Ok, I think the less said about last weeks’ sausage-based fiasco, the better…ok? Before I get onto the main section, I have several news items to discuss about my week and my blog. You may even be interested to know that I even planned out the main section for this week, rather than write the first drivel that comes into my head (by plan, he really means he wrote out less than a page of ‘notes’. No wonder you don’t get paid to do this - Ed).
So, you may have noticed that we had no ’10 items or less’ feature last week. This was basically because due to various commitments, I didn’t have time to send out any email enquiries and I had used up the responses from my previous batch. This week, I will get back into full-swing though and will hopefully have a new interview for Friday. On a completely unrelated note, if anybody knows somebody who wants to be interviewed, let me know!
Moving onto the second news item: a fairly exciting event occurred that I was involved in! My first ever photoshoot! Woo! It certainly was an interesting experience…especially when they sprayed water on my face and all over my t-shirt to simulate sweat. No wonder I look like I want to punch someone. I’ve added the pictures for you to enjoy (read as ‘laugh at’) and rather than try to make a joke about it myself, I thought I would just add the comments I received from other people about them. Also, I think I might be getting involved in a TV advert judging by events this morning. Watch this space…
Some Comments:
- A thousand LOLs!
- You look threatening as hell heh
- Serial killer...
- You look like a cant (My sister either mispelling the word or talking in an accent)
- hahahaha
Third news item is that this site will be moving in the future. Why? I was recently introduced to the world of Wordpress and I think I might be able to build a proper blog with it, involving different sections for each thing I speak/ramble about. However, this will take some time to create and transfer all my posts to but it will get done over time.
Last but not least, and probably the most exciting part of my week: I managed to do something on my list of goals! Time to break out the roxi! ‘Which goal’ I hear you all ask? I’m not telling you so ha! Ahem, I will though but only when it has been completely finished and has been independently announced to the world. I will tell you this though: it is a project I have worked on with three other people, I have enjoyed it immensely and shall continue to do so and it involves time and research!
Ok, now that’s out the way, time for the main section! It occurred to me to talk about this last week, after the new low of my sausage blog and I figured that it would be something worth talking about, especially as my blog started off as a travel blog (before devolving into meat products and household appliances - ed). So, let me present to you:
5 Things I Never Thought About When Moving To A New Country
Catchy title eh? Came up with it myself (we can tell - Ed). Basically, as this started as a travel blog, I figured I should probably try to include something about travelling and relocating from time to time. With this in mind, I decided to create a short list of some issues that I have faced since moving to Nepal that didn’t really occur to me. Please note that this is a list from my own experiences and so may differ from person to person. Also, please note that isn’t meant in a negative light but just to help give people some advice from my experience.
The heat
Ok, I’ll admit that I did think about this before I left but I didn’t think about how much this would affect me. It is one thing to go on holiday for a couple of weeks in 35°C weather but another to live in it. In the Nepalese summer, it can be between 30°C and 40°C ALL THE TIME. You eat in it. You sleep in it. You exercise in it. You work in it. You do your promiscuous activities in it. It is always there and it becomes quickly exhausting and you can become dehydrated very quickly. Thankfully, I used to drink practically non-stop before I moved so that wasn’t much of a problem but even so, I had to be careful. Exercising 5 days a week meant I had to drink a lot of fluids to stay hydrated and anybody wanting to do the same should take my advice. You also have to be careful what you drink as well…I found myself drinking less coffee and much more water and herbal tea. Alcohol is another thing that you have to be careful of as well, especially if you’re already slightly dehydrated.
So before moving to a new country, check out the weather all year round and think about how this is going to affect your daily routines and hobbies plus when you do move, make sure you remain properly hydrated (when in a warm country).
Dating
Hmm perhaps not a problem for everyone (especially depending on where you move) but for somebody who is terminally ‘Forever Alone’ like me, dating is a key issue (maybe I should pimp you out on this blog. Maybe make some money - Ed). Probably the biggest concern for me is that, being from different cultures, I don’t know to expect from a relationship. Being from the UK, I already expect certain things from a relationship but these can differ from what my potential partner could expect, especially if they are raised more traditionally (in fact, I had a chat about relationships with a friend and she seems quite surprised by UK relationships and how fast they can move forward). I’m not saying I wouldn’t date a Nepalese girl (I would) but I would be very careful about finding out what she expects from the relationship (as some are more modern and others are more traditional) so as not to make a faux pas.
Basically, if you’re going to start dating abroad, make sure you know all their customs and talk to your partner about what they want from the relationship.
Food
God I love food and I love Nepalese food (and all the various other cultures of food I can get here) but it did mean changing my diet significantly. Gone are sandwiches during the week and hello samosa and Pakoda! Goodbye steak and hello buff momo!
