To Give or Not to Give?

I was on my way to meet up with Sam for lunch in Chinatown. As I was in the train reading a newspaper, I suddenly heard a voice from a man. I heard him say, "Sorry to bother everyone, but I would like to ask if you could all give me some money to buy something to eat..." During this time , no one said anything and as I looked up slightly, all I could see was one person ready to give some coins to the homeless man and everyone else pretended they didn't hear anything (myself included). He was then slowly walking through the carriage and as he went closer to me I was thinking to myself whether I should give him any money. At the same time I was thinking, 'How did he afford to get on the train?', 'Did he actively try to find work?' etc.. By the time I finished pondering, he had already walked past me and even the girl next to me have given some coins to him. Was I wrong not to give money to him? What if he really needed it? If you were in a similar situation, what would you have done?

Chapter Twentythirteen

I still can't believe how fast 2012 has passed! It felt just like yesterday when I arrived in a big city called London with my suitcases, not knowing a single person and trying to start a new life here. Jumping forward, I have now been in the UK for 11 months. So what have I achieved this year? Meeting and making new friends from all over the world, travelled to over 10 cities in Europe, worked in more than 15 schools, being in and out of a relationship and the most important was finding out who I really was. I don't think that is a bad achievement for Chapter Twentytwelve?

So what are my ambitions and goals for Twenty13? Finding a new home to move in with my two mates would be a start. That would be followed with more travel plans in Europe and making more new friends and strengthening existing ones. I had always wanted to do some volunteer work which had never eventuated. However, I will place more effort this year and find an organisation that I feel passionate working with. The last thing on my mind is to start another relationship but I guess with these things, you never know what will happen right?

I have originally thought of changing my blog title to Chapter Twentythirteen, but decided not to. Chapter Twentytwelve was when I endeavoured to make a big change in my life and so I guess is a very significant reminder to me.
For those who do read my blog, I hope you can use 2013 as a year to make a change in your life, even if it is just one thing. Hey if I can do it, then there is no excuse for you not to do the same!

You Don't Miss Your Water Till The Well Runs Dry

Coming back to Australia for five weeks has to be one of the best things I have done this year (not including any European travel destinations).

Landing back in Perth, it felt like I have never left, which can both be a positive and negative thing. For a start, the familiar faces and sights are a bonus! Secondly, as everyone says, the weather in Perth has to be one of the best in the world! No over-exaggeration!

Coming back to attend two lots of weddings was the main excuse, but also as an excuse to see my family and friends. After 8 months of absence from Perth, I expect to see a complete change in everyone. In reality, this wasn't the case... I guess it is positive in a way as that means I haven't missed out too much and I can nicely slot back in my friendship groups.

I have to say that being away for 8 months have let me clear a lot in my mind. One important realisation is how much I have taken my family and friends for granted. You don't realise how important they are till they aren't around you (hence the correlation to my post title). Secondly, being away from Australia, a place I have lived in my whole life is a lot more awesome then I thought it was. You would always hear me saying to my housemates: "They only do this in Australia..." or "You would love Australia...".

Don't get me wrong, I love England and being away from home, but it has made me more appreciative of all the things I have. I am the most content I have ever been in my life and I really hope that those around me can feel that too.

So if you are reading this, pause for a sec and think about what you have. Stop that whinging and complaining and learn to appreciate all those around you. Don't take things for granted and be satisfied with what you have achieved and own. Oh I feel so wise at the moment :)

Chapter Twentytwelve- Sydney

I can't remember how many times I have visited Sydney over the years but I guess this time it is more to visit friends, rather than being a tourist. I didn't even bring my camera! I'm very lucky to have met a group of friends that I knew through Sam and it certainly is different to come to Sydney this time round without my best mate around.

