Well, there are worse places in Africa than Malongo. I have just discovered one of them. Where? An offshore 'Accomodation Barge' called Olympia. Why the fuck they called it Olympia I will never know. It should be called The Atlantic Asshole...or better yet just call it Shit. This place is worse than hell. And to think...I am here VOLUNTARILY to learn extra services. Who has rocks in their head? Thas right Julie does. I am skipping a bbq in Malongo as well...I am hoping karma points kick in and their food tastes like turd sandwiches for cooking it without me. Bite me. When I boarded the 'Smelly-Copter' this afternoon and was hit on by the Angolan pilot, I knew this would be an interesting trip. Aren't you glad you have a person like me in your life? To go through all these random mucked up experiences so that you can enjoy the stories that come from it? You should be, or you are an asshole.
As Lyndsay so kindly helped me remember...I am adding two more to the list of phrases to 'bring back' into everyone's vocab....
1. Ninja Drunk...like it, love it..definately need to get that way more often. Lyndsay and I have a 'Ninja Drunk' playdate for our 'alter egos' during the holiday season. Look out world, you are in for a fucking disaster.
2. One Hot Mess...or just Hot Mess for short. I was using this quite a bit to describe myself this summer. Example: I got Ninja Drunk one night whilst on vacation and then was a hot mess for the rest of the weekend. Said Hot mess included me sleeping ON THE FLOOR of a ferry...no further details will be revealed to protect the lives of the innocent.
Thank you pretty lady for reminding me of those 'terms' and helping me to re-instate them in my life and the lives of those around me.
I am going to go and fully enjoy my experience out here on Shit. Til When?
Besos,
Julz
November 16, 2009
November 13, 2009
Gonads and Strife
Hello My Neglected Blog Followers!! Eric I miss you!!!
I have definately been a flake lately...not just here but in other aspects of my life also :( I miss posting about random things and that is what I am about to do today!
First of all, there are three words that I believe should be used a little more in everyday life. I am making a point to use more of said words and 'bring them back' if you will.
1. Bitchin'...this is a great word that was used excessively in the early 90's and I believe should never have disappeared. It can be used to describe so many things. For example: 'I have a bitchin headache.' 'That concert was bitchin.' 'You look Bitchin in that outfit.' etc. etc.
2. Gonads...or nads for short. This word will bring a smile to almost any person's face and can be used in random fashion or to describe something you don't like. Example: When someone tells you that you have to do something shitty (at work or otherwise) you can say 'Gonads! I don't want to do that!' Gonads can also be used to describe a group of people you don't like 'they are a bunch of Gonads.' And finally it can be used as a reference to parts of the male genetalia 'kicked in the nads.'
3. Beans...I know this sounds really random but it is also a word with many applications. Can be used in many ways...'that person is "cool beans"'...when you enjoy something...'magic beans!' or you can just shout out 'Beans!' for no reason and you are bound to get a reaction from someone.
Lets make a point of using these words more often ok? Deal.
Beans!
Sorry couldn't resist. Anyways I haven't posted in here since July and since then I have learned many life lessons and had a great time doing it! Since my last post, I recovered from the "swine flu" (just in case you were worried about my health from my reference to it in the last post.
Moving forward...
I came back to work in July and believe it or not it was pretty uneventful. I got stung by an Angolan bee, didn't die and that is really all that happened with that. Was home for three weeks-ish in August and worked with Lor on our dance for the bellydance gala. I am surprised how much time we can spend together and still be friends, I am pretty sure we could even be married (and its legal in canada so you just never know...) Lorelei makes a great wife, not so sure on the lesbian part of it though. I also learned that hand sewing sequins sucks..GONADS!! I went to Fort Worth for a software course and learned some naughty portuguese swear words from the Brazilians in the class. These have come in very useful here at work :) Came home for Labour Day and video taped the dance gala audition in sub-zero evening temperatures...apparently I will do just about anything to bellydance. That was fucking cold, even with the hand flames!
Here is where things get interesting....
Just kidding. But I thought you might need some motivation to read further so I had to tell vicious lies. I came back to work at the beginning of September for what I will now refer to as 'the hitch from hell'. I went offshore for a CH job (nothing crazy just your average job) and I had a few minor problems which were blown way out of proportion by my two bosses on the 'B' management team. I learned a lot about myself and the work culture here in Angola. I learned just how badly someone can be demoralized without actually getting into trouble face to face. I also learned that in order to make yourself look good and appealing to management you have to talk shit about other people and fuck over your peers......something I am definately not interested in doing. All of this made me question my career and exactly what the fuck I am doing here. Did I find the answer? Hell no, but i needed a pay cheque so here I am. It definately made me change my attitude and helped me to understand some things about myself and others. I learned who will help me pull the knife out of my back and who will push it in deeper. I am quite naieve when it comes to that sort of thing as I try to see the good in everyone...not necessarily the best quality to have in a cuthroat industry.
Anyways, I survived 'hell hitch' and made it home in one piece...surprising since I got so fucking drunk on the plane i didn't know what to do with myself. I was freaking out that I was going to get in trouble when the plane landed in London...not exactly shure what I thought they could or would do to me but I was drunk and paranoid and it sucked. I was afraid to go pee because I thought I would fall on my face on the way to the lou. Eventually my bladder won that battle and all was well. Gin and Lemonade = the devil in a plastic airplane glass. Lessons learned: You can pass out and wake up with a hangover on the same flight...not pretty. I spent the month of October in its entirety working with Lorelei on our dance, putting the finishing touches on it and fine tuning my pyromania skills. The Gala was AWESOME and all the hard work paid off!
After the gala I drove to Calgary to stay with Megalicious because I am crazy like that. I had to be on a flight to Houston at 7 am and figured if I stayed in Red Deer and partied with the bellydance girls there was little to no chance I would make my flight. Houston sucked balls and was a complete waste of my time. The stupid GONADS who booked me in there should be punched in the face and given a rotten ham sandwich. I got some good shopping in and learned how to play a computer game called bejeweled. Really great way to spend days off i must say. I came back just in time for Halloween! Yay! I love Halloween!! What was I? RAINBOW BRITE. Yup rainbow fucking brite. I felt kind of old at Bo's when people were asking me what my costume was all about and then when I told them they would stare at me with a blank face. Everyone from the 80's knows rainbow brite unless they are retarded or homeless other than that no excuses.
Rainbow Brite (Pre drinking...it was more like Courtney Love/Rainbow Brite after the bar!!) With my faveorite cartoon character of all time...NINJA TURTLES!!
I got on the sauce a little heavy Halloween night and had a blast...however it sucked really really bad the next day as I had to fly back to work :( I don't think I will EVER do that again. Flying across the world is no fun, no fun at all. So here I am back in the deeper hotter quadrant of hell known as Malongo. I went offshore for a few days and excaped the madness...
The fate of my return to Canada lies with the Angolan immigration department which I am pretty sure is run by dancing monkeys who may or may not wear pants and drive cars. I am tyring not to let it get to me (by that I mean I am crying solid salt tears every night while I wait in agony for my beloved Canadian travel document)...and that brings us to now. I am sitting at my desk basking in the glory of someone elses farts...they are russian farts to be exact and I think maybe there were beans involved. I am sure you are tired of reading about my life..I know I am tired of writing about it. So that is all you get.
Bisou Bisou,
xxx
Yulia
I have definately been a flake lately...not just here but in other aspects of my life also :( I miss posting about random things and that is what I am about to do today!
First of all, there are three words that I believe should be used a little more in everyday life. I am making a point to use more of said words and 'bring them back' if you will.
1. Bitchin'...this is a great word that was used excessively in the early 90's and I believe should never have disappeared. It can be used to describe so many things. For example: 'I have a bitchin headache.' 'That concert was bitchin.' 'You look Bitchin in that outfit.' etc. etc.
2. Gonads...or nads for short. This word will bring a smile to almost any person's face and can be used in random fashion or to describe something you don't like. Example: When someone tells you that you have to do something shitty (at work or otherwise) you can say 'Gonads! I don't want to do that!' Gonads can also be used to describe a group of people you don't like 'they are a bunch of Gonads.' And finally it can be used as a reference to parts of the male genetalia 'kicked in the nads.'
3. Beans...I know this sounds really random but it is also a word with many applications. Can be used in many ways...'that person is "cool beans"'...when you enjoy something...'magic beans!' or you can just shout out 'Beans!' for no reason and you are bound to get a reaction from someone.
Lets make a point of using these words more often ok? Deal.
Beans!
Sorry couldn't resist. Anyways I haven't posted in here since July and since then I have learned many life lessons and had a great time doing it! Since my last post, I recovered from the "swine flu" (just in case you were worried about my health from my reference to it in the last post.
Moving forward...
I came back to work in July and believe it or not it was pretty uneventful. I got stung by an Angolan bee, didn't die and that is really all that happened with that. Was home for three weeks-ish in August and worked with Lor on our dance for the bellydance gala. I am surprised how much time we can spend together and still be friends, I am pretty sure we could even be married (and its legal in canada so you just never know...) Lorelei makes a great wife, not so sure on the lesbian part of it though. I also learned that hand sewing sequins sucks..GONADS!! I went to Fort Worth for a software course and learned some naughty portuguese swear words from the Brazilians in the class. These have come in very useful here at work :) Came home for Labour Day and video taped the dance gala audition in sub-zero evening temperatures...apparently I will do just about anything to bellydance. That was fucking cold, even with the hand flames!
Here is where things get interesting....
Just kidding. But I thought you might need some motivation to read further so I had to tell vicious lies. I came back to work at the beginning of September for what I will now refer to as 'the hitch from hell'. I went offshore for a CH job (nothing crazy just your average job) and I had a few minor problems which were blown way out of proportion by my two bosses on the 'B' management team. I learned a lot about myself and the work culture here in Angola. I learned just how badly someone can be demoralized without actually getting into trouble face to face. I also learned that in order to make yourself look good and appealing to management you have to talk shit about other people and fuck over your peers......something I am definately not interested in doing. All of this made me question my career and exactly what the fuck I am doing here. Did I find the answer? Hell no, but i needed a pay cheque so here I am. It definately made me change my attitude and helped me to understand some things about myself and others. I learned who will help me pull the knife out of my back and who will push it in deeper. I am quite naieve when it comes to that sort of thing as I try to see the good in everyone...not necessarily the best quality to have in a cuthroat industry.
Anyways, I survived 'hell hitch' and made it home in one piece...surprising since I got so fucking drunk on the plane i didn't know what to do with myself. I was freaking out that I was going to get in trouble when the plane landed in London...not exactly shure what I thought they could or would do to me but I was drunk and paranoid and it sucked. I was afraid to go pee because I thought I would fall on my face on the way to the lou. Eventually my bladder won that battle and all was well. Gin and Lemonade = the devil in a plastic airplane glass. Lessons learned: You can pass out and wake up with a hangover on the same flight...not pretty. I spent the month of October in its entirety working with Lorelei on our dance, putting the finishing touches on it and fine tuning my pyromania skills. The Gala was AWESOME and all the hard work paid off!
After the gala I drove to Calgary to stay with Megalicious because I am crazy like that. I had to be on a flight to Houston at 7 am and figured if I stayed in Red Deer and partied with the bellydance girls there was little to no chance I would make my flight. Houston sucked balls and was a complete waste of my time. The stupid GONADS who booked me in there should be punched in the face and given a rotten ham sandwich. I got some good shopping in and learned how to play a computer game called bejeweled. Really great way to spend days off i must say. I came back just in time for Halloween! Yay! I love Halloween!! What was I? RAINBOW BRITE. Yup rainbow fucking brite. I felt kind of old at Bo's when people were asking me what my costume was all about and then when I told them they would stare at me with a blank face. Everyone from the 80's knows rainbow brite unless they are retarded or homeless other than that no excuses.
