Girl on Tour

Come Dine with Me!

2010-04-05T05:38:00.004+03:00

If you haven't already left, you may be wondering where I am at at?

I am writing more regularly over at my other blog Girl on Raw so why not stop on by there?

I look forward to seeing you!

Robyn :)

Travel Travel Travel

2009-08-20T12:56:00.001+03:00

Hi everyone!

I'm on summer vacation in Italy right now, so not much time on the computer, but I have put together a short video on my other blog site here if you want to take a peek.

I'll be back online in a few weeks, but for the meantime, check in with my other blog as I update it more regularly.

Byeeeee

I love this Flight Attendant Video

2009-07-27T14:07:00.001+03:00

Also check out my other blog here to see what I have been up to in my latest travels....I just got back from Switzerland and Paris.

Where am I?

2009-07-19T12:33:00.004+03:00

Hey you! I am still here, but if you want to know what I am really doing, check out my newer blog here. I am still posting on here of course, but more often at my new one as I journal my Raw and Vegan food adventures more frequently.

Don't despair though, I have an awesome trip coming up this week, so I will be sure to share some travel stories very soon.

And I am also in planning mode for our upcoming summer trip to Albania and Italy, so stay tuned for that.

Come on, come over to the other side at Girl on Raw.

Update from Lil Girl on Tour (my sister)

2009-07-11T14:56:00.003+03:00

Check out this marathon letter I got from my little sister K yesterday. I loved reading it! I first wrote about her here.

Hi All,

I am loving this new lifestyle and I’m trying desperately hard to stay in Italy as I don’t want to leave this ‘bella’ country!! I know some of you are aware that I arrived in Milan but I actually live on the coast of Italy at Santa Margherita (2hours by train to Milan) The coastline in Italy is amazing. Where I am staying is very close to France (Nice, the French Riviera), the mountains hit the sea and all the housing is built on the hills. From far away it looks like the buildings are going to roll off the mountain and into the sea. It’s a marvelous view surrounding you especially at night on a vespa.

Basicly my job role is to wake up, have breakfast with the two girls I tutor. Seeing they are nearly teenagers they sleep in till very late (until about 9:30am). That means I can have a sleep in too but my sleep in is until 8am as I get up to have a jog around the Italian beach or countryside. Once they have finished breakfast, we get ready for the beach (if the weather permits).Whilst we put on our sunscreen and wait 30mins for it to sink in, we read an English book. After we have done some English exercises it’s time to play in the water.

I’ve finally overcome my fear of swimming in the water, only because I’ve been assured there are no sharks in the ‘Mediterranean Sea’. I’ve forgotten how fun it can be a child and the games we play in the water are so simple. We are at the beach until 12:30pm because we need to be home in time to shower and have lunch at 1pm.

I am loving the Italian diet as lunch can be a simple rice dish with tomatoes, olives and of course olive oil. Once we have finished that the next course comes which is usually some meat and today brosscino. It is like proscitto but it is beef and it was served with shaved parmesan cheese on top. We always have fruit after each meal and a selection of stone fruits and cherries is what we’ve been used too. After lunch is my two hour break as I am not required to start again until 4pm.

At the moment I’ve been trying to find sufficient internet as Italy seems to be non existent when it comes to internet. I’ve finally found some wireless internet in the main park in Santa Margherita which is at the front of the beautiful coastline. Or I’ll sit in my room and keep practicing my Italian as I hope to have a real Italian conversation with a local in a couple of weeks.

Once I start back at 4pm the girls have just finished their school homework. Yes Italians get homework on their summer holidays because they get 3 months off for summer not like Australians with only 6 or 7 weeks off. So the girls are quite drained from that so we go outside for exercise. We usually just walk around town and they ask me about boys. I shouldn’t have said this but I mentioned that Robert Pattinson from ‘Twilight’ is attractive and now they keep telling me my heart is breaking for Robert or am I thinking about kissing Robert and so on. These girls are like the little sisters I’ve always wanted (as my family remembers, I wanted to swap my younger brother for a girl when I was 3 years old). The12 year old loves running so she forces me to jog with her which is really a good thing.
I finally made friends with the locals as there was a little hiccup to start with. I meet a boy called ‘M’ who asked me to go out with his friends. Being a little naive and with his broken English (Italian’s don’t speak very good English compared to other European countries) I thought we were going out with him and his friends. He thought it was a date as I was clearly not interested in him. I went out with him and he introduced me to basically everyone around our age in Santa Margerhita. It was a wonderful night though as he took me too my first discoteque which was overlooking the Italian coast. The sight was absolutely gorgeous and I can’t wait to go back!! After that evening he dropped me home and I texted him, ‘thanks for a great night’.

The next night I went out with a British Nanny I met and we get on really well. She had to leave at 12:30am and people don’t start going out in Italy until 11pm (so the night was very early). As she left I bumped into some people ‘M’ had introduced me to the night before. This time I met them they had a New Zealander with them who spoke fluent Italian and English. Perfecto!!! I hang out with them whilst A, (the New Zealander translated most of it). I found out that I had a lot I common with L as we were chatting about bands we like (with the help of A of course). He mentioned that ‘Mars Volta’ was his favourite band and I’m like ‘Oh My god they are mine too, I’ve seen them 3 times’. After we finished partying L asked if we could catch up tomorrow and I gave him my number.

The next day L called me and we arranged to meet at the Cinema. I thought he was going to take me ‘Transformers’ but we did was so much better. We went out for appertivi which is like drinks and antipasto before dinner. He had a notepad as he found it easier to understand some words and that if we wrote it down and my phrasebook was a lifesaver (the Italians find my phrasebook hilarious as there is a page about sex and the always try to say things in English when we’re out drinking). After appertivi we went to dinner at a restaurant and L bought me my first pizza. He was very happy about that. Although we couldn’t speak English it was surprising what we discussed. He asked about Australia and knew that we were all convicts (hehe) as he asked if that was true. He asked about the aboriginals and we discussed their suppression and he also knew about the hole in the ozone layer. The one thing I’ve noticed about Italians is education is very important and their schooling system is a lot harder than ours. L is studying psychology and communication at Milan but hopes to become a journalist as he loves writing.

After dinner we went for a walk along the coast still talking music and indie films as we big fans of films like ‘Donnie Darko’, ‘Lost in Translation’ etc. The funniest thing he said all night that ‘It was weird how he’s studying communication but he can’t communicate with me properly’. It was a good night and the most interesting time out I’ve ever had with someone. Who would have thought I’d be communicating with someone through a notepad.

The next night I met Lorenzo and his friends out for apperitivi and they had a friend there G who could speak fluent English and Italian. Due to my naivity once again and not realizing that Santa Margaherita was a small town. M had phoned up L angry that him and I had been out for dinner. They have known each other since they were 2 years old. They are not best friends but know each other. I didn’t realize I’d done anything wrong but they told me not to worry. The good thing is L has gone to Milan for the week so hopefully this all dies down. Everyone has told me to worry because M is strange.

I went out last night with L’s friends and have met more people and a lot of girls now. It’s great as everyone here is so welcoming so I’ve got a little crew I can hang out with. The best thing about it is it’s forcing me to learn Italian because most of the conversations I can’t participate in. I could have taken the easy way out and just found all the English people but I’m glad I’ve persevered and am hanging out with Italians. I don’t want to go to the UK and I’m really thinking of nannying in Milan. I could get a part-time nannying live in job and teach in English speaking schools as there is a need for them.

I miss you all and will let you know more interesting adventures as they occur!!

Ciao
K (lil Girl on Tour)

Look What I Made the Crew for Lunch Today!

2009-07-07T00:10:00.000+03:00

Look what I made the 3 Carnivorous Air Crew on board for lunch today....(and one for meeeee!)

They polished their plates clean before I even had a chance to finish munching on mine...perhaps it was because I was talking too much hehe.

Two of the guys still wanted Feta, but for mine and one other pilot's, we had 100% RAW & Vegan.

One pilot asked, "now when I want to order this for lunch again, what do I ask for?"

I told them to tell Becci (if she is their Flight Attendant next up) that Robyn makes the best salads. Knowing how competive Becci is with her food creations, it would guarantee them a wayyyy better lunch. Hee hee. Let the competition begin.

Oh and check out this Birthday Cake Becci slaved in my kitchen making yesterday and today. Her kitchen is still lacking a few Gourmet Raw tools and she fell in love with my (ahem, ok my man's) Vita Mix Blender. Seriously, this cake was the best thing to come home to after being away for work on my birthday night last night (boo hoo). Oh that and the animals oh and of course the man ;).

This cake was AMMAAAZZZING! Can you believe not one animal was hurt in the process and it is completely RAW. Becci and I have been giggling all night though after sharing just one slice. Hmmm Carob and Cacao must make you high!

Here you go! Try a slice?

What do you think some of the ingredients might be?

Lil Girl on Tour (introducing my sister)

2009-06-30T18:24:00.013+03:00

My baby sister (ok she is 26) has taken the plunge and decided to pack up and check out what the world has to offer. I got a mysterious Facebook message 12 hours after she left home last week, to say she had been isolated in Hong Kong airport, with suspicions she might have Swine Flu. She couldn't call but only had access to the Internet, so you could imagine my reaction. I was beside myself. A week later (today) and I finally get this group email from her:

Hello,

I have finally made it to Italy but there were a few hurdles before I got here. I left Brisbane, arrived in Hong Kong 9 hours later feeling clammy and had a sore throat. I got asked by customs if I had any symptoms of swine flu, I just mentioned that I had a sore throat. Thinking that it wasn’t going to be a big deal (as I didn’t have all the other symptoms), they took me away to where a group of people were sitting with numbers. They called mine out after about an hour as I had no idea if they were going to let me walk (like many I had seen) or put me in quarantine.

I was told I had a high temperature and that they were going to take me in an ambulance to the hospital to check if I have swine flu. They put a big sign on my room saying ‘waiting for ambulance’. As I waited I got onto my laptop, luckily there was free internet and got through to (my sister) who got mum online and I let them know what was going on. I was surrounded by people covered head to toe in protective gear thinking that I had swine flu and could infect them.

By the time the doctor saw me at the hospital he told me that I’d have to stay in Hong Kong for two days to receive my results. I told him that I was leaving for Italy the next day and he said that’s unfortunate but he couldn’t help me. I frantically rang my travel insurance to see if I was covered by this and they told me I would only be covered if I have swine flu (as after two days of staying there I might not have it). To change my flight was going to cost me another $1200 and this was beginning to turn into a nightmare. Eventually they did the testing and then let me go. It was another doctor who had released me from hospital and she told me that I should have information tomorrow if I have swine flu. I asked her what time she would call me and she said that they’ll only call me if I have swine flu. That was really strange so I decided then and there that I was going to the airport no matter what and if customs stopped me I must have had swine flu.

My idea worked and I got through customs with no problem but customs asked if I had two passports as they saw both and the only thing he mentioned is that I like to change my hair colour. I was still nervous as I waited for my flight. I thought that some people from customs would come and grab me and say come with us. But in the back of my mind I also thought they’d be happy to get rid of me if I did have swine flu. The only time I felt secure was when the plane was leaving for take off. I made my flight to Zurich, Switzerland virtually no turbulence, fantastic!!

I arrived in Switzerland and then had 50mins to get to my connecting flight to Milan, Italy. I didn’t realize but the flight from Zurich to Milan went directly over the Swiss Alpes. I was very much a tourist during my 40mins flight to Milan as everyone seemed quite bored with the scenery (having seen this numerous times) whilst I took lots of pictures out the window. I was also very tired but knowing that his marvel was underneath me was enough to keep me awake.

I arrived in Milan and changed clothing as the weather was quite hot. When I stepped off the plane I knew I was in Italy as the people are fashionable and beautiful. The people are very hospitable and some helped me when I had trouble with my luggage. As I bought my ticket the good looking ticket sales men noticed that my passport was from Australia. He started asking me about Australia, telling me he has family over there and would like to go. I had to stop chatting and quickly board my train as it was about to leave. I had another good looking man help me with my luggage as I boarded the train. We started talking and he also just flew from China. He is a fashion consultant (I don’t know what that means) and also lectures at a Milano University teaching fashion business. We had a great conversation and he gave me his card to keep in touch.

Once I arrived in Milano, Luigi (a friend of mine) came to pick me up. He knew my schedule and walked me to my job interview and took all my luggage back to his house. I had the job interview for a school in Milano as I’ve been assured that’ll they be able to get me work at any school there, the only problem is it’s not as much pay is in the UK. I’ve got the next two months to decide whether I want to live in this beautiful country and learn such a romantic language or earn good money in the UK and come visit this place. It’s going to be a very hard decision as I’ve already fallen in love with this country’s culture and customs.

After my day in Milano with Luigi I boarded a train which he had arranged for me (very hospitable) to Santa Margherita. I arrived and met the new family I will be working for. They are very lovely people and I feel I’m spoilt as all I do is provide English lessons for the girls, take them to the beach and out to other activities from Monday to Friday. I have all day Saturday and Sunday off plus Wednesday and Friday nights off as well. All my meals are provided as they are cooked by Elena the girls mother. And the meals are absolutely beautiful, traditional Italian cooking!! The food here is so fresh, I’ve never been so excited to eat fruit before. Today is Sunday as I’ve just been to the beach, read some of my Heath Ledger biography and I’ve come back for lunch where I don’t do anything. I rock up, have lunch, then I can do what I want. It is hard to take in that this is my job as I do feel obliged to help but usually am told just to sit down.

Family is very important to the Italians and I can see that with the family I live with. Their mother stays at home and provides for the girls whilst their father works full time. Their father works in Milano and comes here on the weekends (which is my time off) to spend time with his family. The girls are very courteous and seem to have a great relationship with their parents. I have not experienced the typical Italian male that I’ve been warned of and I wonder if people over exaggerate. The typical Italian man I’ve noticed is very in love with his partner and seems to be quite generous. The men I have met have not been sleazy but very polite, generous and very attractive!! This place is full of beautiful men and women!! I really feel I’ve found where I belong hehe, it’s going to be a hard decision about where I want to live.

Miss you all and if I do decide to stay you should come and visit this magnificent place!!

Speak soon

K (lil Girl on Tour)

Santa Margherita

PPP and I are hoping to meet up with her on our upcoming holiday to Italy (remember I just came back from Rome and am planning a return for a holiday???) and hopefully get to enjoy some time in her new home of Santa Margherita.

My new Bloggy blog

2009-06-17T12:56:00.007+03:00

I have a new (ish) blog. It has been months in the making but I can finally launch it and I am really excited.

As each day has become more Raw Food focused, I thought it best to make a new blog dedicated just to it! I have quite a bit in store and so much has been happening with regards to this, so if you are at all interested in your health, and want to find out what the hype is with this Raw business...pop on over here:

www.girlonraw.com

I will still be maintaining this blog, as of course I am still doing plenty of travel, but come on over and check out what I have going on over here too!!!

Look forward to seeing ya!!!

Travel Review: Beirut, Lebanon

2009-06-10T02:15:00.000+03:00

Time for another Travel Review!!! After my stop in Rome recently, I made it to Europe of the Middle East; Beirut. I loved it. Having been on the IT list for a while now, but never having either the guts (yes it still can be a turbulent country having died 1000 times and revived 1000 more, especially with upcoming elections, you can never be too careful) or the opportunity to visit in the past, it came up recently as quite a surprise.

Three days in Beirut, staying at a beach/city resort was perfect. As the summer starts to heat up back in my home, it was nice to escape to a moderately cooler climate, just before peak season kicks in.

The first evening was spent getting to know Beirut’s mid week nightlife (which at midnight is not that great mind you). Allowing our cab driver to take us to wherever he thought best, we ended up downtown at a lovely little club called Taboo, playing a combination of 90’s R&B hits that we recognized and Lebanese pop hits which of course we didn’t. Not sure if we were being ripped off by the bartenders (as we gave US dollars and were given change in Lebanese Liras) or the duty free tequila we'd had in the hotel room before hand had caught up with us, we decided to call it a night around 3am, to ensure we didn’t waste too much of our following day.

The weather didn’t disappoint, with a poolside salad lunch and couple of cocktails to help ease the slight headache from the night before. Ideas of traveling inland soon abated when we realized it was 6pm already and once again time to find a place to eat and drink.

Gemmayze strip in downtown Beirut was our first stop, with finding a place for dinner and wine my idea, but PPP happy to find a hip cocktail bar, whichever of the two we came across first. He won this time, and we settled on Gem, which the bar tender told us is short for the Gemmayze tree which is what the area was famed for, with the plant growing only in that region of Beirut. He spoilt us with a few different delicious cocktails, and realizing we had missed dinner, I settled on some bar bites.

Al Amin Mosque

Walking down Gemmayze street a little wonky from our delish cocktails I was confronted with the most magnificent sight. The Al Amin Mosque. So overcome with it's beauty I had to take a moment and sit in the car park just in front to take it in. After a short while we were all of a sudden aware of the sound from the boom boom room to the right of the mosque. Flashing lights from what appeared to be a rooftop open air bar at the top of an 8 story building. We were drawn like the rats in the pied piper story. On arrival at the red carpet entrance on the ground floor we were amazed at the designer dressed peeps sprawled out on the sidewalk looking us up and down in our clearly not dressed up enough duds. Hey we were travelling. But yeah I did feel a bit skanky in my T-shirt dress and gold flip flops. Note to self, next trip to Beirut, pack the Prada (oops I don't own Prada). Clearly we were not going to be allowed in by the burly bouncer, so I smiled and asked which club it was. He responded 'White'. This is the hippest club in Beirut.

