to listen, watch and reflect..

I stare at the lines on the blank page, twisting the blue ballpoint pen through my fingers. It has to be blue, not black - I don't like black pens. I am a bit funny like that - set in my ways.

Every now and then I look up to take in the scene around me, the hundreds of people who line the coastline, couples old and young, families, friends, all enjoying the serenity of this paradise.

One thing I notice is from where I sit I see no one like me....no one else alone {unless you count the little Thai lady walking up and down the beach selling corn on the cob - what is it with these people and corn on a cob!?}

A young couple move in and sit down in front of me, he sits first before taking off his shoes and offering them to her to sit on so as to not dirty her tiny white shorts.

I sit with my headphones in trying to drown out the noise. Mostly country music occupies my playlist - songs about love, loss and life, over and over again. I wonder if I could write songs what the song of my life would be.

I close my eyes, enjoy the breeze across my face, take in the air - deep into my lungs, and try to clear my thoughts, sift through the chaos.... searching.

For some reason writing that word brings a lump to my throat....searching....but what am I searching for?

Tonight I've come here for the same reason as many others, to watch the sunset. It's been a while since I've had an unobstructed view of a sunset, and never have I seen it set over the ocean.

In the next hour or so it will be gone for another day. We'll be another day older. Another day further away from something and another day closer to something we don't even know yet. 

A man walks up and stands in front of me to take a photo of the same view. The same view many many people are looking at. I'm staring at him immediately and feel bad. His prosthetic leg cannot be ignored, I instantly wonder what happened to him, has it changed him, has it stopped him doing things he's always wanted to do? 

I guess we all have a story to tell.

The sun is fading fast now, it's like the ocean is sucking it into its grasp. Like no matter how hard it tries it cannot be stopped. The colours are so strong.

And just like that, as Hunter Hayes sings 'Wanted' in my ears, the sun disappears over the horizon.

I, like many others, pack up and move on from the beach. I wander the street looking for somewhere to have dinner, not really because I am hungry but because it is 'dinner time'. I find a Thai/Italian restaurant and ask for a table for one, "only for one?", the waitress asks with her cute Thai accent. She shows me to a table in the corner.

A different waitress brings me the menus and asks, "only one?", I nod and she scoops up the cutlery opposite me, leaving it obvious that there will definitely only be one here tonight.

I order a beer. I never order beer at home. I never eat out at a restaurant by myself either. I guess that's what this trip is about really. Doing things I would never do at home. I order and eat my meal in silence. Stroll back to my accommodation, back to my room. 

When I revealed my plans for this year people asked why. I am still yet to sort through the many 'whys' that fill my head and articulate it. But I do know that it was more than that I just wanted to, it's that I needed to. I am thankful that I am in a position to be able to do this. I know that at times I have concerns that I have done the wrong thing, but I also know that it's the right thing. And after only such a short time away, I already know I cannot go back to my life the way it was. 

{taking a little diversion from blogging about my tour for this reflection and linking up with Ann from Help! I'm Stuck! for Things I know, and A Brit and a Southerner for Weekend Wanderlust}

for what I learnt in Vietnam

I spent almost two weeks in Vietnam so I do not consider myself an expert but there are certain things that one can learn about a country in that time...



Here are the 5 Things I learnt about Vietnam..



1. Traffic is out of control

From what I can gather the rules are, there are no rules! 

Being my first time in Asia I wasn't sure what to expect. It appears that for the most part they drive on the left hand side if the road, most of the time! My first experience in the traffic was in the airport transfer to my hotel in Hanoi. We made our way out of the airport and into what appeared to be about a 20 metre wide stretch of concrete with massive holes, no gutters and no lines with cars and motorbikes, scooters and push bikes going in every which direction! And it continued to be more and more crazy from there. 

Most people in Vietnam either have a motorbike (referring to motorbike and scooter in the one word)or push bike as cars are too expensive. Motorbikes seem to be able to do and go wherever they like, on the footpath, into the shop.. Wherever! 

In the main cities I visited Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh the footpaths are ridiculously crowded with motorbikes, street vendors, trees and sidewalk cafés that it is almost impossible to walk along them and you find yourself constantly weaving in and out of the traffic.. 

In some cases it was pointless even trying and easier just to walk along in the gutter, but keeping a keen eye out for anything nasty (ie.. The dead rat I saw in one). For the most part though they are pretty clean! There are some what appear to be pedestrian crossings at most of the major intersections but they don't appear to have the same meaning as home. 

I am hopeful that the experience in Vietnam will help me prepare for Thailand!


2. You can carry almost anything on a scooter/motorbike/tuk tuk

As the main form of transport in Vietnam, who knew that these babies were so versatile! From carrying whole families (eg Dad and 4 kids), to luggage, furniture, to massive blocks of ice, to a tuk tuk carrying a scooter that had broken down, there is almost nothing they can't carry! 

3. Powerpoints are rare.

I am not sure that this is just relevant to Vietnam as I know this could possibly be said about Australia as well. In some hotels we were lucky to have 2 powerpoints, one in the bathroom and one in the bedroom area in which to charge our electronics. In one hotel we had to move the TV cabinet and unplug the TV in order for everyone to be charging what needed to be charged. I took a double adapter which made things a little easier, but I would suggest if you are heading that way, take a powerboard with you! 

