Autumn is here

Can you believe it's nearly October already?

Before I know it, I'm going to off on a plane back to London!!

More importantly, Grey's Anatomy is back on!

I remember the finale of the last season - it left me practically hyperventilating, I was so shocked.

The first double episode of the new season does not disappoint. But if you haven't seen it already - make sure you have your tissues handy!

I swear that show leaves me in a world of pain! I literally balled my way through it and I was just exhausted by the time that it had ended. It's without a doubt, the biggest emotional rollercoaster on TV.

Some of those difficult relationships...I think everyone can relate to them.

I dunno.....there are a million different things going on right now and I can't even tell you about them.....not yet anyway.

Everything is so damn frustrating right now!!! I've decided to try and catch up with friends through October so that I can try and take my mind of all the craziness that I've somehow managed to find myself right in the middle of. I honestly wish that I had the strength to walk away from some stuff, but when you find yourself literally bang in the middle of something, it becomes much, much harder. And you don't want to.

I FINALLY got back in the studio today for my first step class in........goodness, I don't even know how long! It was great - worked up a sweat, felt some stress release and for those 40 minutes, I got to focus on nothing but step. And music. And looking in the mirror and realising how much weight I've put on! LOL!

And before you start, NO, I don't think I'm fat. Just a little bigger than I was, say, 6 months ago! Not that I should complain - it's gone in the right places! (^_-)

Here's to a much healthier October!

xoxo

On A Roll

It's visa renewal time.

Normally, every time I need to do this, I've needed to set aside pretty much a whole day because the Shinagawa Immigration Office is a nightmare.

The last time I was there just to PICK UP my resident card, I had to wait 3 hours.

I got up super early this morning and made it down there just after 9.10am. I still wore my work clothes and armed myself with a book, my phone charger and iPad thinking that I was going to be stuck there all day.

Headed in...no queue at the photobooth....got my pics snapped....headed upstairs....queued for a measly 10 minutes at the application counter....waited for about another 10 before my number got called and voila! I was done! The application section was over!

As I walked out the office, I checked my watch. It wasn't even 9.30!!!! How the hell did I manage to get in and out in under 20 minutes!!! I couldn't believe it!

Not that I'm complaining - all this bureaucratic crap seems to have gone swimmingly this year! I remember when I went to file my tax return, that took under 30minutes and now this?! Well chuffed.

Even better, I've been able to come home, do 4 loads of laundry, bake chocolate chilli brownies AND watch 2 episodes of the Great British Bake off and it's only 13.30!! Go me!!

And even better....Grey's Anatomy starts again tomorrow!!

Loving this week!

xoxo

Work It Out

I'm feeling amazing.

I haven't been to the gym in AGES and this morning, I got off my lazy arse and headed down for an aqua aerobics session.

That class has suddenly gotten seriously hard! But it was awesome to work out to nineties classics and I'm feeling great right now!

There were a few new people in the class. After I came out the shower, I was drying off and then suddenly there were 3 old women just standing there watching me and telling me I had a cute arse! Honestly, I was so embarrassed, I had no idea what to do except bow and say thank you and then quickly wrap a towel around me!

LOL!

Those ladies kill me!

xoxo

The Lowdown On KK

It's our third day in Borneo and today we're heading out of Kota Kinabalu and heading east.

I arrived pretty much a whole day ahead of my friend, so I've had loads of time to take a look around Kota Kinabalu (KK). I'm not gonna lie, it's not exactly my favourite SE AsIan city. First off, it's ugly as hell - there's an industrial, concretey feeling everywhere you go, the nearest beach is littered with rubbish and there's nothing to do or see here. Why people keep this as a base for day trips instead of actually moving out of the city and staying closer to where they want to go is beyond me. Granted, you can do loads of day trips from here, but it's one of those things where you'll spend longer on the bus than you actually do at the destination. 

