Xmas wishes

Hello peeps!

Did you all get loads of pressies from Santa yesterday?

We had a very nice family gathering, with food, laughter and presents. Wagon loads of presents! Less than last year - la crise oblige :) - but still enough to fill the few car loads!

Very early on, I told the family I did not want any presents. Call me Scrooge, but anything they would give me, either I would have to find a space for it in my bag or it would spend a whole year in storage while I am off traveling. I still got a few little things - bless them - but all very practical: food, food and more food :)

While I was high on all the chocolate and sweets I got from Santa, I got remembering the Christmases of my youth. Back when everything was less about how many gifts you could afford, but more about that sense of togetherness that would wrap around you like a fluffy blanket.

OK, I know things always seem nicer and rosier when you look back on the "good old days", bit still. I remember each one would bring a dish to share and a couple of gifts, and we would all get a little token pressie at the end of the evening. Sitting at the table and sharing food was the main focus of the evening, not the frantic unwrapping of presents.

Now it feels the more stuff under the tree the better.

But actually not so in my opinion - specially when looking at the truck load of gifts for the kids! My little nephews and nieces had so much stuff, they could not focus on any one thing. They were opening gifts whilst eying the next one already. In the end - everything was opened, but already this morning all these toys are pushed to a side!

Now do not get me wrong - it is always nice to receive a gift. it makes you feel a bit fuzzy inside whether you are the giver or the receiver. But - I think we should be careful with confusing buying power with measure love.Even with the most disgruntled teenager, more gifts is not equal more love. It just means you have deep pockets and calls for more

So leave the credit card in, your bank account will thank you for it, and give more of yourself - this is the most important.

If the end of the world was tonight, you sure would spend the rest your time together - so I wish you all a very Merry Xmas and my wish is that you enjoy some loving and caring time with your families and friends.

OH OH OH
:)

Let's stop and reflect - 2wks into the trip

Hello peeps!

Tomorrow will be 2wks I have started my trip, and I feel like a bit of introspection time is due :)

Here we go then - 2 wks ago:
- I left the UK to start my 15 months adventure around the world
- I was looking forward to spending my days at the beach, eating seafood and drinking fruit juices at every meals, including snacks
- I was a little sad to leave behind my life and friends but eager to get on the road. At the same time I was a bit anxious as to how things would go since I have never done any traveling on my own for such a long time before

Now, 2wks after:
- I have been actively looking for a job since last week - either teaching for the Xmas holidays or as crew on a boat. I actually miss the routine of going in the office!!!
- I have met an American guy also on holidays in Martinique and we are now hanging out regularly to go to the beach or drinks
- My hair and skin are so happy - no dryness, no tightness, just happy and full of life
- I do spend most of my days at the beach, but I am definitely not eating as much seafood or drinking as much fruit juice as I thought I would!
- I have lost all sens of time or days passing, which can be slightly disconcerting sometimes
- I find it rather difficult to keep the routine of working on my training and I am already 1wk behind schedule - not good at all as my credentials are time bound, so I will have to make up the missed sessions somehow!!
- After 2wks back here my home country I can safely say that I will not be able to come and live here - something I have known for a while now, but now it is confirmed beyond any doubt :(

Verdict of these 2wks:
Still very much positive. I truly believe I took the right decision to go away for a while. Despite missing my friends dearly, having my own home and - I know, I am crazy - the routine of going to the office, I feel good and I am enjoying every single minute of it!

This is a feeling I wish everyone could enjoy. Taking control of ones life is one of the most exhilarating joys you could ever experience - so people, TAKE CONTROL and enjoy :)

That's it for now, I am off for a ride with my little nephew. He's so cute, but what a nightmare to look after!

7 days to Xmas.....  :)

There's no such thing as free cash

Hello peeps!

I am now officially a backpacker - or more like a suitpacker! Last Friday was my last day in the office and since Tuesday, I am in the Caribbean living out of a suitcase :)

My last few days in the UK have been rather hectic with sorting out storage for my car and belongings, but I managed most of it and the rest I left to the good hands of a couple of friends.

I began my journey around the globe at 6.50am on Tuesday 4th Dec, and I will not be putting my bags down for another 15months. I will be back in the UK for a few weeks to exchange my suitcase for a proper backpack then I am off again, only to come back in Heathrow in March 2014.

My first flight London-Paris was rather uneventful. After the 4am wake up call, I was glad to nod off for a bit. In Paris I had to get a connecting flight to Martinique, then off on the beach.

This is where things started to go a little bit off track... 

When I got to the check in desk, the lovely Air France lady - a touch surprising to see somebody from AIR FRANCE in such a good mood so early in the morning - so, the lovely lady asked me if I would be up for being bumped onto another flight, in exchange for €150 cash. Instead of my initial direct flight, I would need to get to another island, then catch another connecting flight before finally arriving in Martinique, a mere 45min later than initially planned.

At €50 the 15min, I said yes please, gimme the cash! But there is no such thing as free cash, oh no...

