Things to know to buy your first home

 

 Are you thinking about buying your first home but you don’t know where to start or what to do? Do you need a help? I can give you some simple tips to start your first house hunting. 

I really sounded like a real estate agent, didn’t I? Don’t worry. Neither I am an agent nor I work for the property industry. Therefore I have to make clear that my tips are from my live experiences not from a professional background. Quite often, I find that professional advices are too difficult to understand (for me) and their statistics are unclear to figure out what actually they meant. So, I would like to share my personal experiences and some simple tips with people who are planning on buying their first property. 

 

 

I have bought 4 properties and sold 3 of them since I came to Australia (12.5 years). It wouldn’t be considered as exclusive experiences for the professionals but I believe that as an ordinary person, I have had bit of understandings about properties to talk about. I am also currently helping my sisters to buy their first home and looking for an investment property for my husband and myself. While I am searching for a suitable property for my sisters and helping them out for the preparation of purchasing property, I have realised again that it is not a simple mission for the first home buyers who have lack of knowledge about property markets and the actual process of purchasing properties. So, I hope my experiences and tips can be a little help for the people who intend to buy their first HOME. 

There are two major pieces  you need to consider when you decide to purchase your first property. First one is finding the right property for you and second is how to buy the property (process) that you wish to buy. I will write about them in two blogs as it could be too long to read (I don’t want you to get bored J). So, let’s start with how to find the right one.

 

1.      Find out how much you can afford : When you are ready for the house hunting, the first thing you have to certainly know is your budget. You need to find out how much you can afford to buy your first property. Go onto web sites that shows the comparisons of current interest rates in order to find the best deal for you. I highly recommend  using Canstar  http://www.canstar.com.au/interest-rate-comparison/ as it was easy to see the comparison rates between mortgagers. Little differences of interest rates can make very big differences over the years so choosing the right mortgage is very important. When you find out the right one for you, you can contact a bank or mortgage broker to learn actual figures you can borrow. I strongly recommend you to have at least 20% of deposit to avoid extra expense called ‘Mortgage Insurance’ on the top of the mortgage. Remember that you also need to pay stamp duty and fees for lawyer. The less you borrow the better you will be so don’t rely on how much you can borrow (Mortgagers will be always happy to lend as much as they can to get more profit for them (not you)) . How much you can afford to pay is more important. I will try to talk more about this in my next blog.

 

2.      Keep your budget : Now you know how much you can borrow and how much you can pay for your first home so you can start looking for properties. When you start going for inspections, you will soon realise that always better ones and more expensive ones attract more of your attention. We all want to have newer, bigger and  better renovated properties but don’t forget that you need to pay more for them (Often far more than necessary as they attract other buyers to compete with you). Stay in your budget and don’t over stretch your limit. Buying a house (having a mortgage) is a huge commitment in our life. If you buy a house that is over your limit, it can give you a short term satisfactory but you will need to carry on the financial burden for a very, very long time.
 

3.      Don’t fall in love with a property : You need to be rational and realistic to buy the right house which can offer you warm and comfy nest at the present and also future growth. Many property professions said that we make money on properties when buying not selling and I couldn’t agree more. If you overpaid for a property when you buy because you love it, how can you expect capital growth in future. When you fall in love with a property, your mind is not clear enough to find out the real value of the property so you are likely to pay more than necessary. Of course, you will live in the place so you must like the house but don’t be too emotional about the beautifications of the property. As long as the property has got a potential to get improved, you can change it as you like in future so try to find a real value of the property instead of being emotionally attached to a well presented property.

 

4.      Inspect as many places as possible : I know sometimes it can be frustrating to go to inspections to find a right house but take it as your homework. You need to see as many places as possible to find the right one. You can be lucky to find the one fairly soon but sometimes it can take you quite long time to find the place which is suitable for you so, be patient. Try to enjoy looking at properties and comparing the value of each property. If you see more, you will know better about the real value of properties in current market and you will become clearer about what you can purchase with your budget.

 

5.      Location! Location! Location! : “Worst house in a best street!” Apparently, location is a very important point to check when you buy a house. Try to avoid buying a house in a busy road or street as it is very stressful to live and also you never can get good price when you want to sell. Try to buy a property in a good location such as quite surrounding, less units, close to the beaches and close to local shopping areas etc... However, unfortunately the property prices in the good locations will disappoint you a lot as they are far higher than you can afford. I can suggest you to look around suburbs close to the well-known suburbs which is still not recognised as a good one but there is potential to grow.

 

6.      First one, not last one : Many first home buyers easily make a mistake by paying more for a bigger and more expensive property as they think they will live in the property for good. Nothing is permanent so don’t think the first property will be your last one to buy. Be conservative and be aware of your capacity. Take your first property as a first step (not the last one) so be more careful in choosing and buying so you can make a next step easier when you are ready.

 

7.      Look for a potential : When you inspect properties, try to look for a potential which can make the property better in future. A sunroom can be used as a kids room or a study and internal laundry can be an extra toilet or shower. Well shaped living room can be set up as a temporary room. Therefore, don’t look at the only present outlook and try to see the potential which can add value on the property in future.

 

8.      Listen but don’t believe everything : When you are in house hunting business, you can have opportunities to talk with real estate agents. Certainly, they have more knowledge and experiences in property market so listen carefully what they talk/advise  but remember that they are working for sellers not for you, buyer. Therefore the information can be less favourable for buyers. Listen carefully for educating yourself but decision should be made by your own judgement. Also try to get useful information from them as much as you can. Strata levy (if there is any), Council levy, outgoings, any prospective issues regarding the building, current rent (just in case) etc…. When you know more, you are in the better position to buy the right property.

