8 weeks and going strong

I know I say it in almost every post, but I can't believe that we've been living (and thriving) here for 8 weeks. You know what they say - time flies when you're having fun.

We've been settling in nicely. We've almost become Friday night regulars at the Yacht Club, and Saturday lunchtime regulars at Duffy's. Matt & Lachie are having fun attending the parents groups, and Bree is still the social butterfly. She went and saw the latest Hunger Games movie with some friends on Sunday, which made her very happy.

I had been told that movies are quite often released earlier here than in Australia, but I was skeptical. But I've now seen that all the Christmas/Boxing Day releases in Aust will be out here in late Nov to early Dec. For example, the latest Hobbit installment will be released at the movies here on 11 December, rather than Boxing Day in Australia. For Lachie's upcoming birthday, we're planning to go and see The Penguins of Madagascar which is released here on 27/11 (tomorrow), but not is Aust until 1st Jan.

I was expecting that our shipment of 'stuff' would be arriving tomorrow. However, I've just received an email to say that the ship that will be transporting the container only left Sydney yesterday for arrival next Thursday. I'm getting used to things in PNG going slow, but to have our stuff departing Sydney 9 weeks after it was packed and removed is ridiculous. By the time it arrives here, is unloaded, passed through customs and delivered, we'll probably need to pack it all up again to come home.

I haven't got as many interesting pics to share today, but some are better than none:

My boys playing soccer. There aren't a lot of 'green spaces' around the place to do this type of thing. Even most housing estates and compounds don't have a grassed area. We are very lucky to have this space to use at the Holiday Inn

A car on it's roof is not that much of an unusual site here in Port Moresby. What was unusual was where it landed. I have no idea how it managed to get on it's roof. However, the local riff-raff had already stripped it's wheels. The following day, the paper reported that it was still there, waiting to be removed by it's owner (or whoever else removes cars here) Can't say I've ever seen a tow truck here.

The letter of the day is 'T'
While Lachie looks less than impressed, he was actually laughing his head off.
Badly timed photo!

Sometimes the best pillow to fall asleep on is Dad's butt - even if it is a bit smelly.

Counting down 'til Christmas

Flights are booked and we're coming home for Christmas - WooHoo!

There was a bit of conjecture initially as to whether I could fly home without losing my tax-free status. However, I've now confirmed that I will still meet the 91-day foreign engagement obligations, so I can go!

We've been here now for 6 and a half weeks, and it feels normal to be here. Matt flew back to Australia last weekend and said it felt weird. He couldn't believe how good the service was at hotels, restaurants and shops - he's obviously become too accustomed to the crappy service provided in PNG - ha ha.

We got hit up for our first 'scam' on Saturday, but it was admittedly my own fault. When I picked Matt up from the airport on Sat, I parked in a spot that I didn't really think was a car park, but it was shady and there were no signs to say I couldn't park there. When we returned to the car, two of the security guards hit us up to say we couldn't park there and had to pay a 50 Kina fine. They also told me if I didn't pay then and there that they would report me to the governing body and that I'd have to pay 'big money'. While I wasn't bothered by their threat, I put them on the spot by asking them for a receipt (they obviously couldn't give me one because they were scamming me). However, because we had the kids in the car and I had actually done the wrong thing, I just paid the money. If I hadn't done the wrong thing, I would have argued the point, but it wasn't worth it. The big lesson in this was don't make yourself a target.

To finish up, here are a few more pics of life in Moresby:

Miss Bree at 'March Girls' black beach

iPad Style? I don't think so...

Mobile phones have been instrumental in treating childbirth complications and death.
See, mobiles aren't all bad

My gorgeous monkeys

Distance education for my Lachie Bear

Best. Waffles. Ever!

Matt & Bree at the Nature Park

The REAL reason I love it here

Hanging with our new 'besties' at the Yacht Club

Til next time........

Some days you just need to vent.....

While it’s been good to write about all the interesting and fun(ny) stuff, sometimes you just need to vent to get the crappy feelings out. The last 24 hrs have left me feeling deflated and crap.

Yesterday, we went out to a ‘resort’ (I use that term loosely) for a BBQ picnic in a convoy. While it was nice to escape the city, we felt like we were stuck there because we couldn’t leave to come home on our own. We had to wait for other’s to leave with us for security. We were going to go for a swim at the beach, but after finding broken glass and empty food tins, we decided against it. PNG has a real issue with rubbish. There is no infrastructure to cater for household and other waste, so the sides of the road are just lined with garbage. Sometimes they’ll set fire to it, but the sheer amount we saw on the way to the resort was deflating. There seems to be no sense of responsibility or pride in their lands. I have always said that PNG could be so beautiful, but it’s not. It’s such a shame.

