The Many Faces of You

Sunday, February 6, 2011

things you should know about oz

sunscreen in oz is much stronger than in the states. our 60 doesn't even equal their 30. buy your suncream there, so your skin doesn't melt away like mine did!

auzzie's are a bit obsessed with the "oc" due to our crap reality shows that brainwash their media flow

swim between the yellow and red flags hoisted on the beach. it means patrolled waters, for riptides, sharks, jellyfish

oz is always in a drought, two buttons on a toilet: push one for #1 and one for #2

cars do not stop for pedestrians, they will run you over even if there is a crosswalk

aborigines are what they call their natives. they are not viewed with high regards, in some parts of oz it is illegal to sell them alcohol. so if an aborigine tries to get you to buy them booze….do not

currency: australian dollar

drive on the left side of the road, steering wheel on the right

coffee is an art, no joke

iced coffee - has milk, sugar and ice cream in it…..intense

you need a visa to visit this country and you have to buy it before you land there

passionfruit is a real fruit and it's a tasty delight =)

australians are a bit lazy in the lingo category, they shorten everything:
mcdonalds = macca's
australians = auzzie's (not aussie's)
brisbane = brizy
tasmania = tazi

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Shannanigans #4

sitting on the balcony of my hostel eating a fruit salad and yogurt dish, wind running it's fingers through my hair, while watching the sunset amongst friends.

i wish i could give this gift to everyone.

gold coast, oz

xoxo - ShannonSmile

Friday, February 4, 2011

the life of a rock

I woke up this morning and immediately felt the sweltering heat hit my body. There was no possibility of me falling back to sleep. I thru on my bathers, grabbed my sunnies and ran to the beach. It was gorgeous. mini waves coming from the north and larger ones coming from the east, crashing into each other to share the same water. i couldn't see another person on the beach for miles and from what i could tell, the water was also absent of human form. there were red and yellow flags about a half mile away, which signified patrolled waters. where i spilled onto the beach, swimming was not encouraged.

i had no fear of sharks and knew from experience that i could handle the traditional waves, so i ran and fast as i could and fell into the water. the ocean was refreshing. i laid in the pacific and allowed for the waves to toss me around. there was an exhilarating feeling knowing that no one knew i was out there. i could get swept away into the vast unexplored waters, there was a romantic beauty about it. after a bit i dragged myself from it's claws and lied my entire body onto the warm earth. no towel necessary, the white clean sand was bedding enough.

i started to make a sand angel, knowing quite well that at home i had once suggested that someone make a path from the boardwalk to the water so that i could avoid touching the dirty beach to get to the waves. i have always been a water baby, but thought quite well that we could do with out the grainy disintegrated rock. but here, on this continent, i mushed the sand between my fingers and my toes, appreciating every grain that i touched. i fell asleep mid-angel to the mild sounds of the waves.

xoxo - ShannonSmile

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Shannanigans #3

did a bit of hitchhiking and made my way up the coast! special thanks to all my partners in crime =) i will return the favor one day!

xoxo - ShannonSmile

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

slow process

leaving the girls in bondi was quite difficult. it was like leaving home for the second time. even though i was ready to take the next step of my journey, there was still this fear nestled deep in my belly. making new friends, starting up conversation, i had no desire to exert the energy.

since when did i consider "conversation" an effort? i was disappointed in myself. it seemed as though my progression was stagnant. i was waiting for the remised shannon to spark back to life, i hadn't anticipated the wait. i wanted my long lost spirit to jar me like a bolt of energy. i wanted to come back.

finally accepting that this was just part of my journey, i decided not to fight my urge of self-inflicted loneliness. i checked into my co-ed, 8 person dorm quietly, then swiftly slipped out, without uttering a word to my flatmates. i wasn't ready to humor anyone, so i meandered around the beautiful little town and fantasized about building a world like byron bay amongst the sea line of the orange curtain.

what a ridiculous thought. there was so much of the california coast that had been unexplored by my eyes, the reality is, a town like this probably already exists.

i had considered taking a dance with maryjane to slowly ease me back into the friendship making circle and then slightly remembered how my grass induced state leads me to believe that cops that are on my doorstep waiting to arrest me. i strongly decided against it and settled for a kayak adventure. aaahhh, just my luck, it was all couples plus one. as i thought the day couldn't get any brighter….i was partnered with the instructor. to my unforeseen delight, he was the perfect anecdote that i needed for the cure. his witty and charming auzzie demeanor was contagious, within minutes i felt as though i was host of the group.

when i returned to my dorm, my two male flatmates, still looking a bit groggy from the previous nights events warmly welcomed me to our humble abode. i smiled, knowing instantly i came to the right place.

life was back to simple.

xoxo - ShannonSmile

goldmine of purity

"miss……miss…….excuse me. can you pull your window shade up?"

goodness, service was never quite the same once you the left the confines of the US, that's one thing i knew i missed. customer service basically didn't exist in australia and when it came to the airlines, they were the least accommodating. apparently, when the plane is descending, the entire 45 minutes of it, you must keep all window shades on the aircraft open, so the pilot can look to his left and to his right, of course ;)

so after rudely being awakened, i hastily slid the shade up and quickly winced, unprepared for the brightness of the outer world. within minutes, i was taking back every scornful thought i had toward the stewardess, because what i had come to see is what i consider to be a "cloud mine."

i was flying through clouds of cotton candy as far as the eye could stretch. it was like something i had never seen before. to the naked eye not an inch of blue sky, green earth, or sultry water could be seen, it was pure, magnificent, blinding white. the clouds were pillowing at every corner, building mountains, dinosaurs, skyscrapers and delicious treats all around us.

i had been on over 15 different planes in the past 6 months. never once over thought the procedure of taking off and landing, never realizing how major it really is to be miles upon miles above the earth, flying higher than the birds, yet resting just below the angels.

there are millions of people in the world that would never get the opportunity to fly, not even once. they would never have the opportunity to experience an adult candy land. and here i was, flying somewhere, trying to find some excitement, trying to find something unique…..

and all along, all i had to do, was open the window to capture the magic.

xoxo - ShannonSmile

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Shannanigans #2

It's been three month since i've had a cigarette.

and let me be the first to tell you that quitting and then leaving the country isn't easy. everyone, i mean everyone, abroad smokes.

but i haven't been tempted, not even once. and i haven't been anxious once. i feel amazing.

xoxo - ShannonSmile