My third day in L.A. was perfect! Jason took me around pretty much anywhere I wanted to see AND I got to go to IHOP! :D jason told me from the get-go not to look at the calories that day, it's all good! and i totally followed orders ;) american ihop is the best, that's all i can say. the cinnabon pancakes were scrumptious as were the hashbrowns and scrambled eggs; i don't think i've ever enjoyed an IHOP meal so much! and the service was pretty darn good...kind of made me assess the whole "rude americans" rep.
After a yummy brekkie, we went to the Queen Mary ship--which honestly, I just thought it was some historic old boat that was a tourist hot-spot to take pictures in front of...at least that's what my mom told me. NOPE! Jason went and bought tickets and I'm wondering why we need tickets to take pictures, then we walked around inside the boat and I realized how cool the Queen Mary really is! The exhibits they had of what the boat was like back in the day were pretty cool and there was a big model of the Titanic and other Titanic-like ships--again this may make me seem nerdy, but it was pretty damn fascinating.
Time came for the tour and it still didn't dawn on me why the tour was called the ghosts and demons tour...till the tour guide started. It was a pretty fun and animated tour and I have to say, I was very entertained and at one time I did scream...a lot. It started off with us watching a movie about the history of the boat (rife with deaths of some passengers), then we went into the old swimming pool area and I swear to god i saw the "lady in white" aka the resident ghost. IT WAS SO FREAKY! My eyes were not playing tricks on me cuz I saw her for a whole five seconds...freakyyyy. Then we went into the a room i can't remember (obviously cuz it wasn't scary!) and then we went down this hallway--however, before we could enter it, the tour guide said "I hope no one is afraid of spiders" ...I pretty much started crying like the poor 4 yr old in our group who was scared out of his mind. I was like I don't want to go there I don't want to go there! ...and of course Jason convinced me to do it and then it happened. Something that felt like spiders was touching my head, going through my hair and uggghhhhh! I freaked out--i started screaming, batting away the "spiders" --pretty much I acted like any girl would who was in a pitch black hallway w/gigantic spiders. Fun times but one of the most memorable moments of the trip! Then we went to the boiler room and learned of this guy that got stuck in this weird box thing and got steamed to death (that puts it lightly)...and then the ship's bow started "leaking" water and we had to evacuate thus ending the tour. awesome tour, i'll probably do it again if i get the chance.
After that we spent some time walking around the boat in the gorgeous sunshine, soaking in the views :) It was a nice chill time. Afterwards, we headed back to my couch-surfing home; my cousin (jason's mom) said we could go and sight-see more and we'd leave for san francisco later on in the night. obviously i was excited cuz another one of my wishes came true--hollywood! Jason drove us through the crazy, narrow, road to the top of this hill where Yamashiro sits. It's the most romantic spot in hollywood or perhaps L.A. AND it's haunted. I know I know, there seems to be a weird theme lol. I got a tour of Yamashiro and the restaurant area is gorgeous and totally the type of place i'd dine...if i wanted to spend 15 on a california roll. please. :P
I also got to see other creepy places, like where the old owner of the restaurant is buried...right next to a table! and I went in the bride room and groom room and the bride room was super cold and the AC wasn't on...yes, i'm sure a spirit was there too. Once the tour of the cool area around the restaurant was over, we went to the hollywood walk of fame!
The hollywood walk of fame was super fun and obviously i turned into this crazy excited tourist who took pictures of EVERYTHING! lol. We went into this mall which was pretty cool; it had some retro restaurants and tons of cool shops AND this cute fountain thing where all these mexican kids were playing. I fell in love w/this chubby 2 yr old who was soooo cute <3 he kept looking at the ground waiting for the water to come out and then when it would he'd get sprayed in his face and make this confused look then start jumping and running. so cute! this mall also had a partial movie set in it--egyptian stuff which looked pretty damn cool. After that we went across the street to a disappointing disney store then made the lovely uphill trek back to Yamashiro--cuz that's where we parked. I thought that after that our trip was over but nope!
Sweet old jason took me to Santa Monica where we got to roam around at the 3rd street promenade. I loved it! I missed that type of scene; lots of those in Australia. There so many shops, cool garden-type statues (dinosaurs!) and random dance classes in the street-mostly salsa. And the piece de resistance--COTTON ON! I saw it and screamed and got really excited and ...ya...cotton on! I fell in love w/that store in New Zealand & Australia--seeing cotton on again made me feel closer to my second home lol.
Oh! I also saw a giant smurf. yes. gigantic. and cute.
After all this sightseeing we got hungry, so we decided to head home and eat. I am pretty lucky to have had such a great tour guide; he took me for thai food. the best thai food i've had yet! every thing was so yummy :) and the owners of the place were nice enough to let us stay until after closing.
