tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67283968432817267352024-03-19T11:55:04.678-07:00And so, it begins...at 3am..in Dublin airport!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07749278058121050836noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6728396843281726735.post-71809431004043933842014-07-24T23:14:00.000-07:002014-07-24T23:17:08.842-07:00Chapter 9: Farm Work - The Grape Contingent!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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It's been 6 long months since I've updated this....some of you may have
thought me dead. Others will have presumed that I have been lying in a coma
somewhere or even abducted by aliens! The latter is probably the closest
guess...or as I'll put it, I was abducted by farm aliens and transported to a
place of limited internet connection, with little time to write due to heaps of
manual labour being forced upon us haha! Okay, so I'm being dramatic! Here's
what actually happened. :P<br />
<br />
I left Brisbane at the end of February and began my journey south. I was due
to start a job in Merbein, just outside of a town called Mildura in Victoria.
After a 3 hour flight to Melbourne; 24 hours floating around the city and then
a 9 hour overnight bus trip, I finally arrived at my destination.<br />
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I was going
to be living on a grape farm, in a small 2 bed house, with....wait for it....19
other people living there! There was one small kitchen, bathroom/shower and no
personal space. How can 20 people co-habit in living conditions like that?!<br />
<br />
What a crazy setup! I don't have a picture of the actual house....possibly a good thing!<br />
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A typical day on the farm started around 5.30am each day. If you wanted a
quiet breakfast and room to breathe in the kitchen, it was best to get up at
5am; even earlier if you wanted a shower. We were at the grape shed for about
6.45am and started work at 7. Every morning 'dawned' dark and clear. The starry
night sky welcomed you as you ambled sleepily towards the people carrier that
took us to work. The sun only came up once we were actually working.<br />
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Pre-dawn </div>
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Morning...eh...moon?! Wait, what? </div>
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Sunrise behind the grape shed! </div>
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Sometimes, the dawn was purple! </div>
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Hi ho, hi ho..... </div>
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After work, we'd go back to the house. Some of us would run the 2-3k back.
Some would walk it and then there was the car....sometimes it was safer to walk
or run back haha! Although there was only room to seat 10 people in there, one
day we managed to fit 14 in the car, including Taku huddled up in the boot! <br />
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There was the daily run to the village for shopping and then the scramble to
cook and prepare lunches for the next day or two. The queue for the shower was
long and sometimes you had no choice but to have a cold shower. Then dinner and
snuggle into your bunk by 8 or 9pm. <br />
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At first, work was a bit nerve-wracking. Those of us who were a little
uncoordinated, like me, came to work hoping that they wouldn't cut off one of
their fingers mid-trim. I was slow at first but as the weeks drifted by I began
to improve. Essentially, we had to make the grapes 'look pretty' by trimming
off the rotten, soft and green grapes.<br />
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We stood in rows,2-3 people to a table – these were circular with a conveyor
belt beneath for the undesirable grapes, spiders, bugs to be whisked away on.<br />
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Our beloved grape filled fridge of fun!</div>
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We had to lift crates of grapes, which were loaded onto a belt behind us to
our station. Once we had trimmed them we placed them on the table, where there
would be someone waiting to pack them into Styrofoam boxes before they were
padded and exported. Ours days were long and often monotonous. We generally
spent 8-10 hours in the grape shed per day.<br />
<br />
But, working there had its perks. I mean the pay wasn't anyway good but we
had some great fun in that fridge of a fun house. I stumbled upon many spiders
- red backs in particular. They liked to spin their webs inside some of the
grape. When you picked up a bunch, the general rule was check for a spider web.
If there was one, that usually meant there was possibly a black widow/red-back
in there. Knowing this prevented me from being bitten on a few occasions.<br />
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One incident involving a red back spider comes to mind. Now, the spiders by
this point didn't freak me out as much as when I first started but I still
preferred not having them on my actual person. I bet you can tell where this is
heading?! :P So, I was at my station, trimming away....my hood was up because
it was particularly cold in the shed that day. Out of the corner of my eye saw
this thing lower itself in front of my face. Realizing it was a spider, I
quickly and calmly knocked it into the rubbish belt. Only then did I realize
that it was one of these<br />
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and that's when I freaked out, rushed to the
back of the room and removed the hoodie, tears forming in my eyes. Clearly I
wasn't completely over my spider phobia lol.<br />
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I could not have hoped for a better crew of people to work with either. In
our house we had many different nationalities - Irish, English, Korean,
Chinese, Japanese Italian, Chilean and Turkish. To this day I have no idea how
we didn't end up killing each other in such close quarters. We had a lot of
fun, joking about and trying to not get too 'lost in translation'. There are
many, many languages that I need to learn. It would have been great if I had
been able to speak Mandarin, Japanese, Spanish and Turkish. Turkish especially,
so we could have understood our supervisor better! :D He was a funny guy. We almost
considered him a lovable father figure in the end, even though he acted like a
dirty old man sometimes. Generally, we ignored it because he was very likeable
and let us get away with talking when we should have been working! That and he
was tame unlike a certain Turkish packer who asked many of the girls for sex
and who was very, VERY creepy. I remember that particular guy coming to the
house and saying he was moving in - I think had he done it, we would have all
definitely moved out...yuk! The thought still gives me shivers!<br />
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There was often a lot of laughter at work...sure, it was one of the few ways
to stay warm and sane. After a few weeks, the group had meshed well together
