White Christmas in the Austrian mountains...

It's now the 29th of December, 2010, and it's been a few days since I arrived back in Switzerland after my Eurotrip. Technically, my Eurotrip hadn't ended since we ended up going to Austria for the snows, rather than the Swiss Alps like I had told everyone lol. But yeah, I got back into Switzerland from Florence on the 23rd, and on the morning of the 24th, my relatives and I headed over to a place called Arlberg in Austria for our snow break. Anyways, more on that later. Last I left off, I was about to head back to Switzerland.

Rome was disappointing...

So last time I posted, I was about to head off and catch my overnight train to Rome. It's now five days later and I'm in Florence (so much for posting once I got to Rome lol). Anyways, my email had been hacked in that time, so I've been trying to sort all that out, as well as making sure all my other accounts were OK. If you have received an email from me saying that I'm in the UK and need money desperately, ignore it. If you've been following my blog, then you'll know that I'm fine and am nowhere near the UK. Anyways, I'm now in Florence, and I have free time, so let the recounting begin.

Vienna made me happy for reasons other than being in Vienna...

It's now 5:45pm, and I've been sitting in this net cafe for the last 7 hours. I'm currently in Vienna, and I managed to see a lot of the city yesterday and I just wasn't in the mood to see anymore. Besides, I actually enjoyed being indoors and getting my fix of email, Facebook and catching up on TV shows. Will need to head off in an hour or so in order to catch my night train to Rome. But for now, since I have time to kill, and I've caught up on everything, I will blog. One last note, I know that my parents read this. A simple message to them: I am fine. There is nothing to worry about. I am the most cautious/paranoid person that anyone will ever meet (ask my friends). I am very responsible. I know how to take care of myself very well. And I will return home in less than a month safe and sound. On that note, let's begin the recount.

Still alive after Hamburg, Berlin and Prague...

Well well well...once again, it's been a long time since the last post. I am still alive. In the past nine days, I've been to three cities: Hamburg, Berlin and Prague.

Day 40: Leaving Amsterdam for Berlin. Was woken up quite early by the Brits who had an extremely early plane to catch. Mind you, they were still quite high on weed and shrooms. Used the early wake-up call to get everything packed and was curious to see what the Brits had left behind in their sleep-deprived and high state. Looking around on the ground, I saw a few coins, which added up to about 10 euros. But my most impressive find was when I looked under one of the beds and found a phone. It was a Nokia something, designed as a music player. Looks like I got myself a new phone (albeit quite scratched). But I doubt I'll be using it since I don't have the charger plus I really want a different phone lol.

For me, Bruges shits all over Amsterdam...

Well it's been a while since I've posted, and I would like you all to know that I'm still alive lol. I haven't been able to post since I've been having so much fun in Bruges to type up a lengthy post, and plus I haven't had access to internet to do anything besides the occasional email check and facebook status update. Anyways, I'm now using free internet in Amsterdam's library so I can take my time and give an account of the last week.

Day 33: Last day in Paris, and all I did was some souvenir shopping and Wii tennis during the day. For my last night, I went out with my cousin and her friends and had an awesome dinner with lots of wine. I'm not usually a fan of wine, but I couldn't say no to alcohol lol. Anyways, pretty much just a nice little night out with alcohol to celebrate my last night in Paris.

Let it snow...

Day 30: The original plan was to go to Musee D'Orsay but I woke up to see a bright blue sky, and knew that I needed to take advantage of it. So without even having breakfast, I rushed straight over to the Eiffel Tower and was surprised to see that the line wasn't that long. Odd. It was ridiculously long the other few days that I had walked past, and those days were miserable. Guess I was in luck. After waiting in line for 20 minutes, I was on my way up!! However, apparently they don't have a lift which takes you all the way to the top, which is really disappointing. Had to get out on the second floor to wait in line for another 20 minutes for another lift. But then it was only up from there!! And when I got out of the lift at the top, the wait was definitely worth it. The view is gorgeous from up there. I never knew Paris was such a white city. Everything looks white from way up there. They were also selling ridiculously overpriced champagne up there (20 euros for a flute). I guess they were trying to take advantage of the lovers up there who were desperate to toast their love for each other. Anyways, I did laps around the top of the tower taking photos from almost every spot to capture the entire scope of awesomeness that is the top of the Eiffel Tower. It seriously is breath-taking, and it is one of the highlights of my trip so far.

Eye-opening day...

Day 27: So I didn't end up going outdoors that day. It was raining, and it was a perfect day to spend indoors just watching TV, eating and sleeping. Really. I did nothing that I couldn't have done back in Sydney. I started watching Amelie so I would have an idea of what to expect when I visit Montemarte, but I fell asleep halfway through (not because it was boring, but rather cos I was lying on my bed). Also watched Friends in French. Because of my extensive knowledge of the all the episodes, I was able to dub the French version back into its original English version in my head, so technically I was able to understand the French version lol.

So much food everywhere...

Day 25: Did the New Europe Paris tour. I realise that I don't actually remember where I go on these tours. I just like to hear the history and the stories behind them, but I don't remember where I walk so I usually don't know how to get back. Tour ended at the beginning of the Champ Elysees, which used to be the most expensive shopping street in the world. It's still quite overpriced, and it's still home to all those high-name brands. Even Maccas is more expensive on the Champ Elysees - a meal was 60c more expensive!! Walked down the Champ Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe. Did you know that you are not insured if you have a car accident on the roundabout around the Arc? It has 12 roads leading into it, and has 10 "lanes", but there are no line markings in the roundabout. An accident occurs every half an hour apparently, but I assume a lot would be minor accidents.

I'd rather walk than wait...

Today was Day 24 (well technically yesterday since it's now 2am). I left the house quite late today, since there was a big commotion about Honours grades being released/emailed so I stayed for that, and chatted to all my psych friends who were online. Plus my clothes were still in the dryer so I needed to stay until that was done too. Didn't end up leaving the house until 1pm, which by then, the free tours had already begun so there was no point heading over there. Instead, since my cousin's place is very near the Louvre, I thought I'd go and check that out. Didn't go in though since the line was so long, plus I decided I should wait to get a museum pass so I can have entry into several museums for a cheaper price. Did the usual tourist thing and took some photos of those awesome glass pyramids.

Wicked way to leave London...

