Yo ho Yo ho a Sea life for me.

This morning was yet again a morning where the children would run downstairs to get some milk and then get back into bed to sleep some more. By that time I'm wide awake because it sounds as if Mogli with the elephants just went by. So I decided to make myself usefull and started my morning work-out. After that some freshing up and checking the timetables for the bus because today is Aquarium day! I see one bus that leaves in a few minutes and I decide to take that one. When I get to Sydney Sea Life they have just opened and there aren't many people yet. I get my ticket and rush to the entrance. First just a few small fishtanks but then the big glass tunnels! So many sharks and stingrays! I feel like a little kid again and can't help myself not to smile. The underwater world is a magnificent thing isn't it. Still don't want to meet any of those under water animals in real life next to me when I'm trying to surf or anything. No thank you. But in here they are beautiful. I got some good pictuers of them and moved on. More tunnels and fishtanks and cute playfull aquarium stuff for the kids. I promise, I didn't touch the kids stuff. I was a good girl today. Then I decided to go to Madame Tussauds that's next to the Aquarium. I've never been to a Madame Tussauds museum. And now I know why. Creepy sort of look a like dolls standing in rooms a few meters from eachother. A lot of chinese people taking pictures of EVERYTHING.. Next time I'll pass thank you very much. But I saw granddad Einstein and my hubby bubby M.J so it was still a good visit after all. After that I was really tired and the battery of my camera was almost empty so I decided to go home early. But when I got to the busstop I thought I could take 196 instead of 197. Because on the board they where going to the same stops. But ofcourse when I got in, it just went in the opposite direction of where I had to go. But I thought maybe better to go to the central station than to jump off at a random point because now we where driving in the bushbush. If I had known that the bus would take me around half Australia I would have jumped off and ordered a taxi or something. But I didn't and I stayed on till we where at the central destination where I took the bus back. Round 2. The right number 197, finally. But of course this bus wasn't going to my destination either. Because, I found that out later, there was a sort of restricted area this weekend around the area I had to go. They probably found out I'm from Holland and wanted to play a game with me or something. Really funny. So I had to walk from a random stopping place to my home. And I had to be home on time. Soooo much fun. But I got home in time. Got some time to change clothes and than it was time to do night duty. Luckily I ordered pizza, so no cooking today. Just sitting back and enjoying pizza while looking at the pictures of today.

See you later mates!

Carola adventures 2.0

Sunday 8th of May. Mothersday here in Australia.

Luckily I could stay in bed until breakfast was all done hihi. There where pancakes, eggs, bacon, toast and mushrooms to eat and ofcourse tea to drink. Because we might be in Australia, I am living with English people so tea is a standard morning ritual. After that I packed my things, checked my bustime one last time and went on my trip. Sydney it is this time! I had to catch a bus and train and arrived in Sydney center. Ofcourse I had checked the route before I went, not. So I just guessed the harbour would be on my right. Luckily it was and I walked passed Sea life and Wild life. The two things on my list. So I already knew two places I could go next time. For now I wandered round the harbour and got to the Chinese Garden. I was standing in front of it deciding to go in or not when a English couple came out. The lady turned to me and said well if you want to take pictures you really should go in here too! So we talked for a bit and she showed me some pictures and I decided to go in. A nice quiet garden with little waterfalls and a lot of birds. After the Chinese Garden I walked along the Darling Harbour again until I crossed over to the other side and walked back. Ofcourse normal people would not go to the other side. Or maybe they did but found better routes. Because I was walking on my own, through 'The Bronx' of Sydney and saw only dead mice and broken buildings. Ah well at one point I came across a parking area with a crossing bridge attached to it and when I crossed it I found myself on the other side of the Darling Harbour area. So I walked along that area until I couldn't go further and took some pictures. When suddenly a ferry popped up and I thought well why not and I hopped on. Although it wasn't a really great day with a bit of rain and all I still enjoyed the ride and got off before the famous bridge. I walked around the area and saw the opera house from a distance so I took some pictures. As you can see in my album. Than I had the crazy idea to walk back instead of taking the ferry. So I wandered along the river until my head started working again and I remembered that I had to be on the other side of the river. So walking that way had no use at all. So I walked back, when suddenly some random guy on a motorcycle asked me if he could take a picture of me, but I was so focused on getting the right ferry that I just said no sorry. But when I walked on I started laughing really loud because his question just hit me. Then I got on the ferry to Darling Harbour and went to the cinema to check if Jungle Book was playing, but it was not. So I went to have a bite. Ofcourse Fish and chips! With a view of the harbour and a meal in my belly I returned home. Ofourse the bus was late or I just missed it and had to wait half an hour so I decided to walk home from Gorden. So enough walking for today. Time for a nice hot shower.
See you later Mates!

