'Tis the season...

When I think of Christmas traditions I think of snowmen, roaring fires, and knitted reindeer jumpers... and then I remember I live in Australia. Christmas day will probably be a cosy 40 degrees celsius, resulting in a total fire ban; in other words absolutely no chance of a white Christmas.

I probably ought to point out that I'm not in any sense a religious person; but I've always liked the idea of Christmas traditions. However, implementing them is a completely different matter...

The Nativity. Back in England I went to a Christian primary school, where every year we'd have to perform the nativity scene in front of all our parents. Each year I'd long to be something cool, like the angel (in one instance I wanted to be the star!) but of course I'd wind up as a sheppard. It was very convincing - I wore a tea towel on my head and dragged along a toy lamb by a piece of string. My acting capability was apparent from an early age.

Family. Having no extended family living anywhere near us means that a family Christmas is just the four of us. To be honest, I'm not sure if I like it or not. We went and visited the family we have in Tasmania a few years back, but it just didn't seem like we belonged there. Occasionally we'll get some family or friends who'll come over just to see us. I will admit: if there is just one person who can get me hyped up for Christmas it is Grandma Jeanette. Unfortunately for us, she lives in America. 

The Tree. We're not a very festive bunch, really. The tree doesn't get put up until the week before Christmas. Then we just throw the decorations at the tree in an attempt to get the stupid thing done. Then Eden shouts at me for being rubbish and fixes it. Epileptic fit inducing lights are a big no-no. And last year, Fudgie hid behind the tree for the two weeks it was up and we couldn't find him half the time.

The Food. We do buy a ridiculous amount of food. Every year. No exceptions. We usually have a Christmas turkey luncheon, but last year we established that none of us actually even liked turkey that much, so there's that tradition out the window.

The Presents. I try and get all my shopping done early: not necessarily because I'm really looking forward to the Christmas, but because I dislike everyone. Especially people in shopping centres. And queues. In all seriousness - I like giving presents, and I like getting presents. I just can't stand Christmas shoppers.

The Christmas Carols. Never got into them. They make my stomach churn. And then people assume you know the words and invite you to sing along. No, I don't like it. Sing something catchy like "Yellow Submarine".

Actually, now I've established I'm a bit of a grinch. I'd like to think that a Winter wonderland type surrounding would open my heart a bit more to the Christmas spirit, but really, who knows? For this festive season, I think I'll don my black "BAH HUMBUG" Santa hat in the hopes that it'll keep the carolers at bay.

Twitter Funtimes

Stumbled across a website the other day that makes a new Twitter post from your previous tweets. I got such a kick out of it, so here are a few of my favourites:

• This is utterly dull. Unemployment does not taking a dalek. If there's one thing I've been!
• Tigger's first time in Brisbane at the structure of cats. That feeling like I've been telling me want to!
• You don't write a book you still be touring Alice Springs? I like summer holidays - yay or Brisbane at!
• This is purring or will you read for the deliciousness that I don't write a book you acknowledge that.
• Morning!? It's dinner time for a greatly anticipated film for exaggeration.
• There were only 151 Pokemon. Is my life so much more interesting than changing your mother suggests that.
• Eagerly anticipating performing in the light of Pride and blisters I like a stalker.
• One hand is incredible. New blog updates. Also, orange colour scheme - I've learned from my inevitable.
• Can't tell if you're thinking of realization when you're not to see any young people who drive with eyes?
• Send me how many people who drive with hundreds of sideplates from my inevitable future as an emotional?
• Three requests for the first time in the cage.
• I strange? Probably. Sort of Being a greatly anticipated film for the range of people who drive with eyes!
• Never underestimate the Internet. What is there? Interview at all? Doctor Who S4E13 - if cat is becoming!
• It's 3 am and lychee icecream. Omnomnomnom In 12 hours I'll be a sigh of cats.
• Belly bling! Yes, I finally got a giftshop in a more interesting person...

It's blatantly obvious that grammar isn't its strong point.

In other news: I have two jobs now. I'm living every teenagers dream - I work at a chocolate shop AND in a music store. Any product related research I'll be doing involves eating chocolate, listening to music and watching films!

That can be my next tweet: http://yes.thatcan.be/my/next/tweet/

My Twitter account: https://twitter.com/MillyPink1

I got bored and answered some questions...

Full name

Amelia Jayne Pink. Characteristically British, I know.