Buddha Bar

Never to be discouraged, we decided to head off to find our own cool club, and settled on Buddha Bar. Although it was uber quiet being a Thursday night, the top floor still had a group of at least 12 locals and the bar was still serving. I knew they were locals because every Arabic song that would play, PPP and I would take a drink break and sit back down at our table and witness some elaborate hip shaking and with every western dance hit that we recognised, would ensure a break from our neighbous and we'd show them our thang. We even danced some salsa which made PPP's night!!! Buddha Bar had a great 3 or more levels, an massive Buddha that every floor had a perfect view of and fantastic music, so would of been great to see it packed out on a weekend!

The next day was a recovery in room day, with room service and in house videos til PPP had to take his flight home that afternoon. Did I mention that PPP arrived in Beirut to surprise me on my trip and I had no idea he was coming? Brilliant. He thinks he was being romantic, I think he couldn't let me get one up him on countries I have visited. Just for fun we are compiling a spreadsheet to keep a tally. B wants in as she reckons she will beat us both. That's what she gets for having worked for Emirates . Stay tuned for the competiton!

All in all Lebanon has a great history and beauty, especially if you travel further inland to places like Byblos, but the main advice I was given regarding what Beirut would have to offer, was mainly dining and partying, which I think we definitely touched on. A trip back is definitely on the cards.

Delicious Raw Sushi

2009-06-08T00:23:00.002+03:00

Ok, well most Raw Sushi is raw by nature (raw tuna or salmon usually) however I got the idea to make this RAW dish from Fitnessista and trialled it on my fellow FA and pal from London Commercial Airline days, B, after I discovered Jicama at my local supermarket (can you believe it? In the Middle East? I was uber excited.) after a midnight excursion to the supermarket on camp. Here is B trying to find her favourite box of dates to nom nom nom on. I got the recipe for the Tuna part here (second recipe).

So following the rough directions and also adding a bit of my own flair I came up with these rolls.

B (who is also on the Big Fat Raw Experiment with me) loved them more than I did initially but wasn't til my 5th one that I started to actually enjoy the taste without having to smother them in Tamari (wheat free version of Soy). Ideally I should have made a large green salad to enjoy on the side, but we were so excited to trial these mock tuna sushi rolls that we just hoed into them. YUMMO.

After dinner B complained of a chocolate craving. So out I pulled my Cacao Butter (little over it's expiry date so needed to use it up). Having no recipe I basically followed my gut and added a whole heap of Cacao Powder to the butter I slowly melted over a bowl of hot water. I added a touch of Lacuma and once it was all melted, I placed some raisins and dried cranberries into my ice trays and ladled in the chocolatey goodness. 10 minutes in the freezer and we had RAW chocolate pieces. YUMMO. Pretty decadent and not something I would not eat everyday, but just enough to get a taste without too much guilt. Double YUM!

I'm a Guinea Pig

2009-06-06T16:05:00.002+03:00

Alongside approximately 170 others on Monday 1st of June I began a Big Fat Raw Experiment.

Whilst the aim of the experiment is mainly for weight loss, I am looking forward to seeing what other great responses to the program my body experiences when the experiment culminates in 10 weeks time.

Check out more here.

Adoptee #2

2009-06-05T15:00:00.002+03:00

Whilst Greensies prepares for her two little darlings (and my god daughters) in August complete with double pink pram I am busy about enjoying my own little arrival complete with pink accessories.

How could you not love a face like this!? A mixed breed terrier who was abandoned and requires lots of love but gives lots back in return.

With plenty of volunteers offering to look after her when I have to go away as she has just a lovable and easy going personality. With an afternoon dog walking group meeting close by, I am looking forward to more incidental exercise and meeting other like minded animal lovers. Lucy has already made fast friends with my friend's bigger desert dog, so puppy day care with each of them could also be an option as well.

On the plus side she is a lap dog who is completely toilet trained and fits through my cat flap to go outside. On the down side, I really hope Sam the cat is ok with the new addition to our animal family, but will have to reinforce to him that he really is the Top Cat. So far so good. Sam comes to me for cuddles still whilst Lucy barks him away and they both have lots of fun chasing each other back and forth on the front lawn.

What kind of breed do you think Lucy might be?

Blog Lovin'

2009-06-04T00:15:00.001+03:00

Apart from my good old favourites that are in my Blog Roll (yes I read them all!) I have come across some super cool blog sites right now I just cannot get enough of. If you are looking for inspiration check these hot mama's out!

Fitness Sista - Great food and Exercise inspiration by a sassy hottie from the states. She teaches 6 fitness classes a week and details her meals inclusive of photos and recipes. YUMMO. She will keep your motivation at a high level.

The Flying Mum - another flight attendant chronicling her times on and off the ground.

The Vegan Foodie - some brilliant recipes for the more conscious of eaters

Prior Fat Girl - she details here her successes and failures with her weightloss, detailing her workouts and diets.

Jim Jam Sandwich - my friend and previous housemate from London. All her gifts and cards are hand made with love and she will even make to order (she is for me with all these weddings and births I am expecting this year!). Check out her range, she has some beautiful stuff.

Real Food Tulsa - Penni is currently running a Big Fat Raw Experiment with over 170 real people as her guineas (I am one of them!) for a 10 week experiment for weight loss. Watch this space.

Eat Live Run - A 22 year old fitness professional who also love to bake! Check her out!

Travelling Raw

2009-06-02T04:30:00.004+03:00

About a year old, this article I found online is a great incentive for me to keep it 'raw' when travelling which is mostly a challenge for me. It offers great hints and tips on how to remain on track for those of you who are budding raw foodist's and those of who have been raw for sometime but would like to know how to keep it together whilst travelling. The toughest bit.

Also another great article here by Princess Superstar on one of my favourite RAW dedicated websites where you can also become a member of their social network Give it To Me Raw and connect with like minded individuals. Dhrumil Purohit is the man behind both sites and a very cool raw food advocate at that. Every so often they feature a My Way segment (one of my favourite bloggers from Perth, Casey Thomas was also featured here recently) which encourages the writer to detail their week and include their diet information.

Princess Superstar is most reknown for this club beat (oh how I love it! Takes me back to Ibiza clubbing last year!) and I love her honesty in her journal (she broke a few times, but man, didn't she pay for it!). I also love her tips on how to stick by her 'rawness' although she travels so much; almost as much as me.

Travel Review: Rome

2009-05-31T17:00:00.002+03:00

What an amazing city! I knew it was going to be a no brainer, that I would fall even more in love with the entire Italian way of life, even though this was only my first trip to the country itself.

Right on the eve of the mayhem that is the Champions League festivities in Rome where Barcelona challenged Manchester United (and subsequently won!), in a competition that sees an estimated 10,000 Brit’s descend onto the boot shaped country ticket less, hoping to gain entrance to the game on arrival or in the very least a glimpse of what excitement is in store for both supporters. I was grateful we were scheduled to leave the day before the game. As much as I love the game, this recent violent murder in Ireland following a football match is a reminder how clueless the supporters can sometimes be and I am grateful I was able to witness half of this cities football fever without too much of the pain.

Ever since I used to beg to go over to my grandparents neighbour’s house to play with their daughter Giovanna and stay until lasagne dinner and attend my father’s soccer end of season wrap ups at the Italian patriarch coach’s spaghetti nights, I have long held a secret desire to be Italian. Coupled with my frequent visits to the Italian Club as a young adult on their family open days, watching a typical stage father pressure the then Origlasso Twins (now the Veronicas) to sing pre rehearsed cover songs to a back up tape, whilst pushing my sister’s punk band off stage (they were classmates), whilst Italian nonna’s danced with their grandchildren and young teenagers frolicked with their friends around Italian themed food stalls, I sometimes think I was born with the wrong ethnicity.

And Rome did not disappoint. All my wondrous pre-conceived notions of Italian life, people and architecture were correct. This city is truly beautiful. Of course I understand that Rome is NOT all of Italy and in 3 days I was bound to only pick up on so much of the city that it mainly has to offer it’s tourists, it still was amazing. The fashion, the language, the food, the buildings, the style….amazing!

Now whilst I cannot report to have done ANY of the must do attractions (I had promised PPP as we have planned an Italian holiday in August and I am not sure I want to do the Coliseum more than once), I can tell you what I did do which I still feel is typically Italian.

Limon Terraza

Sat on the Limon Terraza of our city hotel every night with the crew, sipping on chilled Limoncello & local white wine, whilst watching the sun go down over the capital.

Spanish Steps

Walked and walked and walked (including up the famed Spanish Steps more than once) where everyone just seems to sit and wait for nothing in particular

Spent wayyy too much money in a ‘typical’ Italian grocery store aimed at tourists, but only because I felt I couldn’t return home without some authentic pasta, sundried tomatoes, pesto, balsamic vinegar and olive oil

Charmed by the local wait staff that make being rude seem acceptable and actually enjoyable (oh and we had some fabulous service too)

Love love love the 2 course meal I became accustomed to for both lunch and dinner each day. Usually a spinach or ruccola (rocket) salad with a smaller serving than what you would expect pasta or pizza.

The Italian Style, describing it just cannot do it justice. Even the women, as they age, still look amazing with their sun kissed skin and lean bodies and I don’t believe I saw them wearing anything but heels, even walking the cobblestone streets, oh and don’t even get me started on the young men, carrying their scooter helmets off to have an espresso in their well cut shirts.

Oh and yes the scooters. Not very many Vespas as you would imagine, but has definitely left me with the urge to upgrade my little 2 stroke engine and get my Euro style helmet sooner than I had thought. And the miniature trucks I saw a plenty. How do they manage to fit anything (including the driver!) in there?

Stayed in a very beautiful, but very old, original state city hotel. Very grand (inclusive of marble lion that greets you at the majestic staircase entrance) but also lacking is some modern necessities especially if there on business trip. I am told though this is very typical of accommodation in these parts of Europe.

This trip was made even more memorable by the fact that my current read is Eat Pray Love where the main character, author Elisabeth Gilbert resides for 3 months. I am now onto the India part…maybe I should head off to an Ashram next.

Basically the main tourist attractions of this country for me are still to come on my upcoming vacation in August, but 3 days in one of the world’s most beautiful cities was heaven enough to hook me. I look forward to getting to know you better in a few months Bella!

Hotel: Grand Plaza Rome

Travel Review: Musandam, Oman

2009-05-26T21:47:00.007+03:00

Well, it sure has been a struggle to keep up to date with my posts these last 6 months, but who would have guessed it, GoT has been TRAVELLING!

Apart from my annual trip home to Australia recently (more on this later), I had the opportunity to visit a part of the world I may have otherwise overlooked. Oman.

Often I remind myself that one day I will not have such easy access to all the wonderful locations that are basically on my doorstep right now, so I must seize the opportunity to explore these places whilst I can.

Musandam was brought to my attention through a friend of mine, who had recently visited on a weekend trip and highly recommended the tour company we used.

When most people think of a trip to Oman, they think Muscat, but we on the other hand chose to go for the lesser know part called Khasab.

We were greeted at Dubai airport by our own driver, then taken the almost 3 hour drive over the border along the coastal drive overlooking the Gulf of Arabia and the Hormuz Strait. Such an interesting drive with the gradual change from golden sand, to red sand (oxidised as PPP informed me) to outcrops that covered the horizon on arrival to the border of Oman.

Arriving at our cliff top hotel at around lunchtime, we had a couple of hours to spare before our 4WD safari to Jebel Harim (which is the highest peak of the Musandam with views of the Hajar Mountains.)

Our tour guide pointed out Bedouin villages along the way and some fossilised animals.

On our way home we asked for a recommendation for dinner and were taken to the best car park diner in town. So good we went back there for dinner the following night. Don't let the stray cats winding their way around your legs as you sit at communal tables in the car park put you off. They knew the food was just as delicious as we did.

The second morning we were picked up with a group of 8 other tourists (mainly Germans infact), and took a short ride to the jetty where for a small price we were able to hire some snorkelling gear and then herded onto a traditional Omani fishing boat called a Dhow. After some leisurely stops along the way to view fishing villages (most of which only accessible by boat and not road - even the local children have travel to school by boat), interrupted pleasantly by some playful dolphins alongside our boat, we stopped for some snorkelling and lunch. The leftovers of which the local fish ate out of my hands when I jumped back into the gorgeous blue water.

Later that afternoon was spent relaxing by the clifftop pool of our modest hotel, waiting for 6pm to roll around so we could order our alcoholic cocktails (Omani Law dictates that alcohol can only be served between 12 & 3pm and after 6pm). Back off to dinner at Al Sharmalia again then home in bed by midnight.

Our last morning followed a very relaxed style of a brief town tour including a visit to Khasab Fort (now a museum which once stood right at the waters edge only now to be part of a disappointing reclaimed land development with a Carrefour shopping mall to take away to ocean view).

With a few more hours to catch some last rays before our drive back to Dubai airport and our flight home ready for work the next day.

A big thank you to Khasab Travel & Tours for being such wonderful hosts. A locally run company with individualised service and knowledgable tour guides. A word of warning for the faint hearted though. The 4WDing experience did have me white knuckled for most of the time!

Khasab Travel & Tours

DUBAI OFFICE:

P.O. Box 34110, Dubai, U.A.E.

Tel: (+971) 4 2669950; Fax: (+971) 4 2686857

Email:khaztour@emirates.net.ae

KHASAB OFFICE:

P.O. Box 50, Khasab 811,

Musandam, Sultanate of Oman.

Tel: (+968) 26730464 Fax: (+968) 26730364

Email:khastour@omantel.net.om

Baby News (x2)

2009-05-04T08:04:00.003+03:00

How does one prepare to be a godmother?

I have been bestowed the honour of god mummy for Greensies' baby girls (affectionately termed Tweensies). She is expecting twins in August and has kindly requested me, along with 3 special others, to play godparents which I am crazy excited about.

This begs the question however (for me at least), in this day and age, what is expected of a godparent??? To be honest, in my limited knowledge, it is a tradition that means that if, god forbid, anything was to come of the child's parents, as godparent you become responsible for the child's wellbeing and upbringing in their place as their guardian. But are there any other requirements other than spoiling them rotten (which I intend to do with or without the title)??? The day I was asked, I couldn't help but pop out to the nearest Gymboree (I was on a training trip in the USA) to buy some pink tutu's and matching play suits for Tweensies which I am just dying to meet!!! Of course it doesn't matter that it will be atleast 2 years before the little ones will be demanding to wear their dress ups for the weekly grocery shop. My only worry, is the other god mummy going to spoil her twin as much as I will mine ;)

We celebrated with a baby shower in the style I am most fond of, High Tea with a glass or 3 of champagne.

Venue: Tisane Tea Room
Location: Fortitude Valley, Brisbane

I need your help? What do you think being a God Parent involves? Anything I need to know in preparation?

An Oldie But A Goodie - I Still Call Australia Home II

2009-05-01T16:11:00.006+03:00

This song always gives me goose bumps and even more so with my impending trip back home to the sand land, so I thought it was more than appropriate to share with you. I will never tire of watching it (there are many versions if you haven't seen them check them out on You Tube). Most Aussies away from home would surely relate.

Do I have to go back?????

Edit: Quick Cleanse detox has been delayed due to social obligations I couldn't help but enjoy whilst home. Take II next week; yes I am human!

Quick Cleanse Detox System

2009-04-26T17:33:00.011+03:00

Tomorrow starts my 15 day detox. I am really looking forward to it and every time I have done it in the past (this should be my 6th time over the last few years I think) I have never felt deprived and somehow have managed to drop a few kilos whilst doing my digestive system the biggest kindness. This could not have come at a better time. With 3 weeks holiday (2 weeks here in Australia then a short weekend break with PPP back in the Middle East) it should be a breeze, plus I have the luxury of access to some of the best fresh produce here compared to back in the sandpit so I am going to lap it up and enjoy it whilst not having the pressure of work to perform.

The detox system, involves taking herbal supplements throughout the day to assist your bowels, stomach and liver to eliminate toxins as well as a diet of fruit, vegetables, whole grains and seeds and nuts with NO animal proteins or dairy. Although there is not a huge emphasis on the diet requiring you to eat RAW, this time I would like ramp it up a notch and see how I fare with an increase in RAW compared to previous detoxes.

I have always felt amazing after a cleanse of this nature, and have even been known to half a 15 day course with a friend or partner to keep costs down and to give my body a taste of the detox without having to do the full course. Even just the recipes on the manufacturers website are enough to whet your appetite. I'll keep you updated with my progress.

The Other Woman

2009-04-24T15:04:00.009+03:00

I am HOME SWEET HOME (Australia) for the next week or so, and it is so wonderful to be back. I think it is the simple things you realise you miss and then appreciate when you have the chance to come home after many years away (like the blue skies, friendly sales assistants, familiar shopping haunts and non existent traffic jams), not to mention the catch up with family and friends.

