I don't believe I'm sitting here on this train, writing this journal, drinking this coffee, wearing these clothes, taking in the view of these snowy mountains. It is both so real and surreal.

In addition to this blog, I also keep a written journal of my personal thoughts, what I'm feeling, etc; something more for my own benefit, rather than this, which is a diversion out of your busy lives at best.

But today, perhaps the result of sleep-deprived delerium (as I type this, I'm approaching 40 hours without sleep, thanks to some awkwardly-timed flights and train trips), I had the epiphany I've been waiting for. After an absolutely excruciating 13-hour flight, we took the slightly more relaxed train trip from Frankfurt to Munich. The trip was amazing, with views of increasingly mountaineous and snow- and ice-covered scenery, the further we went along. As the train sidled to one of the few stops on our trip, it began to snow. I am not ashamed to say I was in awe, like a kid at Christmastime.

And that's when it hit me. Singapore was such a Westernised country, with a warm climate, where I was hanging out with friends, and where most people speak barely-adequate English (like Australia!). But here, only select people speak English and the weather is freezing! My point is, this finally feels like something significant, rather than a brief holiday away. Of course, this means the excitement has increased tenfold, but so too has the reality that I'm so far from home and it finally feels like it. Perhaps most pressing in my mind is the return of the cloud of uncertainty that's been hanging over me ever since I started to consider this trip. I'm sure I'll find my feet soon enough. But for now, I'm in this very opaque state-of-mind.

Forgot to mention our trip to Sim Lim Square yesterday as well (where shopping is a baffling ordeal). Haggling is the name of the game here, and the tactics used by some of the shopkeepers are shifty to say the least! Sim Lim Square is a massive five-story (I think) shopping complex specialising exclusively in electronics. Needless to say, it's utter pandemonium, but an experience to wander about, and avoid people offering you reams of catalogues, people attempting to sell you ridiculously overpriced goods (pre-haggle) and people trying to sell you said ridiculously overpriced goods if you so much as touch it (as per the, you make contact with it, you bought it store policy). Oh the hilarity!

Thanks all for your comments on the blog! Much appreciated! I'll be checking in soon!

Caveat: German keyboards are zany.

At Singapore Airport waiting for the next two hours to pass before our flight (13 hours; can't wait!).

Not much to report today (these daily entries are an anomoly, I assure you). Spent a quiet one by the pool, after a bit of shopping.

Sad to say the most exciting thing was hotcakes at McDonald's this morning. Honest to God, they are some of the best pancakes I've had (and they dump all over Macca's back home). They have this rich, creamy butter that just melts in your mouth! Delish!

Yes, you just read correctly. I'm in some exotic locale raving about fast food. We all have our off days.

My bag is now substantially lighter that I'm carrying around the many layers of clothes I anticipate I'll be wearing once we hit Frankfurt (and later tomorrow, Munich). We'll be spending a few days at a hostel in the city (my first hostel experience; should be interesting!) before heading out to Passau for a week and a bit.

Anyway, the clock is ticking on this infernal machine and I need to log off. Best wishes to all, and I look forward to chatting to you soon!

Spent today at Sentosa, a sprawling island resort with numerous attractions scattered across it.

With lots of pizza and a Rasa Sling (midori, triple sec, pineapple juice, strawberries and ice) resting contentedly in my stomach, the afternoon was spent lying on the bright, white sand of Siloso beach, soaking up the sun and listening to the rhythmic beats of island music interspersed with the lapping of the waves on the shore behind me. Can't think of anywhere else I'd rather be. Bliss!

The beach was our last stop on the island, following a trip up the Carlsberg Sky Tower (Singapore's tallest observation tower) and refusing to pass up the opportunity to allow four venomous scorpions to crawl all over me (pictures to come, for those of you who don't believe me). Oh, and we got to visit (and climb) the Merlion, a massive stone statue that has been moved from another island in the area.

We (window-)shopped late into the night last night; if there's one thing Singaporeans know how to do, it's shop. Open (and packed full of people) well into the night, each shopping complex is bigger than the last, but if you want a bargain, one of the many markets on the street is the place to go. I'm now the proud owner of a genuine cheapy Singapore watch! Trés thrifty!

Tomorrow's our last day in Singapore; we fly out late tomorrow night to Frankfurt (approximately 13 hours) and from there we're immediately catching a four-hour train ride to Munich. I'm eagerly looking forward to wearing 17 layers of clothes simultaneously and consequently freeing up some space in my already-bursting-at-the-seams backpack.

I'll be checking in in Germany!

Here I am in Singapore!

