Bon Iver - re: Stacks I've been back in Finland about for few weeks now. And it feels good. I'm so happy to be able to hang around with my friends and family. But don't get me wrong. I do miss Australia.. a lot! But it's good to be home and there's few exciting things coming up so at least there's something to look forward to! These photos are taken from a little pond that we happened to find with my friend. The "dock/pier/whatever" was so broken and unstable that I'm surprised that we both survived without falling into the water. Especially because I'm known of my very bad balance and being the clumsiest person in the world.
Anyways I love all the photos that we took. I'm so glad that I have a friend who loves to take pictures as much as I do, and is ready to do (really) stupid (and dangerous) stuff just to get a cool pic. Hope you like the photos!
Woooooooooooooooooooooow.... steaaaaaaaaaaady.
Found this little friend on our way back to the car! :) Have a great weekend everyone!!! with love, Rowina Follow my blog with Bloglovin
Josh Pyke - Leeward Side "Mill go there, sit there!!" "OMG OMG ROWINA I'M SURE THERE WAS A SPIDER" "I don't care.... GO!!!!!!" ---- MILL, GIRL FROM NORTH YORKSHIRE, I MISS YOU SO MUCH. Your pretty face and your weird mind!! --- So about month ago (that's like ages ago!! o.O ) me and Mill decided to go to take some pictures to Botanic Gardens. Neither of us really have been there properly, though we had been living in Melbourne over a year already... Whoopsie daisy. It's such beautiful place to walk around, explore and just enjoy the beautiful weather. I think that day we ended up walking more than 7km. No wonder we were so tired in the end, hah!
Follow my blog with BloglovinFor those who did not know.. I'm back in Finland!! This time, for good! I must admit, it feels weird.. Not just because I've been feeling crap lately as I have the strongest flu I've ever had, but bcause I still don't understand that I'm back on the other side of the world. Saying goodbyes was hard, but at the same time I didn't feel as bad as I thought I would. Maybe because I knew I will be back on December 2016! :P Yep that's the plan ;)
But yeah it's crazy how time flies when you are enjoying your life. 3months turned to be 15months... And now it has come to an end and here I am, thinking all the memories, all the friends I've made and the person that I've become. That most spontaneous decision of my life, on May 2014, to come over to Australia without any plan or what so ever, turned out to be the best decision that I've ever made.
Thank you to my host family for the warm welcome and I'm so lucky to be part of their family. I miss all of you. Especially you H, my little buddy! I am the luckiest girl to find the man of my dreams from the other side of the world. It was about the time for you to stop hiding and come in my life, haha!! And I am so blessed to have all these beautiful people around me that I've made friends with in Australia. Now I have friends literally all around the world and that just means that I need to travel more so I can see all of you again ;)
Thank you all for this amazing experience. Without you, it wouldn't be the same!!!
"home is the person or place you want to return over and over"
"You get a strange feeling when you’re about to leave a place. Like you’ll not only miss the people you love but you’ll miss the person you are now at this time and this place, because you’ll never be this way ever again" "The world lies in the hands of those who have the courage to dream and who take risk of living out their dreams – each according to his or her own talent " "Travel changes you. As you move through this life and this world you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, no matter how small. And in return, life and travel – leaves marks on you. Most of the time, those marks on your body or on your heart are beautiful. Often, though, they hurt" "You will never be completely at home again, because part of your heart will always be elsewhere. That is the price you pay for the richness of loving and knowing people in more than one place." Till we see each other again, with love, Rowina
Few months ago me, Vanessa and Mill(S) had a little 2 day trip to the Grampians National Park. It was one of the best trips so far!! It included lots of chips, not double or even triple but FOUR chocolate muffins, sweating as hell, getting lost in the middle of nowhere, asking directions in little towns, freeeeeeezing cold night --> no sleep at all, waking up at 4.30am to the fact that our tent was surrounded by 30 kangaroos sniffing around the campsite, praying that Vanessa would not kill us with her driving skills (just joke my luv), taking lots of pictures, and to capture those cool pictures we could have died as we were standing on the edge of a cliff facing a few hundred meters long drop and of course eating ice cream. All in all just one of the funniest trip I've had with my penguin fwends. :)
