bulls in Spain soon. Hope he won't be wearing that hat!

3. The "esky". No room in the fridge for beer? Just hang 'em out the window!

4. Me and Marcos. He always takes a good photo. And has shinier hair than me with more volume. Damn it! Oh well, can't have it all...

5. Random hallway shot.

Lots has been happening but at the same time nothing. Thankyou Melissa for the delightful postcard from Adelaide - what a great idea.

Cool photos thanks to Jas

2007-05-28T04:26:00.000-07:00

http://www.bugbitten.com/blogs/Europe/JasL/Lisa_Briony_in_Fulhanm.html

Here is a link (may have to cut and paste the address) with some photos of our stay with Jas and Shoana in London over Easter. It's from Jas' blog (excellent blog, tops photos). Yes, duty free vodka and Sainsbury's own brand Red Bull makes for a sweaty, half opened eyes night out. Someone bug Briony for her photos of this evening, she's got lots more incriminating shots of Shoana on our walk home...she's a devil that one!

If you are reading this Jas you better come and visit us here quicksmart so we can take you on a tour of ol' Edinburgh. We should all dress up like it's your hen's night - Lucas included. Dressing up is a really orignal idea here, no one else does it at all...not. Best of all you can wear your highest heels cos we'll only go across the road. Pubs are all at our doorstep and the yiros place is right underneath so that takes care of any late night food issues. Gol!

More photos coming really soon of our housewarming we had this weekend just gone. Fabulous party...a full report coming at 6 hehe.

I've got a new apartment, baby

2007-05-22T10:54:00.000-07:00

I've got a new apartment baby,
And it protects me from the lonely whistling streets,
And I've got a new apartment baby,
The interior colour is red,
And my only friend is my stereo receiver,
Playing my favourite song all night long,
ahh

Anybody remember Custard? They were the first concert I went to all those years ago, at Magill Uni with Pornland and Regurgitator. Jennifer, i believe you were in attendence, as was Julie Brazzatti. Wacko!

So, here are some photos from my new apartment:

This is my building, our bedroom window is fourth from the right, on the top floor above the sandwich bar and BCKM solicitors. How convenient that our neighbours are only there during office hours!

Welcome to the very bland hallway. Our room is first on the right, our toilet and shower first on left (it's too little to get a good photo of!). The hallway with another toilet, shower and bath and Lawrence's room is next on the right. Spanish couple's room is last door on right and Agata's room srtaight ahead. The lounge and the kitchen is second door on left. To the right is also the crusty springy mattress Noni and I had to sleep on for 2 weeks. Ah, new beds. Our room is the next few photos, before I show you those, I've included a rant I wrote to Cara a few weeks ago when we first moved in. I had to delete a few expetives, wish I had some before shots...
"Ugh we spent all last night after work cleaning and scrubbing and disinfecting washing and vaccuuming and mopping and getting our room in tip top shape, still doesn't have our smell yet so still doesn't feel like 'home', won't take long for Briony's farts and my essential oil to perfume the place. It really BLEEPS me the other two rooms that were vacated over the last few days were scrubbed clean and even linen was washed and left clear. The guy (BLEEPING Aussie) in ours just packed his shit and left the place absolutely disgusting I think he was BLEEPED he had to leave (couldn't afford it must drink too much cos this place is BLEEPING sweet, cheaper than a hostel which is what he is going to so the mind boggles). It was disgusting, full of dust and but luckily he is a boy and it was nice to find lots of spare change around on the floor under the couch etc so that bought me a few beers when we finally finished and all went down to a bar for a few beers to celebrate new housemates at 11pm last night down the street. We disinfected EVERYTHING! At least we can now start to put the finishing touches in our room and make it our own, can see lots of potential even though we missed out on the huge room by half an hour (the spanish couple viewed the place 30mins before us and had the pick of the rooms and seriously, their room is huge like a ballroom seriously why does a couple need all that room when they share a bed! We are so jealous but I'll get over it, ours is still big enough to have 2 double beds (although we onlt have 1 atm), a comfy Ikea couch and wardrobe and drawers (might need more hanging space soon we can just get a roly rack for a fiver at the cheap shop.)"
Hehe, he left his tv so now we've claimed it and our room is complete - enjoy:

My bed is the red messy one, Noni's is the blue/cream on with dirty pyjamas on top. Doesn't take long for us to get comfy - this room was spotless the night before! The lighting makes it look like we're in two seperate rooms but I assure you, we are not.

The next two photos are me sticking my head out the window left, then right up George VI Bridge. On the photo looking to the right has the library building where I am right now, posting on my blog (it's the last building before the building sight at the top of the pic). Wave to me! Looks a little bit grey today but it's been quite nice.

Please enjoy other random photos of the apartment. Boring details but at least it gives you a picture:

And that's me in our messy room. I dyed my hair last night, it needed it so badly. Excuse the makeup running down my face, I've just come home from a full on day from work. I started in a new job at the RCN today and it's much busier than reception. I hate not knowing everything either and so I stressed a bit today but I'm sure it'll get better really quickly, just need a few days to work things out and get my head around procedures etc. The team I work with are great, though...thank goodness. I'll post a bit more about it another time, hopefully later this week. Ciao x

I haven't forgotten you, blog!

2007-05-16T03:01:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone

Been awhile since I've posted, someone needs to give me a good kick in the bum with this blog every now and then! All is well and settling down in our new apartment, been there for over a week now - time is going so fast, can you believe it's mid May already? Before I know it summer will be over (hopefully not before it begins) and we'll be braving lots more wind and rain than we are at the moment.

Despite all the talk about the weather, Edinburgh's been quite good to us Aussies. April was incredibly mild and it hardly rained at all. It's been a little bit damp here for the past week though, some days it will get better in the afternoons while other days the sky stays grey all day. On Monday it was quite nice and sunny after a dreary weekend so I went for a big long walk after work but after an hour it started to turn and I got caught in the rain, no biggie though I just put my hood on and kept walking for another half an hour. I walked around the fringe of the city centre, it's the best way to discover which buses go where, find cheaper restaurants, and help me to generally nut out the city. I came across the Royal Commonwealth Pool which is quite rundown, so much so they admit it in their brochures however they are closing it next year to build a new one. Reminded me of the Adelaide Aquatic Centre, think that's looking a little bit worse for wear these days. I used to love going there when I was a kid for some reason even though the diving pool was never open. Not that I would have had the guts to jump off the 10m plank anyway, but it's nice to have the option.

Been going out lots and still meeting new people. I'm trying to save a few pounds and shed a few pounds by laying off the beer but it was a friend's birthday today and we went out last night to celebrate and somehow I helped to devour a bottle of red. Never mind. We went to a really lovely place called Iglu, a tiny bar/lounge/restaurant. So nice! We wanted to treat ourselves and share a cheese platter but the kitchen is so small they had actually run out of cheese! I’m just trying to think back and let you know what else we have done over the past few weeks. I’ve seen a few gigs at this place called Cabaret Voltaire, mostly up and coming bands or singer from the UK but last Monday an Australian brother and sister duo called Angus and Julia Stone played. I think they were in the JJJ Hottest 100 this year, really lovely laidback melodies. Julia is this tiny little thing and looks a lot like my my cousin Ben’s fiancé Nicki (I’ve got no idea how to spell her name, so many different ways hope it’s right). I’d never seen them live before so it also took me awhile to get used to her ‘Joe Cocker’ moves on the stage when she sings. A bit strange at first but by the end it was endearing. Angus is a real cutie, a bit shy but his voice is gold. There was such a serene air in the room when they were playing - I think Edinburgh was charmed that night by those two Aussies.

