Thoughts, Feelings, and More Trips Planned!!

This past weekend I decided to lay low since I've been running and traveling pretty much since I left Canada back on Dec 23rd.  It gave me some time to reflect  on how I've been feeling.

To be perfectly honest Friday night and Saturday morning were tough days for me.  Going to work for three day (without kids just professional development activities) was very overwhelming.   The school system in Australia is years ahead of where we are in Canada.  Having said that it isn't anything new to me, it's just set up in a way that's very new to me.  I was frustrated by many things although it certainly didn't include the friendliness and helpfulness of the staff at North Footscray Primary.  Everyone has been great, but even with that it's had me feeling very overwhelmed.   I didn't get much time to set up my classroom and so I don't feel settled.  There are many things that must be done in the first few weeks of school (assessment and data collection for literacy and numeracy concepts) and it will take a lot of time.  For someone who has never administered these assessments it will be a slow process.  I will be given some release time to get it done but most will be done during my teaching hours.

Anyhow, no specific details but it can be said that I was very sad on Friday night and Saturday morning.  Some time has passed since then (it's Sunday afternoon here now) and thankfully I'm feeling better.  I know that this teaching year will be a challenge for me to begin with but I do believe that I have the tools to be a great teacher - even in this new system.  That's the attitude I'm going to go in with on my first day of school with the children tomorrow.  Even though my room isn't ready for them, I have very limited resources (although everyone is willing to share what they have to make it easier for me),  and I must get started on the assessment right away it will be okay.

On the bright side my sister Debbie is coming to visit me in July (the dead of winter here)  and we've booked a two week vacation that will include Cains, Brisbane, Gold Coast (Surfer's Paradise) , and Airlie Beach (Whitsunday Islands).  We may squeeze in the Gold Coast Marathon or Half Marathon on July 5.  Debbie will then be flying back with me to Melbourne to do some touring on her own.  It should be a good holiday and hopefully it we'll get some warmer weather on the vacation.  Melbourne will be COLD for certain.

I'm still working out the final details for my trip to New Zealand in April but hopefully that will all be booked later today.  In addition my dad is coming at the end of my New Zealand trip so we'll have some time together in Melbourne.  I'm then flying to Sydney at the end of his Australian adventure and spending a weekend with him there.

Oh, and I have two weekend trips already planned in Victoria too.  I'm heading to South Gippsland with the exchange people in February, and to Ballarat with the exchange people in March.  So needless to say there is a lot going on for me here in Australia.  I did hope to run four marathons while I'm here but  I think I'll be lucky if I get one or two.  I'm not running much these days and with all the time traveling I don't know how much time I'll have to get any training in.  So it may be half marathons instead or perhaps even no marathons.  We'll see.  Travel is the priority for me this year.  I paid an arm and a leg to get to Melbourne so I'm going to take FULL advantage of it.

Back at Work but .... Children Free for Three Days

Today was my first day of work in Australia.  Mary from the school offered to go out of her way to pick me up in the morning.  It was very nice to go for my first day with some one. 

The day went quite well but it has left me feeling very overwhelmed.  That's not a bad thing, it's just how I'm feeling.  The staff seems very nice and there have been some very helpful people too.  It was the first of three children free days.

Today we had meetings in the morning then met in our teams (all k - 2 teachers and the specialists that work with them).  I had some time in my room (which all I did was move furniture around).  I learned about the literacy assessment they (including me) do right at the beginning of the year for the grade one students.  It looks great, time consuming, but very valuable data.  As a staff we went for lunch which was nice.   I then had a few more minutes working in the room before we ended the day with another staff meeting.  After the staff meeting I worked in my room again before Mary drove me home.  I've loaded my backpack with a lot of heavy materials that I'm going to try to get through this evening.

Tomorrow we have a day of first aid training and Friday is also planned for us.  My first official day with children is Monday.  It's going to be very interesting but hopefully by the end of this week I will feel ready to take on the new class.  Right now I feel so NOT ready!

New Zealand Bound!!

Yes, while I've only just returned from the airport and I start work in less than 12 hours  I have already booked my travel plans for my first two week holiday in April.  I'm off to the North Island of NEW ZEALAND!!  I still need to do a lot of planning - ie how am I going to get from the top of the island to the bottom of the island but I have plane tickets so I'm pretty excited!!  (I'd also love to find a place to have a Passover Seder at as it will be passover while I'm in New Zealand).

Please send any New Zealand tips my way.

If you're thinking of coming to visit me in Melbourne please don't let the weather (winter in July and Aug) stop you from visiting.  Really!  It's a great place and you can always travel from Melbourne  to Northern Australia for some warmth.  

Orientation

Last Thursday and Friday I took part in a two day orientation for International Teaching Fellows (it's not called an exchange here in Victoria).  It allowed me to meet other people here for a year.  We had many different people talk with us both at the district/ministry level, as well as teachers who have perviously spent a year abroad.  I met many new people  We are all living some where in the state of Victoria but no one lives all that close to me.  That's okay though.  We also got to find out about some mini trips and activities that have been planned for us.  I've signed up for two trips already one taking place over a weekend in February and another a weekend in March.  The February trip will include a surf lesson.  It was nice to have the orientation but it wasn't so nice to lose two days of my summer vacation.  I'm about to embark on a long teaching period.  I will have three two week vacations to enjoy (and my two weeks at Christmas when I return to Canada) but my next long block of time off will be the summer of 2010!  And people wonder why I've done so much traveling these past few weeks.  I start real work tomorrow, and my first day with the children is on Monday.  YIKES!!!  Bye bye is my life of spending and traveling.  Now I need to add working to the mix.

