Where in the world is Lani?

Chiang Dao, darling!

lani — Mon, 5 Nov 2012 20:34:00 GMT

After returning to one of our favourite places - Chiang Mai - for a few days of downtime, catching up with friends and THE BEST coffee at Ristr8to; we took the recommendation to spend a day and night at nearby Chiang Dao Nest for a mountain experience.

After taking the bus from Chiang Mai (bargain at only 40 baht / $1.30aud per ticket) we arrived in Chiang Dao and then hopped in a song thew with our first ever female taxi driver in Thailand. She had a map with set prices for the few accommodations in the area, taking us straight to the Nest.

On arrival at the Chiang Dao Nest 1 (there's another Nest #2 about 10 minutes drive away) we were greeted with some lovely lemongrass tea and our quaint little cabins sprung around the garden. After quickly scouting the hand drawn map of the area, we hiked up the road to the local monastery and then hit the 510 steps to the Chedi (temple) at the top. What a peaceful place and a great walk. Every 10 steps or so, we were met by a motivational sign quoting Buddha wisdoms. It distracted us from the steep incline and the nearly unbearable humidity in any case.

After walking home and a dip in the icy but refreshing pool onsite, we rendezvoused in the undercover deck area on Thai mats for happy hour drinks and to enjoy our surrounds. Very peaceful and relaxing!

We decided to try dinner at the Nest 1's western restaurant and had an amazing experience. What a treat to find Argentinian red wine, lamb shanks, risotto and good steak! Thai food has been delicious but it was a nice treat to be able to eat well cooked western food and enjoy a candlelit dinner in the bush.

The next day we enjoyed breakfast before hiring bikes and making the ride 7km to the local hot-springs. After a wrong turn (we should have cycled 50m more) we added about 5km of uphill riding and an hour to our trip; but eventually made it to the hot-springs and river where we enjoyed ourselves for a few hours by alternating dips in the hot and cold pools. we stopped off at the Nest #2 for a Thai lunch before riding back to Nest #1 for a quick shower and beer to cool down.

That afternoon we returned to Chiang Mai in our own song thew, wishing we'd stayed another few days in Chiang Dao to try out some of the other activities like the morning market, temples and to relax in the surrounds. Saving that for next visit.....

A week in Vientiane

lani — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 12:33:00 GMT

Laos started out as a convenient side trip idea which allowed us to leave Thailand and re-enter to renew our tourist visas for another month but ended up being a true highlight of the trip!

We flew to Vientiane in the morning and after spending a couple of hours, 30USD each for a visa and most of our patience, we finally had arrived in Laos. Here are some of the highlights of our week in the charming capital city that feels more like a French country town...

Mekong views

We enjoyed walking along the banks (albeit a cement cycle way) and then scaling up a few flights of stairs to the pub / bar with views over the river. A few sunsets were seen in, just enjoying the red sky views and the picturesque waterway.

Beer Lao

Probably the best SE Asian beer of the trip so far, Beer Lao regular and dark are both very tasty. They're really the perfect accompaniment to the Mekong views and all Lao food. All for less that $2AUD in most places.

Lao food

We were expecting very similar dishes to Thai food and whilst some of the same ingredients appear, Lao food took our taste buds to a new level. Great restaurants such as Makphet and the Lao Kitchen dished up traditional flavours like buffalo, Mekong fish, laap (minced chicken or pork with herbs) , nam prik dips, Mekong river weed dried like Japanese nori and some awesome soups too. Our favourites were definitely the noodle soups, served with loads of fresh herbs and a condiment selection we've never experienced before. And the sticky rice. Oh the sticky rice. Served in sweet little bamboo baskets, eaten with your fingers, so delicious. Love, love, loved it. We also loved the sweet sticky rice flavoured with red beans rolled up in bamboo and sold on the street for 5000kip (80c Australian).

Vientiane morning market

Huge variety of everything from traditional silks to electronics, we bought up a few souvenirs here after we discovered the huge extra market behind the bus station. Best baguettes (fresh bread, pork pate, pork floss, fresh coriander, mayo and chilli) for 80c each on the corner of the bus station too...

Lao Herbal Sauna and Massage

In a tuk tuk, out to the city limits lies Wat Sok Pa Luang (a temple) renouned for the best Lao massage in town. One hour of creaks and cracks later, we ventured into the sauna which burns herbs like eucalyptus and basil to give you a sweet smelling sauna experience. Hard to believe it only costs $6AUD per person. Amazing. We went in the afternoon as the monks from the Wat get their treatments in the morning.