To start, we left with 1hr delay for the Paris to Pointe a Pitre flight. That meant I missed my connecting flight to Martinique as I only had 45min between the too. Fair play to Air France though, they got me a seat onto another flight later that day, without me having to yell at anybody. It was actually rather funny to see all the other passengers in the same situation getting all worked up and stressed out, while I couldn't have been less bothered - I am off traveling, so who cares 1.5hrs delay?

I finally got to my final destination only to realise that my bag didn't quite follow the same itinerary! You know that feeling when you are the last one standing by the luggage belt, looking at the same abandoned bag turning round and round and round, hoping that yours will be there in just a second...

Still, it was with the same good humored mind set I had all day that I went to the customer service lady to explain my case and confirm that my suitcase would be arriving on the last flight of the day. The other guy in the same situation was completely losing it! By the way, no one I knew, but he had the same name, traveling on the same flight - how random??

All in all, the journey from wake up call to bed time was a long 22hrs, as opposed to the usual 13hrs. BUT - I learned a few things:

1. It is all about perspective: I didn't let the little things get to me and kept smiling and having a good time - despite the long delays, the bag going missing, the aisle seats, being tired - while others where losing it around me. Why? Because I choose to keep my cool. Simple.

2. The way you approach people will determine how they react to you. Go in there all guns blazing and you are less likely to find an understanding ear, as one my fellow delayees found out. Smiles, positivity and a cool head will get you a lot farther and open a lot more doors than yelling at someone!

3. Just C.H.I.L.L.A.X man and enjoy the ride, you will get there eventually!

4. There is no such thing as free cash - but if you follow pt.3, you can come pretty close to it :)

That's it for now peeps - I am off to eat some pineapple :)

Counting down the days and looking back on the past

Hello peeps!

I am now less than 2wks away from departure day. It still doesn't feel real, but it is definitely happening!

By the time I leave, I would have been in the UK for exactly 8yrs 2wks 4days.

Looking back on that time, I feel I am a different person than the young and clueless graduate that got off the Eurostar at Waterloo that day long ago, and not just because I am (only) 2yrs older....

I have met amazing people during that time, from all corners of the world and paths of life. The UK is the only place I have found where all kind of people have a chance to shine, without being judged for how they look/talk/love.

I have worked for companies big and small, always earning respect from my peers. I even managed to get a job I had absolutely no qualifications for, but I still did very well. Talk about self confidence... :)

I have taken part in sports I would have never thought about before coming here - rugby, rowing, doing the GRIM, twice!

I met somebody I thought I could spend the rest of my days with.

I got a proper grown up car.

And last but not least - I have met myself and accepted who I am.

I don't know what the next 15 months will bring, but whatever comes my way I think the Angela that will come back will be different compared to the Angela of right now.

I guess this is what life is about - change.

I only usually reflect on how much things have evolved when I am on the brink of some drastic change, but it is an on-going process. Every day is a learning, every encounter bring a new perspective but it is very easy to lose sight of this when stuck in the daily grind.

I went to this NLP training earlier this year and the guy said something I think is very true: until you put yourself in the driving seat, you will always be disappointed with life because nobody else can take charge of your happiness.

I wish I could find a way to bottle this feeling so I could keep it with me when I come back and have a little taste once in a while. Just so I can remember to stop, look around and see rather than simply pass through the days, waiting for something good, anything, to happen.

This will be my challenge for the next 15 months!

Smile people :)

By the way - chicken pox are all gone now, yay!

What the guide books - or the nurse - don't tell you

Hello peeps!

I have come across a phenomenon from which neither the guide books - paper or online - the forum or even the travel nurse at the GP have warned me against.

This phenomenon is called - the immunization cocktail you are about to pump into your system will make you catch chicken pox!

Now, could be chicken pox or any nasty germs around for that matter - but in my case it was chicken pox.

Allow me to demonstrate...

In between the recommendations in the Lonely Planet SEA guide book and the stuff on the NHS website, I came to the conclusion that I need to be immunized against the following diseases for my upcoming trip:
- Hepatitis A & B: 3 jabs
- Rabies: 3 jabs
- Tetanus/Polio/Diphtheria: 1 boost
- Japanese Encephalitis: 2 jabs
- Typhoid: vaccine not currently available on the NHS, so will do this in Martinique.

I had already done the Yellow Fever jab a few years back, so no need to do it again. Still, I would get 9 jabs over 4wks, plus however many the Typhoid will be.

The only side effects mentioned where for the Japanese Encephalitis, where the nurse mentioned I could have flue-like symptoms, but nothing major.

Well not really! After 3wks of stuff being shot into my arms, I am now down with chicken pox!!

Nothing directly related to the jabs, but a definite side effect. You see, this heavy duty of immunization has completely messed up my immune system. So if it hadn't been chicken pox, it would have been something else!

That sucks - and it is itchy :(

On the plus side - if there is such thing really - I get the week off work. However I would have preferred not to and get to sleep at night and not look like a freak!

Rant over - sorry guys, my usual chirpy self will be back as soon as the itchy spotty one has gone.

Warning - Deep thinking about life and other things...

Hello peeps!

