Why sustainability?

As mentioned earlier, I have recently started an online course called Sustainability, society and you.

Environmental sustainability is something I have been interested in for a while now. I think I really started to think about it when I lived and worked as an au pair in England 7 years ago, as the family I worked for was very environmental conscious, so of course that made me think about it.

The main reason sustainability matters to me is because of concerns for the future.

There is currently 7 billion people living on our planet, 100 years ago it was only 1.6 billion! If the world's populations keeps increasing at this rate the world will run out of food and fresh water. It would be nice to find ways to make sure that doesn't happen.

However, as I have learnt more about the environment and climate change I have realised that sustainability isn't just something for future generations, it is something we should be concerned about now.

The thing that worries me is how people refuse to acknowledge the issues the planet is currently facing due to pollution and industrialisation. Even if you don't believe in climate change, what would be the harm in trying to live a more sustainable and environmental lifestyle?

Nottingham Revisited

Until yesterday I hadn't been to Nottingham since early 2007 when I worked as an au pair, so it was nice to go back and see it again as I can't really remember much from last time. It was also nice to have someone that lives in Nottingham to show me around.

One of the things my friend Mark and I did was to walk along the canal. I don't think that's a thing I would have though of doing if I was just walking around on my own for only a day, but it was a really nice walk and we even saw someone using the locks which I have never seen before! 

We also did the city of caves tour. Apparently they do a guided tour on weekends but we just got an audio guide and walked around the caves on our own. It doesn't take very long, I thought the audio guide was a lot longer than it needed to be but at least we learned a lot about the caves. I actually didn't even know about the caves until Mark told me. Because we are both UK tax payers we filled in a form which allows us to go back for free for a year, so maybe I'll go back one weekend and do a guided tour, I tend to take more in when I'm listening to an actual person instead of just a recorded voice.

I was only in Nottingham for a few hours, but at least I live fairly close so I will have to try and get back more often. I wasn't in the mood for shopping yesterday but I might go back before Christmas to see if I can find some presents in any of the many interesting shops. I also want to go to the castle when I go to Nottingham again. I went to the castle in 2007 but can't really remember anything from it.

If you are ever in  Nottingham you should try out a place called Delilahs for lunch. The food there is absolutely gorgeous! A bit expensive (depending on your budget) but you get giant portions and it's absolutely worth it! And, no, I've not been paid to write that. It's not the kind of place I would normally go to for lunch as you can tell it's expensive just by looking at it, but I would definitely go back!

I'm not a city person but I quite like Nottingham, I'd rather go there than spend a fortune going to London. I guess it's because Nottingham doesn't seem that busy for a city, it might just be because I went in the week rather than on a weekend, but I also think it's because it's so spread out. The train station is a bit of a nightmare but they are still doing work on it so hopefully it will get better.

More Moving Drama

A few weeks ago Joe and I got a letter through the post from the letting company basically saying that when our contract runs out in October we have to vacate the premises as the owners of the property wants the house back. 

As my friend Nicky pointed out; maybe this is why I've been feeling like this is temporary and I haven't really decorated the place, although the latter is also because of a lack of funds and inspiration. Maybe I somehow knew something like this would happen, or it might just be because I've been moving around so much in my life that I struggle settling down in one place, maybe it's a mixture of both...

Of course Joe and I were both upset by this as we had hoped to stay longer, but I am focusing on the positive side of things. The gas and electric bill is already quite high at the moment, of course since it's (supposed to be) summer we don't really have lights or heating on, imagine what the bill would be like come winter! It's a big old house and the few times we have had the heating on in the evenings there hasn't really been that much of an improvement. Even when it's nice and warm outside the house remains quite cold. I'll admit I kind of miss the properly insulated Norwegian wooden houses, maybe I should have one of them built in the UK?

I have decided to not worry too much about anything regarding the move until the end of August, but there are of course things I need to do and think about before then. I need to make sure I save money for a deposit and first month's rent for a new place. I spent a lot of money furnishing the place we have now so of course my savings are much lower than when I first moved back to the UK, and if I can I would like to not dip into them but rather use what I'm currently earning, which isn't much even with all the overtime I've been getting.

When I decided to move back to the UK I did think about moving somewhere other than Chesterfield, but, while I was still in Norway, it was rather difficult to look for a job and place to live in a different country. Should I move to a different part of the UK when October comes? And if so where? I need to decide this before the end of August so I know where to look for a place to live and whether or not to hand in my resignation and look for a new job elsewhere… Having to look for a new job again is probably my biggest worry about moving somewhere new, what if I can't find a new job?! As I noticed with this place, getting an application approved for a house or flat is difficult without a job.

