Arrival in Perth

Well already I've stopped finding time to write everyday. A good sign i think! We arrived in Perth during the small hours of yesterday morning. When we got to the hotel at 2am it was 10 degrees C outside. When we disastrously woke up at 1:30pm (discovering that the hotel alarm clock doesn't work) it was beautiful outside.

We're right next to the Swan River. The main one which flows from the sea and through the city of Perth.

I've never been in a city that is so green and beautiful. It's strange. B'ham is a city but it is nothing like Perth. (I mentioned this to a guy in a shop today and he said " Ah yes Birmingham I parked there once for 3 hours I think it was the M6") Outside the hotel is a dual carriageway but there are hardly any cars, then between the roads is a mass of green lawn - that kids play on. There are benches so that you can sit an relax. Beyond that is a pavement which is divided into two lanes - bikes and pedestrians. A lot of people seem to use bikes here and I can see why. Despite the hot temperatures there is a cool breeze and the view is beautiful.

I feel much happier here than I did in Dubai. Much more at home. The people are really friendly and welcoming and it's much more calming and relaxing. This could be partly down to the fact that I've had time to wind down a bit. My IBS flared up quite badly so I haven't been eating too well. The only two options in Dubai seemed to be cheese or spicy! Not helpful. Here it's back to normal and I had a nice meal and at a nice restaurant yesterday. Can't wait to eat what I want when I want again!
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We've found the shopping centre and I've bought an Australian Vodafone Sim. I need to go back to the vodafone shop though as the phone won't accept because it's not from vodaphone uk!!! Didn't expect that one !

We've found out where the fireworks are for New Years Eve and so we're going to get tickets for Gloucester Park later today. It's right next to the local cricket ground where a certain team played badly so I'll watch out for spiky objects...

At the other end of the river is Kings Park where they have an outdoor cinema which is playing Monster House tonight. Might see if I can convince Matt to go along and watch that. :)

can't believe that it's Saturday already or that it's been a week since we left England. So much has been happening in a short space of time!

Once I find an Internet connection without upload restrictions I'll start putting the picture on Flickr. The Internet in the hotel is free but it won't let me upload for some reason :(

Love to all back home.
X

Incase you're wondering

Yes there is a delay on here.
I can't always get to the internet so I've been Blogging in a travel journal and then typing it up when I can :)

I'm currently sat in Dubai airport so I'm killing time on the ninny net.
Off to Perth now...

X

Christmas Day!

I'm off to bed NOW. The end of a very different and fun Christmas day. We're still waking up at 10:30am and heading out at around 11:30. This morning we spent sometime downstairs in the hotel lobby which contained fake snow, reindeer's, Christmas trees and snowmen. Once we'd had something to drink and eat we decided to try, once again, to get to Jeremiah beach, This time in a taxi. It quickly became very obvious that there is no way that we could have walked from our hotel - The Arabian Courtyard- to the beach. It took about 10mins in the taxi to get there down long and dangerous looking highways.

We couldn't find a way to get onto the 7 star hotels' beach but we did locate the beach right next to it (There was even a photographer trying to take pictures through the fence into the 7 star hotel - I wonder who was there?) We Sat down , relaxed called mum and Dad and then decided to walk further along the beach to find the water park.

At about 1/2pm we entered the Wild Wadi Water Park. (at a discounted rate because we were so late!) This park was no ordinary water park. I tell you, they don't do things by half here! You can pay to put money on a plastic wrist watch which acts as payment for everything. This means that everything goes in a locker, nice and safe and everything is taken care of for you.

As I was waiting for Matt to get changed I was stood by a man-made cliff. Suddenly, theme park style thunder and lightning sound effects began. Amused by this I turned around to notice a pretty waterfall had started behind me. I was observing this with the usual Ohh- Ahh and wonder when suddenly the pretty waterfall turned into a tsunami and soaked me, flooded the footpath and went gushing off into the distance! Brilliant but I was soaked. Good job I got changed first!

