Australia Evaluation 101

Australia

Likes: The space!, quaint painted store signs, wombats, hyperactive Platypus', Pin Oak Court (aka Ramsey Street), Nice people letting you stay and borrow their cars, seeing Stan happily married, Caramel Tim Tams, the green colour of the sea, Autumn tree colours,

Dislikes: Cafe's shutting at 5pm, trams holding up traffic, expensive food/hotels/everything, having to wear the same clothes every day since it was so cold,

Places visited: Melbourne, Halls Gap, Healesville, Apollo Bay, Redhill.

Number of times we wanted to come home: 0. Much too late for that. The threat of work is all too real.

Favourite Hostel: YHA in Halls Gap. No one else there and they offered to light the fire in the TV room to keep us warm.

Favourite Memory: Waking up the sunbathing Kangaroo's with Xss as we walked in the bush up a hill to see the views. The Kangaroos weren't that bothered by us and we could get really close, and they were MASSIVE.

Worst Day: Again its too late for that. Even standing in the rain and wind hungry and cold would be better than going back to work in a few weeks.

Favourite New Food/Drink: Andrews (our temporary landlord) curry. Brilliant. Otherwise, Fish and Chips from a fish and Chippery, where you choose your fish stake and they cook it fresh for you.

Best/Worst Smell: Xss. He's started wearing aftershave again.

Best/Worst Noise: The Silence. Bliss.

Number of times i tripped in Australia: 7

Number of times i fell over and rolled all the way onto my back: 1

Number of Kangaroos who now think i am weird: 3.

Weirdest Country Fact: You cannot close your hand around the Australian 50p, its just too big.
New thing learnt: In out of season places everything shuts early, so it makes your days really short!

Country Score: 101

We're on our way

'I’m coming home, I’m coming home. Tell the World I’m coming home. Let the rain wash away all the pain of yesterday, I know my kingdom awaits and they’ve forgiven my mistakes.' - J Cole.

So have i found myself travelling? That's easy, No. Because I've never lost myself. However, i am coming back as a mended version, which is odd as I've never considered myself broken. They say time is a great healer, but really i think actually simply having the time to think over things, to derive our root feelings about past situations and then make ourselves comfortable with them is the healer. I think one of the most challenging things about the Christian faith is not that you can be forgiven, unconditionally for anything you've done wrong, but accepting that you are really forgiven and forgiving yourself. We all make mistakes, and i hate that now days it is so popular for people to say they wouldn't change anything they've done in the past, particularly the bad as they have learnt from it all. I think this is a weird arrogance, as i don't believe that most people really mean this (do people not feel bad about things they should?) and its really better not to do the mean things in the first place. I think I'm comfortable with everything in my past right now, I'd blatantly change some things, but i cant, so need to move on, forgive myself, and get on with now again.

I have learnt a lot being away as when the only constant is you, its easier to identify yourself from your surroundings. There is so much i cant list but at the moment what i can think of is: I don't think I'm fat when i never have to dress smart; i am drawn to punk style clothing and i should embrace this more; i attribute too much value to social acceptance and not standing out; I like singing songs, mostly rock and roll, but also church songs; I feel that big shoes are as much a part of me as are my toes; I have escaped many a depression and despairing situation thanks to some brilliant friends; you can never be grateful enough for being born in a free country with free education; and i finally learnt that of the split buttons on the top of toilets to create a small and large flush- you should press the bigger section for a number 1.

'To acquire wisdom is to love oneself; People who cherish understanding will prosper' - Proverbs :9:8

Unfortunately, it seems the freedoms we have gained in our 296 days of being away have been facilitated by never having to keep appointments/schedules, being able to sleep when tired, eat when hungry, to always be able to see something new and to only ever have had 2 things on my 'to-do list'. These freedoms seem to be incompatible with community living. Its going to be hard going back to living by the clock.

We're off to see the wizard!

Australia to me seems like an old fashioned America. lots of space and amazing scenery and space, but little old quaint shops and coffee shops. Its hard to find anything to eat after 6pm out of Melbourne city!!

Anyway, we are having a good, cold, time and have made it to the nicest place in the world!

Nicky Clarke stalking the Dr. He didn't appear to be home.

We visited Ramsey Street (Pin Oak Court) the previous day but they were filming, so we couldn't see a thing and security kept us out. They knew a few rugby moves for when a fan starts running and shouting towards the actors! well, that's what they get paid for.