This trip has been solo however, with PPP left back in the Middle East, but he doesn't seem too disappointed with another lady to steal his affections whilst I am gone. I don't mind although I have warned, she will be kicked to the curb on my return. His response: "Careful, she has a nasty growl."

Introducing Miss Davidson, Harley to be precise. Gives my little 2 stroke scooter a run for it's money.

I am looking forward to getting back to have my turn on her back and after speaking with a friend about her and her partner's Harley trip around Europe a few years back, I cannot help but day dream about our upcoming trip to Italy and how being on the back of one of these could make it very unique, albeit the lack of luggage space.

First things first however. I need to get a hotter helmet than this one!

How Flight Attendants Make Their Day (and Yours) More Enjoyable

2009-04-13T17:53:00.006+03:00

This is brilliant! Wish I had this on my Continental Flight from Houston to Savannah couple of weeks ago. Also better than the toilet paper game that used to get played to death on my longer flights on my previous airline. But I used to like introducing the crew as 'Candy, Mandy, Sandy and I'M RANDY' (groan!). Still hearing that one Sky High Boy?????

Enjoy!

London Stopover in February

2009-04-04T05:37:00.002+03:00

Can you believe these pictures? Although a little late on the uptake, I thought you might like to share in the delight we had on our 4 day stopover in London in February. With nothing more in mind other than a little shopping, checking out some Raw and Vegetarian restaurants (more about that soon), seeing a West End show (Avenue Q - oh so so funny) and playing catch up with our London friends, we were pleasantly surprised with what Mother Nature decided to bestow on us late Sunday evening whilst we were enjoying a bevvie or two at Prince Albert Hotel in Notting Hill.

Yes this is the afternoon (Winter in London get's dark wayyy early)

Oxford Street the following morning (approx 10am). This is the quietest I have ever seen this popular shopping street. Some shops were closed all day as staff were unable to make it into work.

The boys trying to find a restaurant for our lunch in Notting Hill.

It was amazing how much of a grinding halt the whole country came to with the snow. Public transport was severely impacted (buses cancelled completely), and of course flights in and out were cancelled and delayed. PPP's mate who had come to visit us from Brighton for the day on Sunday wasn't able to leave our hotel for home til Tuesday morning....so much for our romantic couple of days in London together!!! Ha ha.

My blogger and fellow Aussie pal Casey was also impacted by the weather on her trip...we wanted to meet up for a herbal tea but both our schedules were crazy....especially with the snow! Check our her awesome blog here!

Back in the Days....circa 2002-2005

2009-03-24T05:14:00.004+03:00

Wow, what a difference a few years makes. I was just looking through some old back up files for some photos and found these beauties:

My first day as a Flight Attendant - EVER....wow don't I look innocent......

Meeting up with my boss. Just another day at the office.

My name printed on an overhead locker on one of the airlines planes. It was their 50th aircraft and in celebration they placed ALL staff members names on the overhead lockers. As far as I know this aircraft is still in existence with names still on board.

Oh and one of the stops for the Airbus 380's first promotional tour in Australia was Brisbane. Doesn't it look grand?

Calling all Emirates Crew!!!!

2009-03-23T08:40:00.003+03:00

Anyone on the DXB-Houston 24th of March returning Sunday 29th March??? Speak up!!!!

Where have the days gone?

2009-03-18T18:17:00.007+03:00

Woweee, have I really let 3 weeks pass without a post? Man, I guess life is what happens when you are not blogging right? Nah, seriously with the aftermath of Cuba (of which I am still recovering mentally and physically), back to work with a busier than normal schedule of which I am standing in for my boss lady, and a problem with my technology in general (I have been drooling over the 24 inch IMAC desktop of late as a replacement to my aging, but sufficient lappie), it has been almost a chore to even consider popping by here to drop a few words. However don't despair, I have lots coming your way, including a trip to the US next week for training, and my plans for my holiday back home to Australia in the coming weeks. Also I am still working on the footage from my amazing holiday of the year in Cuba as I am dying to share with you, a slice of what I was apart of on my trip there in February (maybe the IMAC would be good afterall...hmmmm maybe it will just fit nicely in my suitcase home from the US....I'll keep justifying it's purchase til it is sitting on my shelf!).

Best be off, I am heading off to a Saudi Ladies Party this evening, my first of it's kind. Hopefully it will open the door for me to be invited to my first Saudi Wedding, of which I am dying to get into.

I have also edited my post on Cuba with contact details and the name of the company we went through for our salsa holiday in February. I have been inundated with requests for the details and am pleased to say that Kerry from Key2Cuba is using some of our photographs for their publicity for their next trip starting in August. My goal is to be back on their Valentines trip again next year, with a little more practice and Spanish under my belt!

Oh on a final note, today I borrowed a friends car to go to the supermarket and I got in the right hand side and sat down.....wondered where the steering wheel had gotten to. Silly billy. In preparation for my trip back home I wonder.....

Have a good week and touch base again very soon!

Koala Drinking Water - I Love This Clip

2009-02-26T20:25:00.006+03:00

No doubt you have all heard enough about the bushfires in Australia of late, but I just wanted to share with you something a little more warm and fuzzy. Forgive me if I am late to share this with you all, I do find news does come to me a little later in this part of the world. It is heartening to see something so lovely come out of something so destructive.

Enjoy this clip. I did.

PS the quality is not the greatest and I did just love hearing the Aussie accents!

Valentines Salsa Trip to Cuba - February 2009

2009-02-23T02:44:00.015+03:00

Whoa, what an amazing trip! Words cannot even begin to articulate the adventure I have only just begun to recover from, emotionally and physically, but I will endeavour to do my very best as this holiday definitely rates a mention.

Let's start where it all began. PPP* and I have been doing salsa lessons for a few months together last year. He being a good few years ahead of me however it was an interest I had wanted to cultivate from a course of lessons I undertook when I lived in Glasgow in 2006. During our recent classes, a trip to Cuba was suggested as being an excellent way to improve our moves and learn it from the experts. Over a few months the Cuban Valentines trip was arranged through an specialist Cuban Salsa holiday group in England.

11 nights and 12 days of Cuba including: 21 hours of Salsa classes (usually 2 hours tuition a day) including Salsa, Rueda, Reggaeton, Afro-Cuban dance, Partner work and Body Movement, 50 hours on the dance floor at various salsa venues (mostly VIP tables - yes!!) and off the tourist track program which included the most amazing experiences you are not likely to see unless you are fortunate enough to have a tour organiser on the inside as we did!

Our holiday experience started on arrival at Havana airport where our 20 something strong international group were greeted by our tour leader (Kylie Minogue's personal salsa coach thank you very much!) and one of the Cuban dancers who would later be one of our partners in our daily lessons and on the club dance floors. Not to mention the Cuba Libre we were handed on boarding of our coach to our new home for the next 12 days, The Ambos Mundos Hotel (Ernest Hemingway's first refuge in Cuba was room 511 of this hotel that he chose exclusively for the privileged view of the city that could contemplate from the windows).

Most days consisted of midday salsa lessons to allow a little lie in from a usually late night of rum drinking and salsa dancing at one of the clubs with our Cuban dancers. The highlights of my evenings were:

Horse drawn carriage on our way to a Rumba Party

Being delivered by classic car Cuba is just oh so famous for to the VIP section at Los Van Van concert at Casa de la Musica
Horse drawn carriage to a private Rumba Party
Salsa clubs, salsa clubs and more salsa clubs
The privilege of being looked after and dancing with our Cuban brothers and sisters
Being invited to a private Bemb e complete with Orisha dancing and Cuban home cooking where we were all asked to wear white as a sign of respect

Although a 'Salsa' holiday, we were also exposed to some truly magical parts of Cuba, including a beach party with another local band for dancing practice and Rumba Street where we were invited to the artist Salvador González Escalona's studio, where some of our group were fortunate to purchase some of his work. He is famous for painting his whole street in decorative Afro-Cuban murals.

Salvador González Escalona in Rumba Street

Of course for me, the most life enhancing aspect of this wonderful experience was meeting and sharing our time with the dancers. All handpicked by our tour leader and part of a top dance troupe, their generosity and patience with me whilst attempting to learn their naturally god given talent of dance was amazing as was their endurance (better than mine!). Some of which had travelled each day over an hour to meet with us for our dance lessons during the morning, only to stick around for our matinee sessions (usually 5pm-9pm) at a local club then onto dinner or another club for even more dancing. With most of the dancers only speaking limited English, I was forced to practice my very beginner level Spanish and most communication was of course done on the dance floor. These people opened their homes, hearts and lives up to us and for this I will forever remember.

To culminate our Valentines Trip, we took an hour visit inland to Las Terrazas, in Pinar del Rio. With the government only allowing a few tourists to visit this reserve each day, you can understand why after visiting the pristine natural project, designed to encourage nature tourism. With a population restriction on the inhabitants living within the biosphere, the majority of them have occupations within the reserve. A day there for us involved dining at the hotel restaurant to the music of the local band, a canopy tour finishing up with a dip in the fresh water streams. I took off my shoes on arrival and reconnected after a gruelling but rewarding 10 days of non stop madness.

As the excitement for the holiday subsides and we all return to our daily routine here at home longing to be back in Havana, we have the photos, video and countless CD's we brought to take us right back to the smokey clubs where us tourists and the local cubans danced side by side with massive grins on our faces.

I have plenty of video footage of some great salsa club dancing, which I will share with you all once I have sorted through it.

*My boyfriend and Salsero partner ;)

+++++Edit :Key2Cuba were the tour group operators based out of the UK. Contact Kerry Ribchester for more information on their tours on
Telephone: +44044 0 7767 313 168/
Email: Info@key2cuba.com
or Website: www.key2cuba.com

I am back!!!!!

2009-02-17T21:05:00.004+03:00

Welcome back! I am just about ready to head to Heathrow for my return flight home care of Gulf Air at the culmination of my AMAZING holiday and seriously, WOW, it has been a life changing experience which I am just itching to share with you all very soon. Having had such a full program over the last 2 plus weeks and spending most of that in a country with limited internet and NO mobile coverage (which was actually quite refreshing mind you) I have slipped with my updates, but rest assured it will be worth it, so please stay tuned over the next few days.....I can't wait to catch up again with all of you too!

So You Want to Be a Flight Attendant Part II

2009-02-02T21:56:00.004+03:00

Whilst I collate all your questions, emails and advice requests into a blog friendly post, rest assured I am doing what GirlonTour does best and am TRAVELLING. Stay tuned for some upcoming awesome posts on new takes on previous destinations and a new country I will be visiting for the first time in 2 days time. All whilst dealing with some major chaos in London as we experience some crazy heavy blizzards which have made almost the eternally busy city as quiet as a ghost town....very unusual indeed. Stay tuned!

So You Want to Be A Flight Attendant?

2009-01-26T12:33:00.005+03:00

Never have I had so many queries about my job since I became a flight attendant, and I am telling you, I have had a lot of varied careers before becoming a trolley dolly. The only thing close to intrigue of my current profession was when I was a live in nanny for 4 children to a single billionaire father, but hey that is another post :)

Being a Flight Attendant is definitely the best job I have ever had (the proof is in the years I have stuck to this career compared to my stints as a Secretary, Make-Up Artist, Call Centre Telephone Operator, Systems Analyst, Recruitment Consultant, Waitress, Banking Team Leader and the list goes on. So you can see being a Flight Attendant can satisfy even the most itchy of feet in someone like me.

So I am going to open this one up to you, my readers. I already have a few Q&A's ready to respond to regarding the career of a Flight Attendant and where to begin if you are at the beginning of your job hunt but before I do, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO KNOW about the supposedly glamourous profession of the skies and what it takes to be a safety officer on board an aluminum pressurised tube?

To be continued....

10 Reasons To Go RAW (or increase your intake)

2009-01-24T09:38:00.013+03:00

After a lazy morning of lying in and making a gorgeous Green Smoothie, PPP and I discussed what changes we had really noticed in our 5 weeks of being vegan and stepping up our RAW food intake.

For those of you curious to make similar changes and what benefits can you expect, even just by having a Green Juice or Smoothie once a day, these are a few great points on what we have experienced so far:

Increased Energy - I used to wake up in the mornings feeling grumpy and tired and I have never been a morning person but now my energy is more consistent and I don't feel like I need a nana nap at 3pm in the afternoons. My workouts are harder at the gym.

Clearer skin - My dry patches on my elbows and both our faces are looking fresher and not so dry considering it is winter and usually the time of year your body becomes thirsty for moisture. Spots have been less too.

Weight loss - now I know it hasn't been very long of being vegan for us both, but I have been stepping up my RAW intake gradually over the last few months, most notable this last month. I have already started to show more definition in my body all over, and my clothes are looking looser with a couple of comments already that I have lost weight. Being a guy, PPP was mainly concerned with losing too much weight and retaining his muscle definition, but apart from an initial drop of 1 or 2 kgs so far, he has managed to maintain his weight, and he is getting more definition in conjunction with both our weight training sessions.

Less Anxiety - my occasional anxiety and stress attacks (not severe anyway) have made way for a much more chilled state of being.

A general feeling of lightness - goes for both of us. After big meals of cooked meat or starchy foods, you can tend to feel full and fall into a food coma shortly afterwards on your couch. However with this change in my diet, I never feel full or hungry. It is great!

Perfect diet for travellers! I am finding that I don't just sit down for a meal at the prescribed times we have been programmed to think we need to eat at. I just eat when I am hungry and graze throughout the day. Perfect for us flighties* when working and don't have long to eat, but have a whole day on your feet. Vegie sticks, nuts, dried and fresh fruit, help keep you going.

Much clearer thinking

Less hunger pangs during the day

No calorie counting

No sickness - when everyone else around us has been dropping like flies with winter colds, flus and viruses, we have remained healthy and vibrant! No sick days for us!

Are you RAW and if so, what are some other benefits you have noticed?

*Flight attendants

The evils of Aspartame - Get a load of this! Well, actually dont!!!

2009-01-19T18:07:00.007+03:00

A friend of mine sent me the link to this today, and I am really glad she did. She is a doctor dealing with cancer patients all the time, and advocates a RAW lifestyle after years of tiring of treating the symptoms NOT the cause of our SAD diets and questioning "Why are so many people getting sick?".

This page and following clip are really interesting to watch exactly how much we have been fooled and how we can prevent ourselves from developing any of the nasty illnesses by checking our food labels. I have always known it wasn't such a great thing to consume (like most of us) but having the stats to back it up just makes it even harder for me not to start lecturing my passengers every time they ask for a Diet Coke.

Aspartame comes under names like NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, Equal-Measure and Canderel, but is also found in many other products like:

• Diet sodas, juice drinks, and flavored waters
• Chewing gum
• Table-top sweeteners
• Diet and diabetic foods
• Some breakfast cereals
• Fiber supplements, such as orange flavored Metamucil
• Jams
• Sweets
• Certain vitamins (including childrens) as well as prescription and over the-counter drugs such as Alka Seltzer Plus, and some Tylenol medications.

Go on! Don't put blind faith in the authorities. Hear it for yourself and get informed! And another reason to consider going RAW don't ya think???

Economic Crisis hits the Middle East

2009-01-17T23:43:00.011+03:00

Over brunch with friends in Dubai on Friday afternoon, I discovered a really interesting phenomena. Apparently the economic crisis has hit the Middle East and ex pats who have lost their jobs due to the crumbling economy and recent bout of lay offs, are driving their encumbered cars to the airport, then getting on a plane home to their mother country for good. It was after a glass of wine or two, so yes I can be a little gullible, leading me to search for myself to see the credibility of the story. Geez, wonder where they are leaving the keys????

Click here to read more

Flight 1549

2009-01-16T09:15:00.007+03:00

It's things like this that give me goosebumps. I have been glued to my TV in my hotel room this morning, watching the story on Flight 1549 that successfully ditched in the Hudson river in New York Thursday evening. In training we are taught 'in theory' that is EXACTLY how a ditching should work, plane in tact, tail heavy, evacuate out onto the wings and jump into the rafts.

As the pilot is being hailed a hero (rightly so) I think the crew have also executed a successful evacuation and I cannot wait to read the report post investigation on whether the evacuation was prepared and how the crew reacted during the ditching,

Brilliant! Puts to test the theory that there cannot ever be a successful ditching. Good work guys!

Read and see more by clicking here

If You Can't Do Something Well.....(becoming a Salsera, Jazz Ballet & Skiing)

2009-01-10T10:33:00.004+03:00

I am now no longer a Beginner Salsera! A few weeks back I completed a beginner course of Salsa classes and wow it was fun. Although not a complete beginner (I also did a full complement of salsa classes when living in Glasgow in 2006 however my partner was also female and as I was tallest, I was forced to learn the male styling), I found this time the class at first to be a little overwhelming. Perhaps it was because it was not held in the basement of a local bar with refreshments on hand to take off the nervous edge. Or maybe because this time around I was doing classes with my PPP (my boyfriend - his crazy nickname given by my pal Greensies in Ibiza!) and he is almost an expert. What ever the reason, I cannot even begin to describe the weirdo I became on my first night of classes.

