Shopping & sushi

Hi Anna!

I hope you get through this week OK. Wish I could give you a great big hug and I want you to know that I'm thinking about you and that it will be all fun and smiles in almost a week. Maybe this post will cheer you up too? I know I always look forward to your posts and the photo of you clogs were HILARIOUS! I can't believe you have a nice soft version of them. Wanna trade? Can't say much for comfort for mines. There were heaps of other designs to choose from so fancy that I got ones similar to yours!

I can't imagine how it feels like to come second. In fact, I'm terrible with team sports. I admit I'm a sore loser when it comes to sports and I hate to lose and be disappointed therefore I don't even try and because of this. Terrible I know, definitely something I need to work on. Anyway, I have a huge admiration for you and anyone who participates in games and sports etc because there is always the possibility of not coming first or winning. I have never ever participated in a serious game before and I think you and your team have done extremely well and you should be proud of yourselves for coming second!!! Also, I think you look absolutely lovely in that black dress and I'm glad you and Shaz had heaps of fun that night.

As for this side of the world, the weather was miserable today as oppose to Perth. Mr D tells me that it was a beautiful day for you. Luckily I was not in a grey mood and I had a pleasant day to myself. The plan first thing was to go for a walk to get some ingredients for sushi but that morphed into an impulse trip to Oxford St where I indulged in Top Shop heaven. One of my purchases was  this jacket. I absolutely LOVE IT! In fact, I might wear it tomorrow when I go to Bath and Stonehenge with Shaz and her friends.If we have time next Sunday, maybe we can visit this ridiculously huge Top Shop? You could even check out their website and see if you like anything? Or we could go to the Camden Markets/ Portobello Markets/ Spitalfield Markets. Ahh the possibilities! And if you don't feel like shopping there are heaps of other things to do. I am trying to get you excited here :D

After my little shopping detour, I went to Chinatown to get some sushi rice. I have my priorities right don't I? Last night I spend too much time googling and youtubing sushi recipes and how to make sushi rice.  You see, mum  usually makes the rice and today was the first time ever I made sushi from scratch and I wanted to make sure I didn't end up with a sticky rice mess. I'm extremely stoked about the results and feeling very clever right now! A rice cooker would've made life a little easier but I managed.
TA DA!

Mini sushi

Proud of my babies!

I made three types. From the left 1st column: honey+ sesame soy chicken + cucumber + mayo, 2nd & 3rd honey + sesame soy chicken + carrot + cucumber, 4th & 5th: tuna + mayo + picked dill cucumbers + carrots. The ingredients were all rather similar because I couldn't be bothered chopping up too much.

I couldn't believe how much kitchenware and washing up I ended up doing and the amount of time it took! I was slaving away for a good 2 hours.  It was well worth it though and it certainly made a rainy London day quite enjoyable and I'm beaming away looking at the photos because it was my first and successful attempt of making sushi. I gave some to Penelope (If you remember, shes lives down the street and came to my birthday picnic) and she said that her favourite was the tuna one. Funny that because they were difficult to cut and not t he best looking ones and they started falling apart because the tuna mixture was a little runny. I am bringing the above container tomorrow with me and it will be delightful to share them with Shaz and see what she thinks!

Goodnight for me but good morning to you Anna and readers! I'm off to have sushi dreams :)

Superleague Grand Final Weekend

Oh Chia! Welcome back! It was so great to read your post! I love your photos so much! It looks like you had a ball and I am really really super jealous at all your experiences! I do wish I went on Contiki when I was younger too. But then again, we are still young! I like the idea of meeting new people and getting really nice and cozy with strangers!

Last weekend was my indoor beach volleyball superleague weekend in Port Kennedy. It was no joke, a stressful day. One of the surprises was that Kev drove all the way to Port Kennedy on Saturday morning to watch my finals! All week he had told me that he wasn't going to come down, and I understood because Kev needed to get more stuff done for his project that will be presented in Switzerland. Nevertheless, he surprised be by randomly standing next to the court nets while I was warming up! I was in disbelief that he actually came! So I was really happy!

