Down Under

Hey everyone, so my life has been on the go for the past two weeks, I can't believe how much of Australia I've seen and that ALL of it is gorgeous. I've been having a really great time but not much of it has been free so it's really hard to sit down and keep you all up to date.

My travels down the East coast started in Cairns, cool town with HOT weather and a wicked lagoon. It was there I boarded a day cruise and learned to scuba dive. I was scared shitless but it was so cool to breathe under water, I'd do it again in a second. It was an awesome day, the Great Barrier Reef is stunning, an absolute wonder.

I visited Port Douglas as well and its a cool little town, a paradise. I pretty much spent all my time on 4 mile beach, sigh. Lots of crocs there and I fed kangaroos!

I stopped off at Magnetic Island for 3 days, just off the city of Townsville. I met some great girls there, Lisa, Emily, Catherine, Leena (pictured)and others. Met up with a fellow Canadian from Calgary, Jessie was her name and we all hung out at the Full Moon Party on Magnetic Island.

Emily and Catherine and I ended up on the same bus to Airlie Beach, where I am currently but Catherine boarded a sailboat trip the same day we got here. Emily and I boarded our boats the next day but she was on "Spank Me" and I was on "Wings."

Wings is a gorgeous boat, 24 passengers and 7 were Canadian! Of course we bonded and spent most of the time together, we were of all ages and sooo much fun! Wings is a catamaran sail and I got to drive it. Of course I sucked but it was wicked fun. I did feel naseous whenever we were on top speed (11 knots) but I managed not to feed the fishes (Jackie wasn't so lucky...). We went snorkelling several times and I saw a sea turtle! I was so excited and I followed him around for quite a while. I watched him eat, swim and come up for air. He was massive and very beautiful. He was a brown and gold turtle, not green. I named him Crush. Anyway, there were heaps of fish and I was literally swimming in schools of hundreds of fish. The little zebra fish were brave and curious and actually tapped on my mask, it was cute. A hilarious sight though was my friend Anna, she has dreads and the fish were actually trying to eat the ends of her dreads, tugging on them thinking they were worms! ha ha ha ha

They fed us really well on the boat, the best I've eaten yet on my travels and we totally pigged out. The evenings involved us all sitting out back drinking and listening to our skipper Harry play the guitar while Ezzah (dive instructor) sang songs. We also enjoyed watching the fish come up to the light and then the MASSIVE fish from deep up and eat the little fish. They would chase each other around and it was quite entertaining. We visited Whitehaven Beach on my birthday, where we saw many stingrays and then I saw my first reef shark, very cool. The sand on this beach is so fine that when you run on it, it squeaks. Everyone was cleaning their jewelery with it. There are tectonic plates between the islands and they reckon this is what grinds the sand so fine. For my birthday they surprised me with cake and candle and they sang me Happy Birthday. It was real sweet of them. Then as a gift Ezzah and Harry turned every light on the boat off, got in the dingy and stirred up the plankton, the water lit up, amazing and very rare.

Whitehaven Beach

Ezzah and Trish were our dive instructors (I didn't dive this time) and Ezzah has to be the coolest Australian I've met yet. He was a total hippy and friendly and outgoing and energetic, I loved him. His girlfriend is a marine biologist so he taught us a lot about the Great Barrier Reef.

Everyone got along really well and we had a great time. I walked away from wings with hugs from the crew and my friends, great pics and memories plus a giant bruise from the dingy. We were boarding it one day from one of the islands where we saw Aboriginal cave drawings and I slipped on the rocks and fell into the prop, ouch. I literally have this massive welt of black, blue and red on my thigh. Oh well, better then bed bugs. My Irish dorm mates just got off their ship today and they are covered in bed bug bites, so disgusting. Thank God I got a nice boat!

Wings

Tomorrow Em and I board the 6:45am bus and head to the Outback! Wahoo, I can't wait. I'll do my best to upload more pics later and to keep you guys updated.

New Zealand

Brrr! I cannot believe how cold it is in this beautiful country! I am a bit of a baby but I really didn't come to this part of the world to freeze. Anyway, Wellington was an amazing city right on the water and my hostel was a block from the harbour. I wandered through the Te Papa museum, which was fabulous and then toured through parliament (wicked cool buildings) before hiking up to their Botanical Gardens (great view of the city). I took the cable car down, I was exhausted from the hike.

They have great shopping in Wellington but I didn't buy anything-I'm on a budget again! I also did a full-day tour of the Lord of the Rings. There were only six of us on the huge bus but we had a blast re-creating the scenes and I got to see a lot of Wellington plus the surrounding scenery. It was very cool to be standing in the same place that Frodo (aka Elijah Wood) had been and same with Aragorn (Viggo Mortisen). Wait until you see the pic of me as Legolas (complete with ears). It's hilarious.

I was on the bus for 6 hours this morning and now I'm in the lovely Taupo, which is situated on a huge lake. Its actually a crater filled with water but rumour has it the best fly fishing around. Taupo is known for the cheapest sky dives in the world (just over $200 NZD) and the most popular destination in this part of the world. They do 35,000 jumps every year in just Taupo! My British friends Alex and Nick did it but I won't. Not my cup of tea. Neither is the world-renown Alpine hike. Apparently there is snow up there and its an 8-hour hike...ah, no thanks. I'm not into that stuff. I'm going to explore thermal pools tomorrow, yee-haw! LOL

Anyway, interestingly enough Lake Taupo is 40 km long, 30 km wide and 186 m deep. Its a crystal clear lake and very calm. I wish the weather was better, I'm so cold here.

Nanny Diaries

So life as a nanny is very...tiring. I once heard someone describe a nanny as a glorified baby-sitter; no, a nanny is so much more. I believe in fate and that everything happens for a reason, even if that reason may not be visible at the time. So I think back to some things and smile at the outcome.