Speaking of gigs, Cara let me know Josh Pyke is doing another tour of the UK (he was last here when I was in NY or around that time – not long ago) so I will be there with bells on in June when he comes to Glasgow. Hopefully I can recruit a few people to enjoy his tunes as well, really love his stuff. That’s why I’m so annoyed – my mp3 player and noise cancelling headphones were stolen out of my room at the backpackers (Briony and I were sharing a twin room, you’d think we wouldn’t have to lock everything away. They didn’t even have lockers in that room. I’d love to know who it was that took it, it was a crappy, clunky player of no value or use to anyone but me. I hate that my music is gone and also that someone got into our supposedly private room but I’ve filed a police report and will file a claim with travel insurance to hopefully replace the items. Whoever took it I take heart in the fact that karma will come back to bite them on the bum soon enough. Rargh. Interestingly, Briony’s hairbrush has also been taken. What a weird item to steal but it’s nowhere to be found and she never took it out of the room so we can’t come to any other conclusions than that. At least these items are replaceable, and they weren’t our passports. Enough of the venting, what else can I tell you about?

Rang home on Saturday night after going out to watch Eurovision to catch Mum by surprise for Mother’s Day morning in Australia. Sounds like all is well and Mum and Dad are busy planning to travel to Europe later on in the year. I am so excited for them as they have not done an overseas trip before, I know they will love it. And what better excuse to travel and to come and see me? I can’t wait to take them around Edinburgh and do all the touristy things and all the rest of it. A snap decision was made at about 3am Sunday morning that we would go to Glasgow on the train with our housemate Lawrence and his partner Stuart to go shopping. So I got up a did a bit of washing before heading down to the train station and 50 minutes later in the early afternoon we were in Glasgow. It’s apparently a lot like Melbourne, a bit industrial but good live music scene and nightlife in general. And shopping, which is what we went for. I only bought a £7 top to lounge around in but I’ll definitely return when I have some more moolah to spend. Briony found a jacket for £12 which was a complete bargain and is really nice and warm. I’ve been on the lookout for another jacket so hopefully I’ll get a bargain soon too. A lot of the fashion is really ugly here at the moment, all that baggy knitted cardigans which have no shape and pinafore dresses and tops with big buttons. Ugh. I need to find some inspiration soon before my Aussie clothes fall apart!

I purposely haven’t written anything about how life is going in our new apartment because I want to put up some photos. So, next post I will take you on a grand tour of Apartment 2F1, 53 George IV Bridge. X

Beltane Festival and Olivia's here!

2007-05-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

Monday night after work we rugged up in several layers and headed over to Calton Hill with a big group of mates and people from our hostel to the Beltane Fire Festival. It’s a pagan festival to welcome in summer and is always celebrated on the 30th of April. I think they normally get 12000 but because it was on a Monday this year there were only around 8000 (only! It felt like more!). There is a big parade/procession around the grounds of Calton Hill which has stunning views over the city and Leith as well. Calton Hill is like a big hilly park with lots of random old monuments and buildings, it’s very beautiful but absolutely freezing (the procession starts around 9pm and finishes at 1, then a party goes until 4am. We only made it to just after midnight, we all had work the next day!). If anyone’s interested in the story of the procession, here you go:
The procession begins on the Acropolis where a neid fire is lit. The sacred flame reveals the May Queen. With the Horned God and her White Woman Warriors she is guided by the Blue Men through the Fire Arch into the underworld, awakening and uniting the elements of Air, Earth, Water and Fire. When the circuit of the hill is almost complete, the court is ambushed by the lustful and chaotic Red Men. But they are repelled by the order and power of the White Women. The celebrations climax when the Horned God touches the May Queen. He is then stripped of his winter coat and reborn as the Green Man, the first new growth of the coming Summer. He is crowned by the May Queen and they light a sacred bonfire to burn the old and bring in the new. The festival ends with the coming together of White and Red in a courtly dance.
In short, it’s just a lot of near naked people covered in red, blue, green or white paint dancing around and playing with fire. Top night! My photos didn’t turn out spectacularly so here’s a link:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/6610507.stm

And a report on the night that covers the story a lot better than what I did and has the best picture of the night, giant human pyramid (they tried to do it twice but the girl at the top couldn’t stand up fully before falling down. They better get it right next year!):
http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=388&id=671832007

In other news, Olivia is here in Edinburgh! She, Steve and Rosemary (Steve’s Mum) are going to a wedding here on Friday. We caught up last night after work and took them out for a ghost tour, a few drinks, laughs and catchups. Livvy has lots of funny stories about her travels around Europe and is such a good storyteller. We’ve still got a few more days with them which is awesome. I’ve picked up an extra day of work on Saturday because I wrongly assumed that the wedding would be on a Saturday but Fridays are very popular to have weddings here as places book out years in advance on Saturdays. Never mind, it’s a public holiday here on Monday so I’ll still get a full weekend. Another update in a few days x.

Edinburgh still, settling in

2007-05-01T04:41:00.000-07:00

Hiya (this is what everyone says as hello here, I think it's got charm to it)

Been a busy week doing lots of things and settling down into Edinburgh life. I'll give you an update over what's been happening over the last few days, let's start with Friday...

Friday my contract at the RCN was extended for another two weeks, so I will be there a month, which is nice. Although not in the main drag of town, (kinda in the burbs, like Medindie or St Peters, not a far bus ride but a bit too long for me to walk there every morning. Next week I'll try to plan to bring my sneakers and on a nice day I'll walk back into town after work, which will be nice. Briony finishes at 5 on Fridays, not 7 so we made it just in time for dinner at the mosque. They do cheap curries, a huge plate piled with veggies and rice and naan and a drink for £3.50 or so (great value), but close at 7pm, which means we missed out on it for my "birthday" the other night. Good food, however you only pay for the food not the setting, you eat outside under some sails on tressel tables and plastic chairs and it attracts a lot of pidgeons so you have a slightly disturbing atmosphere of a guy with a bat, shooing away all the pidgeons if they come near you and making funny noises. All part of the fun!

Earlier in the day both Agata and Nic messaged us to say if we wanted to catch up and go out later that night so we met up with them both. Nic hadn't met Agata before so we introduced her and then showed her around our soon to be new flat, had some drinks in Agata's beautiful room on the floor with cushions and didn't realise how much vodka Agata was topping us up with until we got up and went outside. Damn Polish don't realise I have no tolerance for this stuff! Made for a cheap night though as I had no need to buy any more drinks once we left the flat. Went to Oddfellows Bar, had a dance then Nic and I went off to New Town and Briony and Agata went to Whistle Binkies (only they had half price entry cards and I do NOT pay full price to get into places here, it's rubbish!). So we wandered down across the bridge and went onto George St, a lot of places were closed but Nic mentioned this club called Garibaldi's. I was shocked at first that a bar could be called that because for all South Aussies that word has bad connotations (Garibaldi mettwurst outbreak in the 1990s made lots of people sick and 1 little girl died, the meat was contaminated). We lined up and met some people in the line and spent the rest of the night dancing. Good fun, seedy bar. We left a few minutes before they put the ugly lights on and met back up with Agata and Briony and wandered around for a bit before saying our goodbyes for the morning. Good night indeed!

Next morning I got up around 9.30 to go to the library, a bit shaky the next morning and I went to the library in my pyjamas (which are just trackies but I felt like a bum) to do some emails. When I got back I had a shower and felt a lot better, got ready for the day and headed out to just have a wander round, had a few things on my list to do but mostly just wanted to mosey. Noni stayed in bed for most of the day, that girl can sleep!