and we all got on well. I grew very friendly with one of the girls from Chile
in particular. We often distracted each other from our work and usually ended
up in fits of laughter over the stupidest of things. We fought over who got the
last crate of grapes - usually, the worse crate, so we always tried to offload
it onto the other person! My Chilean friend liked to play tricks on me and
sometimes it was better if we weren’t working at the same table. A particular
example comes to mind. I was trying to extract a red back (spider) from a bunch
of grapes. It was taking a long time and I was hunched over the belt so it
wouldn’t fall back into the crate. In the meantime, 'my friend' haha ran her
fingers along the back of my neck causing me to scream and jump with fright,
thinking there was another spider on me! When I found out it was her, we
started to laugh and then, because we couldn't stop, we started to cry with
laughter. The looks we got, they all thought we were crazy and sure maybe we
were! Staring at grapes all day does funny things to the mind! :P<br />
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Robbed this from Lorenzo! </div>
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Another story to back that theory up is when a few of us were separated from
the group to trim the greener grapes. We were dubbed the 'Green Team' - I know,
highly original name, and were in our own section of the shed. This meant that
we often got away with a lot of goofing around and fun because the supervisor
trusted us to do a good job. If only he had known about the dancing! You can
see for yourselves that we worked our asses off on those days haha<br />
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I took up running to get fit - and also to stop me from going crazy if I'm
honest. It worked too! Before I could barely run for longer than a minute and
now, I'm able to run over 3k in one go. Not a bother on me :) Big shout out to
a lovely Irish cailín who got me motivated in that department. There is no
greater feeling than walking into K-Mart, realizing that you need a smaller
size than before and skipping home, proud as punch :) I couldn't believe it!<br />
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Part of my running route! </div>
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If we had any down time or days off, we'd spend it either shopping in
Mildura, dancing and drinking in Doms Nightclub, eating delicious wedges in
Sandbar (below)<br />
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treating ourselves to lunch in Hog's Breath Cafe(below)<br />
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or
catching up on sleep back in the house. For the most part, we tried to stay out
of the house as much as possible. On the subject of alcohol, we did consume a
fair bit. Sometimes, it really was necessary although we could have done without
the next day hangover lol. We had house parties, pizza parties, pancake
parties, birthday parties, bowling parties and drinking game parties. We invited some of the
other backpackers from the shed to the latter.<br />
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I <i>'remember'</i> (read: remember being told about), one night where I simply couldn’t remember getting to/and coming back from
Mildura because I was too drunk - obviously they wouldn't let me into the
nightclub in my state....being able to walk is apparently a requirement for entering an
establishment like that haha! The following day, I had 'The Fear' as we call
it back home....I couldn't remember a thing. Many people had to remind of how I had
embarrassed myself the night before. My Chilean friends, the lovely Irish cailín,
my Japanese friend and I spent the next few hours laughing at my drunken state.
Thank God, they didn't take advantage of the situation or anything. <br />
I was not the other drunken mess in our time in Merbein. Another girl, after
drinking a fair bit, started singing (read: shouting repeatedly) 'Drink' and 'I
don't care, I love it'. The only way she could be subdued was by one of the
Chilean girls force feeding her Doritos to try to sober her up...haha! It was
like watching a dog being fed treats lol<br />
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There were a few hook ups and relationships formed and broken during the 10
weeks that we spent there. People came and went and slowly work began to finish
up. Our number dwindled, people moved on to other jobs and other places but the
friends that we had made within those walls were some of the craziest people I
have ever had the privilege to know. We may meet again, probably in Melbourne
or in one of their many homelands. It'll be very difficult to forget them <3<br />
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Tali gets a special mention here! </div>
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My beautiful farm girls!! </div>
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And to finish, a crazy group shot!<br />
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<![endif]-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07749278058121050836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6728396843281726735.post-24293832429988904652014-01-28T01:00:00.001-08:002014-01-28T01:00:23.023-08:00Chapter 8: Part 2 - A Voice From The Past!<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p> Here's the piece I wrote a while back! I'm the living proof that waiting for the right reasons is totally worth it! Don't judge me for all these philosophical ravings haha!</o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<o:p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><u><b><br /></b></u></span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<o:p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><u><b>Waiting – a necessary or unnecessary evil?!</b></u></span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<o:p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><u><b><br /></b></u></span></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When do you stop waiting and take action? When is waiting
necessary? (Buses…<span style="font-family: Wingdings;">J</span>)
When is it an excuse? Can it be construed a playing it safe? These are all
viable questions that I have asked myself at many stages in my life. It is
quite possible that at some point, I have answered ‘yes’ to all of these
questions. Even as I enjoy a lazy, unproductive day, I contemplate this
question. Is staying in my current situation a necessary evil or am I still
playing it scared?!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz5HzLN9UyTGFOCIlChx2OTDc37SxLrPKm_7v5xgGwXurSvxbg6KbsacBkw7Z3pdeTf0o9RgwMZCdBIpyTezxF4bYEeGPvxuWyjCFXMiZrdjGROEmIsqRohEaTmCpKFlDR2HtqZKh6HgQ/s1600/necassary+evil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz5HzLN9UyTGFOCIlChx2OTDc37SxLrPKm_7v5xgGwXurSvxbg6KbsacBkw7Z3pdeTf0o9RgwMZCdBIpyTezxF4bYEeGPvxuWyjCFXMiZrdjGROEmIsqRohEaTmCpKFlDR2HtqZKh6HgQ/s1600/necassary+evil.jpg" height="400" width="285" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For some, waiting may be an excuse to avoid reaching their
full potential. For example: are you
sitting, reading this and thinking that you want to do more with your life?! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>But, no, you couldn’t
