So the frequency of my blogging is mildly depressing... I will willingly endure any verbal abuse from those of you who have been reading it once I get back to Canada (at this point it's disgraceful enough that mild physical abuse may also be justified). Right now I'm still loving the zoo, they are letting me feed some of the more difficult patients and I've experienced my first koala scratch!!! I know that's a little masochistic to be excited about that; but every good animal nurse has war wounds, it just shows how involved you are with your patients;)I'm still enjoying Caloundra, it's such a sleepy little place, I'm going to stay here for Christmas and New Years and then travel up north, where all my exciting plans lay. Sailing and Diving and Four by Fouring and Whitewater Rafting, So much hiking and swimming and snorkeling and Kayaking, even a mountain biking tour (I've been assured that it's not intensive and I'll be on pavement). I'm going to be exhausted when I get back home, but hopefully I'll have some exciting stories and amazing pictures to show for it. Right now my hostel manager is stuck in Bali (any sympathy... nope not from this girl), his wife is getting her residency papers signed and for some reason he's not allowed to be in the country for that (?) and for some reason they questioned him when he applied for a tourist visa to get back into the country, so I'm working a lot more at the hostel. Totally a good thing because I blew out the rear gasket on my car and had to pay to get it repaired... thank god my mechanic guy is AWESOME!!! He only charged me $250 to do it, and consequentially it also solved the oil leak problem that I had purchased the car with, so now I'm pretty sure I'll be able to hopefully get a little more for it than I paid (huzzah!!!).... Karma does exist.
I've been trying to surf more often lately and I'm ashamed to admit that I'm no good, the hostel boards are about 6'9"-7'2 and the ones that Rainey and I were on in Surf Camp were about 8-9' and foam so a lot more stable, and let me tell you I was rubbish on those (although my introduction to cheap boxed wine the night before may have had some consequences with my coordination). But I will prevail!!! I'm just more patient with myself than some of the guys, they seem to get disappointed that I'm not able to stand up even when I tell them that being 30kgs overweight doesn't exactly predispose you to being an instant surf guru... actually I believe my exact words were I'm a chubby kid from a land locked province, get over it cause I am. Lol, I just don't have the core muscles that someone who has been surfing/skateboarding/snowboarding/etc throughout their young adulthood has. But that will come with time, I am very proud of all my surfing bruises and sand rash, and I have yet to take a board to the head (touch wood), so I figure so far so good...Baby steps, baby steps.
Right now I'm also working on my second year visa, I will still be home for next summer but this means I can come back at some point (before I'm thirty)for another year. There's a lady at the zoo who's husband musters cattle and that is definitely on the acceptable work list for regional labor and it means that I do not have to pick fruit!!! Yay I win!!! So life is peachy keen, I'm in poverty but ridiculously happy about the situation, I can afford what I need and I can save a little too. I can honestly say that I would be absolutely screwed if not for the awesome fruit and vegetable store about 3 blocks away, without it I would have to live off of instant noodles and as it is I supplement way to frequently with baked beans (cheap protein... I've also discovered that I really like tofu, so much for Jess the Carnivore lol!!!) I remember when I was in grade 1 or 2 I used to beg Mom to let me take those Itchiban noodles to school and I would eat them raw... now I shudder when I see people eating them for dinner, seems you were right all along Mom;) So I have been able to eat a lot of fresh fruit and veggies because of this awesome store and I'm really gonna miss it when I travel on, but I'm still determined to keep a diet plan that somewhat mimics weight watchers. Fat kid Jess is going to slowly fade away hopefully never to return again! On that note I will sign off, hopefully to blog again shortly!!! Lots of love to all of you XOXOXOXO
~J
Friday, November 13, 2009
Sunday, October 4, 2009
What can I say to negate the fact that I haven't blogged in 8 weeks?
Ummm.... I've been working every day? Would that one work? it's pretty flimsy but that's what I'm going with. SO I'm pretty much established here in Caloundra, somedays I feel like I'm just a babysitter but it's worth it for my zoo days. I love that place, I've come to the conclusion though that my half formed dreams of getting a paid position and immigrating are not going to happen but Canada's a good place to be and I haven't seen all of that yet either. So life's pretty repetative right now, Tuesdays and Wednesdays at the zoo every other day at the hostel. I met a guy from France when Rainey and I were in Nimbin last May, we had been keeping in touch (facebooking each other), so when the kangaroo processing plant that he was working in shut down he headed up to Caloundra and spent the last 6 weeks here. He flew back to France last Saturday so we'll see how the facebook thing goes and who knows I may need to stop in Paris on the way home. I've got a bunch of new pictures up on facebook so you guys should all take a look, I went camping in the hills West of Caloundra (really we just drove until the car couldn't drive down the road any further) while my car was getting serviced in a town near by, the guy I bought it from works at a garage in a town about 20 minutes from Caloundra so I dropped it off in the afternoon and we picked it up the following evening. Anyway Beautiful scenery and sunset eegad. I also went on a sunset cruise about a week and a half ago around Caloundra, the company was offering a free ride to backpackers and it was totally beautiful.
On a sadder note I got Bed Bugs... yes again now the treatment for bed bugs is to wash what articles you can in VERY hot water, and for the clothes you can't wash you freeze for a week. For things like shampoo bottles and books and backpacks, you place them in garbage bags and leave them to bake in the sun for 3-5 days with the garbage bags well sealed. It was the evening of day 4 that someone stole my beautiful orange (the one I spent like 3 retarded months trying to get my hands on) BACKPACK. The rat bastards opened the bag took my backpack (which was empty no worries I have all my stuff just missing my beautiful $400 backpack)and made off with it... I would like to mention that the idiots left behind the hip belt that was strapped around the backpack, so it's not going to be a very comfortable backpack with out the hip belt. I put up signs and everything but no go. I let the owner of the hostel know that I would appreciate if he could find me a second hand one somewhere as I kinda need a backpack to keep traveling on, and my financials are ridiculously tight. Also I have a $500 deductable so it's not worth claiming it through insurance either. Can't really be bothered to let it ruin my mood though.
I've been thinking alot lately about what I want to do when I grow up, and I can't say as I've accumulated many answers. I definatley want to see as much of the world as possible, and I'm really enjoying the volunteer work I'm doing at the zoo maybe I can travel and work with endangered species, that might be very full-filling. On that last pensive note I'm going to do some french lessons on line (if I'm going to go to Paris I need to understand the language a little better). Love you all and tonnes of hugs
~J
On a sadder note I got Bed Bugs... yes again now the treatment for bed bugs is to wash what articles you can in VERY hot water, and for the clothes you can't wash you freeze for a week. For things like shampoo bottles and books and backpacks, you place them in garbage bags and leave them to bake in the sun for 3-5 days with the garbage bags well sealed. It was the evening of day 4 that someone stole my beautiful orange (the one I spent like 3 retarded months trying to get my hands on) BACKPACK. The rat bastards opened the bag took my backpack (which was empty no worries I have all my stuff just missing my beautiful $400 backpack)and made off with it... I would like to mention that the idiots left behind the hip belt that was strapped around the backpack, so it's not going to be a very comfortable backpack with out the hip belt. I put up signs and everything but no go. I let the owner of the hostel know that I would appreciate if he could find me a second hand one somewhere as I kinda need a backpack to keep traveling on, and my financials are ridiculously tight. Also I have a $500 deductable so it's not worth claiming it through insurance either. Can't really be bothered to let it ruin my mood though.
I've been thinking alot lately about what I want to do when I grow up, and I can't say as I've accumulated many answers. I definatley want to see as much of the world as possible, and I'm really enjoying the volunteer work I'm doing at the zoo maybe I can travel and work with endangered species, that might be very full-filling. On that last pensive note I'm going to do some french lessons on line (if I'm going to go to Paris I need to understand the language a little better). Love you all and tonnes of hugs
~J
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
At long last.......... New Update!!
Well everyone... I've once again been delinquent in my blogging capacity, and since I've been chastised by friends and family alike, I'm finally rectifying this situation. Dun dun nu-naaaaa.... presenting the new Blog!!!!!
So a lot has happened in the last little while, I've been getting used to my new job here at the hostel (in caloundra, queensland) and trying to get on track with the weight loss thing, but let's not go into details with that... lack-of-willpower Jess is in the house. I've also experienced Bed Bugs, that's right "Night Night sleep tight don't let the Bed bugs bite.." not just a cute poem let me tell you. But although I'm ludicrously itchy there's no complicating factors, worse case scenario one gets infected because I've been scratching them... Go Lack-of-Willpower Jess!!! Although the concept of Bed bugs is horrifying, some people associate them with dirty bedding and poor hygiene, they are tenacious little bastards that manage to hide in the stupidest places making them extremely difficult to get rid of and really not connected with personal/facility cleanliness at all. So even though I'm itchy to the point I fear scarring I really can't blame the hostel, and they're letting me utilize all the laundry facilities for free, so it's spring cleaning time!!!
On an Extra Super Duper Exciting note yesterday was my first day as a volunteer at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital. I got to follow around the nurses there and help out where I could. We're still at the social fencing stage, they're trying to keep me busy (and figure out how competent I am) without insulting me, and I'm trying to be extremely helpful and prove myself (without overstepping the boundaries), Ha ha ha arent' new jobs fun???? But I had the most fantastic day of my life!!! I spent the first hour and a half intimately cleaning up koala diarrhea, followed by some laundry and stocking, signing the volunteer papers, and finishing up with turtle treatments... That's right Turtles!!! I got to hold a long-neck turtle (fresh water) for a bandage change, and then a hawkbill (marine) turtle for Subcutaneous fluids. I learned that Marsupials all have cloacal vents (that means one exit hole only) didn't know that, and I got to see a day old bush tail possum baby, flash back to Biology 1080 lol. They weigh the koalas daily to closely monitor any drastic changes because they can go down hill rather quickly and from my understanding unexpectedly, and they had one of the females in the treatment area and her joey was clinging to the side of her head like an off-kilter beret, it was the cutest thing I have ever seen!!! Except for the 2 month old Sugar glider that I saw about an hour after that, or the 3 month old Flying Fox that came in at the end of my day:) I haven't heard of half the drugs and the one's I have get muddled in my head from the Australian accent that's speaking them, but it was still the best day on the planet!!! So excited to go back next Tuesday!!
