In my bid to try and keep warm, I decided to creep under my electric blanket to change into my pyjamas.
I didn't get very far - I knocked straight out and just woke up - at 1.22am.
Doh!
I hate not being able to sleep all the way through the night. Even when I was travelling up the east coast of Australia, every night I woke up at least once, which is soooo unlike me.
I'm knackered.
If I can't wake up in the morning now, I'm gonna be pissed!!
xoxo
Monday, 10 January 2011
Sunday, 9 January 2011
First Day Back
You know what, I honestly have no idea how I manage to teach 14-16 lessons in a normal day.
I only taught 8 today and I'm absolutely KNACKERED!
I think i didn't realise just how tired I was after my holiday. Even though I took yesterday off and went to bed early, I feel like I just need the whole week to wind down.
It was so weird going back in. I was completely out of my flow - I just didn't feel like I was really there and felt like I didn't really know what I was doing all day. I was talking but paying no attention to anything that was coming out of my mouth. I wasn't listening to a word my clients were saying - my mind was anywhere else. It was like someone else was there and I was just watching. A very weird sensation! The same conversations all day - Xmas, New Year, my tan, my trip. It was funny because out of all the people that I saw today, only ONE noticed that I have dyed my hair black. Everyone else was too preoccupied with the tan!
The thought if getting up at 5am and starting at 7am is just awful!! Did I really get into that much a routine?!
Obviously!
Looking forward to the changes that I've made in my schedule to have a couple of later starts and some Sundays off. I still need to work a lot so that I can pay for the Japanese course that I want to enrol into so can't quite give up weeeknds just yet.
So tired.
Fuck it - I'm going to bed....and it's not even 10.30pm!
xoxo
I only taught 8 today and I'm absolutely KNACKERED!
I think i didn't realise just how tired I was after my holiday. Even though I took yesterday off and went to bed early, I feel like I just need the whole week to wind down.
It was so weird going back in. I was completely out of my flow - I just didn't feel like I was really there and felt like I didn't really know what I was doing all day. I was talking but paying no attention to anything that was coming out of my mouth. I wasn't listening to a word my clients were saying - my mind was anywhere else. It was like someone else was there and I was just watching. A very weird sensation! The same conversations all day - Xmas, New Year, my tan, my trip. It was funny because out of all the people that I saw today, only ONE noticed that I have dyed my hair black. Everyone else was too preoccupied with the tan!
The thought if getting up at 5am and starting at 7am is just awful!! Did I really get into that much a routine?!
Obviously!
Looking forward to the changes that I've made in my schedule to have a couple of later starts and some Sundays off. I still need to work a lot so that I can pay for the Japanese course that I want to enrol into so can't quite give up weeeknds just yet.
So tired.
Fuck it - I'm going to bed....and it's not even 10.30pm!
xoxo
Saturday, 8 January 2011
Off To A Good Start!
I worked on resolution number 5 today and caught up with some friends.
One I hadn't seen since last August, the other since last October. Stupidness.
It was really great to catch up. You don't realise how much you've missed someone until you see them again, but at the same time it makes catching up all the better when it's someone that you haven't spent a lot of time with.
I loved it.
Had a really great dinner tonight at Rigoletto in Roppongi with a couple of friends. Really nice joint and so reasonably priced for Roppongi Hills. Definitely need to get a group together and start a big night out there next time. I was feeling too tired to go on anywhere else, plus the fact that I'm not drinking this month - I just came home and am trying to get into the mentality to start back at work tomorrow,
It feels weird even though I've only taken 3 weeks off. I'm actually feeling a little nervous about going back in! How ridiculous is that?! It's like, you know when you've been taken out of your routine and then it takes a couple of days for everything to come flooding back? It's like that. Doesn't help that all I want to do is get on a plane and get back to the beach and the sun. This weather is drying my skin out something chronic!
Night!
xoxo
One I hadn't seen since last August, the other since last October. Stupidness.
It was really great to catch up. You don't realise how much you've missed someone until you see them again, but at the same time it makes catching up all the better when it's someone that you haven't spent a lot of time with.
I loved it.
