Talk about time slipping away, I blinked and the second 6 months of 2008 disappeared!

Although receiving news that I was unsuccessful in my application for the Rotary World Peace Fellowship, I did find out that I had been accepted to attend the 4th World Youth Congress based on WhyCantWeGetMarried.com.

On the way to the conference (in Canada) we stopped in Los Angeles to do some much needed catching up with the familiar crew. We even managed to squeeze in a mates 30th birthday party, a trip to Las Vegas and a trip to Red Rock Canyon! It was so lovely to do a little bit of exploring again and see some much loved friends!

The conference itself was held in August, in Quebec. It was really surprising just how anti-English Quebec seemed to be although it was a very pretty place. The conference itself was good but there were several hiccups which blocked many delegates receiving the full conference experience that I had met in Scotland three years prior. It was still worthwhile and we met many wonderful people and learnt many valuable things that have continued to influence our work and projects.

While in North America I received notification that I had been successful in a full time professional position I had applied for, back in Aus. I have now been working here for three and a half months and am loving it. My team is supportive, my employer is appreciative, the benefits are very reasonable and the work load is fine. In addition, I am able to keep tutoring part time and they appreciate my life outside of work, namely my work on my volunteer and NFP projects! Hurrah! Gold!

Soon one of my best friends from the States is coming to visit and I look forward to showing her around my home town!

It finally seems that, *gasp*, I've settled. I have a steady job, I am enjoying being back in Brisbane, I am in a loving and stable relationship and things are just hunky-dory. I am very, very grateful for having reached this point.

Much love

Kristiana

I think I have realised the two strongest contributors to the evaporation of time;
1) Taking it slow and steady
2) Age.

Taking it slow and steady (CERTAINLY wins the race).
This first 6 months of 2008 have definitely been consumed with less on my plate. I have tried to tackle each task as it has arisen and in doing so, I lost track of time.

I welcomed in the new year while volunteering with Kristina at the Woodford Folk Festival. It was a wonderful opportunity to take a break from work and reconnect with everything else I love; people, food, music and the environment. It was a break I was definitely craving and it left me with some clear resolutions for 2008.

By the time my birthday came around I realised just how unhappy I was at work. The job itself was fine but the organisation was not a fit with me, this was emphasised by a few key people who were determined to drive me away. So I gave myself a much needed present and quit the job in favour of working part-time at the Queensland University of Technology as a tutor of marketing and creative industries classes, and volunteering part-time at the Hear and Say Centre for deaf children and their families.

I am so delighted I gave myself the freedom to move onto QUT and the Hear and Say Centre because I LOVE WORKING AT THEM BOTH. I am able to keep up my marketing and communications skills as well as meet, interact and shape the learning experiences of many intelligent individuals. I get to guide, share and learn with my students in a very rewarding exchange that has made me very happy.

There have been other projects that have come up this semester but nothing in particular worth mentioning just now. Maybe sometime soon though...

Age.
The other factor I have recognised as the major consumer of time is age. The older I get, the more time slips away! I haven't quite recognised why this is the case but I have recognised that there are probably only about 65 years or so left of my life (and at this rate, that is going to disappear in what will feel like 5 years), so I have to take advantage of this second before it passes!

It is kind of in this mentality, of living for this second and valuing everything that it is offering that I got married, vary spontaneously (yet a long time in the making), in June. We were on a walk and looking out over the ocean as a storm became ever-present. We decided there and then that it was the right time and so asked the wind and the sea and the earth to recognise the fire within us and bare witness to the exchange of our commitment to each other, to our relationship and ourselves. I have no doubt that I am with the right person for me and although not legal, we, and those around us know that our relationship is real, our commitment is real and our love is real.

So although I haven't travelled anywhere in particular this first 6 months of 2008, I have come a very long way. I am very much looking forward to keeping up with the next 6 months of 2008.

Thank all of you for your support along this journey.

Kristiana

Amsterdam was a lovely way to bring in the second half of 2007! We hung out with a friend, played the tourist game and had a lot of fun, until the last night when we ran into an unfortunate crowd. None to worry, life goes on...

We got back to Berlin alright and decided to move house and just when we were about to move got a phone call from my partner's family asking if we wanted to come home because my partner's father's health was not good. We decided that we would go back to Australia, at least to find out what was happening, but hopefully not to stay.