Rainbow Brite (Pre drinking...it was more like Courtney Love/Rainbow Brite after the bar!!) With my faveorite cartoon character of all time...NINJA TURTLES!!
I got on the sauce a little heavy Halloween night and had a blast...however it sucked really really bad the next day as I had to fly back to work :( I don't think I will EVER do that again. Flying across the world is no fun, no fun at all. So here I am back in the deeper hotter quadrant of hell known as Malongo. I went offshore for a few days and excaped the madness...
The fate of my return to Canada lies with the Angolan immigration department which I am pretty sure is run by dancing monkeys who may or may not wear pants and drive cars. I am tyring not to let it get to me (by that I mean I am crying solid salt tears every night while I wait in agony for my beloved Canadian travel document)...and that brings us to now. I am sitting at my desk basking in the glory of someone elses farts...they are russian farts to be exact and I think maybe there were beans involved. I am sure you are tired of reading about my life..I know I am tired of writing about it. So that is all you get.
Bisou Bisou,
xxx
Yulia
July 4, 2009
Oh, Canada....
In light of the recent Canada Day Holiday I thought I would share a few articles I found rather interesting about why its so 'friggin awesome' to be Canadian. I realize that this post is about 4 days late but I was down with what i am convinced was the swine flu and could not post on Wednesday.
I will start with the Canada day article I found on msn...Top 10 reasons to Love Canada:
10. Tim Hortons (Seriously, how an entire nation is united over the love of shitty coffee and day old doughnuts is beyond me...but even I will jones for a T-hos when I return from abroad)
9. The Canadian Rockies (most definately agreed)
8. Fresh Water. They meant everything from lakes and rivers to our drinking water quality. I think they should have included Hot water and baths in this one. I have recently travelled to a few countries where a cool shower is often the only option. Cool showers are fine but it sure made me appreciate my 2 hour sudsy! Don't get me wrong, I agree with water and energy conservation and all that jazz but I do enjoy my extra long hot soak every once in a while. Life without the bathing option is definately not a life for me!!
7. Hockey. Included in "Our Game" are CBC's Hockey Night in Canada -- both the show and its former theme song -- as well as national teams: The Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, and Montreal Canadiens. We may not have many teams, but the ones we have are well supported!
6. Free Health Care (nuff said)
5. Freedom (I think we should more appropriately call this 'civilized freedom')
4. Our Changing Seasons. I might joke from time to time and say that our four seasons are Almost Winter, Winter, Still Winter and Road Construction, but I do appreciate the diversity. There are places out there that have never actually seen snow, or watched the leaves change colour...
3. The Canadian character (Canadians have been described globally as friendly, polite, generous, warm, open-minded, forgiving, humble, welcoming, caring, curious and honest. I must say this is more than reason enough to sew the maple leaf on my back pack!)
2. The Landscape. From sea to shining sea we have some truely amazing sites. Our home and native land is an asthetically pleasing one!
1. Multiculturalism. I can remember learning this way back in grade school. The USA is a Melting Pot and Canada is a Multiculturalist nation. Canada is one big patchwork quilt...sounds good to me.
Some more interesting facts I found printed in the Calgary sun.
- Toronto is the largest city of Canada. It's home to more than 4 million people and its dwellers are known to hold more university educations than any country in the world.
- The Canadian motto, A Mari Usque ad Mare, means "From sea to sea"
- Canada has the longest coastline of any country in the world at 243,042 km
- Population 33,592,686
- The sun shines almost non-stop for three months during the summer in part of the Yukon and Nunavut Territories
- The island of Newfoundland has no snakes, skunks or poison ivy
- Canada has the largest French population that never surrendered to Germany
- We have the largest English population that never ever surrendered or withdrew during any war to anyone, anywhere
- The tuck-away handles on our sacred two-four beer cases where the brainstorm of Canadian Steve Pasjack in 1957
- The Blackberry was invented in Canada
- The Montreal Canadiens have won more Stanley Cups than any other team in the history of hockey
- Poutine originated in rural Quebec in the late 1950s. This fattening dish contains french fries topped with fresh cheese curds, covered with brown gravy
- Smarties, Crispy Crunch and Coffee Crisp are products from Canada (Canadian smarties are better than American ones -- ours are made with chocolate)
- We have Canadian Tire money -- and a chain of 457 Canadian tire stores to spend it in
- The Moosehead Brewery in Saint John, New Brunswick, can churn out 1,642 bottles of beer per minute
- Hockey, lacrosse, baseball and basketball are all Canadian invented games
There you have it folks. If that doesn't make you proud to sport the Maple leaf, I don't know what will. I have learned a lot during my travel abroad and one thing is for sure, there is no place like home period.
Bisous,
Jules
I will start with the Canada day article I found on msn...Top 10 reasons to Love Canada:
10. Tim Hortons (Seriously, how an entire nation is united over the love of shitty coffee and day old doughnuts is beyond me...but even I will jones for a T-hos when I return from abroad)
9. The Canadian Rockies (most definately agreed)
8. Fresh Water. They meant everything from lakes and rivers to our drinking water quality. I think they should have included Hot water and baths in this one. I have recently travelled to a few countries where a cool shower is often the only option. Cool showers are fine but it sure made me appreciate my 2 hour sudsy! Don't get me wrong, I agree with water and energy conservation and all that jazz but I do enjoy my extra long hot soak every once in a while. Life without the bathing option is definately not a life for me!!
7. Hockey. Included in "Our Game" are CBC's Hockey Night in Canada -- both the show and its former theme song -- as well as national teams: The Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, and Montreal Canadiens. We may not have many teams, but the ones we have are well supported!
6. Free Health Care (nuff said)
5. Freedom (I think we should more appropriately call this 'civilized freedom')
4. Our Changing Seasons. I might joke from time to time and say that our four seasons are Almost Winter, Winter, Still Winter and Road Construction, but I do appreciate the diversity. There are places out there that have never actually seen snow, or watched the leaves change colour...
3. The Canadian character (Canadians have been described globally as friendly, polite, generous, warm, open-minded, forgiving, humble, welcoming, caring, curious and honest. I must say this is more than reason enough to sew the maple leaf on my back pack!)
2. The Landscape. From sea to shining sea we have some truely amazing sites. Our home and native land is an asthetically pleasing one!
1. Multiculturalism. I can remember learning this way back in grade school. The USA is a Melting Pot and Canada is a Multiculturalist nation. Canada is one big patchwork quilt...sounds good to me.
Some more interesting facts I found printed in the Calgary sun.
- Toronto is the largest city of Canada. It's home to more than 4 million people and its dwellers are known to hold more university educations than any country in the world.
- The Canadian motto, A Mari Usque ad Mare, means "From sea to sea"
- Canada has the longest coastline of any country in the world at 243,042 km
- Population 33,592,686
- The sun shines almost non-stop for three months during the summer in part of the Yukon and Nunavut Territories
- The island of Newfoundland has no snakes, skunks or poison ivy
- Canada has the largest French population that never surrendered to Germany
- We have the largest English population that never ever surrendered or withdrew during any war to anyone, anywhere
- The tuck-away handles on our sacred two-four beer cases where the brainstorm of Canadian Steve Pasjack in 1957
- The Blackberry was invented in Canada
- The Montreal Canadiens have won more Stanley Cups than any other team in the history of hockey
- Poutine originated in rural Quebec in the late 1950s. This fattening dish contains french fries topped with fresh cheese curds, covered with brown gravy
- Smarties, Crispy Crunch and Coffee Crisp are products from Canada (Canadian smarties are better than American ones -- ours are made with chocolate)
- We have Canadian Tire money -- and a chain of 457 Canadian tire stores to spend it in
- The Moosehead Brewery in Saint John, New Brunswick, can churn out 1,642 bottles of beer per minute
- Hockey, lacrosse, baseball and basketball are all Canadian invented games
There you have it folks. If that doesn't make you proud to sport the Maple leaf, I don't know what will. I have learned a lot during my travel abroad and one thing is for sure, there is no place like home period.
Bisous,
Jules
June 22, 2009
The Bucket List
Ladies and Gentlemen, Madamme, Monsieur....
I am enjoying a nice luke-warm cup of coffee...most likely brewed sometime this morning (it is now after 9 pm) and eating wine gums whilst waiting for a connecting flight at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport here in Houston TX...what a life. There is a 'code orange' security alert...apparently there are terrorists all year round in these parts as it was the same when I visited this airport in January. Nothing like a little mass hysteria to add a little spice to the journey. A little cynical today? Possibly...but isn't that why you read this?
For whatever reason, I always stray far away from the point of my posts on here...ADD maybe? My reason for blessing you with my heart felt words was to share my newly revised bucket list. I had so much fun with 'the 25' I decided to share my "things-to-do-before-i-croak" list coined "the bucket list" by Jack Nicholson in a box office hit. As if you didn't already know that. But, I had to clarify just in case some of my readers live or have recently lived under a rock...a rock with wifi but no tv...you really never know. On with it...
The Bucket List (Revised 06-2009) In No Particular Order....
1. Visit The Great Rift Valley
2. Dive The Great Barrier Reef (adding Palau Island onto this one too...apparently it is the best dive site in the world)
3. Snow Kite at one of the many ski-hills here in Canada (and gloat when going past the people waiting for the chair lift)
4. Climb Mt. Kilimanjaro (or at least part of it)
5. Learn to walk properly in high heels and wear them for an entire day without dying or taking them off and going barefoot like usual
6. Visit Tanzania (Sarengeti and Zanzibar)
7. Visit the Inca Ruins in Peru
8. Drive a race car (bonus points for not freaking out whilst doing so)
9. Make my own wine (Including stamping the grapes barefoot..I want the whole experience not just the wine kit stuff)
10. Visit the Maldives, Mauritius and Seychelles...hopefully in more than one trip
11. Bungee Jump the famous Bloukrans bridge in South Africa
12. Snowboard in Argentina
13. Visit China
14. Drink Molson Canadian out of the Stanley Cup (I realize that this dream might be totally unattainable since the Stanley Cup is more valuable than God in Canada...but its on the list anyways)
15. Learn to speak another language (Top 3: Canadienne French, Spanish and Portuguese)
16. Surfing (not the internet, the real deal)
17. Write a memoir about my experiences in the oilfield (and life in general) one that people will actually read...
18. Watch every episode of Seinfeld (preferrably in order)
19. Learn how to make my own pie crust and successfully carry out my lessons turning them into a lemon merangue masterpiece
20. See The Cure Live
21. With regards to the former, convince Peter to like The Cure
22. Successfully kiteboard....jumps included
23. Learn the caramilk secret (ok that one was a goal of mine when i was a teenager...thought i would include it to prolong my life)
24. Watch a live wrestling match (Yes WWE...preferrably Wrestlemania and preferrably when Batista is fighting)
25. Complete a full 42K Marathon (26 miles for you yankee folk)
26. Beat Jeff at Xbox Karaoke (this one is from Sylvan Lake...still standing)
27. Travel the entire country of Canada...Coast to Coast on the Trans-Canada Highway
28. Go ice skating at Rockefeller Center during the Christmas season
29. Learn to sew
30. Make a difference in the world (this one can be interpreted in a number of ways...i guess i will know when i have completed it as i will have some profound vision or feeling..well something crazy like that)
Voila the revised 'Bucket List'. That was fun, wasn't it? I had to revise it as I have completed some of the things on the list and have added different ones as a result of my recent travels. It's a big list, I had better not die anytime soon!