On the flight from Fiji to Australia, I watched the movie "Nanny Diaries" with Scarlett Johanssen. If you have not seen it, I will give you a quick outline. Scarlett's character has just graduated from University, has her degree but instead of launching into a career, she takes on a job as a nanny (sound familiar?). It portrays her tiring live-in life as a nanny and what exactly is involved. It also shows a family life that exists only around nanny and child and parents casually pop in and out. I thought, "what an unrealistic movie," but how little I knew.

I'm a full-time nanny. I do not live with the family, although sometimes it really feels like I do. Here are what some of my responsibilities include: laundry, all meals, grocery shopping, dry-cleaning, driving to swim lessons and rugby lessons and school, playdates and tutoring. I also give the maids their instructions (they have two) as well as the gardeners. I feed the cats CoCo and Georgie (pictured) and make sure they are in by dinner every night. I have a 'nanny purse' that pays for all of our expenses and twice a week I am given $50 or $100 to fill it. They never keep track or ask for receipts, they are that trusting (and they can be with me). I arrive every morning at 7:30 and leave around 7:00pm. I dress him, feed him, shower him and put him to bed. Oh yeah, I work 6 days a week. The parents are around most of the time, but they want "their" time and so I am to take him to the park or whatever while they do 'their own' things. I think this is absurd, why have a kid if you dont spend time with him? Oh yeah, and I'm not their only nanny. Jackie is from the US and she is responsible for driving Nic to his doctor appointments, as they are deep in the city and she has lived here for 3 years now and was his f/t nanny years ago. She also fills in on Sundays as that is my only day off.

Nicholas is 5 and has just been diagnosed with ADD. He was extremely difficult to deal with in the beginning but counselling, medication (just started) and ME (I truly believe) have helped calm him down and we have a great relationship. This is a huge accomplishment because the first day on the job I wanted to quit. This kid spat on me, hit me, punched and kicked me, tried to bite me and dumped a juice box on me. I had to physically restrain him from randomly hitting other people (adults and children) and also from hurting me. It was horror. But I stuck with it. I couldnt understand why the hell I did but I'm not a quitter. It also helped that I changed my way of thinking. When I first started working with Nic I thought, "why the hell am I doing this? What good is this kid to me?" Then I realized maybe I could be of some good to him.

There are good things to being a nanny. Number one is that you get a kid to love and take care of. I've always been good with children and I enjoy their company. Kids are honest and say the darndest things. Nicholas has made me laugh so much. Plus, working and living so close with Australians I've had great opportunities. I've gotten to drive all over Sydney, meet other Australians and foreign nannies and I've learned so much about Australian culture. I visit the butcher everyday, his name is Peter and such a nice man. Then there is Gary the grocer, we always get our fruit from Gary's. Oh yeah, Tim the drycleaner and Sam the newspaper agent, I've made so many great friends. I would never have gotten to know so much about this country if I had gotten an office job. I'm thrilled with what I've experienced over the last three months...my God its been three months already! It's been a crazy journey but a great one.

So although there were days when I really hated my job, there are days that make it worthwhile. Nic's parents really are nice people and happy to pour me a glass of wine at the end of the night and watch rugby together. I can ask them anything about Australia and they ask me things about Canada. I've also made difference in Nicholas's life and believe it or not, he's made a great difference in mine. Its not going to be easy to say goodbye, I start training the new nanny tomorrow and my last day will be Thursday. Just hearing Nic say, "Sam, you love me right?" or "Sam-luv you," or "Sam, I'm going to come visit you in Canata and see snow." I love it, he's so cute and my journal is filled with so much of Nicholas as he's been such a large part of my life here.

And so ends another chapter in my life. I will look back fondly on my time as a nanny and the crazy adventures I had with my buddy Nicholas. Is being a nanny hard work? Yes. Is it rewarding? Yes. Do I have any regrets? No.

Go Waratah's!

If you haven't heard, Australians are big on Rugby. I mean, they love their rugby like we love our hockey. It's intense. The people I work for are huge rugby fans and when they heard that I was dying to see a game, they immediately offered me their season tickets for a saturday night. I was stoked! They gave me 6 tickets and asked, "Do you have anyone to go with you?" Ha ha ha, YES I DO. When I told my flat mates, they were excited and we made plans to go last night. Luckily, my best friend's brother Neil just happened to be in town so I asked him to come along.

The game started at 5:20pm last night but unfortunately I had to work until 3:30pm. I got home after 4 and found the boys all dressed up. Damien, Jason and Rodney had put on dress shirts and looked pretty damn fine. I had to rush to get ready, so by the time we got to the stadium it was 5:30 but we really didnt miss much, the rugby stadium is located beside Centennial Park, which is like Sydney's Central Park. We had 'blue blood' tickets and we were in the 3rd row in the middle of the field. Awesome seats. Locals all around us provided the most interesting commentary.

I must say rugby is much more entertaining to watch than football (sorry Pete). They throw their players in the air, they kick, throw, jump, wrestle, dive-its wicked. The game doesnt stop every two seconds, its only an hour long (intermission half way through) and there is so much action, its great! The players actually dont wear much protection other than mouth guard and they really smash into each other! They also have no necks, these men are all shoulders-they're HUGE. The squirmishes are wicked to watch, they all plowing for the ball. We were right in the action, balls were flying in our direction the entire game. I kept ducking and one poor unsuspecting woman was hit in the chest from one rugby ball, ouch! The kids are into the game as much as their parents, with one little guy behind me yelling, "What were you thinking mate!" It was so cute and he made everyone laugh.The teams were the Sydney Waratah's (a flower) vs. the Lions and the Waratah's won 26-3. My favourite player was #11 because he wore bright orange shoes (looked like crocs) and he was massive! I dared Neil to run at him but Neil refused, said the guy would rip his head off. Yup, I think he would-he was very intimidating and I immediately nicknamed him 'Predator." Just look at the pic (first one) and tell me the name doesnt suit him.

