When in Sydney...

...Actually, I don't know how I'd complete that phrase. When Kim and I first decided to go to Sydney, we had no idea it would be an adventure comparable to The Hangover. 

Thankfully, neither of us lost any teeth or fell victim to a drunken dead-end marriage, but it was pretty ridiculous! Even after the funny look our driver gave us after we told him we were staying in Kings Cross, we did not expect such...characters. And by characters, I mean the guy from O'Malley's (pictured below) who smacked a pint of Guinness into the female bartender's face because she refused to serve him anymore drinks; the Caucasian woman who cried in my ear about having been denied service because she's "a-colored"; the Ferris Wheel attendant who gave me incorrect change and proceeded to disrespect me (She later felt the wrath); the African man at the club who shared poems about the stars to profess his love for Kim and I; the the random guy who shouted "Negras" as we came out of the train station; the guy who asked if we ever rode the "coke train"; the visibly-high stripper who fell asleep on stage (lest we forget the other one who used fire in her set); and EVERY-SINGLE-PERSON who asked us if were from Africa despite a clear American disposition. I cannot make this up, I promise!

But on a more civilized note, Kim and I basked in the glory of Paddy's Markets and The Rocks. These are two of Sydney's most prized markets—the former is about the size of Madison Square Garden filled with stalls of competitively-priced clothes, shoes, jewelry, artwork, accessories, cosmetics, toys, and soaps whereas the latter was more a boutique selection with full-priced items. Can you guess where we had more fun? When we weren't shopping (or drinking), we ventured off by the triple decker train to walk Darling Harbour, stroll the Government House and the Royal Gardens, watch "Faustus" at the Sydney Opera House and stop by the Winter Carnival. Even after managing to do all of these activities and then-some, there was so much more that we could have seen. But above all else, I made sure Kim had a proper Ozzie experience with a meat pie.

[Pieface...]

[Kim pleased with Pieface =)]

Unlike most of my stays at hostels, I didn't have the opportunity to meet anyone new. The roommates that we did have left immediately because of the harsh conditions. It was ICE cold and all we had to sleep under was a skimpy blanket. I woke up sore from going numb in the night. Kim and I had a word with the owner the next day and were able to score a nice, fluffy blanket. I cannot help but wonder why this wasn't the blanket given upon arrival! If you see this name, beware!

[Don't say I didn't warn you.]

No less, it was something about Darling Harbour and the Opera House that made me fall in love with Sydney—and even considered a future in the city. I'll have to take this time to get over the characters I've encountered. In the meantime, enjoy these photos. Click to enlarge. 

xx

A Family Affair

Mum and I raised our chilled glasses of Sauvignon Blanc to Joi’s bottle of Coca-Cola. A toast, to pushing the limits. This was undoubtedly the mantra for our weekend getaway in Cairns. I haven’t quite figured out what is in the Ozzie air that forces visitors to live beyond their usual boundaries and fall in love with life all over again. But before I admit to my reoccurring addiction to adrenaline or share tales of Mum braving the ocean, let me begin with our travel nightmares.

Mum & Joi’s stay differed from the itinerary that I shared in The Countdown. Since my two favorite ladies were scheduled to fly into Sydney, we had planned to meet up in Cairns in what should have been two days later. I’ll get to that. Mum & Joi would then accompany me to the Gold Coast for two nights before returning to Sydney in time for their flight back to the States. It seemed all too simple; the airlines were destined to screw something up. Like Delta not allowing any standby passengers to board despite 51 available seats, delaying their arrival by one day and temporarily misplacing Mum’s bag; JetStar using international terminals for Domestic flights to Cairns, requiring a passport and rerouting all of my travel plans since I didn’t have mine on hand; and JetStar losing Mum’s bag, then taking an entire day to courier the bag.

I could imagine how your head is spinning from those trifling details, so I won’t keep you from the photos any longer. Images appear in order of our travels. You know the drill, click to enlarge. Enjoy!

[9,000 ft. Skydive, 1-minute that changed my life.]

Already searching for my next adrenaline rush!

[A stint at Cairns Central, a dash of poolside escapades]

and a stroll through the Esplanade Markets.

[Scenic drive up the coast to Port Douglas, conversing about]

ambition and life changes. Aren't we cute?

