Almost a Vagabond: A Personal Insight

Wow, I must have made a couple cups of strong coffee to feel this motivated today - I am about as restless as a man high on cocaine. Guess my caffeine tolerance is down a notch. It doesn't help with the fact that I'm currently a complete bum, and there's no stressful work to direct all of this energy. God help me, I feel like I can bounce off the walls like a well-coked Spider-Man. 

Anyhow, since I definitely do not possess the superpowers of a superhero nor magical powers, and being a complete Muggle, I have decided to blog it out. 

In this state of mind and being, I feel the need to reach out to see if there's anyone out there who has shared the same life experience I had: moving a fuck-load of times.

I'm not just saying, like, moving interstate in your own country, but internationally and a fuck-load in the same country you've moved to as well.

Here's an estimated summarized table:

Do you believe me now?

The table above is based on what I can actually remember (I am sure I am missing one, but that isn't included as I was only an infant), and yes, this is including my childhood years. Surprisingly, even with my shitty-ass memory, I do have recollections of homes I've lived in.

As impressive as it might sound to some, moving internationally is and always will be a nightmare. To a certain degree.
In a way, I've learnt a lot being in these different countries: you get to experience being a local, as opposed to being a tourist. You see the good, bad and the ugly. Granted, some of the countries I've lived in, I was only a wee lass so I didn't have the first-hand stress of having to deal with the adulthood problems of moving (costs, giving up personal goods, packing, etc.).

I remember the the taste of pure licorice, whilst chewing on the root in the Beamish Museum, to the breathtaking haunted view of the Whitby Abbey in England, to the beautiful penguin-filled Boulder's Beach in Cape Town, and my all-time favourite snack: the biltong. Sincerely, I have so many other fond memories of these places, it would take days to construct a readable memoir.

Good memories aside, moving is, well, still moving so the stress is real. Thankfully, as a child, the responsibilities of costs (and etc.,) fell upon my poor mother.

My mother had the mentality, that English was crucially essential (Thank heavens!) and the key to success in ... well, almost every country I've moved to (or moved back to). Technically speaking, my first language is English, though you might be able to tell that I'm proficient, my grammar is lacking somewhat. During my childhood years, I had to face different language obstacles despite speaking English: I had to learn Afrikaans in South Africa (I only know like a few phrases now), conversational Cantonese to communicate with my grandparents, with a bit of Mandarin/Hokkien phrases, Bahasa Melayu as a compulsory lanugage during my education in Malaysia, basic Spanish in the IB diploma, and now needing to French/Quebecois. Holy. Fucking. Shit.

Don't get me wrong. Learning a new language is amazing ... if you're a kid. There are some adults, with the right motivation and opportunity to be completely proficient in the new language. Me, with my selective memory, find this quite challenging. Especially now as an adult I'm using this as an excuse it is harder to learn a new language. It is also hard to retain a language you've learnt when you do not use it as often: I've noticed that my Cantonese and Malay proficiency has decreased over the time I have not used it.

Language aside, social relationships are hard man. Like, you meet new people, you get close, and then you fucking lose contact (times prior to social networking sites). Even now, even though you are "connected" as "friends" on social networking sites like Facebook, Instagram and whatnot, you're not close. Sure, you maybe have good memories together, and then those times pass and now you're like the person they had fun with but they've moved on. It's exactly like the sad story of your previous relationships. I sit here sometimes, turning green with envy when reading stories of people who have been best friends with their buddy for long periods of time. You just don't have that when you're constantly moving. Eventually you'll either lose contact: people move, move on with their lives and make new best buddies.

Occasionally stating this, you get some people saying "Oh, what about your Significant Other [S.O]? Isn't he meant to be your best friend?". Yes, he is. We've been through Hell and back together, but it doesn't mean that I share ALL personal information with him. Like, there has to be one friend whom you get to rant and confide in about your S.O. If you go ranting about all the negative things you find about your S.O, to your S.O, either an argument/break-up will ensue (especially if both parties are equally as impatient, ruthless & tactless). Sometimes you just need a listening ear who is just not your S.O. A best friend will provide a listening ear, nod, provide occasional great advice (on your side or not) and most importantly, not flare up during a personal conversation/confession; a neutral third-party.

What I find personally disturbing, during a quick Google search about people who move frequently, are the degrading articles of psychological effects of frequent relocation. Articles that state:

"the more times people have moved as children, the more likely they were to report lower "well-being" and "life satisfaction" as adults (two standard measure used to quantify that ineffable thing called"happiness"). And adults who had moved a lot were more likely to have died when researchers did follow-ups 10 years later." 

(http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/11/fashion/11StudiedMoving.html)

"We know that children who move frequently are more likely to perform poorly in school and have more behavioral problems" ... The researchers found that the more times people moved as children, the more likely they were to report lower life satisfaction and psychological well-being at the time they were surveyed, even when controlling for age, gender and education level. The research also showed that those who moved frequently as children had fewer quality social relationships as adults."

(http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2010/06/moving-well-being.aspx)

Both articles stated similar findings, and both agreed with the fact that it does only affect mostly those who are more introverted than others. However, how do you really determine or categorize 'introverts' and 'extroverts'? I would personally classify myself as both: I don't like people, but yet I yearn for human interaction; therefore I'm neither an introvert or an extrovert? How is this then applicable?

I dare say that it is grim to think that I have higher chances of dying because I'm "unhappy", but it is somewhat true. I personally do find life is way below my expectations, and wish there is more. But doesn't this apply to the most of us?

Don't most of us wish that we have more of [x] amount of things that would make us happy? More wealth, have a family, travel more, etc.?