Throughout this day, Jason made me laugh a lot, gave me good advice and we basically got to reconnect after not seeing each other for a few years. I remember how we were when we were younger--i was super excited there were kids in my family cuz my brother and I are the youngest kids on my dad's side of the family--till we met Jason and Josie who came from Cali :) but he was shy and no matter how much i tried, that kid wouldn't talk to me. the second time he came he was a bit better and we watched nutty professor (where he laughed like crazy!), i made him one of those paper fortune teller things (i still remember how excited he was when i gave it to him) and tons of stuff. we've always kept in touch w/each other through facebook or emails but this trip reminded me i gotta make the time and effort to see people who are important to me. If not to make new memories, then at least to reconnect and remember our good times.
With that said, I was pretty sad when our day was over--I couldn't believe I had to leave for San Fran and not know when exactly I'd see him again; unsure if I would see him before his deployment in Florida...but all good things gotta come to an end to ensure that new, even better things can happen for you.
And that's where I leave you folks--till the next installment of my stay in San Fran and my trip to the Jelly Belly Factory :P
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Thursday, August 4, 2011
L.A. Baby!!
i stole jason's balloons after the party. tee hee!
Having my cousin and mom pick me up from the airport was the best--we got to have some girl bonding time which never happens! My cousin is an inspiration for me; she's accomplished so much in her life. She was a single mom who worked her butt off and kicked ass in whichever field she was in--real estate, party planning, etc. Ever since I was a kid, I looked up to her because she achieved so much and got to travel the world; she did things that usual fijian ladies never even bother trying to accomplish.
The drive from the airport was pretty funny; I was updated about the party's status, about the morning's events (cuz my folks got to L.A. before I did) and there was also some car dancing involved lol. L.A. traffic is like nothing I've seen before--there's construction every block, there's five lane highways yet we were stuck in grid lock all because americans love their cars and don't use public transit. Probably because their public transit sucks. SUCKS!
Anyhoos, we did some shopping before heading to my couchsurfing stay. I'm glad to say that all the shopping I did was of the necessities nature--body lotion, face wash, purses and shoes. lol Finally after 6 hrs of travelling and 3 hours of shopping I reached my "home" in L.A.--my cousin's friend who is older than my dad. It was nice of him to let me stay with him albeit a bit cramped. I got to rest for like an hour and then we headed over to the temple (...ya i know, not my thing but when ur at the mercy of other ppls accomodation, then you gotta deal with the "when in Rome" situation). I was hoping this would be a trip where my marriage would not be brought up...but that was naive of me. I'm of fijian descent, 23 and "sundar" lol so it's gonna come up whether i like it or not. My cousin's husband was bugging me that that night i would get set up with someone. and lo and behold i did. i was mortified. like beyond horrified to the point where i couldn't figure out if i wanted to yell or cry...it is beyond me how people just pick a person to marry their son based on the way the girl looks. totally stone age.
The whole purpose of the trip to the temple, other than bore the crap out of me, was to surprise cadet ram cuz he had no idea we came for his party :) and what an awesome surprise it was! it was very clear on his face how happy he was to see us, and that reminded me that it's really important to keep in touch with your family...the sane ones at least :P
Jason and I got to reconnect after the puja and of course he gave me some protective advice. jason's always protective...a little too protective lol but it's all good--he's a good man. which is why his mommy dearest (my cousin) had the party for him. cadet ram put himself thru school working nights as a security officer in hollywood! i know! uber cool; and he proved the educational system wrong when he emerged from the special ed grp and became a successful uni grad and soon-to-be officer in the air force.
and a perk about having a family member in the air force is that he can take you to a flight museum where you can sit in a plane and pretend to be a pilot and first officer :) that's right! suzybee was a pilot/first officer for a day and she got to wear a captain's hat lol. good times, one of the unexpected joys of the trip for sure.
the party itself was very fun; lots of food, drinks (...no rum tho...fijian party w/o rum just seems wrong lol) and of course dancing. i dunno how this happened but i turned out to be the only girl my age there...surrounded by old uncles who stared at me creepily and old aunties who glared at me; fun times lol. it's all good--i looked good in my sari, my folks and cousin looked amazing in their outfits and we rocked the dancefloor.
but looking amazing has its price. when i was taking a break from dancing, the pundit (hindu version of a priest) came up to me and was drunk and asked if i wanted to get married. he just flat out said it and i wasn't sure if he was asking for himself but i prayed to god that he wasn't asking for him lol. i was like noooooo i don't. he said why? i lied and said i was still in school. he said what if he found me an "aacha larka" (usual speak for a good boy...which made me cringe...i don't want a good boy lol). i said i still don't want to get married. he was trying to sell this mystery boy on me saying he's nice and handsome, has his B.A. and is doing his M.B.A. ...these things don't really matter to me...and i was pissed he wouldn't leave me alone...and i started laughing cuz he thought i'd give a shit about the dude's education. i said talk to my dad cuz i knew my dad would say no. he said he talked to my dad. and i said what did my dad say? and the pundit just stayed quiet. i guess the pundit didn't realize i had a mind of my own and judged me based on my appearance at the party--quiet, reserved and pretty. i was quiet and reserved cuz the only ppl i had to talk to were ppl 40+...and the pretty part, well that's just natural ;) so he went on to say he had a proposal and then asked if i was really 16...which was bizarre so i said yes. and he looked pissed and left.