Day 22: Went to line up for Wicked tickets at the Apollo Theatre. Got there at 8:30am and was surprised to see two people sleeping at the front of the box office. I was thinking that they must have been real big fans to be sleeping there, until I saw the security guard shoo them away. Then I realised that they were hoboes. But I didn't need to be there so early. I could have shown up at 10am and still have gotten front row tickets. But anyways, after walking around the block  few times, I noticed a few people show up around quarter to, so I decided to stay put. Luckily the guard had told me which door was for the box office so I sat there whilst the other losers were waiting at the wrong door. As the doors opened, I was first in, and managed to get the best ticket. Front row, dead centre. All for the low low price of £27.50!!

Tower, Windsor, Stonehenge, Bath...packing so much in...

Day 20: Finally went to see the Tower of London, and it was amazing!! I'm really cut that I didn't get there earlier because I was only able to be there for three hours before they closed for the day (at only 4:30pm). But I love the Tower!! The history behind it is so interesting, and the stories behind all the beheadings that took place in there, as well as the torturing in the dungeons really had me enthralled in the place. Had to speed through the second half since it was 4pm and there was only half an hour left for me to explore so much more. This is what you get for sleeping in (but London weather really does make you just want to stay indoors all day).

Flexibility is key...

Day 18: So I guess I did kind of get out of the mindset of saving all my money temporarily when I went shopping at Primark Oxford Street. It was ridiculously cheap in there. No wonder everyone shops there!! I bought a shirt, a cardigan, a sweater, a pair of cargo pants, 5 pairs of socks, 2 ties, a pair of shoes, a beanie and a backpack for only £32.50. Yes, $50AUD or so. Nevertheless, the Asian in me then took over and decided that even though all this was cheap compared to in Oz, because it was more than £8, it wasn't cheap enough for me to buy. Everything I bought there was £8 or less. There was a really nice jacket for £30 which I was planning to get, but the more I looked at it, the more flaws I found, so I guess maybe it's a good thing I didn't get it. Also some nice vests there, and everyone knows I love vests. But once again, relatively expensive (£12) and I didn't really wanna carry it around with me. All in all, was a good day shopping. So crowded though. I did have a look at their suitcases just in case I wanted to buy one so I would have room for all my extra stuff and the suitcases are only £25. Hmmmmm maybe. It was a rainy day so that really was all I did that day. Shouldn't have wasted it, but the gloomy weather over here really just makes you want to stay indoors and just watch a movie or something.

Must stop being Asian...

Day 15: Final full day in Edinburgh. Went to see the Rosslyn Chapel. It was smaller than I expected, but still really impressive in terms of its architecture and all the carvings inside. In particular, there were carvings of corn, which suggests that the British may have arrived in America before it was actually discovered by Columbus. The chapel itself was undergoing restoration (which has been going on for years and will continue to go on for years) so there was scaffolding everywhere. Not the pretty picture I was hoping for, so I bought a postcard instead lol. The area that the chapel is in is a really quiet little town, so I had to wait 50 minutes for the next bus to take me back to central Edinburgh. In the meantime, I hiked down a little trail which led me to Rosslyn Castle. Didn't go in though since I needed to get back in time for the bus (or risk waiting another hour for the next one after that).

Freezing cold...

It's been a few days since I last posted. Here's a quick summary of each day.

Day 12 - Went to a vintage market in London, and found an awesome Ben Sherman jacket for only £12!! I'm currently wearing it, and I'm so glad I have it cos it's so bloody cold. Then pretty much just bummed until I had to catch my overnight coach at 11:15pm. Heard an interesting conversation whilst I was in the bathroom at Maccas.

Guy1: Dude. Look at my piss. It's green. I've been taking special vitamins.
Guy2: Dude, I don't wanna look at your piss.
Guy1: Come on!! It's green!!
Guy2: Holy shit!! It's actually green. Like fluorescent green.
Guy1: Told you.

Guy Fawkes. Awesome dude...

Day 11: Didn't get to explore the British Museum and Tate Modern as planned today. Went on the New Europe London Tour, which pretty much went to every place that I went to myself yesterday. But the cool stories at each spot definitely made the attractions more interesting. Did you know that Big Ben is actually the name of the bell inside the tower, and not the clock itself? And that it's actually sloping and they're doing restoration work on the building joined to it because it's tearing apart? The only new thing today was Buckingham Palace, where I happened to catch some of the changing of the guards ceremony. However, I only saw a bit since the tour had to move on, and my camera battery died so I couldn't get any cool photos. Besides, the massive crowds there meant I couldn't really see much anyway. Who knew that there were so many tourists in London on any given day? Apparently the Queen wasn't in today so the guards could play some more informal songs. They played the James Bond theme!! But when the Queen's there, they play the formal songs lol.

In the land of Monopoly...

Day 10: As usual, I did some exploring of the city. Was planning on catching a bus down to London Tower and walking back but I couldn't find the bus stop that Van had told me to take, so I just kept walking. In the end, I found myself at Leicester Sqaure so I knew I had gone too far. Had a look at the half-price tickets available, and sadly Wicked wasn't on the board today. Guess I'll have to come back another day. From there, I continued down the street until I hit Trafalgar Square. Spent some time inside the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery admiring the artworks, before heading back out and admiring the beauty of Trafalgar Sqaure. Nelson's Column is impressive, as are the two large fountains beside it. In the distance, I saw turrets and the British flag flying so I knew that's where I needed to head.

London baby...

Day 9: I'm now in London, staying at Van and Alan's place. The trip over was OK. Once again, there was a discrepancy with the number of people checked in and the number of people actually on board which caused a bit of a delay. They sold tickets during the flight for bus and train journeys once we left the airport. I asked for a bus one, and didn't check. Turns out he sold me a train one and by the time I realised, it was too late. With the bus ticket, it would have taken me straight to Marble Arch which is where I needed to go, but the train one only took me St Pancras International train station. However, I thought it would be OK since I had also bought an Oyster Card (prepaid travel card which you swipe every time you get on a train, bus or tram). I could just train it to St Pancras, and then use the card to take the Tube to Marble Arch.

Adios Madrid...

Day 9: So I thought I was going to post once I got to London, but I have a bit of time now before I have to leave for the airport. I actually have 4 hours since I had to check out by 10am, and now I'm just sitting here blogging. There's a guy in my dorm who never seems to leave the room, besides to have a cigarette now and then. Every single time I enter the room, he's there on his laptop. I'm not sure whether he's a traveller or not. He's Japanese though. But he has an annoying alarm which goes off every morning and just leaves it to ring until it stops. And then it goes off again 5 minutes later. And he's still asleep. Glad to finally not have to share a room with him anymore. Plus the room really stinks.