It was a warm night but unfortunately it poured rain on us. I was the only one who came prepared, I had a plastic rain poncho. Ironically, I bought the poncho for Fiji! Anyway, the boys thought it was genius and rushed off to buy themselves one. The locals around us all pulled our raingear, they are used to this. I must say the rain in Sydney is so odd, more like a mist and then pours and then mist, then pours. It didnt take away from the game a bit, still enjoyed every second. We got on TV, the 6 of us, and we grinned and waved from beneath our plastic covers at the Telestra cameras.

After the game Cass and I headed home to change and shower and on the bus we met some American guys who laughed at our plastic raincoats. We took it well and then found out they shouldn't be laughing at anyone. Idiots, Chicago and New Jersey man (dont know their names) bought tickets to a football game, got drunk by 11am in preparation and then went to the stadium to discover they bought tickets for a game in Melbourne! I almost fell off my seat I was laughing so hard! So they went to the Aquarium instead (drunk). Oh gosh, the people you meet and the stories you hear. It was a great night though and everyone had fun.

Bridge Climb!

On Sunday, April 6, 2008 I climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It deserves some emphasis because it was an incredible experience. I've been dying to do it ever since I arrived here and anyone I have spoken to (travellers) put it at the top of their list of things one 'must do' while here in Sydney.

The climb took an amazing 3.5 hours and cost another amazing $200 AU. I knew this before I went but hey-I can't do this anywhere else and why not? I am here after all, carpe diem.

So I signed up for the 3pm climb and sat in the waiting room with a bunch of other people, watching a preparation video. The video makes it look amazing, easy and fearless. I will admit it ended up being all that. I picked a really good day for the climb, it was cloudy but no rain and it was about 20 degrees. I could never do that climb in 27 degree weather, I'd melt like a popsicle. My friend Jackie said she did it on Christmas Day when it was thirty degrees and she nearly died from the heat. She still admitted that she'd do it again in a heartbeat.

They called me in and surprisingly only three other people came with me (one group every 20 mins). Normally there are 12 people to a group but we totally lucked out. Elaine, James and Mary from Whales. Friendly bunch, Elaine and James have lived in Sydney for 9 months and Mary came to visit them for two weeks. This climb was a going-away present from them. It was Elaine's 3rd climb. I should mention that you can choose what time of day you climb. The sunrise special is the most expensive at $400. Oh yes, they charge depending on what time of day you go. I guess I got the daily special as it was the cheapest. Sunset is $300 I believe. Anyway, she's done all of them now.

So we were taken into this room where we signed our lives away on a form I didn't read (sorry mom) and then took a breathalyzer (first and last time ever) and then we were quizzed about health problems before being given 'suits' to put on over our clothes. Mine was quite large as I needed one with long enough arms and legs (I can hear you giggling mom). In some of the pics you can see the wind filling it up with air and I literally look like a balloon, not very attractive but definitely humorous. We are not allowed to wear watches but rings were ok. Then after a walk through a metal detector we were introduced to our guide Peter. He had the worst breath I've ever smelt. Seriously! But he was really nice and walked us through putting on all the gear. We had belts, harnesses, hats, and then he handed me a small bag and said, "this is your parachute." The look on my face must have said it all. He thought that was funny. Turned out to be a fleece for sudden changes in the weather (they climb in all weather). When will I stop being so goddamn guilable? So after all our gear is on I'm loaded down with a belt, fleece, raincoat, hat, hankerchief, security cable, radio and headset (so he can talk to us on the tour). Then we had a test run on a catwalk so that we learned how our security cables work (like we're on rails-literally, with a short leash).

Heading out I was super excited but not very nervous. I should mention I'm not a fan of heights, something that's only developed with age, but despite this I was pumped! I was first in
line after our leader and the first thing we did was walk onto two board with rails on either side. Two wooden boards. A fat person would not make it through, no sorry, a chubby person would struggle. No wonder Peter looked like he hadn't eaten in a month, it would've been a job hazard. Anyway, I would have been a little uneasy if I weren't so distracted by the view. It's all about the view.

The first thing I saw was the Opera House. In all it's glory of white sails and the crowd of worshippers milling about. It's truly a beautiful sight, no wonder it's one of the most recognizable features on the planet. It was here that Peter stopped to give us some info about the Opera House. Did you guys know that it is not one building? I was amazed to walk by it one day and realize that; none of the pictures give it away. Also, they held a competition in the late 50's to see who could design the best opera house and this won hands down. Unfortunately the construction left Sydney millions of dollars in debt. The estimated cost? $7 million. Cost upon completion in 1973? $103 million (I know you're shaking your head dad). Solutions: Lottery! ha ha, they paid off their entire debt by holding an 'opera house' lottery.

The second thing I saw was a bride and groom getting their pictures taken just below us with the Opera House in the background. Peter said it was the most popular place for wedding pics and that he will see 4-5 brides in a day. In the height of the summer he saw 12 brides. I should mention that he only does 2 climbs a day (3 max). They are not allowed to do anymore than that as it's too stressful on their bodies. By the end of our climb I had seen 3 brides.