Zodiac sign

Aquarius

3 Fears

Snakes, getting lost, being alone

3 things I love

Sleep, cuddles, Tigger

4 turn ons

Intelligence, sense of humour, manners, charisma

4 turns off

Only one. If you're rude.

My best friend

I don't know how to answer this question anymore.

What time was I born

7:11a.m. Yes, 7-Eleven jokes happen a bit.

Favourite colour

Blue/purple

Favourite place

McLeod Ganj <3

Eye colour

Much debate on this. It's blue/green with orange flecks around the pupil. Or you can be one of those annoying people and say Hazel.

Hair colour

Chocolate brown (currently….)

Favourite style of clothing

Anything I can wear with my leather jacket.

Favourite holiday

India was amazing. I want to see Europe and Japan at some stage.

Tattoos and piercing I have/want

Ears, belly button. I don't want a tattoo. Ever. I'm done for now.

Do I ever get “good morning” or “good night ” texts?

No. I rarely get text messages.

Am I excited for anything?

University can't come soon enough.

How often do I wear a fake smile?

More often than I care to admit.

If I could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be?

Dylan Moran, or one of those gorgeous British Youtubers ;)

What do I think about most?

The past. Bad habit, I know.

What’s my strangest talent?

Not having a talent.

Do I have any strange phobias?

I don't like people touching my neck.

What was the last lie I told?

"I'm fine"

Do I prefer talking on the phone or video chatting online?

Phone. Because you can be completely naked while talking to someone without them even knowing. Plus there's that extra level of intimacy seeing someone face-to-face. So if I video chat to you, you know you're special.

Do I believe in ghosts? How about aliens?

If they're out there, I don’t expect them to exist in the form that we humans so often portray them.

Is there anything pink in 10 feets from me?

I am Milly PINK. I don't even need to look around.

What do I think is Satan’s last name is?

I think Satan is more a stage name. He probably has a really average name, like John Smith.

What’s a song that always makes me happy when I hear it?

Coca Cola by Little Red

What is my favourite word?

My favourite words are predominantly expletives. I also like putting people off by meowing at them.

I accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what’s even cooler is that they endow me with the super-power of my choice! What is that power?

Invisibility. Every time.

Failed a class?

Nearly failed Japanese in year 12.

Played on a sports team?

Netball and croquet in primary school. I was actually captain of the croquet team. Never again.

Been to a wedding?

Western AND Hindi. The Hindi wedding was incredible, and we got to wear our new saris.

Been outside my home country?

I moved to freaking Australia. Also on the list: Hong Kong, Fiji, South Korea, India, Canada.

Been to a professional sports game?

I went to a cricket match once. Left before halfway through the game with Mum. We went shopping. Sorry, avid sports fans.

Been to prom?

Formal. On the upside, it was the one day of my life I felt pretty. On the downside I was abandoned by my date. I cried.

Been in airplane?

No, I swam to all those places I mentioned above.

Learned another language?

Japanese.

Dyed my hair?

Hahahaha.

Met someone famous?

Bill Bailey. So charismatic.

Stalked someone on a social network?

What else is facebook for?

Peed outside?

I went camping with the scouts. What do you think?

Helped with charity?

Just a bit ;) I volunteered at an animal shelter, was a youth ambassador for the Cora Barclay Centre, and went to India to teach English for four months. Not that I like to brag or anything...

Play any musical instrument?

Flute, for about 5 years. I'm thinking of taking it up again. Maybe.

What my greatest achievements are

I went to India and taught English. I guess that's pretty special.

The meanest thing somebody has ever said to me

"You are the reason I tried to kill myself"

What I'd do if I won in a lottery

Buy a house, travel, give some money to my family, donate to charity. Tell no-one else, but keep surprising people with nice things.

The Clubbing Fiasco

When nightclubbing was first suggested to me I threw a dirty look in the direction from which it came. I've never been a party girl, I honestly prefer curling up and reading to the thought of getting drunk in a strange environment around people I don't know at early hours of the morning. For Julie's birthday (this was in July, my blog is not linear, my bad) she requested that a group of us go clubbing to celebrate. As an incentive she said I should invite some of my friends to get me into the spirit. So naturally I invited the people who hated clubbing with a passion. Hugh and Lachlan.