Again, it feels a bit different visiting Sydney this time as I lived in a suburb (with my friend) away from the city and was given a more local view of Sydney. One of the first visits was to 'The Grounds' which is a new hip cafe located in Alexandria that was voted as Sydney's best brunch cafe. The cafe is located in an industrial area which i guess makes it even more 'exclusive'. As it was a Saturday, my friends and I expected a long wait and boy was the weight long (70 minutes to be exact)!

Another interesting place I visited was 'Sculptures by the Sea' which was along Bondi Beach. Back in Perth, there has been a similar exhibit which unfortunately I have not visited before. I really liked how the sculptures were spread along the cliffside which made you also explore and interact with the beautiful surroundings. Some examples taken on my phone:

Another highlight of my Sydney trip was catching up with a friend that I had met when I was in Turkey. As she had a car, she was able to show me places that I was unable to access by public transport such as Botany Bay, Cogee Beach and the neigbourhood she lived in. She also organised dinner at a restaurant in Bondi called Hurricane to eat the most delicious ribs I ever had! She also organised a 4 hour bike ride around the city, starting from Centennial Park and going through the local streets of Sydney. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Sydney from another perspective.

Sunset at Botany Bay

As my friends had to work during the weekday, I did my own exploration, starting with brunch each morning around the local neighbourhood of Sydnham. To be honest, I didn't really remember visiting a lot of places but I did remember going to the Fish Markets to have my Oysters!
In a way, I was trying to imagine seeing myself live in Sydney and see if this city could become my future residence...

A dozen of fresh oysters were barely enough...

I'm not really sure when I will be back in Sydney but the next time I'm back could be when I decide to move there?

My Architecture Encounter- Open House London

I've always been into architecture since I was a young kid. I remember whenever I had the opportunity I would always draw the skyscrapers that make up the Perth skyline. Being in London, I always come across interesting buildings but most do not allow public entry. So when I read in the newspaper about Open House in London, I immediately got excited! Open House in London is basically when over 700 properties over the city is open for only 1 weekend and is free for public viewing. Looking at the website, I narrowed down to 30 properties I really wanted to see. Unfortunately, I was only able to fit in 10 properties over the 2 days. Below are the ones I managed to see (not in any particular order):

55 Baker Street
This building used to be a department store but has been transformed into an office building. It has three glass in-fills between the building voids and one of them creates the dramatic entry. A shame we weren't allowed to explore more of the building apart from the lobby.

Artchive- Phillip Hughes Studio

This is a private art studio which was extended at the back of the building with a sloping glass roof. The bathroom is actually in the lounge room made from concrete and ceramic tiles to create an enclosed "cave".

City Hall
This building is home to the Mayor of London and deserves to be called a landmark in itself. As you can see in the picture, one half of the building is made up of a spiralling staircase that allowed you to see views of River Thames. I was lucky enough to go to the viewing platform (at the top of the building) which is usually only open during private events, to get a glimpse of the London skyline!

Container City
This is situated in a hidden wharf at East India which contains London's only lighthouse. The building is constructed out of ship containers to create a centre for the arts. This building was one of my favourites as it was creative and original. The wharf also had an awesome American diner that sold cheap burgers and hot dogs which I will definitely revisit!

Ed's Shed/ Sunken House
This house literally looked like a wooden cube at street level. The building is clad in a cedar rain screen and contains a vertical single window at the front of the house to create a 'minimalistic' look. My favourite area of the house was at the basement level where two large windows frame the courtyard, looking out to a beautiful tree (not sure what variety the tree is).

Hidden House
This is literally what you call a 'dream' home. This house has been featured on Grand Designs and was only completed last year. The house is made up of four levels and has it's own night club dance floor on the bottom level. It also has a 'wellness' centre that consists of a sauna and spa complete with background relaxation music. This house was innovative and inspirational in terms of what can be achieved in such a tight space. The house can only be accessed through the wall at the end of a cul-de-sac as it was built on a former neighbour's backyard. Guess what? It can be building from only 850k (pounds)... Bargain!

