Why hello 2012, you’ve certainly come along quickly!

It has been over a year since I bashed out a post for this here blog. My-oh-my, I cannot believe another year has just flown by like that *imagine appropriate thumb click here*. 2011 has been a pretty good year personally (though was a bit crappy in world terms with such bothers as recession worries, revolutions and Kardashians). I have felt like easing into the blogging bath again for a little while now but nothing like a New Year to spur one into resolutionary action!

Sydney is actually going pretty fabulously. I  have really begun to appreciate the city more – its bejewelled beaches, its leafy streets, its smart casual sensibility, its diversity. The fact that each suburb has a different ‘feel’ and that there are layers and layers to pull back from the city – once you get over the traffic woes (and the occasional smattering of new-moneyed be-Rolexed wankers).

Christmas was lovely – my Mum came down from Brisbane and we spent Christmas Eve having a lovely dinner at one of the local Italian restaurants. Christmas morning saw us at the beach – Pittwater to be exact for a brekkie of Bircher museli, eggs, bacon, fruit and bread. The rest of the day was relaxed with yummy food, bubbles and down time. New Year’s was spent at K’s (a lovely friend who has just moved from Brisbane). Other friends were down from Brisbane and we cooked up a storm with Singapore Chilli Crab, Chilli Garlic Prawns, Slow Roasted Leg of Lamb, Uber German potato salad (my contribution) and a mint, pine nut and feta pea salad (another contribution). We then desserted on my friend M’s delicissimo blueberry pie. Amaze-o-rama!

As you can imagine, much indulgence has its downsides (weight gain for one). I have been doing Weight Watchers for most of this year and have managed to hold a 6 kilogram loss since the start of 2011. It’s not that impressive but slowly and surely does it. It was back to WW meetings this morning. Boy, was the room packed! A lot of people wanting to work off the Christmas excess! Otherwise had a brilliant day by myself – did the grocery shopping, a few household chores then had a blissful few hours with the paper, my pile of holiday books and notebook. I then used a Christmas voucher that I received from Tom at my favourite homewares shop in Crows Nest. I selected another Circa candle – these beautiful candles have the most heavenly scents! I previously had the Mango Papaya and today I got the Jasmine Magnolia. Loving the beautiful fragrance wafting through the studio right now! I also got a lovely wooden ornament of a couple embracing to make a heart shape. It sounds a bit naff but pictures attached to hopefully dispel such thoughts!

Tonight, Tom, K and I are heading into the City for the First Night of the Sydney Festival. We will go to The Domain to watch Manu Chao and also Washington play. Last year we watched Los Lobos (band who are famous for the song La Bamba) play and it was truly magical. The sun was setting on a beautiful Sydney day, the air was golden, people were smiling everywhere and it had such a good vibe. Hoping for similar tonight!

I am really loving life at the moment – there is so much to look forward to! I have a few goals but won’t post them here as yet (I have posted many goals on this blog before and have never achieved half of what I have set out to do which must be very amusing for anyone reading). After all, goals don’t mean much without action.

Here’s a couple of pics from the last few months. Will post again soon!

Still alive…

I don’t know whether it is foolish to post here again seeing as it has been so long. I kinda lost the blogging urge because I felt I didn’t have anything interesting to say (did I ever really?). But when I look back over the London posts, it’s such a lovely record of the time there that I feel a bit sad that I don’t have it for this first year spent in Sydney.

So things are puttering along pretty well. Got through my first year of uni practically unscathed and with good marks. Still loving living with Tom in our cute little studio in a great neighbourhood. Did some lovely holidays to the Hunter Valley, back to Brisbane and the big one, New Zealand in December.

But if I am honest, I don’t really *LOVE* Sydney. It’s a pretty place with its dazzling harbour and often brilliant blue skies over sandy beaches. But the vibe of the place is a little – I don’t know – shallow, busy, superficial. I guess  I am just a bit sick of Aussie culture and its insane/inane obsession with interest rates, what the RBA is doing, property prices, etc. Maybe I have selective memory, but there certainly isn’t such a national obsession with such things in the UK or Europe (well, The Netherlands at least).

