Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Now you can read it and see it.

So I added pictures to the last few posts about Fiji.

P.S Im in New York City... wow.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Hot Hot Hot. Fiji Experience Day 4.

We were finally able to sleep in. No rushing this morning, just a calm sit down for brecky. We drove toward the north of the main island which has a large Indian population – something about Indians coming to work on sugar cane fields during the late 1800s. This had a great influence on our destination for lunch. We drove along the beach and arrived at a beach resort owned by an elder Indian man. We were greeted by the owner and some of the staff with refreshing mandarin juice. We had lunch- a home cooked Indian meal- in what looked like the owners home. The dining room positioned by the living area gave view to portraits of the owner during his young days- he was quiet the handsome man- and wholesome smiles from his family portraits. The meal was by far the best meal I had eaten in Fiji. Absolutely full and nearly falling over from food coma we walked over to the steam/ stone sauna that was just built. The owner of Vatia was really excited for us to check it out. The four of us stripped down to our bathing suits and sat on the bench of the small room- stonewalls decorated with sea shells, the windows shutting the air from entering the room but letting the sunlight in. The young girl who worked at the resort came in with us, a hose in hand. She sprayed the floor below us – the steam quickly rose up as the water splashed on the stones below us. We all hopped up as the steam ran up our backs and surprised us. We stayed as still as possible, listened to the sweat dripping off of us rapidly onto the stones creating more steam. At times it got too hot- to the point where we were hopping up and down nearly shoving each other to run out of the small room toward a quick refreshing shower under a cold hose and back in we went. We could not handle much longer. Stepping outside, the cool breeze was a relief. Compared to the hot and steamy room the weather outside felt cool- um it was about 90 degrees out- just saying. Next on the itinerary was the mud pools and hot springs. We slowly stepped in the muddy water our feet sinking in the soft mud at the bottom of the natural pool. The small green leaves floating in the pool tickled our bodies…. MUD FIGHT ! ahha of course we took it upon ourselves to throw big chunks of gooey mud at each other and decorate each others bodies and faces with mud and leaves. As the mud was drying it began to feel tight on the skin. Before dipping into the hot spring we rinsed off. The hot springs … oh the hot springs. And I thought the steam room was hot enough. I dipped a toe in the hot spring to test the water and I thought, “oh gosh, I will literally bake in there”. But I couldn’t punk out- unlike some people::cough cough- Jon- cough cough :: I creeped in until just my head was out of the water and stood still until I could not take any more. Walking out of the spring was interesting in itself. I got really light headed. But not so much that I couldn’t join in on the silly pictures we took by the spring. To the showers and back on the bus to visit the children of the orphanage. We park beside a house decorated with a front yard, which was decorated with colorful toys a trampoline and swings. We walked in to a warm welcome from the women at the orphanage and smiles from some of the young children sitting on the living room floor. Each one of us dispersed in the home and said “Bula” to all the kids and handed hem our gifts. The eldest at the orphanage was a 17- year old girl who had lived there for the past 3-years. We had a small chat, she took the time to tell me a bit about herself. One of the younger females took it upon her to pull us all together and choose the game we had to play. The FE people looked at each other and laughed at how bossy she was- it was too cute. We played along but soon enough all of our attention went in different directions as a different half pint came and pulled us this way and that. This made me realize how out of shape I am- running around playing freeze tag. When we left we were just as upset as the kids were to say good bye. On the bus once again we were but for the last time. Awwwww. We thanked Raffa and the driver and hopped off at the Nomads resort. The rest of the day at Nomads consisted of dinner, some drinking games- of which everyone thought itd be great to attack me/ aka put Alta to bed and bring out Baja- Lol and some serious bro- ing out.

P.S Random> Fiji was once known for having extreme rates of cannibalism. The man to eat the most people ate a total of 999 in his life time.