Oh and in few days I'll be in Finland!! Imagine that! Time flieeees! Have a great day :)
Moikka! Tällänen pikainen throw backi tonne vuoden alkuun ja meijän road trippiin Great Ocean Roadille. Lähettiin sinne aikaisin lauantai aamuna ja tultiin takasin maantaina. Tää on ollu mun bucket listillä jo jonkun aikaa ja nyt vihdoin päästii toteuttaa se! Huh huh, voin kyl kertoo et näkymät oli sanoin kuvaamattomat. Pyysin Filii pysähtyy varmaa kilsan välein, koska halusin ottaa kuvia. Ne maisemat oli jotain nii käsittämätöntä. En oo ikin nähny mitään niin kaunista! Tolla reissulla alko taas arvostaa elämää ja luontoa! Mut tosiaan, jos koskaan ootte tääl Melbournessa päin niin käykää ihmees ajelee Great Ocean Roadilla! Ite haluun mennä takas taas ens kesänä, koska mult jäi nii monta kohtaa kuvaamatta hahah!! Mä nyt meen takas kirjojen pariin... Joten hyvää viikkoa kaikille! Nähdään Suomessa sitte n. 3 viikon päästä, IIIIIIK!!!! English: A quick throw back to our road trip to Great Ocean Road. So after New Year on Friday 2nd of January we decided to tick one of the things on my bucket list and it was the trip to the one of the world's scenic coastal drives! We were on the road from Saturday to Monday. We stayed at Ocean Grove because all the accommodations on Great Ocean Road were booked out or the prices were way too expensive. During those few days we enjoyed John Legend's amazing songs, the beach, the huge waves (I almost drowned... just kidding), watching the surfers riding waves, beautiful scenery along the road, 12 Apostles, waterfalls, sleepy koalas and Fil's favoutites, lighthouses. It was such a good trip and I wouldn't mind on doing it again. :)
1. My parents are from the Philippines so I'm 100% filipina. BUT I've been living my entire life in cold cold cold Finland. No, I wasn't born in Finland though. I was born in Germany. And my surname, San Juan, is spanish. A bit confusing yeah? 2. About my name: it's probably the most difficult name to write/pronounce. Rowina San Juan. It doesn't look hard, right? But the problem is that when it's pronounced no one knows how to write it! Here in Australia people write my name as "Rowena" which is understandable as that is the "normal" way to write that name.. :D But in Finland .. oh dear. I've been called "Robina, Rokina, Rosita, Roina, Ruina, Lorina... the list is endless. And then my surname, San Juan. It's pronounced "San Huan" because in Spanish J is pronounced like H. And it's confusing because the words are separated.. so some may think that "San" is my second name and "Juan" is my last name. Or that San is some kind of title etc.. So for example on my bank card it says " San Rowina Marie Juan" :) 3. I love food. Especially ice cream. I could live only with ice cream... 4. I love to take pictures. Photographing is one of my favorite things to do. I'm good behind the camera but on front of the camera I'm super awkward. I just have no idea what to do... weird. 5. I'm a person who rather be 30 minutes too early than 10 minutes late. Even when I was a kid I used to be at school 7.30 even though school wouldn't start till 8.15.... 6. In new situations where there are lots of people, and I don't know most of them, I can be really shy. I'm usually the one standing in the corner all alone. I'm just not good at starting conversations. So if someone else starts the conversation then I'm fine. 7. I love kids! 8. I have the weirdest memory ever. Some things, more like daily things,I forget them really easily. That's why my calendar is always full of stuff, because if I don't write things down, I will most likely forget them. And that's not good... How many birthdays I've forgot.. It's really embarrassing but I can't help it!!!! :( But on the other hand when it comes to studying I have decent memory. I write notes with different colors and I can remember my notes just by thinking the color that I used for those notes. This is the reason why I'm so interested about brains, and how we learn and how our memory works. 9. This is really Asian thing to say but I don't care: I love maths. I don't know why but I've always liked it. I've like to solve things.. I just like numbers haha. But must say, I suck at mental calculation! 10. I'm not a very girly girl. 11. I love people watching. I love to be in a crowded place and just watch all the people passing by. Usually I wonder what they are thinking, where they've been and where they are going. I like to make up my own little happy stories in my mind. :) 12. I have no sense of rhythm. It's just terrible. Just terrible. I can't sing (OK when I'm in the shower or cleaning I like to think I'm the best singer everrrrrrr), I can't play any instrument...Oh and I can't dance. 13. I hate bugs. Especially all the bugs here in Australia... In Finland we only have cute bugs....
