Around 12 months ago, I met Tamiko at a local sushi bar, she looked preoccupied and in her own little world, at the same time there was something really intriguing about her. Her hair was long and curly and her straight posture made her elegant frame more distinctive. I sat down next to her and started a conversation, I know it's weird to approach strangers and start having deep and meaningful talks with them but we almost had an instant connection. From then onwards, she and I would meet up regularly to catch up and to get to know each other further. We would constantly talk about pursuing our dreams, living for the moment, being happy and present to our current surroundings. I guess this may have played a part in her decision making process. She told me that those talks really made her take a leap of faith to quit her secure job as a fashion designer, to pursue her creative and daring quest of developing her hand made designer candle business. I was ecstatic that I have inspired someone but at the same time I was worried.

I have to say that when she told me that she resigned from her full time job I was stunned and felt partly responsible for her motivation to enter a life of very little financial security (for the time being). The whole time that she was telling me about her plans I felt so responsible for what she has done and negative thoughts like: Will she blame me if things don’t go well? What happens if…? After seeing how passionate she is about her business, I knew that she would succeed regardless of what happens, even if the final result is that she has an amazing leadership and maturity journey.

I still remember the last time I met her which was last month; I starred at her in wonder. I haven’t seen her so excited, we were totally absorbed in our conversations about plans for the future. I felt so unmotivated and lazy. How many ideas and dreams have I come up with and promised myself that I would pursue it and it never eventuated because I was distracted? Her excitement was extremely contagious and at that moment I felt really motivated and ready to go, I haven’t felt this way in a long time. I must ensure I do what I set out to do…To-Do-List, here I come.

At the beginning of the year I met a lady on one of the hikes, let’s call her Minty Fresh and during the hikes we would exchange knowing glances of the silliness that goes on in the group. We constantly giggle over things that were not amusing to other people and we humour each other through those walks. Occasionally, we would met up during the week and have dinner or sit in a café, talk for hours and forget about the time. She’s really funny and has a heart of gold. She is genuine and is straight forward with what she tells you. I admire that. I respect her for her thirst to learn and her humility is refreshing. What impressed me the most about her is that she is able to walk away from things that make her unhappy regardless how uncertain the path in front of her is. Even though her delicate frame and easy smile can mislead you to think that she has had a typical American upbringing, her stories and her strength will speak otherwise.

She has recently taken some of my recommendations on board to write some of her experiences down on paper and maybe consider sharing her story to other women that have gone through the same thing. Encouragement is the least I can do; she inspires me to be a stronger person.

I remember one time we were sitting in a Thai Restaurant, she told me about her family and the journey that has taken her to where she is today. I don’t think I have listened that carefully in the past, I didn’t want to miss one detail of her upbringing, her story was touching and it tugged my cynical heart strings. I was silent. I had nothing to offer her other than my compassionate ears and I think that’s all she was after.

Having heard Minty Fresh’s story I felt shameful for ever complaining about my life. I am extremely lucky in comparison, there really isn’t any excuse for me not to chase what my heart desires, and I don’t have the obstacles that she has encountered. I felt embarrassed that a few moments before I complained about my trivial problems regarding my parents. At that moment of clarity, I realized how much I put myself in a position of a helpless victim. I must stop making excuses and achieve what I set out to do.
 

   

Ponce De Leon Spring

 

Half a group photo: Left to right, Jeremy, Lori, myself and John.

   

The water was crystal clear and was extremely refreshing as it was so cold I couldn’t stay underwater for long.

That evening it rained cat and dogs, we all huddled in the larger tent and swapped food and played cards. There was a lot of silly talk and laughter, it was incredibly entertaining.

Panama City Beach

The next day we drove for around 1.5 hours to Panama Beach and had lunch together then we hit Panama City Beach. The area was very touristy and crowded. There are condos, hotels and tourist attractions everywhere.

The water was full of algae and was too murky to snorkel, we tried but it was useless. The water was nice and warm and it was relaxing to just lie back and look at the blue blue sky.