For a start, PPP knew all the advanced dancers who had come along to assist, not to mention all the moves. I felt sooo silly standing there with no idea what I was doing. With PPP the star of the group, being used for demonstrations with other practiced dancers, I was left to learn my 1,2,3 & 5,6,7 on my own (pretty usual for the first few lessons whilst you get the steps down pat but I did need a little reassurance from my pal).

Every 1,2,3 step back, I was slowly edging my way out the door and the whole group were aware that my body language and death stares I was giving for free in PPP's direction 'for making me endure this torture' were telling the story that I didn't want to be there. Flash back to childhood when I begged and begged and begged to be taken to Jazz Ballet classes where all my preschool pals had been attending. Finally my mum decided to show me what I had been dreaming of, only to find that I declined to participate in any of the class, instead choosing to sit at the back of the dance room, with my legs crossed, frozen with a scowl firmly planted towards my mother, who was confused as ever.

Now I am not sure what makes me behave this way. Salsa classes have been on my Things to Do Before I Die list for a few years, and even more suitable now as I have a partner who loves to salsa (how he woooed me on the first night we met!). But why do I act the complete opposite to my apparent desires? Poor PPP was too confused as well, as I have been talking up my enthusiasm for this all year. And my actions were showing the opposite.

The only reasons I could come up with are that I hate trying anything that I am not good at immediately. An example of this was my first time skiing in Ruapehu, New Zealand in 2001. After 2 days of lessons I tried a couple of green runs. (I had already argued with my instructor on day 1 as I couldn't pick up the technique of snow ploughing when the rest of the children in the class were acing it!). And then my ski partner accidentally took me down a BLACK RUN! He, also a beginner, sailed down to the bottom without a care in the world, where as I fell over a few times, witnessed no less than two stretchers with patients in pain glide past, whilst I gave up, took off my ski's, threw a tantrum, then cried. Why couldn't I pick this up?

Complete ego I think, don't you? Why shouldn't I just throw caution to the wind and give these things a shot, without caring how I appear? As one of the more experienced dancers told me on the first night, "don't worry who is watching, and don't worry if you make a mistake, if you do just keep dancing then no one will know. And don't forget we have all been there."

I think now is a perfect time for me to rid myself of this EGO and give things I want to try a good shot, even if I don't turn out to be any good at it. Cuba trip in February 2009 is the perfect place to start. 11 days of salsa lessons in the Caribbean...hmmm shouldn't be too hard to rid myself of this ego, whilst I learn how to dance in front of some of the best dancers in the world....MUM!

Next stop, Amman, Jordan

2009-01-07T18:38:00.006+03:00

Following my trip to London last month, I had a brief chance to get to know Jordan on the way home. A couple of days in the country's capital, Amman was just the right amount of time to see the main attractions and sample some of the local fare. I had intended to make the several hour journey to check out Petra, however this is a future holiday trip for PPP and I so I contented myself with Amman.

With the crew keen to get out and about, but also not so keen to be the decision makers, I took charge and planned our outings. The only pre-requisite being the mechanic requiring a sheep skin merchant (on orders from his wife). Interesting enough whilst browsing sheep skins, I found the original 'Uggs'. Not as pretty mind you, but VERY original.

I couldn't believe how built up Amman is. But very reminiscent of Lebanon I am told, never having been.

The Roman Ampitheatre

First stop was the Roman Amphitheatre. In my opinion wasn't that exciting, but the tiny museum underneath showcased some beautiful traditional costumes. The view of the Citadel from the Amphitheatre only encouraged me and my posse to find the easiest pathway up to it as it stood on it's lonesome in the Jordanian sky scape.

On our adventure through some back pathways and staircases to the Citadel, I was accosted by several young school children (I am talking around 10 years of age) demanding my kiss or waving to me like a starstruck teen who has just seen Britney Spears. It was fun and I gave away some of my honey coated pastries that were dripping on my feet as I trekked upwards past my adoring fans to the Citadel. It was all innocent and in good fun and not in anyway sleazy like some places I've experienced in this part of the world.

The Citadel

On arrival at the Citadel we were approached by some friendly locals offering an informative tour of the surrounding ruins. Their ID displayed government certification and they relied on donation for payment. The gentleman we had was very knowledgeable and tailored the tour to our time frame. As we were close to sunset and the museum was closing in half an hour, he rushed us off to see the Dead Sea Scrolls immediately then walked us around the ruins of the Citadel and the Byzantine Church. The flagpole in the distance is the Raghadan Flagpole which can be seen from all of Amman and is the 3rd largest in the world, the first being one in Turkmenistan. The flagpole can carry a flag up to 80 square metres.

Dead Sea Scrolls, Byzantine Church & Raghadan Flagpole

Our guide was also able to drive us to very near our hotel for a delicious local schawarma (lamb and yes pre vegan days...). All in time to wrap myself up in bed for my early morning departure back home.

And I thought I DIDN'T like Salad!!!

2009-01-06T09:20:00.001+03:00

I have just polished off a whole bowl of salad, and I want more! This is crazy, as trying to increase my amount of RAW living food as much as I decrease the DEAD cooked food I am eating, I set myself up for the belief that I would have to get most of my nourishment from my smoothies and juices. However today has proven me wrong....

This salad is so simple yet so delicious either on it's own or as a side.

2 avocados chopped
3 Ripe Tomatoes chopped
Half a head of Romaine or Cos Lettuce chopped
1 Spanish Onion chopped
Apple Cider vinegar to taste with a pinch of black pepper and 1/3 teaspoon of Himalayan Salt

Toss it all in a bowl and I dare you to tell me you don't just love it!

Also nice rather than chopping the lettuce, wrap the mixture up in a leaf and eat it like a wrap...YUMMO!

Black and White Ball - New Year Celebrations Cancelled (kind of)

2009-01-03T17:27:00.007+03:00

I'm not usually a big one for New Year Celebrations, although counting back the last few years that could be the wrong perception:

2008 - celebrated with crew on my favourite layover in Hong Kong with dinner,then party in the city streets culminating in an expat Irish pub.

2007 - Casino Royale James Bond themed house party in London (House parties rock in the UK especially in the dead of winter!)

2006 - Edinburgh, Scotland with my local resident cousins, 1 day after landing from my 3 week holiday in Mexico. Celebrated at their world famous Hogmanay Street party. We failed to get the news flash to bring our own drinks as none were to be found for sale unless you had secured a pub to camp out in from midday....we still had fun though.

So I thought this year would be a quiet one. Wrong. PPP surprised me with a ticket to a Black & White Ball in Bahrain a few weeks ago. What surprised us the most however, was on arrival to the party, we discovered the King had ordered the cancellation of all New Years events in the country "in a show of solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza following days of massive Israeli attacks". After a few text messages to various friends around the Gulf region I discovered we were not the only countries effected.

In the end, the 700 something black and white partygoers were not left out in the cold, however all live music and dancers scheduled for the evening were cancelled, and although a more sombre tone lingered on the night, we still managed to enjoy the delicious buffet (PPP and I amazingly found it easy to steer clear of anything non vegan) and dance our little hearts out til the early hours of the morn. Saw some amazing dresses and met some lovely new people. And for once, didn't wake up with too much of a hangover. Bring on 2009!

Just in time for your New Year Resolutions - Mind Movie

2008-12-31T08:30:00.004+03:00

After speaking with my girlfriend B, who incidentally has just left her commercial airline in Dubai to come work and play with me next month, she sent me a link to this 'Mind Movie' she watches everyday. You can either watch one already made or even make your own with all the things you want in your life....apparently it only works if watch it everyday. Just an extension of doing your own visualisation for what you do want in your life and forget even thinking about what you don't want. I love this stuff! Could really be helpful in your resolutions or goals for next year. I watched it today before I left the house for the gym, and my workout was the best I had done in ages. Plus everything else just seemed to flow so well for the rest of the day. And it isn't even over yet! Think I might make one of my own with my goals for 2009

New Year, New You

2008-12-29T08:57:00.006+03:00

Another post about New Year Resolutions! Well it's about that time of year again when most people are thinking of new beginnings and goals they hope to achieve over the coming year. It is a time to wipe the slate clean and start a fresh or continue in your intended direction should your dreams be longer term.

Every year I tend to have one or two resolutions that I like to work on and they never really change. Things like, eat better, exercise more, pay bills on time etc. which I am sure most people can relate to. But 2008 was a different story for me. As 2007 drew to a close, so did my life in another country, my job and some close relationships. It was a very challenging period where for a time I wasn't making the wisest choices, and as a result all I felt I needed was a mantra, not a resolution for the coming year. That mantra became 'be kind to me'.

In every choice and direction I have headed towards this year, I have asked if it were keeping in with my mantra 'be kind to me' and it has guided me towards more fulfilling relationships with myself and those around me, plus an amazing job, MORE travel, and a drive to get overall healthier (mind, body and soul).

This year I have chosen to be more specific in my resolutions/goals as I feel 2008 was a consolidation year and I am ready to start moving forward in leaps and bounds. I have been working on specifics over the last couple of weeks with what I'd like to achieve next year in many facets of my life and am really excited to start to see them take shape.

Wanna peep at some of them?

Go 100% Vegan - once again my guru Kristen at Kristen's Raw has inspired me through her insightful blog, amazing recipe books (available here), and personal guidance. The nail in the coffin for my meat eating ways was her recommendation to watch A Delicate Balance (only $4.95 to watch online) . Amazing information and I urge anyone who cares about their health and your planet to watch! My boyfriend has even been 1 week without any animal products (except for 2 small slices of turkey Christmas Day) after watching this and although he cares more about his health than most guys I know, he has always been adamant he could never give up meat! Plus being the animal lover I am it just makes sense for me to do this. Check out this photo mum took on Christmas Day of my 17 year old chihuahua back home. Hellooooooo Axl!
Start Spanish lessons (this one has been on the cards for years!)
Unpack my sewing machine from it's original box (and use it) from Christmas 2004!
Go back to weight training at the gym - not just cardio!
Be more conscious of how my lifestyle impacts the planet and act accordingly
Learn that I don't have to always 'be right' or 'in charge'

These are just a few of the smaller goals I have but can't give ALL my secrets away just yet.

What are your resolutions for 2009?

Goodbye 2008, Hello 2009

2008-12-23T08:44:00.008+03:00

Wow, I never knew how busy this time of year would be for me considering I do celebrate Christmas however I am living in a non Christian country and I can count on one hand how many times I have heard any holiday greetings and we are only days away from the big day. I guess many years of working through Christmas have desensitised me to the 'specialness' of this day plus being away from family and close friends just make it a little easier to bear if you don't get too wrapped up in the day. Plus I can no longer get excited over the turkey feast as I grow a conscience for our planet and for my body, so really to me it just reminds me the reason why we celebrate it in the first place which has got to be a good thing right?

I love living in a country where I am able to experience a completely new culture, where my captain comes to work with a flask of arabic coffee to share with the rest of the non muslim crew, which his wife lovingly made for him to break his fast with some homemade baked date treats (when Muslim's fast for any reason, it is customary to break their fast with arabic coffee and dates at sunset). I often have to remind myself when I do find other aspects of living here quite difficult (not being able to drive etc), that this is an experience I am really blessed to have. I even get to share in some local traditions with some young arab friends I have made, for example partying (no alcohol mind you) on the beach til the early hours including dancing and games and being invited to Iftar* during Ramadan.

With or without Christmas I think this is always a busy time of year as it draws to a close and businesses and people work towards tying up lose ends before the New Year. New goals, opportunities and beginnings are just around the corner. As we wrap up the end of the year, it is a great time to reflect on what we have achieved, what we can improve on and generally just give thanks for what we have. Merry Christmas everyone and have a fantastic New Year!

How are you celebrating Christmas/New Year this year?

*The name of the meal at the end of the day which signifies the breaking of their daily fast during Ramdan

Beautiful Short Film

2008-12-16T14:17:00.004+03:00

I've just moved house and in the midst of this silly season I will be back on track shortly with much to post about....

In the meantime enjoy this short film. I've watched it 3 times already....let me know if you love it as much!

Another giveaway!

2008-12-12T01:02:00.001+03:00

Raw Epicurean must realise it is Xmas (oh and so do Excalibur!)

If you are wanting to go in the draw for the chance to win a Dehydrator click here.

I have just bought a converter for my UK plug Excalibur Dehydrator tonight, so I am yet to try out some delicious recipes on mine, but I can tell that Bev from Bev Goes Raw is just dying to have a 'dry off' with me very soon.

Good luck on the giveaway!

Rose Lane

2008-12-08T22:41:00.005+03:00

One of my prized possessions is my tiny piece of this planet back home in Brissie. I know we shouldn't have attachments to anything material, but I guess my apartment stands for all my hard work and it is a little slice of tranquility I can call my own, especially after working shift hours and many a 4 sector day. One of the happiest moment of my life was the day it became mine.It has been the home of many a cocktail making extravaganza with no less than 30 guests crammed into my tiny apartment, girlie catch ups with friends over a bottle of wine or 3, a stop in centre for my FA girlfriends, who needed a place to crash when their house was too far to drive after a long trip or a big night out in the city where a journey to their home was $20 more in cab fare.It has even been a haven for my quarrelling parents who have just needed a place of respite from each other for a few hours, only to find they both ended up on my doorstep.

Oh yes it is small but mighty this one. I have shared some lovely memories in my apartment, but most of all was when my best pal KT decided to buy the one below mine. The only downside was she moved in to her house 2 months after I moved in with the parents to save cash for my obligatory overseas stint.

After years of living overseas since that moment, KT has welcomed me into her arms and HER cloned apartment every time I venture home to visit. It feels exactly like I never left and often I go to open cupboards soon before I remind myself it is not my house.

My apartment has survived (barely) me living through the tough times in London; who really can afford to live there honestly? There were tears when I felt forced to put it on the market just to ensure I could see out my UK experience, to the detriment of my bank accounts that were appearing in the red, only to find it wasn't the best time to sell anyway (thank goodness).

I have a beautiful tenant who at my age has loved my place as if it were hers the whole 3.5 years we have been apart.

Recently KT was pleased to tell me of her intent to move out after almost 3 years and in with her darling boyfriend and therefore it meant renting her place out also. This was an exciting time, new positive changes for her and less time living out of a suitcase for both parties. But this also reminded us, as much as we both adore our little marks on the world, it is really unlikely we will both ever live there again...and even less likely that we ever get to live there at the same time and install our internal fire pole from mine to hers to save from taking those few steps extra down the external stairs.

The end of an era.

Raw Epicurean Giveaway

2008-12-06T10:00:00.006+03:00

For those of you budding RAW foodies out there, I came across this wonderful giveaway that thought you might be interested in. Even if you are not thinking of going RAW but have an interest in improving your health (or you already are), maybe you'd like to enter to have a chance to win a Lexen Healthy Juicer. Click here to find out more!

London: I Miss You!

2008-12-04T18:35:00.003+03:00

On my trip to London last week, apart from spending up big on new RAW toys to play with, I had the chance to catch up with some friends, rug up with some of my favourite winter scarves and pound the pavement of Central London in a way I never did when I actually lived there.

Having been back to London 3 times since I moved from there in February, I continue to discover more and more charm about the place I once called home. In fact, I do believe that when you live somewhere you have less appreciation for it, plus you tend to forgo the sightseeing for the everyday grind and you can sometimes omit seeing all it has to offer.

I cannot deny on my arrival, I had chills run down my spine as I drove past recognisable "offey's"* and kebab chain restaurants, wondering if it were nostalgia or my gut telling me I had made the right decision to leave as London and I have mixed feelings about one another. But once I had had a chance to change and plan my dinner arrangements, staying in the heart of London made me smile once more.

The Highlights

Meeting up with my partner in crime (Greensies) from when I lived in London (oh the stories!!!) and hailing from my own home of Brisbane, for a delicious meal and wine at delightful French restaurant Cote in Wardour street. I was finally able to meet her beautiful new man, PB, with whom she is moving to Tokyo with in one month. Expect some travel stories from there in future no doubt as she has made me promise to visit her next year. The great deal about our restaurant was the price. For a 2 course meal it was £9 and 3 course £11 if you were seated before 7pm. Such a great deal and the service was amazing. Wine too

Peyton & Byrne - a very British Bakery. OK so it is still not RAW but I had been recommended to visit whilst on my Detox of all places...by a British restaurateur, after I mentioned my love affair with having High Tea. Delightful Darling! I did buy some Rooibos tea to curb my guilt as well as cupcakes for my friends.
Dinner with another dear expat friend from home, residing in London for the last 5 years, to belatedly celebrate her engagement. Cam is planning two weddings next year, one back home and one in her fiance's home of Albania (once again, another destination on my list especially now I have a reason!) We also had French this time at Cafe Rouge, with a printed out 2 for 1 voucher from the internet, so who said the recession had to mean we could not indulge now and then. I'll be keeping my eyes peeled online now for more discounts!

Christmas Lights and Christmas windows at Selfridges Oxford Street. Apparently this is the first time in 40 years Santa Claus has made an appearance in the windows and they have done it in style with him appearing in a bath tab and my favourite, a red VESPA among other creations. Aw, made me sad that I will be spending Christmas in an non practising environment, so I breathed in as much festive cheer as I could.