Hugh got very drunk on Julie and Mum's alcohol stash, and bragged about not buying his own drinks all night. We got rejected from The London, since he was out of it by the time we got there, and he stood someone up. 
The hotel receptionist must have thought I was a hooker, since I kept going up to the hotel room we were staying at with these two men (neither of them were guests of the hotel). Hugh tried to stay at the hotel, insisting that the room was paid for and that he didn't need to pay any money. Lynne and Amy came and picked the boys up and took them back home. Hating the experience so far, I put my pajamas on and watched some 80's music program on TV (needless to say, it was rubbish). At about 3 a.m. I received a call from Mum and Julie who insisted on coming back to the hotel to get me and bring me back out. The Woolshed was crowded, but the City nightclub I liked. Yes, I liked it. Don't give me that look.

It was still pretty awkward, because I was out nightclubbing with my mum and her friends, but after a few Smirnoff Black Ices (with raspberry; I still have a child's taste palette) it didn't matter anyway. I even got on the Mechanical Bull at the Woolshed (I lasted maybe 10 seconds, but who cares anyway, right?)
The only problem was driving to the airport in the morning to pick up Dad, with minimal sleep, no food and probably still some alcohol in my system. 

Next time I go out clubbing I think I'll plan on going with people my own age. As much as I love you Mum, you party way harder than I do. I don't think I'll ever be able to keep up xx

Reminiscing: Queensland

I'm not very consistent at this blogging thing - I completely forgot to mention my trip to Queensland back in September. I think I need a prompt sheet or something.

My awesome second cousin Andrew paid for my flights to Brisbane as a late birthday present (7 months late, it's no big deal ;D). Actually, I think it's better that they were late because otherwise I wouldn't have met my baby cousin Xander (and what a little cutie he is).

Andrew got me onto Rekorderlig Pear Cider (which is amazing, try it if you haven't), and there were many failed attempts at finding an alcoholic beverage suited to me. Turns out elder flower liqueur and muscato are hits, being the massive sweet tooth that I am...

I spent several days in the pool and the spa. I watched my first episode of Star Wars (IV and V, if you were wondering) and the Family Guy spoofs. We made mango/lychee ice cream, visited the markets and I was an occasional baby sitter. Life was good. Then something incredible happened.

Audrey, my childhood best friend, who I hadn't seen since I was six years old was in Brisbane. Incredible, for once in my life timing was on my side. It's a shame that the locals weren't. I agreed to meet Audrey at South Bank. Not knowing the area, I asked one of the locals to point me in the right direction. They pointed me in the right direction all right. What was potentially a five minute walk turned into a two hour walk under the blazing sun. When I finally met up with Audrey, she had been waiting for me an hour and a half, I turned up bright red with sunburn, and limping from blisters caused by my ballet flats. People passing us literally thought I had some sort of disability (I still cringe at that thought). But after 12 years, Audrey didn't mind waiting that extra hour and a half. She felt sorry for me, the sore, red being that I was and even bought me lunch (I'll settle the score when I visit England, eventually). I can't believe how well we actually got on. You'd think that after that long we'd be completely different, but we managed to giggle together like we were little girls again, it was incredible, even if she is a vegetarian (I joke, I joke. I love you, Audrey).

My Facebook input for the day was:

She thought I was just going on holiday to Australia. Twelve years later we're reunited for the first time since we were six. It's incredible to think that after all this time we were able to laugh like we were within seconds of seeing each other. Only difference is that now it's a bit awkward sharing a bath!

In case you hadn't figured it out, I think I'm much wittier than I actually am, so I take joy in posting the statuses I put on Facebook on my blog.

That was the last day in Queensland, as Andrew, Sonya, Xander and I were about to drive from Brisbane to Adelaide: 2,000 km in two days. Well, Andrew drove. I wasn't much help, I kept falling asleep in the back seat next to Xander. We stopped overnight in Cobar, where part of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert was filmed, which I couldn't help but find amusing.

Back in Adelaide, we relaxed, but Xander was reluctant to get in the car after spending all that time in there! Mum gave me the ultimate surprise. She'd adopted Tigger from the Animal Shelter, and now he's legally mine. We took a tour around Haigh's Chocolate factory ("research" for my interview), which Andrew ruined by making an innuendo about "polished nuts". Luckily the kids on the tour didn't realise what he was actually referring to...

Anyhow, it's 1:20am and I can't sleep. Now that I've said that I'll probably fall asleep instantly. Nighty night.

