Busy Easter Footpaths

The day begins with the scramble, the fight, the quest of uncovering all the hidden chockies the silly bunny left in his tracks. Then it's cup of tea time. Sitting with the family looking at the kids skilfully unwrap their find. A quiet sigh as we remember the days when we lost sleep the night before. The anticipation and excitement to wake early and hopefully catch a glimpse.

It's the crisp first bite of freshly toasted hot cross bun that induces an elated spirit. The buttery, juicy sultanas that pop in your mouth. The big chocolate covered smiles. And the long lost thought that an excessive sugar rush is soon to implode.

With a tasty morning over we move into the family lunch and shortly after the thought that the body has eaten a years worth of chocolate and a christmas lunch amount of food.

Sunday afternoons, most relax at the closing of the weekend with a soothing pot of tea and think back on the calming or busy times passed in the comfort of one's home. Today, this Sunday however, different story. I think the guilty conscious of many encouraged them to get that chocolate filled arse off the couch and into walking mode.

The Orange County Register

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/bikini-297371-concentrate-worst.html

What a super bikini!! wow!!

The Weirdest and Most Wonderful Salad

Fresh out of the surf. Starving. At Cloudy's house admiring the character her home exuberates. The master chef has created un tour de force (a feat requiring unusual strength, skill, or ingenuity).
Now lick your lips and imagine each of these ingredients.


Orange segments
Macadamia nuts
Corn
Baby spinach
Blue cheese
with a tahini and orange dressing


Seemed pretty wacky at the time.


Sitting on the out door lounge, reminiscing the good old Cloudy-Raine days. 
Such a sick Tuesday arvo! 


Check out my legend of a friend. Cloudy Rhodes.
http://www.tallowgallery.com/xcms_entry.php?xcmsentryid=19 

VQS National Final, Manly

Friday 15th April was the first of the 2 day VQS National Final event at Manly Beach. The sun was shining, the kids were going wild with the free give aways and the surf was ... dribble. Blue skies and young screams from the joyous children kept everyone in high spirits!                                   The surf was small and the competition hot as big prizes were at stake. With a forecast of better swell size for the final day everyone was battling to make it through the first few rounds.

Saturday 16th April, the quarters, semis and final of each division took place. The torrential rain and strong winds uninvitedly came along with the much wanted swell size and made it difficult to watch let alone surf. In the wet and cold, smiles and the popcorn machine pushed us through the uncomfortable attendance and yet another successful VQS tour came to an end. 

Ripping Avalon superstar, Ali Kelly took out the chikibabes division! Stoked!

Inspiring Words

"My body and all it entails is just the vehicle I reside in for this lifetime for which I am very grateful, and I do love my body, and I love my soul...for I am love and nothing less." Tamara Newlands

O'neill One Way Runway

http://apps.facebook.com/oneill_superkini/

The Camera Club - 'We Stand Sideways'

On a crisp Autumn evening venturing to the young and vibrant town of Bondi I look forward to what images will soon treat my eyes. The Camera Club is based within the Beach Road Hotel having the intention of combining good times at the bar and 'celebrating creativity through camera-based pursuits.' The gallery is filled beautiful images by well known photographers; Tom Carey, Ben Brown, Richard Freeman, Ryan Miller and my favourite Sergio Villalba.

Sergio, born and raised in the Canary Islands, scored the cover of STAB magazine edition 46 with Julian Wilson in the wave pool of his home land.

Check out Sergio's blog!! 

http://blog.sergiovillalba.com/

Cinnamon Toothpicks

These were in Sri Lanka and I swear they not only did the usual job a toothpick does but sent the girls a tad loopy!  

Copied directly from the product

• Cinnamon toothpicks provide medicine for your mouth. Boosts brain activity and helps to get healthy gums and fresh breath.
• Quit smoking by chewing a cinnamon toothpicks
• Take a break and refresh yourself by chewing a cinnamon toothpicks.

www.apeiron.lk

Bus Transfer to Colombo

Was I better off asleep and unaware of our progress to the airport or wide awake and pumping with adrenalin? 4:30pm we left the luxurious Talalla Beach Retreat and began calmly in the wrong direction. The airport being due north, we were heading south to the take an inland road to avoid the traffic due to New Year festivities. So for a few hours I had utmost confidence in our driver that we would arrive safely and with plenty of time. Definitely wasn't the way it turned out.