Had a really great dinner tonight at Rigoletto in Roppongi with a couple of friends. Really nice joint and so reasonably priced for Roppongi Hills. Definitely need to get a group together and start a big night out there next time. I was feeling too tired to go on anywhere else, plus the fact that I'm not drinking this month - I just came home and am trying to get into the mentality to start back at work tomorrow,
It feels weird even though I've only taken 3 weeks off. I'm actually feeling a little nervous about going back in! How ridiculous is that?! It's like, you know when you've been taken out of your routine and then it takes a couple of days for everything to come flooding back? It's like that. Doesn't help that all I want to do is get on a plane and get back to the beach and the sun. This weather is drying my skin out something chronic!
Night!
xoxo
Friday, 7 January 2011
New Year Resolutions
It's that time of year again where we all promise to do things to improve our lives.
New Year Resolutions.
I look back at the list I made at the start of 2010. I made 10 resolutions (I'm not gonna tell you them all) and this is how they panned out.
1. Save money - well, I didn't exactly fail at this. I mean, I saved enough to go to Malaysia, Singapore, Kyushu twice, Nikko, NY, LA, Miami and Australia. I also managed to send a little bit home, which is something I haven't been able to do for a couple of years. The first 6 months of last year were definitely financially challenging, with the company I worked for going bankrupt and having to find a new job, but I have definitely come out on the other side smiling.
2. Get healthy - fail. I'm eating more crap than ever.
3. Go to the gym at least 4 times a week - fail. Ever since I started this new job, I've just been too tired to maintain any regular exercise schedule. There's no denying though that everytime I went, I felt fantastic afterwards.
4. Do sit ups every day - fail. Think that lasted for a couple of weeks tops!
5. Stop smoking - kind of fail. I didn't buy any AT ALL in 2010!!!
6. Not telling you!
7. Take better care of skin, hair and nails - half achieved. I've definitely been taking care of my skin but have been way too slack in getting my hair cut often enough.
8. Study Japanese everyday - EPIC fail!!
9. Not telling you!
10. Stop being so lazy - FAIL!! But that's mainly down to being knackered from work.
So yah, as usual they didn't work out. But this year I really am determined to turn things around. I heard some sad news about a close friend's father recently and it's made me realise that anything could happen to anyone at anytime, so it really is time to start reaching goals instead of plodding along and taking time for things to happen.
So these are my resolutions for 2011!!!
1. Enrol in a Japanese language school and pass N2 of the JLPT this July.
Being in Australia, I spoke to so many people who asked me what I was doing here. It's so easy to get caught up in a comfortable routine and lose sight of our goals. Not this year. I came to achieve Japanese fluency and that isn't gonna happen without some seriously hard work on my part. I actually spent the last couple of hours checking out schools online and from next month, I actually wanna start studying again. It's expensive, but it's what I came here to do. Hopefully I can start some trial lessons in a couple of weeks.
2. Get fit
Drinking 15 days straight and eating everything in sight has defintiely taken it's toll on my body. Today was no exception - I went to MacDonalds for breakfast on my way home from the airport and then ended up ordering 2 pizzas for lunch (it was a special deal and in all fairness, I haven't actually eaten them yet!!). I love the way you feel after a workout at the gym and you always sleep so well. I'm adjusting my work schedule so that I'll be able to work out 4 times a week without feeling too knackered to work the next day.
3. Save money
For both travel and towards buying a house. This year is definitely going to be a big travel year for me, so I know that that's where most of the money will be going, but I still wanna send a little bit home every couple of months so that I'll be able to start thinking about getting onto the property ladder in a couple of years.
4. PERMANENTLY stop smoking
I don't want a single cigarette to pass through my lips this year. Anything that happened in OZ stays in OZ! Haha! I think this one is the hardest out of all the resolutions that I make every year but I really wanna get healthy now that I'm getting on a bit.
5. Spend more time with friends instead of being completely consumed by work
A really important one which hit me today, when I arranged to meet a friend tomorrow. I worked out that I haven't seen him since last AUGUST!! How crazy! I've noticed that some people have stopped inviting me to things because I ALWAYS say no because of work. I wanna cut back on my hours so that I can resocialize and actually spend some time with my friends. I don't want my life to be all about work!!
Yep - so there you have it. Just five this year but they are all really important for me. As of now, I'm on a detox and won't be drinking any alcohol for the rest of the month. Another one which is easier said than done but I'm gonna do it. Oolong tea is awesome!!! Haha!!
What do you think?
xoxo
New Year Resolutions.
I look back at the list I made at the start of 2010. I made 10 resolutions (I'm not gonna tell you them all) and this is how they panned out.
