Another "To do list"

Hmm.......Where to start????

As great as Sydney is I have a list as long as my arm of things to sort out so I can get a job out here....
I found a website for travellers with advice on getting a tax code, bank account, etc,etc...... Its stressing me out.....I just can't motivate myself (and I am nervous as hell about all this)

At the moment I am staying at my friends sister's flat overlooking Manley...The view over the bay is lovely and instead of job hunting today as I planned, I find myself catching up on home and away online and watching crappy Aussie morning TV and feeling depressed about the weather (rain).....Productive...NOT!

As I sit here I can see a big pile of books I need to read....Living and working in Australia, Sydney City Guide and East Coast Australia......the butterflies won't stop jumping in my stomach!....Or is this homesickness?

I figure I am a "To do list" girl, so here is my list:

• Sort out Working Holiday Visa.
• Organise taxfile number.
• Activate bank account.
• Get a travellers fixed mailing address.
• Need Aussie mobile phone.
• Go to the nursing agencies see if they can first track my application (If I want to nurse that is...)
• Sort out a job....any job....maybe do a training course for bar work etc.
• Find a job!
• Find a place to stay....
• HAVE SOME FUN!

My friend left me a note this morning when she left for Dubai, telling me I can "Do anything" maybe I should prove her right.....Better get started then hey....

Sydney......Did anyone know the Opera House is actually yellow??

So maybe I shouldn't still be up at 2am but I am......I just can't settle in Sydney yet (yes I have only been here 2 days) but it all seems so very normal now.....like I have come home but not.

When I arrived at the airport I found the nearby train station without any problem......when I queued for my ticket no one tried to push in front of me.....I spoke English (at a normal speed) to the lady in the ticket booth....and she understood me first time without the requirement for over dramatic hand signals and sightly louder (and possibly more arrogant) English.....

When I got on the train everyone ignored me.....I was just another backpacker......there was no one trying to sell me tourist crap whilst loudly declaring "I give you good price" and trying to drag me into their "shop".....When I got off the train no one tried to trample over me......and most of all now I am staying in a flat with:

A shower
A carpet......somewhat more important than I realised.
A telly
A toilet that is fixed to the ground.....has no buckets to act as the "flush" and I am now allowed to put used toilet paper down the toilet! Amazing! (and odd)

Admittedly suddenly I feel nervous and maybe for the first time homesick.....
I only know a hand full of people in Sydney......and I now need to get a job.....

Easy you would think......but I just keep avoiding it......Why can't I just get some confidence and ask the bar man/waitress/shop keeper if they need anyone?.......Is it because I actually miss Nursing and regret not registering in Aus???

Who knows.......Only time will tell........

Thai Cooking.....Would you trust me with a wok??

Well Asia was amazing! Even though we spent a lot less time there than I would of liked......by Asia I really mean Vietnam and Thailand. The people there are lovely....so polite to the point of unnecessarily backing out of the room you are in!

The food was amazing....So I planned to expand my culinary horizons and learn to cook something other than spag bol.....So while I was there my friend and I took a Thai cooking class. It so enjoyable and funny, the lady teaching the class was so likable.....giving us extra tips on Thai cooking while we made the most basic dishes on the menu....After about an hour she let us near the wok and all hell broke lose.....third degree burns, eye brows and eye lashes burnt off (yes I exaggerate) but it was almost true. hehe! As she spoke in Thai to her fellow chef to put different sauces on our chicken the smell floated around the room along with the ever increasing temperature and a seasoning of sweat from the tourists/students into our culinary creations.....

One day when I am a proper grown up I plan to have a dinner party where I will proudly serve my guests "Chicken with Cashew Nuts" (minus the sweat) while declaring "I learnt to cook this while in Asia" and then present everyone with chopsticks and be the only one who can actually use them.......but for now I'm still a knife and fork girl and I need a house with a kitchen first......But a girl can dream, even if they are only small one! hehe!

Sunset over Hanoi...

emma 600, originally uploaded by Noonie28.

Hanoi

emma 603, originally uploaded by Noonie28.

Taken from a floor top bar with my little camera.......

Koh Samui

So Rebecca and I have arrived in Koh Samui....an eventful trip considering we had to board the smallest plane in the world.....maybe it didn't help that I kept telling Rebecca we were "going to die" when she has a fear of flying! Oops....(It was funny)

We have arrived at our hostel...which has no other people staying and has to have a golf buggy take us to and from our room because its so far from reception... We think they may have actually filmed a slashed movie here...We are moving on very soon....

Yesterday we hit the beach.....Rebecca made a very sexy bikini entry into the water....Whereas I was hit by four freak waves, nearly drowning in the progess and exposing one breast to everyone on the beach.....Nice!
Last night we decided to go to a half moon party......We got a taxis there, paid our 100 Baht at the door and expected party central.....Wrong....The was no one else there....After shouting "ROCK ON" a bit to much.....we got a bucket of vodka and somehow everything seemed better....

Eventually people did arrive....and we watched in amazement as every ugly white guy in the place had a beautiful thai woman/man hanging off them on the dance floor....Interesting....

Bangkok....

So I have arrived in Bangkok, it all went surprisingly well considering I had three flights to catch just to get here from Cape Town.....All I can say is Hot, Hot, Hot.....

I have met up will my friend Rebecca and we are staying in a nice hostel with AIR CONDITIONING! We did make a pitiful attempt to visit the Grand Palace yesterday but instead ended up wandering around aimlessly, until we discovered there was a tube which took us to a SHOPPING CENTRE with AIR CONDITIONING!

Amusingly today we also tried to visit the Grand Palace but following the UK banks stopping every credit card we own we have been stuck my the phone all day ringing the UK to unblock them!

At least I got to watch a "Rebecca tantrum"......Yes people she threw her credit card across the room and then stamped on it......no wonder it doesn't work! ;-) Anyway, we now have tickets booked to Kosumi for tomorrow and hopefully we will be able to book tickets to Vietnam very soon......