That being said..

... New Year, New Blog.

Visit me at www.lifejacker.blogspot.com

2012

It's been so long since I posted on my blog that I actually forgot the password. Ridiculous.

What I realized today is that the reason I've stopped posting is quite simply because I have nothing to say. When I first moved to Sydney everything was so new and shiny and everyday was an experience. As time has gone on, especially in these past six or so months, I feel like I've gotten into a bit of a rut. It's not that I don't like my life and my job, and it's not that I'm not happy. The truth is that I've become boring.

I recently spent two weeks back home visiting family and friends in Connecticut and New York. The trip was a real wake-up call. There were so many things I missed about home - the food, the people, my relationships, and the conversations that I'd always taken for granted. It was the first time I'd ever thought that maybe it was time for me to go back to the States. But when I really thought about it, I realized that my time at home was manufactured, it wasn't real life. People made an effort to see me, and I had no responsibilities and no stress. I took a holiday into my past, and I was able to recreate it exactly how I wanted it to be. I hijacked my own life - and what this lifejacking made me realize is that being happy isn't about where you are or who you're with, it's about you and what you choose to do with your life to make it worthwhile.

I'm sick and tired of my own complacency and I need a change. So starting in 2012, I am going to make an effort to do something different as often as possible. I've always wanted to skateboard but I'm afraid to break my leg. I've always wanted to breakdance, but I'm annoyed that classes are so often dominated by Asian preteens. I'm going to go to church, make a new friend that breaks the mold, volunteer, and finally get past listening to a random podcast once in awhile and go to Italian class. I'm writing about it to make myself accountable, so feel free to get on board and make suggestions!

I feel like I too often make excuses, but we're all busy and we all have a full plate in front of us. If when I'm old and gray I look back on my life, I have a damn good feeling living in Australia is going to rate pretty high. It's about time I start making the most of it.

My Last Day!

I had booked an early evening flight out of Ho Chi Minh City so I had plenty of time for more exploring before heading home. We woke up early to took off to visit the Cu Chi Tunnels, a intricate network of tunnels built during the Vietnam War.

Before arriving to the tunnels, we took a quick detour to check out the rubber trees (very cool) and we got to see how the village women make rice paper (even cooler). You never appreciate something until you see the effort that goes into making it. I love fresh Vietnamese rice paper rolls more than anything, and now I love them even more! Amazing.

The Cu Chi Tunnels are crazy. Firstly because everything is so small and secondly because it's all so intricate. The American army was obviously much more sophisticated than the Vietnamese, but boy was the home team creative! I was too afraid to go down into the tunnels but quite a few of my comrades did and no one emerged without a scarred look on their faces. It was so hot, so dark, and so tiny. Not for me! The photo here is of Adam trying to fit into one of the safe holes. They were obviously not built to fit Westerners!

Growing up, I've visited my fair share of war museums and remanence memorials but this was different. Maybe it was because it felt so uneven and unwarrented. But one thing is for sure - the memories will stick with me for a long time to come.

Back in the city with a few hours to spare, Pippa and I couldn't go past a last meal - and there was no better place than Pho 2000. Pho is a traditional Vietnamese noodle soup and Pho 2000 is the restaurant Bill Clinton made famous on a trip to Ho Chi Minh City in the 90's. We giggled at the photos of the President with the staff - he literally looked like a giant in a sea of smiling Vietnamese faces. But it food - that is no joke! It was magnificent. Beautiful noodles with tons of different mushrooms, Asian basil, mint, tofu, crackles, lime and pink salt. Wow - what a way to go out.

Looking back on my experience, I truly believe it was one of the best things I've ever done. I don't get many holidays, so I really like to make the most of my time when I get away. My trip ticked every box because it enabled me to see three very unique countries and offered a really good mix of urban culture, beach relaxation and typical village family life. I learned so much and I came back with a renewed appreciation for my life and all the things I take for granted. My time in Asia was crazy, hectic, fun and pretty insane, but one thing is for sure - I know I'll be back! To check out the rest of the photos, click here.