     

 

That night we again cooked our dinners in the campfire and all sat around just enjoying our beautiful surroundings. Some of us decided to go down to the beach to look at the stars and maybe stumble upon nesting turtles. We were ASTOUNDED by the number of stars that were visible that night. It was so beautiful, I have forgotten how magical the outdoors can be. We sat on the beach singing corny songs that we knew and as John played his harmonica I couldn’t keep the smile off my face. This is what life is all about. Even though initially I didn’t know any of the people that went on the trip other than Reagan I now feel so much closer to everyone. We all lay on your backs till the wee hours of the morning listening to the gentle waves, enjoying the gentle breeze, searching for shooting stars and sharing stories. I was so happy to be alive.

I am going to make sure I get all the gear I need to continue to hike and camp in the outdoors. Life is too short to waste on competing with others material objects, bigger houses and larger saving accounts…I must remember that. All of life’s beauty is easily forgotten with our much enlarged egos and lust for what is not ours.
 

Salsa Jam

Dancing has always fascinated me and I would watch from afar, I remember having Meringue and Street Latin classes in Uni with Lisa but all is forgotten ever since because we didn’t practice it afterwards. Recently a group organized salsa dancing classes and I registered. For some reason I was partnered up with a guy that was twice as tall as me (6’5’), it was hilarious. The class found it hard to concentrate because they were too busy laughing at us. These photos are priceless.

    

The dance classes went for an hour and we continued to practice our moves with people that regularly come to the place to dance. I got extremely hungry from all the dancing and for those that know me well, I eat a lot for someone my size and I had a whole heap of watermelon and pineapple. I left the used toothpicks on the table not knowing where the bin was and I stood next to the food table enjoying the atmosphere and there I see Brian using my used toothpicks to eat the food. Before I could say anything it was too late, I felt really bad and plucked up the courage (I think he used a few tooth picks by then) to tell him that the tooth picks he used was um…kinda of used by me already, poor thing. We laughed our heads off and so we tried to reenact the story. LOL.

 

Mountain Biking

I bought a mountain bike a few months ago and haven’t had the chance to ride it and so I joined a mountain biking group and finally headed out to Blanket Creek to ride. I rode the bike for the first time a few weeks ago around the neighbourhood and my butt was in pain for a week, it ached and it was hard to sit or sleep on my back. So I decided to buy a bigger seat with a lot of padding. I know that a lot of people laughed at me but as long as my butt is not bruised, I am happy. I rode on the easiest trial there was, it was flat and scenic, it got boring after a while so I might try the more advance trials next time. It’s a great sport because you sweat like crazy and it’s less impact on your joints.

I got a little cocky and wanted to push it a little and tried to climb a pretty large hump. I watched others ride really quickly to get over the hump and since they made it look really easy I wanted to try too. I rode as quickly as I could up the hump, but at the last minute I panicked and braked and of course flipped over backwards and fell to the ground. Due to a lack of the appropriate gear, my hands were scrapped and my whole body ached. 

   

Bypassers came by to help, trying hard not to laugh. I am not sure what was more hurt, my ego or my butt.

A company I deal with had some spare baseball tickets and asked me to join them, Allan (who works with me) and Matt came along as well. Matt and I met during a white water kayaking trip with the outdoors club that we are both part of. We had an amazing time watching Philly beat the Atlanta Braves. Matt was being his suave self and flirted with a couple of 70 year old ladies sitting in front of us, there was a lot of leg touching going on that night. There was a lot giggling and I was high on the sugar that was in my Southern sweet tea. 

     

• Make a kit, fill it with mags, movies, beauty products and chocolates (and anything that makes you happy) so, when you feel lonely, you can whip it out and be inspired
• Take the time to be reflect on your life and what you want. Book a flight a secluded or exotic health retreat and pamper yourself
• Make some guy friends and get a dose of male company without the complications
• Push yourself out of your comfort zone and take on challenges
• Write down inspiring goals and work your hardest to achieve it. Make sure they are goals that fulfill you mentally, spiritually and health wise 
• Get creative (and social) and start a Spaces profile, blog or YouTube account.
• Do one good deed a day. Donate to charity, help an old lady onto the bus, or give blood. You’ll feel good 24/7 and the karma won’t go astray either.
• Grow something, get a pet, decorate, exercise, move house, hang with friends, make something, get a second job, volunteer, or explore your city.