 

9.      Be patient and wait : At the moment, property market is extremely heated up by buyers so it looks like buyers are competing with each other. Therefore property prices are heading up and up unreasonably. If market is too hot, you can hardly get a good value property. Be patient and wait. There are always ups and downs.  You don’t need to fight with other buyers to increase property prices and overpay. None of you can be a winner but only vendors when the market is thriving. As I mentioned earlier, buying a house is a BIG commitment so you need to know how to wait in order to grab the right chance.  

 

I hope my tips do make sense to you and help to get your head around. Buying a house can be difficult as you need to start limiting your expenses to pay off the mortgage (for a very long period)  but owning your own home is indescribably rewarding.

 

Good luck for your house hunting!

 

First week at work

This is my short summary of my first week at work. 

 

 

 

I know many people would wonder how I could manage my first week at work after the long trip as my last blog sounded quite depressing. Yes, I have survived the first week safely without any major issues or problems. Actually, it was much better than I expected (Maybe I took the word, ‘WORK’ too seriously).  

Monday was the worst. Getting up early morning (6am), driving in a horrendous traffic (nearly 1 hour for 15km), finding out all the password to login all the systems (I wrote them down in a notebook before I left but I couldn’t remember which notebook I used for), trying to remember how to use all the systems and answering colleagues how my first day back was going. My brain was moving very slow as my mind was still lying on the beach. The hardest thing was sitting on a chair all day long. I found that my ability on concentration was far lower than ever and my body was itchy due on lack of fresh air and sun. What could I expect after 5 and half months of Work-Free life?  However, main point is I have survived. 

While I was trying to getting back into the reality, I have learnt a couple of things and I would like to share them with you (if you don’t mind). 

Everything will be fine. : Very often we worry more than necessary. I was stressed and anxious to be back. I worried about things which MAY happen but also MAY NOT happen. All my negative ‘what if’ were ended as not necessary worries and I could manage most of things without any big troubles. I was assured that getting stressed and being anxious about what ifs are pointless.  They will not lead us anywhere but only drag us down emotionally and also physically. So, ‘Don’t worry and be happy!’

Nothing has been changed : Many people including myself hesitate making extraordinary decisions because we fear about the changes may occur during our absence. It took us years of time to decide our long trip as we were not brave enough to break the perception. After the trip, I was nervous to come back to face the changes at work but, guess what? I haven’t found anything I am sorry that I have missed. While we were having a lifetime dream, nothing has happened but only time has flown away. What I want to make a point here is ‘Do what you want to do NOW!’.  

I still can’t believe that we have made the trip, we have already returned from the trip and we have been back to the ordinary life. Time is too real that I feel like I only had a very sweet dream. I am sitting in the same desk and same office but I refuse to be the same person as now I know there are plenty of things we need to enjoy and we mustn’t miss out there. What can be our next plan? I am not sure yet but I am certainly open for the new voyage.

 

 

 

Back to Reality?

 

 

 

O...M...G!!!!!

 

I really can't believe the fact that It has been almost three weeks since we came back from the long trip of 4 and half months. The first week was gone very smoothly for nurturing our physical and mental tiredness from the trip. The second week was passed even faster than the first one while we were enjoying the true holiday mood on the beaches around our home. The third week is also moving very fast as other ones but I feel quite different. Yes, finally I am realising that the reality is standing in front of my face and I don't know how to accept the truth, 'I have to go to WORK! '. If anyone blames my attitude about going back to work after such a long break,  I don't have too many things to argue or excuse myself but frankly, I feel even harder to accept the fact than any other times. The long break doesn't seem to be helpful to get back to the reality easier at all.

From the couple of days ago, I started feeling bit stressed by thinking about going back to work. I was overwhelmed that we could take the exceptionally long break and unconsciously forgot that I had to be back to the same spot when the leave has finished. However, as we all know, time is always brutally aurate and here I am. I am back from the dream trip and facing to my real life. How depressing it is! I am totally confused and uncertain about the morning when I have to dress up the working suit. I feel nervous like a little girl who is having a first day at school.

Didn't I mention that we need to be positive in my previous blog? Seriously, I am trying to keep my words but the dilemma between reality and dream life comes into my mind and constantly knock myself down. I know that I have no other options to replace the fact that I have to get up every day very early morning and drag myself to be a part of the disastrous traffic at this moment. I admit that I haven't found the way that can free me from the 9 to 5 rat race. Therefore all I can do is going back to the same spot and doing the same things which I wished to change. Have I sounded too dark?

Facing the reality is not always pleasure but I am not going to let the fact stressing me too much. What I am going to do handle the reality are,
1. Enjoy the rest of my break as much as possible as every single minute is too precious to miss.
2. Think positive way that having a job to be back is still less stressful than no job to go back.
3. Keep open mind for the new ideas.
4. Solve the problems one by one and step by step
5. Don't worry about things which I don't need to worry at this stage
6. Be proactive on new opportunities
7. Relax and keep exercising to remove the pressure of the reality
8. Be prepare for the next break

Am I feel better now? Certainly, yes! One of the reasons why I like writing is that I can re-examine my unclear thoughts and review my options. This process makes me feel more relaxed and prepared myself for future. Instead of being stressed or depressed, I will need to be ready for the opportunities in future.

What Dalai lama said is " if it can be solved there is no need to worry,  if it can't be solved,
worry is of no use no" and I couldn't agree more. Let's face to the reality and get over it!