And then I got lazy...

VERY lazy. 
October has been an interesting month for me....

I'm going to start with some sad news.
One of the people from Young People Without Borders, Pat Cullen, was killed in a motorcycle collision in Vietnam. I didn't know Pat well, but we met at orientation - he was such an enigmatic person. His death really affected me, I think because he was only a year older than me. It's strange how someone so full of life can suddenly die. The reality of it is all too harsh.


On a more positive note, I'm now employed. I started work at Haigh's Chocolates on Tuesday, and it's been great so far. I'm living every child's dream. 

I've also been applying for a second job to fill up my free time. Shiels Jewellers is organising a meeting with the head office for me, and I have a group interview with Sanity music stores on Saturday. Yesterday I had an interview scheduled with The Haus, but the HR manager resigned two days after scheduling an interview with me, and didn't let anyone know. So, when I turned up everyone was just like "What!?" It was just a little bit awkward...

My TAFE course in Finance is practically finished - just one more thing to submit. I honestly can't wait to head to uni and get stuck into some hardcore studying. I've been experiencing intense boredom lately. In an attempt to occupy myself I tried learning AUSLAN (and gave that up) and German (gave that up also). I need some hobbies - big time.

I also went to Melbourne for a few days (courtesy of Young People Without Borders/Federation for Young Australians - thank you!) which was great since I got to see most people who went to India again. I stayed at the lovely Jean's house. We had a number of fun adventures - Mel and I getting off about five stops early trying to find Jean's house, going to Luna Park (bugger, it was closed) with Evelyn, Jono and Shari, then finding some incredible street art, Greenpeace video games, $1 champagne at the Asian Beer Cafe, late night  pancakes and Funky curry. Being me, of course I left something behind. I left my phone at Jean's place on the way to the promotional video for YPWB, caught the tram early to get back to Jean's place, realised halfway there that I'd left my bag back at the FYA headquarters, caught the tram back, then caught the tram AGAIN to Jean's house, found my phone, went to the airport. Only when I was back in Adelaide did I realise that I'd left my sleeping bag in Melbourne. F---!

And I attended some parties, which was unexpected since I always claim that I have no friends. Maybe I tend to exaggerate? I bought a sparkly, glittery hip flask to go to James' and a massive pair of wedges to compensate for my height.

Let's assume that I'm only going to post once a month. Then people will get surprised if I decide to do some random blogging.

Sharpie Tattoos

Not to sound like a killjoy, but I'm tired of hearing people talk about how much they want a tattoo, and then regretting it only hours later.
I came up with a method* to test whether you really want to get that southern cross tattoo on your face. The concept is simple enough - after looking through tattoo designs (or even designing your own) get a sharpie marker and draw exactly the same size and shape on the area you want your tattoo. Don't be shy with your marker! Show this to the people whose opinions matter most to you and get their feedback. If you still like the design after the marker has worn away and your PWOMMTY haven't persuaded you not to get it, only then should you think seriously about your tattoo.

*Note: I'm probably not the first person to actually think of this method, but it just seems like common sense.

Can't you just see this as one of those late night infomercials or Today Tonight reports? I think it's ideas like this that people read and label me as a killjoy. Perhaps I need some sleep.

Doctor Who Rant

Being British, I am obligated to defend the long time running sci fi series Doctor Who with my heart and soul (despite only actually watching the 2005 revival onward). However, some of the Doctor's companions will nearly drive me to tears. *COUGH* Rose Tyler and Amy Pond. Naturally they're the ones most people like the best, so I'm in the minority boat here when I say they infuriate me.

Brace yourselves, a rant about Rose Tyler is about to ensue. Ladies and gentlemen, please take note of your nearest exit.

I don't understand everyone's obsession with Rose. Literally everything she does ruins something. If I was the Doctor I would have dropped her off long ago. And EVERY SINGLE TIME she asks "was that my fault?" with the same doe eyed expression. "Yes Rose, you ripped apart time and space...AGAIN" was my reaction to nearly every thing that happened (particularly in Season 1). You'd also think that after screwing up the universe multiple times she'd actually listen to the Doctor?
Also, should I point out she literally dropped everything to go travelling through time and space not thinking to question the man that she might be travelling with. She didn't tell her Mum and was listed as a missing person for 12 months. The only episodes where I wasn't yelling at the television were the season finales of 2 and 4.

