Saying Good Bye to 2010

Hello Everybody!!

I know I know, I feel terribly sorry that it really has been 2 months since I posted, but our new Life here in Oz really doesn't give me much time to keep you guys up dated. I try to post more tho, that is my New Years Resolution :)

Since the last port a lot of things have happened and changed.
We got our luggage the next day but it also was a hustle, I think we were at the airport for like 4 hrs or so, but we made it. :)

A few days later I actually had an interview in a nice 5 star Hotel, I got invited back and to my surprise the Director of FO Operations is German too. Wish I had seen my face when he greeted me with a "Wie geht's Dir?" lol It all went very well and now I have been working here for about a month and a half. It is so much fun and I really really like the Hotel, makes me sad cause I know I won't be able to work here for longer than 6 months.. :(

Pretty much in the same week, I think it was a few days before the interview, we found a place to stay. We went there on Peabos Birthday and watched the Melbourne Cup with the lady renting a room in her house. It seems to be the perfect place for us, they have a dog too, are close to the beach and so far the Atmosphere is more like a family than a landlordish one. Did I mention that they loooove to cook and make pastry's and that? No? Oh uhmm they do lol And OMG they are sooo good.

After all we are very lucky cause the ladies boyfriend was able to get a job for Peabo in the Warehouse he works in for a few years. So all the frustration and pressure went of us within a few days. And just a week after we were even able to pick up our lil fluffy one too. :) We actually had to drive there twice cause it was in the middle of nowhere and we got lost and run late. But all that doesn't matter cause we have him back!

Ever since nothing big really happened, we just settling and enjoying our time together over here, making new friends, planning our next trips and wondering where life will take us.

We had a great Christmas Day with an entire family, lots of awesome gifts and not to forget the delicious Dinner. :) I am very happy I was able to spend that day with my Cakes, it was a very special Christmas to me and I hope many more will come.

I can't believe that the year is almost over, so many things happened 2010, good ones, not so good ones, but they all worth to be remembered. I am looking forward to a new exciting year as well and my New Years Resolution? Hehe Well... I think cause of all the good pastry's and food we get I need to start working out a lil more.. ;)

To all of you once again Happy Holidays and a very Happy New Year!!

Merry Christmas

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Leaving Germany / Arriving in Australia

G'Day Mates,

I finally found a few minutes to share my first impressions and experiences with you.

We left Germany on the 15th of October and nope it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. The lady at the check in gave us a 2 hr hustle, first there was too much weight in one bag, so my mom and me started running and looking for another bag. As we came back to the check in the weight was good, but then they decided to tell us that they wanted to have 40!!!!!!!!!!!!EUR per additional Kilo. Dunno why they didn't tell us in first place, but traveling wouldn't be as much fun if the people on the desks knew what the heck they are talking about. Ok after running back and forth between the overweight freight service and the check in, we finally made. We were there 3 hrs in advance and actually had to run to our gate to make it in time. Great start ain't it?
Arriving in the airplane Peabo had the next surprise, he was squeezed in the seat and couldn't move at all, no TV in the seats. Wow that would be a loooooong flight. Luckily he was able to sleep, which I wasn't.
Arriving in Shanghai was very interesting, we had to walk in the background area to get to the Transit hall lol And yup we were not allowed to leave it for the next 12!! hrs. Goodbye Sightseeing. :( Well I caught up on some sleep and Peabo was watching movies since almost every regular wepage was blocked and besides the same duty free shops and restaurants over and over there was not much to do. So we were counting down them boring hours and were happy when the boarding time came closer. Arriving at the gate, wohooo surprise the plane didn't even land. We actually left I think 2 hours later than we were supposed to.
The plane was much older than the first one, but had a lil more space, still no TV in the seats and this time I decided to go to sleep. Waking up just in time for the adventurous touchdown in Sydney. Wow we literally were saying our prayers when the plane went lower and lower and all u saw was the ocean and the ships and boats coming closer and closer. lol
We made it! Immigration and customs were easygoing, but surprise surprise one of my bags (yup the one with the lap top of course) was and still is missing or better just checked in in Shanghai. Coming outside the airport first thing we see Krispy Kreme Donuts, totally made our day. :) And we made our first friend woot.
The cab ride wasn't really that spectacular, the driver wasn't very talkative and after letting us out at the wrong spot and picking us up again we also made it to the Hostel.
The place is pretty old, not very clean, but the people are nice. Also our first 2 roomies, which sang special song s to us at night. After the second sleepless night we decided to move rooms, and the new roomies are cool. 2 Guys from Germany also on a holiday visa. Yay U find em everywhere them Germans hahaha
So the last few Days all we did was trying to find a place to use internet, there is a library down the street, but the net is slow and very expensive. Now we got one of those sticks, so we can use it in the room and search for apartments and jobs.
We also opened up bank accounts, tried to apply for a tax file number which was not successful in my case, since Immigration says I didn't arrive yet lol But we got that also fixed today. Got some money back for the still lost back, hoping it'll arrive soon and we applied for some Jobs. I actually have a Test Day on Saturday and I hope I will do well and get the Job.
The plans for tomorrow are going to the airport and picking up our overweight luggage, nope they don't deliver them to the hostel and look for some apartments and jobs. On friday I have a class to get my RSA, which is a license I need to be able to work as a waitress, let's cross them fingers I understand what they talk about and pass the test. haha