Sunday, December 5, 2010

Day 3. Fiji Adventures: "Billie" means Push

I wake to the shuffling of backpacks and feet. I look over from the top bunk and realize people were packing. I look at my time- its 730a. “Shit !! “ We were scheduled to leave at 730a, brecky was at 7am. As I hop off and scurry to gather my belongings and make my way to reception I think back to the previous night and blame my late rise to the numerous bowls of Kava that were chased with Rum and Vodka. We sit on the bus and all moan and groan from how tired we were and the throbbing of our heads. We stop for a quick snack- chips for breakfast- not so good. And a quick run to buy toys for the children at the orphanage we were scheduled to visit that afternoon but move to the next day because we were a bit behind schedule. The long drive toward the village required an additional stop for snacks and restrooms. It was clear we were in the “hood”. The streets were filled with locals- stacks of wood that lay in front of shops and grocery stores provided a place for many to sit in the shade and have a chat, children in their school uniforms scurried across the streets barefoot as they struggled to take big steps with the weight of their back packs and lollies in one hand, the market was filled with the sweet smell of fresh fruit, the voices of many saying “Bula” as we passed- we decided to take in the environment and had a seat. With the sun at its hottest- mid day- it was a struggle to stay up for long. We made our way to a village –a bumpy hour and a half ride on roads that were in the process of being reconstructed lead us to a gorgeous village- beautiful gardens reached out into the distance, the small homes with the residents excited to see visitors, screaming “BULA”. We met the village chief. We sat with him and had a proper Kava ceremony. I once again had the honors of being the spokesperson. After each “Taki” we struggled to down the bowls of Kava. After the ceremony I purchased a gift for Erika Brown’s Bday from one of the local women who were selling handicrafts and I joined Raffa and the chief for a chat. They poked fun at me and how I struggled to drink the large bowls of Kava – they decided it would be funny to make me drink more Kava, with a half smile I clapped, said Bula with a quiver in my voice and skulled the full bowl drink. I made sure to thank them- “Vinaka” and make my way out before the chief announced “Taki” again. I made my way towards the village with Jon, Amber and Dave. We took pictures of the beautiful scenery and made friends with children making their way from one home to another. Every direction we looked was worthy of a photo especially the adorable children who successfully got our attention by throwing their toys down the front steps of their home. After the heaps of photos we hopped on the bus for a 2-minute ride towards the nearby stream. Some of the young boys- no more than 11 years old- were there already climbing up to the highest points along the stream and jumping into the stream; a raft made of bamboo and tied together by what I assumed were parts of tree bark. The kids tried to get me to swim but I had to explain to them that I could not swim well. So instead we went to the shallow part of the stream, we reached down by our feet and picked up rocks for skipping. “1, 2, 3 !!! “ I counted off before we tried to skip the pebbles as far as possible. I wasn’t very good but the boy to my right insisted that I ‘won’ the game with a shy smile on his face. I noticed the rest of the group floating away on the bamboo raft so I said good-bye to the young boys and hopped on the raft. I was on it only for a bit before I hopped off and helped the chief and Raffa push it up stream. I felt silly just lying back while they struggled to push 7 tourists. I managed to get a few grunts and forceful pushes in before the chief signaled me to get back on the raft- whatever the chief says, goes. As we made our way down stream Raffa asked if anyone wanted to try and push the raft- standing up on it with a large bamboo stick- steering involved picking up the stick and sticking it into the ground, fighting back the current to push of the raft- psht ! of course I gave it a go. This was not easy. I struggled to just pick the stick up. After falling on the raft Raffa thought it was a good idea to take continue without my help. We made our way down the stream, bumping into the trees as we went along. It was sweet seeing the smile on Raffa’s face as he spoke here and there about how he often went bamboo rafting in his village as a child.
The rain came at perfect timing- right after we got on the bus and drove off to Voli Voli beach resort. A resort on a steep hill that is positioned right on the ocean water. Voli Voli provided a very relaxing environment for us to just sit back, relax, and catch sight of the stars before shut eye.


Kavaholics: Fiji Adventures Pt 2

The morning of Day 2, we had our brecky and headed off for our forest hike by 8am. We made our way to the entrance of the forest on a pick up truck with most of the FE travelers on the back of the pick up truck holding on for dear like as we rocked in all directions on the dirt road. The entire hike took a total of about 4 hours. It rained a few days prior so there was mud everywhere. After a bit of walking I found that it was much easier to walk bare foot- I actually began to enjoy the feeling of the mud under my feet and between my toes. I began to ignore the bugs buzzing by my ears, the sun burning my back, the tree branches smacking and scratching me against the legs arms and face and the sweat soaking my clothes. I casually walked through the knee-deep mud, streams, and swamps. At one point Jon went shoulder deep into a swamp. The long trek lead to a gorgeous waterfall. Even the Fijian tour guides took this as an opportunity to cool off. With ease they made their way up the cliff, tree branch, or swing and dived into the deep water. I am a bad swimmer so I did a good share of watching. However one of the guides convinced me to jump into the deep waters from a mini cliff. Amber promised to catch me and guide me back to safety which she did- thanks Amber ! We attempted to dry off by leaving our bathing suits on as we made our way for the boat ride down the stream. The boat rocked back and forth and I was convinced it was going to cap size. We relaxed and ate a coconut and sugar cane that was just cut during our walk as we tried our best to take in the entire scenery.








