Ali's Adventures!

As much as I grumble about typing this blog something strange must've come over me to voluntarily type away even though I'm not currently on the road! It's been in the back of my mind for a little while to type my thoughts and reflections on the journey I've had so far and share it with you. What better time to do so than to mark my 2nd year anniversary since leaving my home, family and friends in London.

My sister and I celebrating Selena's 30th Birthday shortly before I left London, 2 years ago

My first experience of being 'on the road', I thought at the time, stretched me and stripped down barriers and preconceptions more than I'd experienced to date. Travelling on a super tight budget, sleeping with the rats and cockroaches, eating only street-food and not from those 'swanky' western restaurants, travelling local over-night busses and not the comfy tourist busses etc. This indeed was a stark contrast to the Londener I once was - with my exclusive gym membership, fake tan, straightened hair... even thinking back I simply cannot believe how far I have come in a relatively short space of time! It certainly feels like a different life-time ago now!

Burning fake dollar bills in respect for their dead relatives, Hoi An, Vietnam, June 2009

As much as the South East Asian adventures stripped me of the polished London gal inside, I don't think I was even close to imagining what lie in store for me in Japan! Not close by a mile!

To throw myself whole-heartedly into such an experience at the time was pure stupidity. Not I look back in hindsight and view it as bravery beyond belief! To go from always having such a strong safety-net of support to being totally and utterly alone on all levels, was an experience which was to shape me forever.

Wearing a kimono was undoubtedly a highlight of my time in Japan

To endlessly walk the streets with not two coins to rub together, live on 100 yen instant ramen, not to be understood socially or linguistically wherever I went was not only challenging, but was the biggest wake-up call I could ever have experienced. For years I had been walking around in my bubble thinking and believing a certain set of rules, systems and beliefs were the only correct ones and then to live and breathe a totally different, broadened my thoughts and horizons hugely.


Arashiyama, Kyoto, Japan. One of my favorite places to visit whilst living in Osaka

I can now only be grateful for the experience that was Japan. It is a time in my life I will be eternally grateful for.

By now having stripped bare down to the core-essence of 'Ali' I happily continued a short while more on the road, meeting with, living with and experiencing with Malaysians. What a gentle, loving race of people. To be taken in and nurtured at such an important time of my life was awesome and very much needed.

Trekking deep in the Borneo Jungle, Gunung Mulu. One of the few places I've absolutely promised myself to re-visit one day

Then there was Australia.

I had only been away for a year by this point and oh how much in me had changed. My values, my outlook and my dreams. I was ready to conqueror the rest of the developing world however we cannot, unfortunately, travel with an empty wallet! I know now I hadn't mentally and emotionally prepared myself to live in the westernized world again as It took me the longest time to settle back in to the 'norm' (whatever that may be!). I assumed I would glide straight back in, but instead I found myself a square peg trying to fit into a circular hole!

These were very important lessons I had learnt about myself. What I once thought was familiar, was now not. What I once thought was ideal, was most definitely not. What I once loved, I loathed. To even think about working back in the corporate world sent shivers down my spine yet there I was selling my soul for those precious dollars/pounds/yen we all love to have.

My time in the 'corporate cage' passed relatively quick, but was met by an event which will stay with me for many years to come. I wont go into details here, but to say I had/have some emotional and physical wounds to heal would be quite an understatement. This event was the biggest wake-up call I have ever had. Bigger than the 3rd degree sunburn in Thailand, bigger than the 'Japan experience', bigger than anything I've ever experienced before in my 30 young years. I was up for the challenge and allowed it to consume me completely.

Down, down, down the 'black hole' I went allowing my heart, body and soul to cry a thousand painful tears. Ten days of silent meditation, homeopathic medicine, amazing friends, self realization, self acceptance and self-loving were all part of my healing. I can only tell you how utterly grateful I was to experience such darkness in my life because without the darkness we cannot truly understand and appreciate how amazing the light is.

Sunrise yoga and meditation, Byron Bay, January 2011

I would be lying to say I immediately felt re-newed and re-energised after such an episode. In fact it was probably when I found myself travelling half-way up the east coast of Australia wondering what the hell I was doing there and truly searching within did I stop and re-evaluate what was now 'me' and to start living the life that truly reflected the wonderful person I had now become.

My days are (unfortunately) working back in the corporate world, however since vipassana I now have such a greater understanding and respect of time. In a blink of an eye 6 months in Japan passed by... in a blink of an eye my friends babies are growing into toddlers, in a blink of an eye I'm no longer a moody teenager lacking motivation and direction but a strong, loving, independent 30 year old woman. The next 8 months working the corporate circuit will be a breeze (of course all those precious, shiny dollars I'll be saving are a big incentive too...!).