The only problem with my fantastic new job is that the public transport out to the zoo and back makes it impossible to work a complete shift, so the solution is... New Car. That's right Jess is on a roll, I bought a Mitsubishi Magna from a mechanic that a friend knows. The guy is fixing the car up and doing his best on some of the superficial body damage but all in all I'm really happy with the car and I'm hoping to be able to sell it for close to what I paid for it in about 4 or 5 months when I continue on with my travels. It's a V6 but most of my travels will be highway kilometers so hopefully the gas consumption isn't too bad... it drives nice though, definitely more guts than the focus:) I haven't decided yet what the car's name's going to be, it's a toss up between Da Beast and Green Machine... maybe Maggie lol.
So that's Jess land right now... New car, new job, maybe new life we'll see how things go. Right now it's all just flying by the seat of my pants, I gotta say though I'm getting good at this random plan making. I love you all and miss you.
Take care All XOXOX
~J
P.S. I found new jeans for $10 at the second hand store so very fabulous... I do like this place.
So a lot has happened in the last little while, I've been getting used to my new job here at the hostel (in caloundra, queensland) and trying to get on track with the weight loss thing, but let's not go into details with that... lack-of-willpower Jess is in the house. I've also experienced Bed Bugs, that's right "Night Night sleep tight don't let the Bed bugs bite.." not just a cute poem let me tell you. But although I'm ludicrously itchy there's no complicating factors, worse case scenario one gets infected because I've been scratching them... Go Lack-of-Willpower Jess!!! Although the concept of Bed bugs is horrifying, some people associate them with dirty bedding and poor hygiene, they are tenacious little bastards that manage to hide in the stupidest places making them extremely difficult to get rid of and really not connected with personal/facility cleanliness at all. So even though I'm itchy to the point I fear scarring I really can't blame the hostel, and they're letting me utilize all the laundry facilities for free, so it's spring cleaning time!!!
On an Extra Super Duper Exciting note yesterday was my first day as a volunteer at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital. I got to follow around the nurses there and help out where I could. We're still at the social fencing stage, they're trying to keep me busy (and figure out how competent I am) without insulting me, and I'm trying to be extremely helpful and prove myself (without overstepping the boundaries), Ha ha ha arent' new jobs fun???? But I had the most fantastic day of my life!!! I spent the first hour and a half intimately cleaning up koala diarrhea, followed by some laundry and stocking, signing the volunteer papers, and finishing up with turtle treatments... That's right Turtles!!! I got to hold a long-neck turtle (fresh water) for a bandage change, and then a hawkbill (marine) turtle for Subcutaneous fluids. I learned that Marsupials all have cloacal vents (that means one exit hole only) didn't know that, and I got to see a day old bush tail possum baby, flash back to Biology 1080 lol. They weigh the koalas daily to closely monitor any drastic changes because they can go down hill rather quickly and from my understanding unexpectedly, and they had one of the females in the treatment area and her joey was clinging to the side of her head like an off-kilter beret, it was the cutest thing I have ever seen!!! Except for the 2 month old Sugar glider that I saw about an hour after that, or the 3 month old Flying Fox that came in at the end of my day:) I haven't heard of half the drugs and the one's I have get muddled in my head from the Australian accent that's speaking them, but it was still the best day on the planet!!! So excited to go back next Tuesday!!
The only problem with my fantastic new job is that the public transport out to the zoo and back makes it impossible to work a complete shift, so the solution is... New Car. That's right Jess is on a roll, I bought a Mitsubishi Magna from a mechanic that a friend knows. The guy is fixing the car up and doing his best on some of the superficial body damage but all in all I'm really happy with the car and I'm hoping to be able to sell it for close to what I paid for it in about 4 or 5 months when I continue on with my travels. It's a V6 but most of my travels will be highway kilometers so hopefully the gas consumption isn't too bad... it drives nice though, definitely more guts than the focus:) I haven't decided yet what the car's name's going to be, it's a toss up between Da Beast and Green Machine... maybe Maggie lol.
So that's Jess land right now... New car, new job, maybe new life we'll see how things go. Right now it's all just flying by the seat of my pants, I gotta say though I'm getting good at this random plan making. I love you all and miss you.
Take care All XOXOX
~J
P.S. I found new jeans for $10 at the second hand store so very fabulous... I do like this place.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
La la la la la la la Life is Wonderful...
Living at Caloundra is pretty quiet but the bus ride to Mooloolaba is only $3.80 so I'm winning and able to visit once a week or so. The training is all over and I officially start my job on Thursday morning, I'm not worried though I feel that I've got everything down pat. I haven't heard from the zoo yet but they are busy people I'm sure so I'll give them a few more days and then I'll phone to see what the story is, I'm so excited. I may hoewever have to buy a car, we shall have to see... because it's a 20 min or so walk from the train station to the zoo and it's freeway so you're not allowed to walk beside it, and I'm a little snake phobic about walking in the ditch. But I will not be deterred my friends, I shall prevail lol even if all I can afford is a beat up old mo-ped I will be taking that job when they call me and putting down the freeway doing 5okm/hr!!! So that's all for now except that I bought new running shoes to work out in so I can loose 10 lbs before I buy myself a new pair of jeans ( I ripped mine while partying but i feel that they were on their last legs anyway lol pardon the pun.. so new jean skirt coming my way lol.) Love you all and take care
~Jess
~Jess
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Victory is mine!!!
Well I need to leave the Hotel California (Mooloolaba backpackers) and although I'm sad to be leaving all my friends here I got a job at the sister hostel to this one. It's in Caloundra which is a small sleepy town just next door to Mooloolaba, and although it's small it's really quite cute and the beaches are beautiful so I figure it will be a perfect place to spend the winter (although by winter I mean mild rain and a little wind lol this place has nothing on Alberta although the locals are bundled up like no bodies business), and I'll be able to easily come back and visit my friends here. I'll be doing reception for 30 hours a week and my accomodation will be free and then some cash under the table as well so that rocks the kasbah, I'll also get 2 full days a week off so I can ring up the zoo when we've got my schedule banged out and volunteer those days, I talked to one of the volunteer coordinators already and it sounds like they would let me volunteer in the Wildlife clinic as a Vet Nurse, so I may not have to clean koala shit although I was perfectly willing to put my time in at the end of a shovel like everyone else. Zeke the owner of the hostels is also talking about starting up a sunday session... Open stage perform and get a beer and he's unofficially asked me if i would be willing to come back to Mooloolaba on Sundays to kinda run/promote that for him, so that would be fun too. The only problem with me staying and doing this is that I may have to buy a car to get back and forth to the zoo, and I may miss the dry season for Kakadu park up in Darwin but alas I came to Australia to get some Zoo experience so I really can't cry about achieving that can I?
On another note I caught swine flu!!! That's right full out mask wearing, coughing, snotting, body pain inducing swine flu!!! I had to go to the Dr and then get a blood test and a set of throat and Nasal swabs (If you've ever had a nasal swab done you'll know what I mean when I say OUCH!!!). Then I had to wear a mask for 7 days (apparentley that's all I was contagious for) and you wouldn't believe how paranoid people are when they see the mask... it's like Hello people it's the guy who's not wearing the mask that you need to worry about stop harrassing me. But it's been seven days already because I'm a delinquent blogger, and the mask is off so I can go in public without people crossing themselves and walking on the other side of the street to avoid me, so I win. I was really sick for about 2 days but then I got rapidly better with just a little of a residual cough to speak of, but other than that it's just like the normal flu... I think the media hype is retardo overdramatic because there is no way that I was ever in any danger of serious illness or hospitalization. I've actually been sicker with just the regular flu (last summer for example when Gord and I had to move into the apartment on 124th st and I spent 3 days passed out in delerium watching 3 seasons of drawn together and not remembering a single episode...). But that's all behind me now and I'm feeling about 95% so well on my way to normalcy.
So life is once again fantastic in Jess land and I'm looking forward to getting some Zoo experience... and free internet while I'm Receptionst at Caloundra Backspackers so I win!!! And it's supposedly ridiculously quiet at that backpackers so I'll hopefully have some time to hone up on the guitar skills and learn some new songs although I've got 2 more to add to my book already when I get back to Canada Zombie by the Cranberries and I'm yours by Jason Mraz... my next mission is Dun dun dun---> Bar chords!!! Should be fun because I'm lazy and my fingers are weak. I can't remember if I told you guys about my new guitar, it's purple and sparkly and I've named it the Jellybean or the Mooloolaba Jellybean (MJ as it's informally known). I absolutely love it and I only paid $170 AU for it (~150 cdn), and it makes me laugh because I didn't want to buy it because it was purple but now every time I break it out it makes me giggle oh and best part built in tuner!!! Although I really should try to learn how to tune by ear... maybe after Bar chords are mastered lol . That's all for this time around folks I love you all and miss you tonnes
XOXOXOX
~Jess
On another note I caught swine flu!!! That's right full out mask wearing, coughing, snotting, body pain inducing swine flu!!! I had to go to the Dr and then get a blood test and a set of throat and Nasal swabs (If you've ever had a nasal swab done you'll know what I mean when I say OUCH!!!). Then I had to wear a mask for 7 days (apparentley that's all I was contagious for) and you wouldn't believe how paranoid people are when they see the mask... it's like Hello people it's the guy who's not wearing the mask that you need to worry about stop harrassing me. But it's been seven days already because I'm a delinquent blogger, and the mask is off so I can go in public without people crossing themselves and walking on the other side of the street to avoid me, so I win. I was really sick for about 2 days but then I got rapidly better with just a little of a residual cough to speak of, but other than that it's just like the normal flu... I think the media hype is retardo overdramatic because there is no way that I was ever in any danger of serious illness or hospitalization. I've actually been sicker with just the regular flu (last summer for example when Gord and I had to move into the apartment on 124th st and I spent 3 days passed out in delerium watching 3 seasons of drawn together and not remembering a single episode...). But that's all behind me now and I'm feeling about 95% so well on my way to normalcy.
So life is once again fantastic in Jess land and I'm looking forward to getting some Zoo experience... and free internet while I'm Receptionst at Caloundra Backspackers so I win!!! And it's supposedly ridiculously quiet at that backpackers so I'll hopefully have some time to hone up on the guitar skills and learn some new songs although I've got 2 more to add to my book already when I get back to Canada Zombie by the Cranberries and I'm yours by Jason Mraz... my next mission is Dun dun dun---> Bar chords!!! Should be fun because I'm lazy and my fingers are weak. I can't remember if I told you guys about my new guitar, it's purple and sparkly and I've named it the Jellybean or the Mooloolaba Jellybean (MJ as it's informally known). I absolutely love it and I only paid $170 AU for it (~150 cdn), and it makes me laugh because I didn't want to buy it because it was purple but now every time I break it out it makes me giggle oh and best part built in tuner!!! Although I really should try to learn how to tune by ear... maybe after Bar chords are mastered lol . That's all for this time around folks I love you all and miss you tonnes
XOXOXOX
~Jess
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Welcome to the Hotel California...
