It's finally here---I'm heading to fiji tomorrow morning :) I've been super excited about this trip but as usual there's other emotions popping into my head.
I should probably accept it now that I'm indian and no matter how much I refuse to get mixed into it, I'll always have to deal with drama and screwed up crap. I was naive to think that my trip to Fiji would be a simple trip where I can learn about my ancestors and gain an appreciation for my heritage...I guess as long as I learn about it in whichever manner, I'm happy :) I haven't even stepped into the country and there's drama about who's gonna pick me up, how they will pick me up, what I have to do in the aiport, etc etc etc. And I wish I could just arrange it myself; but if it makes people happy that they can do it for me then great...but people shouldn't go around and change someone else's plans...I guess I'm just frustrated that people keep changing the plans and if plans are gonna change then they should because I changed them. Despite all this "khichri" (name of an indian dish which is also used to indicate mixedupness), I am thankful that someone is picking me up & taking me to my aunt's house, fingers crossed!
Aside from the usual bumpy start to my adventures, I'm pretty happy and excited about my fiji adventure. I talked to my mom and dad today and I could tell they were excited for me :) They're proud that I am meeting their family over there :) and don't worry mom and dad, i'll leave a good impression on 'em!
I've been given tons and tons of advice from my parents, my cousin and his wife and even from random neighbours lol and I really do appreciate it. I know I'm heading into a country who's situation and lifestyle I can't really imagine--and I feel super mixed up right now. I'm excited about the trip for sure but i'm so nervous/scared...and then i'm trying to tell myself that i'll be fine and i have people over there that will take care of me and then i flip flop and say well i should be able to take care of myself and then i arrive at the conclusion that i'll be fine. which is a less enthusiastic conclusion than i would've liked but i'll take what i can get. which makes no sense since i'm the one controlling my thought patterns. ...anyone got any ideas as to what all this nonsense is due to? nervousness? why am i so nervous?...and here we go again in circles lol.
so. mixed. up.
yay for fiji :D
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Anticipation
I can't wait to get to Fiji! When I was a kid, I never wanted to visit Fiji because of all the horror stories I heard about the mosquitos, lizards and heat. And it was uber expensive and I didn't see any point in making my parents pay to take me to a place that I didn't even want to go to. And when I originally planned my Oz trip for Winter 09, Fiji wasn't on my radar.
Disappointment doesn't even begin to describe how I felt when I couldn't go on this trip in 09; I know now that I wasn't mentally or emotionally ready for this trip at that time. ...which probably explains why I'm finally ready to go to Fiji and see where I come from. I'm not going to lie, I am kind of nervous about going to Fiji but the excitement of meeting my extended family and finally seeing this paradise will make the nervousness disappear in two seconds!
I've experienced a fear of the unknown a few times on my trip and before my trip for that matter and sometimes it makes you feel like crap. It makes you doubt your decisions, choices and direction in life and sometimes it brings you to that point where you don't have enough courage to go through with a decision. ...Sadly, I let that happen once; I don't regret it since i can't even remember what it was I didn't do lol. I'm glad I didn't do it or else I wouldn't have figured out what the fear of the unknown was and its power; for the longest time, it was staring at me in the face and I couldn't really put my finger on what the fear of the unknown was. The fear of the unknown is very small compared to the power of anticipation but they're kind of the same thing...both have you waiting for the same experience to come around the corner :)
I anticipated this trip for two years and when the time finally came to leave Vancouver, I experienced an immense fear of the unknown; thankfully, I have great people in my life who supported me and reminded me why the trip is important to me. Then I anticipated meeting all my family members and was nervous about meeting them too...almost ruled out meeting them altogether. However, I was smart and went and met all the family members I could and man do I have stories! Lol, it's been a great learning experience, lots of crap I really shouldn't know but it's all good--its all an experience. Some of the best experiences I've had are the ones where I didn't think twice about doing them--like my skydive. I kind of went into robot w/a heart and big smile mode and just did it. A single negative thought didn't enter my mind--unless you count "omg its soooo cold up here!" as negative...
Lately, I've really been anticipating coming home :) Not because I'm homesick or don't think I can do this, but moreso because I really miss certain restaurants or foods (they don't even have graham crackers over here! WTF?!), I miss my hairstylist, my yummy vanilla mint shampoo, my bed, my iMac, my spot on the sofa...and what else? seems like i'm forgetting something... OH YA! My family and friends :P You guys are top on my list! So for this week, ever since I've returned from my 1 month Oz tour adventure, I've been imagining what it'll be like when I see everyone for the first time, what I'll say, what they'll say :P kinda dorky but I can't help it. and there's no fear <3
cheers mate!
<3 you
Disappointment doesn't even begin to describe how I felt when I couldn't go on this trip in 09; I know now that I wasn't mentally or emotionally ready for this trip at that time. ...which probably explains why I'm finally ready to go to Fiji and see where I come from. I'm not going to lie, I am kind of nervous about going to Fiji but the excitement of meeting my extended family and finally seeing this paradise will make the nervousness disappear in two seconds!
