Christmas Down Under

This year was the first time I've ever spent Christmas away from home. Not only was I away from my family in the UK, but I was spending it on the other side of the world where summer is winter, up is down and the toilets flush the other way (they don't really, I am disappoint).

But how different is the holiday season on this side of the globe?

Firstly, there's the time difference. While everyone back home was watching the new year eve showing of Terry Pratchett's Hogfather (man, I wish I watched it this year!), I was already waking up and opening my presents. Thanks to time travel, I got to experience Christmas almost a whole day earlier than last year, although that meant that it also ended before the majority of my facebook news feed.

The main difference has got to be the weather. When you think of Christmas, you think of the cold, snow, jack frost, the hideous thick woolly jumpers. Well, on this side of the equator, it's currently summertime - which means it's slightly warmer than winter at a toasty average 28 degrees. It actually rained for most of Christmas day this year in Australia, which sucked, but I still managed to get this picture on the beach.

Cloudy but warm - just before the heavens opened

The days directly before and after the 25th, however, were incredibly pleasant. To even think about putting a jumper on would have been suicide. I considered this change, and how it consequently didn't make me feel very "christmassy" in the lead up to christmas. I soon got over that because I'd take a warm, sunny beach day over the miserable, grey concrete jungles of the UK any day. It just means that rather than stay inside drinking on the cold, rainy December days, you can get out and go for a swim, a walk, explore... and THEN drink.

Carrot for Rudolf, mince pie and malibu for Santa

The weather isn't the only difference. Talking to Aussies leading up to Christmas, I tried to find out
how tradition has changed. Though largely influenced by the British and American traditions, Australia has a few of their own, and a few that I'd love to introduce to them.

- Dinner - Joe and I cooked a traiditional British Christmas dinner for our friends this year, with a turkey, cranberry sauce, roast potatoes, veg, yorkshire puddings, stuffing, pigs in blankets... but if you're in Australia you can forget those last 3. Stuffing took us and the supermarket staff a while to find, and the other two simply don't exist. We made our own pigs in blankets*, but couldn't find any pork cocktail sausages, so ended up with cows in blankets. They tasted pretty good! This year I found out that Aussie's prefer a barbie on Christmas. And with the wonderful weather, I can't blame them. Traditionally they'll have prawns on the bbq. Though if opting for the roast dinner, a roast ham is more popular than turkey, though both were available at the supermarket. Generally, everything traditionally meant for a cold day would be substitute for a warm-weather alternative:

Roast turkey dinner → Cold ham and salads
Christmas pudding → Ice cream
Mulled wine* → Cold beer
Mince pies → Oh wait, they still have these... phew!

Christmas dinner in the Happy House

- Lights - Christmas lights will light up every street in the UK, but are not so common in Australia due to the fact that the afternoons aren't so dark. When 4pm looks like midnight in England it's a perfect time to jazz up your houses with hundreds of pretty LEDs, but summertime here will get dark at around 8pm, and though many people do still brighten up the streets with christmas lights, I haven't seen nearly as many as I would back home. Instead, we have beautiful sunlight and stunning sunrises/sunsets. Cities will still light up their main areas. My favourite decoration that I spotted here came from the beachside pub hotel in Byron Bay that had lit-up surfboards hanging from the colossal tree in their beer garden. Unfortunately I never got to take a picture of these as they were taken down after a violent storm in early December.

- Dress - We Brits love those ugly Christmas jumpers that look like the kind of thing your granny buys you and you wear because she'll get upset if you say you hate it. These have become a fashion (disaster) around Christmas, with many parties dedicated to the wearing and comparing of them. A competition for the best (or ugliest) jumper is common. Luckily the Aussie's have a good excuse as to why they can't wear their Christmas jumpers from granny - it's just too hot! Joe and I donned our Christmas t-shirts instead, that we've carried in our backpacks for 9 months and finally been able to wear. But when it comes to Christmas clothing, I didn't see a whole lot from the Aussies, other than Santa hats. I guess they're just far too trendy. 

