Countdown!

So. Almost 1 day to go now! Leaving on Wednesday morning for Tokyo. And so the adventure (finally!) begins!

So our fantastic airline decided to cancel our original flights due to some kind of 'technical difficulty' (thats what you get from a budget airline I guess). We were supposed to fly out on Thursday morning, but now we fly out on Wednesday morning. Instead of stopping at the Gold Coast we have to stop in Cairns for around 5 hours doing nothing. fun times. But at least we are getting to our destination a day earlier =) One more extra day for shopping/eating/shopping/eating etc.

I am about to start re-packing my suitcase again right now. Well I would be if I wasnt so distracted by Dark Angel season 1. I need to make sure I put in only the necessities. Knowing me though, ill probably end up putting in something totally unecessary. What that is, I dont know. Ill tell you once I get to Japan...

Ive decided to take my gorgeous Elephant toy Elly May with me. She was made by my lovely friend Ashleigh and her mum. I'm sure Elly May will be making an appearance on this blog very soon! Watch this space!

The other day I bought some Australiana-esque things to take to my primary schools in Spain. I bought a book on Melbourne, some Melbourne postcards with animals and trams and stuff on them, koala and kangaroo toys and best of all I bought two books: Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French and Possum Magic by Mem Fox. That takes me back to the good old days! I look forward to showing all the kids!

I SWEAR I'm going to start packing....now...no now...ok now

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A girl needs her luggage

Ok. So. I know I only posted a couple of hours ago. But my brain is starting to explode with numbers. I started packing a couple of hours ago, and by the end of it I realised that I am in heaaaps of trouble. Clearly I cannot prioritise. Pretty much every bit of clothing made it into my suitcase. Will I wear half of it? Probably not. But my brain seems to go, "Oh I'm sure you could wear that when the weather warms up" or "I know you dont wear those normally, but maybe they will come in useful". I havent even managed to put any shoes in there. I guess i'll just go bare foot??

The most annoying thing is that I have had to buy tickets with about 4 different airlines. So going with Jetstar Airways to Japan, my checked luggage limit is only 20kg. There is problem number one. How can I pack what I need for over 6 months into a single suitcase? With all my clothes at the moment, plus presents for family and my Spanish books its EXACTLY 20kgs excluding shoes, makeup and hair styling things (being a girl is hard work!). One good thing is that when I get to my family in Japan, I can get rid of about 2kgs with all the presents. My mum thought taking PORCELIN MUGS was a GREAT present idea. Ugh.

Problem number two. I have a severe shopping problem, especially when it comes to Japan. I always come back with mountains of stuff. So with my next airline to Spain ill have to probably buy extra baggage, which doesnt come cheap.

Problem three. Im SURE ill end up shopping in Spain and also in all the other countries I will visit. So ill end up with alot of stuff. I was thinking I could send it back via post but ive had many people tell me that the correos in Spain are VERY unreliable, which isnt a help.

On a plus, on the way home to Australia I get 30kgs of checked baggage which is good...but im sure ill go over.

my brain is fuzzled now...

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Everything is coming up roses...

So after a rushed and kind of stressful month, I finally have everything I need to leave next week!

As I was on the train yesterday, I got that blessed call from the Spanish Consulate to tell me that my visa was ready (Done in a week, just like last time! lucky!). So after much stress, I finally have the visa, which I will pick up this morning. This means that next week Amanda and I can leave for Tokyo on our original date, which means no extra fees. When I called the airline they said that to change the date for a one way ticket was going to be over $500, which was more than my actual ticket (which was around $300). So I am very lucky I don't have to do that! All I have to think about now is what to do in Tokyo for the week. Oh what a hard life I do lead =P...So the plan is to stay in Tokyo with Amanda for 7 days or something and then after that, go and stay with my family until January 7th. My mum keeps asking me what I'm going to do for a month. She doesn't want me to bother my aunt and uncle and cousins. But honestly, its not like I see them very often. Most people I know have their families in Australia, and will see them quite often, whereas I have to wait until I've saved up enough money and go and see them. I sometimes wish they were closer because I like visiting them.

Anyway, the plan with Amanda is to pretty much go shopping and eat and shop and eat and shop and eat and so on. We will be going to DisneySea which will be fun, but ill be going there again and also to Disneyland with some other friends about 2 weeks later. haha. I'm not complaining at all =)

I'm also really looking forward to the cold weather. Its starting to hot up here in Melbourne at the moment, which I really dont like. I've never been a summer girl. I love winter and the winter fashions. My cousin said that Japan is freezing at the moment. Excitement!!!!

