Are you a giver? Birthday wish, and please also keep clicking that link to the TunaFish website!

In my last post I mentioned I was planning something for Christmas and my birthday (2 January). The something I was planning involves you, and your money. This is not sounding good, is it? Please give me a chance to explain.

Because I am practically in a different country every year, most of you haven't had to buy me any birthday presents for a while now (ok, I do realise that this works both ways and that you probably also didn't get a present from me on your birthday, but that's not really the point in this post). This year, even though I couldn't physically be further away from most of the people I know, I wanted to ask you for a birthday gift. Or Christmas gift, if that's more your thing.
Lately I've been reading a bunch of books about the Tao and related stuff, and I was inspired by the idea of needing less, giving more. This led to the plan to ask you to help me raise some money for a good cause. So your gift to me would be money that we can give to people that need it more than I do.

I talked about this plan with a few people and they were pessimistic and didn't think it would work. The word 'recession' was mentioned. But really guys? Please don't tell me you can afford two more drinks, but can't spend that same money on something/someone that really needs it. I refuse to think that's you, so I still believe that you are generous and would love to give something, no matter how small the amount. If I am right, you can click on the 'Donate' button on the right (I'm very proud of my geeky me that managed to set this up). This button links to PayPal which allows you to donate with your credit card, of from your own PayPal account if you have one. The money goes into my PayPal account and you can leave a message too I think. I promise you that I will NOT keep the money for myself (unless that's your specific wish of course).

If you don't want to use this option please email me and I will send you my bank details (Dutch, Australian or Kiwi).

As for the good cause, I have a few in mind but find it very hard to choose so suggestions are welcome. I will let you know which one I picked. Once again, any amount is welcome, and I will donate something myself as well.

I picked a cause! I've decided to donate the money to the Liliane Foundation (Liliane Fonds). This is a Dutch organisation that helps handicapped children in developing countries. I picked this one because a family friend with years and years of experience in this industry recommended it to me as an organisation that doesn't pocket your money for themselves. They only have a Dutch website: http://www.lilianefonds.nl/, so if you want to know more and can't read Dutch let me know! I've been thinking about my own contribution, and decided I will sign up to give them a monthly donation.

And to keep up the spirit of giving, I don't have anything tangible to give, but I do want to tell you all that I miss spending time with you and really think the main downside of travelling is that I don't get to spend nearly as much time with you as I'd like. Then again, some of you I'd never have met if I hadn't done this travelling!

One thank you in particular to B&F for supporting everything I do in every imaginable way!

And last but not least, a repeat of the request for my personal benefit: please click this link (clicking it is all you need to do).

Good news

Just a really short update to let you know I finally got my visitor's permit changed into a working holiday permit. A word of advice for all of you thinking of coming to New Zealand: apply for your visa before you get here. Seems obvious doesn't it? So you're wondering why I didn't do that? Because I am stupid?

Nope. I really tried to complete my work visa application online (I'd already filled in most of it), but I kept getting a pop-up window saying 'Sorry, this website is currently unavailable'. I then called the immigration office and the girl I spoke to assured me I could just come to New Zealand, get a visitor's permit at the airport and then change it to a work permit later.

She was right, it can be done. It just takes a lot more time, and the system will automatically ask you to do a full medical exam. To cut a long story short, my application was approved yesterday, and I didn't have to do a medical.

On a very different note, I am planning a little something for Christmas and my birthday, so please keep checking in because I will post it online soon. Actually, I will be emailing you about it too, so there'll be no escaping it.

Also, if you are reading this (and I know you are, because well, you're reading this), I'd love to hear from you through the comment section. Most of you are not too familiar with the blogging world but you'd be surprised what happens out there/in here. (It's wild man! Or, you know, just fun)

Last but not least, I am entering a competition to win a ticket around the world. Jesus, has she still not travelled enough?! No, I haven't. I will address this subject soon. For now though, I need your help (read: a mere click of the mouse) to win, so please click here to see the website of my travel agency, TunaFish. The more hits they get via my blog the more chances I have of winning the ticket. I'll be forever grateful and will bring chocolate/speculaas/cheese when I visit you on my trip.
Don't worry though, this blog is not all for personal gain. The Christmas/birthday thing involves this competition but also something else, so stay tuned!

I like shooting too

New Zealand, country of sheep, kiwifruit, hot guys (or so I have been told), and sheep. Apart from all these wonderful things, New Zealand is also known for it's amazing natural beauty and crazy adventure sports. Yes, New Zealand is a country for the great outdoors. Dutch people in general are not used to the great outdoors, probably because we don't have a lot of it, and I especially are not an outdoor thrill seeker. I don't surf, I don't do rock climbing, mountain biking (except in Argentina and only downhill), I've never tried wake boarding, snow boarding and anything on a board for that matter, and I've never found a good reason to try things that involve elastic ropes and high altitudes. Even scuba diving is not for me. I do like snorkelling and I am highly skilled in floating in caribbean waters.

Do I sound boring? Maybe, but I don't really care. I still consider myself pretty adventurous and cool and I don't see why my self image should have to relate to reality. I mean, what good would that do?

Seriously though, last week I spent some time in a shop called Ocean Hunter. Why? Because my new flatmate has a hobby called spearfishing. This involves diving without oxygen tanks, a gun (not a spear apparently), and lots of other interesting equipment that I had never heard of. Like a shark shield. Except when I just googled this device I found this result. Aah!