Completely un-related...I am very much in love with the new Spinnerette CD i recieved in the mail yesterday. Who the hell is Spinnerette Julie? It is Brode Dalle (former front lady of The Distillers and my secret celebrity lady crush)'s new music venture. The album has the same unique Distilleresque sound as her previous albums but a little less punk rock angst and a little more mature woman sound. Motherhood has done good things for Brody's music. Although nothing will be able to replace Coral Fang on my list of 20 albums to heal you, her new songs are a refreshing follow up to her 'angry-at-tim-armstrong' divorce anthems. I highly recommend the new album, Spinnerette is in this summer! (All Babes are Wolves is a wicked track!).
Time to board my plane for the dark side...Julie has left the internet.
Bisous xxx
I am enjoying a nice luke-warm cup of coffee...most likely brewed sometime this morning (it is now after 9 pm) and eating wine gums whilst waiting for a connecting flight at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport here in Houston TX...what a life. There is a 'code orange' security alert...apparently there are terrorists all year round in these parts as it was the same when I visited this airport in January. Nothing like a little mass hysteria to add a little spice to the journey. A little cynical today? Possibly...but isn't that why you read this?
For whatever reason, I always stray far away from the point of my posts on here...ADD maybe? My reason for blessing you with my heart felt words was to share my newly revised bucket list. I had so much fun with 'the 25' I decided to share my "things-to-do-before-i-croak" list coined "the bucket list" by Jack Nicholson in a box office hit. As if you didn't already know that. But, I had to clarify just in case some of my readers live or have recently lived under a rock...a rock with wifi but no tv...you really never know. On with it...
The Bucket List (Revised 06-2009) In No Particular Order....
1. Visit The Great Rift Valley
2. Dive The Great Barrier Reef (adding Palau Island onto this one too...apparently it is the best dive site in the world)
3. Snow Kite at one of the many ski-hills here in Canada (and gloat when going past the people waiting for the chair lift)
4. Climb Mt. Kilimanjaro (or at least part of it)
5. Learn to walk properly in high heels and wear them for an entire day without dying or taking them off and going barefoot like usual
6. Visit Tanzania (Sarengeti and Zanzibar)
7. Visit the Inca Ruins in Peru
8. Drive a race car (bonus points for not freaking out whilst doing so)
9. Make my own wine (Including stamping the grapes barefoot..I want the whole experience not just the wine kit stuff)
10. Visit the Maldives, Mauritius and Seychelles...hopefully in more than one trip
11. Bungee Jump the famous Bloukrans bridge in South Africa
12. Snowboard in Argentina
13. Visit China
14. Drink Molson Canadian out of the Stanley Cup (I realize that this dream might be totally unattainable since the Stanley Cup is more valuable than God in Canada...but its on the list anyways)
15. Learn to speak another language (Top 3: Canadienne French, Spanish and Portuguese)
16. Surfing (not the internet, the real deal)
17. Write a memoir about my experiences in the oilfield (and life in general) one that people will actually read...
18. Watch every episode of Seinfeld (preferrably in order)
19. Learn how to make my own pie crust and successfully carry out my lessons turning them into a lemon merangue masterpiece
20. See The Cure Live
21. With regards to the former, convince Peter to like The Cure
22. Successfully kiteboard....jumps included
23. Learn the caramilk secret (ok that one was a goal of mine when i was a teenager...thought i would include it to prolong my life)
24. Watch a live wrestling match (Yes WWE...preferrably Wrestlemania and preferrably when Batista is fighting)
25. Complete a full 42K Marathon (26 miles for you yankee folk)
26. Beat Jeff at Xbox Karaoke (this one is from Sylvan Lake...still standing)
27. Travel the entire country of Canada...Coast to Coast on the Trans-Canada Highway
28. Go ice skating at Rockefeller Center during the Christmas season
29. Learn to sew
30. Make a difference in the world (this one can be interpreted in a number of ways...i guess i will know when i have completed it as i will have some profound vision or feeling..well something crazy like that)
Voila the revised 'Bucket List'. That was fun, wasn't it? I had to revise it as I have completed some of the things on the list and have added different ones as a result of my recent travels. It's a big list, I had better not die anytime soon!
Completely un-related...I am very much in love with the new Spinnerette CD i recieved in the mail yesterday. Who the hell is Spinnerette Julie? It is Brode Dalle (former front lady of The Distillers and my secret celebrity lady crush)'s new music venture. The album has the same unique Distilleresque sound as her previous albums but a little less punk rock angst and a little more mature woman sound. Motherhood has done good things for Brody's music. Although nothing will be able to replace Coral Fang on my list of 20 albums to heal you, her new songs are a refreshing follow up to her 'angry-at-tim-armstrong' divorce anthems. I highly recommend the new album, Spinnerette is in this summer! (All Babes are Wolves is a wicked track!).
Time to board my plane for the dark side...Julie has left the internet.
Bisous xxx
June 8, 2009
'The 25'....
Boa Noite!
So...around 5 months ago I got a rather amusing email from a very good friend of mine. Apparently after I boycotted the social networking monopoly of Facebook in November I missed some interesting social networking type events...and 'the 25' was one of them. What is 'the 25'? Well I am to type 25 very random facts about myself (most likely for your amusement), then you read them, and then you know 25 very random things about me. Its just that simple. Before I get any further with my hitch here in Malongo, I think it is vitally important that I deliver 'the 25'. Here we go......
1. Most of you already know this...but I am afraid of nearly everything. Bugs, Flying, Driving, Germs, Disease,...I freak out (sometimes in my head but mostly out loud) when involved in or exposed to any of the above activities/items. Talk about being a freak!
2. I am VERY competetive. As a child I was always competing against my brother (sorry Jeff)...anything he could do by god I could (and would try) to do it too. I am pretty sure that this had something to do with my tomboyishness and my career choice later in life
3. I LOVE music. I enjoy listening to all types of music as well as playing a few instruments on my own. I am pretty sure this flows in my blood since my father was a music teacher for more than 40 years and my cousin David (now Dr. Dick btw) has a PHD in performance music....pretty sure it was a given when the talent cards were handed out in 1982.
4. With relation to the above item, I have also won about 100 grammy awards in the shower during my lifetime.
5. I have a very difficult time letting people 'all the way in'. I hide behind a happy face and only let certain people past my guard. I am working on this but its not easy.
6. I am a full blown caffine addict. I function at less than 50% efficiency in the morning sans caffine.
7. I am also addicted to sugar. I can not enter a candy store without buying something. Also, I can not be within 10 feet of dark chocolate witout eating it. It is possible that I might actually kill for dark chocolate, please don't test me.
8. I have really bad luck. Really random things often happen to me with no explanation. At work, at play, it really doesn't matter..I have been labelled Hurricane Yulia as a result.
9. When I was a child, I wanted to be a fire-fighter...not because they are heroes or because they fight fires...I just wanted to have acess to the giant water hose. This dream died shortly after the super-soaker was invented.
10. I hate dirty things....(especially when related to hygene!!)
11. With regards to the above, when I first arrived in Malongo I had to pretend I was camping to get through the Angolan dirty factor of the living accomodations. Pretend camping continued until I purchased my own cleaning products and cleaned the room myself so that I knew I had rid the room of "dirty". I still 'camp' while offshore and attempt to clean the shared bathrooms etc. with antibacterial wipes before use.
12. I HATE the colour purple...but am actually starting to (secretly) like the colour pink.
13. I am a crazy cat lady. Maybe not to the extent of some other people I know (Lyndsay and Sherice) but I am close...
14. As much as I love Mr. Kitty, I hate his shedding and his poo feet and try not to think about it too much to avoid freaking out.
15. As a teenager, a special friend of mine we will call her jane (all names have been changed to protect the innocent) and I dabbled in witchcraft and tried to cast a spell on a fellow co-worker who was mean to us.
16. When I was a kid I used to believe that there really was a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow and even tried to ride my bike to the end of a few...never could quite make it.
17. No matter how early I go to bed I struggle to get out of bed in the morning.
18. I sleep like the dead..or so I have been told. I make no sound and can not be awakened without extreme force or very loud noises.
19. I love to read.
20. I hate winter and am honestly convinced that I am actually allergic to cold weather.
21. Food is one of my greatest weaknesses. I love trying new foods and quite honestly I really enjoy eating! Although I am quite conscious about the foods I buy and cook for myself, I can't say no when offered something tasty. I am truely amazed that I am not over 300 lbs.
22. I am a sucker for tattoos. I have a secret celebrity crush on Travis Barker because of this.
23. I am deathly afraid of public washrooms and will only use if ABSOLUTELY necessary.
24. I am a nerd. I may appear 'cool' on the outside, but underneath these clothes is 100% nerdy. I coined the self description 'Charismatic Nerd' after taking the Halliburton personality test...very suiting I might add...
25. I could not function witout hand sanitizer in Africa. I carry it with me everywhere...in my purse, in my coveralls pocket, on the plane..everywhere. I use said sanitizer more than 5 times per day. I even use it after washing my hands to kill any germs that I might have picked up from the tap or from door knobs etc.
There it is, 'the 25'. Hope you enjoyed. Off to QUP Sanha tomorrow, wish me luck as I will need as much of it as I can get!
Beijos xxx,
Julie
So...around 5 months ago I got a rather amusing email from a very good friend of mine. Apparently after I boycotted the social networking monopoly of Facebook in November I missed some interesting social networking type events...and 'the 25' was one of them. What is 'the 25'? Well I am to type 25 very random facts about myself (most likely for your amusement), then you read them, and then you know 25 very random things about me. Its just that simple. Before I get any further with my hitch here in Malongo, I think it is vitally important that I deliver 'the 25'. Here we go......
1. Most of you already know this...but I am afraid of nearly everything. Bugs, Flying, Driving, Germs, Disease,...I freak out (sometimes in my head but mostly out loud) when involved in or exposed to any of the above activities/items. Talk about being a freak!
2. I am VERY competetive. As a child I was always competing against my brother (sorry Jeff)...anything he could do by god I could (and would try) to do it too. I am pretty sure that this had something to do with my tomboyishness and my career choice later in life
3. I LOVE music. I enjoy listening to all types of music as well as playing a few instruments on my own. I am pretty sure this flows in my blood since my father was a music teacher for more than 40 years and my cousin David (now Dr. Dick btw) has a PHD in performance music....pretty sure it was a given when the talent cards were handed out in 1982.
4. With relation to the above item, I have also won about 100 grammy awards in the shower during my lifetime.
5. I have a very difficult time letting people 'all the way in'. I hide behind a happy face and only let certain people past my guard. I am working on this but its not easy.
6. I am a full blown caffine addict. I function at less than 50% efficiency in the morning sans caffine.
7. I am also addicted to sugar. I can not enter a candy store without buying something. Also, I can not be within 10 feet of dark chocolate witout eating it. It is possible that I might actually kill for dark chocolate, please don't test me.
8. I have really bad luck. Really random things often happen to me with no explanation. At work, at play, it really doesn't matter..I have been labelled Hurricane Yulia as a result.
9. When I was a child, I wanted to be a fire-fighter...not because they are heroes or because they fight fires...I just wanted to have acess to the giant water hose. This dream died shortly after the super-soaker was invented.