Now all I really have to do is pack. What will I take with me? I have no idea. I intend to buy clothes and shoes in Japan, as it is usually much better quality than here in Australia, so I guess that frees up some space...well, only until I start buying heaps of stuff. I still have the flight to Spain to think about. And I also have presents for family to put in my suitcase. Ugh. I wish my suitcase would just pack itself. I also need to take some of my spanish text books so I can study while in Japan, because I think my Spanish has become very rusty. seriously. I'm pretty sure my books alone are around 3kg. Ill work it out this afternoon I think. I tend to pack early, so that I know if I need to make more space or take some stuff out. I dont think I've ever had to pack at the last minute.

Anyway, time to head off to get my visa!

xxxx

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All I seem to do is wait

So yes. As the title says. All I seem to do is wait. I had to wait for all the little bits for my visa to come through, wait to buy my flights, wait for my letters. ughh. Now I'm waiting for my visa to come though. From tomorrow it would have been a week since I handed it in. Last time when I did my visa it only took about a week, but the visa lady said it may not be done in time which is a total worry considering I'm supposed to be arriving in Tokyo next Thursday night. Pleaseeeeeeee send good vibes to me so that my visa comes through by at least this week! I'm desperate! If I have to change my flights it not old affects me but also Amanda, who is coming to Tokyo for a week with me. please please please please please!

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And the second round of waiting begins

So today I headed to the Spanish Consulate with Amanda to hand in my visa. We are hoping hoping hoping that it will get done before December 2nd so we won't have to change our flights to Tokyo. We both really need this break, so hopefully it will be processed within a week like it was the first time I applied for one. Pretty please? The visa officer said there is a possibility that it may not, and that I should prepare myself just in case. Let's hope it doesn't have to come to that at all. Otherwise I will seriously cry.

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viiiisa

Visa application in the morning. Fingers crossed that it gets done quick as pie =)

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I have a home!

I have already found somewhere to live in Madrid! Quick huh? I got some help from someone who got me into contact with a good friend of his. She is a lovely lady called Isabel who lives in an apartment in Madrid with her 12 year old daughter. Its going to be so great to live with a real Spanish family.

We havent worked out rent prices yet, but she said she can do whatever I need, so it includes all meals and room. I can do my own laundry and cleaning and help out around the place. Its in a really handy area. Its close to the metro and bus and it will probably take me between 30-45mins give or take to get to work. It takes 25 mins on the metro from Barajas airport to the apartment which is very handy if I go away for weekends etc. I'm really looking forward to living there.

Now all I have to do is apply for my visa, which I can hopefully do on Monday morning if possible. I have most of the paperwork in order. Just need a letter from Isabel about accommodation, book flights tomorrow and then take some passport sized pictures for my application. Fingers crossed that I get my visa REALLY soon! please please please!

Besos xxxx

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The wait is finally over!

  

Listening to: Lady Gaga: Bad Romance 

Feeling: Hot and sleepy. Melbourne is having a gross and muggy day. blegh.

The wait for this letter is finally OVER! I recieved my letter by email from Madrid last night. I will be working at two primary schools. One is close to the Madrid centre in the area of Valdebernardo and the other is a school a bit further out in an area of Madrid called Arganda Del Rey. Depending on where I live the first place should take about 30mins by metro and the second place about an hour my metro.

I'm SO excited! Madrid is exactly where I want to go! So now that I have my letter I can apply (AGAIN) for a visa. I have pretty much all the documents I need except the one about accommodation which hopefully I can get soon if I get an email back this weekend from my contact. Finger Crossed. And if that all goes well, I can apply for my visa on Monday or Tuesday and hopefully get it fairly quickly, especially since I need to be leaving Australia on December 2nd to go to Tokyo.

Anyway...

Today was a lovely day. I went to two friends end of year recitals which were fantastic. Well done to Erika and Robin! Then went out to lunch at the usual EMS people hangout at Cafe Royale. Then I hopped on a train and met up with Kathy before she goes to Thailand and Christian. Lovely chat with milkshakes! =) Now I just got home and soon ill be off to Amanda's place for dinner. Fun times!