Came back to the hostel at 6, met back up with Briony and our mate Cheryl wanted to catch up with us, hadn't seen her in a week cos she works nights and we work days. We couldn't face going out on the town again, despite Cheryl's best efforts we had no interest. She came around for tea, which was leftover salads from the catering my work gets in for meetings and conferences almost every day. The other Aussie girl at my work packed it all up for me in tupperware to take home on Friday and it fed all 3 of us, then some. So nice of her to do that, I feel like a scab but it would have only been chucked out otherwise. We shared a bottle of cheap red wine and then at about 9, headed out to the cinemas to catch a film. Everyone's been talking about 'sunshine' but we didn't really know what we wanted to see, we just rocked up at the Odeon on Lothian Road but we'd missed the last session. The girl at the box office was really nice and told us directions to walk to a 12 cinema complex, only a few minutes down the road. A bit more of a wander, seemed like nothing cos we were chatting all the way and we came across this huge, entertainment complex which had a cinema, bingo hall (they love it here!), 10 pin bolwing alley and arcade. I haven't seen anything so suburban in awhile I was really in awe of it! We had made it just in time for the beginning of 'This is England'. Brilliant film, though certainly not a happy film it really was interesting from start finish. It's set in England in 1983, and explores living at that time in England, skinhead and mod culture, the Falklands War and it's effect on the English, nationalism and firendship. Really great movie, probably my favourite so far of 2007. The attention to detail, with costume and sets and location was just amazing, despite never living through it I'm told it was very realistic and I believe it. Especially all my mates, GO AND SEE IT. And let me know what you think...hopefully it will be released there soon.
http://www.channel4.com/film/reviews/film.jsp?id=161023&cntsrc=rss_film+cinema_newreleases

After the film it was really weird to walk back into town feeling a bit heavy from the film, chatting about it all the way again, and then seeing Saturday night shenanigans go on. Totally not in the mood, and I felt like I needed to do a bit of boxing to get the rage out that I felt from the movie. We walked Cheryl home and then Noni and I got Mars Bar Icecreams which are HEAVEN! Better than Crunchie Icecreams, they should get them in Aus! before going back to the hostel.

Sunday was washing day, veging out day, grocery shopping day and sorting a few other loose ends out day. We got it all accomplished by the afternoon so when Caitlin and Mark, who also live in the hostel invited us out for a Sunday session, we couldn't refuse. Went to the Peartree which has a huge beer garden. Braved the elements for an hour or so but then retreated inside to the comfy couches. Was realy chilled out arvo which carried on til the evening. I have a weird Wiskar connection here, Caitlin reminds me of my Auntie Michele something chronic (Hi Michele, know you'll read this...you have a twin and she's right here in Edin!) and Marc reminds me of my cousin Mark, which is just bizarre when you meet someone and can see someone else in them instantly. These guys I think are going to be good mates of ours too, both Aussies (there's a lot here!), both are a little bit older than Nones and I but great fun. We ended up cooking our healthy tea at 10pm, really hit the spot (rice with mushrooms, zucchini, capsicum and eggplant with tomato sauce, was good!) and just vegging (hehe) out on the couch and chatting and watching some tv (a novelty in itself these days, hardly watch any!).

In a few days I'll update you and let you know what we did on Monday night - we went to the Beltane Fire Festival - which probably only Becky reading this knows about. I can't explain it now (and it needs and explanation!) but it defiantely has a place in my blog. Update you soon, hope everyone is well :)

bloody hell Ihope this works!

2007-04-25T10:31:00.000-07:00

Finally, a taster of New York photos! I know a few of you have been waiting for these. Enjoy! I can't be bothered putting them in with their respective blog entries so cast your mind back. In order, these include
-St Patricks Day parade, note crusty snow in background
-Rosa Mexicana restaurant with nones, me, julian and kerry
-I 'love' this photo
-Count how many cop cars! There were even more out of shot, more than 40! We never found out what was going on either. We are near Times Square.
-Arj Barker...the proof!

More coming in a few days, enjoy!

blue skies, I should be outside...

2007-04-24T10:11:00.000-07:00

Hello again

Well it's Wednesday evening here now and I've just knocked off work and caught my bus, which stops right outside the library entrance. How convenient! Work has been good, quite quiet at the moment which means a bit of me sitting around trying to look busy or sitting around failing at looking busy and staring out the big window in my office outside onto the cherry blossom trees and blue skies. I hope it's the same tomorrow because for the first time at work I will have to go and buy a sandwich as my lunch stuff has run out. It's quite a residential area where I work so it's a bit of a hike to the shops. I've made a few mates at work, there are a few of us from Time Recruitment at the moment and some others catch the bus with me in and out of work so we get to chat then. Things are pretty good!

Briony yesterday accepted a 3 month contract with a real estate publishing firm, which is great. She starts today and has slightly different working hours, 12-7pm as a Customer Service Advisor. Sounds like a bit of a job she'll get bored in but I've got this feeling she might climb up the ladder there. So well done to her! Tonight we are celebrating my "birthday" as Briony wanted to celebrate my birthday overseas with me, so 2 months after my actual birthday, we are going to go to a mosque and have a cheap curry dinner. Apparantly it's really nice and huge serves. We've been hanging out for Indian while we've been here and it's all been a bit expensive so hopefully it'll be a great night.

Briony and I had a bit of a beauty night last night, after tea we washed our hair and painted our nails. This sounds disgusting but my toenails grow really fast compared to Briony's, so we are having a race to see just how much faster mine grow in the next 2 weeks. I'll let you know the outcome. The original polish on my feet I put on just before I left Australia and it was starting to look like I gave myself a french manicure with burgundy polish, so it had to go. Now I'm all summury in some Boots No 7 polish called Vintage, soft pinky colour. It was so good just to take my time in the shower and muck about, now we are in a semi-normal space with only 2 in a room, we still can't wait until we get our own place of course but all in good time.

So over the rest of the weekend Noni, Cheryl and I went and visited the Edinburgh Castle which was open all weekend for free, normally you have to pay to get in. We went pretty early to avoid the crowds, which paid off although it was busy when we left there were huge lineups to get in. We saw the Scot crown jewels and a war prison and also a 21 gun salute to mark the anniversary of the queen's birthday, which was full of pomp and ceremony, but we loved it. It was quite a cool day but after that Noni and I went on one of those open top bus tours around the city. A bit cliche but good fun and good to have a tour guide with us to hear little tidbits of info like how Edinburgh is built on 7 hills, now we know why there are so many stairs! I poo pooed those bus tours in London and didn't do one but I reckon the one hear was definately worth it, it only took an hour and got some good photos, which I will put up shortly (getting sick of hearing that yet?)

We met up with Cheryl again later for some early dinner/late lunch and shared some haggis balls, awful name but were actually delicious. I haven't tried actual haggis yet but I think I will. And vegetarian haggis sounds yum too, maybe I'll try that first. I've just got to forget what is actually in there to really enjoy it maybe by having vegetarian first that will help!

After that we went back and got ready to go out on the town, and met up with a girl called Nic, who works at our recruitment company and is from Bowral in NSW. The four of us had a few drinks in our room before heading out to a few pubs, some were good, others not so but we all had a good night and ended up at Nic's flat drinking lots of water before making the long walk back to our place. I had to go to the toilet so bad and couldn't even stop along the way because it was too late and everything was closed. Thank God we made it, I've never walked with such purpose in my life. The realy disgusting thing about Edinburgh is that piss, vomit and human faeces do line the streets here, you know not to walk close to buildings at night for that reason. It's really disgusting, but there's no public toilets around so people just go anywhere (especially when they're drunk).

On that pleasant note, I'm off for the night, will update you in a few days guys. Hope all is well!

Edinburgh update

2007-04-21T01:47:00.000-07:00

Well we have been in edinburgh for over a week now, feels like longer though I suppose we have kinda squeezed so much important stuff in since we have been here. On Thursday I started my two week temping post with the Royal College of Nursing Scotland HQ. Im in reception, it's pretty relaxed and my colleagues are lovely. Half of them were away at Congress this week though, so I've only met half of them, which meant a gentle introduction before they all come back next week. Trying to remember 40 people and the jobs they do almost instantly is a bit daunting but I think Ive handled it well, considering this is my first admin job ever. My recruitment company, Time Recruitment, seem really good to work for and put on Temp drinks on Thursday night, down at Hudsons Bar. Great night, met lots of new people and had a really fun time...there were free drinks and food and the glasses of wine they were handing out were almost the size of Briony's head! Two glasses and I knew anymore and I wouldn't be jumping out of bed the next morning so it was water for the rest of the night for me. Briony has been working in the office at Time since Thursday, it may end on Tuesday but it sounds like they may keep her on. Im sure something else will come up for her really soon.