Not to mention, my partner is is the complete opposite, and he experiences "lower life satisfaction" - he has only moved like a few times, performed poorly in school and have "fewer quality social relationships". Yet, he is deemed somewhat successful in his career - above average wage, and the opportunity to travel.  He has the dream to be rich, whereas I want to travel the world. What constitutes as our "happiness" is completely subjective, and unlike the study quotes above.

If we were to measure happiness on an individual scale, it would not make for a good scientific study as is it a very subjective variable. What makes me happy, doesn't necessarily make you happy. I might say that good food plays a large role in my life and provides substantial "content", whereas you might disagree. In addition, my personal observation has proven to me that a person doesn't need to move to display the negative behavioral problems listed in the quotes; you don't need to move to have behavioral problems & have lower life satisfaction.

From a personal standpoint, I would say that I am unhappy because I am sick of moving. I am sick of having to give away or throw out personal belongings which provides comfort & memories (yes, I am sentimental and materialistic). Or having my personal belongings split in different countries. I have books and sentimental items back in Malaysia, but it is there because I cannot afford to ship everything across.

I really do not have a real home. I've lived in so many places that not one place is a real home to me. I'll live in a place for a long time, but am I truly integrated? I do not fit in anywhere, and I am to be a chameleon, learning to blend and adapt to the new society before me. And before I get all comfortable and have "adapted", I move once again to a foreign land, just to repeat the process all over again.

Things People Don't Tell You About Moving from Australia to Canada

It has been almost 8 months since I left Australia, and to be honest, right now I'm rather homesick. Although I'm not an Australian citizen or permanent resident, it will always be a country close to my heart (what do you expect after spending almost a decade there?). It's a shame that I did not manage to get permanent residency there after all that time.

This marks the second attempt in writing a post about my experiences about the pros and cons about this beautiful country. The first draft was scrapped purely because: a) I procrastinated, b) figured I was still a FOB (slang for immigrants; Fresh Off Boat) and therefore didn't have enough experience.

Anyways, onward to the topics of this post:

***** CAUTION: LENGTHY POST AHEAD *****

1. VISAS - GET IT SORTED & SUBMITTED ASAP

When my boyfriend and I decided to leave Australia for Canada, we did not plan it through properly. Truth be told, I was not expecting to immigrate until 2016, but stuff happens and we sort of rushed through the moving process. How rushed? Well, it is like the ultimate "wing-it" or "play-it-by-ear" travel/immigration edition. Both of us decided at the time that I could just get in on a Visitor Visa and wing the rest.

Now, there are times in life when spontaneous decisions results in memorable, happy accidental experiences. 

This was not the case. 

To surmise my position at the time: Malaysian citizen in a de facto relationship with a Canadian citizen, with little time left to reside in Australia. 

This is where it got a little tricky. If I was an Australian citizen, getting a Visitor Visa would have been a breeze in comparison to what I had to go through - As a Malaysian citizen, I had to show proof of finances, career, invitation letter by Canadian citizens and my intentions/purpose of my visit, police check, etc. The list was somewhat exhaustive for just a Visitor Visa. 

We obviously also thought of applying for the de facto spouse visa or known as the Family Class Sponsorship: Common-Law Spouse. However, we did not have the luxury of an additional year for it to be processed. 

I would highly recommend checking out the processing times for both In-land and Overseas applications. Why? Well, depending on the offices in your region, it could either benefit you to reside overseas until your application is approved, or apply from within Canada. To most though, it benefits you to apply from the outside.  

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/times/perm-fc.asp

Did you notice the difference in waiting times? If we had an additional year in Australia, the Sydney office would only take 11 months to process the complete application. Instead, I'm looking at 27 months minimum. Also, note on the difference in dates of the application they are working on. 

That's right. 

In-land applications that are being worked on dates back to 2014. WTF. 

[The department is so backlogged, that they have only recently acknowledged that they have received my application that I had sent at the end of August 2015. This doesn't mean they have even started processing it yet.]

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), does have substantial information regarding what visas to apply for and what not. However, with an abundance of information, it is also easy to get lost/confused as to what to do. Just pull through, and eventually it will make sense to you. 

Especially for those wishing to immigrate to Quebec: They have their own system which makes it a little harder (and assuming longer) to apply. Not to mention, you will have to deal with an additional set of forms, especially for the province of Quebec AND additional application fees. 

If, for any crazy reason you decide to wing it here in Canada, don't be an idiot like me and wait forever to put together the application. Also, I would highly advice you apply for an Open Work Permit (OWP) immediately as well. I made the mistake of waiting for too long and just about a month prior to my 6-month deadline, I applied for a Visitor Visa Extension. Now, stupid me can't work. 

Guess I'm not the only person suffering in this position:
http://www.thestar.com/news/immigration/2014/06/29/foreign_spouses_trapped_in_canada_due_to_sponsorship_backlog.html

Although the information provided here is targeted mostly to those who wish to immigrate to Canada under the Family Class, the point remains the same. Get the required information on the specific visa that pertains to you, and get working on it. 

2. CURRENCY, FINANCE, SHOPPING & SHIPPING

For those of you who are accustomed to paying what you see in stores or online, get ready to be frustrated beyond measure. Remember the luxury you had, when you have exactly the right amount of change leftover to pay for a coffee/snack/food? Yep, it's gone. You go up to the counter, forgetting the additional taxes, and end up being embarrassed that you don't have enough money.

If I see something advertised for $3.00, I expect to pay $3.00. Not $3.45 (or whatever the taxed amount comes up to be, depending on the province).

They probably have this system in place in Malaysia (when you go to an actual retail outlet in a shopping mall), but I haven't really noticed when I do go shopping as I was mainly focused on how cheap things were when I converted the Australian Dollar to the Malaysian Ringgit. Saying that, most places, like the night markets or pasar malam and hawker stalls, you pay the prices that you see or hear. Like, if I want a sausage on a stick, I ask how much it is. "RM1.50", I pay RM1.50.