I’ve always found it amusing that the national’s like to stare at us ‘whities’, particularly the kids. But yesterday it just got to me. Yes, we’re white, get over it! It also started getting to me that being white meant that market sellers like to (a) eagerly harass you to buy their stuff; and (b) then double or triple the price of their wares. While I like to support the market sellers, it gets to me that I’m seen as a meal ticket.

Having said that, I now have a greater appreciation of what indigenous or new Australian’s must feel in a predominantly ‘white’ society.

Matt is also feeling a bit down. Especially after having to be reliant on the convoy yesterday, he’s feeling isolated and stuck. To his credit, he really has been trying by stepping out of his comfort zone and putting himself in more social situations. But being stuck in a compound, usually without a car, is getting to him.

Last night and this morning I’ve been suffering from my first tummy bug. Together with my first tropical head cold, and the power going on and off several times (making all the appliances ‘ding’) made for a crappy night’s sleep. Having no accrued sick leave yet, meant that I had to drag myself to work this morning. I knew I needed some Sudafed, but found that they don’t stock the ‘good stuff’ here (pseudoephedrine), only the crappy replacement one that doesn’t work (phenylephrine).

The silver lining of my little cloud is that I now, really REALLY truly appreciate and love Canberra and Australia. While I did have some sense of appreciation, being here has really made it clear how wonderful and lucky our life at home is.

Thankfully, tomorrow is another day.
Til next time……

It's been 4 whole weeks!

Can you believe it? We’ve now been living and functioning in a foreign country for 4 entire weeks, and in the world’s 3^rd least liveable city, no less!

What’s it been like? Well, it’s been exciting, terrifying, awesome, interesting, entertaining, humbling, exhausting, stressful, frustrating and amazing all at once.
There are things that I love, things that drive me nuts, and things that make me shake my head a laugh.

I also need to stop making naïve assumptions based on my Australian/First World experience. For example, I made a comment to an Aussie expat about how woeful PNG driving standards are and wondered out loud how some people were able to get their driver’s licence. He shook his head and laughed at my assumption that everyone would have a licence.

On the serious side, we’ve been advised that security incidents and robberies tend to increase here in the lead up to Christmas, so to be extra vigilant. The Port Moresby Nature Park that we visited a couple of weekends ago was held up with makeshift guns on Sunday afternoon, and two people were shot. There was also an armed robbery near the Australian High Commission compound in Town. Having said that, I am still yet to hear any gunshots myself. One of my other colleagues said she hears them from her compound almost every night. There have also been reports of a few riots and political uprisings around the provinces, namely Lae, Mt Hagen and Oro. However, there hasn’t appeared to be any of those in Port Moresby since we’ve been here (touch-wood).

To finish off, we had an awesome weekend last weekend. Saturday was a jam packed day. In the morning we set off to the Ela Beach Markets to check out what they had and to watch a ‘sing-sing’. Afterwards we went and did the grocery shopping then headed to the International Food Day at Bree’s school. Many families brought food from their homelands to share, and it was amazing. It was a great experience to be at an international school, eating homemade international cuisine, surrounded by people from all corners of the globe. After our busy Sat, Sunday was a nice leisurely day, just hanging out and swimming at the pool. Our whole weekend reminded me that these experiences are the reason I took the job and brought the family with me.

I was going to post some more pics, but I'll be here all day waiting for them to upload. I'll try again later.

Finally, is anyone reading this blog? If so, please leave a comment so I know who you are.

Till next time....


Gorgeous dancers from Bougainville



My boys enjoying the international food

International Food Day

Finally, some pics to share...

Today has been a fabulous day. The sun was shining, and we had a great family day together. Things are really starting to feel normal, and today was the first day that I didn't wake up feeling nauseous - it was such a relief.

So, as promised, here are some pics that I took today.

First up, here are some pics that I took from our balcony, this morning:

The grey roofed building is the other side of the complex. In between is the pool. In the bottom left, you can see the craft markets set up

On the 3rd Sat of each month, there are craft markets in our compound:

 We were really surprised to spot this awesome car out the front of our apartment building this morning. Given that car-jackings are a real threat, I would be pretty nervous driving this baby around town...