1. Save money - well, I didn't exactly fail at this. I mean, I saved enough to go to Malaysia, Singapore, Kyushu twice, Nikko, NY, LA, Miami and Australia. I also managed to send a little bit home, which is something I haven't been able to do for a couple of years. The first 6 months of last year were definitely financially challenging, with the company I worked for going bankrupt and having to find a new job, but I have definitely come out on the other side smiling.
2. Get healthy - fail. I'm eating more crap than ever.
3. Go to the gym at least 4 times a week - fail. Ever since I started this new job, I've just been too tired to maintain any regular exercise schedule. There's no denying though that everytime I went, I felt fantastic afterwards.
4. Do sit ups every day - fail. Think that lasted for a couple of weeks tops!
5. Stop smoking - kind of fail. I didn't buy any AT ALL in 2010!!!
6. Not telling you!
7. Take better care of skin, hair and nails - half achieved. I've definitely been taking care of my skin but have been way too slack in getting my hair cut often enough.
8. Study Japanese everyday - EPIC fail!!
9. Not telling you!
10. Stop being so lazy - FAIL!! But that's mainly down to being knackered from work.
So yah, as usual they didn't work out. But this year I really am determined to turn things around. I heard some sad news about a close friend's father recently and it's made me realise that anything could happen to anyone at anytime, so it really is time to start reaching goals instead of plodding along and taking time for things to happen.
So these are my resolutions for 2011!!!
1. Enrol in a Japanese language school and pass N2 of the JLPT this July.
Being in Australia, I spoke to so many people who asked me what I was doing here. It's so easy to get caught up in a comfortable routine and lose sight of our goals. Not this year. I came to achieve Japanese fluency and that isn't gonna happen without some seriously hard work on my part. I actually spent the last couple of hours checking out schools online and from next month, I actually wanna start studying again. It's expensive, but it's what I came here to do. Hopefully I can start some trial lessons in a couple of weeks.
2. Get fit
Drinking 15 days straight and eating everything in sight has defintiely taken it's toll on my body. Today was no exception - I went to MacDonalds for breakfast on my way home from the airport and then ended up ordering 2 pizzas for lunch (it was a special deal and in all fairness, I haven't actually eaten them yet!!). I love the way you feel after a workout at the gym and you always sleep so well. I'm adjusting my work schedule so that I'll be able to work out 4 times a week without feeling too knackered to work the next day.
3. Save money
For both travel and towards buying a house. This year is definitely going to be a big travel year for me, so I know that that's where most of the money will be going, but I still wanna send a little bit home every couple of months so that I'll be able to start thinking about getting onto the property ladder in a couple of years.
4. PERMANENTLY stop smoking
I don't want a single cigarette to pass through my lips this year. Anything that happened in OZ stays in OZ! Haha! I think this one is the hardest out of all the resolutions that I make every year but I really wanna get healthy now that I'm getting on a bit.
5. Spend more time with friends instead of being completely consumed by work
A really important one which hit me today, when I arranged to meet a friend tomorrow. I worked out that I haven't seen him since last AUGUST!! How crazy! I've noticed that some people have stopped inviting me to things because I ALWAYS say no because of work. I wanna cut back on my hours so that I can resocialize and actually spend some time with my friends. I don't want my life to be all about work!!
Yep - so there you have it. Just five this year but they are all really important for me. As of now, I'm on a detox and won't be drinking any alcohol for the rest of the month. Another one which is easier said than done but I'm gonna do it. Oolong tea is awesome!!! Haha!!
What do you think?
xoxo
It's -1!!!
As I got on my flight in Hong Kong, my heart just sank when I saw a couple with 2 babies sit across the aisle from me.
Honestly, I was so tired I just felt like crying as I saw the plane fill out and realised that I wouldn't be able to change seats. For the first time ever, I was just so exhausted that I knocked out and found myself dozing pretty comfortably throughout the flight. That never happens!
As we approached Tokyo the pilot told us that it was minus 1 degrees. It was approaching 30 when I left Sydney so I was so scared about the inevitable shock that I would feel on leaving the plane. I stole the blanket and used it was a scarf but still suffered tremendously on my trip back home. Really pissed as well coz I left 2 new books that I bought on the train. Sure, if I was that bothered, I reckoned I could get them back, but that would involve trekking all the way back to the other side of Tokyo and it's just not worth all the hassle. AUS$60 down the drain!! Oh well, the Japanese really need to brush up their English skills - hopefully someone will put it to good use.....yeh I know - unlikely!
