Jade Down Under

Anyway, that's the week... not exciting, not dramatic, just a week.

Healthy eating began a week ago Friday and so far so good; I dropped 3.5lbs last week!  Being back in Canada has caused me to over indulge and caused a suspicious 10 lbs to creep onto my fairly small frame. Luckily I have a great group of friends who have also made healthy lifestyle choices (exercise and eating right) and together we are all becoming healthier individuals.  We've been going to the gym (5 days a week for me!) and I've been recording every morsol that enters my mouth, an exhausting process but a necessary one. I'm already starting to feel a bit healthier!



The past two months have been VERY busy, as you can tell from my lack of posts.  This summer I have a total of 4 weddings and I am a bridesmaid in one of those weddings.  I remember Christmas and NYE, but all of a sudden the end of January has snuck up on me and I am feeling very stressed that I have not even got my resume up to date!  I am officially out of work in two weeks and have yet to apply for anything else!  I’ve been searching job bank for teaching related jobs but there isn’t much out there unless I want to be a babysitter; nope. Hopefully in time I will find something within the field.  I'm going to be waiting for my teaching certificate until the end of time but will send my paperwork into the OCT within the next two weeks, I just need to come up with the $400 application fee; ridiculous.

I've organized myself (with the help of my father and his trusty drill) and this week I am more optimistic than the last.  I have a lot I want to accomplish and was feeling a little (who am I kidding?) a lot!, stressed about everything I still need to do!  I know I"m young and have plenty of time, blah, blah, blah, but that doesn't take away from my need to have a career and start saving some money!!  I'm tierd of being the broke student and look forward to having a savings account.


Hopefully next week I'll have optimism oozing out of me.
 
If you are unhappy with your life perhaps you need to change your perspective.
 
"I try to avoid looking forward or backward, and try to keep looking upward."
~Charlotte Bronte

I’m back working at Metro News while I await my school paperwork to cross borders; unfortunately it’s a lengthy process that will take a few months. JCU messed up, once again, and didn’t release my marks when they were supposed to as they thought they were missing paperwork, which they weren’t. This has extended the time it will take to get finalized to teach in Ontario. **shakes head**


Christmas is in a single week and I’m not prepared. I’ve bought everyone’s Christmas presents, expect Kris which I’m grabbing on the way home, but there’s a ton of wrapping to do…. Ugh. I tried to push Christmas to June or July but no one would have it. I’ve cancelled the turkey on Christmas Day, our family isn’t a huge fan, but pizza was banned, as was the Who tradition of roast beast. I think part of my Grinch attitude has to do with the temperature I left behind. One of my dear Aussie roommates sent me a Facebook message this week notifying me of the +43 he was having to deal with in Brissy, asking if I was freezing. My heart shrunk a whole three sizes that day.

I left Tokyo at 12pm on Friday, Nov., 13th for a 11 hour flight to Chicago.  Unfortunately being on Tokyo time (only an hour off of Townsville) I couldn't sleep during the flight.  I ended up watching Julie and Julia, G.I. Joe and Penlum 1, 2, 3.  Once in Chicago I was exhausted, but as the airport was so loud I couldn't sleep.  As soon as we got on the plane for Toronto (United) I was out.  I remember being pushed backwards as we took off but I was already pretty out of it; 45 minutes later we were preparing for landing.  Once again it was Friday the 13th; what a weird day to have twice.

So, I'm offically home.  I landed in Toronto at 1:15 yesterday.  It was a lot warmer outside than I was expecting and didn't bother using the jacket that I had convinced Jamie to bring.  He was so prepared he even brought me mittens.  It's been a constant battle since that time to figure out my body temperature.  It was a lot easier in Australia, you were hot.  I prefer that to the constant battle I'm currently in.

I slept for a couple hours yesterday afternoon, woke up, ate dinner and then went back to bed. I've now been up since 5am because I couldn't sleep anymore.  I'm going to be exhausted by later this afternoon - a good old nap should set me straight.  So far no plans for the day.  Jamie will be sleeping for a while yet (its only 8am right now) so we'll have to make plans later.  I'm thinking it will be a pretty laid back day.  I was hoping to go see Kimmy, and her wedding dress, but will have to wait to see if that pans out.  I don't think she'd appreciate a call at 8am on Saturday.

Tomorrow I'm going for brunch with the group which will be nice - I've missed those girls and look forward to the mass hugs I'm sure to get.

That's all I got for now.

xoxo

Landed in Tokyo at 5pm Tokyo time, 6pm Townsville time, 3am Toronto time.  Plane ride was uneventful which can be boring, especially for 9 1/2 hours, but I'm on land right now; although, my body is wobbling like I'm still on the plane.  I don't know why I get like this but its really annoying.  I've been dizzy all evening, perhaps its tiredness.  I'll get a good sleep tonight in time for Ms. Wobbly tomorrow.

I met an older English bloke on the plane, Michael, by met I mean sat beside and chatted with.  As he is headed to the UK we are both at Hotel Nikka Narita so we just came back from dinner.  Dinner was alright, me and foreign food = iffy.  The dinner cost me $21 US and it was a small salad and a tea, really shouldn't have cost more than $10 but what can I do.  Michael was good company.  He has kids my age, or perhaps slightly younger, so we kept up a good conversation which is nice during these long trips.