1 May than is nobody tevree, 2 May a.k.a first working day, Hoezeeeee!

1th of May.

Some days you just know ok, today Is defintely not THE day. Barely slept or breathed at all. Luckily it was Sunday, so I could go back to bed. The family went off to a wine tasting and where coming back around 6 they said. I said goodbye to them and went back to my little piece of heaven until I woke up and was a bit hungry, then I saw it was 5 in the morning. So that was why.

2th of May. Schoolday and 1st workday.

Time to shine, show these Australians some Au pair skills! There I was dropping the kids of to school with their right lunchboxes and schoolbags and all. All was going great. I got home, did some laundry, emptied the bins and made a nice bed of sunnyness in the garden with my music and mobile for relaxation. But with all the plants and tree's and stuff it was a sort of game to actually lie in a sunbeam. Of course I made myself some fresh lemonwater while the hot pool men where making the pool ready for me. Too bad I wasn't there when the pool was ready nor was I there when the 'hot' pool men where making it ready. So there was only a pool left. But then I had to pick up the girls. With my Harry Potter money, because really have you ever seen Australian money? It's from Hogwarts! And when I picked the one up, I had to walk all the way up to the other side of Sydney, so It seemed. Through bushlife with half rotten bodies left by giant snakes and spiders I didn't want to know anything about. But I finally got there. Saw the backyard of this 'kindergarden'. Well I can tell you, now I understand the word 'Kinder garden' because its a little heaven for children. Play-castles, slides, stairs, benches, hoops, anything you can think of, it was there. Suddenly I saw some going up a slide instead of down. But one couldn't get up and was wearing a dress, so everything she slipped down she landed with her buttom on the face of another kid. Really hilarious. Of course I didn't help them or anything. Than fun was over and we had to go get some groceries and stuff. Rose wanted to have passionfruit so we got some. Emma wanted them as well but she didn't like the seeds. God may know what she was eating then but ok. I let her be. The hyena's had left their carcasses with full tummies under the stars and we arrived home safely. Time for me to start dinner, Spaghetti and meatballs. And after that It was all a blur until I got into my bed again. So nighty night!

Day two

Today I woke up like a zombie. My lungs where sticking to the windows near my bed, tissues where my new walpaper and coughing syrup was my new best friend. But I did not let it stop me! I had to see the pianolessons of Rose. She had to practice a bit before leaving and it went really well. Too bad her best friend was at practice as well, because the two where more interested in pinching eachother than listening to what the teacher had to say. I must say it was a really nice lesson, a lot of dancing, singing and playing in a fun a way. Some where already really good, while others well let's say where not become Mozarts any time soon.. So after practice was over we went home and got some cherrybread and put it in the toaster. To finish it with a layer of butter. Butter, the favorite thing in the world for Emma. She keeps on saying it and after that she smiles and says. And I love you all as well! Sadly enough I was still coughing all day and It didn't seem to get any better, so I went back to bed to try to get some sleep. Until my sleep was rougly disturbed by Emma and Rose shouting for me to come out and play with the visitors. I remembered there where coming two friends over of Ruth and James and got dressed to go upstairs. They where really nice people, one of them was a skidiving instructor and had done many many jumps and the other one was a teacher and also studying to be a peramedic. With nice food and wine the evening was getting better and better and suddenly we found ourselves talking about poop. Worst poop story's and all. Well than you know it's a good evening, isn't it?! So we all went on until they had to hit the road again and with a little promise to get together sometime to go indoor skydiving.. So maybe I'll be doing that any time soon! For now I only had to get to bed and try to fall asleep. Maybe dream a bit about skydiving..