Jack. Donna. Martha. K-9. Wilfred. In my opinion THESE characters are the ones worth raving on about. 




(Leaving on a positive note: how awesome is this TARDIS teapot!?)

Meeting Bill Bailey

British comedian Bill Bailey performed his stand up act Qualmpeddler in Adelaide this week, which I was incredibly fortunate to have attended. Surprisingly there wasn't really much advertising for it; I stumbled across one poster completely by accident and made plans to go instantaneously. 

My trusty sidekick James accompanied me on the night (I use the word "accompanied", when really "chauffeured" is more appropriate). I had actually bought James a boxed set of Bill Bailey's shows for Christmas, so he was just as excited as I was! Bill's unique music and comedy combination left me smiling and laughing more than I had done in years. Plus he called us "one of the strangest audiences" he'd ever had which made me giggle more than it really ought to... 

The following day I noticed a picture of Bill Bailey with one of my friends. Devastated that we missed an opportunity to meet such a fantastic man, James and I drove down to Thebarton Theatre after his show on the off chance that he had organised another unofficial signing.

I posted the following Facebook status before leaving home:

James and I were in awe yesterday after seeing Bill Bailey live. We only found out today that he does stage door signings after his shows. We see this as our opportunity to go down after today's show and try to meet him since we didn't yesterday. This plan will either be pulled off fantastically or fail disastrously. Fingers crossed!

And oh, it was pulled off fantastically. Bill is such a charismatic person, and for the first time in my life I was incredibly starstruck! He was nice enough to sign my ticket and Part Troll DVD cover, as well as have our photograph taken together. But what really made him special was that when I asked him to record a father's day message for my dad, he did!

Call us groupies if you like, but I'd do it all over again if I could!
Visit Bill Bailey's Official Website for future tour dates.

Bill Bailey & I

Bill Bailey wishes my dad a Happy Father's Day (video)

IKEA Roleplaying

At the moment my house might as well be dubbed "The House of Fluff" due to the fluffballs which are our cats. Not a single piece of clothing goes unfluffed. One can't sit down on the sofa without getting up with a collection of fluff looking remarkably like a rabbit's tail on their behind. (I've written the word "fluff" too much, but I can't think of an appropriate synonym right now...)

Because of this I was accompanied by the lovely Lachlan to IKEA in pursuit of lint rollers. Rather than making a beeline for the lint rollers we ambled through the store looking at all the display rooms. Naturally we decided it would be a fabulous idea to play pretend. We started off in the kitchen, or the "woman's place" as my dear friend so taunts me, where Lachlan would walk into the room where I was supposedly cooking and calling out "honey, I'm home". As we made our way through each room we acted out a number of scenarios. We sat down on two sofas to watch the Olympics on the plastic television in our living room. As I went to grab the wine I noticed all the wine bottles were empty and accused my drunkard husband of drinking all the wine. Continuing through the many rooms of our IKEA furnished home we stumbled across a children's room where I proceeded to look for our lost son, yelling out "Timmy, Timmy, where are you?" We then turned around and found a group of strangers had let themselves into our living room and began criticising our furniture. On close inspection all the food had been taken from our fridge as well! Devastated, we then went bed testing and searched for convenient storage solutions in which to put the souls we'd stolen.

We had enough time to enjoy a hearty IKEA meal of chips and gravy (and unlimited soft drink refills!) before actually finding the lint rollers we came for in the first place and heading through the self service check outs. 

Just a side note about IKEA... I never noticed any functioning clocks while I was in store. It's a strategic marketing strategy so that you can legitimately lose track of time and easily spend a whole afternoon looking at everything. *gasp*

Next blog post (probably) I'll reveal my not-quite-so-wild first experience nightclubbing! Dun dun dun...

Jane appreciation post

After watching The Inbetweeners Movie three times within two days, I realised just how much I love Jane (played by Lydia Rose Bewley) as a character. She is just... wow. Bubbly, confident, funny and sexy. She jokes about herself and doesn't let other people get her down despite the fat jokes constantly being hurled at her. She's forward and cheeky and everything I've always wanted to be but was afraid.

And Jay: the least mature all "the inbetweeners"... who constantly undermined women throughout the entire television series (and for most of the film) grows up and realises that this "fat" girl he's been making fun of is actually really fantastic. When I first saw The Inbetweeners Movie at the cinema I literally left with a massive grin on my face just from that storyline.


