YL - London

London is great! I could live here. But there are times when being the driver, porter, guide, talker, organiser etc while travelling with elderly Chinese grandmother and protective parents can make it trickier!

Anna : Lurgy

Been a busy fortnight but largely wasn't at work. First I had three days at a IT conference and then last week I was in and out of the office with the flu. Starting to feel better and a bit more relaxed after some time off so had a nice weekend. Writers fest, started my Samoa shopping, sushi in the park and then Mexican last night with chilli shots (some spicy and fruity red goo in a shot glass) with a discount coupon that we found on the fridge just before it's expiry date.

YL - mental transit

From one locale and language to another, I leave my woven dreams embodied in the idea of a holiday to return to my reality which glares at me from Monday. Then I make new dreams again. Lento lento. Will the others fade?

YL -Getting old

Blargh. I am a total fish out of water. I dont understand this country at all! Up side is that I am learning Spanish and I see that they sell little packets of pot at the local bottle show in my fishing village of Horcon!

The romantic idea of spending my birthday in another country is just that - an idea. The reality is a bit different. I am now one year older in a place I cannot comprehend and no amount of Neruda poetry is going to help me now.

Evelyn - Back to Scotland

Well, after having to sit on the plane for half an hour in Sydney while we waited for the bags of passengers who didn't make it through customs to be unloaded; then waiting the extra three hours for our delayed plane in Kuala Lumper; then waiting the extra four hours for the replacement connecting flight to Edinburgh - we are finally home!

YL - busy weeks

Last week, wore dresses & boots resulting in so many compliments from different people I was surprised. I think it was the boots. Really. I even made a joke with my boss. She jokingly said "you're not working fast enough". I said with as straight a face as possible, "Sorry (Boss), these boots are made for walking". Lol.

I actually work very fast & get jobs done quickly but there's a running joke now about how I'm not working fast enough & will now need a push-scooter or rollerskates to work faster. I'm now waiting for the ward to get me one when I leave. =)

Went surfing on weekend, sustained surfing related injuries, slept in, walked on beaches, watched "Surf's Up" and all I want to do is catch the next wave ... and marvelled at the wonder that is the world. This week working overtime Tue & Wed till 1030pm, then if still awake, going to karaoke with ED people, Thur dinner with the medical registrars that are changing terms, Fri probably overtime and then weekend! surfing + fishing + maybe canoeing this time! Next weekend, Gold Coast with the girls!

Oh and the violin is going beautifully at the moment. Even played on the wards for people/patient's birthday ...

Becstarr : Down by San Francisco Bay

It's our last day! We've spent time on: Golden Gate and Buena Vista Parks, a Golden Gate Bridge harbour cruise (cold enough to freeze your cheeks off!), cable cars, the Haight, Mission murals, and heaps of organic berries (so cheap here!). We're planning to check out the SFMOMA today, then an early dinner and heading off to checkin for a late flight out (22:40).

It's been wonderful but I'm so looking forward to getting home!

Anna : Winter Magic, Here Comes the Sun

Spent the weekend in Katoomba and traffic jams! An hour in a line of cars to get out of Burwood shopping centre and another 40 minutes in a jam on the highway on the way back to the city after a horrific accident. Combine this with the ongoing blinker fuse problem and little Baruma is in my bad books.

But Winter Magic was fun!*



* Though they say you haven't really been to Winter Magic unless you wake up with a hangover (YAY!)

Becstarr : Out of the fire & brimstone

Departed Mexico City for the hopefully more rural Tuxtla Gutierrez & San Cristobal. Watching CNN & 80s movies in our overpriced hotel tonight is a fantatic luxury... feels like wagging. :)

Becstarr : Inyecciones!

Got my Hep A, Typhoid, flu, and Measles-Mumps-Rubella vaccinations yesterday. My arms hurt but I feel invincible now! Except of course for rabies, which I left too late to do the course for (plus it's 3 lots of $85 - ouch!).

Fingers crossed for no mad dogs or scratchy bats.

David - Answer for Tancred

My project is in the toilet as usual. No idea which freaking city I am going to be in next week. It could be New York, it could be Portsmouth New Hampshire, it could be London - there is even an outside chance that it could be Edinburgh! Good job I don't have a loving partner as I would have been divorced by now!

Tancred - I suspect that in order to get your name over there => you have to be one of the people who has an account at blogspot?

Yen Li - Rome, ObGyn, On Sale Now!

Rome - was the awesome. Was just amazing. Grandma in wheelchair = no need to queue for the Vatican at from 7am to get in at 10am. Completely by accident. She had a blast. Mahjong and chinese dinner every night. Being pushed around by loving granddaughter & up steep hills. And museum folk very accomodating and extra helpful letting us through special doors and up lifts. Viva Roma! However, traffic = insane & unsafe. Look 4 ways before crossing.

ObGyn - 8 weeks to go. Looks interesting. 7.30am starts not interesting. But grateful they are at RPA and not (for example) out at Westmead. Happy that it is 8 weeks to go! Almost almost ALMOST done with medicine degree. The Grind Part 1 is almost over. Realisation that my first full time job is at age 30. Eeeeep! And I have to be responsible, ethical, upright, moral, effecient and polite. Crap. But ok I get money for it. =) lol.

On Sale! - If you know anyone interested in a 3BR 2.5Bathroom 2 Car space apartment, let me know! I will send you the property link. Lol. After weeks of deprived sleep and packing & sorting & lifting, new carpets, fixed windows, praying for gorgeous weather, painted walls and display furniture ... viola! a gorgeous apartment is now ready for sale. Today was the first day of pre-liminary viewings (with only mailing list advertising) and we got 2 groups who were interested & could afford! Prospects are looking good at this early stage. Hope for more good buyers next week. For Auction.

Becstarr : A slow girding

No boxing or pub in the end-- instead, went home and started learning (South American) Spanish! Señorita Cyn has lent me a CD to this end. While I don't think I'm likely to ask to go windsurfing any time soon, it does provide for lots of helpful rrrrepetition.... especially of the lovely rrrolling r's.

David - Hell, Stupidity and Travel

The last few weeks have been remarkably interesting. Interesting in the sense of having a hand grenade constantly exploding inside your skull from the shenanigans. Political warfare exploding all over the shop. Am now staring down the barrel of 7 weeks in the Trafalgar Hilton in London. On the one hand "London, YAY!" - on the other hand - "7 weeks in a hotel - CRAP". So far this year I have spent a third of my time in hotels. Getting. A. Little. Over. It.