 Our new favourite coffee shop is called Duffy's. Its just down the road from Bree's school. From the front, it doesn't look like much. However, once you pass through the security gates, it's like a little piece of civilised heaven (and their coffee is the best in town).

 They also make awesome crepes

Grocery shopping is always an adventure - you never know what random stuff you'll find. Today we found scented tealights from IKEA - can't get those in Canberra (yet).

 And while groceries are expensive, they're not as expensive as we had anticipated - except for fresh milk. That stuff is ridiculously expensive compared to home. Most people (and us) just buy UHT milk (K4.95 for Devondale - about $2.30). However, once our coffee machine arrives, we've decided to treat ourselves to fresh milk once a week. You can see the milk below is K23.95 - that's about AUD$11.00 - for 2 litres!

Til next time........

Another week down......

....and things are starting to feel 'normal'. I'm beginning to feel more at ease and settled here.

Last post I talked about my hideous driver's licence photo. Well, Matt had his done, and while it's not as bad as mine, it was still pretty terrible. I don't know why, but they made both of us tuck our chins in, and the results were not attractive - LOL!

On Sunday, Bree & Lachie were hit with a tummy bug and were really unwell. Lachie was sick again on Tuesday, and they've both been a bit washed out from it. Then Matt came down with something similar last night. I'm still trying to work out how a grown man can moan and complain more than his kids did when they were sick together!

On Wednesday, we visited Duffy's, which is supposed to be the best coffee shop in town. I have to say we were pretty impressed. From the outside, it doesn't look like much, but once you pass through the gates, it's like a little oasis. Coffee was good and strong. It's more expensive than anywhere else for coffee, but it was worth it. We're planning to go again on the weekend, and hopefully it will be our replacement café for our usual Saturday family cuppa.

I finally got to open a local bank account on Tuesday, but it will be another fortnight before I get my card. Until then, we're still having to pay a fortune in overseas transaction fees using our Australian Cards.

Tomorrow we're planning on going to the Holiday Inn craft markets. I'm hoping to get myself a good sized billum to use as a cross-body handbag.

I promise to upload some pics soon.

Til next time.......

First week recap

We've survived our first week in Port Moresby - yay!
To say I've been on an emotional roller coaster is the understatement of the year. However, the nagging doubts are slowly fading and life is getting easier.
Bree is so happy with her school that she thanked me for bringing her PNG. That has eased my concerns quite a lot. Matt & Lachie are developing a good routine with Lachie's distance education program. We should receive a parcel in the next week or so with work and reading books for him to use. Having said that, Lachie's missing his best buddy from home. Hopefully we can schedule a Skype call for them in the next couple of days.
On Tuesday I finally got my PNG driver's licence. OMG, it took over two hours and the photo is absolutely hideous. The photographer kept telling me to put my chin down, which made my double chin squish out, and because of that I had to almost look upwards, so my eyes look deranged. The best way to describe it is I looked like the alien guy from Men in Black that wore the people's skin.
We've also been making use if the wonders of iMessage. It's enabling us to text home without the international charges - sweet!

So it's been nearly a month......

Oops. I've well and truly fallen off the blogging bandwagon. My excuse is that the past month has been crazy, which it has.

The biggest news is that we're in Port Moresby (finally).

It felt like such a mammoth effort to get here, and after 3 days in-country, we're starting to feel some level of normality. To say we were feeling the effects of culture shock would be the understatement of the year. I was terrified that we'd made the wrong decision. Both Bree and Matt were freaking out and my protective mothering instincts were in overdrive. Adding to the stress was that our accommodation was pretty average, and my favourite uncle died on the day we arrived.

It really has been a hard week emotionally for all of us.

ON the good side, we've moved into much more suitable accommodation at the Holiday Inn in their brand new apartment building. They also provide free WiFi - sweet! I also got the keys to my car today and have managed to not only drive it, but successfully navigate my way around. We also took Bree to see her new school. The Principal was so lovely and welcoming, and the students all seemed to like her. The girls in Bree's new class all flocked to say high. They were so excited to have a new girl in their class, and a few of them know her friend from her Aussie school who lived in PNG previously.

We're still a little nervous, but the anxiety levels are dropping as time passes on.

Til next time.......

Day 23: If I won the lottery....

