From London to Athens: The girl who moved for love

Holy banana's has it really been 2 years since I left the grey skies of Blighty?

Time sure flies when you're in love and having fun! I cannot even begin to tell you what it's been like settling into a new country where the sun always shines, siesta's are a good thing, the language is completely different, shopping hours take a while getting used to and being without feel good quick, SOS back up - as in my gal pals, family, Marmite, crumpets, prawn cocktail flavoured crisps, pickled onion Monster Munch crisps, Pubs, Dim Sum & bacon sarnie's! Eeek!
My box set of Friends and Sex & The City got me through some pretty tough times.
I have no idea why, but today's post is gonna be filled with little words of wisdom, enjoy!
I remember the week running up to "Moving day"... it was a bit like Carrie Bradshaw's week before she left for Paris... I had friends asking me if I was absolutely sure about leaving amongst other questions... but after 2 years of flying back and forth (both of us), it got tiring, playing havoc on both our health, work & lifestyle - yeah, Monday mornings at work were never a good thing.

It sure took a while settling in and adapting to life in beautiful Greece

The art of mastering a new language:
I just keep talking now (that's if no-one can shut me up), with mistakes and all. I love that saying "It's all Chinese to me" used sporadically here in Greece and in the UK, "It's all Greek to me" - what's so ironically funny about both of these phrases is that I speak fluent Cantonese and now Greek (really badly)!

I love that the culture here is different, life is slightly slower paced... I sure don't miss getting up at 'ridiculous hour' in the morning, running for buses or getting crammed like sardines on the Tube to get to & from work.
I've gotten used to the shopping hours here, at first it really bothered me, but my philosophy of looking at life is slightly more different now. I actually think it's healthier all round to have no shops open on Sunday (except for mini markets & Zakharoplastio-cake shops). Have you ever stopped to think if this might be part of reason for the UK's downfall in families/culture etc, was treating Sunday like any other day and not stopping to just put aside one day to enjoy with family, friends and just relax?

"Slow down
calm down
don't worry
don't hurry
trust the process"

- Alexandra Stoddard

I even love how if you're trying to get into a tight parking spot (very common in Athens), that a passer-by will help guide & direct you into your space then carry on as normal. That would so never happen in London.

Beating the heat!

Food love: The Greeks are pretty serious about food & their coffee... I love the Greek kebab, aka Gyros, how amazing & huge the watermelons are and the quality of Olive Oil is, as well as the traditional tavernas here. All I think about is food!!! So my life quote for Food love would be -

"Life is short, eat dessert first" - Torres

If someone has been on a visit to their village, I can usually expect them to bring back fresh eggs, olives, tsipouro - a Greek liquor (which my man once mistook for a bottle of water and gulped it down in the morning - what a wake up call!) and copious amounts of Feta cheese.

People eat late here too, something I didn't get to grips with for a while but which resulted in me eating at least 4-5 times a day.

The Watermelon truck on drive-by duties - For real!

The biggest pumpkins I've ever seen in my life

Mainland & Island love:

This country has some of the best islands ever! I'm yet to discover all the gorgeous places North of Greece & in the Peloponnese too with crystal clear waters & passionate history, but it's all there waiting for me! I'm incredibly grateful for the various ports in Greece, they are like mini gateways to paradise!

I sure could go on & on... but you know what?

"A life lived in love will never be dull"

- Leo Buscaglia

Have a Happy Damn Friday kids!

Images via: Fashion Gone Rogue, Spiros Poros, Iris Brosch

Random Reminiscing: La Cambodge

Last night i was getting my daily fix over at Brooklyn Limestone, her recent visit to S.E Asia & post got me in a 'aaah, remember those days when....' moment. That and also how far digital cameras have come along! The quality of these pictures would have been way better had there been the existence of 3mega pixels back then! Ha ha!

I'm suppposed to be doing something else right now, so i shall begin my day with a fair bit of procrastination!!!

I remember my travelling days like it was yesterday, but of course it was a million moons ago. My experience in Cambodia was amazing and interesting and overwhelming too. If you ever go to the 'Killing Fields' or 'S-21 prison camp' you'll know what i mean. Cambodia is a real anchor for tourism especially the temples - Angkor Wat being the daddy of them all - my friends did a 3 day tour and hired our own tuk tuk (little motorized rickshaw) from our Guest House manager (don't get me started on Mr. Lee-he was hilarious!) so we got him to pick us up at some obscene hour - 4.30am i think it was, to see the sunrise at Angkor Wat on one day - see piccie (above) it was well worth it!


Anyhow, that one day was the best day ever, my friends and i ran into another load of Aussie friends (drive by tuk tuk moment)who we'd met in Vietnam and also the mother of all highlights has to be running into Mick Jagger at Ta Prohm (famous for Angelina's kick ass scenes in Tomb Raider movie). "I Die" - I mean holy banana's of all people you just don't randomly run into Rock Stars (and i luuurve the Rolling Stones). Sir Mick was lovely, but declined a photo opp with me of course due to the fact the temple was going to be packed with other tourists in a nano second - i'd caught him in a little nook with his personal bodyguard (dressed in black and ready to kill), his agent and a tour guide. I have to admit he was dressed like a lady-boy in yellow/orange sari covering up his face - but i know that swagger and those lips from anywhere!
What a day....that and the fact that it was of course el scorchio!

Ta Prohm - with it's oversized tree roots - i was totally wee size compared to them!