So, after a while, I obviously became accustomed to this new way of exchanging money and decided to go back to online shopping. To me, online shopping is probably one of the best business system that technology provided to public consumers.

When I was working back in Brisbane, I often did not have the time to go shopping, so I spent my spare time at night browsing the various items for sale online and get it delivered to my workplace so I did not have to deal with the hassle of going to the post office.

Now, you might think I am THAT lazy to not want to pick up my own delivered parcel, but that's not simply the case. Full-time workers will understand that post offices operate on weekdays only, and have normal business hours, which means that unless you take a break from work and dash to the post office, or get someone to collect it for you, your parcel will be sitting at the post office for a while. Which pretty much defeats the purpose of online shopping anyways = convenience.

The initial problem I encountered was the varietal item lack in online Canadian stores. More often than not, you get directed to an American site instead. Which is fine by me. However, what I failed to realise because no one told me about this, is that there are certain items which will be sent to customs for inspection, charged the "appropriate Federal, Provincial and Goods Sales Taxes", and then get charged an additional fee by Canadian Post to deliver the said item(s) from customs to your home. 

My first purchase was an e-cigarette which I really wanted from an American e-cig company. I was elated when the delivered quickly, only to be told by the post man at the door that I had to pay $25.40 in order to receive my parcel.

WHAT. THE. FUCK?

Needless to say, I was furious and rang up the company to ask them as to why they would be charging me an additional amount. The poor customer service guy was just as confused and confirmed that I do not owe them. So, I rang Canada Post, and this man seemed stumped. Frustrated with my questions, he redirected me to go search for the customs website and contact them instead. By that point I was so mad, I could have stabbed someone. Thankfully, the nice lady at the end explained that part of the charge was the sales taxes, which made sense, and the remainder was Canada Post's fees.

I recently had to pay almost $30 to receive jewellery craft items too. You might wonder as to why I simply then just don't go finding an actual Canadian based company and avoid this completely. Here's the thing: there's simply not enough variety. Amazon.ca, most often than not, have the items you want but they are highly overpriced.

Or, if you're like me who happens to reside in Quebec, there are some sites who offer products to everywhere else in Canada except Quebec.

For example: 

Williams-Sonoma:

If you're browsing for a specific item and it ends up on Williams-Sonoma's site, you still can see the full site. However, if you're living in Quebec, Google automatically shows you the Quebec site: https://www.williams-sonoma.ca/quebec (Let's be honest here. That's a pretty lame attempt, just may as well NOT include a Quebec version so we don't know what we are missing out on. Ignorance is bliss).

http://www.ctvnews.ca/business/why-quebec-can-t-surf-some-major-u-s-retailers-websites-1.2105478

http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/retailers-forced-to-block-english-only-websites-in-quebec-or-face-sanctions-from-language-police

Next, let's say you're a person interested in sweepstakes. Yup, again, offered everywhere else in Canada except for Quebec. Thanks to their strange laws where promoters have to pay a percentage of the winnings as fees, and adhere to strict rules which were 'meant to protect Quebec residents', most just simply not include Quebec. This article provides a better insight.

In relation to finance, choosing the right bank in a new country can be daunting. My partner decided to go back to CIBC, only to moan about the fees they charge. The worst thing I've heard was being charged $1.00CAD after you have reached the limit of 12 transactions in a month on a debit card. This is so backwards, typing this makes me want to gouge out my eyeballs. 

For Australians (Australian residents), we have been so spoiled: we have Eftpos, debit credit cards, and credit cards. Sure, we may be limited to the set amount by the bank (which can be changed at any time) but at least we are not limited to "how many transactions per day". Most of us would be making the bank even more filthy rich if they started implementing this system. I rarely had cash on me in Australia, save maybe for topping up the card for public transport. 

The only bank I want to try out and hoping that he'll switch to is Tangerine Bank. Based on their website, it sounds way more promising (and no debit fees?). 

Also, in terms of paying a bill online, (most, if not all? I'm not too sure) Canada is a little backwards. I had to endure my partner's swearing after realising that he could not pay a certain bill online, only via a cheque and got billed a "late fee" because they didn't receive the cheque on time, etc. What happened to direct-debit/B-Pay?

As a whole, this might or might not relate to you, but I thought I'd share this information. I sure as hell would have loved to have learned about this prior to my move. 

3. Food, Glorious Food

In today's society, we have an addiction to food. Most of us are self-confessed foodies, who strive to find the best food out there. Unlike the past, where most of us eat-to-live, I think that most these days live-to-eat, and I'm one of them. I would have to blame my Malaysian heritage - exposed to a variety of traditional Chinese, Malay and Indian foods, and a culture with a love for food, it has played a large role in shaping the person I am today.

The best thing so far, would have to be the poutine. As stereotypical as it gets for the stock standard Canadian food. 

http://papamarios.com/food/poutine/

Initially, I did not grasp what my boyfriend was trying to say when he said that the cheese was "squeaky". I googled what the "squeaky cheese" was, and realised that it was cheese curds. Let me tell you, that cheese curds are AMAZING. Don't let its appearance fool you (I thought it looked like cheese rubber bits lol), as I find them wonderfully weird - slightly rubbery in texture, but full in cheese flavour which gets even better when slightly melted in the poutine gravy.

How can you not like poutine? It's basically just fries, hot gravy, and additional toppings of cheese curds. Omnomnomnom.