Every time I come back to Japan it's always an eye opener to see how bad this country is at receiving international visitors. I watched so mnay foreigners struggling to ask for simple help with the trains and the staff just couldn't understand them or spoke so poorly that the tourists didn't have a clue/ For a country as developed as this, it's mind blowing how far behind other Asian countries it is when it comes to speaking English. Whilst this is changing (well, I mean if it wasn't then we wouldn't have jobs right?), the results are yet to be seen and no one seems to even care.
I'm at home under the electric blanket but having to get up to use the bathroom is torture. When will this damn country understand the wonderful concept of central heating?! It's not right to be shivering like this in your own house!! I need to go out and get some food and stuff but I'm just gonna enjoy having a lazy day and doing nothing. All that stuff can be done tomorrow.
xoxo
Honestly, I was so tired I just felt like crying as I saw the plane fill out and realised that I wouldn't be able to change seats. For the first time ever, I was just so exhausted that I knocked out and found myself dozing pretty comfortably throughout the flight. That never happens!
As we approached Tokyo the pilot told us that it was minus 1 degrees. It was approaching 30 when I left Sydney so I was so scared about the inevitable shock that I would feel on leaving the plane. I stole the blanket and used it was a scarf but still suffered tremendously on my trip back home. Really pissed as well coz I left 2 new books that I bought on the train. Sure, if I was that bothered, I reckoned I could get them back, but that would involve trekking all the way back to the other side of Tokyo and it's just not worth all the hassle. AUS$60 down the drain!! Oh well, the Japanese really need to brush up their English skills - hopefully someone will put it to good use.....yeh I know - unlikely!
Every time I come back to Japan it's always an eye opener to see how bad this country is at receiving international visitors. I watched so mnay foreigners struggling to ask for simple help with the trains and the staff just couldn't understand them or spoke so poorly that the tourists didn't have a clue/ For a country as developed as this, it's mind blowing how far behind other Asian countries it is when it comes to speaking English. Whilst this is changing (well, I mean if it wasn't then we wouldn't have jobs right?), the results are yet to be seen and no one seems to even care.
I'm at home under the electric blanket but having to get up to use the bathroom is torture. When will this damn country understand the wonderful concept of central heating?! It's not right to be shivering like this in your own house!! I need to go out and get some food and stuff but I'm just gonna enjoy having a lazy day and doing nothing. All that stuff can be done tomorrow.
xoxo
Thursday, 6 January 2011
*Yawn*
Travelling back home is always the worst part about going away.
I'm at HK airport for a 4 hour layover and I'm just so exhausted that all I can think about is collapsing into my new bed back in Tokyo. I never sleep well on flights and this one was no exception.
Why is it that people who speak the ugliest languages are the ones who never shut the f*** up?! I had to endure some ghastly noise during the whole 9 hour flight. No idea what it was - could've been Russian or one of the Scandanavian languages. Either way it killed my ears and I could even hear it over the movie that I was watching. So annoying!!
I'm at HK airport for a 4 hour layover and I'm just so exhausted that all I can think about is collapsing into my new bed back in Tokyo. I never sleep well on flights and this one was no exception.
Why is it that people who speak the ugliest languages are the ones who never shut the f*** up?! I had to endure some ghastly noise during the whole 9 hour flight. No idea what it was - could've been Russian or one of the Scandanavian languages. Either way it killed my ears and I could even hear it over the movie that I was watching. So annoying!!
Have you see "The Social Network"? I actually really enjoyed it!! It's insane how much money you can make out of a good idea. Justin T was highly annoying in it though - he should stick to singing!
K, I'm off to find a bench to have a nap on!!
xoxo
Whirlwind Tour!!
I can't believe I'm leaving Oz today.
Talk about time flying! Looks like it's gonna be another speedy year!
I'm knackered and my shoulders are insanely caning but I've had a wicked week going on a whirlwind tour up the east coast. I seriously lucked out with the weather - every place I went to everyone was telling me how it had been pouring with rain fo days on end. Looks like I took the sunshine with me - lol!
The bus ride to Byron Bay was noway near as bad as I thought it was going to be. I got to change seats and have a double to myself and we ended up getting in a couple of hours early. When I got there it had been raining and was so grey and overcast that I felt so...bleurgh!! I couldn't check in, so I went on a 2.5 hour walk along the hinterland which was absolutely stunning! As the day progressed it got so hot that I was super chuffed I decided to do that walk when I did - there's no way I would've done it otherwise.