We continued on our walk and I was blown away by the beauty of the water and harbour and boats running below us. Then we stepped out onto the catwalk. Do you know what a catwalk is? A thin walkway with a see-through floor. Okay, not all are see-through but this one was. Technically our two board strip is also a catwalk but it wasn't freaky like this was. The boards were a little shaky but the catwalk? It was see-through! Luckily we were halfway across before I realized this. I was too mezmorized by the view and it was only when Mary started squealing behind me that I took any notice. It was ok but not great. It didn't help when Peter suggested we run across it and look down. Looks like you're walking on air says he. I ran for 5 steps and then cooley walked the rest of it. James of course tore down the catwalk, he was quite the entertainment (they were in late 20's).

The scariest part of the whole journey was the ladders. I hate ladders. I don't like short ladders, I don't like long ladders, I refuse to climb ladders. I climbed 4. I think it was 4 although it felt more like 14. These are not your ordinary ladders either. They are straight up and the steps are so close together that you get dizzy watching close placement of each foot. then you reach the top and you get disoriented and which direction you are going and you are desperately looking for the next ladder. Oh yeah, did I mention you come up through the traffic of the bridge? Not a great experience. I was very thankful to reach the top. Then Peter asked if any of us had driven the bridge. We all had. Then he asked if we found it scary. All of them did but me. He told us to look down to lane 6 as a bus was coming up. The bus was the exact width of the lanes. I felt a little naseous after that. I was so concerned with the view and the fact that I was lost that it went unnoticed by me when I drove over it. Thank God it did, driving close beside large vehicles freaks the crap out of me (my poor mom is a witness to this).

When we stopped looking down, we looked around and realized we had almost reached the summit. I could see steps leading up to the massive Australian flags posted at the top. All the way up the steps (probably 30 mins) Peter described the process of how the Bridge was built. I didn't like this knowledge. I mean, I wasn't scared up there, the wind was refreshing, the view was gorgeous and I was loving every minute of it. But...I didn't like hearing how men used to come up in suits (not like we were wearing) with no safety harnesses, and throw bolts around. That really creeped me out. I wish they could tell us that info after the climb, once we were on solid ground. I could too easily picture someone falling. I did learn that 1,600 men built the bridge and they only lost 16.

What I remember, and will for the rest of my life-vividly, were the sunbeams coming down through the clouds over the harbour. Facing the city, I noticed Sydney is extremely flat to the right and hilly to the left. I also understood just how large a city it was. I had driven to North Sydney (across the bridge) but never around it and it looked the size of Vancouver. I never imagined it was that big. I finally let go of the rails, I was comfortable and at ease and I wanted to fly like a bird.

Just before we reached the flags, Peter stopped us for the first picture of the trip (the rest taken at the top and on the way down) and it was at that moment the sun came out. I know it sounds corny but it really did happen. You can notice in my pictures that the first one is the only one in which the sun is on my face? Yeah, now you know why. I was thrilled. The wind was a bit of a bother for a girl who's hair is down (didn't think that one through), but still I'm pleased with the pics. *Note that you are not allowed to take a camera with you...they charge you for your photos. I paid $64 for the pictures you see here. Helluv a lot of money for 8 pictures but the only documentation of my climb and-you only do it once (although I would definitely do it again).

We got a group picture at the top but sadly, I dont have it on cd so I can't post it. At the top we saw John Travolta's $20 million dollar house for when he flies (on his own plane) into town. Luna Park (Coney Island) was just below us and apparently it was a 'thank you' to N. Sydney for putting up with the noisy construction of the Bridge...huh what? I laughed at that, as Luna Park is an amusement park! Peter smiled and said, "Well, yes it is ironic and the park has been closed and re-opened several times due to noise complaint." No shit.

By the end of the climb the sun was setting and the horizon was pink and the clouds had that 'silver lining' you hear so much about. It was amazing.

St. Paddy's Day

Monday was St. Paddy's Day here in Sydney, Australia and I celebrated by meeting up with some friends of mine. Nick and Alex are two blokes from London, England that I met in Fiji. They've spent the last month in New Zealand and came to Sydney on Sunday. So they called me up and we decided to get together on St. Paddy's Day. They were staying in Darling Harbour and the only bar I knew down there was called the Pontoon Pub so we decided to meet up there after I got off work (8:30pm). Cassie came with me and we met up with the boys (who had already started drinking). Cassie and I had dinner while Alex drank 4 pints of guiness in order to get everyone a 'free' hat. Well done Alex I say, we had fun with those hats!

After dinner and drinks at the Pontoon Pub, we decided to walk around Darling Harbour (gorgeous at night) and then we headed to George St (CBD) to see if we could find a rockin Irish Pub. We found one on King St and I think it was called O'Brian's but I dont really remember. On the way there though some chick stole Nick's hat so Alex and I took up the pursuit down the street chasing this biotch down. I got the hat and Alex accidentally got one of her shoes (she was carrying them). He threw the shoe in the air and we kept running. How dare she think she could steal MY friend's hat! paaah.

We did reach the pub without further incident and after standing in line for only a few mins we were in. It was a nice pub, 2 levels with sticky floors and many people dressed in green. I got the honours that night as I was the only one of us four who is actually Irish. Funny enough, I'm the only one who didn't drink beer, I'm a wino baby. I must mention that the wine here is fantastic. I've had several different kinds (all Australian) and they've all been fantastic. The cost for a glass of wine varies from $6-8, so not far off from Canada's prices. They were playing great music and we danced and talked and made fun of the couple making out beside us. We mostly shared our travel stories and plans.

As I had to work the next day at 8:30am, we headed home around 3am (this was early), the boys walked us to our bus stop down at Circular Quay and Cassie fell asleep on the bus. I got 5 hours sleep but it was worth it.

The 'Spider'

Okay, I hate spiders. You probably already know this, what you don't know is the scary incident I had one Friday morning. Warning, some readers may find this disturbing (dad).