We've always wondered and dreamt about what we'd do if we won it big on the lottery, so here's my ideas of what I'd do.

• Invest! Before I went absolutely nutso with my winnings, I'd talk to a financial adviser about creating a diverse investment portfolio to ensure we set ourselves up for the long term.
• Secretly pack our bags and fly Matt & I to Egypt without him knowing where we're going. Matt has always loved ancient Egyptian 'stuff', and I'd love whisk him away to see it in real life.
• Gift some of it to my family - the amount would be dependant on the amount we won, but I'd like to help them all out.
• Donate a fair amount to charity - I'd probably choose smaller, lesser known charities that don't get the support or funding that the big name ones receive. While I think big charities organisations such as the Cancer Council and Breast Cancer foundation are worthwhile, there are many other smaller and lesser known charities that are just as deserving.
• Travel, travel and more travel! Where do I want to go? Everywhere!
• Give up paid work and become a volunteer.

So there you go!

In other news, today was my last official day of work in Australia. I celebrated by taking the whole family to get our travel vaccines. Needless to say, we are all feeling very sore and sorry for ourselves this evening.

Lachie has also been approved for distance education, which is another thing I can check of my to-do list.

Til next time.....

Day 22: My worst habits

Today's topic is a good one, albeit a little confronting. So let's jump into the thick of it!

Procrastination
This really is a bad habit of mine. Even worse is that I always say "next time I won't leave it to the last minute", but I always do. I'm not sure why. A little bit of laziness combined with an ability to do my best work under pressure is probably what drives this habit to continue.

Swearing
I know it's bad, but I often blurt out obscenities if I do something by mistake. My word of choice is 'sh*t', and it's spoken almost as a reflexive action without any conscious thought. It can also be embarrassing, especially when I'm playing sport and I miss or drop a ball, or step (in netball).

Pimples
I know it's gross, but if I have a pimple it MUST be squeezed. No ifs, no buts, no coconuts, it has to go!

OK, that's enough honesty for one day.

Til next time.....

Day 21 - What makes me sad?

There are lots of things that make me sad. The number one thing being seeing my kids or husband sad and down. However, my sadness about the world in general all comes down to one thing - ignorance.

Ignorance is what fuels intolerance, fear, racism, and discrimination (to name a few). Not only does it make me sad, it makes me angry, particularly when used to oppress and deny people of their basic human rights.

I don't like thinking about things that make me sad. However, I acknowledge that 'brushing it under the carpet' for my own happiness does not make the issue go away, and to be honest, probably diminishes the issue somewhat.

What makes you sad?

Til next time.....

Day 20: What makes me happy

Today's topic is easy - my kids and husband being happy is what makes me my happiest!
What was my happiest moment today? Watching Lachie score his first ever goal in soccer! So much pride and happiness abound!

Short and sweet today. So til next time......

Day 19: My Favourite Movie

Sorry I didn't blog yesterday. I did remember, however I wasn't feeling too well so I took a day off from blogging.

Today's topic is my favourite movie. That's easy: The Sound of Music. I love love love the Sound of Music. IT is my all time favourite. Some other faves are:

• The Wedding Singer
• Reality Bites
• The Blues Brothers

In PNG news, The highschool Bree was enrolled to attend next year will allow us to defer her enrolment rather than withdraw. We're so relieved. Today I had me employment medical, had two removal companies come to give quotes and mailed off Lachie's distance education application.

I've also started looking at rental accommodation in Port Moresby. I think we'll probably look at staying in serviced apartments initially until our container arrives, then move into our own place.

If everything goes to plan (visas etc) I'll be leaving Australia to start our adventure in 3 weeks, with Matt and the kids joining me at the end of term 3.

Things are getting exciting (and busy) So, til next time.....

Day 18: A picture of me

Do I really need to share a pic of me? Really? Crap, I really don't like pictures of myself.

OK, so here's a selfie that I snapped of Lachie and I at the ANU on Sunday while we were waiting to see Col. Chris Hadfield (Canadian Astronaut).

Now that that's over with, I was given awesome news the Bree has been given a placement at our preferred international school in Port Moresby. It feels like a (small) weight has been lifted of my shoulders, and removed some uncertainty about our relocation.

Til next time......

Day 17: My favourite blogs

I've never really followed any blogs. However, I have been reading a few about expat life in PNG since applying for my new role up there.

