I have been lazy, almost a week back in London and I have yet to post about how awesome Edinburgh was, yet again! We really strived to find different places to see this time aorund, it was my fourth time and Mel's third (I think) so there was a lot of tourist-ground we had already covered. Thanks to Dr Google and TimeOut, we managed to find a few odds and ends to bide our time. Of course, a lot of that time was spent, surprise, surprise, in pubs. Accomodation ... will remain nameless. We thought we were booking into a b'n'b, but it turned out to be a small private room in a hostel run by minimum staff. Our heater broke partway through our stay and we were givne a little portable one that shot off sparks... 'nuff said. Breakfast To be honest, one day I ate breakfast from the hostel (not b'n'b as advertised) for a fiver. The other two days, I discovered my new food love- savory scones. I walked forty minutes to get myself a cheese scone and it was WORTH IT! Crumbly, buttery, warm. *sigh* Sadly, on my second day, I couldn't find the shop again and had to settle for an apricot scone which was still very yummy.
If you have time to spare, consider The Museum on the Mound. It kind of looks like it fell off the side of the Royal Mile but it is actually an important, still used and interesting site, all about the Bank of Scotland and its history. Be aware, school trips here are common so pick your time wisely. We spent a good half an hour here appreciating the history and exhibits. Also bought a great print of Edinburgh which will be going on my wall once I get home. Why the cats? Well, on our way into the bottom of Grassmarket, I saw a cat in the window of a cafe... and in I went. At 8 pounds an hour Maison and Moggy let two dozen people in to sit and play with their many feline friends. It's not something I ever thought I would have the opportunity to do and, being just enough of a crazy cat lady, I went on in by myself and sent everyone I know the following photos. It was very strange, but definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience you have to do if you can. Book ahead, becuase I'm serious when I say it books out- there was a line and they had to turn people away. Seriously. Hanging my head in shame, I admit I FINALLY made it all the way to the top of the Royal Mile and into Edinburgh Castle. It was huge. It was old. There were some cool stories. I got an audio guide. Very pretty. Done now, moving on. We were also recommended a couple of places by a very friendly Australian bar tender, that we didn't quite make it to this time.
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The sun is out and so is our boat! It is getting hotter, far hotter than I remember but I may have been brain washed by UK weather, so we decided it was a good idea to get our feet a little wet. Oh, and Jake wouldn't be left behind either! Road trip! All the way to Port Macquarie for more sunshine and water. Camping for the first time in ages was a blast, I even saw a few kids I knew from school about four years ago, they're so tall! Thought for the week... It is holiday time but I am starting to get my feet back in teaching with a few casual days before the end of term and a few more planned in the new year. I am a good teacher and a good person. Some people are just beyond help and some people just won't help you out of sheer greed and their own insecurities. I can do this! Christmas is a time for family, friends, food and drinking. All of these were had in abundance in the Biv household this year. We had both sides of the family over at different times, work christmas party and lots of fun things in between including an ACDC performance tribute which, surprisingly, I actually enjoyed quite a lot! Wishing all my loved ones health and happiness over the christmas break! xx Mum, dad, Ness and I went to see Shania Twain- she was great. Service at the Hope Estate, not so much. Aside from saying we spent two hours in line waiting for a pre-ordered hamper, I won't go into it.
Shania was awesome! Sounded exactly like her CD's etc and looked absoluitely fab! Despite being struck down by food poisoning (do NOT eat chicken ceasar salad from Hogs Breath Cafe!) I managed to make it to Melbourne with the others and I am so, so glad I did! We checked into the hostel (hostel virgins all except myself, of course), dropped our bags off and went straight to the aquarium and to work out the tram system- easier once you've practiced a little. We had a mixed crew over four days, ranging from two to six people galavanting about throughout Melbourne to see the sights and do a little exploring. I saw a lot but I definitely get the feeling more is on the horizon for Melbourne and I. Our to-do list:
Melbourne Aquarium Melbourne Zoo Asquith Races Crown Casino, Southbank ACDC Lane- Corey's choice but definitely worth seeing! Storyville- cocktails and nibbles MoVida bakery- cronuts! A REVOLUTION! Mr Miyagi's- dinner- salmon taco puh-leese Jungle Boy- hidden speak easy bar, had to walk through a fish and chip shop refrigerator to get in! Holey-moley- putt-putt golf- great on a Wednesday or Thursday! September has been an exceptionally social month for my family and I. There have been birthdays, concerts (CHER!!!), lunches and a concerted effort to walk the dogs more and improve general health and mindset.
