SYDNEY SYDNEY SYDNEY

On Wednesday 29th June 2011 Ben and I will be venturing outside of our shell and exploring the 'land down under'...
I'm so excited, it will be a first for the both of us - travelling outside of the country.
It's been a little hectic trying to sort things out, but I feel we are still unorganised. It's CRAZY!

We will arrive in Sydney about 5pm on Wednesday where Tanya (my Aunty) will pick us up.
We will then head out to Wangi Wangi (which is where she lives) and we will spent most of our trip here.
Tanya has planned for us to go to the races which will be so much fun!!! I can't wait. I use to go to the Chatham Island Races all the time and I loved seeing the horses, so it will be cool to see the real deal.
She has also organised a family lunch/get together so we can meet everyone. Apparently we know how to draw a crowd and a lot of people will be turning up. She even sent out special invites to everyone!!!

It's a little nerve racking meeting the family for the first time, but I'm sure we will be fine!

On our last weekend in Sydney (2 days before we fly back to NZ) we will all head into Sydney and stay at a hotel called Sebel Surry Hills (click the name to visit the website). It looks so flash and I can't wait to get there!!!

There is a glass floor with an aquarium underneath in the main lobby!

We're making an effort to go to Luna Park, along with a wildlife park somewhere in Sydney. All arranged by Tanya!!! =]

So fingers crossed everything goes as planned!!!!!!

It's Been A While!

Hi readers!!

It's been a WHILE since my last decent blog.

So to fill you in on my so called LIFE....

• I am still unemployed and considering moving back to the Chatham Islands for a month or 2 to work
• I am going on holiday to Sydney at the end of June for 2 weeks... But I only have a ONE-WAY ticket
• Ben and I are.... coping
• I've decided TOURISM isn't the line of work I want to be in
• I am wanting a CHANGE in my life but unsure of what
• I'm loving my new flat and flatmates

Overall.... I'm undecided.

After putting it in a list like that - I feel like I'm way UNORGANISED
Everything will play out eventually... till then - I'm gonna keep trucking along!!

On The Hunt

A few months ago; Stacey, Tereinamu and I decided we were going to flat together. Their current lease ends at the end of the month and mine ends in February... So we have been on a crazy hunt for a place to live.... Along with the help of Paula (Stacey and Ben's mum). It's almost time for Te and Stacey to countdown the days til they move out so things are getting a little hectic!!!!

We currently only have 1 flat that we're happy to live in... But it has it's let downs so we're keeping our options open. What do you think of it...

The picures make it look good... But thats the same with EVERY house. It's not the flashest house but we can make it our own with bits and peices here and there.

Today Paula and I went to look at another flat... IT WAS HORRIBLE!!!! The floor boards were so squeaky and one room didn't even deserve to be called a bedroom!!! So afterwards, we drove up and down plenty of streets, keeping an eye out for signs offering a house to let. So when I got home, I went and looked at the house next door to mine.

This one is 3 flats in 1 house. I wasn't impressed with it... But then again it could have been the tenants. It was a mess. A cupboard door was missing, the oven looked like it hadn't been cleaned in years, the bathroom was slightly bigger than the width of a door frame (and not to mention GROTTY), I could hit my head on the roof if I was in the shower. The only thing I was impressed of was the size of the bedroom. They weren't HUGE but they were bigger than  I thought they would be.

Anyway...Here's hoping we find somewhere soon!

The Big 1.8!!!!!

Well on September 7th 2010 I officially became legal to drink!!! Until the law changes (whenever the hell that'll be) anyway. I turned 18 and had the best birthday in ages!!!!

I woke up at 6.15AM due to my Aunty Irene calling to say happy birthday. Where she is, it was 7AM so she was getting ready for work. We had a good catch up and she made me miss her (and home) so much. She ended up conning me (more like threatening) into giving her my bank account number and she put $100.00 into my account.

It was a Tuesday, so I thought course started at 10AM....but I was wrong... I rocked on in at 10 on the dot, and everyone was already in class!!!! Turns out that on Monday the week before (the day I wasn't at course) the tutors told the campus that class would start at 9AM on Tuesday's from now on!!! Thankfully, the tutor understood my predicament and didn't mark me absent!!! Yay for AnneMarie!!!

