1. Did anyone read you a bedtime story when you were a child?
Yes I was lucky that both my parents would read to us in bed, they would take turns. I remember my mum would struggle with the complicated words in my Thundercat novels and I’m sure it wasn’t easy, especially with English being her second language.
2. Did you read bedtime stories to anyone?
Yes I have read to my niece and nephew, I absolutely love reading with them!
3. Do you prefer to read a book, an ebook/kindle, or audio book?
I have never used a kindle although I imagine it would be much easier, especially at night as it has a night light.
4. What is your favourite fairy tale?
Ooh good question. Hansel and Gretel always left a big impression on me. Two siblings abandoned in the forest, only to stumble upon a gingerbread house that turns out to belong to a witch who plans to eat them. I’m not sure why I enjoyed it so much haha but I remember really enjoying it.
Gratitude – Grateful to be off work today and winding down for Christmas.
Thank you Di for this weeks interesting questions.
1. Have you ever been fishing?
I went once with a friend as a teenager and found it extremely boring and I detested putting the bait on the hook. Needless to say, I never tried it again.
2. What do you consider to be the bravest thing you’ve ever done?
Moving to Australia.
3. Would you rather: curl up with a good book in front of an open fire, or settle down with a tub of popcorn and watch a good movie with a friend.
A tub of popcorn and watch a movie. I would say I rarely do either of these but a movie with a friend sounds fun.
4. Have you ever owned tropical fish?
No funnily enough I have never. When I was a kid, my family home had a tank of colourful fish and I really loved watching them, there was something so fascinating and therapeutic about watching fish swimming, with seemingly not a care in the world. Maybe I one day will have my own fish, that’s not something I have ever considered before.
No not really. I have nothing to plan as it will be just us two this year, which I’m really looking forward to. I will be working a lot and even bought myself a new Christmas scrub to wear. I want to try make the Christmas week festive for us and our patients.
2. What is your favourite Christmas/holiday movie?
I love The Holiday with Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet. Growing up I always loved The Santa Clause and Home Alone.
3. What is your pet hate Christmas song?
I’m not a lover of Merry Xmas Everybody” by Slade. I think it’s the shouting throughout of “It’s Christmaaaaaaaaas!” the really annoys me.
4. Which actor in your opinion made the best Father Christmas?
I always loved Tim Allen and I can totally appreciate Richard Attenborough but recently I have really enjoyed Kurt Russell in The Christmas Chronicles, he really looks like Father Christmas!
1. Do you have a keepsake box (where you retain special cards, pictures, letters, things that are special to you)?
I actually do. It’s a really old box that belonged to my Dad as a teenager and then he gave it to me, complete with a Blondie sticker inside. I have all my most personal and prized possessions in it and it’s back in Northern Ireland for safe keeping. I love opening it every now and again and seeing the memories flash before me.
2. What has made you smile lately?
Just thinking about this box has made me smile!
3. Are you a morning person or a night owl?
Definitely a morning person. 7am would be a lie in for me. I love seizing the day and I am most productive in the mornings.
4. Do you prefer to be hosts or guests at a dinner party or family event?
I do like to host but I LOVE being a guest, so much less stress!
If you were a colour, what would you choose to be? Green or blue. I own a lot of these colours in clothing as I think they are happy colours for me. I love a blue sky and I adore greenery like trees, grass, plants, woodlands etc. I feel like they’re warm and uplifting colours. Therefore, you will quite often see me wearing these colour of clothes.
What one piece of advice would you give your younger self? Don’t do a degree because all your friends are doing it. I completed a geography degree as my friends had all enjoyed it and I had heard the field trip to Europe was amazing. However, I didn’t really enjoy it, the field trip really wasn’t that great and I have never used this degree. A complete waste of time.
What was the best piece of advice you were ever given? Your health is your wealth. I really appreciate this one.
If you needed advice on a matter, who would you ask (friend, family, professional etc) It was always my dad and sometimes still is but more often now it is my partner.
Thanks Di for this week’s questions. I love eggs so I felt the desire to answer your chosen questions this week again.
1. If you were offered “The Full English” what would you expect?
I do love a full English breakfast or an Ulster Fry (the difference is in the breads used). I would hope for sausage, bacon, fried eggs, tomatoes, black or white pudding, toast or fried bread and baked beans. I know not everywhere offers beans but may have mushrooms or a hash brown. It’s not the healthiest of breakfasts but boy is it tasty!! Maybe some HP brown sauce too! The Ulster Fry found in Northern Ireland will have soda bread and potato bread, lovely!! I used to eat these all the time but now extremely rarely, especially since moving to Australia, it’s just not the same and I am more health conscious these days, boring!
2. How do you like your toast (with butter, jam, marmalade etc) ?
I do love toast with jam or marmalade but I try to be healthy and have avocado on my toast these days.
3. How do you prefer you eggs?
Scrambled or poached. Fried if I have a hangover (not often these days thankfully).
4. If you have a boiled egg, do you like to dunk ‘soldiers’?
Oh I do love dunking soldiers. It reminds me of my childhood, where the yolk has to be runny and you cut your toast into strips to be able to dunk into your egg, sitting in its egg cup. Good times!
This was in Edinburgh, Scotland. As you can see it’s missing the beans and brown sauce for me.
Thanks Di for this week’s questions. I haven’t participated in some time but these questions really resonated with me this week.
1. Can you remember your first wage packet?
I remember I was so excited to receive my first payslip when I was 16. I cannot remember the total but I remember the hourly rate being £3.30 an hour. I thought this was great at the time and I’m sure it was as I had nothing to pay for, no bills, rent etc.
2. Was it cash, a cheque or paid directly into your bank account?
It was paid directly into my bank account.
3.Do you prefer to shop with cash or card?
I much prefer to pay with card, it’s so much easier and much cleaner than having to touch money. In fact, I don’t even carry a bank card as I have it on my phone. I literally just carry my phone for everything, which is slightly worrying, if I lose my phone or it runs out of battery. That being said, I am going to actively try to use cash for small things like coffees, getting my hair cut etc as I have noticed that banks are charging a fee to use your phone / card and the shop assistant etc never tell you this. For example, a coffee here is about $4.50 but if I use my phone / card they charge an extra 30 cents. That soon adds up if you’re using your phone / card all the time. Plus I hate to think I am giving my hard earned cash to the banks!
4. Do you know the price of half a dozen eggs?
I don’t buy eggs very often as they had been very hard to get here in Australia for some time and they’re very expensive. I think half a dozen would be about $5 but I could be wrong. If I was to buy eggs, I would always buy a dozen which is normally about $8 or $9.
5. Have you ever kept chickens?
No but I would absolutely love to in the future!!! They are such quirky birds with lots of character and imagine having all those free eggs!!
Today I hit a HUGE milestone (for me) with achieving one thousand subscribers.
That’s a thousand humans (and possibly a few bots) who clicked follow, subscribe or ‘I’m kind of curious with what Wayne is rambling about today’.
From Wayne’s Word to tray bakes, travel highlights to colourful doors, you have stuck around and I am incredibly grateful for that. Whether you have read, may it be one post or a hundred, I want to say, THANK YOU!
