Fruit Loop or Cheerio?

I woke up this morning and while in bed with my tea I was scrolling through my Facebook news feed as I usually do. I don't know about you, but my news feed just seems to be filled with relatives photos and strange status updates. 

However upon my morning Facebook session, I stumbled upon this photo. I don't know why, but this childish quote really resonated with me. It isn't the most highbrow of literature, but a strong quote only has to be simple in order to be effective. Firstly, I love food! So anything that has even a slight connection to food is likely to hook me in. But once I had gotten past this part of the photo I really started to think about the quote's meaning.

If you had the choice of cereal, would you pick cheerios over fruit loops? I know I certainly wouldn't. So that is how we chose our friends. We look for those sugar sweet fruit loops in a world filled with boring old cheerios. Lets be honest, our closest friends always seem to be a little bit nuts. Everyone should want to stand out from the crowd and be noticed in the world.

Many people struggle to stand out in our hectic world, getting lost amongst the masses. However one of the easiest ways to be that fruit loop in a bowl of cheerios is through fashion. Fashion is an unspoken language, that allows us to express our feelings and emotions purely by the outfit we wear. But clothes and accessories are not all it takes to stand out. The most important key that must be used to unlock your individuality is style. Anyone can follow fashion trends, but it takes a truly confident individual to go against the trends and stand out from the crowd. Setting their own rules.

Material possessions are not all it takes to stand out. Your outlook on life and the perspective you take effects whether you are a fruit loop or cheerio. The most important thing to take from all of this is to be yourself. Don't hind that inner fruit loop, and allow yourself to be a little crazy every once in a while. Go against the stream of society in order to make your dent within the world.

"In order to be replaceable, one must always be different."

Dairy of a Tea Addict.

If someone where to ask me what my favourite drink was, I would answer tea without a second thought. One of the greatest ways to start a day is with a nice big cup of tea in bed. Even on the hottest summer days, I will always feel like a tea. That feeling of caressing a warm mug on a cold winters morning and sipping your drink warms your soul. Not to mention the phenomenal aromas that sprout from this cup of goodness. However there is more to tea then these feel-good reasons, as Tea brings many health benefits.

Tea contains antioxidants, protecting you from the ravages of ageing, cleansing your body. It also assists your immune system, strengthening it during winter times when sickness seems to be all around us. If you are unfortunate to contract an illness, tea assists your body fighting infection and will make your road to recovery a lot quicker. As well as this, tea keeps you hydrated, contributing to your overall  daily fluid needs. One of the greatest reason for drinking tea is that it is calorie free (unless you add sweeteners). If you are looking for a satisfying, calorie-free beverage, tea would be the drink of choice.

In life, you are either a tea or a coffee person. Most people swear by this beverage in order to help them function throughout the day. I am strictly a loyal tea drinker. A point that should be made is that tea contains severely less caffeine than coffee, but still does the trick of waking you up in the morning. So people who experience headaches, ingestion or the jitters are they drink their coffee, make the switch to tea and you will feel the instant positive change.

One of my favourite shops in the entire world to visit is T2. It is an entire shop completely devoted to tea junkies! The second you enter the store, your nose is filled with the various aromas of the hundreds of teas. As well as both ice and hot tea, there are the cutest vintage looking tea sets. However, one of the greatest things about tea is the great diversity of flavours that you can buy. There are no restrictions when it comes to tea flavours nowadays.

Polaroid Camera Love.

I absolutely love taking photos, and one of my favourite things to do on a rainy Sunday afternoon is flip through old pictures and photo albums. Like most Generation Y people, majority of the photos that I have are all digital and I rarely go to print them as hard copies. However with a polaroid camera, this hard copy of your photo captured in time is instantly produced.

This is a great accessory to add to your summer wardrobe, snapping photos of you and your friends at the beach or park. I decided upon the Fujifilm Instax Mini 8 as the film is reasonably priced and easy to find, and also the colours are so cute. Also I highly recommend that you read the instructions or at least watch a youtube tutorial about how to maximise your polaroid camera's use. It has taken me a while to adjust to the cameras settings, and honestly I have wasted a few too many films.

I bought my camera off Ebay and I found a deal which included really cheap films as well. So if you are considering buying a polaroid camera, have a look around for the best deal, as there are defiantly great prices out there.

Vietnam 2011.

Two years ago today I embarked on one of the most amazing experiences of my life. The company Antipodeans gave 12 students and 2 teachers from my school, the opportunity to venture to Vietnam. The great thing about Antipodeans was they allow you to plan your entire trip, according to how you would like to spend you two weeks. Also when you arrive to your destination, all of the accommodation, restaurants and navigation must be organised by the students, with the assistance of the teachers and guide. However, the most exciting part of the entire trip was that each group must complete a project within a remote village in the country. I had never been to a third world country and these two weeks were about to open my eyes to the rest of the world.

We arrived bright and early at the airport, eagerly waiting to board our plane to Vietnam. The plane trip was a long and uncomfortable nine hours. However it was well worth it, for when we arrived in Vietnam, it was like we were in a completely different world. We began our journey in Hanoi, which is in North of Vietnam. When we arrived there was 100% humidity and the temperature was at least 35°C. I have lived in Australia my entire life, but I still found this heat to be extreme.


My task for the remainder of the day, along with two of my fellow adventurers, was to plan and book where we would spend the evening. However, we had no idea where to start looking and we had a budget of $9 per person. We spent hours wondering around Hanoi, trying to find somewhere reasonable to stay, when we stumbled upon a small hotel. We saw that there was free Wi-Fi and breakfast was included, so we decided to take a look. When we were shown the rooms, we found that there was a single room, with six bunk beds. This was perfect for all 12 students! We then found a room upstairs for our teachers and guide and decided to book it for the evening. This is when the language barrier really became an issue. I had never been in a situation before where I was unable to easily communicate with another human in my native tongue. This for me was a massive adjustment I had to make.