Photo: Helena Walsh

Carnaby Street Christmas Decorations. This photo does it no justice.
Wholefoods!
Dim Sum at Gerrard's Corner in Chinatown. Ok so it is not RAW but I chose healthily and I had to visit for old times sake. Was the perfect antidote to a killer hangover in days gone by...this was my first solo mission here and quite a success. Somehow, no matter what you order, you never seem to pay more than £10 and you are never leaving there hungry. They have refurbished since I was last there and now have a Karaoke room downstairs for hire.
Dinner (again!) at Cote. Just couldn't resist and another catch up with old housemate Gem and her gorgeous new boyfriend. I'm going to give her new online store for giftcards a plug here too just because I can and I hope the word gets around about Cote too!

The lowlights

It snowed the day AFTER I left
I didn't have half the time I required to catch up with all my pals (you know who you are!)
I ran out of time to visit my old faithful friend, the Borough Market - only open on Thurs,Fri and Sat. Made famous by Jamie Oliver's visit's on his Vespa during programming for The Naked Chef....ooh the olive tasting and delicious mulled wine in winter held in gloved hands.YUM.
Primark Oxford Street - nothing more said!
I never got to sample the Raw & Vegan restaurants that there are plenty of in Central London. Definitely on my to do list for next time.
I forgot to buy my Black Uggs (which Helena has made me promise to NOT wear them outside the house- - come on Helena that is where you want to wear them most!)

*Offlicence

Sorry...my domain is having teething problems...

2008-12-03T15:46:00.005+03:00

Apologies if you have been trying to access my blog over the last few days and have had no luck. Things should all be rectified now and you should have no problems coming to pay me a visit......

Now what kind of tea would you like...I have green with mint, chai, cammomile, some fruit infused..........

I Just Couldn't Go Past This...

2008-12-02T07:15:00.010+03:00

Adorable and quality film making.

ENJOY!

Team Raw Welcomes Some New Family Members - My New Toys

2008-11-30T16:36:00.020+03:00

As well as being a career and leisure traveller, I am also a budding Raw enthusiast. Combine the two and it gets quite tricky to not let one of them slide. I am always impressed by my fellow raw foodist's abilities to still stay on track when they are indulging themselves in a wonderful holiday savouring the local cuisine, which to me is almost always the reason you chose the destination in the first place.

I just got back from another work trip, this time to London and Jordan (both fabulous!), and as I had at least a week notice prior to departing, I was able to plan my excursion with precision. As I was going to have 3 full days in Londontown I had to plan my time wisely and the main tasks I wanted to check off my checklist (apart from catch up with old friends as I only moved from London at the beginning of this year), was to pick up my tools to assist me on my drive to be healthy and 'mainly' RAW. By the end of my 3rd day, I swear the bellmen must have thought I was an online shopping junkie, with boxes being delivered to my room EVERYDAY!

Here's what I ordered and from whom:

Excalibur 9 Tray Dehydrator with 26 Hour Timer: The best way to preserve the goodness of nutrient dense fruits, vegetables & nuts without subjecting it to the heat of cooking where enzymes, vitamins & minerals packaged straight from nature can be lost

A Saladacco Spairal Slicer: A machine you can make spaghetti like strands out of most vegetables, most notably zucchini. I have been dreaming about this ever since I tried RAW Zucchini Spaghetti with Pesto Sauce at Spa Samui on my detox. The sensation of eating the long thin pieces of zucchini makes it feel like you are eating al dente pasta (albeit cold).

A Tribest Personal Blender: Now I have no excuse not to have smoothies on the road. This little gem is so power packed that it can grind dry ingredients (it has two kinds of blades) as well as ice and wet ingredients, and every day after I bought it, I was blending up all kinds of smoothies in my hotel rooms. Bananas, kiwi, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries and spinach made an appearance with a dash of water...YUM! This little beauty is also light enough to pack in your suitcase. I am now searching on Amazon for extra large cups to go along with it and maybe a travel case....Thanks Kristen for recommending it to me over a year ago.

I also made a long awaited trip to London's Wholefoods at Kensington which I was plenty excited about (so many little crazy ingredients that are just NOT available in my part of the world) after hearing about it all the time on some of my favourite blogs. Yeah it was heaven alright. I even came away with 2 logo hessian carry bags to cart my shopping home so I can look uber cool at my own little supermarket back home (and GREEN too) Then another quick stop to Holland & Barrett to top up on some ingredients that were sold out at Wholefoods then I was done. Phew.

So not only am I now flicking fruit & veggie pulp all over my kitchen with my daily use of my Champion Juicer, I can now make raw pasta, and some delicious treats with my new dehydrator whilst my kitchen looks like a garden with all my fresh produce. YUM!

If you are interested in more of the Raw lifestyle, here are a few great places to start:

Kristens Raw - got me on the road to learning more about raw after I devoured the book Skinny Bitch last year. Her blogs contains useful tips and hints, plus she sells the BEST recipe books. She is one cool chick!

Casey's Lifestyle Raw - shows how her choice for going Raw has helped her skin & low immunity. An Awesome Aussie girl!

Bev Goes Raw - an inspiring journey of 'Bev Going Raw' whilst showing some beautiful photos of her adopted home in Germany. Love her stories and beautiful photos too!

We Like it Raw - some inspirational before and after stories as well as interviews and tips to making RAW a part of your life

Raw Epicurean - RAW lifestyle recipes

I Have a Domain! Welcome to girlontour.com

2008-11-28T12:50:00.008+03:00

This little computer illiterate nerd has just taken the next step in her education in the cyber world. I now have a domain...that means that you can access my blog now by simply typing in the address

www.girlontour.com

How exciting!

However you will still be able to access my blog by the old address of www.girlontour.blogspot.com but if you link into my blog from your page, might be a good idea to update it.

Thank you to all my readers, and watch this space for more (slowly) transformations.....

Brisbane Storm Season (What a Mess?!!)

2008-11-25T01:25:00.021+03:00

Oooh I sometimes wonder at times like these if I am homesick or not. Crazy I know but at times I do miss the heat that drives everyone silly, the kind that ensures you are sleeping on top of your bed sheets, careful not to connect with your equally restless bed mate, unless you are a lucky one who happens to have air con. Funnily enough for my first 10 years of enduring Brisbane's summers, the only weapon I had to combat the sticky wet humidity each night was a squeaky ceiling fan. What I do miss is those powerful rain showers that appeared to come out of nowhere, when the lurking black clouds all of a sudden are upon you, and the rain is not just a light shower, it is a downpour and the usually pacey world has to stop and breathe it all in for a moment. All for 30 minutes, then the blistering sun shines once more and all you see is the steam rising from the roads.

Last week, Brisbane suffered a little more than a harmless storm. In fact my hometown has been getting bashed with a deluge of electrical storms, torrential rain and hail and gale force winds, which have ensured that once they were over, emergency services, the army, navy and apparently even some low security prisoners were enlisted to help clean up the mess. And apparently it is not even a little bit over yet. This is only November and December is traditionally cyclone season, but to be honest, Brisbane is not coastal and isn't usually at risk. Does this mean we are starting to really see the effects of Global Warming and Climate Change?

My mum sent me through these photos (after her electricity returned after almost a week and she was not alone).

All my Brissie pals had statuses on their Facebook to the effect of "enjoying a cuppa cooked on my neighbours BBQ" & "with the kids as school is closed"(of course they were using their mobiles to write these!) With stories of neighbours pulling together fixing fences, moping up and pitching in and helping one another really demonstrating the true Australian spirit. Kevid Rudd, our Prime Minister, even made a visit to some of the worst hit zones to inspect the damage.

I know, I know, stuff like this happens all over the world and quite a bit more severe too. Brisbane was very lucky, only one fatality occurred through all the mess. I guess however, when you have your mum sending you text messages like "Thank goodness I goto Boot Camp three time a week as I am now shifting a tree off the house and moving broken roof tiles", it takes me a little while to even comprehend this happening in my home. It also makes me smile too and wonder, where is my dad and why isn't he helping!?

Artist Impression of a Flight Attendant

2008-11-21T02:58:00.009+03:00

One of my most treasured mementos and now a wall hanging in my house, is a caricature one of my bored passengers in the front row created of me on a Perth to Melbourne leg circa 2004. I had no idea what he was doing when shortly after take off, as I resumed my duties preparing for our first service of the flight, he started shuffling around in his belongings for his sketchpad and pencil. Approximately 5 hours later, he presented me with this.....

It now takes pride of place on my living room wall in a lovely wooden frame. Very cool.

Flight Attendants Reunion: Singapore

2008-11-18T09:13:00.012+03:00

Who else other than those in our profession of Trolly Dolly can say, "oh you wanna meet up for a drink in Singapore this week?" to our friends who reside in London whilst you live in the Sandpit and will be travelling from China.

This is quite often the norm for those of us in the aviation industry in particular, especially those who have worked for a number of carriers and tend to travel to a great deal of destinations, including those ports we used to fly to in our past lives at previous airlines. Don't get me wrong I am not being blasé to world travel, it is just something we take for granted when it becomes part of your daily grind, plus most of us would never be able to afford this amount of travel on the small income we earn, so there has to be some upside.

This week was my first time to put it into practice, and after a quick sweep on Facebook through my status, to alert my world wide pals to my arrival into Singapore, I was able to find that not only one, but three of my previous work colleagues were due to arrive into Singapore the same night as me, two of which were in my initial training group over two years ago when I worked for an Aussie carrier (and it was one of the girl's birthdays too - what a bonus!).

Having only been to this city previously for work with the same said airline a handful of times, the layover was never long enough for me to explore more than the Subway Restaurant which was in walking distance or the poolside. I was excited this time to have my pals show me what nightlife Singapore had to offer, I didn't let it bother me that it was only Monday night.

A couple of Raspberry Mojitos to begin with at New Asia as the crew had to hit the heavy stuff early or else they would flake out following their direct arrival from London (a 12 hour flight through their night) and were still going strong to their credit. The birthday girl then led us to one of the only bars that would stand a chance of having a least some crowd, and of course we knew for sure the majority of patrons would be aircrew (where else do you find body clock deficient people ready to party at any time of the day or week whilst all Monday to Friday'ers are enviably ready to tuck up into bed). The Bar: aptly named Insomnia. Singapore's sister to Lang Kwai Fong's (Hong Kong) bar of the same name. The cover band is almost a duplication; fun & frivalous singing catchy recognisable tunes (there is always a Cranberries number in there!), and the inside/outside bar layout almost makes you think you are back in the Kong version after a couple of Apple Martini's (my new favourite cocktail).

A few tipsy dances and some catch ups as to 'where are we now' and how many are left from our initial training group (I think I remember vaguely about 5 out of 20???), then before I would know it, in true FA# style, a couple of my pals have left without even saying goodbye. I realised this probably an hour after they had left! Who knows why we do it, but I guess we seem to live in a time warp by missing whole nights of sleep, where months can seem to pass like days and maybe somewhere in the back of our minds we know we will reconnect in another foreign city on a layover. Thanks for the catch up guys!

#FA - Flight Attendant

Swiss Ball Beijing

2008-11-16T07:23:00.010+03:00

It was definitely not to be expected, but when in Rome (or China) why not do as the Swiss ex pats do and goto a Swiss Ball.

One of my work colleagues happened to acquire several invitations to the Annual Swiss Ball, put on for the Swiss-French community in Beijing every fall, on my recent visit. (I have seriously been away from Australia too long if I am now calling autumn fall). Why not, I thought. It is not like I will ever again have the opportunity to say I went to a Swiss Ball in Beijing. And I was in the perfect city to get a dress made in less than 24 hours.

On arrival to the Fire & Ice themed ball, we were directed to our table close to the front of the stage, where we met a Swiss ex pat adventure holiday specialist (his specialty - camping overnight on the Great Wall), Swiss/English newlyweds having only arrived to live in Beijing 6 months earlier, and a few other couples from mixed backgrounds. We had missed the fire twirling and pre dinner champagne and canapes however I think we were both happy to have been tardy for the Great Wall of China visit was earlier that day.

The meals were interspersed with entertainment, ranging from contortionists, to my highlight, Silvan Zingg, Switzerland's answer to Little Richard. He is often dubbed the "Boogie Woogie King of Switzerland" and despite his obvious talent for the piano, he was also very charismatic and of course handsome. He was self taught from the age of 5; impressive! His enthusiasm on stage was engaging even if I had no interest in the music genre beforehand.

Between courses, sorbets were served from a beautiful ice sculpture keeping in with the fire & ice theme, and on departure, dessert carts and an ice cream stand were scattered throughout the foyer for pick up for the taxi ride home. All this and a goodie bag to boot, including (of course) some delicious Lindt chocolates, local vouchers (one was a discount voucher for some cosmetic surgery - oh dear!) and a Victornox passport & document holder.

In the end I didn't end up getting a dress made and just went with a good old faithful I had packed for 'just in case'. The night was a hoot and certainly was a nice change from the ordinary lay over.

Next stop; Singapore.

No 2. Wonder of the Week: Great Wall of China

2008-11-11T17:46:00.021+03:00

TRAYTABLE, the author's of one of my favourite regular blogs and a fellow flight attendant, got it in one. My second wonder for last week was the Great Wall of China. You go girl! Wow is really all I can say about the World Marvel, oh and you too Tray :)

After speaking with a colleague who had first seen the wall via Badaling, we had all agreed we wanted to travel further out of Beijing by half an hour to a less populated area to visit the wall, at Mutianyu where we could chair lift it up, and toboggan it back down. Perfect.
On arrival I was greeted by stalls and stalls of souvenirs catered to the many tourists spilling out the mini bus doors on a daily basis, however this day due to the balmy weather, we were not too inundated with other sightseers. I was in heaven immediately as I bought up big on many sun dried fruits and nuts from the stall owners where their produce was a plenty. YUM! My Raw Foodie Friends would have loved it. Except I was put off my dried strawberry when one of the pilots referred to the recent melamine scare.

Once up at the main part of the wall for this region, our guide Mike, would drop tidbits of trivia about either the Wall or China history itself (well worth getting your own personal guide), and although it was a VERY cold day and overcast, we could see the wall winding for miles and the autumn colours in the trees were a perfect back drop. The pilots were determined to walk to the top, only to find that at each 'top' there was further to walk to the next 'top'. Didn't they know that the Great Wall is the only man made structure visible from the moon?

The following day, I managed to make it to the Forbidden City, across the road from Tienanmen Square, for a few hours of wandering through the grounds where you are free to even walk through the to the concubines residences. It was totally out of this world.
As you have probably guessed China was part of my amazing trip and I got more than I bargained for in my down time.

More on the shopping later! (When my credit cards are not hurting so much).

Two Wonders of the World in One Week

2008-11-08T21:28:00.007+03:00

How lucky am I? I had no idea I would be seeing two such wonders in under a week without any plan to.

Here is the view from my aircraft window the other day on my way to work. What a fluke it was such a clear day and my camera was able to zoom into it so clearly.

This, my friends, is Mount Everest from my office window. The whole of the flight over the Himalayas was so breathtaking and spectacular I wanted to be dropped down, albeit gently, and forget about the world. Maybe Base Camp is next to go on my list of THINGS TO DO BEFORE I DIE.

Will put pictures up shortly of the other wonder I managed to visit today. It involved a lot of walking and climbing. Any ideas? ;)

Playing with the Boys

2008-11-04T21:12:00.009+03:00

Last week, I had the good fortune of being able to play in a tournament. Not just any tournament. A MIXED BEACH VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT. Yay! I have loved beach volleyball ever since my old gym back in Brisbane about 7 years ago decided they needed to diversify and get some courts built outside their facility to bring in the bucks. Plus it was at the height of Brissie girls Kerri Pottharst and Natalie Cook's world beach volleyball reign and everyone in Oz thought it was their birthright to strut and pull some moves on the sand court. Certainly the male participants hoped we would wear as little as Nat and Kerri on the court too.

Since moving to the Middle East, I have thrown myself into some new sports and hobbies like joining a ladies football/soccer team (season starts next week...weeeeeeeeeeeeeee!), but truly all I was waiting for was for a beach volleyball fixture to be organised. Come on we all know the topography in one of the biggest sand pits in the world is just crying out to have a giant beach volleyball match right?

As a trial run, a friend arranged an all day tournament to gauge future interest for other matches or competitions, and I am pleased to say it was definitely a success. It was really great to meet new people as there were young and old, athletic and not so much rallying to take on the other teams.

I must admit though, days like this really teach you so much more about yourself. In new group environments, I can go one of two ways. Usually I either jump headfirst into the action, or else I shy away and hope the ground will open up and swallow me whole. Sport tends to have me at the former. Growing up as a regular tomboy, representing my regions for softball and netball, and being the neighbourhood’s most accomplished rollerskate driveway dancer (seriously), I tend to throw myself straight into my new sport even if I have not read the rules.