We still didn't visit out dog. :( Which makes me very sad cause I miss him a lot, but the problem is that the german vet screwed up and tested 2 diseases with the wrong tests, so they have to be repeated and until then he is on vet hold and not allowed to leave his kennel or have visitors. Sounds like jail to me. The results might be here within a week or two and I hope they negative or the dog will be send back. :(

So I guess that is it for today and you guys are up to date, I will upload some pics as soon as I get my Lap top ( in case I ever get it back). :)

Cheers Mates

The last week in Germany

G'Day Mates,

yeah I really should get used to that now that we are getting closer to the big moving date.
A lot has happened since I blogged the last time.
We were not really successful in selling all the furniture, so unfortunately we have to trash it all on Monday. :( I was even trying to donate it to charity, but even them just wanted to make money with it and were just interested in it when they could pick it up on their own and charging me 200EUR for it. I am really asking myself what is wrong with these people these days, being all about the money and the money only?
Frankie also had his blood tests which was even a bigger drama. He failed one of them in the first run and that was almost the end for Oz. When we were thinking about what to do in case he fails the second one we decided that there would be NO WAY we would leave him behind. He is a family member.
So we started looking for solutions, just in case.
The problem was that Peabo's Tourist visa is expiring on the 15th and he would definitely have to leave the country. That would have meant Long Distance Relationship again. :(
Since I would have not been able to get a J1 Visa for the US before January and unfortunately the work and holiday visa in Canada are all gone for this year already, we would have seen us again in January in Canada. But I guess this time Murphy wasn't really in the mood to crew us. :) Frankie passed the second test. YAY!! We had to fill out 12 pages of import permit, reconfirm the flight and his quarantine and he is flying out on Tuesday. :)
I also had my last day at work on the 30th. Next morning I went to the unemployed office and everybody was very nice. It was my first time ever dealing with them and I was a lil freaked cause of the stories you hear about them being rude and mean. BUT they are the total opposite and when they heard my story about leaving they were even more impressed and couldn't stop asking questions about Australia. :)
After that the last week all we did was packing, packing, packing, throwing stuff away and more packing. Until this morning, I successfully deregistered myself and got an international drivers license. :D
I think this might be the last post from Germany.
We'll be moving to Frankfurt on Monday and spend some more time with my Family and Friends over there and finally heading out on Friday.
So next time you read from me, it'll be from the wonderful Sydney, Australia.

Cheers Mates!

A month to go

Wow I am somewhat shocked, surprised and totally excited at the same time. i just realized that this will be the very last month living in Germany for at least the next 2 years.