I don't mean to come across as all gushy but I can't help it. For once in a film we don't have to see the girl who is constantly being ridiculed standing on the sidelines, or having to change who she is to get the guy she wants. Personality trumps looks (although in my opinion, she is still gorgeous!) and despite all the comedy a valuable message is portrayed: don't pretend to be someone you're not, and live your life in spite of what others think about you.

Compilation Post

I realise that my last post was quite a serious one, but in the same regard we can't let fear or worry take over our entire lives. Because of this I'll address a main point in my blog: Yes... I have been lazy. I meant to post this update nearly two weeks ago, but it has been lying in my drafts folder for quite some time. Because of my pure laziness, this will be more of a compilation post of the last couple of weeks. More India-related posts will come soon, once I can motivate my lazy self to do anything constructive.


I) Anecdote of the day: Hugh brought a bottle of VB when he came up as he was going with the whole "Australian bogan" theme. Dad discovered the VB in question, took one look at it, opened it and poured it down the sink. He then turned to me and said "we don't have VB in our house". (1st July)


II) Back to my life... I've started volunteering with Mum at the Hahndorf Animal Shelter on Thursdays and Fridays, which has actually given me some sort of purpose now that I'm back home again. I've been working with the dogs recently which is good for me, since they're so affectionate and give me the love I so desperately crave *insert sarcasm here*. I've fallen in love with Meika, a young husky who recently gave birth to seven husky x rottweiler puppies. Unfortunately this love affair can't last as it seems that there is no chance I can adopt her.


III) I've been looking for work again, since I'm not too keen on returning to the fast food industry any time soon. I had an interview at SpecSavers on Friday which went really well, but in the end they gave the position to someone who actually was planning on making a career for themselves in optics. I have another interview next week regarding a sales position at a photography company. Fingers crossed!


IV) I saw Brave in 3D at the cinemas with Lachlan, and oh my goodness Disney/Pixar - what a fantastic job. I loved every scene. And the accents.... is it possible to fall in love with a country just from the accents? If so, I may move to Scotland in a heartbeat.


V) I'm also having a number of medical tests at the moment, but I shan't say anything else about them until I get my results back. Nothing worse than worrying if you don't need to! At least that's what I'm trying to convince myself.


Lots of other things have happened, but I won't bore anyone further than absolutely necessary. But before I sign off, I'll exercise my bragging rights and just say that tonight I'm going to the Government House of South Australia as last year I was a youth ambassador for the Cora Barclay Centre. I am really looking forward to this opportunity to meet His Excellency Rear Admiral Kevin Scarce AC CSC RANR Governor of South Australia, or as my father has affectionately dubbed him "Kev" and his wife Mrs Liz Scarce. I desperately hope not to embarrass myself as usual in front of them. Wish me luck!

28th June: The day I realised how easily the bubble we live in can be shattered at any moment

My mother is a member of Fauna Rescue, so on the afternoon of June 28th we were called to a rescue in Little Hampton. There was a possum in a cellar, and the owner had undergone a vasectomy the day before so he couldn't take care of it himself in that state. As we pulled up the guy who had called us was waiting out the front of his house and informed us that his next-door neighbour's house was actually on fire. 
Whilst we waited for the CFS to arrive, he grabbed the garden hose and tried to put out the fire, but with no luck. Before the CFS arrived, the neighbour's 20-something year old son (I'll call him X) came home after walking his dog, and entered the burning building in an attempt to save some of his family's possessions. X had inhaled a lot of smoke while he was in the building, so when he came out he was not in a good condition. All three emergency services had arrived at the scene. X was now experiencing some breathing problems; hyperventilation and shock. I stood by him, stunned by everything. I couldn't move - the situation just didn't seem real. 
X was taken to hospital, and the CFS extinguished the fire, so everything went as best as it could given the circumstances. This was the first time that I'd ever seen a house fire, and it affected me deeply. It was then I realised just how fragile everything is in life, and how easily the little bubble we each live in can pop instantaneously. 


Fortunately this fire was manageable, and X was alright. Some people aren't so lucky. The possibility of experiencing a house fire in Australia is too high for my liking. One fire fighter quoted a figure that about 1 in 5 Australian households is expected to have a house fire at some stage. Many of these fires are preventable. Let's hope that we can lower these figures by being more aware of hazards in our surroundings and taking preventative measures against them.