Ho Chi Minh City

Getting to Ho Chi Minh City (which I'll call Saigon because it's shorter to type) from Chau Doc is no easy feat. Besides the fact that it was another long bus ride, there is a rather odd river crossing where you have to disembark from your vehicle and get on the ferry on foot. This isn't too bad, so long as your vehicle gets on the same boat as you! Of course ours didn't, which meant we had a bit of a wait, but that was nothing in comparison to the fumes from the motorbikes as you're waiting to get on board. They are lethal!

Once we checked into our hotel in Saigon, my friend Pippa and I decided to do a bit of exploring around the city. I liked Saigon almost immediately. The city seemed much more laid back than Bangkok and it was very navigable, which probably has something to do with the fact that the Vietnamese alphabet is the same as English! We headed to the War Remnants Museum, which was pretty mind blowing, especially for an American. The ground floor of the museum was wallpapered with propaganda posters from all over the world and they spared no expense making sure it's known that the world was against the U.S. invading Vietnam. I looked at posters from Italy to New Zealand to Mongolia and finally found a few small ones from Americans who were anti-war. In my opinion, it wasn't an accurate portrayal of how many Americans didn't want anything to do with the fighting in 'Nam. But their museum, their rules! We could have spent hours looking around - it was insanely interesting and very gruesome. But it was getting late so we headed off to explore the rest of the city before the sun went down. Saigon is a cool mix of traditional culture and high fashion. There is a massive French influence, made evident by the enormous Notre Dame in the city center. It's an easy walking town with plenty of great cafes and parks to relax.

Our first night in Ho Chi Minh City was my last night of holiday, so we went for dinner and a few drinks to celebrate. I have to say that I rarely had a bad meal in all of Asia. I tried to get the most authentic things on the menu and most of the time I chose the region's specialty, so it didn't disappoint. My fellow travelers were not as adventurous with their food, but I think even the fried rice and noodles were pretty bang on. Asians really do food right!

Good Morning Vietnam!

I was not looking forward to crossing another border, but I was absolutely psyched to spend a few days in Vietnam. We were headed to Chau Doc, an untouristy town just 45 minutes from the Vietnamese border and I wish I could share some photos of what it was like to experience a crossing, but photos are strictly prohibited and believe it or not the Vietnamese border control can be pretty intimidating.

We arrived in Chau Doc in the afternoon and I was pretty excited to get out and do some exploring. As we headed to the markets we quickly realized that we were the only Westerners to be seen. This was wonderful because we were actually able to browse around without anyone forcing things at us and trying to convince us to buy! The Chau Doc market was one of the most fantastic I have ever been to. There were dozens of varieties of fruit and veggies, and we bought huge bags of rambutans and longans for just one dollar. I was loving the produce but when we turned a corner into the fish and meat section, I was instantly taken aback. I should have been prepared to see everything alive, but I was devastated to see fish barely breathing in an inch of water and chickens and ducks caged by the dozen. Needless to say we didn't venture too much further for fear we'd reach the butchery.

We arrived back at the hotel to find a gang of young Vietnamese men ready to bring us by motorbike to the top of Mount of Sam to see the sunset! This was easily one of my favorite parts of the trip. We got to ride all through the town and the suburbs and I have to admit that even I was delighted by the gorgeous children yelling and chasing after us with their outstretched peace signs. We wound around to the top of the mountain and when we finally arrived at the top, we discovered a quiet bar dotted with hammocks to relax and enjoy the atmosphere. With a frosty Saigon Red in my hand, I was truly living the life!

I loved the cities and I loved the beaches but Chau Doc was an amazing experience and a fantastic look at how the Vietnamese live. If you ever get to Vietnam, please stop into Chau Doc - just don't venture too far back into the market!

Sihanoukville

On December 12, 2012 the big petrol companies will start drilling for oil in Cambodia, so the poorest country in Southeast Asia will see dramatic changes very quickly. That's why I am so glad I was able to experience Cambodia while it's still untouched, and there was no better place to do that than Sihanoukville.