This is my 21st day posting in a row and I have to say this has been the key for me, posting often. With creating Wayne’s Word and joining in different blogging prompts, it has kept the fire burning within me to keep blogging. The community here is fantastic for encouraging you and making you feel extremely welcome when the world around us can seem hard and sad at times.
Here is to the next thousand followers, the next word, travel adventure or whatever wonders lie in between.
Thanks Di for the questions this week – when I seen them, I just had to answer!
1. Do you exercise regularly?
Yes indeed I do. I frequent the gym at least four times a week. I do two cardio / strength classes and two PT classes, plus maybe my own little sessions.
2. Have you ever belonged to/visited a gym?
Yes! Since joining the gym in 2017 I have been addicted to exercising. I used to visit the gym sporadically in Northern Ireland but when I started to see results at my gym in Sydney, it gave me the desire to keep training at the gym. I had the most amazing PT at the time and she really gave me the motivation and inspiration to keep it up. I have grown to absolutely love going to the gym and I have made so many friends along the way. I almost miss the gym when I can’t go for whatever reason. However, I have to remind myself, as long as you’re exercising at least thirty minutes a day, it doesn’t matter if you attend the gym. Even walking is really good for you.
3. When it comes to diet, what is your greatest weakness?
I would say not eating enough. I’m pretty healthy with my diet. I never crave chocolates, sweets or pastries etc. I just struggle to find the time to always eat (I am getting better) and I am very active in my role as a nurse so I struggle to keep weight on.
4. Do you know your waist size?
I sure do, I’m a 32 inch waist. I have been this size for at least the past twenty years!!!
After living in the Sutherland Shire now for just over a year, I thought this would be the perfect time to share why it’s such a great place to live and highlight some of my favourite things about the area.
First of all, what is the Sutherland Shire?
The Sutherland Shire, often called The Shire, is a local government area in southern Sydney, New South Wales, known for its beaches, national parks, and strong sense of community. Geographically separated from the rest of Sydney by the Georges River, it can only be accessed by road via two main bridges. However, public transport offers alternative routes, with trains and ferries providing convenient connections to and from the area.
Moving to the Shire
Before moving here, we had lived in Sydney’s eastern suburbs until we relocated to Ireland for 17 months. When we returned to Sydney, we found the eastern suburbs had become overwhelmingly crowded, with skyrocketing rental prices making it nearly impossible to secure a decent place to live. We had always wanted to escape the Sydney rat race and experience a more suburban lifestyle, and this move gave us the perfect opportunity to do just that.
1 – Proximity to Sydney
The Sutherland Shire is only 30 minutes to central station by public transport, meaning you can still come to the city to meet up with friends etc. and you don’t have to trek too far to get home. There are train stations in many of the Shire suburbs and the trains work pretty frequently (when they’re working). Bus services are also an option as well as driving if you have a car.
2 – The variety of suburbs where each one will attract you for their own unique reasons. The most frequent ones that I seem to visit are Miranda, Gymea, Kirrawee, Caringbah, Sutherland and Cronulla (although there are heaps more).
3 – Shopping at Miranda Fair (Westfields) – this shopping mall is HUGE and has everything you could possibly want / need. We live in Miranda and I find myself in this mall at least once a day, even just for groceries. You could spend all day here and it’s great for your steps if it’s a rainy day or a hot day as it has the best air con. Try to avoid visiting at weekends or public holidays as it gets extremely busy. Thank goodness we can walk here as parking appears to be problematic.
4 – Irish pub at Gymea – who doesn’t love an Irish pub?! This pub, known as The Snug is one of the best Irish bars I have seen in Australia. It is fantastic. As the name suggests, it’s a snug. Very cosy and inviting with lovely staff and a friendly crowd. They have a great area at the front where you can semi sit outdoors under cover and watch the world go by. They often have live music, make great toasties…with Tayto crisps (if you know, you know) and the absolute BEST Guinness I have had in Sydney! I cannot recommend this place highly enough. WE LOVE IT HERE.
Good times at The Snug
5 – Wine bar at Caringbah – I was walking through this suburb a few months ago thinking wouldn’t it be nice if the Shire had a wine bar…and lo and behold…this wine bar appeared. I kid you not! The Black Swan is a quirky little wine bar with a great wine list, lovely snacks, live music (fitting for a wine bar) and friendly staff again. Friendly is a common theme here with Shire people!
6 – The beaches at Cronulla – this seaside suburb has it all. The beaches that are really stunning, beach walks, rock pools, cafes, beautiful restaurants and bars and a real seaside feel to it. You genuinely feel like you’re on holiday when you come here to visit and the great thing for us is, it’s only 10 minutes away by train.
7 – Cafe culture – I must say, after a year being here in the Shire, we are STILL finding new cafes to try. We feel very fortunate to have such an array of cafes that serve great breakfast, lunches and coffees here. I’m pretty sure every suburb in the Shire has at least one great cafe. We particularly love Gymea for their coffee culture that has a real European feel as you walk through the suburb and we just found an amazing cafe in Miranda last week called Oli’s that was a huge hit with us. We sat outside in their well designed garden, tucked away on a side street that I had walked past nearly every day and hadn’t even noticed. We cannot wait to come back for their smashed avocados.
Smashed Avo – bursting with colour and flavour. Oli’s, we will be back soon! The Nun’s Pool at Cronulla. Absolutely stunning food.
8 – Bundeena – To think we used to come to this suburb for a holiday. You can drive here via the Royal National Park or you can take the ferry from Cronulla (which I highly recommend). I have a previous post all about Bundeena if you wish to check it out here but just know, this place is great for beach / bush walks, relaxing, enjoying some lovely food and drinks and is a good base for visiting the Royal National Park.
Ferry from Cronulla to BundeenaSunset at BundeenaThe Salty Pearl – a great spot for a cocktailBeach walks
9 – The Royal National Park – this is the world’s second-oldest national park (established in 1879). Covering over 15,000 hectares, it features stunning coastal cliffs, secluded beaches, lush rainforests, and popular hiking trails like the Coast Track. The park is perfect for bushwalking, swimming, cycling, and picnicking, with highlights including Wattamolla Beach and Wedding Cake rock.
Natural poolsWattamolla BeachOn the walk to Wedding Cake rock
10 – Como bridge walk – This is a scenic pedestrian path running alongside the old Como Rail Bridge, connecting Oatley (not in the Shire) and Como (in the Shire) over the Georges River. It’s a popular spot for walking, cycling, and enjoying water views, with a peaceful atmosphere and links to nearby bush tracks and parks. We like to have a drink in the brilliant Como hotel, then walk over the bridge which takes about 30 minutes and then reward ourselves with lunch in the Oatley Hotel, another fantastic pub.
Como Hotel – love the architecture as well as the food and drinks
11 – Port Hacking River – We’re lucky to have friends with a boat who love taking us out on the river. Cruising along, we get to soak in the stunning scenery the Shire has to offer, it’s amazing to see it all from a different perspective. We usually make our way towards Audley, where we stop for breakfast. Every trip is an unforgettable experience.
12 – Breweries – The Shire is also home to some fantastic breweries, including Hairy Man and Sunday Road. Both are well worth a visit and often host great food trucks. If you get the chance, try the Pop Ale at Hairy Man, I’ve never had anything quite like it. Delicious!
