walk the line

Snow came just in time and white Christmas it is! It started snow-storming. I had an exam in the afternoon and as it was heavily snowing I just in case left home more than 1,5 hours before. Barely made it.  Reminds me of January 2012 when there was a snowstorm in New York and the city shut down, even the subway stopped working.  There's time for cooking during the holidays! Christmas food (and sweets)! Turkey, pork, lots of cabbage, potatoes with cheese sauce, pumpkin and cranberry sauce! Marzipan-hazelnut truffles Cinnamon roll twists Mini cranberry sauce cobblers We also celebrated christmas with the dance group at Anne-Mari's cosy home.

One Republic, 11.11.14, Tallinn. 

These are from a book called Disorder in the American Courts and are things people actually said in court, word for word, taken down and published by court reporters that had the torment of staying calm while the exchanges were taking place: ATTORNEY: What was the first thing your husband said to you that morning? WITNESS: He said, 'Where am I , Cathy?' ATTORNEY: And why did that upset you? WITNESS: My name is Susan! __________________________ _____ ATTORNEY: What gear were you in at the moment of the impact? WITNESS: Gucci sweats and Reeboks. __________________________ __________________ ATTORNEY: Are you sexually active? WITNESS: No, I just lie there. __________________________ __________________ ATTORNEY: What is your date of birth?  WITNESS: July 18th.  ATTORNEY: What year?  WITNESS: Every year.  __________________________ ___________  ATTORNEY: How old is your son, the one living with you?  WITNESS: Thirty-eight or thirty-five, I can't remember which.  ATTORNEY: How lo

Estonians are very friendly and open when there's the trigger that pushes the button that makes the emotion pour out. Sophie is a fantastic trigger. Walking her is like being in some socialising hub, everybody wants to pet her and starts a conversation with me. One couple actually stopped their car in the middle of the road and ran around 100 meters into the field to come pet her.

Went to see " Begin again ". I have been waiting for the movie for quite a while.  Keira Knightley, Mark Ruffalo, Adam Levine, Hailee Steinfeld, Cee Lo Green, Catherine Keener. I'd prefer it's original name " Can a Song Save Your Life " but the movie is sweet, not cheesy and full of passion. Music is good and it characterises the life in NY so well, god I miss this city.  Vianney lives in Sweden now and came to visit for a weekend. What a lovely bar-hopping in Tallinn's cool, random, soviet and/or creepy bars.  I rarely watch tv. I mean, I'm addicted to many series but I like to watch them when I have time, not depend upon tv-schedules. This year, after being tired of work: dealing with crazy people for 8 hours straight, answering phone-calls when some Irina or Jelena whose husbands have disappeared without a trace to Russia or somewhere over the ocean, blame me for not letting them get divorced, or some Nikolai doe

It took a couple weeks to get used to being in Estonia BUT I didn't get a culture shock like last time I came back after being away for a year. It just felt lovely to be home. It was such an inspiring year, I'm full of motivation. I still sometimes turn my head a little too quickly when somebody talks in Estonian behind me on the street, with an amazed look "Estonians??", and still wanna say "excuse me" when I walk into somebody or "hi" and "cheers" when buying something in a store. Other than that I think I haven't completely forgotten my own language. Love driving my car again BUT the roads are horrible, never have I ever seen such large-scaled road-works EVERYWHERE. Driving to the city at rush hour is close to impossible. Of four lanes (2 both sides) often only one operates as a curvy slalom lane. And this is only one of the many closed roads. 

Jihye and her boyfriend Leo picked me up from the bus-stop in Seoul. After a quick light dinner headed to her place, as I was staying with her and her family. Her family friends came to visit and their daughter is an illustrator, so we had a little art-lesson. 

One week in Hong Kong. Had time to meet my dear old friends, make new ones and do the touristy stuff. Lantau island, Victoria Peak, Sai Kung national park and beach, markets and Hollywood Road, Soho, Wan Chai party district, art museums, Victoria Harbor and the Avenue of Stars. Hong Kong did not impress me too deeply. It's a mix of Western and Asian, yet unlike Bangkok I didn't find that something that makes it still authentic and special. Also, I managed to catch a cold. Damn AC. But I can only blame myself as every time I was inside I ran towards the ice-cold air-conditioner. The weather was super hot and humid.. No matter day or night, sun or no sun, the moment you put your nose out of the conditioned room you melt and drown in sweat.

We went rafting near Cairns and a very talented photographer took some action-shots!

I love how Aussies shorten every name or word in general. Brisbane is Brissie, Rockhampton is Rocky, kangaroo is roo, volunteers are vollies, mosquitos are mozzies etc. The first time I heard the word 'mozzies', I couldn't stop laughing! The cutest name for these often unbearably annoying creatures. Also, arvo as afternoon, or tea as dinner.. Gotta admit I was pretty confused in the beginning. Then again these abbreviations and all, are addictively handy, so please forgive me if I keep shortening all the words and no-one understands me.