All this for a fraction of the price elsewhere, always with a smile and fantastic weather. Laos, we love you and can't wait to come back soon.

Learning to cook, Thai style

lani — Tue, 2 Oct 2012 18:54:00 GMT

During our stay at Bai Lan Bay, we decided to do a cooking class to get a feel for some of our favourite Thai dishes. Nearby to us in Bai Lan Bay village was cooking school and restaurant called the Happy Turtle which was run by Soa & her Swedish husband Nik.

As its still considered "low season", Ant and I were able to have our own private lesson - normally its classes of up to 4 people. We both cooked Pad Thai with seafood, Ant cooked chicken green curry and spring rolls; and (of course) I cooked som tam (spicy papaya salad) and also a coconut banana dessert. I've been obsessed with som tam since I arrived in Thailand, it was one of the first dishes we tried and I've been eating it every day since. Its essentially a spicy thai salad made out of unripened papaya (its white flesh and green skinned before it ripens), carrot, peanuts, lime, dried shrimp, fish sauce and sugar. The main differentiating feature of the various som tam's I've had has been the amount of fresh chilli added…and apparently the more chilli you can take, the more "Thai" you have become in your tastes. During our cooking class, Soa explained that her chills were the small, hot, hot, hot variety but that she would put about 20 in her own som tam that she eats everyday. The thought of 20 chillis was too much for me, so I added 5 and hoped for the best. The som tam was delicious, but I'm glad I didn't add any more chilli! We were crying with heat at the end of the salad, but still enjoying the taste and the experience of having made it ourselves.

Included in our class was a lovely tour of the garden where a lot of the produce that we used during our cooking class was grown. We cooked and feasted from 10am - 2pm and then retreated to our bungalow to cool off in front of the fan before an afternoon swim… The cooking course cost 1000 Baht (about $30AUD) per person, which included up to 3 dishes each and a thai cookbook. I can definitely recommend this as an experience for anyone in the area of Koh Chang who is looking for an authentic Thai flavour to their cooking and for an interesting and fun thing to do on Koh Chang.

The Happy Turtle also run a restaurant and we ate there another night and loved the food. We loved the Penang curry and Nik makes some mean cocktails at his little bar. My fave was the Coco Delight - vanilla ice-cream, sprite, vodka and malibu - kind of like an alcoholic spider. Yum yum!

www.happyturtle.info

Our time in Bai Lan Bay

lani — Sun, 30 Sep 2012 18:49:00 GMT

We needed a break from Bangkok so decided to head to Koh Chang which is an island off the south east coast of Thailand, quite near to Cambodia. The usual trek there is a 12 hour plus minibus ride but we decided to live it up and take the 45 minute ($90AUD) flight from Bangkok to Trat airport and then transfer via minibus and ferry across to Koh Chang. A much quicker trip, and although more expensive, worth it if you have the money.

On Koh Chang there are a few major villages, each with a slightly different personality and vibe about them.

We picked Bai Lan Bay, which is one of the southern strips along the west coast of the island. Whilst our "beach" was a series of rocky coastlines, we were about 10 minutes walk away from the nearest sandy beach - known as "Lonely Beach" which wasn't that lonely but was a great place for a morning and afternoon dip! We decided to stay at Bai Lan Bay Resort which had been recommended on trip advisor as a place to get away from it all and not a party area. After hitting the cities of Singapore, KL and Bangkok - this was exactly what we needed. Bai Lan Bay Resort huts overlook the ocean and the jungle and whilst remote (no wifi, no tv, no one really around) our stay there has been the highlight of our trip so far.

Our typical days at Bai Lan included:

waking up to the sound of the ocean

brisk 10 min uphill walk over to Lonely Beach with the monkeys keeping watch

morning dip in the warm, bath-like water before walking home

enjoying the sugary bright red "jam" on toast and our black strong coffee for brekky

some writing, reading and a lot of lazing about

late lunch of various curries and of course, som tam (as spicy as we can handle) upstairs watching the ocean

afternoon walk for more exploring the beach or just reading by the beach bar with a coco drink or three...

dinners at the restaurant upstairs - our favourites, fried fish with ginger, pad thai and green curry with Leo beer to keep us cool

We had mixed weather which has mostly been nice hot days with afternoon showers. One afternoon we were caught in an amazing rain storm and ended up walking home from the beach soaking wet. It was funny at the time - how often do you really get soaking wet in the rain from head to toe?