Can't get my head around it, to be honest. In fact, this, my third day here, is the first where I actually feel like I'm in Singapore. As a country, it's very Westernised. Virtually everyone speaks English and a great deal of the stores - Starbucks, McDonalds, KFC - are all places you'd find in Australia (or indeed, most Western countries). This, coupled with the warm weather and familiar company over the past few days, is making this trip feel more like a holiday than anything substantial (I 'd say everything will come crashing down once we reach Germany, where the weather is literally freezing and no-one speaks English).

After a couple of minor hiccups upon arrival that saw us moved to another hotel (the lovely Peninsula Excelsior, from which we were offered amazing views of the city, including a birds-eye view on Chinatown, which is decked out in all kinds of lights and decorations for the impending Chinese New Year celebrations), we were able to get into more of a routine the next morning at the Parkroyal.

Yesterday morning was spent recovering from the gruelling eight-hour flight, but in the afternoon I was fortunate enough to catch up with Nick (who has been taking great delight in the fact he's technically the last person to see me before I go to Europe) at the Shaw Centre for a spot of shopping Singapore-style (think endless labarynthine corridors of shops that would be no more than a metre-and-a-half wide each). After a superb complementary buffet dinner at the Parkroyal, we braved the Singapore markets to check out hundreds and hundreds of stalls selling essentially the same three things (cheap clothes, knock-off watches and counterfeit CDs). Absolutely packed with people, of course, all hoping to pick up Elton John's latest burnt CD or the new Beverly Hills 90210 merchandise.

Today has been the most exciting day yet. Taking a taxi to the outskirts of the city - from which you can see the Malaysian skyline - we paid a visit to the amazing Singapore Zoo. By far the best zoo I've ever seen, it houses almost every animal under the sun - otters, zebras, polar bears, penguins, seals, elephants, and yes, lions, tigers and bears (oh my!). Oh, and primates! Primates as far as the eye can see! It's not hard to believe the zoo houses the largest collection of primates in the world. I even got to ride an elephant and have my photo taken with an orangutan (try guessing which one is which; I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!). The zoo had it all (including not one, but two of its own KFCs!).

Otherwise, the past few days have been spent with lots of R&R; the hotel has an amazing pool area that looks like it belongs in Tahiti. Singapore's an amazing country, which, for its size (approximately 46km x 26km) and population (approaching four million people), is unlike anything else - I'm really beginning to warm to it, actually.

Obligatory weather remarks: it's hot and humid, but not as bad as I thought it would be. In fact, I think the heat was at its worst when we stepped off the plane. Since then, it's been tolerable, with most places having air-conditioning (except this blasted Internet café!).

Tomorrow, we're off to Sentosa, dubbed "Singapore's Island Resort". Plenty to see and do, which should be an all-day affair. Then one last day here and we're off to Frankfurt and then, Munich (current temperature: a summery -3°C).

Apologies also for not replying to emails; something's funky with the web set-up here and it won't let me log on. Hope to be able to contact you all via email once we get to Europe.

Hope all's well down under!

The true gravity of the situation has finally hit me. I know I've been saying this for weeks months, but, well, it's been nothing like this. It's scary, it's sad, but above all else, it's exciting... and I expected as much. The only surprise is that I am unusually calm about it all, when it should be panic stations.

A very sincere thank you to everyone for your support and guidance over the past few months, and for putting up with the occasional (alright, frequent) "What have I gotten myself into?" moment. It's been a ride of ups and downs to this point and I haven't even boarded the plane yet. I cannot say how much I have appreciated everyone's company during this time (to say the least), and, if I may indulge in a (brief, I promise) sappy moment, I'll miss you all dearly; leaving my family and friends has been the hardest part of this whole trip. If any of you happen to wind up in Europe over the next 12 months, be it on holiday or if you're just swinging by on your way to the store for some milk, I'd love to catch up!

And to my traveling buddies, who probably won't be reading this ("We were there, remember?"), here's to our adventure!

Tomorrow, we'll be boarding a plane to Singapore, where we'll be staying for four nights at the classy Plaza Parkroyal Hotel. The current plan is to strike a balance between touristy stuff and shopping, so Mum, Dad, expect a call for money before I leave for Germany.

Singapore, I'm told, is experiencing some heavy torrential rain (which, compared with our "torrential rain" requires a snorkel and flippers if you plan on going outdoors), but it's still very hot and humid. Mind you, I'll soon be clamouring for anything the slightest bit warm (I anticipate my blood-hot chocolate level to be well above the legal limit).

Can't think I've got anything left to say, other than I wish everyone the very best in their respective endeavours in 2006!

A quick word about this aptly-titled blog. I'll be updating often with photos, stories and inane anecdotes, plus there's a little comments section at the bottom where you can leave comments... obviously. Oh, and there's a link to my photo gallery on the front page, plus my email address. Keep in touch everyone!

Now, where did I leave my ticket?