A couple that have been really informative are:

• http://kiwiexpat.com/ 
• http://expatsinpng.wordpress.com/ 
• http://hotstrongcoffee.com/

In other news, the kids school had a teachers strike for half of the day, today. So I decided to take the day off and keep the kids home. I managed to speak with another real estate agent today, organised 2 removalist companies to come around to quote for the uplift and storage and sold off Lachie's loft bed - i need a good lie down, now.

Not much else to report. So, til next time......

Day 16: Thoughts on education (and other stuff)

Lets get the blog challenge bit done quickly so I can get to more interesting news.

My thoughts on formalised education is that I think it's vital. I don't agree with the 'un-schooling' movement that is gaining momentum, particularly in the US.
However, I can completely understand the need for different methods of delivering education. When we move to PNG, my eldest will attend international school, while my youngest will do distance education. This is because they are two completely different kids who suit two different environments. Bree thrives on social interaction with peers, and is looking forward to the opportunity to go to international school. Lachie, who is 6 years younger, if a very reserved and quiet kid and will both suit and benefit the one-on-one learning experience at home. Having said that, his education wont be a free-for-all, but will actually have the curriculumbe set out by the education department back here.

OK, so that bit's done. Now to the exciting stuff - I signed and returned my employment contract for Papua New Guinea today, woohoo. It's official. We're going!

Today was spent either working or on the phone to prospective property managers, removalists, vaccination clinics etc trying to get things in motion. And yet a small part of me feels like it's not really happening. It's quite odd.

I'm also in the process of trying to sell some furniture to reduce our storage needs, as well as trying to sell our car, Matt's motorbike and our onsite caravan at the coast. (If anyone's interested, give me a call).

Tomorrow, the kids school is having a half day teachers strike. Normally that would be annoying, but it gives me a day at home to organise more stuff. I have a prospective property manager coming over in the morning, followed by a removalist company coming to provide a quote at around lunchtime. Then a lady is coming over to purchase Lachie's loft bed from us at later in the afternoon.

We've obviously got a stack of stuff to do before we leave, and my mind is spinning with anticipation, fear and excitement.

Til next time....

Day 15: Where will I be in 5 years?

Ooh, I like today's blog challenge topic. This is a good one, especially as my career has taken such a different direction in just the last couple of months.

Before my recent change of events, I would have envisaged myself probably plodding along the path of life. However, with the decision to move overseas now been made, a whole new world of opportunity has opened up. So who knows what the future holds?

In 5yrs time, Lachie will be in his second last year of primary school, and Bree will be in her final year of highschool and preparing for university.

Matt and I will be in our 40's and will hopefully have travelled far and wide. Maybe after being a 'kept-man' during our deployment to PNG, Matt will score himself a lucrative employment contract that will allow me to be the stay-at-home parent in a tropical location ;)

Speaking of PNG, my contract is signed and ready to be scanned and emailed through tomorrow! This is going to be HUGE!

Til next time......

Day 14: 3 healthy habits

I'm a bit confused about today's blog challenge of 3 healthy habits. Is it 3 healthy habits that I have, should have or want to have. Or is it 3 healthy habits that everyone should have? It's a bit of an ambiguous statement.
How about I just try to cover all bases:

1. In the last couple of years, I've taken up running. Although I don't know if I'd call it a habit. More of a half-arsed continuation of an activity that I know is good for me. I started out not being able to run for more than a minute without keeling over and gasping for breath. But after months of slogging it out doing a couch to 5km program, I finally got there. It always takes a bit of willpower to get out for a run, and the first 5 to 10 minutes always sucks. Having said that, I always feel better after completing a run, and proud that I've completed it.


2. Drink more water. I always feel better when I drink heaps of water each day. Although I quite often don't drink enough to keep me adequately hydrated. More often that not, the majority of my water consumption comes from coffee and tea, which isn't ideal.


3. Eat fresh fruit: I don't get my 2 pieces of fruit in a day, but I'm trying to get in the habit of eating at least 1 piece. Having said that, I do eat a lot of fresh veggies.

Til next time....

Day 13: What's in my Fridge + The contract is (finally) in!

Just in case I didn't mention it earlier, I've never been any good at keeping a diary ;)
But the most important thing is: I'M BACK!

Before we delve into the not-so-interesting contents of my fridge, I thought I'd give a recap on what's been happening in our world.