Pre-flight, flying and arriving like a sicko.

27th April. Kingsday a.k.a salvation day.

Finally time to leave the Netherlands. With buggers in my nose and the wind in my hair we went to the airport, only 4 hours to early. We checked in my way to heavy suitcase and sought a place to sit and talk about all my great adventures and qualities in life. My familie was represented by my parents Hans & Carla, brother Stefan and girlfriend Dovile, aunts Gerda and Hilde, uncle Casper, nephew Luc, and my niece Mirte. Some of my friends also came to wave me off. The sweethearts! Melissa, Tjerk and Linsey! And last but not least, the love of my life, my hunnybun, chocolate bear, kidding kidding, Azad came as well. So a big group of lovely people all in tears of my leaving while I set of into the sunset of Australia... That's somewhat how it went.

Flying went great, they even had shipped my beautiful suitcase to the good side of the world. So that I could enjoy of all of my gucci and prada clothing. Only thing was that I couldn't taste any food because of my sick head so I probably lost some weight during the flights. Oh and the world has gone mad.. I had to pick a shuttle to go to the right gate at London airport and Hong Kong airport! Some little kid on the plane to London asked, ok Mommy is it Kingsday in England as well? Made me giggle. Oh and I flew over Ligusterlaan and I could swear I saw Dudley Dursley put a cake in his mouth...

29th April. Arrival in the land of the living!

Found my suitcase in one piece, went through the border security and made my way to the amazing, wonderfull and uh yeah.. lonely exit. Because they weren't there! And ofcourse my mobile didn't survive the 24 hours of flying I couldn't call them. But luckily I looked around and saw them walking towards me. It seemed that they had been looking for me in the other entrance hall. So there they where. Exactly the same as on the pictures. So we drove home and I got some information about the neighbourhood. And yes there it was, the little red bricket house. With indeed a large pool in the back, my own entrance and place to sleep and everything at walking distance. So this is where I'll be the next months. Then we went of to bring Rose to school, Emma to swimminglessons and afterwards we went to the mall for a typical Australian dish. The Sushi train! It's a place where you have a table next to a sort of small scaled trainstation and when you order some sushi it arrives on the train. Really enjoyed that one. After that we went home and made pumpkin soup for dinner and than my eyes started to fall asleep. The jetlag was starting to hit me. The world around me went quiet and I found myself in bed, coughing my lungs out. Because yes, ofcourse. The first time you travel around the world. You have to be sick. Like a dog. But that's why I'm writing my blog at 4 am in the morning. So maybe it's not all bad.

Hope that someone reads it. And maybe see you tomorrow!

Bye Mates!

Welkom op mijn Reislog!

EINDELIJK! Tussen 25 en 30 April vertrek ik naar Australië voor mijn halfjarige avontuur. Ik ga dan 6 maanden bij mijn gastgezin in Sydney werken en logeren en daarna hoop ik nog een loterij te winnen zodat ik nog even een paar weken kan reizen. Ik gun mijn ouders alle rust vandaar dat ik zo ver mogelijk wilde gaan. Verder ga ik natuurlijk heel veel mensen heel erg missen, maar ik zal 1 keer per maand Skype installeren en even contact zoeken met mijn oude regenachtige leventje hier in Rotterdam. En natuurlijk zal ik hier proberen mijn blog up to date te houden zodat jullie mee kunnen zwijmelen met alle poepluiers die ik iedere dag moet weggooien en alle bikini troubles die een normale australier heeft voordat hij weer in zijn zwembad aan huis duikt. Afijn. Een en al lol staat me te wachten, can't wait!