Eventho I applied for my visa in march and was countin down the days ever since, I can't believe that we are so close to our new future now. :))))))

I also got some great news today.
I had to renew my passport since it was about to expire in September 2011 and I didn't wanna deal with that in Australia. Unfortunately I wasn't smart enough to do that before I applied for my visa :D so I had to deal with the Australian Immigration the last weeks.
I have to admit that I was really surprised,it takes them like 2 minutes to grand you a visa but entire 6 weeks to change a 10 (or whatever) digit number on the visa. Oh well! Today I finally got the email that they updated my record and we are good to go!! :)

Tomorrow I am going to the Vet with Frankie and he can also get his missing blood test done. We'll see how that works out. lol

I also started trying to sell my stuff only and so far unfortunatley not very successful, I hope that'll change soon. The stuff is just 2 years old and I would b real sad if I had to throw it away. :(

We are still looking for apartments and jobs in Sydney at the moment, but like Peebz already posted a few days ago we might consider going to Brisbane instead. That's why I like this visa, we can just move around and travel in different cities and get the best experience possible.

That's what was goin on the last couple of days, I keep you updated how things go withing the next 4 weeks :)

Looks like Brisbane

Heyo it's Peabo. This is my first personal blog here. We have been busy since the last post, Smurf (Ann) looking to sell her furniture and wrapping things up with her job...and myself just trying not to get in her way (lol). So after a little talking it looks like Brisbane might be our destination, because Sydney is ridiculously expensive. I just got back from Brussels, Belgium for their annual beerfest. I'm excited about the Oktoberfest in Munich which is coming up pretty soon. After that, we will be getting ready to head Down under. I'll be posting from time to time, so hopefully you guys keep tuning in and we'll keep you up to date. Peebz, out!!!!

Getting Prepared

I have always been a globetrotter and wanted to travel to as many countries as possible. Find the one I love and just settle there. That’s when I made my 2 year rule, I didn't and still don't want to stay at one place longer than 2 years.
So after not having a great start into the New Year and a bad break up, I was like what now? The 2 years in Germany would b over in October 2010 and I definitely did not feel like staying longer than really necessary.
I came up with the plan to move again, had two destinations Canada or Australia. I still wouldn’t b eligible for another J1 Visa, so no way to go to the US. And I wanted to go far away, Europe was too close. :)
After doing some research on the internet I decided to go to Australia, I wanted to go somewhere warm, sunny, beachy. Besides my aunt and her entire family live there, this is a plus too.
I didn’t take me long to figure out which visa to choose, the Working Holiday it is. That way I am still able to travel and am not bound to one employer. It took me a few minutes to fill out the online application form (http://www.immi.gov.au/) and after I was done I just wanted to check if they received it and I already had the confirmation.

CONGRATULATIONS YOU ARE GRANTED THE WORKING HOLIDAY VISA

That was easy! Next thing to do was getting the paperwork for the dog done. Not that easy anymore. (http://www.daff.gov.au/aqis/cat-dogs) First I needed to make sure Frankie had the shots, he also had to get a blood test done (rabies). After I filled like 4 pages out and sent them in he was granted the import permit, yay I thought until I saw that it was another 12!!! Pages to b filled out and stamped and signed by the government vet. After I got his import permit, I was able to book the flight (http://www.petshipping.com/) and the quarantine (http://www.daff.gov.au/aqis/cat-dogs/accom).
Most of the pages are done by now and we just have to wait until the middle of September so he can get the rest of the tests done and is good to go.
When Peabo was here the beginning of June and we pretty much knew right from the beginning we were working out just fine, we also applied for his visa. Since he was living in India for a while he had to get a chest x ray done, which was no big deal and he got his Visa too. Next thing you know we booked our flights. :D
During the last few weeks I terminated my rent lease and quit my job, sold a few things already. There are still some things to do before Day x, but not that much anymore, just counting the days until our adventure starts.