We came back to Australia via a week long play in London and a day trip in Tokyo to find my partner's father was actually in a much worse health situation than we had realised.

Thankfully he got better, then he got worse, then he got better and eventually unfortunately he took a very sudden turn and died. Much of this last 6 months has therefore been spent in Aus, checking on everyone's health status and going through the grieving process. It has been a long and difficult time.

It has also been a tough time to try and find employment with the obvious emotional trauma, a national election and the wind-down towards Christmas and the new year. I have been fortunate enough to find work with an established international charity group where I am now responsible for the marketing and fundraising for the state. My partner is currently 'on holidays' but we are working on event management jobs...

Having just spent the Christmas and new year holiday break at a folk festival in the bush, I now feel cleansed, refreshed and a hopeful excitment for 2008.

It has been a long and rough 6 months but I now feel more grounded and calm. And am very, very grateful for strong, supportive family and friends, for my partner and for me!

Happy new year to everyone else and best of luck!

Sincerely

Kristiana

I was surprisingly disorientated at the beginning of this year because at the end of last year it seemed like I had everything sorted, a job, a house, house mates and a plan. When my working visa got rejected I tried to remain positive but I was really depressed for a while there.

I ended up going to a meditation retreat in the middle of January and it helped me significantly. I was ready again to welcome all sorts of positive energy into my life and started to realise why things had happened the way they had.

In early February, just after my birthday, I was feeling very calm and back in touch with my intuitive self, something I hadn't been in a long while. I felt good, healthy and calm. It was in this state and surrounded by friends that I met someone very, very special. Shortly after we met little signals started popping up and it soon became undeniable that we were supposed to be together this lifetime. I had met the soul mate I had agreed to share this lifetime with.

At the end of February I was working briefly in the UAE at the Education Without Borders Conference. While there I landed a job offer to work in Dubai. It sounded like a great opportunity and although a little out of my previous experience, I was up for the challenge. So was my new partner.

As it turns out, the job offer was really dodgy and so I eventually said no. My partner and I decided that we would still move to Dubai however, because we had heard from several sources that money was phenomenal there.

In May we left Aus and set off for Dubai on a round-the-world ticket that would have us stop in California, New York and Berlin before landing in the UAE. We were able to catch up with many friends in the States, visit Disneyland, volunteer in Mexico, club in Hollywood and go on a road trip to San Fransisco, all before hitting the sites in New York. While in California my partner and I also decided to get engaged and it was in Times Square, New York that we exchanged rings to a crowd of delighted, cheering onlookers!

Next stop was Berlin. We ended up resolving that life in the States and Berlin was a lot more liberal than what we were anticipating life in the UAE to be and so it was in Berlin that we found ourselves settling.

We have now found jobs (after much hunting) with a tour company and are having lots of fun meeting new people and commenting on cultural differences. We know that the jobs we are in are not enough to keep us here but for now at least, we are out of options.

And so friends, it is in Berlin that we find ourselves at the end of the first 6 months of 2007.

Right now we are off to Amsterdam for a birthday weekend adventure and who knows what is in store for us ahead???

Hope your first half of the year has been splendiferous!

Kristiana

Calling all Londoners / people interested in London!

I would like to organize at the end of January or beginning of Feb. a TIG Londoner members meeeting (I live in London and I'm in the TIG staff) for discuss about TIG and other important issues! Please, if you're interested and you would like to help me please email me with your suggestions and ideas! (I'm looking also for a nice place where we could meet, maybe it'll be an University Union)

Of course, all TIG members are welcome!

See you there!

Valerio

New York was fantastic! It had so much to see and do and was a great place to visit!

Canada was great, so different to the States!
Montreal had a lot of French attitude but the street music festivals and graffiti were awesome. I then travelled down to Toronto which is a small 'big city' close to Niagra Falls. The Falls were great but to tell you the truth, I was more impressed by Milford Sound in NZ. Spoiled by nature.... ha....

I then left Canada to spend a few weeks in Berlin (via the UK) in the middle of the worldcup action. It was a wonderful time and Berlin was a great place to be. It is such a happening city with a lot of fun things to see and do, while still allowing you space to be yourself.

From Germany I went to Poland with a friend. We were then going to go around the Ukraine for a few weeks but ended up spending one week there in total, and the other couple of weeks in Hungary and Romania before heading to the Netherlands, where my friend's family are originally from.

