Random thoughts...

A stage of exploration

2007-03-25T15:51:00.000-04:00

I hate it everytime when i log in to my blog and realise i haven't been posting much entries and am struggling to summarize my highlights for the past month. This blog is slowly becoming a monthly affair.

So many things had happenned in the past month and without chronological order, I am just gonna blah with whatever that pops into my mind first.

After what seem to be a year, we finally meet again. I was so excited with Jen & June's visit to KL. It was an event we had planned for 3 - 4 months, probably more. In fact, the first time in this year that i applied 3 days leave. It has been an incredibly hectic week at work right before they came so their visit to Malaysia happened at the most perfect time when i just so needed a break from work. With no specific itinerary in mind except shopping, eating and some much-needed pampering - it was truly unforgettable.

I was the main consultant that helped contributed to Malaysia's economy through Jen's excessive shopping and am also the main financial mental calculator of the constant conversion of Aussie dollars to Ringgit. lol... June babe, you owe me our photos!! There were lotsa catch up, hard core shopping, excessive bingeing and oh did i mention, french manicure. It was our first and last french manicure. Before i even managed to walk out from the salon, i ruined mine thrice - clearly a sign of insufficient feminine hormones. 5 days of hardcore shopping, I found 2 things that i've always had difficulty finding - a white spaghetti top and a strapless bra. The technical configurations of both the purchased item and my body is just too complicated to describe here.

I felt happy, depressed and hopeful after they left. Happy coz it was a good 5 days get together. Depressed coz i know we wouldn't see each other for another year. And hopeful because i am looking forward to our next gathering in Bangkok. :) Thank goodness I had another 2 fantastic nights at work to cheer me up. It was our Annual Retreat @ Mariott Putrajaya. Man, they have the best beds ever. I have never in my life slept in such a comfortable bed before. Even beating those of Presidential Suite @ Hyatt Saujana. The bonding with the team was very productive and it was my first work "sleepover" or so to speak. I was again the chosen MC for one of the events with the golden opportunity to interview Maya Karin (ex Channel V VJ and L'Oreal Paris new spokesperson).

And just as i begin to settle down in my comfort zone, i was proposed a new career option in which i have to decide by Friday. The thought of it pumps my nerves. I am challenged yet terrified. As cliche as this may sound, it is an obvious choice of staying in my comfort zone or taking risks in life.

I also realised how thankful i am now that i have Fri cells, Sun service and a good ol' book to keep my mind sane. Currently reading: Anyone out There? by Marian Keys.

All this with the company of my soul mate. *grin* What more can a girl asks for?

Because i am sleepy now, i wanna quickly conclude this entry with another 5 things tht made my month a highlight - 1. a fine purse from Japan 2. my new workstation 3. a good group catch up with fatso Richie 4. my new L'Oreal make-up toolbox that weighs 5kg and 5. finding a car park within 2 mins in Murni last night.

And just before u start thinking everything's going well with my life right now, i also wanna highlight 5 things that made my month a bummer - 1. RM 100 saman fr MPPJ for illegal parking @ Raju's 2. Again slapped with 780 bucks of road tax plus yearly car insurans 3. my increasing jealousy towards my best friend just because she owns a pink PS 3 & a brand new mini ipod shuffle within a month 4. the sudden realisation that if i keep losing my appetite and keep losing weight, it is not gonna do any good to my already bamboo-looking body and 5. tomorrow is Monday.

And because i am broke and i thought since i'm broke ANYWAY, why not treat mum her birthday dinner @ Tamarind Hill tonight. :)

I need to start exploring my new bikini. Bought it a year ago & have not worn it yet.

Dreams

2007-02-25T18:55:00.000-05:00

I've always wondered how accurate dreams are. I've had my fair share of good, bad and weird dreams. I remember when i was young i dreamt that i was peeing in my primary school loo, only to wake up finding myself wetting my own bed. Of course, with which i shall not disclose my age then.

I remember vividly those moments i had when i was awake, feeling... Hey, I've dreamt about this scene before. And it's actually happening right in front of your eyes. Deja Vu. I also remember those dreams when I keep on falling and falling and falling until I'm awake.

Amanda once told me how a ghost "slept" on her and she was awaken from her dream but she couldn't move an inch. I experienced that once before. And choose to believe that I was just plain tired to move and consciously went back to sleep.

Few nights ago, I dreamt something so vividly real that I can still feel it in me. It was so clear. It happened (or rather will be happening) in Dec 07 in Melbourne. Jeremy propose to me at my brother's wedding. (!!!!) I was there for Andy & Audrey's wedding and straight after the dance, he walked up to me said he had yet to let me go and couldn't bear living another second without me. He knelt and propose with a ring he bought from Melbourne Aquarium (one of our dating spots).