So I said I was out of here and on to Noosa... but apparently I'm a big fat liar, lol. I've come to the conclusion that I'm going to have to stay and try to volunteer at the zoo's wildlife clinic but so far no luck finding vet work to help supplement that adventure. I've picked up some under the table cleaning work here and there and I'm getting pretty comfortable in this place. The two girls that I got really close with here are Emma and Celia, they're from New Zealand but they had to go home this morning... *tear* I miss them terribly already. We spent all last weekend partying for their going away, so much so that I got pretty worn down (own fault I know) and then came down with the flu... And guess whose stuck in a surgical mask with Swine Flu?!?!?! Me that's right I am!!! And let me tell you the sheer fear I see on people's faces when they see me in my damn mask is idiotic. Hello it's not me in the mask you need to worry about people it's the one's that aren't in masks running around and coughing. As for my well being it laid me up pretty much flat and unconcsious for 2 days, that's when the hostel owner requested that I go to the doctor, but now I just have a minor cough that is more annoyance than anything, and the mask seems to aggravate it, but I only have to wear it for another 3 days, so meh. I even feel good enough to clean tomorrow morning (I get a week free accommodation if I put in 14 hours so boo-yah).
On other news I have gotten mildly pudgy again... lol I'm telling you lot this so that I'm obligated to smarten up and slow down on the boozing so my pants will start fitting me again. That's right you guys are my accountability since i don't' have Rainy to keep me on track anymore and all my friends here are little twiggies who eat 4 pieces of toast for breakfast and then McDonald's for lunch, lol one of my roommates doesn't know what a vegetable is I swear lol. So the mission is to start getting that under control and I think I'm gonna try to go surfing with the girls on Monday, so if I can make that a regular occurrence and start my morning walking again I'll be back in fighting form in no time, lol not that I intend to start any brawls, although if I pin down who gave me swine flu they better hope I'm still a little too fat to run very fast...
So that's what's up in Jessalyn Land, Surgery mask wearing, Zoo Volunteer striving, Part time working, weight watching fun times. Wish me luck I love you all.
On other news I have gotten mildly pudgy again... lol I'm telling you lot this so that I'm obligated to smarten up and slow down on the boozing so my pants will start fitting me again. That's right you guys are my accountability since i don't' have Rainy to keep me on track anymore and all my friends here are little twiggies who eat 4 pieces of toast for breakfast and then McDonald's for lunch, lol one of my roommates doesn't know what a vegetable is I swear lol. So the mission is to start getting that under control and I think I'm gonna try to go surfing with the girls on Monday, so if I can make that a regular occurrence and start my morning walking again I'll be back in fighting form in no time, lol not that I intend to start any brawls, although if I pin down who gave me swine flu they better hope I'm still a little too fat to run very fast...
So that's what's up in Jessalyn Land, Surgery mask wearing, Zoo Volunteer striving, Part time working, weight watching fun times. Wish me luck I love you all.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Sorry but it's been a while since I've blogged...
So I spent a week in Brisbane, chilled out by myself caught an awesome festival over the weekend that I was there ( the 6th and 7th). I had some awesome dinner with Rainey on the Friday before while her and Trent were flying through here on their way to Rainbow beach and Fraser Island. But other than that I kept it pretty chill. I got to Mooloolaba last Wednesday and so far I'm loving it. I met up with these awesome girls here that have been living in the hostel for a while and they just kinda adopted me into their clique. It's awesome I pushed off my next bus and went to Nimbin with them for a road trip to see one of their friends who lives in Lismore (that's just a little way from Nimbin) and guess what I got to drive for part of the way!!! I only tried to turn onto the wrong side of the road twice... the first time was taking a left hand turn (thank god it was a back highway and no one was coming), and the second time was at a traffic light in Lismore that had a evil sign with a right arrow that said this lane right only, so I turned right... What would you do in a situation like that?!?! But the sign meant that this lane was the center lane that is intended for those going all the way around (turning right I guess even though there is no directional right that you take to complete this action so I feel that I'm not the retarded one... hello it's called english people!!! Say what you mean). But that was also later in the day so thank god there was no one in my way lol, and everyone got out of the van safely and with clean shorts so mission accomplished.
I went to the Crocodile Hunter's zoo last Friday and it was fantastic!!!! They even had an additional tour that I paid another 35 dollars for but I got a tour of the wildlife clinic that they have just off site. It's dedicated to Steve Irwin's Mom Lyn and it is beautiful I put in my resume at the zoo already but I"ll see if there's a different website for this place because Eegad amazing!!!! There was no one else on the tour so I got to see everything pretty closely and ask whatever questions I wanted, there was baby koala's (like no fur tiny looking ET babies they were pretty cute in an alien kinda way), and there was a female Koala under anesthetic that the Veterinarian had just finished doing an exploratory surgery on because she had just been hit by a car and they needed to assess her internal damages (and repair her intestines). It was absolutely amazing. There's also a clinic just down the street from the backpackers so I'm going to go drop off my resume there too and see what happens I think I wanna stay here just a little longer and I still have lots of time to head north, as long as I get through Darwin by October I'll be golden and there seems to be no fruit to be picked at this point. So that's where I'm at having loads of fun with new friends, and contemplating remaining in Mooloolaba (say it 5 times fast I dare you) but we'll see what the receptionist at the vet clinic says first if they aren't looking at all I'm out of here on Thursday for Noosa. Love you loads!!
~Jess
I went to the Crocodile Hunter's zoo last Friday and it was fantastic!!!! They even had an additional tour that I paid another 35 dollars for but I got a tour of the wildlife clinic that they have just off site. It's dedicated to Steve Irwin's Mom Lyn and it is beautiful I put in my resume at the zoo already but I"ll see if there's a different website for this place because Eegad amazing!!!! There was no one else on the tour so I got to see everything pretty closely and ask whatever questions I wanted, there was baby koala's (like no fur tiny looking ET babies they were pretty cute in an alien kinda way), and there was a female Koala under anesthetic that the Veterinarian had just finished doing an exploratory surgery on because she had just been hit by a car and they needed to assess her internal damages (and repair her intestines). It was absolutely amazing. There's also a clinic just down the street from the backpackers so I'm going to go drop off my resume there too and see what happens I think I wanna stay here just a little longer and I still have lots of time to head north, as long as I get through Darwin by October I'll be golden and there seems to be no fruit to be picked at this point. So that's where I'm at having loads of fun with new friends, and contemplating remaining in Mooloolaba (say it 5 times fast I dare you) but we'll see what the receptionist at the vet clinic says first if they aren't looking at all I'm out of here on Thursday for Noosa. Love you loads!!
~Jess
Friday, June 5, 2009
So beautiful it hurts my retinas
So we land in Fiji and the first thing that happens when they open the airplane door is this wave of warm pleasantly humid air that is so ridiculously refreshing after all the rain that we had to endure in Oz for the past week and a half. Off comes the sweater it's tank top time Baby!!! We get through customs ok and find Megan (Trent's sister) her 2 nursing friends (Kayla and Erin) and our travel lady, who is mildly confused about our water taxi vouchers but soon enough a driver arrives to take us to the port. We aren't able to go with Megan and her friends but meh we'll see them at the resort. We get to the port and the driver helps us carry all our stuff to the boat, we had to buy mix for our booze and water because we were told that people have gotten sick from the island water. The captain and the mate of this little motor boat (it's a fair size but rudimentary and cute) help us load all our stuff in and off we go. They answer all my silly questions as we go and laugh every time we dive into our purses for our cameras. They even stopped the boat so Rocko (the mate) could take a picture of Rainey and I in front of the most beautiful sunset I've ever seen, I couldn't look away I was seeing a large blue spot for hours after... I figure my contacts are UV protectant so I'm covered right? We get to the island and break out the Duty Free liquor and the water bottles, and lo and behold a little hung over the next day but that's what beach napping was invented for. We all went scuba diving on Friday; Rainey, Meagan, Kayla, and Erin took an Intro dive course and we all went out to the reef together we fed the fish and found Nemo and I got some awesome pictures I LOVE that camera... the Divemasters were equally excited about it, Bola (not sure if that's how his name is spelled) and I kept passing it back and forth, he's way better at the underwater shots than I, but I'm still focusing on not sucking my air tank dry in 20 minutes. Everyone seemed to have a good time and the Dive shop staff are all so fantastic.... I went out on 3 more dives throughout the weekend it was awesome. Saturday I went on a Shark dive; they boat you out to just off an island called Supermarket and there's a deep trench that you dive along (27m is how deep I went), and this is where the sharks usually live.... however there was some a**hole spear gun fishing (which is illegal by the way in Fiji) and all the sharks were scared away because of him (or attracted to where he was fishing?? I never thought to clarify that point with the Divemaster). After Supermarket we went to another site where the corral grew in large vertical mounds, saw a large Rock lobster and a Clam, sea cucumbers and clown fish (oh my) it was fantabulous. Sunday morning I got to dive down to the Salamander. The Salamander was a pleasure cruise kinda boat that would host evening party cruises or dinner cruises, it was purpose sunk 18 years ago and was completely fascinating. I got to see a Lion Fish (Fishy Fishy Fishy-and for those of you who do not get the reference you need to brush up on your Deuce Bigalow exposure) but my favorite part, and don't any of you dare laugh at me... The toilet. It is so surreal and kind of scary to see something as every day ordinary as a toilet submerged 25m and covered with oceanic growth. And then I thought about what kind of pose I would strike if I had a camera and could take a picture in my scuba gear on it... I think "The thinker" would be an appropriate one LMAO, so do I hold nothing sacred?!?!?! Sunday night was a blast we had met 2 more nurses from Alberta (Medicine Hat and Calgary) and we where all partying in honor of Megan's Birthday. We ended up at the bar (which has a sand dance floor by the way, so much fun!!) and Rainey kept darting in to change the song on the lab top that was hooked up to the speaker system when the DJ wasn't looking... I don't know how the next part happened but all of a sudden I look over and there's Rainey playing DJ with her I-pod plugged in. We had Country Birthday Times in Fiji, another surreal moment for the books. We had so much fun though and the other guests seem to enjoy it to, they let us keep going way after the bar closed, so we danced our feet off (I have cuts) until 3:30am. We slipped the DJ a 50 for being so cool.