Once at the bus we made our way to Uprising Resort- again an amazing place. Amber and I sat in on a coconut demonstration where two ladies talked about all the ways in which coconut trees can be useful- they dressed Amber and I in skirts and accessories- King and Queen- made from various parts of a coconut tree. Here I had a nice chat with the ladies and mentioned that I had not yet tried Kava- a local drink made from a root that “dopes” those who drink it. She was surprised to hear I had not tried it yet and promised to organize a mock ceremony so we could try it. After dinner we gathered cross-legged around a giant Kava bowl, which faced the chief – Dave was the chief for the night, I was the spokes person so my duty was to shout “TAKI” when it was time to drink. The spokesperson announces Taki and the chief takes the first drink. Clap once, say BULA, then drink; everyone else claps three times. Apparently if you have enough bowls of Kava it may lead to hallucinations. We did not drink that much but I am sure we were close to it. Our tongues went numb but we continued to roar with laughter after one would make a funny face while drinking a tsunami size drink (full coconut bowl). Kava does not taste good. Its not too bad… at least that is what I think. It got easier to consume after a few bowls… but that may also be due to the rum we were chasing the Kava with - probably not a good idea. After our Kava ceremony the Fiji experience people sat and played card games for a bit. Few cards, few drinks, few laughs. After a few games by the bon fire I wondered off and sat with a group of locals having their own party. One woman insisted I sit and chat and shoved a drink in my direction- “Drink!! Fiji Rum”. The company- lovely; the drink- not so much. I smiled and shouted, “I love Fiji” as the rum made its way down my throat leaving a burning sensation behind. I was soon reunited with the rest of the FE people and we eventually stumbled our way to our dorm. I fell asleep as soon as I closed my eyes.



Saturday, December 4, 2010

Bula Bula Bula !!! Fiji Adventure Pt 1.

Amber, Jon and I arrived on Wednesday 7am at the Nadi airport where we were greeted by four Fijian men playing ukuleles and nodding their heads as they smiled and said “Bula”. The Feejee experience bus picked us up at 8am- so no sleep for about an entire day and then we are off right away to start our adventures in Fiji. Before starting the activities scheduled for the day we made a stop at a local super market to pick up- of course, water and lots of it; we also stopped by a souvenir shop- Jon was stoked especially when coming across the war clubs- he had to get one. But as we were making our way there I realized how refreshing it was to actually be somewhere foreign. Australia is amazing but it does not feel foreign. Its nice to actually see something different, a unique culture. We first made our way to a beach where I once again took my chances at swimming.



We also met Dave from England (majored in Physics – Let’s go science) He’s awesome- We are now a pack of 4 rather than three. The next bit- the village visit, I absolutely loved. This village consists of an open field sparsely covered with small shacks. As we walked through the village we could easily glance into the homes of the Fijian families- the children often sitting on the front steps screaming BULA! Their heads peering through the old bed sheets that are used as curtains. Once we had walked far enough the children would run out to the dirt roads covering their mouths with one hand to stop their uncontrollable giggling. Here we learned how most villages are structured and a little about the Kava ceremonies.



After we said our goodbyes and waved back at the villagers as we drove away we stopped at the nearby sand dunes. The dunes were much more intense then I had imagined. Before making it down on a boogie board we had to make it up to the top of the sand dune. This required trekking up the side of the sand hill. The sun had already done its work- with one hand holding a boogie board, sweat dripping down our faces, backs, and chest, we fought the burning sensation of our feet on the burning hot sand. The view from all directions is breath taking. On one end a sea of hills and rooftops of numerous villages was visible and across that was the still water of the ocean, its blue horizon complementing the clear blue sky. A quick briefing abd push from our tour guide, Raffa, lead to a full speed slide down the hill- so fast, the momentum pushed me off my board and I went rolling a few feet away from where I landed. Of course one surf was not enough. This marked the end of our days activities sitting in our own filth- sweat, bug spray, sun screen, and sand- our hearts still racing from excitement we cooled off with the air conditioning on the bus as we sat patiently waiting for our arrival at the Mango Bay Resort.



When I booked this trip I imagined we would be staying at hostels- large dorm rooms with sketch looking bathrooms, and messy kitchens-(but we were staying at proper resorts) when walking to my room at the MBR I was surprised and pleased with the beauty of the place. The MBR has well kept greenery walking from my room to the restaurant (which overlooked the beach) felt as if I were walking through the botanical gardens. There is not much that can beat a delicious seafood dinner while over looking the waves of the ocean and listening to a Fiji performer play the guitar and sing great tunes. By this time I was over whelmed and tired but refused to go to bed so I asked the group to join me on a walk on the beach. The beach was nearly pitch black dark; as we walked we noticed the flashing of a light coming from the hands of a Fijian boy who was crabbing with his family. The family of five were casually walking along the beach with a sack, flash lights, and a stick for catching what was to be their dinner. They invited us to join. I volunteered to catch the next one- I reached over towards the rock wall where a large sized crab was trying to avoid being caught; grabbed it by its sides and dumped him in the sack. Dave also gave it a go but nearly lost his crab.