Back from the Outback....

Friday night I was home playing around on line wondering where I could go since I had four days off in a row - my last four days off in a row.  Tiger airways had a cheap flight to Alice Springs in the Northern Territory and so off I went.  For those that don't know Alice Springs is the "closest" "city" to the famous Uluru (Ayer's Rock).  While they say it's the closest city, it is actually over 400 kms away and barely registers as a city.  

My flight arrived safely and I checked my self into a local hostel.  Not really  my thing but it was cheap and they helped me book my one day tour to Uluru.  Since the tour wasn't until the following day I decided to walk the city.  I met a girl from Germany in the hostel and together we walked "downtown".  Alice Springs is in the middle of Australia surrounded by pretty much nothing.  The main streets are quiet and there really isn't a lot to do there.  It has a couple of rivers near by but as you can see by the picture below, the water is extremely clear - so clear you can see right to the bottom!

Yes, it's in the desert and the local rivers haven't had any water in them for years.  (The funny thing is I took this picture from the bridge that crosses the river).

While walking in town I discovered that there was another one day tour to Kings Canyon that I could do as well.  Had I known this information before I left Melbourne I could have booked a one night tour that took me one day to Kings Canyon, and the next day to Uluru. But I didn't and since my room was already paid for for three nights I signed up for two tours - one each day.  Now, as I mentioned above, Uluru isn't all that close to Alice Springs, and neither was Kings Canyon.  Both trips involved being picked up at 6 am in the morning and returning at 1 am the following morning.  Yes, two very long days.  But... they were worth it.

Both trips involved a lot of road time through the outback.  As you can see from the photo below there is pretty much nothing in the outback.  Things were greener than I had expected but apparently there was rain in December.  I also learned that while it's a desert, it is actually situated on top of a very large under ground lake.  So while most of Australia is in a drought the desert has more water than it needs!  

On the first day I went to Kings Canyon.  It was really hot that day (high 30s low 40s) but it was a great day.  I met a couple from Germany (there are Germans every where in Australia), a couple from Holland, and a young man from Germany.  The two couples were wise enough to do the tour with a hotel stop two hours away from Alice Springs (so they didn't have to go back all the way) while the young german and I had to go back to our respective hotels in Alice Springs. He and I had the late night followed by the early  morning.  But, it was just fine as we had a lot of time on the bus to catch up with sleep.  Anyhow,  the six of us travelled together  both days and we were disappointed when other people joined us the second day.  Our little group was quite nice.

Anyhow back to the adventure.  Because I was doing two tours the days were switch around and I went to Watarrka National Park (Kings Canyon) the first day.  We did a three hour hike along the peak of the canyon. The views were incredible and the canyon itself was beautiful.  We even stopped at a swimming hole called the Garden of Eve.  I swam in all my clothing and it was so hot everything was dry by the time I returned to the bus.  Below is a picture of the canyon.
While driving back we were able to stop and take photos of the George Gill Mountain range.  While they certainly wouldn't be considered mountains where I come from they were impressive to look at all the same.

The second day I was picked up again at 6 am.  It was another long day on the road (but it allowed for catching up with sleep too). Our first stop was Uluru-Kata Tjuta National stop.  We stopped at Kata Tjuta first (also  know as the Olga's) and did a short canyon walk.  Below is a picture of Kata Tjuta.

Our second stop was at the Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre.  It was interesting, but we didn't really enough time to read the information.  Next we moved on to Uluru (Ayer's Rock).  We did two short walks there both times learning about the rock, some of the stories surrounding the rock, and seeing sacred places on the rock.  Both were interesting.  There is a climb on the rock but visitors are asked not to climb it because it is a scared spot for the local aboriginal people.  The climb was closed when I was there because the weather was too hot.  There is also a walk around the rock, but we weren't there long enough to walk around it.  We did drive around it though and heard many stories about it.

As sunset was approaching we stopped the bus.  They set up a champagne bar b que for us as we watched how the sun set changed the colour of the rock.  The human eye doesn't really notice the colour changes that the rock goes through but we were encouraged to take photos every five minutes.  Looking at my photos now I can see that the rock did change colours.  Below is my favourite photo because the rock looks like it's glowing.

That pretty much sums up my trip to Alice Springs.  As it turned out I was joined on my return flight by the three Germans.  The two men are working in Melbourne until the end of February and hopefully we'll all get together before they leave.  It was nice to have a group of friends to spend the weekend with.  I know with work starting tomorrow I'll have my own set of friends soon.  I also still need to connect with the local tri group.  I have contact information I've just had too much going on since I've arrived here.  I think I'm going to get through a bit of school first and then I'll jump in with both feet (at least the swimming part).

My Bike Commute

Today I rode my bike to work again, but this time I found a shorter route.  It was a much more pleasant experience as I'm sure I took at least 6 km off of Tuesday's adventure.  In addition, while it was warm today (high 20's I'd think) it wasn't nearly as warm as it was on Tuesday.  In addition, the winds were still blowing, but much more gently.  While at my new school I  met four staff members, all of which were very friendly and kind. 

Here are some photos from my commute  home from work.

The "HILL" I was warned about.  

I'm not even sure if you can tell from this picture or not but there is a snake path that takes me up this hill.  While it's certainly not flat, it is far from the hills I have ridden on the Ironman Canada bike course.

The awful scenory.  Yes, I have to ride on a car free path beside the Maribyrnong River.  It's tough seeing the palm trees blowing in the wind and the rowers paddling on the river.

The car free bridge that I must cross.