Last night we met up with Cheryl and had an after work drink on the Grassmarket, then cooked up a storm in the hostel kitchen, veggie pasta. Was yum, but we all ate a huge plate of it and were so sleepy after. The antidote? Go for a big walk, we dropped Cheryl off to her door then went and got some more milk (how domesticated).

Phew, Im now actually up to date with my blog! So there you go. I'm hoping to get back on here on Monday and pop some more stuff up and reply to the heap of emails I have got over the last few days. Keep it up guys, Im sorry Im so slow at replying but once again, my internet time has run out. Im off to go see Edinburgh Castle now, update you later!

Bus to Edinburgh yippee

2007-04-18T11:07:00.000-07:00

Okay, a few days pass and we are ready to leave London. We get up bright and early and stuff ourselves at brekky before strapping on our packs and taking a big red double decker bus to Victoria Station. We then hop on a Megabus bus (Megabus=cheap coach fares...still havent heard of any £1 fares like they advertise though), and go up to Edinburgh. It was weird we stopped after about an hours driving for a half hour break, then had to stay on the bus until we arrived in Edinburgh, at like, 6 in the evening. The bus ride wasnt that boring though, lots of different scenery along the way compared to Australia, nice and green and all that stuff. The bus was fairly full and when we got to Newcastle (i think) a guy came and sat next to Briony and she had to spend the next few hours politely chatting with him. Ah, the joy of pretending to be asleep with headphones on. He was a bit weird, and smelt funny too.

So, here we are in Edinburgh! We get off near St Andrews Square in New Town and have to walk a little while to get to our backpackers, not too far. We are staying at a place called St Christophers Inn, no it's not a religious place, in fact, they have a big bar downstairs (another Belushis, like in London, it must be a chain).

The booking system apparantly is rooted and it has booked us in to four different rooms during our five night stay at this place. So we have to wait for ages while the chick at the bar tries to rearrange things and our first night is in one room, then we move to another for the rest of the time. Sorted.

Have a big walk around and get used to the fact that this place will be our home for the next few months. Such a historic place, Im not used to everything being so old! The scenery is just crazy, castles here, beautiful gardens there, it's so surreal. Settle in to bed and move the next morning.

Friday we move into another 10 bed dorm, where we discover the shower isn't working and we have to use the showers 2 floors up. How annoying. Oh, when it got dark, we discovered that the main light wasnt working...rolls eyes...lucky the beds are comfy.

Friday morning is spent jazzying up my CV into UK format and emailing it out to recruitment agencies, and trying to find a place to call home over the next few months on a website called Gumtree. By mid afternoon we had interviews with recruitment agencies lined up for next week, and a few leads for flats. One place said we could visit it in the afternoon so we headed to George the Fourth Bridge to inspect the place. A Polish girl called Agata advertised the rooms (one double, one single), and we all clicked straightaway. Briony and I took one look around and knew we'd be happy there, so after we left we rang and said we'd have the double room. Want to hear more about our new digs?

-Four bedrooms all up, will have 6 people all up living in it.
-2 gorgeous new bathrooms
-The living room has leather reclining lounges that...wait for it...are massage chairs! They have cup holders and everything, so increddibly funny, kitsch and comfortable too!
-New kitchen as well, laid out really well but only has a small fridge. Meh.
-Heating is good, wooden floorboards, high ceilings.

The only catch is the people currently in our room arent vacating it until May, so we have to stay in short term accomodation until then. The landlords threatened Agata to find new tenants or lose the lease and she didnt want to leave but that's why we have to wait a bit. We arrange to drop part of the deposit off tomorrow.

Friday evening we met a Canadian girl called Cheryl who has become our first friend in Edinburgh! She just moved here as well and so we celebrated finding places that day with her doing lots of crazy dancing at pubs and clubs in Old Town. Favourite place was one called Whistle Binkies, live band, great atmosphere. Best part is places close early here so I was in bed by 3!

Time has run out, will add to this tomorrow!

Jas and Shoana weekend!

2007-04-17T06:50:00.000-07:00

Its easter weekend in London and we caught up with some of my cousin Kara's mates, Jas and Shoana. They've set up house in Fulham, on a road called Munster Road, which I found hilarious and so easy to remember. I think Id only met Shoana briefly once before but Jas used to come over to our house with Kara and Fil for Sunday roasts every now and then, which were always really good times. Jas looks really well, she had just come back after doing a trip to Egypt so she was really tanned and I was jealous. We caught a bus from Hammersmith to Fulham for 5 minutes and walked a bit to their house, another beautiful day...this weather is so unusual they are saying that there will be a shortage of ice cream in the UK...how funny!

I've only got 5 minutes on the internet left so Im going to put our wicked time with these guys in note form:
-Went out to a few local bars, much fun and hilarity ensued. Crazy dancing.
-Duty free vodka and Sainsburys cheap Red Bull substitute made for a great cocktail.
-Their housemate Lucas is a laugh and comes in handy when you have unwanted attention from crazy French men. He also gets points because he drives a little green car, how very Shrek.
-Shoana is crazy, especially on the walk home she got up to mischief swapping dustbin lids and the like, all whilst acting like it was completely normal. Genius. Briony has photographic evidence, and could also catch me in the act of sitting on a parked scooter on the way home also, but we wont talk about that.

So the morning after we all gradually arose from our stupor, feeling a bit sorry for ourselves and treating ourselves to cable tv to recover. They call it Sky TV over here and I think its even worse than American cable. No joke, we spent the whole day on the couch, well Shoana managed to pull herself away from 16 straight episodes of 'girls of the playboy mansion', its the new The Simple Life, apparantly. It sounds so strange but after weeks of sightseeing and on the go, it was so nice to lounge about, it was kinda just like being at home with the girls!

The next day, Briony develops a case of sudden onset conjunctivitis and we decide to celebrate that as well as more glorious weather by visiting Portobello Road Market. Ive always wanted to go here, great shopping and great atmosphere. Because it was a public holiday some stalls were open but it was also Monday so it was nowhere as big as it normally is on the weekend. It was great to visit, but so hard because I knew I couldnt buy anything. We were all in the same situation of being a bit skint for luxuries, so we pretty much just drooled at all the nice stuff that was available, clothes, accessories, house stuff. We then went and did a bit of High st window shopping before we were completed pooped and caught the tube back. By that stage it was early evening so Noni and I said our farewells and hopped back on the tube with all our gear and took 3 lines to get to our next hostel, where we stay until we go to Edinburgh on the thursday. It's nice and we get a few more sightseeing things done. I like London but Im not in love with it and dont know if Id live there. the tube is crap and always breaking down, the subway is luxury compared to it and so much less expensive. I'll definately head back there before I completely strike it off the list. PS the pidgeons are after me

Tiffany and Co!

2007-04-10T09:38:00.000-07:00

Monday is another big walk downtown via Madison Ave until 55th street, then we walk to Tiffany and Co., where Noni almost justifies buying a pair of earrings. Theyd make a nice souvenir but I doubt theyd remain nonis if we stay in any dodgy backpackers. The whole day has been window shopping (window drooling) and gasping at the prices, when we can find them. We also visit Trump Tower, which is stylish in a 1980s gold EVERYTHING way. Too gaudy! In the late afternoon we jump on a subway to Magnolia bakery, the rival to Buttercup - as to who has the best cupcake in NYC. We buy some cupcakes to take home and a slice of Red Velvet cake for Kerry. The verdict in the cupcake war is Magnolia 1 (me), Buttercup (2, noni and kerry). I think the cake is better at Magnolia, but the icing a lot sweeter. Buttercup seems to win in the icing stake, its undecided who has the better cake. It was worth the trek and getting lost on a new subway line. We order indian for dinner, really yummy and relaxed.