The hotel room is pretty awesome, small but awesome.  First off, double bed.  I knew the Japanese would not let me down.  Also I have a nice pj robe and slippers so I feel catered to.  My alarm clock works (it didn't in Brissy) and the toilet has more options than I care to try out; I could spend my night in the bathroom playing around with the toilet, if I wanted.  When you sit down the thing starts making these weird noises and the panel flashes 'preparing,' what the heck is it preparing for?  I'm scared to think about why the toilet needs to prepare itself.  Perhaps the Japanese are too high-tech.  What ever happened to a single button and no options?  A toilet should be the one place you don't need to think!

Tomorrow I fly out at 12pm so I have to leave the hotel at 9:30am, not too shabby.  I was up at 5am this morning no thanks to the hotel Marque staff.  My alarm clock was broken and they couldn't find me another one so they said they would call me in the morning to wake me up.  That didn't happen.  I woke up at 5 and realized (at 5:30) that the phone was also broken meaning they wouldn't be able to ring through.  When I said something to the front desk on my way out (good thing I didn't sleep in BUDDY) he said they should have banged on my door if they couldn't get through by phone; was he trying to prove my point at their incompetence?

Anyway, Hotel Nikka Narita, good one.  I'm looking forward to my double bed, very excited.

SOOoooo...

TTYL.

Next time I write I may be in Chicago, a mere 1 1/2 hours away from T.O.

In Brissy right now, exhausted and ready for bed.  I'm trying to stay awake as I figure 6pm is a little too early, even for me.  I got to the hotel around 12 and headed to the Queen St mall which is just around the corner - fantastic.  I found an Aldo which was just a tease (they only have 10 in all of Australia) but refrained; its easy when you have no money.  I'm getting closer to home each minute.

When I first got here my room wasn't ready so I after browsing (totally over rated) I came back to the hotel where I found out my room is two single beds.  ARE YOU KIDDING ME???  The hotel is booked solid and they could not change the room; I tried pushing the two beds together but there is a side table in between them that is BOLTED to the ground.  If I only had hulk powers I would rule the world.  So once again tonight I'll be cramming myself in a single bed.  Tokyo better have doubles!!!  I know Japanese people are small but I need some space!!!

After lugging my mass amounts of luggage to my two-single room I headed out to ANZAC Square which because of my awesome location is just down the road.  I took some pictures but unfortunately couldn't mount the large kangaroo statues because I had no one to take my picture, so I left head hung and headed to the Brisbane Museum.  Luckily that's free.  They had an exhibit (small one) on the development of fashion and then some photos, blah, blah... yeah, that's how it was.  McD's was my next stop, good old Mickey D's and that leads me up until this point, dopey-eyed in the hotel lobby.

I'm up at 5am again tomorrow (shoot me now) and will be picked up at 6am to head to the airport.  My flight to Tokyo leaves just before 9am.... 9 hours and 25 minutes is the time I will spend in the plane on the way to Tokyo... ugh.  Luckily I've already asked for a window seat.  I'm not sure if JAL covers my airport transfers... I hope so.  I'm trying to get rid of my Aussie money I don't need Yen.

OHHHHhhhh... thinking of airports, guess how much I had to pay to get my luggage to Brisbane?? 

Take a guess......

Higher.....

$210!!! That was after she discounted it.  I nearly suffocated right at the Virgin teller.  I swore if I saw an obese person on the plane I was going to make a stink.  Especially because I only paid $150 for my ticket and my luggage weighed less than me!!!!  Yeah, yeah... I know it doesn't work that way but when the pretty, perky, little.... princess... takes almost every penny in my wallet.... anger rises....  She apologized and I did the whole 'its not your fault' but really inside I was screaming profanity directed right at her.  Need hulk powers.  I should have asked her if I could buy a ticket for my luggage instead.

That's all folks.  Oh, yeah.  Facebook back up.  Yeah.......

: )

Exhausted.

Sleep Deprived.

Packed.

Better be sun in Brisbane.

xoxo

xoxoxoxo

I am officially done school out here in Townsville and although it feels good to be done I'm not looking forward to the coldness that awaits me.  Jamie emailed me saying it was such a beautiful day, +17..... ahhhh..... that's not beautiful to me anymore - that's a Townsville winter.

I'm playing on lazing around the pool tomorrow (last day in Townsville) before heading to Brisbane where I once again plan on sitting by the pool.  The hotel I booked has a nice roof top pool which should be nice.  Unfortunately I don't have much of a tan because its been too hot to sit outdoors, I'm going to make an effort over the next two days.  I refuse to come back to Canada the same colour as when I left.  I haven't picked up an accent but I will adopt some of that beautiful Aussie tan.

Anyway all, this might be my last post until I'm in Canada.


Til then'

xoxoxo

American Liz and I dived the Yongala last Wednesday the 4th but I've just received the photos from her.  Here you go, enjoy:

Mr. Green Turtle.  We actually saw a bunch of these guys but we didn't get the greatest photos so these have been stolen from the internet.  You get the idea.