it's countdown time

december 31st.. while most people are getting ready for the new year's countdown, i honestly didn't realize it was already new year's eve!

i do have a countdown of my own, though... exactly a month from today i'll be heading to fiji for my first stop on this RTW trip..

so it's "Tminus31" day for me..

here's a little (meaning long!) text i translated from portuguese..
i always read it when i need help through hard times and it actually motivated me to be where i am right now (and where i'm gonna be in the future):

--

change,
but begin slowly,
because direction
is more important than speed.
sit on another chair,
on the other side of the table.
later on, switch tables.

when you go out,
try to walk on the other side of the street.
later on, change the path,
walk other streets, take it easy,
paying attention to the places
you pass by.

take another bus.
change for a while your dressing style.
give away your old shoes.
try to walk barefoot a few days.
take a whole afternoon to wander around
free on the beach, or in the park,
and listen to the birds sing.
see the world through other perspectives
open and close the drawers and doors
with the left hand.

sleep on the other side of the bed...
then, try to sleep on other beds.

watch other tv shows,
buy other newspapers...
read other books,
live other romances.

do not make the habit a lifestyle.
love what is new.
go to bed later.
go to bed earlier.
learn a new word every day
in another language.
fix your posture.
eat a little less,
choose different foods,
new seasonings, new colors,
new delights.

try the new every day.
the new side,
the new method,
the new flavor,
the new way,
the new pleasure,
the new love,
the new life.

try,
find new friends.
try new loves,
begin new relationships.

have lunch in other places,
go to other restaurants,
drink other drinks,
buy bread in another bakery.
have lunch earlier,
have dinner later or vice-versa.
choose another market...
another soap brand,
another toothpaste..
take a shower at different times.

use different color pens.
go for a walk in other places.
love a lot,
more and more
in different ways.
switch your purse,
your wallet,
your luggage,
switch your car,
buy new glasses,
write new poetry.

dump the old watches,
gently break
these horrible alarm clocks.
open an account in another bank.
go to other movie theaters,
other hair dressers,
other theaters,
visit new museums.

change.
remember you only live once.
and seriously think about getting another job,
a new occupation,
a lighter work,
more pleasant,
more deserving,
more humane.

if you can't find reasons to be free,
make them up
be creative.

go ahead and take a relaxing trip,
a long one, if possible to an unknown destination.
try new things.
then switch again,
change again,
try again.

you will certainly find better things
and worse things than what you already know,
but it doesn't matter.
what matters is the change,
the movement,
the dynamic,
the energy,
only what is dead never changes!

i will repeat it for pure joy in life:
there is only salvation through risks,
and without it, life isn't worth living!

love is only a feeling

the darkness is (was) a great band from the uk, and i love them no matter how gay they sound.. (or look).

check this video out:







i first saw this video when i started planning for the RTW trip, and back then i did some research to find out where it was shot..

guess what? the blue mountains, a few miles west of sydney, and i'm *so* gonna go there!

point of no return

and i've done it.

for my christmas gift (but not really), i finally booked the flights for the 1st and 2nd legs of the trip..

and i made some (literally) last minute changes, basically changing the departure date from feb 2nd to jan 31st, and skipping auckland (new zealand) on the itinerary, so i have the whole week on the south island...

i'm planning on booking the 3rd leg flights on the 1st week of january..

happy ho ho ho!

oh, the aussies

so i was bored out of my mind 2 hours after i woke up on my day off, and i decided to try and call the australian embassy to find out what the hell was going on with my visa processing. i thought they were just gonna say they can't give me any information, but they actually can verify the status of the application and give you updates...

turns out they thought i was applying for a short stay business visa (god only knows why, since they're completely different forms and document requirements), and haven't come to a decision about it yet.. now it's fixed, but now it's christmas week and i'm assuming they'll just be lazy and won't pick this up until next year..

bad news is with other 5 visas waiting, i did not have any margins for delays, and this problem messed up all my visa schedule. i don't know what i'm gonna do now. i just don't.

what i do know is that i'm gonna stick to the plans and make this work out...

let the worries begin

it's been over a month since i sent the papers for the australian visa.. and i need them back so i can send them to the other embassies..
but i haven't heard back from them yet..

bad, bad timing, aussies..

i'm thinking i'm going to get the 3 visas for SE asia (laos, cambodia and vietnam) on their borders, since i'm not going to have time to apply for them here..

*awesome*