I love all the staff here though most of them know us as "Canada" but all the dive staff know me by name. We got invited to have Kava with a few of the guys and that was interesting. Kava is a very astringent (the other girls thought it was gross but I didn't mind it so much) drink that is used in every traditional and non traditional Fijian ceremony out there, on our island though they drink it with the tourists or just to relax after the day is done. It makes your tongue go numb and after awhile you start to feel pretty mellow and chill. Someone told me that it has hallucinogen properties but you have to drink like 30 bowls of it, I stuck to about 15 lol. You sit in a circle and if you are in the presence of a chief or it's a formal ceremony then women need to have their knees and shoulders covered (very modest people these Fijians but very tolerant of us as tourists in fact high fives everywhere and we didn't have to cover for our Kava because we were just chilling with the Dive shop guys). There is a small bowl that gets dipped into the larger bowl of Kava and then passed to the first person who says "Bula" and drinks it then hands it back to get refilled and so on. There was casual conversation and good times in between but like I said this was just an informal chill out time but we were told if we don't say Bula and smile after drinking then the sun won't shine the next day. Bula is their word for Hello/Cheers and it gets thrown out there all the time; every time they see a tourist out it comes, it was awesome I just started saying it to them first it was like a game of who could make eye contact and smile and say Bula first when ever I passed anyone on the foot path. We met this awesome couple from Charleville, Australia Matt and Karen; Matt hunts kangaroos and they offered me a room in their house if I make it that way apparently there's lots of meat packaging and farm work there, right be a good way to get my Visa covered but when I went to add Karen on to Face book (I can't remember Matt's last name) there's like 20 Karen Butler's and I don't see a picture that I recognize... so I think I may be out of luck, that's too bad cause they were awesome fun. Our last night comes around and we are bravely finishing our duty free liquor and chatting it up with yet more awesome people, I had a wicked time visiting with Jo from Alberta (no lie I travelled all the way around the world and I keep meeting people from Alberta, Jo's from St. Paul), who is a writer we swapped books although I am now carrying around a small library, I'm ridiculous.
Crawl out of bed in time for breakfast and check out and to catch the little boat that will take us out to the ferry, and who do I see on the little boat coming in from the ferry but Ralph my friend from Byron Bay. We had been in touch via Facebook so I knew that he was coming but I thought we were going to miss each other... Although I guess we kinda did. But there was enough time for a "Hey!!! How are you? and Have fun" across the ocean, Lol I love travelling!!!! He's going to Hawaii after Fiji, lucky bastard (who am I kidding I wouldn't trade my Oz trip for the world). Plane ride home was pretty unremarkable and Rainey jumped on a flight to Sydney to meet Trent and Megan, so now its "All by myself...." Lol pretty much just got to my hostel and passed out for 16 hours, I think it's time to take it easy and recoup, my liver hurts.
I love all the staff here though most of them know us as "Canada" but all the dive staff know me by name. We got invited to have Kava with a few of the guys and that was interesting. Kava is a very astringent (the other girls thought it was gross but I didn't mind it so much) drink that is used in every traditional and non traditional Fijian ceremony out there, on our island though they drink it with the tourists or just to relax after the day is done. It makes your tongue go numb and after awhile you start to feel pretty mellow and chill. Someone told me that it has hallucinogen properties but you have to drink like 30 bowls of it, I stuck to about 15 lol. You sit in a circle and if you are in the presence of a chief or it's a formal ceremony then women need to have their knees and shoulders covered (very modest people these Fijians but very tolerant of us as tourists in fact high fives everywhere and we didn't have to cover for our Kava because we were just chilling with the Dive shop guys). There is a small bowl that gets dipped into the larger bowl of Kava and then passed to the first person who says "Bula" and drinks it then hands it back to get refilled and so on. There was casual conversation and good times in between but like I said this was just an informal chill out time but we were told if we don't say Bula and smile after drinking then the sun won't shine the next day. Bula is their word for Hello/Cheers and it gets thrown out there all the time; every time they see a tourist out it comes, it was awesome I just started saying it to them first it was like a game of who could make eye contact and smile and say Bula first when ever I passed anyone on the foot path. We met this awesome couple from Charleville, Australia Matt and Karen; Matt hunts kangaroos and they offered me a room in their house if I make it that way apparently there's lots of meat packaging and farm work there, right be a good way to get my Visa covered but when I went to add Karen on to Face book (I can't remember Matt's last name) there's like 20 Karen Butler's and I don't see a picture that I recognize... so I think I may be out of luck, that's too bad cause they were awesome fun. Our last night comes around and we are bravely finishing our duty free liquor and chatting it up with yet more awesome people, I had a wicked time visiting with Jo from Alberta (no lie I travelled all the way around the world and I keep meeting people from Alberta, Jo's from St. Paul), who is a writer we swapped books although I am now carrying around a small library, I'm ridiculous.
Crawl out of bed in time for breakfast and check out and to catch the little boat that will take us out to the ferry, and who do I see on the little boat coming in from the ferry but Ralph my friend from Byron Bay. We had been in touch via Facebook so I knew that he was coming but I thought we were going to miss each other... Although I guess we kinda did. But there was enough time for a "Hey!!! How are you? and Have fun" across the ocean, Lol I love travelling!!!! He's going to Hawaii after Fiji, lucky bastard (who am I kidding I wouldn't trade my Oz trip for the world). Plane ride home was pretty unremarkable and Rainey jumped on a flight to Sydney to meet Trent and Megan, so now its "All by myself...." Lol pretty much just got to my hostel and passed out for 16 hours, I think it's time to take it easy and recoup, my liver hurts.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Pre Fiji
... And now I miss Fiji terribly. But I feel that there needs to be some back tracking for a little bit as I have been retardedly delinquent with my blog and I apologize to all of you who are reading it, especially to those of you who are interested in my well being as well as my shenanigans. The last two days I spent in byron bay were spent in my rain coat... Damn I'm so glad I got that thing (Thank you Wilma and Brent) and were mildly uneventful just a lot of chilling out with new friends, I love travelling it's like the first day of kindergarten; you all glance shyly at each other until someone needs the black crayon (or in this case salt of other communal condiment) then it's nothing but monkey bars and pattycake and BFF, or at least until recess.
So hit the road on the Oz Bus to Surfers Paradise and the storm was so bad that the bus was swerving all over the road from the wind, we found out the next day that a man had died in his apartment when a piece of metal blew into his apartment window and the glass had penetrated his chest. There were blackouts in Surfers Paradise but I made it there safe and sound in spite of the weather. As a result of this distressing storm the Draught that had had Queensland pinned under it's tenacious thumb for the past decade or so has broken and this is good, but the ocean is so nasty that there is no surfing in Surfers Paradise, or swimming for that matter, so Rainey and I spent the days lounging around the hostel and exploring the town. We found a second hand book shop and I invested in a fair few books... 3 of which are self help Eegad!!! but I figure on my journey of travelling/running away from my life, I might as well try and attain some insight as to a couple whys I've been carrying around for the past decade or so. We spent 3 rainy days in surfers and then up to Brisbane where we stayed at the Moreton Bay backpackers (Manly) again and collected my camera!!!!! Good times had by me, thank-you horse shoe suppository, however you got up there. Pretty Mellow in Manly it is a cute little place and I feel relaxed there, we spent 2 nights there and then moved to downtown Brisbane so we could easily get to the airport in the morning for our much anticipated Fiji foray. So we decide that a drink after dinner would be awesome... but lo and behold what is this but Karaoke and cheap drinks that's right had a blast met some awesome backpackers some wicked locals drank a fair few and sang my voice hoarse (it was already mildly sore from partying in the rain in Byron bay). Rainey even sang she did "hooked on a feeling" and we got up together and sang "Hakuna Matata", our motto was these people don't know us, Lol oh us. 6am came wicked early though, but we made it and got our train to the airport and our duty free liquor (there aren't any stores on the island) and managed to sneak in time for Rainey to call her boyfriend and me to go to 3 different currency stands to try and get some fijian cash. We got on the plane ok even though Rainey was the last one on, I was afraid that she was gonna miss it, and she says "I was worried you weren't here yet" Lol she's so irrational without sleep, I'd been on board for 10 minutes almost. Miss you all but I'll have to fill you in on Fiji on the next blog because I'm on some free internet and there are like 3 people here waiting to get on so until next time...
Toodles
~J
So hit the road on the Oz Bus to Surfers Paradise and the storm was so bad that the bus was swerving all over the road from the wind, we found out the next day that a man had died in his apartment when a piece of metal blew into his apartment window and the glass had penetrated his chest. There were blackouts in Surfers Paradise but I made it there safe and sound in spite of the weather. As a result of this distressing storm the Draught that had had Queensland pinned under it's tenacious thumb for the past decade or so has broken and this is good, but the ocean is so nasty that there is no surfing in Surfers Paradise, or swimming for that matter, so Rainey and I spent the days lounging around the hostel and exploring the town. We found a second hand book shop and I invested in a fair few books... 3 of which are self help Eegad!!! but I figure on my journey of travelling/running away from my life, I might as well try and attain some insight as to a couple whys I've been carrying around for the past decade or so. We spent 3 rainy days in surfers and then up to Brisbane where we stayed at the Moreton Bay backpackers (Manly) again and collected my camera!!!!! Good times had by me, thank-you horse shoe suppository, however you got up there. Pretty Mellow in Manly it is a cute little place and I feel relaxed there, we spent 2 nights there and then moved to downtown Brisbane so we could easily get to the airport in the morning for our much anticipated Fiji foray. So we decide that a drink after dinner would be awesome... but lo and behold what is this but Karaoke and cheap drinks that's right had a blast met some awesome backpackers some wicked locals drank a fair few and sang my voice hoarse (it was already mildly sore from partying in the rain in Byron bay). Rainey even sang she did "hooked on a feeling" and we got up together and sang "Hakuna Matata", our motto was these people don't know us, Lol oh us. 6am came wicked early though, but we made it and got our train to the airport and our duty free liquor (there aren't any stores on the island) and managed to sneak in time for Rainey to call her boyfriend and me to go to 3 different currency stands to try and get some fijian cash. We got on the plane ok even though Rainey was the last one on, I was afraid that she was gonna miss it, and she says "I was worried you weren't here yet" Lol she's so irrational without sleep, I'd been on board for 10 minutes almost. Miss you all but I'll have to fill you in on Fiji on the next blog because I'm on some free internet and there are like 3 people here waiting to get on so until next time...