14. I'm afraid of darkness, height and their combination: deep water. 15. If I could choose a super power it would be ability to fly. I've always dreamed about flying. Damn, I envy birds. 16. I'm an animal lover. Dogs, cats, ferrets, bunnies... <3 <3 <3
17. I'm really awkward on the phone. I just don't know how to talk normally on the phone :D "emm hi emm yea umm where are you umm ok well yeaaaah idk why I called bye...."
18. I need to start everything with my right foot. Getting out of the bed, putting shoes on.. I must start with the right one. o.O
19. I love to laugh. OK who wouldn't? But like the feeling when you are with someone and they make you laugh. :)
20. I love traveling. The feeling of being in a new place, seeing different things that you are used to, getting new experiences and having new friends.
Hi!! I'm still alive. hehee. I'm so sorry! I've been really really really busy and haven't had really time to sit and edit photos ( which I have thousands on my hard drive waiting for me... iik) and write my blog. But anyway here I am! I've decided to write only in English (your welcome Leslie!). It's easier this way and it saves so much time. BUT please be patient and don't mind about my huge grammar mistakes. I suck in grammar... even in Finnish. So just imagine what a big struggle English grammar is for me. Anyways, I'M TRYING. And I'm only doing this for you, my international friends <3 So just ignore the mistakes hah! There will be heaps of them :P
OK.. Soo what has been going on... yes I am still an Au Pair! I'm still with the same family and will be here as long as they need me :) Harrison is going to kinder 3 days in a week now. He's enjoying that a lot!!! He's growing up so fast!! :O And while he's at kinder I take care of other 2 kids from different families... So yea, my hands are pretty full hah! And though as much as I love all the kids that I take care of, after all this nannying I don't want to have my own kids at least for another 3 to 4 years!! Sorry mom, no grandchildren for you for awhile...
Umm what else. Oh I'M GOING TO FINLAND IN MAY! I'm going there for 3 weeks to see all my family and friends. I'm soooooooooooo excited!!!!!!!! And finally my boyfriend is going to meet my family! Ok, he has met them via Skype, but that's not the same thing as in person :P So please family San Juan, behave well when we come over. I don't want you to scare him away lol. Just joking mom, dad and Nici.. or am I? And when I'm in Finland I'm going to do my entrance exam for Uni. Right now I really have the feeling that I want to study psychology or cognitive science so I'm going to try to get into school.. I reckon I won't have really big chances to get in (last year 55 out of 1012 got in.. that's 5%!! no pressure...)as my reading hasn't been that productive. But I'm still going to try and really doing my best to study here as hard as I can. The thing is that it's just not easy to study when you are in a city that has everyday something going on and the sun is out and so on.. but yep. I'll do my best! And after the trip to Finland, on the way back to Melbourne we stop in Paris, France. I'm quite excited about that as I've never been in Paris!! Can't wait to take 1291293081209 pictures!!!!! And eat all the food.. and hear that beautiful language. <3 oh oh oh.
And theeeeeeeen.. if you haven't heard yet, YES I AM STAYING FOR ANOTHER YEAR HERE IN AUSTRALIA! I'm just not ready to come home yet. Though every now and then I miss my family, my friends, cold weather (OK that's a lie) and my little furry ferrets, I have my life here and I still wanna keep going! And I haven't even had the chance to travel around this amazing country. So my plan is to stay here for another year, travel a bit in December/January and then go back to Finland in May(?) 2016 and then start my studies in Uni. This is my rough master plan! Sounds good doesn't it? :P
Ok right now I'm just shit chatting so I better stop... Anyways life is all good here, haven't got eaten by crocodiles and still living a dream. Just loving my life. :) I'll try to do another post soon(ish) but as you've noticed my tries always fail... but keep hoping, maybe I'll surprise you ;)
Till then, Love you all! xoxo, Rowina
Here are some random pictures along the way...
