Hanging out of a plane at 10 000 feet

Imagine hanging out of a small rusty plane at 10 000 feet with only a few straps attached to a person behind you keeping you from falling out. Picture the beautiful Australian coastline that distracted you on the way up now almost hidden under white clouds. It’s cold and extremely windy, like when you open the front door in the middle of winter and a window is also open. You’re trying to focus on the instructions that have been given to you 10 times in the past hour - was it “bend your back like a banana” he told us to do? You can’t hear a thing, but suddenly the person attached to those straps quickly counts to three by leaning forward three times. You fall…

I went skydiving the other week. Hadn’t planned it but as a few of the people I was travelling with wanted to do it I thought; why not?

It was an amazing feeling. The reason it’s hard to describe is that it’s so unreal! In one way it would be scarier to jump from a 20 floor building, at 10 000 feet it’s too far up for you to realize that it’s the ground you’re seeing down there. There were really three stages of the whole thing:

First, the second I fell out of the plane made my stomach move a few inches up! (And yes, as you can see from the picture I did scream).Then there were the 45 seconds of free fall – which felt like a few minutes! It was still a thrilling feeling but nothing close to when I fell out. After that, when the parachute was released it was just beautiful! It was less cold and windy; I could take the goggles of and really enjoy the view. I felt as relaxed as after a spa massage and just enjoyed, probably because my body compared this feeling with the thrill I had just experienced. The instructor let me steer the parachute which was awesome, you can make it turned around in circles with just pulling one of the strings! The landing went well and for a good half-hour afterwards my body was just hyper alert with adrenaline!

Amazing feeling!

Finally I meet a kangaroo!

Each time I’ve been out in the countryside I’ve been disappointed at not seeing any kangaroos, or at least any alive ones. People have told me it’s usually hard to avoid them! But on my last trip to the Blue Mountains I really made up for what I’ve missed. We found a very friendly kangaroo
who even let me pat him!

Playing Holi in Sydney

I played Holi the other day. Holi, or Holikotsava, the Hindi festival of colors, was celebrated in a park in Sydney. In our group only I and my Czech friend Alenka had enough courage (or disposable clothes) to enter the fenced square in which the game was played. For those who don’t know, and can’t tell form the picture playing Holi consist of throwing colored powder at each other! But the real fun began when walking back through the city and several people couldn’t help but ask what was going on. Well, at least we managed to enlighten a few Sydney-siders who might join the festival next year.

Happy Easter!

It’s been a while… but as my first thesis is handed in and am handing over to my successor at work – I thought I’d update my blog!

Summer is getting to an end in Sydney and at home I hear the longest winter ever (at least according to my grandmother) is about to end. So what better way to celebrate these changes of season, and my birthday, than with a visit to the -5 experience Ice Bar! It was a strange feeling to breathe the fresh air and pull your fingers to the centre of the gloves to keep them from freezing. And yes, they did give us gloves – and coats and boots! The experience was also preceded with rigorous security measures and instructions. To avoid not freezing to death in the extreme temperature of minus 5, we were also given a timer to hang around our neck. It beeped after 30 minutes and you had to get out!

As I was about to stop feeling my hands I put down my made-of-ice glass with the sweet complimentary vodka drink on an ice sculpture of the Opera House (see picture). From there I could look out the window at the busy Circular Quay with people still drinking beer in shorts and sandals. I realized then that 30 minutes of winter every now and then is just enough to keep me from missing the Swedish winter too much.

Take Care!

Great Ocean Road

Started of from Melbourne early in the morning in our rental car. We were told that one day was too little but insisted we’d be back in Melbourne that same night. We were all amazed by the view from the famous road and took pictures of road signs, trees, waives and surfers. If we had known what was waiting for us ‘at the end of the great ocean road’ we would definitely have saved the photos. Had fish for lunch in a very beautiful fishing village, went inland to a rainforest (took two pictures and went on) and went to the lighthouse at the most southern point of mainland Australia. The view of the 12 Apostles, which are the main attraction, was beautiful! I have to say thought that less famous sights like the Loch Ard Gorge, the London Bridge and the Arch were more impressive than the 12 apostles (you have to use your imagination to find 12 by the way). We made it to the London bridge (part of it appropriately collapsed in 1990) on time to see it during sunset which was amazing!


It was a truly overwhelming day but of all the things I saw I have to say the Loch Ard Gorge was the best!
It’s a 100x100 hole between the orange cliffs with a beach in it. The only entrance of water is a few meters only and still the waves were extremely high and smashing against the cliffs. It really looks like a beach from ‘the beach. The Gorge got its name from a ship (the Loch Ard) that cashed into the cliffs in 1879. Only 2 people survived by escaped into the Gorge. Of course, by the time we reached there both our cameras were out of battery…

Melbourne & Australian Open

I finally went to Melbourne last weekend. Beautiful! Coming from Sydney it felt a bit like Milan compared to Rome, more stylish and innovative but with some of Rome’s atmosphere. Definitely very different from Sydney.

Got tickets for the Australian Open Women’s Final after a dodgy bidding session on e-bay. We were unlucky, in a double sense. First, none of the interesting players (that I know) made it to the final (Williams, Hingis, Sharapova). Then the final was cut short by Henin-Hardenne’s walkover. Luckily we could stay and watch the men’s double final witch turned out to be a good game with Leander Paes stealing the show from the Bryan brothers, even though they won the game. Between the games I was keeping busy getting as much free sponsor stuff as possible, highlight was a free facial and a bag full of goodies from Garnier!

Take care!

Me and my body board

This weekend, while celebrating my 6 month in Sydney (actually I didn’t remember it was 6 months at the time, but now it makes sense) I realized I’m missing out on a huge thing about life in Australia. I haven’t really got into the surf and beach culture and taken full advantage of living close to a few of the most famous beaches in the world!

So this Sunday, on my way to one of them – Bondi Beach - I decided to buy a body board. It could be described as half a surfing board, some claim it gives you half the experience as well, I thought; it must be twice as easy to learn! When I had picked a nice blue and while one with a shark on it, I went down to try it out. I decided to observe someone who knew how to do it and was astonished by a guy on a purple board who caught waves 150 m out and rode the diagonally all the way to the shore – looked easy enough!

My difficulties started when I tried to get on the board. After several attempts all I had accomplished was scrubs on my knee and stomach from getting thrown against the shore. I finally managed to master peddling my way out from the shore and ‘getting past by’ a few waves - I couldn't say I was close to 'catching them'.

But as the Swedes say: ‘Shame to the one who gives up’. We will be out there next weekend again, me and my body board!

Cheers