Friday, 28 May 2010

I love lists

Im freaking out about how little time we have to do all the stuff we need if we are going to go travelling before Christmas.

So this is my list of priorities...
1. Save money
2. JW's British citizenship
3. Chinese visa (and any others that we'll need to apply for before we go)
4. JW's driving licence and International licence
5. Figure out routes and book flights
6. Get healthier (for all that trekking!)
7. Buy gear (backpack, cold weather clothes etc)
8. Sort out money (how we will draw our money? what account we need etc)
9. Health stuff (Do a doctors and denist trip before we go)
10. Any injections/ malaria tablets etc that we might need.

Friday, 21 May 2010

Teaching English...

With all my worrying about money,
I started thinking a lot about working whilst travelling.

I have thought for a while that it might be a good idea to do a Tefl before we go to give us an option of teaching English when we're there.
I think in China particularly, it might be cool to settle for a few months in one place and earn some money.

Not sure I really have the confidence for it though!
I know JW would be great, he is really good with kids, and did a few years in a US summer camp, but I can be a bit shy in 'stand up in front strangers' type situation.
I would really love to do an art teaching thing or at least incorporate art into it somehow.
I think I would be more confident teaching really little kiddies, and using art a lot to teach them.

Thursday, 20 May 2010

worried about money


I have been living with my parents for 4 months, and I feel like Ive haven't really saved ANYTHING!
With January being a total write off and April being in SA, I just haven't felt that I had anything to put in my savings account.

It pisses me off, because SO MUCH of what we're doing relies on us having enough money.
And Ive been spending WAY TOO MUCH since I moved offices to Soho.

From now on, I will save EVERY PENNY!

Ok im done shouting....

Wednesday, 19 May 2010

Sun is shining, the weather is sweet...

The sun is out in LONDON!

Ok, so its not really that hot, and it keeps going behind the clouds, but still its making me feel all summery and happy.

Not long till there are lots of sitting in the park moments...

Worries

Me and JW went for a beer by the riverside last night, and I bumped into my friend and her on-off boyfriend.
We chatted a lot about travelling, cos she is going with another of our friends in September for 3 months to Thailand, Malaysia and possibly beyond.

I started to feel a little twang of jealousy...( I dont feel good about being envious at all)
I mean she is going sooner than me, and with a girl friend, which would be pretty cool.
And she is covering a lot of the areas we are going, but before us.

And then i snapped out of it and realised the following...

A. I am going for 18 months, maybe more and really investing a lot into this... with a thought in the back of my mind that we'll stay and get jobs, or at least keep travelling. So for us this is serious.

B. Im going with JW which is totally cool, and better than going with a girl friend- because as sad as it sounds he really is my best friend, and the person I like spending time with the most :)
and besides I plan to possibly meet up with them and some other people I know who are travelling if we manage to cross paths.

C. I should be happy for my friend, that she is doing something exciting like me and not be so envious! Its very unhealthy!

I guess im just worried about it actually going ahead smoothly, and worried about having enough money- so when someone is telling me about their well laid plans it worries me and make me envious that they are so sorted and organised!

Monday, 17 May 2010

Visas suck

JW is currently going through the process of becoming a 'British Citizen'.
and it sucks...

He wanted to keep his South African passport and have dual citizenship, which involves getting permission from the SA government, but also getting proof from the UK government that he hasn't yet applied for British citzenship, each step -of course- costs money and needs long-winded applications, and copies of passports sent off etc etc.
The idea is that the travelling will be so much easier if he has British citizenship, because the visas in various places will be easier and cheaper.
He is currently on 'indefinate leave to remain' for which he had to do a hilarious exam on 'Britishness' that honestly, no British person could ever pass!

So the final stage is the swearing-in cermony where you have to promise to serve the queen and country (and pay £800 of course)
ugg...

Thursday, 13 May 2010

I'm back!

I haven't written on here for ages!!

Partly through being very busy at work (office move to soho-bluh)
And also because I was trrrrrapped in South Africa for a little while, because of the ash cloud in iceland!
We went under very sad circumstances- a family member of JW's funeral.
The tickets were booked on the Wednesday and we flew on the Thursday, so everything was very last minute.
I felt totally unprepared for the flight, and we were both very sad about the reason we were going.
It was actually ok, but after 20 or so hours (we went via Dubai) we arrived, knackered in Cape Town.
The minute I got off the plane, I knew it was going to be hot! I ended up buying some flip flops at the airport, which I pretty much stayed in the whole time I was there.

Cape town is such a beautiful city, and it was nice to arrive to lovely afternoon sunshine, unlike the cold and rainy night time I came into last time I went.
Obviously some of the trip was very sad, and there was lots and lots of family time.
But we did actually have a chance to do some cool stuff whilst we were there

1. One thing we had time for this time round was Robbin island, unfortunately I was sick that day, which ruined it a little, but it was interesting.
The guide told us at the end that he was a prisoner at robbin island for being a member of the ANC.
There were some really beautiful parts of the island, with views over to Cape Town.
The only complaint was that they rushed us through the tours really quickly, and didnt really give us a chance to read all the info, especially in the cells, where there was information on the people who were imprisoned there.
Also, I have to say, the written info in and around the prison wasnt well looked after, and bits were missing.

2. We were very lucky that one of JW's friends works for the fisheries and his job is to monitor fishing boats, so he gets to drive out to beautiful beaches and harbours.
We spent a few days with him and got to see the boats pulling in the nets, and people buying the fish directly on the beach.
Also, he took us to areas where there was some wildlife.

we saw...

- Dussies (strange rabbit like things, that are famously shy)
- Baboons - quite scary! They was a whole troop around us for half the day, babies and adults.
- Wild seals
- A whale- Very exciting, its very rare for this time of year, but we watched one not far out of the bay

3.We also did lots of interesting drives, taking in scenery (which is amazing)
4.We had some nights out too, and I really got on with JW's friends (I know some of them from when they lived with us in London)


Its amazing the difference between rich and poor there. When you drive past the shacks its hard to believe that people can actually live in them, and on the flipside some of the rich areas you drive through with massive electric fences and their own vineyards are incredible.
JW is from Mitchells plain, which is a 'cape coloured' area and a bit dodgy (there are lots of gangs and drugs and JW was a bit wary of me wandering around there)
But actually I felt quite at home there! Even the mean dogs in the neighbourhood got to know me and stopped barking at me!