Myrah and Mahalia's Travel Adventures

Psycho Crazies - WATCH IT!.mov

2010-06-24T19:09:00.001+10:00

I'd like to make a small correction! Cheerleader's website is http://www.cheerleaderband.com/. Thanks to them for letting us use their great music!

What's that thing called again?

2010-06-21T08:42:00.000+10:00

This happens all the time. Or at least to me, ergh...

The Psycho Craziness of Friends who Mishear Things.m4v

2010-05-28T11:14:00.000+10:00

We’ve all had moments where we’ve misheard someone and thought they’ve said something completely different from what they have actually said. Mostly it’s comical; I think they’ve asked a question and I respond with the answer, to which they reply that they just said the exact same thing.

Sometimes, however, it can pose a problem. If you think they’ve said something rude you might overact, and unjustly.

Here’s an example.

MnMNEWS Report - Bieber Fever is out there!.m4v

2010-05-25T09:24:00.000+10:00

Dunh dunh dunh dunh dunh dunh dunh... This just in!

Dream Destination

2010-05-18T17:32:00.000+10:00

Here’s a thought.

If you can’t afford to travel as often as you’d like, whether it be due to a lack of finances, time or companionship or even agoraphobia, but you’d love to explore the furthest reaches of our planet, why not

dream?

Think about it, dreams transport the sleeper to wild, strange and exotic places on a nightly basis. The bonus is they’re free.

If you want to visit a particular place, watch a documentary on it right before bedtime and hopefully your brain will plant you in the middle of the destination during your shut eye.

Then you can have an adventure like mine in New Zealand.

I flew a helicopter across the tops of snow-covered mountains. We swept back and forth and I almost felt as though I were a bird, flying over the expanses and plains.

I walked through large forests and heard streams running by me, although I couldn’t see them. We swam in large lakes and caught bundles of fish using ancient techniques. We went abseiling and white water rafting.

I climbed trees and partook in feasts and sang shanties and fought beasts and met hobbits and -

Oh, wait. I’ve never actually been to New Zealand. I’d just been watching Lord of the Rings.

Psycho Crazies + Facebook

2010-05-14T04:52:00.002+10:00

Just a quick exploration of how people can use Facebook to stalk/control/belittle/annoy their partners...

Thanks to Cheerleader for their song 'Hold on Tight'. You can check out their music at www.cheerleaderband.com

Where is all the petrol going?

2010-05-09T14:46:00.000+10:00

Most people think I’m mad. And sometimes they can pinpoint it to one reason. Recently, it’s been my fanaticism with petrol.

“I need to travel as much as I can now!” The words keep spilling out of me, rushing towards anyone foolish enough to be near me. “I need to catch lots of planes within the next few years because, before we know it, petrol will have run out and then we won’t be able to catch any more planes!”

You can imagine peoples’ reactions.

Mostly they simply stare and then snort with laughter. “What?!” They always wonder if I’m joking or not and, while I’m often unsure as to whether I’m joking or not about the things I say, I am still concerned about the petrol issue.

I just don’t want to be paying ridiculous sums of money for plane trips in years to come when petrol is scant. So watch out everyone, you’ll regret not having caught that plane to Albuquerque in 2010 because you thought you’d wait a few years and then the price was jacked up to a gazillion dollars.

Random Friends

2010-05-05T12:39:00.001+10:00

It's that time when people you haven't spoken to for AGES get back in touch with you and act like they're your chummiest chums...

The REAL story of the Three Sisters, the Blue Mountains' mountains.m4v

2010-04-24T08:06:00.000+10:00

Or perhaps the tale goes as such:

Many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many years ago, before the dinosaurs existed, in fact, before much existed at all on earth, the gods were easily bored. They would lounge about on misty chaises and poufs, idle and inactive. After what seemed like centuries of nothing (although was probably only an hour or two) one of the gods decided enough was enough. She wanted some fun. She jumped up and down on her chaise until it broke into three large rocky pieces.

