NATAS Happiness

Well as the title suggests, I was at NATAS and I am sooo happy because I am off to Europe!

Yes my beauties, I'm going to be flying on a jet plane to London then Paris! Woohoo! I have never been to France, can you imagine that, a Fine Arts graduate who focused on European art but had never been to either Italy nor France. I am so stoked! I have heard about the NATAS fair for ages, my mom being in the airline industry and all, but I always gave it a pass because as a teacher i never had a chance to really go during the offers, and school holidays were normally used to attend training courses and meetings. But now, I can finally plan my holidays, take leave during the year. Its so liberating, I know I am a sad, deprived and utterly spoilt child!

Oh getting back to my holiday plans, I just can't believe its soooo affordable. I had gone to try to get a flight to America to visit a friend, but while the prices were cheap, there wasn't really anything that was that attractive for a flight to Seattle, Washington. Then my wife and I saw the wonderfully cheap deals to Thailand's Koh Samui. Yes this would have been like our hundredth visit there, so we very reluctantly pulled ourselves away from the beautiful Thai resorts on offer, then from out of nowhere... London/ Paris just leaped out at us. The airfare, hotel and train tickets all in, including transfers... We just couldn't believe it! A choice of some excellent airlines to boot, this was a dream trip just waiting for us to take. Just the Eurostar (train) usually costs about a couple of hundred pounds normally... I am just over the moon.

So what will I be doing when I'm there... DO YOU HAVE TO EVEN ASK? I'll be at every museum who will let me in, if I'm not at a museum, I'll be checking out the bookshops and the galleries and the restaurants. Hmmmm I am so bad, so so bad. Yes I know I only just came back from Bali not too long ago, then there was my little trip to Sydney and in the next couple of weeks, I'll be off to London to see my sister and friends and then off to Paris another tick on my world map. Next country on my list Italy, Ireland, New Zealand or Africa... in any order. Hey you only live once and we really have to live life to the fullest, so don't knock me for running all over the place. At least I pay to go to these lovely places, some of my friends have jobs that send them there with everything paid for. Sigh... But I can't be down because I'm off to Europe! Woohoo!

Cheers and happy trails all!

Hey Peeps

I know I've been slack for not writing for so long but honestly I've been busy. My Sydney trip was great but too all short. It was great to catch up with friends and it was amazing to see how much Sydney has changed in the short time since I left that lovely city. There are so many new trendy places to eat and drink, my old neighbourhood of Darling Harbour and Prymont has really picked up in the cool and happening factor. Sigh... I so miss those university days and the carefree lifestyle of a student. If I wasn't buried in the library doing research, I'd be with friends in town, shopping, eating, drinking, driving to the beach, driving to the snow, driving to the cinema or just driving to a friend's place... generally kicking back and totally learning the fine art of relaxation.

So anyway, suffice it to say that I had to drag myself back to work the next day after returning from Australia. Since my return I have just been so stuffed busy at work. I am starting to find my feet now at work, so it doesn't seem so bad as I made things out to be in previous entries. But still I am probably feeling so much better because I have finally started in ernest to prepare for my Masters. I now know what I want to do and I can't wait to put it all down to submit by this year's end. So my target is to start my postgraduate studies by June next year. Woohoo!

Yes it must be a pretty sick person to be so happy about being back in school and facing examinations and study stress all over again. But seriously, study stress is so easy to handle compared to the stress I have to deal with at work. But of course, I do love the pay check at the end of every month, but if I play my cards right, I should still be able to make some money while I study either as a teaching assistant or fall back on giving tuition.

Anyway I am particularly stoked because for the next three days I'll be free from work. I'm off to attend an Art Symposium and I'm so excited. I've been so side-tracked with work and the other subjects under my charge, but for the next 3 days... it'll be just art art and more ART! So if any of you lovely people out there are interested. Singapore Art Museum is hosting a really exciting programme for the next 3 days. Come on down to the Art Symposium and I'll see you there! Cheers!

Oh best of all... My work has paid for my participation and I'm off from work to attend. Excellent! Sure I know my work is piling up while I'm away, and yes I'll probably end up going into work early to check my email and clear stuff, or I'll be popping back into work in the evenings to do my work. But if I want to be slack, I'll just head back on Monday. *Smiles* evil grin... nah I prefer clearing the work before I freak out on Monday. But the next 3 days will be a real pleasant escape.

Happy Trails!