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!