 

 

How to overcome daily stress and depression

 

One of my friends who recently got a new job told me on the phone that she wants to live like me. What? Live like me??? She replied my unclear and doubtful question that she wants to live like me who doesn't have any stress and do whatever I wish to do. All I could do was laughing. She seemed to be pretty stressed and rundown from the new job.

There is no one person who doesn't have own problems. It doesn't matter how critical the actual problems are. All depends on how we take the matters and respond. I am also stressed and trying to fight with my ongoing depression time to time. However,  fortunately I have learned how to defeat the fearful feelings and push myself back up easier than before. It is excellent to hear that I look happy from people especially who are closer to me. This means my approaches toward to my emotional difficulties are working well. Therefore, I would like to share my methods to overcome daily stress and depression with someone who are having an uneasy time. They definitely worked for me so try them and I hope you feel better soon. 

1. Love yourself: Tell yourself that you love yourself everyday whenever you feel down or anxious. We all are born to be loved and deserved to be treated well. Very often we blame and criticise ourselves unnecessarily. Blaming yourself will  lead you nowhere. Be nice to yourself and nurture your mind in order to pull through the hard time. If you don't love yourself, who is going to love you more. Believe me that you are entitled to be loved. Tell yourself how much you love yourself. Loving yourself is the first step of healing.

2. Be positive: I know it is hard to be positive when you are stressed and depressed. However you need to try to be positive. Try to focus on good things what you have than what you don't have. Think about what makes you feel good rather than things what you worry. When you only focus on negative things, your world seems to be filled by darkness but if you move your thoughts onto positive things, your life is far brighter than you think. Look around and realise how many good things you have. Being positive has a tremendous power to overcome your emotional hardship.

3. Do exercise : Physical movements certainly help to manage your mood. Whenever I feel down, I run. When I can only control  my breath, there is no chance to worry about anything. This is not only from my personal experience. Many studies have found that regular exercise is one of the most powerful remedies to treat psychological issues. You don't need to join a gym or do excessive workout. Start with simple excercise. Walking around a park or dancing in your living room can be also good. Believe me. It really works.

4. Find out hobbies that make you happy : Ask yourself what you like to do and what makes you feel happy to do. I like to do painting pictures and writing  blogs like now. When I do what I like to do, my troubles seem to be smaller as my focus moves from the problems or worries onto the hobbies. Giving yourself too much time to think about problems wouldn't help you either overcoming your stress or solving the problems. Giving yourself chance to enjoy doing things that make you happy will ease your stressed and depressed mind.

5. Meet people who are positive : I know you wouldn't feel like meeting people when you are emotionally down but try to avoid being alone, and meet someone who you can talk with and laugh together. People's mood is contagious. When you are with people who are positive and energetic, they can lift up your mood and their positive attitudes may offer you some alternatives that you didn't think about. If you are still not ready for meeting anyone, read books about personal developments such as Anthony Robinson's books. They will give you a chance to review your ways to deal with your problems and find out better ways to handle them.

6. Let it go if it is beyond your control : Unfortunately (also fortunately) we can only handle what we can so don't get stressed or depressed by what you can't. Very often we put too much effort to solve the problems which are beyond our control and get exhausted and devastated by the feeling of failure. Believe me no one on earth can control everything so we are not the only one who experiences unbearable disappointment or stress. So, we need to learn how to let go the problems and relax. Don't forget that we can only do what we can.

7. Get rid of negative 'what if...': Avoid imagining or presuming negative scenarios and making unnecessary worries. I know many people who are suffering 'what if' sickness. I don't want to say that people shouldn't prepare things to avoid risks or difficulties but not reasonable worries will never help you anything anyway. Whenever the negative what if starts invading your mind, try to remove the thoughts and remind yourself that 'All is well.' There are plenty of things to worry in our life so don't try to add up unnecessarily.

8. Avoid comparing with others: Remember that we all are different so don't compare yourself with anyone. Frankly, I find it is not easy to control the feeling of resentment (jealousy). I quite often blame or push myself down by knowing someone else's achievements. I feel depressed and anxious by feeling of failure. What I don't have or what I can't have which others have can be stressful but this kind of feeling wouldn't help us to achieve anything or reach anywhere. We all are unique and special so there is absolutely no reason to compare. So, 'Be youself!'.

9. Look for a professional help : If you think your emotional state doesn't seem to be better or get worsen to control, look for a professional help. Many people think seeking a professional help is the last thing to do or shameful thing but it is absolutely incorrect. Appropriate advices and treatments from them can support your weaken mind before it gets really bad. They can offer good proposals that you can apply. I have experienced several times talking with them and they were very helpful. Don't forget to ask help when you need.

Are you feel bit better? Don't presume you are the only one who is having a hard time and suffering emotional difficulties. There are plenty of people who are living in the worse conditions and misfortune. Appreciate what you have rather than what you don't have. Life is not that bad as you feel at the moment and it will get better. Relax your sholuder and neck muscle and breath in and out slowly. When your mind is calm, look around your loving family, friends and colleagues. Life is wonderful, isn't it?

