Europe 2011

This June-July holiday, my boyfriend and I decided to head off to Europe for the summer. This has been my first trip traveling without my parents, even though we will be staying with them for a few days. It has been challenging and the fight is not over yet. Currently we are in Athens and have been here for the past 2 days, however tomorrow morning we will be awaking early to catch a ferry to the island of Milos.

The hotel we've had for the past 2 nights has been excellent. The best I've ever been in really and I've been in a fair few. I'd have to say, if you're looking for a hotel and you're booking in advance. Come to Metropolis Hotel in Plaka. Best location and the BEST view if you get a balcony room. From here we can see the Acropolis and it is especially beautiful at night when it's lit up. It's so wonderful I just want to live in this room forever. For only 80 Euro (100 peak-time), it's an absolute Gem. The staff have also been very helpful in trying to sort out our bag issues (discussed earlier) and I hope we haven't pestered them too much. This has been the best thing about this holiday so far.

The View From Our Room

The Journey

Before the holiday even started, we had to change the flights. Our exams just so happened to finish on the completely last time-slot on Monday the 27th of June whereas we had booked our tickets for the 23rd at night. Usually our exams fall on the start of the exam session, however for some reason destiny really wanted to screw with us and decided to place our exams on the last few days (mine actually being on the 16th, then a long journey to the finish line with the 23rd, 24th and 27th). Every other time we finished in the first week but this time something went very wrong.

So we got off to a bad start. We thought things couldn't get any worse. But they did. So much worse and it's still happening as I type this at 9pm.

We has a lot of connecting flights to Greece. First we flew from Australia to China, then from China to Paris, Paris to Romania and then finally Romania to Greece (we spent the night in Romania to celebrate my parents' 21st wedding anniversary). Now, the connections would have been even more if our Paris to Austria flight didn't get canceled. Yes, during our most stressful periods, our flight decides to get canceled. they only decided to tell us this when we were schedueled to start embarking (30 minutes before take off). We also had an Austria - Romania connection which was due 40 minutes after we landed - that was never going to happen.

After waiting in a few long lines for a few long minutes (maybe an hour or two, I lost track), we finally managed to get a flight straight to Romania from Paris. Whilst this did mean less changing planes, it also meant we would arrive 2 hours later and our luggage had no chance of making it (also because Paris airport is the worst airport in the world when dealing with luggage and I mean it. There has not been a single instance where our luggage was not lost by them).

So our main issue was and still is, our bag.

We only had one but it still managed to get in serious trouble. Even before the flight cancellation in Paris, its fate was already doomed. As soon as we landed in Paris, we went to a check-in desk and the woman at the counter decided that we had to collect our bags in Austria and check them back in for the Romania flight. She assured us that we would have time to collect our bags and go through all this process because 'It's a small airport'. Of course she didn't care if we had time or not, she just wanted the next person to check-in. I find the lack of personal responsibility in airports astounding. No one cares, at all. It's not their business and they'll do their best to push you onto the next person (quite like our Psychology department back at uni).

Oh and did I mention that she also managed to retain our bag I.D. tracker ticket as well? So by the time we made it to the next terminal for our flight, it was too late to go back through all the security check points and retrieve it. The rest of the journey was spent explaining how we lost it and that a number written on a piece of paper (which we got out of the system) was our official luggage I.D. tag.

So after asking a few people, we soon came to the realization that it was impossible to have enough time to get our bag and catch our flight as well. So we spent 2 hours changing that in the computer and making sure it went through to Romania. But after all that our flight was cancelled anyway and our bag never had the destiny to survive the trip.

I just received a call from my boyfriend (we shall call him C.) letting me know from the airport that they apparently did finally send our bag through and should arrive here by 10pm. If it doesn't, then it will probably be lost forever.

Wish us luck!


UPDATE:
9:46pm
Our bag arrived at reception. C. is still on his way back. It's been stressful and tiring but at least we have it now. I just hope the airports won't lose it again any time soon because it really shouldn't take 3 days to get a bag back.

Breathing in a Different Type of Air

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” - St. Augustine


I've been many places. And you must travel to. You do not see true life without experiencing different views on life throughout the many cultures existing today.

So I've been to Romania of course and Australia as I reside here. Now... I've also been to Hungary, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Croatia, Italy, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, Vanuatu, Fiji, Greece, Czech Republic France and soon Spain.