There you have it! I absolutely love living in the Shire for all the reasons mentioned above and I could go on and on and on, but I’ll spare you the details! It’s a place with so much to offer, and there’s a real warmth to the community (people still say good morning). The people are friendly, always willing to help one another, and I hope that never changes.
Another year comes to end, hard to believe right?! I love looking back through the months and picking a highlight, sometimes there’s more than one and sometimes it’s just the little things in life that stood out that month.
This was a quieter year for us with no holidays as such as we had just moved back to Australia from Ireland. We had to start from scratch, finding a place to live, buying furniture again and purchasing a car. This year was about fitting back into Aussie life and trying to save some money, whilst working hard and enjoying life at the same time. Luckily, we were fortunate to be able to fly home to Ireland for a month which was really lovely as I always miss the kids in our family.
That being said, I was happy to look back through the months of this year and see that we actually have done more than I first thought and it makes me appreciate that 2024 was a pretty good year.
JANUARY – Back in Sydney at the height of summer. I have seen this view hundreds of times but it never gets old. It was good to be back in Oz, we just had to find somewhere to live, which wasn’t the easiest thing to do as there is a severe housing shortage in Sydney.FEBRUARY – we decided to move out of Sydney and look for a place in the Sutherland Shire, about 45 minutes south of Sydney. Luckily we found a place near the Royal National Park and a beautiful coastline. Cronulla beach is a 10 minute drive from us and perfect for beach walks and ocean swims. MARCH – We visited our good friends in the Southern Highlands, an area that I have mentioned many times. We love this place for weekend getaways, lots of wineries, bush walks and cosy pubs. APRIL – We tried our first ever puppy yoga! I wanted to do something different for Brian’s birthday and he loves dogs so this was the perfect fit. You practise yoga for 30 minutes and then the instructors release the puppies to run amongst you all. Needless to say, not much yoga happens thereafter. It’s also a great initiative for you to adopt a puppy as these are all rescue dogs looking a new home. MAY – Good friends of ours from the Shire here just happen to own a barge and love to take trips along the Port Hacking River. We were delighted to be asked to come along, not once but twice on this idyllic river cruise. We dock at a local cafe for breakfast and then sail along the river, meandering through the different suburbs of the Shire. Very tranquil and great for wildlife watching. JUNE – One of my favourite ever sunsets in Bundeena, a quick ferry ride over from Cronulla. I was excited to show friends this area and we were treated to this absolute spectacle. We used to come here for weekend breaks, now we live close by and can call over any time. JULY – Home! It was great to be able to come home again for a few weeks. Belfast, when it gets the sun, is one of my favourite places to be. AUGUST – This is the Grand Opera House Belfast. I worked here for a few years as a student and it was like my second home. I met Brian here also, so it holds many positive memories for me. For my birthday, I really wanted to see a show here and luckily for me, there was a Simon & Garfunkel story being told with all their music being performed. Right up my street! The Opera House had a major refurbishment lately so it was really enjoyable to see for myself, 20 years after I first started working there. I was always really impressed by the amazing architecture of this building, designed by Frank Matcham. SEPTEMBER – Back in the Sutherland Shire and exploring the area even further. There are so many great suburbs here. This one is Oatley and the home to Oatley Castle. Not as grand as the castles we have in the UK and Ireland but still worth a visit. OCTOBER – Our friends finished building their new home in the Southern Highlands. We were thrilled to be invited down to stay for the weekend. Just look at the view they have from their balcony with unbelievable sunsets. NOVEMBER – We were fortunate to be invited to the hospital ball where I work. I had never been to a Christmas ball before so this was a big deal. All expenses paid and really fun to get dressed up for once. Best of all, the venue was 10 minutes from my home. Usually for us living in the Shire, everything is miles away, especially as many things tend to happen in the city. DECEMBER – Attending the Christmas markets in Sydney at central station. This was a lovely day with friends where we had lunch, wine at a little wine bar on the side of the street, followed by the Christmas markets. They had stalls, food, drinks, Christmas music and snow!!!! This truly felt Christmassy and magical. I don’t often feel like it’s Christmas here in Australia as it’s so warm, so this was lovely to feel the joy of Christmas, at least for a few hours.
Thank you all for reading this post and all your support again through 2024. I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Enjoy the time with those nearest and dearest and I will see you in 2025 where I’m sure I will be partaking in Bloganuary once again.
I love showcasing just one photo per month to look back on the year we just had. It’s good to reflect, see how far we have come and look back with fondness on the memories we have made.
JANUARY – this was one of the many reasons I wanted to be home in Northern Ireland, to celebrate with my Dad on his 60th birthday ☺️ FEBRUARY – this was the first time I became covid positive. Not bad considering covid had been around for nearly 3 years by then. Luckily I only had a sniffle for a day. MARCH – we moved to our favourite little village, Hillsborough. An amazing place to live and we must have visited the forest park here at least once a day. Very therapeutic.APRIL – a beautiful wedding of my friend right in the centre of Ireland. We stayed in Athlone, a beautiful Irish town with lots of charm. MAY – we had a visit from our friend all the way from Texas. We were delighted to show him around Hillsborough and glad to say he really enjoyed seeing the sights (including the local pub). JUNE – we took a visit to Cambridgeshire to visit my sister and her kids. She booked an experience for us to try punting on the river which we absolutely loved. JULY – we tried to do lots of day trips while being home. Here we were at Mussenden Temple, one of our favourite spots to visit along the north coast of Ireland. AUGUST – we headed to Dijon, France to celebrate my 40th birthday and had a truly magical time. A beautiful place to visit with fantastic food and wines. SEPTEMBER – as always in this country, we received a couple of days of summer in September as the kids go back to school. We had to get out and about to make use of the limited sunshine, as it never lasts too long in Northern Ireland. OCTOBER – Another trip over to England to visit my sister. This was the best thing about being home, that you can spend a lot of time with your family and loved ones. This photo was from a stately home in Buckden that we visited. November – Our final visit to England to spend time with my niece and nephew. We took the kids to Wimpole Estate for the annual Christmas lights event. Lots of memories made ☺️DECEMBER – After a lot of thought, we made the hard decision to return to Australia. We had a bumpy ride at home so we thought we would return to Oz for a while and see where the wind takes us. I hope to share more from our lives here in Sydney and hopefully we will have the opportunity to travel more around the country.
I would just like to say thank you for all your encouragement throughout the year and I am very grateful for the connections we have all built in the blogging world. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas if you celebrate and a Happy New Year.
I want to share this amazing town with you all that is situated right in the heart of Ireland. We were heading to a wedding in the nearby town of Glasson and decided to stay in Athlone due to the location to the wedding venue and this is where we managed to find a reasonably priced place to stay.
The blue circle is Athlone, the heart of Ireland. Excuse all the other hearts and flags on my map, these are places of interest for me that I have already visited or hope to be checking out in the future.