Thailand has a great reputation for beaches, but Sihanoukville is not to be missed. The tiny town is dotted with hostels and small, clean hotels and it seems that the only people who venture the three hours south of Phnom Penh are backpackers. This makes for a pretty interesting scene, and one that will undoubtedly disappear in two years time when the high rise hotels and five star resorts move in en masse. We spent our first day at the popular Tranquility Beach, which is covered with tiki bars, children selling handmade bracelets, and women trying to make money by threading people's body hair. Quite the combination. We had a pretty relaxing afternoon, although I have to admit I had trouble relaxing due to a man in my peripheral having his back hair painstakingly removed. That was disgusting. What I did love was watching the local women balancing towers of live lobsters on their heads and having a few days to just chill.

In many ways, Sihanoukville reminds me of Orient Beach in my beloved St. Maarten. There is heaps to eat, drink and see - or you can very easily do nothing at all. My favourite part was when the sun went down because everyone gathers on the beach to feast on beautiful seafood and tropical drinks. The restaurants are equipped with dining tables and lounge furniture, so it's a fantastic spot to drown yourself in king prawns, lobsters and mai tais while listening to the beautiful sounds of the sea.

There is currently one five star resort in Sihanoukville, so my friend Pippa and I decided to go check it out. What a difference a ten minute walk makes! Sokha Hotel is pristine and it's huge beach is stunning and completely deserted. Pippa and I spent the day lounging in luxury both on the beach and by the pool, and had one of the most gorgeous lunches of the trip (blue swimmer crab ravioli, yum!). At a time during the trip when we were all starting to get a bit weary of the travel, Sihanoukville provided a welcoming escape from reality. I know Sihanoukville will change in the very near future, but I'm so grateful to have experienced it in all of its rawness before the drilling begins.

Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh is the capital of Cambodia, and unlike Bangkok or Ho Chi Minh City, I had never heard much about it. Truth be told, I never really knew anything about Cambodian history until I visited Phnom Penh.

In the mid 70's, Cambodia had a prime minister named Pol Pot who led the Khmer Rouge and took over Phnom Penh, turning schools into concentration camps and eventually killing off 20% of the Cambodian population. It's odd how we learn so much about World War II and Hitler but have no idea about mass genocides that happened only 36 years ago. It doesn't seem possible.

We spent the day visiting various sites, including Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (a high school turned into a prison) and The Killing Fields. It's pretty terrifying to think about how many people were tortured and killed - murdered for something as insignificant as wearing glasses (this meant you must have read a lot of books and must have been smart and were considered a threat). But it happened, and there we were, walking amongst the scattered bones and shreds of clothing once worn by the deceased. It was probably the saddest day I had on the trip, but I felt so blessed to have learned and ashamed to have known so little before. I guess it's not until you're in a place, reliving their history that you realize just how frightening the world can be sometimes.

Cambodia - Siem Reap What You Sow II

If you ever have the chance to go to Cambodia, you must take a day to visit Angkor Wat, one of the most awe inspiring temple complexes in the world. So much so that we were coaxed out of our beautiful beds at 4:30am to see the sun rise over it.

Angkor Wat is amazing. I won't go into the history but what I will tell you is that the Khmer architecture and the spirituality that exudes from every crevice is breathtaking. In addition to Angkor Wat, I also got to visit Angkor Thom and Prasat Bayon and after a full day of temple hopping, I was feeling oddly like Lara Croft! But nothing was about to prepare me for what I was about to see.

I was pretty tired so I wasn't too keen on taking a boat trip to see a floating village, but hell, Cambodia is a once in a lifetime opportunity right? I thought a floating village would be houses on stilts along a river, but I was mistaken. The houses are actually in the water and most aren't even high enough for a person to stand straight up in. The village people are incredibly poor, so much so that they send their children
out in soup pots to paddle around with snakes all over them begging for $1 to take a photo. It was unbelievable. We traveled around the lake (though it looked and felt like a river) in a small boat and watched people bathe and go to the bathroom in the same water. We got off at a store where they were breeding crocodiles to sell to China to make purses. It was all so sad - animals caged in such small confines, the children begging, the old people washing right in front of us. I suppose I've never seen poverty on such a massive scale and it's difficult to understand why anyone would choose to live on the water like they do. I guess that's just it - it's all they really know.

