Sewing for bub

I've been going to sewing classes to learn how to sew. My Grandma left me her sewing machine and it had been sadly sitting all alone for months and months before I finally got good enough to try a few things. We also moved our furniture around, so I could easily use it. I was so excited I made some outfits for bub.



Since I started lessons i've also made a skirt for me (doesn't fit now), boxers for hubby (he didn't like them) and currently i'm making a maternity dress.

New Zealand

Last month hubby and I went to New Zealand for a holiday. Last big break before bub comes. We had a great time. Kept busy most days as I wanted to see lots of places. We were basically based at Lake Taupo (central part of the North Island) but we did plenty of day trips to places like Rotorua, Napier, Hastings etc. Here are a few pics.

First the geothermal areas. They were insane! Smelly gases, bubbling mud and hot creeks and pools.

Steaming lake;


Mineral deposits looking like a geothermal waterfall;


Boiling hot pool;


Bubbling mud;


Leaves fallen into the mineral laden mud;


Gorgeous scenery everywhere. Here are some green rolling hills;


Breathtaking waterfall;


A creek in the trout fishing capital of the world;


Maori culture. When big burly Maori men are doing the haka right in front of you, whoa, you get goosebumps. Here is a group showcasing traditional Maori dance and music;




Plenty of yummy food too. Here is a visual instruction on how to eat a prawn. First start with a huge platter of freshly cooked prawns;


Next, play with your food and get to know it;


Then pull the shell off and eat the tasty meat. But don't forget to suck all it's brains out;


Finally, survey the damage and be satisfied;



Hubby decided he liked the sound of rolling down a hill in the center of a plastic ball;


We finished off with a couple of days in Auckland;

Woohoo, camera issues sorted

OK, now I can actually access pics off my naughty camera, I have decided to bore you all with pics from the last couple of months.

I spent a week in Tasmania (an island off the south of the Australian mainland, which is a state in itself) in September. My parents have recently moved there and as i'd never been, I didn't need any excuse to go and see.

Tassie in pictures
Down by the water:


Salamanca markets. A popular weekend market in central Hobart. Saw some awesome cloth nappies and my Dad bought scrumpy! Nice fresh cheap vegies there too:


It was spring time, so gorgeous bulbs out everywhere. Some daffodils in a cemetery:


Wattles were flowering everywhere. I have never seen so many different types of wattle before. There were even wattle trees. As in huge massive tall trees with wattle blossoms all over. This isn't one of the big wattle trees, just a gorgeous specimen.


Pebbly beach:


Fresh Tassie seafood:


The coastline down to Port Arthur:


Ruins at Australia's most famous prison site at Port Arthur. An intriguing, eerie, sad place:


Looking out from within the ruins of the hospital. This place made me want to cry, all I could feel was despair:


Daffodils grew like wild flowers in Tassie. You'd be driving and see a whole paddock full of these happy yellow flowers:

An update

Lately, I guess i've been keeping busy but not in a typically busy at work kinda way. I have decided that staying away from the work I was doing is the best idea for now as I found it pretty stressful. And as pregnancy is not really the best of times to go searching for a new job, i'm having my gestation period quietly at home.

It's given me the chance to catch up on hobbies i'd neglected for a while and start new ones. I'm doing a sewing course and am presently making baby clothes, which is really satisfying. I'm hoping once I get a bit more experienced, i'll be able to expand and make clothes for hubby and I and things for our house.

My camera/computer are being big poos lately too! My camera works fine but when I try to connect it to our computer to upload my pics, it won't read properly. I've searched online for answers and tried everything I can. The camera's batteries are fully charged. The cable seems fine, drivers seem fine. The computer accepts the camera but when it goes to get the photos, something obviously doesn't compute. I have a feeling our computer might be on it's last legs. It's slowing down a lot lately and just doing whatever the hell it likes. I've tried disk cleanup. So any ideas to fix these two problems?

As for the pregnancy, I am officially in second trimester about 14 weeks along (almost 15). According to all the info, my uterus is the size of a large grapefruit, my baby would be fully formed, it has eyebrows and is even peeing! Thanks goodness that bloody morning sickness started to ease about a fortnight ago and has almost disappeared. That was rough going for a while.

