As most of you know, Sidd is working at one of the hospitals here in Brisbane. Currently, he is working in the ICU and works 13-14 hour shifts, then promptly comes home and collapses in bed. Given that he works only 4-6 shifts every 2 weeks, this isn’t as bad a gig as it sounds, especially when compared to his work schedule at home. Whoever thought that it would be beneficial for doctors to work 24 hour shifts is beyond me. Sidd’s work schedule has left me with some spare time, that is, when I’m not dutifully carrying out my “wifely [View Full Entry]

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Sidd has now been in Brisbane for almost 4 weeks and has settled into his routine of working a string of 12-14 hour shifts in a row, followed by a few days off. He has also signed himself up for a Triathlon and is committed to running or biking every day. I am somewhat amused by his new fitness regimen (which incidentally does not coincide with a diet regimen - wine and cheese is still a daily occurrence) as in Calgary, despite the fact that he has not one, but two, gym memberships, he works out maybe once per month. [View Full Entry]

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So I have now been in Brisbane for over 24 hours and thus far my impression is that it is a very pretty city, with lots of fun little districts to explore. Coffee is bleeding expensive (the $1.50 Tim’s percolated coffee does not exist) and the conversion form prices in kilos to pounds will continue to prove a headache. But, I can now proudly say that not only can I drive on the wrong side of the road, but I can also parallel park (luckily there was no curb)... and do both while quite jeg-lagged! Why, one might ask was I [View Full Entry]

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Having been on Canadian soil for almost three weeks now has been both challenging and rewarding. I love the fact that you get reverse culture shock in the place that you call home. However, it has been wonderful to catch up with family and friends and very interesting to re-experience certain things that I took for granted before I left. One example is the supermarket - the sheer size, vast array of goods, and sterile environment left me with the feeling that we truly do have everything we could possibly want at our fingertips. Visiting the mall was even more of [View Full Entry]

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Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro seems to be part of the whole Tanzania tourist experience, something that people take on rather lightly, with the foremost consideration surrounding the trek being “how much?” But after some deliberation, climbing a mountain of 5895 meters in a few days is not your typical relaxing activity while on vacation. Add on fatigue, cold and altitude sickness (headache, nausea, dizziness etc.) and the thought “why am I paying to make myself feel like crap?” may pass through your mind. Yet despite these factors, trekking to the roof of Africa w [View Full Entry]

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Question: How many times does one need to go to Zanzibar? Well…… when you are invited along to attend the official opening of the luxurious Italian resort in Kendwa, the answer would be = at least three. The troublesome trio of Alex, Jessica and myself flew to Zanzibar a few hours before the inauguration to do some shopping in Stonetown. It was Jessica’s first time in Zanzibar but sadly, she only became very familiar with the shopping district of Stonetown (Kenyatta Road), where the touts sneak up and sing “Jambo, jambo bwana, haba [View Full Entry]

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According to one of Jessica’s colleagues, you can just show up at Ubungo bus station and hop on any number of buses heading in the Iringa direction- easy, no problem. Following this advice, we made it to the crazy chaos that is Ubungo just after 7:30am. Now being accosted by the aggressive touts is no fun on any given day, but becomes especially unpleasant when they haul you around to the various bus counters and in the end, you have nothing to show for it. After close to half an hour of bouncing from counter to counter, we were rapidly losing [View Full Entry]

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Lovely Lady Luck... This past month has been testament to the unpredictability of life. At any given time, one can never really know where you will be, what you will be doing, with whom, or what will befall you during any given event....... The following list is in no particular order: 1. Biking in Bagamoyo The decision to go to Bagamoyo, the original capital of German East Africa, was made about an hour before packing up and heading out the door (of course, after much waffling). After three rather unpleasantly long dalla dalla rides, we were settled in our romantic [View Full Entry]

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WHAT? Hot water? Fresh pineapple juice? Lounging on the private white sand beach? Sailing on the Indian ocean in a laser? Walking barefoot? A pool right outside my hotel room window? Sun salutations on the beach in the morning? Lovely pasta at every meal? Sugary cookies for breakfast? Italian espresso? Yup, that’s right, all of the above and then some! Just got back from a fantastic, luxurious and relaxing weekend in Paradise (note the capital P) arranged by the wonderful and witty Alex. Roughly translated, Gemma del Est means “Jewel of the East.” It is an [View Full Entry]

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So after two weeks of vacation, I am officially back in Dar es Salaam. The name of the city, by the way, means Haven of Peace . Alas, first impression upon returning is that Dar does not seem to be any more peaceful than upon my departure. At any rate, I am back and ready for work on Monday. Well...... I will be ready once I get more settled in my new house (going shopping tomorrow at the market!) and get some much needed rest. After 5 buses (more on these later), 4 hostels, 3 days of hiking, 2 dalla dallas [View Full Entry]

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