“I want some entertainment!” She threw the first rock at the God of Entertainment, Recreation and most Leisures and Hobbies.

He didn’t budge.

She threw another rock. “I WANT some entertainment!”

He continued to ignore her.

“I mean it,” she hissed. “Get us some entertainment!” She threw the third rock.

Her aim was so poor that the rocks fell down onto the earth at the same place and formed an interesting and striking rock formation (now known as the Three Sisters but should rather be alluded to as the Three Rocks Used By one God to Incite Another).
Rather than point out the beauty of the rocks on earth as a form of entertainment, the God of Entertainment, Recreation and most Leisures and Hobbies waved his hand over the earth and suddenly many forms of life appeared.

The other God stopped throwing rocks. She was fascinated by these moving, spindly earth creatures.

“You think that’s interesting,” the God of Entertainment, Recreation and most Leisures and Hobbies whispered in her ear. “Wait til we add a really silly species. You’ll be entertained, I assure it. They’ll be called humans.”

The Psycho Craziness of Many Girlfriends' Friends

2010-04-17T11:15:00.000+10:00

Ok, girls, I'm sure you've all been in that same situation: you like a guy and you're not entirely sure how to deal with the matter. Your girlfriends, on the other hand, are brimming with ideas and techniques.

"Play hard to get."

"Don't message for a few days."

"Never answer his first phone call."

And many other helpful hints along those lines.

I'd often respond with: "I'll do what I want and what I feel is right. I want the guy to like me for who I am, so I'm not about to start constructing some other persona."

Otherwise, this might happen.

Ten Things About Me...

2010-04-16T12:58:00.010+10:00

1. When I was 5 I had an imaginary family based on the family in the Sound of Music.

2. I'm slightly afraid of the number 6.

3. I get a thrill whenever I'm in a library.

4. I used to wonder if I was born a boy.

5. I love dresses. I own about 60.

6. As a child I decided I would be a poet, actor, baker and anthropologist, changing occupation from day to day.

7. If there's a heaven, I hope I get to sit chatting with George Orwell, Bertrand Russell, Edward de Bono, Wittgenstein and Elizabeth I all day long.

8. I cry at least once a week, sometimes on buses.

9. I hate the cold.

10. I'd like to own a penthouse apartment.

Thanks to Pip, Meet me at Mikes, for the idea and all the other bloggers who made a list too:)

Blue Mountains: Give Me A Sign!

2010-04-06T20:13:00.004+10:00

I would like to meet whoever made all of the signs around the Blue Mountains and give them a good kick. They certainly have a strange perception of time and instructions.

At Guvett’s Leap near Blackheath, Myrah and I set off on a bushwalk which, according to the sign, would take an hour return. It took us about double that.

I recounted this to a friend who found it strange: “Normally the times given on the signs are measured according to relatively slow walkers,” she said. Truth be told, it was evidently a walk intended for bushwalkers more skilled than us, but double the time is pretty astonishing!

The reverse occurred also: at the National Park at Glenbrook a sign informed us that our bush trail would take an hour return. We were finished in less than half an hour.

The absence of signs was also rather unhelpful. At the National Park, we wanted to find the ‘Blue Pool’. As the information centre was closed, we read a placard on the pool and then made our way to the park entrance.

There, waiting for us, was a sign to the other pool, the ‘Jellybean Pool’. We looked at each other. Where could we find the Blue Pool? Some nice bushwalkers passed us and filled us in: we walked towards the Jellybean Pool and on the way we’d find a sign indicating the direction for the Blue Pool.

Great. We started following the Jellybean Pool trail, waiting to hit a sign to the Blue Pool. There were none. We ended up going to the Jellybean Pool, which we loved, but it was disappointing that our plans were changed due to a lack of signage.

Or maybe it’s just that we’re blind fools.