We stayed in the most amazing B’n’B called Riverdale House that I managed to find on Booking.com. This place has a lot of character, has a fantastic proximity to the town, delivers first rate breakfasts and has the best hosts that we had the absolute pleasure of meeting. To be honest, our hosts Neil and Avril made this stay so perfect for us here. They were unbelievably friendly and extremely knowledgeable of the local area. Not to sound over the top but we really enjoyed chatting to this lovely couple and learned a lot about Athlone from them. Excuse my ignorance but I had no idea we were in the centre of Ireland, despite driving there but I was absolutely amazed to be staying in the heart of Ireland. Also Neil gave us a few suggestions of places to check out, including Sean’s Bar that, not only is the oldest pub in Ireland but also the oldest pub in the world!!! As proven by the Guinness World Book of Records.
Of course we had to check out Sean’s Bar and I can see why it is so popular. Obviously it attracts a lot of tourists due to being the oldest bar but it also has a lot of character and charm, as well as selling the most delicious pints of Guinness. It was actually really lovely to see so many tourists in the pub, almost like pre covid times. Situated on Main Street, Athlone, you are right in the heart of the town where there are lots of restaurants, bars and cafes. It is also a really colourful and quaint area that is a complete feast for the eyes. Also a very popular spot for tourists, stag doos and hen parties.
After a couple of pints at Sean’s Bar, we were able to hop over and try an Italian restaurant nearby as we were really in the mood for a bowl of pasta and a glass of wine. Pavarotti’s was really delicious with a lovely warm ambiance and really friendly staff. Highly recommend!
You can also take a walk along the River Shannon, check out Athlone Castle and another cool place to visit for a drink is Dead Centre Brewing (sadly we didn’t have time to try here but was highly recommended, maybe next time). There is also a lovely park by the river to check out, some lovely art work in the town, impressive architecture, an abundance of shops over the bridge and beautiful scenery.
I hope from my photos you can gather an idea of what this stunning little town looks like and maybe one day you can also visit the heart of Ireland.
We loved our stay here in Athlone and would be delighted to return one day. Feeling very grateful for all these amazing places to visit within driving distance! Thank you all for taking a look at this blog post and I hope you all have a lovely Sunday.
Thank you Di from Pensitivity101 for your questions this week!
1. Do you have a lot of friends or do you know a lot of people ?
I would say YES to both of these. I have a lot of friends and I certainly know a lot of people. I have noticed that with growing older, my friend numbers have declined over time. Simply as people move on, have their own families, relocate etc, etc. and you simply drift away from each other. For friendship longevity, you all need to make an effort to be in each other’s lives. However, true friendship stands the test of time, even if you haven’t seen each other for months, when you do meet up, you just pick off from where you have left off. I love when that happens.
2. If you are at a party and know very few of the guests, do you mingle and introduce yourself, sit on the sidelines and people watch, or discreetly leave?
Yes I love to mingle and meet new people. I used to be very shy but as I have aged, my confidence has grown and I feel like I can talk to most people now with ease and I really enjoy having meaningful conversations and learning from others.
3. What is the best job you have ever had?
Working at the Grand Opera House in Belfast. I was a theatre usher for a few years and absolutely loved it. I made many life long friends from here also which was a real bonus. I loved watching the shows, seeing people enjoy the theatre and the buzz after a show had finished, with everyone being on a natural high and enjoying life.
4. Can you swim?
Yes and I love swimming. I’m not an amazing swimmer by any means but I am confident to swim and love being in water. It is such a great skill to have and pretty essential for when I was living in Australia.
Gratitude: I am grateful for having my own home now for the past two weeks. Being able to cook my own meals, wash my own clothes etc. makes me really happy and was something that I had previously taken for granted.
This is a good question for day 5 of Bloganuary and is an easy for me. Being outdoors on a good nature walk brings me joy, especially if I am with my other half or friends. I love it. I really enjoy the serenity, the scenery, fresh air, feeling healthy, taking photographs and just generally appreciating life. It’s the simple things in life for me that bring me joy.
I do love walking in general, anywhere really, for example walking tours in the city. However, what really brings me joy is a walk in nature, be that by the sea or in the countryside.
I have accomplished so many great walks in Sydney, Australia and now I really look forward to some fantastic walks here in Northern Ireland and Ireland as a whole. Bring it on!
Berlin walking tourBondi to Coogee – one of my favesSpit to ManlySlieve Donard, Newcastle, Northern Ireland
What about you? Do you love to walk? What brings you joy in life?
I love choosing 12 photos to highlight what I have experienced throughout the year and it’s a great little recap. This has been a big year with lots of changes, some good and some bad, however, I am grateful to have had a good year overall and ending 2022 on a positive note. Please feel free to have a look at my 2022 highlights below and feel free to share your highlights from the past 12 months.
JANUARY – starting the year off with a little trip to Mudgee, NSW. We had always wanted to visit here and this was the perfect place for us to celebrate 15 years together. FEBRUARY – This was one of our most epic destinations and a huge bucket list ticked off. Our trip to Uluru was one that we will cherish for years to come. MARCH – Rain, rain, rain. Two years of rain in Sydney thanks to La Niña. We had many days out in the rain, we wouldn’t let it deter us, it was certainly better than having bush fires. APRIL – a lovely little trip seeing the bestie in Melbourne. So good to catch-up after so long apart and seeing these Brighton boxes was another item ticked off the bucket list. MAY – Seeing Dermot Kennedy in concert was pretty special, especially with my Irish friends. JUNE – BBQ with the boys. Some of my favourite people, fantastic Lebanese food and this was the beginning of my many leaving parties as I leave Sydney for the time being. JULY – the beginning of our travels. Queenstown in New Zealand was an absolute highlight. We loved it here. AUGUST – Next on our travels was Bali, Indonesia. Stunning place to visit and we welcomed the sunshine after being in NZ at winter time. SEPTEMBER – a big reason for me coming home was to see my sisters become married. A beautiful day and I love this photos with my sisters. I’m a lucky guy to have not one but three amazing sisters 🤍OCTOBER – the main reason for me to come home, my family. Precious time with my niece and nephew, priceless! NOVEMBER – my baby sister has her wedding. A lovely day and feeling very proud here 🤍DECEMBER – Home with my number one person. Grateful to be here together and look forward to 2023, side by side ❤️
Thank you PENSITIVITY101 for this weeks festive questions, perfect for getting into the Christmas spirit.
Do you have any family traditions?
We normally celebrate Christmas Eve more than anything as we are 50% German in our household. We enjoy a raclette together as a family, basically it’s a small grill where we have lots of ingredients from meats, to potatoes to different vegetables all covered in a layer of melted cheese. It’s a great way to enjoy food and quality family time together.
2. With December on its way, have you ever been carol singing?
I remember carol singing outdoors in our home town with my school. I actually really enjoyed it and we even stopped outside my family home and sang a carol with my mum and baby sister watching from the front porch. That was pretty special.
3. Do you decorate your home for the Christmas holidays?
Absolutely yes! I love the Christmas decorations as they really make you feel warm, cosy and ready for the festive period. Normally we have a Christmas tree and a few little Christmas ornaments scattered around the living room. This year will be extra special as we are home to the cold weather and surrounded by family. We have been in Australia for the past few years and for us it hasn’t felt very Christmassy due to the heat and the attire being slightly different i.e. T-shirts and shorts.