Tuesday I powershop (unsucessfully), but bought new socks and a few cheap tees from Old Navy. Briony is more successful but has trouble packing, so I silently pat myself on the back for my restraint. Went down to SoHo today for a haircut, my last treat before I delve into poverty and poor exchange rate in the UK. I have more of a fringe and its shaped slightly different at the back. Looks good and easy to take care of, I wasnt happy with my last cut so this is good. It gets the thumbs up from the girls, and we head out for our last night in NYC. The same group as Saturday all head out for burgers at JG Melon one last time, only 70minutes for a table tonight! good as ever. After JG, we head to the Imperial Mandarin to try and get a better view than last time, but cocktail lounge is closed. We have a drink in the bar next to it and our view is now an office block. Not as exciting. 1 drink and then the bar closed so we asked the doorman where to go, apparantly 2 blocks down there was a hotel with 4 different bars so we went there but it only had 1 open. It was like a club, and it was funny. We stayed there until it closed (everything closes early here!)

Next morning we found out that Kerry had been really sick all night, vomiting etc. We had another lazy morning (crappy weather didnt inpsire us to do one last Central Park walk), then one last walk round the UES. In the rain. Bought some flowers, some body stuff and lunch for Kerry, and a card as a thankyou. then it was time to leave the for the airport, got into a cab on Park Ave, we had a weird taxi driver, he had the blondest hair but black eyebrows. I almost threw up in the car, for some reason something came over me, but it passed as soon as we got to the airport. Bought some duty free vodka and on we got onto the plane!

The plane was only 1/3 full so we got to spread out which was good. It was an overnight flight and despite taking two temazapan I didnt drift off to sleep. 1 hour if lucky. When we landed in London, the host pointed out all the landmarks, Buckingham Palace, the new Wembley Stadium, Hyde Park - we flew right over them. I felt really calm, must have got all my nervous energy out before the flight. caught the tube to our backpackers, staying in Hammersmith for 2 nights. Too early to check in so we dropped our bags and walked for a few hours, bought some tinned spaghetti from tescos and a bag of apples from a farmers market to last us for a few days (brekky provided at backpackers). the weather was beautiful, supposed to be all weekend...blue skies...tshirt weather...what a great welcome to Britain...if only it was like this all the time. Hostel is clean and once we were all unpacked we had a nanna nap then went for a big walk in the nearby park. Its huge and everyones out, the only gross thing was there was a paddling pool kids were playing in but it was grey. A whole heap of schoolkids were splashing around, uniform and all. Came back, showered and then went to an internet place up the road to find more accom for after we check out here. What a nightmare, everything is booked out because of Easter, bad timing on our behalf. We find a hostel near the Thames, think it is a bit dodgy but itll do. I am stressed, we ring my cousin Karas frind Jas who is in London and who Id love to catch up with. We get through and she offers to take us out Saturday and for us to stay with her Saturday and Sunday nights as her flatmate just decided to go to Germany for Easter. She doesnt live too far away from where we are staying, which is great! We change the dates for our next hostel stay (now leaving for Scotland on thursday) and feel a little less stressed.

6/april
Wake up early for free brekky, really good spread, it feels like we are on school camp. I think the building used to be a boarding school or something, its got a school vibe to it. go back to room to get ready for another walk around the park when I realise my day pack is missing. Freak out - if it hasnt been stolen, its probably been left at the net cafe we were at last night. They open at ten and by the time I get down there, its right on 10. A lot of shops are closed as it is a bank holiday, but these guys were open. I had resigned myself not to freak out if it wasnt there,it didnt have anything too important like my passport in i, but it did have my iriver. Plus, its the only think I hadn't labelled but thankfully it was there and everything was in it. So lucky, I gave the guys behind the counter a big hug. I must have just been so stressed last night my only thought was to grab my jacket and satchel bag with my wallet, passport that I carry everywhere and forgot my backpack. Ive learnt my lesson 100 times over. The annoying thing is Im not usually like that with my stuff. Whew!

Cos Its good Friday I open up the card Mum and Dad gave me for Easter - it has a lovely present of 30 pounds in it, what an awesomely welcome surprise! thankyou, I miss you too - had a little cry today. Hope you enjoyed the choccies and card I left for you. happy easter everyone!

HAPPY EASTER

2007-04-06T17:11:00.000-07:00

Hope its a safe and enjoyable easter for everyone. thinking of you all! My blog is all written down in my travel diary, but getting the time to put it up on the internet is another thing. Just quickly want you to know we are safe and well in London, except Briony has a bit of a cold. Im also having problems with putting up photos, Im so sorry it makes the blog boring without them but use your imagination!

Stay tuned!

Saturday, my typings getting worse...

2007-04-06T16:27:00.000-07:00

We went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met), so we walked up Fifth ave, to the left is Central Park. Another gorgeous day. Lucky we got in for half price as "students", because we thought we could knock it over in a few hours. Wrong! |This place is huge , takes over several buildings (i think the architecture is just a beautiful as a lot of the artwork). I dont know much about art, thats why we havent chosen to go to a lot of galleries here (in London lots of them are free so we should make time for some). What I did like about the met was it was like a cross between a museum and an art gallery, lots of history. Briony was having a haircut and gye job (shes going back blonde) so she left for SoHo at 4 while I stayed to check out some more of the place. Some of the art we saw inlcudedL drawings and prints, european art, islamic art (sorry no time for capitals), Japanese Art (my favourite, so delicate and I really identified with a lot of the contemporary stuff that blended new media with ancient techniques), modern and contemporary art, photographs, egyptian art, european sculptures (beautiful hall looking over Central Park), Greek and Roman Art - and thats just what I covered, so much more we missed including an exhibit of Dali and Gaudi.

Saturday night, Viraj made late dinner reservations at Lucky Chengs, where the sign out front read "the mroe you drink the prettier we look". Its an Asian Fusion restuarant run by drag queens! They waitress and provide a type of entertainment all night. The place is PACKED and we are squished in like sardines but its all part of the atmosphere. It's me, Viraj, Kerry, Noni and Johnathon, another Forum colleague who is visiting from Geneva. The night was a blast, by the end of dinner we were ordering what can best be described as baths of alcohol, which everyone from the table can drink from (huge cocktails). A real sight, and it got us primed for karaoke, which is coming later.

Our dinner is finished and Briony is hauled up onstage to be a contestant in a banana licking contest. A lot of hens nights end up here for tea so imagine. Briony gets shy but Johnathon took some great pics (a secret crush perhaps?). At least none of us were pulled up in the last contest, which was to perform a lap dance for one minute up on stage to a random male guest. In between all this, one of the queens (called Japanese Bitch, I kid you not), were pulling up audience members onstage and doing routines with them. those gals are strong! they were flipping them this way and that to the receivers mortification and the audiences delight...lots of laughs and "oh my gods" were shared. After this we headed to a bar with karaoke to try to get Kerry to sing (no joy).

Most of the people who went up were great, a really young, funky crowd and good songs. Everything sounds better after a few cocktails and we are in fine voice in the crowd. The best thing about this bar was that the film Anchorman was playing silently on a plasma at the bar, over and over. I loved that movie. One by one we drop like flies, I lasted until 430am, just after our limo ride (classy...not!) to the meatpacking district with a tambourine playing driver. I kid you not...

Sunday - another sleepy day, late brunch and we all catch a movie with Vriaj and Johnothan. The Premonition is not worth it, wait for DVD or not at all. Crappy weather too today.

Wednesday, thursday, friday

2007-04-06T16:16:00.000-07:00

Real touristy stuff today, beautiful weather meant we made it back to the Empire state Building and no line up which was sweet. WE got an audio guide between us , it definitiealy was worth it, otherwise I wouldnt have got my walue for money up there in the first place. Im usually really skeptical about those things, too. After that we stretched our calves and limbered up to walk the Brooklyn Brisge. Really enjoyed this - great views, great walk. The bridge itself isnt heaps long but after the bridge ends you ve got to walk over a km on the a walkway to get out of the traffic and into Brooklyn. By the time we did this we had lost our enthusiasum to return over the brodge, and walked round Brooklyn, about 20 blocks. Not as fancy as old Manhattan but what is (this is the UES snob coming out in me). Headed back on the subway.