So I guess that's me. Me for now anyway... after all nothing is permanent..............

I now meditate, practice yoga, listen to my heart, have as much fun-time as possible, try not to not life seriously whatsoever, feed my body and mind as much nutrition I can, spend time with people with the most amazing bright white light, planning (yet more) travels and visits from beloved friends and family, enrolling into courses... the list goes on. I guess I've just cracked the secret of how to live the happiest life I possibly can. And it's truly, truly wonderful.

My dreams and manifestations are heading more and more towards opening some-sort of healing centre somewhere amazing in the world incorporating as many different alternative, healing therapies and therapists as possible. This is a dream I do definitely see myself making a reality.

As much as I have laid out bare my emotional and spiritual journey so far, it still hasn't even touched the surface. I guess it is sometimes hard to put down into words, but I'm sure you get the jist... I can only hope I have inspired at least one reader to stop, think and re-evaluate what true, deep down heart-felt happiness is. It's not an easy one but it sure is the most rewarding :-)

What better way to express how far I've come in two years than to do a spot of life modelling?! By far the most empowering and liberating experience!

I miss and love each and every one of you, now and always...

xxx Ali xxx

Sooooooo where was I.....? Brisbane...? It all seems such a looooong time ago!! I'll jot down a quick run-down before my mind gets too hazy;

I wasn't too sure whether to visit Brisbane when I was looking to move on from Byron Bay but glad I did, eventhough due to the floodings it was a bit of a ghost town - all museums closed, no tourists strolling the streets, empty shelves in the supermarkets etc. All a bit eerie. Cool city nevertheless and glad I stopped for a couple of days.

From Brissie I headed to Noosa in time for Australia day celebrations!! I met a lovely pommie teacher, same age as me (you don't get many of us 'oldies' on the east coast!!) on the bus and we decided to meet the next day to hit the National Park before celebrations got underway. Here is where I spotted my first wild koala in the trees. Scorching day, lovely stroll and a picnic lunch later and it was time to head back to the hostel for the festivities. Free BBQ, great company and a cool band (trio of guys, two on guitar and a guy on bongo's AND three different sized digeredoos!! I was muchos impressed!). The following day saw me catching the bus up to Hervey Bay for my Fraser Island adventures...

Luckily I managed to bag myself a great deal for both Fraser Island and Whitsundays plus a few nights free accommodation and a few free meals otherwise I don't think I would've been able to do it all (thanks to a dip in tourism due to the floods!). Met a few great peeps on the bus to Hervey Bay and before you know it we are in groups planning the next three days on the island. I awoke very early the morning of the trip as the guy next to me in the dorm was coughing his guts up, I decided to the toilet seen as I was awake and as I checked my iPhone to see the time (5am) I realised it wasn't attached to my charger where I had left it the night before... One of the other girls in the dorm saw I was looking around decided to help me when she discovered her handbag was missing. Chaos and histeria insued. My handbag, entire contents, point-&-shoot camera and iPhone were stolen, and two of the three girls had their handbags (including wallets and passports) stolen.

Gutted.

I decided not to do the headless chicken act (or not be too angry at the girls as it was them who hadn't locked the dorm door) and be pro-active. Called the police, listed what exactly had been stolen, halted all credit cards, blocked my phone etc. I have to say the most shocking part of the saga was how unhelpful the management were at the hostel (Nomads, Hervey Bay - please DO NOT stay here... ever!). One shrugged it off saying "I think it's happened here once before... you know what backpackers are like" ...uuuuum NOOOOO!! Not that I believe for one moment all backpackers are saints but as a community we generally don't steal from each other!! The police however gave me a much more realistic view of the situation saying it's happened here so many times before and it's not backpackers but locals who try their luck! I was SO angry! They have CCTV stickers everywhere yet not a single camera. A blackboard just behind the front gate with the security code AND a whopping great hole in the fence behind our dorm where they had climbed in!!!! GRRRRR!!!!

After the police had gone we scanned the beach as apparently they run there with the goods, sort through what they want to keep and dump the rest. Fortunately my handbag and it's contents were dumped behind our dorm building but everything else was gone... Not the way I wanted to start my Fraser Island adventure...

Anyhoo I was with a great bunch of folks and the sun was shining. The three days were filled with driving our own 4x4 along the sand and around the island, BBQ's, stunning sights and swimming in crystal waters. Good times. I totally forgot how much I enjoy going back to basics and sleeping in a tent (yes mum and dad you read correct!!). We bid a sad farewell to Fraser Island and, for me at least, a not so sad farewell to Hervey Bay and off I trotted to Airlie Beach for my next adventure; Whitsundays.