I've experienced a fear of the unknown a few times on my trip and before my trip for that matter and sometimes it makes you feel like crap. It makes you doubt your decisions, choices and direction in life and sometimes it brings you to that point where you don't have enough courage to go through with a decision. ...Sadly, I let that happen once; I don't regret it since i can't even remember what it was I didn't do lol. I'm glad I didn't do it or else I wouldn't have figured out what the fear of the unknown was and its power; for the longest time, it was staring at me in the face and I couldn't really put my finger on what the fear of the unknown was. The fear of the unknown is very small compared to the power of anticipation but they're kind of the same thing...both have you waiting for the same experience to come around the corner :)
I anticipated this trip for two years and when the time finally came to leave Vancouver, I experienced an immense fear of the unknown; thankfully, I have great people in my life who supported me and reminded me why the trip is important to me. Then I anticipated meeting all my family members and was nervous about meeting them too...almost ruled out meeting them altogether. However, I was smart and went and met all the family members I could and man do I have stories! Lol, it's been a great learning experience, lots of crap I really shouldn't know but it's all good--its all an experience. Some of the best experiences I've had are the ones where I didn't think twice about doing them--like my skydive. I kind of went into robot w/a heart and big smile mode and just did it. A single negative thought didn't enter my mind--unless you count "omg its soooo cold up here!" as negative...
Lately, I've really been anticipating coming home :) Not because I'm homesick or don't think I can do this, but moreso because I really miss certain restaurants or foods (they don't even have graham crackers over here! WTF?!), I miss my hairstylist, my yummy vanilla mint shampoo, my bed, my iMac, my spot on the sofa...and what else? seems like i'm forgetting something... OH YA! My family and friends :P You guys are top on my list! So for this week, ever since I've returned from my 1 month Oz tour adventure, I've been imagining what it'll be like when I see everyone for the first time, what I'll say, what they'll say :P kinda dorky but I can't help it. and there's no fear <3
cheers mate!
<3 you
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Regrets
Ever since I learned what the word regret meant, I always thought there was one form of regret--the feeling you have when you miss out on something. But in all honesty, there's many reactions that will fall under regret and on this journey of mine, I've seen and felt alot of them.
From the get-go, one of my main goals was ensuring that I didn't miss out on anything that peaked my interest or was just plain cool! As demonstrated by my skyjump and skydive, I made sure I had no regrets :) And at this point in my journey, I can say I have no regrets as far as taking part in experiences is concerned. This trip has taught me to listen to my heart and really know what I want from life and not just jump on the bandwagon because someone tells me to do something or because it would be good for me. I had glimpses of this personal freedom during my yoga practice; however, they were fleeting moments--nothing as long-lasting and amazing as my time right now.
But in the past month, I have learned that regret can come in many different forms. A surprising focus of my trip was to see where I come from and to meet people who could enrich my understanding of life "back home" aka Fiji--and for the most part I've met some great people. There have been a few hiccups here and there but for the most part it's been a great ride. And I encountered a new form of regret--the "i did this for me, it blew up in my face and i hate it, but i'm still glad i did this or i would never have known" regret. All I can say is I was invited to a cousin's place who seemed sincere about having me over and I thought he wanted to meet me but it turned into this hindu showdown where I was analyzed and dissected by a bunch of people who I didn't know and I had to stand on trial and prove why I'm not insane by their standards. It was a long and interesting weekend. At least I got pancakes out of it and an uber comfy bed! Not the perfect way I wanted to end my stay in Melbourne but whatever--woulda, coulda, shoulda!
This trip has been quite liberating for me too--as you all can probably tell lol--and it's brought out a new side of me that I didn't realize was possible. I'm more gutsy than before and I've done some stupid things...wait, scratch that. I've asked some stupid things and wish I didn't know certain things about people--this showed me another form of regret: the "why did i open my big mouth/why can't i just wait for the other person to be a man and tell me?" regret. lol. Let's just say I probably didn't time certain things properly and even though it seemed like a good idea, it kind of blew up in my face lol. But it's all good. Had I not been stupid then I would've had the age old regret of "why didn't i do it?".
I guess what I'm trying to say in this weird, half-drunk blog is god or the universe or your mom gave you life and you need to LIVE it. The end result may not be perfect 100% of the time; however, lessons you learn about yourself and other people are well worth the effort. Instead of spending your life wishing you had done this or that when you were at whatever age, spend your life doing things and remembering how you felt during those experiences and trying to learn something from them. I.e.: I came to a certain cousin's house to reconnect with him and to learn about my roots; instead I was bombarded with strict hindu rules and a character trial--> what did i learn? to try and see things from the other person's point of view and keep a cool head and see the silver lining (pancakes).
& Now the not so silver lining...they won't drop me off at the airport so I have to take a stupid shuttle which will take 1 hr and drop me to the airport 2 hrs before my flight. yippee for waking up at 5am. NOT!
cheers :)
From the get-go, one of my main goals was ensuring that I didn't miss out on anything that peaked my interest or was just plain cool! As demonstrated by my skyjump and skydive, I made sure I had no regrets :) And at this point in my journey, I can say I have no regrets as far as taking part in experiences is concerned. This trip has taught me to listen to my heart and really know what I want from life and not just jump on the bandwagon because someone tells me to do something or because it would be good for me. I had glimpses of this personal freedom during my yoga practice; however, they were fleeting moments--nothing as long-lasting and amazing as my time right now.