Thursday we went to Chinatown, was like Patong Beach all over again, everyone is trying to sell you Louis Vuitton, Prada, Rolex. The real stuff of course, hehe. I dont buy anything but wanted to get a particular handbag for you Jen, as a laugh. This normal looking handbag, but with massive zips on it. Hilarious, I mean, like 15cm long zips hanging off the pockets and zippers.

In the evening we went to a comedy club near Times Aquare, total tourist trap, no locals here. The comics were pretty funny but a real dingy place. 4 black comedians who called themselves "souled out" comedy and a bit predictable when they start with jokes that go ~black people drive like this (imitation), whereas white people drive like this (imitation). Some good sets, 1 guy was so "relaxed" he barely had his eyes open through his whole spot. One of the guys wrote and did some stuff on the Dave Chapelle show. On the way home we have a slice of pizza (huge and tasteless) and then a wine at an Irish Pub.

Friday was the opening day of Blades of Glory at the cinemas, so we went dutifully, and were disappointed. Nothing will top Anchorman. This was almost as bad as Talladega Nights, has Will Ferrell lost his spark?

Getting used to NYC living

2007-04-06T15:48:00.000-07:00

We had a really lazy day today, another sleep in and stayed mostly inside. I the late afternoon I headed out for a wander around the neighbourhood, walked about 50 blocks up and down Lexington, 3rd, 2nd, and 1st avenues. I took my mp3 player and really enjoyed listening to some music. Josh Pyke released his first album a few days before I left - I love his stuff and I think hell do really well for himself, kinda laidback singer/songwriter stuff. A young Paul Kelly/Neil Finn kinda thing. I brought back a latte for Nones and we looked at the Timeout that I bought yesterday. there was a free comedy night at a bar on the Lower East Side and it had Arj Barker doing a spot so we headed down. We had to change subway lines which was no worries, ut I felt really disoriented when we came up from underground. WE couldnt find the street we were looking for and the few people we asked had no idea either. As we were walking up the street, Briony tripped over a crack in the sidewalk and I looked up at the guy walking past to see if he giggled (because sometimes its funny) and thay guy was Arj Barker! I said "Hey Arj, can zou tell us where youre playing tonight?". He gave us directions (thank god!) and we had a bit of a chat. For those that dont know - Arj Barker is a comedian from San Francisco who has done a lot of touring in Australia and is quite popular there. He was going to be at the Adelaide Fringe Festival, but has to cancel at the last minute cos he got a part in a sitcom to be filmed in NY. He said he only works 1 or 2 days a week on that so in his spare time he does things like this. Arj said the place was pretty small and not to expect much, but we werelooking forward to a free night of comedy. Off we went and found the bar - Lolita - and headed downstairs, as the show had already started. The room was tiny, like a hallway, and a few comedians were on before Arj. Arj came down and did his spot, not a routine like he would in Adelaide but just a few minutes of jokes and not a lot of it was funny(!) It was almost like he was embarrassed he was playing to such a small crowd as he isnt that well known in the States. Anyway, his spot finished and we needed fresh drinks so we headed upstairs back to the bar. A few minutes later Arj joined us and we sat around talking for a few hours, hanging out. Good fun! A guy at the bar heard me talking and said "Are you Australian?", thats how we met Antonio, a young bloke from Brisbane, en route to Costa Rica to live there for a bit. So he and his friend Rhonda joined us for a bit before heading to another bar. We also met Liam, the guy who put on the comedy night and after it wound up, he offered to take us to an open mike night he was playing at after at a place called The Bowery Poetry Club, funnily enough, on The Bowery. So we left Arj and headed over to the open mike night. Monday nights are really happening in NY - we watched some cool and not so cool acts including a homeless guy who rambled incoherantly on stage for 5 minutes and a crosdresser with lipstick all over his face, singing along to Reba McIntyre in lycra fluoro leggings. What an experience! At about 2am we felt like a bit of dinner so we walked a few blocks with Liam to go to the best gyro (yiros) place in town. They lived up to the claim...we had a great, unplanned and unexpexted night out. Cara - dont be too jealous, Arj was cool, but he was still pretty normal. But a scab, he was scabbing money off his ladyfriend all night, which was really weird.

Tuesday was another lazy day, rest and recovery.

Lazy days...

2007-03-31T15:36:00.000-07:00

Sunday was half over by the time I got up and I was the first one up! I wanted to get some washing done so spent the late arvo doing that in the basement, and heading up to the store to take some more spending money out and get a magazine to read. I bought a TimeOut, which is like a cross between a whats going on guide and a editorial of NYC. I think they have them in London and other places as well. It was full of things to do and money well spent, two bucks for hours of reading about whats going on in this huge town. While I did the washing, Kerry and Noni walked across Central Park to the Upper West side in search of the best cupcakes in NYC. Apparantly its a toss up between two places, Buttercup and Magnolia. We havent had cupcakes from Magnolia yet so I cant judge, but these are pretty good. They bring six home and I have a lemon frosted sponge one, Kerrys fave is one called Red Velvet, which has a crimson frosting and Nones has chocolate I think. We save the leftover three for the next day. We had a really good, lazy day and I felt so good that I still accomplished something like boring washing. Im really struggling with not having lots to choose from, I want to go out shopping all the time but I dont, Im being very good. I need to keep thinking that hopefully a little bit of weight will come off in the next few months so will treat myself then. In the meantime I will just buy a few outfits for working, a new pair of black pants (the same pair of Old Navy ones I bought last week but in the next size down, theyre too big!) and work top and a new black jumper. Thats it! And maybe a few extra socks and undies, I packed really lean, didnt I Mum? I can fit a few more things in my pack and I will make the most of my carryon luggage to the UK so I only pay 25 percent more instead of triple when I have to use pounds!

Power Shop

2007-03-30T22:18:00.000-07:00

So after a lazy morning I head out fairly early and take the 6 down to Spring St for SoHo power shopping. I found a pair of black pants and a little knit singlet top thing to go under my red cardi for our fancy dinner tonight at Tao. My new favourite store is Old Navy, its just like a Just Jeans with better prices and is ten times bigger. So lots to choose from! Before I head home I stop off at Bloomies for a lipstick and end up having my makeup done at the Benefit counter. All the shops are open until at least 8pm on Saturdays so it was great, and they dont charge for makeovers and you dont need an appointment either so it was awesome and all I paid for was a lipstick which I needed anyway. Thirteen bucks well spent and Im really pleased with my makeup. Very classic contoured eyes and a nude lip. I just wish I didnt have to pluck my eyebrows, they really need a wax but waxing is really expensive here, not unusual to pay 40 bucks just for a wax, plus tax and tip, so out of my reach.

We all glam ourselves up for Tao, the girls really love my makeup and Julian asks if Ive had my hair cut. Good try but at least I looked a little bit more glamourous than jeans and a tee. Tao is this amazing, multi level warehouse space with asian fusion food (a real buzz word here with the foodies, I think its just a licence to charge twice as much for pad thai) and a great cocktail menu. There is also a giant buddha statue as the focus for this bar, like 3 stories high, its amazing. We order entrees, mains and get a free desert to share because Julian knows the owner of the LA Tao. The desert is this giant platter of different deserts, including the biggest Fortune Cookie Ive ever seen, filled with the best chocolate mousse. Addictive. I was drinking Mango Cosmos but I wanted a change and made the big mistake of ordering a Sake-tini. Yuck! It was a pricey meal but great food and I reason that Im not going to have this in the UK so enjoy the experience while I can. Lots of shenanigans are had and we visit a dodgy club for five minutes before going to a much more relaxed bar before ending the night with a taco from a cute little place. We roll into bed at 4.30 in the morning. Top night!

update, getting lazy...

2007-03-30T21:59:00.000-07:00

Had lots of emails this week so have neglected my blog. Its been a busy week with lots going on, Ill pick up where I left off.