Tapas, here I come...

It's now 3pm on Day 8, and I'm waiting to head out on my tapas tour. I haven't really had much Spanish cuisine since I've been here. Had some paella the first night I got here, but that was included in a buffet (for only 10 euros!!). So I guess today will be my first true experience of a Spanish meal.

I got an offer for dentistry today. It's a weird feeling. I kinda made my peace with not getting in, and now that I've received an offer, there isn't really feeling associated with it. Just neutral feelings. I guess it was always meant to be a back-up option. Now if I get an offer for Masters in Org Psych, then I'll be overjoyed. Judging by the date that they said they would annouce offers, I should be in either Slovenia or Italy. But as for dentistry, I'm supposed to accept within 10 days via email. Still working that out because it's a bit weird and everything is so confusing right now.

Halloween and churros...

Days 6 and 7: Last night was Halloween. I never realised how big it was in Madrid. Actually I never realised that Halloween existed outside of the USA. It definitely doesn't exist in Australia, and I tend to not open the doors to greedy kids who don't take the effort to dress up and are just there to get lollies for nothing. Good riddance to you. But here, I'm not sure if they trick-or-treat or not, but they all wander the streets as they normally do, just dressed up. Even the adults were dressed up. There's a very strong police presence in Madrid (or in Puerto de Sol which is the absolute centre of Spain and is where I'm staying). Lot of fake goods being sold on the streets, and every time a cop car approaches, they pull on a string and everything is scooped up conveniently into a bag and they're off running. Quite amusing really. But walking these streets are OK at night. I feel really safe, mainly cos there were just so many people around.

Out of Marseille and into Madrid...

Thought I'd mention this here since it doesn't really relate to anything. At the French railway stations, before they make a PA announcement, they always start off with three tones. Now to me, those three tones sound exactly like the three tones that start Soulja Boy's "Crank Dat (Superman That Hoe)". As a result, every single time there's an announcement at the train station, I'm so tempted to yell out "NOW WATCH ME YOUUUU" and do the corresponding "interpretive dance". Fortunately, I have been able to resist humiliating myself in public, but in my head, I'm doing it.

Not loving Marseille...

Since my last post was a bit short, I will take some time now to describe Nice. It was awesome!! So beautiful!! I will definitely be coming back here one day. Just sitting in Messina Square or on the beach makes you just forget about all your troubles. Nice is definitely a haven for old people. They're everywhere!! And they're so active. I don't think I've ever seen so many old people in spandex jogging. And they love to tan too. So many topless old people sunbathing. Quite disturbing. Even though it's winter, the weather was surprisingly warm. I guess it's more towards the south so it's still a bit warm. But I really wish I had packed some shorts. Had an amazing dinner with the two American girls that I met. Snails, lasagne, dessert and champagne for 14 euros. Absolute bargain!! And it tasted so good. It was a nice way to end my time in Nice.

Nice is nice...

So I'm in Nice now. Gonna keep this short because the French keyboard is really different and it takes forever to type something. Here's a summary of what's happened so far (Days 1-3).

Planned my awesome route
Ticket selling person took too long to validate my rail pass thus making me miss the train I had orginally planned to get
Took her option which was to go via Milan
Italian train broke down
Missed the last connecting train in Milan
Got knocked over by a pickpocket running away
Had to wander the streets looking for a relatively cheap place to stay
Finally found one for 50 euros but was a double, but had to take it
Left for Nice the next morning but French strikes cancelled almost all of the trains
Stuck in the little Italian town of Ventimiglia for 4 hours
Finally got a train to Nice
Found out that bed had been given away
Forced to wander again looking for another place to stay
Explored Nice
Forgot all about my troubles just admiring the beauty of Nice
Met two awesome American girls in my dorm
Explored more of Nice
Hoping to be able to get out to Barcelona tomorrow if the trains are running

Anyways must be off now. More detail later.

HBL signing out from Nice, France. Bonsoir!!

Money matters...

I've been trying to calculate how much money I'll be needing for my trip. It seems like such a big amount. Right now, I'm thinking it'll be an average of 20 euros per night for accomodation and then breakfast so in total that'll be around 1000 euros. Lunch and dinner may equate to 40 euros a day so that's 2400 euros (although I can just skip meals or eat fast food to lower this cost lol). I'm not really sure how much it'll cost me to go sightseeing and all that, plus not sure how much crap I'll buy. I also have to pay for some trains (cos some require reservation), which will be around 5 euros each, although I think the Eurostar from London to Paris or Brussels costs about 80 euros each way. So much money for a damn train ride. Anyways, I given myself around 4500 euros to last me for the two months that I'll be on the road. Hopefully it lasts. If not, looks like I'll be heading back to Emmenbrücke early lol.

Route decided...

So I've been spending last night and today planning my route across Europe. It's been giving me a massive headache since it's so hard to plan things out properly when you have no idea what you're doing, where you're going, and how long you're staying. I'm no longer travelling with the Texan because his route is pretty inconvenient. Have looked up hostels in each location, and will hope to be able book each one a city in advance, cos right now, I have no idea where I'll be at any given point. The only thing I do know is that I'll be flying into London on 3rd of November. Quite disappointing really, because I was planning on training it from Madrid to Paris and then going to London. That way, I could explore the French countryside, but due to all the strikes going on, it seemed like too much of a risk to rely on so many French trains. I'll be staying at Nice and Paris in France, which isn't nearly all that I wanted to do. However, maybe I can explore France more fully on my next trip. I was told that driving around was the best way to see France. Guess my next trip, perhaps in a few years, will be a France trip.

Quite an ordinary day...

Received my Eurail pass today, which means I can start travelling soon. They're really efficient. Ordered one day, delivered the next. Planning to leave on Tuesday now since my uncle and aunt have Mondays off so they want to do a hike up the mountains. Can't wait for that!! If I leave Tuesday, it will be valid until the 26th of December, which is fine since I need to be back before Christmas anyway. Also can't wait for skiing!!

Such a beautiful place...

Explored Lucerne today. It is such a beautiful place. And Switzerland is really a low-key place. Not much hustle and bustle even in the main tourist areas. Definitely not like Sydney. I really like the calmness of the place. Went to see the main tourist attractions, which included a giant stone lion carved out in a rock-face, a museum about the history of the area called the Glacier Gardens, and a very old wooden bridge (that was partially burnt down, but rebuilt).

Emmenbrücke is quiet...