 

 

Learning from people who we met while travelling

One of the most valuable things I have experienced during the travel was meeting people who are from all over the world, talking about each others' journey and sharing our life stories. What I have realized is when we get older, it seems to be getting harder to have a chance to meet new people and obtain a close relationship with them. Especially, 9 to 5 lifestyle doesn't really encourage us to put an effort to meet and know someone new. We all seem to be too tired in our daily life but travelling creates a magic. Travel opens our hearts and invites new friendship. Anyone can be friends. It doesn't really matter where they are from, how old they are, what they are doing for living, etc... One common thing is we all like travelling and being open to the new experiences and it helps to connect between people. Many times I have been surprised and emotionally moved by the people's experiences and attitudes towards to their lives. Watching how they approach to people and open their hearts truly impressed me and made me to think about myself. Therefore, I would like to introduce some of the people who we met on the way and who gave us precious tips to drive our life journey more meaningful and worthwhile. 

 1. Monica : We met Monica, a 19 year old Australian girl on the way of climbing the Tround, India. When we stopped for a breath on the way up, she was already heading down from the mountain. She was a delightful aussie girl who we seemed to know for a long time. She is having a gab year after the HSC (High School Certificate) exam and spending the year for travelling and volunteering in India. She is young but wiser and mature than anyone else. She knows what she wants to do and how to achieve her wishes. I loved and also envied her strong mind and independent behaviour. Her open and positive attitude to people and future were so worthy to learn. When I was at her age (very long time ago), I didn't know what I really wanted and how to step closer to achieve my wishes. Being in India was absolutely challenging to us who are two and far older than her but she seemed to manage extremely well. On the top of that she spent her precious time and efforts for helping people who desperately need supports in India. I was very proud of her and wished her the best. Unbelievably we met her again at the Goa airport by chance and spent an hour to chat up. Talking about our journey and sharing experience with her was an absolute pleasure. She was on the way back to Australia then and we promised to catch up when we return. I can't wait to see her and talk about our unforgettable experiences.

2. Linda and Frank: We met Linda and Frank at Delhi airport while waiting for a flight Dharamshala. Their heavy backpacks caught my attention as they looked far over 60. The delayed flight schedule (as very usual) made us to start a casual conversation and accidently we met each other again in McLeod Ganj. It is an absolute surprise to meet people again in a country where 1.2 billion people live. They are from California in America and enjoying their retiree life while travelling overseas. I was very impressed by their tracking experience in Peru. Walking for a week to complete the track wouldn't be easy for even young people. They were far more active and braver than many young ones I know. I loved their attitudes towards to the age. How often we stop ourselves to try new things by excusing our age. I have learned from them that we can achieve more than we think if we don't limit ourselves. I wish them a good luck for their next tracking challenge and hope that I can get older like them. Age is only number and it is depends on how we look after our body and mind. 

3. 3 siblings from Spain : When we experienced the cultural shock in Varanasi, India, it was a absolute relief to meet the 3 siblings from Spain. Walking and talking with them helped us a lot to survive the day in the messiest city we have ever been to. They are late 20's to middle 30's and had been backpacking for a month when we met them. All of them quit their jobs and got together to accomplish their dream trip. As we all know quitting a job and getting away from our daily routine are not an easy decision to make, what they decided to do was fantastic. Especially, the decision of travelling with siblings for 4 months was unbelievable. I have 4 siblings but it is getting more difficult to agree with each other as we are getting older. So I can't think about a long trip with them. Imagining that 3 siblings are experiencing and having unforgettable memories together made me feel warm in my heart. I believe they are still on the way, maybe somewhere in Thailand or Cambodia at this moment and sharing their lifetime experience. I wish them to complete their journey with a good health and safely. 

How many of us wish to achieve what we really want to do but give up with many excuses. It was great fortune to see people who live the dream. I have to admit that I become bit more dramatic and emotional during the travelling so I take anything more seriously, but most certainly meeting people and learning things from them to me are simply priceless. I believe we truly need to open ourselves more to meet and know about people and their life stories. There are plenty of things to learn from others and I believe that will make our life more purposeful and enlightened.

At the top of the Tround

McLeod Ganj City with a cow

Anjuna Beach, Goa

Taj Mahal

We are back! (After 4 months and 10 days)

"Wow!"

I couldn't say anything else to express my overwhelmed feeling when I opened our front door after being away from my sweet home for more than 4 months. I didn't realise that my living room was that spacious, kitchen was that nice and bedrooms were that cosy. Extremely ordinary things around me suddenly become very special and precious.

Yes, we are back!
We packed away on the 4th July 2013 and returned on the 14th November 2013. We have travelled 14 countries and over 27 cities. It was an absolutely amazing and tremendous journey. Each place we have been that has carved unforgettable and truly priceless memories into our heart and I believe we will enjoy the little pieces of the memories all our lifetime. I am glad that we have made our dream trip and came back safely and healthy.

Travelling 14 countries and over 27 cities offered us magnificent and sensational experiences even though some places are far different from our expectations. Every single day was unique and extraordinary. I had to admit that it was not always easy for me to adapt the cultural differences and understand the diversity of customs. However, the journey was absolutely sensational and I am extremely proud of that we decided to do it and have made it.

'Nothing is permanent.' and 'Life is too short not to do what you want.'
Theses made us to plan the long trip and I am glad that our decision didn't disappoint us. I still remember that we were very nervous and unsure about the things (mainly bad ones) that may can happen while we were away. Any reason, we seem to worry more than necessary and the worries stop us to pursue our wishes. When I came back from the trip, (fortunately) I have found nothing much has happened around us and the fact ensured that we made a good decision. I would like to tell anyone who is delaying their dreams because of distressing or concerning about what could happen, "Just do it, all will be fine!"