We had arrived back at the restaurant on time for a performance by some of the locals. Their big smiles, twists and turns, and shouts filled the crowd with energy. And then they pulled out the swords and fire dancing- Partay Win. After a few dances and a few laughs we made our way to get get some shut eye before our 7am departure for Day 2.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Last Night in Melbourne.

Its kind of like the feeling you have when your about to wake up from an amazing dream-your telling your mind and body "fuck ! no,don't wake up yet;I don't want this to be over".The "Im about to wake" feeling started when the goodbyes did.Thank you Australia-but more importantly-thank you to all the wonderful people I met.I wish I had the words to explain the wonderful ways in which you all have impacted me. I love you all.I will miss you all; best of all, I will see you soon.Next stop: Fiji and then into the arms of loved ones I have missed at home.

Friday, November 26, 2010

Thanksgiving Down Under

Who said you needed to be in America to celebrate Thanksgiving ? I mean, there wasn't any turkey involved but there was enough laughs and love going around and I don't know about you but I'd take that over any Turkey.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

A Few Gobbles.A Few Laughs.

Message sent via Facebook to people attending Thanksgiving event ::


"Enjoy your last few days because you will miss it more than you think"

A friend of mine told me this a few days ago. And the words have been stuck in my head ever since.
I know many are bitter about missing Thanksgiving dinner with their family- missing moms turkey, dad's awkward jokes, the moments when you glance at your siblings and think to yourself 'Geeze, how did we grow up so fast- where did the time go?'. I know how special that is, and understand the feeling at the pit of your stomach when you realize you will miss those moments this year- maybe its the first time ever- that you have missed such a family affair. I am sorry for this and hope that the smiles on the faces of the friends you have made here have made things much much easier. The smiles of your family are far off but it won't be long before you can feel the warmth of them again. You are here, you are here in the now, in Australia and there is so much surrounding you to be thankful for. There will be heaps of thanksgivings to come and there have been heaps to reminisce on of which you tasted the love your family put into their food. But there will be only one, just this one, where you will be in Australia, at the village, surrounded by people from all over, and be able to laugh about getting busted for jumping in the pool at 3am; at the fact that Mondays will never be the same with out the smell of Turf at night; that hopping on a friends balcony is so much better than giving them a ring; at the overwhelming feeling we felt when first at the QVM- all I wanted was an apple !!; that the sight of Moe at night brings so much joy because Adrian is such a dueche- who needs to find a cliff to jump off of, like today. It will be only once that you can do this. So I ask, no I beg, that you don't be down. Because the family you have gained here will surely give you a Thanksgiving to remember for years and years to come. I know this. And for this, I am over the moon just for being here. And so excited for tonight. I hope you are too. Remember, we all have to enjoy these last few days as much as possible because we will miss all this more than we think.
::I am thankful for the memories and friends I have made here/ for this entire experience:: Thank You
Happy Thanksgiving my friends.

Love,
Alta
P.S WYLIN' !!
P.P.S Thanksgiving will begin tonight at 7pm in the glasshouse. Bring a good spirit, a warm heart and a dish would be nice. Actually the dish is pretty important.
See you tonight !

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Marble Losing During Finals Week.

I LOVE ENERGY DRINKS.



There have been plenty of times where I thought I was losing it. But this time I mean it more than ever. I have been in the study room since Sunday...I wish I were kidding. I have not left the Village since ... I ...honestly .... don't remember. O wow. I didn't even realize it was that bad. Anyway, I have two more left. Two finals left. My first was last Monday - Cognitive Psychology (which I think went okay). Well, technically my first was nearly a month ago- the African Drumming & Dancing Performance which also went well- Was heaps of fun. But tomorrow is the Australian Indigenous Studies final (oh damn-- "racism, whiteness and self-determination") and Tuesday is the Abnormal Psychology final (great, lets study all about people who have lost their marbles while I am slowly losing mine) and Wednesday of course is nothing other than CELEBRATION DAY. I must admit I am stressing, stressing hard- which of course has lead me to stress about everything else. But I find comfort in knowing I will get it together - like I always do.

This is not my performance, but its a performance. It was a good one.



Some of our friends came to support (Erika, Kelsey, Isaac, and Deep). So sweet of them. Not only did they wake up extremely early for it, they dressed up too. Well, the boys did... my ladies looked kind of like they were still asleep... but still as beautiful as ever.



And some study room fun of course.