possibly! That’s for younger, more confident, better off people. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is a sign that you are playing it safe. I firmly
believe that a life half lived is a life not lived at all. It has taken a lot
for me to realise this and had I the knowledge earlier I wouldn't be where I am
today. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Others merely wait for their lives to begin. I felt this
when I finished my undergrad degree. I often wondered why other people were out
having fun and having great life-altering experiences. Why I wasn't one of
them?! Didn't I deserve to be getting ahead in my chosen career? Why wasn't I
travelling the world? What was so different about me? (One reason was the
financial one, of course) When I look back on this time, I realise that money
was not the real problem. It was just an excuse. I could have applied for a J1
visa and gone abroad, taken an Erasmus year in college. I had convinced myself
that I had to wait - that my time would come if I was patient. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Good things come to those who wait?..... but waiting around
can be construed as just playing it too safe. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhShx2_vHLI9bM0gG3n6sOjrvKRhrKx-KsBEYJhSGMWFpU84Sp_mhSyCp3KVA8znC0VgILyxk9URS2FviCNuYEi_74zWeN51yirYDiV-rmgNSB1GaDRJ9dZSslP7rIyERtrB9Atko2te2M/s1600/too+short+to+wait.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhShx2_vHLI9bM0gG3n6sOjrvKRhrKx-KsBEYJhSGMWFpU84Sp_mhSyCp3KVA8znC0VgILyxk9URS2FviCNuYEi_74zWeN51yirYDiV-rmgNSB1GaDRJ9dZSslP7rIyERtrB9Atko2te2M/s1600/too+short+to+wait.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Should have, would've and could have! Three things that
myself and my friends use quite frequently. Too frequently! It seems like we
are all focusing on the past. On assignments not done properly, places we
haven’t explored, last night’s indulgences or horrible boys we've kissed. It
seems that life is passing us by. Instead of focussing on the great things we
have in the present, our time is consumed with thinking about things we could
have done differently in the past. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But what does this have to do with waiting and making
excuses? Well, those of us who are stuck in this waiting rut are focusing on
the past instead of planning for our futures! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS1Rp__HgP44pwFiBb-667QYDropk8AzifVpnnGx397pTWQxsfzp7bEu3VaQ4EYANriVCMwDBrBl7Ef-OMg7OYkhg-1u4He-au2fUsG0lmc091-zFu7uwrwDBBE2IbQEWhGavcqDtq2e0/s1600/tick+toke+girl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS1Rp__HgP44pwFiBb-667QYDropk8AzifVpnnGx397pTWQxsfzp7bEu3VaQ4EYANriVCMwDBrBl7Ef-OMg7OYkhg-1u4He-au2fUsG0lmc091-zFu7uwrwDBBE2IbQEWhGavcqDtq2e0/s1600/tick+toke+girl.jpg" height="303" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Waiting, however necessary is a
boring and sad excuse for a life that could be amazing. There I go again –
‘could be’ – but in this context I am thinking positively. Two months waiting
in limbo is far better than a life spent there. I work where I work so that I
can save. I save money so that I can travel. I travel to allow myself to grow
and by growing I become who I want to be. So, waiting in my case is a necessary
evil! It will allow me to live rather than merely exist. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you are making excuses for not living the life you want
or waiting for your life to begin – just STOP! Stop waiting. Take action.
Waiting is only a necessary evil when it leads to a positive and exciting end.
It is never necessary in the long run. Waiting should not replace living your life;
it should give you limited time to prepare for the next adventure.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hope you liked it!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Love Tasha x</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07749278058121050836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6728396843281726735.post-63718914309651144272014-01-28T00:38:00.002-08:002014-01-28T00:38:52.554-08:00Chapter 8: Late Twenties, Here I Come!A new entry...great, I hear you say! Yes! This post is different to the usual narrative of my stay in Australia. Truth be told, I don't have a lot to record at the minute. I'm preparing to take a trip to Auckland, New Zealand in a week so I'll get back to my travel experiences after that. Hopefully, I'll be able to share some exciting news with you then too!<br />
<br />
So, yesterday I got an early birthday message from a relation of mine in England. Completely out of the blue - especially since my birthday isn't until next week haha! Two simple words:<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrvDEVw5SHkPsAl63y0214lEiDRzw73IjM5fk5Lm2UFZ8uLme2JqZRzA2BhMlduWnD5Bnw4bppaTOyD8WNHK-BV-EIPd5TfdEPCUmBMzOZkf3N8mM5m32grT57l0T_kvLzdfd1ntLH2bQ/s1600/happy+birthday+banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrvDEVw5SHkPsAl63y0214lEiDRzw73IjM5fk5Lm2UFZ8uLme2JqZRzA2BhMlduWnD5Bnw4bppaTOyD8WNHK-BV-EIPd5TfdEPCUmBMzOZkf3N8mM5m32grT57l0T_kvLzdfd1ntLH2bQ/s1600/happy+birthday+banner.jpg" height="358" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
But, it inspired my way of thinking and propelled me into a wave of extreme positiveness that made me the happiest I have been in a while. The fact that I'll be starting off a new birth year always has great significance for me. Mainly because it's a chance to start afresh. The last 6 months has been a bit of a whirlwind for me. I have uprooted myself from my life in Ireland, quit my job, broke up with a great guy, and travelled half way around the world. It's been a bit of an adjustment. I'll admit, it hasn't been easy. I've felt isolated, afraid and insecure at times and sometimes I've felt like I was stuck in a waiting rut. Waiting for things to happen. Waiting, yes, I find myself waiting again.<br />
<br />
However, thanks to that message, I'm not thinking in the same way as before. I mean, I'm in Australia. Not exactly doing what I want to do yet, but I have all avenues open to me! I'm not afraid of what I might or might not do. I'm looking forward to all possibilities that may come my way. Getting older for many people is a negative experience and most of us associate negative connotations with getting older. Some focus on the bad things that have happened in the past year and that in turn sets you up for disappointment or low expectations for the coming year.<br />
<br />
In my opinion, that's a waste of time. I'm happy to be getting on in years haha! My birthday always sparks happy thoughts for me. Turning twenty-seven (late twenties, here I come!), gives me great hope. I'm that much smarter (maybe), wiser (also, debatable) and more aware of what I want for myself. As I walked home in the beautiful Aussie evening, I realised how lucky I was (and am) to be where I am, to have all these great opportunities in front of me and most importantly, to have the wonderfully wacky support system I have behind me.<br />