I'll admit I have been thinking about being an au pair again. It is just such an easy way to start out somewhere new. Not that I really want to work as an au pair, but I don't really want the job I've got now either; it's a means to an end. If I work as an au pair again I will have a job and place to live and I can use the money from it to take an evening class and get a qualification in something that I can use to get a job after I've been an au pair. Not that I know what that something might be mind you…

If I work as an au pair I could also take driving lessons in the evenings. I have decided that it might be time to get a licence, I can manage without one, and I don't mind not having one, but there are so many more opportunities for everything if I have one; more jobs I can apply for, I can get in the car and drive somewhere for a day/weekend/week, and I can get in the car and visit friends without worrying about bus and train times. It would probably take me 20 years to be able to afford to actually buy a car though. I will probably get a licence for an automatic if I get one, I know, I know, if I get one for a manual I can drive both, but with everything being on the other side of the car and all the rules and regulations etc it would be nice to make driving just that tiny bit simpler! If I want to I could always get a licence for a manual once I've been driving for a while and have gotten used to it…

Anyway, I'm getting a off topic...

Another thing I have to think about regarding moving in October is the furniture I've bought for this place. Oh, the furniture!! If I get a new place I need to get someone with a van to move everything for me, if I decide to work as an au pair I need to sell it all, it's a heap of hassle either way!

And if I do decide to stay in Chesterfield; do I find a place on my own or share again? Do I share with Joe again? If I keep the job I have now I will probably have to share with someone as I can't really afford a place on my own. Relying on overtime is a bitch.

Okay, so maybe the not worrying about anything until the end of August wasn't exactly true….

Exercise studies..?

I have been thinking about studying again... I am a lot of the time really, I just find it hard to actually decide on something. I mean, how do you know what you want to do the rest of your life, or not necessarily the rest of you life, but next year, or 5 years from now?

Anyway.

There was a time last time I lived in England that I was exercising almost every day, for a couple of hours each day. I loved it! I was also thinking about maybe studying to be a fitness instructor, but I talked to one of my fitness instructors and I just thought it seemed like a bit of a hassle. Then there was the part about standing in front of a bunch of people and telling them what to do..! It all seemed a bit scary.

When you think about it though anything you have to learn kind of seem like hassle to learn until you're actually doing it. Once you're actually learning it it seems so simple (hopefully)! When I heard about all the things I had to know for the office part of my current job I was really worried, then I started learning it and I couldn't believe how simple it all is!

I have been lazy lately. I went running almost every night for a while when I was in Australia, but since I left the family I've just not done anything at all. I get some exercise at work, but it's more heavy lifting than any proper exercise. I really want to get back into shape. Not to lose weight or anything, that's never been my goal, but just to get fitter and feel better about myself, it is nice to be able to run 30 metres to catch the bus without getting out of breath.

So what I am thinking at the moment is this: Once I move back to Chesterfield I will start exercising again, maybe get some of my friends with me. I'll see how I feel about it after a while, and then I might take a class at the college that I've seen: Level 1 award in Exercise Studies, even if I decide not to take the class I will keep up the exercise just for myself. If I do decide to take the class I will see how I feel about that and if I like it and decide to pursue a career in exercise I will go on to get a YMCA qualification or an NVQ or something.

I don't want to say; THIS IS WHAT I'M DOING, that way I'm just setting myself up for disappointment if I back out. I am just going to take it easy and do it step by step, see how I feel about it after each step. I still need a job to finance it all first.

My friend at work, who is planning to go to Australia this August, is a personal trainer and she loves it, she wants to keep working with it and maybe one day open her own gym, and I think she is part of the reason I started thinking about it again. She also has a blog, check it out - Fanny Ronkainen.

Hot Lentil Soup

When I was younger I used to eat a lot of soup; meat soup, tomato soup, cauliflower soup, vegetable soup.... Usually, only the meat soup was home made, the rest was usually dry powder instant soup. I remember we used to put macaroni in the tomato soup to make it less boring... I still got sick of it after a while, I still can't eat tomato soup.

When I moved to England I just seemed to stop eating soup. The family I worked for didn't really eat it, I tried a canned soup once when I moved on my own but it was terrible and put me off soups for a long time, so until I started making the extremely simple Potato Leek Soup I hadn't eaten soup for ages. I also tried this Pumpkin Soup, but pumpkin isn't really something they have in all stores in Norway and I have been to lazy to get on the bus to go where I know they might have it just to make the soup as I don't really use pumpkin for anything else.