I finally got my backpack last w.e and my ticket for the Caribbean this week. I have also confirmed my visits here and there with friends and family. And I am looking up casual work opportunities to earn some pennies whilst lounging it on the beach :)

So this is it, I am all set to go! One small detail - I still have got 3wks to go in the office. Which brings me to a bit of reflection today - sorry in advance for the page long post!

My company requires us leavers to give at least 3 months notice, so I handed out my resignation back in August. For the whole month of September, I was still giving it 300%, staying in late, even working on Sundays. Then October came, together with an increasingly difficult ability to focus on the petty fights, back stabbing, finger pointing and similar cr@p happening around me. Now November is here and I am in my last 3wks of working routine.

Three months is a long time. I handed out my notice in August, but my decision to go was taken a good couple of months before, and I have been toying with the idea for at least 2-3yrs. So all in all, I have been gone, at least in my head, for something like half a year already.

There are good points and bad points to this situation.

The good:

- It's been 6 months I have stopped being stressed at work.

- So it's been 6 months I am more efficient in my work - believe it or not!

- I sleep better and wake up with a smile on my face.

- It's been 6 months I stepped out of the office politics game - again, much better for my own sanity.

- I can now see things with a new perspective and can pin point where processes are letting the business down - therefore where improvements can be made.

- I can bring a breeze of fresh air to my teammates and pick them up with my positive energy.

Now the bad:

- It's been 6wks I find it difficult to focus on the little details. Most of the time there is no detrimental effect on my work, but sometimes, things can end up a bit behind. That said, things still got to slip when I was like a hawk on every single useless details of a project because of the clutter it was causing in my little head.

- I am becoming increasingly selfish in my approach to things, and not always offering to help. I know - baaaad - but as a result I don't get drawn into activities which are not within my area of responsibility and would therefore only end up diluting my time even more. Something to do with too few people, too much to do...

- I am now trying to get other people in the office to do something for themselves - very baaad from the company point of view!

And the ugly: people could be dropping dead around me on my last day in a bid to make me stay longer, but I would just step over them on my way to the door and say bye!

In a nutshell - I am a much more efficient, approachable and motivating team member. How sad is it that I have become an A-star worker because I know that I am leaving soon.

Maybe the secret is to give your notice - at least in your head - as soon as you start a new job. The good in my list far outweigh the bad, which is only bad if you don't care about the well being of people in the workplace.

My learning though is there is no secret. Life is too short to waste any of it - not even a few months. You should ONLY do the things DECIDE to do.

If you are unhappy in a job, then you should move on and find a new one you will happy in. Why stay somewhere for the sake of being able to moan about the job or the company? You wont get any of the good from my - very short - list, whereas the bad will only add up.

However if you DECIDE to be somewhere, then make sure:

1. It is a job/company that you really choose to be in. We have all heard the old story - recession, I need money and I will die in the gutter if I don't take this job. But aside from a handful of life or death situation, nobody EVER had to take a job. Stop the bullcr@p and man up for goodness sake!

2. You wake up everyday with a smile on your face because you will be going to do something you enjoy and strive for.

3. And because work is only part of the day - make some time for yourself every day and do something that makes you feel good. Again, we all know the old story - need 25hrs in the day to fit it all, what about the kids and house cleaning, I am shattered when I leave the office, it is dark outside, I am broke - but, seriously? Do you really believe that?

Now go and enjoy, because you never know what is coming your way.

The Fabulous World of Visas - India

Hello peeps!

Second installment of the serie.
 
Remember how border crossing in the Maldives was easy peasy?Well, let me introduce to visa procedure, Indian style!


All the official info is available here: http://in.vfsglobal.co.uk/

If you have a passport from Finland, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand or Singapore then lucky you little bugger - no need for advance procedure, you can get a 30 days visa with single entry on arrival in Delhi and Mumbai ONLY.
 
The rest of us will need to get a tourist visa before entering the country. Usually a 3 to 6 months visa with single, double or multiple entries, no extension possible.

You will need for the application:

• Passport valid for a minimum of 180 days with at least two blank pages.
• 2 recent 50*50 size photographs. Check they are the correct size!
• The online application form with signed declaration.
• For the double entry visa you will also need to submit a tentative travel itinerary

That's only the start.

If you are like me a non UK passport holder you will also need the following:  

- If you have been in the UK more than 2yrs, you will need to provide:

•  A stamp of indefinite stay OR
• A utility bill for the current month and for at least 2yrs back. Only landline phone, gas, electricity, water, council tax and tenancy agreement are accepted - no bank statements and no mix and match of the utility bills.

- If you have been in the UK for less than two years there is a form to fill in and processing time will be minimum 10-15 working days in this case.

The application form is filled in online, then you print it with all the forms and document check lists required. Make sure everything is signed where needs to be.

Either post everything including your passport to the Hayes mission or book an appointment and drop the paperwork at your local application centre. The appointment time is issued when you do the online application but can be modified after.

It takes about 1wk to process the application. You can choose the delivery option for your passport when you do the online application.

Happy days :)