23 Mar 2006 — See, as promised, I’m working to catch up on all my backlogs. Not bad uh? For those of you who were sharp enough to pick up on the words “needed to sort out some stuff before I make anything official” in my blog a couple of days back and have since been speculating, well, guess no more. THIS is the big reveal!

Yup, in a mere few weeks, this girl has been up to much, including my short and almost-sweet stint at AllergyFree. What’s that you ask? Well, it’s a retail store located in the spanking new Bondi Junction Westfield that caters to customers with allergies – all sorts: nuts, dairy, wheat, soy, egg, dustmites, grasses, pollen, gluten, you name it! In addition to selling all sorts of natural, chemical-free products like baby stuff, cosmetics, toiletries, bedding and household cleaners but to name a few, the store also provides massage services as well as a naturopathic consultations. So for all your anti-allergic needs and more, head on down to Shop 1008, Level 1 Westfield Shoppingtown, Bondi Junction, NSW. And yup, I was working there as a naturopath. Or at least that was my position. In reality, I was more a glorified retail assistant in heels – spending most of my 3 weeks there unpacking boxes and restocking shelves. Oh, and let’s not forget the grueling massages that I had to do along the way.

Not to say there wasn’t potential to practice a lot more as a naturopath had I stayed on. And in fact, I did take one case – a hayfever client. My first real patient really. And I did get excited coming up with her herbal formula and putting it together in a bottle, felt very much like an alchemist mixing up a potent brew. That was good fun.

But it wasn’t for the lack of patients nor patience that I decided to quit. I had to leave ‘cos in less than a week, I would be relocating to the Land of Smiles. Yep! Thailand! Some of you may have heard me mentioning about Chiva Som. Well, guess what? I got the job! So yes folks, I’m really and finally leaving Sydney, and just in time to avoid the cold, harsh winter. Destination: Hua Hin. 3 hours by car from Bangkok traveling south.

And yes, I know your next question. The answer is: No. William will not be going with me. He’ll be staying here in Sydney with Bodhi till it’s time for him to relocate to the US later this year. So yeah, we’re gonna be spending some time apart. It’s not going to be easy, but at this point, we both agree I need to do this for myself, both in terms of my career and my own personal growth. And a little distance and absence is definitely going to go a long way in making this heart grow fonder.

Yep, as I turn 30, I need this brief interval to focus on myself, to reassess the person I’ve become and the person I wish to be for the next 30 years. A little “me” time, before I head back home to do the Singaporean thing of setting up home and family. Frankly, I don’t know where the courage to do this stems from. In fact, the few people I’ve told are actually quite shocked I’m able to “tear” myself away from William considering we’ve been living together for the last 7 years! My latest inspiration comes surprisingly from an Aussie “Biggest Loser” contestant, Kristie. She said, “When you’re comfortable, you don’t grow.” And I definitely think it’s time for me to step out of my comfort zone into uncharted territory. I know I’ll survive and be the better for it. And hey, along the way, when the going gets tough, I know I’ll have you to bitch to! So keep your fingers, toes and eyes crossed for me!

In the meantime, some photos of AllergyFree. Yeah, feeling a tad guilty for quitting after 3 weeks (though officially they didn’t even give me a contract till the day before I quit, which I didn’t sign of course), so just making up for it with some free publicity.

Main entrance

Overview of shop. See, really pretty and pleasant looking, isn’t it?

Natural cosmetics and baby clothes made from organic cotton

Oooh, my favourite soaps in the world. We actually met the lady, Patty Flynn, who made these at a market during our trip up to Cairns. And you bet I’m taking a few of these babies to Hua Hin with me.

Me behind the counter. I must say the welfare at AllergyFree is pretty good. It’s one of those few rare retail outlets that actually provide a stool for employees to sit on. Most just expect you to stand on your feet the entire day!

My favourite part of the store! The dispensary! Just look at those bottles of herbs on the shelves, aren’t they gorgeous? And if you can tolerate the taste, they can do a world of wonders for you too!

Right at the back of the store, on the left, is the massage room. Again, very pretty. And that magnificent lotus, it was painted by the boss’s friend.

And on the right, is the naturopathic room, which is where I would take the cases.

That’s the end of our little virtual tour. So if you’re in town and feeling all itchy and scratchy, you know where to go!

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 23rd, 2006 at 6:41 pm and is filed under General Ramblings. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.