  

We walked to China Town and had an authentic Chinese lunch. I ordered roast duck noodle soup and it was the best duck I have had in years. It was so good to eat genuine Chinese food once again. The market stalls were filled with Chinese vegetables, herbs, fresh fruits and produce. The atmosphere was buzzing with energy, this would have to be the best China Town I have been to so far in the US.

      

After lunch we walked to Japan Town and found a bunch of Japanese super markets, restaurants and people that looked Japanese. I wasn’t that all impressed with Japan Town as it lacked Japanese architecture and the atmosphere was pretty ordinary. Maybe they need to import a few more Japanese people to jazz the place up a little more.

The roads were hilly and the dramatic inclines were challenging and my legs were aching but I guess it’s good practice for the South America trip. I couldn’t stop looking at the bay views and the rolling roads and beautiful houses. We got lost a few times as our navigational skills were challenged from time to time. What I would do for a sense of direction, why does it come naturally to some and not to others?

 

The Victorian houses were well maintained and had the city as a back drop and it was also located idyllically across the park. It couldn’t anymore perfect. At this point we have walked around 3 hours, we relaxed and ate strawberries I bought from China Town. The sky was blue, the views were magnificent and the strawberries were delicious, life cannot get any better than this.

   

We then walked to the Golden Gate Park to see the Japanese Tea Garden but to our disappointment, the park was closed. We then caught the bus (using our highly advance “ask-the-locals” skills) back to the hotel and then caught a taxi to Peir 39 (Fisherman Wharf). Peir 39 is an area designed for tourists and boasts sea food restaurants, an aquarium, shops and live music. The atmosphere was sensational, even though it got really cold (relatively speaking for a summer’s day, it was 10oC) around the water, it was still really alive and there was a lot people out and about. 

    

Errin was busy shopping for a jacket and I was busy browsing the food that was on offer. The food was a bit too plain for us so we decided to take a taxi back to Union Square where our hotel was located to eat. We went to a small and quant restaurant that the taxi driver recommended to us and found the food to be authentic and reasonably priced. The locals always know where to go.

 

It was around 12 am when we got back to the hotel and pretty much crashed. It has been a long day due to the 3 hour difference and early morning start to catch the early plane. I am so surprised we were able to stay awake for dinner. I like to sleep with sore muscles when I am traveling; it’s a reminder that I have had a fun filled day with lots of adventure.

DAY 2

I woke up really early to fit in a Yum Cha breakfast and also to catch my 9.30am much anticipated tour to Alcatraz. I walked around 7am in the morning in Central San Francisco, the sun was out fully and there were a number of early birds shopping and having yum cha.

 

As it was pretty early my yum cha session was cut short and I left for Pier 33 in good time to make sure I don’t miss the Alcatraz tour. One thing to note is that the Alcatraz tour must be booked in advance as they sell out very quickly. I didn’t know this until Jasmine randomly mentioned it to me last week, lucky for me I pretty much bought the last ticket on the day. Tourists from all over the world visit the infamous Alcatraz and its history is as compelling as its reputation. The view from Alcatraz was amazing and the history behind was really cool. Take a look at the Facebook link for more photos, I can’t fit them all in!

    

     

While waiting for Errin I visited the many busy seafood stalls around the fishermen's Wharf and bought myself some crab, it was beautiful! It is the freshest crab I have had since coming to America. 