Cassie was at work and I was ready for work and killing time by watching some tv on the couch. I heard something drop from the couch and I looked down to see a nailfile. Curious as to where it came from, I dropped to all fours and looked under the couch. BIG MISTAKE. All I saw was legs and I backed away from that couch as fast as I could. The legs were HUGE, like tarantula size. A million things started running through my head, like "ok, if I were in Canada this would be no big deal because realistically we have no spiders this size.' But lets get real here-I am in Australia where spiders of this size DO exist. I was terrified. I could not leave that spider, no way would I ever sleep again. So I carefully moved the couch and looked behind it-nothing. I moved the couch back and grabbed a broom (damn I'm brave...). I shoved the broom handle under the couch and felt the spider! I dropped the broom and raced to the front door. After my heart resumed a proper speed I started to think logically. No way would a spider feel like it did-that big and I think I rolled it over...I peeked at the couch and saw nothing. I gave it one more shot and managed to pull the spider into view. I ran away but kept it in sight. Looking at it I noticed that it wasn't moving. I sat and watched it for 10 min before deciding it was definiately...a FAKE. I was so pissed off but you have to understand what a freekin scary incident this was. I was so upset that I had to leave the flat. Realizing that Cassie would come home to a disturbing scene, I texted her that the spider was rubber. Walking to the bus stop on my way to work, a leaf fell off a tree and landed on my shoulder...I had a mini-freak out on the sidewalk. Thankfully no one was around to witness this (I think) but that incident had me creeped out for the rest of the day. Later that night I made Cassie pick up the rubber spider and throw it off the balcony (she did-laughing hysterically the entire time). She agreed with me that she would have done the same in my position. I f*^#ing hate spiders and whoever put that goddamn thing under our couch has just earned themselves some bad karma.

Sydney, Australia

Alright, I've been in Sydney almost a month now and I LOVE it. Its an amazing city filled with nice people, great sites, incredible weather and really good food. For those of you not aware I am working as a nanny. I started off working 10-12 hour days 6/days a week but now I'm down to 4-5 hour days as Nicholas (the 5-year old) is back to school. Fun parts of my job include driving around Sydney, meeting other nannies from all over the world, living one on one with Australians, interacting with locals and learning their culture and oh yeah, playing with a kid! You guys know how much I love kids and although this one can be difficult, we've already bonded and we have great times. Kids do say the darndest things.

The other day I was talking to Jyo and she asked me to describe Sydney and I actually had to pause and think...how would I describe it? So let me try.

The City:
Sydney is HUGE. With a population around 5 million, I dont feel intimidated. Sydney is modern with its artsy, European areas like The Rocks (down by the Harbour). I find it one of the safest cities I've ever visited. There are cameras everywhere (buses, sidewalks, stores) litereally and I've never felt watched or preyed on at any time. The local transportation is awesome, buses have their own lanes and if a bus cant get you there...a train or ferry will. I absolutely love train stations thanks to my travels around Europe (2001/02), so I try to take the train in place of the bus as often as I can. Nothing like feeling naseous filing down a steep escalator deep underground, or the rush of a breeze as a train approaches or the general sounds and smells of a train station. I'm so weird eh? Anyway, crosswalks are awesome here because all traffic stops and you can cross the street in whichever direction you choose. You get places faster. And the ferries are smaller than my Vancouver island ferry so you feel a little cramped. There are no restaurants or cafes of any kind because...you're at your destination within 30 mins. And I've never seen water sparkle as it does here.

Fashion:
OMG, 80's is back. I've never seen so much day-glo in my life. You literally need sunglasses to walk into a store here as neon pinks, blues, greens and yellows eat you alive. I shop everyday as the prices are reasonable and there is a store that sells Billabong clothing (my favourite) every two steps. Loose fitting tops are very stylish as are Ugg boots but I've yet to price them. You pretty much see people casual in the Bondi area but if you head into the CBD (Central Business District) around Martin Place you will see suits everywhere. The standard flow is pretty much a white top and black pants. It's insane but a great place to guy-watch. I love men in suits.

Bugs and local wildlife:
No mosquitos as of yet, which is a huge relief as Fiji was swarming with them.
Spiders are everywhere. I have been unable to discover the name of the spider pictured but they are everywhere and in every size. Literally you walk down a path and you will spot 10 from standing in one position. They freak the crap out of me. My friend Jackie (US) has lived here for 3 years and she was telling me about the large brown huntsman spiders that look like tarantulas (not poisonous) and I was extremely grateful not to have encountered one...well I did. I saw one yesterday and the day before. They are F&#*ing huge and they jump from ground to wall in the blink of an eye. Luckily I recognized it and picked a different route. I didn't have my camera with me unfortunately but I have a feeling I haven't seen the last of them. Gekos are as common as ants. They are cute and you see them everywhere but tinier than the large ones in Fiji. Bats are visible from early dusk on and they are so cool. Cockroaches are disgusting and they are the size of the palm of your hand. They scurry across the sidewalks at night so I have taken to walking down the middle of the street. I had one run across my thong (flip-flop) and I kicked and lost the bug and my shoe. We have green parrots that live outside our flat and they are cute. And I spotted my first cockatoo this morning at the bus stop. I have yet to see kangas as I will have to go to the zoo to see them. That's coming up.

Sports:
Sydney is huge for their sports. Football is none-existant here but 'footy' (rugby) is very popular as is cricket. I have no idea what either are but I am learning. Nicholas just started rugby and his older brother Wil is filling me in. Nic's dad Lance is teaching me about rugby as well. He is surprised I dont know more about it as Canada has an excellent team (well I knew that much). I asked Nic one day if he had ever played hockey and he answered, "what is that?" I nearly drove off the road.

