I've moved to England!

View of the castle on one of the many long walks from my college to town I have taken.

So I've arrived in Durham. The last few days have been a hectic rush of trying to get everything sorted over here and settling in. Simple things like making dinner have become so much more challenging (not even factoring in the fact that the supermarket is a 40 min walk away and there is not a non-non-stick pan in sight.)

Moving is hard. Everyone knows it is.

I used to have a quote on a post it note stuck to my computer at work - "Transition challenges the way you value yourself." I tried to re-find it on the internet just then but then I realised that I think it was a quote I made up from talks with my psychologist. But it's so true - trying to "fit in", make new friends, find your way around a new place... all those old boundaries that you had in your old life are tested and you have to keep them strong (requiring a lot of energy), or adjust them if need be. I've spent a lot of the week being exhausted, not just from having to walk everywhere, but also from having to concentrate to understand the myriad of accents I've been exposed to, and all the extra energy you need when you are meeting a whole bunch of new people at once in an unfamiliar environment.

It is refreshing only having the bare necessities, even if it means I'll now have to do laundry weekly (another not-so-simple task when you have to use the laundry room that is shared by two colleges' worth of students) until I accumulate some more clothes. I've started to make my room a little more homely, putting up photos and fairy lights (£3 at Wilco).

It's also bloody difficult to get a UK bank account - you need to provide them with:

• your passport
• a letter from your college confirming that you live there
• three months' worth of bank statements
• three months' worth of payslips
• a letter from your employer confirming that they are sponsoring you

...and I had to book an appointment a week and a half in advance before they had any free slots (that's on October 6th). So that is frustrating.

However, overall I'm really loving it here. I'm yet to be rained on (almost a week!) and I feel like I'm living in a postcard. I'm looking forward to Tuesday when I have course induction and for some of the student fairs during the week when I can sign up to social groups within the university. It's going to be a good year.

Old and new thoughts on "cures" and triggers

The following post is a draft I wrote around this time last year after returning from a month-long whirlwind trip through France, Italy, England and South Korea. It is particularly relevant for me as I think about moving to the UK in three months (!!!!!!!!!) and having to cope with endometriosis and being on the Pill (with the potential for me to develop the depressive/anxious symptoms that seem to plague me while I am on such medications) while I am over there. It's also relevant seeing as I am in a bit of a shock with the results of the surgery that I just went through.

If I was going to be completely honest, a fairly large percentage of me did think that this surgery would be the miracle cure for my endometriosis. What can I say, I am the eternal optimist[/delusional]! I didn't think that it would take all of the secondary effects away, the pelvic floor spasm or the neuropathic pain, but I did think that I would be able to work through that with drugs and pelvic floor physio and eventually be free of them. I thought that I would one day be free of this disease, and I thought that that day would be soon.

I knew that Dr Evans is one of the best surgeons around for endometriosis, and I underestimated how bad my case was. I listened to some of the doctors online that like to claim that they can "cure" endometriosis because their recurrence rate is so low after surgery. The doctor I linked to claims that 80% of patients re-operated on in a 5 year time span did not have any new endometriosis, hence he labels them cured. I feel that this is misleading (5 years is not long enough in my books), but also because he makes it seem like ALL endometriosis can be excised, when I am not sure that it can. I was in theatre for 3 hours with a very competent surgeon and she was not able to excise it all. My body would not have been able to handle it and it would have done more harm than good. She could try another surgery soon to get rid of the rest, but there is no guarantee that that would be the end of it for me, and with every surgery comes more risks.

For doctors to advertise that some women can have their endometriosis cured, when we already live in a world that basically denies that this chronic, disabling, life consuming, disease even exists, it feels like it brings too much false hope to those who cannot be cured. So many women will never be cured of endometriosis, even with the best possible treatment, which so few actually have access to. It's so hard to not get your hopes up. It can be crushing. 

Oops... I just turned this post that was meant to be about one thing into a post about two things. Oh well. Enjoy reading my thoughts from last year...

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So, I'm back!

The trip was: amazing, challenging, relaxing, stressful, inspiring, renewing, lonely and fun. All at the same time. I might sound a little bit like Taylor Swift talking about being that "miserable and magical" age of twenty-two, but that's really what it was like. There were many moments when I couldn't believe that this was actually my life (seeing A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Globe in the front row, going to a bathhouse and nudeing it up in Korea, reading a book on a picturesque Italian beach while being [unsuccessfully] hit on by an Italian guy who told me that I was breaking his heart by turning him down, sitting in a tiny top floor apartment in Avignon listening to Irish and French people make beautiful music together) and there were other times when I was so lonely, in pain (I ate a lot of bread in France... number one pain trigger) and down I just wanted to hide in my bed under the covers by myself (with a hot water bottle... in the middle of summer). After a six week or so high before my trip, I felt almost as low at points as last year.