Romania:
Simply beautiful. In summer the scorching heat penetrates your skin and as you drive with the windows down heat waves enter within. You drive past sunflower fields as you approach country areas and the yellow hues fill up the landscape beside you. In winter it becomes a fairytale; ice hanging off the guttering, snow coveting rooftops, trees and a sheet over the valleys. Snow falls as in a snow globe. Wood stacked up for the fire to warm the house in the cold days of winter. It's a dream. Sure Romania is kind of a "second world" country but it is absolutely breath taking. So many things to see and do. The mountains are so lovely in winter.



Australia:
Laid back, temperate. It has so many places to visit, you don't even have to sail the seas. In the winter you can go to the mountains and get a sense of winter, but it is not so strong down here. Christmas just isn't the same. BBQ on Christmas day? It's not quite that atmosphere of a warm fire burning in the fireplace, snow gliding out your window. After the lunch you step outside, breathe out your heat and build a snowman. Here you have a BBQ and then maybe even go to the beach. That's the great thing here, you can go to beach really whenever you want, there aren't billions of people crowding every inch of the beach and if you live on the coast you are oh so lucky. Some just don't see it. They take it for granted. So overall, Australia is a land of plenty.



Hungary:
Went there when I was about 10. Only a short period of time, but it is a beautiful country. I remember the train ride. Dying of heat as we travelled to Romania. You must see the river. The architecture is marvellous. It's just so different.



Austria:
Stayed there i think a total of 2 days? One day on the way to Australia, where we grabbed a pizza and stayed the night, the other when we were driving from Italy to Romania in 2006. It is quite beautiful but i have mostly seen it at night.



Switzerland:
Oh so very beautiful. I was amazed by the cleanliness. It just glistens in the sunlight. No rubbish on the ground or anything. The mountains appearing ahead of you as you drive with snow on the tops. It is an amazing country. Don't think we stopped but it was breathtaking to see.



Germany:
We were there when I think the world cup was on and at the time Germany was playing so there were people all over the streets. There were also some stalls where they were selling German merchandise. We got a badge and 3 plastic bands with "Deutschland" written on them. It's quite a nice place to go to, I didn't see too much of it though. Love the autobahn. Feels so good to go so fast!



Croatia:
Didn't stay too much, remember driving along swerving roads and we stopped somewhere where i bought a dress... made in Italy! Haha. But it's quite nice, I think when we drove past Serbia we saw houses with bullet holes in them.



Italy:
Bellissima! A must see. Rome has so much culture and you can spend two days walking around and taking in the scenery. The Amalfi coast is just breathtaking. It's almost like a huge lake. Though it seemed to be quite hazy when we went. You must also go to Venice. And even though it costs approx. 120 Euro for the gondola at night, you really should. What if you never get the chance to again? It's something that must be done in Venice. We managed to get a ride for 80 Euro! The masks they have are also very beautiful. Expensive but a great memento of your journeys. We were in Italy when they beat Australia in the World Cup. At that time my mother and I were in the car and listening on the radio. As soon as they won, you could hear cars going past beeping and people shouting jovially. One man asked if we were from Australia and he was like... "Haha they're Australian! We beat them! Hahahaha!" Ehh... o_O"



Singapore:
We only stopped over in Singapore in transit but one thing I remember is going to a random hotel and pretending we were staying there just so we could go up the elevator. Now the elevator pretty much was the tour of the city. It was a massive building and the elevator was just made of glass, so going up you could see everything. It was getting dark and the lights were beginning to appear throughout the area, revealing the life within the buildings.



Japan:
Once again only a transit stop, we were only there for a few hours (and it was only my mother and I this time). We didn't have time to go to Tokyo but we caught a train to Narita (where the airport is located). We walked around and found a monastery where we walked around taking a few photographs here and there. Some of these can be viewed on my website. Japan is lovely. It's so clean, it reminded me of Switzerland. I also fell in love with the Japanese sweets - the beloved mochi.



Hong Kong:
My parents and I have stopped over in Hong Kong on two occasions (of course in transit). Last time was a couple of weeks ago (currently I'm writing from Romania). We had more time in Hong Kong this time, however it rained for most of it. We walked around the markets and bought a few things here and there. I love the old run-down buildings there. I don't know why really, most people would find them absolutely filthy but to me they seem to have a different, more realistic vibe. It's hard to explain but I find the modern buildings too cold and without a 'soul', whereas these buildings hold a story, they've been through it all. And there are some pretty tall buildings. Even flying in on the plane you see massive skyscrapers sticking out of the humid greenery of Hong Kong. This country is one of the few that still affects me, that still makes me feel something different. Having travelled pretty much all my life, a new culture isn't such a big deal, especially coming from Australia where you walk down one street and you're in Chinatown, you walk down another and you're in Lebville.