Language:

Its taken me a bit to get used to their language here but I'm getting better. I've learned that elevators are lifts and garbages are bins and that capsicorns are green peppers. Working in an Australian home with locals has taught me quite a bit but I still ask questions. Like, what is a jumper (a jacket apparently) and sorry, which room is the parlour (TV room apparently) and its toilet - not washroom (working with a 5 year old teaches you that proper wordage is important). Mainly Cassie and I watch the commercials and laugh at how Australians pronounce things (it's knock-ia instead of nokia) but really we love them. Its great.

Food:

I havent sampled a lot of it yet. I did branch out and I ate some street-meat, a kebab and it was damn good! Cass and I ordered Thai one night and I dont think we said one word to each other the entire time we ate. The Pad Thai was excellent and we inhaled the spring rolls. We'll be ordering that again soon! The average cost of a meal here is $17. A Cheap meal would be fastfood @$7.50 (Oporto Chicken). The locals eat cereal called Weet-Bix (delicious) and Cruskits (crackers) with Vegemite (some kind of yeast extract). Vegemite is like a staple here and I finally tried it today and it was the nastiest thing I have ever tasted. It was a cross between very, very salty and...poo. I'm sorry but I dont know how to describe it. Disgusting.

So that about rounds up my general description of Sydney. You guys will have to remind me to tell you about the day I got lost driving around Sydney. I was stressed and in awe of this great city. I'm very comfortable driving here and I know my way around really well now-must say I'm impressed with myself. I just feel very 'at home' here and...I feel like I really fit. I know that must sound confusing and weird but that's the only way I can describe it right now.

If you ever get a chance to visit Australia, Sydney is a must-see.

Mardi Gras (Blow my whistle Bitch!)

So Sat night was Mardis Gras here in Sydney Australia and it was a blast! I had to work that day but they let me off at 4 so that I could join in the fun. Luckily my employers live next to Oxford street and the parade was on that street so I walked along and then met up with my flat mate Cassie and our friends Katie and Saskia. Because I had been working, we had to stop and get me some food and I...wait for it...ate street-meat (Pete would be proud). I was so hungry and this man was bbqing sausages (barf) and chicken and beef kebabs and I bought a chicken kebab (skeptical that it was chicken but please remember I was starving) and he put it on a giant hot dog bun with onions, tomato sauce (they dont call it ketchup here) and mustard. I have never tasted anything so divine. It was so good that the girls decided to get one too. It just happens that the guy had planted himself outside a bakery which was housing some divine cheesecake...so we all split cheesecake and it was one of the best spur-of-the-moment meals I have ever had. Mmmm.

The parade was crazy, the streets were wild. You can see me trying to get a shot in the picture to the left. Never have I ever seen so many people in one place before. Men in skirts, fairy costumes, glitter and make-up like you wouldn't believe.Everyone was dressed wildly and drinking openly. Of course we joined in with THAT! lol. The first bottle shop (liquor store) that we came across we loaded our bags up with liquor. There were so many drag queens and men in assless chaps that after an hour I got used to it. It was hard to see huge men in heels (walking better than I do). Still it was great fun. I loved how everyone was so friendly to one another and willing to share view space for the parade. We were watching the parade and then looked up and a massive...flock? of bats were flying overhead and it was really cool. It was a beautiful night, perfect for a parade. We could have done without the fat man shaking his, um...tenders at the audience, poor Katie's eyes popped out of her head over that. But really, anything went that night and people were topless, pantless, and really over-the-top. It was hilarious. The parade theme this year was 'worlds' and there were some incredible floats, over 200 apparently but we didnt stay to see them all. (Dykes on bikes)

After awhile we left the parade and hit up a pub called The Three Wise Monkey's and it was real nice, 3 floors with live music and we met some Kiwi guys but they were rather weird so we ditched them and then went and had dinner before catching the bus home. Poor Cassie, her feet were covered in blisters and I had shin splints so bad. We did so much walking it was crazy. Apparently it was the largest turn out for Mardis Gras Sydney's ever had. I'm so glad that I was there for it.
Check out the fairy! LOL

Fiji

Hula Loop-Day 1 ( 34 degrees)

I arrived in Fiji at 5:30am local time. I stepped off the plane and was blasted in the face with hot air-it was fantastic. I was greeted by a Fijian who gave me a shell necklace and then set me up with tour group information. Unfortunately my bus would not arrive until 8am so I had a few hours to chill at the little airport of Fiji. The first thing I did was change into shorts and brush my teeth. It was a long flight although I did manage to sleep for 6 hours.

I met a girl named Rebecca from Wisconsin who was on the same tour group as me-the FeeJee Experience Group. She's going to school in Sydney for 4 months and decided to stop in Fiji first. By the time our bus arrived we were good friends. We were the first ones on the bus and we met our tour guide-Anna and our bus driver Airport. His name isnt actually Airport but that's what everyone calls him. He looked like Jamie Fox.

We stopped by 2 other resorts and picked up a total of 10 people (including myself). The bus was air conditioned (thankfully) and played American music. Airport did turn the channel and played some Fijian music, one song was my favourite (all in English) because it made me giggle over the line, "In the Fiji islands the women are easy and the men are hard...to get, that is how it is on the Fiji Islands." Hilarious.

I got to know everyone on the bus really well as everyone was so friendly. Our first stop was a local market where we bartered over fruit and bought sulus (sarongs) in town. Next we went to Natadola beach (see pic on right) where we went body surfing and our guides cooked us a bbq. There were horse rides we could go on but I wasnt interested. I was so focused on the gorgeous beach. Unfortunately it poured rain on us and we had to retreat to the bus to finish our lunch. We had chicken, sausages (I actually ate one I was so hungry, Warren would be proud) and fruit and salad. It was delicious.