Going back a step or two here, whilst we were 'stranded' in Yamba, I remember the guys who run the YHA telling us there will be a cyclone a few weeks after the floods. This had totally slipped my mind - I was obviously having way too much fun - so by the time we arrived in Airlie there was news of a huge cyclone heading our way!! Uh Oh!! ALL three day, two night boat trips had been cancelled but luckily we booked ourselves in on a one day trip for the following day. It was a fantastic day, just a bit of a shame it was just for the one day (I am still chasing my refund...). By this time I was still planning on getting to Cairns to stay with a friend there however Yasi and Greyhound had other thoughts. All transport heading north were cancelled so we hopped onto an 'evacuation' train back down to Brisbane! 18 hours (and only $20) later and here we were back in Brissie just in time for Chinese New Year!

I had been travelling with a lovely lad from Bath, England, since Hervey Bay and we chilled and took in the signs in Brissie before I bid the east coast farewell. Not long after I landed back in Melbourne I decided I hadn't quite had enough holiday so invited him down to join me on a road trip along the Great Ocean Road for four/five days. It was truly magnificent. Scenery; stunning, company; grrrrreat, camping; just what the doctor ordered (in fact a welcome relief from the 20-something goon drinking anti-social gaggles of european girls I had the (dis)pleasure of sharing dorms with up the east coast! Maybe if I did this trip in my early 20's I wouldn't sound like grumpy granny haha! Oh well, I don't care!)...

...And here I am. Bid farewell to new friends, adios to my daily doses of hot sunshine (Melbourne summer is as dire as it's winter!!), and hello job hunting. Boo. It's almost pointless sharing my plans as they truly do change on a daily basis! However as things stand currently I'm looking to stay in Melbourne until new year 2011/12 when I'll go to NZ. I will be applying for my working holiday visa in NZ which will allow me the freedom to work/travel at my pleasure as I don't know how long I'd like to spend there. Ideally i'd like to hitch and couch surf as much as possible saving my budget to then get to South America. But, hey, that's a long time in the future.... who know's what might happen before then....?!

Photos:
East Coast: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=268206&id=557016780&l=414338ba70
Great Ocean Road: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=274051&id=557016780&l=90ceee968c

Well, well, well, where to begin......

It sure has been quite a while since my last entry, for plenty, and yet at the same time, very few reasons. The last time I updated I was leaving Singapore to begin my working holiday visa in Australia and that's where I've been
ever since.

My time here in Aus has been a bit of a mixed bag so far. I feel lucky that I am able to have the time and space to reflect and compare having lived in such different cities, cultures, countries (Osaka v's Melbourne) and the experiences they have given me. I would say mostly it has, so far, been a welcome restbite 'settling in Melbs for a little while (even though I was living and working in Osaka for a little under 6 months, because of the daily challenges the whole exhausting experience made me look forward to slotting into a western society again)... however casting my mind back to my first month-or-so here I had such a difficult time knowing where to place myself. As I may or may not have mentioned in earlier entries, I find I don't appreciate how much I have 'grown' whilst travelling until I rest my laurels back into a developed country and face what I have been used to doing on a daily basis (working, socialising etc) and see whether it is really 'me' any more, if my time away has changed my perception on what I used to know and love so dearly and if it still brings me joy and satisfaction. I am finding the more I let the universe truly guide me to wherever and with whomever I end up that I am finding out more and more clearly what my true self likes and dis-likes and alowing to see more clearly the path I would like to take in future.

I digress... going back to my initial months in Melbs: I had enjoyed travelling and experiencing life in developing Asian countries so much so that the idea of living in Australia, for however long, and the bullsh!t that goes with a westernised country (in your face marketing, bigger is better, rat race, throw-away society, etc etc...) actually filled me with dread and in heinsight my attitude made my transition much harder than necessary.

The blow was sofened thanks to a truly a-mazing wedding of my very good Aussie mate, Lauren, and her fiancee, Thomasz, who I worked with in London. My first few weeks was full of hen party (mayhem!), wedding (awesome), great little road-trip honeymoon with Thomasz' Polish buddies around Canberra, Blue Mountains, Mount Kosiosko, farewell to Sydney - hello to Melbourne, meeting my loooovely adopted Aussie family who live in Mordialloc (close family friends from way back) and spending time living and commuting from there whilst job and flat hunting. All a bit of a whirlwind really...