But in the past month, I have learned that regret can come in many different forms. A surprising focus of my trip was to see where I come from and to meet people who could enrich my understanding of life "back home" aka Fiji--and for the most part I've met some great people. There have been a few hiccups here and there but for the most part it's been a great ride. And I encountered a new form of regret--the "i did this for me, it blew up in my face and i hate it, but i'm still glad i did this or i would never have known" regret. All I can say is I was invited to a cousin's place who seemed sincere about having me over and I thought he wanted to meet me but it turned into this hindu showdown where I was analyzed and dissected by a bunch of people who I didn't know and I had to stand on trial and prove why I'm not insane by their standards. It was a long and interesting weekend. At least I got pancakes out of it and an uber comfy bed! Not the perfect way I wanted to end my stay in Melbourne but whatever--woulda, coulda, shoulda!
This trip has been quite liberating for me too--as you all can probably tell lol--and it's brought out a new side of me that I didn't realize was possible. I'm more gutsy than before and I've done some stupid things...wait, scratch that. I've asked some stupid things and wish I didn't know certain things about people--this showed me another form of regret: the "why did i open my big mouth/why can't i just wait for the other person to be a man and tell me?" regret. lol. Let's just say I probably didn't time certain things properly and even though it seemed like a good idea, it kind of blew up in my face lol. But it's all good. Had I not been stupid then I would've had the age old regret of "why didn't i do it?".
I guess what I'm trying to say in this weird, half-drunk blog is god or the universe or your mom gave you life and you need to LIVE it. The end result may not be perfect 100% of the time; however, lessons you learn about yourself and other people are well worth the effort. Instead of spending your life wishing you had done this or that when you were at whatever age, spend your life doing things and remembering how you felt during those experiences and trying to learn something from them. I.e.: I came to a certain cousin's house to reconnect with him and to learn about my roots; instead I was bombarded with strict hindu rules and a character trial--> what did i learn? to try and see things from the other person's point of view and keep a cool head and see the silver lining (pancakes).
& Now the not so silver lining...they won't drop me off at the airport so I have to take a stupid shuttle which will take 1 hr and drop me to the airport 2 hrs before my flight. yippee for waking up at 5am. NOT!
cheers :)
Friday, February 4, 2011
i heart alice springs
So I know I should update my blog since so much has happened since Western Australia and yet I don't know what to write!
My stay in Alice Springs was amazing and I don't know if my writing will do its beauty any justice but I'm sure as hell gonna try.
My departure from Perth was kind of scary as a cyclone was about to hit South-Western Australia and it was forecasted to hit when my flight was going to be leaving Perth Airport...saying I was terrified is putting it lightly. Thankfully I have great people in my corner who I was able to talk to and they help me put at ease my fears. Once I got safely to Alice Springs, I fell in love :) I mean the beginning of my journey to Alice was awesome--I got to walk on the tarmac to my plane lol--it's the little things that entertain me, alright? And then after boarding the plane I had quite the bumpy ride but could see the terrain and geography change between Western Australia and the Northern Territory. The airport in Alice Springs is super cute, it's like one tiny building with only one line for screening and one carosel for baggage. I loved the small town feeling. My hostel...well it wasn't great but it had a/c so in that respect it was great. Walking around the town for the first time was scary--having been warned by the locals about the aboriginal people, i was pretty scared. But once I got to town, it was pretty cool--uber tiny town! but they have a coles and wollys (superstore and safeway equiv) and a kmart and kfc and VERY FAR AWAY was the mc donalds (or macca's as its called here...iunno why)
Then finally the day came when I got to go on my long-awaited 3 day uluru/kings canyon/kata tjuta tour with the rock tour group. And it was total bliss. I was so worried about camping in swags out in the dark with all the dirt but it turns out i fared alot better than the other girls--in true suzanne fashion ;) one asian chick kept screaming everytime she saw a grasshopper...u can imagine how much i wanted to smack her.
the first day we went to kings canyon aka the hardest hike of all three days and it was such a nice change of pace from western australia where all you do is either see beaches or drive places. it was a 3 hr climb and it was well worth allthe sweat and grime. and then we had lunch then drove a long while till we got to the place we would get our firewood--the side of the road in the bush lol. It was quite a liberating experience breaking all the branches and logs--got to use my muscles finally (or whatever strength was left in 'em). Then by the time we got to the campsite it was pitch black which didn't make setting up camp any easier but its all good. We got all the firewood down from the top of the trailer, then got the fire started and finally started cooking. Then we started playing campfire games like never have i ever and would u. that day was the first day of my life where i peed in the bush AND didn't take a shower after getting grimy and sweaty...it was pretty hard but all good i survived!