After our lunch we headed off to the sand dunes to go sand boarding. It was terrifying. We climbed up this sand dune and the sand was so hot my feet burned and I didn't think I'd make it but I did. Our boards are actually very small and light, similar to a floatation device you find in pools. I was scared but I went down anyway, making sure to keep my elbows in like Anna instructed. I flew down so fast but at the very bottom I finally started to enjoy it. Nevertheless, I didnt do it again. The boys were much more entertaining to watch, as some tried tricks and ended up bailing at the bottom (see picture of Martinez from Sweden). It was hilarious to watch them and near the end it began to rain again and we ran to the bus with the boards over our heads. I couldnt help but think, "isnt this fantastic?" The rain melts almost as soon as it hits your skin, its so warm there, but it really, really pours. I've never seen rain like in Fiji and I live in Victoria!

I liked that we travelled by bus because I got to see a lot of the countryside, which is green and lush and breathtaking. Sugar cane is everywhere and so care cows, that are randomly tied to the side of the road. They are so skinny I could see their ribs, who has ever seen a cow's ribs? It was odd. Their horses are like that too.

Our last stop of the day was our hostel at Mango Bay Resort. My jaw literally hit the ground when I saw where we were staying. It was gorgeous. Palm trees, a pool on the beach...grass huts-it was like out of a movie. I immediately went and layed in the sun on the beach but a game of volleyball started in the pool so I joined in. Afterward there was a traditional Kava ceremony out on the beach so I joined that. A Kava ceremony is held to welcome new guests into a village. The locals mix kava root with water and then we are required to drink it with a BULA (Welcome/Hi) and then "MOTHAR" which is mother/thanks when we have chugged it. Kava root has been described as their local alcoholic drink but really it has a sedative effect and my tongue and lips went numb after drinking it. What does it taste like you ask? It tastes like dirty water. It looks like dirty water. In fact I made a joke stating that who were we to know? We are just stupid tourists-it could be dirty water and they might be laughing at us. Except that they mix it in a bowl in front of us. It was a neat experience and I looked up in the middle of the ceremony to see a huge bat fly over us. I just smiled.

After dinner there was a crab race in the club (yes, there was a night club). We got to bid on hermit crabs representing countries around the world. I bid on Maple the crab representing Canada but I lost. my friends at my table and I all went in and we bid on and won Kava Power, the crab representing Fiji. It was hilarious to watch the crabs race to be the first outside the circle. We are all screaming yet we have no idea which crab is ours! It was hilraious. Our Kava Power Crab came in second and we won $33, which was immediately spent at the bar on vodka, mango and passionfruit drinks. I was so tired after that (remember all this activity after being up since 5:30) and I was ready for bed. Heading back to our hut, little frogs were everywhere on the path and I had to be careful not to step on any like my friend Alex did. He squished one poor little frog because he made the decision to 'short cut it through the grass.'

All in all it was a great first day in Fiji.

*Fijian word of the day: BULA-welcome, hi, greetings

Hula Loop-Day 2 (32 degrees)

I slept really well and we were up early for breakfast before getting on the bust at 8am. We were supposed to go on a rainforest hike but a cyclone hit Fiji the week before I arrived and so it wiped out the trails (and many people's homes). Instead we took a boat trip up the rive that Anaconda was filmed on and at the top of the river we had a picnic lunch. This was the day it poured rain off and on continuously. I remember sitting on the sandbar with my friends by the river with a waterfall on the otherside and I was eating pizza in the pouring rain and I thought, "this is so cool." It really was. I was drenched but warm and I was sharing this experience with people from all over the world-who else can say they've done that?

When lunch was over (it was still raining) we all got our own inner tube and started tubing down the river. Fortunately the rain stopped soon after we started and the water was so warm. We had a blast but the best part was when we reached the rapids. Have you ever done white water rafting in an inner tube? I had my back to them and when I picked up speed I was like, "what the heck is going on," looked over my shoulder just in time to see that I was headed towards a huge rock! I managed to padde out of the way just in time. I laughed at my friend Alex (from London) as he got caught up in the rocks and scraped his po-po quite bad. We were all laughing at each other and the boys were trying (unsuccessfully) to stand up on their tubes. I unfortunately do not have any pictures of this event as I took my waterproof camera and its undeveloped. Near the end of the trip down the river, our guide warned us not to head towards the waterfall at the end and what did we all do? We really couldnt control it as it started to rain again the water rises really, really fast there because of the amount of rain. We got caught up in the current and we were laughin so hard we couldnt swim to shore. We made it eventually and at no point of our journey were we ever in any danger. It was fantastic.

Of course we were soaked at the end of the journey and we were happy to get to our second hostel in Suva (capital of Fiji) for a hot shower. Unfortunately this was the worst hostel we stayed at. It was out in the middle of nowhere and the pool was green. It was called the Rainforest Tree Lodge. We had dinner where my friend Elena found a huge spider in her meal (they still tried to make her pay for it) and we were entertained by local dancers. I headed up with the Brits (Brianna, Brad, Nick and Alex) plus Martina from Switzerland to Brad and Bri's private room for chats on their patio. There were no lights but the mosquitos are mad there! We also found large millipede's, very cool.

*Fijian word of the day: Vinaka (thank you)

Hula Loop-Day 3 (32 degrees)

Because the cyclones wiped out the bridges between Suva and Rakiraki, we had to backtrack the way we came to reach the other side of the island. It was a torturous day on the bus. I think we spent a total of 6 hours on the bus. At least it started off really well, we went to a local school to see the children (we brought them school supplies as they are too poor to buy their own). The school was very tiny and the children all wear uniforms and were very excited to see us. They sang us songs in english and Fijian. We learned that English is taking priority over their traditional language of Fijian now, although they still learn both. They kids were great and I enjoyed seeing how they were taught. God it was hot that day-no air conditioning in their classrooms and no glass windows-just plastic vents.