I've decided that I'll start travelling next Thursday. Well I didn't really have much choice since I only just bought my Eurail pass a few hours ago. I should have bought it back in Australia, but back then I was intent on flying everywhere. However, I'm so sick of flying plus I would need to catch trains to and from the airports anyway so I might as well just train it everywhere. Bought a "Continuous Global Pass" which covers unlimited travel in 21 countries for two months. Was about to purchase in Australian dollars when I decided to check whether the price in US dollars and Euros was equivalent. Apparently not. I guess these prices were old. The price in USD was around $110 cheaper than the AUD price. So glad the US dollar is weaker lol, which allowed me to saved myself some money there, even though the rail pass cost me $1015 (converted to AUD). They said they would deliver it by next Thursday (28th), so I should hopefully head out then.

Awesome weather...

It's the morning after I landed in Switzerland. Outside it's cold, gloomy and raining. But I guess that's what I signed up for. I was really hoping for snow, but apparently that doesn't come until around January or February. Not sure what I'll be doing today. My relatives are all at work or school, so I will be alone for at least half the day. And don't think I'll be driving here (not that I have a car to drive) but they drive on the other side of the road and the road lines are so confusing. Anyways, time for me to have breakfast and then start hopefully exploring the city!!

In other news, I got a rejection email for dentistry. Very disappointing because I thought I aced that interview. I'm on the waiting list, but that doesn't sound too promising. Don't think many people reject it. Oh well, as long as I get into Masters of Org Psych, then it's all good. Fingers crossed!!

HBL signing out from Emmenbrücke, Switzerland. Guten morgen!!

Europe at last...

Well I'm now in Switzerland. This Swiss keyboard is really weird to type on because letters are not where they're supposed to be. My plane was delayed for an hour so my Aunt went home when I wasn't there waiting at the train station. Had to call after waiting for half an hour at the station.

Anyway I'm so sick of flying now. I've been in the air for a total of 24 hours now. Not fun. And I found out why there was so much turbulence on my flight from Sydney to Korea. There was a typhoon in the area lol. So glad I didn't know that at the time. Anyways, I ended up meeting two Germans at my stay in Korea, and we had an awesome time chatting and having lunch. However, it was only after saying goodbye at the airport that I realised that I didn't even know their names. Fail. Must remember to ask for names straight up lol.

As for now, I'm at my uncles's place and it's 1:10am. I'm also watching CSI in German. It's a lot more interesting in German. Not sure what I'll do tomorrow. Need sleep. Will prob stay here for at least a week before I start travelling. So much to do and so much time to do it in lol.

HBL signing out from Emmenbrücke, Switzerland. Guten nacht!!

Safely in South Korea...

So apparently I look like a Korean. On the flight, I got asked in Korean what meal I would like. Passengers who sat next to me also spoke Korean to me. And the flight attendants gave me the customs forms in Korean and not English. And at the buffet, an Australian guy asked a white guy (from Germany) where the water was because he assumed that I couldn't speak English lol.

Anyways, I landed in South Korea about 2 hours ago. I got here safe and sound. Safe being the key word. The plane ride was so turbulent that at some points, I was wondering whether I would even make it here. I'm so over plane rides. Can't believe I have to take a 14 hour flight tomorrow, and will then have to make both these flights again in January. Damn you Europe for being so far away!!

So I'm currently in the hotel that Korea Airlines put me up in for my overnight transit. It's really nice. The buffet was awesome!! The best thing I had there was this mushroom thing marinated in sweet and chili sauce and wrapped in bacon. So good!! However, I may have overdone it, because by my 20th piece, I was thoroughly sick of it. Was thinking of going into the city to explore a bit, but it's a bit of trek, plus I would need to exchange money. I think I'll prob just have an early night, so I can be all ready to face that 14 hour flight. And I can hear some fobby Korean singing "Bridge Over Troubled Water".

Can't wait to get to Europe!! It actually hit me this morning as I was using the free internet at the airport. To think, that in another 31 hours, I'll be touching down in Zurich!! So close!!

HBL signing out from Incheon, South Korea.

Time to start getting excited...

It's a bit over 15 hours until I'm Europe-bound. Can't believe it's come so soon. It seems like so long ago when I was still stressing about the thesis and my post-grad options. Now I can finally relax and enjoy my holiday. Although at the moment, I am nowhere near relaxed. Just realised that I haven't printed my most current itinerary, and when I tried to do so, I found that my printer was out of ink. I've also forgot to let Centrelink know that I'm leaving the country. So I'll have to call them at 8 tomorrow morning (I think I'm boarding at 8:30 lol). In terms of packing, I think I have everything. But I guess as long as I have my passport and itinerary, then it's all good. Everything else can be bought over in Europe. And even now, it still hasn't sunk in that I'm leaving tomorrow morning. Had coffee with Jimmy today, and he told me all about the things he did in Europe when he just went. Sounded bloody amazing. That's gonna be me soon lol. Anyways, I guess I need to double-check everything to make sure I don't forget anything. This time tomorrow, I'll be in South Korea on my overnight stay!!

HBL signing out.

Still hasn't hit me yet...

Last night was my bon voyage dinner. Great fun. And great turn-out. It really makes me feel loved that so many people would show up just to see me one last time time before I fly out of their lives for 3 whole months. I'm really gonna miss everyone. To be honest, even though it was my bon voyage party, and people were saying goodbye to me, it still hasn't hit me that I'm leaving in less than 48 hours. It'll probably hit me once I'm sitting on the plane ready to take off. I've still got so much to do. Haven't packed yet. Still need to go buy a camera too. Must also sell my Bon Jovi ticket. But yeah, because it hasn't sunk in that I'm leaving so soon, there doesn't seem to be that sense of urgency. We'll see how I feel tomorrow lol.

In other news, USyd med offers came out yesterday. In the past few years, dent offers have always come out before med offers. I guess they decided to change it this year. Will be eagerly awaiting the results so I can know whether I have a confirmed back-up option. Results of org psych will be announced mid-December, so if at least, I have dent already confirmed, it makes the wait a little less stressful.

HBL signing out.

Lab201 Crew, I will miss you...

Well it's the day after the thesis was due. To be honest, it's an odd feeling. I'm sitting at my computer and I don't feel guilty for being on Facebook. There's no sense of urgency anymore. There's just an empty feeling. For the past few weeks, my life has been all about the thesis, and now that it's gone, I feel so empty. Hahaha I doubt that this feeling will last, as I soon realise that Europe is coming up so soon.