Errin has visited San Francisco a few years back and has toured Alcatraz in the past so she spent the morning shopping. We then met up at Pier 41 to rent a bike and ride around the peninsula. It took us in total of around 6 hours to complete the circuit but it was worth every bead of sweat and every tiny little sore muscle. It should only have taken us 4 hours but we kept getting lost and my lack of riding experience may have slowed us down. We cycled for 27 km, this was my first long distance bike ride ever, and I am hooked. I am going to make sure I ride as much as possible the next few months that I am in Atlanta. I am absolutely ecstatic of my achievement.

The first few miles was a pleasant ride, the views of the bays and the Golden Gate Bridge were breath taking. Here are some photos of the bike ride, remember the camera can’t capture of its beauty.

      

 I remember back in the Uni days we would study the structure of bridges and we would in class we would discuss the Golden Gate Bridge and its structural mechanics. I would look at the photo of the Golden Gate Bridge with indifference, and at the time to me it was just something I probably won’t get a chance to ever see. And here I am riding my little rental bike over one of the most famous bridges in the world, while trying to remember how the stresses where distributed and where the momentum of the bridge was located. I felt so blessed.

We then rode further to Sausalito and had a late lunch. Sausalito is a very well to do area just outside of San Francisco and has fine dining and beautiful bay views. The occupiers are people that have made a lot of money during the dot com boom, as Silicon Valley is not so far away and I guess a lot of the money still remains in the area.

We could have caught the ferry back to the Fisherman’s Wharf but the views were so amazing I wanted to go further and see the rest of the track. Even though I can no longer feel my legs I knew that if I didn’t do it I would regret it. Who knows when I will be back right? So we rode to Tiburon. My lungs at that point were burning and my bum and leg muscles were sore, but like any other travel warriors, we rode on to make we don’t miss the last ferry heading back to the pier. Luckily we made good time and was early for the ferry and went to get coffee at a local restaurant, we started chatting to the friendly locals and found out the a house on top of a hill a few blocks from the restaurant recently sold for a measly $64 Million dollars! A small 1-2 bedroom apartment costs around $1-2 Million. Holy cow!

 

We were excited about our achievements and hopped onto the ferry with a click on our heels. We were tired beyond words and couldn’t wait to eat all the yummy food the city has got to offer, however as we were riding back to find the bike rental warehouse to return the bike Errin somehow along the way lost her wallet. We back tracked to the areas we rode on the Pier and asked all the restaurants, hotels and fish vendors but no one heard anything or saw a missing wallet. We spent the night further looking for the wallet and then went to the police station to get a police report so Errin can travel back to Atlanta. We cancelled all of her credit cards and did all the documentation to make sure airport security will allow her to board the plane.

We were exhausted from the emotional roller coaster and also from the physical demands of the day and collapsed into bed.

DAY 3

We had to get to the airport 2 hours early just in case Errin’s security check might take us longer as she has lost her ID. We wanted to see the Japanese Tea Garden and also Lombard St (being famous for its crookedness), so we woke up early and caught the bus Lombard St. 

 

We then went to the Japanese Tea Garden and had a quick look around. We didn’t have the time to enjoy the tranquility or just sit there and watched the world go by. It’s a pity because it would have been so cool but we had a plane to catch.

 

Along the way somehow Errin managed to loose her Blackberry as well. I guess her mind was still with her wallet and didn’t pay attention. One very important thing with traveling is that, things will be lost and stolen, but remember to have a good time regardless, who knows when you’ll be back there? I have learnt from experience (from losing my camera in China) that worry and panicking will not make a difference it will only make it worst, so you might as well enjoy the rest of the trip.

The trip was way too short, I would have liked to go to the Napa valley and enjoy the countryside and also see the Yosemite area and even go hot air ballooning. If you’re visiting San Francisco remember to leave plenty of time for all the city has to offer.
 

 Later that night we went out to dinner and party to celebrate Tamiko’s 35th Birthday. We went to an Italian restaurant then to a club further celebrate our youth and freedom. It was so much fun just hanging out with the girls.

 At Dinner

     

At the club

The club had huge courtyard with lanterns hanging on trees and beds besides the pool to help set the mood.

