We made it!

We made it! We made it! We made it! We made it! We made it! We made it!

We get to be in love with each other and be together both at the same time!!!!

Now we have 21 days all to ourselves and then the rest of our lives....

The journey is about to begin!

Africa is starting to feel so real right now. Today I went down to the travel clinic and got my yellow fever shot, amongst other important inoculations. Both my arms are quite swollen at the moment, but I refuse to take any meds because I want to toughen up for the mountain... in other words I want to save the drugs until they are utterly necessary :)

So, there is less than two weeks to go until Lucas and I see each other for the rest of our lives! It's soo crazy when you think about it..... I can't even begin to describe the raw emotions that are being experienced at this moment in time. I wonder how I'm going to act when I get off that plane and see him in the Dubai airport..... I was telling a mom at work today about Lucas and my story, and she was so amazed by our dedication towards each other. She also said that it's going to be so romantic when we are finally together.... well, though I'm looking forward to the romance, being a normal couple is what excites me the most! It's going to be awesome to be able to go to the movies and do little things together. I'm going to be great to laugh at life and make fun of one and other again. It will be nice to be able to build experiences as a couple and not live these separate lives like we are at present. Man oh man, there is going to be lots of adjusting, but nothing I can't handle. It's all worth it in the end, because I'll finally have my Lucas.

Getting Ready for Kilimanjaro

It's hard to believe that this time last year Lucas was in Canada and we were celebration my mum's 50 birthday. It was the first time my family had ever met the crazy Australian, and now, a year latter, we are preparing for our marriage as well as our adventures in Africa.

For all of you that don't know, Lucas and I are going to Africa in August to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. It is the tallest mountain in Africa and is about 19,300 feet and borders Tanzania and Kenya. We are doing the route called Shira, and it should take us approximately 6-8 days to complete. This will be my first experience hiking at such high altitudes so I'm praying that I don't get too sick with the elevation changes.

After our climb, we are going to heading to the Serengeti for a proper safari. We'll then by flying to Egypt and spending a couple of relaxing days amidst the pyramids of GIZA and the tombs of the great kings. Egypt is so rich in history and culture, and has always been a place I've wanted to visit so this is a particular point of interest for me.

This year has been one filled with ups and downs, but to be honest Lucas and I are quite lucky. We've had the opportunity to meet up in places like London, Paris and Estonia throughout this past year. Now that our time is coming to and end, I realise that this separation was a vital part in making us better for each other so that we can be great partners in life. I'm so proud that we stuck this out, and I think the distance was something that made us stronger...... it's been tough but I would have it no other way!

Well today I am off to buy my climbing equipment. I need to get a high quality backpack and day pack, a rain jacket and a few other goodies. We will definitely make sure to post all of photos upon our return from Africa!

Non Impediment

Getting married abroad is a great idea I think. There is nothing better than having something that is relatively simple and taking it to Africa to making is a little more complex and hence, interesting J And what better thing to make interesting than the most important thing in your life; Marriage to your life partner!

So Farah and I are in the process of getting the necessary forms for becoming man and wife in Arusha, Tanzania. Our marriage will take place on the 18th of August 2007 and all are welcome! That same day we will be heading off the climb the world’s highest free standing mountain, which is kinda like Toronto’s CN tower, the world’s tallest free standing building….

So anyways…. We have to get certificates of non impediment to marry from our respective local authorities, mine the Australian Consulate in Dubai and Farah from the Foreign Affairs and International Trade Department in Ottawa. It’s funny, mine takes 30 minutes and Farah’s takes 10 – 15 working days and has to be sent via mail, same outcome different process. On top of this I have a standard form to fill out provided in .pdf on the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs website, whilst Farah has a vague statement on a hard to find website, which basically states that a lawyer has to draft up some affidavit, which then needs to be signed and sent via mail with a certified copy of Farah’s birth certificate….All this for a form to allow us to get married!? Imagine what must be required to have children…. Well that’s the funny thing isn’t it. We have to jump through hoops, fill forms etc to say we love each other and stick together for life. But to bring a new human being onto the planet requires nothing, no Government involvement whatsoever. How did the bureaucracy ever miss this jurisdiction?

Well it is a funny process to organise and who knows if it will work in the end. I am still relying on Geofrey Kimaro from Tanzania on ensuring that the Government Official is available and organised to marry us on the day. But this is part of the adventure. One of many we will have in our lives together. Let’s face it. We could get married in Toronto, and honeymoon in some western run resort, but would this be real and true to ourselves? No. Yellow fever injections and dealing with foreign bureaucracies is much more fun, annoying yes, but these things stretch you and help you learn more. I cannot imagine a better way to start our married life together… Our honeymoon will be climbing Kilimanjaro together. We truly are a lucky couple!