The girl on the left is my little penguin fweend. The third one is behind the camera.. And she's now back to Germany :( I miss you a lot penguin #3 x
The Kooks - She moves in her own way One day I went down to the beach with my friends. We watched the sunset, took some pictures, wondered the line up to the Edgy (aka. Mentone Hotel) and saw a really weird jelly fish. Must say that I love to live next to the sea! It's so beautiful and relaxing. Just to sit there and think about....nothing. The best feeling ever. But yeah here's some pictures of my lovely friend! :)
You are like a little brother to me. You've taught to me how to make the most of every day. Not to worry about yesterday or the future. Just live in the present. Enjoy the little things in this life. I love you soooo much.
Moikka kaikille pitkästä aikaa! Oon tosi tosi tosi pahoillani etten oo päivitelly blogia aikoihin. Syy tähän on yksinkertainen: mul on vaan älyttömän hauskaa täällä ja kiirettä pitää, eikä aikaa yksinkertaisesti löydy bloggaamiselle. Tiivistettynä fiilikset mun elämästä täällä: oon super onnellinen. 2 kuukauteen on sisältyny jo paljon nähtävyyksien näkemistä, kavereiden kaa hengailua, ravintoloiden testailua, ylenpaattista jäätelön syömistä (diabetes tervetuloa elämääni..... tuun pallona takasin Suomeen, mut mua ei kiinnosta), rauhallisia koti-iltoja perheen kanssa, välillä tietenkin oman perheen ja kavereiden ikävöimistä , järjetöntä bilettämistä (viime viikonloppu oli ehdottomasti pahin), maahockeyta, lätkämatsi, eka AFL- peli ja yleisesti nautiskelua Aussi-elämästä. Enempää en vois pyytää. Australia on ehdottomasti vieny mun sydämen. Tää tuntuu niin kodilta. Oon kyl aika yllättyny siitä kuinka elämä voi muuttua niin lyhyessä ajassa. Tai kuinka pienet (kuin myös isot) valinnat voi vaikuttaa asioihin. Esim, pari kuukaut takaperin kelasin et meen yliopistoon, muutan himast veke ja ööö mitäs kaikkee muuta. Mut nyt oon yhtäkkiä täällä maapallon toisella puolella. En tiedä vielä, koska palaan, mutta en ainakaan lähiaikoina, heheh. Oon ehdottomasti löytäny sen tasapainon elämässä mitä oon kaipaillu ja kiitos siitä kuuluu kaikille ihmisille, jotka on mun ympärillä. Niin täällä kuin siellä Suomessa.
Mut täs on nyt vähän kuvia sieltä sun täältä. Kirjottelen tietyistä päivistä vähä tarkemmi kuha vaan kerkeen ... :)
English: Hey guys! I'm sorry I haven't been updating my blog as much as I was supposed to but the reason is that I simply don't have time! I'm waaay too busy haha. Or lazy.... Anyway. I'm doing fine here. Okay that's a lie. I'm doing greeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaat. I'm really happy. Couldn't be happier. Just loving my life right now. Australia got me.. for real.
I've been doing sightseeings, eating heaps of food - especially ice cream(mommy, be aware.. I'll be so fat when I come back lol), cozy nights at home, went to see my first AFL game (which is still quite confusing to watch...), enjoying playing field hockey, catching up with friends... and generally enjoying this Aussie lifestyle. Works for me!!
It's amazing how life can change so quickly in such a short time. How those little and big decisions can affect dramatically into your life. For instance, 6 months ago my plan was to go to the Uni, move out of home etc.. But now I'm here in the other side of world for a year.. or who knows maybe two ;). Maybe longer. The most important thing is that my life is good and I'm so happy. And that's why I want to thank my family and friends both here in Australia and in Finland. I'm the luckiest person to have so amazing people around me. Because of you my life feels as good as it is. So thanks guys, I love you!!!
