Woke up this morning at 5.30am to leave for Arosa ski resort. It took us about 4hrs to get there from when we left our place. The weather was just superb...and that makes it great snow and sunny blue skies 4 out of 4 times I have hit the slopes!!!
I didn't believe that I could have so much fun snowboarding...but today...today was heaps of fun!!! :-) To be honest I was a little scared of going snowboarding today. If Petra had told me she didn't feel like going, I would not have protested one bit!!! But away we went...and I am really glad that I did :-)
I guess the memories of Christmas Day were still in my mind where I really tackled the mountain and survived to tell the tale! All I remember about Christmas Day was having hardly any control of my board and flying down the mountain at very high speeds!!! And tumbling and falling heaps!!!
After today, where I was actually at one with my snowboard about 85% of the time, I can highly recommend beginners to try an intermediate or advanced run after two or three times on the snowboard. Seriously, going down an intermediate or advanced run takes the fear right out of snowboarding...for me anyway!...and it made today quite easy and really enjoyable :-)
I only did two runs today on the slopes, but I was really proud of my improvements and had a huge smile on my face all the way home :-) The first run of course took forever as I was still finding my feet and learning to keep 'on the edge', and yes, I still managed to get stuck in some snow :-) Then Petra and I stopped at one of the bars for over an hour, enjoying the sunshine and music and drinks :-) Then the second run was superb! I was having so much fun...I yelled out 'Weeeeeeeeeee...' and of course so soon as I did that, I stacked it! haha...
I am actually not afraid of going down slopes...you just kinda do it. Nor am I afraid of stacking it. My only fear is that I will take someone out or make them crash each time I fall over!!! I hate falling and then looking back to see all these expert skiiers and snowboarders come flying down!!! I hate being stuck there and almost always apologetic!!! Though I guess most of them have so much more experience behind them, that it would be easier for them to move around me! I guess they were all in my boots once :-)
Well, I'll try flying down the mountains over here a few more times before I head back to Oz :-) I think I'll definitely buy this snowboard set after the season is over :-)
January 28, 2007
January 24, 2007
What's in a dream?...
Two nights ago I had a mild headache as I finished work. Then I got a lift to Luzern from my colleague and it made the headache worse! It was great that Petra cooked that night because I pretty much went straight to bed after dinner, and it was only 9.30pm! I only go to bed that early if I am feeling ill...which thankfully is not too often!
So I popped a panadol and went to bed. Strangely enough, I woke the next morning and could remember the dreams which I had dreamt...
I saw my 'A-maa', who is my dad's mum, who passed away from cancer eighteen and a half years ago now (wow! has it really been that long?!!). I rarely dream about her, so it was strange that I did. I was never really that close to 'A-maa'. I was only ten when she passed away. I remember at her funeral my cousin Grace told my sister and I that we had to pretend to cry because it was a sad occasion. So I tried, but I don't think it quite worked for me. My mother on the other hand, scared the living daylights out of me at the funeral. All I could remember was that I was praying really hard for her not to fall into the hole in the ground when we had to sprinkle dirt onto the coffin. My mother was almost hysterical and I was so scared that she would fall in! Thankfully two of my uncles came to support her and take her away from the hole in the ground!!
Well, back to the dream...I spoke with my 'A-maa'...I was me as I am now, and she was sick with cancer. I walked beside her and supported her, and asked her how she was. I never remembered her to be a frail little thing, but in my dream, that's what I thought when I saw her. I helped her up some stairs. I helped her cross the road. I carried her in my arms to a mini-bus...
This mini-bus is somehow linked to a small airplane in my dream. And the next thing I know, I am squeezing in the back of this plane with a small red-headed freckled-faced kid and some big guy at the back. In the front seat, next to the pilot was a sick kid, who also had cancer.
I do not remember much else of that dream...
The next dream, I dreamt of my really good school friend Karèn. Ours is the type of friendship that will last a lifetime, no matter where in the world we are, and no matter if we are able to catch up twice a year or once every two years. We always pick up where we left off :-) Perhaps I dreamt about her because she might be coming to visit me sometime in March or April this year?!