Byron is definitely where I met the coolest people on my travels. I spent the day with a couple of seriously wicked girls. I love sharing travel stories and meeting new people and these girls were so interesting and we just had such a blast hanging out on the beach. They took me to some local joints in the evening which I would never have known about if it wasn't for them. Byron is such a laid back hippy joint but in that way that absolutely anyone can enjoy themselves there - whether you're spiritual or not. I absolutely loved it and of course I wished I could've spent more time there - as everyone I met told me! Having said that, I like being somewhere, having a blast and then moving on before it has the chance to get boring. Fantastic place and definitely up there with the highlights.
Surfers Paradise (Gold Coast) is like a seriouly, SERIOUSLY tacky attempt at Miami - failing miserably. I don't wanna sit here and slag it off, because it's a really popular destination - with kids!! It's the kind of place that I would've absolutely loved when I was 18. You know when you finish high school and then go on holiday with your friends? That's the kind of place Surfers is. I was so exhausted when I got there. I just went and chilled at the quiet end of the beach. It's so funny coz this guy that I met in Bryron drove all the way up to Surfers just to take me to dinner. I thought it was crazy and he could'nt understand why I couldn't get my head around it. He even offered to drive me to Bribane and while I would've loved to have travelled in a bit more comfort, at the end of the day when I go somewhere and meet people, most of the time I just wanna leave them behind and move on. I want the chance to meet new people in each place I go and you can't do that if someone that you met is dragging along with you. Sorry! LOL!
I automatically fell in love with Brisbane. It's hard to explain, but it had this certain feel that just made me feel instantly comfortable and made me smile. It's a really upcoming, modern city and I just went on a mammoth walk around, taking in the beautiful parklands and the cute mini beach and pool. I made my way to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary and FINALLY saw and petted those gorgeously, impossibly cute marsupials!! I could've paid an extortionate amount to have my picture taken with one but hey, I was tall enough to reach over and stroke them myself!! So adorable and there was this guy there who was leading a group of Korean children. Not only was he GORGEOUS but he gave me a one-on-one guide of the sanctuary and explained about the animals to me in a way that wasn't boring. He knew when to give me space to just observe which was really nice. Really loved the city centre in Brisbane as well and found myself doing a TINY spot of shopping! ;-)
I was debating for hours about cancelling my ticket to Noosa. I was just exhausted and was wondering if it was worth it. In the end I decided to go and even though it was a close call back to Brisbane airport, I'm glad I did. Noosa is a really cute little seaside town. It's beautiful but the first thing that you notice is that it's mainly for families, older people and young teenage locals. I didn't meet (or really see) anyone even close to my own age which made the day a little boring as I didn't meet anyone new. Very unlike me!! I was gonna spend the day on the beach but seeing how I was already as black as I could possibly go and wouldn't be able to take a shower before boarding the plane, I opted for strolling around the cute boutique shops instead. I stumbled across a hair dresser and figured that dying my hair would be a perfect way to pass the time! Yep - I'm back to seriously dark brown and I love it!!
Getting back to Brisbane airport was a bit of a panic. I'm sure you've heard the news about the horrendous floods up north (you could still see that the water was a little brown in Noosa) and this led to the bus being an hour late. When we got back to Brisbane, I'd missed my shuttles to the airport and the driver took me there on the bus! LOL - nice taxi service!! Felt a bit weird though, being the only one on such a huge bus. I was actually really impressed with Virgin Blue. Super efficient check in, flight leaving on time and after landing at Sydney, I was back in my friend's house within 40 mins. How awesome is that?!
So yah, I leave today and I just have this horrible sinking feeling in my stomach. Even though I'm so tired, I would love to spend more time here with my friends and with the new friends that I have made. I know that it's never been a destination that I have wanted to come to but I have LOVED it and it's definitely the people that you meet along the way that make your trip.
Back to Japan....and the cold. Not looking forward to it but I get to go back with a seriously KILLER tan. It's been years since I've reached my optimum blackness and with my new darker hair, I'm looking more Amazonian than ever! Fully braced for the Japanese comments that I'm too dark - bring it on!
xoxo
Talk about time flying! Looks like it's gonna be another speedy year!
I'm knackered and my shoulders are insanely caning but I've had a wicked week going on a whirlwind tour up the east coast. I seriously lucked out with the weather - every place I went to everyone was telling me how it had been pouring with rain fo days on end. Looks like I took the sunshine with me - lol!