Next up was a little trip up North from Auckland, to a place called Pataua, an almost deserted peninsula with a few houses, boats, and a campsite.
While my flatmate went off to shoot some fish, I thought it would be good if I did something adventurous too, like climb the weird looking hill at the end of the beach. But it was 6.30 in the morning and I quickly abandoned the idea. Instead, I did some shooting that is more my kind, the one that involves a camera. Below are some of the things I shot. Yep, myself too.









and one pic shot on One Tree Hill in Auckland

The question is: what is the question?

People love asking questions. Actually, that's not really true. A lot of people prefer to just start talking about themselves, and there's also a group of people that ask questions just so that once you're done answering, they can tell you their answer (which is always bigger, better, more impressive). But I think it's fair to say that most people do like to mix in a few questions when engaging in social talk with someone they've just met.

In the Netherlands, the favourite question usually revolves around the way you make your money: " Hi, I'm so and so, what kind of work do you do?" If you don't really know how to answer this, you'd be surprised how quickly they start mumbling something about going to get a drink or spotting a good friend across the room. Not that I've ever experienced this of course...

I guess the best answer to this question involves something that implies status, money, and hard work. Whether you like your job or not isn't very important. Oh, and adding something like "and last month I used my annual leave to help build houses for orphans in Africa" always works well too. The more exotic the better. For example, Australia is cool because it's sunny and far away, but really, it's kind of 'been there done that tell me something new'.

In Central and South America the first question is ALWAYS "where are you from?". They will utter some positve oooh's and aaah's about the Netherlands, immediately followed by "what do you think of Costa Rica/Chile/Argentina/Paraguay?". If you tell them you love it, the only question you'll have to answer from then on is whether you'd like some more food and drinks. Yep, it's that easy.

Here in Australia the question they ask me seems to be either how long I am here for (is it worth befriending you), or where I live (North or South of the Harbour).
On top of that, the Australians have also been asking themselves a question:

"I wonder if we can make new Uggs that are even uglier than the old Uggs...?"

The answer?

"Hell yes we can!"

Going places, meeting people

I'm back in Sydney. It's a very strange experience to travel for 30+ hours and not arrive somewhere that's new or home. Sydney for me is somewhere in between. I know my way around, I know how things work, I am familiar with the money, know where to buy what, and can hold a perfectly (mutually) understandable conversation with an Australian. But it's not home, I am not from here, and I don't have house or a job. Hmm, one might wonder if I have any reason at all to be here...but they might wonder wrong.
I am here to find a sponsored job, but also (and probably more so) to catch up with friends and enjoy everything that makes Sydney such a great city.

So, the sponsorship. Have I got one yet? What do you think?? Highest level psych degree, combined with low level completely unrelated, random work experience and lots of gaps caused be travelling. You and I know that this makes me the perfect candidate for just about any job, but strangely enough, not everyone agrees.
My biggest chance is with Arup, the company I worked for last time I was here. Even though I didn't really do any challenging work I somehow managed to impress people with my charm and intelligence. This means I got to meet up with two people from Arup for lunch today, to discuss where I might fit in and how to get me there. Paul and Anna were so nice and enthusiastic it was touching. They'd already thought about it and discussed it, and really wanted to find a way to help me. Unfortunately the decision to hire me isn't up to them, but things have been set in motion and who knows, in time something might come of it.

On top of that, I think they might have made me realise that I really want to go back to social psychology, and more specifically, do more with my training skills. So even if I never get a job with Arup, apart from being really enjoyable, this lunch meeting may well have been very worthwhile.

Whether a sponsorship will materialize or not, it will take time. Time that I am not going to spend here in Sydney doing nothing or doing cash-in-hand waitressing/babysitting jobs because I am not allowed to work here. Instead, I am planning to go to New Zealand soon, and work there on a working holiday visa.
Through Facebook (you got to love it just for this)I found out I know someone who is in Auckland too. He's really helped me out already with lots of info and even the offer of a room. I think it's a sign...even though some Australian friends have been trying to convince me that New Zealand is boring and backward and my favourite Kiwi friend hates Auckland....

In the meantime, I am enjoying beaching and swimming (yesterday, and hopefully tomorrow and every day after that), thunderstorms (now), and catching up with all the lovely people I still know here in Sydney. I've missed them and it is great to see them again. And it's sad to think I will probably have to say goodbye again soon. But New Zealand is close, and I'm sure I'll be back.

Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to go practise my Kiwi vowels: uhm, is that six, sex or sucks?!

There I go again

Yep, there I go again. After four great months in Barcelona (including, since the last post, an attempted robbery, lots of days at the beach, a lot more days at the office, a new apartment etc), and one significantly less hectic month back home I am on the road once again.
I will get into the details about why and for how long some other time (eh, or not), but right now I don't really trust my brain. After 26,5 hours of travelling so far, with 6,5 still ahead of me, a stomach full of airplane food and a nose full of dried up snot I am feeling....well, quite good actually! But clearheaded? Not really.
I'm writing this post with a view of Auckland harbour to my right (well, I see a lot of water, and I'm at Auckland airport, so I'm assuming it's the harbour), 8am-Burger King eating Kiwis to my left, and a poster of, what else, a herd of sheep on the wall in front of me. The way to Sydney is long this time, but I mean to visit both New Zealand and Shanghai (my other stop) on the way back. If only to avoid the same long trip again.

For now just a little word of advice to people looking into buying a plane ticket. Do not fly with KLM. Out Royal Dutch Airline is anything but royal, in all respects. Air New Zealand on the other hand was a very pleasant surprise. The steward told me they were second in the world, and are 1st when it comes to leg room. Who knew. Highly recommended!

Aaaah I feel like I'm on a boat. Is that the jetlag or did they forget to tell us Auckland airport is a floating one?

More from Sydney!