But what makes me more annoyed is the fact that I suffer from such a case of “The Grass Is Greener” syndrome. I pined for Australia at times while in the UK (especially near the end and in winter) but now I find myself longing for the culture of Europe and UK. Don’t get me wrong, I love seeing our Aussie friends and family but they are all in Brisbane really so sometimes it can feel a little lonely in Sydney when you are so close but so far from the ones you love. I have made a few friends through uni and Tom through work. And of course it takes time to build friendships and if I am honest, I haven’t “put myself out there” to meet new people.

Despite my complaining/whingeing (what’s new)…I think the decision to move to Sydney was the right one. We just have to make the most of the positives and play down the negatives. (I mean, gosh, we are so very privileged to live the life we do when so many people never get the chance). Hmm, maybe this blog is good for that…if I have a big spew out about whingey things it makes me see what a nong I am being and bring some perspective to the situation! Lose-win!

On a lighter note, we have some friends heading down from Brisbane next weekend for a trip to the Hunter Valley! Yay! Should be very fun! I am back to uni this week and I have been looking forward to that for ages (remind me of this thought when I am struggling to finish 3 assignments in 1 night).

I also might have some more work as a medical receptionist at a clinic near uni. My 4 hours a week as a medical typist really isn’t cutting it financially so it would be a boon to get some more work hours that fit in with uni. We have essentially been living off one income here in Sydney. I didn’t think it would be possible, but we have managed this year to do so and still enjoy many luxuries like eating out and running a car.

I also tried yoga for the first time last week. It was amazing despite my inflexible body finding it quite tough. Afterwards, I felt like I was walking on a cloud – so light! So I finally tried yoga after talking about it for so long and it was fantastic. Must do more of this…you know, doing rather than talking!

Anyways, I’ll leave this disjointed post at that and hopefully will get my posting groove back to write a little more smoothly in the near future! Cheers!

Catching up

Alas, again I have fallen behind and neglected this blog. It’s like my little online garden patch. It’s fast going to seed, so I better get weeding.

To start off on a very sad note, we lost my grandfather Alfred on Saturday, 22 May. He was 93 and an inspirational man. He was in very good health up until the last year or so where he slowly began to deteriorate. My grandmother and Alf’s daughter Helen cared for him for a long time at home and he only spent a small amount of time at hospital at the end, which I’m sure is just the way strong, independent Alf would have wanted it. He was born in rural NSW and was a typical farm boy and keen sportsman who dealt with snakes bare-handed and who scored many a try one-handed. He fought in WWII and was a prisoner of war at Changi. Yet the horrors he experienced there never made him bitter or hateful of life. He had a reputation as a larrikin but always had such an incredible “strength” about him – both physical and mental.

Tom and I flew up to Brisbane for the funeral. It was an incredibly sad day but being with all the family helped us to remember Alf and to support each other and Grandma through this really difficult time. Grandma is constantly in my thoughts these days. There have been a few losses this year which have been very difficult to deal with. I sometimes wish I was a little closer so I could drop around for a cuppa and “just be there” with her. My brother gave a wonderfully poignant speech about Alf at the funeral and Helen also spoke some very moving words. There were many tears and a few chuckles.  I am so glad we were able to go to Brisbane for it. To say goodbye to Alf was very hard. Vale Alfred.

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On a completely different note, uni classes are finished for the semester and we are on the road towards exams. 5 of them. Argh!!! On a happy note, I got my psychology essay back and I got 97% which I was absolutely over the moon about! I also got 91% on my biology report which was most pleasing! I did however fail my Biostatistics and Calculus quizzes ( Thankfully the average for both was a fail mark (5/12) so am counting on that bell curve! I probably do need to get more of a move on with my study though – I’ve spent a lot of time with Chemistry so far and nothing else. I gotta focus!

Oh and in wonderful news, Tom did brilliantly well in his half marathon!!! I am so proud of him! He ran a time of approximately 1 hour 45 mins and finished around 2200 out of 8000 runners! Not bad for his first ever run event! It was a very early start to go watch him but I am so glad I did. I ran around the course to catch some glimpses of him and got a couple of pics of Maratom! Afterwards, we met up with some of Tom’s colleagues who also ran in the race for some drinks and lots of food. Actually, that was a marathon effort in itself - did not feel well the next day!