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Briefly, my thoughts turned negative as I thought of how little I had going into the new year and also how much I missed people, my friends especially, back home. But, then, this idea, a revelation one might say, came to me - that no matter where I went, no matter how far away I was, that, it didn't matter how long I went without seeing them; I would be friends with these wonderfully flawed perfect people until the day I die. That thought was the reason for my happiness yesterday and it continues to fuel the bubbling fire in me as I write this. So, a thank you is due to that individual (you know who you are) for kindling such positiveness and for making me smile like a fool as I walked home. I also thank you for the weird looks I probably got from passers by - not that I noticed or cared!<br />
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This leads me to introduce my next piece that I wrote six months ago from a rain ridden, cloudier, frustrated me, waiting for her life to start. Yes, waiting! She seems, now, like a completely different person to me as I write this. I feel more myself and mature in many ways. However, that same girl is in here somewhere too, as a reminder that waiting is only a limitation that we put on ourselves. She was right, the waiting period is over for me! I will post it directly after this and I hope it sparks positive thinking and inspires you as it did me as I re-read it!<br />
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Love Tasha x<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07749278058121050836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6728396843281726735.post-41919340566291028982014-01-15T04:53:00.001-08:002014-01-15T04:55:51.665-08:00Chapter 7: 10 Great Days in Melbourne!So, I've returned from Melbourne in one piece, thankfully. Apart from a hole in my wallet, a bit of a burn and some new friends I haven't changed much. Or maybe I have! It was daunting to pack up an go to a new city. I didn't know my way about, barely knew another soul (except for one Irish friend from home). I felt like a fish out of water. After checking in at the hostel, I headed to the common area and within minutes found myself engaged in a giant game of Jenga. That's how you get to know people. I met a lovely girl from Dublin that night. Small world, huh! She's lives one suburb over from me! Mental.<br />
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The hostel was a pretty cool place. Strict enough in matters of drinking and that made it a pretty safe environment to spend ten days. They staff were great. They really made an effort to provide entertainment each night. I arrived on Monday, which was game night (i.e. Jenga, Monopoly, Uno, Nitty Gritty etc.). After, we went to the Espe, a bar down near the beach. There was a band playing called Secret Tsunami. They had a great front man, who totally rocked a pink cowboy hat! Alas, I have no evidence. That was an early night for myself and my Irish friend.<br />
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The next night was New Years Eve! We had drinks in the hostel in the garden before we went down to the beach in St Kilda. Standing in the ocean as the clock stuck 12 and rung in the new year as a new person. Honestly, I've never felt more alive than I did then. Knee deep in warm water, looking at a cloudless sky on the other side of the world! It was incredibly liberating! At that moment, I made a decision to leave 2013 behind and to move forward. I also decided that I was going to stay on in Australia. More on that later. Didn't get any firework photos but, if you can imagine the entire city skyline stretched out in front of you, the lights of the city twinkling at you from all sides, stars and constellations in clear view, seagulls frolicking over the baby waves crashing on the sand, music blaring in the background - coming from a packed pub on the beach, people counting back from 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.....and then colours exploding against the inky black sky. Hugging anyone and everyone. Splashing around in the water. Lots of laughter. Never felt so free. A great start to the year.<br />
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New Years Day was a bit of a washout. Yes, rain. So I may have watched cricket all day...or maybe it was random movies. I can't remember exactly. I was hung-over! By the evening we had started drinking again. This was Wednesday. Think it was a pretty civilised night!<br />
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Thursday, I took a tram into the city for the day. I have lots of photos from that trip. I love Melbourne. It's very easy to navigate your way about. I got off at Federation Square, which is near South Bank/the river and proceeded to wander around the neighbouring side streets.<br />
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Flinder's St Station<br />
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Side View of Federation Square<br />
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View towards MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) on the river<br />
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Cathedral off Federation Square<br />
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View from Federation Square towards South Bank<br />
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It's very difficult to get lost in Melbourne. There is actual accurate sign posts, not like in Ireland. Walked up Swanson St to the National Library. The sun was shining down and it was great to be out in it. I had a look at a free exhibition inside about the architecture of the building. On route, I had passed Chinatown and the main shopping district.<br />
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Front of National Library<br />
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Statue outside<br />
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After that I took a walk up to Russell St to the Melbourne Gaol. This is where Ned Kelly served his sentence and was killed in 1880. I also saw the City Court which is on the same street. While I was in town, I did the mandatory lunch and shopping routine before I jumped on a tram back to the hostel.<br />
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Melbourne Gaol<br />
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That night is when all the fun kicked off! Haha! There was a BQQ back at Habitat (the hostel) or a sausage sizzle as it can be called here. I was sitting with my Irish friend. We got chatting to this young Aussie guy. After a few drinks, the three of us took a trip back into the city. We went to a bar in Chinatown - I can't remember the name of it, so you know it was a good night haha! All I know was that it had this fantastic vintage Juke Box, a supply of Jameson and a pool table. Also, we Irish drank the Aussie under the table and staggered back to the hostel around 4am.<br />
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Got to see a pre dawn view over St. Kilda Beach. As you can see, it's a pretty nice photo!<br />