The last dream was very personal and I woke up with tears in my eyes. It's like sometimes when you try to move forwards, something jerks you back. I do not know whether this dream was from my sub-conscious or a message of some sort...it leaves me pondering. I wonder if there'll be another chapter or episode?!!
I love how dreams are up for personal interpretation. You can consult all the dream dictionaries in the world, but only you yourself can unlock the real mysteries behind your dreams! If I remember my dreams, I try to write them down straight away. It certainly makes for interesting reading somewhere down the track! And it also helps me to understand myself better too :-) Sometimes :-)
So I popped a panadol and went to bed. Strangely enough, I woke the next morning and could remember the dreams which I had dreamt...
I saw my 'A-maa', who is my dad's mum, who passed away from cancer eighteen and a half years ago now (wow! has it really been that long?!!). I rarely dream about her, so it was strange that I did. I was never really that close to 'A-maa'. I was only ten when she passed away. I remember at her funeral my cousin Grace told my sister and I that we had to pretend to cry because it was a sad occasion. So I tried, but I don't think it quite worked for me. My mother on the other hand, scared the living daylights out of me at the funeral. All I could remember was that I was praying really hard for her not to fall into the hole in the ground when we had to sprinkle dirt onto the coffin. My mother was almost hysterical and I was so scared that she would fall in! Thankfully two of my uncles came to support her and take her away from the hole in the ground!!
Well, back to the dream...I spoke with my 'A-maa'...I was me as I am now, and she was sick with cancer. I walked beside her and supported her, and asked her how she was. I never remembered her to be a frail little thing, but in my dream, that's what I thought when I saw her. I helped her up some stairs. I helped her cross the road. I carried her in my arms to a mini-bus...
This mini-bus is somehow linked to a small airplane in my dream. And the next thing I know, I am squeezing in the back of this plane with a small red-headed freckled-faced kid and some big guy at the back. In the front seat, next to the pilot was a sick kid, who also had cancer.
I do not remember much else of that dream...
The next dream, I dreamt of my really good school friend Karèn. Ours is the type of friendship that will last a lifetime, no matter where in the world we are, and no matter if we are able to catch up twice a year or once every two years. We always pick up where we left off :-) Perhaps I dreamt about her because she might be coming to visit me sometime in March or April this year?!
The last dream was very personal and I woke up with tears in my eyes. It's like sometimes when you try to move forwards, something jerks you back. I do not know whether this dream was from my sub-conscious or a message of some sort...it leaves me pondering. I wonder if there'll be another chapter or episode?!!
I love how dreams are up for personal interpretation. You can consult all the dream dictionaries in the world, but only you yourself can unlock the real mysteries behind your dreams! If I remember my dreams, I try to write them down straight away. It certainly makes for interesting reading somewhere down the track! And it also helps me to understand myself better too :-) Sometimes :-)
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow
Wow!! At long last the snow here in Central Switzerland has arrived! Everyone was second-guessing whether or not the snow would come at all!! Last Friday, temperatures hit 16 degrees celcius! How crazy is that?! It makes you wonder about the effects of Global Warming!
Anyway, last night as I left the office, I waited for the bus and you could definitely feel the cold!! It had been raining a bit earlier, and I wondered, as I looked up at the street light, whether it was rain that I saw or teeny-tiny snowflakes falling down...then walking home from the bus-stop snowflakes fell...and I smiled...because at long last, winter had arrived!
I don't totally, absolutely love the snow...I prefer blue skies and sunshine any day! But there is just something magical about the whiteness...when everything around you is just...white. It's beautiful and it's just...wow!
The snow kept falling all day while I was at the office, and even when I got back home. This weekend I am heading to Arosa with Petra for some snowboarding :-) I think I have to wipe the dust off my snowboard gear since it was last used on Christmas Day!!! Crikey! It's been a whole month already!!! And in another two weeks I will be going for a ski/snowboard weekend with the rugby club! I really hope to snowboard more and at least learn some control while I board :-)
Nothing that exciting has been happening on this end. I've had a very busy two-weeks at work, even staying till midnight last Friday night (though trust me, I don't make a habit of it!). I just have to do what needs to be done! Booked a flight to London in May to watch the Heineken Cup final. By then, I will certainly be itching for a few days away!