and if that wasn't enough, this creepy old man who parts his hair straight down the middle of his head (ask me for my demonstration/sign language i have for this, it's funny lol) comes up to me from behind and pats me on the shoulder and says "you like to dance huh baby?" then he rubbed my shoulder. that was disgusting; i was pretty upset and left right then and there. w/the balloons tied around my wrist lol. i grabbed jason and we booked it outta there and headed to my "home".
it never ceases to amaze me how backwards fijian society sometimes is--they have an odd sense of life; they value education in a classroom more than education by living in the world. they think that there's only one way to do things. and they think that every girl between the ages of 18-24 is prime marriageble material. i don't know if this will ever end and the only thing i can think of doing to avoid such talk is to never ever go to an indian function again. and to stay away from temples. which doesn't really bother me, nor am i missing out on much--i don't go to temples anyways and there's hardly ever any indian parties...so i think i'll be safe. i hope.
stay tuned for the next entry: suzybee invades hollywood.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Couchsurfing Ed. - Part One It comes naturally
woooo! princess and the backpack is back for a five day couchsurfing trip :)
Firstly, I'd like to say I'm extremely happy to be travelling again--waking up at the ungodly hour of 4am was nothing once I cleared security and customs and saw my plane waiting for me. I chose to go the connecting route which does take up alot of your time; however, if you have nothing better to do than just sit around and read and educate yourself then why not go the connecting flight route and save $100! It was exhilirating being able to travel again after my backpacking trip--the trip was not as long as the original trip; however, it was just as special. I got to use one of the tricks I learned on that trip--be nice to all airport officials. Little things like saying how are you is appreciated and I got some nice hook-ups--free seat upgrades, jumping the long line-ups, etc :D
My flight to Portland was...interesting lol. Of course, with my luck i have a weird brown stalker man who ends up sitting next to me on the plane. He kept asking me questions awkwardly. He started getting personal, asking me my age and profession and education. Finally he asked me if was interested in sports. I said hockey and he started asking questions about it but using baseball references...which led me to realize the man is talking out of his ass lol. I couldn't really take it any more; I was tired after waking up so early and couldn't really make random conversation so I told him imma take a nap and that ended the awkward conversation. He was sweet enough but if you are gonna talk to me at least make eye contact; the entire time we talked to each other he was looking at the headrest of the seat in front of him...and i thought to myself "this crazy man is talking to a piece of furniture" and then i started giggling lol. Being a single, "hindustani"* 23 yr old created a few odd situations on this trip...a few too many...which I'll get into later.
*hindustani: individual of indian heritage--after my trip to fiji I accepted my roots; however, that doesn't mean i follow the old-fashioned rules and traditions of arranged marriages, or partake in religous events...or pretty much do what my parents wished i did lol.
Portland airport was ok, nice areas to sit and eat or sleep. Or do walking lunges :P Got on my next flight to LAX to find I was seated in the emergency exit row!! And I had a bunch of annoying teenage boys behind me who kept making fart noises then laughing at their cleverness. ...yes, i wanted to smack them then I realized this was good--at least I know i'll never be a cougar and go after younger boys lol. I know, I know, my humour is awesome :P The view from my window was beautiful; I love geography and seeing the different patterns of trees or mini-mountain ranges, etc. The scenery was relaxing and put me at ease.
Finally got to LAX and I was super tired but running on adrenaline. The gate brought back memories of my backpacker trip days as this was where i caught my flight to auckland. I got lost...and then found my way out. I know what you're thinking--there's only one way out, how could you get lost? cuz there's only ONE way out! lol. Got outside finally and after a bit of searching I found my cousin and my mom :) Now I should let you all know now, my cousin is as old as my dad--that's cuz my gramma had A LOT of babies and my cousin's dad is the oldest bro and my dad is the youngest, hence the age difference. lovely brown relations. which is why my nephew (or cousin removed or watever white ppl call it :P), Cadet Jason Ram, is older than me. but it's all good. Ok, back to the story, I was so excited and kept saying "eeeee! i'm in L.A.!" it was sunny, gorgeous and hot. and smurf-ified. seriously, everywhere i went i saw smurfs. anyhoos, i couldn't have asked for a better first day in L.A.; my cousin, mom and I went shopping and bought the entire store practically. I'm not into labels (except lululemon & victoria secret) but i saw some really nice nine west purses and then i saw the price for them and had to buy 'em.
It was so nice to reconnect with my family for this trip :) I miss my family a lot and to be able to bond with them and do stuff we take for granted, like shop, eat or even go to the temple was lovely(...yes, they dragged me to a temple where my worst nightmare took place, which i'll get into later). I'm blessed to have this opportunity and to see these individuals again.
Next entry--L.A. baby! lovely events that took place during my first two days in L.A.