Little Mango-chan would look something like this;

I don't have an actual ultrasound picture to show as i've decided not to have ultrasounds. They haven't been proven to improve outcomes and in fact some studies have even shown some harmful effects. Here is one article by Sarah Buckley, outlining some cause for concern if you're interested. One thing from this article that should scare the shit outta anyone thinking of having an ultrasound,

''A UK survey showed that, for one in 200 babies aborted for major abnormalities, the diagnosis on post-mortem was less severe than predicted by ultrasound and the termination was probably unjustified''.

There is no reason for a healthy woman progressing with a healthy pregnancy to have an ultrasound, especially if she doesn't intend to abort at any abnormal findings.

Back again

Once again i've been awol. But this time I have a good excuse. I have been feeling absolutely terrible. Imagine feeling like vomiting about 14 hours of the day?! That's been my life everyday for the last three weeks.

I'm pregnant! It is long awaited news for Yutaka and I and of course our families. My Mum is already madly crocheting a million booties and bonnets and things.

I am very excited to be a Mum and can't wait to make our family one person bigger. I remember when I was a teenager thinking about being a Mum... I started a list of names for my future kids when I was about 12! A few I have had to cross of though, as they have 'v' or 'l' or are unable to be pronounced properly in Japanese. Plenty of other names work in both languages though.

So here I start the pregnancy journals. Can't say how much i'll be writing or if i'll feel up to it very often.

I leave you with a pic I took last week. Love daffodils!

Random Facts

Tigermama tagged me for a game of random facts.

1. I have to post these rules before I give you the facts.
2. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
3. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
5. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged, and to read your blog.

Eight random facts about me:

# I'm a closet hippie- well not entirely a closet hippie. But my 'mainstream' friends probably think i'm a dreddie away from being a full blown hippie and my more 'hippieish' friends probably think I am laughably mainstream.

# I often make up new words. Or morph Japanese and English words/phrases together. The other morning when I heard the garbage truck coming and realised I forgot to put the bin out, I yelled 'oh shit it's gomi no hi' (garbage day).

# I luuuuurrrrrvvvveeee wine. White or red.

# I've never been skiing and don't intend to. I'm not terribly co-ordinated and have failed miserably at sports like ice skating and surfing. So i'm just trying to avoid the embarrassment and bruising.

# I always thought my names (given and surname) were such common and boring names. Now I have a surname that most Aussies can't even pronounce and my kids will probably get teased for it.

# My brother is a priest and I was raised a Christian but my views/beliefs are probably not like those of your typical Christian. I tend to veer to the more liberal side and try to keep an open mind about most things.

# I have quite a few scars. I was a bit of a tomboy as a child. Scar next to eyebrow, on elbow, on cheek, on finger, on each knee (one with the holes from stitches still visable), various chicken pox scars on my stomach and back....

# I don't really act my age. If you walked into my apartment, you might think an old lady lives there. You can find me doing things like crosswords, crochet, collecting antiques and sorting out my recipe collection.

People I now tag. Have fun!

Cameron
Kath
MomKori
Dave's Armchair
Kuri & Ping
Kitten
India
Jessica

Blurry Buddha

Buddha, originally uploaded by BeingWanderLust.

Recently i've really been enjoying taking photos. I have a small Ricoh digital camera with lots of different modes that i've been trying to figure out. I upload the best of my shots to Flickr.com (see the sidebar), which is a fantastic website if you take photos, check it out.

I took this shot recently and even though it's all blurry, I love how it turned out.

Whale Pirates

Woohoo! I just love this. The Australian Labour Party has plans to intercept Japanese whaling ships. But as this action will be taking place in international waters, some have labelled it an 'act of piracy'. Yeah, I can just see Kevin Rudd (Labour leader) with some dreddies and eyeliner leading his party of politician pirates to intercept the harpoons and save the whales.

I admire the sentiment but I have some concerns that this will come to fruition. Is it just me or do politicians tend to not tell the truth? [insert rolling eyes emoticon here] All jesting aside, something more drastic has to be done about Japanese whaling in international waters. I guarantee the average Japanese person wouldn't even realise if whale meat stopped being available in Japan. From my experience, it's a rare person nowadays in Japan that eats whale meat and it takes some looking to even find it in the odd supermarket.

Story here: Rudd defends plan to intercept Japanese whalers

Alcoholism and homosexuality

Ahh, that title gotcha huh?!