  

I had to include this picture; this car had 26 inch wheels and had hydraulic lift doors. The wheels might cost more than the car itself but it’s Miami, nothing is surprises the locals anymore.

After living it up on Saturday night, we slept in on Sunday morning and then I went down town South Beach again to take a look at the shops and stuff this time in day light. Lincoln Rd is the main mall strip that tourists go to for food, entertainment and shopping.

    

CAVING IN RACCOON MOUNTAIN

I never knew caving existed until I joined the Atlanta Outdoors Group. I didn’t know caves are that long in distance to start with. I have to admit that I was apprehensive about the whole thing because I didn’t know whether or not I am claustrophobic and if I was going to panic in the middle of the tour. It would be extremely embarrassing to have a panic attack and having someone to carry me out. While all these thoughts bubbled through my head I decided to go ahead with it anyway because I have already paid for it and I might as well try something different. As I was putting on my safety gear I was so excited about the tour but started to realize that all this safety gear only meant one thing, it was going to be rough! Reagan, John, Claudia and I introduced ourselves and then followed our tour instructor.

 

The entrance to the cave was from the gift shop and that was pleasant enough, after 5 minutes of breezy walking, the tour guide (Chris) stopped and explained that the caving tour was going to start. We thought we should take a photo before we start and then we walked into a small crack that I didn’t know was there in the first place. Above were photos taken before the tour started, notice how clean we are.

  Entrance to the caving expedition

We climbed, slid, crouched and crawled our way and witnessed some really amazing formations that our ordinary flash cameras were unable to record. It was dark, wet and dingy. As we were crawling I felt like I was in one of those James Bonds movies where the 007 would crawl his way through small cervices to escape his enemies. There was a sense of adventure and I felt so alive! As we were crawling butt to face at one stage I was so glad I didn’t have baked beans the night before because it could have been a bit embarrassing way to be acquainted with newly made friends.

We then reached the some amazing water features within the cave; the cameras could not capture how amazing it was but take my word for it, it was spectacular. There were strong jets of water bellowing down from the ceiling. I was beautiful. I have never seen anything like it.

As you can see from the photo below, sometime there is a very rocky walkway and the drop is around 3 m and we only have a piece of old rope to hang on to. It’s can get a little scary not knowing how often these ropes were tested and maintained. There were times when I thought about giving up and turning back because it was so physically and mentally demanding, but I didn’t want to ruin the group’s trip so I pressed on hoping that it was going to get easier. Fortunately it didn’t.

When we got to the dome, Reagan was taking photos of the group and found a strange mist that was around us, I took the photos of where the group was standing as well to see if there were something wrong with Reagan’s camera but got the same result. Chris started telling us about Willy. Willy was a security guard that looked after the gift shop and entrance of the cave and one day during one of his rounds he fell asleep whilst smoking. This caused a fire in the gift shop and he died as a result. He makes appearances around the area now and again. Chris has camped in the cave many times and swears to have seen a yellow orb that stood at the end of his sleep bag and as he reached out to touch it his hands went through it like a mist and it disappeared. He told a number of people about it and many others have had the same experience. Sometimes footsteps can be heard in the gift shop but when no one is there…ooooooooooooo.



“So, um…why didn’t anyone warn me that I was going to be stuck in a haunted cave that takes 4-5 hours to tour?”

As we sat in the dome (highest ceiling in the cave) and we turned out our head lights I sat there not know how to deal with complete darkness. There have been a lot of first times today, I was a caving and total darkness virgin and this is not a gentle introductory. I came to the realization that not many of us have been in total darkness, so this is what it’s like to be blind, it was confrontational because even if you waved your arm around right in front of your face you wouldn’t be able to tell. One of the group member felt a bit uneasy about the total darkness, I thought that I wouldn’t be able to handle but as I relaxed a bit more I was a bit more comfortable with it. I just makes you realize how you light, fresh air, sight and many everyday things for granted. I felt really lucky to be alive.