I've heard about plenty of restaurants all over Canada in the cities that offer great food. Unfortunately, I'm based in a tiny suburb about an hour's drive out of Montreal. Which means, I get stuck with somewhat unsatisfactory food. My love for food also turned me into a complete food snob
.
Whilst I see photos of great food in restaurants in main Canadian cities, I'm stuck with large portions of food with little quality. I don't know, like I prefer quality over quantity. I'd rather pay more to get a decent portion of expertly cooked/executed dish than a large plate of boring food that I wouldn't finish anyways.

If you are an avid coffee lover, and especially Australian or from New Zealand, you might just die a little here in Canada. As per my previous post, I touched on the topic of coffee and the reason why I'm dying a little bit day-by-day until I find the right coffee again. In Australia, it feels like there are cafes anywhere you go, and most of us enjoy a good cappuccino/flat white/macchiato/latte, etc. Here, the coffee of choice is percolated. With very little milk. Okay, think of it as a long black, with a dash of milk.

"Cappuccino Chiang Mai" by Takeaway - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cappuccino_Chiang_Mai.JPG#/media/File:Cappuccino_Chiang_Mai.JPG

I suppose, for North Americans, that is the standard coffee they order. That's what they are used to, unless they head on to Starbucks for the fancier coffees, which funnily enough, is the standard I used to drink in Australia.

Anyways, long story short, any coffee made mostly with milk, should have micro bubbles in the foam (micro foam). This is important because it provides the coffee with the smooth, velvety foam you see on coffees where there is coffee art.

This is what I received when I ordered a mocha:

I took like a sip out of it, but the foam isn't right at all. Tastes alright. No soy options too apparently 

:(

Summary:

At the end of the day, moving is stressful enough as it is, let alone having to move internationally. Just make sure that you have done your research on everything, so that you've prepared yourself well - know what to expect, so you don't have to learn from mistakes, like me.

I know I have been moaning and make it sound terrible, and it is

Kidding.

There's always pros and cons, however, it seems like people focus too much on the pros, whereas if you're a pessimist like me, I like to hear about the bad, so I know what to expect and how to handle myself when a situation arises (instead of looking completely shocked, dumbfounded with mouth gaping like a fish out of water).

I maybe quite passionate in my complaints about such trivial things, but trust me, at the end of the day, it matters. 

Air Canada Service Complaint/Rant

***Disclaimer: Rant below from previous personal experience***

It has been almost four months since my arrival in Canada! Hoorah! However, I woke up this morning somewhat stressed out and in need of a good rant. I did not realise how much this incident pissed me off when it occurred and it seems that the issue has been bottling up for the last several months. So, now I need to rant. 

I've been very fortunate to have had the opportunity to travel since I was just a wee kid. My mother used to work for Malaysia Airlines as a flight attendant, so I was no stranger to travelling with the said airline. Back before the last two unfortunate incidents, it was a 5-star carrier and boy, was the service amazing. 

More recently, as I had been living in Australia for almost a decade, I also had the chance to try other full-service carriers such as Qantas (QF),Virgin Australia, Garuda and of course, the low cost carriers such as Air Asia, Jetstar, and Tiger Airlines. 

Thinking back, I maybe was spoiled with the level of customer service I received on-board full-service airlines. I never really felt hungry on a plane, and if I did get peckish before/after a meal service round, I would ask for a snack from the flight attendants. In all my experience, I received a snack (mostly crackers & cheese, and peanuts), or two (some attendants were nice enough to give me a healthy re-fill). 

Until now. 

I had never been to Canada, so I was pretty excited. I was a travel consultant, and I figured that the best cost for the flight route that did not involve transit via the USA, was a Qantas and Air Canada code-share. The routing seemed fine, and I was a Qantas Frequent Flyer, so win-win right? Plus, on their website, Air Canada is a 4-star international network carrier. 

Well, since I wasn't technically paying for the airfare, another consultant had to book these fares, and they pretty much fucked up what I wanted to do:

I wanted the tickets to technically be a "Qantas" ticket, which means that we would have gotten 2 x 23kg checked luggage each (although the majority of the trip would be on Air Canada (AC), QF rules would have applied). We received the opposite, where it was "Air Canada" tickets. Too late to change that after it had been booked. We sucked it up and paid the extra luggage fee. Sigh.

My partner and I knew that a long journey awaited us: 

Brisbane (BNE) - Sydney (SYD) - Vancouver (YVR) - Montreal (YUL)

From BNE to SYD, we were on Qantas, and from previous travel, I knew that even though it was a short hour and a half flight, we were provided with a small meal. Transit in SYD, waited for another 1 1/2 hours and boarded the 14-hour long, direct flight from SYD to YVR with Air Canada. 

My previous colleagues at Flight Centre had mentioned their unsatisfactory experience with Air Canada, and thought that they meant that the aircraft was older and maybe lacking certain newer features. The aircraft itself, definitely looks older, but so were the QF planes.

After take-off, there was an announcement which informed us that there would be two meal services during the flight, which is normal. I tried my best to fall asleep and kill some time prior to the first meal service. Meal time came, I ate, and went back to self-distraction. However, a couple of hours past the first meal service, my stomach gladly notified me that it was hungry. I did what I had always done: ring the flight attendant service bell.

A few moments later, the attendant appeared and I asked if I could have some snacks. She looked at me in an odd manner (What? Is this the first time someone has asked you for a snack?! Or is it a language/accent barrier?), and responded with a "No", and reminded me that the next meal service wasn't too far away. At that point, I was hungry enough to pull out money to buy a goddamn snack, thinking that maybe AC was like Jetstar, a low-cost carrier who did international flights. So, I asked if they even sold snacks. 

Nope. Seriously, WTF?

The attendant left, and since I couldn't be arsed to be a complete bitch and ask for the flight supervisor, I decided to try and nap it out. I was uberly grumpy and frustrated, literally hangry by the time the next meal service. 