Anyway. I decided it was time to try a new soup. We have a website in Norway called MatPrat (Food Talk), it's full of recipes, usually with meat, but some of them just need a few changes to make them vegetarian. It's there that I found the following recipe for Hot Lentil Soup. The original has chicken stock and pork in it, but I just omitted the pork and used vegetable stock instead.

I was a bit worried about the amount of tomato in it, and also the lentils as I'v never cooked anything with lentils before, but it turned out really tasty! I made a four person batch and ate myself it all in two days! Of course I guess it might be more filling with the meat in it, I did eat it with some nice bread the second day though and filled up much quicker.

The recipe can also be used as a pasta sauce, just use less or none of the vegetable stock. I think I'll try that one day as it was the first thing that popped into my head when I sat down to eat it.

Ingredients:
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and cut into thin strips
1 tbs oil for frying
1 can of red lentils ( I think the one I used was just random lentils...)
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 litre vegetable stock
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
1) Sauté the onion, garlic and chilli in a pan with the oil until the onion is glossy.
2) Rinse the lentils thoroughly in cold water. Add the drained lentils and tinned tomatoes to the pan and stir well.
3) Add the vegetable stock and let it simmer for 10 minutes, season to taste with salt and pepper.

A very nice and healthy soup suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

I have decided!

I am going back to Chesterfield. I did think about going to a different part of the UK, just to see somewhere else, but I miss my friends in Chesterfield, and I know Chesterfield, it's easy to get to other places from Chesterfield.

I had put up a profile on Au Pair World, and I did get some interest, I was in dialogue with one family that seemed very keen and only wanted me to work for them for 3 months, but once I decided I want to go back to Chesterfield I didn't see the point of waiting another 3 months, I would have had a job and a place to stay but I would be in the same situation again once I actually went back to Chesterfield. I hated to turn the family down but from their profile page I know they had received some other applications as well so I hope they find someone perfect for their family

I have been busy updating my CV and general covering letter the last few days. It will be interesting to see if anyone contacts me at all while my address is still Norwegian and I've got a Norwegian phone number... I have written on them that I'll be back in Chesterfield at the end of March though so hopefully someone will be in touch.

I am also thinking about some things I might want to study part-time, but I'll write more about that in a different post...

As for a flat to rent... All the ones I see online are available now, so I think I might wait with that until right before going back, maybe set up a few viewings for when I get there, at least I have some friends I can stay with for a bit while I sort it out.

I am hoping I get a job that's permanent and full-time, just so that I know I have a steady income, because I have plans for if I do! Now, I will of course make sure it's a job I can live with doing for a few years before I take this next big step, but I'm thinking I might get my first ever loan, a mortgage to be exact! I will rent first of course but I would love to buy a house, somewhere that is actually mine, that I can redecorate and do whatever I want with without having to ask a landlord. But that's way into the future. First I have to get a job!

I am so excited about moving back, I wish I was moving tomorrow!

One step taken...

I just booked my return flights to the US and my ticket to Orlando!!! It's quite scary! I'll need to transfer some of my saving into my account before I can book anything more though like a place to stay in Boston and tickets from NYC to Orlando. Anybody know the cheapest way to get there by the way? Plane?

I'm so excited!!

I was going to have a meeting with the store manager today but he pushed it back until tomorrow, about what I don't know, but I will tell him that I'll be resigning soon at the meeting. I'm both dreading and looking forward to telling him when I'll be resigning. My work hasn't been the best lately, that's what I think anyway. I think it's because all I can think of is getting back to the UK. And visiting the US of course.

Right before I booked my tickets I also made some enquiries about a place to stay in the UK. I sent a message to my friend if his offer to let me one of the rooms in his house was still standing, and if not if he knew anyone else that was letting rooms. So hopefully it won't take to long before he replies. I know from last time I moved to England how difficult it is to find a place to live and a job while I'm still in Norway. Before I became an au pair I was trying to just get a "normal" job, but it proved too difficult when I was still in Norway. However, I didn't know anyone in the UK back then, except for my friend who was studying in Wales, so it might be easier now.

It's a bit scary to think about all the things I still have to do both for my holiday and my move, I kind of just want someone else to do it so I don't have to deal with it, but at the same time it's quite exciting.

I can't wait for my new adventures this year!

I want to leave now!