There are many other beaches and villages on the island - Bang Bao (fishing village with long pier covered in tourist shops and seafood restaurants. We enjoyed a bloody mary at the buddha view and spoke to the guide from "Friendly tours" about getting out to some of the smaller islands around Koh Chang as the boats aren't running in October); Pearl Beach (great bookshop with awesome coffee and free wifi, post office but not much else) and Kai Be (a hike from the beach, mostly tourist shops and restaurants, mainly private beaches for the Russians) but Bai Lan area is our favourite. It has everything we need and is close to the atmosphere of Lonely Beach without being part of the backpackers hovel.

So, after intending to stay 5 days in Bai Lan, we ended up spending 12 and loving every one! We were sad to say goodbye to our little piece of paradise, who knows when we'll be back...

Koh Chang-tastic

lani — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 20:14:00 GMT

I think the term is big-city-itis and the symptoms include an aversion to mass rapid transit, being fed up with smog, indecisiveness due to many options for what to eat for dinner AND pale white skin. Call it whatever you like, by the time we arrived in Bangkok and spent a few days there - we were ready to head somewhere quiet and a little more remote. While we loved Singapore, KL, Penang and Bangkok (all for different reasons), we needed to take a break from SE Asian city life.

Cue Koh Chang which is an island off the east coast of Thailand and has been our home now for 4 days AND we'll be staying for awhile longer…. We took the flight from Bangkok to Trat airport and then the ferry across to Koh Chang. A long but relaxing way to get here.

Koh Chang island is part of a huge national park area in this part of Thailand and is an awesome mix of jungle and beach. There are plenty of tourist strips here (White Sands Beach, Lonely Beach, Hat Sai Khao) with their pubs, nightclubs and buckets of brightly coloured cocktails all for the price of a decent espresso in Sydney. We decided to steer clear of those beaches though - and are staying on the West Coast at Bai Lan Bay which is a fairly quiet part of town. Our semi traditional Thai hut is on stilts, overlooking a rocky beach on one side and the jungle on the other. We're trading off no internet access for the peaceful crashing of waves that we fall asleep to every night and the awesome Thai / seafood restaurant on site. A good trade methinks. We're spending our days reading, walking the island, swimming on the small beach and might muster up the energy to do a cooking class or two before we move onto the next spot. Its lovely to be somewhat off the grid for awhile….

Taking the longer journey to Penang

lani — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 20:12:00 GMT

After chilling out in the Cameron Highlands for a few days, drinking tea and enjoying a break from the humidity of the city - we decided to head for Penang (pronouced Pin-ang here) for some legendary food and so we could be closer to the water. We took a long distance coach from Tanah Rata (Cameron Highlands) which ended up being a mini bus to Ipoh and then a coach to Butterworth which is the last stop on the mainland before Penang. Penang is actually an island off the coast of mainland Malaysia, but its not far in distance and you can see Penang from Butterworth station. Even though our coach was actually crossing the bridge over to Penang, we decided to catch the ferry across and as luck had it - we got on the ferry just as the sun was setting which made for a beautiful 15 minute ride across to the island. I would recommend the ferry ride (Butterworth - Georgetown) to anyone, and its nice and easy once you reach Penang to jump on a bus or taxi to your destination.

Georgetown is the main city at the port of arrival and although it seemed busy and crazy, its an amazing place to explore. We thought Singapore was a great mix of cultures (Little India, Chinatown and Muslim Mosques) but Georgetown takes it to a new level. It was our first experience of seeing Trishaws (bikes with 3 wheels and a passenger seat on the front) on the roads amongst crazy taxi drivers and plenty of scooters and motorbikes. You've got old colonial buildings, forts with old cannons, Malay mansions, mosques, Chinese temples, Little India streets and streets and so many outdoor places to eat. Sensory overload.

Our Penang food dreams conjured up images of colourful street vendors, hawker markets and exotic choices for every meal and it didn't disappoint. Although I was sick for the entire time we were there, Ant managed to enjoy a variety of Penang's best - including Penang laksa (sour, spicy, very soupy), Cendol (bright green cold spaghetti mixed with ice, coconut milk and sugar - served cold like an ice-cream), Char Kway Teow (rice noodles with seafood and a smoky black soy sauce) and Satay sticks (cooked on open BBQ's in the markets).