- Song singing - This is the first year I realised how bad Christmas songs actually are, but I still listened to them for hours in December because it gets you in the festive mood! Christmas songs can still be heard in Australia, but I wouldn't say I've heard them as much this year. This is probably due to the fact that most of them talk about snow and staying inside by the fire, which is something that most Aussie's could never relate to. Christmas carols are still popular, and in our little town of Byron Bay, you could partake in a pleasant song singing on the beachfront one friday evening, or at the church with a candlelit service.

Christmas has been a distinctive, yet awesome one this year. It's been perculiar being so far from friends and family, but Australia has made us feel warm and welcome... but mostly warm.

Have you ever been to a different country for Christmas and were surprised by their traditions? Let me know in the comments!

*Glossary of terms for Australian readers:
- Pigs in blankets - Pork cocktail sausage wrapped in bacon. Arguably the best part of christmas.
- Mulled wine - Red wine with orange juice and spices, served warm. Basically a christmas sangria.

What's it like to be a black girl in Britain?

Britain is a pretty diverse place - but where I grew up in the south east of England is predominantly white, and I thought you might all like to know what it's actually like to live in white Britain with black skin. I'm mixed race so I guess I've got the best of both worlds.

Racism
The big "R" that splits countries, friends and races. Despite the Daily Mail headlines and "Britain First" facebook posts, you'd probably be surprised (and hopefully relieved) to hear that in my 23 years on this earth I've never been discriminated against because of my colour. I've been up and down the country and have only ever been treated simply as another human being. This is of course as far as I know. I can't speak for what's been said behind my back, but as far as I'm aware I have never been put down, excluded or made to feel upset because I have dark skin. That's not to say there aren't other annoyances that occur...

Questions

I wasn't impressed then either...

It's not the hatred of man that gets to me, but rather the inquisitiveness. Discussions about heritage are perfectly normal amongst friends, and I'm proud to explain the many bloodlines that were brought together to create me. However, strangers that upon first seeing my brown skin are trying to find out which country I'm from despite my sussex accent really do ruffle my tropical feathers.

"So, where are you from?"
"No, I mean where are you really from?"
"Which one of your parents is black?"
"I bet you like this hot weather?"
"Do you feel the cold more?" 
"Can I touch your hair?"
"Don't worry, I'm not racist, I have a black cousin"

Why yes, I prefer the warm break that a british summer's day gives rather than the usual dull, grey, cold atmosphere. How did you know? I've taken to replying with an unexpected but truthful answer - "My grandad was Polish". Not the answer you were looking for? Oh.

Even whilst choosing my meal on the ferry back from France - "curry, or fish and chips, or a roast?" - the choice was made clear by the guy serving the curries... saying "I bet you like the curries" before asking where in Asia I'm from.


I know there's no malicious intent behind these kind of conversations, and that the question poser is genuinely interested. But I'm afraid if I don't know you it's just not the first thing I want you to know about me. Sorry.

And for anyone reading this and now wondering, well I guess you're just going to have to make friends with me to find out ;)

The "blackface" debate
Blackface (or brownface) is the tradition of a white person painting their face brown to portray a black person and it has been the cause of much controversy and upset. It has been brought to publicity earlier this year with an Australian schoolchild who painted his face and dressed up as his favourite AFL player. As a person with brown skin, I can't say I find the act remotely offensive. In history however, blackface was used by performers portraying stereotypes of plantation slaves in America in the early 19th century. This is something different altogether, and I would put it with portraying any kind of stereotype in a negative way, whether black, white, gay, lesbian, rich or poor. These are still characters that an actor may play and it would not be deemed offensive to, for example, pretend to be gay for a role as a popular likeable tv character. A kid saying "I want to be just like my idol, even though he's black" is not a bad thing, and if a kid dressed up as me and said "I want to be like you" I'd feel complimented. Despite my views on it, there are always people who will find it offensive and for that reason I don't think it's a practise that should be done.

Hair

Found my twin in Australia!

Hair, hair, hair. The bane of my life. Now that I'm older I really appreciate the time, effort and money my mother put into trying to control my hair despite my constant tears. Being mixed race, my hair is not quite afro, but it's definitely not straight. It's what could only be described as a frizzy mess. Most white people who describe their hair as "frizzy" are slightly insulting compared to what I have to deal with here. Many people say they'd love to have big hair. Well, not if you were born with it, I promise you.