After the Netherlands I headed back to Germany where I found out about some exciting and amazing opportunities back in Australia...

I realised that I had done a lot of travelling during this year and a lot of personal development and that another year of travelling seemed like a bit too much, especially when there is so much going on in Aus...

Over the next few weeks I headed to Czech Republic (which I thought was charming but overrated), Slovakia (which I loved because it was modest but adorable), Austria (where I felt like I had walked into the most Western European city I had yet been to - meaning it was gorgeous and wealthy and fun while still historical) and finally Switzerland (which was nice but really expensive...).

I then headed back down under for a totally surprising and last minute trip to spend a few weeks with friends and family, to graduate and to receive a community award through the Queensland Young Achievers Programme.

I then headed back to the States to see everyone again and find a job. I managed to secure a job with Santiago Community College as a Student Services Specialist, responsible for a pilot program trying to get foster kids into college. Due to start in the beginning of 2007, I headed back to Europe for a little more exploration of the West...

I initially headed to Amsterdam again and met up with a friend before catching up with extended family and seeing some of the famous sites of Paris. Afterwards I travelled down to Spain and started off in San Sebastian where I met a guy who ended up being my travel buddy for the next couple of weeks. We ventured out to Bilbao to see the Gugenheim (which was amazing!), down to Madrid which we both loved (despite the cold) before going to Lisbon in Portugal.

Lisbon was totally random but a lot of fun! Afterwards my new travel partner and I had to part ways suddenly and I continued back to Madrid to meet up with another friend and do a trip to Salamanca. The university town was interesting but really cold and I was glad to travel down to the very South of Spain soon after to catch a ferry to Morocco. The north of Africa, contrary to what you might imagine is really mediteranian with heavy arab influences. While there I met two delightful families who showed me into their city, their religion, their homes and their lifestyle. I felt very privilaged and have made some new friends.

After Morocco I headed back up to Barcelona in Spain. To tell you the truth I thought Barcelona itself was relatively overrated but I had a great time because my Dutch friend as well as two other friends from Australia came and met me there! Yay!

From Barcelona I flew down to South Africa and was really scared of getting attacked and/or robbed. Neither incident happened, thankfully, but I did meet the greatest concentration of friendly people I have ever come across and saw some lovely sites and beautiful people in Johannesburg and Durban.

Just before flying back to Australia for Christmas I learned that my US visa had been rejected at that the job and future I had lined up in the United States was not going to be possible just yet. So Christmas and New Years were unexpectedly spent in Australia and I am starting off 2007 with new hopes and dreams, no plans and an open mind.

I hope that 2007 brings everyone exactly what they need!

Peace and love

Kristiana

Dopo la nascita di TakingITGlobal Italiano, nasce anche il primo gruppo interemente in Italiano e dedicato a tutti i membri che voglio discutere temi attinenti i giovani in lingua italiana! Oppure soltanto segnalare o essere informati su eventi ed iniziative sempre in lingua italiana!
Per iscriversi al gruppo, che si chiama TIG Italia, basta andare sul link
http://groups.takingitglobal.org/tigitalia?langrand=1391556147
oppure inviare una email a tigitalia-subscribe@groups.takingitglobal.org

Vi Aspetto numerosi!!!

Salaam friends,

Eid Mubarak to you all.

I hope you enjoy a super duper day, full of peace, love and joy!

Enjoy celebrating with your family and friends!

Peace out,

Sara x

Well I have finally settled into Harrow and it's been quite kewl. Uni life is pretty awesome...well its been very chilled out this week (freshers)..and no I have't been getting drunk (I dont drink alcohol) but I've been chillin out and gettin to know my flatmates and other students...

My room defo feels more homely...lots of colour everywhere...and I've just brought some of my MDG art project to stick up in my room!! I am going to print out some photos in a bit...coz I have like empty photo frames in my room...hehe...oops!

Other than that everything is kewl..I'm looking fwd to starting my 1st mini project tomorrow.

Yesterday I took part at the 'Time to Go' Demonstation in Manchester which was pretty awesome..I travelled with my family by coach with the Birmingham Stop the War Coalition Group and Respect Party candidate Salma Yaqoob. There were like thousands of ppl who came from all over the country (1000 ppl frm Scotland, ppl who cycled across the Pennines, ppl who walked...) Amazing really! It was such a great atmosphere and you really get into it..hehe I know I was yelling at the top of my voice! I'm glad I participated in it!