But in terms of the “Look Amazing” campaign, I was inspired by Tom’s efforts and have signed up for the City2Surf which is on in August. I’ve got about 9 weeks of preparation ahead. Now I am in terrible shape at the moment, so have to be realistic about how I am going to go. I’ve drawn up a training plan (with the help of Tom) and am hoping it will enable me to finish the race with me jogging more than halfway and maybe briskly walking the rest. I am actually really looking forward to working towards this goal.  We started off yesterday morning with a very brisk walk for an hour around the track which will be my “training route”. Now, hoping for no injuries!

I have also started on a pill which should help my skin and I’m sure increased exercise levels will help in that respect too! So next things to do are to sign up with a yoga class in the area. The only thing is that our funds are a little limited at the moment and we need to change our car registration from QLD to NSW! So once pay day comes around, I am going to go along for a trial class. Will help with the stress of exams I am sure!

Oh and in very very exciting news, we have a load of visitors planned for December. Tom’s lovely mother and her partner Jan are going to meet us in New Zealand for a wonderful 2 week holiday in the beginning of December. We are then going to Brisbane for a couple of days for Christmas where Tom’s sister will join us and then we will head back to Sydney for New Year’s Eve where Tom’s friend Arjan will arrive as well! So yes, our little studio is going to be one heaving joint! But I am sure we will manage! I realllly cannot wait for New Zealand. Hiking, long walks, good wine, good food, fresh air, mountains and good company! Should be lovely!

Things are really pootling along well here in Sydney. I actually really like living here. I’ve said it before, but living in a nice neighbourhood in a nice place really helps. We are so close to loads of shops, restaurants and cafes. The bus is a 1 minute walk from our door and it only takes about 10-15 minutes to get into the centre of Sydney. We have been for a number of walks to the Rocks and the harbour from home (takes around an hour but a very pleasing walk over that famous coathanger bridge!). Life is good at the moment!

Oh and I did finally go brunette and am loving it! It’s nice to have a change and not worry about regrowth 2 weeks after getting my hair done! Yay! Found a good neighbourhood salon that is not too exhorbitant so double ticks!

Okay so here are some pics. More will follow in next post!

Oh and I apologise to Sarah and Phil who commented on my last post and I never got back to….your advice and lovely words are always appreciated. In fact Phil’s blog and her attitude to life are uber inspiring and I am constantly motivated by those gold nuggets of info and advice that she so eloquently dispenses! Thanks Phil!

OK, off to uni to meet up with a friend and lament about our study woes!

All the leaves are brown…

There is a definite crispness to the air. The leaves are beginning to fall from the trees and form pools of crunch on the footpaths. After 2 summers in a row, it’s actually quite welcome to feel this change in the seasons. Being a Brisbane-born lass, where the seasons consist of hot/not as hot, it’s actually quite romantic to feel autumn close in, here in Sydney. Of course, it’s nothing like it is in London, but I find there is something very nice about autumn – the frivolity of summer is over. It’s a serious season and one where you can get things “done” or at least started…so that in spring, your project can bloom.

I was able to cross some things off my “Look Amazing” list the past couple of days:

• I got the Trilogy Rose Hip Oil – have just started using the past 2 nights. Already have noticed how smooth it makes my skin feel – just hope it doesn’t clog my pores too much!
• I bought some small portion control plates so have started eating less in the evening
• I went for a 45 minute run/walk on Sunday morning – it was such a nice way to start the day!
• I have an appointment with the University Health Service doctor tomorrow – am hoping to get some medication to help my skin!