We had a whale of a time on the rides. You sit in a doughnut which floats you to the beginning of each slide. When you get to one you fancy you line your self up and off you go. Jet propulsion sends you up the slide and gravity does the rest. You don't need to cue up though, you just float along. The only concern is whether or not you'll still be wearing your bikini bottoms once those jets of water start pushing you along! Note however that cheap swim suits like mine will not withstand the pressure. When I got back to the hotel and washed out my bikini my bottoms were thread bare and had to be thrown away!

Once the park closed at 6pm we sat on the beach and watched the sunset. Actually we got a little chilly then and got into a taxi back to the hotel. I then caught up on the blog and we had dinner, sat in the Sherlock Holmes British Bar for a pint and then mack to the room at 10pm.

A really different Christmas!

By the way I think that Vodaphone have helpfully ignored my letter and have cancelled my phone contract way too early. So I can't receive any more messages or send them on my old number. I'm going to be a new Sim in Australia though. :)
Thank you all for your messages so far and I hope you're all having a great Christmas.

Merry Christmas From Dubai!

We spent it on the beach and in the water park!! ;)

Dubai - Day One

We woke up at 10:30 am (6:30am UK) and eventually dragged ourselves up and out. It was very warm outside and felt a little strange to be wearing a T-Shirt and short floaty skirt (and that was just LOF!)

The streets were filled with the sound of the Qu'ran as the local mosque was calling its followers to prayer. A man was pulling a cart with two heavy objects on the back of it and getting into arguments with taxi drivers as his poor navigation almost caused permanent damage to their Toyota Camry. We strolled in the direction of the river and the sea down narrow Arabian streets; immaculately presented with an array of brightly coloured fabrics and the smell of hot leather surrounding us. The streets weren't bustling. No last minute Christmas presents being frantically purchased. Simply local people with their local wears.

We walked for about 2 miles when we discovered an enormous Carefour shopping centre. Tesco Redditch has nothing on this place. ( Although you can still purchase everything you would expect to find there and more) We bought ourselves a picnic and carried on; deter mind to have a picnic on the beach. We walked for miles and had eaten most of the picnic before we gave up! This place is huge! You see a building in the distance and although it seems like it's just around the corner. Like a mirage. it never appears! We took the remains of the picnic and got a taxi back to our hotel!

We then spent the rest of the afternoon snoozing and reading. We're both exhausted! Lof organised a massage for 7:00pm. I'm telling you now if you can DO IT! Manys the time I have said at the end of a busy term "I'm going to go and have a massage" and when I come to book it I decide that it would be far too extravagant. Nonsense! Do it! It will be the best 30 quid you'll ever spend (Span I mean you!)

The spa here is amazing. Candle lit with lovely smelly oils. It's exactly how it should be. The lighting, sounds and smells all spell relax - which after the last few months and a 7 hours flight is just what the doctors ordered. I felt so relaxed and did not want it to end. When it was over I wanted to just lie there, my face through the hole on the massage table smelling the bowl of oils + fresh rose petals, listening to the music relaxing. Instead I sat in reception and waited for Matt to come out. They fed me peppermint tea and I read magazine brilliant.

Then, instead of going to find food, we ordered room service and ate it in our room! Brilliant. really cool. I"m starting to feel a little bit more relaxed now.

Leaving the airport.

For the last few months my mantra has been "I'm just going on a big holiday" so why is it that leaving Birmingham airport, where I was surrounded by my family and friends, was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do in my 26 years of experience?

As it was there wasn't much room to sit and cry anyway as we caught up in line after line of cues. We had breakfast with everyone before making our way to the Emirates check-in desk.

We were hoping for some extra leg room seats (what with LOFs unusually long legs) but when we got to the desk - immediately after the desk number came up on the board- we were told that we should have been there at 9.20 if we wanted extra leg room seats. Ironically, that's exactly the time we had arrived but we didn't have a clue where to check in until it came up on the board. so we missed it! Doh!

Once we checked in, held back the tears, but not the hugs, whilst saying goodbye we then had to join a 1 hour que to get through security. This meant that the minute we got into the departure lounge we had to board the plane. No time for the obligatory Bean Burger or to get bored. I sis manage to sneak out of the que (which went up along the top floor, down the escalators to the lower floor, back up the stairs, round the self-service restaurant etc... ) to get me a book -"my Take" by Mr Barlow! Yeah! Just got as far as the formation of TT on page 68 so far!