I've gone through different stages in my life to try to tame the beast. There are very few caucasian hairdressers in the UK I would actually trust with it. As a child my mum would put my hair in one big plait, but it was so bulky and heavy she probably should have

Rocking the box braids

cut it off to make a door knocker. In secondary school I had mastered the "two-plaits" approach as this was much easier to style myself. But I became so obsessed with all the messy flyaway bits at the top that I wore a headband, and went through a tub a week of extra strong hold styling gel to hold it down. By college I had discovered the wonder of GHD straighteners, but still couldn't bear to wear my straightened hair out of a ponytail. Now, whatever goes. Curls made easy with the Babyliss Curl Secret really is a miracurl! But down is for special occassions only. I always wished for "normal" hair that I could wear without a hair tie. Maybe one day I'll get there.

Big bum
I know the extra cushioning on my behind is probably due to the fact that I'd much prefer a burger than a salad. But I like to think the black genes (not jeans) accentuate it. I don't think it's a bad thing as long as I remember to stay healthy.

[insert picture of my fat ass...naaat]

Make-up 
I don't wear make-up and I'm so glad for the thousands of pounds I must have saved in my life. But as a zitty teen trying to cover up spots I soon learnt that not many products are suitable for dark skin. Any time I did want to wear make-up, it was hard to find something that didn't look obvious. Foundation is the only real problem here though, as eye and lip make-up is fine. The good thing is I've never needed fake tan!


Sun
Yes, I still tan in the sun and I even burn. However I don't wear much sun cream and maybe I should, but thanks to the extra melanin in my skin I am less likely to suffer effects from the sun as most of my white friends. I also don't feel the pressure to have a nice tan before or after going on holiday as, well, I already have one!

"I can burn? OH!"

So, now you have a bit of an insight into what it's like being me. I love the skin I was born in and so should every single person on this planet no matter where they are living or what anyone says. If you have any questions (other than where I'm from) or anything I've said has ruffled your feathers, if you're a constant sharer of "britain first" posts or if you're a fellow minority, leave me a message in the comments!

The struggles of travelling

There are 5 million and 1 reasons why travelling is one of the best things you can do in your life, but it's also important to acknowledge that problems can arise. The best way to enjoy your experience to the fullest is to be prepared, know that sometimes things don't go as planned, and overcome them. This blog post acts as a massive booster so that you can know what the problems are BEFORE you encounter them... so that at least you'll know that they are normal, and how to get over them.

Money

Payday!

Money is one of my biggest worries, and Joe will know that when I spend lots of it in one go, I get very grumpy. One thing backpackers usually lack is money. No matter how much you save up in advance, you'll still end up getting declined at the till for a burrito and wondering where your dolla went. At some point you will need to find a job. Check out these two essential blog posts that will hopefully help you stay in credit:

• How to be a money-wise traveller

• Best jobs for backpackers 

"Slushies, get yer ice cold slushies!"

Travel buddies
Maybe you're travelling solo, which comes with it's own book of guidelines. But the chances are that at some point in your life, you may be travelling with someone else. And I hope you do, because it's A LOT of fun. My travel buddy is my fiancé, and though I love him with everything I've got, we're both still human and sometimes we get grumpy and want to throttle each other. We've been away from home 9 months now and he still wants to marry me so that's gotta mean something! But whoever your travel buddy is, whether a friend, a partner or even a hostel roommate - make sure it's someone you don't mind spending long periods of time with, and acknowledge that at some point you'll probably snap at them, or them at you. Whether or not you think you're right doesn't matter. Say sorry and make up, there's no point ruining the trip of a lifetime over something stupid. Get some alone time every so often - whether you just go for a walk, or get jobs at different places.

Me and my travel buddy!

The unexpected
Those unfortunate things you can't predict. In the past 9 months I've experienced many of them: a parking ticket, a chipped windscreen, hitting some old woman's bloody expensive plant pot with the van. I've broken down into tears in public on more than one occassion! And though most of mine have been vehicle related, not all of the unexpected are. What happens if you lose your job? You get injured in an accident? You get in trouble with the police? It can be very different dealing with things while you are travelling, as when you're at home you have the comforts of a regular place to live and people around you for support. There are many things you can't plan for, but a few simple steps can make sure you deal with it efficiently.