The thing that I will miss most about Honours year is Lab201 and its motley crew. I can't believe I didn't end up joining this lab until second semester (not that I would have had room to test in first semester anyway). Either way, it's a shame that the whole bonding experience didn't occur until the last month of thesis writing. To think that in such a short period of time, everyone became such good friends. It certainly made the last month of intense stress more bearable. Just knowing that I wasn't the only one going through all that made it a lot easier. In particular, staying overnight with a lab full of people was definitely better than being there alone. If only we had been pulling all-nighters/weekenders earlier. We could have finished so much earlier!! Anyway, I'm sure we'll be keeping in touch. Our next gatherings will under less stressful circumstances (and we also won't be in PJ's lol). Much love to the 201 Crew!!

And although I'm finished with the thesis, I can't relax just yet. I have my interview for org psych at 9am on Thursday. So much for sleeping in. I'll be the guinea pig, since this is the first year that they're interviewing, and I'm the first interviewee. Hope it all goes well. But at least getting it done now, means I won't have to worry about anything once I'm in Europe. I'll just be eagerly refreshing my email in mid-November for the results of dentistry, and then again mid-December for the results of org psych. In the situation where I don't get either (which will be a depressing day), I might apply to do a Masters in Human Resources Management at USyd. Either way, it looks like I'll be studying next year. I just don't know what.

In terms of Europe, I now need to get a camera. My camera died. It was kind of symbolic. As soon as I was finished with my thesis, I took one last photo of my home (Lab Room 4) and then it vibrated in my hand and died. So I'll be needing to get a new camera. Possibly a laptop. Need to pack so much, and I have no winter clothing. Guess it's too late to buy any now, so I'll just have to buy it once I get there.

Anyways, I need to start researching org psych so that I'm prepared and awesome for my interview on Thursday. Plus I still need to find a restaurant for my farewell. Hahaha I'm kinda wishing I hadn't booked my flight to leave so soon after the thesis now.

HBL signing out.

Mission accomplished...

THESIS IS DONE!!!

Well, done in terms of writing. I might still need to edit a few more times (if I have the time or can be bothered). I don't really want to go through my thesis again. It was so painful to write that it would just be torture to read it again so soon after writing it.

The feeling of finishing the thesis is so awesome. It was like a massive wave of euphoria engulfed me. I really wanted to do cartwheels down the hallway in joy, but there were others in the lab plus my prior experience regarding hallways and cartwheels was not positive (although no alcohol was involved this time lol). I can only imagine that the feeling tomorrow when I actually hand it in - it's gonna be a million times better than right now.

The thesis now stands at 14000 words of content, and at 76 pages with everything included. My "whole" year has been for the sole purpose of creating this piece of work. And now that's done, it does feel like I've accomplished something major.

The issue that I have is that I absolutely hate one aspect of APA formatting where you're not allowed to have a gap between the previous paragraph and the next subheading/heading. Between normal paragraphs is OK, but I think that a gap is necessary if changing to a different topic area. I've always done it my way, and have never been told otherwise during the earlier years. And I refuse to change it. I tried doing it, and the ugliness of my thesis made me want to vomit. To me, it was just that bad. I've been working my whole year for this thesis. I should be able to look at it and feel happy about it. If the markers are petty enough to deduct marks for that bloody gap, then I honestly have no idea what to say. All other aspects of APA formatting, I've followed. I just really hate the fact that you can't have a bloody gap. I'm keeping it the way I want it (and besides, I followed the formatting of a previous year's thesis which got a HD). We'll just see what happens, not that I would know whether they had an issue with my "gaps". Regardless, as long as I'm happy with my work, that's the best anyone can hope for.

And in Europe news, I finally bought my travel insurance today.

HBL signing out.

So close...

It's now 11:30am on the Sunday, which is 29 hours before the thesis is due. Managed to get most of my discussion done last night/this morning, and was so close to finishing. However, fatigue/delirium set in about 7am and I was forced to sleep after I couldn't think of suitable implications and a conclusion.

Hopefully I shall never have to do an all-nighter ever again. Although in actuality, the way I feel right now is exactly the way I feel after a long night of drinking (except my eyes are stinging so bad). So therefore, I can conclude (quite loosely) that alcohol does not actually affect me, but it's the fatigue that does all that shit to my body.

Just had some Maccas. Now that I've got food in me, I should be able to function properly. This weekend has been so unhealthy. Constant junk food snacks and fast food for every meal, plus all these caffeinated/energy drinks. No wonder why stomach's all weird and in pain.

I should really get back to work. I'm so close to finishing. In my refusal to do my discussion, I've completed everything else that needed to be done. Hence, my abstract, acknowledgements, contents page, tables and figures page, PSY output, appendices, and references are all done. All I need now are those final few paragraphs. Then I'm done. Finally.

HBL signing out.

Camp...

It's the Friday before the thesis is due. Lab201 camp begins now. Hoping to get it done by Sunday evening.

After redrafting again, the intro and two experiments are now 10063 words. That's 1100 cut from my first draft. Discussion will hopefully add another 3000 words.

I've got some food with me, as well as change of clothes and a sleeping bag. I'm prepared. Time to get cracking!!

HBL signing out.

Almost over...

89 HOURS TO GO!!

As of this point, I've finished redrafting my intro and Expt1. Expt2 is taking a while since I had the whole idea of the rationale wrong, hence all my predictions and results are not worded correctly. Word count is a bit hard to say since everything is being redrafted, but a rough estimate for my intro and experiments (when it's done) should be around 10500. My discussion section is currently 800 words (although it might be more since my supervisor told me to move some stuff from my Expt2 into the general discussion).

Anyways, this weekend will one hectic ride. Planning to stay there Friday and Saturday nights to hopefully finish by Sunday evening. Actually not hopefully. I will finish by Sunday evening. Come Monday 4pm, I will officially have finished my degree. I will be a graduand!!

In other news, I have just found out that I will be having my interview for org psych before I fly out. They finally got back to me. But the good news is that I won't need to change my departure date!!

HBL signing out.

Easy part done!! Hard part still to go...

I'VE FINISHED MY SECOND DRAFT OF INTRO AND BOTH EXPERIMENTS!!

Yes, it's a day late but at least I got it done. Currently on 11227 words. Hoping that feedback is good and I won't have to change too much. Need to focus on the hard part now: the discussion. I think 3000 words should be a good length (that's if I can even get 3000 words).

The feeling I'm feeling right now is indescribable. I'm just feeling so...happy. Can't even imagine how I'll be feeling when I actually finish the whole thing.

HBL signing out.

No time for sleep...