Uni is going well. This week is less crazy than last week but I am beginning to feel a little burnt out. I missed some lectures last week because I had to finish off some assignments and now feel like I am playing “catch up” with all the missed content – especially Chemistry and Calculus. Actually, I constantly feel like I am playing catch-up – fighting fires instead of getting on top of the game. Although, at the Mature Aged Student seminar I attended during Orientation, they warned that we may have to reassess our expectations if we find we are struggling – which we are wont to do, apparently! All those balls we juggle can come crashing down. Although, I must say, I have it pretty easy. No children or long work hours to juggle with uni. Though 5 Science subjects are pretty tough – thank heavens it will drop to 4 subjects next year (and no maths!).

So, really am thinking I will go down the brunette path. The next issue is to find a good hairdresser in Sydney that will not cost the earth (hopefully student discount) and will do a good job. Yah, asking a little too much there, right? I am actually looking forward to the change. As Lulu says, a change is as good as holiday!

Tom is running in his half marathon this Sunday. Poor thing is not feeling tip top this week though so we are hoping for a swift recovery before the race. He has to be at the start line by 7:00am so will be an early start!! I think he will go brilliantly though and I look forward to welcoming him at the finish line. I wonder what meal I should cook for him the night before – probably something quite carbohydrate-rich!

Alright, that’s it for now!

How to look amazing in 27 weeks…(or at least try).

So? How to look amazing in 27 weeks? Any ideas? Because I’ve realised that in 27 weeks, I will be turning 25. A quarter of a century done and dusted. And while I wouldn’t trade my 24 and a bit years of experiences for anything, a part of me feels approaching that milestone that my appearance is already beginning to suffer. This is a touchy subject for me to write about. Definitely a sensitive area to go; a big red button to push. Because if I’m honest,  I’ve never been satisfied with my looks. Ever. And in our society,  appearance does count for so much, especially for females. With so much of our worth supposedly predicated by how we look – or at least, that’s how it seems if you pay any attention to the mass media, one’s self esteem can take a battering if one feels those looks aren’t up to scratch. And I know, I know, I know that we can only give credence or our personal power to such entrenched ideas if we want to. But I want to, for the moment because I do feel our appearance can be a manifestation of our inner self (if we put aside all those other Wolfian Beauty Myth issues for the moment).

To be frank, starting uni with many young beautiful females has got me feeling like an ugly, bitter, old crone. I’ve regained the weight I lost in London on Weight Watchers and I really can’t use the excuse that “I’ve been on holidays in Europe and Thailand and just had a good time” anymore – it’s been 7 months after all. It’s time to get real. Not harsh. But real. Either I can get to 25 and think about how much happier I would be if I were 15kgs lighter. Or I can actually do something NOW! And yah, I’ve said this before. Been there, blogged that, ate the doughnut. This is not about the number on the scale. Or the size on the jeans (those these are nice markers, to be sure). This is about incorporating the activities and behaviours into my everyday life that will contribute to making me FEEL good, FEEL healthy, FEEL vital and which will ultimately, make me LOOK good, healthy and vital too. Which of course = amazing!

So 27 weeks. Your time, starts now.

What behaviours will I start for Week 1:

• 20 minute jog tomorrow (Sunday) through Crows Nest to Naremburn/Atarmon) and Pilates session
•  Ensure I reach 1.5L of water intake per day
• Cut down caffeine to one small skim latte a day and then green tea after that (have turned into a total skinny latte addict and have downed 3 x day a couple of times this week!)
• Buy a small entree sized plate to use for evening meal – halve evening meal portions
• 20 minute jog on Tuesday to North Sydney
• Incorporate 10 minutes meditation each day to cope with uni stress
• Buy Trilogy Rose Hip Oil to help rehydrate skin! (have read about 5 raves for the stuff in the past weeks or so, so am very keen to try!)
• See doctor about my skin (damn hormonal acne – I thought this was finished after the teens?) and some weird moles

To be honest, my diet isn’t terrible at the moment. I don’t buy junk food, sweets or takeway. And our meals are full of vegetables and not too much fat. But portion control is creeping up. And my exercise levels have plummeted at a time when they would really help with stress levels. There are a number of yoga centres in the area which I will enquire into. I don’t have a lot of cash to spare for classes, so if these turn out to be too ‘spensive, then perhaps a DVD might be a good idea?