The next morning, after doing a little more exploring around Hanoi, it was time to take a trip West and travel to the remote village of Moi. During the six-hour bus trip we saw exquisite scenery of the Vietnamese countryside, a side of the country we had not yet experienced. We arrived into Moi late that night, going to bed soon as we arrived. The next morning we were given a tour around the village, being shown what our project would be. We would be building, along with the assistance of some of the local villagers, a toilet block for the small kindergarten.

We spent five days in Moi Village and in this time we got to know some of the local people and really experience life as a poor Vietnamese citizen. I can honestly say that these people were amazing, and the second that we came into their homes; they treated us like old friends. The community connection was so strong and prominent. I had never been this disconnected from the Western world before, as even trying to charge our cameras was a huge task. Many visitors to Vietnam never get to experience this side of the country. But having this time away, even though it sounds cheesy, made me think about the simplicity of their lives and how happy it made them. When that toilet block was completed, everyone was so grateful, that they had a huge party the night before we left. There was singing, dancing and a lot of eating.

However my favourite part of Moi Village was the kindergarten. Whenever we would have a lunch break, all of the children from the school came running out to play. The first day when we started taking photos of them, they couldn’t believe that they were seeing themselves on this tiny screen. I have never before seen anyone get so excited over a picture of themselves, it was adorable. Once they had got the hang of photos however, they all wanted to be captured.

The final stage of our rural adventure was a three-day trek through the countryside of Vietnam. This is when we really got to take a step back and really take in all the beauty that Vietnam had to offer. We walked through rice fields and farms, waving to locals along the way.

Our next stop was heading to the Eastern coast where we would spend a night upon a boat in Halong Bay. This has to be one of the most beautiful places that I have, and probably will ever see. We spent all afternoon canoeing around the islands, looking around the islands and exploring through caves. That evening, before our beautifully cooked fresh seafood feast, we all when up to the top deck of our boat to enjoy the sunset. We then thought it would be a fun idea to jump from the roof of our 10 metre high boat’s roof down into the bay.

The next morning we caught an over night train down south to the tourist capital of Vietnam, Hoi An. This city was insane. It has a well-known culture for clothes and shoes making, and everything is so incredibly cheap. We spent four days in this city and it is where I spent majority of the money I had bought.

Vietnam would have to be the most culturally different countries that I have ever been too, and I was not expecting to see such a vast difference between it and Australia. However, after this once in a lifetime experience that I had, I can honestly say that this would have to be one of my favourite locations in the world. As well as the beautiful cities, I could not get over the welcoming nature of all of the locals, no matter where we went. If anyone ever has the opportunity to have an experience similar to this, I urge you to grab onto it with both hands.

Nature within Jewellery.

The other day I purchased this exquisite ring that I found in a little boutique around the corner from where I live. I have been looking for a really lovely piece of silver jewellery for a while now and when I stumbled across this ring and I couldn't help myself. It had to be mine!

This ring is apart of the first collection from Cushy Living. Cushy Living is a small online blog by a husband and wife, which is now branching out into small shops and boutiques. The website sells a range of different jewellery items, all delicately crafted in sterling silver. They range from rings, to earrings and necklaces.

This ring is something that I will keep with me for the rest of my life. It is so hard to come by reasonably priced jewellery nowadays, that is able to last more than a week without loosing its colour or breaking it.

If they are able to continue their philosophy of giving their customers a great product that doesn’t just look great but makes our customers feel great, then I am predicting big things for this couple in the future.

A More Confident You.

Up until I finished high school I used to be crippled with shyness. Now don't get me wrong, when I was with my friends I would be absolutely crazy. But whenever I was in a situation with strangers and new people, I used to fall silent. My parents used to get so frustrated with me, as I even used to be to afraid to talk to waiters or shop assistants. I think it was the feeling of entering a situation and not knowing how people would respond to me and my thoughts that would absolutely terrify me.

However at the beginning of the year, I was almost 18 years old and was looking at an empty bank account. I knew that I needed a job in order to pay my ways. I had only had one previous job at a local cafe, which I absolutely hated. Up until now I had only been applying for jobs online, and time and time again I would be getting knocked back. So after constant pestering from my mum, one day we ventured into the city with a mission to secure me a job, or a least an interview. So with my shaking, clammy hand desperately gripping my résumé, we set off.

I went into a food market and awkwardly looked around for a few minutes. After an inspirational pet talk from my mother including the phrase "the worst they can say is no", I managed the courage to go up to the friendliest looking employee I could find. I nervously asked "umm, could I please speak to a manager", trying to exude as much confidence as humanly possible. She reassuringly smiled, which instantly calmed my nerves, and went to fetch the manager. Little did I know, I was about to be offered a job then and there.

So after a tortuous ten minutes of the interview, I was managed to get a job. Success! When those words left her mouth I could barely control the smile extruding from my mouth. I quickly hurried back to my mum, who had been attempting to eavesdrop on my interview, to enlighten her with the good news.

I have now been working there for 6 months and I am absolutely loving it. I enjoy hearing about the different lives of people who come through my counter, and everyday is a completely new experience. This job has taught me art of small talk, which I am now a master of! Without this kind of confidence, I doubt I would have made any friends at University and would still be sitting by myself.

So my advice for you is put yourself out there. I know it sounds cheesy, but it's the truth. Go for different experiences and don't worry about being knocked back. I know it's terrifying to think about that word "no", but in the big scheme of things, it won't kill you. Trust me, once you have put yourself out there, you will be greatful you have.