4. Do you enjoy the Christmas rush for preparations and shopping?
This is a yes and no for me. I do like the atmosphere, people full of Christmas cheer and running about collecting my gifts, however, I really dislike queues and large crowds.
Roll on Christmas and the lead up to it! Enjoy your week everyone.
Thank you PENSITIVITY101 for this weeks Share your World questions, I like these a lot.
1. Does the weather affect your mood?
I think the weather really does affect my mood, even subconsciously. If there are blue skies and the sun is shining, I will definitely have a spring in my step.
2. If a stranger smiles at you or says ‘good morning’ when they pass you in the street, do you return it?
I absolutely return it. I love when people are friendly and smile. Quite often I will be the person to initiate a smile or say hello.
3. If you had a choice of just one of these things to eat, what would it be and why? Chocolate, a sweet pastry, a plate of chips/fries (this is not a forever choice, just one instance).
A sweet pastry would be lovely with a cup of tea.
4. If you could go back to when you were a specific age, what would that be? Why?
Twenty three when I first met my partner. That was a lovely age.
Happy Monday everyone. It’s been a little while since I have answered questions from Melanie’s Share your World. I see Di has taken over for now and thought the questions this week were right up my street. You can check out the link here https://pensitivity101.wordpress.com/2022/09/05/share-your-world-5th-september/ and I have the questions for this week below.
1. Do you prefer tea, coffee or juice first thing in the morning?
I always have a coffee first thing in the morning. It’s not that I need to have it as there’s been a few times I couldn’t obtain one before work and was totally fine without it (much to my surprise) but I do love a coffee in the morning. For the rest of the day I can drink tea until it comes out of my ears!
2. When it comes to food, what is your favourite smell?
Always the smell of freshly baked bread, especially German bread.
3. Do you prefer a take-out or to dine in a restaurant?
Dine in a restaurant. I love to eat out and try different places. I find take-out is often disappointing and I could probably do better myself.
4. If you are hosting a party, do you prepare the food yourself, get caterers in or ask everyone to bring something for the table?
I normally prepare food myself for others as we don’t often have large parties, just a couple of people. I do like the idea of everyone bringing a plate to share and this is very popular in Australia where I first learned of this.
Gratitude: What has been the highlight of your week this week?
As it’s only Monday morning here, I would say my highlight so far was the gym this morning and just completing my working from home for the week 😊
Thank you Di for the questions and I look forward to reading other people’s replies.
This park is located in South Belfast and is a good walk from where I am staying at the moment. I have been here a couple of times and have always known it was famous for its many flowers and in particular its rose gardens. However, this was the first time I actually followed the map and purposefully looked for the attractions listed, such as the walled garden and Japanese garden. I also was not aware that there is a cafe here too, that was a welcome bonus. I will leave the official link for this park here so you can read a little history about this place and how it ended up being available to the public. https://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/things-to-do/parks-and-open-spaces/a-z-parks/sir-thomas-and-lady-dixon-park
This park is great for walking around and taking in all its beauty, made even better with blue skies. We loved the Stables coffee shop and it was so lovely to be able to sit outside. This park is famous for its flowers, especially roses. The first image is from the walled garden. This is a very tranquil and serene space and I encourage everyone to visit if travelling in Northern Ireland.
I hope you enjoy reading about this wonderful park and please let me know if you have ever visited yourself.
After our New Zealand holiday, we had another trip up our sleeves before heading home to Northern Ireland. Initially we were planning on Tasmania, however, New Zealand was freezing and Tasmania would be freezing too at this time of year. So we decided to cancel Tasmania and head somewhere hot. Bali had never really been on my agenda but it’s pretty close to Australia and a popular tourist destination. After some research online and speaking with friends, we settled on two locations to try, simply to break up the trip and have two different experiences. We opted for Ubud for the scenery and peacefulness, contrasting with Seminyak for the beaches and tourist vibe.
This was to be a relaxing holiday, lying by the pool and absorbing some much needed vitamin D. Normally I really dislike these types of holidays but I was fine on this occasion as we had just travelled quite a bit and packed up our whole life. Rest and relaxation was most definitely welcomed.
Arriving into Bali was a lengthy process with four different queues needing to be passed. Covid screening, obtaining and paying for your visa ($100 AU), immigration and declarations. I’m not going to lie, this was tough going after a long flight from Australia and we arrived late at night. By the time we passed immigration etc it was 12pm. Luckily we had pre booked a taxi and he was very kind to wait for us as we had another one hour drive to our hotel in Ubud. I felt so bad for the driver but he reassured me that this is the norm.
UBUD
Element Bali Ubud – this was our hotel in Ubud for 4 nights and to be honest, it was the highlight of the holiday. We are absolutely amazed by this hotel and how fantastic it was. The staff were unbelievably friendly and accommodating, everything was so clean, the food drinks were delicious, the location to town was pretty good and we loved the amenities. We used the spa, the gym and the pool and were so pleased with them all. I would definitely recommend staying here if you ever come to Ubud. You can check it out here for yourselves.
Things to see in Ubud : We hired a taxi to take us around the key sites of interest that we had been researching. The Monkey Temple is a huge tourist attraction but we don’t really have a love for monkeys so we avoided that one.
1 – Seeing the rice fields. This was great to see how the farmers work the fields and grow their best prized crop.
2 – Tirta Empul Temple. A very busy temple for locals and tourists alike. This was built around a bubbling spring and is a fascinating place to see Hindu devotees purifying themselves by ways of ritual bathing.
3 – Sampling the Luwak coffee. This coffee is famous for its unusual methods of creation. The Luwak animal is a cat like creature that feeds on Luwak coffee beans (among other things). When they excrete the beans, the outer shell is removed to expose the inner bean, which in turn is used to make coffee. Seen as a delicacy, this was an honour to taste, alongside some really different and unusual tea and coffee varieties, such as avocado coffee and lemongrass tea.
4 – Saraswati Temple. This just looked amazing online so we really wanted to visit. It can be found in the heart of Ubud centre and was built to honour Saraswati, the Goddess of knowledge, music, art, wisdom and learning.
5 – Dinner at Chora. I found this restaurant on Instagram (the benefits of social media) and thought it looked interesting. It was fab! Great healthy food with a Mediterranean influence, fantastic service and a truly serene experience.
SEMINYAK
Aloft Bali Seminyak – We loved this hotel and it had such a great location. It’s a good distance from the town but you are in a quieter location and very close to the beaches. We would walk 5 minutes to the beach and then walk along for about 30 minutes to reach Seminyak town. The rooftop pool and bar was lovely with stunning ocean views, the hotel served up some great food and drinks, plus the staff again were so, so friendly here.
To be honest we didn’t do many tourist things here in Seminyak and we were happy just to relax. Also, I did have a case of Bali belly during the trip (a common occurrence here for Westerners with sensitive stomachs), I think from the water, so I was out of action for a couple of days with pretty bad stomach cramps. However, I can show you a few places that we enjoyed eating in when I felt better, asides from the hotel where the food was really delicious.
1 – Shelter Restaurant. Shelter is a contemporary Middle Eastern and Mediterranean restaurant located in the central part of beautiful Pererenan. The food was absolutely stunning and the service was exceptional. There was a great tropical vibe and the musical really set the scene, even the bathrooms were impressive. This was our favourite place to eat from the whole trip (maybe as it was also my birthday).