So yesterday was our big one. Climbing Mt. Kinabalu. We already knew it was gonna be tough because we only had a few hours sleep the night before and we were heading there from KK, so we were up at like 4:15am on the day of the climb. When we were on the way to the national park, the sunrise was BEAUITFUL. It put a smile on my face. When we saw the mountain. I started to get nervous - I think it was coz the summit was all these jagged rocks and I was in disbelief that we were going to try and climb to the summit and back in one day.

We set off later than we should of and from the off, it was tough. Stairs, stairs , stairs. You can't climb without a guide and as my friend powered off ahead of me, he told me that only one in four groups who attempt the day climb make it to the top. Crap.

I started to get tired quickly, but I took a lot of mini rests and kept powering on. But when Istarted to get close to 2500m, apparently my breathing started to change and I started to feel dizzy. I've never had altitude sickness before, so I just thought it was because I'm not the fittest person in the world and I hadn't had enough sleep the day before. I started to power on and after about 50m, I just threw up. And the started throwing up every 50 meters from there.

My friend was way ahead of me and my guide advised that I turned back. He said that even if I continued, by the time I made it to the 6km mark at my current pace, I wouldn't be able to go onto the summit anyway because I needed enough time to get back down before the gate closed. And then he also to,d me that I would only get worse and if I had to be carried back down from the 6km point, there was a fee of RM300 (9000¥) per kilometer. I made the decision to go back down and let the guide go and catch up with my friend.

Gutted didn't even come close to the way I felt as I headed back down. I felt like shit and was throwing up as people were walking past me. I went past a group at the rest stop and they thought I was the first person down from the summit and were cheering me on. Ridiculously embarrassed, I hurried past. The guides on the other hand, knew that I was turning back and they were really sweet, giving me praise that I made it as far as I did and told me that it happens to people all the time.

When I got back down and to the bus stop I met a guy who had done the day climb the day before. He was an experienced climber and he told me that it ws just relentless stairs the whole way up. Literally. He said he was hoping for even 5 mins of flat land, but it never came. I saw another guy's pictures of the sunrise and they made me cry because they were just stunning and I felt that heavy sense of disappointed that I hadn't been able to even make it halfway. He told me though, that one woman got severe altitude sickness at the 6km mark and had to turn back. That would be more frustrating because that is so close! 

From hearing all that and then my friend's experience, it sounds like a super tough climb. They said that you need adequate fitness, but I reckon you need to be fitter than average to get through this climb. My friend said climbing Mt. Fuji was a doddle compared to this and it sounds like you need serious mental toughness to do it. I wonder now if I actually would've made it if I hadn't gotten altitude sickness.....

Anyway, now it's off to see the orangutans!

Xoxo

Happy Happy

NOTHING makes me happier than travelling.

I've had such an awesome 2 weeks. I had a visitor over the weekend, and with the exception of being sick on Sunday, everything was perfect.

(*^_^*)

And now I'm making my way to Borneo on another spontaneous trip out of the concrete jungle.

Lol - I know, I know - you think I'm always jetting off somewhere. But trust me, I have friends who travel way more often than I do, so don't hate.

I'm just chilling at KL airport now - I'd forgotten how mental this place is! Great seeing the diverse cultures side by side though - last time I was here, it was definitely one of my favourite things about this country. 

I'll tell you what though, I'm never flying AirAsia again! Not for a flight more than a couple of hours anyway. Apart from all the hidden charges, I just hated how rude the cabin attendants were and the "choice" of hot meals was actually only one....which had effing tuna in it!!! So I went hungry for 7 hours. I chowed down this bowl of noodles so fast, you would've thought I hadn't eaten in months! Lol! My own fault - I should have taken something with me. Not that I had time, mind you.

On the plus side, I had already reserved a seat online in the "quiet zone". The 2 seats next to me were empty and even though I could kinda lie down, I still had to keep my earphones in to drown out the snoring from the guy sitting opposite. There have been worse flights, though, so I'm not going to complain too much!

Just a couple more hours to go until my flight - think im gonna take a wander  around.....or  have a nap!

Xoxo