4. Sometimes you have to be (politely) rude.

The people are extremely friendly....and persistent!

The Vietnamese people know that the tourism industry is one way that they can move forward as a country and therefore most treat tourists as royalty. I say most because we were warned that unfortunately there are some people that will attempt to rip off tourists, and it did happen on our trip. Unfortunately though it means that when they are trying to sell you something they DO NOT LEAVE YOU ALONE! and sometimes you just have to be rude and ignore them (which I felt absolutely terrible about doing because it's just not in my nature!).

Even in Ha Long Bay this lady was trying to sell us stuff rowing up to the side of our boat and yelling out to us!

Everywhere you go there will be someone there trying to sell you something and never believe that an act of kindness is just that! My first experience was not long after I arrived, I went for a walk after checking into the hotel with another lady who was starting an Intrepid tour the day before me and who I met at the airport. We walked towards the lake in Hanoi to check it out and we came to a four lane main road and as described above the traffic was crazy and we had no idea how we were going to get across when suddenly 2 young ladies came from the other side to help us, "just come with us, we help you" they said as they grabbed our hands and walked us straight out into the traffic, bikes and cars whizzed by beeping at us but the girls did not hesitate! 

When we finally made the other side all of  sudden they were shoving postcards in our faces and demanding money and saying we owed them for helping us across the street. They were very full on and forceful, looking into our bags and begging us to buy their postcards. I will admit to feeling very overwhelmed and a little scared about what was transpiring as I had been in the country probably less than an hour so I handed over some money, got my postcards and we bolted as quickly as we could. 

In hindsight I am kind of glad that this did happen so early in the trip as it made me realise what I was going to face over the course of the next few weeks. So my advice is to be a little rude (not overly), don't make eye contact and just say "No thank you"... unless of course you want the postcards, t-shirts, hats, fans, random useless touristy items that they are selling then knock yourself out but don't forget to barter and never pay the first price offered!

5. I should have taken my laptop (and other packing tips)

I did not realise how 'connected' I would be!! 

While I would not have wanted to have my head stuck in my laptop the whole time, there were times where I wished I had taken it with me as my ipad does always cut it! I have said to many people that I felt more 'connected' in Vietnam than I do in parts of Australia. Last year I lived 5 minutes out of town and my service was shite!! In Vietnam every hotel we stayed in had FREE wifi (did you read that Australia FREE!!!). Almost every restaurant, cafe, beauty salon, shop also had free wifi, some were password protected but in some places the password was on display above the counter, on the menu or as soon as you pulled out your phone some beautiful little waitress was there to "I put password in for you" and BOOM you were connected!  

Even on the minibus out from Ho Chi Minh City to the Cu Chi Tunnels there was free wifi....On a minibus!! Again, not that you want to spend all your time online and miss out on what's going on around you, but 2 hours on a minibus was the perfect time to catch up with family, friends (and blogs) back home!

Disappearing into one of the tunnels...very small and very dark.

Other packing tips that I would mention for Vietnam is to not bother taking anything that requires ironing. It wasn't necessarily a big deal for me but there was one night where we went out to watch a show where I would have loved to have run an iron over my dress but there was not one in any place that we stayed. 

I would also suggest taking a face washer with you. Face washers were used for many different purposes, we were given a cold one as we entered some hotels, some restaurants had dry ones in a basket in the rest rooms instead of paper towel to dry your hands but there were none in out hotel rooms. 

Take extra bras! This was something I told a friend of mine who was heading to Vietnam not long after I was! Unless you are super good at the bathroom hand-washing in the sink kind of thing then you might want to chuck in a few extra bras. Usually I can get away with wearing a bra for a few days, perhaps with a little airing in between but in Vietnam I was actually a little surprised how much my little boobs could sweat! 

These lessons have come in handy for what to pack for my next trip to Thailand and Cambodia.

It was tough hot work, but someone had to do it!

I learnt so much more about myself and the wonderful Vietnamese people while I was there. If Vietnam is not on your travel list then I really think it should be!



Linking this up with Ann at Help! I'm Stuck! for Things I know and A Brit and a Southerner for Weekend Wanderlust. 

to talk about the things I know this week...

....I am totally hooked on my new CD which is the soundtrack to 'Nashville' a TV show that I am also totally hooked on...problem is it is Volume 2, so now I am in search for where I can find Volume 1!

....I am soooo tired of being soooo tired.

....dealing with insurance companies is beyond frustrating but it's one of those necessary evils.

....sometimes you just have to have a day off.

....I went to a travel agent last weekend....am excited about what might be on the horizon. :-)

....working with some of these teenagers has made me realise that I was a relatively 'normal' teenager (whatever that is!)

....I really really want Taylor (or Dami) to win XFactor.

....I am reading 2 books at the moment that are providing me with plenty of thoughts.... One is called The Happiness Trap.

....One thing that stood out for me in one part of the chapter is Myth no.4. You should be able to control what you think and feel. It's a myth because truth be known we have less control over our thoughts and feelings than we would like. Interesting reading..