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Friday, well after only two hours sleep, I obviously didn't do much! We did a cool thing that evening though, now that I think of it. I had volunteered to go down to guide the penguins into the pier. They come in at night to breed, feed their young and to shed their feathers (which they do all in one go). It's not a march of the penguins scenario but there were a few about. Each of us were given a high vis vest and a red light touch. We had to make sure that nobody was taking flash photography. Penguins are very sensitive to flash photography and it can cause them to go blind and therefore they wouldn't be able to hunt/see underwater. Funny enough, they don't register the colour red. So when people wanted to take a photo, we were on hand to light their way - so to speak! It was fierce windy up their on the pier. If I was to live in Melbourne, I would definitely volunteer every week!<br />
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This is the turnout on the night we went down. Packed!<br />
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Saturday, I went into town to meet up with a friend from Galway. We went to the National Gallery of Victoria. It was a really diverse experience. Very child friendly and I got to make a bracelet and take it home. I watched a bit of the cricket with a group of Poms in the afternoon and that night we all went out dancing. Made a few new friends. It was one of those perfect nights out. Sunday, we watched the last match of the Ashes (Cricket). England v Australia and it was a wash out! Aussies won 5-0. Had a cat nap in the afternoon. Had drinks with the Aussie, who was on a high after the cricket. Beat me at pool and then we watched Pulp Fiction until stupid o'clock in the morning!<br />
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Monday, I went to meet another friend in the city. We went to this place called Lentil As Anything. It was a vegetarian restaurant, where they had no set prices. You could have as much as you wanted and then donate what you thought the food was worth. It was delicious and the idea is pretty cool. I heard a story about a guy who brought his girlfriend on their first date there. You'd think that wouldn't go down well but after they ate he donated 50 dollars before he left which certainly impressed his date. That night, there was a fierce game of Monopoly going on at the hostel when I got back. Over a few drinks, of course! It was game night at the hostel and it wasn't long before the giant Jenga resurfaced. It was fun and then we went out dancing that night! Great fun!<br />
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Tuesday was definitely a movie day! The Fast and the Furious and Catch Me If You Can. I may have booked my flight back to Brisbane that day. Wednesday was my last full day in Melbourne, so my Irish friend Sara and I took a trip down to Brighton Beach which is a few stops away from the city by train. Brighton Beach is home to the colourful bathing boxes (I'd call them sheds) and gives you some nice views of city skyline.<br />
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We enjoyed playing the tourist and got lots of photos. It was a warm 25 degrees that day which was my downfall. I had forgotten to bring sun cream. The wind is very deceitful so you don't feel it happening, until it's too late. I had turned into a strawberry by late afternoon and was still a walking talking human radiator by 11pm that night.<br />
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I was sad to say goodbye to the people I had met that night. One or two people particularly. But, I'm sure we'll meet again as I'm planning to extend my stay in Australia. And we'll keep in contact in the meantime. But, as I had spent too much already, I knew it was time to go back, sleep, save and recuperate! It was a good thing though because in the days since I left, Melbourne has been hit with a heat wave. I swear it has hit 45 degrees at some point and we're expecting a slightly cooler heat wave her in Brissy over the weekend.<br />
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That's all for now,<br />
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Love Tasha x<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07749278058121050836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6728396843281726735.post-54714684396390698692014-01-06T20:21:00.003-08:002014-01-06T20:22:38.370-08:00Chapter 6 - Branching out, Jenga, and Christmas!<div class="MsoNormal">
Note: This entry is split in two for three reasons. 1) I hadn't access to the Internet on New Year's Eve (when I wrote the first installment), 2) More has happened since then and 3) I'm a hopelessly forgetful thing!</div>
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So, I'll be updating the blog twice in a sort space of time! You lucky, lucky people!</div>
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Christmas Day was spent at a table of seventeen. Christmas
dinner is different at home. At home we have the big hot meal in the evening.
When you’re in the tropics, it really is too hot to be eating a big dinner so
we had a buffet style mean during the day. There was a choice of cold meats,
salads, veg and potatoes. Desert followed and champagne. Not bad at all. When
we got home afterwards, all of us jumped in the pool to cool off. Just you’re usual Christmas Day in Brisbane
with the sun spitting the stones. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Now that Christmas is over and I have successfully stuffed
myself full of holiday treats, I figured it might be time to do a bit of
travelling. So, I booked myself a one way ticket to Melbourne, Victoria. I
arrived in the hostel yesterday evening. QLD, however, wouldn't let me go
without giving me a good send-off. This was my first proper electrical storm and it was
AWESOME!! I'll upload it as soon as I can<o:p></o:p><br />
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So, now that I'm in Melbourne, what am I to do?! Let me see.
Chill out in the hostel? Check. Enjoy some drinks over Jenga? Check! Catch up
with a friend from home? Check. Discover that half the place is full of Irish,
Scottish and Brits? Check. And I've only been here for one night! We went to
two pubs last night. One had an excellent band called ‘Secret Tsunami’ and in
the second one they had a drag show which I'm assured was on the classier side
of ‘Ladyboy’ shows. You know what, I believe him! Unfortunately, I don’t have
pictures but one of was called ‘Paris’. Highly entertaining!<o:p></o:p></div>
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The weather is similar to home (Ireland), in that there can
be four seasons in one day. Unlike Ireland, it’s warm and not storm riddled
with is great. The only slightly negative thing I’ve seen was walking home last
night. You know, I wouldn't call it a negative experience. It was quite comical
actually. Some guy muttered a remark as we passed. “Just go home” he said, or
something. He must have mistaken us for Poms (that’s what Aussies call people
from England). <o:p></o:p></div>
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That’s about all for now. Plans are afoot for this evening,
that being New Year’s Eve. Drinks, park, fireworks! It looks to be an enjoyable
evening. Until then, I had better find a supermarket and some insect repellent.
