Soaking up the sun on Bondi beach

This afternoon was spent at Bondi beach, a 1km beach just 7km from the city centre of Sydney, reachable by a short train and bus ride from Shaina`s apartment in Dulwich Hill. Bondi is a surfer/beach suburb to Sydney and a popular spot for tourists and locals alike.

If someone were to ask me what my favorite thing about Sydney is--- without a doubt it would be how easily accessible the beaches are for those without their own means of transportation. I was so sick and tired of spending summers in cities or towns with no means of getting to a source of water as a means of relief from the scorching sun! Anywhere I`ve ever lived before, beaches and lakes were only accessible by those who had their own means of transportation. The fact that public transportation in Sydney will drop you off right in the sand of multiple beaches is phenomenal!

Shaina and I with Bondi in the background...

Bondi high rises over the beach...

Bondi Beach (not exactly Whale Cove... haha)

One of the many surfers who frequent Bondi beach...

And finally---- this is where you`ll find me for the next 9 months in OZ--- smack dab in the middle of the beach with the sand between my toes and the sun on my back!

DEAR MOM

Dear Mom,

I HAVE A HUMONGOUS PROBLEM!

I`ve got this awful life threatening disease that just won`t go away no matter how hard I try and fight it off. Its symptoms are absolutely unbearable. They include chronic anxiety, restlessness, insomnia, increased appetite, and even delirium at times.

It saddens me to have to tell you this, especially in the form of an e-mail, but they say there`s no cure for it and that I will have to endure its headaches for the rest of my life...

Mom, I`ve been diagnosed with the TRAVEL BUG and its symptoms may lead me to have to plead my case to you for another year of aimless vagabonding ...

Officially employed!

Hunting for a job and a place to stay here in Sydney could not have been easier! It`s as though a job and a place to stay just kind of fell on my lap--- literally! My travel guide suggested seeking live-in employment with a hostel, and so I googled job opportunities with hostels in Sydney, e-mailed one in Coogee (beach suburb), and heard back within hours from the manager who mentioned there was a management position available as of lately--- and to call him back about it. The next morning I called him, headed over to Bondi to meet him, and then arranged to meet again in Coogee. This afternoon, I arrived at the hostel in Coogee to go over the computer system with him, and the next thing I know--- he`s asking me when I`d like to move in! I literally got a job from the first place I applied to! YIPPEEEEE! My first day in Sydney, I had convinced myself that it would be extremely difficult to find both a place to stay and employment--- and it was a piece of cake!!!

I am officially employed as a receptionist manager at a hostel in a beautiful beach suburb of Sydney and am pretty excited about it. Honestly, I cannot think of a job that would have been any better suited to my wants and needs. Basically, I am an evening receptionist at the front desk of the hostel (which means I get to sleep in), I live on site rent free (hello travel savings!), I don`t need to spend hours on public transportation getting to and from work, I`m right on the beach, the atmosphere is super laid back, and I get to be surrounded by people my own age. As part of the position, I am on call 24 hours, but seeing as how I will be living on site--- and the farthest I`ll probably venture is across the road to the beach--- it shouldn`t be too bad. I think the best thing about the job is that you get to be yourself. There is absolutely no butt kissing involved! Backpackers are a unique breed that doesn`t need or want to be wined and dined. They are very low maintenance and chilled... (which is right up my alley! I`m through with the high maintenance hotel business...)

Hotel World: "Excuse me, Mr. Smith. Have you decided whether or not you would like to make a booking with us and become one of our valued guests? Please take your time and should you decide to have us welcome you here at .... hotel, it would be my pleasure to assist you in making a reservation."

Hostel World: "Hey dude- are you ready to make a reservation? You don`t know yet? You don`t have a credit card on you? Ok, well then come back when you`ve figured your garbage out."

BAHAHAHA (I LOVE IT!!!!)

A Glimpse at Bondi AKA "Blue Crush meets Malibu Beach"

I shouldn`t underestimate my own abilities and should be more confident in my ability to read directions and find my way from one end of a large city to the other. This morning, I set out from the apartment on my own equipped with ample maps, numbers, and addresses--- and I experienced absolutely zero problems in getting myself from my starting point of Dulwich Hill to Central Station--- and finally Bondi Beach. I admit that I was extremely proud of myself today and if I could pat myself on the back, I surely would!

