Christmas in Australia

My Christmas was nontraditional but really fun. On Christmas Eve I went over to my friend Johnny's house.

View from Johnny's apartment 

I helped cook dinner with five of my Swedish friends. Swedes celebrate on Christmas Eve and have fun traditions like watching Donald Duck, singing drinking songs and drinking schnapps. There was a lot of food; mashed potatoes, boiled potatoes, salad, hard boiled eggs, skagen (which is shrimp in a sour cream and mayonnaise sauce) on toast, and smoked salmon. They also made cinnamon meatballs, which I didn't know was a thing.

Ginger bread house, complete with creepy person. 

On Christmas day I went surfing with my friend Malin...and by surfing I mean paddling around, then falling off my board like a moron and getting trapped in seaweed. But mostly just paddling around because it's really hard to catch a wave.

Me and Emmeli

Did some yoga on the front deck after surfing

In the afternoon I had some friends over to Tom and Lorraine's (the people who I au pair for). It rained almost all afternoon and evening but we still had a great time. We had lots of food and drank margaritas (among other things).

The food! 

We played White Elephant, the present exchange game. Everyone bought something they wanted to re-gift or a small cheap present. It was fun and everyone enjoyed opening gifts and fighting over the best presents. I like to think I won because I got spiced mulled wine. 

The presents 

Wearing some of the gifts 

Diane, Scott and I watched Elf after 

It really didn't feel like Christmas but it was fun. I definitely missed my brother and parents but I got to open my presents with my dad over Skype and spend time with good friends. So I really can't complain.

I hope everyone had a great Christmas!!!

Dharamsala Video

Carl and I filmed this video one day when we were in Dharamsala. Carl filmed everything on his iPad while I walked around and did weird stuff like put wigs on mannequins. We laughed a lot while filming. He did all the editing and composed the music on his iPad. Carl definitely has skills and is a talented editor. I'm impressed with his music and what he can do with just an iPad.

Carl is in Japan now and just got a job at a ski resort, cleaning and housekeeping a couple hours a day in exchange for a room and a little bit of money. I'm pretty jealous that he will be snowboarding everyday. 

I can definitely see the Japanese influence in his editing.

Here is a link to the video if you are having trouble watching it here.

I hope everyone is doing well. Miss you all.

Back in Sydney

I have been back in Sydney for a week and it's really strange; it feels like India never happened. It's like I went back in time and never went to India or lived with Diane and was a waitress. I feel like I’ve never left and I'm just back at work, being a housewife: cooking the food, taking the kids to Kindie (daycare), doing the laundry. I forgot how much I dislike hanging baby socks on the line to dry! It's so mundane. That’s probably why I haven't posted recently; I don't have any crazy stories for you. But at the same time it is really nice to hang out with Ripely and Taylor again. Taylor is one year old now and I can’t believe I've known her for her whole life. She is so big now.  She is crawling, standing and generally just being a little cute baby monster.

Taylor at the park

Taylor eating everything! 

Ripley is almost four and it’s crazy how much she has changed in three months. She talks a lot more, asks a bunch of questions and is just such a big girl!  Is there anything you want to know about my life being an au pair or living in Australia?

Ripley :)

The babies in the double pram (not exactly a light load to push up hills)

What are your plans for Christmas? I'm going to spend Christmas Eve with my Swedish friends and Christmas Day with Diane and some other friends. Hopefully it will be good weather and we will go to the beach.

Manly (wharf side)

Manly beach (since I've been back there has been crazy thunderstorms every afternoon)

Alison's last day :(

I am planning on flying to Queenstown, New Zealand around January 5th or 6th. I have a working holiday visa there that lasts for a year. I'm planning on teaching yoga and exploring during my time there.

Queenstown (I'm going to live there! Who's coming to visit?!)

Keep in touch. Thanks for your kind words about my blog. I'm really glad you have enjoyed reading.

Tswift

I have a confession: I bought Taylor Swift's new album. At least I'm not the only one though, it sold over a million albums. It feels really good to know that I am listening to the same thing as a million teenage girls.

I really wanted to listen to it since the day it came out and was hoping it would pop up on Spotify but unfortunately the opposite happened and she took all her music off of Spotify. I gave in after a week and bought it online. Carl and I listened to it for the first time in our crappy hotel in Rishikesh...and we hated it. I asked Carl horrified "what are we listening to?!" It was too poppy and it just felt like she was repeating the same lyrics over and over again. I wanted more country, more cow bell if you know what I am saying.