The crowded road with the poorly marked bike path on it.

One of many quiet tree lined paths I need to follow.

As you can see from the photos above I have a very challenging ride to work.  I hope I will be able to avoid all these terrible dangers.

Karen ;-)

Oh, I still need to write about my two days of orientation (related to my international teaching fellowship - I'm not supposed to call it an exchange here - NOT linked to my school) but I've just booked a flight to Alice Springs, and a tour to Uluru (Ayer's Rock) so it will have to wait.  I'll be back the afternoon before school starts.  Happy Australia Day everyone - it's Jan 26 in case you didn't know.

Yes, It's that BAD!

I went for my first run in over a month (and probably over five or even six weeks since I don't know when I last ran) and it was that bad.  I ran for 12.5 minutes (minutes not miles or kilometres) and it nearly killed me.  I knew it was bad, but I didn't think it was this bad.

Well, at least I have some base line data.  Today 12.5 minutes is painful.  Tomorrow I'm going to try for 15 minutes.  I do have a marathon on the Great Ocean Road that I'd like to do May 16-17 weekend.  I guess I'd better get running.

Back to the Australian Open

Last night when I was checking the line up for the Australian Open I noticed that Serena and Venus Williams were playing doubles tennis today on one of the outside courts (read, a $29 Au ticket to get in) and I decided I'd head back to catch them.  They were the third match of four in Show Court 2 (one of three bigger courts that are part of the cheaper tickets).

When I arrived the first match was still in play.  There was a queue (line up) to get in but after a short wait I was in, top row, under a shade canopy.  What I didn't realized was that the first match was going to take over three hours.  It was Marin Cilic of Croatia vs Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia.  The crowed was right into it - Serbs vs Croations and it was fun to watch.  It was a close match too with Cilic winning 6-2, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.

But still the William's sisters were match #3 not #2.  By this point the queue outside was growing and I wasn't about to give up my seat to have to wait all over again. Thankfully the kind ladies beside me were willing to save my seat for me.  When I returned a few minutes later Alize Cornet (FRA) was playing Andrea Pekovic (GER).  It was a very quick match as Cornet won 6-1, 6-0.

It was now time for the William's sisters.  It's funny here in Australia people don't care much for them.  I guess I don't care much for them either but as someone that comes from North America I do hear a lot about them.  I was happy to have my seat.  One American lady traded her two tickets inside the Rod Laver arena (Centre Court) for two seats at the William's match.  The Aussies around me thought she was nuts (and I'd agree with them).  But to them seeing the Williams sisters was worth it.  Here are some pictures.

Warming Up (Serena has the blue headband)

Serena and Venus chat after each point is awarded.  

It actually became annoying as they spend far too much time chatting.

Serena serving.

More chatting.

As the game continued the queue outside continued to grow.  I didn't know why as I thought this match was THE match of the day in this court.  But boy was I wrong.   Once the Williams sisters did what they came here to do (they won in two straight sets) the fourth match of the day was about to begin.  People had waited over two hours in the queue to get in.  Yes, over TWO hours!!  I thought the morning match between a Serbian and a Croatian was loud but this final match of the day was between Robin Soderling (SWE) and Marcos Baghdatis (CYP).  While the Swedish fans were loud, the Greek fans were even louder.  It was crazy.  The official had to keep asking everyone to be quiet.

I stuck around for about two hours of the match but I didn't really care who won, I was getting cold and hungry, and to be perfectly honest I was tired of tennis.   So I left at the start of the third set.   In the end I found out that Baghdatis wow 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-3.  I'm certain the place must have gone wild.

I Made It!!

Yes, I officially made it by bike to my school.  Here's a picture of the sign at the front of the school.

Here is a picture of the sign at the back of the school.

So I really did make it.  But it wasn't as close as I figured it would be because my "car free" bike route probably added 5 km to my over all commute, which was only suppose to be about 10 km and I'm sure ended up closer to 15 km.  No worry, I'll find better ways to get there, which are still safe for me as a cyclist.  

The one thing I didn't realize was how windy it was .  While it's often windy here I think today was a bit windier than normal (38+ km/h winds).  It was also warm and I'd say about 35c so between the heat and the wind it felt like I was riding inside a hot oven with the fan on full blast.

I'm also out of shape - running, biking, and swimming shape.  That's what 3.5 weeks of travel and a few days of visitors can do to a person.  My riding shape will come back quickly (and hopefully my swimming and running will too) so the commute should get easier.  It's really not that far away.

In the end it took me close to an hour to come home (I was much longer on the way as I kept stopping to check where I was, where I should be, and any where I could find some shade). A lot of the time is because it was windy and also because there are several places that I have to stop and wait for light to change.  I waited over three minutes at one of the lights.  But safety is more important to me so I'll wait.

So now I just need to find a shorter, faster route.

Australian Open

Although not much of a tennis fan, I headed to the Australian Open today to see what the fuss was all about. I was impressed with the grounds and what I saw.  There are two major stadiums that require advanced purchase tickets.  We had tickets for the main court, the Rod Laver area.  There are also three pretty big out door courts and 20 or so smaller courts on the grounds.  With the exception of the two main courts you have access to all the other courts with a ground ticket (only $29 AUS).  This is a picture of the grounds and some of the smaller courts.  You can't see the bigger courts in this picture though.

We hit the merchandise shop and I bought a hat.  From there we headed to the main court.  Andy Roddick easily beat Bjorn Rehnquist.  It was exciting to watch but it was pretty lopsided.  Here's the view from where I was sitting.  Thankfully I had a spot in the shade.