Reading this, one will assume that it is a first-world problem, and I'm not denying that it isn't.

It is not just the lack of food that posed a problem: I think that it was a combination of how the situation was handled aka customer service. I do not deem myself as an outrageously demanding and irrational customer, albeit a little spoiled. I know that it was going to be a full flight, and yes, I made the mistake of not prepping up on snacks, but I didn't really want to spend top-dollar for snacks at the airport (like, stupidly expensive prices), and assuming all full-service carriers to provide the same level of service. 

HOWEVER...

Maybe a little finesse in going the extra-teeny weeny mile could have gotten a long way. Maybe if she had apologized for whatever reason/explanation that they didn't provide snacks (snacks ran out 'cause of the full flight, Air Canada doesn't provide this, etc., etc.,), I'd have probably swallowed the bitter pill of disappointment much easier. Maybe, if she had offered a beverage instead (preferably at the time, an alcoholic beverage), I wouldn't have been this pissed. Instead, she just walked off after a couple of "No"'s.

Are you seriously telling me that on 14+ hour flights, you actually literally serve one snack & one meal service? No extra snacks on board? Not even for purchase? Even worse, their domestic/North America services does not have complimentary snacks/meals. Only available for purchase. Tell me how is this different from being a low-cost carrier? 

Urgh. Even memories about this makes me twitch.

Lastly, from this particular flight, in addition to our despair, the flight was delayed in Vancouver, which meant that we missed the connecting flight to Montreal. So, that costed us an additional 2-hours (which, honestly isn't bad), and $5AUD for a 1-minute phone call to my partner's aunt who was expecting us at Montreal airport at the original arrival time.

**UPDATE** I forgot to mention this whilst initially writing this post. Oh yeah. Remember the saving grace for the short waiting time at Vancouver airport? Yeah, yeah?
I forgot to mention that we received our boarding pass and noted that we were seated separately from each other. And, Oh! Oh! What a surprise I got when I was literally boarding the aircraft. They had managed to over-stuff the plane, so there was no sufficient room in the overhead lockers, so I had to involuntarily give up my carry-on luggage, for the staff to check-in. 

BITCH, PLEASE. Albeit the fact that I'm moving to another country, and needed extra luggage, I also store items which means more to me personally. So that it is accessible, and I know that it is not very far away. No, no.. can't carry it on. No flippin' choice. 

This is probably the longest and most anger-inducing journey to get me from A to B. 

In my personal opinion, I think Skytrax should re-evaluate the 4-star award for Air Canada. If they are to rate them at par with the likes of Qantas, Emirates, Thai and Virgin Australia; it is a disgrace to the other well-performing airlines. 

Air Canada, please, for the love of god, do what Qantas does! From my previous trip to Tasmania:

 Brisbane to Melbourne in-flight brekkie. This is a 2 1/2 hour long flight.

Melbourne to Hobart: Hot Shepherd pie with tomato sauce as a snack. You could actually do beer/wine, as QF offers it to their clients. I was being a good girl at the time.  Oh yeah, did I mention that this flight was just over an hour?

So, what are my final thoughts on Air Canada? 

Well, let's put it this way: If I ever hold a position as a travel consultant again, Air Canada would definitely be one of the airlines that I would choose to ignore as a recommendation candidate, and pretty much suggest them as a last-resort offer if they have great fares. 

Would I travel with them again? If they have stupidly cheap airfares in comparison to other airlines, and flight duration of around 6 hours, maybe. And that's a BIG maybe. Unless they up their game with the level of service. Until then, my travel money is for the other 'full-service' airlines. 

AC gets the low-cost carrier branding in my book.

Tasmania Specialist Conference 2014 (Plus a Free 4-days Educational Trip!)

***EXTREMELY LONG POST! BUT YOU GET TO KNOW MORE ABOUT MY TASMANIA EXPERIENCE!***

So, I have been a busy, busy little bee (hence the delay in submitting a post, let alone such a long one)! The rewarding aspect of being a travel agent, is that occasionally I score a free trip (aka also known as a famil)!

Everyday, we get a "Hotline" (which is a Word Document, containing various important travel-related updates), and several months ago, the Hotline contained a first ever Tassie Specialist Conference, to be held in Hobart. The only thing I needed to do to qualify as a Tassie Specialist was to do several online modules and pass the quiz! After completion, I received a pretty nifty little pack containing my certificate of completion (officially a Tassie Specialist!), some maps and further information regarding Tasmania. 

For those wanting to know more, in-depth about Tasmania: 

http://www.tassietrade.com.au/ 

or

http://www.discovertasmania.com.au/travel-information

These links contains almost all the handy information needed to plan your next trip to Tasmania. Even though the first link relates more towards travel agents, it is definitely a resourceful website :)

Not long after that, I received an email for an Expression of Interest to register for the conference and also the choice of a famil (I chose the post-conference North-East famil initially, but got the North famil in the end) and pretty much forgot about my registration, so you can imagine how surprised I was when they have accepted my registration! I FINALLY GOT MY FREE EDUCATIONAL TRIP!! I was completely over-the-moon, and could not believe what I was reading (I had to re-read that email 3 times). THANK YOU TOURISM TASMANIA! <3

P.S: I had almost wet myself from excitement when they sent my flight details & itineraries. 

Without further ado, here is my Tasmanian experience:

DAY 1 [19SEP14]

Woke up nice and early and ducked down to Brisbane domestic airport to catch my 8:00AM Qantas flight to Hobart. Now, I have to focus on this fact that it was my 1st time flying with Qantas! 

Okay, it is ironic that I sell Qantas but had never flown with them before. I was pretty damn excited about it. The Qantas section of the domestic airport had the self-check-in option but I still enjoyed queuing to drop off my checked-luggage.