Toodles
~J
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Rain Rain go away come back when I'm not trying to surf....
So I ended up staying an extra day in Byron Bay at the Arts Factory because I love it there and have come to the conclusion now that I've been in Surfers Paradise for almost a day that I LOVE BYRON BAY, and not the town. Nope, the Art Factory Hostel... That place worms it's way into your soul, even when it's pissing rain and there are rivers raging underneath the picnic tables I was just so content to chill out with all my new friends. I left yesterday, and every one was telling me that "You'll be back tomorrow... No worries Jess we'll see you later" and let me tell you if it wasn't for the 1200 dollars already invested in Fiji (which I'm still retarded stoked about going to) I probably would be back on the bus heading south back to Byron Bay and the Arts Factory. There are people there who "meant" to leave 6 weeks ago but like I said, parasitical soul sucking, and I haven't laughed so much in my life with so many beautiful people. Maybe I'll go back after Fiji:D but then the hooks will be deeply imbedded. I've also decided from my time at the Arts Factory that I am a fool to think that I can do without my guitar for the next year, I can get a little steel string folk guitar with a gig bag and a tuner for about 150.00 in Byron so maybe I'll be able to find a cheaper one somewhere along my travels. Lol I also have a pretty bad head cold that can be chalked up to too much goon and partying and not enough sleeping, but no worries mom I've got the Vitamin C Flushing in at 2000 mg a day I should be right as rain in no time. Although who decided that rain was right all the time...
On that ponderance I shall sign out I love you all
~Jess
On that ponderance I shall sign out I love you all
~Jess
Monday, May 18, 2009
So I wrote a song...
That's right I wrote a song (well the lyrics anyway it was a joint effort), me and a guy named Mo from Germany entered the talent show and wrote a song 2 hours before the show... The best part is I can't get it out of my head and I caught Rainey singing a bit of it like twice so far this morning. Maybe that sounds conceted but I really liked it, Mo is an amazing Guitarist and we had alot of fun up on stage (except my hands were shaking so badly I couldn't read the lyrics off my cheat sheet.. lol everyone clapped though so many nice people here). I need to figure out how to upload that onto You Tube, so you guys can decide for yourselves how amazing I am LMAO!!!!(Just kidding) Rainey and I were gonna go surfing but the waves haven't been cooperative enough to constitute renting a board, so we've been chilling at the hostel and drinking boxed wine at night... Lol oh wait we did do our laundry too. Random suprise during the talent show, I got off the stage and my friend Gwenn from Nimbin had just arrived at the hostel, we've been hanging out and chatting it up. We were gonna go surfing, he was going to let me use his surf board but we both felt that the ocean is too rough today and I'd probably drown and the waves are so choppy that surfing would be fruitless for him as well, he wouldn't be able to catch a good wave. So I think more boxed wine tonight after all I don't want to carry it with me on to the next hostel, I love this hostel and I'm having so much fun with all the musicians it's a jam fest every night it's so fantastic. The only thing that would make it better would be a campfire... Alas it's against the rules. So beyond having a good time partying it up and deciding that lyrical composition is something that I like it's been pretty quiet since the last time I blogged but no worries I'll work up some interesting stories for the next time. Until then I love you all and Peace
~Jessalyn
~Jessalyn
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Truly love this place
It makes me sad to think about how much fun I'm having in a foreign country without all my friends and family that I should be missing horribly... Now don't get me wrong I miss you all tonnes but I am so relaxed here and completely in love with Australia that I think I might just pick some fruit for a couple months so I can extend my Visa just in case no one wants to sponsor me to stay. I got all my tours figured out (and open dated I have 12 months to do them), except for my Scuba Diving cruise but they have "Work aboards" where I can pay for a 2 day cruise and work for a couple days extra in exchange for accomodation and diving, I totally win!!! Yesterday morning Rainey and I went Sea Kayaking and I totally loved that too, we were guarenteed to see Dolphins and only caught a glimpse so we're gonna go again tomorrow for free, it's also the very beginning of Whale migration season here so hopefully we'll get lucky and see a humpback, I'm so excited!!! We also Capsized LMAO funniest thing in the world we were riding a wave into shore and at the last minute we got ROLLED/CHUCKED onto the beach I could see it happening in my head and got water and sand up my nose from laughing as the Kayak rolled over top of me... And wonder this morning how I'm getting so many random bruises duh!!! I love you all and I'll be keeping in touch we get free internet at the travel agents so I'm gonna abuse that while I can and then we'll probably be back to Blogging once or twice a week.
Love and Hugs
~Jessalyn
Love and Hugs
~Jessalyn
Friday, May 15, 2009
Since Sydney and oh what a journey!!!!
So on Monday the 12th Rainey and I went on a day tour of the Blue mountains... Beautiful!! They are blue from far away because the eucalyptus trees release a gas that acts as a absorption layer absorbing all the other colors' wavelengths except the blue (like the ocean). But not very mountainous I guess Rainey and I are a little spoiled from the Rockies but meh. We saw Kookaburra's and that was cool our guide was full of awesome stories and jokes, we saw a rock formation called the three sisters and he gathered us all up (yep like kids) and had good old fashioned story time it was hilarious. We also met two of the funnest people yet their names are Joost and Savigna but we called them Holland and Germany and they called us Team Canada it was awesome!!! We totally sang silly songs and struck poses and cracked jokes the entire tour, but I feel that we were the favorites of the group as disruptive as we were, the guide even sat with us for lunch. We took a train that pulled us at a 80 degree angle up the rock cliff face backwards it was awesome one of the girls screamed the whole time and I admit my knees were a little shaky when I got off the ride, there wasn't even a strap belt they used to use it to transport coal up the mountain to the road so I guess passenger comfort wasn't considered but made it all the better as a result. We found out that the eucalyptus trees shed their bark (Bare trees that's right they look cool and feel cooler) and that some of the spiders hide under the bark shreds, the guide (simon was his name) was actually LOOKING for them, on purpose can you imagine??? We had a blast even though we didn't see any kangaroos, apparentley they are a pretty common occurance in the blue mountains national park.
Tuesday we left Sydney permanently for Surf Camp, we were at the station bright and early (6am) but the bus was broken down with a dead battery so we never actually even departed until about 8:30am but still in good spirits thanks to the two Bailey's and Coffee that Rainey and I indulged in while waiting:D We stopped in several places along the food for grub and walk breaks, we saw a giant banana in coffs harbour... not very giant but if I was a japanese tourist let me tell you I would have been thrilled I'm sure. Our bus driver's name was Hayley and she was awesome she played games with us and gave away prizes like vouchers for tours and wine lol it was awesome!!! When we got to surf camp they fed us an amazing meal and then we sat around playing drinking games and visiting (Hayley too), I only brought the one bottle of wine but some how through the charity of others I did end up praying to the porcelin god. I still made it to my surf lessons in the morining though because I woulda killed myself if I missed it, I had a bottle of Redbull in my backpack thank god and I was smiling in most of the pictures, so alls well that ends well. So during lessons I found out that I'm goofy footed which means that I surf with my dominant foot in front, which is apparently uncommon although my instructor says some of the best surfers are goofy footers (obviously not the case with me lol). I managed to stand up about 3-4 times for about 5 seconds if that but I think I'm gonna love it and had so much fun, even though it's now been two days later and I'm still finding random war wounds (bruises) and my shoulders are obviously weak and girly, there's a good reason that surfers are built so nicely. After the lesson was over and I was showered and clean I walked back to the bay and there was a pod of dolphins playing out in the waves, they were pretty far away but I was totally mesmerized, they were amazing!!! We got on the bus and started heading north again stopping to see the Giant Prawn in Ballina where we were all told to "Japaneso if we wanted" by Hayley, I love that girl!!! She dropped us off at our hostel once we got to Byron bay and told us to have fun and play safe (and name any concieved children after her, but if we get an STD don't bitch to the driver that told them to play safe). She had arranged to reserve us a table at Cheeky monkey's which is supposed to be a super awesome place to party, we were told there would be free beer on our table which was super exciting but alas no free beer and when we tried to find out about it we got turbo cold shouldered it was like pulling teeth. We were just confused and some of the staff were mildly rude, so we've decided not to go back but the food was ok gotta give them that and I prolly woulda had fun if they had just been like "sorry bout that here's a pitcher of beer and an appetizer for you guys to share". We were traveling with a bunch of British girls (and one guy) and we bought a poutine... Funniest thing in the world was introducing the group to poutine they thought it was gross when I told them what it was but when Rainey brought it to the table OMG one girl thought she had died and gone to heaven, it was so hilarious!