10. I hate dirty things....(especially when related to hygene!!)
11. With regards to the above, when I first arrived in Malongo I had to pretend I was camping to get through the Angolan dirty factor of the living accomodations. Pretend camping continued until I purchased my own cleaning products and cleaned the room myself so that I knew I had rid the room of "dirty". I still 'camp' while offshore and attempt to clean the shared bathrooms etc. with antibacterial wipes before use.
12. I HATE the colour purple...but am actually starting to (secretly) like the colour pink.
13. I am a crazy cat lady. Maybe not to the extent of some other people I know (Lyndsay and Sherice) but I am close...
14. As much as I love Mr. Kitty, I hate his shedding and his poo feet and try not to think about it too much to avoid freaking out.
15. As a teenager, a special friend of mine we will call her jane (all names have been changed to protect the innocent) and I dabbled in witchcraft and tried to cast a spell on a fellow co-worker who was mean to us.
16. When I was a kid I used to believe that there really was a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow and even tried to ride my bike to the end of a few...never could quite make it.
17. No matter how early I go to bed I struggle to get out of bed in the morning.
18. I sleep like the dead..or so I have been told. I make no sound and can not be awakened without extreme force or very loud noises.
19. I love to read.
20. I hate winter and am honestly convinced that I am actually allergic to cold weather.
21. Food is one of my greatest weaknesses. I love trying new foods and quite honestly I really enjoy eating! Although I am quite conscious about the foods I buy and cook for myself, I can't say no when offered something tasty. I am truely amazed that I am not over 300 lbs.
22. I am a sucker for tattoos. I have a secret celebrity crush on Travis Barker because of this.
23. I am deathly afraid of public washrooms and will only use if ABSOLUTELY necessary.
24. I am a nerd. I may appear 'cool' on the outside, but underneath these clothes is 100% nerdy. I coined the self description 'Charismatic Nerd' after taking the Halliburton personality test...very suiting I might add...
25. I could not function witout hand sanitizer in Africa. I carry it with me everywhere...in my purse, in my coveralls pocket, on the plane..everywhere. I use said sanitizer more than 5 times per day. I even use it after washing my hands to kill any germs that I might have picked up from the tap or from door knobs etc.
There it is, 'the 25'. Hope you enjoyed. Off to QUP Sanha tomorrow, wish me luck as I will need as much of it as I can get!
Beijos xxx,
Julie
May 20, 2009
Welcome back to winter...what?
Snow? Seriously...Snow? I woke up on May 18 and found my front and back yards COVERED with the white stuff. It is supposed to be springtime...almost summertime actually and what do we get? 6 inches of effing snow!
View from my back door
How ironic is this picture? Lovely springtime flowers covered with evil frost!
I am half way into my journey back to Angola. One more day, three more flights and I am there. It was really hard to get motivated to go back this time but I'm doing it and I will do it with a smile :) But seriously, I know that nobody cares about my boring travels so I will cut to the chase and write about my short time in Canada.
My first week home was relatively uneventful. I spent a day in Calgary with Peter, Scott and Taya watching Lacrosse and playing Jeopardy! I totally won the game despite the vicious lies you might hear from Scott saying otherwise. I then went hangover golfing with the fam on Sunday proving once again that I am a real trooper!
I sure have become popular since I started working overseas and have a hard time fitting everything (and everyone) in while I am at home. It sure didn't help that it was May Long and all of my very smart friends went camping. I'll be they were really warm too! I threw a party on Friday night and as per usual it ended up a sausage party plus Julie. Seriously ladies why do you always do this to me? As Remmick told me...'You are pretty much a guy anyways'...so not true. So for that comment I played 'bartender' and mixed his 'Dawa' (now referred to as blackout in a cup) extra strong :) Hope you enjoyed your hangover Dave!! After polishing off the liquor cabinet Friday night there was nothing left to do on Saturday but sleep off the hangover! I kept a low pro the rest of the weekend and just relaxed at home and ventured out on the town with Lor and baby Linkin. Megz and Rich stopped in on Monday for a quick coffee and chat which was nice! I am sure going to miss you guys next year when you're in Van! This brings my blog completely up to date :) I'm fed and watered and ready for another 28 days of fun in Auschwitz. Thanks...
Bisous xx,
Yulz
View from my back door
How ironic is this picture? Lovely springtime flowers covered with evil frost!
I am half way into my journey back to Angola. One more day, three more flights and I am there. It was really hard to get motivated to go back this time but I'm doing it and I will do it with a smile :) But seriously, I know that nobody cares about my boring travels so I will cut to the chase and write about my short time in Canada.
My first week home was relatively uneventful. I spent a day in Calgary with Peter, Scott and Taya watching Lacrosse and playing Jeopardy! I totally won the game despite the vicious lies you might hear from Scott saying otherwise. I then went hangover golfing with the fam on Sunday proving once again that I am a real trooper!
I sure have become popular since I started working overseas and have a hard time fitting everything (and everyone) in while I am at home. It sure didn't help that it was May Long and all of my very smart friends went camping. I'll be they were really warm too! I threw a party on Friday night and as per usual it ended up a sausage party plus Julie. Seriously ladies why do you always do this to me? As Remmick told me...'You are pretty much a guy anyways'...so not true. So for that comment I played 'bartender' and mixed his 'Dawa' (now referred to as blackout in a cup) extra strong :) Hope you enjoyed your hangover Dave!! After polishing off the liquor cabinet Friday night there was nothing left to do on Saturday but sleep off the hangover! I kept a low pro the rest of the weekend and just relaxed at home and ventured out on the town with Lor and baby Linkin. Megz and Rich stopped in on Monday for a quick coffee and chat which was nice! I am sure going to miss you guys next year when you're in Van! This brings my blog completely up to date :) I'm fed and watered and ready for another 28 days of fun in Auschwitz. Thanks...
Bisous xx,
Yulz
May 12, 2009
Kenya, The Final Installment
Jambo!!
Once again my apologies that this is so delayed. I had a busy weekend involving a Canadian Dawa experience, Lacrosse, Jeopardy and hangover golfing..no time to blog I swear! I am enjoying my time at home, however I am having a hard time adjusting to the temperature!! You don't care about Canada...you want the juicy details of Kenya...moving on!
Where was I? Weekend clubbing, Cheryl's home, broken vehicles, chewing sticks, Masai Mara....and now we will move forward to what I call...Julie drama. Somewhere along the way a friendly little tick decided to move on in, attach itself to my leg and consume what I would call copious amounts of my blood (its my blog, I will exaggerate if I want to.) After feeling slightly under the weather all day, I was all curled up nice in bed in Nairobi scratching my 'bites' (still not sure if they are mozzie bites or fleas from the creepy dog at the kids home) when OUCH! I scratched a scab...or so I thought. My fear of bleeding all over Feisal's guest bed and making a mess had me out of bed reaching for the light. Big mistake. No scab here folks...what we have instead is a tick like thingy fully attached to me. Not sure about tick sizes and standards but this thing was rather large if you ask me (the size of the tip of my pinky finger-ish). I started freaking out immediately (silently in my head of course). What was this thing? Was it making me sick? Would I die if I didn't remove it?(we all know how logical I am while freaking out)...After battling this out for about 10 minutes I decided to treck down to Fei's room and see what he had to say. The Kenyan should know about Kenyan bugs right? Wrong. After about 30 minutes of intense whispering we both drew the same conclusion...burn this f***er off. So at 2 am I am laying on the kitchen floor with a package of matches burning my intruder off of my leg. (All documented on camera of course!!)
Burning Party!
Close Up of 'The Intruder'
Typical Julie drama...what can I say? While back in Nairobi I learned how to 'Karoga' which in Kiswahili means 'stir' and in English means COOKOUT!!! This is a trend we should seriously think of adopting in Canada. You go to a restaraunt, order the meat and all the fixins...cook your own food (much cheaper than full on eating out) and someone else does the dishes!! The Jeizan cooking gene strikes again..man was that tasty!
Karoga!
The crew @ Spice Roots
While we are talking about my eating experiences...I might as well share my traditional Kenyan food experience with you. Irio, Beef Stew and Sukuma Wiki...looks a little nasty but it was very appetizing! The lady at the restaraunt 'went easy' on me...now do you see why my pants are so tight these days?
Kenyan Cuisine
This brings us to the final days of my trip...and the best part of all...Mombasa. This was definately the true Kenyan experience. Despite the lack of radio, the drive between Nairobi and Mombasa was one of the best experiences of the whole trip. The landscape changed about 20 times during the 6 hour trip...from grass flood plains, to red sand fields, to the Tsavo national parks, to Mountains, to Sandy coastlines...all of it was unreal.
Roadside Giraffe
Red Sand Hill
Mountain
Self Portrait!! Pretty good scenery if you ask me :)
Mombasa Island
Downtown Mombasa (The Tusk Arches)
Our first adventure in Mombasa was lunch with Fei's sister and her family. Once again I was under the spell of the magic Jeizan cooking gene. Seriously, its not normal (or fair!)...they all cook like professionals! Then it was off to the crocodile farm with a full belly and a desire for adventure. The croc farm was pretty cool. Once again we showed up just in time for feeding!
Crocodile Farm
Feeding Time!!!
Pretty crazy stuff! After the adventure fix we went for dinner at the lovely Serena Beach Resort. Once again, the meal was fantastic. I am pretty sure that some relative of Feisal's works in the kitchen there :) After dinner, dancing and a few glasses of red wine we ventured to a club called Il Covo for more drinks and even more dancing. I must say, I had a blast and a half! Despite the DJ's need to play the same few songs two - three times I enjoyed myself!...."My dream is to fly, over the rainbow so high.."
Serena Beach Resort
Day 2 Mombasa...VERY HUNGOVER! We enjoyed a mid afternoon lunch followed by a trip to Fort Jesus. What a site! Fort Jesus was originally settled by Portuguese sailors in the mid 1500's and is built in the shape of a man (supposedly Jesus) laying on his back. The Arabs of Oman took over in the 1600's and ruled until the British takeover in the late 1800's when Fort Jesus became a prison until 1958. The fort was left as is and is very eerie but totally amazing.
Fort Jesus
Canon
After our Fort Jesus adventure, Fei and I went to visit his other sister on retreat...a little slice of heaven hidden away in the trees and of course was absolutely perfect. We enjoyed some tasty home cooked snacks and good company until sunset. I would definately go back there!! After dinner, Fei and I went to enjoy some outdoor drinks and a live band...can't remember their name so I will refer to them as 'the parking lot band' since they were playing in the parking lot outside a pub called 'Bobs'. I had an amazing time and didn't want the night to end because the next day would be my last in Kenya :( But like all wonderful things in life, the night came to an end and the morning came WAY too early! (The early morning included a hangover of course!). After breakfast, Fei and I went to Yuls (nice name!) beach resort and rented a jetski. SO MUCH FUN!! I actually thought I was going to fly off the back and was freaking out most of the time (this will really shock you I am certain)...but in true Julie fashion, I endured and had a blast. Fei is one CRAZY driver!! Sadly, like all things in life, my Mombasa adventure was finished. We started the long journey back to Nairobi a little later than expected :) A few traffic jams and one beautiful sunset later and we were back in Nairobi.
Sunset
Poor Fei. Hurricane Yulia was a little hard on my dear friend but like a trooper he kept going and took me to meet his brother "the Captain" (who hooked me up with a sweet Kenya Airways deal for my flight home....details to follow) and to dinner with friends before my departure. It was definately a good finish to a great trip!