After 4 months of journey, I am sitting on the same sofa, in the same living-room, in the same house and having the same job. However, I am not the same person. I feel stronger, fresher and healthier than ever. I truly appreciate what I have more than before. Experience on simple living (4 months with 20kg of baggage) was challenging but it taught me real value of possessing. This travel taught me countless things and I trust that they will help me to overcome life barriers easier.

As much as I loved travelling, I am happy to be back. The end of trip in India, I was looking forward to coming back to my home, my castle.  Honestly, I started missing my ordinary life which I wanted to get away. I think everything has its own limit and being away from home for 4 months was close to my limit. Now I am back and enjoying the comfort which I didn't appreciate enough. I know I will get bored one day and looking for some where to escape but I am happily enjoy this feeling at the moment.

I will write about what I have seen and experienced during the trip in my coming blogs so please share with me.

"Welcome home Jin!!!!"

Things must know before travelling to India

"I got cheated..." 

While we were having the last breakfast at a hotel in Varanasi, India, my poor husband mumbled this and I nodded without adding any comments. If anyone, any books or any travel guides informed me about India honestly, I would have considered our trip to India more seriously and perhaps I wouldn't stay at this hotel in Varanasi, India at this moment, and I wouldn't decide to write about this negative and critical blog.

I do not deny that India is one of the most spiritual countries in the world and it has plenty of special and unique things to offer to the outside. However, very unfortunately I have been finding that reality of India is not that exotic nor magical as many people, movies and media described and advertised. I am very sorry for the truth, too. Any reason, they have missed writing or showing the reality of India and focused on fantasizing and exaggerating about the cultural differences. 

I am going to write my personal views of India as an ordinary person who lives ordinary life with ordinary wishes from now on. I am ready to get blamed for my personal but truly honest views about India. Maybe some people wouldn't agree with my views but I believe my live experiences of India and honest opinions will help someone can make a right decision on travelling to India. We have been in India for 19 days so far and travelled to 6 main cities recommended, New Delhi, Dharamshala, Amritsar, Varanasi and Goa. 19 days definitely can't be long enough to travel and see such a big country, India but I truly feel that I have seen enough and don't want to see more to disappoint myself. 'Things you must know about India' are based on my personal experiences and honest observations. Therefore, I hope this blog can be a helpful information to you (which I wish I could have had before I decided to come to India). 

Let me start with the traffic in India. It is simply HELL. I regret that I have to use this unfavourable word but I can't find any other word to describe it close to real. Both of us like walking around and seeing how the local people are living so we can experience and see more than tourists who are moved from one place to another by tour buses. I have been always proud of our style of travel. However, we had to realise that it is simply impossible from the first hour in India. Unless you try to kill yourself or don't mind to get injured, walking freely and safely is impossible in India. People are permanently in danger. Truly everything is on the road. Cars, overloaded trucks, moto rickshaws, motobikes, bicycles, carriers, cows, dogs, goats, donkeys, elephants and millions of people are on the road and trying to cross the road at the same time. Can you imagine? Worst thing is there are absolutely no rules. They may argue that they have their own rules but I haven't found any rules so far. Whoever wants to go faster (everyone does), use the horns as loud as possible. The noises from the horning are terribly loud and stressful that you can get a headache. There is no care about people who walk. No cars stop for pedestrians. You need to look after your own life here. Not many cars have rear mirrors because they drive too close to each other and break the mirrors so people don't even bother to have them. We have been 6 cities in India so far and seriously I haven't found even one traffic light for pedestrians. There is simply no space for people to walk safely and driving is also not safe. All my life, I have never experienced this much chaotic and disastrous traffic conditions. I refuse to accept this as a livable condition. I finally found out why India is famous for the number of people killed on the roads. When people can't walk on the streets without fear of being killed or injured, I can't think the country is livable. I feel permanently in danger whenever I am out. My stress level is going up even thinking about the traffic. I feel terribly sorry for the people who live in this unacceptable conditions. 

India itself is like a big rubbish tip. I was extremely disappointed by the reality as all the photos taken by photographers and movie scenes have never shown the truth. I couldn't believe my eyes. Piles of rubbish are everywhere. You can't simply miss the mess. People throw away rubbish everywhere and live in the mess. Streets are full of rubbish and animal drops. Cow poo, dog poo, donkey poo, goat poo, bird poo are nicely mixed with human rubbish everywhere. I couldn't see anything around as I had to try VERY hard to avoid stepping on the drops and piles of rubbish. Men are openly pissing anywhere on the streets so streets smell like toilet. Just imagine that thousands of people are sitting or lying in this disgusting mess and eat their delicious Indian cuisines, and walking on the dirty streets with their barefoot. Hard to imagine? It is still hard to believe for me even though I see them every day. You need to be careful not to step into the open sewages. There are no proper sewage systems so everything(?) flows into the main sewages and they are flowing sides of the streets and roads wherever you go. It is not pleasure to walk as the unbearable smell comes along with the mess. Quite often I felt my stomach got stressed by all the unexpected mess and dirt that I didn't feel to eat anything. The beauty of the magical attractions and historical monuments are very often being faded by this unbelievable mess. I can't tell myself as a tidy person but I believe there is certain limit of messiness for humankind and India's messiness is far over the limit. The level of messiness is unacceptable. I believe this mess is destroying the country and it's own people's lives. India is the dirtiest and messiest country I have ever been to and I refuse to go anywhere worse than here. 