Our hostel's pretty nice, the dorms are mixed so there's a boy in our room but he's a nice guy I won't hold his gender against him ;) There's a pool but I haven't swam in it yet we've been so busy, although yesterday we just laid on the beach.... It was fantastic there was even this dirty old man (harmless) who came over and chatted us up telling us jokes and such he was pretty funny even though he was a perv. We've been cooking alot and saving money like mad, which is good cause I'm a cheap bastard, as we all know. Today though we went on a hike up to the lighthouse here at Cape Byron it was a nice walk and my bum is gonna be sore tomorrow, but I got to see more dolphins and a little wallaby (I think he was a rock wallaby he was tiny and so cute), then we shared a box of cornetto's with the two girls we were walking with because I'm too cheap to pay 3.50 a cone for ice cream on the beach. We found a park where they were setting up live music and found a space to eat our ice cream and then a guy came over and told us that it was a free barbeque. So there we go free music and free food, so what do we do we eat and listen it was fabulous, apparently the youth/community group do it every friday I love Australia!!! So my frugal side is sated what do I do but go into a local travel place and buy every single package that I may want to do.... yep spent a small fortune but I feel that I'm investing in my vacation, they are giving me pretty wicked deals (did my research and best deals yet, also the closer I get the more expensive it will be for me I fear) and here's the cincher--> Open Dates good for 12 months!!! So pre paid it wont matter later if i can't afford it I've already paid for it, I win!!! Having said that I've emailed the Australia Zoo my resume to see if they need a Vet Nurse so everyone keep your fingers crossed for me I'm gonna start working on my "Crikey" LMAO
Love you all and Toodles
~Jessalyn
Tuesday we left Sydney permanently for Surf Camp, we were at the station bright and early (6am) but the bus was broken down with a dead battery so we never actually even departed until about 8:30am but still in good spirits thanks to the two Bailey's and Coffee that Rainey and I indulged in while waiting:D We stopped in several places along the food for grub and walk breaks, we saw a giant banana in coffs harbour... not very giant but if I was a japanese tourist let me tell you I would have been thrilled I'm sure. Our bus driver's name was Hayley and she was awesome she played games with us and gave away prizes like vouchers for tours and wine lol it was awesome!!! When we got to surf camp they fed us an amazing meal and then we sat around playing drinking games and visiting (Hayley too), I only brought the one bottle of wine but some how through the charity of others I did end up praying to the porcelin god. I still made it to my surf lessons in the morining though because I woulda killed myself if I missed it, I had a bottle of Redbull in my backpack thank god and I was smiling in most of the pictures, so alls well that ends well. So during lessons I found out that I'm goofy footed which means that I surf with my dominant foot in front, which is apparently uncommon although my instructor says some of the best surfers are goofy footers (obviously not the case with me lol). I managed to stand up about 3-4 times for about 5 seconds if that but I think I'm gonna love it and had so much fun, even though it's now been two days later and I'm still finding random war wounds (bruises) and my shoulders are obviously weak and girly, there's a good reason that surfers are built so nicely. After the lesson was over and I was showered and clean I walked back to the bay and there was a pod of dolphins playing out in the waves, they were pretty far away but I was totally mesmerized, they were amazing!!! We got on the bus and started heading north again stopping to see the Giant Prawn in Ballina where we were all told to "Japaneso if we wanted" by Hayley, I love that girl!!! She dropped us off at our hostel once we got to Byron bay and told us to have fun and play safe (and name any concieved children after her, but if we get an STD don't bitch to the driver that told them to play safe). She had arranged to reserve us a table at Cheeky monkey's which is supposed to be a super awesome place to party, we were told there would be free beer on our table which was super exciting but alas no free beer and when we tried to find out about it we got turbo cold shouldered it was like pulling teeth. We were just confused and some of the staff were mildly rude, so we've decided not to go back but the food was ok gotta give them that and I prolly woulda had fun if they had just been like "sorry bout that here's a pitcher of beer and an appetizer for you guys to share". We were traveling with a bunch of British girls (and one guy) and we bought a poutine... Funniest thing in the world was introducing the group to poutine they thought it was gross when I told them what it was but when Rainey brought it to the table OMG one girl thought she had died and gone to heaven, it was so hilarious!
Our hostel's pretty nice, the dorms are mixed so there's a boy in our room but he's a nice guy I won't hold his gender against him ;) There's a pool but I haven't swam in it yet we've been so busy, although yesterday we just laid on the beach.... It was fantastic there was even this dirty old man (harmless) who came over and chatted us up telling us jokes and such he was pretty funny even though he was a perv. We've been cooking alot and saving money like mad, which is good cause I'm a cheap bastard, as we all know. Today though we went on a hike up to the lighthouse here at Cape Byron it was a nice walk and my bum is gonna be sore tomorrow, but I got to see more dolphins and a little wallaby (I think he was a rock wallaby he was tiny and so cute), then we shared a box of cornetto's with the two girls we were walking with because I'm too cheap to pay 3.50 a cone for ice cream on the beach. We found a park where they were setting up live music and found a space to eat our ice cream and then a guy came over and told us that it was a free barbeque. So there we go free music and free food, so what do we do we eat and listen it was fabulous, apparently the youth/community group do it every friday I love Australia!!! So my frugal side is sated what do I do but go into a local travel place and buy every single package that I may want to do.... yep spent a small fortune but I feel that I'm investing in my vacation, they are giving me pretty wicked deals (did my research and best deals yet, also the closer I get the more expensive it will be for me I fear) and here's the cincher--> Open Dates good for 12 months!!! So pre paid it wont matter later if i can't afford it I've already paid for it, I win!!! Having said that I've emailed the Australia Zoo my resume to see if they need a Vet Nurse so everyone keep your fingers crossed for me I'm gonna start working on my "Crikey" LMAO
Love you all and Toodles
~Jessalyn
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Jess's intro to the ocean... and we aren't talking polite handshake here people
So I've come to the conclusion that although I love my country and my family and everything else about Canada but I got screwed out of an australian childhood. Rainy and I went to the beach the other day (Friday the 8th) equipped with boogie boards and determination... and got our asses served to us via pounding surf. Lol Rainey even took her boogie board to the face, I on the other hand came to the conclusion (and I'm sure that half of southern Sydney would agree based on my performance..) That a two piece of any kind isn't appropriate for actually playing in the water, although I think my pasty bum is a little tanner as a result of all my crack-revealing wipeouts. We lasted about an hour and a half and were totally exhausted and this was just boogie boarding I'm a little concerned about our surf lesson... So we are sitting on the beach laughing at how ridiculous we are (and spitting out salt water) and there's this kid probably about 10 years old or so and he's a pro boogie boarder, we are completley jealous, he's zipping in and out of the chute and we really just want to keep our butt cheeks in our swim suits is that really too much to ask?!?!?! Alas that's why all these australians are buff but look out because there will be a time when I'm able to ride in on a styrofoam board on my stomach without ingesting half of the ocean.
That night we went out to the pub with a whole slew of irish people OMG fun like no bodies business met lots of people, the comedian thought Rainy and I were heckling him... Crazy bastard just had no act so he thought he'd pick on the tourists we bought him a drink and then decided to leave that area of the bar, and spent the rest of the night drinking and dancing. Even the hostel owner was there for quite a while. Rainey went drunk dialing and I stuck around and carried on in a truly fantastic effort to hold my own. However holding my own is expensive and I think that it would have been a little more financially prudent to have just given in although my Canadian pride would have suffered.... Needless to say Saturday was a quiet day of rest and puttsing around we went to one of the markets in Sydney and met this nice girl who lives in london but she's originally from LA, we hung out with her for the afternoon and then parted ways after exchanging emails. Today is Sunday here and we've moved hostels to downtown Sydney, and I feel like a dinosaur!! All the other hostel guests are about 18... maybe a few 20 year olds but we're only gonna be here for a little while, I think when I'm, travelling on my own I'm gonna have to stick with the smaller hostels, they seem to cater more to the older crowd. Tomorrow we go to the blue mountains for a bunch of hiking and sightseeing then on Tuesday it's off on the OZ tour and surf camp is first on the list gonna learn how to surf (or at least the fundamentals so I can work hard not to drown). They give you big squishy boards so Rainey's face should be fine :) And I promise that I'm gonna break out the one piece suit for this venture... the land down under could definatley do with less viewing of my down under...
until next time love you all and toodles
~Jess
That night we went out to the pub with a whole slew of irish people OMG fun like no bodies business met lots of people, the comedian thought Rainy and I were heckling him... Crazy bastard just had no act so he thought he'd pick on the tourists we bought him a drink and then decided to leave that area of the bar, and spent the rest of the night drinking and dancing. Even the hostel owner was there for quite a while. Rainey went drunk dialing and I stuck around and carried on in a truly fantastic effort to hold my own. However holding my own is expensive and I think that it would have been a little more financially prudent to have just given in although my Canadian pride would have suffered.... Needless to say Saturday was a quiet day of rest and puttsing around we went to one of the markets in Sydney and met this nice girl who lives in london but she's originally from LA, we hung out with her for the afternoon and then parted ways after exchanging emails. Today is Sunday here and we've moved hostels to downtown Sydney, and I feel like a dinosaur!! All the other hostel guests are about 18... maybe a few 20 year olds but we're only gonna be here for a little while, I think when I'm, travelling on my own I'm gonna have to stick with the smaller hostels, they seem to cater more to the older crowd. Tomorrow we go to the blue mountains for a bunch of hiking and sightseeing then on Tuesday it's off on the OZ tour and surf camp is first on the list gonna learn how to surf (or at least the fundamentals so I can work hard not to drown). They give you big squishy boards so Rainey's face should be fine :) And I promise that I'm gonna break out the one piece suit for this venture... the land down under could definatley do with less viewing of my down under...
until next time love you all and toodles
~Jess
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Tickets $150, Program $15, Toilet line 10 min, Nutcracker at the Sydney Opera House; PRICELESS!!!
We left Nimbin on Monday to Byron Bay and caught the overnight Greyhournd back south to Sydney, 13.5hours later and we're there. We booked a hostel right by the beach for 5 days and another right in the downtown for 2 days, our tour starts at 6:30 in the morning on next Tuesday, and like hell I'm fighting with luggage and public transport at 5:30 in the morning Blech!!! I went to the luggage place and the lady there was very helpful about my damaged bag, she phoned the airline and requested that they extend my voucher so that I can have it fixed in Canada since the bag is Canadian they would have to order the replacement parts from there and it would take them about a week and a half to get those ordered in and repaired... the problem is that I can have this done in Sydney or Brisbane. As I'm backpacking and really have no time at the present to stay in Sydney now, and no desire to stay again for an extended period in Brisbane this is an awesome solution for me. I have to phone the airline to confirm that this request has been processed but yay me!!! Progress at last.
Our hostel is really nice and clean, and there are so many Irish people here trying to work, we share a room with three of the sweetest girls ever and they've got those soft irish accents going on I just love listening to them talk. Rainey and I went out yesterday (Wednesday here) to go to the Aquarium but ended up hiking down to the Opera House.... We went to see George Murphy's rendition of Nutcracker!!! That's rigth Ballet at the Sydney Opera House, my first Ballet experience and again like the muffins I think I've ruined myself, Lol. But I had so much fun I laughed, cried and by the end of it all my face hurt from clenching my teeth in excitement and smiling so much. I'm so glad we did it, the dancers were so beautiful and the story was amazing (Completely different from the original-- About the arrival of Ballet into Australia and story of one of the Russian Prima Ballerinas who helped with the process). It was that or Air Supply accompanied by orchestra and although I thought that would be hilarious good times (Rainey was pouty that there may have not been tickets to the ballet; the internet said that it was sold out), we got last minute released seats 3rd row dead center on the balcony... Could not have been a better experience.
