Cultured in Beijing!

Spent Sunday wandering around the Dashanzi area of Beijing which has transformed what once was, and still is to some degree, a sprawling industrial area into an artistic mecca! Surrounded by outdoor sculptures, cafes, small markets selling a bizarre mix of jewellery, trinkets and wolf skins (ofcourse), and fantastic galleries some of which have taken up residence in massive warehouses. A maze of streets and intersections make it a tough choice deciding inwhich direction to go (especially when one has a limited amount of time but quickly realises that you could spend all day here and probably still not get to visit every gallery or view every sculpture!). I was slightly disappointed when we had to leave especially as I felt like me and my camera were just warming up but if nothing else, it gives me something else to look forward to on my next visit (in addition to Peking Duck & Beggar's Chicken ofcourse! Go to the Grand Hyatt's 'Made in China' restaurant!!).

Farewell @ Laneway Cafe!

You have to say a special farewell to your hairdresser... afterall, they're the people who get to hear all the gory details of your personal life (mostly because they ask the most questions!) and get to match your hair colour to particular life changing events, relationships, jobs, hormonal changes, whims, or just when you want things to be a bit brighter!

Here's to Yuri and Linda, my most favourite hairdressers... and ofcourse Bron, the catalyst for this very special relationship!

For Sale...

2003 VW POLO, 1.4L engine, 5 speed manual, 5 dr hatch, charcoal interior, only 71,000 kms, great on fuel!

Lavendar Walk - Cape Kidnappers

And the views weren't too bad!

This is heaven!

The Farm @ Cape Kidnappers... how gorgeous is this place!

In Need of Some Pampering...the NZ Escape!

In huge need of some time out and an enormous amount of pampering before my big adventure gets underway! I've assessed a few options and decided on a quick trip across the ditch to NZ - this is exactly what I need! This place looks AWESEOME!
Cape Kidnappers (http://www.hawkes-bay.nz.com/cape-kidnappers.aspx) is located at the southern most point of Hawkes Bay on the North Island of New Zealand and more or less central to the wineries that are synonymous with the region. The best part about this package which is offered specifically to we Aussies, is that for every day you spend there, included is either a game of golf OR a 50 minute massage....no prizes for guessing what I'll be doing for the three days I'm there enjoying my little slice of paradise! Go check it out...!!More pics to follow... and for those who care... Zieko won't be coming, he'll be staying at an alternative resort - Uncle Pete's Vetinerary Clinic at Collaroy.. trust me, he loves it there!

The beach bungalow - thanks to Deb & Muz whose fabulous northern beaches abode I've been fortunate enough to call home for the last 6 months (see picture). Boasting full beach views right down to Manly and Shelley beaches as well as city skyline views, the house has been perfect for me and Zieko who spends what seems to be a lot of time lazing around on the deck - wow, it's just occurred to me how much I'm going to miss it here (I too have spent some time deck lazing!)

The journey can now officially begin!

Employment permit approved - let the games begin! First thing on the getting-longer-everyday 'to do' agenda is to sell anything I don't particularly want to lug to Singapore and don't particularly want to put in storage either. This includes mostly whitegoods and furntiture I probably should have ditched some time ago. This unfortunately includes my fabulous but rather large titanium fridge which I more or less bought as an expression of freedom after spending 6 months of living with 'ex-boyfriend' and having to tolerate the world's smallest bar-fridge you could ever possibly imagine! Nothing a short stint in the Classifieds can't fix. This also goes for the washing machine and the dishwasher I had to replace at Cremorne after happily laying floor boards which meant that (and this was discovered when we actually attempted to reinstall the dishwasher) the space in which it previously very comfortably slotted in to was now 3 cm too short. I challenge you to find a non-standard sized dishwasher that doesn't cost the earth! I did infact find a rather nice Miele which did the trick however left me with a perfectly good dishwasher that noone seemed to want and that has since followed me around with no real purpose in life. Here's cheers to the Internet and all the parts of my life that have improved since it became part of living on this earths vernacular (and credit to my new favourite website eBay!). What this all means of course is that not only have I managed to easily shed unwanted items but I now have a nice little 'holiday' kity which will give me the opportunity to escape all the uncertaintly and planning for atleast a week, I'm thinking somewhere in the top end of Australia, and spend some time taking in and appreciating the bits of this country I've always wanted to visit before I leave and forget where I came from (unlikely I know, but could happen!)
Hmmm...Broome sounds nice...

Ziekster Goes to Singapore... the story begins

The moment I told Zieko about moving to Singapore... priceless!

IDC wants me, but does Singapore?

Am I eligible to live and work in Singapore...? Only time will tell once I've submitted the relevant 'S Pass' paperwork (this is the Employment Pass which is essentially a work permit). Interestingly, the last page refers on several occassions to 'the Controller'...and reporting to this person who is 'the Controller' as and when required... hmmm, and it was also sounding so fabulous!