The flight itself was very comfortable and the staff were great. Five hours would have been enough though. 7 was too long - and the next leg is 10!!! :O

LOF had an isle seat so he was OK too. The trolley did attack him occasionally though :(. We were really excited about the games console/ TV/Radio/Movie screen in the seat in front. Disappointed though that the movies were not "on demand". You have to wait until your film starts and try and catch it on the right channel. No Garfield a Tale of 2 Kitties either :(

Arrival in Dubai was great it was 19 degrees C at midnight!! I haven't ventured out yet but it's going to be hot! A Bit different from the freezing fog we left back home. We had to que again to get through passport control in Dubai and then the hotel forgot to pick us up :(. No problem though, we hopped into a local taxi and it worked out to be cheaper anyway!

When we arrived at 2:00 am local time the staff couldn't have been more helpful. It's a lovely hotel - with a pool and a spa and we've been given a voucher for complimentary massage. Woo Hoo!

I'm off to have a shower and explore - Love to all of you!

Because we'll miss you....

This is for all of you - Even the ones I haven't managed to "snap" recently :)

We're leaving on a jet plane!

Oh my god.... this time tommorow I'll be 2 hours away from landing in Dubai.

I'm really looking forward to our adventures but concerns over how i'm gonna stay calm, cool and at ease are growing... LOL. I have nothing at all to worry about.. It's all organised but still... Ah well! lol

Off to the pub to see everyone before we go. Mum and Dad are going to buy dinner whihc is good! and then to bed, breaksfast and Dubai!

We're officially homeless..

The house has gone to its new owners and now I own no house...

We've moved everything to Span and LOM's attic and have cleared it out ready for the new owners. I handed the keys over on Monday lunchtime and I am sure they will have a great time living there.

I was expecting to sit and weep on the living room floor but instead I was very sensible and managed to pull myself together. I didn't let it affect me - despite LOF telling me to "let it out" I'm threatening to spend the first 7 hour flight wailing in despair! lol. Actually I am feeling quite calm and I think I'm ready for this big adventure.

The car has gone, the house has gone. Just the job now!

Christmas Came Early at No.60

It's gone :(

Well there's one week to go... arghh!

The car has been taken away to its new home in Hertfordshire today and on Monday the house will be handed over to its new owners too.

Scary!

Jesus Was A Gent - Check out their video!

Alvechurch Hall...

So crisis averted we arrived at the Alvechurch Village hall. We set it up and I got changed in the toilet (no time to go to the hotel). The Australian flag was hiosted high, the music was played loudly and we had lots of fun.

Rowan and Dan wowed audiences with their musical stylings and we all ate, drank and made merry.

Most came in fancy dress and we celebrated Xmas and our journey to Oz similtaneously.
Despite the stress and problems we had getting the party started I am really glad that we did make it in the end. It was so lovely to see everyone again. There was no way we would have been able to get round to everyone before we go so having everyone gravitating to the same spot meant that there were hugs and wrestles for all!

Lof had threatened some naked mud wrestling back at the hotel and not with me. No No No but with Adi... What can I say - Sarah and I have seen it all before :) but it never did materialise... More on that later.

Thank you to everyone who came. It really meant a lot that you could all make it. Gerin, we missed you but we love you! (Give Oscar a munch from me)




More pictures on the Flickr thingy!

The war of the Golden Roses.

Last night was the night of the Australian Christmas Party to end all parties. Lof and I were on course for a stress free, easy and relaxing evening. Yes, we had a lot to set up but the hall was booked, the decorations and food bought and costumes ready to worn.

After getting the key for the Hopwood Village Hall from the manager, having been shown around, after changing a light bulb, learning how the heating worked and agreeing that we would be tidy by 11:30 LOf and I booked into the hotel next door and then set off back to Redditch to pick up the rest of the stuff required for a cracking party.

When we got back some old ladies had let themselves into the hall and we telling my parents that they had booked it a year ago. :0 Not good.
Now, unlike nice, caring old ladies who have manners these evil women had decided already that my party was cancelled. This was made very clear from the moment they opened the boots of the Volvos and removed boxes of sandwiches and table cloths. - Anger rising now...
LOF was trying frantically to get hold of the manager of the hall who had convieniantly decided to pop out for an hour. So no-one to solve the arguments the evil ladies of the "golden rose" began to instruct us to cancel the band because they had booked a disco and began to set up their tables.