Update on my integration back into Western society

Oh my goodness, Dad just came home to change his jacket. When questioned about where he was heading he replied "I'm going to the Royal Society for the Blind, so I don't have to get too dressed up". I've missed moments like this.


Anyway, in recent "news" I've been trying to apply for jobs - after working in the fast food industry for two and a half years I've rather had enough. I've found some jobs that I think I'd really enjoy, but there are a few problems...
1. I haven't actually saved my resume onto my hard drive, and the computer that I took to India (which has the edited fancy pants version) is on strike and has taken my resume hostage. 
2. I decided it would be a rather fantastic idea to get some henna designs on my hands before I left India. I thought I was being incredibly witty when I posted my latest facebook status: 

"Still have henna on my hands, so until it wears off I shall be handing out my job applications with gloves on... This isn't trickery, this is business."

I am also having so much trouble getting back into a healthy sleeping pattern. My body clock is still four hours behind Adelaide time, so I wake up at 10am and go back to sleep because I think it's 6am! Even if I get up, I'm tired for a long period of time, but I won't go to sleep until 4 or 5am come "bed time". 


My 1998 Subaru Forester has gone (my parents sold it when I was in India), and has been replaced with a 2008 Toyota Yaris, which has yet to be christened. Feel free to submit any names! 
I love my new car, but I think that perhaps I'll save my rant/bragging rights for a Yaris appreciation post in the near future.


If you read through this entire post then I congratulate you, and possibly question your avid interest in my life. Read a book or go outside (actually don't, it's freezing). 
I've got four books I'm making my way through. If you're genuinely interested, have a look at my goodreads account :)

**Happy birthday to Simone, who turns 12 today.** 

India: Faux pas

My time in India was characterized by a large number of misunderstandings. Having not learned Hindi, I was at a disadvantage. Whilst the schools I taught at were English medium schools - I could usually have proper conversations with my students, when I stepped out of the campus and into the village I was at a loss. Shivpuri, the location of my first teaching placement was in a sense fairly rural. The nearest big town Gwalior was a two hour bus ride away. The locals all spoke Hindi, with a very limited English vocabulary in most cases. 


I'd like to share with you a story that I refer to as the infamous 15 loaves incident - Whilst Liv was still at our placement, she and I decided to attempt braving the street stalls of Shivpuri to do our food shopping. We visited one shop where we bought most of the food that we needed (butter, bread, juice etc.) The shop owner (who didn't speak enough English to formulate a full sentence) announced "15" when we asked for some bread, which we assumed to be the price in Indian rupees. What he actually meant was that he wanted to sell us 15 loaves of bread, which he didn't bring out until later. We paid for our groceries, which the shop owner insisted that we were to leave at the shop while we bought fruit across the road. Our driver had organised a rickshaw to take us back to the school, and had put our shopping into the rickshaw. As the rickshaw drove off I noticed a large box of bread sitting beside me and then it hit me - the shopkeeper meant 15 loaves, not 15 rupees! Too hot and tired from our endeavor to return (It was about 42 degrees) we took the bread home, laughing at our misunderstanding. It cost us just over $3 AUD, and we did make our way through most of loaves, or gave them away.


Another problem that we encountered was to comply with the social etiquette and customs that apply in Indian culture.


In India it is common practice to refrain from using your left hand to eat food, as in the lower castes the left is used for toilet purposes and any similar dirty jobs. For this reason when a severe crime or theft was committed the culprit would have their right hand cut off so that they were forced to eat with their "toilet hand". During my time in India I made it a habit to use my right hand when eating in public, whereas in our room I would eat however I pleased. At La Montessori School in Kullu I would occasionally be required to assist in tutoring some of the students. In my free time I bought some chocolate, which got on my left hand. Not noticing, I went down for the tutoring session. It wasn't until one of the students pointed out that I had something on my hand that I realised, and spent the next five minutes reassuring them that it actually was chocolate.


I am the primary source of my own embarrassment.

India: the ugly topic of sexual harassment

Oh my goodness - I've just come from Delhi to Adelaide, resulting in a four hour time difference, and a forty degree temperature difference. I've gone from 45 to 5 degrees Celsius and my body is not liking it!