Today there was only one security guard (i had warned them i'd be back), sitting in the street alone. The place is tiny, just the houses we know from the show, and it was so quiet and calm, i loved it. It felt like home, and since in my naive head, i believe i know all the residents, it also felt like the safest place ever. I loved it, and i wanted to lay down on the tarmac rather than leave, but we had to get on to look for a wombat!

We found one, and she was called Florence. Its been a long time since i met PT Flea from Australia when i was 11 and he described this odd creature that we never have in our own zoo's- why? I've wondered for 17 years and now i know. Its like a book character coming to life!

Florence

I've been sensored

So Internet access in Vietnam and Hing Kong was not worth it, as all the sites we would usually log onto are banned. It was frustrating to be censored as we are aware of what is out there and that we cannot access it, i wonder if many Vietnamese feel like this, or if not knowing makes them less frustrated.

Vietnam was a wonderful mix of extremes, i doubt i will visit again, but some of the beaches were the quietest we have seen and some of the streets the busiest. I don't think i will forget rush hour in Hanoi! Xss and I got some items of clothing tailored in Hoi An, a tiny old town of tailors, cobblers and cafes. If you like Ubud, you'd like this. These items will be revealed when we go to an Australian Wedding as we are now no longer going to India.

We wanted to see India, but after the third person said to us, 'don't go', even though they knew it was on our trip and we were going we reviewed it. All these people also say, 'oh, i LOVE India, its great, the downside is that you can see people dying by the side of the road, or dead bodies, and the poverty is unbelievable but you get used to it'. Well, i'm not sure i want to see people nearly dying! how would i get anywhere, surely if you see someone in need of help you have to help. I'd spend our days running between dying people, feeding them money, in the form of notes so they don't choke. So when ex flatmate Stan emailed saying she was preggers and getting married on the 21st of May we changed our tickets to Kuala Lumpur, brought new flights to Australia and off we go. So now we are off to Australia for 8 days instead. I've always said i'd never go there, principally because their immigration laws have been so racist (up until 1981 you could not move to Australia if you were black!) but our love for Stan (who was an indescribably great flatmate) and the knowledge that a baby will prevent her from travelling over for the Olympics, our next agreed meet up, we had to go.

Things i want to do in Australia:
- See a Wombat
- Have a BBQ and cook Shrimps, and then say ' lets put another Shrimp on the Barby'
- See the street that Neighbours is filmed on (did you know i like Neighbours?)

We fly out tonight and I'm looking forward to seeing some films on the plane! Since we met a fellow English teacher in Siem Reap, she has offered us her flat to stay in, so its exciting to stay in a real Australian house. I wonder if they have XXXX beer in the fridge and a pool in the yard?

In other news, i got my haircut yesterday. Does anyone else persistently think that they look like Nicky Clarke every time they get their hair cut?

My new androgynous look. The necklaces are new too.

Vietnam Evaluation 203.1

Vietnam

likes: The old beautiful shop fronts of Hoi An, quiet long beaches, trying to cross the streets slowly (as if in a 1980's computer game) whilst trying to dodge the motorbikes,

Dislikes: People not knowing how to queue, no chains like Starbucks,

Days spent there: 17

Places visited: Ho Chi Min, Mui Ne, Nha Trang, Hoi An, Hanoi, Halong bay.

Number of times i wanted to come home: 0. Its way too late for that.

Favourite Hotel: Hanoi hotel called The Rising Dragon Hotel, old small rickity building with only 3 rooms on each floor, in the middle of the craziness of Hanoi.

Favourite Memory: Sitting on the long beach of Mui Ne near sunset, wandering in and out of the sea with no worries whatsoever, i could have stayed all night. perfect temperature, perfect surroundings, perfect company.

Worst Day: Again, its too late for this. Everyday, no matter how miserable is brilliant, when compared with being at work.

Favourite new food/drink: self wrapped spring rolls, with fresh salad and veg and a tasty dipping sauce.

Best Norwich City Victory: Getting into the position of KNOWING that NORWICH CITY ARE GOING UP! Premiership next season, after beating Portsmouth 1:0

Country Score: 203.1

Haviana good time...

Nowadays my life is on a track of calm, relaxed and bumbling. My main concern in life is how long Xss's eyebrow hairs will get when we are old and grey (they are pretty long and wild now), and the only time i feel anxiety is when a chip nearly falls off my dinner plate. So imagine the calamity which is my flipflops breaking!!!!! Arghhhhhh.