Watch our adventures here:

Psycho Crazy Girlfriends

2010-04-01T18:02:00.003+11:00

The MnMTravellers’ latest series, ‘The Psycho Crazies’, takes a hilarious look at the outlandish ways people can act when a relationship is in question.

We’ve all done it. Maybe it was that your boyfriend didn’t answer your call or he was home late one night or had spent too long with his female “friend”. Whatever it was, we’ve all had moments of “psycho craziness”.

The MnMTravellers present the ‘psycho crazies’ series, a snapshot of how people sometimes act in their relationships. These short videos portray various situations in which both girls and guys overreact when worried by their partner. A girl agonises over why her boyfriend hasn’t responded to her text, another has her relationship ruined when an overzealous friend intervenes.

In this first episode, a girl frets over the possible reasons why her boyfriend has not answered her text message...

A Piece of Parisian Luck

2010-03-23T09:29:00.003+11:00

Perhaps as a disclaimer I should start off by admitting that I am an idiot.

To set the scene:

I was staying in Paris for a week in April of 2009 with my Aunt during my travels. An Australian friend, who was living in Germany that year, was in Paris for the weekend. On this night of nights, we explored some clubs and bars and then tried to find our way home in the pouring rain while a drunk man harassed us. He followed us until my friend told him rather directly to leave us alone.

“What’s wrong with you, Lia?” She asked. “You just stood there and didn’t stand up for yourself. That’s not like you.”

It wasn’t. I felt out of it.

We got a cab to my Aunt’s house, where my friend could then walk on to her hostel. Outside my Aunt’s block of apartments a few guys were hanging around. They started talking to us and I was excited by the opportunity to put my poor French into use.

My friend, bewildered, spoke German until she was too fed up and left. I stayed a while longer, talking to the guys. Other guys walked past; apparently everyone knew each other and so I was introduced to each newcomer with a kiss and sometimes a hug.

Eventually, I managed to break away and I entered my Aunt’s apartment. Then it hit me. Terrified, I plunged my hand into my side bag: nothing.

My wallet and passport were missing. I was overwhelmed; I was going to London in a few days! What could I possibly do?

I figured I had two choices: go to my Aunt’s or go outside. I opted for the latter.

I marched back out defiantly. I had paid for the cab so I knew I had had my wallet until then. I scoured the street but to no avail. I burst into tears and the clouds joined me in my misery. I saw the two guys who had first approached us (let’s call them Pierre and Jean) still standing around. I told them what had happened in broken French and English. They could offer no help, they told me. “Go home to your Aunt and call the Embassy in the morning”.

“But I need my passport!” I stressed.

Some men returning home noticed me bawling and inquired. I relayed the situation. “We don’t trust the guys you met,” they told me. “They probably took it.” They had a chat to the guys but came back empty-handed. “Whoever took it isn’t going to give it back to you. Go home, call the Embassy.”

No, I would not. I was not going to miss my plane to London! I thought that if I stayed there and showed how desperate I was the thief would take pity on me.

And two hours later, they did. Pierre and Jean said they’d “chat” to their friends and see if they could get back my passport. Pierre left and Jean told me he was fighting the others on my behalf. As if.

Pierre then returned, brandishing my stolen items. I had lost 25 euros and my passport was sodden but I couldn’t keep a smile off my face.

I said it was time to go home. “What? No kiss for the hero?” Said Pierre. Jean asked Pierre if he could give us five minutes alone. I pushed them both away and told them to get lost.

I was finally my strong self again.

Later, I realised how lucky I’d been. I was in a foreign city, in a rough neighbourhood; a lone girl with a bunch of strange guys. Someone was watching over me that night.

Dress It Up!

2010-03-08T22:40:00.001+11:00

Ever felt out of place when in a foreign country?

Did people look at you strangely?

Did they point, laugh, or even spit on you?

If you've ever experienced any sort of discrimination while travelling, perhaps it was due to poor dressing.

Here are some tips on how to dress in certain countries ...