So this morning we got up and tried to go for a run, I learned at a young age that I cannot jog well. I'm fat and it makes my knees hurt, but Rainey was having some adjustment issues too (she's used to a tread mill) so we went on an extended walk along the bayside, which worked out awesome for me because the 10 minutes that we did attempt to jog was torturous... Lol I think I just need to start swimming again I'm right beside the damn ocean, really I shouldn't be ridiculously attempting to jog in my hiking boots when i suck at it in the first place. We're gonna hit up the Aquarium today and maybe try to find some Karaoke tonight (yep I know I'm addicted but it was Rainey's idea and she's gonna sing too), and some shopping in between. So far Sydney residents are not as nice as those in Melbourne (or anywhere else for that matter), we saw these awesome aboriginals playing didgeridoo (I'm getting one i don't even care a little bit how much it's gonna cost me to ship), and they said we could get a picture with them, but when Rainey tried to ask one of the people walking by to take a picture of us he brushed her off like she was asking for money... The next 4 people were equally retarded, finally a nice younger lady took it for us. Thank god Rainey wasn't choking or needed some help or anything... bastards. It's possible that it's because it's the downtown core and we were right at the ferry warf so these people might have all had agendas but I still feel that's a mark against them. The people in Coogee (the suburb our hostel's in) are much nicer and patient with our tourist ignorance, we ask for directions/info all the time and none of them act like we want to take their money... sheesh.
Tomorrow is hiking and snorkelling day Rainey brought her set but I only have my snorkel. Daniel the hostel owner said that I could borrow a set of fins from him (Jackpot!!) and they let us use boogie boards for free from the hostel as well, so I feel that a day at the beach/picnic is definitley in order. But the minutes are ticking and I'm still paying for internet, I think I need to start finding free internet that will be my main mission...
Lots of love to you all
~Jess
Our hostel is really nice and clean, and there are so many Irish people here trying to work, we share a room with three of the sweetest girls ever and they've got those soft irish accents going on I just love listening to them talk. Rainey and I went out yesterday (Wednesday here) to go to the Aquarium but ended up hiking down to the Opera House.... We went to see George Murphy's rendition of Nutcracker!!! That's rigth Ballet at the Sydney Opera House, my first Ballet experience and again like the muffins I think I've ruined myself, Lol. But I had so much fun I laughed, cried and by the end of it all my face hurt from clenching my teeth in excitement and smiling so much. I'm so glad we did it, the dancers were so beautiful and the story was amazing (Completely different from the original-- About the arrival of Ballet into Australia and story of one of the Russian Prima Ballerinas who helped with the process). It was that or Air Supply accompanied by orchestra and although I thought that would be hilarious good times (Rainey was pouty that there may have not been tickets to the ballet; the internet said that it was sold out), we got last minute released seats 3rd row dead center on the balcony... Could not have been a better experience.
So this morning we got up and tried to go for a run, I learned at a young age that I cannot jog well. I'm fat and it makes my knees hurt, but Rainey was having some adjustment issues too (she's used to a tread mill) so we went on an extended walk along the bayside, which worked out awesome for me because the 10 minutes that we did attempt to jog was torturous... Lol I think I just need to start swimming again I'm right beside the damn ocean, really I shouldn't be ridiculously attempting to jog in my hiking boots when i suck at it in the first place. We're gonna hit up the Aquarium today and maybe try to find some Karaoke tonight (yep I know I'm addicted but it was Rainey's idea and she's gonna sing too), and some shopping in between. So far Sydney residents are not as nice as those in Melbourne (or anywhere else for that matter), we saw these awesome aboriginals playing didgeridoo (I'm getting one i don't even care a little bit how much it's gonna cost me to ship), and they said we could get a picture with them, but when Rainey tried to ask one of the people walking by to take a picture of us he brushed her off like she was asking for money... The next 4 people were equally retarded, finally a nice younger lady took it for us. Thank god Rainey wasn't choking or needed some help or anything... bastards. It's possible that it's because it's the downtown core and we were right at the ferry warf so these people might have all had agendas but I still feel that's a mark against them. The people in Coogee (the suburb our hostel's in) are much nicer and patient with our tourist ignorance, we ask for directions/info all the time and none of them act like we want to take their money... sheesh.
Tomorrow is hiking and snorkelling day Rainey brought her set but I only have my snorkel. Daniel the hostel owner said that I could borrow a set of fins from him (Jackpot!!) and they let us use boogie boards for free from the hostel as well, so I feel that a day at the beach/picnic is definitley in order. But the minutes are ticking and I'm still paying for internet, I think I need to start finding free internet that will be my main mission...
Lots of love to you all
~Jess
Monday, May 4, 2009
So much to say.... Do I still have the brain cells?
First off let's get you people back on track... So remember those awesome pics that I said I had? Well my camera got swiped that very night and I was devestated had to call everywhere I had been throughout that day (on the day after which was Anzac day- Australia rememberence day), which means that I had to check out and find my camera before 10 am. So there I am freaking... phoning and leaving messages all over the place to see if I had dropped it somewhere (although I clearly remember having it at the hostel after the day), I talked to the hostel owner because he was the one who told me that the hostel dorm rooms never get locked because it's such an awesome place and no I don't need a locker i can leave any valuables with him if needed. He took all my info and said I could for sure use the hostel for a contact number for all the public transit places I had had to call, I could tell that he felt totally shocked that this had happened. We check out and head on our way into Brisbane to spend the night before we head to Nimbin for the 26th. I called David that night (the hostel owner guy) to see if he had anything turn up, and the girl who answered the phone said that they were just finishing searching everyone's bags (OMG!!! Didn't see that coming), and nothing yet. Filed a police report cause I have insurance intending to fax it to my mom at some point... and I get this Email on the 27th saying that the hostel has found my camera, and yes they will hold onto it until I can get back to the Brisbane area... So horse shoe suppository or WTF? I totally deserved to have it swiped for being such a trusting fool but it appears to have worked out for the better... I mean when does that really happen... really come on.
So that brings me into the most chilling town I have every been in, some of the locals are a little eccentric/ecclectic, but I love every single one of them I met. Our hostel was about 20 minute walk out of town (large evil hill of a driveway... very evil after pub, serves me right though), so I feel that I may have partially worked off some of the very large delicious and also evil muffins that the cute little Japanese cook lady makes all day every day. As soon as you discover the hostel muffins every other muffin that you could ever dream of is so redundtley insignificant. I'm not kidding I think that I will never eat another muffin... at least not without comparing it to how not as good it is as the nimbin muffins (still love yours though mom). More chocolate than muffin so not good for anyone let alone me who ate one everyday I was there, and there would be a crowd waiting for them to come out of the oven, word would circulate and there would be loitering backpackers waiting for the daily chocolate fix. There were't drugs in the muffin mom...
This Retreat is so beautiful, my second night there I was walking back to Rainy and mine's shack and I encountered my first aussie wildlife a wallaby and he/she hopped away immediatley, it was delightfully photographic but alas one cannot always have the muffin and eat it too (i realize we're boardering on fettish but I'm dead serious). Rainy was so jealous, it was awesome:P
We volunteered for the hippy festival and it was hilarious good times we got to walk around answering people's questions and just checking things out (warning people when the police were in sight... or people would just yell "Taxi" when they were coming). I learned more about cannabis than I think anyone should know, but i feel that the entire atmosphere of the festival was appropriate, there weren't very many people who were out to start anything, and mostly everyone just wanted to have a good time supporting the cause. They gave each team a radio, so the whole time Rainey kept calling me Radio, it was mildly funny until the 6 trillionth time, although hilarious times I kept getting in shit for not saying "over/Copy/Out". We also met up with this German girl from the hostel OMG funny girl spent every second with her laughing, I may go to Bali with her in Novermber, we shall see that's obviously very tentative. Long story short had a hilarious and safe time in Nimbin met some totally kickass friends (so many people to add to Face book), gained all the weight I had lost during our hiking in Melbourne plus an additional inch or two for padding, am rested, relaxed, and completley convinced that i want to go back there... if they had a vet clinic let me tell you
Oh yeah I think I want some dreads, just throwing that out there P.S. Mom and Dad will you still love me if my hair's all knotty and cool;)
Signing out for now Love you all
~Jess
So that brings me into the most chilling town I have every been in, some of the locals are a little eccentric/ecclectic, but I love every single one of them I met. Our hostel was about 20 minute walk out of town (large evil hill of a driveway... very evil after pub, serves me right though), so I feel that I may have partially worked off some of the very large delicious and also evil muffins that the cute little Japanese cook lady makes all day every day. As soon as you discover the hostel muffins every other muffin that you could ever dream of is so redundtley insignificant. I'm not kidding I think that I will never eat another muffin... at least not without comparing it to how not as good it is as the nimbin muffins (still love yours though mom). More chocolate than muffin so not good for anyone let alone me who ate one everyday I was there, and there would be a crowd waiting for them to come out of the oven, word would circulate and there would be loitering backpackers waiting for the daily chocolate fix. There were't drugs in the muffin mom...
This Retreat is so beautiful, my second night there I was walking back to Rainy and mine's shack and I encountered my first aussie wildlife a wallaby and he/she hopped away immediatley, it was delightfully photographic but alas one cannot always have the muffin and eat it too (i realize we're boardering on fettish but I'm dead serious). Rainy was so jealous, it was awesome:P
We volunteered for the hippy festival and it was hilarious good times we got to walk around answering people's questions and just checking things out (warning people when the police were in sight... or people would just yell "Taxi" when they were coming). I learned more about cannabis than I think anyone should know, but i feel that the entire atmosphere of the festival was appropriate, there weren't very many people who were out to start anything, and mostly everyone just wanted to have a good time supporting the cause. They gave each team a radio, so the whole time Rainey kept calling me Radio, it was mildly funny until the 6 trillionth time, although hilarious times I kept getting in shit for not saying "over/Copy/Out". We also met up with this German girl from the hostel OMG funny girl spent every second with her laughing, I may go to Bali with her in Novermber, we shall see that's obviously very tentative. Long story short had a hilarious and safe time in Nimbin met some totally kickass friends (so many people to add to Face book), gained all the weight I had lost during our hiking in Melbourne plus an additional inch or two for padding, am rested, relaxed, and completley convinced that i want to go back there... if they had a vet clinic let me tell you
Oh yeah I think I want some dreads, just throwing that out there P.S. Mom and Dad will you still love me if my hair's all knotty and cool;)
Signing out for now Love you all
~Jess
Friday, April 24, 2009
Oh well....