Cambodia - Siem Reap What You Sow

As previously mentioned, I'm not a great traveler. This is probably why I have a real appreciation for trains - they're fast, efficient, and always get me to where I'm going without real incident. Unfortunately Southeast Asia has yet to come to terms with the concept of efficiency, so the most popular way to travel through countries is bus. And that's exactly how I got from Bangkok to the Cambodian border.

Crossing a border in Southeast Asia is intimidating to say the least. Upon approach, everyone has to disembark the bus, take all their luggage, and proceed to various and menacing customs and immunization agents. It's 90 degrees, with 100% humidity so standing in line amongst every man, woman, pig and chicken trying to get from Thailand into Cambodia isn't fun. But it's all part of the experience, right?

Once we made it into Cambodia, we jumped on another bus en route to Siem Reap. Getting to our hotel was a blessing and we had just enough time to grab a shower as we were expected to dinner. Smelling clean and feeling fresh, we got into tuk tuks and rode to the other side of town to have dinner with the village people. This was one of my most favorite parts of the trip! We had a chance to talk with the families and I loved taking a walk in the rice paddies with a 30 year old woman who talked all about her dreams of traveling the world. The furthest she'd ever been was Bangkok! The food was fantastic and when we were finished, the village kids came to speak with us and practice their English. The little girl in this photo is Joo, and she was such a smart cookie! The dinner made me realize how much we take for granted and how hard others work to achieve what we are born with. It was a fantastic welcome to Cambodia and it set the scene for plenty of adventures ahead.

Bangkok - a tuk tuk town

I arrived in Bangkok and was immediately surprised at how much it reminded me of the Bronx when you're driving into New York from Connecticut. In your immediate surroundings you see poverty - tattered clothes drying on the balconies of rundown apartments, kids in groups on stoops, old women weathering in the sunshine. But in the distance, you see the city and what looks like promise.

Bangkok is insane. I had been warned by many, but I was keen to make my own decisions about the Thai capital. I had the day to myself, so I checked into my hotel, grabbed a shower and set out to see the sites. I realized fairly quickly that Bangkok is not a walking city, it's a tuk tuk city. So I hired a driver for the baht equivalent of a couple US dollars, and I was on my way. My driver, aptly named Chai, spoke decent English and took me around to see his favorite temples. Buddhas are to Thailand what churches are to Rome. Thailand is 90% Buddhist and it would probably take two weeks to get around to every single statue. But I did my damnest and before I realized it, I had seen half the city.

As Chai dropped me into a restaurant to satisfy my growling belly with a lemongrass salad, the rain set in. Rain isn't very conducive to tuk tuks, so off Chai went leaving me to explore on my own. Luckily the rain let up just as I was finishing my lunch, but without a trustworthy driver, I found myself feeling overwhelmed almost immediately.

Bangkok is beautiful, but it's frenetic and aggressive. People drive on both sides of the street, and the sidewalk. Cars and cabs jostle with tuk tuks, scooters and live animals, all trying to navigate their way along the treacherous roads. Thai drivers don't take no for an answer, and I had a few who had no problem following me for blocks. The English map provided by the hotel would have been helpful, if any of the street signs were in English. Needless to say that by 6pm, I was pretty well over Bangkok.

I arrived back to the hotel in time to meet my group, and we headed off to Khaosan Road for dinner and a few drinks. Khaosan Road is as wild as you can imagine - with offerings that include everything from street food to sweatshirts to ping pong (a sex show - use your imagination). We were leaving for Cambodia early the next morning, so I did the right thing and enjoyed a nice dinner and a few Singha's before heading off to bed. Bangkok is many things and I'm happy I was able to experience it for myself, but it's definitely a 24 hour town - 24 hours and I'm out!

My SEA Trip - Stopover in KL

I'm not going to lie - I work pretty damn hard. My job is both difficult and stressful, so a lot of people wondered why I would choose to run myself ragged in SEA rather than sit my butt on a Balinese beach for 10 days. I won't say that the thought didn't cross my mind, but the decision to go on an adventure through Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam is one of the most rewarding ones I have ever made.

I love to travel but I have to admit that I'm not very good at it. I'm not the type of person who can live out of a backpack and hole up in rotten hostels for months at a time. I guess you can say I'm an "adventure light" type of person. Two weeks is just to my liking.