BREATH --> In with love out with hate-->

Now part of me was thinking oh good they're setting up the tables for me. Thank you very much and the other half of me wanted to scream, shout, cry and throw an enormous tantrum. I sent LOF to talk to the manager's neighbours on the off chance that they may be able to get hold of her. Instead the lady he discovered was much more useful. She organised another hall for us. At this point (45 mins on) I was getting angrier than an angry thing without chocolate.

I made my anger very clear to the roses who replied with "be reasonable" ME? Be reasonable - what about you?? She said that she couldn't cancel it - she couldn't possibly phone all her guests and who would pay for the DJ? Her guests had paid £5 a ticket and she had access to the hall 3 times a week.. BLAH BLAH BLAH - Yes --- but I've paid to use the hall tonight.

In the end a decision had to be made. Do we sit and argue with the battleaxe for another 2 hours and wait until the guests begin to arrive or do we cut our loses and sort the situation out - We still need to set up and now we need to re-direct people. The sooner the better.

I asked the gang to get everything back into the car and was told by the generous woman that she wouldn't begrudge my using the oven. - F()^^* off!

We marched to the manager's neighbours house and were escorted to the Alevechurch Village - hall - T minus 2 hours!!! ARGHHHHhhh

Barmouth

A small sleepy sea-saide town in North Wales and the home of LOF for many, many years. We visited a few weekends ago for the last time. By the time we return from our little jaunt his mother will have moved away - to an undisclosed location - and as his father has already left to find solice on the other side of the estuary we though that we would document this very picturesque location. Check it out... Hope you don't get car/sea sick easily :)

Stuck for ideas?

When you arrive to the party there are strict rules.

You must either be dressed as a famous Aussie or be prepared to dress like it's the summer... Here are some ideas...

"Paul Hogan, Shane Warne, Kylie and Jason, Harry Kewell, Elle McPherson , Men at Work, INXS.


Almost forgot. Do you know what it is yet? - Rolf. (Wobbleboard and Didgeridoo)

An Update. - Just keep focused! Don't panic !

Yes it is. We're out of special measures.. Thank goodness. That school hasn't needed to be in special measures for some time now. We were deemed to be a satisfactory school with some good and outstanding features. Ofsted like things to be done in stages, poor --> satisfactory is quite a leap but I imagine that next time they come we will be a good school with some outstanding features. That next time will be in 3 years thank fully!

The last week has been really hard. I went to see Colette and felt cool, calm and at ease. We visited LOFs Dad (which was lovely) and his mother at the weekend and then by Monday I was getting myself into a right state- god knows why. I wasn't even particularly scared about the invasion of the inspectors but, nonetheless, I found myself in tears repeatedly throughout the whole experience. The reason? Sheer exhaustion I think. I couldn't even eat for one 24 hour session!

I have only 3 weeks left until we leave. 3 weeks and a list as long as LOF's entire body of things that need to be done. Conti-boarding seems to be taking for ever and the attic in our old house is now empty. I still need to do the shed, the garden and buy rucksacks and walking shoes. I need to pack everything. Order goods for a party on Saturday (see you there), make sure the sale of the house is moving (it's seems to have stood still for weeks now. How hard can it be???) Pack away all of my stuff at school, tell the kids, plan lessons and teach, etc etc etc. Arghhh.

I just have to remind myself that it will all be worth it! Sometimes it's hard though and there have been moments when I have even felt a little panicky about it all. If you think that moving away to another country for a year sounds appealing then stop and think about the hard work that needs to be done before hand - there's a lot of it!

The car hasn't sold yet. There were 8 people watching it (I suspect blog people) and no-one made a bid. I've put it back on there again now. Please don't watch it unless you want to buy it - I got my hopes up last time...lol.

At least this week I will be able to move my priorities to Australia rather than school and I'm afraid that's probably where they'll stay now. It's not possible to do everything. here's to December 23rd.