Next we hit up a local village where we joined in an actual Kava ceremony (more traditional than at Mango Bay). They made us flower necklaces and although I declined the kava (I was skeptical of the water source) I enjoyed watching them sing, dance and make pottery. After they bake the pottery they cover it in tree sap to make it shiny. They made us all dance with them afterward and a large Fijian woman had her hand on my po-po the entire time. It was a bit unnerving.

On the bus I was in the back with the Brits and I played travel monopoly with the boys. I was winning for most of the game but Brad had a good comeback and cleaned house. It took us 4 hours to play that game! All the little money and tiny houses, it was fun. Brianna was our banker.

Our hostel that night was another gorgeous resort. The bugs there were mad, a giant moth, millipede's, cockroaches, ants and something that looked like a large stick...except that it was crawling across the sidewalk. I let it cross before I booked past it. Geckos are everywhere in Fiji and a little gecko with no tail stayed on the window beside my bed all night. We slept under big fans with no sheets. We had trivia at our table during dinner and my team didnt win but in the entertainment section I got every answer correct.

It was the first day it didnt rain on us and Alex and I talked British vs Canadian history for most of the night. I should note that the food in Fiji is very expensive ($16/ plate) and its mostly American food of burgers and chips. I ended up eating salad and garlic bread or soup as I was so tired of the crappy food. I believe I lost weight in Fiji.

*Fijian word of the day: Sega na leqa (no worries)

Hula Loop-Day 4 (last day of tour, 35 degrees)

The last day of our trip was a sad one, as I had to say goodbye to Brad, Brianna, Nick, Alex, Elena and Martina. They were staying behind. We woke up to gorgeous sunshine like always (it normally only rained in the afternoon) and Brianna and I headed down to the beach early to go snorkelling. I've never been before so she walked me through it. Amazing. That's all I can say. Fish dont mind you and they are bright colours and its just so awesome how clear the water is. At one point I reached the drop off (like in Nemo) and I was pretty freaked out and I swam back into the coral. It wasn't until after I got out of the water that my friend Gareth (British hottie surfer boy) told me how his friend did the same but said it was the first time she considered that a shark could come out of nowhere and eat her. I was horrified as that thought NEVER occurred to me. Luckily there were no sharks or jellyfish and I only got stung by the sea lice.

We dropped my friends off in town and those remaining on the bus (you can choose whether to stay or continue on) headed on the road again. It took us an hour and a half to reach town for lunch, where I found a hilarious sign for the men's washroom. Then another 2 hours on the bus until we reached the mud baths. We were out in the middle of nowhere in a village with cows everywhere. Let me tell you how disgusting it all was. We had to trek through a forest of cow shit (no kidding) to reach this mud hole in the middle of it. I was dubious about going in this little swamp but everyone went in and so did I. It was so disgusting, it was like being in cow-ka-ka up to your knees and the rest of it muddy water up to your shoulders. It was very warm though and apparently the mud is good for you. Mark spread the mud all over his face and then said, "I'm not so sure I should have put this stuff on my face." Someone spotted a floating object and asked, "What is that?" Mark replied, "A floater," to which we all shrieked and started to head out. I was in long enough for a picture (proof) and then I wanted out as fast as possible. I cannot describe how sick it felt to have that gross stuff ooze between my toes-nasty I say! Anna told us there was a hot spring back the way we came to which Gareth said, "that pool with the dodgey looking pipes sticking out of it?" We all laughed again, you could tell everyone was totally unimpressed. I refused to go in the so-called hot springs as it looked like a drinking hole for cows with rusted piped pouring suspicious looking water into it. Apparently it was very, very hot. Rebecca said her skin was burning. I opted out and went straight to the showers. It was the worst experience of our trip, all I wanted was a real shower with disinfected soap. It didnt help that Gareth and Mark were suggesting all the nasty things you can contract from animal feces. Boys.

We ended back in Nadi-where the trip began and everyone got dropped at a different hostel except Julie (Aussie) and Maren (German) were at my hostel. Thank god it was a paradise resort with two pools, a movie theatre, 6 buildings of dorms and a game room. I took a shower and went to bed.

*Fijian word of the day: Uro (sexy, foxy)

Hula Loop-day 5 (34 degrees)

My last day in Fiji I stayed at my hostel and just chilled by the pool. It hadnt rained in two days and I was couting my blessings. Of course I fried myself in the sun and spent the afternoon camped out in my room with my roomates who were also tired of the sun. You have no idea how hot and thick (humid) the air is here. We had an air conditioned room but a thunder storm arose and we lost power with the first clap of thunder, which was so loud and close that our building shook and it sounded like cannons were right above us. It was terrifying actually. One more clap of that and we sweated for 4 hours until the power came back on. Thankfully I had an iPod Touch for which I could watch my fashion shows to keep me entertained. I charged all my stuff up and organized my bag, which was rank from the desperate need to laundry. Towards the end of the evening 3 girls entered the dorm and as soon as they spoke I was like, "Yay, where in Canada are you from?" It was nice to see Canadians. From Ottawa and Toronto they were on the same flight as me the next day so we packed together and caught a cab in the morning. My last experience of Fiji was in the lobby of our hotel checking out and something was tickling my arm. It appeared a gecko had decided to crawl up my arm but being a girl and in a place like Fiji...my first reaction was to fling whatever foreign species that was on my arm-OFF. poor little fella hit the floor quite hard but he's got to give a girl some notice.

Fiji is a gorgeous country and the people are very friends but damn its expensive and the washrooms are the nastiest washrooms I have every experienced in my life. The mosquitos are quite bad too, I was happy to leave and super excited that my next stop was....SYDNEY! Wahoo.

*Fijian word of the day: bili bili (Bamboo raft)