What is this deal with Kenya Airways you ask? Well...I thougth I was going to get an upgrade to business class (pretty sweet deal) but it was even better than that. Not only was I upgraded or given a 'Jump Seat' but I got to ride in the cockpit for takeoff and landing!!! Shut up! No, really. I have documented proof for you to feed your skeptical eyes on!
Flying da plane
Moi in le cockpit
1 000 000 Thank-You's Fei for all of this. It wouldn't have been even close to the same experience without such a wonderful host!! 1 000 000 Thank-You's to your family too, such wonderful people. I am one lucky chica to have had the opportunity to get to know and spend time with them. Thank you again for the time of my life.
Bisous xxx,
Hurricane Yuls
Once again my apologies that this is so delayed. I had a busy weekend involving a Canadian Dawa experience, Lacrosse, Jeopardy and hangover golfing..no time to blog I swear! I am enjoying my time at home, however I am having a hard time adjusting to the temperature!! You don't care about Canada...you want the juicy details of Kenya...moving on!
Where was I? Weekend clubbing, Cheryl's home, broken vehicles, chewing sticks, Masai Mara....and now we will move forward to what I call...Julie drama. Somewhere along the way a friendly little tick decided to move on in, attach itself to my leg and consume what I would call copious amounts of my blood (its my blog, I will exaggerate if I want to.) After feeling slightly under the weather all day, I was all curled up nice in bed in Nairobi scratching my 'bites' (still not sure if they are mozzie bites or fleas from the creepy dog at the kids home) when OUCH! I scratched a scab...or so I thought. My fear of bleeding all over Feisal's guest bed and making a mess had me out of bed reaching for the light. Big mistake. No scab here folks...what we have instead is a tick like thingy fully attached to me. Not sure about tick sizes and standards but this thing was rather large if you ask me (the size of the tip of my pinky finger-ish). I started freaking out immediately (silently in my head of course). What was this thing? Was it making me sick? Would I die if I didn't remove it?(we all know how logical I am while freaking out)...After battling this out for about 10 minutes I decided to treck down to Fei's room and see what he had to say. The Kenyan should know about Kenyan bugs right? Wrong. After about 30 minutes of intense whispering we both drew the same conclusion...burn this f***er off. So at 2 am I am laying on the kitchen floor with a package of matches burning my intruder off of my leg. (All documented on camera of course!!)
Burning Party!
Close Up of 'The Intruder'
Typical Julie drama...what can I say? While back in Nairobi I learned how to 'Karoga' which in Kiswahili means 'stir' and in English means COOKOUT!!! This is a trend we should seriously think of adopting in Canada. You go to a restaraunt, order the meat and all the fixins...cook your own food (much cheaper than full on eating out) and someone else does the dishes!! The Jeizan cooking gene strikes again..man was that tasty!
Karoga!
The crew @ Spice Roots
While we are talking about my eating experiences...I might as well share my traditional Kenyan food experience with you. Irio, Beef Stew and Sukuma Wiki...looks a little nasty but it was very appetizing! The lady at the restaraunt 'went easy' on me...now do you see why my pants are so tight these days?
Kenyan Cuisine
This brings us to the final days of my trip...and the best part of all...Mombasa. This was definately the true Kenyan experience. Despite the lack of radio, the drive between Nairobi and Mombasa was one of the best experiences of the whole trip. The landscape changed about 20 times during the 6 hour trip...from grass flood plains, to red sand fields, to the Tsavo national parks, to Mountains, to Sandy coastlines...all of it was unreal.
Roadside Giraffe
Red Sand Hill
Mountain
Self Portrait!! Pretty good scenery if you ask me :)
Mombasa Island
Downtown Mombasa (The Tusk Arches)
Our first adventure in Mombasa was lunch with Fei's sister and her family. Once again I was under the spell of the magic Jeizan cooking gene. Seriously, its not normal (or fair!)...they all cook like professionals! Then it was off to the crocodile farm with a full belly and a desire for adventure. The croc farm was pretty cool. Once again we showed up just in time for feeding!
Crocodile Farm
Feeding Time!!!
Pretty crazy stuff! After the adventure fix we went for dinner at the lovely Serena Beach Resort. Once again, the meal was fantastic. I am pretty sure that some relative of Feisal's works in the kitchen there :) After dinner, dancing and a few glasses of red wine we ventured to a club called Il Covo for more drinks and even more dancing. I must say, I had a blast and a half! Despite the DJ's need to play the same few songs two - three times I enjoyed myself!...."My dream is to fly, over the rainbow so high.."
Serena Beach Resort
Day 2 Mombasa...VERY HUNGOVER! We enjoyed a mid afternoon lunch followed by a trip to Fort Jesus. What a site! Fort Jesus was originally settled by Portuguese sailors in the mid 1500's and is built in the shape of a man (supposedly Jesus) laying on his back. The Arabs of Oman took over in the 1600's and ruled until the British takeover in the late 1800's when Fort Jesus became a prison until 1958. The fort was left as is and is very eerie but totally amazing.
Fort Jesus
Canon
After our Fort Jesus adventure, Fei and I went to visit his other sister on retreat...a little slice of heaven hidden away in the trees and of course was absolutely perfect. We enjoyed some tasty home cooked snacks and good company until sunset. I would definately go back there!! After dinner, Fei and I went to enjoy some outdoor drinks and a live band...can't remember their name so I will refer to them as 'the parking lot band' since they were playing in the parking lot outside a pub called 'Bobs'. I had an amazing time and didn't want the night to end because the next day would be my last in Kenya :( But like all wonderful things in life, the night came to an end and the morning came WAY too early! (The early morning included a hangover of course!). After breakfast, Fei and I went to Yuls (nice name!) beach resort and rented a jetski. SO MUCH FUN!! I actually thought I was going to fly off the back and was freaking out most of the time (this will really shock you I am certain)...but in true Julie fashion, I endured and had a blast. Fei is one CRAZY driver!! Sadly, like all things in life, my Mombasa adventure was finished. We started the long journey back to Nairobi a little later than expected :) A few traffic jams and one beautiful sunset later and we were back in Nairobi.
Sunset
Poor Fei. Hurricane Yulia was a little hard on my dear friend but like a trooper he kept going and took me to meet his brother "the Captain" (who hooked me up with a sweet Kenya Airways deal for my flight home....details to follow) and to dinner with friends before my departure. It was definately a good finish to a great trip!
What is this deal with Kenya Airways you ask? Well...I thougth I was going to get an upgrade to business class (pretty sweet deal) but it was even better than that. Not only was I upgraded or given a 'Jump Seat' but I got to ride in the cockpit for takeoff and landing!!! Shut up! No, really. I have documented proof for you to feed your skeptical eyes on!
Flying da plane
Moi in le cockpit
1 000 000 Thank-You's Fei for all of this. It wouldn't have been even close to the same experience without such a wonderful host!! 1 000 000 Thank-You's to your family too, such wonderful people. I am one lucky chica to have had the opportunity to get to know and spend time with them. Thank you again for the time of my life.
Bisous xxx,
Hurricane Yuls
May 6, 2009
You can take the girl out of Canada......
....but she will always be a proud Canadian!
Bonjour lovely bloggers!
I have arrived on canadian soil and am enjoying a true canadian chandy in Montreal....beer and clam! (Clamato juice for those who are uneducated in Canadian drinking terminology)...might I add that it is very tasty and going down all too easy!
"Canadian Chandy"
In a few (8-ish) hours I will be on home turf..very happy about that. I am sure Mr. Kitty will even get over his month long abandonment issues and attack me with cuddles upon arrival. (Here's to hoping...)
I hate to say (well I don't know if I 'hate it' so much as it sounded good to say it) that I wasted my valued blogging hours chatting with friends and family....(yeah, I definately didn't hate to say that, it was all for show) and will have to finish my trip update tomorrow. Sorry to disappoint!
Bisous xxx :)
Yules
Bonjour lovely bloggers!
I have arrived on canadian soil and am enjoying a true canadian chandy in Montreal....beer and clam! (Clamato juice for those who are uneducated in Canadian drinking terminology)...might I add that it is very tasty and going down all too easy!
"Canadian Chandy"
In a few (8-ish) hours I will be on home turf..very happy about that. I am sure Mr. Kitty will even get over his month long abandonment issues and attack me with cuddles upon arrival. (Here's to hoping...)
I hate to say (well I don't know if I 'hate it' so much as it sounded good to say it) that I wasted my valued blogging hours chatting with friends and family....(yeah, I definately didn't hate to say that, it was all for show) and will have to finish my trip update tomorrow. Sorry to disappoint!
Bisous xxx :)
Yules
The Amazing Kenyan Experience...Part II, Masai Mara
Good Morning!!
It's a beautiful day and the sun is shining,...Thankyunz-all for joining me for the documentation of my experiences :) Where was I....Ah, the mashy stick medicine drink. 5 of those and you will be cured of ANYTHING!! Fei also took me to the Masai market in Nairobi...talk about an overwhelming experience. There were people/vendors everywhere and everyone wants to invite the Mzungu to their 'shop'. I had a good time and aside from the panic I enjoyed the experience! Thank you Fei for all your help there!
The time has come...I must tell you about my amazing experience in the Masai Mara. One word: Unbelievable. A true natural wonder, I was awestruck and believe it or not speachless throughout. (I was also concentrating really hard on not throwing up in the car!). We saw all of the 'Big 5' sans the leopard, but we did see the remains of a Leopard lunch left in a tree so I think that counts!! Lions, Elephants, Giraffes, Buffalo, Cheetahs....seriously amazing. Not to mention I had the best company a girl could ask for, I don't think I reciprocated the situation so well...my apologies Feisal for being much too quiet and in my books quite poor company. :)
Now...feast your eyes on the unbelievable....
The 'King of the Jungle'....Simba
Melman!!
Elephants
River-front (Notice the Hippo in the background...)
Sunset...ahhhhhh....
Kisio our Sarova Mara Tour Guide
I don't think those pictures can quite sum up how amazing it was, but I hope they helped. The tented lodge was beautiful and the landscape unbelievable...HIGHLY recommended to add the Masai Mara to your bucket-list!! In true Julie vocabulary...it was Frickin AWESOME!
Once again, I have to cut things short as I am about to board my plane to Montreal. I will post again when I set foot on Canadian soil. Thanks for reading...listening, everything. Asante.
Bisous xxx,
Yules
It's a beautiful day and the sun is shining,...Thankyunz-all for joining me for the documentation of my experiences :) Where was I....Ah, the mashy stick medicine drink. 5 of those and you will be cured of ANYTHING!! Fei also took me to the Masai market in Nairobi...talk about an overwhelming experience. There were people/vendors everywhere and everyone wants to invite the Mzungu to their 'shop'. I had a good time and aside from the panic I enjoyed the experience! Thank you Fei for all your help there!
The time has come...I must tell you about my amazing experience in the Masai Mara. One word: Unbelievable. A true natural wonder, I was awestruck and believe it or not speachless throughout. (I was also concentrating really hard on not throwing up in the car!). We saw all of the 'Big 5' sans the leopard, but we did see the remains of a Leopard lunch left in a tree so I think that counts!! Lions, Elephants, Giraffes, Buffalo, Cheetahs....seriously amazing. Not to mention I had the best company a girl could ask for, I don't think I reciprocated the situation so well...my apologies Feisal for being much too quiet and in my books quite poor company. :)
Now...feast your eyes on the unbelievable....