By far our best food experience (thank goodness I was feeling better by then!) was on our last night when we ventured round to Gurney Bay Drive Hawker centre which held a reputation as the biggest and best food market in Penang. The phrase "spoilt for choice" doesn't do this place justice. There were literally hundreds of small stalls selling everything and anything you were prepared to part with your Ringitt for.

The must have experience of Gurney Bay Hawker centre for us was definitely our new hero - only known to us as "Rojak-man." We'd tried Chinese Rojak (a fruit and veg salad covered in a sour tamarind and sugar sauce with peanuts and chilli) in Singapore but "Rojak-man" specialises in the Indian version which is known as Pasembur here. Ingredients are a little different (Indians use potato, egg, cuttlefish); sauce is similar; but its all in the presentation with "Rojak-man." Playing loud Bollywood-esque music with a 60's disco feel, "Rojak-man's" stall was packed with both locals and tourists waiting for his magic. Upon ordering, he chants "ROJAK" in time with the music and proceeds to chop all the ingredients for each Pasembur salad in sync with the music. He then covers the salad in his tamarind sauce whilst spinning and shimmy-ing along to his disco tunes, with a huge smile on his face. Really magic. The Rojak was AMAZING and for days after, Ant and I would just look at each other and start chanting "Rojak" and try to recreate the shimmy of "Rojak-man" at random times - what an individual.

Penang and "Rojak-man" - we will definitely be back!

Exploring the Batu Caves

lani — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 20:09:00 GMT

Based on Ant's childhood memories of visiting the caves, we decided to make the trip 13kms out of KL to see the caves and surrounds. There are loads of ways to get to the caves (taxi, buses, tourist bus) but we decided to take the train from KL Sentral which meant we could also check out the outer suburbs of KL beyond the city limits. It was a fairly easy trip out there, and conveniently there is a train station called Batu Caves which makes it easy to know where to alight!

Of course it started pouring with rain as soon as we arrived so we donned out waterproof jackets and kept on truckin. Before you can even start taking in the actual caves, you notice the HUGE set of stairs (they say its 272 steps but i lost count half way up) which lead up past the massive 40m high Murga statue which is covered in gold. Those steps are a killer but definitely worth the trek up top. The main cave at the top of the stairs is the Temple cave which houses a full Hindu shrine which is very peaceful and was a nice quiet spot to stop and wait awhile. Once we'd explored the Temple Cave we noticed the Dark Cave tour which seemed a more in-depth look into the cave system. Ant remembered from his childhood visit that he didn't get to do the Dark Cave tour so how could we not do it now?

35MYR per person later, we joined a guided tour of noisy tourists for the 45 minute tour. We saw plenty of bats (and their droppings) plus some amazing limestone formations in the cave system which was definitely worth the trek in. I enjoyed the "total absence of light moment" when we all switched off our torches and were immersed in 100% blackness for a minute or two. That freaked out many of the tour group but I enjoyed the feeling of just being in the massive cave with no light and just the sounds of the cave dwelling animals for a bit.

On our walk down the 272 steps we encountered some cheeky monkeys and some idiotic tourists; which ended in pain for the tourists as you can imagine. We saw one guy lose his lunch after he decided to feed a monkey his McDonalds. Mr Monkey snatched his entire lunch and retreated to higher ground to enjoy his fries in peace. The monkeys round those parts are well trained to grab for valuables and food so we balanced monkey watching with watching our own stuff for a few minutes on the stairs.

After an easy train ride back to KL Sentral, we arrived back in the big smoke just in time for lunch and the sunshine to hit. What a great way to spend the morning, and a good way to take a small break from the city hustle and bustle and to work up an appetite for lunch from all those stairs!

Photos: Malaysia

lani — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 19:29:00 GMT

Mash up of Indian, Malay, Chinese and humidity. Love it!

How to eat at a Hawker centre

lani — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 19:47:00 GMT

Read any guidebook, review any website or watch any episode of a travel show and they'll all recommend the quintessential "Hawker market" experience in Singapore (and most of SE Asia as well). While the idea of street food might turn some people off, but after watching too many episodes of Anthony Bourdain's 'No Reservations' Singapore stints - we were super keen to see what the fuss was all about.

Hawker Centres are typically open-air complexes consisting of a variety of stalls specialising in one or two dishes each. They're famous for being the cheapest place to eat and a great way to really get a feel for the neighbourhood you're visiting. There's plenty of choice in Singapore when it comes to Hawker Centres/Markets/Stalls and we visited all types - shopping mall sanitised versions, Lonely Planet tourist-recommended versions, stumble-across-it-on-the-street versions and even Hawker stalls that don't even look like they serve food. Its all good.