Friday, April 15, 2011
coffee crisp bites
since I started my little backpacking adventure with a bag of coffee crisp bites, i thought it'd be momentous to close my amazing journey with a bag of coffee crisp bites...especially since coffee crisp is non-existent in oz
I've probably told all of you why I came back home early but to summarize I realized I got everything I could ever hope for and want out of that chapter of my life and had to come back home to figure a few things out. I'm not going to lie, I miss Oz ALOT! I miss the freedom, the sunshine, darling harbour, george st, lol you name it i miss it. BUT I'm glad to be back.
The past month has been difficult for a few reasons--home life is one of them. Let's just say its not the optimal situation over here right now but i'm working on it to the best of my abilities. Jet lag hasn't been pretty either--it started off with me being awake only 7 hrs a day and being really groggy those 7 hrs. then it turned into me being awake 20 hrs a day and being really "chatty" during those hrs...like nonsensical chatty. at least i can say i was entertaining. and now the jet lag is somewhat under control...i sleep for like 6 hrs. which is disgusting compared to the 10 hr naps i had the past four months! :P working out kind of helped, especially during those midday slumps where i was awake but not really aware of what's going on...just so all of you know the number of days it takes to get over jet lag is determined by the number of time zones you have crossed. so since oz was like 29 hrs ahead of vancouver i think i'm nearing the end of this lovely side-effect of princess adventure life :)
one of the best things about being back is of course seeing my friends and family-->and seeing their excited expressions because they can't believe i did what i did. hell, i can't believe i did what i did! my parents, surprisingly but then again not surprisingly, wouldn't let go of me--and i have to say that day i got the best bear hug from my dad :) ...my mom wouldn't stop crying...no matter what i do,i can't make that woman happy lol. reggie was all "where's my presents?" nani was pretty happy too, she thought she was dreaming. i know, i know: cue the "awwww!". catching up with them was the best and i realized that I want to have them in my life always...but that isn't realistic nor possible. part of growing up is not having them let go of me, but me letting go of them. that didn't sink in till last night. while eating my coffee crisp bites and reading oxygen magazine--shhhh that was soooo bad lol.
seeing my friends for the first time was amazing too--not quite what i imagined because i forgot to factor in everyone's busy schedules BUT when we finally coordinated times to meet up it was sweeeeet <3 a friend from my travels told me i would come back to real life and have a different outlook on everything and my friends may or may not like it and you may end up realizing you don't fit in anymore...i just waved that away...and now i know that she was kinda right. it's not an entirely bad thing--having a new outlook on life is allowing me to help my friends make better decisions and see things from a different viewpoint. BUT at the same time, certain things aren't as fun as they used to be :( which is again part of growing up...at least i still love spongebob squarepants as much as i did before i left. ...perhaps even moreso. lol joking. not moreso. the same.
the best part about coming back is being ready to take control of my life and having a clear idea of what i want in life. i'm not saying i didn't know that before--quite the opposite, i knew EVERYTHING and had it all planned out. ...which is very unrealistic. when you build unrealistic goals you set yourself up for unnecessary stress. cuz believe me, i used to worry when things wouldn't work out and i couldn't realize why it wasn't working...
i'm not saying it's bad to dream big--dream as big as you want--just realize that it takes ALOT of work for your dreams to come true and nothing will happen overnight. my trip is the perfect example; i wanted to do this trip in 09 but it wasn't meant to be. I had to plan and plan and re-plan and save save then save some more then finally just buy the ticket; doing this trip now was for the best :)
i'm sitting here with my backpack, Charles, staring sadly at me...and i'm reassuring myself and Charles that there will be more Princess and the Backpack adventures in the future... but right now, princess has to put her backpack away and pick up some dumbbells.
so for now, this is the end to princess and the backpack...
it's just the beginning for princess :)
cheers mate!
I've probably told all of you why I came back home early but to summarize I realized I got everything I could ever hope for and want out of that chapter of my life and had to come back home to figure a few things out. I'm not going to lie, I miss Oz ALOT! I miss the freedom, the sunshine, darling harbour, george st, lol you name it i miss it. BUT I'm glad to be back.
The past month has been difficult for a few reasons--home life is one of them. Let's just say its not the optimal situation over here right now but i'm working on it to the best of my abilities. Jet lag hasn't been pretty either--it started off with me being awake only 7 hrs a day and being really groggy those 7 hrs. then it turned into me being awake 20 hrs a day and being really "chatty" during those hrs...like nonsensical chatty. at least i can say i was entertaining. and now the jet lag is somewhat under control...i sleep for like 6 hrs. which is disgusting compared to the 10 hr naps i had the past four months! :P working out kind of helped, especially during those midday slumps where i was awake but not really aware of what's going on...just so all of you know the number of days it takes to get over jet lag is determined by the number of time zones you have crossed. so since oz was like 29 hrs ahead of vancouver i think i'm nearing the end of this lovely side-effect of princess adventure life :)
one of the best things about being back is of course seeing my friends and family-->and seeing their excited expressions because they can't believe i did what i did. hell, i can't believe i did what i did! my parents, surprisingly but then again not surprisingly, wouldn't let go of me--and i have to say that day i got the best bear hug from my dad :) ...my mom wouldn't stop crying...no matter what i do,i can't make that woman happy lol. reggie was all "where's my presents?" nani was pretty happy too, she thought she was dreaming. i know, i know: cue the "awwww!". catching up with them was the best and i realized that I want to have them in my life always...but that isn't realistic nor possible. part of growing up is not having them let go of me, but me letting go of them. that didn't sink in till last night. while eating my coffee crisp bites and reading oxygen magazine--shhhh that was soooo bad lol.