The 'King of the Jungle'....Simba
Melman!!
Elephants
River-front (Notice the Hippo in the background...)
Sunset...ahhhhhh....
Kisio our Sarova Mara Tour Guide
I don't think those pictures can quite sum up how amazing it was, but I hope they helped. The tented lodge was beautiful and the landscape unbelievable...HIGHLY recommended to add the Masai Mara to your bucket-list!! In true Julie vocabulary...it was Frickin AWESOME!
Once again, I have to cut things short as I am about to board my plane to Montreal. I will post again when I set foot on Canadian soil. Thanks for reading...listening, everything. Asante.
Bisous xxx,
Yules
May 5, 2009
Kenya...The Time of My Life
Jambo!
This one is for Fei and Lynds...I know both of you have been itching to read about it. Sorry it has taken me so long, I really hope you enjoy.
There are few words to properly describe Kenya, I really can't nail it down to just one so I picked 4...breathtaking, beautiful, exotic, surreal. I was truely amazed with everything (and everyone) and hope to experience all of it again very soon! I am relaxing at the hotel in Johannesburg, getting ready to embark on my neverending journey home and am suffering from some serious mixed emotions! I am excited to go home again but at the same time it breaks my heart to leave everyone and everything in Kenya behind. I made some wonderful new friends and strengthened an existing kinship it was hard to turn and walk away from it all....but the adventure is not over, just on pause until next time!!
Ok...you wanted the juice not the peel, I will get on with my adventures! First of all, I had the BEST tour guide and adoptive family anyone could ever ask for. Fei's family adopted me as one of their own and I have never felt more welcome anywhere. The Jeizan family has what I have dubbed the 'magic cooking gene' which is guaranteed to make you gain AT LEAST 10 lbs while visiting. Seriously, some of the BEST food I have ever had, already going through withdrawls :)
My wonderful Kenyan Family:
After a LONG 3 week hitch in Angola I was overjoyed to watch Cabinda disappear from the air and to enjoy a nice cold beer in Luanda. Home free at last. I enjoyed a very tasty steak dinner at the casino in Johannesburg with Bryan before beginning the check in for my adventure to Nairobi. I hate to say it but that was by far the worst airport check in experience I have ever had. I showed up 3 hours prior to departure and made it to the other side with just over 45 minutes to spare. Que here, now stand over there, now put your baggage here! Yikes! Fei met me on the other side for a soda and we were off. He managed to pull some strings and get me a seat beside him on the overbooked flight to Nairobi..that man has connections!! 5 hour pass out and we are in Kenya. I was totally overwhelmed on arrival. Everything was so different than I could have ever imagined. I was totally in panic mode at immigration but getting a visa was easy as pie. 25$USD and Bob's your uncle, its just that simple!
After a much needed rest and an AMAZING breakfast and lunch prepared by the Malongo chef himself we were off to start the adventures! Nairobi (meaning sweet water..right Feisal?) is a stunning city. Flowers, trees, beautiful buildings...it is nothing like you would imagine...trust me.
Or...see for yourself!
We started our adventure with a visit to the zoo or 'animal orphanage'. We were just in time for feeding so we got to help out...talk about panic. I was scared of getting eaten/beaten by the animals and my pictures reflect my fear!! I got to pet a cheetah, whom I thought was growling but was actually purring!! Who knew they purred?!
I have been blogging for an hour now and have only accomplished part of day one!!! Mama needs to stop chattin and get crackin! Friday night is party night...I strapped my party boots (better yet, borrowed strappy heels) on tight and had an amazing time. Started things off at The Mercury Lounge where I enjoyed Kenya's national pride...Tusker. Quite the beer. It could hold its own against a Kokanee even..not saying it would win, just saying it could hold its own!! Then off to Gypsy (or is it Gypsies?) for some ShiSha pipe with apple tobacco and endless dancing!
Wow! 1.5 hours of blogging and I have finished day one :) Sorry folks you might have to wait for awhile for the full meal deal! Hurricane Yulia is easily distracted.
Moving on to day 2 and beyond....
Visited Cheryl's home first thing and spent some time with their high school aged 'kids'. It broke my heart to see such bright, wonderful children face the trials these kids face. 3 boys and 1 girl, all with big dreams and kind hearts. 2 Lawyers, a doctor and a nurse...I hope that these dreams are fulfilled. Their desire to help those less fortunate is unbelievable. I think all of us could learn a thing or two from these kids. I learned a thing or two in Kiswahili...and I hope they learned a thing or two from the blonde Mzungu.
Sunday Afternoon Photo @ Cheryl's Home
My Nairobi adventures were not without their Hurricane Yulia signature drama! Poor Feisal. I wanted to leave my mark in Kenya but I am afraid I left a gaping wound!! Fear not, the rest of your days off shall be drama free and relaxing! Fei wanted to take me to the Villiage market on Saturday afternoon for Lebanese lunch and entertainment after we picked up his new range rover. Little Miss Fortunate strikes again...we broke down minutes away from his mates workshop and had to get TOWED down the mother of all hills. Of course, I was totally freaking out thinking we were going to crash and die never the less adding to the drama. Feisal is a real trooper...if the drama wasn't enough, he didn't even get to really drive his new toy! I couldn't help but capture the kodak moment....
There is a traditional event that happens on Saturday evening in Nairobi it involves chewing what some call Khat, others Gomba and of course Julie calls it 'sticks'. According to another fellow Canadian whom Fei met in his middle eastern oilfield adventure travels 'sticks' are like "Many Thins"? They make you hyper, full of energy...giving you the inability to eat or sleep but heightening your senses. I took part in the stick chewing but ended up with a bloody cheek, a bad taste in my mouth and no heightened senses. This is not to say I didn't enjoy the evening. Good music, good conversation and great company...who needs a sticks rush?
Feisal showing off the sticks pile...(Quite a nice sticks pile isn't it?)
Only enough time for one more adventure before I have to head to the airport....I will go with Sunday night and a little medicinal bevy called 'Dawa'. Dawa is Kiswahili for 'medicine' and let me tell you that is some of the best medicine there is! It is a combination of vodka, dark honey, cane sugar and limes...you mash it with a mashy stick to perfection and enjoy the sweet nectar on ice. Fear not fellow Canucks, I brought back the special honey and a few mashy sticks (of which may or may not have been 'lifted' from the bar after their immediate use) :) Sunday night is 'Soul Night' at a club called Carnivore...good music, good company, good drinks and good pizza. Soul Night is where its at!
Dawa Mashing
My lovely readers it has come time to end this post. I have about 30 minutes to collect my things and make my way to the airport for check in. I promise to update upon my arrival in Amsterdam tomorrow morning. Thank you for reading...listening..sharing this with me. Asante!
Till When?
Yules
This one is for Fei and Lynds...I know both of you have been itching to read about it. Sorry it has taken me so long, I really hope you enjoy.
There are few words to properly describe Kenya, I really can't nail it down to just one so I picked 4...breathtaking, beautiful, exotic, surreal. I was truely amazed with everything (and everyone) and hope to experience all of it again very soon! I am relaxing at the hotel in Johannesburg, getting ready to embark on my neverending journey home and am suffering from some serious mixed emotions! I am excited to go home again but at the same time it breaks my heart to leave everyone and everything in Kenya behind. I made some wonderful new friends and strengthened an existing kinship it was hard to turn and walk away from it all....but the adventure is not over, just on pause until next time!!
Ok...you wanted the juice not the peel, I will get on with my adventures! First of all, I had the BEST tour guide and adoptive family anyone could ever ask for. Fei's family adopted me as one of their own and I have never felt more welcome anywhere. The Jeizan family has what I have dubbed the 'magic cooking gene' which is guaranteed to make you gain AT LEAST 10 lbs while visiting. Seriously, some of the BEST food I have ever had, already going through withdrawls :)
My wonderful Kenyan Family:
After a LONG 3 week hitch in Angola I was overjoyed to watch Cabinda disappear from the air and to enjoy a nice cold beer in Luanda. Home free at last. I enjoyed a very tasty steak dinner at the casino in Johannesburg with Bryan before beginning the check in for my adventure to Nairobi. I hate to say it but that was by far the worst airport check in experience I have ever had. I showed up 3 hours prior to departure and made it to the other side with just over 45 minutes to spare. Que here, now stand over there, now put your baggage here! Yikes! Fei met me on the other side for a soda and we were off. He managed to pull some strings and get me a seat beside him on the overbooked flight to Nairobi..that man has connections!! 5 hour pass out and we are in Kenya. I was totally overwhelmed on arrival. Everything was so different than I could have ever imagined. I was totally in panic mode at immigration but getting a visa was easy as pie. 25$USD and Bob's your uncle, its just that simple!
After a much needed rest and an AMAZING breakfast and lunch prepared by the Malongo chef himself we were off to start the adventures! Nairobi (meaning sweet water..right Feisal?) is a stunning city. Flowers, trees, beautiful buildings...it is nothing like you would imagine...trust me.
Or...see for yourself!
We started our adventure with a visit to the zoo or 'animal orphanage'. We were just in time for feeding so we got to help out...talk about panic. I was scared of getting eaten/beaten by the animals and my pictures reflect my fear!! I got to pet a cheetah, whom I thought was growling but was actually purring!! Who knew they purred?!
I have been blogging for an hour now and have only accomplished part of day one!!! Mama needs to stop chattin and get crackin! Friday night is party night...I strapped my party boots (better yet, borrowed strappy heels) on tight and had an amazing time. Started things off at The Mercury Lounge where I enjoyed Kenya's national pride...Tusker. Quite the beer. It could hold its own against a Kokanee even..not saying it would win, just saying it could hold its own!! Then off to Gypsy (or is it Gypsies?) for some ShiSha pipe with apple tobacco and endless dancing!
Wow! 1.5 hours of blogging and I have finished day one :) Sorry folks you might have to wait for awhile for the full meal deal! Hurricane Yulia is easily distracted.
Moving on to day 2 and beyond....
Visited Cheryl's home first thing and spent some time with their high school aged 'kids'. It broke my heart to see such bright, wonderful children face the trials these kids face. 3 boys and 1 girl, all with big dreams and kind hearts. 2 Lawyers, a doctor and a nurse...I hope that these dreams are fulfilled. Their desire to help those less fortunate is unbelievable. I think all of us could learn a thing or two from these kids. I learned a thing or two in Kiswahili...and I hope they learned a thing or two from the blonde Mzungu.
Sunday Afternoon Photo @ Cheryl's Home
My Nairobi adventures were not without their Hurricane Yulia signature drama! Poor Feisal. I wanted to leave my mark in Kenya but I am afraid I left a gaping wound!! Fear not, the rest of your days off shall be drama free and relaxing! Fei wanted to take me to the Villiage market on Saturday afternoon for Lebanese lunch and entertainment after we picked up his new range rover. Little Miss Fortunate strikes again...we broke down minutes away from his mates workshop and had to get TOWED down the mother of all hills. Of course, I was totally freaking out thinking we were going to crash and die never the less adding to the drama. Feisal is a real trooper...if the drama wasn't enough, he didn't even get to really drive his new toy! I couldn't help but capture the kodak moment....