I had a meeting with the store manager last week. One of the questions he asked me was one of the worst questions I know: What are your plans for the future? Anyway, I told him that I'm planning to move back to the UK eventually.

The manager was really supportive about it. He said he didn't want me to leave but that if I decided to leave earlier than planned then I shouldn't worry about my contract or anything. I mean I still have one month's notice but I don't have to stay until I've worked for them 1 year. So of course since he was so supportive I want to go right now!

There are things to think about though. I have friends that I can stay with but I wouldn't feel comfortable staying with them without paying rent, which I of course would do, but if I don't get a job straight away I'd be spending a big chunk of my America money on rent, and I don't want to do that.

I am considering going over as an au pair again.. Just to get started. Find a family that only need someone for a few months and spend those months finding my own place and a job to start when I finish au pairing.

I might know where I want to move in England. It's a place I've never been, but it depends how things go with a certain someone, and I won't find that out until at least March, maybe later...

I don't know, I'll have to do some more planning. But at least I'm closer to my goal and I don't have to feel bad if I decide to go in a month or so.

Chesterfield 02-05.11.12

02.11:

I took the train from Holyhead to Chesterfield, well, trains. The scenery from the trains were amazing. I didn't realize how many ruins there were on top of hilltops, especially while we were still in Wales... I wonder what they were used for? Maybe like the Great Wall of China they used them to alert each other of danger? On the last train, from Stockport to Chesterfield the train was PACKED! Standing room only. I was standing to a nice girl who had also been to Australia though so we passed the time chatting together about what we'd seen and where we'd been. It's really cumbersome to have a giant suitcase when you travel by train by the way, it's just in the way most of the time.

After I dropped my things at the hotel I went to the pub I used to work in, Yates's and said hi to some of my old co-workers.

I met up with my friend Nicky at the Abacus for dinner. It was lovely to see Nicky again, it was like I had never even left, we just picked up right where we had left off. We talked about her plans to move to Turkey; just like I feel more at home in the UK than Norway she feels more at home in Turkey than in the UK. At least she feels at home in a warm sunny country, unlike me who wants to go to a country that's just a couple of degrees warmer than Norway. I hope she gets to move to Turkey asap without having to work herself to death. At least I've got an excuse to go on nice sunny holidays when she moves there, and she'll be able to show me all the non-touristy things!

It was good that seeing Nicky again was great because the food was terrible! Seriously, neither of us finished even though we didn't have much on our plates. We left the Abacus and went back to Yates's where we shared a bowl of chips and cheese while having a few drinks with my old co-workers.

03.11:

It's kind of nice to  be in a place that I used to live: I've seen everything and I can actually relax instead of run around and see as much as possible. Hence the lack of pictures. I had a relaxing morning before Nicky and I went to Meadowhall (aka Meadowhell) today for some shopping and dinner before I met some friends for drinks back in Chesterfield.

04.11:

A nice relaxing day again before heading to Nicky's for some Chinese take-away. Followed by drinks with some of the people that couldn't come out last night. I think my liver will be happy when I leave... But it's nice to feel like I actually have a life again!

05.11:

I had a great dinner with the family I used to au pair for here tonight. It was great seeing the girls again, they've grown so much!  Although the girls have grown, it still feels like I never even left! Their new au pair seems really nice, she's also studying child psychology, so I guess the job is helping her with her studies as well.

November 5th is Bonfire night in the UK so we heard fireworks being sent up everywhere we set off a Chinese lantern. I've never done it before, it looks really beautiful, they even gave me one to take home, maybe I'll sett it off on New Years Eve if it's not too windy.

I had a great time catching up with friends in Chesterfield. I wish I was still living there, I actually manage to have a life there, I have friends to go out with, to talk to. I need to get back to the UK!

Almost party time!

I feel like I have no life lately... I don't really do anything after work or have anyone to hang out with after work. It's my own fault of course, I should find something to do outside work, I'm just too lazy. After work all I feel like doing is just plonk down on the sofa and watch some telly, same with weekends. I actually feel like a really crappy friend as I have one friend fairly close by and I've not been to visit her yet since I moved to Oslo. I will try to see her next weekend.

I did get two free concert tickets from my dad for Friday, not for someone I'm actually a fan of or anything, but if I had had someone to go with it would have probably been a nice night out regardless of who was singing. Unfortunately one of the people I wanted to invite was away and two others that it would have been nice to go with was working late. So I just told my dad to give the tickets to someone else at his work. He got them at work in the first place, and before you say that I could have gone with my dad; we don't really have that kind of relationship so it would have had to be a concert with someone at least one of us really liked for us to go together.