The hostel life is a glamorous one!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07749278058121050836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6728396843281726735.post-71008704847162091002013-12-23T06:23:00.002-08:002013-12-23T06:26:24.221-08:00Chapter 5: Tis the season.....Merry Christmas!!!!<br />
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Sorry for the lack of updates this past while. I've been slacking off - haha! We've been getting all set for Christmas here in Oz. What else has been happening, I hear you ask?! Well, Dad's been sick and he's hurt his back. Didn't last too long thankfully. He still managed to take us ice skating one of the days. No skating for him though. His back still isn't 100% yet but he's getting on okay. He blames his old age - I think he still sees himself as being in his 20s.<br />
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I'm not as bad at the old skating as I make myself out to be. Ice skating is one of my Christmas traditions so it was nice to be able to do that over here. I can't honestly believe that it's Christmas Eve. It's not the same here without the cold weather. I don't mean that in a bad way - I love the sunshine, and I certainly don't envy everyone in Ireland right now with all those storms and weather warnings. I hope everyone is doing okay! Most of the shopping has been done and wrapped. There's a Christmas tree, lights decorating houses all over the neighbourhood and beyond and Rose is excited for Christmas morning already. But, there is something to be said for being huddled beside a live fire in your pjs and dressing gown, drinking hot chocolate and watching old movies!<br />
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Louise and I took a trip into Brisbane last week. It was a beautiful day, cloudy to begin with but clear blue skies had invaded by lunchtime. We surveyed the city from the Wheel of Brisbane and climbed up into the Memorial Garden on South Bank. We ate ice-cream with mini m&ms and tim tams while watching the ibis ( a species of bird). We got some good photos too!<br />
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On Friday morning, Dad, Louise, Rose and I went bowling (or 10 pin bowling as the Aussies call it). Now, I'm not particularly good at it and I played pretty poorly in the first game but, I won the second. Not only did I win but I got a few strikes/spares and I also beat Dad which was awesome. He wasn't too happy about it - haha. I don't think he expected it after how I played during the first game. Neither did I, if I'm honest!<br />
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That night, we went into town. Brisbane is lovely at night. It was packed of course, being that it was the Friday before Christmas. there was a Christmas Parade starting from Queen Street Mall. It rein-acted the nativity scene and scenes from the Nutcracker ballet, encompassing live animals and performers. After that we walked down to Town Hall where there was a lighting performance displayed on the outside of the building. It was beautiful. I'm hoping to upload a video of it with this entry so fingers crossed that'll work okay! (Edit: I'm sorry to say that the videos didn't turn out well so I've uploaded a fair few photos instead.)<br />
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In this last shot, I think it looks like there's snow. I love the lighting in this photo too (below)<br />
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Obviously, I can't say that I'm not having a good time. I've been looking into possibly staying on or coming back in the near future. Seems stupid not to take advantage of the freedom I have now - I won't have it forever! I've made New Years plans too so I'll be moving on from Brissy soon. Down to Melbourne and I'll meet up with a few friends who are lolling about the place! And then, somehow I'll make my way up to Sydney from there. Can anyone say they've survived twelve hours on a bus??! I'll let you know how I get on with that!<br />
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We're expecting a bit of a heat wave here over Christmas. That'll include sunshine, possible thunder storms and temperatures of up to 35 degrees in QLD. It's hotter down in Melbourne at the minute -about 40 degrees. The one thing I regret is not being able to drive over here. If a genie approached me and offered me three wishes, my first would be to be able to drive and have a car to drive over here. Oh the adventures I could have!<br />
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Anyway, I'll do my best to be a better correspondent from now on. Thank you all (whoever you are) for reading this. I'm amazed that so many read it!<br />
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Happy Christmas and I'll be taking to you in the new year!<br />
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Love Tasha x Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07749278058121050836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6728396843281726735.post-44221198833894487082013-12-19T02:17:00.001-08:002013-12-19T02:25:01.908-08:00A poem from long ago!<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px; text-align: center;">
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So, I wrote this poem about 10 years ago and now, as his anniversary approaches, I think it might be nice to share it with anyone who might like to read it</div>
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<u><b>To My Grandfather </b></u></h2>
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<h3>
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Softly falling snow, black drawn carriage</div>
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Carrying the man who wakes no more.</div>
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Father, brother, husband, son</div>
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The list goes on - oh, how he will be missed!</div>
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The mourners come from all the land </div>
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To reconcile those left behind</div>
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To watch him glide</div>
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Graciously </div>
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Underground</div>
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Where he comes </div>
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No more.</div>
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Oh! How I shall miss your face</div>
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Your dark brown eyes</div>
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That twinkling smile</div>
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You have gone from this world</div>
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It seems </div>
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Goodnight</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Sweet Tom O' Dreams!</div>
</h3>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07749278058121050836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6728396843281726735.post-83151560209534302702013-12-09T05:00:00.002-08:002013-12-09T05:00:50.723-08:00Chapter 4: South Bank, Tree Climbing and Sickness<div class="MsoNormal">
So, what’s happened since I last posted?! Well, the girls
have been sick all weekend but thankfully, all stomachs have settled today
after many unsure days. Aside from that, the three sisters have been climbing
trees and I have been getting an animation education in the form of Despicable Me 1 & 2 (those minions are so cute) and Rise of the Guardians (Loved it!!) .</div>
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On Thursday, we went to the park because dad had to work.