seeing my friends for the first time was amazing too--not quite what i imagined because i forgot to factor in everyone's busy schedules BUT when we finally coordinated times to meet up it was sweeeeet <3 a friend from my travels told me i would come back to real life and have a different outlook on everything and my friends may or may not like it and you may end up realizing you don't fit in anymore...i just waved that away...and now i know that she was kinda right. it's not an entirely bad thing--having a new outlook on life is allowing me to help my friends make better decisions and see things from a different viewpoint. BUT at the same time, certain things aren't as fun as they used to be :( which is again part of growing up...at least i still love spongebob squarepants as much as i did before i left. ...perhaps even moreso. lol joking. not moreso. the same.
the best part about coming back is being ready to take control of my life and having a clear idea of what i want in life. i'm not saying i didn't know that before--quite the opposite, i knew EVERYTHING and had it all planned out. ...which is very unrealistic. when you build unrealistic goals you set yourself up for unnecessary stress. cuz believe me, i used to worry when things wouldn't work out and i couldn't realize why it wasn't working...
i'm not saying it's bad to dream big--dream as big as you want--just realize that it takes ALOT of work for your dreams to come true and nothing will happen overnight. my trip is the perfect example; i wanted to do this trip in 09 but it wasn't meant to be. I had to plan and plan and re-plan and save save then save some more then finally just buy the ticket; doing this trip now was for the best :)
i'm sitting here with my backpack, Charles, staring sadly at me...and i'm reassuring myself and Charles that there will be more Princess and the Backpack adventures in the future... but right now, princess has to put her backpack away and pick up some dumbbells.
so for now, this is the end to princess and the backpack...
it's just the beginning for princess :)
cheers mate!
Thursday, March 24, 2011
It's Just the Beginning
So I know you all probably think I'm crazy for cutting my trip a tad short and coming home--at times I wonder if I'm crazy too lol--but in all truthfulness I did it because I wanted to come back. I never thought I'd ever be at that point in my journey where I came back because I wanted to, not because I had to. I'm glad I got to that point :)
Let's face it: I was pretty miserable before I left for this amazing backpacking adventure of mine; working 9-5 at a crummy job, listening to other people's negativity day in and day out and floating through my life watching the days go by...ok maybe i'm being a tad melodramatic but the idea is that I was bored and unhappy. I had amazing things going on in my life--awesome friends, a fab yoga teacher who nurtured my yoga practice and taught me alot about myself and a pretty great support system at my gym lol--but something was missing in my life. My personal goals were somewhat up in the air; I found myself saying many times "I know what I want, I just don't know how to get there"...which was frustrating to say the least.
I grew up knowing that I would be an independent woman and didn't need anyone to take care of me. I figured I'd have a job and be able to fend for myself, no problem! Then after this trip, I realized, there's so much more to "taking care of yourself" than just the financials. You need to be mentally strong in order to survive--you need to have faith in yourself and know that you can do whatever the hell you want when you put your mind to it...AND fuck everything else. The self-realization didn't require a trip halfway around the world; I had these skills in me but never got the chance to use any of them till recently. It seems that putting myself in unpredictable situations brought out the best in me. Also, if you are an independent person or not, you need to know who your true friends are because sooner or later you will need someone to talk to, someone to make you feel better and I'm glad I had some great people looking out for me :) ...even if I wouldn't admit that I wanted their help :P
The experiences of my trip aren't exactly what I expected...the moments I laughed, cried, danced and LIVED surpassed my expectations :) I thought I'd just go and do a bunch of sight-seeing and see what happens lol and instead it somehow turned itself into this gigantic adventure where I learned alot about myself, my friends, my family and the world. Which is why, after my return from Fiji to Sydney, I had a really big problem. I realized that I was ready to head home; however, I was dealing with some MAJOR denial. I tried to think about it rationally for two days--whether or not I should stay, what are the pros and cons, and why exactly I wanted to stay. And I kept going in circles...really big, weird circles. Thankfully I had my bestie Sana to help me through all this and she helped me organize my thoughts and see things at a different standpoint.