I made my way over to Bondi beach this afternoon for an informal interview for a potential position that I really hope works out. It is a live- in surfside hostel receptionist/management position right on the beach. Not only is it directly related to my schooling, but it is rent free, directly on the beach, involves working with and meeting people my own age, and it means not having to start looking for a place to live. Furthermore, it has perks like a provided cell phone, etc. I have a meeting with the hostel owner on Monday at 1pm at which time we`ll discuss the position further. My fingers are crossed, but then again--- it is still early---- this was the very first (and only) position I`ve applied to yet.

I cannot even begin to describe what it was like to see Bondi beach come into view from my location at the front of the bus. There, sprawled out before me, was this immense beach with such a ferocity--- men in wetsuits carrying their surfboards, made their way toward the waves. In the distance, you could make out the surfers catching the waves. I had never before seen any kind of surfing face to face, and it was so neat to stand back and watch it. It was such a "Blue Crush meets Malibu beach" atmosphere and I couldn`t help but think that Theresa is meant to have a spot in its sand somewhere.

My impression of Sydney on Day 2 (after spending a few hours browsing through the shops of its central core): "It`s like Tokyo meets Toronto"---- I have never seen so many Asians in a Western type environment. Every second shop was run by an Asian--- and there is an immense Asian presence.

January 4, 2008 "Little Girl Lost in the Big City"

Well, today I got my first look at the big city, Sydney, and am happy to report that it did not pick me up and devour me with its grotesqueness! Though I will definitely admit that from time to time I kept finding myself thinking "Holy- Little girl lost in the big city."
If ever you want to feel insignificant and minute, I would highly recommend a visit to the central downtown core of Sydney! I am well aware that Seoul is an immense city, but it is difficult to feel unsubstantial amongst a rush of a million black heads when your own is yellow.

This afternoon`s excursion, with Shaina as my trusted tour guide, was a chance for me to get my feet wet. Tomorrow, I`m jumping in feet first. It`s sink or swim and my fingers are crossed that I am able to at least float!

(I`m living in a city where I speak the local language, am able to read the street signs, and can identify with the currency---- it should be a piece of cake, right? (nervous pondering))

January 3, 2008 " I`ll Never make It Out of Here Alive!!!"

My first thoughts of Australia: "I`ll Never Make it out of here Alive!"

I have a few hours to spare at the Brisbane airport and so have had the chance to browse through some of the stores. I was near beside myself as I passed store after store of brands like Billabong, Rip Curl, Roxy. I can just imagine where my Australian earnings are going to go--- straight into the pockets of the before mentioned big name stores.

I was so overwhelmed by the shopping scene that my gut instinct was to get back on the plane I arrived on because I`ll never make it out of this country alive... I` m liable to take a heart attack when I see the kind of shopping there is in Sydney! Haha.

January 2, 2008 "Vanuatu on a Shoestring (or not!)"

Another week has passed me by. Sadly, another adventure in another country has come to an end...

New Year`s Eve 2007 was another interesting one for the books. In fact, it was so interesting, that I didn`t make it out of bed or eat anything for two entire days (as was the case for my Aussie & British friends who joined me on the bender). Though it was without a doubt one for the books, I probably wouldn`t go so far as to say that I outdid my prom adventure which placed me on the couch for a grand total of five days. Despite the fact that it led to some very sluggish travelers for a few days, it was a pretty quiet evening. We spent it drinking around the Nomads bar, and sitting around some tables quietly talking amongst ourselves while trying hard not to listen to the terrible music provided by a local singer (if you could call it that). At midnight, there were some fireworks over the bay, and then we continued to hang out in the quietness of the near abandoned restaurant. The important thing is that I actually saw in the New Year this year as opposed to last year in Thailand, in which case I retired to my bed by 11:30pm. Hooray for me!!!

Having spent some time in Vanuatu as a backpacker, I would conclude that it would not be an ideal destination for a backpacker on any kind of a budget. While the country is definitely tapping into the backpacker market by offering dormitory accommodations throughout the various islands, tours, food, clothing, and activities are incredibly expensive. What I found to be especially puzzling was the set up at my "flashpacker" hotel. Geared toward backpackers, the dinner menu listing did not offer a single item under the equivalent of $13 Canadian. The majority of the items were in the $20 range, with fries being the exception at a mere $3.50. This being said, it will come of no surprise that fries were usually the item of choice among the backpacking guests. All of this being said, Vanuatu is a fantastic country offering so much for the eye to see, but it will definitely do a number on your savings account (but then again- so will Mango Bay Resort with its gentle push toward the bar).