the second day was supposed to be easier hiking the kata jtuta aka the olgas but it ended up being super steep and i injured my knee :( the group was very supportive and i was able to keep going on and my tour guide was super sweet and said i was a trooper and helped me alot! this was also the day i saw uluru for the first time and i can't believe it but i fell in love :) it was so beautiful and knowing what kind of culture and history went into that "rock" as some people call it, i was speechless. ...i actually teared up and it was kinda funny lol. anyhoos, we went and did the mala walk where we saw some cave drawings and learned the cultural/dream stories behind the mala walk. then we drove to a sunset viewing spot that was filled with alot of tourists-all the old ppl who spend 2000 to see uluru and have champagne while they do so along with other backpackers. the sunset wasn't that great cuz it was cloudy but it was still a great experience chilling with all the group--who by the way, have to be my fave group so far :)
the third day we woke up at 430...yes it was a disgusting time. i had to wake up before the sun two days in a row! but it was nice lol...i was pretty groggy till 6am and i couldn't understand how everyone else was so chatty. we saw the sunrise and got to see uluru change colours and it was pretty cool. we also sat around and got to bond with each other over breakfast :P after that we had the choice of doing the base walk (9-10k, the previous walks were around 8 or 9km per day) or doing a portion of it. my knee was bothering me so i opted for a portion of it. it was pretty damn amazing and i can't understand how i love uluru so much. afterwards we drove to a station stop for lunch and it was nice how the entire group clicked. i guess it was cuz we all saw each other at our worst (early morning puffy faces or late day sweaty disheveled faces) and we were so comfortable with each other, uber awesome.
after saying bye to everyone, we got ready to see each other again and to party at the rock bar. that was an awesome night. had amazing yummy shots and got a bit drunk and even started dancing where there was no dancefloor (the entire place didn't have a dancefloor lol) it was fantastic. and the tour guide is a great person, she encouraged us to just be ourselves and eff the rest. and my meal! it was soooo good :)
so all in all alice springs was pretty damn good to me and i hope to visit it again some time. ...if not for uluru then for sure for the rock bar lol
...
i guess i found something to write about lol :P
My stay in Alice Springs was amazing and I don't know if my writing will do its beauty any justice but I'm sure as hell gonna try.
My departure from Perth was kind of scary as a cyclone was about to hit South-Western Australia and it was forecasted to hit when my flight was going to be leaving Perth Airport...saying I was terrified is putting it lightly. Thankfully I have great people in my corner who I was able to talk to and they help me put at ease my fears. Once I got safely to Alice Springs, I fell in love :) I mean the beginning of my journey to Alice was awesome--I got to walk on the tarmac to my plane lol--it's the little things that entertain me, alright? And then after boarding the plane I had quite the bumpy ride but could see the terrain and geography change between Western Australia and the Northern Territory. The airport in Alice Springs is super cute, it's like one tiny building with only one line for screening and one carosel for baggage. I loved the small town feeling. My hostel...well it wasn't great but it had a/c so in that respect it was great. Walking around the town for the first time was scary--having been warned by the locals about the aboriginal people, i was pretty scared. But once I got to town, it was pretty cool--uber tiny town! but they have a coles and wollys (superstore and safeway equiv) and a kmart and kfc and VERY FAR AWAY was the mc donalds (or macca's as its called here...iunno why)
Then finally the day came when I got to go on my long-awaited 3 day uluru/kings canyon/kata tjuta tour with the rock tour group. And it was total bliss. I was so worried about camping in swags out in the dark with all the dirt but it turns out i fared alot better than the other girls--in true suzanne fashion ;) one asian chick kept screaming everytime she saw a grasshopper...u can imagine how much i wanted to smack her.
the first day we went to kings canyon aka the hardest hike of all three days and it was such a nice change of pace from western australia where all you do is either see beaches or drive places. it was a 3 hr climb and it was well worth allthe sweat and grime. and then we had lunch then drove a long while till we got to the place we would get our firewood--the side of the road in the bush lol. It was quite a liberating experience breaking all the branches and logs--got to use my muscles finally (or whatever strength was left in 'em). Then by the time we got to the campsite it was pitch black which didn't make setting up camp any easier but its all good. We got all the firewood down from the top of the trailer, then got the fire started and finally started cooking. Then we started playing campfire games like never have i ever and would u. that day was the first day of my life where i peed in the bush AND didn't take a shower after getting grimy and sweaty...it was pretty hard but all good i survived!
the second day was supposed to be easier hiking the kata jtuta aka the olgas but it ended up being super steep and i injured my knee :( the group was very supportive and i was able to keep going on and my tour guide was super sweet and said i was a trooper and helped me alot! this was also the day i saw uluru for the first time and i can't believe it but i fell in love :) it was so beautiful and knowing what kind of culture and history went into that "rock" as some people call it, i was speechless. ...i actually teared up and it was kinda funny lol. anyhoos, we went and did the mala walk where we saw some cave drawings and learned the cultural/dream stories behind the mala walk. then we drove to a sunset viewing spot that was filled with alot of tourists-all the old ppl who spend 2000 to see uluru and have champagne while they do so along with other backpackers. the sunset wasn't that great cuz it was cloudy but it was still a great experience chilling with all the group--who by the way, have to be my fave group so far :)
the third day we woke up at 430...yes it was a disgusting time. i had to wake up before the sun two days in a row! but it was nice lol...i was pretty groggy till 6am and i couldn't understand how everyone else was so chatty. we saw the sunrise and got to see uluru change colours and it was pretty cool. we also sat around and got to bond with each other over breakfast :P after that we had the choice of doing the base walk (9-10k, the previous walks were around 8 or 9km per day) or doing a portion of it. my knee was bothering me so i opted for a portion of it. it was pretty damn amazing and i can't understand how i love uluru so much. afterwards we drove to a station stop for lunch and it was nice how the entire group clicked. i guess it was cuz we all saw each other at our worst (early morning puffy faces or late day sweaty disheveled faces) and we were so comfortable with each other, uber awesome.