I fell off the blogging wagon on Wednesday, as Bree performed in her first ever Wakakirri on Wednesday night. For those of you wondering, Wakakirri is very similar to the old Rock Eisteddfod's that we used to do, but it's also open to primary schools. Anyway, Bree was so excited, and she had a ball. Her school's performance was awesome. We were so proud.

I finally got my employment contract for PNG yesterday, and I start my new role in 4 weeks. So much to do and so little time! We are so excited about our adventure.

So, back onto today's blog challenge. What's in my fridge? Hmm, does anyone really care? I'm pretty sure no one does, so I'm just going to say food - fresh food, left-over food, the usual condiments and a few drinkable items (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic).

So there you go. I'm back on board the blogging wagon and I hope you've all enjoyed the posts so fat, and continue to enjoy the upcoming posts about our adventures in Papua New Guinea.

Til next time........

Day 12: My favourite childhood book

This week is book week, so it's very fitting that today's blog post is about my favourite childhood book: The Paperbag Princess by Robert Munsch

Although I loved the book when I was younger, I didn't recognise the true message of the story until I was older. I won't spoil the story for you, but the basic message is that riches and finery don't make you a good person. People that judge you on your appearance and other superficial ideals aren't worth your while. Plus there's a bit of good ol' fashioned girl-power thrown in, too.

Day 11: My 10 favourite foods

Food, glorious food! Sometimes I love it a little too much. Today's challenge is my 10 favourite foods, so lets get started.

1. Cheese. Any kind of cheese, hard, soft, melted and gooey. I love it all!
2. Cheesecake :)
3. Spaghetti bolognese
4. Bree's San Choi Bow
5. Spanakopita (Greek cheese, spinach and filo pie)
6. Home made macaroni cheese
7. Dark chocolate with almonds
8. Buttered popcorn flavoured Jelly Belly jellybeans
9. Eggs Benedict with smoked salmon
10. Peanut butter Lindt balls

That's the challenge done. Now onto PNG progress.

Still no sign of my contract, but I'm assured that it's coming. I keep going from feelings of excitement about our adventure, to intense self doubt wondering what the hell I've gotten myself into. 

I'm also still undecided about schooling options for Bree. If the school fees were included as part of my work package, it would probably be a much easier decision. However, as we have to pay for them ourselves, we need to weigh up the different international school's academic records, education fees and Bree's safety and comfort. Although the international schools come under the same umbrella organisation, the fees range from around $6,500 for the cheaper schools to around $20,000 for the dearer school (per year, AUD). The Australian High Commission staff send their children to the dearer school, but I'm not really sure why. I will be talking to one of the guys on the ground up there later this week to discuss where other staff on my particular aid program send their children. Once I'm 'in country' I'll be able to visit the schools to make my final decision.

In terms of Lachie's education, we're looking at distance education via the NSW Department of Education Distance Education program. Lachie is far more reserved that Bree, so is much more suited to being at home with Matt having one-on-one tuition. Whereas Bree is very social and needs that interaction with peers.

Still, with no contract in my hands, and nothing 'set in stone' I'm going a little stir crazy because I can't organise or plan ANYTHING. Those that know me know that I like to organise and plan everything in advance, so I'm trying to maintain my sanity by researching schools, social groups, sports, activities, rental properties, future holidays, car prices and anything else I can think of to look into. 

Anyway, I'd better sign off until tomorrow's post.

Till next time....

Day 10: The best trip of my life

We've now been on two family cruises, and I would have to say that they were the best trips I've ever taken. No cooking, cleaning or worrying about what to eat, it really was awesome. Both trips were to the South Pacific. I'd love to go on another cruise, but maybe to a different destination - maybe South East Asia, the Barrier Reef or an around Australia cruise would be amazing (albeit costly).

In other news, Bree & I went shopping today so I could buy some new work clothes for my (probable) new job in PNG (best excuse ever!). I say 'probable' as I am still yet to see my contract. After our shopping adventure, we all went over to Kingston to Max Brenner for an afternoon chocolaty treat. Given the cold and miserable weather today, the hot chocolates were perfect.

Til next time......

Day 9: What's in my bag?

I didn't get a chance to blog yesterday, as we had guests over. So today will be a double shot with one this morning, and another tonight.

What's in my handbag? Quick answer is: I have no idea. So lets have a sneak peak.