That's what travel is like I guess - you're constantly being challenged to the core of who you are by foreign cultures and customs, and uncomfortable situations. Even the enjoyable situations can be tiring just because you throw yourself in to them so hard.

I also relearnt a bunch of lessons - how (besides hormones) exhaustion is my biggest trigger for depression (and pain!), followed by not being able to eat my regular diet (which really just contributes to the pain and subsequently, exhaustion from having to deal with that).


Note to self:

I have some of the best old friends, and some of the best new friends too. I can count on many more than two hands the number of people in the world that I feel completely at ease and comfortable with, and while I might not always remember that because they are dotted all over the world, sometimes all I need to do is pick up the phone and that will get me out of my lonely spiral.

My Adelaide favourites

While I've been on bedrest here in Adelaide after my surgery, I've been getting really excited about getting out and visiting my old favourites when I'm more mobile. I thought I'd write up a quick summary of my unmissables for anyone that might be planning a trip to Adelaide.

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Vego & Love'n It >>>> I've been going here for almost 10 years and I was introduced to it by my dad. It's an institution. So cheap, so healthy & so delicious. Get the Thai Burger, and unless you're a big eater, get the half size. The Mango Smoothie is also delish. You won't regret it. (Warning - half the reason I love the Thai Burger is because of the copious amounts of sweet chilli sauce, coriander, avocado, tomato and shredded carrot that adorn it. If you don't like those delicious things, you probably won't like the Thai Burger.)

Goodlife Modern Organic Pizza >>>> Their Free Range Chicken Pizza with organic baby potatoes, garlic, rosemary and mild parmesan is to die for. So too is their Free Range Duck Pizza which I tried for the first time last night. All I can say is that I had their Free Range Chicken Pizza for the first time in three and a half years the other day and it was even better than my memories. SO GOOD. They do gluten free bases too. You can find them on O'Connell St in North Adelaide, Hutt St in the city and down by the beach at Glenelg. I love the earthy decor in the restaurants, or you can get take away (as you can see above.)

E for Ethel >>>> This gem is a relative newbie on Melbourne Street in North Adelaide. It is run by a couple who combine a  handmade shop with a cafe. I had a gluten free pumpkin wrap there for the first time last year and I was blown away by the fact that the gluten free wrap was actually tasty and malleable! After I finished it, the woman came to my table and apologised at how small the serving had been for the price, she said that they were new wraps that they weren't used to yet and she then gave me a discount on the wrap (she may have even given it to me for free, I can't remember), even though I had thoroughly enjoyed it, not complained and thought it was good value for money! They also allow you to have your tea or coffee with dairy, soy or almond milk, which was great for me last year when I was trying dairy and soy free. I won a $25 gift voucher in their lucky business card draw and I can't wait to use it later on during this trip when I am more mobile.

Le Carpe Diem Cafe Creperie >>>> Run by actual French people, this cafe seems to be always open and always delicious. They have savoury and sweet crepes, and the savoury crepes are made out of buckwheat, making them gluten free. You can request the sweet options on the buckwheat base, so after a year of not being able to order pancakes out, I can finally have them again!

The Central Markets >>>> Do not miss the Smelly Cheese Shop, Mushroom Man's Mushroom Shop, or Something Wild (if you like your meats of the more unusual variety). Also drop in at the T Bar - my favourite tea shop before I discovered Adore Tea in Canberra. The Asian food court is also full of cheap, yummy, meals.

Pub-wise I loved the University of Adelaide Unibar and the Exeter (in the city) as a student, and now, in an odd twist of events, my brother and sister work there. However, if you are not a student, and don't have the nostalgic love for them that I have, you'll probably find them rather grotty.

Travelling gluten free

via

If I've been a little quiet over here, it's because I am crazy busy getting ready for my month long trip to Europe & South Korea that I leave for on SATURDAY! I actually have quite a few things I'd like to write about but I just don't have the time at the moment if I want to make the most of my trip. Expect a deluge of posts later.

Anyway, in the mess of booking things and making sure I am stocked up on all the meds I need, I've realised something. Since I haven't travelled that much so far this year (by my standards), I've forgotten that one of the hardest things about travel for me is not being able to eat the food I usually eat. I'm always shocked by how abnormal my normal diet is in Western countries. Even before I started consciously limiting my gluten and dairy intake, I never liked things that had lots of cheese or wheat in them - like creamy sauces or pasta. I even make my pizza without cheese. (I think it tastes better, but it could just be that it makes me feel better!) I generally eat curries and rice as my staple anyway, so it's a shock to me to have pasta more than once a year. I know that on this trip I will be eating at least a little bread, pasta and pizza in France and Italy (I have to try it!), but I'm planning on keeping it to a minimum.