....being the only non-pregnant female at antenatal classes is kinda awkies! lol...

....that I am not sure 'everything happens for a reason' because I can't think of a reason a mother would have to lose her son in such a horrible accident :-(

....it's been a week since my last post and I hate that when I am tired/busy it's my blog that is the first to suffer. :-(

....I should quit my day job and become a plumber! $77 for a 5 minute plunger job!!! wtf?? (and apparently that was 'mates rates!')

....that things are a little haywire in my life at the moment but it's nothing compared to what those poor people in the NSW bushfires have had to face

....that we all have our own demons to deal with.

 ...that I am teaming up with Rhianna over at A Parenting Life with other people who know stuff!!

What do you know this week???

 

and With Some Grace for FYBF!

for the weekend...

Another week almost over and so it's time for things I know this week....

I know....

that this week it's great to be a Queenslander.....If you are an NRL fan then Wednesday night was one of the biggest games this year. The decider between NSW and QLD was an intense and at times breath-holding game with QLD coming out on top, just, and claiming an 8th straight series in a row! All credit to NSW though as they certainly played tough and strong but on the scoreboard (where it matters) QLD was on top at the end of the 80 minutes! WOOOTTT!

that I have been at PD at QTAC in Brisbane and it's bloody confusing! QTAC stands for the Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre and is the organisation that sorts through all the Year 12 university applications. Part of my role is to support the Year 12's through this ver daunting application process and so I need to get my head around it and it is damn confusing!

that I am so looking forward to the weekend as it has been a crazy out of routine week and I am looking forward to getting home this afternoon and praying to the Roadwork Gods for a relatively clear run home!

that I have no idea what they are doing on the Toowoomba Range apart from clearing  A LOT of trees and making a mess... (can any Toowoombaites explain it to me??)

that I am getting more and more disturbed by some of the stories I see on the news. Last night on the news it was report that 2 violent offenders got reduced sentences because they confessed.....this seems terrible to me!! Admit that you did that horrendous thing and we'll go easier on you!!! hmmmmm........

that I am a little excited to wake up this morning and see Eddy on Sunrise reporting the weather surrounded by lots and lots of cowboys!

that I need sleep...... I hate that over the holidays I can sleep no worries, fall asleep fine, don't wake up during the night, lazily wake up when I am ready....during the term it's the complete opposite! Can't get to sleep, restless nights, waking up at least twice during the night, this morning I woke up a full hour before my alarm was due to go off and 10 minutes after I get up I am yawning and wanting to go back to bed.

that I can't wait to get to the gym tomorrow.....could it be possible that I have turned into one of those crazy people that looks forward to going to the gym and has withdrawals when they can't get there....???

that organising an excursion in a school off 850+ teenagers has an indescribable level of frustration!

that I am a sucker for a good reality singing show and the ads for X Factor give me goosebumps!!

that I decided not to do any school work Tuesday night and instead created a Facebook page for my blog and adding the link on here!!! Thanks to Google I did it all by myself!! WOOT! Have you liked me on Facebook yet!!?? Go on!!!! You know you want to!!!!!

Linking up this week again with The Miss Cinders for Things I Know and With Some Grace for FYBF!!!
Check 'em out!

                 

to go back to work :'-(

2 weeks of holidays are rapidly coming to an end and I don't like that one little bit!

So here's what I know about holidays....

I know that I could totally get used to this whole staying at home business.... :-)

I know that the only way I could really do that was if I won the lotto.... :-(

I know that I never actually buy tickets in the lotto so that chances of that happening are zilch so I best just suck it up and prepare myself for work.... :-(

I know that holidays are a fantastic time to catch up with wonderful friends who I don't get to see as much as I would like during the term.... :-)

I know that most of these catch ups involve eating out (morning teas, lunches, dinners etc) which is lovely but doesn't help my 12wbt eating plans (which kind of went out the window).... :-) and :-(

so I know that being on holidays is good for my soul and my mental health but it is not good for my waist and bank balance.... :-) and :-(

I know that 2 weeks have passed and I haven't quite done all the jobs on my TO DO list.... :-(

I know that the 2 weeks leading up to holidays draaaaag on while the 2 weeks of actual holidays fly by... :-(

I know that my body has gotten used to sleeping in and it is going to totally freak out when my alarm goes off Monday morning at 5:25am.... :-(

I know that the days of rolling outta bed and going to the gym at 8:30am are over (at least for another 11 weeks!).... :-(

I know that I am not looking forward to driving that bloody highway to work every day again.... :-(

I know that for the first time in a long time I am really really enjoying my job.... :-)

I know that being back at work means routine and routine is good.... :-)

I know that in 11 weeks time I will be on holidays again! (bite me... you could have been a teacher! lol).... :-)

I know that in that 11 weeks the weather will start to get warmer and daylight hours longer!.... :-)

I know that I will now have less time for blog reading, commenting and posting.... :-(

I know that I best get off here now and start this back to school preparation!.... :-(

Linking up with a new linky this week over at The Miss Cinders for Things I Know! and
With Some Grace for FYBF!