Anywayz i'm off for a nap now...as i feel soooo tired from this week!

peace,

Happy Ramadan Mubarak to you all!

I wish you all the peace and happiness during the month of Ramadan.

May Allah blessings shine upon you all!

Peace out,

Sara

Jus a super quick post...

Woo..I'm movin to Harrow tomorrow...yeah I'm excited but I'm well nervous too! I still have paperwork to sort out and a box of art materials to sift through n sort....

It feels really strange as well....like been looking fwd to it for so long and finally tomorrow I leave B'ham for London.....I love the place!

I can't wait to make new friends and also meet up with a few friends that going to other unis in London too....awesome stuff...

Lol..but ill be back home anyway next week...which im also excited about too...so I can fill everyone in on what's been going on...

Good luck to those who are also starting uni too!

Well peace out,

Sara

x

This post is a bit random...but came across this song which I haven't heard in yonks and I love it sooo much! It's by a fadabulous band called Embrace - although the track was written by Chris Martin (Coldplay!)

Honey, It's been a long time coming
And I can't stop now
Such a long time running
And I can't stop now
Do you hear my heart beating
Can you hear that sound
Cause I can't stop thinking
And I don't look down

And then I looked up at the sun
And I could see
Oh the way that gravity turns for you and me
And then I looked up at the sky and saw the sun
And the way that gravity pulls on everyone, on everyone

Baby, It's been a long time waiting
Such a long, long time
And I can't stop smiling
No I can't stop now
And do you hear my heart beating
Ah can you hear that sound
Cause I can't help crying
And I won't look down

And then I looked up at the sun and I could see
Oh the way that gravity turns on you and me
And then I looked up at the sun and saw the sky
And the way that gravity pulls on you and I, on you and I

Can you hear my heart beating
Can you hear that sound
Cause I can't help crying
And I wont look down

At the weekend, I went to Artsfest which took place in Birmingham. It's like the largest free arts festival in the UK which was pretty rockin'! It took place from Fri 8th - Sun 10th Sept. I think it's been going on for a few years now....

Lol..I'm just readin that above n it's sounds so formal..hehe. Yeah so decided to go there with a friend...was kinda odd coz it was like the 1st saturday I'd had off in like 3 months!

It was literally jampacked full of events - Marcia n I managed to wonder around for a bit then we were drawn to the BBC Blast Tour Truck. It was pretty kewl coz Blast is designed to bring out the creativity in youth and promote it further.

Anywayz yeah my mate and I decided to drop in on the Eco Fashion Workshop which is where you design and construct an item from scraps of material, clothing, recycleable sources...etc...it felt really weird because we both haven't done much art in the hols...but it was an awesome way to get back into it. We practically spent all day there and got tlkn to a few ppl - a guy from The Hemp Clothing Company and a designer who works with the Ethical Fashion Forum....groovy!

We were lucky enough to get our work uploaded onto the website...do check it out!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/apps/ifl/blast/art/showcase/competition/gallery/queryengine?page=1&pagesize=20&attrib_1=OBJ_THEME&oper_1=eq&val_1_1=Eco-fashion&sort_1=SUBMITDATE&sortsense_1=DESC&cacheVar=4

(hehe mine is the 2nd photo on the 2nd line and marcia's is the last one on the 1st line! )

Afterwards we checked out sum live music which was incredible...it was really really great stuff!

We both really enjoyed ourselves and it was wikid meeting up with her before I head down to London....

Yeah I've almost finished packing - it's jus I've got a lotta art materials and books n wrk ...infact I have more of that then my own personal belongings! haha. Well I really can't wait...although I am slightly nervous I'm more excited! Anywayz I'll be back home next Thurs/Fri...coz I'm hoping to go to the Labour Conference Protest Thingamajig in Manchester which I'm looking forward too!...plus Ramadan starts at the weekend...so will be nice to be with family....

Ritey O...

Im off..wanna finish packing!


Peace Out,

Sara xxx

Wow...I ain't blogged on here for yonks!

I have actually been super duper busy the past few weeks.