In this blog post I'll be addressing the serious issue of sexual harassment in what I would potentially call the "ugly" side of Indian society. Being a young, white female I am perceived by a lot of men in India as "easy". I blame Hollywood film culture for this portrayal, but that's probably just my prejudiced nature towards the American film industry. Of course, not all men are like this, I have met a number of lovely males, but the number of occasions that myself and other volunteers were harassed by locals was phenomenal, and I believe that this issue needs addressing.   


Main cities were the major locations of harassment. A number of men would grab their crotch as we'd walk past, raise an eyebrow, make kissy noises in our direction or just make an offensive comment. Some of the other girls would be subjected to groping (I myself got felt up on the Delhi metro), and in one instance a girl was kissed in the street by a random passerby! It would seem that there are no boundaries between appropriate and inappropriate behaviour.


I'd like to draw attention to two personal examples (of the many incidents) of sexual harassment that happened to me, which really could have turned out worse.


1. In Manali a group of us were staying in a hotel together. Everyone else had gone out for celebratory birthday drinks, and I stayed back at our room because I was ill. We had arranged to sort out all the paperwork the next morning. When I am ill, I tend to be a very sound sleeper, I generally won't wake up for anything. Knowing this, I naively left the door unlocked with the intention of the girls being able to let themselves in, so they wouldn't be locked out as I slept through their knocking. In the early morning hours (I'm guessing around one or two) a man let himself into my bedroom, turned on the light and sat on the edge of my bed. Knowing something was wrong, I begrudgingly woke up and found myself face-to-face with a man I had never seen before, claiming to be one of the owners of the hotel (he actually was, but that wasn't the point). As he introduced himself I could smell beer on him. I explained that we'd spoken to someone who  said we could sort out the paperwork tomorrow. He continued talking to me and helped himself to my kindle, which he looked through without asking. He then turned to me and asked if I'd like him to leave, or if I'd like his company (I later figured out what he really meant). I politely explained that he let himself into my room while I was sleeping and woke me up and asked that he'd leave. Before doing so he took the liberty of kissing me on the cheek, leaving me in shock for the next few minutes as I tried to comprehend what had just happened.


2. Whilst we were in Amritsar (location of the Golden Temple) we visited the communal kitchen, or the Guru-Ka-Langar for dinner. This dining hall feeds between 60,000 and 80,000 pilgrims per day, and with our luck ended up there at peak dinner hour. We were in a crowd in literally about a thousand people (luckily we  were near the front) all waiting to be fed. We were all packed in tightly. Behind me was one man who thought that it was okay to rub up against me from behind and readjust himself. He also tried to get pretty close, attempting to wrap his legs around mine - he recoiled when I stamped on his foot. Then with his metal plate started fanning himself, hitting me on the head with it at the same time. When I turned around to scold him, he looked at me as if to say "well, what do you want?"


My point is, to many men Western women are merely sexual idols - simply objects for their enjoyment; hence the rude language and unwanted advances. Compared to others, I didn't have it too badly, but I won't go into that. Some men are prone to sexual harassment also - one of the boys I met was felt up on a train. Unfortunately there are many instances of sexual harassment that a lot of people get away with; and not just foreigners travelling in India. Sexual harassment is a serious issue that happens under a number of circumstances worldwide. Sometimes it happens too quickly for you to react. 


The unfortunate part about sexual harassment in India is that the victim is often the one shamed, not the culprit. India needs to reverse this concept of victim-blaming, and instill the idea that sexual harassment is not acceptable under any circumstances, and should not be taken lightheartedly. 


Down with sexual harassment, and down with victim blaming!

Leaving India

In the words of Jawaharlal Nehru: "India is a geographical and economic entity, a cultural unity amidst diversity, a bundle of contradictions held together by strong but invisible threads".

After living in India for the past four months I can say that I agree wholeheartedly with India's first prime minister. These past months have been absolutely intense; I've been experiencing a completely different life to the one that I lead in Adelaide. Being in a country where the poor and the wealthy live (in some cases quite literally) side by side really opens your eyes up to the harsh realities of life. It's not uncommon to see BMWs parked only a couple of metres from the slums, and yet majority of the population don't even think twice about it.

In the following blog posts I will attempt to convey some of my experiences in India over the past few months: the good, the bad and the ugly. Overall, I did have an incredible experience, and met a number of interesting people with whom I shared these experiences with.  Despite any of my not-so-great experiences, I am pleased to have had this opportunity to experience Hindustani culture and to expand my global awareness. 

I will be back in Adelaide on Friday at 8:10am. Until then, namaste!