I soon landed myself a temporary 6 month contract working in the docklands area in Melbourne CBD at AXA insurance, PA to three managers in the finance department. Great bosses, great colleagues and I was incredibly lucky to jump straight into a well paid, regular job however It has totally made me realise I really, REALLY despise working in an office! It simply doesn't suit my free-spirited nature. Doing the same repetitive tasks with the same faces in an air-conditioned building... ARGH!! At the same time I also apreciate I am very lucky to have the skills to jump into a good job as and when I need (which is why I will more than likely need to pick up another temp office job in the not-so-distant future!). As much as I would like to pursue my massage work on a full-time basis the hurdels and red tape here makes it too hard to set-up (I won't bore you with the details).

A few weeks after starting work at AXA I got myself a great house-share in a swanky part of town, South Yarra, with a couple of lovely girls, Clare and Martina. And that was me pretty much sorted, working and paying the bills, making new friends and slowly getting to know Melbourne.

I had pretty much been trying Melbourne 'on for size' to see if it is the kind of place I would like to live in on a more permanent basis. I had even started a job massaging with an employer who would've been prepared to sponsor me, however I have decided that Australia just isnt for me. I still have yet to put my finger on exactly why not, the best way I can describe it is that there is 'something' missing'... I also have a feeling for being totally stranded from the rest of the world travel-wise. To travel anywhere is a major event (not to mention mega bucks!) and when you've been used to booking a last-minute easy-jet and hopping pretty much anywhere at bargain basement prices it kinda puts things into perspective... We are all different and I think it all boils down to what your priorities and passions are. For me now, and for most likely many years to come, is travel. I just don't see that being realistic if I stay in Australia on a permanent basis. However saying that you never know what may come around the corner so until the day comes for me to leave Aus for good I'm going to stay open minded.

Because I had been living the city life (read: not focussing on saving my pennies too hard - especially seen as I had been living on such a teeny budget since leaving London and I finally allowed myself a few luxuries) this meant by the time my 6 month contract was up I hadn't really managed to pop too much away in the savings... The only draw-back from this is to obtain a second year visa you have to either get sponsorship (I didn't go down this route with my massaging and I was unable to with the office work) or 88 days of agricultural work. Throughout my whole 6 months in the office had been SO against the idea of whole farming thing so we decided to tap the contact I had who could make this happen for us without doing the hard work. Brilliant! The only thing to work out was to work out a way where it seems that we were farming just in case we get investigated. This means withdraw as much cash as possible and not to make any bank transactions. Easy you may think but 3 months all of a sudden seems a very long time!! So since leaving AXA at the end of October I relaxed a bit in Melbourne, completed a 10 day silent Vipsassana meditation course (challenging but A-MAZING, totally recommend), moved back down to Mordialloc with my lovely Aussie family, enjoyed a family Christmas, popped to Sydney for 10 days over New Year (always great to see ya, Lozza & Thomasz) and decided to travel the east coast with Shahira - which is where I am this moment... Unfortunately this is where the flooding has been too!! We started off in Woolgoolga, a teeny surfing town north of Coffs Harbour. The hostel was a 20 min suttle bus ride out of town and the place was full of and run by pretentious twats so we didn't hang around here too long. Second stop was Yamba, a lovely chilled surfing town south of Byron Bay recommended to me by my Melburnian mate Ross. As it is predominantly a surfing town and neither of us surf we only planned to stay a couple of days however the flooding had other ideas... Thankfully Yamba itself doesn't flood but the only highway in and out does so we had to wait a few more days than planned until the roads were clear. (Relitively) cheap, clean and well-run YHA, gorgeous sandy beaches and award winning pie shop over the road - we could've been stranded in worst places I guess!!

Once the roads were (finally) clear we headed out of Yamba to our next destination. For me: Byron Bay, Shahira: to New Zealand via Sydney. Never easy to say goodbye to a loved-one but we each have to follow what's in our hearts and for me it was to continue travelling the coast. Well what can I say about Byron Bay apart from I LOVE the place! great vibe, chilled atmosphere, great hostel (Arts Factory) sharing a dorm with great girls, stunning sunrises and sunsets... the list goes on. My days here were filled with strolling the shops (and finding the bikini of my dreams: 50's inspired highwaisted halter!), crystal/sound/reiki session (totally blew me away, felt SO clear and alighned, totally inspired me to look into crystal therapy as well as following through with my reiki dreams...), afternoon stroll around the Crystal Castle, 05.30 alarm to meditate and a few sun salutations at sunrise, a little beach-time, watching the sunset whilst listening to the 'bongo men' and generally chilling to the core. Nice. Oh how I WISH I could stay for longer than just five days, however the peak-season room-rate is killing my budget so I must press on. Next stop: Brisbane.......

To be continued!

Photos so far: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=268206&id=557016780&l=414338ba70