Well the trip to Australia went extremely well. Visa in passport, friends caught up with, family visited & as a bonus, I was able to help the Man Child move in to his new abode!! Sweet!!
Loads of pictures, so sit back, have a cup of tea & enjoy.
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| Entrance to the hotel in Hong Kong |
They are obsessed with the fairy light in HK - it was so pretty.
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| If you embiggen this photo you can see a guy on the floor using an angle grinder in among the crowds - OHS in action in Honkers!!! Mind you, no one was harmed, no one panicked, no one was harmed & all was well. Hmmm just adults being responsibly sensible. Go figure! |
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| Scaffolding on an 8 storey building |
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| Not much between the workers & the ground :/ |
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| So just a few people out for afternoon tea then? |
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I spent a couple of days in Hong Kong, had a great time relaxing & did a bit of market shopping. Made the classic rookie mistake of looking for a few seconds too long at a handbag, got dragged back to the stall, did a horrible bit of haggling & ended up with a lovely Cath Kidston red with white polka dots Hong Kong knock off. I love it!! Did not need a great deal so the shopping was rather restrained but did get some cute umbrellas & some very cheap t-shirts.
I did walk down Goldfish Street, fascinating street devoted to selling every pet imaginable! Some adorable puppies, kittens & even turtles. I was reliably informed that Hong Kongers are mad keen on their pets. I really loved Hong Kong & would love to return one day for a little longer & a more comprehensive visit.
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| These guys were really tiny! Stinking cute! |
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| Fish in bags all ready for purchase! |
Arrived in Australia 7am on New Years Eve & was completely shagged from no sleep on the plane. Did I mention the infant that screamed ALL. THE. WAY. ON. BOTH. LEGS?? Arrrghhhh!!!!
My patience ran out somewhere over Vladivostock!!! Oh well at least I had a few days to pull it together before the visa application had to be submitted & didn't I need it LOL. On night 2 I found myself slumped over on the couch & it took me 2 hours before I had the strength to drag myself to bed.
I was really stressed about the visa application & this was not helped by the snarky attitude of the woman at the High Commission office but the great news is that it was submitted, 6 very long weeks passed & then I received the excellent news that I was approved to get a working visa!! Just in time too - my money is running out fast. Now to decide what to do??
As luck would have it my trip coincided with the Man Child finally being allocated a new home. He has been waiting & living in a single room with shared facilities for 2 long years but now has a 2 bedroom town house just around the corner from our Sydney home.We shopped, painted, cleaned, spruced & generally went like maniacs to get as much done as we could before I had to leave. A big thanks to the friends who generously gave of their time & skills to help with curtain hanging, door fixing etc. We could not have done it without you & it is really appreciated.
As a bonus we got a rescue dog for the Man Child. A totally adorable Jug (Pug x Jack Russell) called Scarlet!
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| See totes adorable!! |
This of course required another shopping trip to
spoil outfit her for her new forever home. Being the cross breed gives her more of a snout so no breathing problems like pure pugs can have. She needs to lose a few kilos but the Man Child is walking her several times a day so that should be under control soon. She really has the most lovely nature & is fitting in like she has always been part of the family.
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| Very happy little girl. |
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| Isabella 1 at the ice cream shop after dinner at the favourite Italian. She looks impressed huh?? |
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| Isabella 2 - the most infectious giggle. |
Got to catch up with the 2 Isabella's - very hard to get a decent photo as they are both happy little whirlwinds! Two more loved and wanted children you could not find. Both are gorgeous!!
I was lucky to be able to stay in our home in between tenants & do a bit of tidying up in the garden. I have no idea what these fungi's are but they were removed with well gloved hand. They started out as tiny heads the size of a pencil in the most sulphorous yellow I have ever seen since, well sulphur!! Overnight they spread out to about the size of a tennis ball. Very interesting but not to be left for the new tenant.
The trip was extremely busy, extremely stressful & way too short but I am so glad to be back in the UK & back to the Prince & the fur kids. I feel like I can get on with life now & am out of the holding pattern. I am trying to establish a routine, get an income & move on. Wish me luck!
Loving it
Lush x