But don't worry, I pressed on and forced Carl to listen to it for the next couple of days nonstop. Then something strange happened, now I really like it. Carl says he really likes it to which is even stranger, he might just be lying to me (and himself) to make it less painful to listen to Tswift all the time because I am always finding an excuse to put it on.

Taylor is most probably brain washing us. Lets just hope she is only brain washing us so we listen to her music more often instead of something worse. If she is brainwashing us I am completely screwed because I wake up with my least favorite songs from the album stuck in me head.

If you want to torture yourself here is the music video for one of my favorite songs on the album.

So what I am saying is spare yourself and don't buy her album. Avoid it or you will have stuck in you head all the time. Got any suggestions for music to replace Tswift? 

Farewell India

I am headed back to Australia today! I don't really know how to write this post because India has been CRAZY. Maybe I'll have a better perspective to understand all of my experiences here once I've left. But in a few words India has been crazy, wonderful, challenging, weird, life-changing, eye-opening, difficult, exhausting, sad, funny and beautiful. 

I want to thank everyone that I have met along the way, it's been so amazing to make new friends. Thanks to everyone that has made India amazing (especially Carl I couldn't have done it without you). I'm thankful to yoga for bringing me here because honestly before I came here it wasn't on my list of places to travel. But I'm so happy I did come because I have had so many laughs, seen so many beautiful things, met people I will be friends with for a very long time and I'm definitely a better person now (I've been joking with Carl that everytime I have taken a freezing cold shower or after an especially long difficult bus ride that it makes me a better person). I have enjoyed India more than I thought I would (low expectations people, low expectation is the key to happiness).

I've learned a lot in the past three months and I'm so happy I came to India but I can honestly say I'm really looking forward to being back in Australia. I can't wait for baby cuddles from Ripley and Taylor. I can't wait to see my friends and hang out on the beach. I'm excited to share my travel stories in person with everyone. It will be nice to be able to truly appreciate a hot shower, fast wifi, electricity that doesn't go out, and a fresh salad with raw veggies. I'm also really excited to be invisible, just another white person among other white people; no one staring at me or people asking for pictures all the time.

I'm sad I'll be missing the holidays with my family back in Colorado again. It's been so long since I've seen them and I would love to spend December skiing and eating food with the people I love and miss most in the world. But alas, I must spend it drinking beers on the beach and taking adorable children to the park. 

Are you looking forward to anything? The holidays, seeing family, a vacation?

I will continue to blog and keep you updated about my life in Australia and my upcoming move to New Zealand. Keep in touch and happy holidays everyone :)

Here are some photos from India. 

Some of the yogis 

On the way to Leh

Leh

Dal Lake, Srinagar 

Manali 

On top of the world

The golden temple

Carl just being Carl <3

My yogi friend Siobhan in cakrasana (wheel pose)

And The Taj

❤️Cawa

Goa

I found the hostel we are staying at in Goa out of pure laziness. Our movie star friends from the Bollywood soap opera set mentioned that they would be staying a Jungle Hostel in Vagator beach. I had no clue about the difference between the 20ish beaches that make up Goa and had no desire to read the vast amount of material about Goa in the guide book. So I just copied our friends and we headed to the Jungle Hostel once we got off the plane from Mumbai. It was a great decision. We kept extending our stay by one day, then two days and finally we just booked the rest of the week (and our time in India) here.

They don't have seagulls on beach in India but they do have cows

And in restaurants...

The hostel has beds for 45 people. Each of the dorm rooms has between 4 and 6 beds. The owners are always around working and hanging out with the guests. Breakfast in the morning is included with our room. There is a great indoor/outdoor common area where people relax on hanging chairs and mats on floor. We have been cooking up huge amounts of veggies for lunch. Carl and I both like to cook and we haven't had access to a kitchen for two and half months. Its been so nice to be able to cook up fresh veggies which we buy down the street for around 100 rupees ($1.50). 

There are a lot of Russians in Goa (and apparently Russian mafia that brings in drugs, among other things) some of the Indian people selling stuff on the beach and working in the shops don't speak English but speak prefect Russian. In some areas all the signs are in Russian. 

The other backpackers turn into friends quickly. Both the Canadian girls and the Australia boys that we met working as extras ended up staying at the hostel so when we arrived it already felt like home. 