My handbag contents today are:

• my wallet
• my phone
• an Ikea receipt
• a couple of my business cards
• headphones
• a nail file
• a handbag holder
• an empty Ventolin puffer
• spare contact lenses
• a pencil and pen
• a USB drive
• library card
• lots of kids rubbish - lolly wrappers, ice cream wrappers etc
• a couple of rainbow loom owls
• a spoon

Riveting stuff, huh!

I guess the challenge is more about the habit of blogging rather than the actual content. Hopefully this evening's blog will be a little more interesting.

Till next time.....

Day 8: 5 Current Goals

Before I get to today's challenge, I got word today that I could be in PNG as early as mid September. That's 4 weeks away!! Having said that, I think it's an optimistic target. Visa processing is notoriously slow, and there's so much to organise in such a short space of time. And, given that I am yet to see my employment contract....wow, my head is spinning with stuff to organise.

Anyway, today's blog challenge is 5 Current Goals. Is it sad that I don't think I have 5 goals? Hmm, lets see what I can pull from the top of my head:

1. Raise healthy, well adjusted kids
2. Retire before I'm 55
3. Become a property investor
4. Survive moving to a foreign country
5. Survive living in one of 'least liveable cities in the world'

Til next time....

Day 7: 5 Favourite Songs

Wow, I've made it to day 7. A whole week of blogging! I am very proud of myself.

Today's challenge is my 5 favourite songs. The biggest challenge is I have lots of favourite songs, and don't really have a 'Top 5'. But here's a list of 5 songs that I can think of off the top of my head that I really love:

1. Don't Forget Me by the Red Hot Chili Peppers
2. Cornflake Girl by Tori Amos
3. Lady Madonna by The Beatles
4. Next Girl by The Black Keys
5. Rolling in the Deep by Adele

I really could have easily created a Top 50, but I really don't have the inclination to do so, and no one really wants to read a list that contains 50 items.
My list is a bit of a mix, and I hope that at least one of the songs listed makes you smile and think "Yeah, I really love that song".

Til next time.......
Ali xx

Day 6: What am I afraid of?

After feeling down in the dumps yesterday, I am feeling much better. So lets get cracking on today's blog challenge: my fears.

Spiders
Spiders give me the heebie jeebies, although I'm getting better as I get older. Small ones are fine, and I can cope with big hairy huntsman's high on my wall, provided they don't move, and are nowhere near my bedroom. However, if they move, they're dead.

Confined space
I can cope with elevators and other small spaces with out any issue. I'm talking about really squishy spaces, like crawling through squeeze holes in cave. My heart is beating faster just thinking about it. It's not the space, so much as the fear of being stuck that freaks me out.

My kids safety
Nothing frightens a parent more than a threat to their child. Hell hath no fury like a mumma protecting her babies!

Making the wrong choice
This one is tied to my depression. I can tell when I'm really down because I cant make simple decisions like where to meet someone for coffee, or what to make for dinner. I'm so worried about making the wrong decision that I just cant make one. It only affects decisions that affect other people. It's almost a fear of upsetting someone.

So there you have it, day 6 of 30! That's one fifth of the way through. Tomorrow's blog: My 5 favourite songs.

Til next time xxx

Day 5: My proudest moment

I knew this one would be hard. Plus, I'm feeling a bit bummed out today which is making 'positive thinking' a little harder than normal.
I have had lots of proud moments, but no particular one is better than another.
However, I can honestly say that I am proud of my kids, each and every day. They are two amazing individuals that make me feel complete.

Sorry, that wasn't an overly interesting post. We're all entitled to have a 'down day' sometimes, and today is my day. On the plus side, tomorrow is another day. I'm sure I'll be back to my perky self in no time. Nothing some positive affirmations can't fix.

Finally, and in the subject of 'down days', news that Robin Williams died today after an apparent suicide. Depression is a crippling illness that can completely consume it's victims. If you think you may be suffering from depression, reach out for support from somewhere like beyondblue or Lifeline.

Remember that no matter how dark it seems, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel xxx

Day 4: My dream job

I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up.
When I was younger, I wanted to be a physiotherapist, a teacher, a paramedic, a sports scientist, a journalist, a marine biologist....and the list kept going.
Now that I'm older, (kind of) wiser, and have a couple of kids, my idea of of what constitutes a dream job has changed.
Before anyone gets narky and says "Motherhood should be your dream job", that is not what I think today's challenge was asking for. Otherwise everyone would say a multi-millionaire that lives by the beach doing nothing all day.
Having said all of that, my dream job these days would be one that allowed me to challenge my mind, help the community, pay enough to cover my mortgage while allowing me to spend more quality time with my kids. If anyone knows the name of this career, please let me know :)
Tomorrow's challenge is my proudest moment. That one is going to be hard, especially trying to choose just one. I guess that I'd better put my thinking cap on before tomorrow's post.
Till next time.........