As we got further into the cave the water level reached our ankles and our shoes and socks were soaking wet. Our clothes were damp and we were sweating profusely from all the intense crawling, sliding and climbing. I could smell the dampness of the ceiling that was 5 cm from my face as I belly crawled into a crack that I could barely fit into. I am petite as it is, I can’t imagine anyone more than 100 kg being able to do this. There are no toilets and we only brought 1 bottle of water as some parts of the cave were so tight we were better off not carry anything at all, other than our cameras of course. There are no toilets so we all held it in for 4 hours.

There were times when I was physically scared for my safety but as soon as I concentrated a little bit more and I focused on the tasked at hand I was ok. I had to rely on my attention to ensure I don’t fall into one of the gaps and break my leg and having Chris to drag me out of the cave. Rescues can take up to 4-5 hours and people have broken legs and cracked their heads open…The trip really forced me to focus and live in the moment which I loved. I haven’t done anything so physically demanding before and I felt so alive whilst doing it. I am so grateful for the opportunity.

Towards the end of the tour we felt as sense of victory and achievement. So this is how it feels to overcome fear and challenges that you think you can’t achieve. There were some tourists that were just touring to take a look at the rock formations and as we climbed out of a small hole everyone wondered where we came from, we were covered in dirt and was soaked from head to toe. Here are some of our pictures after we finished the tour, notice the amount of dirt and relief on our faces.

   

My back, legs, arms and stomach were sore for 2 days after. I couldn’t stand up straight the next day and walked leaning to one side.
 

  

PHILIDELPHIA

I was in New York for work so Jas and I decided to meet up and go to Philly. I caught an earlier bus than Jasmine to Philly as she had to work on Saturday morning. I arrived in Philly around 10.30 am and walked around aimlessly looking for interesting things to photograph. Even though I was just walking aimlessly, there were many things to see and observe, the city is extremely photogenic, as you can tell from the photos. 

     

Philly is a walk-able city and has the majority of the major attractions within walking distance from each other. It is one of the older cities of America and prides itself to be the founder of the grand American constitution and other American historical events. This is where Benjamin Franklin was one of America’s Founding Fathers and signed the constitution. Even though he was born and breed in Boston this did most of his famous work in Philly and was buried in Philly, I visited his gravestone.

 

Betsy Ross, whom sewed the first stars on the American flag also lived in Boston and her house is now a monument to history and tourist attraction.

 

The movie Rocky Balboa was based in Philly and you can see from the photos that there is a statue of him near the area where he trained, the steps to the National Museum. Philly also boasts some artistic statues, architecture and paintings. 

 

There are still some really old houses in the old quarter of the city where the immigrants first settled in Philly when America opened its doors to immigrants. The houses are well maintained and are still in use today. They remind me of houses in Italy and Spain with the colours and narrow entrances. Of course it doesn’t have the glamour from NYC but it is a really neat little city to explore and I think it is a lot livable than NYC. 

  

Philly is also famous for it’s Philly cheese steak, so Jasmine and I caught the later bus so that we can eat one. It was worth it. Nothing a like a greasy cheese steak to start the night. We missed the 8.00pm bus so we had to wait for 10.30pm bus, all this for a cheese steak, things us girls would do for food.

 

We then went to Jasmine’s friends’ birthday party and didn’t come back to the apartment till 4 am and were exhausted the next day. We tried to wake up early to go to Premium Outlet Malls (designer brand outlet mall) but we didn’t have the time because I had to catch a plane back to Atlanta later that afternoon. Bummer! My credit card was probably sighing with relief.

In the next issue I will post my caving adventures in Raccoon Mountains. Yes you heard right, CAVING.

I hope you are well and I hope to hear from you.
 

 The landscape was so stunning and I was thrilled to get some exercise and fresh air. I even made sure I bought a camel pack to make the hike more enjoyable.

Isn’t it so beautiful? The landscape is a bit bare at the moment due to the dry winter but the hills were still majestic.

It was a long way to get to the waterfall but it was really worth it!!! Look at the water it was crystal clear. It was so peaceful and tranquil.