The Hardest Part Of Traveling No One Talks About  - Kellie Donnelly "But the sad part is once you’ve done your obligatory visits for being away for a year; you’re sitting in your childhood bedroom and realize nothing has changed. You’re glad everyone is happy and healthy and yes, people have gotten new jobs, boyfriends, engagements, etc., but part of you is screaming don’t you understand how much I have changed? And I don’t mean hair, weight, dress or anything else that has to do with appearance. I mean what’s going on inside of your head. The way your dreams have changed, they way you perceive people differently, the habits you’re happy you lost, the new things that are important to you. You want everyone to recognize this and you want to share and discuss it, but there’s no way to describe the way your spirit evolves when you leave everything you know behind and force yourself to use your brain in a real capacity, not on a written test in school. You know you’re thinking dif

Many people told me that if I come to Cairns, I wouldn't go anywhere else anymore, it's just that beautiful that I wouldn't leave. Well it may have some truth to it as it is really lovely, but I wouldn't say it's the best place ever. I loved Melbourne, Esperance and Sunshine Coast at least as much! Cairns definitely has its charms tho. Small and compact, wonderful weather and lovely markets with fair enough prices. Met awesome people in Cairns, we had quite an international group.

Hervey bay - Agnes waters -  Rockhampton - Emu beach - Mackay- Airlie Beach - Whitsundays - Whitehaven beach - Townsville -  Ingham - Mission beach - Daintree Rainforest - Cairns

Toowomba - Brisbane - Sunshine coast - Caloundra - Noosa - Rainbow beach

We have now left our job at the car inspection. Got decently paid as did heaps of hours and are secured for some travels again. Quitting didn't go as smooth as planned. Our lady boss flipped out, yelled at us and threatened to call the police if we were not out of the premises in two minutes. 

Brisbane - Sydney - Toowoomba - Helidon - Dalby

What should you do when you want to go out but you can't really afford it? Well, if you are a female in Surfers Paradise you should go to Sin City on tuesdays or thursdays? We did. Left all the money home, took only a passport and had a fun night. Ladies drink free all night. And not lame girly cocktails, but all basic spirits, wine and champagne. As we were a little more observant this time, they actually put a proper amount of alcohol into a drink and they serve Bundy rum!!!

Theme parks are simply amazing! Gold Coast is the mother of theme parks - a total paradise for thrill seekers. When driving back from Brissie towards Surfers Paradise we decided to do something we've been dying to do for ages, take time off for a couple of weeks, live cheap and enjoy the amusement parks. We bought the passes which thanks to some combo deals were not even THAT expensive and are worth all the money. We could keep going to the parks until the end of june 2015.

Nimbin - Wells Crossing - Minni Waters - Coffs Harbour - Gold Coast - Brisbane

" All you need is that perfect song on a perfect drive to feel infinite! "  Epic roadtrip, volunteering and so much so good music!!

When we moved to Melbourne in the beginning of January everybody warned us about terrible, rainy weather and four seasons in one day. We saw none of that, had an absolutely beautiful summer. Three months of heat and sun. Now we moved to Sydney, ok, yes, it is autumn, but it is pretty close to Estonian autumn. Rainy, windy, muddy, chilly. We are secretly a bit amused, as we are convinced that Sydney got the shitty weather because the employer who offered us work here at the Easter Festival and then denied it, earned herself a bunch of bad karma. It has been pretty much constantly raining since the festival started. Hence, we are glad we are leaving early morning tomorrow. Another car-share and road-trip and Byron Bay awaits! 

Sydney is lovely! Still prefer Melbs, but there is nothing to complain here - except the expensiveness, which should not come as a surprise anymore.

.. and being very very open to the new ones.

Autumn is coming, which means it is time to leave the city and follow summer. The weather outside is cool, dark and rainy and hasn't been great for days now. I know all about the "four seasons in one day" in Melbourne but the experience we had for 3 months was "sunny and crazy hot". I guess we got lucky!

20.02 -  02.03.2014.  Met my mom in Bangkok and we traveled in south and south-east Thailand. 

We celebrated Valentines day on Friday with self-made delicious burgers, ice-wine, an “Unwell Bunny” street-art gallery exhibition opening, a concert in Hi-Fi lounge and a lot of random new acquaintances.

.. St. Kilda festival weekend!

.. about Superbowl, parades, movies and concerts

.. a lovely long weekend.

.. about lazy bosses, chaotic city and never ending job searches.

First impressions

Hello Melbourne!! What an elegant, vibrant, great city - was the first impression. Or, almost the first. The absolute first was: WTF weather????

I was talking to a friend of mine from Europe. Something he said: that it is weird I'm in a land down under, where everything, even the seasons are opposite. He made it sound like it is weird or wrong. Is it tho? Here, when the year ends, the school-year ends as well, the summer brings a vacation with Christmas and a beginning of the new year. Everywhere else the school-year ends randomly somewhere in the middle of the year.

After actually crossing the Nullarbor I will admit that hitchhiking would have not been the brightest idea.  Luckily in the end we did listen to people who forbade us to hitch, and decided to go for the car share. Crossed it with two germans Max and Björn.  Nullarbor (aboriginal word for no trees) plain is a deserted, almost treeless area about 1100 km long. In total our journey from Esperance to Adelaide was about 2200k long. I was excited in the start for some unknown reason, the excitement lasted for about 20 minutes. We missed the rest area/campsite on the first night and had to stop on a random smaller rest stop in the middle of nowhere. Only thing near us was a trash bin. And we were still tenting, without a proper mattress, while the ground was as aggressive as possible and the wind freezing cold. Cooked some rice and chicken with the boys. Portable gas cooker is an awesome invention, even with our wind 70m/s (I am exaggerating a bit), it worked. Were awoken at night by some an