Once the match was over we decided to check out some of the outside courts.  Stephanie Dubouis from Canada was scheduled to be playing a Japanese lady on court 8.  While I'm not all that knowledgeable in tennis super stars if there is a  Canadian that I can cheer for I will.  Unfortunately the game before Stephanie's had not ended yet.  We watched a few of the other games then headed back inside the Rod Laver Arena to catch Jelena Jankovic play Yvonne Meusburger.  After a while I went back outside to see if Stephanie's game had started.  It hadn't so I went into court three and watched a bit of Mardy Fish vs Samuel Groth (below).

Finally I made it to Stephanie's game (below).  She wasn't doing too well and was getting frustrated.  I stuck around for one set (she lost 6-0) and headed back inside for some more Jankovic women's tennis.  Jankovic won, and while Stephanie went on to have a better second set, she lost again and is now out.

I spent more time watching the big boys in the Rod Laver Arena (Novak Djokovic vs Andrea Stoppini).  It was nice to have a seat, and one that was out of the sun.  Below is a picture of me after the three Rod Laver Arena matches were over (notice the new Australian Open hat? Yes, I know it's too big, but most hats I own are).

Once the Arena matches were over we caught a few more games on the outside courts.  I must say I really like the outside courts because they seem much more intimate.  I would typically be able to find a front row seat (often there was only one row of seats).  The games seemed more intense too as many unseated players were trying to get through to the second round.

Overall my experience was a positive one.  The tournament is very well organized and as a claustrophobic it wasn't too bad.  They provided a lot of free water stations if you needed to refill your bottles and there was always an air conditioned place available if you really needed out of the heat.  Who knows I may go back again later this week, or next week when the playing level gets really good.  Or I may not.

K

Cycling in Melbourne and My First Visitor

I picked up my new bike less than 48 hours after being in Melbourne.  It's a black lower level road bike called a Merida.  I've never heard of the brand but the price was right, and being black it would match my pink cycling jerseys.  Any one who knows me in the riding realm will know that if I can't be fast at least I can look good.  It should be good for commuting but also good for a triathlon or two if I choose to go that way while I'm here.

I took my bike for  a test ride to see if I could find my way to school.  I didn't have a lot of time but I figured I'd give it a try anyhow.  I'm so glad I did.   I couldn't believe how amazing the bike path network is (photo above).  One block from my home there is a car free bike path that will take me pretty much to my school 10 kms away.  It will lead me all over the city and probably into many of the outer suburbs too - all more or less CAR FREE!  It's an incredible place to be a cycle commuter.  It was a ton of fun to be riding.  I never did find my school though because I had time against me.  Looking at the map I know I was close though so once my company is gone, or I have a chance to sneak away on them I'm going to give it another go.  I'm pretty certain I should be able to get to work in under 30 min, and if I can my goal will be to see how much time I can cut off my commute.

Now the reason why I didn't have a lot of time is because my first Canadian visitors were arriving from Vancouver.  Kay and Rory arrived just at the end of my bike ride.  They are here until Wednesday and we are going to the Australian Open tomorrow.  It's been really nice having Canadian visitors here and people to talk to.  It's also given me people to sight see with.

Melbourne is a truly beautiful city with so much to see and do.  It has great food and I'm too scared to start but I know it has great shopping.  It doesn't hurt that it's summer although the weather hasn't been as warm as it could be and it's a lot windier than I realized.  I also didn't know that the weather changes frequently so one minute I'll be putting on my long sleeved t-shirt, the next I'll be taking it off.  In that sense it reminds me of Calgary - you need everything because you just don't know what you're going to get.

The sights have been incredible and so easy to get to via tram or foot.  Melbourne takes good care of their tourists by providing a free tram ride and a free tourist bus.  We've taken advantage of both services being offered.  We've visited St. Kilda Beach, Victoria Market, the City,  Shrine of Remembrance, and the Royal Botanical Gardens (photo above).  

 We have eaten in a small alley cafe (above) and watched the different people go by.  This city has such a great atmosphere.

 

This picture above is taken from the look out at the Shrine of Remembrance.  It was very cool as there was  a ceremony going on while we were there to remember some of the soldiers that fought for Australia in the wars.  The view was also incredible.

We also visited Flinder's station (above) as well as Federation square.  There is still so much more to see and do.  

I'm glad I'm here and I can't wait to see as much as I possibly can.  I still have to take in some of the culture as there are tons of great theatres, museums, and performances to see.  There is also a lot of sport here.  As I mentioned above tomorrow I'm taking in the first day of the Australian Open.  I hope those of you that have said that you're going to visit really do come as Melbourne is a beautiful place with so much to see and do.  

24 Hours in Melbourne

Thankfully things are a lot better today.  This morning Sharon's friend Tim picked me up and took me to the local swimming pool.  It's about 15 min away by foot and I think it has a masters swim group and a triathlon group which I'll be looking into possibly joining.  It's a year round 50 m outdoor pool and it was very nice.  My swimming on the other hand isn't so nice as I'm totally out of shape.  No worry though that will come.

I walked home from the pool and on the way I got lost.  I wasn't lost long enough to cause panic and eventually I arrived home safely.  Once home a good family friend (who happens to be in Perth right now) called and we chatted for a bit.  She's like a mom to me so it was really nice to hear from her.  Unfortunately she heads back to Canada tomorrow so I won't have a chance to see her while she's here this time.  She'll be back though.