So for my seasoned gluten-free friends out there, what are your tips for travelling gluten free? I've already put in my special orders for plane food, do you have any other tips? I really don't want to spend the flight from London to Seoul curled up in the foetal position and freaking out my fellow passengers with my moaning (it happens to coincide with my usual peak pain days...).

I think that my hardest meal will be breakfast, as at the moment at home I just have a banana and a muesli bar if I'm still hungry (usually I'm not) and I don't think that will be too easy to come by amongst all the pastries. What do you eat for breakfast?

Also, if you haven't seen this you need to watch it. Eurovision in a song.

(I think Huffington Post's headline explained it all: Romania Sent A Superman Villain To Conquer Eurovision 2013 With Dubstep Opera)

Ok, so as I mentioned here, in May/June I will be going to France (particularly Avignon), Italy (particularly Cinque Terre & Milan), England (London area only) & South Korea (nuclear war permitting - particularly Seoul, but could do day/overnight trips if there is some kind of transportation involved).

So has anyone been to these places/lived in these places? Got some handy travel tips for me? What are the must-sees? What's overrated? Is there really only bread and cheese to eat in France? How do you deal with dietary restrictions while travelling?

Lessons I have learnt from travelling with a chronic illness

via Pinterest

I was going to write a post on tips for travelling with a chronic illness in relation to my own trip to Jakarta last week. While that trip went quite well compared to some of my previous trips, I'm still disappointed that after about 2 months (that's seriously a record for me a the moment) of being cold/flu/gastro free, I've ended up with a sore throat this week and a pretty sour mood from being so tired. So no tips from me... only some thoughts.

The reason I think I was cold/flu/gastro free for two months was just because I stopped travelling and actually rested. This year has been a whirlwind of trips - I've been to the US twice, Germany, Papua New Guinea, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, and Adelaide multiple times. I tallied up all the flights I had done this year by October and it came to something like 42. Then I stopped counting. I would not advise that you travel as much as I do in normal situations, let alone with the added complication of not having 100% of your health. [Side note - I'm seriously planning on cutting down on the travel next year. Also, I'm incredibly lucky that my body actually lets me do these trips to begin with, some people with endometriosis are pretty much bedridden.]

Despite my best efforts to rest as much as possible before, during and after my most recent trip, I still got tired, and subsequently sick. Air travel is draining. Well, any kind of travel is draining. I'm not sure if that is recognised enough in our society. People think that because you are just sitting in one spot that it surely can't be too hard on your body, but it is. Couple that normally draining activity with endometriosis and you get one wrecked person. This may be hard for other people to understand, because it is an "invisible" illness (one not immediately apparent from looking at someone), which can make it difficult when trying to explain to friends, your boss or your family as to why you are just so tired compared to them. However, just because someone else can't see the disease that is messing with your body does not mean that you are lazy or weak.

Travel has really highlighted to me the quick-fix nature of our society. In lieu of a cure for endo, at the moment all I can do is give my body good food and as much rest as possible. There is no magic pill for this disease. If I go to a doctor with pain and fatigue now, there is really not much that s/he can do for me if I don't take care of myself first and recognise my limitations. Some diseases are like that. We (as a society) have gotten used to the idea that pretty much everything can be treated with a simple pill, when in fact, that is not true for everything.

So for now, I'm constantly re-learning to accept that I probably won't be able to do as much as some other people my age may be able to do, or as much as I'd like to do, but I still have to make sure I have time for the things that are important to me, the things that make life worth living.

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Last month I took part in National Health Blog Post Month. This post was inspired by one of the prompts from that challenge that I didn't get around to writing about during the month itself.

My favourite thing to do when I travel

When I'm visiting a new place, I like to wander around by myself and soak it all in. It's my favourite way to see a city. I particularly like visiting local supermarkets. It might seem like a mundane thing to do when you're in a new country but I quite like it. I like to see what it would be like to live in whatever country I'm in and to try whatever random stuff is around. Tonight I tried a "grass jelly" drink that did not taste like grass but didn't taste like much else either. I also tried tempeh and something else that was black and crunchy (who knows - I don't even know if it was meat, bread or vegetable) and I can't say that either was my cup of tea but I just love trying new things anyway. I get a little thrill from it.

The ice cream section of the supermarket. They like their Magnums over here.