2 – Da Maria. This was a fantastic Italian restaurant actually on the same street as our hotel. It’s great when you can walk to the venue and we had heard great things about this place. Food was lovely and there is a real buzz in this place.
3 – Potato Head Bali Beach Club. This is a really cool place if you want to come and chill out for the day. We loved the food here also and it was just a short walk from our hotel via the beach before you get to Seminyak Village.
One thing you do have to do in Seminyak is watch the sunset from the beach. You can be anywhere on the beach but we found the sunset to be popular near our hotel. The actual beach is called Pantai Batu Belig. People come to just sit on the beach and take it all in, it actually reminded me of Ibiza sunsets.
That’s a wrap on my Bali trip. It’s a beautiful place with the most gorgeous people. This was a great trip for rest and relaxation before heading home to Northern Ireland. Follow my journey home and I aim to highlight the numerous places NI has to offer.
Thanks for taking a look at this Bali blog post and have a great week everyone.
When you say to people you are travelling to New Zealand, they will pretty much always ask “Are you going to Queenstown?”. I didn’t really understand why but now that I have travelled there, I totally get it. This place was the highlight of NZ for us. The scenery is just out of this world and made even more special as we were here in winter. The snow peaked mountains were absolutely stunning and you just can’t quite take it all in.
The flight into Queenstown is breathtaking and you won’t be able to peel your eyes away from the window. As soon as you arrive at the airport you will be blown away by the epic scenery and become lost in the magic of Queenstown.
We caught the number one bus from the airport into Queenstown which takes about 10 – 15 minutes. It’s a very easy ride and luckily for us it stopped just before the town at our hotel, The Ramada. We loved our stay here, great proximity to the town, beautiful scenery all around, very friendly staff, lovely hotel and the breakfast was open until 11.30 and you simply pay for what you order (this was a real novelty for us as you usually pay a hefty amount for a buffet breakfast and they often close early in other places I have been).
For us, Queenstown was all about the scenery and using it as a base to see other places close by. We took the number two bus to the quaint little Arrowtown. We also took a coach trip to Milford Sound. I will post a little blog about these two places after this but these were the two places we most wanted to see. The scenery itself in Queenstown is beautiful and it’s really lovely just taking a stroll through the town and having a look at all the shops, restaurants and bars. There is a lovely walkway that passed the back of our hotel to the town that takes you along the side of Lake Wakatipu. It was beautiful and can also take you to the town via Queenstown Gardens.
Views from the back of the Ramada. We took the walk into the town. It takes about 30 minutes and the views are out of this world. Lake Wakatipu The town is very picturesque.
A few people have been asking about food recommendations so I thought I would run through a quick list for you :
⁃ Joe’s Garage – perfect for breakfast
⁃ Stratosfare – this is the restaurant on top of the huge mountain. Take the gondola up to the top for spectacular views of Queenstown. It’s a buffet dinner with plenty to choose from.
Taking the gondola 🚠. Stunning views to and from the restaurant.
⁃ Surreal Bar & Restaurant – nice pub grub and home cooking. All the staff appeared to be Irish too 😊.
⁃ Flame (need to book) – we actually couldn’t go here as it was fully booked. My advice would be to book ahead ( for most restaurants actually, as they get pretty busy and there are very few staff here at the moment due to the pandemic).
⁃ Bombay Palace – perfect little spot for some Indian food. We loved it.
⁃ Boardwalk – PIER Restaurant – this is just at the pier (funny enough). Beautiful views to watch the world go by and they have heat lamps for dining al fresco.
Seafood chowder and a glass of rosé 😋
⁃ Paddy Gaddy – Southeast Asian – the food here was stunning. It’s an Asian fusion type restaurant with a real vibe.
⁃ Margos Mexican – another one you would need to book. This looked awesome but there was no space the night that we tried. Definitely looks worth a visit if you like Mexican food.
– The Pig and Whistle – we loved this place for drinks, either sitting inside or out.
– The Speight’s Ale House – lovely quaint little pub with the best toasty fire.
That’s my lot for Queenstown. Such an amazing place that you have to see for yourself. We only had 4 days here but that was actually perfect for us as we weren’t skiing or participating in any winter sports (not our cup of tea). Should that be your thing, you will love this place even more!
Thanks for reading and I will have a couple of blog posts for Arrowtown and Milford Sound coming.
Having looked at the pros and cons for Australia in my previous post, let me take you through my pros and cons for living in Northern Ireland.
Northern Ireland Pros :
– Family & friends. My absolute number one reason for moving home is seeing my family and friends and making more memories. Covid has given me a new appreciation for spending time with loved ones, especially as we haven’t seen them in person for over three years.
– The Scenery. Northern Ireland is very green and scenic. It has lots to offer in terms of sightseeing, for example, the north coast. Also I plan to visit more of Ireland as a whole and explore what is on my own doorstep.
– Europe. Northern Ireland may have left Europe (unwillingly) but we are still situated in the European continent. This means we can travel pretty much anywhere in Europe quickly and relatively cheaply, as opposed to when living in Australia. It really is amazing to have Europe in your back yard and I plan to take advantage and make the most of travelling to places in Europe in the future.
– No natural disasters. Yes the weather in Northern Ireland can be horrendous, being wet and cold almost all of the year but at least we don’t suffer the extremities such as fires, floods, earthquakes and volcanoes etc.
– The NHS. Yes the National Health Service has its fair share of problems but it is still a free health service (I know we pay through our taxes) and a pretty good one, most of the time, especially in Northern Ireland. To receive free health care for everyone is fantastic and I actually really loved working for the NHS.
– The Craic. In our country, this term means fun and good times. It can also mean sense of humour. People in Northern Ireland are great fun and have the best craic. They are also very friendly and hospitable people.
– The bright nights. In Northern Ireland it can stay bright until 11pm at night in the summer months. I took this for granted until I moved to Australia, where it never stays light past 6 or 7pm.
Northern Ireland Cons :
– The Weather. Unfortunately this has to be top of my list. The weather is pretty horrendous in Northern Ireland for a really long part of the year. From end of September until about April, it will be really cold with good chances of rain, sleet, snow and hail. They even had snow in June this year! We do have the odd good day now and again. Unfortunately we do have the most beautiful scenery but it is all weather dependent.
– Spides & Millbags. Yes most of the people in Northern Ireland are extremely friendly but we do have a minority of people known as spides and millbags. These are people who can be described as being small minded, brash, loud, still argue about religion, never leave Northern Ireland and have the worst dress sense. I, for one, do not miss these people. I’m sure every country has their fair share of people like this but in Northern Ireland, they’re a breed of their own. Most of the time you can avoid them but now and again they will leave their homes and make an appearance into your safe little world.
– Religion. Northern Ireland, sadly is still stuck in the past with regards to religion. You have Protestants and Catholics (both a Christian religion 🤷🏼♂️) still arguing about Northern Ireland and whether it should belong to Ireland or belong to the United Kingdom. I actually think it’s not even about religion anymore but more about territory. Thankfully, these people are in the minority and I don’t personally know many people who still think like this but they do still exist in Northern Ireland. Thanks to immigration these people are being diluted and the country is moving forward, albeit at a snails pace.