Its Thursday so we head to the Empire State Building for our daily dose of touristyness. The lines are not very long so that was a bonus, however the lady selling tickets at the booth tells us the visibility is crap today and to come back if we can later in the week, so we spend the rest of the day just looking around, window shopping and visiting yet another mega department store (today was Macys). I have decided New York is on fashion overload, there is so much to choose from how can you choose? Obviously, people do, and do it well cos everyone is carrying a bag on fifth avenue whether it be from Macys, Cartier or Banana Reupblic somebodys always buying something.

Friday we venture down to SoHo for more shopping and Im over my shopping overload. This part of town has some really funky shops, mixed with crap shops mixed with chain stores. I decide in my head to go back the following day and do a bit of power shopping on my own. Julian met up with us in the afternoon and he and Kerry did a bit of shopping for his apartment and spent an obscene amount of money just on curtains...we all meet up at this gorgeous bar called Balthazar for some wine which was really crowded but we somehow managed to get seats at the bar. Good work Julian! We celebrated with pommes frites (expensive fries) and mayo and sauce, which spawned an entertaining debate in which we all decided the mayo was a bit funky and that we needed a second plate to make sure. The bar staff were lots of fun and were also hot nerds. PS NYC is full of men with weird shaped heads, and very few we have found cute, so the bar staff were a welcome distraction. No wonder series like Sex and the City were so successful, it is hard for a girl to find a good man here!

We catch the subway back (our local line is the 6 for anybody playing at home) just in time for a late dinner of takeout Thai with Schini. More wine and girly chat made for a great, laidback night. Schini (or Sohini, Im not surehow how her name is spelt) is so lovely, a really smart, really savvy girl who knows everything about NY. She used to work at the Forum with Kerry but know she is with the Michael J Fox Foundation for research into Parkinsons Disease. The thai we have is almost as good as Aroy Thai, one of the best meals Ive had since being in America.

Staten Islandland

2007-03-24T14:53:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday we decided to see the Statue of Liberty. You could pay for a ferry that takes you there and to Ellis Island and line up for hours to get on it or you can hop on the Staten Island Ferry which cruises straight past the monument for FREE. On we get to the SIF, a giant Orange ferry, and enjoy the half hour cruise to Staten Island. As a tourist, once you get to Staten Island you pretty much head straight back to Manhattan but we decided wed go for a walk around the island. How big could it be? After walking for about a km, we decided wed catch a bus to check out the neighbourhood, maybe visit the mall (hehe mall). After half an hour on the bus we realised that Staten Island perhaps isnt that small and quaint and that we were going to be on the bus for hours, travelling round the suburbs. Off we hop and cross the road to take us back to the ferry, Im glad to say Ive been to Staten Island now so I never need to go again. When we looked at a map we saw that Staten Island was almost as big as Manhattan, whoops.

So we covered Statue of Liberty and also Battery Park, nothing exciing there, we then walked up Lower Manhattan and had lunch, and also came across the World Trade Centre site. They have a part of the site above a transit station which has a timeline of events and also some great photos of New York and its people taken before, during and after the terror attacks. It was moving but not as emotional as what I thought I might have been. The site is pretty much all closed off and not having visited the Twin Towers, I didnt really get a sense of just how big they were and what a grand structure it was. After some more walking, we headed into Century 21, which claims to be the Best Discount Department Store in New York. It is huge and there is some nice stuff, but its like Harris Scarfe mixed with one of those Mr Bankrupt sales, and is where bad fashion comes to die. So many crazy pieces in there, think of what The Nanny used to wear. She must have loved shopping here. It was so busy, at like 6pm on a Wednesday night I hate to think what it would be like during a clearance sale...

Tonight we stayed up to watch the episode of David Letterman we went to see live. The only shot they showed of the audience was at the beginning, and we couldnt pick us up. If you looked at the stage, we were to the right about six rows back. Not a great position but I had a perfect view of Jack Black, which is all i needed.

New York, maybe Central Park

2007-03-24T14:38:00.000-07:00

Tuesday saw us heading out into the beautiful weather, blue sky and take a wander around Central Park. The snow is slowly starting to melt away, little rivers were forming in the trails in the park. Didnt pack my camera today but Nones got some good shots. We will definately head back to Central Park once the snow has all gone, Im sure itd be a completely different experience. It is a huge space and although we spent hours there we still didnt cover it all. Starspot! Filming has begun for a new series called Lipstick Jungle, which is based on the book written by Candace Bushnell, of Sex in the City fame. Today we saw them filming a scene on one of the lakes, basically just a woman standing in a boat with burly crewman ehind her in awkward positions to keep out of the shot. Apparantly Brooke Shields is the star but we couldnt tell if it was her in the boat (couldnt see her eyebrows, just kidding).

After Central Park we wandered up to Fifth Avenue to visit FAO Schwarz, the home of the giant foot activated piano key...thing. Huge reference to it in one Simpsons episode, can anyone remember what song Homer played on it (and subsequently broke it doing a kneeslide). ToysRUs may be big, but FAO Schwary has so many beautiful things in it, like stuffed toys and intricate dollhouses and dolls. It has to be seen to be believed, I have a new appreciation for toys now I have visited here, and jealous of the kids who actually walk out of there with stuff!

There is also a huge Apple store, where you can try before you buy anything Apple. Hundreds of iPods are all loaded up ready for consumers to play with songs and videos, and you can check your email for free if youre lucky enough to find a free monitor. People swear by Apple but I dont know if I could handle not working PC style. Its all a bit advanced for me, Im afraid. This place was filled with freeloaders (ie me) and techheads (boring surly nerdy sales staff). Im sure in amongst it someone was buying something. How could they afford the rent otherwise?

An apology for those reading this who are annoyed at my lack of using apostrophes...I still cant find them on this keyboard. And if I get my ys ad zs mixed up its because theyre in the wrong place (Kerry uses a European keyboard, whatever that means)

Letterman and laughing

2007-03-22T17:30:00.000-07:00

On Monday nones and I headed down to Times Square and came across the theater where they film The Late Show with David Letterman. We decided to put our names down for tickets (it was a lottery draw, apparantly its a popular show). A couple of hours later we heard we had tickets to a taping happening in the next few hours. We were stoked so had a good dose of energy dancing around Times Square and visiting the Hersheys store, the MandMs store and Sephora to do our makeup (I havent forgotten your eyeliner Jen). We met a nice young British couple in the line which wiled away the time waiting in the cold to go into the theatre. We though that the guests were Bernie Mac and Paula Abdul but we later found out that they were on the show they taped before us (he tapes a few shows at a time), so when we sat down and the show started I exploded when I found out that JACK BLACK was going to be a guest on the show. For those of you in the know, my great friend Jen and I love Tenacious D, a band JB is in and saw them twice, in Adelaide and Melbourne - on their last tour in Australia. I missed Jen so much at that moment I wish I could have shared my excitement with her, but Briony was definately a good alternative.

The taping was fun, the bald guy who is in the orchestra is really annoying and David Letterman isnt really that funny, but we had to fake laugh anyway. The theme of the night was how chubby Al Gore has gotten and another guest that was on was a College student that invented a beer cannon. Genius. Jack Black talked about his new tv show which was beginning this week called Acceptable TV, Im sure it will be hilarious. A good night had by all!

they sure love singular word places around here...

2007-03-22T17:23:00.000-07:00

Sunday saw us have a lazy morning before meeting up with Schini again for brunch (at 1pm!), at a place called Public, downtown. We didnt have a reservation and the wait was going to be crazy so instead we went wandering and found a place called Bread. It was really nice food but crappy service (welcome to America). I had this delicious Split Pea soup which really hit the spot. We whiled away a bit of time before going to see 300, everybody is talking about this movie and I can see why. It had a lot to do with the same Aussie animation studio that made Happy Feet and it smashed alot of records over here so we had to check out the fuss. Plus David Wenham was in it and I love him in lots of things (Ah Jen, remember Gettin Square? Y`honnor). A good story but a better excuse to look at 300 spartans wearing very little for the whole time. Very satisfying time was had by all us girls!