Vanuatu:
Vanuatu is great. So relaxing and quite beautiful. If you're looking for an affordable island escape, Vanuatu is the place to be. It's pretty cheap to stay and travel (whether you choose to walk, ride a bicycle or hire a car, it's a small island so getting around isn't a problem). The best place we found was a small beach on the left side of the main island where walking into the water you already have coral at your feet. Of course there are rocky areas where you can step through and go into the water, but the beauty of the ocean is really right at your toes. Slightly closer to Port Vila, there's a waterfall you can visit. It's massive and on the right there's a small cave you can swim into behind a smaller waterfall. I found it a little freaky, but it's pretty nice to check out. We also went to a small island where they had a turtle sanctuary and people could feed massive turtles pieces of mango. At the same place, we hired a few canoes and went up the river. A needed escape without deep pockets indeed.



Fiji:
Similar to Vanuatu, it's a place to go relax and enjoy the gorgeous warm and colourful waters. No real point staying on the mainland, it's best to go on its many islands. Fiji islands are gorgeous. There are a plethora of ferries which travel up and down daily which you can take from island to island. The food isn't the best thing in the world; on one island we were forced to pay for breakfast which consisted of 2minute noodles on rice. Tasty huh? We usually just ate the food we brought with us or dad opened up a coconut or two we found on the beaches. One of the best islands though is called Barefoot Island. Somewhat more expensive but it's one of the best places I've been to. On one side you have calm, bathwater with gorgeous corals spanning a large distance. On the other, there are waves and some larger corals. The staff on the island were also very friendly mixing cocktails and cooking us Fiji specialities. At night, they set up a massive camp fire by the beach. Perfect.



Greece:
Greece is great for two things; relaxing/partying on the islands and visiting its historic monuments such as around Athens and in Delphi - Olympia (whilst there I ran up and down the old stadium - sure I'm a few years late but I can still say I ran on the Olympic track, can't I? Well, the original one anyway). Anyway, the place I enjoyed most was the island of Santorini. We were only going to stay there two days but it was so gorgeous we extended it to a week. Classic Greek. White buildings on rock cliffs overlooking the sparkling blue water. Bliss. (photos once again on my website as mentioned earlier) The hotel we stayed at had a wonderful pool; clear blue, right up to the top so you could just slide in any beached whale with ease. The beaches were also great. One day we hired some scooters (very cheap I must say), and drove around the rocky cliffs next to the beach. Up above there were also some ruins one could visit if you didn't have enough history on the mainland. I hope to go back there sometime soon. One place I really must return to is Kyllini Beach near Delphi. I don't know if it was the darkening sky or the towering moon above, but the beach was absolutely magical to me. Warm water with waves hugging the shoreline as the moon begun to shine brighter and brighter with the setting sun. It was like my dream beach. Long shoreline with waves drifting in darkness. It's just my fantasy landscape. Byron Beach on the northern NSW coastline in Australia was close to it with it's long stretch of beach at night. The moon was also hazed by the mist of the salty air. Sorry to go off track but I just had to mention how great that was to me. We also walked up the beach to a river where fish were jumping at our feet. Might go back there some time again.
But yeah, in conclusion, Greece is great! Another must see indeed.



Czech Republic:
Just stopped by on the way to Romania from France. My parents were celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary as this was their honeymoon destination. It's a nice country. We stopped in Prague and Bruno. In Prague we visited the massive monastery on the hill and walked around a little. In Bruno we went into this place which housed human remains which were hundreds of years old. A little creepy but very interesting how they were preserved. One man even had his shoes left.



France:
Didn't seem as romantic to me, though I guess that may have something to do with the fact that I went with my parents. It's still quite beautiful. We went up the Eiffel Tower after waiting in its two hour line. We also took a ferry up and down the Sienne River to take a quick tour of Paris. Both daytime and night-time (even though we were jet lagged as hell). We stopped at Notre Dame for a while. It's so beautiful both inside and out. By then we were well and truly sick of waiting in lines so we entered through the exit. No problemo. The line was moving but we just didn't have time for any wait at all, just flew through and left right away to catch the ferry back. We're going to go back there in a few days and visit the Louvre, as well as the southern coast of France. Should be great!


“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” - Henry Miller

And so the School Begins.

Alright. School. Worst thing ever.

Schools here in Australia are quite different to Romanian schools. If you know what American schools are like, that's how Romanian schools function. Looong summer holidays and different dates for terms. So when i came here to Australia, my parents thought they brought me here just in time for the beggining of a new year in September. Instead it was, i think, the second-last week of the third term. I couldn't speak English very well and when we went up to the office of Wentworthville Public School, the woman asked what i now think was; "Would you like to start now or wait untill after the holidays?" I responded with "Ok." And so began my first grade in an Australian school. I had left Romania at the end of year one, and began school here at the end of year two =P So i practically skipped year 2.


