Pride and Predjudice

Iririki resort...ohh wishing I was there.
What's that got to do with P and P? nothing, but I am still in love with Vanuatu and I'll probably post as many photos as I can here to share it with everyone.
Today my sis and I went to see Pride and Prejudice
the new one...and I hate to say it, not as good as the original 95 BBC version but still wonderful none the less. I think Keira Kneightly was amazing, strong and a true Lizzie. She really showed her talent..but the Mr Darcy could have done better..he's no Colin Firth! highly recommended though, especially if you're an avid fan of the book. Although they change a few things, it's still wonderful and has that raw English feel about it. Draws you in, and is a bit more dramatic than the original.
I went to see it with my sister..and I loved that! we're both huuge fans and have watched the original only 50 times, and read the book just as many. We'd giggle through the funny bits , and close our eyes when we knew an embarrassing scene would come up, and then whisper about all the bits that are not similar to the book. It felt like being teenagers again. Had lunch afterwards and went shopping and still talked about the movie and all the things we'd change. It was great, I forgot how much I miss that..and now that it's been 7 years since I left school! crazy.
It's getting warmer here which is nice..hopefully it will be hot enough tomorrow to go the beach..need to get out of this week as much as possible before heading back to *gasp* work!

Tales of the South Pacific

We're back! Got back on Saturday nite and it was such an amazing experience! Absolutely loved Vanuatu and it really really sux to be home. I realised how crazy, grumpy, rude , etc everyone in Sydney is...ok I still dearly love my city but a week away in the friendly swaying South Pacific is just what the doctor ordered- for anybody.
I don't know where to start, so I'll try and post as much as I can about what we did there. The photo on the left is from Erakor Island which was a tiny island with a great resort.
We stayed at Iririki and it is exactly as it appears on its website, luxurious, beautiful, surrounded by green-blue coral waters.
What I loved the most about the place was the culture, and the people. The are beautiful, in every way. Everything runs On Island Time
and everyone is so relaxed- I was annoyed (true Sydney sider I am! this trip was great for self reflection!) at how late everyone was at first but then, we quickly got into the swing of things and started running late ourselves..of course we got a bashing from some friendly fellow Aussies on one of our tours. I was so embarrassed that people like that were representing Australia (and even more so at other whispers I heard 'they're from Sydney, that'd be right') that I was hoping to hide under a rock.
But the locals are amazing. They are so happy and friendly despite living in such a poor country and having so little. With unemployment being 70% and most people living off the land, it is a real eye opener and makes you realise how lucky we all are. Their happiness and zest for life was infectious, and I am going to try to do everything in my willpower to hold on to it, because it's the kind of experience that stays with you for a lifetime.
I can't wait to take my kids there one day (when I have some!) and show them that this is the kind of philosophy we all need, be happy with what you have and make the most of life because we are just so lucky to be part of it. No matter where you are and what you have, it all comes down to basics, which is your attitude and outtake on things.
I'll let the pictures do the talking and see how much I can load up in Flick tonite. Tankyou tumas, as the Ni-Vanuatu say, for reading my post :)

Holidays ahead..

I am so excited to be going away in exactly three days to a (hopefully) sunny Vanuatu! I do hope and pray to the weather gods that we get this super hot and sunny weather next week, God knows that we need the rest.
It was a hectic weekend, and a very busy last week,with moving and packing and cleaning , that i could not see my holiday. At work this week I also have a lot to do but i'm getting there. I have broomball tomorrow nite which I'm looking forward to as I'll miss out on the game next week.
I am just more than anything, waiting to see what the people are like in Vanuatu. I went to New Caledonia to study french a few years back and i loved the South Polynesian and french culture. The southpacific appears to be one of those unspoilt places... and i read a lot about how friendly the locals are and how relaxed the culture is over there.. I can't wait. I think we really need it!
I have one issue- I would like to take a book but I don't know what to read. I'm a big reader but this year, I feel I've been so busy and with driving to work which is an exhausting routine- i dont get to read like i used to on the train to uni and my old job. Usually I read classics, but I would like an easy to read holiday type book. I love mysteries, and great stories...I'm currently readint "Don't sweat the small stuff" but I'd like to take some fiction with me. Any suggestions? All those holidayers from Europe that just finished summer, any good books you read?
If all else fails I'll have to resort to my guilty reading pleasure, Mafalda comics.

35 Degrees and counting...

It's been quite hot these past few days... I do like summer and the heat but I see it take its toll on everyone around me. And i can't say that I enjoy walking out of the freezing cold office and being hit by a wave of hot air and blinding sun, but I"m not complaining either. I'm not a fan of air con at all actually, it usually makes my throat sore and i find it only cools me down for a while before I begin to freeze, I'd rather stick to a fan or the light breeze from outside (at night). Althought as I type this there is no breeze and it is a balmy 29 degrees outside. I think i get this from my mum because we dont' have aircon at home, and although my room is really stifling in summer, and other areas of the house are too, she won't budge. At my boyfriend's house he does have it, and it can get so freezing, but he hates summer and is forever hot. What can i say, opposites attract?

There Can be times when in extreme circumstances I'll use the aircon in my car. Like today, driving in peak hour traffic, in 35 C sun, is that an emergency? it is when you need to breathe! so i'd turn it on , then in the hilly arse paradise that are Sydney roads, my 1.5L engine does not cope with aircon and uphill drives so I'd have to turn it off. Then back on, then off again when it got too cold. I must have done this 20 times on the way home.. I later found out that if I put my car in 2nd gear I can go uphill somewhat better. I had no idea, I drive an auto Ok!! I never change gears, I just cheer my engine on when I go uphill and hope for the best while everyone else zooms past me.
Thank you, to my faithful Korean engineered Ford Festiva.
No wonder they don't make them anymore.

Melbourne Cup Day

The 'race that stops a nation', is on today. Melbournians get a day off in lieu of this race!! not fair.

It's a big horserace and lots of betting, fun parties, wild outfilts, and hats. Really a lot of fun

I live in Sydney, New South Wales, so unlike all those lucky bludgy Victorians (Victorians feel free to hate me but I am just bitter!) we have work today and no public holiday for us! however things do stop at 2.45pm because I think the race is on at 3 or so...ohh very exciting.

It is humid, and very rainy today so not really a great day to be at the races but hey anything is fun, when you're at the races!!!

I've put some sweeps in but I never really win, I'm not really one to bet but today it's basically mandatory and you can't cross the road with someone offering to put sweeps in for you.

It's big!.

Even Google Australia has swapped the little Halloween logo on its homepage to one of a horse race!

On other news there was a small earthquake in Sydney last nite..scary! well it was tiny and in the Blue Mountains, which are about 60-70km's from the city centre, but people that live in the city still felt it. I didn't feel a thing, as it was at 5.00am and i was somewhat sound asleep. My kitten was very restless last nite, maybe he knew about it.

Well, wish me luck for the race..I'm just looking forward to the champagne and strawberries , after the exhausting game we had last nite (lost yet again!)