That's my update! Hope all of you in Sydney are 'Slip, Slop, Slap' -ing if you're out in the hot hot sun! :-)
Anyway, last night as I left the office, I waited for the bus and you could definitely feel the cold!! It had been raining a bit earlier, and I wondered, as I looked up at the street light, whether it was rain that I saw or teeny-tiny snowflakes falling down...then walking home from the bus-stop snowflakes fell...and I smiled...because at long last, winter had arrived!
I don't totally, absolutely love the snow...I prefer blue skies and sunshine any day! But there is just something magical about the whiteness...when everything around you is just...white. It's beautiful and it's just...wow!
The snow kept falling all day while I was at the office, and even when I got back home. This weekend I am heading to Arosa with Petra for some snowboarding :-) I think I have to wipe the dust off my snowboard gear since it was last used on Christmas Day!!! Crikey! It's been a whole month already!!! And in another two weeks I will be going for a ski/snowboard weekend with the rugby club! I really hope to snowboard more and at least learn some control while I board :-)
Nothing that exciting has been happening on this end. I've had a very busy two-weeks at work, even staying till midnight last Friday night (though trust me, I don't make a habit of it!). I just have to do what needs to be done! Booked a flight to London in May to watch the Heineken Cup final. By then, I will certainly be itching for a few days away!
That's my update! Hope all of you in Sydney are 'Slip, Slop, Slap' -ing if you're out in the hot hot sun! :-)
January 16, 2007
Until September...
Last week, I finally admitted to myself and to my friend Jase that I am an unhappy chicken of late. For those of you that know me, you would never have guessed in a million years. But there you go!
I don't really have much motivation these days to get up and go to work. I have plenty to do, but there's nothing there that gives me that edge. Each day passes and 'it's just another day'. I remember maybe around 6 years ago, I used to wake up every morning and have the biggest smile on my face, and really feel that it was so great to be alive! Each day was a true blessing to wake up to. I wonder what happened to those days?
Being here in Switzerland, has taught me a hell of a great deal about myself. I have been through the most trying times and have had so many ups and downs. I am surrounded by so much beauty, but even they tend to just blend into the background. I am surrounded by so many 'friends' yet I have felt the loneliest that I have ever felt in my entire life. I smile and I laugh and my disposition is almost always cheery. Yet if one looked into my eyes, they would know the truth.
I have made a decision to finish up work in August, although I have yet to inform my company (so please don't inform them before I do :-)). In August, 28 months would have lapsed since I started here. That's a long time to be away from home!!! August would also mark 5 years for me working in this same industry. Perhaps it will be time for a change, perhaps not. Anything goes.
I plan to travel to France and Wales to watch some Rugby World Cup in September, and in between I may as well visit Scotland and perhaps Ireland too. Then I will be back home in the second-half of September! I really can't wait until I finally head home; however I cannot live my life just hanging for that time. Eight more months is quite a long while!
So, until September I will just have to make the most of my time here and try to enjoy things as much as I can.
I don't really have much motivation these days to get up and go to work. I have plenty to do, but there's nothing there that gives me that edge. Each day passes and 'it's just another day'. I remember maybe around 6 years ago, I used to wake up every morning and have the biggest smile on my face, and really feel that it was so great to be alive! Each day was a true blessing to wake up to. I wonder what happened to those days?
Being here in Switzerland, has taught me a hell of a great deal about myself. I have been through the most trying times and have had so many ups and downs. I am surrounded by so much beauty, but even they tend to just blend into the background. I am surrounded by so many 'friends' yet I have felt the loneliest that I have ever felt in my entire life. I smile and I laugh and my disposition is almost always cheery. Yet if one looked into my eyes, they would know the truth.
I have made a decision to finish up work in August, although I have yet to inform my company (so please don't inform them before I do :-)). In August, 28 months would have lapsed since I started here. That's a long time to be away from home!!! August would also mark 5 years for me working in this same industry. Perhaps it will be time for a change, perhaps not. Anything goes.
I plan to travel to France and Wales to watch some Rugby World Cup in September, and in between I may as well visit Scotland and perhaps Ireland too. Then I will be back home in the second-half of September! I really can't wait until I finally head home; however I cannot live my life just hanging for that time. Eight more months is quite a long while!