[Off to snorkel the Great Barrier Reef at the Quicksilver Marine Center,] 

90-minute boat ride to the middle of the Coral Sea. Stylin' in Lycra =).

*Mum, I'm so proud of you for snorkeling, that first peek was a doozy!

[No trip to Oz is complete without seeing Koalas and Roos,]

or precious time with the Adlers. One big, happy family!

[And here's the lovely Jadie, my Ozzie lil' sister, hugging 'Fluffy'.]

Mum bought her a Build-a-Bear, Joi kissed the heart before it was stuffed.

Cheers, let's drink.

Keep Calm & Thrift On

There aren't many things that can get me out of the bed at 7:30AM on a Sunday. Or any day for that matter. But having learned about The Village Markets (TVM) and the opportunity to support aspiring designers whilst thrifting, it was difficult to complain any further about the obnoxious hour.

TVM occurs the first Sunday of each month between 8am-1p at Burleigh Heads State School. Sneak previews and details on what shoppers may expect were shared via Facebook as well as their personal blog site. It was very clear that this was not an event to be overlooked. TVM hosted about 50 stalls ranging from established retailers and aspiring designers, to secondhand items and homemade crafts. My classmate and I must've circled the area thrice, making certain that we left no stone (or stall) unturned. Simply put...

[Check out TVM at http://thevillagemarketsgc.com.au/]

You wouldn't even have guessed that the main reason for our excursion was to collect images for our Sartorial assessment. But how many priorities would you have recalled after spotting the "$5 bin" overflowing with goodies? Today must've been my lucky day! I found a Bohemian patchwork gypsy skirt, a black crocheted monokini (just in time for my upcoming trip to Cairns), and a striped weekend dress. But my favorite thrift of all is undoubtedly this acoustic beaut!

[$30, Once used as a prop in a music video]

It was a lovely combination of designers, patterns, talents, and culture. I was in awe that something like this actually exists on the Gold Coast. I've been here about 9 months and was absolutely convinced that there was nary a fashion sense on the coast; No charm nor personality. Well, you know the saying. Never judge a book by its cover. And so I wandered throughout the venue, snapping moments of my first thrift experience. 

[TVM, we shall meet again next month!]

A 'Sweet As' Adventure

Let's just cut to the chase; I slept around a lot in New Zealand. I mean, it's not very hard to do when backpacking across both the North and South Island, visiting eight cities and sleeping in eight different hostels throughout 19-days. That is what you had in mind, right?

The adventures began in Auckland and, after six trips on the InterCity bus, one Islander ferry-ride across Cook Strait and approximately 10 hours in our rental car, ended in Christchurch. And in case you were wondering, no ride on public transportation is worthwhile if there isn't someone blaring music from their cell phone and singing along obnoxiously. And lest we forget the (un)pleasantly plump man whose elbow kept me safe from any sudden jerks the bus made during our 8-hours of travel. I digress. For every city we visited, we allotted one day for travel and another for an activity. After these two nights, we were off to our next destination. The South Island had a bit more to offer so we spent an extra night per destination. Our route looked a little something like this:

Each town was respectively charming. Anyone who cared to inquire about our travels figured that we were likely to party hard in Wellington, swim with dolphins in Kaikoura, and possibly get laid or bungy jump in Queenstown. Other times you don't get so lucky. Moving on. Even though Christchurch is still heavily impacted by the recent earthquakes and its entire City Centre has become restricted area, the community still welcomes visitors. I even visited a local market, where local residents sold hand-crafted pieces, second hand belongings and offered free meals. No matter the charm, there was an acknowledgement and respect for the Maori culture in a way that the Aboriginal culture isn't regarded in Australia. Today, the Maori people make up about 14% of the New Zealand population, while their language has been integrated into much of the New Zealand lifestyle. Oh, and here's a fun fact: Every word in the Maori language ends in a vowel. Maori men have also been known to participate in whats called Haka, a traditional war dance. I am unsure how widely practiced this aspect of their culture is practiced today, but one tourguide was more than happy to demonstrate the moves for us.