All of the above is just making me look even more forward to my holiday. Only two more weeks now and I'm going. It will be nice to see friends again, and to actually DO something! That was the nice part of moving around so much for the last few months in Australia, I got to do lots because I just had to since I was in each place for such short amount of time! It will be the same now. I'm going to 4 different places in two weeks so of course there won't be heaps of time in each place.

I am just finished arranging two events for when I'm in Chesterfield. Going out to dinner and drinks with my friends there. I am REALLY looking forward to it. Even just going for a proper night out again will be nice.

I will also visit the family I au paired for there, it will be nice to see the girls I looked after again. I've not seen them for nearly two years! I wonder if they'll remember me.

Sign language

Ever since I lived in England and worked as an au pair I've been wanting to learn British Sign Language, especially Makaton. I used to watch a program called "Something Special" with the youngest girl I was looking after, and I did use some signs with her before she could speak and it was really fun to see her actually learn them and sign them back to me, like for example "finished" when she was finished eating.

I had forgotten most of the few signs that I learnt while I lived in England, except for please and thank you (Never forget your manners!), and I've been wanting to learn some more for a while. I know I won't be able to use the signs in Norway since the sign language here is different, but it will open up more windows for me if I get to move back to the UK, and allow me to get to know more people.

It is a shame though that sign language isn't the same all over the world, it would have been cool if it was, then everyone could have sign language in school and that way you could talk to people all over the world even if you couldn't speak or write their language! Of course it's not really doable since a big part of sign language is lip reading, so everyone would have to mouth the words the same as well. There is also the "problem" with for example holding up two fingers both for two and to because they rhyme, you can't do that in a different language because those words aren't the same. But one thing that is doable is to have sign language in schools, so if you didn't want to learn French, German or Spanish or anything like that you could choose to learn sign language instead. Is that a thing in any countries? I've never heard of it being like that in Norway anyway...

There is actually a British guy at work, L, and he grew up in a deaf home! He learnt to sign before he learnt to speak, so BSL is his first language, English his second. So the last few weeks he's been teaching me some sign language. I don't know much yet but I know how to sign "how are you today?", "what's up dog" (just because of the fun factor), and a few other short phrases and words. It's really fun to learn something new, maybe it'll even come in handy in the future.

The hard part is actually mouthing the words with out making a sound. Usually I just say it out loud while I sign, but to make sure I will make myself understood to someone that is actually deaf I will have to be able to make the right amount of facial expression and mouth movements.... So when I try to sign without speaking I either hold my breath or I'm kind of whispering it. I can understand why some deaf people make sounds while they sign even if they're not saying the actual words since they don't know what they sound like.

Do you know any sign language And if so, which one?

Holiday?

It's been 10 years since I moved from Oslo after having lived there for 5 years. In those 10 years I've only been to Oslo a handful of times. Only holidays. Coming here again feels like a holiday...

Since my mum and dad got divorced almost 10 years ago I've only lived with my mum. I've never lived with my dad, just visited. That's another thing that makes this whole thing feel like a holiday. It doesn't feel quite real that I'm actually going to live here now, maybe for a whole year.

It's the first time I've seen my dad's flat. And met his new girlfriend. The flat is small. The girlfriend seems nice.

I'm not quite comfortable here yet. But I've only been here a few hours. I'm sure it will feel a bit more like home once I've been here a few days. It's like when I've been an au pair.... I'm very aware that it's someone else's house in the beginning, but as time goes along and I get used to the idea of living there I manage to make myself more at home.

My dad is going to show me the way he usually walks to work one of these days, that way I can walk to and from wherever I get a job, at least in the beginning, so that I can save some money. There is a food shop right around the corner from the flat as well, it would be handy if they need someone to work there... I'll have a look at what options there are nearby in the next few days.

This is my suitcase by the way, I'm looking forward to travelling even more and get more stickers on it!

 

Vegetarian vs Carnivore

Living with the carnivorous host family again after I turned vegetarian was a lot easier than I expected. 

I was worried that I would want to eat meat again when I prepared their meals with meat and that I wouldn't be able to resist. But it actually went very well. There was one time I cooked bacon, and it smelled really nice, and I knew it would taste really nice as well, but I did manage not to eat it. I can be stubborn when I want to.

Other than the bacon episode it was really easy. When I cooked I just made the same meal for me as for them most of the time, but made my portion meat-free, or I sometimes made vegetarian meals for all of us. 