An hour or so later Tim came by and we headed via tram 112 to the city (we'd call it downtown but I'm in Melbourne now so I'm going to call it what it's called here).  I found my HSBC and withdrew some money with no trouble. We then went over to my new Australian bank to open an account.  Things were going smoothly until I remembered I forgot my passport at home.  So while the paper work was some what filled out no bank account could be opened until tomorrow when I return with my passport.  

From the bank I headed to look at mobile phone companies. I decided on one and went to buy my new phone.  I couldn't get the phone today though because they were having trouble with their system.  Tomorrow I'll be heading back to the city to finish up these two items of business.

We then took the tram back up to my new home and jumped into Tim's car to check out some bike shops.  There are two relatively close to where I live and after test riding three bikes I purchased one.  It should be ready tomorrow for pick up.  I bought a lower level road bike.  I figure I want a bike I commute on, but I still want to be able to possibly do a triathlon or two.  I think this bike will meet both needs.  I  see it as a throw away bike when I'm done so I didn't want to put too much money into it.  I managed to keep it under my budget (so far, I still need a helmet and a good lock) so I'm happy with that.  This bike will be my car for the year.

When I returned home I had some phone messages on my machine.  Sharon called me from Canada and we talked for a while.  Red Wine Nancy called me too.  It was so nice to talk with her and to hear her voice.  She has no idea how wonderful it was.

This evening I'm trying out the washing machine (so far so good) as my clothing has been in a suitcase and a backpack for over three weeks.  I'm also waiting to hear from my friends Kay and Rory as I they will be my first house guests.  They are coming to Melbourne to catch some of the Australian Open.

I know things will only continue to get better.

Oh yah, last night I put pictures of my friends and family all over my fridge so every time I open it you're all smiling at me.  I also added my Canucks calendar  so I know when they are playing (which of course is the previous day for me here in Melbourne as at the moment I'm five hours behind you PLUS one day forward - you're five hours ahead of me but BACK one day).

I've Arrived.

I arrived safely in Melbourne and Sharon's friend Tim was kind enough to pick me up at the airport and show me around my new home and neighbourhood a bit.  He's gone now as he could sense that I was getting over whelmed.  Needless to say I'm a bit of a mess right now.  I don't know where to start and I'm just feeling sad.  Don't panic I know this will pass but right now I'm not all that smiley.

I'd better get back to dealing with my new reality.

Karen

Australia Bound...

As I sit here at the Hong Kong airport I can't believe how quickly my three week holiday has gone by.  Re reading my blog and looking back at my pictures I know it's been action packed.  I've added ten stamps to my passport and I know another is going to come when I land in Australia

My days in Hong Kong were busy.  On my first full day I didn't not do exactly 

as planned.  I did make the trek to the cable car and Buddha.  The long train ride was all worth while when I got to ride the cable car and see some amazing views.  

At the top there was a small village, a huge Buddha, a Monastery, and many walks and hikes.  I took the "Wisdom" path so I'm pretty certain I'm much smarter now.

I was up on mountain top village for longer than expected so I changed my afternoon plans.  In the afternoon I headed to see the "Ladies Market".  It wasn't much different than Temple Street market but it was interesting.  The streets around the market were packed with people.  I felt like I was in a subway station at rush hour except I wasn't.  

From there I did a few more things but made it back to the waterfront for the eight pm Symphony of Lights (see photo at the top).  The buildings in the harbour turn on and off their lights to music.  The lights change colours.  It's pretty amazing to watch and they do it every night at 8 pm!  I caught it a few times in fact.

On my second full day I took the morning to head to Macau.  It's an hour boat ride from Hong Kong so I figured why not.  Macau was very interesting and I'm glad I went.  It's also very hilly.  I walked tons and managed to get myself stuck on a high road while trying to get to the ferry terminal.  I was on a road without a sidewalk and the motor bikes kept whizing by.  Eventually after walking for far too long I hailed a cab and was safely delivered to the ferry terminal.  After a quick change back at my hotel I headed to the Peak.  It's a tram you take up to Victoria Peak where you have views of both Kowloon and Hong Kong Island.  I decided to go before sunset so that I could get day time shots, dusk shorts, and night shots.  It was well worth it too.  I met some nice Japanese men and they offered to use my camera and their tripod to take picture for me.  I couldn't complain.  A Korean gentleman offered to use his camera and my memory card to get more pictures for me.  Needless to say I have some great pictures. 

( If you're a facebook friend I've posted some them there.  I am trying to figure out how to link pictures to here via one of the on line albums - Picasso of Flickr.  When I figure it out or if some one wants to e-mail directions I'll do that instead).

Today was my last day in Hong Kong.  I spent the morning in my hotel room since once I checked out I was going to be homeless.  I have no room for shopping so I didn't want to wander the markets.  Around noon I headed out for my adventure of the day - all by public bus.  First I headed to Aberdeen.  It's a fishing village on Hong Kong Island.  It was quite cute.  I walked around a bit, took some pictures and headed for lunch.  I shared a table with this older lady.  She would not look at me. It was quite funny actually.  The young ladies beside me were deep in conversation but one of them would speak in english while the rest talked in chinese.  It was hilarious to understand one side of a four way conversation.  

Once lunch was done I boarded a bus of Repulse Day.  I don't know why they call it that as it's a beautiful beach by the water.  After a few shots were taken at Repulse Bay (it was 18 C there) I jumped on a third bus for Stanley Market.  The market was small, but nice.  I ended up buying a black silk chinese dress.  From there I headed back to the hotel where I stored my luggage.  I walked around a bit more on the water front and headed to the airport.  Right now I'm sitting waiting for my plane.

