Lazy day = research day

Today I feel very lazy, even though I have been awake since 7:30 am, I can not motivate myself to leave the comfy sofa. After a full English breakfast I have only managed to keep myself busy with guess the logo games on my phone. I think researching the city is more useful than knowing all the brand logos that there is to learn. So the coffee table is filled with magazine and books about the interesting country I'll be living in for the next few months. Hopefully my laziness will not stop me from exploring the city today.

It's all Blue

 

Today we visited the Blue Mountains. It's an hour train journey from Sydney, it would be longer if you plan on going further in the mountain but we chose to visit just the beginning of it. The landscape is breath taking, it was even nicer as there wasn't many people around. We managed to see two different pools. The Jellybean and Blue pool. It's nice to walk around the nature in its untouched habitat. We then walked to town and managed to find a great cafe/bar called Jazz Apple Kitchen where we enjoyed a hot beverage and cakes. The cafe was very cosy and welcoming. I couldn't stop but imagine myself living there where children say hi as they walk past and the elderly give you a friendly nod. But then again I was only there for a few hours and to be honest I like the hustle and bustle of big cities so maybe I won't be moving to Glenbrook just yet.

Snack with a view

This afternoon I got a little involved in the kitchen and baked a chocolate cake. I'm not going to pretend that I did it from scratch as I bought the cake mix from supermarket this morning.
Baking was a bit nostalgic as it reminded me of my mothers beautifully baked cakes. I know I've only been away from home for a day but I am allowed to appreciate all good things back home, although I don't think I could ever have a view like this back home.

First day...

So yesterday was our first day in Sydney. We spent it a little like tourists even though we are here for the next few months. It's a really funny situation we in at the moment. My cousin and his wife have house swapped with a lady in Sydney. What can I say, this isn't just a normal house but a penthouse on the 29th floor, the view is spectacular. Just stepping out to the balcony you have a view of Hyde park, Opera house and Botanic gardens. Maybe it wasn't such a great idea to start our adventure this way but this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. 

Upon arrival we had breakfast at Two Good Eggs, after a walk around Darling Harbour we visited the fish market and purchased some fresh octopus, oysters and fish which was then prepared into a Sashimi lunch. 

This morning I experienced grocery shopping Australian style. The supermarkets are clean and very organised.  

Maybe I won't wake up 6am every morning but I can definitely get used to this lifestyle. Okay Okay minus the penthouse.   

Jet lagged

Even though I tried to sleep as much I could on the plane, being jet lagged upon arrival is inevitable.
Last night retired to bed at 8pm and was up at 6 this morning. It's funny how awake you can be when the rest of the city is only starting to wake up. Ramtin and I had to wait couple of hours before we could hit the supermarket for some grocery shopping.

Skyview

Managed to get a view of sunrise from higher up. It was amazing seeing the sun poke through the distance.

I guess plane rides are not that boring.

And it all begins

We are walking through the gates as I write this.
All ready to go. I'd like to add its a 22 hour flight.
See you on the other side.

The Essentials

I have packed and sorted everything for tomorrow but then thought of putting together a few things I would not be able to survive without.
It's not a long list as you can see in the picture but these are items that I use on a daily basis and if I am traveling for such a long time then forgetting any of these items would be a nightmare.
So apart from the obvious such as camera, passport and a smart phone I also find earphones and makeup very important to have.
I recently purchased a new pair of earphones from apple as a day does not go by that I don't use them, this is my spare pair as I don't want to be stranded with no music. For make up I have only taken my Chanel powder blush, this one is Rose temptation. Chanel Rouge Coco 05 Mademoiselle and last but not least Rouge Coco Baume which was given to me as a present by lovely Shireen to keep my lips soft during all the weather changes.
I have taken a few different colour flats, they are light and easy to carry, not the best for exploring countries but essentials for late lunches or spontaneous evenings.
I think I'm all set for whatever this trip throws at me.