Something I noticed was that the family eats A LOT of chicken. Chicken salad, roast vegetables with chicken, chicken and pasta. I usually then boiled an egg instead of having chicken. 

The thing is, I think part of the reason it was so easy for me to stay vegetarian was because I made all the food. I made it for everyone, whereas when I go back to Norway I'll only have to make my own most days. And I think I will be a lot lazier. It's easier to cook something properly when you're cooking for other people as well. I hope I will be able to cook a proper meal for myself, but I know from previous experience that I usually just make myself eggs on toast or something like that, I only make a proper meal if I'm cooking for other people or if I really feel like it. But we'll see. I'll have to finish my time in Australia first. I can't wait.

Salads

I love salads. I will often eat them for dinner. Today I had one for my breakfast. As well as a leftover pizza slice, but the salad makes the fat in that disappear so it doesn't count.

In this salad I put lettuce, cucumber, carrot, apple, orange, pineapple, corn kernels and plum. So it was a mix between a normal salad and a fruit salad. It was very nice and I even have some left over that I can have for my lunch or dinner later.

One of the first times I made a chicken salad for my host family, and I put apples and oranges in it, they were really surprised because they wouldn't have thought of putting that in a salad, but they liked it.

Before I turned vegetarian I would put chicken in my dinner salads, but now I put an egg or two in instead.

A lot of people have a kind of set ingredient list of what can go into a salad, but really, anything can be put into a salad. Things I have put in one before include egg, cheese, capsicum, broccoli, grapes and cauliflower. Many of you will probably say I forgot about tomatoes, which most people put in a salad, but I don't like tomatoes so I will put it in for other people but not myself. The other day we also roasted some sweet potatoes, courgette and beetroot and put that in a salad, which was surprisingly nice. Any fruit or veggies that I have on hand and feel like eating I will throw into a salad.

What do you like in your salads?

A coconutty day!

I made Courgettes Pacifico for for the host family yesterday. The Mother liked it, but The Girl wasn't too keen.

Anyway, I accidentally opened a can of coconut cream instead of coconut milk at first, and when I opened the coconut milk the can was so big that there was quite a bit left. So I decided to make something with them today just to make sure they wouldn't just sit in the fridge until they went off.

I used most of the coconut cream for the dinner. I didn't actually use a recipe, just threw something together. I fried some vegetables, then added the coconut milk mixed with some sweet soy sauce, salt and pepper, and served it with rice. It was quite nice and surprisingly filling!

With the remaining coconut milk I made THESE muffins.

They were quite nice, but I thought they looked a bit boring, so I made the icing from THIS page to go with them. I didn't have any almond extract, and I used coconut cream instead of milk, the icing was okay but a bit too sweet. I sprinkled some shredded coconut and chopped almonds over the icing and we ate them with some fresh raspberry sauce. The icing really was WAY too sweet, but the raspberry sauce helped a lot to kind of tone the sweetness down. I think if I make these again I'll make a different icing.

Only for 2 weeks...!

I'm going back to the family I au paired for for a couple of weeks. The new au pair that they got, R, is heading back to New Zealand. She bought a house. Probably with her boyfriend. R feels awful about leaving the au pair family, but I guess these things just happens sometimes.

So The Mother asked if I could come back, just for 2 weeks. I don't really want to do it, but it's only for two weeks and at least I'll be earning some money, and also I don't have to share a bedroom with anybody else for a couple of weeks. That's my favourite part. It's also going to be nice to be able to hang my clothes up even if it's just for a short time, and having my own bathroom... And not having to pay for accommodation is going to be VERY nice.

I might spend the money I am getting these two weeks to go up to the Withsundays, or down to Adelaide and Perth. I've not quite decided yet. But I will spend it on going somewhere new!

It will also be interesting to see how it goes with my vegetarianism when living with carnivores. I think I'll just make one meal for the kids and another for me, or depending on what I make I'll just make a meat-free version for myself.

Byron Bay and Nimbin

On Saturday I left my host family. It was sad, but nice at the same time. It will be strange not to see them every day any more.

I hopped on a Greyhound bus to Byron Bay. I've been here once before, but that was only for an afternoon and I didn't really get to see much of it. My friend Mai also came down to Byron Bay but on a different coach, she was also staying at a different hostel to me.

As soon as I got to Byron Bay I went to check in at the hostel. I went to the wrong one first, apparently there are two YHA's in Byron Bay, but luckily the one I was staying at was only further down the street so I hadn't walked much further than what I had to walk anyway. After I had checked in and left my suitcase in the dorm I went out to find Mai. That was a bit of a mission when I had no idea what was where so in the end I just got her to meet me at the bus stop, since I knew how to get back there.