I'm really glad I've spent these last few weeks traveling around Thailand and visiting Hong Kong.  It has reconfirmed that I'm doing the right thing.  I'm excited about getting to Australia as I know I have many more adventures waiting for me there.  I can't believe I will be in Australia tomorrow afternoon!

Anyhow I need to get to my gate and apparently it's a 20 minute walk.  Next post will come from the land down under.

Hong Kong

I arrived in Hong Kong mid afternoon but not without first spending my last few Thai Bahts on a foot massage in the Bangkok airport. Waiting for a plane to depart doesn't get much better than that. :-)

I'm staying at the Salisbury YMCA and if you're thinking oh you poor thing, I tell you it surpased all my expectations. I highly recommend it unless you are the "five star resort" type. It's not five stars but it is definitely worth the money when prices for hotels in Hong Kong is insanely crazy. I even have SPACE. The hotel is situated really well too right near both the star ferry terminal and a train station. Nathan street is around the corner and my bank machine is too. What more could a girl ask for? (Maybe that bank machine could be a bit further away as there is way too much to tempt me here!)

I haven't done a whole lot yet. I walked along the harbour, I walked up Nathan Street and the surround Granville Street. I took in the Temple Night Market. Tomorrow I hope to take a boat to the Giant Buddha (yes, I know I should stop seeing these Buddha's but I've heard the trip on the boat is part of the adventure), then make my way to the Stanley Market. I want to see if I can be on the top of the peak for sunset, and then back on the harbour for the 8 pm light show. We'll see if I'm successful.

The part of Hong Kong that I've seen so far is full of neon lights. FULL! I tell you I can't imagine what the electricity bills are here. But the lights do pop and so everything seems so alive and well.

One thing that's funny is that I keep thinking that I've stumbled into Chinatown and then I remember that I'm in Hong Kong so it's all CHINA TOWN!!! It's happened more than once too and I think that's what makes it even funnier.

Okay, that's all. Internet is pricey here or I need to find a better supply. While I have my laptop I'm not using it as it's super expensive to use it in the room.

Until next time....

Chiang Mai How I Love Thee...

I arrived in Chiang Mai on Jan 6th after three and a half very full days in Bangkok. Chiang Mai has been a real pleasant surprise and I'm so glad I'm here. As in typical Thai style the people are great, the food is great, and there are temples EVERY where. It will be funny when I start uploading some of my photos because I have no idea which photo is from which temple. Here there are just about as many temples as in Bangkok but it's about 1/18th the size. So as you walk you keep running into new temples to photograph.

From the tourist perspective Chiang Mai seems like a walking city. There is the downtown which is surrounded by a moat. There are also a few streets outside of the moated area, and the river. That's what most people think is Chiang Mai. But, it much much larger than that. It's a city of over 1 million people - the second largest in Thailand.

Since I've been here I've walked the moated downtown, I've had two massages (one foot, and one head, shoulder, and back), I've visited several silver shops and purchased five new silver rings, and I've learned how to cook five Thai dishes (but don't think I can repeat what I've learned although I will try when I'm in Australia). I've also spent time at the night bazzar looking at all the things for sale. In addition I've travelled to the most northern town of Thailand (Mae-sai), and I've been to the golden triangle where Loas, Myanmar (Burma), and Thailand all meet . I took a boat over to Loas and spent  about 30 minutes there which included a new stamp in my passport. I also visited several small isolated tribes and I have some great photos of the hill tribe people Long Neck, Ahka, Padong, and Long Eared people. I also went to Chiang Rai.

My impression of Chiang Mai is that it's a city with everything you need but it's easy to get around. It's quite inexpensive too which is always a plus. It doesn't hurt that I'm in a silver area since I love silver jewlery. I purchased a third silver bracelet to join the two I'm always wearing. This third one has a small elephant on it to remind of Thailand.

Tomorrow evening I'm heading back to Bangkok to be reunited with my laptop. Tomorrow is my last night in Thailand as I'm off to Hong Kong. Thailand has been a wonderful experience and I'm so glad I've come. My only regret is that I'd like to have stayed longer because there is still so much more to see. I also wish that the beach time at the beginning could have been better with some actual sunshine. But thankfully I've seen sun everyday since I've left the beaches.

That's all for now. Sorry for the typos. When have more time I'll go back and fix them.

Bangkok Day Three

As I sit here in an internet cafe filled with teenagers yelling and screaming at one another while playing on line games I'll do my best to write this post.

Today was the day for temples, buddahs, and fancy hotels. I started my morning with a boat ride down to the Grand Castle, Wat Phra Kaew (the temple of the emerald buddah) and Wat Pho (large reclining Buddah). Each was fascinating on its own and together I think I've had temple overload. I took a ton of pictures but non can really do what I saw justice. The details in design, the colours, and the gold. It was all incredible to see.

From there I walked around a bit more and headed further down the river to the two amazing hotels. I ended up getting off the boat a couple of stops early so I could get to the post office to mail back two guide books I've borrowed. I once again surprised myself by actually getting to the post office, purchasing an envelope, and mailing the parcel. Now I just hope it arrives back in Canada.

Once I left the post office I headed to the Shangra La hotel. It was another sight to be seen and if I had some spare cash I'd love to have stayed there. I then kept walking looking to find the Orient Hotel until I realize I had gone way too far. So I back tracked and found it. It too was an incredible hotel.

From there I headed back to the hotel. I've had a low key night this evening as I'm really exhausted. It was hot and sunny today and I didn't sleep too well last night. Hopefully I'll sleep better tomorrow.