There is a traditional event that happens on Saturday evening in Nairobi it involves chewing what some call Khat, others Gomba and of course Julie calls it 'sticks'. According to another fellow Canadian whom Fei met in his middle eastern oilfield adventure travels 'sticks' are like "Many Thins"? They make you hyper, full of energy...giving you the inability to eat or sleep but heightening your senses. I took part in the stick chewing but ended up with a bloody cheek, a bad taste in my mouth and no heightened senses. This is not to say I didn't enjoy the evening. Good music, good conversation and great company...who needs a sticks rush?
Feisal showing off the sticks pile...(Quite a nice sticks pile isn't it?)
Only enough time for one more adventure before I have to head to the airport....I will go with Sunday night and a little medicinal bevy called 'Dawa'. Dawa is Kiswahili for 'medicine' and let me tell you that is some of the best medicine there is! It is a combination of vodka, dark honey, cane sugar and limes...you mash it with a mashy stick to perfection and enjoy the sweet nectar on ice. Fear not fellow Canucks, I brought back the special honey and a few mashy sticks (of which may or may not have been 'lifted' from the bar after their immediate use) :) Sunday night is 'Soul Night' at a club called Carnivore...good music, good company, good drinks and good pizza. Soul Night is where its at!
Dawa Mashing
My lovely readers it has come time to end this post. I have about 30 minutes to collect my things and make my way to the airport for check in. I promise to update upon my arrival in Amsterdam tomorrow morning. Thank you for reading...listening..sharing this with me. Asante!
Till When?
Yules
April 19, 2009
The Return to Auschwitz
Eric, Fans, Randoms...
I am finally able to post without feeling guilty about not working on something more productive...maybe you find that hard to believe but it is the whole truth I swear. I have renamed Malongo twice now in three weeks....From Malongo to Hell and then from Hell to Auschwitz. Why something as creepy as a concentration camp you might ask? Because it feels that way sometimes...most times. Hitler runs the place so I found it rather suiting:) As for the random events that typically happen to me en route to or while in Angola there are really none to report this time. I arrived on March 31 5 days late due to unforseen circumstances at home (please review two posts previous for clarification). Moved from Cabinda city to Auschwitz and the games began. I spent my first week on the beach working on equipment etc and enjoying the newly implemented alcohol rules. The weekly calendar now goes like this. Monday...Beer Day...Wednesday...Beer Day...Friday....Beer Day....Nap Day....Monday and it continues like that. What is this you might ask? The new rules are as follows: Max 4 beers per person every second night. And at 2$ USD per can who really wants to drink anymore? Auschwitz sure is a quiet place these days. To help curb the sadness generated from the lack of beer on Sundays Halliburton employees got creative and created a new form of gambling. Sunday night quiz. 60 questions, random trivia and general knowledge, 5$ buy in winner take all. My first Sunday in country I collected $70 USD for proudly knowing that a pig can orgasm for 30 minutes. (Don't ask me HOW I know that...i just do!) The following Sunday quiz was put on the back burner as I went offshore....to Alcatraz. After 3 days on the Coil Tubing boat (Gold Blatt Tide, which I conveniently renamed Barf City...the name is rather self explanatory) I was only able to consume bread and water...yup just like jail. The mystery meat curry chock full of bones and fat was the turning point for me!! That brings us here...lovely Sunday afternoon stuck out on the Ben Rinnes waiting for them to finish a scraper run so we can log. With endless shitty movies and Bollywood to entertain the sky is the limit! Its off to Kenya for some volunteering on Thursday and back to Canada on May 5.
I am finally able to post without feeling guilty about not working on something more productive...maybe you find that hard to believe but it is the whole truth I swear. I have renamed Malongo twice now in three weeks....From Malongo to Hell and then from Hell to Auschwitz. Why something as creepy as a concentration camp you might ask? Because it feels that way sometimes...most times. Hitler runs the place so I found it rather suiting:) As for the random events that typically happen to me en route to or while in Angola there are really none to report this time. I arrived on March 31 5 days late due to unforseen circumstances at home (please review two posts previous for clarification). Moved from Cabinda city to Auschwitz and the games began. I spent my first week on the beach working on equipment etc and enjoying the newly implemented alcohol rules. The weekly calendar now goes like this. Monday...Beer Day...Wednesday...Beer Day...Friday....Beer Day....Nap Day....Monday and it continues like that. What is this you might ask? The new rules are as follows: Max 4 beers per person every second night. And at 2$ USD per can who really wants to drink anymore? Auschwitz sure is a quiet place these days. To help curb the sadness generated from the lack of beer on Sundays Halliburton employees got creative and created a new form of gambling. Sunday night quiz. 60 questions, random trivia and general knowledge, 5$ buy in winner take all. My first Sunday in country I collected $70 USD for proudly knowing that a pig can orgasm for 30 minutes. (Don't ask me HOW I know that...i just do!) The following Sunday quiz was put on the back burner as I went offshore....to Alcatraz. After 3 days on the Coil Tubing boat (Gold Blatt Tide, which I conveniently renamed Barf City...the name is rather self explanatory) I was only able to consume bread and water...yup just like jail. The mystery meat curry chock full of bones and fat was the turning point for me!! That brings us here...lovely Sunday afternoon stuck out on the Ben Rinnes waiting for them to finish a scraper run so we can log. With endless shitty movies and Bollywood to entertain the sky is the limit! Its off to Kenya for some volunteering on Thursday and back to Canada on May 5.
March 22, 2009
I'm Leaving on a Jet Plane...
Hello All, Eric (I realize this is probably getting a little redundant but I still find it funny),
All checked in and ready to fly across the pond to North America. I am somewhat relieved that in 24 hours I will be home...in my own house...in my own bed...however I am NOT looking forward to the 20 + hour plane ride to San Fran!! I am sad to leave Singapore, it is a really beautiful city but I am tired...exhausted actually (was awakened at 3:30 am with a phone call from work?) and ready to deal with what lies ahead of me. Two glasses of wine down and I will be ready for anything!
Off topic...I was watching CNN last night in the hotel and there was a blurb about the pope's visit to Angola. 8 people were injured and 2 girls were killed during the Pope's visit to Luanda as a result of a stampede during an outside Mass service. It's quite sad really that a religious clergyman travelled to a very very third world nation to support their faith and help fight poverty and the people responded with a deadly stampede because they don't know any better. All they know is the need to fight to get ahead....goes to show how lucky we are to live where we do and have what we have. It breaks my heart that the western world goes in and steals their oil, their diamonds and their resources and leaves them with nothing....not even education. Sad, really sad. I could rant about this all day but I will keep my remaining comments to myself. Thanks for reading.
xxx000xxx,
Julie
All checked in and ready to fly across the pond to North America. I am somewhat relieved that in 24 hours I will be home...in my own house...in my own bed...however I am NOT looking forward to the 20 + hour plane ride to San Fran!! I am sad to leave Singapore, it is a really beautiful city but I am tired...exhausted actually (was awakened at 3:30 am with a phone call from work?) and ready to deal with what lies ahead of me. Two glasses of wine down and I will be ready for anything!
Off topic...I was watching CNN last night in the hotel and there was a blurb about the pope's visit to Angola. 8 people were injured and 2 girls were killed during the Pope's visit to Luanda as a result of a stampede during an outside Mass service. It's quite sad really that a religious clergyman travelled to a very very third world nation to support their faith and help fight poverty and the people responded with a deadly stampede because they don't know any better. All they know is the need to fight to get ahead....goes to show how lucky we are to live where we do and have what we have. It breaks my heart that the western world goes in and steals their oil, their diamonds and their resources and leaves them with nothing....not even education. Sad, really sad. I could rant about this all day but I will keep my remaining comments to myself. Thanks for reading.
xxx000xxx,
Julie
March 20, 2009
The End
Hello Eric (And other random bloggers...),
Sadly my Thailand excursion has come to an end. My wonderful grandmother passed away unexpectedly this morning and I am cutting my adventure short and heading for home. As sad and shocked as I am, I know that she is happy hanging out with my brother and grandfather someplace lovely.
Nuff about that...I will recap my final week here in Koh Phangan for those of you more interested in my asian adventure than in my personal life (ie. everyone...). Week three + started with a crazy night of caprhinas and snake bites in Koh Samui with Ian and the midget cover band singer followed by a huge hang over and a lengthy boat ride (30 minutes felt like 100) to Koh Phangan. Got settled back in at Eds place and hoped for wind but were sadly disappointed because even the wind wanker couldn't kite surf. Went for a lovely scooter tour of Koh Ma and got soaked riding back in a storm. We spent the early days of the week waiting on the beach for the wind to magically appear and fulfil all the kite surfing dreams....we are still waiting. Peter and I both purchased North kites from a Belgian fellow who claims he is French (why on earth anyone would WANT to be French is beyond me.....just kidding....) I got myself a nice second hand 2007 North Vegas 12m and Peter got a brand spanking new 2008 North Rebel 16m. Neither of us has been able to fly them successfully but I am pretty sure the Wind Gods live in Canada. Ian took us on a lovely night tour of Haad Rin (home of the famous Full Moon Party) and I rode a scooter with two other drunk girls...none of whom speak much English...what a blast. Peter and Ian rode together and weighed down the bike too much. Three girls were much faster (better) than two boys...isn't that always the case? After a late night and a very tasty 7/11 chicken burger everyone was feeling under the weather and was rather glad there was no wind the next day. Ian decided that snorkeling is much better than kite boarding or diving and led the way yet again to Koh Ma for the day. Talk about visibility! The vis was 20x better on snorkeling day than it was on diving day (go figure) I even saw a manta ray! Since the everyone missed the full moon party the half moon party was a must attend event. I can honestly say I was astonished by the atmosphere of the jungle shindig and would gladly go again. Just as I was on my way to purchase my very first Sangsom bucket the police shut the party down at 2 am claiming it is the law or something. Isn't this country famous for all night/all day/all night again parties? Anyways that kind of put the pooper on the evening and I went to bed relatively sober! So...I decided that since my blood was still thick due to lack of alcohol....I should get a tattoo. And I did. A lovely bamboo tattoo on my side, which by the way is the most painful thing I have done to date....I am not looking forward to child birth. I will post pictures of my new tat and of my Phangan/Thailand adventures when I cross the pond and make it home. Thanks for reading!
Huggy, Kissy, Sucky, Licky,
Julie
Sadly my Thailand excursion has come to an end. My wonderful grandmother passed away unexpectedly this morning and I am cutting my adventure short and heading for home. As sad and shocked as I am, I know that she is happy hanging out with my brother and grandfather someplace lovely.
