My favourite things..

One of my favourite things to do is plan holidays! For some reason I find it totally invigorating and I love making plans and watching them work out. I may be a tad anal or OCD or something of the like but hey.. once I’m on the beach I totally calm down. I was great at planning SEAsian holidays and knew all sorts of tricks. Planning holidays in Europe took some getting used to but I think I’m all good now. My sister and I survived a two week travel adventure  and actually had a great time.

The bad news is that I was supposed to be going to SEAsia with some students this summer for a work project. We were all really excited about it and worked hard all year in anticipation for our trip. At the last minute the director pulled the plug and won’t let us go due to some sort of political situation. It was really dramatic cancelling the trip and there were lots of tears etc. I fought it and fought it and tried to come up with alternate plans but to no avail. I kind of knew that there would be no changing his mind but I had to do all I could for the kids before giving up.

The silver.. no gold lining in all of this is that he is actually letting us teachers go anyway.. at our own risk of course. So a free flight to SEAsia! We’ll go visit the work project for a day or so but otherwise we’re free to do all we want. Me and MB and two others.. although they’re kind of lame and so I think we won’t stay with them for long. It’s only a month away so I’ve been doing some mad planning because honestly.. reading hotel reviews is heaps more entertaining than writing report cards.. and as of late last night.. our whole trip is booked!

I’m quite psyched because I think I’m inline to head the trip next year and this year will be a bit of a practice run.. with an amazing vacation thrown in there.. and so it’s all worked out! And I get to go back to SEAsia! Oh how I’ve missed it!

Now I’m in the process of organizing our travel itinerary into a chart and then coming up with packing lists.. oh boy.. I need help! Beach time in less than a month!

Just a Tuesday Afternoon

Well eating mainly protein and vegetables has made me a little less “high” in terms of how I usually act after a much needed sugar rush but I’m hanging in there. The first few days are always the hardest but I’m focusing on the desired results, one of which is not being the biggest person in Thailand in a few months time. Yes, I’m going to Thailand with some kids from school for 3 weeks to do a service project there. Cool eh? It IS incentive!

Secondly, it’s funny how when someone notices you saying no to chocalte or brownies or mini pizzas and asks you why and you explain that you’re cutting all of that out… opinions fly all over the place. I know that “dieting is bad” and that “moderation is the key” and all of that but I need to do something that works and fast and I’m not killing myself and ultimately it’s my body! So really.. unless I’m passed out on the floor or actually killing myself.. why can’t people just say: “good for you!” ???

Thirdly, I saw The Reader on the weekend.. finally. I liked the book better but did think that Kate Winslet deserved the Oscar. It wasn’t uplifting at all and made one feel totally disillusioned when leaving the theatre. I think this is also complicated by the fact that I spend the majority of my week with 15 year old boys and so the thought of a grown woman finding one alluring.. is beyond me! (this is a good thing!)

And that’s all I have for this rainy Tuesday afternoon…

Not bad eh

I had a nice day today. I basically followed my Dad around all day.. like I used to do when I was little. We did some errands and then went up to the beach for lunch.. some good father/daughter bonding time for sure. We also had the Money Talk.. which I hate but expect every time I’m home. I’m basically in major financial distress and something needs to be done… Living like a rockstar has caught up with me…and the fact that I’m moving to a very expensive part of the world does not help. So yes.. we talked about how I’m basically bankrupt and decided to go to the bank together on Wednesday to get some smart person to help me. I like my dad because we can have some hard conversation and then it’s done with. We don’t have to have it over and over again.. so it’s nice that I’m a little more than a week in and the dreaded Money Talk is done. Let’s just hope the bank can help me. It’s all about getting my life in order…

Anyway I’m going to chill out a bit and just enjoy being home.. and not caring about the boring parts but just using them to relax and catch up on some reading and writing.. 

Oh and Mr M and I have chatted a couple times since I’ve been home and we have tentative plans for Thursday.. fun fun … I just wish I had been one of those girls who got all skinny when she moved to Asia.. instead I’ve been dragging my ass out of bed in the morning and doing some sort of walk-run thing around the neighbourhood every morning.. but I digress.. So yes.. things to do.. people to see.. books to read.. it’s all good!