Inspiration from Vietnam

I can't believe how slack I am in keeping up with my blog, considering my life is so much more relaxed than this time 18 months ago. I'm sure there must be a wise saying that says something about the more time we have the less productive we become? Or maybe I actually needed to take some 'relax and smell the roses' time?????

Well I certainly am taking in the sights, sounds and not-always-pleasant smells around me, especially in my travels during the school holidays, and thought I would share some of the fab photos I snapped when Vince and I were in Vietnam and  Cambodia over the July break.
I loved the colours and shapes, and thought they would lend themselves to something creative once I am over my 'downtime'.

These oars were in the Kings Palace in Pnomh  Penh and were both wonderful colours and shapes, while being sturdy and intricate in design.












I love the lotus and we sure saw them in all
their glory on our travels throughout both

Vietnam and Cambodia. I would so much
have loved to have been able to have brought
back one of the absolutely gigantic leaves
that I saw - and when I say gigantic I am talking GINORMOUS!!!! Here is my little bit
of lotus love to you :)




I was stoked to find a "chain" of patchwork and quilting shops called Mekong Quilts / Vietnam Quilting and managed to visit almost every one of them throughout the three weeks we were away. The work was really lovely, some stunning colour combinations, and the handquilting was incredible ..... I think if I had measured stitches to the inch it would've been faultless. I was really tempted to buy a quilt but faced reality and left it for someone else to enjoy. Did buy a couple of smaller items as gifts for other peeps though and spent ages just wandering and filling my needs through my eyes :)

First shop - oh happy day in Ho Chi Minh City.

Very very patient he was, was Vince. Lucky they had a seat, though!!!!!!

Everywhere around me I seemed to "see" things that I thought would be so cool made up somehow.....

So maybe now, after another inspiring trip to a land filled with more culture, colour and life (have just come back from a week in Thailand) I might actually start testing my creative spirit again........... 

Ciao

Selamet sore from Jakarta - my new home!!!!

OH BOY! 
I can't believe it has taken me this long to get to my writing this and I have to say a huge apology to those peeps who have emailed to say where the heck am I ... was I missing in action?


But no - I am very much alive and kicking, just kicking in a different land.


To cut a rather long (but interesting) story short the week of Christmas I applied for, interviewed for, and won, a teaching position at the New Zealand International School here in South Jakarta and flew out on January 3rd. So yes, all very quick but hey, sometimes those sort of spontaneous things are often just what you need after 9 months of dithering!


However it did mean leaving Vince and the boys and Pippa behind in New Zealand... not the easiest of decisions I have to say. 
But I looked on it as if I was doing my own sort of "Eat, Work, Play" experience, not that I look anything like Julia Roberts or that I would have the limitless expense account that she had at her fingertips....damn it all:)


SO into my 4th month and every day reinforces the positivity of my decision.
This is a city of noise, busy-ness, and everchanging-ness ( I know, neither of those last two words are real but I take liberty to create my own words).


I love being back in the class and love my 14 Year 4 mixed bag of treasures. I have a neat bunch of colleagues that I teach and live alongside, I share an apartment with a great young Australian woman half my age who has also left her husband at home. Yes, I miss my man but with modern technology that helps to at least keep in touch.


I have had opportunities already to travel to both Singapore and Hong Kong, and in 8 weeks time both Vince and Mal will be over here for a holiday and then Vince and I will head off to Vietnam.
Hey - is this not an adventure????????


SO - I am back and alive and kicking!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Right - off to the gym and then the pool but will share some photos in a couple of days and also update you on the little bit of creativity I have managed.
CIao,

Generous bloggy friends

Oh boy - I am just blown away right now by the generosity that greeted me at the door earlier this week when the courier knocked.
This is what Pippa and I discovered....

Pippa quickly figured it contained no food so mooched off but I realised it was indeed 'food' for me - scrap 'food' of the fabric variety from a lovely lady I have met via the blog world.
Susan over at Tenderoni Quilts had mentioned that she had 'a few' scraps to give away if anyone was interested so I said I would be if noone else was.....well, you know the old saying, someone else's scraps are another quilters treasures.....mmm, think I may have made that one up!!!!!
Well Susan's  ' a few' has left me feeling ever so spoilt and humble -

When I opened the box it was like opening a spring loaded fabriclicious Jack-in-the-box as these goodies jumped out!!!!
Susan you are such a honey:) These scraps are currently chatting with my stash - in fact my scraps are a little embarrassed by them, as what I think of as scraps are considerable smaller!!!!!! 
I am a little overawed that so quickly I have been welcomed into the blogworld and have made some lovely friends already - such sharing and warmth and encouragement from people on the other side of the world certainly connects us doesn't it?
AND if that wasn't enough to get my tear ducts going, I then received another package from Michele at Nostalgic Cafe from a giveaway she had hosted

For me who is stuck at home a lot at the moment getting these surprises in the post is really making a huge moment to "celebrate" (that's for you Em) 
So thankyou my blogging peeps - I do appreciate you being out there.
Right - where are the tissues.......
Ciao,