India is absolutely polluted. You can easily guess how India would be so much polluted by imagining the chaotic traffic. Pollution from the cars, motorcycles, old trucks, rickshaws, incredible dust from the roads, uncleaned smoke from factories, dirt from the piles of human rubbish are totally mixed and harming people. I never thought that Muslim women's burka would be a proper dress code for myself. However, I have to wrap my face with a scarf whenever I am out. The air is not breathable. Sunglasses are necessary to protect my eyes from the dust and nose and mouth need to be covered to avoid unbearable smell and polluted air. Every evening when we come back from outside, I can't believe how dirty myself is. Our clothes are totally black from the dust and pollution. I love to walk or run outside but I can't recommend anyone to try them in India as they will harm you instead of making you healthy. Please correct me if I am wrong but I haven't seen any rubbish collections since I came to India. What I can see is people start burning the piles of rubbish around sunset time. You can't see anything else but the smoke from the burning at the time. I don't know who to blame but I certainly know the pollution is killing people here. 

If you see how Indians live and where they cook with what kind of water, I am sure that you will lose your appetites. It looks to me, they have definitely lack of common sense regarding the hygiene standard. I don't want to blame the ordinary people who live unacceptable living conditions. I assume that the Indian government doesn't provide even basic services such as clean water, regular rubbish collections, proper public toilets. Therefore, it would be extremely hard to keep even minimum standard of hygiene. However, I was also very disappointed by the ordinary people's attitudes. They don't seem to mind the messiness or dirty conditions. They sit and watch the mess instead of cleaning and they add up the mess without any thoughts. When I know many people got sick in India and I witnessed how people clean the dishes in what kind of water, we tried not to eat any street food and put efforts to find clean restaurants. However, it is very difficult to find the right ones as there are not many available here. When we came to Varanasi, we couldn't believe how Ganga River was polluted. All human rubbishes and raw sewages are going to the river directly. As you know that Ganga river is a holy place to Indian so they burn their loved ones when they passed away and leave the ash or parts of body in the water. Hundred times of the burning ceremonies are being held a day at the river and people are bathing and even drinking the incredibly polluted water. I was supposed to be impressed by the holiness and spiritual events but unfortunately I was totally shocked by the people's unreasonable attitudes. Would you drink or bath in the water that is one of the most polluted and contaminated water in the world? Am I not spiritual enough to understand this? No, I am not but I know I shouldn't drink the dirty water which makes so many people get sick. When I saw 'Loundary services' people were washing for the customers in the Ganga river and drying the clothes, bed sheets and towels on the floor next to the cow drops, I was almost devastated. OMG... 

You need to have ENOUGH time and patience for anything here. It took us to buy train tickets from Jaipur to Agra and Agra to Delhi more than two hours, and on the top of that we didn't get the tickets for Agra to Delhi. First thing, we had to get a form to fill in all the trip details including our home address, train name and code, departure time, arrival time, etc... I still don't know why they need all the details and people have to fill in manually. However when we are in India, we need to follow the Indian law, don't we? We had to be in a queue for more than two hours to get a ticket as the officer had to enter all the details for each person. Their inefficiency tested our patience but we had to think that we were lucky that at least we had tickets for one direction. When you flew to Varanasi, Goa and Jaipur, we had to stop over in Delhi and Mumbai for transfers but each time we had to completely go out and start again from the security check as there are no transfer gates or entrances. These are one of the biggest airports in the country and many people use the airports to go somewhere else which means everyone have to go through from the beginning each time. I couldn't get the logic but what could we do? One more thing I can add is very often the clocks at the airport and stations are not correct so you need extra care of checking time. Each time we move to a new hotel, the staff opens a huge notebook in front of us and we had to write down all the details such as, when we came to India, where we are from, where is our next destination, nationality, age (why?) sex(why?), when we going to leave India, home address and signature. I believe that there must be reasons to check every single traveller's movement but I was not really convinced about the usefulness of the checking procedures. You certainly need to be ready for enough patience here in India. 

Frankly, as a woman, I didn't feel safe in the most of cities in India. Especially, Delhi I felt even worse. First reason is there seems to be gender imbalance in Delhi. There are too many males than females on the streets. Most of shops are being managed by males and significantly less number of females are even walking around. Subways are full of male passengers and most of time there is not enough personal space for female passengers. One more thing made me feel uncomfortable was staring eyes. Obviously, we look different from them so it could be acceptable to be glanced but being stared unreasonably long time made me feel very uncomfortable. Indian government provides separated train carriages for female passengers and separated quese for only female so females can be protected. However, I had to question why female needs different treatment in India. 

Thousands of people are killed by dog bites every year in Amritsar only one city in India but no one seems to do anything about it. I am a dog lover but I have been trying to avoid the dogs in India because sick dogs are everywhere. Many street dogs are sick so getting a bite from the dogs can be fatal. Based on cultural and religious beliefs and strong tradition, people here live with all the animals. How wonderful story it is? Human and animals are living harmoniously. However, I have found that can be only in a dream. Reality is a disaster. Sick animals are everywhere. Half ton cows are walking between cars and people and poo anywhere. They are searching rubbish bins for food. Sick dogs are lying on the ground everywhere. 1.2 billions of people are living in the country with billions of animals and their mess. It is absolutely disaster. I do believe that keeping the tradition and understand religious beliefs are important but they shouldn't be more important than people's safety.

I have never seen so many poor people in my life. I knew India's GDP is not great but I didn't expect what I would see here. Countless of people including kids are begging everywhere. You can't give any money to anyone as thousands of beggers will come to you with their empty hands. Countless people are living on the streets and unacceptable housing conditions. It is absolutely heartbreaking to see these many people live in poverty. People are lying on the streets without any hope and kids are searching plastic bottles from the rubbish tips. I can't count how many times I have to ask what Indian government is doing for these people. I don't know. Existence of cast system also disgusted me. Who can be born to be lower and poor? I can't accept this lunatic system and the fact that it is still working here at this moment. 