One Bishops Square
This building was not what I expected it to be. On the outside it looked like a normal office building, but it was the inside that really stood out. The building is a creation of Foster and Partners (if you are into buildings then you will know how awesome their designs are!). The building contains two voids, each containing a distinctive art installation. The first installation is made up of vertical flowers that move through the use of magnets and will open up when it senses sunlight. The second installation is made up of vertical 'curtains' of LED light bulbs. The main highlight of this building was the rooftop garden which has extensive views of the city skyline surrounding Liverpool Street. I can see myself working in this building...

Ravensbourne
This unique building is an art and design university situated in Greenwich. It is a next door neighbour of the O2 Arena. On the outside, it is made up of circular windows of various sizes and clad with metal 'jigsaw' pieces that fit the building perfectly. Inside, it contains interlinked floors of open and closed learning spaces. This is definitely one of the coolest university buildings I have seen!

Roca London Gallery
Unfortunately I did not make it in time to view the internal of this showroom but the outside was created using curved pieces of concrete. The showroom displays bathroom products so I guess the outside of the building was inspired by the rippling effect of water?

Village Underground

This was the first place I visited on my two day tour of Open London. I remember walking down a normal side road and upon finding the address I had to enter the actual site by walking up a set of spiralling stairs in a small courtyard. The land is actually on top of an abandoned railway viaduct. It uses recycled tube carriages to create space for artist studios. On the top carriage, if you look outside the drivers area at the front, it shows views of the surrounding street so it feels like you are 'driving' above ground. This building shows a creative and sustainable use of space.

30 St Mary Axe 
I was very disappointed I could not go into the building as there was a 5 hour wait to enter. The queue was unbelievable! The building also known as 'The Gherkin',  is a 40 storey office building in London's financial district. The building is distinctive and has a glaze dome at the top which shows a 360 degree view across the city.

For those people in Western Australia, Perth will have its first Open House event from the 1st to 3rd of November 2012. Unfortunately, I will be in Sydney during that time and I have heard the new Perth Arena will be open for public viewing!

I thoroughly enjoyed having the opportunity to explore buildings I would never have the chance to. I believe the whole event allowed the public to appreciate architecture and their surroundings.

12 Days in Turkey

Get ready for a long read on my awesome trip to Turkey!

Turkey was never on the top of my list of places to travel to but after hearing numerous stories from people, as well as getting a good deal from the TNT travel show, I decided to sign up with Travel Talk on their 12 days 'Best of Turkey' trip.

Day 1: Istanbul
I arrived in Istanbul in the afternoon and was picked up by Travel Talk to the Prince hotel. I was actually impressed with the hotel, especially when I went with a tour company. It was a 4 star hotel with Internet and all the basics, so no complaints there. The only thing was the poor soundproofing but caused a bad night's sleep due to a noisy neighbour! We met downstairs for a briefing on the trip before we headed out for dinner. The tour guide called Yavuz took us to this awesome lane way where we sat down to have my first Turkish dinner.

Day 2: Istanbul
I started off with a buffet breakfast hotel with Olives, eggs and other Turkish foods. Then we headed to our first destination which was the old town square where the German fountain was. We then walked to the Blue Mosque. I was expected the Blue Mosque to be a structure covered internally and externally with Blue tiles, but that was not the case. When I arrived, the first thing i saw was the six imposing towers surrounding the domed roof. Yavuz told our group that this was the only mosque in Istanbul with 6 towers. A condition to enter the mosque was that shoes had to be removed before entry. And what would you expected if 100's of people entered all at once on a hot day? Stinky feet smell! Putting the smell aside, internally the blue mosque was beautiful! Surrounded by low hanging lights, there were blue tiles in several areas, hence giving it the name.
After we visited the Blue Mosque, we went to a bigger and more beautiful mosque/ church called Hagia Sophia Museum which was not as famous. This structure had such an interesting history to it relating to both the Islam and Christianity religions. You really need to be here to learn all about it.