The bus ride to Byron Bay was noway near as bad as I thought it was going to be. I got to change seats and have a double to myself and we ended up getting in a couple of hours early. When I got there it had been raining and was so grey and overcast that I felt so...bleurgh!! I couldn't check in, so I went on a 2.5 hour walk along the hinterland which was absolutely stunning! As the day progressed it got so hot that I was super chuffed I decided to do that walk when I did - there's no way I would've done it otherwise.
Byron is definitely where I met the coolest people on my travels. I spent the day with a couple of seriously wicked girls. I love sharing travel stories and meeting new people and these girls were so interesting and we just had such a blast hanging out on the beach. They took me to some local joints in the evening which I would never have known about if it wasn't for them. Byron is such a laid back hippy joint but in that way that absolutely anyone can enjoy themselves there - whether you're spiritual or not. I absolutely loved it and of course I wished I could've spent more time there - as everyone I met told me! Having said that, I like being somewhere, having a blast and then moving on before it has the chance to get boring. Fantastic place and definitely up there with the highlights.
Surfers Paradise (Gold Coast) is like a seriouly, SERIOUSLY tacky attempt at Miami - failing miserably. I don't wanna sit here and slag it off, because it's a really popular destination - with kids!! It's the kind of place that I would've absolutely loved when I was 18. You know when you finish high school and then go on holiday with your friends? That's the kind of place Surfers is. I was so exhausted when I got there. I just went and chilled at the quiet end of the beach. It's so funny coz this guy that I met in Bryron drove all the way up to Surfers just to take me to dinner. I thought it was crazy and he could'nt understand why I couldn't get my head around it. He even offered to drive me to Bribane and while I would've loved to have travelled in a bit more comfort, at the end of the day when I go somewhere and meet people, most of the time I just wanna leave them behind and move on. I want the chance to meet new people in each place I go and you can't do that if someone that you met is dragging along with you. Sorry! LOL!
I automatically fell in love with Brisbane. It's hard to explain, but it had this certain feel that just made me feel instantly comfortable and made me smile. It's a really upcoming, modern city and I just went on a mammoth walk around, taking in the beautiful parklands and the cute mini beach and pool. I made my way to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary and FINALLY saw and petted those gorgeously, impossibly cute marsupials!! I could've paid an extortionate amount to have my picture taken with one but hey, I was tall enough to reach over and stroke them myself!! So adorable and there was this guy there who was leading a group of Korean children. Not only was he GORGEOUS but he gave me a one-on-one guide of the sanctuary and explained about the animals to me in a way that wasn't boring. He knew when to give me space to just observe which was really nice. Really loved the city centre in Brisbane as well and found myself doing a TINY spot of shopping! ;-)
I was debating for hours about cancelling my ticket to Noosa. I was just exhausted and was wondering if it was worth it. In the end I decided to go and even though it was a close call back to Brisbane airport, I'm glad I did. Noosa is a really cute little seaside town. It's beautiful but the first thing that you notice is that it's mainly for families, older people and young teenage locals. I didn't meet (or really see) anyone even close to my own age which made the day a little boring as I didn't meet anyone new. Very unlike me!! I was gonna spend the day on the beach but seeing how I was already as black as I could possibly go and wouldn't be able to take a shower before boarding the plane, I opted for strolling around the cute boutique shops instead. I stumbled across a hair dresser and figured that dying my hair would be a perfect way to pass the time! Yep - I'm back to seriously dark brown and I love it!!
Getting back to Brisbane airport was a bit of a panic. I'm sure you've heard the news about the horrendous floods up north (you could still see that the water was a little brown in Noosa) and this led to the bus being an hour late. When we got back to Brisbane, I'd missed my shuttles to the airport and the driver took me there on the bus! LOL - nice taxi service!! Felt a bit weird though, being the only one on such a huge bus. I was actually really impressed with Virgin Blue. Super efficient check in, flight leaving on time and after landing at Sydney, I was back in my friend's house within 40 mins. How awesome is that?!
So yah, I leave today and I just have this horrible sinking feeling in my stomach. Even though I'm so tired, I would love to spend more time here with my friends and with the new friends that I have made. I know that it's never been a destination that I have wanted to come to but I have LOVED it and it's definitely the people that you meet along the way that make your trip.