P.S There is a new study room at the village. It is legit. Much, much better than the last. Except there is not fire place- I miss the fireplace. But there is better lighting, better furniture, bright colors, and beanbags- I mean beanbags... come one, definitely a win.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

SWEET TOOTH. (I'm a little late on this one)

Your walking down the streets of Australia and find yourself craving a fruity, juicy treat. You walk into 7-11. Oh hey !, a solution - Starburts. I mean, you could get the regular hard candy treats. But why get boring geometrically shaped bursts of juicy flavor when you can have them not only chewy but in the shape of happy, smiley, babies. Strange? Fact. I still don't get it and still am not sure how I feel about them.



And Chico's??!! I really don't know what to say about this. Seriously, can someone please explain to me what this is supposed to be. I am not impressed.



MMMMM. Something I will miss- Tim Tams. Good thing I have Kelsey Smith to mail me heaps of Tim Tams from down under. Right, Kels? Of course.
Tim Tams are chocolate coated biscuit layers separated by a thin layer of chocolate cream. They are best when eaten as a Tim Tam slam. Coffee is necessary for the Tim Tam slam. Take a TT and bite opposite corners. Then dip it in your coffee and use the TT as a straw. All the chocolatey creamy goodness mixes with the coffee and provides nothing but happiness and joy.



Lamingtons are also pretty popular here. At least that is what I was told- I mean I'm not to crazy about them but they're not bad. Lamingtons are chocolate covered sponge cakes sprinkled with coconut shavings. Just a little too dry for me.



Im thinking .... I'm hungry.

Saturday, November 13, 2010

The End is also the Beginning.

When I first arrived to Melbourne. I was a mess. I was lost. I was broken in ways I thought were impossible. An unfortunate event created what turned out to be the worst time of my life. Since then I have met some of the most amazing people ever. And a group effort put me back together again. No longer am I lost. No longer am I broken. I am whole and better than ever. I also came out of the storm believing I was unable to ever feel attached to anyone or anything at least not for a while. And as always I was wrong. The emotion bug snuck up on me and bit me hard. It has been some time since I have been as sad as I am right now. But at least this time its for good reasons. This morning two of the people I have gotten extremely close to left for home- Isaac and Deep- Better known as Mr. Sass and Gupta. If there is anything I can regret on this trip its not meeting these two earlier. For the last two months or so I have seen their faces everyday multiple times a day and it has brought nothing but joy. Together they are a dream team. But the two of them as individuals bring so much to the table as well. The next few weeks truly will not be the same without them. No more Sunday television sessions with Isaac-Junior Master chef just won't be the same without his commentary. No more Deep making random 7-11 runs for Boo-Berry slurpies,
But its more than that. They are the first of the ones that I hold dearly to go. And it made me realize that I am going to have to do this good- bye thing a few more times. Its the beginning of the end of something amazing. I was told going abroad would be life changing. Going to Australia will be breath taking- the great weather, water, and sights. But its not the sun, or the beaches, or the exotic animals that I am going to miss or that I feel attached to. Its the connections I have made while being here. We all came here wanting the same thing - this thing called the abroad experience. The excitement. The unforgettable memories. The nights we ask our selves why did I have that extra shot. The sessions in the study room that were more laughs than they were studying. And wanting the same thing has lead us to give each other exactly what we were looking for. Now that its coming to a closing I realized how much this experience has transformed me. It was here that I learned a heart break can heal with time and the help of good laughs from those you grow to love. That the ability to love again is always possible. That you don't need to know your friends your whole life to feel the comfort that comes from knowing someone your whole life. And that exchanging "I miss yous", updates, and skype sessions with friends back home is just enough to feel the love equivalent of that found in the 'perfect families' of corny television shows. In just a few months I have learned things that I will take with me forever. Like that Erika asks a lot of questions about you when she is down, that Kelsey screams BAHAH when she has had too many drinks, that Julia puts on head phones to calm herself, that Drew studies best with a glass of Jack&Coke; Ashok- Gin&Tonic, that Liss will never get through a night without mentioning something about hoops, Liz will always go in and out of being a real person, Amber is still afraid of the dark, Sean is Google, Jon will always be casual when talking about punching people in the face, Isaac rather shrug his shoulders than give solid answers, and Deep likes his slurpies with all flavors mixed. And I consider these some of the most important things I have learned while abroad.
It is the beginning of the end of something amazing. But it is also the start of something even better. We all have homes and hearts spread throughout the USA and overseas. Though it hurts to say bye here its exciting to know that we will once again say hi there, there, over there, and there. As Julia Pan says its not good- bye, its I'll see you later.

P.S Did I mention I still have 3 finals and won't be free till the 23rd. ARG !

Last Night- Isaac and Deep's farewell.



Monday, October 25, 2010

Sick... and then Sicker.