Some of the random things I got from the supermarket - date and longan flavoured green tea, bottled milk tea, (I'm in iced tea heaven over here), some of the local sweets, and a Ritter Sport sampler pack that seems to be very common over here

I'm having trouble capturing what Jakarta is like in photos - everything is just so big and new to me. This photo was taken in the Grand Indonesia mall - that's right - this thing was in a mall. There is also a mini Moulin Rouge and Times Square.

View from work where I am helping out with a workshop this week. Skyscrapers in every direction as far as the eye can see.

Before leaving the hotel I added a cardie to this ensemble - I'm playing it safe in this majority-Muslim country

Yummy Sushi Groove in the Grand Indonesia mall - a must-try.

I have to say, I am loving Jakarta. To be honest, I thought I would hate it as I love wide open spaces and greenery and don't enjoy pollution and being in huge crowds of people, but it's fun.

Harvest Festival Review

I went to Harvest Festival in Sydney over the weekend. It was one of the best festivals I have ever been to (second only to Womadelaide.)

Good points:

The excellent line-up. I had never seen any of the bands on the line up before. It was a 90s music lover's paradise. I had three absolute highlight acts when usually there is only one.
The good natured crowd. For me the one thing that can ruin a great festival is the crowd. At Harvest there were no neon singlets in sight, drunk/drugged people were at a minimum, there was no shoving and there were a limited number of people on other people's shoulders. People really seemed to be there for the music, not to be seen. Great crowd.
Great style. At some stages during the festival my friend and I just sat and watched everyone walking around. As another friend said earlier this week - I've never been somewhere where everyone looked so effortlessly effortless. It was fun to see what different people were wearing.

Good organisation. The timetable was set out really well so that you could catch most of the acts if you wanted to. Beirut cancelled on short notice and you couldn't even tell, everything was seamless and to schedule.
Great stages and setting. The Great Plain was my favourite stage - a massive natural ampitheatre which was never overcrowded. The stages were close together without too much sound crossover. It was also lovely having it in a park with the trees and shrubbery (Monty Python anyone?)
The sideshows. I've never been to a day festival with so many sideshows - it was nice that they put the effort in to put random artists on the side and have so many wandering art installations (eg the dancing robot complete with girls in lab coats and the forest on stilts.)
Free bananas. They had free bananas - yummy, healthy, instant food that you can eat while dancing up a storm at the stage that you made it to since you didn't have to wait in line. Best festival idea ever! They are also great dance accessories.
Lots of free water. I get really dehydrated at festivals but don't want to lug around a massive 2 L bottle so it was nice that they had water stations at all the main stages.
Toilets. We all know that festival toilets generally leave a lot to be desired. However, at Harvest there were only a few messy ones, they were all flush toilets, they never seemed to run out of toilet paper and  you never had to wait in line for more than 2 songs for a toilet. Speaking of which - the toilets were right next to the stages with a great view so you didn't feel like you were missing out anyway!

Not-so-good points:

Crowded trains are fun

The food. It wasn't as multicultural/vegetarian/interesting as I expected. There was one vegetarian booth that was great, but next year it would be awesome if they had more like that.
Post-festival transport. The concert organisers appear to not have notified the police or train systems that the concert was on. They told everyone to take public transport but then didn't get the train system to put on extra trains or open extra ticket machines so there was only one train going every half an hour and a huge line for the ticket booth. It ended up taking me 2.5 hours to get home from Parramatta to Maroubra via train and then taxi when it should have only taken about 1.5 hours with room for delay. However, the crowd was so patient and helpful that it ended up not being too much of a bother.

Who I saw

Sigur Ros

Dexys (Highlight: Come on Eileen)
The Dandy Warhols (Highlight: Bohemian like you)
Mike Patton's Mondo Cane (Highlight: Urlo Negro, but to be honest, any time he was on stage was a highlight, particularly when screaming or loudspeakers were involved. He's the ex-frontman of Faith No More and this endeavour involves him covering various 1960s Italian pop songs with an orchestra. Amazing.)
Cake (Highlight: Never there)
Ben Folds Five (Highlight: Song for the Dumped)
Grizzly Bear (Highlight: Yet Again)
Sigur Ros (Highlight: Sæglópur, but really, anything. At one point they were playing their guitars with bows which was amazing. Much heavier live than on CD but I liked that.)

I recommend

Watching this concert.

Harvest Festival

These are all the bands that I will be enjoying today (listed in terms of how excited I am for them in increasing order):

and last but not least....

Yes - it reads a little like the best hits of the 90s with a few random recent bands in there too. I'm going to love it.

Have a happy Saturday!