Heart Talk: My Journey ....

Whenever I visit a new place I am filled with gratitude. It reminds me of how incredibly blessed I am to be able to walk on this piece of earth so far away from where I was born.

Southern Flinders Ranges - Exploring South Australia

The amazing group at Smith's Farmstay Accommodation's 

There is a long story of how I ended up taking this amazing photography and light painting masterclass that was a part of the Southern Flinders Ranges Photography Festival. A festival aimed at promoting the regional beauty of South Australia and by also providing a platform for photographers to display their work, meet fellow photographers, be a part of the photographers' community and learn from each other.

Six Things I Love About Adelaide

It has been two years since our move to Adelaide. I strongly believe that it takes you up to a minimum of 2 years to understand a new place. So, if you are new here and things do not make sense... don't worry they eventually will and if you have been here two years and things still do not make sense, do not worry - just know that it is absolutely normal to take time when you migrate. 

But, in all honesty, Adelaide is a great place to start your life as a new immigrant. Migration comes with its set of issues and while job and income are one of the major concerns but, quality of life, security, a strong community, ease of movement and peace of mind are also very important factors. In Adelaide, you can tick off many boxes. I might have found myself struggling harder in a fast-paced city trying to find an identity and stability compared to the ease with which my husband and I were accepted by Adelaide, in fact, South Australia. 

We have come a long way in these two years and I can now say that it feels home. 

Here are six things that make Adelaide a good choice:

Port Pirie - Exploring South Australia

It is a blessing when you can tag along with hubby on his work trip. My trip to Port Pirie was such a lucky one. Ahsan brought Travel Photographer Society 2018's exhibition to Port Pirie. As he was curating it as well, the regional council of Port Pirie invited us to stay there for 5 days to be able to do all the things in time. He had his meetings and was busy with setting up the exhibition so our mornings were occupied but, we had time in afternoons and evenings in most days to roam around and explore Port Pirie.

Immigration Diary: Volunteer Work While Job Hunt

While you are job hunting, it is always a good idea to do some volunteer work. Though, it may not give you anything financially but, It will help you stay occupied and keep you away from brewing negative thoughts. A volunteer experience can be added to your CV and may have a good impact on the potential employer. 

Heart Talk: My Growing Tribe

When I entered the world of blogging I was expecting to fill this space with my thoughts and ideas. But, I realized once into it, that it is not that easy to create content and sometimes filling even a small portion of this space takes a lot of time and effort. Figuring out the right words, the right time, the right way and ensuring that I am giving right information is not as easy as I thought when I began. I am mostly criticizing myself on how I could have worded something better after I have posted it. It is a constant battle, trust me.

Also, I did not expect this space to reach so many people and that my words, whether I am pleased with them or not, would one day encourage or help someone. A rewarding experience that makes me happy beyond words. Recently, I have made some beautiful friends through this platform. I am ‘discovering’ friends in people and places I had never imagined. The world is getting smaller and my little tribe is growing bigger!

How beautiful is this journey of life full of unimaginable struggles and rewards which may not be what you expected but only much, much better!

Happy Friday, my growing tribe

Job Hunting - Stay Motivated & Focussed

Job Hunting is the most stressful and demotivating experience for most of us. You apply for tons of jobs while all you need is just ONE. So, during the whole experience, the only thing you face is rejection. Wait and rejection can leave you demotivated and stressed. I have been through this stage and have been around friends and family going through this. It is tougher when you move to a new country and look for jobs as it takes double the effort to prove yourself from scratch. I wrote about it a few days ago here. 

While I may not be experienced enough to give you tips on how to find jobs, I can at least give you some tried tips on how to deal with demotivation during this whole phase and stay focussed. 

Monthly Journal

Exploring South Australia - With Friends

Hiyaaaa!

One thing that I loved about Malaysia was that during the years I lived there, a lot of people came on their holiday trips and of course, we enjoyed hosting them. We met so many old friends and made fond memories. When I moved to Adelaide, I knew that I will for sure miss this and that for a long time I will not be hosting any friends! But, we just had our FIRST friends from Malaysia who visited us during the year-end holidays for 3 days and I cant get over the fact that we had so much fun!

Adelaide Christmas Pageant

South Australia is known as the 'Festival State' and it is said that around 500 festivals and events happen here yearly! It includes all big and small events. Yesterday, we attended Christmas Pageant which is a parade held annually in South Australia since 1933 on every second Saturday of November. I did not know how big a deal it is! Colourful and vibrant (almost never-ending) procession of floats, clowns, performers and volunteers walk a 3.35km route in Adelaide's city centre.  People start gathering since 7am to find best spots to view the parade which starts around 9:30 am. It is like a giant picnic where everyone's invited.

When we reached around 9, all the spots were already taken! There was an atmosphere of happiness and festivity and a smile on everyone's face. Children were having a ball as they got to draw and scribble on the road with coloured chalks while they waited. 

I went live on the blog's Facebook page here or you can enjoy some of my favourite photographs in this post. All photographs are taken by Ahsan Qureshi Photography

Day Trip To Barossa Valley - Exploring South Australia

After a long time, I am back with a travel post on the blog. Hubby and I were so busy with settling in and getting adjusted that we forgot how important it is to break the monotony of everyday life and treat yourself to a small getaway. So last weekend we ticked off Barossa Valley from the bucket list of places we want to visit in South Australia. There is a lot more to do in the gorgeous valley and we will go back again for sure!