Besos! xxxx

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My poor little brain

Argh. I'm seriously sick of waiting for this appointment letter. REALLY. If it doesnt come by next week at the latest, then I have to change my flights to Japan, as does Amanda, which is slightly (ok VERY) inconvienient. Come on peoples in Madrid. Don't keep me waiting. I have everything all organised. All you need to do is send it so I can apply for my damned visa, book flights, get my visa and then get the hell out of Melbourne (FINALLY).

Wow. Doing this process all over again is doing my head in.

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Waiting is a tedious thing...

So yes. Waiting is a tedious thing. Having already been though the process of recieving my appointment letter and visa its just annoying the second time around. Really.

I mean, I only found out that I was going about one week ago, but waiting one week just seems like SUCH a long long time. I also need this appointment letter to come within the next week or so, so that I dont have to change my flight to Tokyo (which by the way I bought for $300. BARGAIN!!!!) and pay a fee to change the date, which costs anything from $200-600. Probably more on the expensive side considering how close it is to christmas time. It would also mean that my friend Amanda will also have to change her flights too. Must keep fingers crossed! I am making sure that I get all my visa stuff together so that when I get my letter I can just go to the consulate and hand it all in and hopefully get my visa is record time. Last time it only took one week to recieve. Please please please let that happen again!

So in other news, last week was my 22nd birthday (boy, now that I'm not 21 I feel old). I actually found out about going to Spain again on my birthday (good present). I had such a lovely day, besides the whole being epicly hungover thing. The night before, Matty, Robin, Joe, Amanda and I had epic drinking sessions and pizza. Good times. Drink of the evening? The Breakfast of Champions: Chocolate up and go mixed with creme caramel Baileys hahahaha! But yes the next morning I was a little worse for ware. My mum just shook her head, as mothers do when their children turn up drunk/hungover. The tram and train ride home was horrid. Am i going to throw up. no. wait. no. oh. no no its ok. gross. So being SUCH a smart girl I went to maccas and got a sausage and egg mc muffin meal. I did feel ill but there is something amazing about an oily hashbrown.

The rest of the day I slept because I couldnt sit up (haha loser) and then woke up, and mum and my sister Amy took me to get my birthday present (an iPad! WIN!) and get a birthday cake. We had dinner at home (Thai food) with my mum, dad, sister and our family friend Shai. It was a lovely evening! And Shai brought me some gorgeous flowers!

A week later I got even more birthday surprises. It all started yesterday. Amanda and I met at the coffee shop looking all pretty (as it was Melbourne Cup Day) and we made our way over to Federation Square to check out a fashion exhibition. Then we walked to southbank in the bizarre weather (raining, sunny, windy, hot, cold...Bloody Melbourne!) and met up with Joe. After Joe made his horse bets I was told to close my eyes (after refusing to be blindfolded) and we ended up at the lovely Langham hotel for an EPIC buffet lunch! Seafood, meats, antipasto and an AMAZING dessert Buffet! We drank ridiculous amounts of sparkling wine and got pissed (as is traditional on Cup Day), and watched the race that APPARENTLY stops a nation. We didnt win anything. Bummer.

After that we migrated to Madame Brussels for Sangria to get even more sloshed. We met up with the lovely Anisa, who I hadnt seen in SO long! We drank and then after Anisa left we caught a taxi back and theeeen, Matty came over and we ate pizza and him and Joe drank and got more pissed. Awesome. A fun day!

Today Amanda and I woke up (a little late) and we caught the tram down to the city. I was then presented with a lovely surprise she had organised with many of my fantastic friends. It was a heavenly 2 1/2 hours pampering at the Sakura Lounge in the city. I was treated to a Japanese Facial, aromatherapy oil massage, japanese tea and sweets and a foot massage. Such an amazing gift! I thank all my lovely friends so very much! I feel so lucky to have such fantastic friends!

After we were all relaxed, we lunched at Kenzan at GPO (Umm Ebi Ten Udon) and then instead of seeing a movie (because we were SO tired) we got Frappucinos from Starbucks (Green Tea for me and Strawberrys and Cream for Amanda), and each headed home. I was SO exhausted. What a 24 hours! I told myself I wouldnt sleep until bed time...but that failed, and I slept from 4pm until 10:30pm and now I'm sitting here writing (after a sandwich, tea and chocolate for dinner) because I cant sleep. Epic Fail? Yes.

But anyway its been an amazing birthday! One of the best!

besos

xxxx

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