And I realized I had to come back because I wanted to come back--whatever I was meant to achieve on this trip had been achieved and dragging out my trip may have sucked the essence out of it...like how you have this really yummy chocolate bar (like the gigantic cadbury ones from oz) and you want to feel the chocolate-induced bliss forever so you only eat one piece a month and then a year and a half later you go to eat the last piece and its stale. stale and disgusting. that's what i didn't want for my adventure. a stale and disgusting aftertaste. (and btw, my chocolate bar analogy is not an actual experience, i gobbled all the chocolates up w/in the 1st week of opening the pack...if even that :P lol)
So this doesn't mark the end of my backpacking adventure--this is just the beginning baby :D ...the beginning of what? ...keep reading and you'll find out <3
*muah*
Let's face it: I was pretty miserable before I left for this amazing backpacking adventure of mine; working 9-5 at a crummy job, listening to other people's negativity day in and day out and floating through my life watching the days go by...ok maybe i'm being a tad melodramatic but the idea is that I was bored and unhappy. I had amazing things going on in my life--awesome friends, a fab yoga teacher who nurtured my yoga practice and taught me alot about myself and a pretty great support system at my gym lol--but something was missing in my life. My personal goals were somewhat up in the air; I found myself saying many times "I know what I want, I just don't know how to get there"...which was frustrating to say the least.
I grew up knowing that I would be an independent woman and didn't need anyone to take care of me. I figured I'd have a job and be able to fend for myself, no problem! Then after this trip, I realized, there's so much more to "taking care of yourself" than just the financials. You need to be mentally strong in order to survive--you need to have faith in yourself and know that you can do whatever the hell you want when you put your mind to it...AND fuck everything else. The self-realization didn't require a trip halfway around the world; I had these skills in me but never got the chance to use any of them till recently. It seems that putting myself in unpredictable situations brought out the best in me. Also, if you are an independent person or not, you need to know who your true friends are because sooner or later you will need someone to talk to, someone to make you feel better and I'm glad I had some great people looking out for me :) ...even if I wouldn't admit that I wanted their help :P
The experiences of my trip aren't exactly what I expected...the moments I laughed, cried, danced and LIVED surpassed my expectations :) I thought I'd just go and do a bunch of sight-seeing and see what happens lol and instead it somehow turned itself into this gigantic adventure where I learned alot about myself, my friends, my family and the world. Which is why, after my return from Fiji to Sydney, I had a really big problem. I realized that I was ready to head home; however, I was dealing with some MAJOR denial. I tried to think about it rationally for two days--whether or not I should stay, what are the pros and cons, and why exactly I wanted to stay. And I kept going in circles...really big, weird circles. Thankfully I had my bestie Sana to help me through all this and she helped me organize my thoughts and see things at a different standpoint.
And I realized I had to come back because I wanted to come back--whatever I was meant to achieve on this trip had been achieved and dragging out my trip may have sucked the essence out of it...like how you have this really yummy chocolate bar (like the gigantic cadbury ones from oz) and you want to feel the chocolate-induced bliss forever so you only eat one piece a month and then a year and a half later you go to eat the last piece and its stale. stale and disgusting. that's what i didn't want for my adventure. a stale and disgusting aftertaste. (and btw, my chocolate bar analogy is not an actual experience, i gobbled all the chocolates up w/in the 1st week of opening the pack...if even that :P lol)
So this doesn't mark the end of my backpacking adventure--this is just the beginning baby :D ...the beginning of what? ...keep reading and you'll find out <3
*muah*
Monday, March 14, 2011
Never Look Back
Australia's coat of arms portrays the kangaroo and emu as the unofficial animals of Australia. Why, you ask? Because those are the only two animals that can't walk backwards :) I've learned alot on my travels and one of them was to not look back; always keep your life moving forward in a positive direction. Whether the positive direction means having no regrets, achieving your goals or whatever, you can be assured that Aussies live life to the fullest.
That is one thing I admire about Australians--especially my cousin. I've learned alot on my trip and have to say I did live life to the fullest, perhaps for the first time in my entire life! I can happily say that I don't have any regrets about my travels--yes, I've been stressed out plenty-a-times but it's all worked out and I have great experiences to show for it.
Throughout my travels and living in different countries, I've seen and experienced how people can have different mentalities and how this affects their well-being. New Zealanders were pretty carefree and happy but there was always this element of restrictiveness...something was always holding them back, whether that was money or inhibitions or something. In Fiji, I noticed a few people were very concerned about their past and what happened to them back then and how those events are affecting them now. And unfortunately, these people let those fears and experiences hinder their present experiences and future aspirations. A wise man once told me 'Life is for living' and that's what I intend to do and I hope you all do the same. Go ahead and make mistakes because you never know what will happen unless you try, right? Go jump out of a plane, go ahead and drink 7 bottles of wine--whatever it is, just do it! You never know what will happen tomorrow.