Day 3: Gallipoli
Hearing stories about Gallipoli in primary school, I always wanted to travel to this place to pay respect to those who lost their lives in the war. Our tour group left the hotel early in the morning for a long drive to the different sites relating to the Gallipoli war. The first stop was North Cove, where the Anzac Day ceremony was held each year.

Day 4:Troy and Pergamum
We work up early to visit Troy. The only thing I remembered about Troy as a kid was the wooden horse that was brought into the city. Arriving at the site was a bit underwhelming, as I thought the horse would be bigger. In addition the ancient city of Troy was also a lot smaller than I thought it would be and there really wasn't much to see, apart from a few small ruins.
After visiting Troy, we went back on the bus to our next destination: Pergamum. Although Pergamum was less famous than Troy, the site was a lot more interesting and bigger. Now this was what I call an ancient city! Looking at the pillars and underground tunnels, it showed how creative and smart the early settlers were.

Day 5: Ephesus
Ephesus has to be one of the biggest and best preserved ancient cities in the world! After being underwhelmed by Troy we went to this ancient city with so many different areas to see. The creators of this city is so smart in considering so many things such as having a waterfall in the communal toilets to counteract the 'sounds' made by other users! Ephesus really would have been a beautiful city in terms of architecture if all buildings remained intact.

Day 6: Fethiye
We woke up later than usual after a long night out in Fethiye. With the remaining people hungover and exhausted, we went to our first adventure of the day and properly the most interesting yet: The Saklikent gorges. It was not what I expected at all. We basically went through a deep crack formed by an earthquake. The gorge had a stream running through it, and at times the water went past our knees.

Day 7 to 12: Marmaris, Pamukkale, Cappadocia, Ihlara and Istanbul.
I can continue going on and on about what I did for each day of the trip but I'm sure you are probably sick of reading and I believe the pictures below will speak a thousand words! (It also is my old self being lazy as well typing up my travels) There were so many amazing sights and things I experienced for the remaining duration of the trip but definitely some highlights included the Fairy chimneys, hot air balloon ride and the underground city in Cappadocia.

I cannot say enough on how amazing this country is and how much more I appreciate Turkey and its culture. Travel Talk really has impressed me with the accommodation, sights, our knowledgeable travel guide (Yavuz) and the people I met on this trip! I'm going to wait for the next airfare specials to fly back to Turkey again!

The Blue Mosque

Inside the Blue Mosque

 Hagia Sophia Museum

Looking outside Hagia Sophia Museum

At the ANZAC memorial

The famous horse at Troy

The beautiful ruins of Pergamum

Ephesis

A city carved out of stone on a cliffside!

Where was this again? 

I will never forget my balloon ride in Cappadocia!

Celebrating a successful balloon ride

Beautiful ceramics in Turkey

Turkish food!

Music- The World's Greatest by R. Kelly

One day, I was supply teaching and was taking my students into the hall for a special assembly. As our class entered the hall, this song was being played in the background. The students were told that a teacher was leaving, and as a surprise, the whole school will be singing this song to the teacher on her last day. As the students begin to sing the song as a rehearsal, it started giving me chills up my spine. It doesn't do justice with me telling you this; it has to be something you have to experience yourself in a hall with 500 students singing this song together.

It gave me memories of when I left my teaching post in Geraldton. I remember the principal calling out myself and some of my fellow teachers to the front of the assembly. I recall how sad it was to be at the front. If the school sang this song to me at that moment, I'll probably be crying my head off and it doesn't matter whether I am a guy or not.

Teaching has given me a mixture of good and bad memories (mostly good). Although I am regaining my passion through supply teaching in London, I can't see myself having my own classroom again. Last week I was offered a teaching position for the next academic year for a school I have been doing supply with, as the deputy said she was impressed with what I was doing. However, I rejected the offer.  There is too much pressure from others and myself to be a teacher. I don't want to relive what I went through last year and how depressed I was in my job.
I do put my hats off to all teachers around the world and I do think that we are ONE of the greatest professions in this world (as perfectly described by this song)!