Really, it was funny and not stressful as we shuffled along the beautiful streets of Hoi An at a pace not even Xss could break a sweat in despite the 35 degree heat. The flipflop would stay on for about 8 steps before breaking again, or on particularly comical occasions, if i fell down a step on slight incline, both my shoes would break at the same time and we'd have to stop with me dancing on the very hot road trying to fix my shoes and minimise sole burnage.

Only hours before a shop worker had asked me if i wanted new shoes, to which i pointed to my at the time semi broken Haviana's and said, 'look i have these, i don't need more'. But now i do.

So having situated Xss at a cafe for lunch, i took his flipflops and set off to find anything i could to protect my feet. This is ironically a hard task in Hoi An, an old town filled with tailors and shoe makers. Since they make everything and it is their livelihood no-one sells the sort of plastic crops that are abundant elsewhere. I wasn't going to buy a pair or new leather boots so the search continued.

Eventually i found one stall in the market where they had a mountain of flipflops, of the swimming pool float variety, you know the ones which look like you would be able to walk on water in them. Helpfully everyone joins in in searching for a pair. After 3 minutes of searching, we had managed to find a left and a right foot of different designs and sizes, and it seemed like i would not be able to get anything better. So the bargaining began. She began at $7.5. haha.

It was hard to explain that i really did not want these mismatched (one was black with a tiger picture on the other was green with a dollar bill design) shoes, especially for this much, but i needed something. But need drives a market, so we continued in a jovial way, negotiating my rip off. Eventually we settled on $3 and i managed to find a matching pair!!!!!! Same size!

It is irrelevant that they have a picture of Lional Messi on, and that i am not sure who he is. But some of the kids i work with think he is cool, so i'm happy. i'm now bouncing around in my lovely Lional Messi shoes, who needs Haviana's!

Cambodia Evaluation 223.123

Cambodia

Likes: Siem Reap, Dr Fish fish spa, roof top pools, Tx visiting, Bayon Temple, $1 yellow noodles in the market, my students, ever-so friendly yet not intruding locals, having a table full of poor children join us for dinner around one table in the market and seeing their many tricks and jokes, night buses with bunk beds aboard.

Dislikes: Powercuts which stop the fans and a/c, having such a mixed ability in my teaching class, seeing so many landmine victims, seeing naked crying babies begging with their siblings, the killing fields,

Sunrises missed: 34

Places visited: Siem Reap, Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville

Number of times i wanted to come home: 1. It would be fun to see the royal wedding and have a tea and scones celebration wouldn't it?

Favourite hotel: Golden Sands, Sihanokville- nice big pool and sunbeds in the shade.
Favourite memory: Cycling to school along muddy back roads in the shade with babies and adults alike shouting hello at us.
Worst day: One evening when we were in the market eating dinner (every dish costs $1-1.25) and some western boys spent a while haggling with the owner to discount their cans of beer. She could not give it to them for 50cents so they left and she felt bad. So obviously so, that we appologised and told her that we understood and that her prices were good prices. She was deflated though and continued to express dismay and appologise that she could not discount the beer that much as it costs more. Where do these boys think think this little market stall in the street with rickety cracked plastic chairs spend all their money? Do they not realise it is almost hand to mouth at this stall? 10meters away is a whole street of resturants that do draft beer for 50cents, go there! However, they continued down the line of similar stalls to ours, haggling away trying to get 50cent beer, but never being offered it whilst the stall holders get sadder and more frustrated.

Favourite new food or drink: Lemon Juice with sugar and Beef Loklak (with plenty of whole green pepper corns).

Best/worst smell: Fish sauce. Why.....?

Best/worst noise: Wonderful and horrible all in one- each wedding would play VERY loud music from morning til night, initially kind of fun to hear as you walk along, less so when you are still trying to sleep at 5am.

Pictures taken before Tx arrived: 17

Pictures taken by Tx: 223
Number of times we said 'Wow' as we walked around Angkor Wat and similar temples: 4,million.

Number of times Xss got a massive bump on his head and a cut from hitting the bottom of the pool whilst trying to do 'no limbs swimming': 1 very funny time. He's fine now.

Best Norwich City Victory: 5:1 against Ipswich. yippee.
Weirdest country fact: Cambodia's 24 hour clock starts at midday and ends at midnigt. A little disorientating when displayed on a night bus.
New thing learnt: When you are away from home there is much less to worry and stress about. Nowdays it is stressful if we have to fit in more than two activities in one day! Oh, its going to be tough going home and managing work. I think i will boycott less things when i am home also. I will pick a few key ones, and leave the rest. Life is too short to be over analysing all these minor decisions when there are so many major ones around.
Country Score: 223.123