Back to Japan....and the cold. Not looking forward to it but I get to go back with a seriously KILLER tan. It's been years since I've reached my optimum blackness and with my new darker hair, I'm looking more Amazonian than ever! Fully braced for the Japanese comments that I'm too dark - bring it on!
xoxo
Saturday, 1 January 2011
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Where did last year go?!?!!
I decided to see the new year in with fireworks at Sydney Harbour Bridge. I've met so many people here and had so many invites for what sounded like really cool parties but you know what - it's my first (and maybe only) new year in Sydney and the fireworks just had to be done.
I got down to the harbour at 4pm, which was already too late to find a spot in the shade. Living in Asia, I'm used to humidity and heat but there's definitely something different about Australian sun. It's not humid here but the sun is so much stronger and you can just feel your skin cooking. Out comes the SPF 30+ suncream! Amazing since i never used anything above a factor 8 in Europe.
Everyon came prepared - blankets, cushions, food, drink, parasols.....what did I have? Food and that was it. As I parked my arse down on the concrete, I realised that I would have to endure 8 hours of pure miscomfort. And my god by 11.30pm I was willing the time to go faster and faster with every bit of strength that I had!! It was so EXHAUSTING!! Plus, I was there on my own so it's not like I had riveting conversation to help pass the time. I did meet this other guy who was there on his own and he asked to join me. Stupidly I said yes and was then subjected to hours of dull conversation which made me fall asleep. I think I nearly nodded off a couple of times.
The fireworks blew me away. It's not hard to see why Sydney is THE place to see in the New Year. Just this incredible show and it was absolutely stunning. During those 12 minutes, everything seemed worth it. But I'll tell ya what - I would NEVER do it again. I'd be more tempted to be on one of those boat cruises instead. I know I could have seen the fireworks from a rooftop party or whatever, but I just wanted to do it properly this one time. Definitely an experience I will never repeat.
Sydney is a really cool city. Laid back but extremely expensive. I was here longer than I had planned to be but it gave me the chance to spend more time with friends. I had to smile to myself last night at the irony of the fact that I came here to see friends, yet I ended up seeing in the new year by myself. That's what happens when you want to be a tourist!
So I'm gonna hang out on the beach today and getting the bus to Byron Bay tonight. I've heard nothing but great things about Byron and I'm really looking forward to a few days of beach hopping and relaxing.
It's gonna be hard to go back to Japan after this!!
xx
I decided to see the new year in with fireworks at Sydney Harbour Bridge. I've met so many people here and had so many invites for what sounded like really cool parties but you know what - it's my first (and maybe only) new year in Sydney and the fireworks just had to be done.
I got down to the harbour at 4pm, which was already too late to find a spot in the shade. Living in Asia, I'm used to humidity and heat but there's definitely something different about Australian sun. It's not humid here but the sun is so much stronger and you can just feel your skin cooking. Out comes the SPF 30+ suncream! Amazing since i never used anything above a factor 8 in Europe.
Everyon came prepared - blankets, cushions, food, drink, parasols.....what did I have? Food and that was it. As I parked my arse down on the concrete, I realised that I would have to endure 8 hours of pure miscomfort. And my god by 11.30pm I was willing the time to go faster and faster with every bit of strength that I had!! It was so EXHAUSTING!! Plus, I was there on my own so it's not like I had riveting conversation to help pass the time. I did meet this other guy who was there on his own and he asked to join me. Stupidly I said yes and was then subjected to hours of dull conversation which made me fall asleep. I think I nearly nodded off a couple of times.
The fireworks blew me away. It's not hard to see why Sydney is THE place to see in the New Year. Just this incredible show and it was absolutely stunning. During those 12 minutes, everything seemed worth it. But I'll tell ya what - I would NEVER do it again. I'd be more tempted to be on one of those boat cruises instead. I know I could have seen the fireworks from a rooftop party or whatever, but I just wanted to do it properly this one time. Definitely an experience I will never repeat.
Sydney is a really cool city. Laid back but extremely expensive. I was here longer than I had planned to be but it gave me the chance to spend more time with friends. I had to smile to myself last night at the irony of the fact that I came here to see friends, yet I ended up seeing in the new year by myself. That's what happens when you want to be a tourist!
So I'm gonna hang out on the beach today and getting the bus to Byron Bay tonight. I've heard nothing but great things about Byron and I'm really looking forward to a few days of beach hopping and relaxing.
It's gonna be hard to go back to Japan after this!!
xx
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