But yeah... here's few random pics from my camera. I'll TRY to make some time to write on about certain days... But that might take some time heheheh!
with love, Rowina
PS. Listen to this band.. they are from Yarrawonga, Australia. They are soooo good!! Love them.
Hey mates! Täällä sitä ollaan! Oltu jo kokonainen viikko! Oho meneepäs aika nopeesti. Ja tässä ajassa oon ehtiny rakastuu tähän paikkaan totaalisesti..
Tosiaan Melbournen kentältä perheen äiti tuli hakee mua ja ajomatka kesti n. tunnin. Siinä ajassa mulla tuli heti jo sellanen tunne et tuun tulee nii hyvin toimeen tän äidin kaa. Sen kaa voi höpötellä iha mitä vaa! Ku saavuttii kotiin oli jo melkee keskiyö nii poika oliki jo nukkumassa. Purin sitte mun matkalaukun ja yritin saada unta aikaerosta huolimatta. No ei oikee onnistunu, koska nukahdin vast kello 3:lt aamuyöl. Heh. Seuraavana aamuna heräsin kuitenki jo ysiltä, koska halusin saada unirytmin mahdollisimman nopee normaaliks. Ku menin alas nii siellä sit mua oliki odottamassa tää pikku kaveri, jonka perään kattelen nää seuraavat kuukaudet. Ekaks vähä ujosteltiin, mut nyt ollaan kyl iha best buddies! Isänki tapasin siinä sitte, ja se on kyl niin hauska veikko et ei mitään rajaa! Tän perheen kaa mulla ei tuu tylsää, aina on jotaki tekemistä tai jotai puhuttavaa!
Äiti oli parina ekana päivänä kotona, ja näytteli mulle vähä paikkoja ja anto mun totutella tähä rutiiniin. Eli mul on ma-pe töitä ja "työ"ajat vähä vaihtelee, mut suunnilleen klo8-17. Työks tätä en oikee osaa kutsua ku tää on jotenki nii luonnollista mulle ja tää perhe tuntuu enemmänki, noh perheeltä, ku sellaselt jolle tekisin iha oikeesti töitä. Päivät on nyt menny niin et äiti herättää pojan ja on sen kaa aamulla. Sit ku se lähtee töihin nii me vaan leikitään, vedetään päikkärit ja taas leikitään/käydää puistos/kävelyl/viedää koira ulos.. iha mitä vaa. Joka keskiviikko ja perjantai tää pikkune käy semmoses leikki ryhmäs, missä se sitte saaki iha vapaasti leikkii muide lasten kaa. Sitte tuleeki jo aika, ku jompi kumpi vanhemmista tulee kotiin. Eli tähä mennes ollu aika simppeliä. Parasta tässä hommassa on se et vaik täs on tietty rutiini, nii kuitenki joka päivä tehää jotain "uutta". Esimerkiks yks päivä väsättii hyytelöö. Jeeeee! En tiiä kumpi meistä oli enemmä innoissaan, mä vai toi mini ukko.
