Everybody hates a tourist

I'm going overseas in just over a month. Soooo excited. But a bit nervous too. I don't have heaps of cash but we've booked all our accomodation so it's good to have some things in place.

We're going to a variety of places we've never been. China will be fun as I'm meeting up with someone I have't seen since high school and an old friend from here, both of whom are teaching English in China.

I'm interested to know things/places/stores/galleries I should be looking at in Berlin, New York and Montreal....

Yes, I can look up the internet and Lonely Planet guides but personal recommendations are always wonderful :-). I also love meeting up with people so if you fancy a coffee or a glass of wine, let me know, it' always exciting putting faces to names and getting to know people. Of course, I would offer such hospitality to anyone visiting Oz. You can email me: ms.cate@gmail.com

It will be odd to have summer in other countries after the roasting hot drought we have had here. My guilty pleasure will be having baths, they aren't really an option here due to the water restrictions. I plan to spend at leas one evening lying in a bath drinking Pimms! I also can't wait to visit some galleries. My last overseas trip was rather frenetic as Chris was trying to squish far too much in and I ended up rather burnt out. I'm hoping to take a big step back this time (cant walk far or fast anyway due to my achillies problem) so it will be very much self paced. I'm hoping to do some drawing everyday, and keep a kind of journal.

I feel quite guilty not being bilingual. I learnt Italian in primary school and two years of french in the first two years of high school. I really enjoyed learning french but the classes were discontinued due to inappropriate behaviour by the teacher, and being at a Catholic school in a small country town, they were never offered again. I'd like to be fluent in another laungage and I might look at learning Indonesian next year as I'd really like to spend some time in South East Asia, perhaps even work there.

I'm constantly amazed by how far we are from so many countries. Chris finds is hard, he has been trying to organising a trip for his old London friends in the english countryside where his Dad lives but being poor muso types not many are really up for it and most haven't even bothered to reply to his invitations. I think he's quite hurt. Still I guess it's what happens when you move to another country indefinitely.

I've always wanted to live overseas, it's one of the reasons I am excited to visit Montreal. Though I am visiting very much as a blank slate which means no preconceptions.