Tomorrow I shall find myself in yet another country: Australia & on the doorstep of my good friend`s (Shaina).

December 28, 2007- "Like a Mother misses her child"

I now understand what it must be like for a mother to leave behind her child for the very first time. Despite being robbed last night, I made the difficult decision to leave my laptop at the hotel I would be returning to in a few days. As much as I wanted to leave Port Vila in search of a more cultural experience, I knew that such a task would not be possible with all of my belongings. Though my laptop is safely locked in a wine cellar behind the front desk of Nomads, I have this tight feeling in my stomach when I think of the possibility that it might not be there when I get back in a few days. Though I am enjoying my time away from the pollution and hustle and bustle of Port Vila, I can`t help but think about my laptop and what losing it would mean...

December 28, 2007- "Today I Fell In Love With an Entire Village"

Nguna Island

I`m sitting here on the front porch of my beachfront bungalow. The birds are chirping, the children are splashing, and a ni- Van woman in a brightly colored Mother Hubbard dress just strolled by. The three young local girls who have been following me around for the past few hours have just left, and I am thankful that I finally have a quiet moment to myself to take in my surroundings. Jumping 14,000 feet from a moving plane was exciting, but living in a bungalow amidst a Vanuatu village is another experience like no other. So how did I get to where I am right now? A few days ago while staying in my Nomads dorm, a young German couple suggested that I might like to take a trip to Nguna Island just North of the main island of Efate. The idea of visiting a nearby island seemed more feasible than flying to an outer island of Vanuatu since it would be much cheaper and I would not have to worry about booking flights. An escape from Port Vila for a few nights was just what the doctor had ordered.

This afternoon, I made my way into town to the "Hua" Chinese store to seek out a means of transportation that would get me to Emua wharf where I would then take a boat over to Nguna Island. Within minutes, I was sitting in the back of someone`s truck with a dozen or so ni- Vans- about to embark on possibly the most painful ride of my life (very bumby road + plank of wood for a seat= Ouch!). The drive to Emua wharf from Port Vila is only intended to take about an hour or so, but in actuality, it took us about 3. Every few minutes, the truck would stop at a different store, and the ni -Vans would scurry toward a store. Minutes later, they would return with grocery bags, or boxes of groceries to fill the truck- and we`d be back on our way (at least until we had reached the next store).

Once we arrived at the wharf, it took a few minutes for the men to transport the groceries and shopping bags from the back of the truck into the small boat that would take us across the water to Nguna Island. Words can not even begin to describe the stretch of scenery that laid before me. Vanuatu is made up of hundreds of islands, and several of these islands, at varying distances, over the deep blue waters. Some seemed very bright and near while others were rather blurry from afar. After 20 minutes on the tiny boat, we reached the island. As our boat came ashore, the small children who were swimming came running toward the boat. Half naked and wild with excitement, the kids dangled from the sides of the boat.

Willie, the ni- Van man who told me he`d act as my guide, escorted me toward the Vat Vaka bungalows where the only people I found were three young ni- Van girls, Kathleen, Mathilda & Madeleine, who were sitting in plastic beach chairs in front of the bungalows. In their native Bislama language, the girls told Willie that the owner, Jo, was in the village. I decided that I would wait for him to get back and the girls pulled up another chair for me to join them.
A few minutes later. Jo arrived back from the village and showed me to my accommodations- a very basic bungalow which consisted of a twin bed with bug netting, a small bedside table with a kerosene lamp, and a porch on the front of the bungalow that overlooked the jungle atmosphere. The bungalow is very cute and cosy, but it is not equipped with electricity. The bathroom facilities were not anything that I was not already accustomed to. The toilet itself was a western style one with a bucket of water to be used for flushing. The shower consisted of a large bucket and a small coconut shell to be used to scoop up the water from the larger bucket for rinsing.

As I was organizing my few belongings on my bed (I left the bulk of my luggage back in Port Vila), I noticed that the girls had made their way onto my porch. I told them that I would like to explore the village and to my relief they agreed to give me a tour.

