get out bucket list, sharpen pencil, cross off "Fly Helicopter", smile and sigh.

Went down to Blacktown Airport today for my Helicopter Flying Lesson with Heli Scenic. This was special because I've always wanted to go for a helicopter ride and I'm sure once I'd been for a ride in one I'd want to know what it felt like to fly one. Today was lucky to do both.

So, what is it like? Well, I thought it would be scary lifting into the sky so quickly, but it surprisingly felt pretty normal. Definitely had a few "ohh sh!t" moments as the helicopter wobbled and tilted during the flight. It was a similar feeling to when I first started riding a motorcycle, lots to take in, lots of different controls and lots of noise. The controls are super sensitive, so a slight movement in the Cyclic meant we were rolling one way or another.

There are basically 3 controls that you need to manage simultaneously, so its similar to driving a manual car where you need to balance clutch and accelerator, but with one more element. That, and all the controls are way more sensitive and need to be constantly adjusted to keep the helicopter going in the direction you wanted to. Plus the fact that you've got a long way to fall if you totally mess up. No pressure.

And on to the pics:

Pic of the Helicopter I flew - Post Flight

getting fuelled up pre-flight

View as we were coming in for some low height practice followed by the pilot landing the chopper

Some of the other Helicopters in the hangar

Classroom Training Session

Sculpture by the Sea - 2013

With my new found freedom from the working world (well until  I find another job), thought I'd check out the annual Sculpture by the Sea exhibit during the day. It was also a good excuse to visit Bondi Beach. Pics below, let me know what you think.

Ain't over till the fat lady sings... well the fat lady has sung and her name was BlackBerry

All good things must come to an end. And it is with mixed emotions that I'm sharing that I will no longer be employed with BlackBerry as of next month. It has been an interesting 4.5 years with the company. Now is a good time to tell you a bit more about my journey.

Back in Jan/Feb 2009 I had ended a contract with HP and decided to book a one way flight to Vancouver to see if I could start a new future there. The first day in Vancouver I received an email requesting an interview with RIM 3000 kms away back in Waterloo. So here I am about to start a new adventure in a new city and have a calling to go back to my old University town. I wasn't overly eager at the beginning but this was around the time of the global financial crisis and I was quickly discovering that the job market in Vancouver was not well suited to my skill sets at that time. Plus it was a good opportunity at a company with a good reputation. I flew back for the interview about 3 weeks later. It took a few months to get everything sorted but started the job in June that year.

Fast forward 4 years and I'm now married and living in Sydney working in a much different role. It has been a great trip and a lot of good stuff happened between now and when I first started. Thanks for the "Roller Coaster" BlackBerry. Now on to bigger and better things. Wish me luck.

Parramasala

copied from their site: Parramasala is an international contemporary arts festival that celebrates the global impact of the arts and cultures of Western Sydney’s communities. The city of Parramatta is home to vibrant arts and entertainment including music, dance, theatre, comedy, film, markets and visual arts from around the world and Parramasala captures this wealth and folds it into a unique cultural event.

And now onto the pics and videos from the event:

Michael Jackson - Immortal Tour

Michael Jackson's music is like breakfast, it really takes a lot of effort to stuff it up. The Immortal tour was crap, felt like I was at a high school show. Would rather have spent the $160 we spent on tickets on a mixer and albums, so I could put on a show for the neighbours, sure they would have left happier than I did tonight.

Ahh well you win some and you lose some. Rudimental more than made up for it, which just happened to fall into the same week despite us buying tickets over 3 months ago. 

Still love MJ. Just had high hopes from Cirque du Soleil.

view from our seats before the stadium got packed

"waiting all night"

Ever wish you could capture a moment and bottle it in a jar? The vibe, the beats, the crowd, the feeling of bass in your bones, the drummer going ape-sh!t, the smoke machine and flashing nights? Last night we went to our first concert in Aus to see Rudimental. A bit of sentimental value here because its been one of our favourite groups since moving, and has been my go-to track on those de-stressing Friday nights after work.

They're a fantastic band, amazing vocals, trumpet was awesome and the energy from watching them play live was phenomenal.