2007-03-22T17:07:00.000-07:00

So Friday night we went to a swanky hotel for a cocktail and nibblies with a view over the city skyline and central park. The bar is on the 35th floor and its still snowing, making me proud of how I navigated the sidewalks in my pointy boots with no grip on the sole. Until I reached the foyer of the hotel, where I proceeded to walk half on the tiles and half on the mats they had put down. Result? I made a grand entrance by gracefully slipping over and doing the splits. Thank God I didnt land on my arse was all I could think about as I got up. The staff were really concerned about me and it wasnt until later that I thought they were probably worried about me suing them, I just wanted to forget about the whole incident. Ive got a wicked scrape on my knee that is going to take weeks to clear up I can tell. Thank god I packed a first aid kit, the bandaids have come in handy!

After that debacle, we cruised up to the 35th floor and had a great night with Viraj, and another friend of Kerrys who used to work at the Forum, Schini. Shes a bible about all things NY and also has a Museum Pass that means wse can skip the queues at a lot of the museums, and she said shell pass that onto us which will be great.

When our night concluded the snow was really starting to come down heavy and of course there are never any cabs when you need them, we walked blocks in calf deep snow and strong wind and finally we got a cab. Kerry was hating it but because it was my first time going through something like that it was kinda fun (im sure Ill lose that feeling really soon). What an experience, and Briony did it in heels, can you imagine?

The next day was St Patricks day so another of Kerrys workmates and friend Julian came and met us at the apartment and we walked a couple of blocks to the parade which goes down Fifth Avenue every year. Lots of firemen in uniform and high school bands, it was fun. We had burgers at the hardest place to get a burger in town, JG Melon, we waited over an hour for a table but it was worth it. Viraj met up with us for lunch as well so we had a good crowd, then walked down to watch a film, Julian shouted us to see Wild Hogs which was crap but good because after a few beers you didnt need to really pay attention to the movie to get a few laughs out of it. One more bar after the movie and we broke up to have a nanna nap before going out for a late tea and margaritas at a swanky restaurant, Rosa Mexicana. Im certainly having a much different experience of New York than I thought I would have going to all these kinds of places but its good fun and I know I wont have it this good in England so Im enjoying it while I can!

brrrr

2007-03-17T08:07:00.000-07:00

Kerry heads to work while we head out in the afternoon to have a look for a coat for me. Its spring in NYC so of course the shops are filled with pretty dresses and strappy shoes. the weather is much colder than yesteraday so it seems ridiculous more people are looking at swimsuits than coats.

In the evening, after a late lunch (motzah ball soup for me), Kerry took us to one of her workmates apartments about 15 minutes walk north (i think) where he lives on the 18th floor. Viraj has just flown from India that day but has been dying to meet Briony so we (Kerry, briony, Viraj, his partner and me) have a few glasses of wine and a good chat. the wine must have trigered my jetlag because toward the end of the night I was trying so hard to keep my eyes open. At 11pm we got a call to say that brionys bags were about to arrive at the apartment so we hopped in a taxi. Got a good nights sleep and woke up to the beginning of a snowstorm outside. I still hadnàt found a good coat and had done without one until today but tomorrow we are going to st patricks day shenanigans so I NEED one. Briony stayed inside in the warm while I headed out to Bloomingdales. Found one and walked back to the apartment so much more warmer. I am so thankful I bought a little hat and took some leather gloves...they have come so in handy! Yep its cold but its not unpleasant yet...check back in a few more days and Ill let you know what snow is really like!

okay, were here

2007-03-17T07:52:00.000-07:00

Okay, weve been in new york for a few days now and i finally ave some time to sit down and write something! The plane trip was long but not as bad as I expected it to be. We went adl-syd (2hrs), syd-la (13), and la-ny (5), plus a couple of hours stuck in custom queues and airport lounges. We saw scott hicks the director in adelaide (he flew first class of course. prick.), we sat next to him on the shuttle bus at sydney and he kept popping up all the way to new york so maybe he was doing business for his next movie. get all the scoops here, guys.

Brionys bag didnt make it out of australia, the airline gave her 100USD for compo and a bit of a delay at JFK hanging around the lost baggage office. We hop into a cab after and head to Kerrys place, 53 East 74th Street, Manhattan. Ooh la la! The drive in was surreal, so far the whole trips feels like a bloody long journey to Melbourne. Both cities have the same colouring and look like they could use a good wash. Kerrys apartment is gorgeous, and in between Park and Madison avenues on the upper east side. Central Par is two blocks away. Its just one big room which is the bedroom/dining/lounge/office with a little kitchen and bathroom tacked on the side. Add a bit of cupboard space and thats it! Kerry is lovely, truly a Wellman, the resemblence is striking when they all get together.

We head down to grab dinner and take a bit of a tour around the local neighbourhood. end up at a diner for a burger - its massive - welcome to america. we end the night with coffee and a piece of cadbury choccie that we bought for Kerry at Sydney duty free. Were rationing the Haighs chocolate frogs Mum gave me at the airport, thanks Mum! Saying farewell brought a few tears from everyone at the airport but it was fine. Thanks for coming as well Cara! But the bloody noise cancelling headphones I bought for the plane took AAA batteries and not AA like we bought, so I got some AAAs in LA and gee they really did make a lot of difference. Im so glad i ended up getting them - thanks Dad. And my flight socks were good too.

Its beautiful night in NYC, almost balmy. Kerry says its been really weird weather and that we might get snow in a few days so we enjoy it while we can.

2007-03-12T18:14:00.001-07:00

The time in New York today is yesterday here. Nup, too weird. Hopefully this'll help me get my head around it - IN NY IT IS CURRENTLY:

Party like it's 1999

2007-03-12T08:21:00.000-07:00

Saturday night Briony organised one more farewell for us at the Union (cos a girl can never have too many shindigs). Great night Briony, I wish I stayed on for the Zhivago shenanigans now. Kudos to all those stayers who made it back to Melissa and James' place at 6am. Here are some of my photos it's Livvy!, Mel and Yimmy, and Briony, normally a very attractive girl for those of us who were there know why she looked possessed! Mel took a million more, inlcuding the shots we took with the guy from the RAA ads, or for those of you old enough playing along, the short one from Acropolis Now.

We're off on Wednesday morning. Getting REALLY exciting now!

wrap up of sunday 25th Feb

2007-03-06T05:32:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone who came to my farewell shindig on Sunday. It was a great day, and I am so spoiled to have so many lovely people in my life. I am especially humbled by the people who travelled from Pirie to be there on the day, it meant a lot. Thanks also to Michele for taking lots and lots of pics like this one, and for making my hair look all one colour, when my 5cm regrowth was taken care of by the hairdresser the day AFTER the party. I heart photoshop.

PS we're laughing with you, not at you!

one week to go...answers to some commonly asked questions

2007-03-06T05:21:00.000-08:00

Yes, I have started to pack

No I am not stressing out about it

Yes I am glad to finish work

No I won't be doing the same work over there

Yes of course I will miss friends and family (like Cara with me in the pic here)

No my iriver isn't big enough to put all the music I want to take with me

Yes I just bought a new digital camera...one that I WILL use

No, I can't afford noise cancelling earphones

Yes we are staying in an awesome location in NY

No, there aren't any real plans of what we're doing after NY

And I kinda really like the idea of that, despite never not having some kind of plan for my life.

Testing testing testing

2007-01-29T03:31:00.000-08:00

Briony and I are going around the world...yep that's right further than Victor Harbor! I can hardly believe it- neither can my bank balance :)

We leave for New York on March 14, 2007. Keep updated with our stories and photos here, don't forget to bookmark this blog! Because it's here you will be privy to the scrawling of memories in my journal and scratch notes (thanks Jen), all prettied up and written in a nice font.

Welcome!