Since it was early evening when I arrived we didn't really do much, but we did have a look at a small market right next to the bus stop with loads of hand made things, loads of nice stuff there, and it was open really late, I don't know when they started packing up as I wasn't there then, but it was probably close to midnight.

On Sunday we went on a trip to Nimbin. Now, those of you who are Australian, and maybe some of you that's not, you might know that Nimbin is a very hippie-village, and it's the cannabis capital of Australia. We did not go there for the drugs(!!!), but to see how hippie it was, and how different the life-style was.

Nimbin is a really colourful place. The buildings, clothes, characters, everything is full of colours. I liked the shops there, they were full of small funny trinkets and interesting clothes, if I'd had more room in my suitcase I would have probably bought some things.

What I DIDN'T buy in Nimbin was food. Seriously. I didn't trust it. That might sound bad, but all we could smell when we were in the village was weed. For every 10 meters we walked there was someone asking if we wanted to buy cookies. We walked maybe 5-10 meters down an alleyway because we were looking at some wall-art and there were 2 people asking if we wanted to buy weed. We got out of that alley quick! The people always left us alone after we said no though, so it's not like we felt hassled or threatened or anything.

We also went to the museum in Nimbin, which I think was worth the $2 donation you make at the door. It's just a small one but you do learn a lot about Nimbin. It was actually there the first person offered us cookies, which was kind of weird, and it took me a while to actually realize what kind of cookies she was talking about because I didn't expect it so publicly.

On the bus back to Byron Bay the guys sitting behind us had the giggles. They had bought the cookies. It was quite amusing to listen to, but after half an hour or so they fell asleep, very boring.

I had bought some grapes before I went to Nimbin in the morning that I had been munching on all day, but since we hadn't had any proper food since breakfast we were quite hungry. So as soon as we got back to Byron Bay we got some food and cooked. We cooked the food at Mai's hostel, and there were SO many Norwegians and Swedes there. All I could hear in the kitchen was Norwegian and Swedish! It was almost as if I was back in Norway! I didn't talk to any of them though. I like speaking English, haha!

The reason I wanted to stop in Byron Bay was because I wanted to walk up to the lighthouse, so after Mai and I had finished our dinner we walked there. We walked some of the way along the beach, but when Mai's shoes got wet (SO funny! I laughed at her for about 5 minutes!) we got onto the road. By the time we got up to the lighthouse it was getting quite dark. I'm glad I've seen the lighthouse but I kind of wished I'd walked a bit further to see the sign where it says that it's the easternmost point of Australia. But like I said it was getting dark, and we wanted to at least get down past the part of the road with no street-lights before it got too dark.

As it turned out someone else was leaving at the same time as us, only they were in a car, so I asked them very nicely if they were going in to town and if they could drop us off. And they did! People really are very nice. It just goes to show that there's no harm in asking. They were on holiday up here from Sydney, and they really were a very nice family.

The Byron Bay YHA-Cape Byron, where I stayed was okay. I didn't really spend much time there, as I was  with Mai all the time, but it was okay. Not the cleanest place, but then again, most hotels aren't.

So now I am going to Coffs Harbour. I've never been there before. Anybody got any suggestions to what I should see/do while I'm there?

Vegetarian (2)

I am going vegetarian from tomorrow.

I am going to try anyway.

Why tomorrow? Because that's when I leave the host family, it's easier to start as a vegetarian when I don't live with meat-eaters... I think so anyway.

So today I have had what might turn out to be my last pieces of bacon and my last burger made of meat (which was actually shaped like Australia. Minus Tasmania.)

I have been thinking about becoming a vegetarian for a few years now. I actually wrote a post about it nearly one year ago: Vegetarian.

Like I said in my old post I was almost a vegetarian for 18 months with the first family I au paired for. And I didn't really eat much meat after I moved from them either. I hardly had any meat until I moved back to Norway. And I only then started because I was living with my mother and I couldn't be bothered to make my own meal. It's the same now that I've been an au pair. I can't be bothered to make one meal for the family and one meal for me.

I've been eating meat regularly for almost 2 years now though, so I don't know how hard it will be to not eat any meat at all suddenly. Part of me still want to try some meats that I've never tried before though. Like kangaroo and snake and those types of meat you can't always get at your local supermarket, so I might try those if I get the opportunity. Just to try them though, so I can say I've done it... That sounds bad.... But I like trying new things.