Here's a few tips that we can share to those in search of the ultimate Hawker experience:

1. Don't over-analyse the experience, just take a walk around and follow your nose.

2. Always check upstairs, even if the bottom floor looks closed. We stumbled upon a hive of activity in the Chinatown complex when the base level looked deserted.

3. Buy your drinks from one stand and food from others. It's rare you can buy both food and drink from the same stall.

4. You usually pay once your food has been brought to the table/served up on your tray and not when you order. Depends on the stall though.

5. BYO tissues and handwipes. There are always people walking around selling packets of tissues as the Hawker stalls don't usually supply serviettes.

6. Don't waste your money on fancy restaurants in Singapore. Hawker centres / open air food courts are the way to go.

7. Check out http://www.myhawkers.sg for a listing and directions to most of the Hawker centres in Singas.

8. Try something new. We discovered some awesome dishes by just checking out what other people were eating and asking for "whatever they're having"

Enjoy!

Photos: Singapore

lani — Sat, 8 Sep 2012 18:07:00 GMT

Humidity, orchids, biryani, Tiger beer, heat, chilli crab AND chicken rice, oh yeah!

Spice belly in Singapore

lani — Sat, 8 Sep 2012 00:36:00 GMT

You know you've found a good biryani restaurant when the lady taking your order simply asks one question. "Mutton, chicken or vegetarian?"

On our trip out to Little India we discovered plenty of options around town whilst hiking it all around the area, using our noses as the guide for the best place to eat. I noticed alot of cafes where there were a distinct lack of gender diversity (read: only men in the place) and whilst that's no problem for me, it might have been uncomfortable for the lads themselves - so we decided to keep on walking down until we hit Bismillah Biryani on Dunlop Street. Written up in the LP guide and apparently rated the "best Biryani in Singapore" by google, it was fairly low-key and just smelled wonderful.

When we sat down and were only given 3 choices, we knew we were in the right place! Two plates of amazing biryani, 2 glasses of ice cold lime water and many crunchy papadums later we sat back and enjoyed what has come to be known as "spice belly" on the trip - that magical feeling you get after an awesome spicy (always simple and fresh) meal.

Photos: Turkey

lani — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 07:27:00 GMT

Turkish Delights

lani — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 07:07:00 GMT

My new favourite destination for adventure is Turkey..... I stumbled across this place back in April this year when I set off for 10 days on an ANZAC day mission, tracing the steps of the Aussie diggers during WW1.

Started in Istanbul - a breathtaking city - fabulous mix of east meets west. Gazing across the city skyline you catch glimpses of the Blue Mosque, the Grand Bazaar, Turkish flags waving proudly in the wind and the turrets of nearby mosques. A must do is a wander in the Palace Gardens and a spot of Turkish tea overlooking the Bosphorous. I now understand why there is ALWAYS time for Turkish tea, in the sunshine, relaxing in the park!

Next stop was a journey to Gallipoli (Gelibolu) further south. Amongst the thousands of Aussies and Kiwi's there - the most hospitable and welcoming Turks in the world. We camped out overnight, the coldest I have ever felt in my life (under 10 layers and a sleeping bag, mind). The only thing that kept me going was the constant supply of sweet apple tea from charming Turkish grandma's for 1 lira (about 50p). Delightful.

The dawn remembrance service was spine tingling and the frozen night in open air was worth it. As the sun rose, the heat of the day defrosted us all and then before I knew it, we were trekking around the bay area - visiting the Australian, New Zealand and Turkish memorials before hitting the bus onto the next stop.

A quick night by the ocean before a day traveling to Cannakale ruins which takes our breath away. I've never seen so many poppies in full bloom, and such a rich history before. NEVER.

By this stage, my patience for being part of a 'pre-arranged' tour group had worn out, so I said adieu to the 30 others on the bus and jumped out on the side of the road (at Soke) to make my way somewhere off the beaten track.....no dorky tourist Turkish baths and organised walks for me thanks!

Found paradise (otherwise known as Didem, Altinkum) where the sun is always shining, the beach is always nice, the people are always smiling and you can have a Turkish shave, Turkish bath, Turkish dinner, Turkish drink or Turkish whatever for a decent price!