All it took was one go on the giant swing to remind me of my childhood. It’s
funny. No matter how old you are; we’re all the same age in a playground. We
did a lot of climbing and laughing. Here are some photos from that day!<o:p></o:p></div>
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On Saturday, dad and I decided to vacuum the pool (it was full of
leaves) and I had a swim in it with Rose in the afternoon. I got burnt a bit but not
badly thankfully! <o:p></o:p></div>
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On Sunday, Dad and I went into Brisbane. I enjoyed our catch
up over lunch and afterwards we did a bit of hat shopping as I really need one
in this weather. Beautiful as it is, it’s important to keep your head out of
the sun. We took a stroll through Queen Street Mall, over Victoria Bridge and
down to South Bank. It’s a lovely part of the city; which encompasses The Wheel
of Brisbane, Griffith University, many picnic areas and man-made beaches. It is
the centre of culture, recreation and entertainment, according to my guide book
– and I agree. It has a market and bars/restaurants, busy with locals and
tourists shopping and enjoying themselves in the hot summer sun (despite being
in the shade haha). The sun is taken for granted here by the locals as the sun
will come out tomorrow. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Entrance to the Memorial Park (below) and the Brisbane skyline (above)</div>
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Brisbane skyline from South Bank beach (below)</div>
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The Wheel of Brisbane (below)<br />
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This one (below) was taken outside the Preforming Arts Centre just beside The Wheel of Brisbane.<br />
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This one is a few of the river, South Bank to the right and The Wheel of Brisbane from Victoria Bridge.</div>
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That's all for now. Catch you guys in the next instalment.</div>
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Tasha </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07749278058121050836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6728396843281726735.post-40724535448476923442013-12-07T03:23:00.001-08:002013-12-07T03:27:43.224-08:00Treat yourself this weekend!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07749278058121050836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6728396843281726735.post-32273560022657818522013-12-05T20:21:00.000-08:002013-12-05T20:23:13.994-08:00Chapter 3: Allergic reactions, Christmas lights and getting to know you<div class="MsoNormal">
And so, I have been here over a week. Already!! It’s been
pretty chilled out thus far. Saturday was the only rainy day. It was my
sister’s birthday party – typical haha! Dad cooked lunch on the BBQ and it was
delicious. I got to meet all their cousins again. It’s a fun family they have
out here. Dad’s sister-in-law brought her two dogs as well which added to the
mayhem – bringing the total count to eight adults, one teenager, one child and
four dogs. Unfortunately, didn't get many pictures of the festivities.</div>
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That evening, we (me, Dad and my sisters) walked down to the
local church. You should have seen it! It was covered with Christmas lights –
green, blue, red, purple, turquoise, pink and white. There were koalas in the
trees; an Indian monument inspired montage; lights that spelt out ‘welcome’ in
all sorts of world language – I did notice, however, that they left out
‘Fáilte’ which is the Irish for welcome. There was a giant angel in the grass
area outside; the usual suspects – reindeer, stars, the three wise men, Santa,
Mary and Joseph etc. It was all very impressive! <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4PgRQ4yekJfYTzQUciyCL6zl9i5DlrkgDn-FOTPLuCE8oL1avIudR7YiSAjH38nFQE7EUaCUK07enQCOOzCd3iRtpr2Pqms7WphmwZHXNHMvBVDXuf8XJdNsapkUFKkl3c4T3q_t5SIo/s1600/2012-05-16+11.10.28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4PgRQ4yekJfYTzQUciyCL6zl9i5DlrkgDn-FOTPLuCE8oL1avIudR7YiSAjH38nFQE7EUaCUK07enQCOOzCd3iRtpr2Pqms7WphmwZHXNHMvBVDXuf8XJdNsapkUFKkl3c4T3q_t5SIo/s400/2012-05-16+11.10.28.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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On Sunday, I found that I had been bitten (by a mozzy most
likely) and by that evening, my right ankle had blown up to three times its
usual size – making the contrast between my feet almost comical. The bite had
blistered and it was a bit painful. I couldn't walk on it and I had to keep it
raised. What dramatics?! And I'm only in the country a few days! It still hasn't cleared properly but the
swelling has gone down considerably and the redness is fading. I am hoping it
will disappear completely by the weekend. It’s not the most attractive thing to
look at, I'll admit.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I realise that up until this point I have refrained from
dropping names but I know that it would become extremely difficult and
confusing to continue like that. So, without further ado, I will give my
sisters aliases. The eldest, I will call Louise and I will call the youngest
Rose. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Louise has been on summer holidays since Friday but Rose
only finished school today. Monday morning saw Louise dragging herself out of
bed to go running with Dad at 9am before breakfast. I had said that I’d go too
but as I couldn't walk the day before, I figured that it wouldn't be the smartest
thing to go running on it so soon. Instead, I walked on the side-lines, took a
photo or two and soaked up a bit of vitamin D. Dad did a lap at the end and
Louise and I had way too much fun shouting insults from the finish line. These
failed to reach him as he raced around the track – what a show off! Ha!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Here's a photo of them heading out to the track.</div>
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Tuesday, Louise and I had a bit of a bonding session. We
walked in the warm summer heat up to the local cinema to see The Hunger Games:
Catching Fire. We both loved the film and dissected it on the walk home.
Afterwards, she introduced me to her favourite music and we watched <i>Mrs Brown’s Boys </i>which is big over here.
One interesting thing about it (which you probably know already), is that
although it’s set in Ireland and all the cast is Irish, the show itself is
recorded in Scotland.</div>
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Louise is great. She is smart, both academically and outside
the classroom (i.e. her head is screwed on properly). She has a love of all
things electronic and is a talented storyteller and writer. She’s interested in
drama and would either like to be an author or an actor when she grows up. I
wish I knew that much at her age! Oh, and she has a part-time job too. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Rose is your typical little girl – interested in everything,
chatty, full of energy, questions and mischief. She has a bold streak but she
does try to behave herself, despite driving her dad to distraction haha! She’s
full of smiles and likes to pose for photos. She likes to draw, sing, and make
up stories/songs. She’s a smart kid and does well at school too. Her's a photo of Rose.<o:p></o:p></div>
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That's enough for now. More photos to follow in my next post. </div>
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Hope you're having a good day,</div>
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Love Tasha x</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07749278058121050836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6728396843281726735.post-33138906125243062572013-11-29T22:28:00.000-08:002013-11-30T00:30:34.033-08:00Chapter 2 - Getting here, battling jet lag and easing into Aussi life!<div class="MsoNormal">
Phew, made it! Australia, Brisbane, and the Sunshine State –
you can say that again. I could get used to this weather. After a long and
patience testing twenty-seven hour flight - where sleep was prevented due to
close quarters, multiple time zones and screaming children – we touched down
into Brisbane International Airport. Twenty-three degrees at 8pm, something I
have never encountered before. Grabbing my bag and passing through customs
glitch free, I walked through the arrivals doors scanning the area for the
sight of my dad. There you are, phew! It was great to see him after six years.