8 DAYS TO GO!!

And that's if I work right up until the deadline. Ideally, I would like to get this done by the Saturday night or Sunday morning, so really, I've got around 6.5 or 7 days. I keep trying to wake up early to do work, but it just seems impossible. I find that I'm sleeping in til 12 or 1, and I definitely do not have time to be sleeping (or Facebooking for that matter, but I can't help that).

Aim: Finish the redraft of intro, method and results by end of today (end is defined by when I go to sleep, and today could go on for a while lol). Also need to send an outline of discussion section too.

Tomorrow is Labour Day. Hoping to head into uni to work, and then spend the night there as well. But it all depends on how tired I am and if I can drive there in such a state.

HBL signing out.

Confident and happy...

It's been a while since my last post. It's been a very cognitively demanding week. Psychologically speaking, this should mean that my level of willpower is diminished. So if I gorge on food, or splurge on buying clothes, I can blame this week. Finished both exams feeling like I could have done more (had I only studied more), but there's nothing I can do about that now. I just hope that they scale final marks up so my marks don't look too bad.

As for dentistry interview this morning, surprisingly I feel optimistic about it. I've never walked out of an interview feeling that happy and confident (if I find out that I don't make it -*knock on wood*- I'm coming back to delete this post lol). I felt like my answers were coherent and pleased the interviewers since they were nice and joked with me (or maybe they're like that with everybody). Nevertheless, I was so nervous before the interview, and being me, I showed up 40 minutes early. That gave me time psych myself out, and then calm myself down (slightly). But once I went in, I think my first interviewer was just so nice that it made me feel at ease for the rest of the interview. Even when they threw some hard scenarios at me, I felt like I was able to explain myself without sounding too lost. I'm actually glad that we had an ethics course, cos that helped me so much in answering the questions. Anyway, I'll find out sometime in November so it'll be a bit of a wait.

Now I've completed everything I needed to, besides the thesis. From now til the 11th, it's gonna be all thesis. Maybe a few more all-nighters at uni, but I won't be alone anymore since most of Lab201 are staying over as well. I've told my supervisor that I will send him a redraft of my intro, method and results by Sunday night, so I need to really get cracking. At the moment, it stands at 9500 words, but after cutting out the apparently irrelevant sections of my intro could bring the word count down a bit.

Well, I'll be staying at uni til 1 tonight to work on the thesis. John will pick me up. Don't think I could do an all-nighter at uni in my formal clothes. So bloody uncomfortable. But alas, I needed to look good for the interview.

HBL signing out.

Mission complete...

So I survived my first all-nighter. That was my mission. Not my thesis. As if I could have completed the thesis in one night. Surprisingly I'm not as tired now that the sun has come up (not that I would know since my little cell has no windows). I managed to get all the training data from my 111 data files, and collate them into one simple graph. Also worked on my second draft of my method and results, and added 400 words. OK that doesn't sound like much, but when you're redrafting, that's actually heaps. Had a 1.5 hour nap at 4:30am, which really helped.

From my first all-nighter here at uni, I now know that the cleaners come into the building at 3:30am to start the whole cleaning process. And they certainly are a noisy group of people. But I guess they wouldn't expect anyone to still be in the building working. The cleaner came into Lab201 at 6am, and was surprised to see me in there. Luckily he didn't come in earlier, or he would have seem me lying on the floor semi-asleep. I'm sure in the next few days, there'll be more and more of us honours students staying back at uni to work on our theses. We will probably need to put a "Do Not Disturb" sign up on the door, in order to stop them coming in and disturbing our sleep/work.

It's only 9:20am, but the memory of yesterday and last night seems like it happened so long ago. But as for today, lots of studying to be done. Fun.

HBL signing out.

Intro done, but still so much to do...

The building is eerily quiet. I'm surprised that all the lights are still on. You'd think that they'd turn off the lights to save power. From time to time, I hear doors open and close, which I'm gonna assume is the result of the security guard patrolling the place (and not because of the ghost that haunts Lab201). He hasn't checked in here though, so I assume he doesn't have swipe access, or maybe he just assumes that no one would be stupid enough to spend the whole night at uni.

Anyways, so it's now 12:30am. I've "completed" my intro and sent it off with a grand total of 4628 words. Just had a great bludging session on Facebook. Now it's time to start getting back into the workload. Only another 8 hours before the rest of the 201 crew come in.

HBL signing out.

First all-nighter...and at uni...

TWO WEEKS TIL THE THESIS IS DUE!!

It's amazing what a deadline can do. I've been so productive over the last few days, even though I failed to meet my (self-imposed) deadline. I was meant to send my supervisor my completed intro by last night. However, I was only at 3500 words for the intro. Unfortunately, I couldn't send that to him, because at our meeting on Friday, I lied and told him I was at 3500 words (when I was only at 2000). Therefore, if I sent him my intro with 3500 words, it would be like I'd done nothing over the two days. Currently on 4362 words and anticipating finishing it and sending it to him tonight.

Tonight, I am pulling my first ever all-nighter. And to make it interesting, I am doing it at uni. I'll be in my little 1.5mx4m cell, with my Red Bull and family size pack of biscuits to help me through the night. Hoping to get my intro done before 9pm, and then spend the rest of the night fixing up my method and results sections. And possibly starting my discussion section. Or studying for my upcoming exams. Bah! So much to do. I think there's gonna be a lot more all-nighters in the next two weeks.

HBL signing out.

Psych trumps dent...

Currently on 6000 words for my thesis, and it's due in 17 days. I'm starting to really freak out. I know I've left things to the last minute before, but this is just so major that it seems that there's a possibility that I might not finish in time. In order to get myself up to speed, I've imposed a mini-deadline, and told my supervisor that I would send him a completed intro by Sunday night. That gives me 48 hours to write another 3000 or so words, plus fix up my method and results.

Once that's all done by Sunday night, I should start studying for my two final exams on Wednesday and Thursday. The exam on OCD and PTSD should be OK. There's only two lectures to study. As for the exam for my elective, there's twelve or so articles to study, and memorise. And the annoying thing is that the article I presented won't be tested. But I guess with some solid study time, I should be able to get both these exams done with relative ease.

Then comes Friday. My interview for dentistry. I'm not really sure how to prepare for this. I've done a few interviews before, and the only one I can truly say that I was successful in, was my Yellow Shirt interview when I first got selected. I've failed at all other interviews. Not a very good track record. However, I do now have a lot more examples of initiative, leadership, communication and teamwork examples because of Yellow Shirts. Although, I'm not sure whether they'll appreciate constantly hearing about Yellow Shirts. But we'll see.