Course went well, although the weather wasn't great. Afterwards I came home and chilled for a bit before going to my friends; Stacey and Tereinamu's for dinner. Te (Tereinamu) cooked a delicicouse Shephards Pie!! mmm and Stacey made a yummy Chocolate and Banana Cake with Cadbury Crunchie chocolate in it!!!!

Then I came home...and had a peaceful FULL NIGHTS sleep for a change!!!

Yay for my birthday hehehe... Now to sort out my ID so I can go out with my friends!!!

Oh yes that predicament...The day after my birthday, I tried to apply for an 18+ card (an ID card proving my age)...I had my "birth certificate" and everything...I took it in for a soliciter to sign then BAM!!! it slapped me in the face...Turns out my birth certificate was really a "Proof of date of birth certificate" and couldn't be used for things like that (including my drivers license, passport and it shouldn't have even gotten me into my course!!!). So I got home that day and called my parents...Turns out they didn't have any other documents...So I had to order a new birth cert!!! Which finally came in the mail yesterday!!!

Now tomorrow I just have to do all the paper work again and can finally apply for my ID!!! YAY!

A Present!!!

If your a frequent reader of my blog, you may remember I wrote about buying my boyfriend a present. I found this really nice I.D bracelet...and thought I would share it with you. I need ideas on something cute to engrave on it...I'm thinking "Lyrics". Help?

AWESOME NEWS!!!!

Hi readers!

I have some pretty amazing news... hehe

So in May, I did 2 days work experience at House Of Travel (NZ travel agency) because being a travel consultant is my DREAM job! I mean, who doesn't wanna travel the world for free????
Yesterday afternoon while sitting in class, my campus manager came in and said he had some news for us... H.O.T had 2 weeks work experience coming up for 2 lucky students (1 week each)....This was so cool, because it was more indepth work experience...Not just sitting with Consultants but actually learning the ropes. Even BETTER news.... I got one of the spots...HOT had requested me to go and learn from them!

The best part of this though...Is the fact that this is going to be like one big long interview. And the end of the work experience, they might offer me a full time job as a travel agent!!!! BEFORE I GRADTUATE!!!
I would be amazingly lucky if I got the job offer! Not being fully qualified and all... Of course this would mean I would still need to be doing some learning (through corrospondence I suppose)...But at least I will be getting paid at the same time.

So I called Ben lastnight and told him about it, and explained that if I took the job, I wouldn't be able to move in with him next year (he lives about an hour and a half out of Dunedin for those who don't know). He got angry at me because I hesitated in deciding what I would do...Take the work experience and go for the job....or move in with Ben and find a job at another travel agency... WHAT TO DO!!!???
Ben makes me so so so happy. I don't enjoy living in Dunedin anymore. I feel miserable and lonely. I'm pretty much a broke student and can't afford to do anything, and before you suggest friends (which I do have btw) we don't exactly hang out outside of course. Ben is what reminds me of why I'm here. He helped me get into the course and start working towards my long term goal. I want nothing more than to make him (and my family) proud of me. I told him that I was looking forward to living with him, I wouldn't have to feel so alone anymore. Which was a main reason of why I hesitated accepting the work experience.
But he pretty much bashed it into my head and reminded me that he never really has chosen me over work and if I was to do that to him, it's a one way guilt trip on him. He assured me nothing would change between us and everything would be ok, What were the chances I would get another chance like this right???

So after a few tears and hair pulling, I made up my mind, and walked confidently into course this morning and told my campus manager I would do the work experience!!!
BRING IT ON! Is all I can tell myself at the moment...

Stay posted to find out more about this amazing opportunity!

What to buy...

Ok, I have this idea...to buy my boyfriend a slaves (I.D) bracelet...I bought one for him about a year ago and he loved it, unfortunately...he lost it around the time we broke up in December. It cost me about $200 (including engraving) so I was a little annoyed. But I think theyr such awesome presents!!!

I then considered that instead of buying him yet another one that he could lose...why not a Greenstone necklace??? But, his ex-girlfriend bought him one and he doesnt wear it anymore...would it be a bit odd to buy him one from me?

AND THEN.... there was one day when I was wasting time in the mall, and I looked at some watches....unfortunately not in my price range...