Since my summer vacation started I have been working extra hours at J.Lewis. So yeah I was basically occupied from Monday - Thursday and then Saturday, so not much free time. Fridays would be my chill out/getting jobs done day and Sundays I'd be visiting my nan and extended family. LOL and when I had freetime, I had to squeeze in dance practice as my cousins, sister and I were to perform a 'Ludi' dance at my uncle's wedding.

The summer was pretty jampacked and it's be pretty awesome!

My uncle got married, so I was down in London during the second weekend of August. It was really nice and good fun. The dance went well although we were all really really nervous...hehe. My sister cracked me up - for one part of the dance she forgot a part and ended up standing there like a wally! It was really funny...lol. It was kewl spending time with the WHOLE family...and our family is HUGE...when everyone gets together it's such a laugh!Anyways, the three days were packed full of asian music and dancing and meeting and greeting relatives we had't seen in ages!

On Monday, my sis, emma - a friend of ours and I had to travel straight from London to Gloucester. As we were part of the team for the Voices for Change International Summer School. Basically I went along for the week as a crew member to cover my sister's shifts, as she had NUS training for the week. It was an aweseome experience and although only 70 participants turned up out of the expected 130 (due to heathrow airport n visas being declined they couldnt make it). The environment was just great as I think camping brought us all together. The food was delicious as it was cooked fresh on site by a vegetarian catering company -hehe thanks to them I am now an offical Houmous lover...yummy!!It was also fun working as part of a team and developing certain skills and making new friends. I loved it. The participants were very friendly and just amazing! I mean I didn't even think I would facilitate any sessions but I was asked to hold 2 Voices Sessions which went extremely well. Personally for me it boosted my confidence further which just felt great! Although I left on the Friday, I enjoyed my time there and it was another fantastic event that I had been part of.

I came back home to Solihull...eventually as my train from Birmingham New St to International was delayed by half an hour....so I was pretty knackered by the time I got home. All I wanted to do was go to sleep...and get up in time for work the next day..

So yeh Saturday I was back at work....and then Sunday I went with some of my family to another wedding (well the mehndi) - friend of my sister and I which was really nice. It was pretty kewl as we had to bring the groom in light candles and throw petals to celebrate. Then we brought the bride to be in...which was also very kewl...Soon after that I had to perform a dance again...I was a little less nervous than the last dance but it went well again :S...hehe

Yep...Monday - Thursday I was working extra hours and then Friday my sis came back from VFC. In the evening we went to attend Mehwish's wedding. It was sooo sweet and she looked so pretty...and they had these really kewl lights as part of the background that changed colour...(I sound like a kid I know but it was awesome!)I really enjoyed the wedding...it was different as it was much more simpler than my uncle's wedding.

Then back home and sleep..and back to work on Saturday...I did eventually catch up on my sleep which was good. I just felt really exhausted after I got back from VFC as it was just busy non-stop...

More recently though I quit my part time job..as I wasn't able to get a transfer to a London Branch and also because the managers in my department caused a lot of problems for me...I was really upset to go (not boo hoo, im gonna cry) but just that I made some really good friends there...but we all promised to keep in touch so no excuses there!!

Since then I have been chilling out, and packing things for uni and hangin out with friends...

It's so close now..and I'm really excited. I am moving down to London...well Harrow, Middlesex next Saturday and I can't wait!!! Wooo...I am really looking forward to making new friends and also getting stuck into my course and developing political art!!

Peace out for now...im off to rollerblade :)

x

Wahey..Im finally 19...lol weird but I dont feel anything at the moment but I know that I'm gonna enjoy this age. It's kinda scary/weird thinking that next year I'm going to be 20!?

Last nite I went to my nan's house as some of the family came, so I had dinner there and generally just spent time with the family...

Today..my b'day has been much chilled out. I haven't done much today at all...got up early at like 9am...mom cooked a yummy brekkie...got a few txts and phonecalls which was nice n opened a few cards...yeah I havent asked for anything..because I dont really need anything...

Just spending time with family and friends is nice. Well I'm having a bbq next week with all the family and celebrating my nan's bday too!...but this tuesday I'm off to drayton manor to hang out with mates which should be ace!!

Yeah so other than that...I'll be lazin about til then...doin odd jobs and things b4 wrkn extra hours kick in :S but I'll be saving for uni which I'm excited about :D

I better dash,

Peace,

x