Mä asun siis Melbournessa ja kaupunginosassa nimeltä Mentone, parikymmentä kilometriä keskustasta. Tää alue on tosi kiva! Ranta on n. 200metrin päässä, ja vaikka täällä on talvi (edelleen aurinko paistaa ja ulkona pärjää ilman takkia) niin käydää usein tekemässä hiekkakakkuja rannalla ja annetaan koiran juosta pallon perässä. Sit liikenneyhteydet keskustaan o tosi hyvät. Kestää about 30 minuuttia mennä junalla, eli ei paha. Täällä on aika paljon tollasia ökytaloja, sellasia pari millii maksavia, ja must on aina kiva viedä koiraa ulos ja katella niit taloja :D näytän varmaa tositosi fiksulta ku pällistelen niit taloi monttu auki haha!!! En tiiä kuinka moni teistä pelas pienenä The Sims- peliä.. Mut kuitenki. Nää talot on just sellasia mitä mul oli tapana rakentaa, heh. Sellasia taloja mistä voi vaa unelmoida... Ja älkää ymmärtäkö väärin. Tää meijän kämppä ei siis oo mikää miljoonia maksava ökytalo, mut tilaa kyllä riittää ja on just sopivan kokonen ja hyvä tälläselle leikki-ikäselle. :)
Kavereiden saaminen ei nyt oo ollu ongelma. Liityin facebookissa näihi eri Au Pair ryhmiin ja sieltä sit onki jo tullu sovittua tapaamiset ties kenen kaa. Tänä viikonloppuna oon käyny pariin otteeseen keskustassa. Eilen toiset Au Pairit tuli meille ja aloteltiin täällä. Täältä jatkettiin sit Melbournen yöelämään ja mul oli niin hauskaa!! Saavuin kotiin klo4 aikoihi ja mun piti herätä klo8 koska lähin kirppikselle yhe kaverin kaa.. Olin aika tylsää seuraa varmaa ku olin niin kuollu :D Mut jos teil on jotain hyvii suosituksii baarien/clubien/kahviloiden suhteen nii pistäkää ihmeessa kommenttia!! :) Tän lisäks käyn nyt torstaisin tän äidin kaa maahockey treeneis nii sieltäki oon nyt saanu uusia tuttavuuksia. Sovittiin et alotan nyt eka sellasest höntsä jengist ja jos sit mieli tekee nii jatkan ylemmäs. Vaikka kävin vast yhis treeneis nii sillo mua jo pyydettiin pelaa tän päivä pelissä! Ekaks vähä jännitti, mut sit ku kaikki joukkuetoverit oli tosi rentoja niin vaikka hävittiin niin pelattiin hyvin ja kaikil oli hauskaa! Ton pelin jälkee mul tuli kunno motivaatioryöppy maahockeyn suhteen. Alan nyt kunnolla treenaa ja haluun kehittyä, mut kuitenki niin ettei tuu mitää kauheit paineita ja homma pysyy hauskana! :)
Mut nyt mä alan skypettelee kavereiden kaa joten palaillaan! xx
English: Hey mates! I'm not really good at english grammar so excuse me for my awful mistakes. But I'm doing these translations cause since I've got friends from all over the world it's not easy for them to understand finnish writing and they want to read my blog and how I've been doing here in Australia. Haha! And that's also one of the reasons why I came here, to improve my english :P so.... I arrived to Australia on Sunday. But because it was so late, the little fella was already sleeping so I met him on the next morning. And honestly.. During this one week that I've been here... I already fell in love with him! He's a real cutie and he comes up with such a funny things that you couldn't ever imagine. We've been playing, singing, going to the play group, doing a walk to the beach, building sandcastles and so on.. I enjoy spending time with him! One day we even made some jelly!! wuhuu.. though I'm not sure which one of us was more excited, me or him... :D I'm living in Melbourne and in a suburb called Mentone. This area is really really nice. Here it's peaceful and the beach is just 200 meters away from home. Just a perfect place to grow up for this little boy. And it takes only 30 minutes to get to the centre of Melbourne!
To meet new people hasn't been a problem at all! First I started with joining in to these Au Pair groups, sent few messages and there we go... This weekend I had so many dates with other Au Pairs and locals. I'm so happy :) Don't need to feel alone at all. For example on Saturday we met with the other Au Pairs and went to see the nightlife of Melbourne! I had so much fun.. though the next day I had to wake up 8am and I was soooo dead. But totally worth it. If you have any good suggestions for bars or clubs in Melbourne, just write it on the comment box :)
I've also started to play field hockey with the mom. She's being playing it for ages so I'm really happy that I've got someone who's familiar with this sport. Because back in Finland no one really knows what field hockey is.. They are used to play ice hockey haha!! On thursday it was my first hockey practise and it felt sooooo good!! And all the girls were so welcoming! And today I had my first game... Concidering the fact that I haven't done any exercising for 4 months, it was good. However.. I really need to start to do some running so I can keep up with the others :D I want to improve my skills!