So, until September I will just have to make the most of my time here and try to enjoy things as much as I can.
January 07, 2007
The Last Time...
No one knows when the last time will be when you will see a loved one, hug a loved one, kiss a loved one, touch a loved one, exchange meaningful words with a loved one. By 'loved one' I mean everyone who you share a piece of your heart with in your life, no matter how big or small.
I remember the last time I hugged my godbrother Raymond. Every single time I saw him, without fail he would greet me with a hug bigger than himself and a kiss on the cheek. He would do the same every time one of us had to leave too. He was a baby brother to me, being 7.5 years my junior.
I remember our last encounter. He almost left without his usual hug and kiss and I thought that was very odd, so I had to ask him "Where is my hug and kiss goodbye?". And then he came over sheepishly and we hugged and he gave me a kiss. That was the last time.
The next time I saw him, he had slipped into a coma. It was just two months before his twelfth birthday. While he was still conscious he had asked for me, but for reasons I cannot remember, I was not able to reach him in time.
Time seemed to drag on forever at the hospital, and I cannot even remember how many days I was there. Maybe it was two days, maybe it was a week? His passing on April 21st 1998 was a very sad day. It's everyone's worst nightmare to lose someone they love so much. It's like having a piece of your heart ripped away, and there is a gaping hole, and no words can describe the deep pain...
But love permeates even death. My thoughts on life and death will be for another time in another blog when I feel like it :-) Love is eternal, is infinite. I too echo the words as sung by Darren Hayes..."I believe in love surviving death into eternity."
In Raymond's passing, there awakened something grand and great within me. Sometimes you do need something to happen to you to make you realise that you have been living your life with your eyes closed. In his passing, my spirituality awakened, and from that perspective life has been a truly amazing experience ever since that time...
I remember the last time I hugged my godbrother Raymond. Every single time I saw him, without fail he would greet me with a hug bigger than himself and a kiss on the cheek. He would do the same every time one of us had to leave too. He was a baby brother to me, being 7.5 years my junior.
I remember our last encounter. He almost left without his usual hug and kiss and I thought that was very odd, so I had to ask him "Where is my hug and kiss goodbye?". And then he came over sheepishly and we hugged and he gave me a kiss. That was the last time.
The next time I saw him, he had slipped into a coma. It was just two months before his twelfth birthday. While he was still conscious he had asked for me, but for reasons I cannot remember, I was not able to reach him in time.
Time seemed to drag on forever at the hospital, and I cannot even remember how many days I was there. Maybe it was two days, maybe it was a week? His passing on April 21st 1998 was a very sad day. It's everyone's worst nightmare to lose someone they love so much. It's like having a piece of your heart ripped away, and there is a gaping hole, and no words can describe the deep pain...
But love permeates even death. My thoughts on life and death will be for another time in another blog when I feel like it :-) Love is eternal, is infinite. I too echo the words as sung by Darren Hayes..."I believe in love surviving death into eternity."
In Raymond's passing, there awakened something grand and great within me. Sometimes you do need something to happen to you to make you realise that you have been living your life with your eyes closed. In his passing, my spirituality awakened, and from that perspective life has been a truly amazing experience ever since that time...
January 01, 2007
New Year New Year
And then the heavens opened up and down came the rain...
It's almost 1pm as I sit here in Luzern on New Years Day. The trees are blowing in the wind as I watch them. Autumn leaves are raining down all around. It's raining. I don't remember the weather being like this for quite some time.
I hear it is also raining in Sydney, so I guess in that sense I'm not missing out on anything :-) It's nice to hear of rain in Sydney. I hope it stays for a while. Despite its inconveniences, it is desperately needed!
We had three friends over for a New Years Eve dinner. We had so much food - it was fantastic!!! Then we partied the year away with our party hats and silly eye masks, fake noses and lips :-) We also had a few drinks of course in New Year cheer :-) Then the five of us hit the town, saying very friendly hellos to everyone who hopped on the bus :-)
In Luzern, it was not that crowded. I'm not sure what the usual crowds are like as this is my first (and probably only) New Years in Switzerland! There were a lot of people on the famous bridge, but the rest were spread around the lake (and it's a huge lake!). There was no countdown to New Years, some people just cheered and then some lights went up on a building which said "Happy New Year!". So that was that!
