Monday 27 January 2014

there's no place like home

Home sweet home. I'm back in sunny Melbourne after an awesome adventure to foggy Londontown! Home is sweet after six weeks away. There is a new appreciation for the sight of the rugged landscape and the summery smell of Australia. There truly is no place quite like home. 

I am thankful for my time on European shores spent in the home of my twin sister and brother-in-law. In the last week, I ticked off the remaining items on my to-see list: I visited Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery, shopped at the eclectic Camden market, took my sister out to a goodbye lunch, and prepared myself for the long trip home. Fortunately, I've discovered the trick to sleeping on planes (and public transport in general) - wear an eye mask and ear plugs, take melatonin, and be content with rest if you can't sleep (this generally means you'll fall asleep as you aren't kept awake worrying about not sleeping!).

Next week, I'm back into my day job of teaching the art of singing, but as for now… I am recovering from my jet lag and enjoying the warm days ahead. I am excited for this new year and the potential for what it holds! I'm a planner and as such, I've many plans for 2014. But, I also trust in a God who is bigger than me and has greater plans for my life than I could ever wish, hope or dream. 

I've previously shared with you my plans to begin my health coaching practice this year around July and I'll be keeping you updated as the months pass. Over the coming weeks, you can expect blog posts on the topics of treatments for candidiasis, my thoughts on quitting sugar, how to listen to your body and what cravings are saying, more methods for detoxing, and more healthy and delicious raw vegan recipes!

Thank you again for taking the time to read my blog posts. If you have any topic requests please let me know via the comments section below. I look forward to journeying with you in this new year! Be blessed! X


Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery, London


Camden market and a delightful raw vegan dessert!


Saying good bye to my twin sister… again!!!


Memories and good times from my UK trip!


Rebooting my health with this yummy green juice

Quote for the Road…


For whatsoever from one place doth fall,
Is with the tide unto an other brought;
For there is nothing lost, that may be found, if sought.
- Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queen

Tuesday 21 January 2014

letters from londontown... part two

Hello dear readers! Just a fun update from the not-so-foggy Londontown. The weather in Europe has been quite mild for this time of year. Even though it is now mid-January I've had to travel to the Alps to see snow during my trip! But, you probably didn't tune in to know what the weather's been like in the northern hemisphere (let me tell you though, I'm hanging out for some sunny southern hemisphere weather!). I'll be able to replenish my vitamin D stores soon as I am home in Melbourne by the end of the week.

Since my last blog post I've been living like a Londoner and spending time on the tube making my way around London. As you can see from the collage of photos below I experienced my very first infrared sauna and boy, I practically melted in there! Amazingly effective for detoxing your body through good ole sweat. Yes, sweat. More to come on that soon.

A highlight of my week has been my 3-day trip to Frankfurt, Germany to visit family friends, the Kiefer's. The sights of Frankfurt were shown to me in the best way possible - by Germans! We visited the German vegan supermarket chain, Veganz, the film museum, the Goethe House and the Goethe Museum. Goethe was a famous German writer and many of his texts are set to German art songs, or Lieder, which I've sung over the years being a classically-trained singer and all.

We explored the city and the cathedrals. I experienced how the Germans like to party - they set fire to sugar that drips into hot wine (feuerzangenbowle)! I was creative in the kitchen and answered many questions about veganism to many a curious German. Fortunately, two out of three of the Kiefer's I stayed with were vegetarians! Frankfurt surprised me with it's green parks, rich history and the koala I spotted in a teddy bear store. But what astounded me most is that I had to travel to Germany to learn the meaning of my German surname. Siede (pronounced see-dee in Aussie) means "boiling". My first name, Brooke, means "small stream". My parents literally named me "water boiling". How very bizarre.

Thank you Thomas, Marcella and Sandra for your warmth, generosity and excellent company. May we meet again one day! 

With love, 
Brooke.


Fruity painting by yours truly and riding around the dock with my twin sister


My very first infrared sauna and my fave place, Wholefoods Market


My bags are packed, I'm ready to go...


Snapshots from my trip to the pretty city of Frankfurt!