I think I still would've been safer asleep and not known what was going on.

It began to rain torrentially, the streets were over flowing with New Year shoppers, the roads were narrowing by the second as the sides were washing away and visibility was worsened, the unappreciative high beam was in full throttle. The butterflies began as we climbed higher and higher into the mountains and away from what appeared to resemble a road to the airport.

When it was unbearable to watch our driver riskily overtake a tuktuk as a massive bus heading towards us was overtaking a car the seat was reclined and my eyes glued shut. Missing the action/potential catastrophe I was drawn to sit up and watch. We joked about how we would survive a head on collision. My pillow was in a ready position for if I were to go through the windscreen I could try land on it. Our laughter was comforting yet fuelled by fear. They say when you are about to die you see a bright light flash before your eyes. I think I saw this light way too many times. Even though it was the high beam of an oncoming truck, bus, van or car, it definitely came way too close with an alarming horn accompanying it.

Our final arrival was at 11:10pm, the airport was rammed with thousands of people. The task of getting my alligator of a board bag through the mob and into the doors seemed impossible. Checking in at 12am for a 12:40am departure I was glad to see I was not the only one who had struggled to be there 90 minutes before. Glad to have arrived alive I was sad to say my last istuti (thank you - Sinhala) to the immigration officer.

Bohoma stutiyi Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan Senses

• random and alarming cow sounds
• tropical colours, bright pink flowers against luscious greenery
• perspiration 24/7
• monkeys giggling at you from above
• dogs growling at Sri Lankans
• hearing everyones different alarm o'clocks at 5am
• gunpowder filled coconuts exploding to scare the monkeys
• sounds of prayers and chants at the temple nearby
• mosquitoes whizzing past your ear
• beautifully clean, white dresses on the school girls
• coconuts and palms crashing to the ground
• the smell of mosquito coils and repelent
• the spiced smell of vegtable rotis being sold on the side of the road
• the water of a coconut rehydrating you after a long surf session
• the bumps and jolts in the van as we dodge buses, tuktuks, pedestrians, bicycles, cars, dogs, cows and potholes
• watching the sun rise every morning
• the first sip of hot tea at 5am to attempt to bring us to our senses
• the aches of our muscles after surfing a solid 4 hours 
• the longing to surf well and get a good shot
• the feeling of starvation after surfing for hours without eating breakfast
• the inability to comfortably sit on certain types of furniture as our legs are lathered with aloe in attempt to soathe the sun burn
• big waves and smiles as we pass children
• warmth of being welcome into Thushan's family home

Racist Dogs

Like the man himself said, "It don't matter if you're black or white!" In a country where it's inhabitants have dark skin it is out of the ordinary for a blonde, blue eyed white girl to wonder the markets in search of jewellery and saris. When a young toddler sees a white person for possibly the first time in he/she's life it is often a response of shock, fright and uncertainty as it is not an everyday occurence. So you would think that dogs too would be more comfortable amongst Sri Lankans, however not the case. Like the Fijian dogs, they bark at their black natives and favour white people. There are dogs everwhere, many that make your heart sink and turn away as the sight of reality is unbearable. All one can think is that hopefully this dog's life is soon to end and so will it's suffering. In our western world we show dogs affection, in Sri Lanka the dogs have no sense of belonging nor love to feel a connection with humans. Do the dogs sense our white soft spot or is it the difference of physical appearances where past experienced have detered them from black Sri Lankans? However, aren't dogs colour blind?