It has also been a month of recovery for me, allowing me to lick my wounds a little and regain my centre through the presence of my family and friends. I love you all! xx As some of you know, I have realy be struggling at work recently due to a whole raft of issues. What I thought was going to be a relatively simple job to see me out to December, has turned into something that is affecting my entire life.
After talking to family, mentors, fellow staff and taking time out to think about what I want and what I am feeling, I have decided, it is in my best interest and the best interest of the children in my class that I take some time out from teaching. I have handed in my notice, broken my contract for the first time in my life and I feel awful, but I also feel relieved at the same time. I am more than happy to ask for help when I need it and to admit when I am out of my depth. I did both of these things and, unfortunately, nothing changed for me. The stress began to affect my home life until work was all I could think about and anxiety crept in. This decision is something I forced myself to consider from all angles and for a long time. I am not someone who likes to leave things undone or disappoint anyone and so it is with regret I pass on these complicated little beans to someone who is a little more fresh and can see them out for the rest of the year. I try to remind myself that time and space are healers and to always look up- I am blessed in so many ways and I can't let difficulties blind me to that fact. I appreciate the support I have recieved from all over the place, truly. Hopefully, once I rebuild my confidence in myself and my teaching I will dive back in but for now, I will keep thinking positive, keep my chin up and lean on those who love me the most. I met the lovely Chris on my Norway/Russia trip last year- camping, deer and lots of driving. He flew in to Sydney for a short visit this week and I just had to go and catch up.
Unfortunately for me, the Central Coast public transport decided to have a cow. After 4 hours travel on a rail replacement bus, I finally made it to Sydney Harbour and realised... there was no way I was getting home. SO, in the spirit of adventure, I booked myself into a hostel room overnight, the Sydney YHA and Chris and I hit the town. We did dinner and foudn a cheap pub crawl with fluro paint and eighteen year olds. Fun to watch, great time to spend with my travel buddy. Thanks for the fun big guy, see you in Canada eventually! My first birthday back with the fam-bam in literally three years was amazing! We managed to get tickets for the local 'Tranny Bingo' or 'Naughty Numbers Bingo' night and it was an incredible show with laughter, singing, a little dancing and more outrageous jokes than I thought I could handle.
Thankyou to all those who came, and to those who got me horribly drunk, I will find a way to pay you back. Ness, Steph, Hayd and I went to Newcastle for an adventure that didn't turn out exactly as we wanted but was still something to talk about.
We signed up and paid for dinner and an interactive show called 'HogWatts' which was supposed to be a big thing. We dressed up- choices were house robes or the Yule Ball. Seeing as house robes cost about $90 per set, we wore dresses for the ball that happened to be in our closets already. First mistake, everyone else had gone with robes and we were the odd ducks out. Second mistake, booking late, we ended up on Hufflepuff table, which, on its own isn't a bad thing. Unfortunately, the four 'house tables' were crammed so close together we had to hold on to shoulders to get in and out. Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw were set in the middle of the old church, making it impossible for the characters walking around to get in and out, and toilet breaks were a hassle. Characters: were good, in-character, particularly the Hagrid actor, but the professors would purposely ignore Hufflepuff when we were trying to 'earn points' and favour Slytherin and Gryffindor. In the books, that wasn't the case but I'm a nerd so... moving on. Finally, the food. Considering we paid a good $30-$40 per person, we were supposed to be fed a three course share meal between the four of us. They ran out of meat. Everyone around us, literally everyone on either end of the table and on every other table had been served and finished before we got our 'first course'. We were forced to share with the couple on the other side of us as well (6x people per platter, originally meant for 3-4 people) and the gluten free people on our other side took our dessert and ate it before taking their own and eating that too. They took my FOOD! I was not in a good mood. We left and went to McDonald's where Steph almost hit a tree but that's another story. I would not recommend this event and I went on Trip Advisor to say so. How sad for them, multiple others have complained about the lack of food and character actors as well. I emailed the company to complain but had no response. On the bright side- we looked awesome and got some nice photo's together. |
AuthorMy home is Australia, with my family and their many, many animals. I have travelled all around the world with my family and by myself where I have made too many friends to count. Archives
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