I know I have been so negative and critical but as I told you earlier I wanted to tell my honest views which you can rarely get from others. Of course, there are not only bad things in India even though my blog looks like that. Our second and forth destination, Dharamshala and Goa were very impressive. Even though there were still common problems such as messiness, chaotic traffic and lack of hygiene awareness but these places offered us a beautiful nature and peaceful spaces from the crazy world. 

Dharamshala (McLeod gangi) was very spiritual place where many people from Nepal including Dalai Lama have come and settled. It offers fantastic mountain tracks to enjoy views of lower Himalayas. Goa is another place we felt released after visiting Varanasi. It was under the Portuguese rules until about 50 years ago and many foreign tourists' favourite place to visit. Therefore Goa is very different from other states in India. Normally we try to avoid touristic places but we were quite happy in Goa as cleanness standard was higher than any other places we have visited in India. Goa has many beautiful beaches so anyone who wants to go to India, I would like to recommend Goa to relax. Please avoid Callangute beach as the beach is very popular to Indian tourists so it can be too busy to relax. 

One more thing I shouldn't forget to mention is Indian food. Even though we have been a hard time travelling in India, we could not stop appreciating Indian food. Indian food is absolutely divine. Especially, vegetarian dishes seem to be unlimited. It has full flavour of fresh vegetables and herbs. Ingredients are so fresh that we didn't need to look for any other meals and enjoyed each time. However, I really ask you to choose a clean place to enjoy the food. Hotel restaurants and restaurants recommended by travel guides would be a better choice. Price of food is unbelievable cheap even in the better restaurants so don't risk your wellbeing because of the little difference in price. 

We have got only 2 more days in Agra, India and I am glad it is ending. I knew it would be challenging but definitely I was not ready for the current stage of India. I am very sorry that people who lives in poverty without basic human needs and left in the mess. Also, all the historical monuments that are left with lack of care. The messiness and chaotic surroundings diluted my curiosity about India. Holiness and spirituality seem to be destroyed by people and the unreasonable belief seems to destroy the people. 

Indian government has announced that they are extremely proud of being the forth country to send a space ship to Mars. I am rather sorry than be proud of the news. When their own people don't have their own toilets and clean water, when millions of people are begging on the streets for surviving daily life how it can be highly recognised to waste public's money for the unreasonable show off business.

I can't stop... 

Hope my review can show the reality of India and make you to be ready for the trip physically and mentally. It was challenging and difficult to accept the real situations here (maybe I am not spiritual enough or too emotional). I am standing the last stage of the trip in India and glad it is over soon. If anyone asks what I am thinking about the plan on travelling to India, my answer will be very simple. "Nope!" 

P.S. While I was competing this long and skeptical (sorry) story, I came to Agra by train from Jaipur. It was our first train trip in India and lucky the last one. It took us 7 hours for 200km and the train was called an express line. It was delayed for 1 hour and stopped for about 1.5 hours near Agra without any information. No one really knew why but they told us it was very normal.

Taj Mahal was absolutely amazing and magical looking. However, the river next to Taj Mahal was incredibly polluted. Unfortunately, Taj Mahal smells like a toilet. It was absolutely disappointing to see one of the most precious monuments is surrounded by the sewage. I am truly sorry...

Taj Mahal

Water around Taj Mahal

Laundry Service at the Gang Ga river

Snowed mountain view from The Tround, Dharamshala

Delhi traffic

Walk to the station

Anjuna Beach, Goa

How to lose weight

Since I started this long trip, I have been very conscious on my weight as I can't keep my regular exercise routine and diet regime. I have been trying as much as I could but it has been extremely hard to control the food intake (definitely it has been my biggest weakness) as plenty of mouthwatering and variety types of food are everywhere I go. Especially, since I came to Korea, my craving for the food that I have been missing is totally uncontrollable. Therefore, this blog will be a reminder for someone who are trying to lose weight including myself. Some people would argue that I shouldn't get stressed and enjoy food as much as I can while I am travelling. I do understand their point of view but I truly need to control myself as this 4 months trip needs to be taken as my daily life. Geee... I feel guilty that I am writing about losing weight while I am chewing the best Czech waffle, Kolonada. I can't stop eating at the moment and that is the main reason I need to talk about this for alarming myself.

When I was in Czech, I have met many of my husband' s friends and family members. Two major changes I have noticed this time are English and health awareness. More people can spoke English than before that made me feel more comfortable and connected. The second change was that people have started looking after their health and fitness more than ever before. Many of them have lost significant amount of weights so they looked younger and healthier. Hereunders are some tips from the people who successfully reduced their weight and feel healthier and happier with their body so I think these will be perfect tips for us to try. Shall we start?

1. Set a strong mindset : You can't achieve your goals without a strong mindset. Admit that you do need to lose weight and promise yourself for trying and getting the result what you wish to achieve. You need to set up a clear goal, how much you wish/can lose for a certain period such as 2 kg per month. If you have set up the clear and strong goal, you are now on the start line and ready for the journey.

2. Control the portion : Most people who I witnessed have lost the weight by controlling the portion of food. Reduce the portion gradually from your normally daily food consumption. Prepare the food only 80 percentage of portion that you normally have and try to leave some food on the plate, and stop eating. Avoid eating from a sharing pot or big dishes. Get your plate and put all the food on the plate before starting eating so you can actually see how much you eat. Remember that we normally eat more than necessary.