I’m also thinking about doing something drastic to my hair. I’ve been dying it blonde since I was 12. And if I’m honest, the blonde colour is something I cling to as I think it makes me look better than my natural mousy brown colour. But I am getting sick of the regrowth and damage (not to mention the price!). I’d love to have a glossy brunette mane, but I’m scared if I try it and hate it, I won’t be able to go blonde again. Argh. I know, a stupid thing to be “scared” about.

This blog is a petty one. I know there are a billion things more important than vainities and appearances. I just wanted to indulge the subject for a bit. Because after all, when we feel good, we generally do good. And that’s all good, right??

xxx

Seasonal adjustments

A-hoy, hoy! I won’t bore you with the usual excuses of slackness – life is pretty hectic at the mo. Horrorshow Week 9 sees the following due:

• Psychology essay on false and recovered memories of child abuse
• Study for chem quiz on enthalpy and stochiometry
• Statistics assignment due
• Biology presentation on hypothyroidism
• Chem lab report on enthalpy reactions
• plus all the usual readings and work to try and keep up!

It’s a struggle but am loving learning all this new stuff. And hopefully am becoming a more critical thinker in the process.

Had a busy couple of weekends as well with Kylie and Kasper down to stay from Brisbane – had such a fun time with them both and Nicole last weekend. We had an explore around The Rocks, some lovely cocktails at Opera Bar and a yummy dinner out at a local Italian. On Sunday we had more walks around Darling Harbour and dinner at a local Thai which was pretty amazing.

Last night,  Tom and I went to a Koninginnedag (sp?) celebration in the city with some colleagues from Tom’s work. This is the Dutch National Day in honour of the Queen which is basically an excuse to drink, eat Dutch snacks and wear orange. Since orange is a difficult colour to coordinate or match (and not the most flattering for most complexions), I had to do a last minute scrounge around Chatswood for some Oranje! Ended up with quite a nice orange floaty scarf and orange oval cocktail ring. Not too bad for $18! I met some of Tom’s colleagues and they were all very nice. Good to meet some Sydney people! Unfortunately, I had too much red wine and ended up with a terrible headache today which prevented my “All Action Productive Work Day” to be more like “Curled Up Under the Duvet Day”. Damn! Not a time to waste time!

Anyways, the title of this blog is to do with my determination to get back into the healthy mindframe. I’ve let myself slip out of some good habits since moving to Sydney. Namely that of planned exercise a number of times a week. My diet is also a bit off. I don’t buy rubbish to pick on, but my portions are creeping up and sometimes I get so hungry I eat mindlessly when I get home instead of preparing a meal and sitting down to it. So no more of that! We have 2 weeks alcohol free in the lead up to Tom’s half marathon so that should help on the health front. I will sign up for the City 2 Surf in August as well. Need a motivating tool to start running!!

Oh and in good news, I got the job with the medical surgery down the road. So I’ve been doing around 4 hours a week there so far which works out really well. The people at the surgery are very nice and I find the work quite interesting.

In sad news back home, my Grandfather Alfred is not doing so well with his health. He is in hospital after he rapidly deteriorated over the last couple of weeks. He has Alzheimer’s and some tumours in his brain. Alfred is such a tough man though that he is still fighting. He was a Prisoner of War in Changi in WWII and he used to tell my brother and I amazing stories of life in the camps, how the prisoners used to play pranks on the guards and his time in the steamy jungles of south east Asia. My thoughts are also with my Grandma and Aunty Helen who have done so much to make Alf so comfortable in the past few weeks. They are amazing and strong women and so inspirational in how they take on life’s challenges with such grace and dignity.

On that note, I might leave it at that. Will write again soon.

xx

Impressions from Sydney

Another long absence from the blogworld, but I am back! Phew, things have been very busy but a good kind of busy I suppose!