Thanks to the wonderful musicians:
- Ethnomite Pux: www.myspace.com/ethnomitepux
- The Kyoto Connection: www.thekyotoconnection.com
- Kevin Macleod: www.incompetech.com
- Peter John Ross

Our Adventures in Melbourne

2010-03-06T14:04:00.000+11:00

Here's what we got up to the first time we ever put our ten travelling tips into practise...

An Informal Guide to Melbourne

2010-03-06T14:02:00.001+11:00

It's the question I'm sure we've all been asking ourselves: "What is there to do in that city Melbourne, right down south in Australia?"

Well, now you have an answer!

Melbourne Vs. Sydney

2010-03-05T14:31:00.000+11:00

In the spirit of the Sydney/Melbourne rivalry…

During our Melbourne getaway, we asked quite a few people which city they preferred: Melbourne or Sydney. The response was inevitably Melbourne. At first, I was pitching my tent with this camp too, until …

Back in Sydney, I went to see Antony play at the Sydney Opera House with my Mum. Before he came on stage, we amused ourselves by observing the demographic of the audience. His followers range from conservatively-dressed regular couples to potentials for The Rocky Horror Show. Perhaps it was the divine singing, or the glass of champagne I’d consumed during intermission, but something in me clicked.

I love Sydney.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I love Melbourne too. I think it’s a wonderful city: alive, vibrant, interesting and devoted to the arts. Very much my type of place.

However, after having seen a whole heap of cities last year, Sydney still strikes me as being one of the most tolerant and accepting.

The city’s teeming with variety. Everyone can be anyone. Of course there’s peer pressure here and undoubtedly you’ll run across the dime-a-dozen girls who look as though one girl cloned herself 11 times, but, if you have the desire you can wear what you want to wear. You can be who you want to be.

Those of us missing the European touch can hang out in suburbs such as Glebe or Erko. On a hot day, you can head to the beach. Good Asian food is always available just outside of Chinatown. To see superficial Sydney just visit Darling Harbour.

And Melbourne will never have the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

I related all of this the other day to a German friend who I’d met in Sydney. “Finally!” She cried. “Finally you understand what a great city you live in!”

To watch our videos on Melbourne, go here:
Shorter version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_JZm3ORDSY
Longer version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuTusbCf0ks

Ten Travel Tips

2010-03-05T11:58:00.001+11:00

"Ten humourous tips for travelling anywhere..."

The first of our vlog series, this video outlines our ten primary tips which advise travellers on how to have a great trip, no matter where you're going.

We devised these tips based on our own travelling experiences.

This year we will visit a range of Australian destinations, documenting the adventures these tips inspire. We will also upload various other videos offering travel advice and relationship strategies amongst other things.

Myrah and Mahalia's Travel Adventures

2010-03-04T06:10:00.000+11:00

'Myrah and Mahalia's Travel Adventures' details the travel adventures of the MnMTravellers, two girls who consider themselves very clever to have concealed their true identities under the guise of 'Myrah' and 'Mahalia'. Of course, their physical appearance is no secret.

The duo decided to document their travel adventures when, after realising that people often laughed at them, that "we wanted to get more people laughing at us, so why not go digital?" This year they will travel around Australia, offering advice and tips (not always just on travelling) along the way. Their love for travelling, their wisdom and their innate ability to make fools of themselves provide the perfect basis for their vlog.

Our talented vloggers have devised 10 tips which will ensure a wonderful travelling holiday, no matter where or when one is. Myrah and Mahalia film the adventures that these tips inspire during their travels throughout the world. They also make a number of complementary videos which offer advice on certain aspects of life.

The MnMTravellers consider themselves travel experts; Myrah having lived in three countries and travelled extensively through Australasia with her parents and Mahalia having travelled on her own for 10 months through Europe, Africa and North America. "Our best source of knowledge is our love for travelling," says Myrah.

Popularity - The MnMTravellers are very proud to announce a new addition to their fan club, The MnMGroupies. The fanbase total now stands at 4. Myrah's mother is President.