I think I will miss chicken, bacon and gelatine (in lollies) the most. Chicken and ham and pineapple pizza was what I missed when I lived with the vegetarian family in England... Those two things, along with salami was pretty much the only meat things I had while in the UK.

It's not so hard to be a vegetarian in the UK though. There are loads of substitute products, and things are marked saying if they're suitable for vegetarians or not and when you go out for a meal most places has vegetarian options. I have already noticed that it's going to be hard here in Australia. There is so many things with meat in it, bakeries, cafes, restaurants, etc doesn't always have a vegetarian option. There are even ads for eating meat! Seriously, people get told to eat pork and lamb and all that!

Why am I wanting to become a vegetarian?

I still want to do it because it's better for the environment. I also want to do it because it's healthier (if you do it "right"), and because I don't think an animal should be killed just to feed me where there are loads of other options.

I have actually thought of becoming a vegan. But I'll see if I'm able to be a vegetarian first. I'll take it one step at a time. If I'm able to stay vegetarian for a year, and I still want to become vegan, I'll give it a try then.

The only thing I'm not looking forward to is telling my mum. She's not very pro-vegetarianism. I don't think she'll try and talk me out of it, but I do think it will be a long discussion and she won't "accept" that I'm doing it.

Don't worry though. I'm not going to be one of those vegetarians that look down on people that eat meat or anything. I hope not anyway. What you choose to eat is your own choice.

(source)

Does anybody have any hints or tips for me as a new vegetarian?

Nearly finished...

I leave my job as an au pair on Saturday. I can't wait! Don't get me wrong, the family is great, really nice, and I really feel more like a part of their family than an employee, but I've had enough. Enough of kids. And also just enough of the job. The longest I have ever stayed in one job is a year an a half I think, maybe a little bit more... I get restless, I want to try something else... Those of you that have read my blog for a while, or that know me personally, might have noticed what I'm like with changing my mind...

Anyway. I've been doing a hand-over to the new au pair the last couple of days. She's from New Zealand. A very nice girl. I think she'll do okay here.

I am coming back to Brisbane though. I'm taking the bus down to Melbourne on Saturday, but as I'll be stopping a few places on the way, like Coffs Harbour, Newcastle and Canberra to name a few, I will be spending about 2 and a half weeks getting down there. Then I'm spending a week in Melbourne (and getting a new tattoo while I'm there!), before going back to Brisbane.

Why am I going back to Brisbane?

The Paramedic of course. If we're actually going to try to see each other then it does help if we're at least in the same state, and even more if we're in the same city. I'll still be travelling, but instead of going away for a month I'll go for a week or two. So when I get back to Brisbane I'll be looking for another job. I might not be able to get a farm job like I need for the second working holiday visa, but I can always come back on a student visa or something if I want to. I'll try for the farm jobs close by first, but if I have to take a "normal" job that's fine too. At least I know I've done what I can to give things a shot. It's all about compromise, right?

I'm also hopefully meeting up with Luna and her daddies while I'm in Melbourne!

2011 First Lines.

I saw this meme at ...Petty Witter's blog Pen and Paper. Originated at Suko's Notebook. And I thought it would be a fun way to look back at my blog in 2011.

The idea is to "take the first line of each month's first post over the past year and see what it tells you about your blogging year". This should be interesting... 


Click on the month to read the whole post the line is taken from.


January:
Any New Year resolutions out there?
February:
My suitcase is very full.
March:
As I was walking home from work tonight I noticed that there were Northern lights on the sky (where else?).
April:
Weather was still nice today, no sun, but no rain or snow either, so I went on a small hike.
May:
I just learned about an Alphabet game, through a spoonful of (who learnt about it through notes of sincerity).
June:
Second book in the 100+ Reading Challenge:
July:
I've been running around a lot today, trying to get everything sorted.
August:
The family I live with has pudding/dessert just about every day, and I think it would be nice to make it for them occasionally.
September:
We went whale watching at the Gold Coast this morning.
October:
My host family and I went to Moreton Island today
November:
So The Paramedic cancelled on me on Sunday.
December:
I have had today off, so I've been looking at what specified jobs there are in regional Australia, for when I finish as an au pair in January.




I think this representation is quite good. I've got some of my travels in there, books, memes and just random posts. I've also got the host family and The Paramedic. Not too bad I don't think. I noticed my sentences are  often very short though...


If you decide to hop on this meme, please let me know so I can have a look at your 2011 as well!