Qantas, however, does not have a direct flight to/from Tasmania (Launceston/Hobart) and both ways   goes via Melbourne.  

I had about an hour plus transit time there and did some shopping (Victoria's Secret had a 40%, so I bought myself a brand new handbag and make-up case :P ). 

Onwards from Melbourne into Hobart. My, oh, my, what a beautiful way to fly into a city! The flight from Melbourne to Hobart was operated by Qantas Link, so it was a smaller aircraft (2 x 3 seats configuration) and the plane flew pretty low over the water to land.

AAANDD, Qantas actually provided each passenger with an iPad mini for entertainment! The only downfall is that I did not take a set of earphones with me :( so I had to twiddle my thumbs for entertainment.

Another thing I have to mention, is that Qantas does not hold back on feeding their passengers:

 Flight from Brisbane to Melbourne, I either had a choice of Muesli & Yoghurt (which came with a mini muesli bar), or the Cereal with a Mini-Muffin. I chose the latter.

For even a short hour-plus flight, Qantas served a damn good Shepherd's Pie (Aussie style, with Tomato Sauce). It is good based on other airplane food.

Upon arrival into Hobart Airport, Kate from Tourism Tasmania was there to greet and welcome those who were on the same flight/arrival date. Hopped onto a coach bus and onwards to Hobart city!

View from the coach 

There were several stops, as some of the other consultants stayed at other hotels nearby. In my itinerary, I was staying at Hotel Collins. 

It is a pretty cute, small 4-star property, which is conveniently walking distance to Woolworths, the ferry terminal (to Peppermint Bay & Mona), and the Salamanca Markets. 

I shared a room with another Flight Centre consultant for most of my trip.

Lovely touch! They had provided us with a customised welcome letter and also a little gift - 3 pack of preserves. I <3 sauce.

One thing I have to rave about the room is... THE PILLOWS! OMG OMG, SUPER DUPER COMFY PILLOWS!! I slept like a baby for the short 2 nights I was there. I was also very tempted on stealing bringing home one of them. 

Upon check-in, they had also given us vouchers for breakfast and 1 x Standard Drink (tea, coffee or a Tasmanian beer/wine). A girl I met along this famil, Victoria, agreed that an alcoholic beverage right after check-in would be awesome. 

Moo Brew Pilsner is awesome!

Then, we decided to check out Hobart's waterfront area and for some lunch.

Victoria and I decided to try Mures for some seafood!

Nothing better than a small basket of prawns, half a dozen oysters and a beer :)

After lunch, we decided to check out the Salamanca Market area, where we had a couple more drinks.

Once we had our alcohol fix, we ducked back to the hotel to refresh ourselves before heading to the Welcome Reception, which was held at the Henry Jones Art Hotel. 

Yes, I got lazy and did not attempt taking any photos and was busy picking at the canapes - which were super delicious.

BUT...

Guess who gate-crashed our little function?

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Omfg with Heston Blumenthal #tsc14 #mycookingidol #bucketlist

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 *MESHA CAN DIE HAPPY NOW*

Didn't make it for drinks at the Observatory as I was too drunk off the generous free-flow of alcohol that night and wanted to have a good night's rest for the next day - the Salamanca Market Challenge & the Conference.

DAY 2 [20SEP14]

Woke up, got ready, had a very healthy breakfast whilst reading through the Salamanca Market Challenge.

Still can't believe that they gave us $10 each! :D Thank you!

I wanted to buy like most of the things the market had to offer, but guess I can't have everything :( One stall vendor did catch my attention though:

Jewellery made from antique silverware! 

Unfortunately, I have misplaced the business card, so I cannot place further information. I did purchase a ring which was made from a cocktail fork though!

After the challenge, we ducked down to attend the conference which gave us a goodie filled with many good random things - a slab of Cadbury Chocolate Bar, a bottle of the Cape Grim water: "purest water on earth", and etc. The day consisted of speeches about the different areas of Tasmania, morning tea, lunch and the best part: speed-dating suppliers! We've received further promotional goodies and information. Some of the best items I gathered from that day was a little seal stuffed-toy, a computer-mouse and some other random toys.

Our evening itinerary was a cruise, courtesy of Peppermint Bay Cruises, to.. well, Peppermint Bay where the gala dinner was held.

 They gathered most of the photos that was posted on Instagram and projected it on the wall. Yes, my photo of Heston did pop up too!

Unfortunately, I did not win the Salamanca Challenge: the reward was a scenic flight of Tasmania. 6 lucky consultants had a chance to do so!

By the time dinner finished and the cruise back to Hobart, the majority of us went back to our designated hotel and crashed. I slept like a baby that night, but rest was well-needed for what was in store for me!

DAY 3 [21SEP14]

Woke up really early to pack and ducked down for breakfast. I was really excited as it was the first day of the actual famil! Checked out and first stop: a ferry ride to MONA (Museum of Old & New Art). Even the ferry was funky! They had a caged parrot on the ferry, no joke!

Unfortunately, due to time constraints, we only ended up having 45 minutes to run around the place. Rather than appreciating too much of it, I was running around the place with my camera to grab as many photos as I could. Yes! Photography is allowed in MONA, however, there are some areas that flash is not appreciated.

MONA was definitely one of the strangest art gallery I have ever been to: there are many weird and fantastic pieces which shocked, insulted my senses and intrigued me. Definitely a place worth visiting, even if you are not that interested in art.

 This... really bugged me. From afar, I couldn't make out what it was meant to be, until closer inspection.

Yes. Yes, they are plaster casts of 150 female genitalia - ranging from young to old. Holy Jesus, some disturbed me.