This is the plan then. Married in 53 days, at the top of Africa 5 days later and then saying our vows in front of friends and family two weeks after that. It’s going to be a blast!

Competing and eating in Estonia

Blue, blue sky…. Green, green grass…. And beautiful, beautiful Farah… that is what I am left with after our trip to Estonia. It was our first time seeing each other since March, so after two and a half months apart the joy of seeing each other at the airport is something only long distance relationship goers can understand.

We both flew multiple connections to get there. Farah via London and Helsinki and myself via Amsterdam (oh the land of clogs, cheese and space cakes J but we got to Tallinn in the end. During the flight I even managed to read Harry Potter – Chamber of Secrets, which I know has made Farah a much happier person…

Our first day in Parnu, which was a 2 hour bus ride south of Tallinn the night of our arrival, involved a lovely sleep in, long breakfast, riding bikes around the town and swimming (for about 1 min) in the Baltic Sea. Then it was off to the Opera and a nice performance of Carmen, which I was to find out later from those more expertacious in the Opera field was a below par performance at best? Hmmm well I thought it was lovely and Farah got drawn as number five to sing the next morning….

Game day: Well I think I will let Farah explain this one, but I will note that she sung beautifully but I was to learn the hard fact of a career in performance, which is you just cannot be sure of anything. So we found out that evening that Farah would not progress and we then decided to go out drinking and eating, something Farah and I always get first place in :-P We were also joined by another Canadian singer, Krista and an evening of outside dining ensued.

The next day we got a car and drove off into the wilderness, which in Estonia means flat green land, either cultivated for agriculture or trees, which are later cut down and used for paper etc. I managed to give Farah her first driving lesson and she mastered friction point with ease… Oh yes I have myself a fast learner… this makes Lucas, the easily frustrated teacher, very, very happy.
The next day we were off to Latvia and a day of eternal driving, which was finished with some trampoline jumping, more eating and drinking, some pool and a night in a hostel with the worlds best and most impressive snorer, and a homeless family and their daughter who started crying every time the snorer started snoring…

Next day back to Tallinn and walking and sight seeing… oh and more eating, but no drinking this time. Which was contrary to what most of the other Estonians were into as looking at their supermarkets one gets the distinct impression that they are a nation of hardcore drinkers (note 45% of Russian middle aged males die due to alcohol related illness - 35% of Estonians are Russian by descent and Russia is right next door...). A supermarket with rows and rows of cooled drinks and not one of them non-alcoholic!!!!

All in all a great trip I have to say. I mean okay we went there to compete but at the end of the day we had great fun exploring and eating and just spending time together. And now only eight weeks away from our next adventure… Marriage!!! It’s odd how comfortable I feel about all this, I am not worried or stressed at all. I just never knew I would meet a Farah before. Now having met her the decision to marry her is a no brainer.. Let the adventures continue….

Also: Check http://lucas.intercate.net/gallery/Estonia for some pics of the trip :-)

Farah's first post

Ola everyone, this is officially my first contribution to Lucas and my joint blog. We both thought this would be a great way for us to share our stories along the way with our friends and family. Lucas and I plan on doing a lot of traveling, and our overall goal is to help better the world through the use of:
a) our intellect
b) our ability to care for fellow human beings.

It's been a rough couple of months for the two of us. Never underestimate the difficulty of having a long distance relationship. You really have to care about each other in order to do this, and if you are about to embark on this challenge I have comprised a few tips for you to keep in mind.

1. Make sure you talk over the internet and buy a web cam. MSN is the best way in pursuits of creating a real conversation between the two of you.
2. Keep busy! Try not to mope about your situation.
3. Send mail to one and other. This could be e-mail or it could be post mail. I am aware that by sending post mail you are contributing to CO2 emissions, but frankly it's worth it :D
4. Discuss positive events you have coming up in your lives. Try to focus less on the obvious negatives and more on the fun adventures or experiences you will have when you are together.
5. GO TO THE GYM EVERYDAY!!!

So, our wedding is in full swing. We are in the midsts of getting our guest list and invitations together. I'm working on the menu, as this is probably the most important part for Lucas and I. Our ceremony is going to be lead by my eldest brother, Arshad and Lucas and I are going to ask our siblings and their partners to do readings as well. All and all I am very happy with the progress of the event.

We both are going to Estonia in June and we look forward in posting our adventures for you all to read about!

The first post

So here begins what will surely grow into a rich and exciting part of our web life together. In the posts and pages to come will be the story of the final months of our life apart, of the adventures through Africa of our becoming one, of our officially becoming one in the eyes of the law in Toronto on 8th September 2007, of the beginning of our lives together, both studying and working and then the moving in to the first home of our own in May 2008.

The stories, as all in life, will have ups and downs but the stories will be something we will write together as our lives unfold as one long novel of adventure and experience I hope you join us in enjoying some of times along the way.

All the best.

Farah and Lucas.