after saying bye to everyone, we got ready to see each other again and to party at the rock bar. that was an awesome night. had amazing yummy shots and got a bit drunk and even started dancing where there was no dancefloor (the entire place didn't have a dancefloor lol) it was fantastic. and the tour guide is a great person, she encouraged us to just be ourselves and eff the rest. and my meal! it was soooo good :)
so all in all alice springs was pretty damn good to me and i hope to visit it again some time. ...if not for uluru then for sure for the rock bar lol
...
i guess i found something to write about lol :P
Saturday, January 29, 2011
bye bye perthie! :P
Hey all,
it's my last day in perth and i'm heading off to alice springs tomorrow! i can't wait--this is going to be an experience of a lifetime; intense heat, intense hikes AND best of all BUSH CAMPING! yes, i've been nervous about it but i realized everything i was worrying about is pretty petty :) this next week is going to be amazing :D
...and the next 16 hours will be quite interesting as well. a few cyclones are heading towards australia--two towards queensland and one towards perth. eeep! it's supposed to get to the southern coast of australia around the same time my flight will depart--i have faith in the flight crew of qantas and know that the passengers' safety will be their number one priority. i'm not going to lie though, the past couple of days have been stressful because i was pretty worried about my flight being cancelled and thusly missing out on my tour and everything else i have planned afterwards. but thankfully i have lots of great people in my corner, like my mom and anne, who comforted me and it helped me realize that whatever happens, happens and it's all good. i'll deal with whatever happens when it happens. the universe is watching over me and knows what i want and will take care of me :)
as far as my planning for alice springs and my uluru rock tour goes, i've got the right mindset and i've prepped as much as i can as far as gear goes...so all i have to do is just do it -- as a wise sydneysider told me (my cousin sunil) :P
i'll be w/o internet and reception for 3/4 days for sure so you may not be hearing from me for a that time but i'll be ok and i'll write soon. take care all
it's my last day in perth and i'm heading off to alice springs tomorrow! i can't wait--this is going to be an experience of a lifetime; intense heat, intense hikes AND best of all BUSH CAMPING! yes, i've been nervous about it but i realized everything i was worrying about is pretty petty :) this next week is going to be amazing :D
...and the next 16 hours will be quite interesting as well. a few cyclones are heading towards australia--two towards queensland and one towards perth. eeep! it's supposed to get to the southern coast of australia around the same time my flight will depart--i have faith in the flight crew of qantas and know that the passengers' safety will be their number one priority. i'm not going to lie though, the past couple of days have been stressful because i was pretty worried about my flight being cancelled and thusly missing out on my tour and everything else i have planned afterwards. but thankfully i have lots of great people in my corner, like my mom and anne, who comforted me and it helped me realize that whatever happens, happens and it's all good. i'll deal with whatever happens when it happens. the universe is watching over me and knows what i want and will take care of me :)
as far as my planning for alice springs and my uluru rock tour goes, i've got the right mindset and i've prepped as much as i can as far as gear goes...so all i have to do is just do it -- as a wise sydneysider told me (my cousin sunil) :P
i'll be w/o internet and reception for 3/4 days for sure so you may not be hearing from me for a that time but i'll be ok and i'll write soon. take care all
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Kalbarri, Monkey Mia, Northbridge--> What a ride!
Hey all
I'm back from my tour around the northern half of Western Australia and it was quite the adventure. Prior to my departure, I was battling with a bout of homesickness (yes, i'm finally admitting it :P); thankfully, I spoke to my family over the phone and bawled my eyes out in public lol and they helped me get stronger. And I had my awesome friends supporting me too! I LOVE YOU ALLLLLLLLLLLL! It was hard for me to go on my tour but I did it and I'm so glad I did.
I didn't expect the heat to be so overwhelming--being a Bikram Yoga addict I thought I was quite prepared for any kind of heat...WRONG! lol On the second day of the tour after the intense gorge hike, I became dehydrated for the rest of the day and got pretty nauseous. I went pale (apparently under my tan, you can still tell if i get pale...i'll take their word for it lol) and got dizzy and it was horrible. The entire day I kept thinking I can't get through this tour and I need to go back. Thankfully, I had Lina, who was also unwell, and we both got through it and were each other's strength :) I made it to Monkey Mia and I'm very happy I did. The "resort" was pretty nice, as were the dolphins!!! This tour wasn't mindblowing or anything, but it was truly a learning experience--learning how to cope with dehydration, learning to combat it early, learning not to let bogans get in the way of your fun and re-learning to appreciate the small things, like clouds shaped like australia :P
The tour group dynamic was similar to that of the dynamic you'd find back in aeroguard :S yucky! lol There was one group of people, I'll call them the caucasian bogans (aussie for trailer trash), who divided themselves from the group and pretty much hated on everyone. Lina and I were "picked" on for having better jobs and more education on them--as nicki minaj says: if they're gonna hate me cuz i'm so "established", haters you can kill yourselves. It was interesting seeing how people interact...or not interact. There were some asian girls who were a few grains of rice short of a sushi roll and they pretended not to know english. I finally got them to start talking lol and they knew quite a bit! Then there were the french girls who only talk to you if they need something. Then there were the bogans who only talk when they're not drinking. Then there was us normal girls who were there to actually see the country and enjoy our time together. The bogans also thought they were on vacation and didn't do any of the helping out with meals and expected me to do all their dishes. One put all the dishes in the sink and said: Are you going to wash them all? I looked at her w/my Suzanne glare and said: No, i'm washing my own dish. Do your own damn dishes. Needless to say I couldn't wait to get back to Perth and get away from them. I know that I will find stupid people everywhere and I can't let them get to me but seriously, there's a limit to stupidity.