I guess the main thing I discovered about myself from this wonderfully amusing day on the beach, was that I tend to be just a tad competitive, however I am not bothered if we win or lose on the day, I just want to see the team work well together throughout the play. Things I like to encourage include communication and strategy. For example, I don’t think there is anything wrong with gently (but loudly) reminding the ‘never played but keen to try something new’ lady on the team that she should ‘CALL THE BALL!!!’ And it doesn’t matter so much really does it, if I make sure I repeat it a few times until my whole team of 6 is ‘calling the ball’ and then committing to it? Directing my team to BLOCK, SET and STRIKE really isn’t too competitive or aggressive is it?

Oh dear, maybe I need to just relax and realise the whole point of the day is to have fun and introduce new players to this wonderful sport. Now come to think of it I think I know why the organiser got me to sub in on EVERY match. His ‘strategy’ was to perhaps tire me out so that everyone could get a break from me.

Despite all my sportiness, honestly I still don’t even know who won the day.... :)

Treat or Trick

2008-11-01T12:04:00.014+03:00

I think I have found my new favourite holiday. What other time of year, can adults act like children, get away with it and have just as much if not more fun???

Being a born and bred Aussie, it is not really something we are taught much about until American Halloween Specials come on TV and we beg our parents to do the whole Trick or Treat thing just like our American cousins (well ok and who doesn't like free sweets and dressing up - any excuse right?) I'm not sure about now, but when I was a kid, there was not much trick or treating around our blocks, if there were we would be considered 'pesky' to our neighbours, and our parents were more concerned we would not return home. So therefore it was not really practiced.

This year, with so many Halloween parties for us to choose from, it wasn't until 3 hours before hand, we had decided we were even going (we were also thinking of a Salsa Ball instead!) and then panicked about what costumes we could pull out from our own devices, not having enough time to shop.

We both arrived at the first party, with the strong desire to jump straight back into our cab, as it appeared we were the only ones to have made the effort as we looked across at the queue to get in. How embarrassing. Out comes my phone to call in reinforcement and then we discover, yes, others are on their way. Phew.

In the end I decided on an old flight attendant uniform complete with massive hair, red nails and lips (surprise surprise it still fits, albeit a little snug) and PPP escorted me in a hard hat and wife beater tank....(he was asked if he was 'The Village People" - yes all 5 of them, or Bob the Builder). We didn't really mind who we were, we just wanted to prove we had at least some imagination pulled together with some props from friends and what was laying around.

I can't help thinking though, how unimaginative my costume was as in my mind it would be no different from a policeman coming dressed as a cop for Halloween....IT WAS ALL I HAD :) I guess I could've said I had come straight from work and didn't have time to change. Poor PPP was asked if he was off to nightshift when our cab came to pick us up!

What did you dress up as?

It Began with a Detox and Ended with a World Famous Full Moon Party...Oops: Koh Phanghan, Thailand

2008-10-29T10:11:00.010+03:00

Well everyone needs to be a bit a little naughty sometimes right?

Feeling the picture of health, a few kilos lighter and with a fresh air of radiance following my detox at Spa Samui, the little devil on my shoulder (her name is Ra*) says to me, "You know how we are breaking our fast tomorrow? Well actually you are, because I broke mine last week, but anyway, it falls in line completely with the Full Moon Party. It's a full moon tomorrow night!"

My eyes almost touch her. You have got to be kidding me. I have just spent the last 9 days being kind to myself, I know these things only end up the way they were intended...MESSY. I mean I know what can only happen to me in places like this. As much as I thrive in a beautiful sanctuary environment like the Spa, for some crazy reason I happen to thrive in party places as well. Especially if excess is the key and the venue is one of the world's beautiful beaches (read: Koh Phanghan) and dancing all night is on the agenda.

These parties are world famous and apparently began in 1987 or 1988 when it started as just a birthday party or a few people strumming guitars on the beach. Today, thousands of party goers descend on the beach of Hat Rin, to dance under the full moon to beats pumping out of the many bars lining the beach. In low season up to 8,000 revellers can show but in high season, up to as many as 30,000 come to dance into the dawn.

This party was definitely on my THINGS TO DO BEFORE I DIE list, however was not ideal that it fell in line with the day I was due to break my fast. I thought I was being a little mischievous heading out for a cooked (vegan) dinner planned with the friends I had made as most of us were departing the following day, however this party could not be passed up.

Of course, it was exactly what I expected, lots of crazy souls lining the beach by 10pm, drinking whisky buckets sold by the locals, sharing them or dancing around them as they unknowingly kicked sand into their beverage pails. I did break my fast rather dastardly, I had a couple of drinks and I splurged on a vegetarian spring roll a the end of the night.

I had a brilliant time, I could have partied harder, but maintained some restraint whilst still allowing myself to have some fun. I mean aren't some rules meant to be broken? Plus the next morning will always remind you what you are NOT missing out on by passing up a few hard nights out with friends although they are still fun sometimes ;)

I've Got an Awesome Work Trip Coming Up!

2008-10-28T22:11:00.006+03:00

Stay tuned, I have been a bit quiet of late, settling back into life at home and planning my next work trip. I have already started planning my shopping list. They include some electronics, a few cool kitchen gadgets, maybe some golf clubs (a half set to get me in the game) and some cool golf visors for me and the man. If I really want to spoil myself some clothes and shoes (not that I am half in the mood for these after my great shopping fun I had in Thailand recently). Anyway there is lots more fun to be had in this place rather than shopping and great places to see as well. Can you guess where I am off to???

Welcome to My Fast

2008-10-25T16:09:00.009+03:00

On arrival at Spa Samui, I was greeted with some herbal capsules and a piece of litmus paper for me to test my PH levels should I be too acidic to begin my fast the following day. I became accustomed to my new surrounds almost immediately by reading in my hammock in the tree tops. The last time I was here, I had chosen to stay at the Beach Resort and this time I wanted to try out their neighbouring Village Resort in the rain forest. When the time came to check my PH levels in the evening, it was no surprise to me that I was NOT ready to begin my fast the following morning, considering the fun I had had with my partner in crime in Bangkok and Phuket earlier. No problem I thought, this gave me a chance to sample some of the delicious RAW and Vegan recipes at Radiance Restaurant for one more day whilst my body became more alkaline.

During the fast I made friends with fellow ‘fasters’, all from many walks of life and age groups, as we all headed to the Detox Drink Counter every 3 hours, shared in a coconut water or a broth, or just spoke of our individual experiences (of which there are many, including emotional healing, euphoria, lethargy, fuzziness, unlimited energy etc). It was nice to share what was happening with like minded individuals despite the fact we were all from varied backgrounds.

This fast, as opposed to the same program I did this time last year, was much easier for me. I believe it is because I had better prepared my body with suggested eating habits and mainly my juice fasting /feasting (my own verision) in the weeks leading up the fast. Also in my observation, a large majority of people come to the resort, because something just isn’t working in their life, either physically, emotionally or even spiritually. This time for me, I had mainly chosen to come because everything else in my life I felt quite content with, except for my diet and lifestyle choices.

Although I came to the Detox feeling happy and content with no desire to develop any particular aspect of my life other than those mentioned earlier, I did come away with more than I could of hoped. The friendships I made and the experiences I shared with these individuals is in most part why I have been longing all this week to be back in the simple relaxing rain forest, sipping on my coconut talking with my new pals about the plate of fruit we are going to devour when we finish our fast, just small talk or even sharing the results of our latest Mediation/Tarot/Birth Chart reading.

I loved this experience and I would definitely do it again (hopefully very soon!) I can see why so many farang go to Thailand on holiday only to find themselves still living there years later. In a time when it is very difficult (however I realise not impossible without a little organisation) to remain healthy most of the time with so many social obligations and crazy work patterns (our poor bodies), I would love to commit to visiting some place like this at least once a year for a ‘tune up’. I already have another trip planned to Thailand early next year, purely by accident as my little sister leaves Oz for her obligatory stint in the UK and we are going to meet half way for a few weeks. I am still working on convincing her to surrender at least 3 and half days of her holiday for us to do a mini Detox at worst, but something tells me I won’t need to do too much convincing as after all she has been living on a party island for the last 6 months. Her body will be basically begging for it. So watch this space.

Are you interested in finding out more about this Detox? Drop me a line and I will be more than happy to share this wonderful experience even further.

So You Wanna Detox?

2008-10-19T10:10:00.013+03:00

This was my second time at SPA SAMUI, Koh Samui’s popular rejuvenation destination for people from all walks of life. I had much success on my first time last year with weight loss and a new vitality that I have since joined in the ranks of so many others that return more than once.

The whole idea of this kind of Detox (or rather FAST) in my mind is to get rid of the build up of many toxins in our bodies that accumulate from so many processed and refined foods we consume. My interest in diet has always been there (mainly from a weight perspective) but in the last few years I have become more in tune with nutrition as my father was diagnosed with Celiacs disease (wheat and gluten intolerance) and Diabetes is really strong in my mother’s family. In her doctor’s words, “your children stand no chance!”

With this in mind I try now to be more informed on the food choices I make, not from a weight perspective anymore, but I do believe that if you do eat correctly and get enough exercise then the weight gain or loss will just follow naturally. So basically speaking, my eye is not on the weight loss ‘ball’ anymore. It is purely about health for me now.

The program for First Timers, is usually 3 ½ days or 7 days depending on your time available, and it includes twice daily ‘Colemas’ (self administered colonics), 5 times daily herbal supplements, 5 times daily ‘Detox Drinks’ (diluted fruit juice with psyllium and betonite clay to help with the elimination process) and 2 hot broths a day. You can also purchase a couple of coconut waters (my favourite) and different juices, and the Spa has a world renown Vegetarian Restaurant (one of the top 50 in the World apparently!) . This makes it worth staying longer than your fast, so you can sample the menu either before you begin or break your fast. They even have a wonderfully delicious RAW menu (and RAW food classes).

Having said all this, as I have been slowly heading towards a more healthful life I felt I needed a little jump start once again to lead me in the right direction. For me just going to the resort is the first step in the mental preparation. Just being there and investing the time, money and mind is a move in the right direction for me. Oh and the meditation, massages and the sea views from my hammock don’t hurt either.

[More to come on my Detox Experience. PS I feel AMAZING!!!]

And Another...

2008-10-18T11:20:00.003+03:00

Where else in the World....

2008-10-14T12:04:00.006+03:00

Would you find....

DOUBLE CHEESE PORK BURGER flavoured crisps?

I've seen Cheese and Onion, even BBQ flavoured, but combining 3 quite distinct flavours (cheese, pork and burger) and you have one of Thailand's versions of Lay's popular brands of crisps.

Being a pork product (?) I definitely wouldn't find it in my home country, how about yours?

How to 'Baggie' a Bargain

2008-10-13T08:45:00.008+03:00

After years of changing currencies on an almost weekly basis, mainly due to my profession, I have perfected the way to remain organised with your money, and not have to have a zillion purses for each country’s visit.

Step in the ‘Sandwich Baggie’.

My boyfriend was horrified when shopping for bargains in Bangkok recently; I would pull out my ‘Sandwich Bag’ full of Thai Baht from visits long ago and an embarrassing amount of change. If you are like me, you just find it easier to hand over a note, and put the coinage away to be forgotten. Well forgotten no more.

I hate the thought that once you leave a country, you currency is deemed worthless unless you fancy holding up the queue at Thomas Cook Money Exchange with your handful of silver. I have a whole draw full of these bags labelled with their country of birth with some of these bags holding phone cards, travel cards and even discount cards ready for my return back to their home at some point.

If you just cannot bear to be seen in your destination of choice handling one of these, then simple. Empty your purse/wallet into another ‘baggie’ then VOILA! You have a purse/wallet now free to put your country of destinations money in. Or better still, keep a purse/wallet free ONLY for your travels and empty at the end of each visit (into a new baggie).

A word of advice though, despite my boyfriend's embarrassment at my new purse (I was just lazy to transfer it all into my wallet) we believe the ‘baggie’ helped me to secure some decent bargains, for the merchants felt sorry for me not owning a purse every time I pulled it from my handbag and thought I could perhaps use the savings to secure one.

**Update: I always try think and act as environmental as possible and in most cases these 'baggies' are reused or recycled ie I do not purchase new ones.

Flashpacker or Backpacker?

2008-10-10T07:02:00.007+03:00

I think I need to buy a backpack. Yes although I am GirlonTour, I have only ever stayed in one hostel in my life, and I mostly associate travel accessories with wheelie bags or suitcases. Perhaps the wheelie bag attachment I have is from my years of company issued luggage but even when I go on personal holidays I still use the same company issued bags, and ALL my suitcases and overnight bags have wheels.

Years ago when I experienced my first and only Backpackers Hostel in Waikiki, Hawaii (I heart Hawaii!), I was so embarrassed that I looked like such a backpacking amateur. Here I arrived with not one but 2 large suitcases (I was moving country and was stopping by Hawaii, LA and Mexico on the way) and they were on wheels. As I walked across the courtyard where all the seasoned backpackers were fooling around in their board shorts, dreadlocks and facial piercings, I felt like such a fish out of water....and thought they smelt my fear.

I casually dragged my two suitcases up the 3 flights of stairs to my room I was sharing with 8 other women, all the while thinking about how much of a novice I appeared. I thought I knew what I was doing embarking on this world trip solo, I had been flying for a career for 4 years already. This was my life. WRONG.

Fast forward a couple of years to my first trip to Thailand, last year. Of course I thought I should bring a backpack to fit in with the usual casual crowd and also to assist me rather than dragging my luggage through the uneven paving or the dirt from reception to room, but I was staying in a ground level spa resort so I thought it would be no bother and wasn’t sure I would get the use out of a backpack. Plus I am still not sure if I am the backpacking type. Sure I love camping and the great outdoors, but who wouldn’t rather drag their luggage than carry it on their back. This time it wasn’t such a pain, however I did appear to look out of place and put me forward as the ‘flashpacker’ amongst the other bohemian types already checked in.

Today I decided to change rooms at the resort I am staying at, as I saw a mouse in my room (no food in my room sorry Ratatouille, I am on Day 3 of my FAST), and I was tiring of the mountainous walk to my room several times a day. Fine when you are in top shape, however when you are not eating for a week, yes you feel the need to nap for an hour after the climb.

On arrival here a few days ago, one of the staff drove me and my luggage up the hill to my initial room then carried the suitcase the 3 stories up. Needless to say I tipped him well. However today, a different staff member refused to take the golf cart up to the base of the stairs, (in broken Thai-English I think we both worked out that the cart wouldn’t make it this time?) so not only did he and I have to walk the steep hill to the base of the stairs, but we also had to climb them, then walk the suitcase down again.

I wonder if it is too late for me to invest in a backpack.

First had to walk up here......

Then here...

And here...

To arrive here...

Mini Triathlon Anyone?

2008-10-08T10:19:00.005+03:00

A few weeks ago I attended a party, of which most guests I had never met before. Imagine my delight after a full week of juice fasting, to realise I had walked straight into a gathering of accomplished Iron Men and Fitness Freaks. The meeting was to celebrate a few of the gang’s Ironman success a few weeks earlier at the competition in Austria. After politely refusing a slice of delicious looking chocolate cake from the host’s very enviously athletic wife, I set about chatting with some of the guests and found myself being roped into a ‘beginner’s triathlon’. My excuse was not having the right bike.

“Oh no, that is not a problem”, one of the ‘Ironmen’ and obvious triathlon recruiters said. “We can arrange that within the group."

“Ok then, what are the distances?” I came back with.

“500m swim, 20km bike, 5km run.”

Hmmm I thought about it for a brief moment. 500m I can do (slowly and with a stop every few laps for a chin wag with C at the pool). 20km bike (pushing it, but can’t be too hard coming from a previous Spin class addict). 5km run (I’ve done a 10km and 12km fun runs before but that was a few years back...the extent of my running now is a slow jog on the treadmill every so often from anywhere from 5mins to an hour).

C and I often joke about some training days we have where we become “accidental” triathletes. We cycle to the gym (10mins away), we do a workout and maybe a run on the treadmill, and then a few laps in the pool. Surely this triathlon thing couldn’t be that hard. Given all my ‘perfect conditioning’ (NOT) I thought fantastic, if I trained properly, I think I could be in shape for this in about six months.

“So when is the big day?” I queried.

“November 20^th.”

Gulp

Oh crap....maybe I could start training for it and see how I go. Really not convinced my ego could handle the fallout when I collapse straight after the swim or trip over my bike to start the run. Despite all this, my boyfriend is adamant he needs another hobby to collect and is seriously thinking about it. In the meantime I might just start training with him.

My Brief Encounter with Dubai

2008-10-06T08:15:00.006+03:00

Yes it sounds like I am always on holiday right? Well kind of right. I do always seem to be living out of a suitcase (either for work or pleasure), and although I am very lucky to have so many stamps in my passports and abilities to say Hello, Thank you and Goodbye in multiple languages, there are some negatives to my lifestyle as well. One of them was that my planned and paid for holidays earlier in the year got delayed due to a change in work commitments, so an intended trip to visit some friends on my debut to the land of the Burj was canned by me so at least I would still make my girls trip to Ibiza.

This was not a total loss however, as recently I was able to make up for the lost time with friends in Dubai on my way through to my DETOX DESTINATION (more on this in a future post). As sightseeing was not highest on my agenda, I am afraid to say that I cannot comment on much of what Dubai has to offer apart from never ending hotel buffets, amazing nail bars, stunning views of Dubai Marina from friend’s wonderfully glamourous high rise apartment windows, and a never ending supply of beautiful people. Coming from where I normally reside, Dubai was appealing to me as a very LIVEABLE city.