After the hike we all went to the all you can eat ribs buffet in Chattanooga in Tennessee. The people that were on the hike were friendly and easy going. I had a wonderful time meeting new people and also getting a breath of fresh air. I ate like there was no tomorrow to ensure that I make up for the lost energy during the hike.

Rabun Bald Trial

Rabun Bald was a strenuous trial. It was pretty much nothing but an uphill climb. The shameful part was that there were a couple of 50 year old women and they were doing fine while I struggled and fought to breathe. I think it’s time that I put a little bit more effort into getting fit because it’s getting ridiculous. At the end of the day, I made it to the top and I guess that’s what counts. The hike was strenuous but the view was worth it.

     

Providence Canyon

Providence Canyon is like the Grand Canyon of Georgia. It might be smaller but it probably is just as beautiful. The hike was an easy 8 miles (13 kms) and it was a lot of fun. I have gotten to know a couple of people in the group now so the hike was wonderful. It rained the night before so the sandy grounds on the trial turned into a mushy sandy slush. At times the sandy mush can sink your whole foot and ankle. My socks got wet and my pants were covered in mud.

             

You can tell spring was coming because all the blossoms were starting to emerge and it was a lot warmer than a couple of weeks ago. I can’t want for spring to start! It’s going to be so beautiful in spring; the landscapes are going to be even more amazing with spring approaching. I can’t wait.



I am having so much fun and I can’t wait till it gets warmer and the group starts to organize camping trips. Kayaking and caving is in the pipe works and I can’t wait!!

I have a number of trips planned the next few months and will ensure I take plenty of photos and keeping you updated.
 

The Boston streets definitely have been influenced by European architecture, especially the side streets where the small pedestrian walkways are surrounded by shops. There was a historical burial ground in the centre of the city and the gravestones dated back to the 1600’s. The walk through cemetery was intriguing, the dates where barely readable and it was for some reason so peaceful. 

     

I had a few meetings in Boston and from my dealings with them it seems that the people in the North Eastern states of America seem a lot more direct and open. I think the people here are more diverse and are more welcoming than the people down in the South Eastern states. This is just my personal observation, for those that have been to the US, it would be interesting to hear your thoughts.

According to the locals, Newbury St is Boston’s exclusive shopping haven; it has all the exclusive designer brand shops. This is also where locals and tourist go to dine and stop for coffee. The buildings were very much influence by English and French architecture.

Even though Boston is a medium size city, it is still charming and easy to get around on foot. Driving is a bit difficult in the city due to the one way streets and huge quantities of pedestrians, and the walk is worth the effort.

Next week, Jasmine and I are planning to visit Philadelphia. Keep a look out for the next issue.
 

    

After Christmas I took sometime off to see Savannah and also to Charlotte to visit an old friend. Let’s just say it was an interesting trip. Savannah was so quant and elegant. It is a small town with culture, lots to do and most importantly good food. A few movies were filmed in Savannah as it makes a great setting for films and books. It’s just really idyllic.

I celebrated the New Year with some new friends Errin and I met in the pub. There is nothing like welcoming the New Year with good friends.

I came back to Australia towards the end of January to attend my friend’s wedding and also to visit family. The people were the same, nothing much has changed other than real estate prices and interest rates. I got to see my family and also catch up with some friends. I didn’t have time to catch up with everyone, which was a shame, but there is always next time. The wedding was a lot of fun (for those that were there, maybe too much fun?) and the brides maids were not only well behaved and polite but also extremely sober. 

      

I think my family found it really hard that their only daughter was again going to be on the other side of the planet for who knows for how long. It was definitely harder to leave them this time than the last. I sat the plane wondering what my life would have been like if I didn’t leave for the US? But all that was forgotten as soon as the seat was fully reclined and the food was served.

