Recession talk

There is now a lot of talk of recession here in Australia. I am sure that we won't get away unscathed in view of the credit crunch and international financial wobbles. But, hopefully China will be keeping up investment in Australia. Of course, the AUD is weak so it will attract investment and that will be good for export and tourism. I don't know. People seem genuinely worried. I just hope that the pundits who say that Australia is well-placed to deal with the downturn are right.

Don't go there

When you travel you get to learn to adapt and enjoy whatever twists and turns the road ahead delivers. You know when to be philosophical when things are not exactly ideal or as you would have expected them to be. This is only natural. And, of course you will have your preferences and predilections when it comes to travelling and vacation destinations. For me, having travelled around Europe and a bit in Asia and Australia, I have definite favourites when it comes to which places I enjoyed the most.

If I had to say to someone don't go there because chances are you will not like it, I would have to offer large parts of the city of Athens as a potential candidate. I loved seeing the Acropolis, which towers over the otherwise grimy and monotonous sprawl of a city. Also, the old Turkish area of the Plakka is worthwhile. But when it comes to the joys of travel I would have gladly skipped most of Athens. It is a huge place and quite dirty and most of the uninspired architecture is of concrete and almost identical to every other building in the city.

I loved Greece but thought that parts of Athens were just quite awful. And I am not even mentioning the pollution and smog. Well, I have now, so there. If you find yourself in Athens make sure you escape to one of the wonderful islands and you’ll be okay.

Funny and strange

It is funny and strange to think that I live in Sydney, Australia now. How strange a thing life can be, really. I always dreamt of doing just this: to make my way back to the place of my birth. It was always this big thing in front of me and in the back of my mind. And now, after so many years, the dream has become real. This week I have had some more time to myself and I have been a bit more contemplative. Moving to a new country is not always easy but I have done it before when I relocated from Holland to the U.K.

Of course, circumstances are very different but I know that I will be okay. At some fundamental level you just have to trust your self and to have faith in your own bounce-backability, if you forgive me the usage of such an inane sounding term.

Life can be wonderful and also terrible. But dreams can come true, take it from me..

A dip in the pool

Yesterday I went for a swim in the local tidal pool. It was gorgeous to just float about a bit and cool off on a hot day. Of course, it being a tidal pool, I was swimming in-between fishes and what not but that did not bother me at all. It was fabulous to go for a swim again. I had not done that in ages. I will be back there soon.

Life in a new country

It has been just over a month that I left England’s shores and went off to find a new life here in Australia. How do I feel? I feel very well and not at all apprehensive about the future to any great extent. Perhaps that is also to do with the relaxed attitude of most people here. Nothing much seems to worry them and I hope some of that laid-back approach will rub off on me.

Getting a great degree

Everyone knows full well that studying for a degree can help anyone increase their chances of a having a good career. And, of course it goes without saying that it is always a good idea to increase your skills base and keep working on improving your study or work situation. After all, studying in your very own free time and when you like to plan your studies in-between your other activities is a great way to gain a qualification of any kind. Studying for an online university degree at a renowned institution such as Capella University could be the answer for you. Don’t forget that there is a whole range of courses to choose from and they provide degree qualifications on many levels and in a wide variety of subjects.

“This blog post was based on information provided by Blogitive. For more information, please visit Blogitive.com.”

Arty

Corner of Balmain Town Hall which is presently undergoing extensive refurbishing. This area has some lovely houses and buildings dotted around that seem to catch you unawares, just when you're turning a corner. I love the exotic look of some of the properties and just delight in going for a walk through the winding streets and back lanes. Haven't made it down to the harbour pool yet but I will when it gets hotter. What a great place to live..