3. Get knowledge in food : Do you have enough knowledge in food what you eat? Do you know which food is good and which one is bad for you? Trying to get more knowledge about the food which you consume three time every day is essential for losing weight. When you know about what you eat, we will figure out why you are having a problem in controlling the weight. Avoid food with high calories, fat, sugar and replace them with fresh vegetables, fruits and lower calorie food. Many people complain that they are getting fatter even though they don't eat too much. Are you one of them? Then you need to know more about what you eat than how much you eat.

4. Look at the mirror and see your body as often as possible : I know it is painful but we need to see how our bodies look like. Not many people would be completely happy with their body but if you don't want to see yourself through the mirror, it means there are problems. We need to face the problems in order to resolve them. When I was fatter, I hated looking at myself and started wearing black and baggy clothes for hiding my body. Hiding, ignoring, rejecting and denying will not help us at all. Stand in front of the mirror and look at yourself sincerely, and promise that you will look after your body from now on.

5. Exercise : Here you go. Exercise is here again. I know exercise can be annoying to someone who hates moving but it is not avoidable. You can control the food to lose weight but you can't get healthy and fit body without regular exercise. My cousin has lost more than 30kg by restriction on the food intake. She looks great and slim but she is very often sick and permanently feels weak. Is that you want to achieve? I hope not. Exercise helps you to get healthier physically and also mentally. It also helps your immune system stronger. At least 3 to 4 times a week, spend 1 hour a day for your body and mind. Try to get involved in group exercise. It will help you to get into the exercise regime easier. There are plenty of options offered by the fitness centres so try to find the best option for you.

6. Talk about health and food with people around you : You will be surprised how many people are interested in health matters once you start talking about them. Talking and discussing about health and healthy food with your colleagues or friends, sharing useful information and encouraging each other to live fit and healthy will keep your emotional strength to achieve your goals. Get tips from someone who has lost weight or try to lose weight and try them together. Talking about health and healthy lifestyle will attract people who have similar interests. Studies show that fat people intend to have fat friends. If you have people who are interested in healthy lifestyle, you will naturally adapt and learn their lifestyle and it will help you to lose weight and be healthy.

7. Measure yourself regularly : This is very simple but very important. Sometimes you don't realise that you have put on weight. 2 kg per year doesn't seem too much but you will be 20 kg heavier in 10 years. Measure yourself and try to keep the healthy weight. We all know how hard to lose even a single gram of weight so we need to check our weight changes regularly. Get a scale which shows BMI (Body Mass Index) and find out your ideal weight for your height. I have to admit that I dislike measuring myself but it is very important to know your weight.

8. Chew slowly : I have seen many people who are overweight eat much faster than any others. They don't seem to chew the food long enough. Our brain and stomach register feelings of fullness after 20 minutes so if you eat fast, you are likely to eat more than necessary. Eating slow and chewing the food longer will help you to eat less. A study shows eating less is one of the most powerful factors for human's longevity so chew slowly and finish food before you feel full.

9. Get a professional help : One of our friends who has lost significant amount of weights told me that he went to see a dietician to find out the problem of his diet. The dietician advised him a new diet schedule and he followed it properly. He looked healthier than ever before. If you have tried hard on diet but didn't get any positive results, seeking a professional help wouldn't be a bad idea. I saw many people who are getting better results by using personal trainers. If you are not sure about your persistence, get a professional help that can lead you to the right direction and also encourage(push?) you to achieve what you want.

10. Light food for dinner: The earlier, the smaller the better for dinner. My cultural background offers light lunch and big dinner so it has been very hard to change my craving for a big dinner. However, it really works. Since we came to India, we started eating fruits and vegetables for dinner as we have normally delicious Indian cuisine for lunch. Indian food is absolutely fantastic but can be quite rich and heavy so we try to balance our diet with fresh vegetables and fruits for dinner. I found that my stomach is lighter and more comfortable in the morning. Avoid eating after 7pm as your body movement is less and eat more vegetables and fruits instead of meat and carbohydrates for dinner. I promise that it will work for you.

11. Less meat and sugar : How often do you eat meat a week? Whenever I ask this question to one of my friends who loves eating meat and also struggles keeping her weight answers always same. "not much, not too often! ". She eats meat dishes a couple of times a week but most of her food contains pieces of meat and she doesn't recognise that is meat. Watch out how much meat you eat consciously and unconsciously. I recognise that our body needs to have protein but you need to limit the amount of meat when you have a trouble with weight. Sugar is also you need to avoid. Many fat free products still contain high portion of sugar so be more careful to choose.

12. Get rid of the bad habits and replace them with good ones : How many bad habits do you have which make you hard to lose weight? Write down them on the paper and try to replace them with good habits. Using a lift to walking on the stairs, drinking soft drinks to water, sitting at lunch break to going for a walk, etc... Once your bad habits have been replaced by good ones, you will realise how much healthier lifestyle you can have.

Losing weight can not be easy but it is achievable if you are REALLY ready for the journey. Try to enjoy the journey that you are getting slimmer, fitter and healthier rather than fight with yourself. It is a rewarding experience that you are truly loving your own body and doing something for getting better. I do admire people who try to change themselves as I know it is not easy. While I am writing about this blog, I realised that I have been lazy for my own health with many unreasonable excuses so this blog helps me to go back on to the right track. I hope this encourages you to start or continue your healthy journey.