And the best part was the butch lesbian tour guide. ...i'll leave it at that because i do not want to speak of her lol.
I have to say this tour had better accomodation than the past tour I went on; however, the experiences and activities involved were not entirely awesome. I wasn't too enthused about the farmstay but honestly it was pretty cool. Our room had four bunks so we had a small group sleeping in there :) plus a gecko! lol and there were animals like kangaroos, emus and donkeys on the farm too. The washroom facilities were...sparse lol. Two washrooms for 17 ppl not entirely awesome. And the "kitchen" was in an old milking barn. But once the sunset and it was pitch black dark, you could see the stars and it was amazing! I saw the big dipper...or big saucepan lol. The only freaky thing was it was pitch black and you don't know what's lurking around the tree...I was kind of scared a serial killer was walking around. FREEEEEAAAAAAAKKKKKKYYYYYY!
This tour really proved that your attitude goes a long way towards your enjoyment of any experience. Our tour guide was very negative and talked all the sites down, so we sold the sites short of how great they could've been. We went to an area called the Pinnacles, near sand dunes, and i thought it was pretty cool seeing all this sand in the middle of area but at the same time i was like ok let's see something really cool. Then her negativity rubbed off on me and I was not enjoying anything. Finally I decided to go with the flow and enjoy the ride...and boy what a ride! We spent soooo much time on the bus lol, i guess this is one of the perks of australia--everything is sooo far away from each other. Each city is about 2 hrs away, it's nice in a way because you see lots of wildlife and scenery :)
All in all it was a great tour--I'm hoping this tour will be a great way to prepare for alice springs...it's about 10 degrees hotter than Western Australia, around 42 today! yikes!, all I can do is prepare and hope for the best and the rest will be taken care of :) Also, I made some great people and our itineraries kind of match up so there's always that chance that we'll see each other again :)
Now all that's left is enjoying my last couple of days in Perth, packing for Alice Springs and resting up & hydrating myself for the adventure of a lifetime! It's gonna be amazing, bring it :)
I'm back from my tour around the northern half of Western Australia and it was quite the adventure. Prior to my departure, I was battling with a bout of homesickness (yes, i'm finally admitting it :P); thankfully, I spoke to my family over the phone and bawled my eyes out in public lol and they helped me get stronger. And I had my awesome friends supporting me too! I LOVE YOU ALLLLLLLLLLLL! It was hard for me to go on my tour but I did it and I'm so glad I did.
I didn't expect the heat to be so overwhelming--being a Bikram Yoga addict I thought I was quite prepared for any kind of heat...WRONG! lol On the second day of the tour after the intense gorge hike, I became dehydrated for the rest of the day and got pretty nauseous. I went pale (apparently under my tan, you can still tell if i get pale...i'll take their word for it lol) and got dizzy and it was horrible. The entire day I kept thinking I can't get through this tour and I need to go back. Thankfully, I had Lina, who was also unwell, and we both got through it and were each other's strength :) I made it to Monkey Mia and I'm very happy I did. The "resort" was pretty nice, as were the dolphins!!! This tour wasn't mindblowing or anything, but it was truly a learning experience--learning how to cope with dehydration, learning to combat it early, learning not to let bogans get in the way of your fun and re-learning to appreciate the small things, like clouds shaped like australia :P
The tour group dynamic was similar to that of the dynamic you'd find back in aeroguard :S yucky! lol There was one group of people, I'll call them the caucasian bogans (aussie for trailer trash), who divided themselves from the group and pretty much hated on everyone. Lina and I were "picked" on for having better jobs and more education on them--as nicki minaj says: if they're gonna hate me cuz i'm so "established", haters you can kill yourselves. It was interesting seeing how people interact...or not interact. There were some asian girls who were a few grains of rice short of a sushi roll and they pretended not to know english. I finally got them to start talking lol and they knew quite a bit! Then there were the french girls who only talk to you if they need something. Then there were the bogans who only talk when they're not drinking. Then there was us normal girls who were there to actually see the country and enjoy our time together. The bogans also thought they were on vacation and didn't do any of the helping out with meals and expected me to do all their dishes. One put all the dishes in the sink and said: Are you going to wash them all? I looked at her w/my Suzanne glare and said: No, i'm washing my own dish. Do your own damn dishes. Needless to say I couldn't wait to get back to Perth and get away from them. I know that I will find stupid people everywhere and I can't let them get to me but seriously, there's a limit to stupidity.
And the best part was the butch lesbian tour guide. ...i'll leave it at that because i do not want to speak of her lol.
I have to say this tour had better accomodation than the past tour I went on; however, the experiences and activities involved were not entirely awesome. I wasn't too enthused about the farmstay but honestly it was pretty cool. Our room had four bunks so we had a small group sleeping in there :) plus a gecko! lol and there were animals like kangaroos, emus and donkeys on the farm too. The washroom facilities were...sparse lol. Two washrooms for 17 ppl not entirely awesome. And the "kitchen" was in an old milking barn. But once the sunset and it was pitch black dark, you could see the stars and it was amazing! I saw the big dipper...or big saucepan lol. The only freaky thing was it was pitch black and you don't know what's lurking around the tree...I was kind of scared a serial killer was walking around. FREEEEEAAAAAAAKKKKKKYYYYYY!