Everyone has their own outlook on life and I respect that--however, don't let it inhibit your happiness :) If you're happy reading a book and staying home on a friday night, do it! If you're happy partying all weekend then do it! (but be responsible!). ...And if you want to pack your bags and go travel for a few months and please go do it :) Travelling is one of the best things I've done in my life along with being born, winning the sack race in kindy, graduating from uni and raising money for the underwear affair (which reminds me...must start training! :P)
It's important not to mix up looking back and hating your life with reflecting on your experiences and learning from them. Since I've returned from Fiji, I feel whole again. It sounds odd as I thought I was whole before I left on the trip but in reality, you never stop growing; not when your 7, 27 or even 77! I've been looking back at my trip and the Suzanne who started this trip in Auckland NZ is not the same Suzanne who looked back at me in the mirror this morning. It's so weird but I just can't believe how much I've grown. It's pretty damn amazing what this trip has done for me. It's taught me to be strong (...even though i've had times where i've cried on this trip...sorry if you had to listen to me on the phone crying), to learn how to know what i want, and to understand that i am allowed to be happy and i shouldn't have to sacrifice that for others.
One thing the old Suzanne always did was worry what other people thought of her and worry about the repurcussions of what they would say about her. Now, I don't care. I mean, I will take into consideration the advice people give me but I'm not going to waste my time on what gossip mongers may be saying about me or what random distant relatives may think of me--the same family members who have known me my whole life but haven't shown me the same love and good times as my bhaia in Oz has who has only known me for 3 months :)
Today I ate at the Lindt Chocolate Cafe and mannnnnn was it good! :) I know for a fact that I've gained weight and won't fit into half my clothes back home but i don't care. And I know that I will still have to work on my relationship with my family when I get back (which I care about) but I won't stress about it. Cuz in the end, there's no need to stress about life. Just live it the way you want to, be happy and deal with whatever comes you way.
Cheers <3
That is one thing I admire about Australians--especially my cousin. I've learned alot on my trip and have to say I did live life to the fullest, perhaps for the first time in my entire life! I can happily say that I don't have any regrets about my travels--yes, I've been stressed out plenty-a-times but it's all worked out and I have great experiences to show for it.
Throughout my travels and living in different countries, I've seen and experienced how people can have different mentalities and how this affects their well-being. New Zealanders were pretty carefree and happy but there was always this element of restrictiveness...something was always holding them back, whether that was money or inhibitions or something. In Fiji, I noticed a few people were very concerned about their past and what happened to them back then and how those events are affecting them now. And unfortunately, these people let those fears and experiences hinder their present experiences and future aspirations. A wise man once told me 'Life is for living' and that's what I intend to do and I hope you all do the same. Go ahead and make mistakes because you never know what will happen unless you try, right? Go jump out of a plane, go ahead and drink 7 bottles of wine--whatever it is, just do it! You never know what will happen tomorrow.
Everyone has their own outlook on life and I respect that--however, don't let it inhibit your happiness :) If you're happy reading a book and staying home on a friday night, do it! If you're happy partying all weekend then do it! (but be responsible!). ...And if you want to pack your bags and go travel for a few months and please go do it :) Travelling is one of the best things I've done in my life along with being born, winning the sack race in kindy, graduating from uni and raising money for the underwear affair (which reminds me...must start training! :P)
It's important not to mix up looking back and hating your life with reflecting on your experiences and learning from them. Since I've returned from Fiji, I feel whole again. It sounds odd as I thought I was whole before I left on the trip but in reality, you never stop growing; not when your 7, 27 or even 77! I've been looking back at my trip and the Suzanne who started this trip in Auckland NZ is not the same Suzanne who looked back at me in the mirror this morning. It's so weird but I just can't believe how much I've grown. It's pretty damn amazing what this trip has done for me. It's taught me to be strong (...even though i've had times where i've cried on this trip...sorry if you had to listen to me on the phone crying), to learn how to know what i want, and to understand that i am allowed to be happy and i shouldn't have to sacrifice that for others.
One thing the old Suzanne always did was worry what other people thought of her and worry about the repurcussions of what they would say about her. Now, I don't care. I mean, I will take into consideration the advice people give me but I'm not going to waste my time on what gossip mongers may be saying about me or what random distant relatives may think of me--the same family members who have known me my whole life but haven't shown me the same love and good times as my bhaia in Oz has who has only known me for 3 months :)
Today I ate at the Lindt Chocolate Cafe and mannnnnn was it good! :) I know for a fact that I've gained weight and won't fit into half my clothes back home but i don't care. And I know that I will still have to work on my relationship with my family when I get back (which I care about) but I won't stress about it. Cuz in the end, there's no need to stress about life. Just live it the way you want to, be happy and deal with whatever comes you way.
Cheers <3
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Fiji is paradise
Well I finally did it! I finally went to Fiji to see where I'm from and to experience what that paradise has to offer. And I have to say, I had the time of my life!
The start of my journey to Fiji was very difficult--my flight got cancelled two days in a row (eff virgin blue to hell! seriously) and then i finally got onto the Air Pacific flight the afternoon of the 24th :) After a couple of delays I arrived in Nadi, Fiji and it was getting dark. The one thing that made the past two days' worth of misery disappear was seeing my aunt and uncle waiting for me. I hadn't seen my aunt in 10 years and I've never even met my uncle--it was a dream come true to see them waiting for me at the airport...sadly, they were waiting for me since 2pm :( I felt pretty bad that they waited for me all day and didn't know about my flight delay till it was too late. but that's all over and done with. from the second i met up with them to the moment we said our goodbyes, they gave me so much love--so much that i almost didn't want to leave fiji!