Fast Forward ->
I remained at Wentworthville Public School until the end of year 3. After which we moved to Randwick and attended Randwick Public School from year 4 till the end. Hated it by the end of it. Then Highschool... i think i shant disclose that ;) And yes i hate it. Longest i've been to a high school for, It's driving me up the wall. 2 girls i gravely dispise one of which i wish would just shut her huge ass mouth and go change schools already. Most others are quite fine.

=TODAY=

The Beginning

I was born one cold winter day in Bucharest Hospital, Romania. It was around 11am on the 11th of January. I almost died, as i had the umbilical cord wrapped around my neck. I was in intensive care for a little. No, i have no memory of this, my mother told me.



The earliest memory i have is my 4th birthday. For some reason i was really upset, and so when it was time to blow the candles, i blew them with my nose. Of course i wouldn't expect people to still wish to eat it, though i think they did... I remember feeling so short, everyone was so tall. My birthday was celebrated in Miercurea Ciuc, a Hungarian inhibited area of Romania (they still have disputes to whether that part is Romanian or Hungarian territory). That was where my dad's parents lived.



I can no longer speak fluently Hungarian to them, though i do remember how to speak a simple conversation. As soon as i learnt English, i forgot Hungarian. Apparently when i was little and learning to speak, i would mix Romanian with Hungarian and thus would confuse my mother. That would be quite humorous to see a young child confusing their parent through speaking more languages than them.



I only remember mere fragments of my life. Most of my memories lie in a small town called Urlati. That is where my great-grandmother lives. My grandparents have also moved there now (mother's side). The street is where life thrives. All my friends congregate there. Younger children during daylight, and as it gets later in the day, those my age appear as well. It's awesome! My friend Alexandra always sticks by me. The guys are quite odd.



I remember when i was about 5, for my birthday i received a mug and a bike. My neighbour Adrian whom is 4 years older than i was helping to teach me how to ride it by walking backwards ahead of me. I remember shouting to him to move or I'd run over him. He was a funny character. I remember i was once on a log in my great-grandmother's garden and my friends were just leaving. He was at the end and on his way out the gate... he leaned over. Eyes shut. Closer. Closer. *SLAP!* I was scared, come on, i could not handle a first kiss. My great-grandmother just laughed. His cheek was red and he called me a bitch. At the time i didn't know what that word meant. Though the funny thing is... he still likes me to this day. Poor thing, i don't feel the same about him.



Back to the topic about kissing. For a long time i actually thought you could get pregnant from it! I don't know i guess i misinterpreted the images with the Fallopian tubes, thinking they lead to the temples and yeah the mouth was like the vagina. I was an odd child, yes.



I remember when i was in year 1 (so about 6 years old) my neighbours Christina and Florentina told me to steal a cigarette from my grandfather, so i did and i smoked for the first (and last) time. It was terrible! I just coughed and coughed! I can't see how people get addicted to it! Oh don't worry, my mother knows of this, strangely enough, she did the very same thing at the same age as well. Must be in our blood.



The only thing i remember about Romanian schooling was the writing. Everything was written with ink (there was a little jar of ink on the windowsill and you would refill your quill there) also everything was done in "running writing". This is year 1! I mean come on! When i came to Australia we only started to join our letters in year 5. Also, we never use ink. Always pen. So simple!



Okay so fast forward a little. Moved to Australia in August 1999. On the plane i apparently just spoke to a girl my age who was sitting in front of me English as if it was my first language. I had only learnt English from school (not that much) and watching Cartoon Network ^ ^ So yeah we stopped in Vienna, Austria for a little. Slept there, had pizza i think. Didn't stay very long. So Austria was the first country i had visited. Then arrived in Australia and lived with a family friend for a while. He wasn't very nice, no one likes him. He's very selfish. Though at least he let us stay with him for a little... then he was like "When are you going to move out?!" So yeah...




That's my life up until i was to begin schooling here in Australia.

Welcome to my Life

Well this shall be the introduction to this site. I've decided to share the story of my life on the Internet. I've lived quite an interesting life, having witnessed many extraordinary things. I'm not quite sure how to start it, how to write it all. Not even sure if i should make it fictional to add some more excitement. I think i may tell the story of my life, as well as over emphasising and adding some drama. You'll never know whether the things i write ever actually happened or if they were real, thus i can truly tell all.

Enjoy.