Of course 2 days ago when my cough started I thought it would be a good idea to just leave it to itself. Now it has progressed ... For about 80% of the day I sound like I am trying to cough up a hair ball. Not cute. I can't even sleep because my chest hurts so much. This morning I got meds so things aka my body should be getting better shortly. I just hope that is tomorrow.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Slacker goes to Ball, G.O.R and E.R

Okay okay... I am very aware that I have been slacking; its been a while since I last posted. Good news! I am still alive. Its just I have been stuck on this slacking behavior since holidays ended. Its been about two weeks since classes started again and since then I have been trying to get back on a productive schedule.... Its not working. Good thing classes end next week (ALREADY !!?? ). But then again there are finals. And my last one is extremely late :( Nov 22.
Speaking of finals. I have 3 (1 mult choice and 2 long answer) + the African Dance/Drumming Performance. Im more upset about the performance being on the day of The Melbourne Cup. What is the Melbourne Cup, you ask? Well - lets just say I found a day or place where horse racing/ betting is bigger than it is in Saratoga. Basically the entire state just stops for this one day- wear really fancy clothing, bet on horses, and drink all day at the track. Sound familiar ?? (Nearly everyday of the summer in toga, much ??) Even classes are canceled on this day... but apparently not Af. Drum/Dance performances - the show must go on !! I may be able to do my part and then just meet the masses later. We'll see how that goes.


The RMIT Village Ball was last week. It is always heaps of fun to see everyone dress their best eating fancy finger foods while trying to score as many drinks at the open bar as possible. --- Hmmm I think I just summed up the entire Ball. Four buses picked us 250+ eager uni students to what was a very nice venue in the middle of nowhere. It was a great night- the DJ was a disappointment- at least I thought so, but it was a great time.




I went on a tour along the Great Ocean Road (GOR) a few days ago- A road that extends for miles along the ocean side. Heaps of rock and ocean :) Beautiful sights of course. The weather on the other hand... was horrific. The rain was moving along a perfect horizontal line, it was so windy. And it was cold. So we were on the beach taking pictures while shivering, wet. Some of us were really unlucky and nearly got washed away into the ocean. It was heaps of fun.







Why is E.R in the title of this post??? Well thats because last night while, most of you were enjoying your breakfast back home- and the other half were dancing it up at some bar in OZ , I was sitting in the ER with my darling girl, Erika Brown (girl in pic below), of course. Last night, like every other Monday, we were so prepared to go to Turf- have a glass of champaign a few dances...and even more laughs- so while me and Erika were in the kitchen making phone calls to round the masses she hits a knife that was just sitting casually on the edge of the counter::: I must say, many have poked fun at me for being clumsy/ not knowing my spacing...ummm yea for those who have, you need to meet this girl:::: Anyway, the knife comes down on her ankle- they had a fight- and Erika's ankle lost. TKO. So bad it needed stitches. I love the girl dearly so there was no way I was going to let her wait in the ER alone. Well the ER is across the way. So a 5 minute walk got us there. And a 5 hour wait got her three stitches and a tetanus shot - no sticker :( - from a doc in training who was slightly sketch, and had questionable hygiene..... Just saying. Oh and a bill of course- of which $65 was just for saying "hello, my name is Erika, and I think I need stitches". Bad Luck.




P.S Here are some vacation pics that I should have posted a long time ago.








Saturday, September 25, 2010

From "Cannot Swim" to "Wake Boarder"

Okay so maybe not so much a pro wake boarder but I am impressed with how much I have been facing my fear of water. The ladies and I are in Cairns, 2nd time for 3 of us. We chilled out yesterday and splt today. Amber, Erika, and I went wake boarding. Knee boarding at first (baby steps) then moved on up to pro wake boarding .... not sure if spending 4 hours face planting the water after standing for only 5 seconds every time counts as being pro... but I was well on my way. They did much better than I did. I was quite the persistant one, going up again every time I .... well failed. It was heaps of fun though, and I didnt panick in the water. Go Me !!!

Thursday, September 23, 2010

When in PARADISE.....