The main purpose of my trip was to see where I come from and to see all my family. It was kind of a shock to find out I don't have tons and tons of relatives in Fiji--my Fua and Fufa (aunt and uncle) and my cousin Binnu on my dad's side and my two mausis and mausas and a nana (grand uncle or great uncle whatever its called). It was lovely meeting everyone; they welcomed me into their homes with open arms and so much love. So much so that it was really hard to leave :( I was thinking about extending my stay in Fiji but the mosquitoes had their own agenda...
Every morning I woke up to find more and more mosquito bites. And these weren't itty bitty mossie bites, they would swell up and were uber itchy. At one point, both my legs were filled with bites :( Ugh, it super sucked.
My Fua and Fufa are super cute--they're both in their 70s and kind of ill but they were the best tour guides I could ask for :) Fufa was very enthusiastic about showing me everything there is to see in Fiji and of making sure I had a good time. And I did! I ate the yummiest food ever at his place--the jam was delish, the taro and cassava was the best and my favourite food in fiji has to be the biscuits :P chocolate biscuits have no actual chocolate chips in them BUT they tasted like chocolate :) yummers. They're mechanic/house helper named Sanjay also lived with us in Pacific Harbour and it was pretty cool having him there. He was kind of shy in the beginning but after a couple of days we became good friends. One thing I really love about people in Fiji is that they are very open and loving--totally different from the treatment you would get in Australia or New Zealand or even Canada for that matter! It was really hard to say good bye to everyone :(
Staying with my mausi and mausa was really fun too. I had three cousins to hang out with--the youngest is Nikita and she turned me into a 8 year old again :P I played so many games with her and watched movies, it was fun. ...kinda tiring at times but fun :)
The scenery in Fiji was gorgeous--when I stayed at my mausi's house, we have to go to the outside sink to brush our teeth and from the "window" you have this gorgeous view of the mountains--which are covered with trees, lush beautiful trees! And the frangipanis are everywhere! loved it <3
So much to say about Fiji yet I can't put my experiences and joy into words! So much happened in those short two weeks...
Ahh Fiji!
The start of my journey to Fiji was very difficult--my flight got cancelled two days in a row (eff virgin blue to hell! seriously) and then i finally got onto the Air Pacific flight the afternoon of the 24th :) After a couple of delays I arrived in Nadi, Fiji and it was getting dark. The one thing that made the past two days' worth of misery disappear was seeing my aunt and uncle waiting for me. I hadn't seen my aunt in 10 years and I've never even met my uncle--it was a dream come true to see them waiting for me at the airport...sadly, they were waiting for me since 2pm :( I felt pretty bad that they waited for me all day and didn't know about my flight delay till it was too late. but that's all over and done with. from the second i met up with them to the moment we said our goodbyes, they gave me so much love--so much that i almost didn't want to leave fiji!
The main purpose of my trip was to see where I come from and to see all my family. It was kind of a shock to find out I don't have tons and tons of relatives in Fiji--my Fua and Fufa (aunt and uncle) and my cousin Binnu on my dad's side and my two mausis and mausas and a nana (grand uncle or great uncle whatever its called). It was lovely meeting everyone; they welcomed me into their homes with open arms and so much love. So much so that it was really hard to leave :( I was thinking about extending my stay in Fiji but the mosquitoes had their own agenda...
Every morning I woke up to find more and more mosquito bites. And these weren't itty bitty mossie bites, they would swell up and were uber itchy. At one point, both my legs were filled with bites :( Ugh, it super sucked.
My Fua and Fufa are super cute--they're both in their 70s and kind of ill but they were the best tour guides I could ask for :) Fufa was very enthusiastic about showing me everything there is to see in Fiji and of making sure I had a good time. And I did! I ate the yummiest food ever at his place--the jam was delish, the taro and cassava was the best and my favourite food in fiji has to be the biscuits :P chocolate biscuits have no actual chocolate chips in them BUT they tasted like chocolate :) yummers. They're mechanic/house helper named Sanjay also lived with us in Pacific Harbour and it was pretty cool having him there. He was kind of shy in the beginning but after a couple of days we became good friends. One thing I really love about people in Fiji is that they are very open and loving--totally different from the treatment you would get in Australia or New Zealand or even Canada for that matter! It was really hard to say good bye to everyone :(
Staying with my mausi and mausa was really fun too. I had three cousins to hang out with--the youngest is Nikita and she turned me into a 8 year old again :P I played so many games with her and watched movies, it was fun. ...kinda tiring at times but fun :)
The scenery in Fiji was gorgeous--when I stayed at my mausi's house, we have to go to the outside sink to brush our teeth and from the "window" you have this gorgeous view of the mountains--which are covered with trees, lush beautiful trees! And the frangipanis are everywhere! loved it <3
So much to say about Fiji yet I can't put my experiences and joy into words! So much happened in those short two weeks...
Ahh Fiji!
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