I've heard from somewhere dreams at night usually portrays your inner feelings when you're awake.

Nah~

When old pals meet..

2007-02-21T19:21:00.000-05:00

you let yr hair down. When old pals meet, u lose yrself and only care abt them. When old pals meet, it's as though nothing in the world matters but carefree, unconstructed conversations.

The gang came over for CNY gathering today. Though we still miss Yvonne's & Amanda's presence. It was fun enough just to see their big fat face. *grin* High school memories flood again and being jst the way we are, we were childish. Stucking our tongues out while playing cards, showing our thumbs when someone loses... and of course, bingeing on the spread of cookies on the coffee table. I used to dwell on the fact that we are no longer as "close" as before because we don't see each other so often.

I was wrong. Throughout the years, i realised that the best of friends are not judged by the frequency of our meet-ups. But it's this special feeling u have whenever u're with them. It's extremely comfortable, non-judgemental, carefree and unplanned. I have to say, this are the bunch of people that keeps my feet to the ground. :)

Showered Sam with sooooo many make-up products I think it's sufficient for her to last the whole year. hehee... Go and show to the world that tax accountants in the Big 4 does not mean looking like a geek. Congrats girl! You're moving into another phase of life. Tip for my best friend: It's very easy to get sucked in the corporate world but have a few things that keeps yr senses. (eg. YH, close family ties, US) :D

CNY holidays have been faaaaantastic! It was a total relaxation year... I've never thought abt work even once. It was a week of catching up, poker, alcohol, ang pows and FOOOD. *nyek nyek*

I've been thinking right.... how do u differentiate between what is love and lust?

Currently anticipating: to watch Saw III. *grin*

My wedding....

2007-02-11T19:19:00.000-05:00

Guess what?!!!!... My bro's getting married.... *jumping jumping* Wooohoooo~~ It's so cool man. Andy proposed to Audrey yday. And obviously, she said YES. :) A new member to the family. I'm so excited. She's no longer my future sister-in-law. She IS my sister-in-law.

And he popped the magic question in a yacht he rented. Took her out to the sea and of course, my secretive brother didn't quite tell me the details lar... like what he said in his "speech". Can't believe it's all finally happening. Was talking to mum abt this. She too is speechless.... i mean, being a mother-in-law at the age of 45. WOW! And i am predicting, in 2 yrs time or less, you guys will see pics of Andy and Audrey junior running around....

Really felt that things are happening so fast. Fr high school to uni to graduation to working life and now married life.

I always think that marriage is a legal certificate to make love. haha... it's not. Really. ;P Marriage is more than the wedding itself. And more than sex. You can love a person but living with a person is a whole new thing.

Have u ever thought of yr ideal wedding?

I've got so many weddings to attend this year....... and this one does feels like my wedding. Congrats you two love birds and Audrey babe, welcome to the Ng family.

Currently feeling: dazed.

The fuzzy feeling

2007-02-04T18:57:00.000-05:00

I finally had time to sit in front of the computer today, only to realise flickr decided to have a "massage"... dammit! so yet to upload Korea pics and the latest happenings..

I came to a point where I realised the importance of work life balance. it's been a topic I've constantly mentioned, even I feel kinda sick of it. but to acknowledge and to grasp the notion is 2 entirely different thing. I've had a couple of "wake-up calls" fr my colleagues, most are more experienced. In fact, some lost their love ones because of this. And so I have been consistently leaving the office at latest 7.30pm. Sometimes earlier.

Oh did I mention I cut my fringe? Yup yup... I decided to begin 2007 with something new. Something that I've always wanted to do but never quite gather my guts to do it... besides, once u break a resolution, u gotta make it up to it. :) There are pics... blame it on Flickr.

Warm welcome to Ant who's in Malaysia. Met up with him a couple of times and will do again next week when he's back fr Penang. Another one of my fav friend is back too. He's loud. He's fat. He's hilarious. He's Richie. Woohoo~~ havent seen him for a year. And yeah, I miss you. :) Cupcake & I went shopping for ehem!... her darl's Valentine's pressie and someone's bday pressie fr Royal Selangor.

I love getting pressies for close friends. But my fav moment is to see that look in their faces while they rip it off.

Do u know one of the best feelings in the world is to see your boyfriend getting along with your best friend?! And to know that this is only the beginning.............. hmmmm..

Currently feeling: Happy for Sam for her awesome job offers. I'm praying for you for yr interview in Singapore.

The season of giving, receiving & forgiving.