The objective of this trip was to catch up with my close pals who had recently relocated there and with only 2 nights available to do so, much of which was spent eating and drinking, I was continually reminded I did not come to Dubai at the best time of the year to see it’s ‘Party Prowess’ as it was the last week of Ramadan. Despite the lack of music in the popular expat hangouts however, we managed to do some damage to ourselves all in the name of fun.

Having said that I intend to stop in once again on my way back home post DETOX (and hopefully with some iron-clad discipline NOT to over indulge – hard to do I imagine at a Friday Brunch???). Hopefully this time I hope to tick the Ski Dubai box, Mall of Emirates as well as experience a Desert Safari I have heard so much about complete with sand 4WD’ing, belly dancing and shisha.

Can any Emirati readers suggest anything else that is a must see on my next stopover in a few weeks?

High on the Hill with a Lonely Goatherd

2008-10-02T19:34:00.016+03:00

On a recent trip to Austria, I was able to practice my new found confidence of Solo Travel instilled in me on my recent trip to Portugal where my boyfriend offered some really helpful solo travel tips (albeit we were travelling together and NOT solo). I was now ready to give them a trial run.

Armed with a few tasks and shopping items (including a request from friends back home to source some authentic Apple Strudel) I set off to explore beautiful Vienna. I decided early on that I wanted to hang out on my own as the crew had informed me before setting off that all they had intended to do was sink some serious Steins, and that was not on my agenda this trip.
Here are some things I experienced and discovered on my several day trip in the land of Opera, Balls and Mozart:

Despite English being their second language, Austrians speak more English than their German counterparts in Hamburg.

The city is amazingly clean.

No where else in the world would housekeeping leave an Apple Strudel in your room each time they made it up. YUM.

Sacher Torte is named after the Sacher Hotel , a dry chocolate cake with apricot jam

Don’t forget your credit card’s pin number!!!! After 3 attempts at a cash machine, it will withhold your card (well ok this is not new information but made my shopping expedition a little less exciting and way more frustrating!)

Due to my card being retained, I had to cancel my excursion to the motorbike shop to buy a new helmet for my scooter. Alas I will keep using my inherited Dirt Bike helmet a while longer (but is good for my street cred).

Bikram Yoga – although carried out in German if you arrive early or call beforehand you can ensure your instructor carries out the class in English as well as German. Click here for the Bikram Yoga studio in Vienna. They offer a great deal for newcomers or even if you are passing through. For 10 euros you can come and do yoga twice in 10 days. Remember to ask for Lily, she was a lovely help over the phone.

I can now do the Dining Out Alone. Granted I did take a good book with me to ease the pain ‘Coffee, Tea or Me', one of the original books based on the excitement of Life as a Flight Attendant set in the 1960’s. I also found that waiters are very considerate and friendly, especially to lone foreign diners. Very assistive with their suggestions on what beer to sample and also what to do in Vienna.

The attempt at Veganism failed yet again :( , but after my delicious Wiener Schnitzel cutlet of pork that is pounded flat, coated in flour, egg and breadcrumbs, and fried in clarified butter, I was all set to start my JUICING FEST when I got home a few days later.

For a girl that doesn’t really like beer (except maybe a Corona or a Singha with a hot Thai curry) I actually didn’t mind a Stein or two and looked forward to my mug with my dinner.

One of my most interesting finds on one of my walking ventures around the city was the Australian Bar. A common joke is that Austria gets often confused with Australia with expats’s mail from friends and family back home sometimes doing a detour Down Under and some souvenir Tshirts for sale, have a saying “There are No Kangaroos in Austria”. Imagine my surprise when a hop skip and jump from my hotel was the Austraila Bar and Cafe which got me thinking. What is a typical Australian meal? Any suggestions welcome but all I could come up with is a Roast Lamb or a Meat Pie with Tomato Sauce.....oh and a vegemite sandwich.

For those Aussie readers (and Aussie wanabees) take a shot at my fun little poll on the right to see what REALLY should be served at an Australian/Bar????

Walking Talking Fruit Basket

2008-09-29T06:48:00.005+03:00

Lately I have succumbed to the Juice/Smoothie making mania that occurs to me every year or so. In preparation for my Detox retreat I am to undertake shortly, I have been existing the last couple of weeks on mainly fruit and vegetable juices, and I feel fantastic!

Anyone that has ever had the displeasure of living with me has had to endure periods of juice making and vegetable pulp flying around all corners of my kitchen whenever I am "in one of those crazy diet phases again" according to them, although I do think this is one ‘crazy diet’ that is going to stick.

I have hardly felt hungry at all these last couple of weeks and when I did 'fall off the wagon' one day and eat some delicious hot chips, boy did I pay for it. My tummy swelled up and I promised myself I would NEVER touch them again and since have had no cravings except for one of my delicious fruit or veggie concoctions.

One of my favourite smoothies (don’t knock it til you have tried it!) is a Green Juice or Smoothie, made by juicing any number of sweet fruits (I like kiwi, oranges, apples, pineapple, watermelon) and topping it off with juiced romaine lettuce (yes you heard right) and then blended with a banana and a handful of spinach. As an alternative to this, I also make a pure GREEN veggie juice with zucchinis, cucumber, celery, lettuce, spinach and an apple or two to make it a bit sweeter. I am telling you, this recipe actually tastes quite nice and gives you a better kick than a coffee (I am not kidding!!).

My once dry skin is already repairing itself and all over I am starting to feel really good. I was sick of getting up in the mornings and never really being able to wake up properly, always tempted to going back to bed. This has already become a thing of the past, and the benefits are only going to get better I am sure, so watch this space.

As I write this I am waiting for my Champion Juicer to arrive from the US which after using my supermarket brand juicer up til now, then having the pleasure of using my boyfriend's Champion, I was pleased to see that my juice quantity improved dramatically, with the remaining pulp being completely juice free and the clean up was much easier. The juicer also claims to make ice-cream, frozen smoothies and nut butters.

Check out my Interview

2008-09-27T21:19:00.007+03:00

Just racing off to catch my flight to my mystery holiday detox destination, but thought I'd take the quick chance to plug another great blog that I watch with keen interest!

Airboy is a French guy living in the Middle East and he puts my technology expertise to shame. If anything just check out his blog for the aesthetics....it is awesome.

Anyway, he regularly interviews other bloggers and yesterday I was featured so go on take a look. It was lots of fun.

More updates on my arrival to my holiday spot!

Happy reading!

Airboy's Interview with Girl on Tour

Organising from the Inside Out????

2008-09-23T13:38:00.007+03:00

Does anyone else ever feel like they are living in chaos? I look at my neat freak completely organised friends and boyfriend with envy and wonder how do they do it. How do they know where to go to get the receipt from the blender that they bought 6 months ago, but has now carked it and needs a warranty claim and the receipt to prove it??? I am completely living for the moment, spontaneous and never planning more than one minute ahead. I thought that translated to exciting and creative and charming, but lately it translates to DISORGANISED and STRESSFUL especially with an occupation like mine where you can end up at any end of the world at any given time.

Imagine my delight when flicking through my boyfriends library I found Organising from the Inside Out - The Foolproof System for Organising Your Home, Your Office and Your Life by Julie Morgenstern. I stayed up til 3am last night, going through all my paperwork and filing in a completely new system according to the book, that for most of you is probably elementary, but no matter how hard I try, I have never seemed to developed a system that worked. I am the person who is always rushing around trying to find my keys at the last minute, despite having only used them 10 minutes ago, I never fail to leave a possession in a hotel room on a layover and I tend to operate out of piles of paperwork all over my house, never able to find the ones that I need right at this moment.

Coincidentally, this morning whilst perusing one of my regular blogs by another flight attendant living in the Middle East, I found she had detailed how to pack a FA bag and realised that after over 6 years of doing this job, I have NO IDEA what I was doing. This is the universe trying to tell me to get my life sorted out and finally cut the crap.

As I head off on another holiday at the end of this week, I thought it was about time to sort out my clutter in my life and make things just a little simpler and easy, so on my return I can hit the ground running. So next thing to conquer is the bathroom cupboard.

More on my upcoming holiday later...very exciting, it involves catching up with friends which got postponed from last holiday and doing a detox in a tropical climate....curious??? :)

Transit in Dubai

2008-09-21T21:38:00.007+03:00

I am impressed! As I was disembarking my Emirates flight recently, the purser at the door said “Have a good day Miss L”. I seriously did a double take. I mean it. I doubled up and looked back at her and laughed and said, “How did you remember?” This was the person whom also checked my boarding pass only an hour earlier when I boarded. She said she always remembered with a wicked smile.
Now when I was flying for commercial airlines this was something that was especially driven down into the depths of our souls during training for dealing with premium guests. However I was only in cattle class this day (now I have to pay full fare for my flights cry cry). Ok I admit, there was only probably about 30% capacity today, however there were still at least 80 passengers on board my flight, and that is a lot of names to remember.
One thing I say I am not impressed with however is, the terminal situation in Dubai. As I sat patiently at a café waiting for my gate to open (they only open an hour prior to departure), at least 100 people who I could only assume were on my flight also, were crowding the outside of the secure gate, sitting on the ground, sitting on each other and fighting for what minimal seating was provided. Outside the gate, we all look lovingly to the lonely looking bench seats on the exclusive inside of the gate…all because there are no staff on the desk to check boarding passes. I don’t know, maybe I am missing something but here’s an idea. Why not have the seating area open so all the fare paying passengers can have a seat not only on the flight but whilst waiting to board, and check boarding passes on the door on the way to the aircraft?

I Still Call Australia Home

2008-09-17T11:43:00.011+03:00

I've just spent all morning on the phone to various banks, accountants etc, back home in Australia, sorting out my affairs, and finding that every single person I dealt with, went above and beyond what my expectations were in dealing with my requests. Each time I would thank them graciously and appear amazed somewhat, and it was only after the 3rd or 4th person I dealt with that I started to notice their confusion. Having been away so long from Australia I have totally forgotten how high their standard of customer service is just the daily norm. Now I was brought back to reality when I had to phone the UK passports office to request a copy of a receipt that I was told over the weekend by not one but two 24 hour telephone operators, would be a simple request however needing to be done during office hours. Imagine my disappointment and annoyance when I phone during office hours only to have an operator advise the request is to be done in writing, and only via fax. Then the office will deal with the request if and when they have the time. I told her I did not have a fax and she rudely reminded me that public libraries have them. This is when I told her that I reside in the desert in the Middle East, and I am lucky to have adsl, of which she was non plussed. I asked her to perhaps check with a supervisor if email was sufficient and she was not bothered. This is when I told her how unfortunate the UK was with it's service ethic (as if she cared!!) and how she in particular could learn a thing or two from her counterparts down under, then hung up. Reminded me of all the fun I had dealing with service people like this EVERYDAY in London.....Mum was right. I wouldn't appreciate Australia til I left.

The European Adventure continues....

2008-09-15T21:13:00.012+03:00

After our party hard time in Ibeeeeeeza recently, the party gang departed and it was just the two of us, weary and a shadow of our formal selves with still a good week and a bit to our holidays. Portugal was next on our agenda.

With no plan in place other than to have NO PLAN, we hit Portugal's capital around 1am, ready to fall onto our luxurious king size bed (I knew those loyalty points would come in handy for some last minute 'flash-packing') After a week of sleeping where we fell in Ibiza (ok although we did have an apartment between 6 of us, it became a nightly game of musical beds depending on who had the most party stamina and would be the last to make up the sofa couch). It was refreshing to have a lovely suite for at least the beginning of our week.

We surprisingly stayed in Lisbon one day longer than originally planned due to losing a day in recovery mode from Ibiza (who couldn't see that one coming?), but once we were done with Lisbon, we hired a car and took off to explore .....

The original plan was for some surfing (lessons for me of course), however this was thwarted by the lack of warm weather. We had been spoilt in 'the Mediterranean' with a perfect climate. Although Portugal was a pleasant change from the HOT STICKY DESERT I live in.

Best Bits of Portugal

OMG the food! For a girl that dabbles with veganism, I couldn't pass up the national dish of Bacalhau^ (I first discovered in Mexico Xmas 2005). Oops. Also every dish was sooo heavy and comfort based. Lots of meat and potatoes but soooooooo yum, also every restaurant you would dine in would automatically place appetisers in front of you before you had even glanced at a menu. If you chose not to eat these you were not charged, but both P & I are real foodies and of course we polished off every last bite!
Experiencing a Fado* club
The history, impressive buildings and castles (too many to mention here!)
SINTRA - The Summer Residence of Kings. Thought I had stepped into my own fairytale Kingdom
Pasteis de Belém or Pastéis de Nata - (MORE FOOD!) flaky tartlets filled with custard like cream (truthfully I was warned about their addictive nature by a native friend of mine+)

Pirate Exhibition in Palácio de Seteais in Sintra
Oceanário de Lisboa (I had to take P under duress but I think he enjoyed as much as me)
Tram 28 which takes you on a circuit of the inner part of Lisbon
Portuguese azulejos - vibrant blue and white or multicoloured decorative tiles EVERYWHERE....

Seeing real life 175 million year old dinosaur footprints in Estremadura (My favourite!)

The Not So Good Bits (not that much actually):

We didn't even get to try any port wine (what Portugal is famous for!) or it's Ginginha#

The million steps up to the Castelo de Sao Jorge - but the view was worth it!

Our trip to Portugal was purely by accident as neither of us had the desire to visit before any of our never ending list of dream destinations had been conquered, but due to a lack of flights to our first choice, we settled on here. And settle we did not. We were both amazingly surprised and enjoyed it thoroughly. Perhaps it was FADO!!

Bacalhau^ is a family of food dishes made from codfish, which has been dried and salted for preservation. Bacalhau originated in Portugal, but is very popular in many countries from Brazil to several countries in Southeast Asia. In Portuguese, the word bacalhua means codfish, but bacalhau most commonly refers to any of a variety of dishes that are prepared with codfish, or salt cod, as the main ingredient. Strictly a form of Portuguese cuisine, bacalhau is a dish that has been around for several hundred years.

Fado* ("fate") - is often described as working-class blues, although musically it would perhaps be more accurate to class it as a kind of light operetta, sing to a viola accompaniment usually enjoyed at a Fado bar where meals are served but you are not always required to eat. Moving music and lyrics.

Ginginha# - Portugese cherry brandy, highly advisable NOT to eat the cherry.....

+Many thanks to my Portugese pal Nuno, for his tips/hints and guidance on what to do and what not to do...and also for pasting those little things above some letters (`) for me as I have no idea. Nuno has since told me these are called 'accute accents'.

We Will Miss You Bronnie xxxx

2008-09-11T03:59:00.007+03:00

Just a small tribute to my friend and earth angel Bronwyn McLennan whom I met in my banking days years ago. She unfortunately passed away suddenly last week in Australia from an unknown virus at age 34. She will be remembered by everyone who had the pleasure to have her in their life for however long they were blessed, for her vibrant and always positive attitude, happy go lucky demeanour, who always gave EVERYONE the time of day, colourful dress sense and amazing amazing aura! She was a lovely lady, that I had not seen in years, but kept in regular contact with me online in recent times. I am saddened to not be able to attend her funeral in Australia this morning, but my thoughts and heart are certainly with her 3 children, husband Michel and her brother Angus, sister Amanda and mother Nita.

We will miss you Bronnie! You lit up so many lives.

Dinner for Three

2008-09-09T09:49:00.007+03:00

As I sat all lonesome in my tiny yet posh galley yesterday, eating my dinner whilst my pax were in La La Land, I couldn't help but remininsce about the good ol days at a previous airline and when I look back, the memories are mostly fond.

Last night I recalled a late night flight returning home after a 24 hour layover. The manager invited me from First Class cabin where I was 'operating' (my non airline friends LOVE to make fun of that term) to the Business Class galley where I was confronted with not only a feast, but a makeshift dining table. The crew were being invited three by three to take their turn to enjoy their meal break sitting down, NOT standing in a galley picking from all the left over economy trays, NOT racing to each cabin to beat the next crew member in the last of the premium cabin pickings and NOT hiding behind a curtain out of view from prying eyes. Our dining table was made from a tray mobile, cart top linen was our table cloth and we sat on atlas boxes. Genius!

Ibeeeeeeeza Rocks!!!!

2008-09-06T07:37:00.005+03:00

Recently I went on a girls (okay and two boys) holiday to Ibiza. I can’t say I was enticed by the late night programs years ago on Australian television showcasing ‘Brit’s Abroad’ and how to get wasted in 2 easy steps; shots and more shots. However when living in London a while ago, I witnessed firsthand, my own friends preparing each year to do the ‘Ibiza thing’ whilst I wondered what all the fuss was about. One friend in particular had been several years in a row, this being her first of abstinence.

Roll on July this year, and the six of us Ibiza inductees (all over 30 might I add!) arrive all pasty skinned and ready to dance our little hearts out. With cheat notes in hand (from our collection of experienced friends) we embark on our week on Playa d’en Bossa.