1. Travel insurance - this will save you immense costs in a number of incidents whether its medical or legal. Hopefully you won't need to use it, but it's essential that you have it there incase you do.


2. A "do-not-touch" pile of money. - Set aside an account with an amount of money that you DO NOT touch unless it's an emergency. By emergency, I don't mean that you need a beer tonight or a new outfit (that's what my fiancé's bank account is for).

3. Chill out - Know that at some point something will happen. Life doesn't always go as planned. If you get hung up on one bad event, you'll find yourself not enjoying the rest of your trip. Do what it takes to deal with the event, whether its money, a doctor, or even a lawyer and move on quickly.

Change of plans
Sometimes you make a plan. And it changes. When travelling you should always know that your plans won't be solid, and that's not a bad thing. Before coming to Australia I had a vague route figured out in my head which summed up the best way to see the whole country and chase the sun (to not get caught in Melbourne in winter. I did not come to Oz for the British weather!). Up the east coast, down the centre to see Uluru, and over to the west, probably in my second year. That was the plan. Well that plan went down the drain at 2 key decision points.

- Point 1 - A job in Toowoomba - taking us on a 3 day drive north of Melbourne meaning that we wouldn't be passing through Sydney, Canberra, Gold Coast or anywhere south of Brisbane! We ended up doing one hell of a weird loop through the country but we still always seemed to be at the right place at the right time and I wouldn't have changed it for the world.

- Point 2 - An entire day picking oranges - we decided that we'd rather not stress out about getting a second year visa by picking fruit, but rather just enjoy the time that we do have here.

The point is, plans can change and sometimes it can get you down if you were mentally and physically prepared for something else. But change can be good and the spontaneity is exciting and refreshing. You'll no doubt find yourself ending up somewhere you never would have expected, and loving it!

This blog post, Being and Up-er and Go-er, is one of the most important you can read.

Hodor helped us change our plans SO many times and I love him for it. (The van, not the GoT character!)

Down days
Travelling somewhere new is one of the most life changing experiences that a person can have, and it is SO much fun! However, not every minute of the day is going to be exciting. Not even every day. It's not a waste to have a rest day, but too many and you'll start getting down and thinking that the backpacker life isn't living up to your expectations. Maybe you've just reached a new destination and don't know what to do yet. Or you're waiting until you've got more money to take a tour or adventure trip. Whatever the reason is, there are a few things you can do to stop yourself feeling down.

1. Realise that you don't have to be busy every day - I don't think my body could even handle being full-on every day, I'd miss my 3pm nap! The one thing you should know is that even if today isn't that fun, tomorrow might be the best day of your life.

2. Explore with your feet! - There's no cost for walking, and its the best and cheapest way of finding

Skateboarding is definitely not the hobby for me!

out what there is to do and see in a new place. Walking is good for the body and mind. There will always be somewhere new to walk. I even do it back home and don't get bored after living in the same place my whole life!

3. Find a hobby - It can be absolutely anything. Something that you enjoy doing and will go back to and do it again. I (old granny) like to knit. My partner does martial arts. We both took to reading when living in the van as we had no electricity. Jogging, cycling, surfing, yoga, craft, cooking, drawing, anything. If you don't have a hobby already, try something new.

Uncertainty
The scariest part of giving up my job and cushty life in the UK and going abroad with a one way ticket was the uncertainty of what was to happen next. Maybe I would run out of money. Have nowhere to live. Not be able to find a job. I only had 1 week of accommodation booked before setting off, and needless to say I was pretty scared! I soon got over that, especially when we bought our van. At least this meant that if we didn't have much money we could camp and live cheaply pretty much anywhere. And Hodor has helped us get to so many new places and even helped us get jobs. Sometimes it can be a bit daunting when you go from having a sturdy job to having nothing to keep you going, but in the end finding jobs never became an issue. Having someone else there to push me along and share the ride with me makes me feel so much more comfortable too. Now instead of worrying I just look forward to our next adventure!

Minyon Falls, NSW

What do you find most difficult about travelling? Have an upcoming trip - what are you most worried about?