The night started out with a DJ who looked like she was 12 by the way she was dancing from where we were sitting, but, the tunes she was mixing were awesome, Jaime and I shazaamed half of them for a playlist later. This was followed by a pair of DJ's called Gordon City who were pretty good. Rudimental head lined right after and the night was just crazy from that point on.

If you could take 5 things to a deserted island... what would they be?

After dinner, Pri and I started chatting as we do and the topic of what our top 5 things would be. Me, in typical Jaime fashioned rattled off the top five things that came to be in that moment while my husband umm-ed and ahh-ed about what those things would be! The table below summarizes the results!

I love you Pri but this just shows that we are the definition of opposites attract!

Results:

Jaime	Pri
Pen & Paper	Multi-tool
Deck of Cards	Flint
Picture of Momma, Daddoo, Sisterkat & MJK	Pen & Paper
Hairbrush	Vedas
Bathing Suit	Flares

dollar dollar bills

While I'm reflecting on the past year, thought it would be interesting to post what has happened to the Australian dollar since we arrived.

This is great if you have savings in another currency you're looking to transfer into the country. Not so great if you're looking to go on vacation or move to another country soon.

its been about a year...time to reflect

It's been about a year... well actually its a exactly a year since we touch down at the Sydney Airport with 4 bags of luggage.

When we first decided to move to Australia we knew that regardless of whatever happened it would at the very least be an interesting phase of our life; that one day we would look back on it and be glad we took a leap of faith and gave it an honest shot.

We decided to call it "Roller Coaster ..." because we knew that this journey would have many ups and downs, good days and bad days, fun times and no so fun times. Looking back after a year I think we were right.

So what's happened in the year we've been here?

• Seen our sisters get married and consequently, we've flown to Canada three times (Dec '12, May and July) and flown in from UK once (Sept '12) and there and back once (April)
• Moved places four times (Neutral Bay, North Sydney, Kirribilli and McMahons Point) 
• Travelled to Melbourne, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Auckland on weekend trips
• Had two sets of guests from UK and Canada
• And this blog should capture everything in between

And how does this translate to a Roller Coaster? It represents...

• ...our bank balance after going through a wedding and then shortly after selling a house/car/furniture and then purchasing all those flights, being on a single income, then double, then single again. Also, moving to a new country has a lot of costs both hidden and obvious. We came here with four suitcases and picked up few things on our trips back, but have had to buy the rest here
• ...my learning curve in my new job here and some of the associated challenges and rewards of being an employee in a company in the High Tech Industry going through, lets just say, some interesting times at the moment
• ...our feelings of home sickness
• ...our level of frustration/knowledge of being newbies in a new country so far from home

Things I thought I'd miss but don't:

• My car. Perhaps city living is growing on me.
• Living Space. I went from living in a decent enough sized house to a one bedroom flat. But simple living has its rewards, for one I can no longer indulge temptations to hoard, or buy stuff just because its on sale, or feel the need for loads of electronics
• Canada's four seasons. It actually gets quite cold in Australia in the winter. Yes, temperature wise its not as extreme as Canada in the winter, but the homes are not as insulated, there is no heating and when you don't own a car and you have to walk to work in the rain it kind of sucks.
• The option to do US shopping. Its actually cheaper to buy from Amazon and ship to Australia (<$1000) than it is in Canada because you don't have to pay duties or taxes on the purchase. Not so good if you're buying electronics/appliances as the voltage is different and warranty likely void.
• Owning property. Yes, from a long term financial prosperity perspective it makes absolute sense to own and there is no doubt about that. But mortgages, at least for me felt like a shackle and limited my sense of adventure and freedom to get up and go. It keeps you tied to your job, and forces you in a repeated pattern of make money, pay mortgage, and if you have enough left, then to live with the rest (within reasonable distance from the mortgage). I don't miss the surprise costs of having a water heater breaking, or roof leak, etc. I am enjoying this temporary break from home ownership.
• Weekend events. The barrage of commitments and endless events. Ok fine I didn't think I'd miss this...