After that, and watching the ladies 2 play their first game, I think the nerves kicked in. All the girls in ladies 3 were nervous, and that really didn't mix well with team dynamics and game play. Still, we played our games, and got into the grand finals against Canning Vale. Actually all the ladies teams from Osborne Park got into the grand finals- that being ladies 1, 2 and 3. Unfortunately none of the men or the mixed teams got through.

Me and the game board - YAY! We are in the grand finals!

So we played our best, but unfortunately the dream ended with us as runners-up. The ladies 1 and 2 won their grand finals, so 2 out of 3 was really good for us!

Looking back though, I can't believe how strange the day was. For me, all I was trying to do was to stay relaxed and try to smooth out any nerves and frustrations of the girls next to me. I thought I did it quite well during the games and off court while we waited for games. But when we finished the grand final game, for some reason beyond my control, I started crying.

Walking off the court, I was hit by an overwhelming sense of frustration, sadness and relief.  As I slid out of the court nets, all the people who had watched us were all smiling and were really supportive. Their well wishes and encouragement were really sweet, but for some reason I really didn't want anyone to see me. Each 'well done!' and 'you guys played really well!' made the tears come out even more! I was torn because I wanted to be happy, but I couldn't help respond to their well wishes with a 'uh ok, thanks,' as I brushed them off. I just wanted to get away and find time to just cry it out I guess. After a few minutes, when I thought I had it all together, I saw Loz who was all red and teary eyed too. I just said to her 'OMG, I cannot look at you!' and walked to the other side of the centre to get my bag, and my tissues.

We were mega funked out for a while. But Justine, our awesome team captain, brought us champagne and strawberries which made it a lot better!

Lauren (Loz), Mia, Naomi Stacey
Justine and I

After that we did a maccas run. That double cheeseburger was comfort food in a box! But once I had eaten it, I felt completely exhausted. I just wanted to lay down somewhere! But, we only had a few hours before the presentation dinner started, so there was no rest for the weary! Kev returned to Perth as he needed to get some serious work done, and then Shaz, Loz, Jenna, the two Bens and I returned to our swanked out accommodation in Mandurah to get ready for the presentation night that was being held in Rockingham.

Jenna, Me, Loz and Shaz being 'Asian' 

The two Bens stayed in the apartment, and the girls took a taxi ride to Rockingham, which ended up being super long, like 40 minutes! We had good chats though, and we were all concerned about getting sober, so game plans were set for once we arrive: toilet-bar-drink-see if the Bens would come down-eat.

We did all of the planned steps besides eat. Well I know I ate, and I think Jenna ate too! But Shaz and Loz just drank! =D It ended up being an awesome girls night out, with a live band that we all happily jumped 'danced' and stumbled to!

Shaz and I already mega tipsy from pre-drinks and then open bar at the presentation night. We liked the balloons!

Justine, Me, Loz, Mia and Naomi with our runners-up plaque

Me with my plaque

Oh and my clogs say hello to your clogs! ^___^ Though my are the slipper ones, because I couldn't find the heart to get the real wooden ones. But I wear these all the time, they are super comfy!

Love the clogs!

Contiki

 Heyyy Anna!

I've been meaning to do a post as soon as I got back but the 2 week tour has left me with many things to consider and it made me miss home wanting to come back at the end of the year and wondering if London is for me. I think being spoilt with sunny weather in Italy and suddenly being back to temperamental London weather contributed a lot to it. Coupled with the fact that I'll see you soon made me realise how much I've missed you and Perth. Thank you for calling up and chatting- I really needed it!

Between now and your arrival (which is NEXT SATURDAY!) I will still be on school holidays. I've been thinking about getting a full time job and will be looking into that this week. However  if I do, that would mean less flexibility to travel. Again,there's a few things clouding my mind right now but I hope to have it sorted before you come.