Let me tell you, the whole hostel is in love with Carl. The Australian boys are especially in love with him. Whenever we return to the hostel and or run into people out and about there are always shouts and warm greetings of "Carlito!" "The legend has arrived!" "Carl man, how ya doing man!" It's okay, I don't take it personally that a bunch of 20 something boys like Carl more than me.... But seriously who wouldn't love Carl, he is hilarious, happy, completely himself and he really knows how to live life.

Volleyball on the beach

Goa has been a great way to wrap up our India trip. Who can complain about watching the sunset set on the beach every evening and swimming in the ocean everyday. Carl did a photo shoot with one of our instant friends from the hostel and the pictures are truly amazing.

The hostel was organizing a yoga class on the first day we arrived. Carl volunteered me to teach the class (since I was too shy to volunteer myself). The owners quickly painted the roof, put in a railing, and bought yoga mats for the class the next morning.

Yoga class on the roof of the hostel

I was a really nervous for the first class but it will well. Its been so great to get some practice teaching. I have taught a beginners class most morning. Between 8 to 3 people have been attending the class. I am feeling a little less nervous and more prepared to teach some free classes in Manly.  

My friend and one of my roommates during my yoga teacher training, Siobhan just arrived in Goa. She is staying at the hostel with us. She has been traveling around India as well. It's so great to see her again! 

Only a couple more days in India! Thanks again to Carl for taking all the pictures!

I'm a Star! A Bollywood Movie Star!

Mumbai has to be the most expensive city in India. Carl and I could not find a reasonable hotel or hostel (for Indian standards). We arrived by train to Mumbai in the morning. We got a coffee at the train station and called around to some hotels. Talking on the phone in India is the worst; its always impossible to hear the person, and even if they can hear you it's a tradition to answer the phone and just yell hello back and forth 5 or 6 times before any real conversation starts. Also the language barrier is really highlighted over the phone. Luckily Carl is a great travel partner and usually (always) makes the phone calls and answers the phone (because I just hand the phone to him and look confused). We (cough...carl) called the YMCA and had a hilarious conversation when they told him a bed in a dorm room would cost 1500 rupees...That's 25$...for a room at The Y in India! Carl must have asked if the guy was serious and called him crazy 6 times.

We took a taxi to an area of Mumbai called Colaba and walked around to 5 or 6 hotels and guest house looking at rooms. They were all really scarwy, really dirty, no windows and really expensive. One hotel offered to let us stay in a office for 2,000 rupees ($33). It was ridiculous and really humid and hot. After walking up and down stairs looking at rooms, including one at the Salvation Army, for 2 hours we were sweaty and exhausted. We found an okay room with AC for 1,800 rupees ($30).

That night we went to see a movie. We saw Interstellar, which I would totally recommend.

The next day we were sort of at a loss for what to do. We were tried and it was really hot, so we definitely didn't want to go sightseeing. I love libraries and there was one close by so we packed up our coloring pens and electronics so we could spend the day drawing and blogging in AC.

On the way to the library an Irish man stopped me and asked if I wanted to be in a Indian soap opera. They were looking for women to be extras but Carl would be able to be an extra as well. It is a once in a life time opportunity to be in a Bollywood production (mostly because I will never do it again) so we had to say yes. We had no idea what the day would hold. Two Canadian girls were also dragged off the street to join us as extras. We were all put in a taxi and TWO AND A HALF hours later we arrived at the studio. It actually didn't feel like that long because we busy comparing and sharing travel stories from India.

We were led to a trailer surrounded by a mud puddle were we ate lunch. 

The "foreign food" for the extras all had meat in it and we had to ask for vegetarian food

We were told we would get hair, make-up and costumes. This was not the case. No hair, no makeup, no costumes till later in the day. It was just me and Carl in normal clothes walking back and forth. 

The Canadian girls got costumes because they were wearing baggy pants

The main star

Later me and the Canadian girls were given the most unfaltering nurses outfits in the world. Peach is not my color and I would argue anyones color. The shoes they gave me were wildly uncomfortable and then they made all the extras do 20 takes of the same scene where we walked back and forth. My feet were killing me, but on the up side the back of my head MIGHT be on Indian TV. By the time we finished all the backpackers that they pulled off the street were really over being extras. The driver took forever and the man paying us our whopping 500 rupees ($8) took even longer. On the drive back giant billboards with the star from the soap opera dotted the side of the road. 

Just standing around

This was my whole job; walking back and forth

Everyone watching the scene we just filmed 

Hanging out in the trailer 

Blurry billboards of the show we were extras in

Don't worry this pictures doesn't make any sense to me either...