As for tomorrow I have a couple more places to visit before I leave Bangkok mid afternoon. I'm off to Chaing Mai which is in Northern Thailand. I've only heard good things about it so I'm excited to get there. I may do some side trips from there, we'll see.

As for my take on Bangkok I have mixed feelings.

I like the kindness of the people, the food, the great smells, the easy access to places, the interesting culture, the ability to buy anything you want and always at a special price, the pink taxis and buses, the tv's on the skytrain, and the diversity. But I don't like the serious serious noise pollution, the air pollution (including smells that trigger my gag reflex), the sensory overload (sounds every where, colours, people), the crowdedness (as a claustrophobic it has been really tough at times), the smokers, and the general overwhelming nature.

I look forward to heading north tomorrow before being reunited with my laptop on the 9th. I hope she' s still safe.

Karen

P.S. If you want a postcard you need to e-mail me your address as I don't have any with me.

P.P.S.  Just wondering if this link gets you to my Bangkok photos stored on Flickr.

Bangkok - Day Two

I woke up this morning after a some what restless sleep. I had a lot on the agenda.

After breakfast I walked to the closest boat pier - Tewes Pier. I walked through a local's market (you know the kind where the fish they are selling are still swimming in buckets), and down some pretty smelly streets. My plan was, since it's the weekend, I was told that I should head to the Chatuchak Weekend Market. It's on the skytrain route but I'm not on the skytrain route. So, I took the opportunity to ride one of the local boats in the opposite direction but in a direction that would eventually lead me to a skytrain connection. It was probably a silly thing to do but as a tourist I really wanted to ride one of the local boats and I had the time.

The boat ride was about 30 min and stopped at a variety of piers along the way. It was an excellent way to start my morning as it provided me with views of Bangkok from the water. Once I hit the "central" pier I got off the boat and purchased a one day skytrain ticke. I made my way to the Chatuchak Market. It as billed as either the largest outdoor market in Thailand, or the largest outdoor in Asia. Not exactly sure which one as I type this but trust me it was HUGE! You name it they sold it. Clothing, shoes, furniture, food, pets and pretty much anything else you could imagine. It made yesterday's Patpong night market miniscule in comparision. I took a couple of photos but nothing will do it justice. In the middle of the market there is a shrine, so while bargin hunting the Buddists can stop and pray. I kid you not!

After walking through the market for a few hours (and I know I missed a ton of it) and with only one small purchase and some food I headed back to the skytrain. My next destination was Jim Thompson's house. Jim Thompson was an American who moved to Thailand after the second world war. He revived the silk industry in Thailand which is why it's alive and well today. He created an incredible house with antiques from several places in Asia. But in 1967 while on vacation in Malyasia he disappeared and has never been seen since (okay and if he were still alive today he'd be 102).

I toured through the house with my manditory guide and group. I was fascinated by some of the things she told us about him, his house, and some thai traditions. I didn't realize how superstitious Thai people are (I need to read more on Buddism). I learned one of the reasons why Thai people take their shoes offer before going into their homes. I learned that Thai's typically eat their food on the floor in round circles. I learned several things I didn't know before. I'm glad I went.

From there I walked to the MBK Centre - aka a Bangkok Shopping Mall. I had no intention on actually shopping (remember the overloaded already suitcase) but I wanted to see what people were talking about. The shops seemed to go on for every. It was a six or seven story mall. It made metrotown seem tiny. Once again I was feeling over whelmed.

I spent some time wondering and then stopped for something to eat (again - I seem to eat a lot here). From there I headed a back onto the skytrain and made my way to the HSBC. There is only one in all of Thailand and it's in Bangkok. To my surprise I actually found it, and reloaded my wallet.

From there I was in the area of the Patpong Night market again so I watched them set up. I hung out for a little while, contemplated another foot massage, but decided to head home. It was already a very long day.

To top of the day I decided I'd try out a third mode of transportation. I took at Tuk Tuk (they look like little carts on motorcylces) back to my guest house.

It was a great day for me and I'm excited about tomorrow. Tomorrow I hit the Grand Palace, and a few of the local temples. I may sneak my way into Chinatown as well.

In my next post I hope to write about my observations of Bangkok. It's a very interesting city. Let's just say it's a sight, sound, and smell overload.

Bangkok - Day One

I arrived in Bangkok at about 10:30 am on Jan 3rd. It was my first real adventure without Brenda. While in Krabi, I made and confirmed reservations so I knew I had a place to stay. The taxi ride was uneventful. Because I was early (I got to the airport in Samui so early that I was put on an early flight) my room wasn't ready and so I sat in the restaurant. The restaurant was filled with other travellers and I immediately felt out of place. I didn't look like a hippy, I didn't have a tatoo, and my clothing wasn't super baggy. But no worry.

Once settled in my room I decided to go for a walk to get an idea of where I was in Bangkok. While I have guide books with maps I really had no idea where I was going. I walked and walked what felt like kms and never really could grasp of where I was. So, I retraced my steps and returned to my guest house to purchase a map. But even with the map in my hand I still had no idea where I was. Because the street names are Thai, they are translated in English with a variety of different spellings. So, the words on my map didn't match the street signs that I was seeing. Anyhow, after a short chat with the ladies from the guest house I was on my way again.

The first place I made it to was the "infamous" Koh San Roi (sp?). I can't say I was overly impressed but I guess I didn't expect much as it's the original backpackers hangout place. There certainly weren't many Thai people there. But there were people adding extentions to your hair, selling you t-shirts you didn't want or need, and cooking up all types of foods from tiny street carts.