So readers.... What could be the PERFECT present for my boyfriend who is constantly spoiling ME!???

No More Procrastinating!!!!

A few months ago, I set a mission for myself to get healthier and back into shape...however I failed...BIG time.
So last week, my friend Nikole, decided she would join swimming lessons seen as her dream job was to be a flight attendant and it's compulsory for them to know how to swim. So we made the big walk up Stuart Street and got an enrolment form for Moana Pool.

On the way back to course, we walked past my house, and we came up with a genius idea. I would sign up to swimming lessons too, and we would go back to my place after course, have dinner together and then go to swimming lessons!!!

I know how to swim, but only the basics, and I figured that if I do these lessons, I can get fit in the progress and keep swimming during the week, because the lessons also give us a membership of 5 weeks. This means we can go to the pool in our own time whenever we want to.

I'm so excited....bring it on.

Fingers crossed we go through with it right???

A New Bed In A Shack!

So I went to Ben's for the weekend as usual...However it wasn't really the best time I've had there.


Ben doesn't like it on the farm that he was on, so he resigned and his last day was on Monday, but he got his dates mixed up and thought it was on Sunday!!!
So Friday night we got a phone call from his dad (Chris) to tell Ben what new furniture he would need to buy before he moved in on Sunday. The next day rolled around and I was happily enjoying my sleep-in until I got woken up by my phone, it was Chris calling!!! I thought he would want to talk to Ben, but no. He asked if I wanted to go into town to buy Ben a new bed as that was what he needed in the house. Ben was at work so I didn't really have a choice.


I rushed out of bed to have my breakfast and shower because I thought Chris would be there any second...but ohhhhh no, he took his time hahaha. Around 11am he pulled up the drive and we headed into town with Alex (Ben's 10 yr old brother). Chris had 2 bed's on hold...A second hand double bed for $350 and a queen bed from the warehouse for $450. Chris had left it up to me to make the decision on which bed to buy, seen as I spend most of my time at Ben's. I didn't really like the idea of sleeping on a USED bed, and it was only a double...It's hard enough to get enough room in my Queen with Ben in it. So it was off to the warehouse to buy the new cheap bed. I had to fork out $400 while Chris paid the extra $50....so Ben owes us haha.


The bed isn't the comfiest of bed's but it will do. Chris and I dropped the bed off that night and I went back to Ben's to find a grumpy boyfriend. He absolutely hates the workers on the farm that he was on...And one of them had wasted Ben's time that day so he wasn't the happiest person out there. I managed to get a smile out of him though....although no enthusiasm to pack up his stuff.


Sunday came and Ben got back from his morning shift and asked me what the date was...
"The 27th" I said. Then he clicked he had his days mucked up and still had work the next day. Luckily for him, his boss thought the same as him and didn't expect him to work on Monday, so we were ready to pack and clean up the nice house...to move to a tiny little shack.
Next weekend I'm going to take photo's of this place and post them, just so you can see what Ben expects me to live in next year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Procrastinating...

Reader's will remember that I made a plan to get fit again (about a month ago)....

Well so far I am failing at this.

I havn't cut down on drinking chocolate milk (in the slightest bit)
I havn't been going for runs =S
And I havn't been going to the grocery store, therefore im low on food..including vegies and fruit!!!

The only positive thing I've accomplished...I've swapped Coco-Pops for Light 'n' Tasty!!!

I need some motivation....hopefully next week I can sort it all out..stay posted xox

Shambles

Lastnight on my bus ride home from Ben's, I was thinking about how much weight I'd gained since the beginning of the year. Now I know I'm not fat, and I don't need to worry about my weight, but I do want to be fit again. So I came up with my plan to get more fit and healthy.

• Drink more water - less chocolate milk
• Have a variety of vegetables (at the moment I use mixed vegies in EVERYTHING)
• Go for a run/walk/jog 3-4 times a week

In my mind this seems to be a pretty good start...It was supposed to start today (the walks/runs at least) however.... today the weather decided against my plans. It is typical Dunedin weather...cold and rainy...and I'm not a fan of running in the rain...dancing maybe...running NO.
So stay tuned bloggers...as we see how my attemp at getting fit goes!!!!
Starting tomorow hehehe