Being a dentist was something I'd always imagined myself doing. However, I just can't picture myself going through another four arduous years of study. But I guess it's nice to have options just in case org psych falls through. Dentist or organisational psychologist? I know I'd definitely prefer being a psychologist. I'll know the results of dentistry in early December, and the results of org psych in mid-December. That's gonna be a nerve-wracking few weeks for me. Luckily, I should be somewhere nice. I anticipate that I'll be somewhere in London at that time (or Lucerne, if I need to be Skyped for my interview). Either way, I'll be a lot happier when it's all over and I know with a bit more certainty what my future path is. Please give me at least one of them!!

HBL signing out.

Back on the table...

Well there's been an interesting development. It appears that my heartfelt email has convinced the course convenor that it was indeed unfair to only announce the addition of a selections interview with such little notice. She has offerred me the opportunity to have an early interview. However, this doesn't guarantee anything, because I still need the marks to get shortlisted. Once I get shortlisted, there'll be another interview, possibly over the phone or Skype. Seems like there might be hope after all. Although depending on when the early interview is, I may need to push back my departure date a week or two, which I'm fine with just as long as I don't need to return to the country for an interview.

In other good news, I'm gonna be a Yellow Shirt again!! More fun times ahead!!

HBL signing out.

Possibly no future in psych...

I received horrible news yesterday. I found out org psych at UNSW now required an interview. I guess it wouldn't be anything that you would consider serious, but to me, this was a big part of my future plans. I was OK with not attending Macquarie interviews because I still at least had UNSW. But when it was announced that the system was changed, my world actually fell apart on the spot. The inital shock then became anger. They had known for so long, and yet only now did they decide to inform us of the change. I wouldn't have booked my flights if I had known I would have no postgrad psych options.

I was ruminating and venting to everyone who would listen. It just seems that with every step you take in psych, you're hit in the face with another restriction/obstacle. Sometimes I wish I had taken the Asian route and done a commerce degree. Sure I'd be conforming to the stereotype, but at least I'd have a job. But what's done is done. No point in counterfactual thinking. Let it be known that you should never drive angry/upset. You know how people say "I'm gonna go for a drive to clear my head and cool off"...yeah that doesn't work. If you're that angry, you will be ruminating, and your attention to your surroundings will be markedly decreased. Take it from me. I almost had three accidents yesterday on the way to and from work.

Coming home, I had a nice long vent to my mum. She suggested that I just fly out as planned but return in time for the interview. But I don't know how enjoyable my "holiday" would be if I knew I had to return for an interview. So who knows what's gonna happen. Do I still go or not? What's more important? A Eurotrip or a chance to do org psych? It's not even guaranteed which is what is so annoying. I can't plan my life around a maybe. Sometimes I wonder whether this is really worth it? How do I even know that being an org psych will make me happy in the future? It's all just wishful thinking at this point. Only time will tell.

A good night's sleep has helped clear my head immensely. The anger has subsided and is now replaced with my usual calm self. The thoughts of "what if" and "if only" are gone. Now it's more a matter of what can I do now. What is in my control? We'll see how this all pans out.

And yes, I do realise that this post is very angsty. But I'm an angsty person. And I don't cope well (not at first).

HBL signing out.

Uncertainty's a bitch...

I've now got 4500 words of my thesis done, which is my method and results section completed for both experiments plus a little bit for intro. Progress is painstakingly slow. I really wish I found my topic interesting, so it would make writing it up so much easier. Staying at uni til 9 tonight to try and get more words down on paper.

But at the end of it all, what do I get? I get a single degree for four years of study. There's so much emphasis on having that degree. And then there's the need for a postgrad degree as well. If I were brave, I would just venture out into the world with only my Bachelor's degree and see where that takes me. It's been drummed into my head since that very first day of uni that I need that Masters degree. Well if I need it so badly, why not just make it a 6 year degree then? Why make it so that not everyone who starts the road to psychology can finish it? To me, this is a stupid system, and one that has given me so much grief over the past few months.

Right now, my only option is Masters of Organisation Psychology at UNSW since Macquarie doesn't conduct interviews over Skype. But what if I don't make it? I will only find out whether I'm in or out in mid-December and by then, all of the applications for grad positions are closed anyway. Not that I could apply anyway given that I'll be somewhere in Europe. But nevertheless, the whole uncertainty of the road to registration as a psychologist is something that annoys me so much.

But whatever happens happens. I'm not a big enough person to say that I won't rant and rage if I don't make it, because I know I will. That's just how I am. Anger management is not one of my strong points. And it will take me a while to get over it. But eventually I'll be able to move on from it, by justifying that I never really wanted to a Masters degree in the first place. But hopefully, it all works out for the best. If not, I'll still have my back-up option of dentistry (assuming I can get into that).

HBL signing out.

Cos you're hot then you're cold...

So the Yellow Shirts interview was harder than expected. Definitely harder than last year's. But hopefully my answers were good enough to get me through. Plus, breaking out into song during the group activity should have helped my chances lol. I can honestly say that this will be the only time that I will ever break into song during an interview. Now comes the long four-day wait until the email comes.

And on a side note, once again no thesis work done today. However I did watch the first episode of Survivor Nicaragua. I anticipate a full day of thesis writing tomorrow. Aim: To get total word count up to 6000. We'll see how that goes.

HBL signing out.

Uni. Sunday. Morning. These words do not go together...

It feels so weird (and wrong) to be at uni at 8:30am on a Sunday. It's a freakin' ghost town. Needed to come in for my Yellow Shirts interview which is in the arvo, but since there was a marathon on or whatnot, roads were closed off and I didn't want to run the risk of being late because of buses taking detours. As for the interview itself, I'm not as nervous as I was this last time last year. I guess it's because I've been through it, and know that I can make it. Plus, there'll be a lot more friendly faces this time around.

But while I'm here early, I might as well take the time to do some of my thesis. Word count currently at 3500 words. After reanalysing the data last night, I seem to have stumbled upon an interesting result. There appears to a significant interaction between saliency and surprise which, if I've done the correct analyses, will be the basis of my 5000 word discussion section. Fun.

HBL signing out.

Dedicated to my dear look-alike Benson...

I couldn't really think of a title for this post so I decided that it would be dedicated to my Mermaid counterpart, Benson. Hope you had the most awesome birthday ever. You're finally 21. Make sure to live it up while you're still young, especially before you get bogged down with surgeries and Grey's Anatomy style relationships/flings. I signed your guestbook as Benson, but I assume you would know who it was lol.