His n Hers

Today was all about purchasing all that last minute necessities, anything from cosmetics and health to clothing and most importantly the core of it all my RUCKSACK.
I spent very long researching the best brand and all there was to know about a good rucksack. To be honest if you ever buy something like this it's best to invest a little more money and purchase something durable and reliable.
I was kindly offered by friends and family to barrow theirs but I was not able to do so and due to my bad neck I thought its best if I looked for the appropriate bag to suit my needs.
I wanted something light, spacious and most importantly with good shoulder and back support.
At first I wanted to order one online but with things such as this it is always best to try before you buy. Thanks to Ramtin we managed to find just the right one for me.
So ladies and gentlemen I present to you Denali 65 Women. It's by Jack Wolfskin with capacity of 65+8 Litres, it comes with a waterproof cover and many compartments for ladies to separate their bits and bobs. I have managed to stuff it to the max, the only things to add are my towels and a sleeping mat, this will be sitting on the outer layer of the bag.
I am fully aware of the baggage restrictions, 23kg is the maximum to check in but who am I kidding if I could carry 23kg on my shoulders then I would have spent half the time looking for a bag. So far the bag weighs 14kg, but I think it will easily go up to 16kg with everything else that I need to put in there.

So wish me a painless journey, I have made sure I'm fully stocked on painkillers for the damaged neck.

Goodbye Dinner

Last night my friends & I had dinner at Mawal Gardens. It's a Lebanese cuisine. The food was fresh and delicious the company was familiar and friendly. Just what I needed after a busy weekend.
This was the last time we could all meet up for dinner before my sister & I take off. My sister (Parvaneh) will b leaving on Friday, she recently moved to Iran and only came back to celebrate her graduation.
In the picture you see two set of sisters, we have been very close over the past few years and our friendship has created a small family. Going on this adventure will take me away from this tight family but in return they are only a phone call or Skype call away. I can count on these girls no matter what happens in life and I recommend this sort of friendship to anyone around me.
The simple ingredients are: honesty & love.

Will miss you lots my beautiful girls.

Last night's Party

It was one heck of a party. I wanted to see most of my friends before I took off.
Around 8 o'clock friends and family started showing up and the party was at full swing.

I had a great time, drank loads (hence the terrible hangover I went through today) and spent lots of time talking to those I love. Unfortunately I don't remember much of the conversations but I'm sure I will be reminded of each through out the week.

I learnt last night that in order to be a great hostess you need to relax, calm down and party as hard as you can. After all no one wants to be at a party when the hostess is running around cleaning after you...

Boom Boom

This morning I woke up with a surprise delivery. These beautiful flowers were delivered to my door, sent from my beautiful friend Daniel. I have only known this great person for less than 6 months but we have grown very close over this short period of time.

I spent the rest of the day on a high note, hosting a party has been more challenging than originally thought. But with the help of my family and friends we managed to get everything done. It has been a long day but full of laughter and memorable times. A day before my party will be a day remembered as much as the day of the party.

Very last minute...

The decision to take such a big trip was made over a four day holiday in Turkey. I should be very honest and say that the decision was actually made by myself and my younger cousin (drunk) while sipping on our vodka/lemonade sitting by the pool and soaking in the sun. This dates back to end of July 2012 so really not long ago.

Since then I have tried to organise everything in my life so the trip doesn't feel so last minute. The more I try the more I realise how little I know of what I am about to do. I have read many blogs and thankfully that has helped me prepare myself by creating checklists and a shopping lists etc.
It may sound crazy but our intention (Ramtin & I) was to go to Australia and travel through the country, but everytime one of us contacted the travel agents we were given options of package travel deals. This has led us to a ticket which takes us from London and picks us up from Hong Kong. Another last minute decision.

I will soon reveal more details of my trip, the map above shows our stop overs.

And finally what can I say im starting to like my last minute habit.

Much love x

All the little things

This trip has made me attend to small things that I usually oversee.
Things such as sorting out my iTunes library or packing away all photographs according to the year they were taken.
I have also started unsubscribing from all the newsletter that I receive on a daily basis and never actually read.
This is one of the more productive tasks I conquered as it had become a daily habit to sign in to my email and delete 15 to 20 emails straightaway.

I know on this trip I won't always have access to the Internet so whenever I have access I do not like to be welcomed by an inbox full of unwanted emails.

So I'd say an hour well spent unsubscribing from all the newsletters. What do you think?

Testing testing

So it has taken me over 8 hours to set this up. A combination of poor internet connection (I know, hard to believe that can happen in UK) very old laptop and one very impatient person meant that I was very frustrated by the end of it.

But woohoo managed to set up my blog so I can post using my phone. I needed to do this as the only gadget I'll be taking with me is my mobile phone.

So testing testing to see wether the 8 hours of work has paid off.



Much love x