Highlights of the week include but are not limited to:

Optional nudity on the beach... in complete contrast to my current home country...this is where anything goes!

Bull Bar Breakie – €3.50 for OJ, bacon, beans, sausage, toast and 2 eggs – AMAAAZZING even the 4th day in a row

Bora Bora Beach Bar – if you are just beginning your day or ending the night before, great place to chill, listen to the beats, catch some rays and BYO drinks from the supermarket within walking distance

Amnesia on a Sat night – by far the best night for us all...granted it was our 1st night out in Ibiza, but the tunes rocked and we were just firing up
Space on Sundays (starts at 3pm)

Tiesto in residence at Privilege nightclub on Mondays (I wasn’t too impressed by the show but had to be done...also I sold my pal’s pair of sunnies she had lent to me to a random for a profit, so that was the highlight of my evening!)

The fashion! Where else in the world could you wear only your swimwear into a club and not look out of place?

L’s contacts for getting us VIP entry (although we never ended up getting around to using any of them!)

Venturing over to the dark side (San Antonio – the 18-25’s mecca and setting for most of those previously mentioned TV programs) to witness sunset at Cafe del Mar (we just missed sunset but that meant we at least got a table for some Sangria as everyone bailed out shortly after)

The lowlights:

The cost!!! Very pricey, if you plan to club, try to get wristbands off promoters that day on the beach. Makes it hard to be spontaneous and they usually mean an earlier arrival than most of us would like but you can save yourself a substantial amount of cash. Also drinks are upwards of €8 each and that is just for a beer....
Being frisked at Space when I was already in the club, and having my can of Red bull taken off me (the bouncer thought I had tried to smuggle in a can of Red bull when I had really just bought it from the bar for €8 10 minutes earlier and was saving it for later. Something tells me there were bigger fish to fry that day inside...hmmmm)

The overall service ethic...most locals don’t speak much English and although the trade is seasonal in Ibiza (most clubs and bars shut down after the closing parties in September) it can still be difficult to ask for a ride home or for assistance in a store. Taxi drivers and some shopkeepers can sometimes appear downright rude. Try to keep your cool and handy to learn a couple of basics in Español if you can.

Needless to say my next holiday is most likely to be a detox, possibly Thailand, and sooner rather than later (however the boyf and I are not adverse to perhaps booking for next years closing parties but let's talk about that AFTER the recovery?????)

Free to Good Home - MY HOME!

2008-09-03T00:36:00.008+03:00

I have a new cat. His name is Sam. He is 1 year old and was abandoned and rescued by my friend who kindly declined to keep him due to owning 6 already. Cue me to play the good Samaritan. Not really a cat person, rather a dog person, it has challenged me from the minute he arrived, as I rarely see the fella as he is loves to hide under my bed or in the shower, much to my boyfriend’s delight the other morning when half asleep he turned on the tap to hear and see Sam take off. His meow gives homage to the saying “sounds like he strangled a cat” and he does nothing other than eat or sleep (and leave stinky gifts for me in the litter).

I have hope he will come good, and last night we made progress as he jumped up beside me on the couch and snuggled (albeit violently slamming into my side). He still doesn’t like me to come to him though. We will see how it goes.

Long Time Between Drinks.....

2008-09-02T22:03:00.006+03:00

It has definitely been a while since I last posted and I thank those of you who keep checking in for my 'so called promised posts' that I have still failed to present. I am still dealing with dark ages dial up however, this is no excuse as I am still able to post albeit a little slower than hoped.

I have lots of great material including my recent trips to London, Portugal & Spain, plus my many misadventures since returning home to the 'reality' of my life & work.

Please be patient with me as I attempt to produce more timely posts in the future, and don't forget to comment as you see fit too as it helps me to keep on track and it is constructive (for me) to gain feedback.

Stay tuned!

Solo Traveller

2008-07-20T16:35:00.006+03:00

I think it takes a great deal of courage to go and travel in the singular. It is something I have always wanted to conquer even when my European trip was just a twinkle in my eye back in Australia when I was still trying to find the best escape route from my cushy domestic flight attendant life in 2005. The most I had ever surmounted were single entry visits to the movies (which I quite enjoy funnily enough!). Next would be to defeat the lone visit to a bar, live band and then a single holiday which are still yet to be achieved on my invisible to do list. But the question I have is it necessary to have to overcome these things? And does it make you a weakling if you cannot?

Watching the movie Paris Je T’aime* in bed last night, one story really spoke to me and that was of the American woman who sat on the park bench in Paris eating her baguette alone, shedding a few tears of both joy & sadness. As she looked around the park she breathed in all the couples around her (including friends and pets). She had come to Paris to fulfill a dream to practise her French learnt at night class. She spoke about standing on the tallest sky scraper in Paris and looking at the view, and although she had wonderful friends and 2 loving dogs back home , she felt it was at a time like this she wished she could say to someone “check out this amazing view”.

This scene had even more significance to me right now as I am pretty much alone in a foreign city for a week, not by choice, but due to my work. Even when I do attempt to be courageous and head out the door, camera in tow, with no real clue as to where I am heading or what to go look for, I turn right back around within an hour or two, after struggling with trying to ask for directions off some local shop keepers, or just purchasing a simple pair of shoes and asking for them in my size. Hardly anyone speaks a decent amount of English here (rightly so I think as it is their country) but because of this, my normal confident self, even finds it difficult to go into Subway and ask if they speak English or point at the sandwich I want for lunch.

I know if I were with a friend or travel companion I WOULD have more guts to get out and venture further as I have done in the past trips to France, Mexico & Spain to name a few. However due to this being a 'work' trip a travel companion is not available. This just makes ‘my real holiday’ that starts on Tuesday (inclusive of like minded travel buddies), that bit more exciting for me.

See, I am not half as adventurous as you all think I am.

* a collection of short films about Stories of Love from the City of Love

National Lampoon's European Vacation.

2008-07-18T03:28:00.018+03:00

I am in Hamburg. As much as I would love to say it is part of my version of Lampoon's European Vacation, sadly it is not. But don't feel too sorry for me though, this is another work trip that was sprung up on me last week, which does cut into my leave somewhat, planned for this coming Saturday and now delayed to Monday much to my ever patient travelling companion's dismay. Not much has changed to our itinerary except my anticipated but short stay in Dubai being scrapped and he is already on a flight to a 'boys camping trip' somewhere in England instead. It just means for me I have a week to check out Hamburg (once again on my own - or with the gang^ if I want) on the bosses account and time.

Never having visited Dubai apart from brief stopovers like most people who've trialled Emirates or Etihad airlines, and having been advised there is not a great deal to see there (other than couples having sex on the beach), I never really thought I'd be missing much. Recently however, a couple of friends from the UK moved to Dubai, and although I now live so close, my work makes it hard for me to leave the compound for long enough to visit, so a stopover was perfect this holiday. Unfortunately it was not to be, due to this work trip (although my Dad still refuses to call my job work - he still thinks I haven't yet found the working part to my "working-holiday" that commenced late 2005). Anyhow, my next leave due in October will definitely have a Dubai stop to visit the girls with hopefully a trip to Jordan to see the Lost City of Petra and maybe Muscat, Oman.

As for THIS vacation I have planned for next week, the itinerary looks like this:
London 4 days > Ibiza, Spain 1 week > Portugal 1 week.

Stayed tuned!

^ my pilots and crew (usually 3-4 middle aged men who just want to drink beer and eat steak)

I've got wheels!

2008-07-16T23:25:00.011+03:00

Birthday in the Dessert (oops Desert)

2008-07-16T08:14:00.014+03:00

With the milestone birthday occurring last year, this one really didn’t seem to be that important to me, and for the first time since I can remember, I had to be reminded 2 weeks out that my birthday was arriving. Usually I would have had some form of celebration planned months in advance, losing sleep over the invitations and venue, whether it be drinks at the Brekkie Creek in Brisbane, a dinner with family at a nice Italian joint (as long as it was gluten free!!!) or dancing the night away til the early hours. This year felt a bit anti climactic.

With the drama of last years birthday over (turning 30 is overrated) I really don't have the same desire for limelight as in the years passed anymore. I mean, hardly exciting when your closest friends are scattered over the world and your family are half a planet away. And working with an almost ‘standby’ schedule for 10 weeks at a time, I had no way to plan anything special (or let anyone plan it for me). With online helpers like social networking site Facebook reminding people when it is your birthday, I deleted that functionality months ago, so really no one would know it was my birthday unless I told them.

Bearing witness to 5 months worth of how expats celebrate birthdays here in the desert (many celebrations over as many weeks, puts the original Festival of ME# to shame), I thought I would much rather lay low and if anything, just have a nice dinner on the day with my man, and maybe a couple of friends.

In the end, it was a lovely weekend with my man taking me across the border for an appetiser of cocktails followed by our favourite restaurant and a bottle of wine. The next day entailed a pool party at one of the pilot's houses with my ‘actual’ birthday one day later taking me by complete surprise at the end of the weekend by turning into a really special day. Delicious dinner with a few select friends who amazed me with my favourite tiramisu cake after dinner and the best birthday present - the Calvin Klein watch I have been searching for a year and happened to conveniently turn up at my local mall last month. I got a surprise (well kind of as I actually asked for it...) birthday card sent in the mail from my Nana of which I look forward to every year as she makes it herself and this time she didn’t get delayed in Melbourne on her way to see me in Brisbane reminiscent of last years 'festival' as obviously I was not there to be visited.

All in all, turning 31 actually seemed to be less eventful and maybe a lot more pleasant than turning 30. Not that the number bothers me, but perhaps this year because there was less of an intinerary, there was less that could go wrong...mental note for next birthday...PLAN NOTHING!!!

# Festival of ME a term coined by the lovely L for my 29th birthday in London, when the celebrations accidentally lasted over a period of a few weeks. This reference has now stuck with all my immediate family calling my 'birthday period' the 'Festival of ME'.

I didn't check out the Freedom Trail but I did leave my room today....

2008-06-12T00:32:00.012+03:00

Well you will be impressed to know I did make it out today, and what a gorgeous day it turned out to be. First stop was Sushi for lunch...oh wow, makes me realise how much I miss just standard little luxuries most western countries take for granted....then a speed boat ride on the harbour. Now this was a bit of fun actually. Codzilla was the name of the ride and it boasted a wild ride to go and discover the "mutant" Cod that legend has it, was formed out at the Water Treatment Plants situated on an island just outside of the harbour. Purely entertainment, and the speed boat donuts were very thrilling.....and some fantastic views of Boston Cityscape coming back in.

I then finally took off to see the movie I have been dying for one of the techies* to come along and see with me, however tonight they chose a funny Adam Sandler film at the same time and I was relegated to seeing Sex and The City on my own, crying with the opening scene which wasn't even sad...I think it just brought back so many memories from comforting years gone by when it used to be mine and my girlfriends equivalent to a Single Gal's manual. After a draining 2 and a bit hours of being dragged through the emotional equivalent of a wringer, I met the techies outside the theatre trying to hold back my tears when they asked me what I thought of the movie....CRAZY, but they were still laughing at their film whilst I was choking....please explain!?! The poor guys didn't know where to look when my voice broke and I quickly changed the subject. My boyfriend's explanation to my odd behavior is "you're just feeling uptight because it has been almost 3 weeks and you are missing me!" I love it.

Lately I have fallen victim to a new bad habit, and tonight was no exception after the movie. My guilty indulgence is sneaking off to the business lounge^ of an evening to sample their desserts. Never having been a sweet tooth, after 3 weeks of trying to fill up my idle hours in the day, I am finding I am longing for the 8th hour of the evening to view what is on offer for dessert, only to struggle getting to sleep due to the sugar rush.

So this evening after having my cream profiteroles and fairy cake, I decided I needed to end on a savoury note. After saying good evening to the the techies, I snuck off across the road to the local 7/11. Most people would be worried that a young girl walking the streets of Boston at 10.30pm would be a health hazard, but they have never seen Long Wharf in Summer. People spilling out onto the streets, enjoying the summer night, dining late and making good use of the agreeable climate. Anyway on arrival at 7/11, I was greeted by a beggar outside the door asking for change. I actually was taken aback, ignored him, then went about my way inside. As I entered he said "maybe on the way out sweetheart, but have a good evening". I felt terrible. So along with my snacks, I multiplied them by 2, paid for them, then looked for him outside. He was no longer there. So I started looking around the street for him and he was no where to be found. This was silly. Here I was standing with 2 Slurpees and a bag of sandwiches for him and some cheese and crackers for me. What was I to do with these if I could not find him and damn him for playing on my conscience like this, and then taking off leaving me holding the Slurpee. After realising this was probably a little dangerous, trying to find a substitute beggar to donate my purchases to, even contemplating walking into the shadowy park where I could see a big figure sleeping, I thought twice and headed back to my hotel. Even the poor guy in the elevator with me wouldn't accept my offer of a free Slurpee...must have thought I spiked it. Oh well, even when I tried to do a good deed, I was thawted. Should of just given him the 5 bucks when I had the chance. Kinda pales in comparison to the beggar I saw outside of MacDonalds at Clapham Common in London last year, when he was given a cheeseburger, threw it at the "donor" claiming he was vegetarian!!!

#techie is a slang term for pilot or flight engineer
^business lounge is a private lounge for premium guests to enjoy continental breakfast, internet facilities, happy hour appetisers and if you are lucky, Cheesecake Factory desserts in the evening!!!

Bourstonne (how the locals say Boston)

2008-06-11T04:19:00.007+03:00

Well I must admit the first thing I loved when I got off the plane, was the way the true Bostonians (is that a word?) speak. It is with an American accent of course, but I think you all know that accent I mean..."you want a cup of coiffeee" kinda accent??

On my 7th day here for work, living out of a suitcase for the last 3 weeks, I am ashamed to say I haven't really tried to find out too much about the city I have called home for just over a week. With Americans on my crew, I have learnt that Boston is home to quite a substantial amount of American history, and on walking around the city, I have also discovered there is such a thing as the Freedom Trail, however the most I have seen on this trip, I am sorry to say, is the inside of my hotel room catching up on sleep I haven't really lost, oh and the Apple stores I have come to have a junkie type addiction to. Oh and New Kids on the Block originated from Boston.

I left home around 3 weeks ago, for an OS work trip. I am here in Boston, enjoying the erm, hotel. Seriously I have done nothing noteworthy (I have discovered late night television and a TV show soon to come to Australia called Flight of the Conchords!!!) and at the risk of being as my father said on MSN last week, "blasé to world travel now", it really is hard to enjoy a new place, when you don't have the same kinda like minded people to share it with.

Unlike flying for a big commercial airline and arriving in Hong Kong for 2 nights, with 16 crew on board of varying ages and interests, you were bound to find a kindred spirit with which to either grab a bite to eat, discover the cultural tastes on offer, or go out on a booze fuelled discovery of bars and clubs til dawn then straight to the hotel buffet for breakfast (my favourite thing to do!).

My crew all over 40 and married.

Don't get me wrong, these guys are absolutely lovely, however they don't have the same interests as me in what they want to do in their down time. (Their interests include jumping out of a perfectly working plane, driving all over the state and outside of it to find the best electronic bargains and looking for new luggage) Mine include, discovering local haunts (not the touristy places), fine dining, finding a gym that has a decent Body Pump class, and trying not to spend too much money...oh and seeing the Sex & the City film.

Of course, a girl of my position and experience, is not adverse to seeing the odd movie or going on a shopping expedition on my own, in fact I quite prefer doing these in the singular, however it is now getting old 3rd week in, that I am having to entertain myself in a fantastic new city I have never been to. I don't want for much, just a like minded person to exclaim "What a pretty park Boston Common is", or "How about those sirens that don't give up at any time of the day eh?"

I guess the main thing I have noticed with this kind of flying with less crew is that I am required to be more self sufficient, independent, flexible and prepared: to fly away at my passengers whim when they decide they don't want to be here anymore, to have a list of things to do before I get to my destination, and to smell the roses...I MIGHT NOT GET BACK HERE EVER AGAIN!!

Ok, tomorrow (with 2 days left here) I think I might go and do a Freedom Trail tour, or maybe even a boat trip on the harbour...or maybe might just head back to the Apple store and play on the computers.....what do you think???

What Happens on Tour Stays on Tour...Or on My Blog????

2008-06-11T04:08:00.004+03:00

After years of reading chic lit books based on Blogs (short for Web Logs for those less internet savvy) and after envying a couple of girlfriend's (and even one ex boyfriend's) attempt at writing their own, I thought why not, of course I could try writing a blog....whether or not anyone is even interested in what I have to say on here, this is probably just a less invasive way of getting my thoughts out rather than having to pester people with my verbal dribble all day and all night..at least this is a avenue for you all to decide if and when you want to know what I have to say, and add your own input if so desired.

I cannot say what genre or topic will be mostly covered here, as I do find it rather hard to pigeon hole my interests, style or generally what I tend to muse on, however I can say it will be honest, frank, open and probably sometimes heartfelt.

Anyway, please be patient with me as I learn the new world of "The Blogger" and learn how to post (and take) photos and pictures and once I have something worth commenting on, then please feel free to give me some feedback via the comments section!!!

Girl on Tour