Now don’t get me wrong, as I said I love the food and I have loved trying all the new food but I do get cravings sometimes for food I can’t get here (or is extremely expensive). Plus, I have now eaten more spicy things since moving here than I have in my life (as I never really liked spiciness)! Obviously when I moved I expected my diet to be varied but I never realized to what extent it changed. I don’t often eat western style food (I have a sandwich maybe twice a week, down from about 7 times a week) and it never really occurred to me that western foodstuff would be so difficult to get or expensive here (a tiny block of cheddar costs about £6).
When moving, expect your diet to change significantly but that is part of the fun. However, be aware that it may change more than you anticipate and might be more difficult for you to enjoy old-time favourites (I would kill for a jar of homemade pickles and cheddar cheese) so stock up if possible and enjoy the ride!
Hobbies
Ok, this is slightly more obscure but it can be a slight problem. As you may have guessed, I play video games and having a laptop doesn’t really cut it but sadly there isn’t a huge videogame market in Nepal (thankfully I found a site that helped me). I also enjoy martial arts but it took me a long time to find a good instructor who also spoke good English. My point is that it can be more difficult for you to find an outlet for your hobby but you shouldn’t give up hope. If you search hard enough or long enough, then you will most likely find a club or a website that can help you out or perhaps you may find a new hobby to fill that void.
Basically, before moving, check out the internet and any local forums that might be able to help you. I would actually highly recommend local forums and even ex-pat websites as you will either find a local who can help you out or an ex-pat who has been in the same situation (you are rarely alone in our search). I found my Taekwondo instructor through a local forum and it turned out great! Worst case scenario and you can’t find any way to continue your hobby, try to be flexible and check out some of the activities/hobbies that are available in the country you’re moving to.
Transport
Transport can be a very new experience when moving to Nepal or a similar country if you haven’t experienced similar elsewhere. Ignoring the fact that you often get charged more than the local prices, the experience can be daunting if you don’t really know what you’re doing. In Nepal (and Tanzania as well) you see lumbering buses packed full with people (often with goats on the roof but that’s another story) driving along before slowing to a stop and then beckoning you to join the seething mass of human parts. Add the fact that they don’t have any locations on them and that it can be hard to hear the conductor naming stop locations, it can be terrifying experience. Pretty soon you’ll be hoping for that 10pm Saturday night train…
However, once you get used to the different style of travel, you will have access to regular and cheap transport that can take you all over wherever you need to go. If you’re like me however, you should really learn how to haggle with the taxi drivers…I just don’t like being too close to people.
When moving, don’t always expect transport will be the exact same as it in your home country. If possible, check it out on the internet first! The internet is your friend…unless you end up on the dark section of the internet. I would also recommend asking a colleague or friend to go with you on your first few trips on local transport (in this case Nepal for me) to help you get used to the new system. It really helped me out with it and makes it a less daunting prospect until you’re used to it.
Pick of the week
Minecraft – The most loved cube since the companion cube from portal, Minecraft is a game that builds itself on digging/mining cubes then joining those cubes together to make other cube like objects…and it’s awesome. Spawning into a randomly generated world with different terrains (from snow – swamp – Desert - Mountain), you can shape the world into your design: either alone or with friends. It is a literal example of being limited by only your imagination for building designs…I’ve built towering castles, hollowed out mountains and created a massive mine. Derek and I have created an entire village complete with ship; massive suspension bridge; secret throne room; booby-trapped pyramid; and a massive protective wall with gate. In another world, some friends (I’ve only just joined them) have created a self-excavating pit; a combustion engine powered oil refinery; and an automatic smelter. That’s only the beginning as well!
However, at night you have to be weary…zombies, skeletons and spiders attack at night so you have to be holed up safely or be prepared to fight. Even when mining, there is the chance to enter an open cavern where the only warning of attack is the quiet twang of a bow or the slight scuttle of a spider. Then there’s the creepers…explosive bastard monsters of hate…designed to creep up on you and explode, often destroying what you’ve working on for hours. As soon as you hear the dreaded SSSSSSSS, you’re in for a world of pain and you know you better repair the damage before the next night. It may be a world designed by imagination but it’s a nightmare ruled by fear…
For a game that is designed around digging up materials and then creating objects, it is wonderfully addictive and surprising game that is genuinely creative (for me it’s like Harvest Moon) and I would recommend everyone to try it out as you can try it for free or it’s fairly cheap to buy (around £8) I do believe. I’ve added some pictures below to show what you can make. I would even recommend non-gamers to check it out…you may just like it. Oh and trust me...these are not even the best pictures I could find...
Music of the Week
This week was easy again as I have been listening to two different musical acts. The first is 'Tech N9ne - Am I Psycho?' which is a great example of Horrorcore.
The second is a 180 degree turn...some battle metal. Turisas - The March of the Varangian Guard: which is one of the best opening songs I've heard. I truly believe you could take any Turisas album (and several of their individual songs) and turn them into a brilliant film.
Ok, that's enough from me! Updates on my new project will keep coming and until then, have a good night/day/morning/coffee!
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