My favourite one so far: the ash Buddha!

Smelly, pooping contraption 

Okay, remember when I said that some of the works here will insult your senses. Well, this is one of them. One of the girls on the trip told me to check out a machine which is meant to mimic and show how food is processed into faeces by our body. Supposedly, they do feed the damn thing. This is the only photo of it - as I approached it for more up-close photos, the strong smell of poop raped my nostrils and I ran away gagging.

Me in front of this wired-truck-thingamajig!

After MONA, the 2-hour plus drive begun, to Launceston, with scenic fields along the way. We stopped to grab some lunch at Zeps Cafe, in Campbell Town. Again, due to time constraints, we had to order food that could be made relatively quickly (this was a shame as I would have loved to try the pork belly on the menu!!). Once our bellies were filled, our next and last stop for the day was in Hadspen, at The Red Feather Inn. 

Since there was a larger ratio of women to men, the women shared the 'Murphetts Cottage'(I finally had a room to myself! First & last night of no co-sharing!!), whilst one lucky dude had 'The Loft' to himself!

Living room - Murphetts Cottage

Super-duper happy to have had a large bed to myself for a night!

Who knew red onions could be used as home decorations? I didn't :/

We had an hour plus or so to just chill/unpack/etc., before the 'Perfect Pasta Class' begun. I was super-duper excited because I had no clue how to make pasta from scratch! Plus what we made was our dinner for the night - Minestrone Soup for entrees, Ricotta & Spinach Stuffed Ravioli (pan-fried with pine nuts and broccoli) and Tiramisu for dessert.

Had a few others starting the tiramisu 

After prepping the pasta dough, he split us up by assigning certain groups with different tasks. Some stayed on to prep a different sort of pasta dough, made from semolina flour, whilst a few of us went out to the veggie patch to gather some fresh vegetables.

 Fresh, as fresh can get!

We ended up with a massive bowl of spinach and other vegetables such as kale, celery, broccolini and etc., to be used in the entree and the main course. We then had other prep work before the actual fun begun - turning rested dough into pasta (ravioli)!

 Some funky Stained Glass Pasta!

My babies :) 

This was made from the semolina flour batch. I have no clue what type of pasta this is, but I am assuming it is Radiatori. This was used in the Minestrone soup.

Left over pasta hung to dry 

Then the even more enjoyable part = eating our results!

By golly, this Minestrone, served with the little semolina pasta and pesto was THE BEST I've ever had. Not just cause we had made it, but I hate the soup in general as I find it either too bland or watery at times. This one was perfect! 

The Tiramisu team may have been over-generous with the alcohol - there was literally a shot of liquor left at the bottom of the glass! Still yummy though :)

After dinner, some opted to head to bed early whilst a few of us decided to gather around an outdoor fire-thingamajig and have a couple more drinks. Needless to say, I was super-drunk that night. Worst decision ever as we had another big itinerary the following day. Other than that, I think most of us from the group can agree that The Red Feather Inn experience was the highlight of the trip.

DAY 4 [22SEP14]

After the usual shit of packing up and checking out, the first stop was at the Queen Victoria Museum - started off with the normal stuff you see at a museum: stuffed local animals, some historical artefacts, etc. One funky part was a stuffed Tasmanian tiger (now extinct) and a rail-related portion of the museum.

 Taxidermy of a Tasmanian Tiger

Straight after the museum tour, we had the Boags Beer Lovers Tour (which sounded awesome when I had a look at the itinerary, but not so great when I was hungover.. Boo..). It was a quick tour about James Boags Brewery and how beer is produced. Unfortunately, no photography is allowed inside, but got a few photos at the tastings, which was outside the factory. It was definitely a first beer tasting I've had that was paired with cheese! Also, got to munch on some actual roasted malt. That was a first.

 Yummy beers, though I personally enjoy the Boag's XXX Ale the best. Please note that you can only drink Boag's XXX Ale and Wizard Smith's Ale in Tasmania. They aren't exported inter-state. 

Mini-museum upstairs: Can designs over the years (plus an accidental selfie included)

Couldn't believe that I had a beer (as opposed to a full 3 glasses) and cheese for morning tea, before we headed into the Tamar Valley region, stopping at Velo Wines for lunch, where we all received a pizza each. Unfortunately, I cannot tell you whether I liked any of their wines or not, as I was still not feeling well enough for the consumption of alcohol.

A filling lunch also meant sleepy time: whilst we drove onwards to the next destination, I fell asleep on the coach (I am assuming there was a few of us who dozed off!) and woke up when we arrived at Seahorse World, where we had a quick tour about the place. Highlights of this place: I got to touch and hold a live seahorse! *squeals*

 There's something very disturbing about seeing this many seahorses in one area. I don't know why this freaks me out a bit :/

 This sea-dragron is my favourite! Look at the bright colours on it! 

Okay. This photo does NOT do this crab justice. Let's just say that the big claw was like half a metre long, if not bigger. 

Our tour guide holding up one of the biggest hermit crab I've seen in person

No photos of me holding the little seahorse though :( *regret*

Located right next door to Seahorse World, is the Platypus House, where we had our second tour about these cute little fuzzy semi-aquatic egg-laying mammals. I only learned several years ago that platypuses are actually venomous (males only). You know what they say! There are plenty of things that can kill (or attempt to kill you) in Australia!

No photos of a platypus as it was pretty dark and all my photos turned out blurry *cries* But, I'll make it up with an up-close photo of an echidna! First ever time where an echidna is literally walking around right next to you.

It's so cute! It's little long pink tongue goes around slurping the feed in!

After our little tours, we drove to George Town, where we checked-in at Peppers York Cove. We had a little site inspection after checking-in.