– The dark mornings and nights. Just like the cold and wet weather, Northern Ireland is also pretty dark for a lot of the year. You will go to work in the dark and return home in the dark. This is pretty grim to be honest. Due to this, many things do not open early, for example, it’s nearly impossible to obtain a coffee before 9am. I think I will struggle with this since living in Bondi where you can grab a coffee as early as 5.30 am.
– The Government. I don’t like talking about politics so I will just say that our government is pretty basic. They argue with each other and when one party can’t agree with another party, they just stop working altogether. They actually still get paid even though the government stops working. They take whatever rules they want from the UK and if they don’t like them, they will change them to suit their own religious agenda and beliefs.
Even writing about religion and the government in Northern Ireland makes me cranky. On the whole, Northern Ireland is a great country with lots of character and interesting people. I love being from Northern Ireland as I can have dual nationality, meaning we can carry an Irish and British passport. Northern Ireland is a unique country with lots of potential. We are really upping our game in terms of attractions, bars, restaurants, hotels and even media (think Game of Thrones). I honestly hope you all have the opportunity to visit Northern Ireland one day.
Thanks for reading my part two blog post on the pros and cons of both Australia and Northern Ireland. Do you agree or disagree with any of my points? Have you ever been to these countries or want to visit in the future?
Healthy is looking after ourselves and trying our best to maintain our health. I’m sure most of us know what we have to do to be healthy, ie. having a healthy diet, exercising, reduce alcohol consumption, no smoking etc. etc. I know it’s not always easy to do these things. Life can often get in the way and there are also additional factors at play, for example, our environmental, social, mental, emotional and physical elements that can limit or affect our lifestyle choices. We just have to do the best we can. Your health is your wealth. I appreciate this more than ever since becoming a nurse.
Is being obsessive about someone or something a good thing?
Personally, I don’t think it’s a good thing. Yes it’s great to be focused and determined but it can be a fine line between that and becoming obsessive. I have seen this with training at the gym and people becoming so fixated on results, what they eat etc. to the point of being unhealthy, both mentally and physically.
Being obsessive with a person can really affect your mental health and you may make poor decisions as a result. It is also not good for the person being obsessed over.
After a disagreement with your significant other, do you initiate the makeup conversation or wait for your signature other to do it?
Thankfully I can disagree with my partner about anything and it never results in an argument. Therefore, we never have to have a makeup conversation. I’m very lucky that we’re both pretty relaxed and carefree.
Have you ever done something incredibly embarrassing in front of a huge crowd?
I remember being a teenager in high school. We were practicing the high jump and instead of jumping gracefully over the pole, I jumped straight into the right stand holding the pole up. It was extremely embarrassing and actually quite painful. I had to limp away with my tail between my legs. Not my finest hour and needless to say, I didn’t become a high jump professional 🙈.
What’s your sweetest memory from childhood?
Helping to look after my baby sisters.
Why can’t I get a tan like this anymore?! 🤣
Thanks for reading and have a great week everyone!
Most of you probably know this by now 🤣 but I love going to the gym, going out for a coffee and walking. Lots and lots of walking. Maybe about 20,000 steps along a coastal route would be perfect for me.
Now that Covid isn’t so strictly monitored and folks can go out and about again, are you into after-work happy hours?
Not really to be honest. As I’m a nurse, I don’t really have the time to attend happy hours. If I am free in the afternoon, I usually head to the gym. I don’t really drink during the week and they don’t seem to have happy hours at the weekends much. Don’t get me wrong, I love happy hours but they just don’t fit into my daily schedule.
What physical traits do you share with your relatives?
Wrinkles. The ONE physical feature I have from my Dad’s side is wrinkles on my face and lots of them around my eyes. Sad but true 😜 but at least I have my hair on my head.
How long does it take you to decide if you like someone or not?
I normally make my mind up pretty quickly and I like to feel I’m a good judge of character. I like most people thankfully 😅.
GRATITUDE SECTION
Feel free to share some wisdom you live by.
Try to make the most of every day. Life is too short and you never know what is around the corner so go out and enjoy the little things in life and appreciate everything that’s good in your life 😊.
Thanks for reading and thank you Melanie for some more great questions.
Melanie’s questions this week are good ones in my opinion 🤗 so thank you Melanie.
When you were a kid, did you eat the crusts on your sandwich or not?
Yes absolutely. I love the crusts and still do. They also give you curly hair!
Are you a fan of musicals—why or why not?
Yes I LOVE musicals. I love the energy and the way that musicals can be emotive, really lifting your spirits with one song and the next you could be weeping like a willow. I used to work in the Grand Opera House Belfast as an usher and this is where my love for musicals blossomed. We were able to watch every single show that visited the Opera House. I remember “having” to watch Chicago for fifteen shows straight…and I loved every minute of it. The euphoria you feel at the end, when everyone is clapping and the actors take their bows, it’s another level.
Is it difficult to do what you do? (for a living, hobby etc.). If you’re retired, what you ‘did’ previously for a job can be substituted.
I am a registered nurse here in Sydney. I would say it is a tough job but when you enjoy what you do, it doesn’t seem so bad. The tasks that we have to perform are not difficult, as we are well trained. It’s the obstacles in front of us that can make our work hard. For example, being short staffed, not having the resources we need, having numerous tasks to perform in a short period of time, not to mention the things that can happen out of the blue, i.e. if a patient becomes really sick or we enter a pandemic. The last two years have been extremely difficult for nurses worldwide. Not only for the extra duties we have to carry out and the PPE that we have to wear for a whole shift but we were also fearful of becoming sick ourselves and/or bringing the virus home to our loved ones. You not only become physically exhausted but also emotionally drained. I feel for those nurses who were working in nursing homes, emergency, ICU and the covid wards. When family were unable to see loved ones. That must have been heartbreaking for everyone concerned and for the nurses being the patients first and maybe only point of call. Nurses do not want to be recognised as superheroes, we want to be seen as professionals in our trade and respected and paid accordingly 😊.
What’s the best concert you’ve ever been to? (Doesn’t have to be a rock concert either).
Eminem, Glasgow, 2003. I’m not a huge rap fan but he was really out of this world. Also John Legend in Atlantic City, 2005 was pretty special.
GRATITUDE SECTION
Looking back over your life, what is one thing you’re grateful for? One thing you really regret?
I’m grateful for the upbringing I was given. To be kind and respectful to others, to be the best person I can be. The one thing I do regret is undertaking a geography degree. I completed it but it has done nothing for me. It was one of those degrees that everyone seemed to be doing whilst having a great time at uni so I thought, sure why not. However, it was a complete waste of time. Maybe I learned some life lessons but that’s about it 🙈.
I read the most amazing, open and honest blog post this morning and wanted to share it with you all, especially, as for many people around the world, pride is being celebrated this month. We should be proud of who we were born to be and educate others who are still ignorant to what it’s like to be a gay person.