Now, a recap of my night. Great time catching up with the Double Squad last night to celebrate Benson's 21st birthday. Met up with Kyle at uni and went for dinner at a nice little Malaysian restaurant on Hunter Street that sold laksa. First time trying laksa. It was...ordinary, but nice. Kyle would stab me for that. Then met up with Rommel at Lindt Cafe where we decided to bum until 9ish cos only lame people show up to a party on time. Hot chocolate was awesome, but not as sweet as I would have liked it. Seems like all we talked about during that time at Lindt Cafe was our upcoming travels and acne. Interesting topic. Did you know that a type of acne treatment is also an anti-malarial treatment? Yeah I didn't either. That's how the two topics linked.

After that very insightful conversation, we headed up to Benson's, where we found that he wasn't even drunk yet. Alas, I'm sure that would have changed later in the night. Emo King Mirza and Mermaid Queen Meg were already there, as was Boobie Beth. It was like a little Mutinous Mermaids reunion (but Mermaids won this round lol). Some random (besides Meg) confused me with Benson. I still don't see how we can be confused, but Meg appears to have a natural skill for mistaking me for Benson, but never the other way around. I think it's time to take out the competition. Benson, get ready to duel to the death. Only one can survive. But knowing everyone, once I destroy you, I'll still be called Benson. Looks like I'll never win so I'll allow you to live. Consider it your birthday present, look-alike.

Well, after leaving Benson's, found out I just missed my train and would have to wait half an hour til the train at 12:30am. By that time, it would have been easier for me to just wait until 1:30am and get driven home by Amanda. So I just wandered around the city that whole time. And then I found out that they weren't leaving til 2:30am. Was now regretting the decision not to take the train back. But alas, couldn't change it now and so I just continued to wander the streets of the city like a tourist (but without a camera). Must have trekked at least 5kms last night. Time seemed to slow down, and 2:30am seemed to never come, but when it finally did, it was a welcome relief. No more walking in the bloody cold. Finally got home at 3:30am. So much for having an early night.

But yeah, I'm now doing this instead of my thesis, and I'm about to head out for coffee to catch up with an old friend. Thesis, you will have to wait til I'm done.

HBL signing out.

Dear Diary...

Blogging is strangely addictive. I was never one to keep a diary or anything, but I can now understand why people do it. It's not like anything interesting has happened but having somewhere to write your thoughts seems to be quite therapeutic.

Just finished my presentation for today, so that means I have no more assessments (apart from two final exams) until the thesis is due. Aiming to get my intro, method, results and mini-discussion done for Experiment 2 today. We'll see if that actually ends up happening though. Most likely, I'll get halfway through and then reward myself for working so studiously with a Facebook break (which will last for hours). Or maybe I'll just post on this blog.

Currently at uni now, and I'm all dressed up since I have a party to get to tonight. It's weird to be wearing such dressy clothes to uni. I keep getting looks from randoms. But the compliments from friends are worth it. OK I have four hours before I should leave for dinner. Time to get serious!!

HBL signing out.

I refuse to change my plans...

Showed up late to my tute today whilst they were in the middle of a discussion about moving the final exam to after the thesis is due. No way was I gonna let this happen when I'm due to fly out the week after I hand in my thesis. Why would you not discuss the idea of moving the exam when the tutor told us about the exam six weeks ago? Why wait til now (when my travel plans are set)? Obviously I objected to the idea of a change in date, although I wasn't the only one. Got a few death stares. If it's not unanimous, it's not changing. That was the deal. You didn't even get the majority. Deal with it.

HBL signing out.

You don't scare me...

So the travel agent got back to me today. Couldn't match my quote of $280 from iTrek and offered $400 as their best price. However they then tried to scare me with a $250 administration fee, saying that if a third party insurer ever contacted them for documentation/information, then I would be slugged with this ridiculous fee. Being the resourceful person that I am, I promptly emailed iTrek about this issue, and they said that wouldn't need to contact the travel agent if I had photocopies of my tickets. Dodgy travel agent trying to scare me into purchasing my insurance from them. Simply dodgy.

In other news, Macquarie Uni got back to me about their org psych program, and unfortunately they wouldn't be conducting Skype interviews. Looks like my only option now for org psych is UNSW. No pressure.

HBL signing out.

A way to procrastinate...

Editing and posting on this blog is a great way to procrastinate. Same with planning a holiday. My thesis sits unopened on my desktop, feeling neglected.

At the moment, in terms of travel plans, I've got my ticket booked and that's it. I haven't even sorted out my accommodation at my uncle's place in Switzerland but I assume it's all good. Still waiting on an email regarding travel insurance from the travel agent to see whether she can match the quote of $280 that I got from iTrek. It's been ages. But if she matches the price I have, then that's a saving of $370 since she initially quoted me $650. Dodgy. As for my travels around Europe, I bought "Lonely Planet: Europe on a Shoestring" online which should be enough to direct me to all the good sites. Finally got dispatched yesterday. Here's hoping that it arrives before I fly out (which it should, otherwise it's the worst delivery company ever).

And at the moment, it looks like I might be travelling with a Texan who is also travelling solo, whom I met on CouchSurfers (great website for finding other travellers and finding hosts to show you around). Sending my Texan cousins over to check him out, but it should be all good. Anyways, that appears to be all that I've done to prepare for my trip so far. Here is a checklist of things I need to have done before I fly out:

• Finish the thesis
• Finish applications for postgrad courses
• Sell Bon Jovi ticket (any takers?)
• Borrow a spare netbook/laptop from someone so I can Skype and blog easily using wifi
• Buy winter clothing
• Sort out accommodation with my uncle
• Organise my farewell dinner
• Sort out whether I need to buy snow gear or I can just borrow

Alas, that is all I can think of now. I'm sure there's heaps more, but I think I've wasted enough time on this post. My thesis beckons.

HBL signing out (still) from Sydney, Australia.

Let's see if this works...

So this is the first time I've ever posted a blog. I don't know why I'm creating it now when I have more important things to attend to, like my thesis. Anyways, just a "test" post to see how this whole thing works so I won't have to fiddle around with learning how to use this thing once I'm in Europe and ready to blog my actual adventures. But for now, this is all. Time to work on the thesis, which is due in 28 days. And in 35 days, I fly out!! I think it's obvious which one I'm more excited about.

HBL signing out from Sydney, Australia. G'nite mate!!