Now for the photos and my Contiki trip! I think I took about 1000 photos and I've spent a lot of time culling down ones to put on FB. There were lots of great photos and I hope you will enjoy them. I certainly had a fantastic time but I'm unsure if I will do another Contiki again. It was truly a mad rush consisting of late nights, early rises and long coach rides gallivanting across Europe from London- Paris-Beaujalais-French Riveria-Monaco-Florence-Rome-Venice-Munich-Rhine Valley- Amsterdam-London. There were a few days where we spent the whole day sitting on the bus with a couple of breaks in between! I expected the long drives, but I found it difficult to catch up on sleep on the bus. Other people had no problems and they stayed up and partied until early morning whilst I skipped most of that but it still didn't allow me to get my normal 8 hours of sleep and sleep deprivation gradually accumulated as the trip progressed. Towards the end almost everyone got the 'Contiki cough' and I managed unscathed until I got back to London.

There was a good mix of a total of 40 guys and girls of different ages and most of them were younger than me. There was a good mix of nationalities too from South Africa, USA, Ireland, Canada and of course Australia where majority of us were from. I found myself mingling with the few 'older' ones because the younger ones were really out there to party and a few 'other things' that I didn't sign up with Contiki for. In saying that I did enjoy myself and at the end of the 2 weeks we all became one big family and coming back to London and not having a bus load of 40 other people has made me feel...empty? I can't simply turn to my left or right or front or behind to engage in random conversations and have a laugh with someone.

Contrary, the trip has also made me immensely miss my solo travelling in SE Asia. Everything was cheap and getting a cab or staying in a nice hotel was not a problem and it really felt like an adventure when you did things by yourself and you could do whatever you liked without having to wait on other people. Europe is obviously more expensive and travelling with other people definitely makes it cheaper though. For a last minute trip, it was a good tour to do because I didn't have to plan anything at all but if I had more time to plan for my next trip, I would definitely try and do it myself. This is precisely why I'm so excited about our trip because we've planned everything ourselves and finally got all our tickets purchased and accommodation booked and we're going to create our own adventure!

What amazed me was how pretty the scenery we passed by were. Constantly throughout the trip I found myself wishing that I was on a road trip with friends and bikes strapped to the top of the car. There were so many areas that would've been perfect to pull over for a picnic or to go cycling and exploring around the cottages and farms. My favourite drive was along the French Riveria with houses and infinity pools teetering on cliffs and from Venice to Munich where gorgeous farms that seemed perfectly landscaped across the hills. I can't believe how lucky I am to have been able to do this and see so many things I never would've imagined I had the chance to.

I will leave you with photos taken in different cities and some comments highlighting my memorable moments. ENJOY!

In Paris on our first night having escargot in herb and garlic sauce. Delicious! They were tricky things and had to be pried out with little forks.

Paris jumping with gleee! Definitely worth going at night to see the sparkling lights. My other highlight was going to the Louvre. I would marry this museum if I could.

One of my favourite. We were in the wine region of Beaujalais, France and an initial short stroll after dinner ended up being a serious trek to a elusive spot with a spectacular view. After an hour we made it with poor footwear and not a single soul or tourist in sight apart from us. Anything  off the beaten path wins me!

That same night after the trek, Contiki organised a 'traffic light' party. You had to wear colours of the traffic light to indicate your status. Green for go/single , orange for unsure, and red for taken!  I bet you're wondering what colour I wore. It was a fun night dancing away and later on the trip we got to know each other and I'm missing them already! I believe there were a few hook ups on this night but nanny me went to be early.

Alix (South Africa) Colin (Ireland) Chris (US) Alan (Ireland) The two Irish lads were hilarious and such comical characters entertaining everyone on the entire trip.

I did not take the usual leaning pose and this is what I came up with.

My favourite city Nice. This was where I thought about you Anna and I sent you that text :)

Nice. It was a lovely climb up and the view as always  is truly worth it. Any city with the coast+beach+ scenery like this has my heart. Even if their beaches have no sand and literally covered in large pebbles. Alix and I spent the day together and it was one of my best days on the tour. Could also be the fact that we did a lot of shopping in a very limited time of half an hour!