Nuff about that...I will recap my final week here in Koh Phangan for those of you more interested in my asian adventure than in my personal life (ie. everyone...). Week three + started with a crazy night of caprhinas and snake bites in Koh Samui with Ian and the midget cover band singer followed by a huge hang over and a lengthy boat ride (30 minutes felt like 100) to Koh Phangan. Got settled back in at Eds place and hoped for wind but were sadly disappointed because even the wind wanker couldn't kite surf. Went for a lovely scooter tour of Koh Ma and got soaked riding back in a storm. We spent the early days of the week waiting on the beach for the wind to magically appear and fulfil all the kite surfing dreams....we are still waiting. Peter and I both purchased North kites from a Belgian fellow who claims he is French (why on earth anyone would WANT to be French is beyond me.....just kidding....) I got myself a nice second hand 2007 North Vegas 12m and Peter got a brand spanking new 2008 North Rebel 16m. Neither of us has been able to fly them successfully but I am pretty sure the Wind Gods live in Canada. Ian took us on a lovely night tour of Haad Rin (home of the famous Full Moon Party) and I rode a scooter with two other drunk girls...none of whom speak much English...what a blast. Peter and Ian rode together and weighed down the bike too much. Three girls were much faster (better) than two boys...isn't that always the case? After a late night and a very tasty 7/11 chicken burger everyone was feeling under the weather and was rather glad there was no wind the next day. Ian decided that snorkeling is much better than kite boarding or diving and led the way yet again to Koh Ma for the day. Talk about visibility! The vis was 20x better on snorkeling day than it was on diving day (go figure) I even saw a manta ray! Since the everyone missed the full moon party the half moon party was a must attend event. I can honestly say I was astonished by the atmosphere of the jungle shindig and would gladly go again. Just as I was on my way to purchase my very first Sangsom bucket the police shut the party down at 2 am claiming it is the law or something. Isn't this country famous for all night/all day/all night again parties? Anyways that kind of put the pooper on the evening and I went to bed relatively sober! So...I decided that since my blood was still thick due to lack of alcohol....I should get a tattoo. And I did. A lovely bamboo tattoo on my side, which by the way is the most painful thing I have done to date....I am not looking forward to child birth. I will post pictures of my new tat and of my Phangan/Thailand adventures when I cross the pond and make it home. Thanks for reading!
Huggy, Kissy, Sucky, Licky,
Julie
March 15, 2009
Thailand...(Week 2+)
Hello Again Fellow Bloggers (I really should just say Hi Eric as I am pretty sure you are the only one who reads this...),
Back in Koh Phangan after a lovely second week touring the western coast of Thailand. I am happy to be back here as life is a lot more relaxed and slow paced...kind of reminds me of Angola :) Here we go...
Week 2...Flew to Phuket from Koh Samui on March 8 (happy birthday to me...). Rented a car in Phuket for 1000 TB/day (about 30$CAD) and decided to drive to Krabi province. Drove once again on the left hand side of the road...a lot more overwhelming in a car as the speeds are double that of a scooter!! Followed a shitty little gas station map and got totally lost looking for Ao Nang beach as all road signs in Thailand are written in Thai...go figure. At about 7:30 pm (its dark and I am hungry and cranky and have now been driving for 4 hours...) Bang...out of nowhere there is a hotel and as luck would have it, they have rooms, the rooms are clean and very inexpensive and Ao Nang beach is 2 minutes drive away! Booked for one night and ended up staying for a week as the hotel was less than 1/2 the cost of a hotel in Ao Nang or Railey and quite convenient. Spent the first day in Krabi checking out the shops etc. in Ao Nang and spent my entire weeks budget in less than 1/2 day (well..not quite that bad, but close!) After shopping my little heart out, decided to do something a little more adventureous the following days. Day 2 was spent kayaking through the mangrove bushes in and out of sea caves...very very interesting and also very very tiring! I have awesome pictures which I will post when I can. Day 3 was spent rock climbing in Railey beach which was spectacular followed that up with a Thai massage and a few beers :) If my muscles weren't already sore I sure killed them on Day 4 with a walk to the Tiger Cave temple...1237 stairs to the top of the mountain. I actually thought Peter was going to die on the way to the top!! The climb was well worth it as the view was so spectacular if I wasn't already out of breath from the fucking stairs it would have taken it away :) To sooth the sore muscles from the ultimate stairmaster session, we drove 25 Km east of Krabi to the 'Unseen Thailand' area in Khlong Thom where there was a hot spring waterfall and pool. Most beautiful thing I have ever seen...I am talking Banff x10 and still 100% natural! Drove back to Phuket in the early am and returned to Koh Samui. Spent the afternoon shopping in Samui (much more costly that Krabi for sure!) and then met Ian for a night of debauchery afterward. Watched a really awesome Thai cover band at the Irish pub in Samui...have a few pics/videos of that as well...pretty awesome. Then back on the boat to Koh Phangan in the am to nurse a hangover and chill out. Caught a little wind and a few storms which puts my blog up to date as of now :) Just checked the weather for Koh Phangan and it looks like wind for the rest of the week...hopefully I will get that kite out on the water and actually do some surfing!
Huggy, Kissy, Sucky, Licky,
Julie
Back in Koh Phangan after a lovely second week touring the western coast of Thailand. I am happy to be back here as life is a lot more relaxed and slow paced...kind of reminds me of Angola :) Here we go...
Week 2...Flew to Phuket from Koh Samui on March 8 (happy birthday to me...). Rented a car in Phuket for 1000 TB/day (about 30$CAD) and decided to drive to Krabi province. Drove once again on the left hand side of the road...a lot more overwhelming in a car as the speeds are double that of a scooter!! Followed a shitty little gas station map and got totally lost looking for Ao Nang beach as all road signs in Thailand are written in Thai...go figure. At about 7:30 pm (its dark and I am hungry and cranky and have now been driving for 4 hours...) Bang...out of nowhere there is a hotel and as luck would have it, they have rooms, the rooms are clean and very inexpensive and Ao Nang beach is 2 minutes drive away! Booked for one night and ended up staying for a week as the hotel was less than 1/2 the cost of a hotel in Ao Nang or Railey and quite convenient. Spent the first day in Krabi checking out the shops etc. in Ao Nang and spent my entire weeks budget in less than 1/2 day (well..not quite that bad, but close!) After shopping my little heart out, decided to do something a little more adventureous the following days. Day 2 was spent kayaking through the mangrove bushes in and out of sea caves...very very interesting and also very very tiring! I have awesome pictures which I will post when I can. Day 3 was spent rock climbing in Railey beach which was spectacular followed that up with a Thai massage and a few beers :) If my muscles weren't already sore I sure killed them on Day 4 with a walk to the Tiger Cave temple...1237 stairs to the top of the mountain. I actually thought Peter was going to die on the way to the top!! The climb was well worth it as the view was so spectacular if I wasn't already out of breath from the fucking stairs it would have taken it away :) To sooth the sore muscles from the ultimate stairmaster session, we drove 25 Km east of Krabi to the 'Unseen Thailand' area in Khlong Thom where there was a hot spring waterfall and pool. Most beautiful thing I have ever seen...I am talking Banff x10 and still 100% natural! Drove back to Phuket in the early am and returned to Koh Samui. Spent the afternoon shopping in Samui (much more costly that Krabi for sure!) and then met Ian for a night of debauchery afterward. Watched a really awesome Thai cover band at the Irish pub in Samui...have a few pics/videos of that as well...pretty awesome. Then back on the boat to Koh Phangan in the am to nurse a hangover and chill out. Caught a little wind and a few storms which puts my blog up to date as of now :) Just checked the weather for Koh Phangan and it looks like wind for the rest of the week...hopefully I will get that kite out on the water and actually do some surfing!
Huggy, Kissy, Sucky, Licky,
Julie
March 12, 2009
Thailand...(Week One)
Hello Fellow Bloggers,
I have neglected this blog since I started it back in December and can't believe I am making my first 'real' post on the 13 of March...sorry 'bout that! I still have plans to enter some of the funny thangs from my paper journal but for that you will have to wait yet again. Enough about that and on to the fun stuff...
I am beginning week #3 here in Asia's tropical paradise and I don't think I want to go home!! It hasn't been easy but it has sure been fun. I will give the summary and try to keep it short and simple as I know that nobody likes to read my rambles....
Week #1: After 28 days of stress and worry I finally got to leave Angola and I don't think I have ever been happier to see something get smaller from an airplane window! I was finally on my way to Thailand. Despite a few minor set backs (the lack of funds in Johannesburg...will explain that one later on) and the fact that I was too tired to enjoy some drinks etc. with Bryan as originally planned, the trip went well. I enjoyed some fabulous sushi in the Singapore airport as well as some tasty drinks on the plane and arrived in Bangkok healthy, happy and ready for adventure. I spent one uneventful night in Bangkok and then headed to Koh Samui in the early am to begin the vacation of a lifetime. I followed Ricketts' directions/instructions to the letter and made it to Koh Phangan in one piece with little incident (thanks so much for that Ian btw!). Ian's lovely little lady Lek (almost sounds like a tongue twister) was at the pier in Haad Rin to meet and greet and lead the way to Ed's humble island abode. Rented a scooter and drove on the wrong side of the road (talk about confusing...right hand turns will be the ultimate death of me I swear) and got nice and settled at Ed's place (thank you very much for that as well Ed/Ian). All that and I am only on day 2...I should really hurry this along. Started Kite surfing lessons on Day three and found out that something that is only 9m long and made of nylon can lift me 3 feet out of the water and carry me 15 feet along...I almost shit my pants when that happened. The rest of week one was relatively tame...watched some Muay Thai fights, went for a couple of SCUBA dives in Sail Rock and Haad Yao...vis was shitty so that kind of killed the excitement. There was only one dramatic incident involving a lizzard the size of my fucking arm....(he was living behind the towel in Ed's shower)...the neighbours thought someone was trying to kill me (I actually thought the lizzard WAS trying to kill me). I haven't seen that thing since and I am always very nervous when opening the bathroom door etc. I have to board my plane in about 3 minutes to return to the island of lovely so it looks as though this will be all for now. Thanks for reading...I will be back soon!
Huggy, Kissy, Sucky, Licky,...
Jules
I have neglected this blog since I started it back in December and can't believe I am making my first 'real' post on the 13 of March...sorry 'bout that! I still have plans to enter some of the funny thangs from my paper journal but for that you will have to wait yet again. Enough about that and on to the fun stuff...
I am beginning week #3 here in Asia's tropical paradise and I don't think I want to go home!! It hasn't been easy but it has sure been fun. I will give the summary and try to keep it short and simple as I know that nobody likes to read my rambles....
Week #1: After 28 days of stress and worry I finally got to leave Angola and I don't think I have ever been happier to see something get smaller from an airplane window! I was finally on my way to Thailand. Despite a few minor set backs (the lack of funds in Johannesburg...will explain that one later on) and the fact that I was too tired to enjoy some drinks etc. with Bryan as originally planned, the trip went well. I enjoyed some fabulous sushi in the Singapore airport as well as some tasty drinks on the plane and arrived in Bangkok healthy, happy and ready for adventure. I spent one uneventful night in Bangkok and then headed to Koh Samui in the early am to begin the vacation of a lifetime. I followed Ricketts' directions/instructions to the letter and made it to Koh Phangan in one piece with little incident (thanks so much for that Ian btw!). Ian's lovely little lady Lek (almost sounds like a tongue twister) was at the pier in Haad Rin to meet and greet and lead the way to Ed's humble island abode. Rented a scooter and drove on the wrong side of the road (talk about confusing...right hand turns will be the ultimate death of me I swear) and got nice and settled at Ed's place (thank you very much for that as well Ed/Ian). All that and I am only on day 2...I should really hurry this along. Started Kite surfing lessons on Day three and found out that something that is only 9m long and made of nylon can lift me 3 feet out of the water and carry me 15 feet along...I almost shit my pants when that happened. The rest of week one was relatively tame...watched some Muay Thai fights, went for a couple of SCUBA dives in Sail Rock and Haad Yao...vis was shitty so that kind of killed the excitement. There was only one dramatic incident involving a lizzard the size of my fucking arm....(he was living behind the towel in Ed's shower)...the neighbours thought someone was trying to kill me (I actually thought the lizzard WAS trying to kill me). I haven't seen that thing since and I am always very nervous when opening the bathroom door etc. I have to board my plane in about 3 minutes to return to the island of lovely so it looks as though this will be all for now. Thanks for reading...I will be back soon!
Huggy, Kissy, Sucky, Licky,...
Jules
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