It’s LGBTQ Pride Month. I was struggling with what to write about that has not already been done, and better, by smarter, more talented people than …
First of all, was anyone a little excited when they awoke to find the WordPress app looking a lot different?! The black background with the rainbow W really jumped out at me and jolted me from my groggy state. I was curious to see what it was all about. When opening the app, the screen said there was a new block editor feature. Ok, yes that’s great but why the dramatic change in appearance? I mean, I like it, a lot but what does it mean?? Is it temporary? I can’t see anything on Google so if you hear or see anything be sure to let me know 😊
Version 19.9
Melanie’s questions this week from her Share your World segment are as follows:
Has anyone ever tried to scam you?
Not recently but when I was 16 years old I had a customer tried to scam me on more than one occasion. I was working my first job at a supermarket and I loved it. I worked on the checkouts putting through people’s groceries. One day, a woman gave me a fake £20 bank note. I didn’t realise and I was pulled into the manager’s office and reprimanded. The second time it happened again. The same lady came to me and this time I suspected the note looked dodgy but I freaked out and accepted it. I was so worried about getting in trouble that I replaced the fake note with one of mine (£20 was a lot of money for a 16 year old). It happened to me a third time and I had no idea this time, how could I have been so stupid and not realised AGAIN?! I was in so much trouble with my manager that I was so scared to go back to work on the checkouts. I had some training in identifying fake notes but I had lost all confidence at this stage and just didn’t want to let anyone down again. The fourth time 🙈! I knew who the woman was and my managers put me to the test. I was used as bait. When the woman came to my checkout and handed me the fake note, I knew this time. I nodded to my manager and she was questioned by them and the police. I felt bad for her that she maybe had to use fake notes but at the same time, I was angry that she kept picking me as she obviously thought I was an easy target. However, little did she know that I nearly lost my first job and I was traumatised from that experience in future retail jobs. I did learn a valuable lesson though. I certainly knew how to spot fake notes and I had the confidence to speak up about it. Luckily for me and future companies 😉, it never happened again.
What’s the best thing about parties?
Meeting new people. I love talking to others and having interesting conversations.
Do you listen to people’s advice if you didn’t ask for it?
Yes I do if it’s valid and it comes from good place.
Why is it impossible to spell funeral without fun?
Good question. Maybe funerals are meant to be fun, I mean as a way of celebration for the person’s life or maybe it’s just a coincidence as it comes from the Latin word funus (which still has fun in it!).
GRATITUDE SECTION
How was last week for you?
I had a very busy 6 day working week. I just kept my head down and got on with it but it was all good. I can’t complain 😊.
Melanie’s questions from her Share your World this week are:
If You Could Be Best Friends With A Celebrity, Who Would It Be?
I would have to choose Chris Hemsworth or Zac Efron, simply so they could help me with my gym training 😜.
What is, or should be, the main purpose of law?
To keep everyone safe and to have order in the world.
Do You Care About Reviews?
Yes I do to a certain extent. I often look at reviews for hotels or a product before I purchase. However, it’s good to go with a majority vote as some reviews can be over the top. Especially with hotel reviews, some people complain about the silliest things 🙊.
Is the ‘mind’ different to the ‘brain’? If so, in what ways?
I would say yes. They are interchangeable, however, for me, the brain is the biological aspect whereas, the mind is the psychological aspect. They depend on each other to coexist (if that makes sense).
GRATITUDE SECTION
Overall how sunny is your nature?
I’m a pretty happy and upbeat person I think. I like to make others feel happy too 😊
Hooray for Melanie’s questions making a return for her Share the World blog post. I love these random questions as a way of learning more about others and sharing a little more about myself. Melanie has posted the following questions and you can read my answers below 👇🏼.
1 – What two totally normal things become really weird if you do them back to back?
I would say brushing your teeth and then having a coffee. I’m sure the coffee would taste really minty. I always wait a good half an hour after brushing my teeth before I have coffee.
2 – What is something that you just recently realized that you are embarrassed by, that you didn’t realize embarrassed you?
I haven’t really been embarrassed by anything for a long time thankfully. I do tend to be embarrassed if people I know speak very loudly, especially on public transport and normally regarding a private matter. I guess I find it strange that people can hear you airing your dirty laundry (so to speak).
3 – If Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Ireland, Germany, the USA, Brazil and Italy were represented by one food, which would it be for each?
Australia – Lemingtons
NZ – kiwi fruit (may not be the case but it makes me think of NZ 🤣).
UK – bangers and mash
Ireland – Shepherd’s Pie
Germany – Curry Wurst
USA – burgers or anything deep fried
Brazil – Brazil nuts (may also not be from Brazil)
Italy – Pasta
4 – What might happen if Goldilocks and the Three Bears were set in modern times?
I think the bears would eat Goldilocks.
5 – Where was the most most embarrassing or inappropriate place you’ve passed audible gas?
In the gym! Thankfully only one other person heard but I was mortified.
Thanks Melanie and thanks for reading everyone. Feel free to answer also in the comments section 🙂.
Thank you Melanie once again for your questions. I will use these for my Tuesday Thoughts today 🙌🏼. I love this Share Your World blog which you can check out again here. A great idea to connect with others and answer questions that you would not normally be asked. Check out my responses below 👇🏼
Are you more productive at night or in the morning? Do you think it’s possible to change and get used to another schedule?
I am always more productive in the morning. My brain must work better or maybe because I’m refreshed from a good sleep. I am more focused in the mornings and determined to meet my goals. I think it is possible to change, however, other things in your life would need to change. Maybe going to bed later and rising later. Maybe going to the gym in the evening might provide you with more energy. Who knows. All I know is that I’m content with my morning productiveness 😆.
What’s the biggest vehicle you’ve driven? If you don’t drive, what’s the biggest vehicle you’ve ridden in?
The biggest vehicle was a Renault Scenic. Maybe not that big for some but my first car to drive was a Ford Fiesta so the Scenic seemed pretty big. I loved that feeling of sitting up high with a good view around you. My dream is to drive and stay in a camper-van one day but like one of those big motor homes from Meet the Fockers.
What songs would be played on a loop in hell?
Oh anything heavy metal or trance music. That would be painful 🙉.
How were your spirits (mood) over the past week?
Pretty good to be honest. I have a lot to look forward to this year and plans are starting to come together. Watch this space 😉.
Thanks everyone and have a good week. Enjoy your Tuesday (Monday night for some).
For today’s post I want to reply to Melanie’s post which you can find here on SHARE YOUR WORLD. I love the idea of sharing our thoughts. Ps. I just missed my spot to hop off the train by about three stops. The joys of being engrossed in the blogosphere 😬.
What very common thing have you never done?
I have never been married to the opposite sex.
Are we morally obligated to be charitable, if we have the means to?
This is a really tough question. I don’t think we are morally obligated but it is the right thing to do. We should want to help others as decent human beings. I feel morally obligated to help Ukraine but feel so helpless as a single entity to do anything significant.
What is the most amazing fact you know?
That the sun will rise again tomorrow.
What’s your favorite sandwich and why?
Chicken and cheese all the way!
Something that inspiresme…
The youth of today inspire me, especially their stance on global warming and wanting to improve the world we live in.
Thanks for taking the time to read my Tuesday Thoughts and thanks to Melanie for the inspiration.
By the way, I actually can’t believe this but I have just missed my train spot again on the return train!!!!! No more blogging for me this morning 🤦🏼♂️.
WrookieSchU 