Colosseum and I loved it here! Wish I had more time to spend wandering around as oppose to 40 minutes. Another Ancient Wonder of the World crossed off for me! It was an incredibly hot and long day and we also walked to the Vatican City.  The people I was with really made it for me and we got along so well even though we were all  hot and exhausted.

Another party followed after the long day. This was the whiteboard party I told you about in my post in Rome. A few of us shredded our shirts and customised it with scissors and everyone went around writing things. I had most of mines written on the back. My favourite one is 'UR 1 SEXY BITCH' Oh boy. Lots of positive references to being Asian as well.

In Venice on a gondola ride. I think this city is more romantic than Paris. I couldn't stop thinking how romantic it would be to wander the streets of Venice with someone special.It was a little eerie though because it was quiet and the doors at the bottom  have been decaying because of the water.

Scenery captured from the bus ride Venice to Munich. This is where I would absolutely  love to go cycling at a leisurely pace and stay in a B & B.

Munich beer hall having a huge pint of beer and amazing pork knuckle- both which I could not finish! They both complimented so well and my stomach is grumbling looking at it.

With Alix and my fabulous wooden clogs in Amsterdam. They added a couple of kilos etc to my luggage but I LOVE them and I had to get a pair! Don't ask me when I will ever wear them. For now they are looking great for door stoppers.

 

My babies! There are some other experiences of Amsterdam that I won't mention here but it involves a live show and a terrible headache. Both never again!

The Contiki family in Amsterdam. We all hopped on bikes and cycled to the windmill.  I couldn't believe how many bikes there were. Definitely recommend cycling your way around Amsterdam to see the buildings and canals.

Honey I'm home

Hi Anna

What a trip! There will definitely be plenty of photos to come in the next few days. I just got back home about a couple of hours ago and the first thing I did was eat some greens, chuck 2 weeks worth of clothes in the wash and hop online. Was on the Contiki bus from Amsterdam through Belgium through France onto a ferry and back to London. Pretty much spent the whole day on the coach and I think my leg muscles are wasting away.

Apart from that, I wanted to let you know that all is well here and that I will get right to checking everything for our flights, accomo etc first thing tomorrow morning! I AM SO EXCITED!!!!! It's almost ridiculous that I only got back from a trip but I am really looking forward to seeing you :)

Goodnight!! Pictures tomorrow yayyyy!!!

London Riots

Hey Chia

I hope things are well.

All this news about the continuing London riots are concerning. Is it going to be ok when we meet?

Check out this google map which shows live coverage of verified riot areas. I am trying to find Hampstead, but haven't been able to.

News for Chia who is in a bubble of happiness

Hey Chia

I thought I'd let you know, that there has been some serious riots in London. I know your overseas, so that's a relief- though, I am unsure how your stuff is.

The riots look like they are in Tottenham, Brixton and Enfield. I am unsure how close they are to Hampstead.

Some links for interests sake:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/universityeducation/8125050/Students-vow-to-continue-rioting-over-fees.html

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44049721/ns/world_news-europe/t/new-disturbances-london-after-night-rioting/

Hope your stuff is okkkkkk!!!

F*** Me I'm Famous!

Oh Chia! Your drunken entry brought happiness into my office!

How I can't wait to be in your travel bubble and forget about the everyday life here! That I (heart) Rome shirt is a great idea! What an awesome souvenir! So is your contiki tour group only 7 people? That would be awesome! It will give you a chance to get to know each other! OH! I so want to do Rome! *Sigh*

While you have been away, I've been looking up stuff for our Spanish holiday, and guess what I found!! You told me to keep a look out for them and I did - David Guetta's F*** Me I'm Famous! I was so stoked to have found a site that had ticket left! It will be so awesome awesome awesome. I am going to start listening to him as trip preparation, as well as listen to the Vengaboys and I am going to watch the Sound of Music before I leave for the millionth time. Actually, I plan to force Kev to watch it with me, so that he can appreciate the sites in Salzburg when we go on the Sound of Music Tour.

This trip is just getting better and better! And OH my deary me! The countdown only says 18 more days!