With the beautiful Marcella at a market in Frankfurt

Book for a Look...


A lovely friend of mine's husband has just released an e-book for natural alternatives to healing headaches and migraines. If you suffer from either I highly recommend you check it out at this link.

Tuesday 14 January 2014

letters from londontown... part one

Hello friends! What an exciting start to the new year it's been! I am currently writing this from my cosy little bedroom in London knowing that all my peeps back in Melbourne will be sweltering this week from the crazy heatwave. What I would give for some vitamin D! In less than two weeks I'll be home again ready for summer but during the last two weeks I've been on an 8-day journey through Europe. In the cold of winter. With my frenemies bread and pasta. Blah. They kept me alive but they made me feel less than pleasant!

On the upside I've ticked travel destinations off my bucket list. First stop Paris, France. I climbed the Eiffel Tower, rode around the city seeing the sights on a bike tour (the tour guide was an Aussie!?!), found a perfumery with my sister from another mister (my tour buddy Tiff whose name is the same as my real life sister!), admired the Notre Dame and ate lots of pasta. With Switzerland came vegetables. Hallelujah! This fruit hoarder collector had more reasons to live again! My tour drove to the majestic Swiss Alps and we stayed in the beautifully picturesque Engelberg. Of course, I consumed copious amounts of dark Swiss chocolate (dairy-free) and spent a day skiing on Mount Titlis with my Topdeck buddies. Dream. Come. True.

Next stop, Italy. I stood in awe of Michelangelo's David in Florence and enjoyed a night on the quaint cobble-stoned town that may have seen me sing in a karaoke bar. In Rome, I made a wish at the Trevi Fountain and toured through the Vatican, Sistene Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica and the Colosseum all in one big day. Rome may not have been built in a day but I pretty much toured it all in a day! Italy was of course interspersed with pasta but this time there was lots of fruit and vegetables too, which made me feel happier and healthier. My tour buddies and I even managed to stumble across a gelato place, Flor, that catered for food intolerances. And as they say, when in Rome...

What beautiful places, what beautiful people. If this is my start to the new year I can't wait to see how my 2014 unfolds. 

How's your dreaming coming along?

With love,
Brooke.


A view of the skyline at Millwall Dock and my new website


Ready for my 8-day journey through France, Switzerland & Italy


Exploring the city of lights, delightful Paris, on a bicycle!


The beautiful Engelberg in Switzerland with my tour buddies


Living the dream - skiing with swagger in the Swiss Alps!


The awe inspiring sights of Florence & Rome in Italy


Fun and food back in London after my Topdeck Tour

Quote for the Road...

"God is not your drill sergeant, He's your dance partner. Religion says march, grace invites you to dance." Rev. Raymond Bevan, Hillsong London.

Wednesday 1 January 2014

dreaming in the new year

Happy New Year! Just thought I'd get on the new years bandwagon in the blogosphere. Can I share my two cents with you? Instead of making resolutions, I propose setting intentions. This has been something I've done in 2013 during my health coaching course. Intentions, unlike resolutions, are flexible and they change as we change. Intentions are the driving force behind goals and they guide us but don't restrict us. This means we don't have to be perfect!

An intention is an aim or purpose. An intention is something we set out to do though how we get there may change or develop over time. And how you use that time is important. That is why I plan the outworking of my intentions into my calendar, into how my days, weeks, months and years look. These are my daily, weekly, monthly and yearly goals; here's the SMART way to effective goals.

I encourage you to start dreaming dreams for 2014. Write them down, plan them in, see them come to life!
Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. (Isaiah 43:18-19, NIV). 


With my bro-in-law at the Science Museum & Natural History Museum


Health food booty from Greenlands at Greenwich


Christmas day family photos and delicious vegan food


Yes, I braved the Boxing day sales! 


Road trip to Cambridge where I found a lane named after me (minus two e's!)


Silliness with my twin sister and my Pukka tea obsession


Awesome last church service for 2013 at Hillsong London 


Fun day out at vegan restaurant Saf and walking through Hyde Park


Here's to greater things to come in 2014! X