[Te Maata performs the Haka, traditional Maori war dance]

My senses were overwhelmed for just about every part of our journey. From the pungent smell of sulphur in Rotouroa, the sounds of the Pacific waves crashing in Kaikoura to daunting sirens all over the place. Imagine, you've just been lulled to sleep by the waves of the Pacific Ocean. Best sleep you have ever gotten, I mean better than the sleep NyQuil claims to induce! But all of a sudden, a siren sounds for about 15 minutes. Posters warned that sirens will sound to alert volunteers of an emergency and do not indicate a Tsunami, but I woke up frantically just the same. This happened in Kaikoura, Franz Josef and Christchurch; there has got to be a better way! I also felt about three earthquakes in Christchurch. The wind was a-howling and the building trembled right down to my bunk bed. I thought I was being dramatic until the owner remarked about the mini-earthquakes the next morning. Gotdamn fault line!

But now for my favorites of the five senses: taste and sight. You could imagine how delicious the seafood tasted there. I had to convince myself not to order mussels in every city, 'twas the most challenging thing I've done since that hike up Mt. Warning! The scenery, breathtaking and diverse. I even found a dolphin in the most bizarre of places, see for yourself! 

[Pot of mussels braised w. tomatoes, garlic & herbs w. garlic bread]

Invito, Auckland.

[Thai fish cakes with mango, cucumber, mung bean and carrot salad]

Mac's Brewbar, Wellington.

[Sweet Julie: Grilled chicken marinated in ginger soy sauce w. sweet chili,] 
lettuce, red onion & aioli. -- with a side of chips.

Fergburger, Queenstown.

[Where sensuality and imagination meet.]

Hostels, fate and activities, oh my! One of Mum's last words to me were not to talk to strangers. But you could image how challenging this would have been having to sleep in 4 to 6-female share accommodations. Most nights, my classmate and I got lucky and we had the entire room to ourselves. In the more popular cities like Wellington and Queenstown, it was a full house. And by full house, I mean having to deal with clumsy entries by roommates gone drunk, people talking in their sleep, frequent risers who slam the door behind them in the middle of the night, travelers throwing their belongings all across the room, and a sick person contaminating the room. In the more remote towns like Picton and Kaikoura, we booked twin-shares and regained an appreciation for personal space. Most hostels also urged guests to conserve water by taking short showers and turning off the faucet while brushing their pearly-whites, but this was seriously important in Christchurch. As serious as suggesting a port-a-potty. I think not!

Anyway, have you ever felt like you met the right person at the right time? More so, that you were meant to be in a given time and space just to meet a specific person. Not romantically, but to learn something new about yourself. Perhaps something you have been mulling over, consciously or otherwise. I had moments like this a couple of times during the trip. Conversations ranged from culture, relationships, self-acceptance, fate, spirituality and personal aspirations. I had scribbled my deepest thoughts and worldly questions in my journal only to have them later uncovered in random conversations with strangers. This is what it's about, discovering your truths amidst the natural ebb and flow of life. I have been great about keeping in contact with most of these travelers and hope that they walked away with as much insight and appreciation as I have.

Another truth that I discovered was that the needed to live within my means. I was unable to do all of the activities mentioned in the previous post, but there were still great activities worth highlighting. For one, the Sounds Connection Wine Tour. We visited 4 wineries and tasted about 23 wines from the Marlborough Region including Sauvigon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Gewurtztraminer and Late Harvest Reisling. The Gewurtztraminer and its hint of cinnamon was my absolute fave, as well as the fruity taste of the Late Harvest dessert wine. Give it a try the next time you dine out =).

The second highlight is thanks to Mum whom answered all of my "SOS" emails. With a quick deposit (or two), I had the opportunity to bungy jump! The AJ Hackett Bridge Jump sits 43m (143 ft.) above Kawarau River and was actually the first bungy jump site in the world! He asked how I was feeling, I replied "Foolish". The moment comes. 5-4-3-2-1 Bungy! "Wait, you're not going to push me?" A woman, who was kind enough to take photos of me, later asked what went through my mind before I jumped. An expletive, ha! But now that I am alive and well enough to share the story, I am ready to take the next step in this relationship I have with Adrenaline: Sky-dive. I'll keep you posted. Other activities included the Kelly Tarlton's Arctic Center, Hell's Gate Spa, Rotouroa and Te Papa Museums, Sounds Connection Wine Tour, Sightseeing Tour, and the Glacier Valley Walk.

Below is a just snapshot, all activities are not depicted. Click to enlarge. Enjoy!

[Until the next discovery.]