This train of thought was spurred from watching Oprah yesterday (i'm on a sabbatical, leave me alone). Oprah was interviewing the author Terry McMillan (How Stella Got Her Groove Back) about her ex-husband who told her after 6 years of marriage that he was gay (interview and pics). Terry was very hurt and angry over the incident and kept repeating, 'how could he not know he was gay, that's like saying you're an alcoholic without ever having a drink'.

Huh? Say what? Is it just me, or does that not fit?

Alcoholism or any addictive behaviour requires one to first do that behaviour, to then become addicted to it. While our sexuality is an ingrained part of us. Without getting into the nature/nuture debate, I think it is a fairly well accepted fact that one does not choose to be gay or lesbian or heterosexual or other. Hell who'd want to choose a life with so much bigotry aimed at you and your loved ones?

So now, I think I have explained how her above example does not make sense. But as to her actual meaning in that message- 'how could he not know?'. He claimed that he grew up in a conservative country (Jamaica) and that homosexuality was not talked about, was not understood and that he didn't even think about the possibility that he was gay (when he was younger). Well, Opera and his ex-wife ripped into this guy for that confession. Opera started spouting things like, 'I know soooo many gay people and they all say they knew they were gay at 7, or they knew since they were born'. So? Good for those people. Wonderful that a child was so in touch with their sexuality at such a young age. Great that they were given the freedom of thought to be about to entertain all these different thought processes.

But come on, give this guy a break. I think it is totally plausible that he might not have realised he was gay until later in life. He married when he was 21 for goodness sake. I've been 21 and I know how much turmoil can go on in the mind at that time. And just to highlight that I don't consider this guy to be completely off the hook cause he did cheat on his wife and I don't give the time of day to cheaters. Anyone who ever cheats on me better hold on to their privates.

I wish I knew a gay person well enough to discuss this with them and get their point of view. Anyone out there have more to add on this? Gay or not, all are welcome here, including alcoholics....damn, think that's me....

Reality shows- Big Brother

I've been a bit of a fan of reality TV shows for a few years now. Before I left Australia to venture overseas, I watched Australia's first series of 'Big Brother'. I find reality shows and true stories in general more engaging than fiction. Anywho, being in Japan and away from reality shows (while they seemed to be at their peak of popularity in Australia) for a few years meant my appetite for reality shows was far from quenched. So here I am, back home and eager to get back into watching some reality shows again.

Pretty much the only reality TV show that has been on here the past few months has been 'The Biggest Loser'. I actually really enjoyed it and was surprised how emotionally attached I became to a few of the contestants. I even managed to get hubby interested in watching each week.

Then guess what starts up again only last week? Australia's sixth (!!) season of 'Big Brother', which effectively is only my second season. Now I don't know how the other four seasons went or what 'formula' worked for ratings for this show but I am seriously disappointed this season!

You want to know why? There are 14 people in the house and they all are PRETTY MUCH THE SAME. How utterly boring. They have chosen young, straight laced, thin, pretty, blond, white girls and young, straight laced, good looking, buff, white men. There are a couple of exceptions (a brunette girl who is still young thin and pretty though, a couple of guys from non-caucasian backgrounds and a less buff but amusing geek). Have a look Big Brother 07 Housemates.

Heellllloooo producers of 'Big Brother'. Variety is the spice of life. We want to see a mix of people in the house, not watch 'Barbie and Ken' plastic cut outs. And you know what really pissed me off? In the media lead up to this season of 'Big Brother' starting they had ads on TV saying, 'We promise this year's Big Brother will have people from all walks of life'. Yeah right, bull-shit!

From memory the first season of 'Big Brother' in Australia had a gay guy, a couple of larger women, a woman with dark skin, a dominatrix with an accent, a guy with a mohawk and generally a whole bunch of different looking, sounding and feeling people. And it was INTERESTING.

There is going to be an extra housemate come into the house sometime this week I think. They will have won a promotional competition and won't have been chosen by the producers, so let's keep everything crossed that it will be someone just a little....different.

'Big Brother', you better start pulling something better out to keep me interested this season.

Easter breakfast

Easter breakfast, originally uploaded by BeingWanderLust.

As this was his first Easter in Australia, I decided to make an old favourite for hubby's breakfast. Dippy eggs with soldiers. Which is a soft boiled egg with hot buttered toast.

So that, along with some hot cross buns and a chocolate bunny from Mum (I mean the Easter bunny) and we had a yummy Easter Sunday brekky.