This tour really proved that your attitude goes a long way towards your enjoyment of any experience. Our tour guide was very negative and talked all the sites down, so we sold the sites short of how great they could've been. We went to an area called the Pinnacles, near sand dunes, and i thought it was pretty cool seeing all this sand in the middle of area but at the same time i was like ok let's see something really cool. Then her negativity rubbed off on me and I was not enjoying anything. Finally I decided to go with the flow and enjoy the ride...and boy what a ride! We spent soooo much time on the bus lol, i guess this is one of the perks of australia--everything is sooo far away from each other. Each city is about 2 hrs away, it's nice in a way because you see lots of wildlife and scenery :)
All in all it was a great tour--I'm hoping this tour will be a great way to prepare for alice springs...it's about 10 degrees hotter than Western Australia, around 42 today! yikes!, all I can do is prepare and hope for the best and the rest will be taken care of :) Also, I made some great people and our itineraries kind of match up so there's always that chance that we'll see each other again :)
Now all that's left is enjoying my last couple of days in Perth, packing for Alice Springs and resting up & hydrating myself for the adventure of a lifetime! It's gonna be amazing, bring it :)
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Fear
I've got less than three months left of my amazing nz, oz and fiji trip and I have to say that at this point, I'm pretty happy that I'll be coming home! I'm not saying that I'm not having loads of fun and seeing great things, because I truly am; however, I am getting tired of being away from my support network. Email, Skype and talking over the phone isn't the same as seeing you all face to face and being able to hug you or laugh with you :(
After spending just about a month with my cousin and his family and then heading to the other side of the country on my own was terrifying! I hate to admit it but I was soooo scared and uncomfortable. I got used to having a family again and realized I'd be on my own again after so long and it was horrible. I'm not going to lie, I was itching to get out of Sydney but I guess choosing Western Australia as my jumping off point to start my aussie adventure may not have been the best choice because this town has nothing going on! Perth is pretty boring during the day with some free museums and art galleries and the CBD is a 10, 15 min walk away so it was a bit of a shock to my system and that made me more terrified about the rest of my trip. Terrified in the sense that I didn't know what to expect and I didn't know if I could handle it -- alot of feelings of self doubt went through my head. And that scared me too -- I thought to myself why would I choose to do this trip this way? I don't know what I'm doing! What is wrong with me? Who am i? I cried alot in the beginning of this leg of my trip--a whole lot! It took a couple of days during my tour to reaffirm my goals and my self confidence. Yes, things may go wrong; you may get injured (my knee is acting up again) and you may not be at the top of your game but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy what you are doing! And another thing--I've always had the problem where I listen to what other people say and I get discouraged. For example, some people say tours are expensive and blah blah blah->well for me, there is no other way I could've seen australia, i sure as hell won't be driving around oz!
This past week has brought about a whirlwind of feelings, positive ones and negative ones. I was just really worried about my capabilities and ability to cope with the harsh and different environments I'd be encountering. My skin is already reacting badly with Western Australia weather so I can only imagine what it will be like in the Red Center :( Or anywhere for that matter. And everytime I go into the water, I come out with all these bites on my leg...I don't know from what but they're a nuisance too! All these little itty bitty insignificant things made me want to cancel all my tours and head back to sydney where its safe! I know, it sounds craaazzzzyyyy! but that's how I felt. Till last night. Yesterday I was able to vent my feelings to someone and somehow it gave me the strength to go on and just do it! I'm still a long way from finishing my tours BUT this time next week I'll be sitting in Alice Springs-->the outback! Then the sunday after that I'll be in kangaroo island! and the sunday after that melbourne! so only a couple of weeks till I can get back to nice, clean city living :P and I have to remember that these tours will test me physically and mentally and it's all part of the journey--not everyone is superman, you do what you can and it's all good!
I've always tried to be brave and not let my fears stop me from trying new things and being happy and for some reason I had a moment of weakness and I almost let it ruin my entire trip! I'm thankful that I've met some great people in australia who give me some great advice and are genuinely kind--like Juan Ma from Spain. After I decided to be a brave princess and go out and about yesterday, Juan Ma and I went out for drinks and it was such fun! We talked about random shit and it was comforting and awesome--lots of laughs and whatnot :) I almost cancelled on him too but I'm glad I didn't. I met him on my tour to the South West and he's the sweetest guy ever--also very gay so don't worry mom and dad :P
So for now, I can only take this leg of my trip day by day because that's how I work. My knee injury may or may not prevent me from doing some of the hikes but I'm sure as hell gonna try to do my best and partake in what I can! My fear of bugs will not stop me from enjoying one of the natural world wonders--Uluru Rock! It may make it a tad harder, but I'll cope! I'll be brave and remember why I'm here. Missing everyone is part of the package--apparently it was in the fine print (or so i'm told!)