Walking through the village was like walking through a different period in time. Chickens crossed the dirt pathways, pigs munched on mangoes on the lawns, and women sat in the grass in front of buckets of water in which they washed their clothes. We passed numerous women who carried cardboard boxes and leaves on their heads. I found the village stores to be especially cute in that they consisted solely of a closet size room with an outside netting. There was a tiny peephole to view the merchandise, and if you wished to buy something, you rang the bell provided out front. The thing that struck me in a strange way was seeing three young girls sitting in the sand on the beach, plucking the feathers from a freshly slaughtered chicken.
The highlight of the tour for me was when three young children came running gleefully toward me with their greetings of hello. Kathleen, one of my young guides, told me that the young children love white people. She also said that they were her brother and sisters, but I got the hint that Kathleen was a little bit confused about the true definition of "brother" and "sister", since she called everyone in passing her "brother." Anyways, just watching these babies rolling around in their underwear while giggling with one another, absolutely melted my heart. I tried to take a video to capture just how cute the conversation that we had together was, but my camera battery started to die, and so I was only able to capture about 2 seconds of them. I find it so fascinating to observe the young ni- Van children because they are so different from children back home. Because their standard of living is so basic, they expect very little and are so good natured. Also, because their upbringing is so centered on the community as a whole, they are so sweet and kind.

Today, I fell in love with an entire village

December 27, 2007- "There`s nothing like having something stolen from you to put a damper in your travel spirit"

I just came to the realization that the $150 that I had in cash is missing. I had it tucked inside my money belt, and then inside my purse, which in turn was tucked in my backpack under clothes. It really does go to show that you can`t trust anyone. The past two nights, I`ve been rooming with a friendly, young German couple who`ve been camping throughout Vanuatu. They`ve been offering me lots of travel advice, and even offered to lend me their Lonely Planet guide for a few days. I`ve also had a young Japanese roomate who had been traveling for the past 3 weeks throughout the country. Like the German couple, he too was very nice, and we actually spent last night watching the sunset together. These, plus the three maids I walked in on today while cleaning my room, are the only people who`ve entered the room.

I`m kicking myself now because I`m wondering if it wasn`t someone who was watching me this morning as I announced that I was heading into town to run some errands. One was showering, and the other two were reading. I carefully divided my money. I took a small bit with me and then tucked the remaining bills ($150) into my money belt, which I then tucked in my backpack. I am really suspicious as to whether or not someone was closely watching my strategy.The money means nothing to me, but what does bother me is that I really trusted these people, and yet it had to have been someone among them.

It could have been a lot worse a scenario in that my passport or credit cards could have been stolen, too. Therefore, I am counting my lucky stars and vowing to never be so stupid again as to leave anything behind (no matter how well hidden I may think that it is.)

December 27, 2007 "A Visit to the Vila Markets"

I was quite excited to finally get a chance to pay a visit to the markets in Port Vila this morning. The past two days, being Christmas day and Family day, meant that there was very little of Port Vila to be seen. Luckily, the market activity in Port Vila was in full swing today and I was able to observe firsthand the locals gathered in a large building on the waterfront- there to sell their home grown produce and handmade items.

While standing over to the side carefully watching some locals chop away at some coconuts, a Vanuatu girl about my own age insisted that I sample the coconut water.... and it was delicious!

December 26, 2007 "A Visit to Hideaway Island Resort"

I met up with some of the British guys I met last night and they invited me to join them on a snorkeling trip to Hideaway Island, a resort island just a few minutes away known for its snorkeling. We took a cab to the beach and then caught a very short boat ride over to the island. After renting some snorkeling gear from the main reception desk, we set ourselves up at a picnic table in the shade.
The snorkeling in itself is possibly the best I have ever done. What was really neat was seeing in person the world`s only underwater post office where you can actually swim under water and post plastic postcards. Of course I didn`t bother with the postcards as I can just imagine how much they cost when considering entry onto the island alone cost $10.

After a few hours of snorkeling, we relaxed at our picnic table with some delicious pina coladas. We then made our way back across the water by boat only to discover that Vanuatu also runs on "island time" in that our taxi decided not to come back for us. Luckily, like most other islands, everyone is out to make a buck, and so it didn`t take us very long to find another means of transportation back to the hotel. On our drive back, we had the chance to pass through villages and get a real feel of the way of life of those living in Port Vila. Their living seemed very basic and I was amazed to see wild pigs roaming on their lawns as though they were domestic cats. I am excited to get another opportunity to see into the Vanuatu way of life again sometime in the near future.
Back at the hotel, I met up with the British group once again for some drinks and then we decided to take a stroll into town for a late dinner. We decided on a popular Steakhouse in Port Vila, and it was great fun. We talked, ate, and then eventually made our way back to the closed hotel bar and sat around in its quietness and chatted until late in the night.