My first stop was to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It actually wasn't a stop at all, merely a layover. But with five hours until my flight to Bangkok, I decided to use my time wisely and do a fly by night tour through KL. If you think Kuala Lumpur is an accurate representation of other capital cities in SEA, you're mistaken. KL is clean, lovely and very very western. Once I convinced immigration to let me out of the airport (you have to have at least an eight hour layover normally) I took a high speed train to the central station of KL. Once there, I paid a taxi driver 50 ringgit (about $15) to spend a few hours showing me the sites. KL is funny - it was 6am so still fairly quiet, but in my mind it was a little too dead for a Friday morning. Until I found out that nothing opens in KL until 10am or later. Ah ha!

Having a personal tour guide is key to seeing the sites in a few hours. I not only got to view all the fabulous and beautiful parts of Kuala Lumpur, I got to hear all about the people, the culture and the religion. It was interesting to stop in KL first, because it is such a contrast to where I was headed. Malaysia is predominately Islamic, whereas Thailand and Cambodia are 90% Buddhist. KL is so cosmopolitan and organised, whereas Bangkok is incredibly frenetic and aggressive. I only got to spend a few hours in KL but I will undoubtedly visit again, preferably in the day time on the next trip!

Off to Asia

I'm very excited to report that tomorrow I am headed to Southeast Asia! I fly to Malaysia and then it's over to Bangkok. I'm spending a few days in Thailand and then I'm through to Cambodia and finally to Vietnam. I can't wait - I never thought I'd have the opportunity to visit these places, but off I go. I've heard some crazy things - like the gun range in Phnom Penh where you can fire 50 different weapons. AK-47 here I come!

Seriously, I am looking forward to some relaxing days at the Angkor Wat temples and Sihanoukville and some party nights in Bangkok, Phnom Penh and Ho Chi Minh! What an adventure! I can't wait to tell you about it. Wish me luck!

Hawkesbury River

I am so angry at myself for living here for two and a half years and not getting up to the Hawkesbury River. It's only an hour north of the city and it's just phenomenal! I had the chance to head up this weekend to celebrate the 30th and 40th birthdays of my good friends Eva and Karl. We rented a house for the weekend - a 70s swinger mansion complete with indoor pool, six jacuzzis and a helipad on the roof. There was about 25 of us and we had the most amazing time. The house was only accessible by water and I think the only person who didn't have a hoot was the poor water taxi driver! I have to promise myself to keep visiting these special little places around Sydney, I never know when my time here might run out!

Happy Easter!

It's Easter weekend and I am happy to report that Australians get Friday, Monday and Tuesday off work! It doesn't get much better than that!

I kicked off Friday with by shooting down to the beach and enjoying one of those rare and much loved autumn days when you're still able to walk around in your shorts and singlet. I took a stroll with a friend down to Gordons Bay and snapped this picture with my phone. It's not the best photo but it gives you an idea of how lovely Sydney is, and how often I take it for granted!

Today is raining, which is actually good because it will give me a chance to do my house cleaning, and get into some cooking for Easter Sunday. I am so thankful for my crew of friends around the holidays. We always have the best time, and are guaranteed to eat and drink way too much, and often all fall asleep on someone's couch! In that respect, it's really not any different from holidays at home with my real family!

We'll have to try and behave though, because Monday is Anzac Day, which is one of the best days of the year. It's a Veteran's Day, and everyone, young and old, goes to the pubs to play a game called two-up where you bet money on which side a coin will fall on. And then of course, there's the party on Monday night, the last grand hurray before the weekend is officially over. I'll be listening to Mushroom Jazz from American DJ Mark Farina at the Ivy, which should definitely be interesting. I'll keep you posted! Happy Easter everyone!

Wedding Weekend

I don't think most Sydneysiders get the opportunity to go to a wedding at the Opera House, so you can imagine how excited I was to get to see my friend Lisa and her new husband Chris get married last weekend. Lisa and I met in the oddest way. She is an actress and used me as her character for a play called "Reality Bites". We met about a year and a half ago through a mutual friend, and I'm so glad we did.