 Our room for the night. Every deco at Peppers is pretty modern. Love the red, white and black decor.

Missed out a photo of the showers - the room I was in had those shower-heads which is was as big as a side-plate and was installed from the ceiling, which gave a rain-like experience <3

Since we were pushed for time again, we pre-ordered what we wanted for dinner before our last tour for the day: Low Head Penguin Tours

I've seen many penguins before in the wild, so this tour didn't appeal to me too much, BUT I did get to see a couple of penguins in the act of mating, and that was the highlight. Seriously, it's not everyday you get to see them doing it, like doggy-style.

By the time the tour ended, I was starving and could not wait to hide from the cold. Dinner was waiting for us when we returned.

Prawn & Scallop Slider for my entree: Wasn't too impressed as there wasn't much prawn nor scallop and a whole lot of bread. Slightly disappointing.  

Main course: Wallaby with beetroot quinoa. First time having wallaby and goddamn it was good. Tasted like a cross between kangaroo & beef. Ommnommnomm

As per usual, after dinner meant bed-time for me, as we had an early morning start again.

DAY 5 [23SEP14]
I'm not a huge breakfast fan, but I decided to have something warm and savoury. The staff at Peppers were courteous enough to accommodate my simple request, which I am thankful for.

 Poached egg with fried haloumi - Told the staff to give me one egg as opposed to two and not to serve me toast. Perfect portion right here :)

View from dining area

After breakfast and having my caffeine hit for the day, we were off to Hollybank Treetops, where I was lucky enough to do the 3-hours Zipline tour (this is was on my bucket-list). The other group did the Segway Tour (2 hours duration) instead.

No photos just of yet as we weren't allowed any mobile phones or loose items. But, I did receive a DVD copy after my famil, so look out for a post with further updates :)

Did I mention I had fear of heights?

Post-adrenaline rush, it was time for lunch at Pipers Brook Vineyard, where we had a tasting as well. Though we only received small portions of wine, all of us started acting silly. I personally did not enjoy any of the wines there enough to purchase a bottle (since we were to visit Jansz after that; decided to keep my options open for bubblies instead).

Best platter ever! The quiche served on this plate was the fluffiest, most decadent quiche! T_T I don't know when I'll be able to find a quiche this good ever again (note the quiche portions are on the middle right).

Bellies full and we were to do a quick tour of the winery: From the machinery to the cellar where we tasted wine in the process of ageing in the barrels. Not tasty I tell you!

Next stop: Jansz 

My manager was like going-on about Janz, and I was a clueless child. Supposedly, it's one of the well known brands for sparking wines.

Tasting time!

Out of the entire lot, I liked the taste of the Jansz Vintage Rose 2010, so I bought a bottle (off memory, I paid like $45AUD for the bottle).

By then, I was relatively tipsy and was ready to check-out our next stop in Launceston: The Cataract Gorge.

Yes, I realise that I've been saying "First Time" a lot, but it's true! There's many things I haven't experienced before :( First time on a chair-lift too.

 There was a lot of plants before reaching the end. Had to hold my legs up to avoid contact

 Quite a few peacocks flaunting their tail feathers

Next stop: Hotel Charles

No photos here as it reminds me of Hotel Collins, which wasn't a surprise when I learned from the conference, that it was run by the same group of hotels. We had like an hour and a half to relax before we had a progressive-dinner (courtesy of Tourism Northern Tasmania).

Another first, with progressive-dining. Had entree at Hotel Charles before moving on to Saint John Craft Beer Bar for mains - had one of the yummiest pork belly burger and fries, prepared by a food van Eats with Beats.

Entree: Salmon, Scallop, Quail & Pork Belly <3

Cannot remember where dessert was held, but they had some great Creme Brulee (I had two small portions despite being over-stuffed with food).

Being that full, falling asleep was not an issue when we finished our progressive dinner.

DAY 6 [23SEP14]
Our last day in Tasmania! Woke up really early to have some breakfast before my final packing :(
The last stops in Launceston was at the Design Tasmania Centre (which didn't really appeal to me too much), other than the fine woodwork displayed.

However, close by was a park where they had a Japanese monkey enclosure. Thought that was pretty nifty!

The last place we visited before heading back to our respective cities, was the Tasmanian Gourmet Sauce Company, where we had lunch and a chance to purchase sauce (and if you don't know me by now, I am addicted to sauce. All food must have some sort of sauce/gravy/relish!!). Purchased like 4 different ones!

Not only did they serve lunch, and sell sauces, they also have a garden and some scenic view going on.

Straight after lunch, we headed down to Launceston Airport to check-in for our flights back. At the check-in counter, my checked-bag actually weighed 24kg ++!! I arrived in Tasmania with only 16kg!! I blame all the brochures and stuff I received from the conference lol.

Thankfully the lady at the counter wasn't particular about that 1 extra kilo.

Was pretty sad to leave Tasmania after spending such a short but intense time there.

 Leaving Launceston :( Photo courtesy of Skye (taken from her Facebook)

First and foremost, I must apologise for the long wait in posts as I either procrastinate or get too busy to finish a post, especially one as long as this! I have truly enjoyed my stay in Tasmania, and can definitely understand how and why they are able to say that 70% will come back to visit this beautiful Australian state.

The local produce is fresh, and so is the air, which means better tasting food and a better lifestyle (definitely won't see hustle & bustle anywhere!). Wildlife and scenic views are abundant and there's definitely plenty of activities to suit all sorts of budget.

I haven't been able to share all of the photos from this trip as I'm afraid it'll make this post way too long, but have posted the nicer ones!

Other than that, I want to personally thank all of those responsible for my trip and making it such an enjoyable & memorable one.

I can only hope to have the chance to visit Tasmania once again!