Its frustrating trying to update on this blogger thing.... Oh not because I don't want to fill you in but because I seriously just don't have the words to describe what I am feeling at the moment. Anything I say no matter how much I emphasize No matter how many exclamation points I use No matter how many "sadjkfbwfiwufbfb" I type Its not enough. Not even the pictures. I am on Magnetic Island off the coast of Australia. Population of 2000 people Most of the island is national park with koalas just chilling with walabis and roos. I am staying at Base Backpackers which is on the beach.... Its my third day here. My second morning where I woke up, walked out of my room stretched looked to my right and " OH hey beautiful blue sky and gorgeous blue ocean" and to my left "Oh morning amazing view of green mountain tops". WHAT MORE COULD ANYONE WANT !!! Having my coffee and breaky while listening to awesome tunes and the sound of the waves splashing in the background. I am in love with life. Yesterday we rented scooters for the day and rode around the entire island. Sun on our backs, hair in the wind, riding across cliffs that give sights of beach and just plain beauty. Oh funny story- I got some air ... OFF MY BIKE. When I thought Julia was going to crash and I die I tried to like save her life unecessarily and ended up superman flying off the bike- so I had a scuffle with the ground..... TKO the ground won. Scrapes and bruises. It hurts more today than yesterday. The company we rented from noticed some damage and charged me for it. Yea sucks ...but why frown... did I mention I am in paradise?!!! Today we checked put but are sticking around because we have about 10hrs to kill until out next bus leaves for Cairns. No worries... no better place to kill time than somewhere as gorgeous as Maggie Island. Crazy thing is Base is having their Moonlight Party today which goes from 3pm- 7am. About 2000 + people come for this. It supoposed to be big deal. So there is no chance for us to actually chill out because its going to be a shit show here.... We'll see how that goes. P.S I am seriously considering coming back to Aus ... to live after Skid. Most likely small beach town. Work at like a backpackers or something; meet so many interesting people. Its a serious thought.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Oh thats just the sound of my skin sizzling.....

I will try to make this somewhat breif. But basically I am currently in the middle of the best 2 weeks of my life. Vacationing up the coast of Australia, best idea ever. So since last post we went on a day tour on Fraser Island, in the rain forest and such- yea rain forest on island made completely of sand. It was beautiful especially swimming in the fresh water lake- fresh enough to feel bathed once out- like can open your eyes under water without burning fresh. That night we took a 12 hour bus to Airley Beach which I enjoyed. Airley is another beach town which I liked better than Hervey. There isn't really a beach but the feel is there. First day we bummed out on the lagoon- the sun was there to finally keep us company. And off sailing the next day. RAINING !!!!!! It was raining the first day sailing. No worries. It was amazing. Rain caots over bikinis on a sail boat with rain pooring viciously on us- hail at one point- while the boat rocked dangerously on the water. Amazing. Unbelievable. So much fun. The crew was a blast, and the food was great. We went snorkeling once the rain calmed a bit. And by bed time it was nice enough out for us to just chat (there were a total of 20 people) and enjoy the sound of the water under the stars. The wearther was not too great the next day but no one cared it was all fun. We went for a hike and a swim on a gorgeous beach- white sand blue water- - btw I CAN SWIM ... thanks to Kelseys brief swimming lesson. And of course the skies eventually cleared and the sun must have been some kind of angry because we came off the boat burnt to a crisp. Im actaully approaching the point where I am worried for my health ... my body is a little over cooked. May have to stay away from the sun for a bit. Any how, that night we went out for some drinks. Hung out with the people who were on the boat and had an amazing time. We had no choice but to stay up because we had to catch a 2am bus up to Townsville. The bar was hosting games- one a relay race- I'll just say my "gazzele" like hops on tables won my crew heaps of free drinks as well as my limbo skills. What a great night. We made the 2 am bus and caught the ferry in townsville to magnetic island. Which is where I am now. Our backpackers is on the beach which is lovely. We had an early brekky overlooking the waves. How can this vacation get any better ??!!!!