It was a bit strange as fireworks were scheduled to go off at 12.07am...but then was delayed until 12.10am. Don't ask me why about the times as I do not know...must be a Swiss thing?!!! Fireworks were pretty good and went on for a good 25 minutes. As I stood there watching the fireworks it brought me to New Years memories in Sydney. It made me feel a bit homesick and a bit sad that I wasn't with my buddies. Don't get me wrong, I had great company, but it just wasn't the same. For the past four New Years celebrations I was always with the same core group of friends in Sydney. And this year we all did different things. I hope next year we will come together again :-)
The fireworks in Luzern were pretty good. I cannot compare them to Sydney though as that would just not be fair :-) I can't really compare anything to Sydney as the standards are just too high in my books as I'm probably just a teeny bit biased?!! :-) And if you don't agree with me, then maybe it's time you got away from Sydney for a little while :-)
After the fireworks we headed to the place where everybody goes...to the Roadhouse...which is open until 4am every day!!! Everybody in Luzern knows the Roadhouse! And no, it's not a truckie stop by the highway :-) They played some good songs...all extremely retro though...which suits me fine :-) But I was a bit bored because I just wanted to go home! Yeh I know, I am getting old :-) We left close to 4am and tried to hail a cab but without much luck. Eventually we got one about half an hour later! So I was very happy that I was on my way home! If you think Sydney cabs are expensive, how about a ten-minute ride for about 20 bucks?!
My head hit my pillow at around 5.30am. Another year over...
Happy New Year!
It's almost 1pm as I sit here in Luzern on New Years Day. The trees are blowing in the wind as I watch them. Autumn leaves are raining down all around. It's raining. I don't remember the weather being like this for quite some time.
I hear it is also raining in Sydney, so I guess in that sense I'm not missing out on anything :-) It's nice to hear of rain in Sydney. I hope it stays for a while. Despite its inconveniences, it is desperately needed!
We had three friends over for a New Years Eve dinner. We had so much food - it was fantastic!!! Then we partied the year away with our party hats and silly eye masks, fake noses and lips :-) We also had a few drinks of course in New Year cheer :-) Then the five of us hit the town, saying very friendly hellos to everyone who hopped on the bus :-)
In Luzern, it was not that crowded. I'm not sure what the usual crowds are like as this is my first (and probably only) New Years in Switzerland! There were a lot of people on the famous bridge, but the rest were spread around the lake (and it's a huge lake!). There was no countdown to New Years, some people just cheered and then some lights went up on a building which said "Happy New Year!". So that was that!
It was a bit strange as fireworks were scheduled to go off at 12.07am...but then was delayed until 12.10am. Don't ask me why about the times as I do not know...must be a Swiss thing?!!! Fireworks were pretty good and went on for a good 25 minutes. As I stood there watching the fireworks it brought me to New Years memories in Sydney. It made me feel a bit homesick and a bit sad that I wasn't with my buddies. Don't get me wrong, I had great company, but it just wasn't the same. For the past four New Years celebrations I was always with the same core group of friends in Sydney. And this year we all did different things. I hope next year we will come together again :-)
The fireworks in Luzern were pretty good. I cannot compare them to Sydney though as that would just not be fair :-) I can't really compare anything to Sydney as the standards are just too high in my books as I'm probably just a teeny bit biased?!! :-) And if you don't agree with me, then maybe it's time you got away from Sydney for a little while :-)
After the fireworks we headed to the place where everybody goes...to the Roadhouse...which is open until 4am every day!!! Everybody in Luzern knows the Roadhouse! And no, it's not a truckie stop by the highway :-) They played some good songs...all extremely retro though...which suits me fine :-) But I was a bit bored because I just wanted to go home! Yeh I know, I am getting old :-) We left close to 4am and tried to hail a cab but without much luck. Eventually we got one about half an hour later! So I was very happy that I was on my way home! If you think Sydney cabs are expensive, how about a ten-minute ride for about 20 bucks?!
My head hit my pillow at around 5.30am. Another year over...
Happy New Year!
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