The wedding was magnificent. Not even the rain could dim everyone's spirits, especially when we arrived at the ceremony at Kincoppal Chapel, which sits at the very top of the hill at Vaucluse, overlooking all of Sydney Harbour, the city, the Opera House and the bridge. It was exquisite.

After the ceremony, we went back to the city and had a sneaky cocktail at the Shangri La before heading to the reception at the Opera Point Marquee of the Opera House. The room was the perfect mix of classic elegance and funk, very much like the bride! The food was divine, the decor was beautiful and the music was the absolute tops - delivered by an amazing soul singer who had the entire place on their feet from beginning to end. I have to say it was probably the best wedding I've ever been to, and I couldn't be more proud, excited and happy for the amazing bride and groom.

The Worst Blogger

I don't even know how months go by so quickly but it's already autumn in Sydney, even though it doesn't feel much like it. We just had the most perfect weekend of 80 degree days, one of those weekends that makes you feel happy just to be able to enjoy them. I snapped this photo of the Sydney Harbour as I was reading the paper this morning. I think that once you've lived in a place for while, you forget its beauty, or at least take it for granted. Today was one of those days that reminded me how darn lucky I am!

I've been busy. The new job has been going really well and keeps me on my toes. I enjoy it - it's a good balance of chaos and pure ridiculousness. It also makes me appreciate my downtime that much more. I am looking forward to some big weekends coming up - including a black tie wedding at the Sydney Opera House on Saturday. I am so excited - I'm sure most Sydneysiders don't get to go to an Opera House wedding, but this expat yankee is flying high! Then of course Easter is coming up, which means a five day weekend here is Australia! As much as the laid back "no worries" attitude often annoys the heck out of me, I relish in it when the holidays come around! And then in the beginning of May, two close friends turn 30 and 40, so we'll be headed up to the Hawkesbury River for a big weekend party.

Which brings me to June, when I'll be scheming for my first week off since I started the new gig. I'd love to come home (my good friend Nicolette is getting married upstate) but the 24 hour journey is a bit much for such little time. Recently I've been hung up on Buenos Aires, Malawi and Vietnam, and I think I'll have to look into the latter purely due to flight times and weather. We'll see - anything can happen!

Summertime

It topped 100 degrees today, so I thought it was only appropriate to write a summertime note! Today was the hottest day I’ve had here in Australia, but with everything that’s going on around me, a little heat is no reason to complain. The floods in Queensland and Victoria have shattered so many lives and this past week’s cyclone has done quite a number on one of the most beautiful parts of the country. Not that Mother Nature has singled out Australia. I keep hearing the news of all the snow that’s hitting the northeast U.S. and I’m not envious one bit. I wonder if the weather is actually getting crazier, or if it just seems so because I’m getting older.

Summer in Sydney has been as great as you can probably imagine. I spend most weekends at the beach or enjoying little getaways. Sydney Fest runs through January, so I got to check out some great art like Mirazozo, and hear some great bands like Arrested Development (yup, Mr. Wendell) and Aloe Blacc. I don’t know if Aloe Blacc is big in the States, but if you’ve never heard him, get onto it. He’s one of the best soul singers I’ve heard in years. His show was amazing!

I’m really getting into my new job. This will be week #10 and I quite enjoy it. It’s certainly challenging, but I love learning new things and working with people who have something to contribute. I miss the creativity of marketing with the beer company, but I do love the rush of PR, if nothing else! I work with a great calibre of media who have serious respect for what we’re trying to achieve, so it makes it all worthwhile.

I hope everyone at home is ok, trying to stay warm and safe under all that snow. This will be my first year ever not seeing the Super Bowl, so I hope you all will have a chicken wing or two for me! I’ll have myself a Budweiser just as soon as I can find one!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year Everyone! I hope it has gotten off to a rousing start. After a crazy holiday season, I'm looking forward to a more chill and relaxing 2011. I realize that I'm probably already jinxing myself in saying that. I'm not a big fan of resolutions, so I've decided to try and accomplish some of the things I've wanted to do for years but keep putting off! So 2011 will be the year I learn Italian, take hip hop classes, get better at skateboarding, volunteer at a cool art festival, paint more, read more, blog more, and maybe make a decision on the next place I want to live. We'll just have to wait and see how I go!

What are your resolutions for 2011?