Friday, September 17, 2010

HOLIDAYS

Yesterday morning we met at 350am to get going for our 6am flight to Brisbane::wait, round of applause for Tiger Airways - for no cancelations and no delays:: I dont remeber the flight... I was running on no sleep... though I did drift off and then my own open mouth snoring woke me up- yeaa... not attractive. Our excitment over powered how delusional we were from not sleeping when we exited the plan and noticed it was warm !! Cloudy ... but I'll take it. Melbourne has not seen many warm days thus far. A 25 minute train ride took us into the heart of the city where our hostel was located - Base Backpacker :: sound familiar Jason Pennington ?:: Other than the dim lighting and weird Barney colored ways Base was not half bad. May I add, they had an awesome deal on dinner. Still in desperate need of sleep we found the energy to explore the city. Brisbane has much more of a city feel to it than Melbourne- feels more bussiness city. We started our journey on South Bank which is where we saw a bit of an art gallery and ... ::deep breath:: the VALENTINO: Past, Present, and Future exhibit. Valentino dresses every where... need I say more ??? Wish they allowed photos :( On our way to the other side of the city we stopped by a book store ; Brisbane seemed to have a lot of books stores with really amazing sales on like crappy romantic novels. We alsop took a ton of pictures of just about anything and everything, Amber and I took it upon ourselves to satisfy our random urge to roll down a grassy hill in by the river. Don't ask. I Ccan't explain it myself. We walked to china town - Julia of course lead the way :P Unfortunately this China town was not as exciting as we were hoping. It was a bit ... umm, sketchy. Run down buildings, not many people. We made a short loop and bought some snacks at an Asian market. Julia introduced us to sesame cookies - WARNING very addictive. As a rest stop we enjoyed the cookies at a near by park. We were so exhausted, poor Erika was falling asleep everywhaere she got the chance. So it was about time we head back for a nap. Btw it wasn't even 5pm at this point. Nap- Dinner which was slightly interupted by a random guy who clearly had way too many drinks after work. That night the bar downstairs was having an international party.... the bar wsas called Down Under... Clever ay?! I feel like any place with such an unoriginal name gives itself away as a hotspot for tourists. It was a toga night so there were heaps of drunk foriegners with their blankets just draped over their shoulders. I helped this one confused bloke with his toga- don't think he liked my Valentino inspired halter design. It was not the busiest night at Down Under but we sure did make the best of it. I practiced my spanish with 2 Colombian exchange students who seemed very sweet. And we busted some dance moves with our two roommates Eva- Germany and Joong - Finland... no Denmark...or maybe it was Austria. Any way I found his "1 and 2 and 1 and 2" dance moves pretty amusing. He had a dance off with Amber of which he totally won with a cool spin move. Down Under also helled a Hard Man competition- sounds skecth doesn't it. Well three guys had to race to eat a cup of beans, do 10 pushups and sit ups, eat an entire onion, and down a jug of cola. It was as bad to watch as it sounds. The winner was fifty bucks richer :: Good on ya ! :: This morning checked out, went for breckie, and caught the greyhound for Hervey Bay. Not a bas bus ride- sure did get exciting when the driver played Cactus Jack lol. FACT- Men and women who are not related can not sit on the bus next to each other. It was a 5hour ride of which I was asleep for most of. Basically just drove past "the mid of no where" and "no man land". This one creepy town- Maryborough or something just had a lot of shacks for homes.... one of those creepy places that is especially creepy bc you get the sense no one has left the town ever in their life... Maybe I am over thinking it. Any way at Hervey Bay we were picked up by a guy from Nomads Backpackers whos long blonde hair and large upper body made him look a lot like a retired wrestler. FACT- Hervey Bay is the Whale watching capitol of the world, and the fastest growing city in Australia. Nomads is not too bad. Thought the bathrooms are not too .... ehhhh nice. And there are giant rats aka possums every where. Just climbing staring at everyone with that "hey feed me" look. There is also a bar where we played darts and giant jenga. And of course we went to the beack though it was dark. The sand felt like baby powder in between my toes. And though its dark you can tell the water is clear. We also saw sharks !!! ... well according to the receptionist it was most likley Dolphins but I think sharks is way cooler for story telling. So far, so amazing. Tomorrow we are doing a day tour of Fraser Island- largest sand island in the world... I think. Until the next time I find a computer.

CHEERS.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Spring Break in a place Down Under





I have never been as excited for a break as I am now... May be because I never actually planned anything for a break before... and if I had, probably still would not have been as awesome as a trip up the SUNSHINE COAST. I leave in a few hours. So no sleeping for me or else, I'll have four screaming girls outside my door because I overslept my alarm. As I mentioned, I am going with four of my girlfriends, awesome girls- Erika, Kelsey, Julia, and Amber. And the trip will go as follows. We first fly to Brisbane- stay over night; bus to Hervey Bay/ Fraser Island- day tours; Bus to Arlie Beach- 2 day sailing- excited but slightly freaked out..... water freaks me out (Me= bad bad swimmer). But she'll be right. Then bus to Magnetic Island- Beach bumming it ! and last but not least Cairns. All that in about 11 days. 11 of what will probably be the best days of my life thus far. Oh my word we are going to be burnt and tired when back home. Such a good thing we still have vacation days left when we arrive- just to get our selves together and possibly peel some of the sun burnt skin off our bodies.... ::Did I pack my sun screen?::

Because I have not yet learned how to travel into the future I have no pictures of my trip just yet, however here are some pictures I picked off line of some of the destinations we will hit. MMMM white sand, blue water.

CHEERS.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

NEW PM !

17 Days after the polls were closed, Australia has found its new Prime Minister - and its not Tony Abott, PHEW ! Nice to know the majority of Australia thought twice before voting for a fundamental xian/sexist. Julia Gillard, time for "MOVING FORWARD".

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Planning ....

Thank the flying spaghetti monster ... ITS FRIDAY. I think I just handed in what is the WORST piece of writing I have ever come up with. And it was for a psych class. Shame on me. I am so glad its Friday. And now I am planning spring break. So far I am thinking flight to Brisbane, back pack/ bus up Sun Shine Coast then flight to New Zealand South Island, Up to North Island, then back to Melbourne. How will I fit this all in two weeks.... We'll have to find out...... How much this is going to cast me ..... I really don't want to know.

TA