Things I miss (beyond the obvious friends and family):

• My garage and tools
• Chicken Wings
• Ice Tea
• Knowing where to go for specific things. E.g. we needed to buy a fuse and I had no clue where to start looking
• Indian fresh vegetables. Living in the city in a non-Indian area has made it a bit more challenging to find. However, we've learned that if you're in one of the more Indian suburbs out here there are a few good options
• Being a permanent resident/citizen - living on a visa has its limitations, costs and fear of being kicked out of the country if you lose your job

Things I've grown to love more:

• The outdoors and living a healthy lifestyle
• Sushi and Thai food
• Wine
• Fascination with cruise ships
• Living close to water
• Attending events in the City

Given current news and events for my company and how life has an interesting way of presenting challenges and opportunities, we might be here for another month or another ten years. This makes planning and living, very difficult.... but lets see how this one plays out.

One thing thats for sure, it has definitely been an adventure, its been rewarding in so many different ways. You really get to assess a place once you've lived there. No amount of internet searches and advice from friends and family will ever fully equip you for your particular journey. Sydney has a lot of offer, we'd like to continue exploring at this stage.

Thanks for reading.

1 Year In... and what a year it has been!

It's been 1 year since we landed in Sydney and I can't believe how quickly time has flown by. It feels like just yesterday that we moved over here but at the same token when we got home it's as if we never left. Wait a minute.. thats because we travelled 3 times to Canada and 1 time to London in the last 12 months! Yes MENTAL!

Any who, there are so many wonderful things that I have come to appreciate about Sydney... the beautiful weather, the amazing scenery and that perfect mix of city meets beach.

I never ever thought that I could live without my winter boots, my heavy winter coat and all the accessories that come in between but I have done it for a year and it's safe to say I survived! The warmer weather generally has made me happier.. maybe thats a product of being away from commitments back home.. maybe its because Pri and I are able to live for us again or maybe its just because people in warmer climates live a happier life!

Granted we live in an amazing part of the city but the atmosphere is just conducive to healthier/happier lives and I can safely say that if it wasn't for the beauty of this city I may never have taken up running. Sydney has made me a runner and I think no matter where we live now - I will always have that ability to pick up my sneakers and do a 5k without thinking twice.

This year has been one that I will always cherish.. it was our first year as a married couple, it saw our first big move, our first new house furniture shopping adventures and the first time that I started to put myself first and figure out what me as an individual wants out of life.

After 6 months working at GE Capital in Sydney.. I decided yet again that GE was not for me so after much umm-ing and ahh-ing and plenty of encouragement from my husband I decided to enrol in school and finally do what I've wanted to do. After flying a 24 hour journey back to Sydney from Toronto, I started my first day at the Sydney College of Event Management.

As the days and weeks began to flew by I knew instantly that I made the right choice and this was where I wanted to be. The lecturers are amazing, the content is relevant and the course is packed in so tight (for the 6 months) that I really don't have the time to get bored! A perfect fit! We complete courses in event design and productions, event management theory, sustainability and project management among others. They have guest speakers, site visits and industry experience that really just rounds off the course. I'm looking forward to my new career and cant wait to finish the course and get into industry and start doing what I love!

On a personal note, the last year has brought me and my hubs so much closer together as a couple. We have set a solid foundation for the way we want to live our life and no matter where we live now we will be happier because of this year.

Lets see what the next year has to offer!

City to Surf 2013

Over the weekend I took part in my first distance run at the Sydney's City to Surf. This 14km race from Sydney CBD (or downtown) to the famous Bondi Beach! It was definitely not an easy feet with more inclines than one should ever run as well as 80,000 other participants some as young as four and others dressed head to toe in costume. Either way, I am happy to say that I completed my first ever distance race is under my goal of 2hrs at 1hr and 40 minutes which isn't too bad considering I skipped 3 weeks of training when I came back to Mississauga in July for my sister's wedding.

Now I need to decide what the next race is going to be... might push myself and aim for a half marathon next!

City Mile Dash

Been a while since our last post, have loads to update you on!

Back in June I participated in the City Mile Dash - a 1 mile run for Cancer Council of New South Wales. It was hosted in Barangaroo - which is an area that may soon be totally redeveloped to host a billion dollar casino.

Below are photo's from the run with the team. Overall, it was a great day out followed by some drinks at a really nice pub. However it was a bit of a wake up call on my fitness level, I think with all the travel lately I'm totally got out of shape, and its time to get back into regular running again (like Jaime and her training for City to Surf)

I'd like to especially thank the family and friends who supported me by donating to the charity, your gifts were very much appreciated!

some post run bevies