Happy Easter

World swimming fight

Does anyone else find it an invasion of privacy that the argument/fight between a Ukrainian coach and his daughter at the world swimming championships in Melbourne was televised?? Fair enough the police stepped in as he did physically abuse her (and she him). But did the whole ugly thing really need to be shown so publicly? The poor girl must be so embarrassed. I hope it didn't stop her from swimming her best.

Story and pics here.

No poo in class thank you

What is it with men and their fascination with bodily functions and secretions? I hate to generalise but i'm talking about men in their early twenties acting like teenagers. I taught a class of young ESL students today and a group of four young men spent a good hour or more chatting away about their bodily functions!

Ah but they were speaking in English and therefore studying you say? Nope. Each time I set a pair/group discussion task, off they would go again talking about their poo in their own language.

Aaarrgghhh. How gross! They are adults! They have spent a whole heap of money to be here studying English! They are surrounded by students of other nationalities. Perfect opportunity to make new friends, learn a new lanaguage and expand your possibilities.

They choose poo. Good choice boys.

Picture perfect

Creek in the Dandenongs, originally uploaded by BeingWanderLust.

How is this for a relaxing spot? Hubby and I went for a drive in the Dandenong Mountains last weekend. We stopped and had a picnic of roast beef sandwiches and tea just near here. Then we went for a walk next to this creek.

Just the medicine to get the city out of your hair!

What kind of primate are you?

What kind of primate are you? A gibbon, an orangutan, a chimp or even a baboon?

I'm a gibbon; see here.

Thanks Mum

This beautiful big bunch of flowers was sent from my Mum, Dad and a friend. My husband and I had a loss recently and Mum wanted to cheer us up.

Thanks Mum.

Valentines Day

I made a chocolate cake. Thanks to CacaoWeb.net for the easy and yummy recipe.



Hubby gave me a beautiful red rose. I gave hubby a cute teddy bear. Sounds corny I know but he didn't have a teddy bear! No grown adult should be without their very own teddy bear.


Guess what hubby named it? Kuma. Which is 'bear' in Japanese. Not sure if i'll let him name any future kids....

Baking bug

Sunday was rainy and nice and cool here, so I got the baking bug.

First it was difficult trying to decide what to cook (I had narrowed it down to something sweet as I had a craving for it- usually I prefer savoury).

Here are a couple of the numerous cookbooks I have inherited from two Grandmothers and my Mum.

I decided on a Rasberry Coconut Slice. I didn't realise until after I baked it that it was a recipe my Grandmother used to make. As soon as I had the first bite, the memories came back. I then found out it is my Dad's favourite slice. Too bad i'm almost two states away, sorry Dad.

Then I made some cranberry cupcakes.

Book Meme - or let's play tag

Medea tagged me for this game and i'm glad she did, as it prompted me to come back to my blog. I've been flat out with work recently and let posting to my blog slide. But here I am to play this game.

Here are the rules!
1) Grab the book closest to you
2) Open to page 123, go down to the fourth sentence
3) Post the text of the following 3 sentences on your blog
4) Name the author and book title
5) Tag two people to do the same

The thing was I wasn't sure what kind of book? Any book, even a text? The closest book to me was a grammar book of my husbands and very dry. So here are the details for it.

4 We haven't got lemon tea, but you could have mint one instead.
5 Those aren't your gloves. You must have picked up the wrong ones.
6 'What kind of cakes do you like best?' 'Ones with cream inside.'

Advanced Grammar in Use by Martin Hewings.


The next closest book book was this.

Now it is June, but the pair arrived in eastern Greenland from Scotland's Western Isles in late May, returning to their nest site of previous years. The ledge, as high as a 20-storey building, is safe from Arctic foxes, which would relish both eggs and adults. The female lined a hollow with lichen and down plucked from her breast, then laid four white eggs and covered them with more down.

The Wildlife Year by Reader's Digest.

I tag Meron-chan and India.

It's a New Year

Hello 2007! We managed to do quite a bit in 2006. Yutaka's visa was approved. Yutaka quit his job in Japan. We planned our move from Japan back to Oz. Moved back with my folks for a few months. Yutaka got a job in Melbourne. So again we moved, interstate this time. Then I got a job here too.

Phew.

So now to 2007. Not too many plans yet. My brother is getting married in February. My best friend is coming to stay in April with her new bub (due any day). And we hope to have a new addition to our family some time this year too.

What are your plans for 2007?