Tomorrow I start my next tour and it'll be interesting. I'm glad I'm on another tour because I don't have to worry about my meals and stuff BUT I do hate the accomodation they choose for us...they said that we'd have to stay in shared dorms (boys and girls) for some nights and I'm not totally comfortable with that...I'll try to get put into a female only dorm somehow *fingers crossed* i really hope I do! because I don't think I can stay in a room full of boys! EWWWW! lol. Yes we all become friends and everything but I don't really want to stay in their rooms. My limit is a 6 share dorm, not a 21 share dorm! oh wellz, all part of the experience right? makes me appreciate my alone time alot more!
anyhoos, I think i've laid it all out there and showed you that we all experience homesickness and according to all the backpackers I've met, everyone experiences it and you just have to work through it. There are times when I really want to come home but then I think about what I'd be missing out on but then I think I can always come back! so it's all a jumble up here :P I just have to stay focused and stay strong. And I need to stop resisting experiences and just let myself get absorbed and lost in them and not worry about anything else. Just be and enjoy!
love you all <3
german dude, me and juan ma last night after we had the yummiest fries!
After spending just about a month with my cousin and his family and then heading to the other side of the country on my own was terrifying! I hate to admit it but I was soooo scared and uncomfortable. I got used to having a family again and realized I'd be on my own again after so long and it was horrible. I'm not going to lie, I was itching to get out of Sydney but I guess choosing Western Australia as my jumping off point to start my aussie adventure may not have been the best choice because this town has nothing going on! Perth is pretty boring during the day with some free museums and art galleries and the CBD is a 10, 15 min walk away so it was a bit of a shock to my system and that made me more terrified about the rest of my trip. Terrified in the sense that I didn't know what to expect and I didn't know if I could handle it -- alot of feelings of self doubt went through my head. And that scared me too -- I thought to myself why would I choose to do this trip this way? I don't know what I'm doing! What is wrong with me? Who am i? I cried alot in the beginning of this leg of my trip--a whole lot! It took a couple of days during my tour to reaffirm my goals and my self confidence. Yes, things may go wrong; you may get injured (my knee is acting up again) and you may not be at the top of your game but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy what you are doing! And another thing--I've always had the problem where I listen to what other people say and I get discouraged. For example, some people say tours are expensive and blah blah blah->well for me, there is no other way I could've seen australia, i sure as hell won't be driving around oz!
This past week has brought about a whirlwind of feelings, positive ones and negative ones. I was just really worried about my capabilities and ability to cope with the harsh and different environments I'd be encountering. My skin is already reacting badly with Western Australia weather so I can only imagine what it will be like in the Red Center :( Or anywhere for that matter. And everytime I go into the water, I come out with all these bites on my leg...I don't know from what but they're a nuisance too! All these little itty bitty insignificant things made me want to cancel all my tours and head back to sydney where its safe! I know, it sounds craaazzzzyyyy! but that's how I felt. Till last night. Yesterday I was able to vent my feelings to someone and somehow it gave me the strength to go on and just do it! I'm still a long way from finishing my tours BUT this time next week I'll be sitting in Alice Springs-->the outback! Then the sunday after that I'll be in kangaroo island! and the sunday after that melbourne! so only a couple of weeks till I can get back to nice, clean city living :P and I have to remember that these tours will test me physically and mentally and it's all part of the journey--not everyone is superman, you do what you can and it's all good!
I've always tried to be brave and not let my fears stop me from trying new things and being happy and for some reason I had a moment of weakness and I almost let it ruin my entire trip! I'm thankful that I've met some great people in australia who give me some great advice and are genuinely kind--like Juan Ma from Spain. After I decided to be a brave princess and go out and about yesterday, Juan Ma and I went out for drinks and it was such fun! We talked about random shit and it was comforting and awesome--lots of laughs and whatnot :) I almost cancelled on him too but I'm glad I didn't. I met him on my tour to the South West and he's the sweetest guy ever--also very gay so don't worry mom and dad :P
So for now, I can only take this leg of my trip day by day because that's how I work. My knee injury may or may not prevent me from doing some of the hikes but I'm sure as hell gonna try to do my best and partake in what I can! My fear of bugs will not stop me from enjoying one of the natural world wonders--Uluru Rock! It may make it a tad harder, but I'll cope! I'll be brave and remember why I'm here. Missing everyone is part of the package--apparently it was in the fine print (or so i'm told!)
Tomorrow I start my next tour and it'll be interesting. I'm glad I'm on another tour because I don't have to worry about my meals and stuff BUT I do hate the accomodation they choose for us...they said that we'd have to stay in shared dorms (boys and girls) for some nights and I'm not totally comfortable with that...I'll try to get put into a female only dorm somehow *fingers crossed* i really hope I do! because I don't think I can stay in a room full of boys! EWWWW! lol. Yes we all become friends and everything but I don't really want to stay in their rooms. My limit is a 6 share dorm, not a 21 share dorm! oh wellz, all part of the experience right? makes me appreciate my alone time alot more!
anyhoos, I think i've laid it all out there and showed you that we all experience homesickness and according to all the backpackers I've met, everyone experiences it and you just have to work through it. There are times when I really want to come home but then I think about what I'd be missing out on but then I think I can always come back! so it's all a jumble up here :P I just have to stay focused and stay strong. And I need to stop resisting experiences and just let myself get absorbed and lost in them and not worry about anything else. Just be and enjoy!
love you all <3
german dude, me and juan ma last night after we had the yummiest fries!
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