I flew back to the US on the 10th of Feb (after Chinese New Year) and flew to NY on the 12th Feb. It was exhausting with the time difference and jet lag. It was really warm in Australia and when I flew back to the US it was freeeeezing! It was snowing cats and dogs in NY. The car I was driving had no control and it kept swerving every time I tried to go more that 30km/hr, driving in bellowing snow is really scary. I also met up a family friend in NY (it was the weirdest feeling seeing her in NY). We met for dinner and decided to call it a night because it was soooo cold, but next time I am there we are going to do a few activities, can’t wait!!!

I traveled a bit more after NY and have been at home in my apartment the last few days (thank god!) and I am just resting and preparing for my next trip to NY. It’s been really warm in Georgia lately so I have joined a hiking group (it’s a really cool website that allows you to join into groups of people with the same interests www.meetup.com, I have been doing so many activities since I joined) and Georgia has really good hiking areas. I am going to work myself up to be able to camp as well. It’s all really exciting because we are going caving, kayaking and white water rafting the next few months as it gets even warmer. I am bursting with excitement.

When I left Australia for the US last June, a friend of mine gave me a book on Buddhism for busy people and I really liked the theology behind the practice. I have come to like so much that I have podcasted some mediation and teachings segments onto my ipod. I really recommend it to everyone, there are lots of really simple things we can do to better understand ourselves and others around us. I have seen improvement on my thought process, attitude and outlook on life since.

It would be interesting to hear from some of you with regards to your experiences with maturing.
 

    

On Friday we went into downtown Toronto to look around. It was bluddy freezing even with all the warm gear we had on. We did a bit of site seeing and also shopping. The traffic was crazy when we drove back to Mississauga. Lisa and I spent a few hours cooking the turkey and other dishes to go with it. The cooking was hard work but so much fun. The turkey turned out really good but I think I put too much spices on the vegetables so it was a bit spicy. Sheldon and his brother drank at least 6 glasses of water during dinner. The meal had a little bit of a bite to it and it was funny at the time watching the white boys suffer. 

      

Here are some photos of Lisa, Sheldon and Comet's home:

On Saturday morning we went to Niagara Falls and had dinner to celebrate Sheldon’s birthday. We were too tired to go out to see the Toronto night life after a big day at Niagara Falls so we had a quiet night in with the Wii machine. As you can see from the photos, we had a lot of fun.

     

Last of all, thankyou to Lisa, Sheldon and Comet for a wonderful time in Toronto.
 

There are a lot of homeless people and this makes me think why one of the world’s most important decision making places is like this. I wonder what politicians are thinking when they drive by so many homeless people, do they think about how effective their policies are? These people sleep in the harsh winter weather. When I visit McDonalds in the morning I can see lots of homeless people using the bathroom and also sitting there eating breakfast. They all gather at certain places and seem to be very organized. What decisions have they made in life to get them to where they are now? Surely no one wants to live in the streets by choice. 

Getting back to Washington. Washington is quite small and the night life from what I can tell is limited. There is a lot to do if you have kids. The majority of the museums are free and they are worth seeing. Everything is within walking distance and the subway is extremely effective and traffic is not as bad as Atlanta or New York. There are good restaurants you walk and keep an eye out for them. Here are some photos.

The weather is getting extremely cold over here, I don’t think I will ever complain about the cold in Melbourne again. Melbourne cold is nothing compared to Georgia cold or New York cold. It is on a totally different level. I heard that when it gets closer to December New York transforms itself and Christmas decorations lights up the whole city. I will make sure I go to Manhattan right before Christmas to do some shopping and experience a white Christmas.

Below are pictures of famous landmarks that I visited. The White House was a lot more tranquil than what I expected. I have always wanted to see the Lincoln Memorial in person, so that was really special for me. The US Capitol looks exactly like what is depicted in the movies and media. It was a little cold but I had perfect weather and I am not going to complain.

     

I love science so naturally I was keen to go to the Space Museum, the best thing about DC is that most museums are free. There was an IMAX show on how Earth was created and it was trully amazing, that was the first time I have been in an IMAX theatre. Take a look at some of the awesome pictures from the Space Museum.