Day 3: My favourite quote + The City2Surf

Today's blog challenge is a bit tricky. I really had to think about it, and I'm sure that after I've posted this, that I'll think of many better ones. Oh well, the purpose of this challenge is to get me I to the habit of posting.

I can't really pick a favourite quote, but a few that I use to get me through tough times are:

• Tomorrow is another day
• By this time this afternoon/tomorrow/next week it will all be over; and
• No matter how bad it is, someone else has it worse

These might sound negative, but they help me to put things into perspective, and help me to focus on the positive. 

On a final (and completely unrelated) note, today I completed my 3rd City2Surf (14km). It really is a fun run, albeit tough. Even when I was tired, it was still enjoyable. With the camaraderie between runners and the kids/supporters along the way, it truly is awesome. Having said that, I am really sore and tired, and expecting that my joints and muscles will be quite stiff in the morning.

So, 3 days of blogging in a row - look at me go!

Till next time, 

Ali xxx

Day 2: 20 things about me

So, this is my first post via email, as I'm in Sydney for tomorrow's City 2 Surf. My apologies if this doesn't work.

OK, 20 things about me:
1: tomorrow will be my third City 2 Surf.
2: I feel guilty when I'm away from my kids.
3: I don't like tomatoes
4: I love cheese
5: My coffee of choice is a medium skim latte with one sugar.
6: The toenails on my baby toes haven't grown properly.
7: My favourite movies are The Sound of Music, The Wedding Singer and Reality Bites.
8: I hate horror films
9: I was once a qualified swimming instructor.
10: My favourite colour is blue
11: My favourite number is 2
12: I'm allergic to penicillin
13: I've been married for 14 years
14: I have only lived in Canberra and Sydney, so moving to PNG will be huge.
15: I am first generation Australian on my Dad's side.
16: My heritage is Maltese and British
17: I wanted to be a teacher, physiotherapist or paramedic when I grew up.
18: I have 2 brothers.
19: I am the eldest sibling.
20: I have a bad habit of doubting my own abilities.

So there you go.

Till next time xx

30 Day Challenge: Day 1 - My Blog's name

First things first. I need to give credit to www.livelovesimple.com from whom I've taken this 30 day challenge from. After looking at various 'challenges', I liked this one best.

Okeydokey, now that's out of the way, here's an explanation of my blog name:

PracticAli is basically 'Practical Ali' because I'm practical, and my name is Ali - ta da!

Although, as the blog progresses, I may well change the name. However, I promise to give a thorough explanation if or when it happens.

So there you go

Ciao for now

Ali xx

Did I mention I can't keep a diary?

So, back in February, I thought I'd start a 30 day blog challenge.
Well, you can see how well that went - ha ha ha ha!

Since then, I've been offered a job opportunity in Papua New Guinea, so I thought that my blog would be a great way for friends and family to keep up to date with our adventures - especially those who are Facebook shy (I'm looking at you, Mum!)

Now, before you start telling me how crazy and irresponsible I am to take the family to PNG, take a deep breath and CALM DOWN! I have already been to Port Moresby for work twice before. I'm under no illusions that it's some kind of tropical paradise - it's not. It could be, but it's not, and that's OK. Yes there are risks involved, but its about being sensible and taking precautions to minimise those risks.

Having said all of that, there are some parts of PNG that are absolutely stunning, with amazing natural beauty. We hope to visit as many places we can, and share our adventures with everyone on this blog.

So, to get me into the habit of blogging, lets try to kickstart the 30 day blogging challenge!

The obligatory first post

Hi There,

So, I've been wanting to start a blog for a while. However, I've never been any good at keeping a diary, let alone an entire blog.

But I came across a 30 Day Blog Challenge that I thought would be a great way to start, and try to form a habit of blogging.

Why do I want to blog? Well, I always come up with ideas for books, but can never be bothered actually sitting down and writing one. My mind is a constant swirl of ideas and suggestions, so I thought a blog would be a quicker and easier way to share.

So lets get this thing started!

PracticAli x