From Koh San Roi I continued my walk towards the grand palace. It was already after 3:30 so I didn't go in. I'll be visiting there tomorrow. It looks very impressive and I'm sure there will be many pictures taken when I finally get inside the gates.

In the evening I went to Patpong Market off of Silom street. It's pretty funny actually. There are three main rows of stalls selling designer knock offs. On the outsides of the stalls there are "girlie bars" with ladies pole dancing in their bikinis. I know there were other things going on too but I never went in to check it out.

I walked around the area checking out all the wares that were for sale. As I was looking at things a small but real elephant walked passed me. YES, you read correctly, an ELEPHANT walked passed. Everyone is out to make some money and this man was walking an elephant on a major road offering to take your picture - for a fee of course. (As a side a forget to mention that I had a monkey in my lap in Samui and again a man wanted me to pay to have my picture taken with it - which I didn't so there is no proof except Brenda saw!)

Now by this time in the evening (it was around 9:30 pm) my feet were super tired. So, in Thai fashion I had a foot massage. My feet loved me for it (as did the rest of me) and it cost about $10 for 60 min.

I made my way back home via taxi (after a couple of drivers that tried to rip me off - which I didn't fall for). I went for a short night walk in the area but in one spot I spotted huge rats, so I quickly returned home.

Over all while initially completely over whelmed the day was pretty eventful.

Samui at the End of Monsoon Season

B and I arrived safely in Samui on the 29th of December. We arrived to cloudy skies but warm temperatures. Our first attempt at accomodation failed so we moved to the next hotel. We found what we thought may have been the only place to stay in Lamai and so we quickly grabbed it. Once the room was paid for for the night (at over twice what we paid on Railay in Krabi) we decided to walk the beach. On our walk we visited other hotels to find that there was a ton of free space available much at better quality for less money. So needless to say we were going to move the next morning.

After a peaceful sleep B and I moved hotels. On our walk we discoverd a new but not quite yet complete hotel going for a reasonable price. We are both sure it will be two or three times more expensive once it is officially opened. So there is one good thing to report on our trip to Samui - we scored on our accomodations.

Unfortunately we are in Samui at the very tail end of monsoon season. While typically the rain has stopped by now the winds can still be high. We haven't had a blue sky day since we've been here, and really we've only had 1.5 our entire time in Thailand. Needless to say there is more disappointment as we are in a beach resort without really being able to use the beach to lay out on. We have had countless walks up and down the beach, a massage or two beside the beach, and too many strolls in and out of the shops on the one main road in town. And with all the extra time on our hands we are eating and drinking more than we should with little to no exercise - can you say "buddah belly".

Between eating and walking I have arranged to have a suit, a dress, and a pair of pants costume made for me. When I realized that I would be in Samui for the longest period of time while in Thailand I figured this is where I should have clothing made. So far I've had two fittings with a third tomorrow morning. My clothing should be ready tomorrow night. My only problem now is where am I going to pack it? Some friends are telling me to wear it all but I think I'd look funny wearing a silk dress, a skirt and a jacket, and a pair of pants. Hmmmm. Perhaps a trip to the post office to mail things forward may be in order?

Yesterday we decided to take an adventure tour. I really wanted to see the Big Buddah located on the other side of the island, and B wanted to ride an elephant. We found a tour that took us to both as well as several other attractions. We traveled from temple to water fall to elephant trek to lunch with a view (well sort of as we were above the clouds), and finally to the Big Buddah in an open air jeep. Under normal circumstances that would have been a total blast but in the pouring rain it wasn't that much fun. I can say that I have ridden an elephant (I can't say that it's the smoothest ride especially going up and down hill). As for the Big Buddah, in my excitment to see it, I managed to fall HARD on the stairs on the way down. Thankfully I didn't break any bones, or for that matter lose any blood but I did give myself a very nasty bruise. (Yes, there will be pictures once I'm back with my own computer in a little over a week).

New Years in Thailand was a different experience too - both good and bad. B and I walked the beach and the main road looking for a bar/party that was busy. What we found was a bunch of couples or families having "fancy" resort meals. We did stop at a few different bars for a drink at each but overall it was a pretty quiet new years. Having said that though the people in Thailand (and all the tourists that are here too) know how to light off fireworks. At midnight it felt like Vancouver's Symphony of Fire. Fireworks were going off all over the place, and they continued to go off into the wee hours of the night/morning. I guess since Thailand is in Asia there is a real quick and easy source for fireworks/crackers.

One costum that I thought was really cool is that people light hot air balloons into the sky. I don't know their official name but they are these paper tubes that you light at the bottom. As the tube fills with smoke/hot air it flys up and into the sky. I have some good pictures of B lighting her hot air balloon which I'll post when I can. The hot air balloons are sent up into the sky for luck. The sky was filled with them and it was very cool to see. I don't think I'd see that any where but in Thailand. (Oh, if you've ever seen the movie the BEACH there is a scene in the movie where they send the paper hot air balloons up into the sky - that's what' I'm talking about).

That's the update for now. I think B and I are both ready to leave Samui since there really isn't much for us to do without the sun shining. B leaves me tomorrow night (Jan 2) and I fly out of here the morning of the 3rd. I have three nights booked in Bangkok and then I'm off to Chaing Mai from the 6th until the 9th. I'm reunited with my laptop (hopefully!!!) on the night of the 9th and then I'm off to Hong Kong the morning of the 10th. There should be more updates before then as I know internet cafes are every where and the prices are pretty reasonable.

Sawad Dee Pee Mai ! (That's Thai for Happy New Year).

Wishing all the best for 2009.

If  you're interested here's a flickr link to my photos while in Southern Thailand.