Sri Lankan Aquarium

Rolling out of the van at an ungodly hour heading out to surf in a comatose state. Our dreaming is yet to conclude and our thoughts in reality are being controlled by our imaginations. You would think the first splash of water jumping from the rocks would encourage clarity yet along with a feeling of uncertainty our minds seem to have wandered. Laura jumped from the rocks and as the water dredged it exposed a long rock ahead. "Crocodile!" Corrine jumped from the rocks, immediately turned and scrambled back up the rocks. She was adamant she had seen a shark. After surfing for a while I had a sea snake swim by, and then later a turtle popped up to say hello. We had been told that a 12ft long crocodile had previously been seen out the back. Jack ensured us he had been accidently washed out of the lake in a storm weeks ago and it was a rarity to have one lurking around the surf. He also assured us that it was vegitarian. Quote of the day: Jess, "are there actually vegitarian crocodiles?" Lucy also saw a lion fish, whatever they may be. So in a single surf we were fortunate enought to see a range of wildlife. To add to our encounters with nature we have been in the presence of geckos and squirrels mating, the thousands of malnourished and disease infested dogs and the secretive monkeys spying into our roofless showers. 9 young girls enjoying the rural Sri Lankan wilderness away from the normalities at home however with the occassional skype and facebook sesh. Growth. Independence. Responsibility.

Paradise out of the water, scary in the water

Looks quite artistic don't you think?

I was naked taking this photos, little spies!

Tea Time

Gasping for air and spluttering with laughter we all then properly verbalise what actions we were doing underwater and what it was that gave us the giggles. In our submerged living room we act as ladies, the usual, sipping tea and having normal conversations. Yet it may be the out there make up and the 'no breathing rule' that suggests it was slightly more like one of the Mad Hatter's tea parties. After a long shoot our heads were left dizzy, our eyes a tad hazy and a feeling of ridicule was among us as we comsumed the fact that we dressed up for a party we couldn''t even enjoy the warmth and taste of tea. Only big laughs and cheezy grins were helping us exhale to the impossible just so we could stay under long enough to a) act out our part and b) get the shot. Tea. So English. Tea. So Sri Lankan. Oh the irony!

Photo: Lucia Griggi

Lucky Man

Stepping outside of the bubble, taking on a journey miles from home, learning about different cultures and exploring their beliefs. It is all part of peering out of the van to this foreign nature and viewing what they believe is normal daily life. Covering your shoulders, not covering your shoulders. As we peer out are we too included in those who must follow their customs? Or are we considered as outsiders, seperate from their normality and so have no need to follow their dress code? Is it out of respect of their beliefs that we abide or is it to cover our vulnerability and deter certain looks we receive? "Lucky man" a tuktuk man said to Jack after seeing girls in the back of his truck. Is it part of the tour to stand out? There is nothing that really makes us that special. The confident lick of the lips, the creepy smirk, the suggestive wave, all of which send a quiet shudder through my body. But why take the fun out of it? Have a chuckle, how often would a man flatter you to that extent? Yes a tad too far, but why turn it into a negative experience? After all it's everyone's lucky day.

Lucy, Gabi, Chantelle, Me, Shauna, Lucia, Corinne, Lucky man Jack & Jess
All shoulders covered

En Route Via an Unexpected Detour

Without the convenience of a private jet those of the pleb have to with stand the dread of flying unnecessarily far off track. The more you experience the accent and descent of a plane,the less sane you become. 9 and a half hours Sydney to Hong Kong, 1 hour stopover, 3 and a half hours to Singapore, what! Singapore! That wasn't on the itinerary. Thanks for informing us Cathay! 4 and a half hour flight to Colombo. Our transfer man of coarse didn't arrive till midnight, one hour late. On we started our drive south. Thankfully in the early hours there aren't much to dodge on the road and so only took 5 hours. Arrival at Tallalah Retreat was like flying around the world a million times in search of the gates to heaven. We finally found them. So our 29 hour travel came to a much wanted end. And so the moral is: pay the extra money and get direct flights. As much as I love getting a meal on every flight, it's nutrients will not be missed.

www.talallaretreat.com

Talallah Retreat is such a beautiful place to relax from the hustle and bustle of the local towns. Surfing and yoga packages are available. Contact Jack info@talallasurfcamp.com 
www.talallasurfcamp.com