Can you believe I have just finished 5 weeks of uni?! I know that it’s such a cliche but time is literally supersonically speeding past – April already!!!!!!! Uni is…hmmm…it’s great and I’m getting a lot out of it. It’s also so much harder going back than I thought it would be. When I was a wee whippersnipper I used to laugh at all the naff Mature-Aged students we’d have in our classes. You know, the ones who would spin around with a stormy frown at anyone who would talk in lectures. Or those who would accost the lecturers/tutors with questions at the end of class. OK, so I’m not THAT bad…but by gosh the other students seem so YOUNG at 17.  I guess when you are Mature-Aged (hee hee, I’m Mature-Aged at 24!) and you get a second chance at uni, you really are going to make the most of it and the last thing you have patience for are the wee small ones making pains of themselves!

And at the risk of sounding REALLY old/fuddy-duddy, my God, what some of the girls wear at uni is amazing/terrifying. We’re talking ripped denim shorts that barely cover the buttocks, teamed with knee high boots and low cut singlets. I just don’t understand the high-panting  denim short-short trend (with gladiator sandals) either…sweetheart, if you ain’t Kate Moss, you ain’t gonna pull it off! Oh well, the perils/joys of being young and having a good enough body to wear such things…good on them I suppose!

But yeah back to Uni…Calculus is a bit of a bitch. Having to relearn all my Year 12 maths, along with new material has been, ahem, fun.  As has Chemistry. We started out well but now the subject is really ramping up…hopefully I can keep up! Pyschology is fascinating, but the other 2000 students doing the subject think so too. And I love Human Biology but it is very content heavy! So I am absolutely loving using my brain more (it’s literally been hurting from all the work it’s been doing) and I’ve realised just how much my brain/thought processes have atrophied over the past few years. It’s hard work getting it going again but so worthwhile. I really feel I am finding my niche more and more. 

Some insane Chemistry lecturer yesterday claimed that uni students should be doing 60 hours of study a week. Yeah, I don’t think so Al! Mind you, I’m finding I have to do MUCH more work to keep up in a Science degree than a Business/CI double degree.  Thankfully I have next week off to catch-up. Am really trying to get as much out of the way so I won’t have an end-of-semester stress meltdown.

OH OH! I’ve missed out on the biggest news. We’re in our new place!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That apartment I mentioned in my last post – you know the one in Crows Nest described as “funky NY loft-style apartment”? Well, we saw, we loved, we took! And we’re very happily nested now! We moved in 2 weeks ago and the whole process was pretty smooth. We were especially fortunate to have my lovely family send down OODLES of stuff. We’re talking 7 boxes that have pretty much furnished our whole place – fridge, washing machine, couches, dining suite, kitchen appliances plus loads of crystal glassware and oven dishes etc. It was like 7 Christmases at once….opening box after box and un-Bubblewrapping item after item. So many thanks must go to my lovely Mum and grandparents were so utterly generous in helping Tom and I out!

Tom and I did have some fun times at IKEA. We bought a great bedframe for our new AWESOME mattress (most comfy bed I’ve ever slept in), plus a TV unit, laundry hamper, laundry airer, some lamps and side tables. So we are kitted out! The place is ALMOST acceptable for me to take some pics and post on here! But oh boy IKEA is so much fun. We celebrated on our moving weekend with some meatballs at IKEA. We did the same thing in London when we moved into our fab apartment in Hammersmith. So I said to Tom we should make it our moving ritual. Meatballs at IKEA. Hah!

Tom is going really well in Sydney too. It’s such a short commute for him to the office in Chatswood and seems like he has some really friendly people he is working with! He’s played soccer, had a poker night and will be running a half marathon in June with some colleagues. The job he’s doing is great for now but not something he wants to do forever. But it would fit in really well with some extra study which he is hoping to do. So I’m really happy that Tom is happy!

Am still looking for a job that will fit in with Uni. I had an interview the other day at a medical specialist surgery which is like a 2 minute walk from home for me. It’s for a medical typist position so am crossing my fingers it will work out! There are a number of dieticians and psychologists that work there so having some exposure to the field would be incredibly advantageous.

Other than that, Tom has Saturday and Sunday off so we are going to have a proper explore around Sydney. No doubt I’ll finally take some pictures and get them posted on here.

I’ll leave it at that for now…so a lot has been happening. But not a lot that is interesting – to write about anyway.

xxxx