He hasn’t changed except for a little less hair on top haha! And I’m still
taller which I’m far too happy about. We head for home.</div>
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Butterflies invade as we approach the house. It’s the eve of
my sister’s birthday and she doesn’t know I’m coming. Ek - I may be more
excited than she is. I can hear the dogs’ barking as my dad opens the door.
She’s grown taller but it’s the same little girl I met 8 years ago. Hugs and
some tears on her part. More hugs. Some food and a quick catch up before I
crash for the night.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The next morning I met my youngest sister, for the first
time. She knew who I was but it took the day yesterday to get used to me. She
spent breakfast in silent observation as if she couldn’t quite believe I was
there. By the afternoon we were playing Guess Who?, Snakes & Ladders and
Connect Four and in the evening I read her a bedtime story. She loves having
someone new to play with. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Earlier on in the day, dad and I took a little drive up to
Mt. Coot-tha lookout which is close by. Spectacular views: - you get a
panoramic view of the whole city of Brisbane – the river, its suburbs and the
mountains in the distance. I felt in awe of its beauty. Time kind of stood
still up there. Despite being a tourist spot, it’s a very peaceful place. It’s
nice to play the tourist for a change rather than serving them. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDQ4JKq4q1fb76nfhovkBVc9cHrNUV0VdICGdrktNA3-xw3CU3ChdHuNqB1a5KkV0-sVA2SUbBqU3qMq3kzpgXqwnjHRRHVYQJy7h4yx2Oc7Mc2VCMGEMW1nZ1VOTM8S-2l0vr_Y8dGO0/s1600/DSCF0528.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDQ4JKq4q1fb76nfhovkBVc9cHrNUV0VdICGdrktNA3-xw3CU3ChdHuNqB1a5KkV0-sVA2SUbBqU3qMq3kzpgXqwnjHRRHVYQJy7h4yx2Oc7Mc2VCMGEMW1nZ1VOTM8S-2l0vr_Y8dGO0/s1600/DSCF0528.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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That's dad in the last one!</div>
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We also stopped at the Planetarium and had a look inside. It's named after Sir Thomas Brisbane. Yep, that's guy that the Brisbane is named after. It was full of school kids so we didn't stay too long. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlwLB10Zw7L05ciytUREiWrY-tbkp691sYgLq4r6fUdQ6o-tfKbKVbe62a_ovlBsV1HXGyvq2zzD5o1Z74w1s38ip7o2BnlCSEVrr6RmLd0N_yrDhbaM6OdwVlw1iHXhdZPG2tP7wnzmM/s1600/DSCF0534.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlwLB10Zw7L05ciytUREiWrY-tbkp691sYgLq4r6fUdQ6o-tfKbKVbe62a_ovlBsV1HXGyvq2zzD5o1Z74w1s38ip7o2BnlCSEVrr6RmLd0N_yrDhbaM6OdwVlw1iHXhdZPG2tP7wnzmM/s1600/DSCF0534.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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It’s been beautiful weather so far as you can see from the
pictures. Palm trees are a new thing for me, as is the temperature. Today it is
approaching the 34 mark and we are expecting a bit of a thunder and lightning
storm and then the weather will get a bit cooler tomorrow! This morning was my
youngest sister’s Christmas show and after that dad and I went to his squash
match. Who knew dad could run?! Haha! He’s a good player and has been
playing for the last eight years. We’ll go next Friday too for the final match.
Anyway, that’s all for now. Hope all is well
wherever you are. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IE; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Love Tasha</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07749278058121050836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6728396843281726735.post-51508211536003787582013-11-25T19:50:00.001-08:002015-11-16T14:34:20.860-08:00Chapter 1 - Terminal 2.<div class="MsoNormal">
I'm sitting here, in a sleepy departure lounge waiting to check in. To set the scene – passengers are sprawled out on couches, hoping to catch forty winks before the stress of travelling begins; others peruse their laptops and other technological gadgets, perhaps checking themselves in on Facebook (as I will probably do myself shortly) to prove to others that we do have a life; the lazier of us stare into space and there is one gentleman reading an ACTUAL book! It’s so dark outside that all you can see is the reflection of the terminal and the blinking of Christmas lights outside. There is a Christmas tree in one corner. I haven’t slept since last night. I'm wondering how long I'll be able to maintain this state of being awake. <br />
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I have been planning this trip since March. It’s been a long yet short wait – if you've ever been looking forward to something you'll agree and understand that. I still can't believe I'm here. FINALLY! And so, with time to spare (as I'm ridiculously early, as per usual), I've decided that I would set up this account of my travels in Australia and any other corners that life takes me. Having left my Irish family behind (tears and hugs in abundance), I'm off to see the Australian contingent! It feels very surreal to me - I've been planning it for so long I suppose so it won't hit me until I get to London to my connecting flight which will take me to Malaysia and then on to Australia.<o:p></o:p><br />
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I haven't seen my dad and sisters in years and one sister I have yet to meet so this trip is giving me the opportunity to reconnect with them and to have some well-deserved fun. I’d be lying if I said I wasn't excited – haha! I'll have to learn the lingo, I suppose. And there are BBQ plans afoot for my sister’s birthday at the weekend so I'll get some photos up from that in my next post. </div>
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I hope, whoever you are – family, friend, foe or complete stranger, that you will enjoy reading these little anecdotes. Even though I may be away for a while you will be able to see what I get up to and keep in touch. Enjoy and happy reading! Love Tash </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07749278058121050836noreply@blogger.com0