Whilst my fellow tour-goers spent days aboard the coach, I enjoyed the hospitality of some new friends, was invited (and attended) a Turkish wedding, spent some time with a traditional Turkish family, drank too much Turkish tea, tried the simple delights of Raki (local brew), homestyle cooking and fresh turkish delight!

How could I ask for any more?

London Life

lani — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:00:00 GMT

Well - it's been nearly a year since my last entry and over the past few days my feet have become itchy again..... so I logged back in to the journal for some inspiration.

Since July last year I've been mostly in London - working and trying to sort out what happens next. I've had some brief and memorable trips to Edinburgh, Belgium, Australia for a brief visit and back to Amsterdam in 2008..... in between it's been the northern tube line on which i've done most of my travels. A bit depressing really. But I have been getting out the camera and taking some cool shots of London town - this one is of some pretty blossoms at my front fence.

Next week i'm packing up and heading to Hong Kong for Easter with Sally which is going to be great! Looking forward to Shenzen, Macau and all the wonderful little places we're sure to find in Hong Kong city!

So, i'm back in travel mode and ready to get in and plan some more adventures for 2008. Watch this space.......

Until then xox

Photos: Amsterdam

lani — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 06:08:00 GMT

Van Gogh and Copa America

lani — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 06:25:00 GMT

The moral of this story is not to try and ride bikes when you are drunk in Amsterdam!

Bikes + Dutch beer + Brazil winning the Copa America = good times

I AMsterdam!

lani — Sat, 14 Jul 2007 06:16:00 GMT

On the road again - this time only 45 minutes away on a plane - to the chilled out city of Amsterdam, Holland for a few days break.

One of the best things about Amsterdam for me was the fact that 3 of my favourite people in the world happnened to be there when I was - Jack, Borjao and Rapha. My Brazilian brothers. The only thing better than exciting adventures is being able to share them with great friends! How lucky I am to be able to create these memories with my belezas!

After some trekking to get from London-Leeds-Amsterdam, it was the best feeling to arrive in Zeeburg (an outside suburb of Amsterdam) and get big hugs and beijos from the boys before we ate an Italiano dinner to rival any in the world. We then hit the local Italian restaurant for some dinner before missing the last trem into the city. Doh!

After a few bus rides that didn't take us anywhere, we ended up hitching a taxi and getting to PARADISO - the biggest and best club around in Amsterdam (so we were told). A night of dancing ensued, with a very late return to the hostel a sure sign that we had a great night!

Smiling on the tube

lani — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 07:09:00 GMT

Londoners don't like to smile much. Especially when they are riding on the tube (the sub ground train system here in London). Favourite passtimes on the tube each day, between work and home, include reading trashy newspapers, listening to iPods and also sleeping - no matter what time of the day. No doubt most of these passtimes are also done with the typical London frown 'serious face' which is the done thing here in London.

So, I like to make a point of sending out at least one smile each journey on the tube. Whether its in the morning at 8am, sending a smile to a pinstripe suit reading the financial times; or at 6pm coming home sending a smile to the stressed out career girl who is trying to text message and catch up on the days gossip magazines.....

I like the random smile and I really enjoy getting one back. So if you're in London soon and you see a smiling Aussie on the tube, send one back!

London Town

lani — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 02:06:00 GMT

London for me at the moment consists of:

Working in a challenging job as HR Advisor, excellent experience!
Walking the streets of lovely suburb Kilburn in NW London, savouring the small delights of hot coffee, fruit vendors on the street and the local busking man who only knows how to play Bob Dylan, but thats alright with me.
Figuring out where im gonna live for the next 6 months.
Always taking a jacket and umbrella with me, even though its Summer here. Every day has at least 4 seasons.
Hanging out with my Brazilian amigo, Afranio and practicising my Portuguese for the next trip back to Brazil.

Life is good at the moment.

xoxox Lani

A day in the Garden

lani — Sat, 9 Jun 2007 02:37:00 GMT

So, I hear the weather back in Australia is haywire at present.... storms, floods, rains and winds! Its a different story here in Leeds at the moment, where the sun is shining and the weather is sweet!

Today I have been practicing my portugues (for my next trip back to Brasil) and soaking up the sun in our lovely backyard, which amongst other things features a lovely English style garden. Complete with poppies, roses, irises and all number of cute little flowers, each with a different personality!

All my prayers go back home to Oz to anyone affected by this crazy weather and I hope it subsides ASAP.