In other news...

Check out my new baby.
While my dear friend was busy giving birth to a gorgeous baby girl (congrats guys!), I too received a new bundle of joy (not quite as exciting but nearly!). You can't really tell from the pic but it's just a tiny wee thing and can even fit in my shoulder bag! Love it!

Weighing up the options + other bits & bobs

So Samui looks like it could be a good contender, although (this may sound bizarre), there doesn't appear to be that many options in terms of great beaches. Remember that we can't be too remote as Bighead needs a good internet connection for work and I need one for... you know... mucking around.

One of the best beaches, Chaweng, is over run with party people and the other, Lamai, is lacking that 'something special' we're looking for. There are however, some great looking international schools and even a 3 theatre cinema! In fact, there is also 3 large supermarket/malls. The amount of new development here at the moment is truly mind boggling.

We've pretty much decided that the best approach in our search for 'the location', is to visit each spot briefly to get an overall feel. Check amenities, beaches, restaurants, possible accommodation etc. and from there, attempt to narrow it down. We'll then spend a few months living in each. Who knows! Perhaps after seeing the choices, it will be obvious where we belong. We do both feel (and have done from the day we arrived), that Thailand is the place for us.

We've been cruising around Samui on the scooter today and although I knew this particular sight existed, we actually stumbled upon it by accident (truly). It's called Grandfather and Grandmother Rock. It's basically some rocks that look... well... vaguely phallic. The location itself, is actually gorgeous. A crystal clear bay with large granite boulders tumbling into the ocean. I find it quite strange that it's actually 'a sight'. I mean, when we were there, there were a whole bunch of people (on a tour of some kind) posing for photos in front of a penis shaped rock. It baffles me, mind you I suppose a lot of tourist attractions baffle me. Especially the new 'Ice Bar' with life sized tuk tuk ice sculpture (apparently) and Thai waitresses wearing Eskimo hats! What a funny species we humans are.

So anyway, enough of the ranting. We're off to Koh Phangan (otherwise known as Paradise Island) in a few days. I'm keen to spend some time exploring the rest of the island as last time (when we were younger) it was all about the full moon party.

What are we doing here?

One of the reasons I started this blog is to share with you, the experience of downsizing, packing up and moving to Asia. Bighead and I are drawn to Asia for many reasons; climate, food, diving, cost of living to name a few. We are fortunate that we have a business back home that Bighead has been managing remotely.

The next few months of travel through South East Asia are a test to see how well this works (and confirm that it's possible). We're also using the time to explore the possibility of what it will be like to live in the tropics. Sometime during this journey, we hope to make a choice as to where, or if, we'll set up camp in Asia permanently.

One of the biggest issues we're experiencing is the internet. When I say we, I really mean Bighead because I'm not actually doing much at the moment except swanning around! Bighead tells people we're on a working holiday. He's working and I'm on holiday. Too true. Finding a wireless internet connection that is fast enough has been difficult here in Bali, that and the growing colony of ants living in Bighead's keyboard, are cause for concern.

There's certainly something special about this place that we're both drawn to, but I guess I've always had Thailand in the back of my mind as the place we'll most likely end up. Because of this, I've found it difficult to be in Bali without it feeling more like 'the holiday' before Thailand. It's difficult to start building a new life in a place that, in the back of your mind, doesn't feel like it's going to be the ultimate destination.

So. After much diliberation, we've decided to stop mucking about and head straight to Thailand to found out once and for all. We leave tonight.

Who knows, we may be back.

Addicted to manicures

Oh my gosh, this morning I went for my very first professional manicure (I know, I know, I'm sorry girls, I'm a bit slow off the block). It was so nice and my fingers feel so girly right now it's not funny. Who would have thought? I think this may be the start of something grand...



I've never seen my hands looking so swish... not sure how this will fit with being a potter, but there must be a way around it.

There's a chance I may become a salon junkie here guys, what next do you think? a pedicure? daily massage? body scrub? Who wants in?

First bout of homesickness

I've tried eating chocolate, western meals and even a $5 icecream but sometimes you just can't help feeling a little out of sorts. Being away from home is not just about a continuous stream of exciting new adventures (although I certainly can't complain about the lack there of!).

A phone call home helped alot (thanks :-) xx), along with the knowledge that my runaway cat is safe and sound.

"We are torn between a nostalgia for the familiar and an urge for the foreign and strange. As often as not, we are homesick most for the places we have never known".