So Brisbane is pretty dry for work especially because we only needed 3 weeks of it, fruit picking isn't very profitable if you only do it in the short term is what the girl at the work agency told us, so that's our next step is a week in nimbin and we'll see if there's any work there to be had... Rainy is super eager to start the tour so maybe we'll jet down to Sydney after the festival (hop a ride or rental relocation maybe) and start the tour to work our way up through to Brisbane again for our flight on May 27th to Fiji, things haven't really been working out as hoped but with all the haphazard planning and throwing new plans in it's not that suprising Lol!! no worries though I'm still having a kickass time went to this little island yesterday called North Stradbroke island and walked along a coastal path it was beautiful and got some amazing pictures!!! Everything is so exciting and new that I can't help but have a blast even though the work thing isn't working out. Right now we're gonna focus on the start of the oz tour and maybe find something to do in Cairns (that's where all the scuba diving is). Miss ya all and love ya lots
~Jess
~Jess
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Brisbane seems cool
So Rainey and I have made our way up to Brisbane via cheap flights... which worked out pretty awesome we're staying at a cheap hostel in Manly which is a little village about 20min from the city they had a shuttle to come get us (but forgot about us and left us there for about an hour before we called and said WTF?? over). Manly is beautiful but I don't think that Rainey and I will easily find work there so we're gonna come to Central Brisbane after we go to the hippie fest in Nimbin. There's a cute looking hostel that we're gonna check out and a Travellers job club thingy down the street, so definate potential. Rainey also has a friend of a friend in Toowoomba which is just west of Brisbane and he may be able to put us up and our find some potential work. Nothing concrete yet but i wanna work off that Fiji trip (or at least some of it) before we go, it's already confirmed and paid so it's definate and I'm super stoked about it, the diving is going to be absolutley awesome!!!! Snorkelling and swimming and beach bumming will be nothing to sneeze at either. Still having a blast but limbo is setting in and Both Rainey and I are getting twitchy, to hostel or try and find a flat? It will depend I think on what the travelling job place says. Thinking of you all always and love you lots.
~Jess
P.S. No luck on the PDA/GPS so far maps seem to be working ok but i would love to type out a resume without paying for it the whole time;P Toodles
~Jess
P.S. No luck on the PDA/GPS so far maps seem to be working ok but i would love to type out a resume without paying for it the whole time;P Toodles
Monday, April 20, 2009
Fiji Fiji Fiji!!!! (woo hoo hoo hoo)
So we have a plan... Met up with Trent's Sister (Rainey's BF) and she has coerced us with very little effort that we need to go to Fiji with her in the end of May for her birthday so we're gonna spend a week on one of the fijian islands. So ridiculously stoked, i had been planning on a Fiji trip maybe at the end of my tour but this way Rainey can go too and Meagan (trent's sis) is super cool beans, we had fun all weekend with her and her cousins. I'm finally learning some of the social subtleties... did you know that its unconsious to walk on the sidewalk the same way that you drive? Because I was always on the wrong side and bumping into people/ running them over I noticed the same way in stairwells. Lol those crazy canadian walking on the wrong side of the corridor, alas I got it now. Had to call the airport because in the cluster F#@* that was getting my bag they burned/spilt something on it and totally trashed through the TWO layers of thick plastic bagging I had it in, but they gave me some numbers and 6 months to take it in to get it repaired so I'm gonna get it done while we're in Brisbane to fly out to Fiji!!! Let me tell you life is so Karmic for me right now, whenever something happens it rightens itself right away makes me feel quite Zen actually. Sarah is doing awesome we had a wicked time at the zoo yesterday(got to watch the lions and gorillas get fed) it's a nice zoo and I wouldn't mind living in Melbourne for a couple months so mayhap I'll apply when i go through again on the OZ bus. I've also decided that maybe New Zealand might be a good after my visa expires... if I can work enough, but not holding myself to anything just travel and experience. We're gonna stay in Byron Bay for a few weeks while waiting for Fiji so hopefully I can get enough money to help compensate the chunk of change that Fiji's gonna cost, and mayhap another reference letter;)
Love you all so much and I think about you all the time
~Jess
Love you all so much and I think about you all the time
~Jess
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Going to Byron Bay
Got a flight to Byron Bay fer cheap on the 22nd so we're gonna bum around fer a few days before going to Nimbin, which totally compensates for the fact that my bag took forever to get here (and is damaged) because everything is working out.... finally wearing my own pant eegad that feels good.... Life is falling into place, and having a faboo time, love you all just a short one for today
Toodles! Luv Jess
Toodles! Luv Jess
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Oh and the Shenanigans Begin
Met up with Sarah last night and had the time of my life!!!! We went to this little Bar/Club place called Transit just on the Yarra river it was beautiful!!! We had Beer on the Patio and just chatted it up while having some beer, although these Aussie types wouldn't know a good logger if it bit them in the ass I fear and the Bitterish stuff (drank Carltons all night) leaves my head feeling a little funny this am... Lol nope not sympathy diving just trying to keep you lot as up to date as possible. They also serve said beer until 6am supposedly (according to one ogf the boys we met)!!! That was a little too much I feel that trouble would start brewing if I drank till 6am while dancing (trouble and vomit:p). We went to this cute little "backpackers club" that's associated with one of the hostels here dowtown called the Joint with some guys that we met at Transit and just danced our faces off.... oh god so much fun as My Backpack still isn't here so there's Jess grooving like no body's business with hiking boots!!!! All the other girls were dressed to kill, so hilarious, and aparently the girls here usually don't drink beer so sarah and i were the novelty act of the evening. Any who called it a night way before 6 am and one of the guys walked me back to the hostel (we put sarah in a cab cause she lives far away and we drank past the cut-off for the trams)... No worries I was a good girl and He was a nice boy;) That's right talking to you daddy...
Still missing you and love you all
Still missing you and love you all
Friday, April 17, 2009
No Backpack for you - Take 2
I'm here.. But alas the bag is not i think that it maybe is cursed, took me six freakin months to get the damn thing and then the airline leaves it in sanfransisco (after i went to the desk in Sanfransisco to see if i needed to recheck my bags because there was a problem with my boarding pass.. they thought that the bag might have gone to chicago but were hopeful that it went through to melbourne, but no go). So I'm wearing rainey's clothes ha ha ha ha and they kinda fit although i'm not certain that the lululemon thing is a everyday look for me that's for sure but what can you do. Dispite this fairly major set back (i do have deodorant and toothpaste) I'm safe and having a blast everyone has been really nice although the people at the hostel seem kinda clicky and a little younger than us but that also may be because we're just off the plane and mildly out of sorts aka cranky bastards... but so far so good the room is clean and it's just her and I in there so it's a nice starting point although I won't be able to lock up my backpack if all the hostels have lockers that small... but at this point I don't hafta worry about it because I have no backpack... but I'm not bitter. So long story short things are gouda we're going to the zoo tomorrow and I'm super stoked to hang out with my friend Sarah (from Work, she's here goin to school). So talk at you guys later I love you all and miss you all
Toodles ~Jess
Toodles ~Jess
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
All my bags are packed I'm ready to go....
... And off we go into the wild blue yonder, Flying high into the sky!!!
I have never been so terrified in my life, but so exhilerated also. It could be the gigantuan meal I just had at the keg cause I'm gonna be a starvin marvin for the next year of my life, hopefully none of you will even recognize me when I get back but not in an eegad she's anorexic way... I would like to say one last farewell and apologize to all the people that I wanted to see and give a good bye hug to but never really quite got the chance, you know who you are. I'm gonna miss you all horribly and please feel free to email/facebook me depending on your preference. I'll be attempting to blog at least twice a week so you can all keep up to speed with where I'm at and going, email replies may take a little longer depending on the cash flow... the blog will be priority, to cater to the masses (lol I'm such a conceited jerk sometimes). Love you all and yes I'll watch out for all the creepies that can kill me will one little taste of my flesh... Lol no mom I didn't say that just to freak you out. Love you all
Toodles ~J
I have never been so terrified in my life, but so exhilerated also. It could be the gigantuan meal I just had at the keg cause I'm gonna be a starvin marvin for the next year of my life, hopefully none of you will even recognize me when I get back but not in an eegad she's anorexic way... I would like to say one last farewell and apologize to all the people that I wanted to see and give a good bye hug to but never really quite got the chance, you know who you are. I'm gonna miss you all horribly and please feel free to email/facebook me depending on your preference. I'll be attempting to blog at least twice a week so you can all keep up to speed with where I'm at and going, email replies may take a little longer depending on the cash flow... the blog will be priority, to cater to the masses (lol I'm such a conceited jerk sometimes). Love you all and yes I'll watch out for all the creepies that can kill me will one little taste of my flesh... Lol no mom I didn't say that just to freak you out. Love you all
Toodles ~J
Sunday, April 12, 2009
2 days...it'll be fine Jess just breathe......
As you lot can probably tell I'm starting to get nervous the type A tendencies are coming through loud and clear and I'm not certain that I can keep myself still for the 18 hours of air time that I'm gonna have to sit through before we even land... That's assuming that I can pull my head out of my ass long enough to finish packing the god-damn backpack so much to do and so little time left oh well that is what coffee is for & who needs sleep really? Alas need to consume more caffeine and start that shit... really wanted to see how this comes through on Facebook so fingers crossed I think I got it this time.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Dun dun dun --> Another one bites the dust (t-minus 6days)
Well well well,
Here I am the hour is late the days are fewer (until take off) and I still have no PDA/GPS and the one I want I can't get off Amazon.ca and Amazon.com won't ship it into canada for me!!! And I am such a cheapa$$ that I refuse to pay the extra $200 to get it from the canadian distributor. Oh well if I get lost in Melbourne that will just be one more thing to display on my blog... Lol what am I really complaining about to be lost in australia will ultimatley beat down the awful excuse of spring from this neck of the woods, Gotta love the smell of thawing dog crap.
Until next time... ~J
Here I am the hour is late the days are fewer (until take off) and I still have no PDA/GPS and the one I want I can't get off Amazon.ca and Amazon.com won't ship it into canada for me!!! And I am such a cheapa$$ that I refuse to pay the extra $200 to get it from the canadian distributor. Oh well if I get lost in Melbourne that will just be one more thing to display on my blog... Lol what am I really complaining about to be lost in australia will ultimatley beat down the awful excuse of spring from this neck of the woods, Gotta love the smell of thawing dog crap.
Until next time... ~J
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
T-minus 8days and counting
Well here I be still in Canada and let me tell you guys my finger nails are freaking short from all the nervous chewing I've been doing... at least I'm done work now so I'm fairly certain there's nothing zoonotic hiding out under there. Lol oh yeah I went there. But anywho figured I should get into the habit of this blogging thing or you guys are gonna beat me when I get back (not that there's not gonna be Jess abuse due to my glorious perma tan). So I'm well on my way, the travel insurance has been purchased, the supplies are waiting to be packed (yeah I'm procrastinating...Suprise!!), my stuff's in storage, just a few more loose ends to tie up and it's off to the land down under!!!
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
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