Quarter of a Century, Well Lived? Check!

Music: Bounce feat. N.O.R.E by MSTRKFT

Guys!!!  I’m twenty-five years old!!! I have officially had the earliest birthday on the earth that I will ever have.  (This was my thought bubble until Natalie took her big Pin, popped my bubble by pointing out that my birthday would be earlier if I was in New Zealand, and even earlier if I was in Fiji).

Anyways, the point is, that being here in Australia, it was my birthday way before anyone in Canada had even reached the 23rd of May.  This also abled me to have two days of birthday, since on May 24th, it was still the 23rd in Canada, and you’re damn right I used that as an excuse.

I’m pretty pumped about being 25.  I think its a good number, and I know it’ll be a good year.  Obviously!  My 26th year of living will include travelling up the coast of Australia to the North to stay with Nats dad in the rainforest, in a small place called Cape Tribulation, flying in a helicopter over the worlds largest single structure made by living organisms (The Great Barrier Reef), seeing some of the worlds craziest animals and plant life that can only be seen on this lone continent on the other side of the planet, tasting wine in some of the worlds best wineries, travelling back down the coast to see the larger more “civilized” cities that Australia (or Strayiah, as I–and all Aussies–like to call it), like Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne.

Afterwards, I am meant to meet up with Ashleigh in Thailand, where I will get to see the rest of Thailand, that i didn’t see the first time, Malaysia and Indonesia.  Also worth mentioning, will be the epic reunion with Ashleigh, Kyle, Rachel, Katrina and Jason, and even before then, Nat and I will be reunited with our Thailand travelling buddies, Tom and Rich, as they travel up the Australian East coast this June.  And, of course!  Back to Canada for a legendary homecoming.  You heard me, legendary.

Heaps to look forward to!

The big day was a pretty good one I have to say.  I had a wonderful curry lunch with my Aussie family, went to work, and then headed to Tamara’s for some bday drinks.  Tamara, and her roomates, Ed, Alanna and Marcus, along with Natalie sang me the old birthday song over an ice cream cake (how does everyone learn so quickly that I don’t like real cake?!) and I opened a few Aussie themed gifts.  For those of you that know Brissy, we obviously spent the night in the Valley, rocking out.

What else is new?

Well, while you folks in the northern hemisphere (the normal hemisphere, I like to say..) are welcoming the beautiful summer, winter is headed my way.  It hasn’t been too cold, mostly lows of 13 degrees (this is in the middle of the night of course).  The days are gorgeous and crisp, the sun still blazing hot.

I’m going into my last month of work!  Which means I better saaaaaaaave.  I’ve been spending the majority of my time with Tamara and her housemate Ed, both totally awesome happy and funny dudes.  We like to watch funny movies, drink wine, play in the backyard, watch rugby (thats more them forcing me to watch…), have bonfires, make fun of each other, go to second had stores and eat cheese and crackers.

Volunteering has been going well and I still enjoy going.  They refered me to go be a teachers assistant in a school here, but with such little time left in Brisbane, I would feel bad not being able to commit for longer than three months.

I’ve been reading and am currently well into and thouroughly enjoying Down Under by Bill Bryson.  A comedic novel about this crazy country called Australia.

Anyways, life is still going well and even though I’m one year older.  One year better!

Solid Ground Sucks

Music: Whatever you like- T.I

aah…. to be back on the ship… Instead, I’m back in Brisbane…working.  Not hanging out with Fergus. Paying for stuff.

Babong.

Whatever you like was our ship song for a reason.  (except for the dirty parts…)

The week with Fergus on the ship is going down in history as top ten moments of my life.  (This list is not set in stone).  I woke up Saturday morning at 9:30, packed my back, and headed to the port at 10:30.  I’ve become such a good fast packer .  It was the first time in my life that someone has said to me: “That’s all brought?”  I looked around me, and people did in fact, have massive suitcases.  I just had my little carry on and a backpack.

Anyways.  I spent the first day being taken around the ship, shown where everything is.  First of all, Ships are like mazes and I have the worst sense of direction. Second of all, I had access to the passenger and crew areas, so it was double the hallways/staircases/floors to know.  Lost, all the time.

Passenger areas; iiiinteresting.  Crew areas, iiinteresting.

Being a passenger on a cruise ship, is the funniest thing i have ever experienced.  At the same time, being a crew member is the funniest thing I have ever experienced.  Ships are funny.  Especially when all the passengers are Aussies and the crew are all from overseas (UK, Canada, England and New Zealand).

Watching Fergus and his coworkers for a week, proved to me that working on ships is one of the craziest jobs.  For many reasons, including: they NEVER leave work (the night that we had in Cairns was Fergus’s second time in 6 months that he could be off the boat untill 3 am, and only half of the crew get to go).  Imagine never getting off a boat?  Its like uni residence in hell.  No escape.  Then there’s the crew bar, where the crew parties.

This is where the gossip mostly comes from.  Everyone sees if you leave with someone, everyone sees how drunk you got, everyone on a boat sees everything.  Fergus and I were hanging out on an empty deck, and a crew “police officer” came by to see what we were doing.  As she was leaving, she gave us a friendly reminder of the cameras that are waaatchiiing.  You’re always being watched on a boat.

It was funny to observe all the cliques, all the gossip, all of the ship .  It was even more fun to go on a crocodile tour for free with Fergus.  He pretty much has the best job ever, and has to go on these tours to video record everything.  I, therefore, get to go along!  Crocodiles are cool and so are aussies that work in conservation areas.  We saw a crocodile fight and wallabies jumping around the fields.

We also got to go on this zoo trip in Cairns (where I played and fed Kangaroos!!!!!) and a gondala ride and little walk in the rainforest.  Australia is absolutely beautiful outside of Brisbane!

Cruises are fun, but cheesy.  I got to observe ‘Island night’, ‘Formal Night’, watch all the nighttime entertainment and go to talks and performances during the day.  One thing i did participate in was learning to juggle, which was taught by the circus artists.  I juggled!  Kind of… my legs were so sore the next day from squatting so much to pick up the fallen balls.   I think I can one day become a really good juggler.

Scene one:

Tully (Circus performer #1): Great job Lindzy!  You’re almost ready for four throws!  Awesome, you’re like two minutes away from it!  Great job!

Lindzy: Awe, thanks Tully.  (Keeps trying really hard, bitting tongue and crossing eyes in concentration).

Andrew (Circus performer #2):  I’m just gonna face you  so that i can see where you’re….

Lindzy: Going wrong?

Andrew: Yah, your second throw is shit.

Lindzy: *jaw drop*

Tully: Don’t listen to him Lindzy.  You’re doing awesome.

Andrew: Your third throw kind of sucks too.

And those, were the circus guys… my favourites on the ship for sure.  If you wanna be anyone on a cruise ship, you want to be those guys.  I hung out with them the most, cause they don’t actually work,…. like ever.  Wanna have a really good interesting conversation?  Find someone in a circus.

I miss the boat.