2007-01-02T16:26:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!!!!! :) :) :) :)

To all blog owners out there, ushering new year without an entry abt how yr year has been and yr upcoming resolutions (it's okay even if you don't fulfill it) is a serious crime. Potentially more serious than Saddam's death sentence. And so, it's my turn to blabber...

I remember having this conversation with Phik Jin 30mins before countdown. If i were to summarize 06 in 1 sentence, it would be:

A year of adaptation.

There were so many things that I needed to adapt to since I was back to KL - the weather, the people, a new job, a new love, losing that new love, Jeremy, the changes within my old pals, the changes between me, Cupcake, Jen, June & Elina, adapting a new team member, expectations, new church, new cell group and my new bra. lol.

My boss once shared with me his goals in life. and then he asked what was mine. I was baffled for words. Not because I do not know what i want in future but because i don't know where to start. He urged me to write down my goals - both my personal & career life. According to him, it doesn't matter whether you achieved your goal or not, most importantly, you have some to start off with. and it is important to pen your thoughts and look at it once in a while when you feel as though you've lose yourself.

These are my life goals even if I don't achieve it:
1. Manage my own business one day.
2. Marry a man I love and admire by 27.
3. First kid by 29. Second by 30. Third by 31. (!!!)
4. Buy a sporty 4-wheel drive (thinkin of Rav 4) by 26.
5. Serve or lead a church ministry.
6. Forgive dad.
7. Travelled to Greece, Eygpt, Europe and Antartica by 30.

Hence, my 2007 resolutions are:
1. Stay single. Try to stay single.
2. Second promotion by July.
3. Attend cell. Seriously.
4. Climb Mount Kinabalu.

A few weeks ago, my church pastor said a sentence, which hit me and has since stuck in my head. This was what he said and elaborated for 1hr:

"Do not let the world and the pressures of work kill the child in you."

What a confronting moment!

I met this vibrant 20-year-old girl, whom i jst known for 3 seconds and i was attracted to her. because i felt like i was talking to myself.

Merry belated Christmas, peeps!

Korea blog to come soon, no mood for that at the moment.

1 month in 1 entry

2006-12-11T17:28:00.000-05:00

When work and social life gets the better off you, you neglect your poor blog. My brother was just being a plain busy-body yesterday and this was the conversation we had:

Little brat:"What's about you and blogging?"
Me: "What's about you and those girls?"

Good things first. I got my first ever promotion!!! *jumping* Yes, it's the time of the year again. My first ever year end review and it went well. :) Of course, there were the bits and pieces to improve but what the heck.. nobody's perfect!!

Another bouncy news - Sam's back for good!!! :) :) :) *muacks* You have no idea how much i miss this woman. Finally!! saw her 2 days ago @ Murni. Can't stop pinching her when i saw her. Lucky her we met at a public mamak.. otherwise, she'll risk me pouncing on her. But sadly, Amanda's leaving on Wed. :( When one comes back, one has to leave........ haih~ when does it ever end? Sudden thought about working in Paris...... hmmmm.... wonder how it's like!

Then, it was the memorable wedding of Dian & Jared. There's only 1 word to describe it - breathtaking. It is by far the most creative wedding I've ever attended. They have all this personal touch that makes the whole wedding so THEM.

And then, there was another friend who's gonna get married soon.. next year actually. She came down from Sabah and we throw her an engagement cum catch-up party @ La Bodega. It was a pink affair.......... Congratulations Marie! You managed to conquer a relationship which I've always admired - your high school sweetheart.

How can i fail to mention Zijill's surprise birthday party?!... Oh, it was a blast. Not the place though. should've choosed a better location than Soul Out. It's a great place to hang out but too noisy for serious conversations. I would give anything to see that look in her face again when she saw the whole gang sitting there at the corner with a smirk at their face. Happy birthday pal... always remember "The only reason why you're feeling this special is because you ARE special"..

This is my workstation:

Yes, it's a yellow duck and a pink dog holding on to a heart-shaped love. It was given to me and it shall by no means, categorised me as a girl who love bears. I mean, it's pretty obvious right....?!

And this is a picture of me and a man I admired, loved and hate:

Currently feeling: Excited about family trip to Korea in 2 weeks time.

Question: What do you do when your best friend of 7 years confessed his feelings again?

Great birthdays are meant for great people!

2006-11-04T15:43:00.000-05:00

Yes, you know who I'm referring to. Birthday preparations started a week ago. But despite all the planning and arrangements, it didn't quite worked out the way I want it to be. Still, looking at the smile at her face, seeing her high school sweetheart & her friends all in 1 table, i think that would be one of the best birthday gift.

Lesson to learn: Never assume you know everything abt a friend, eventhough they're pretty close to u. I planned a birthday treat/ suprise thingy for her today. A big breakfast treat + an aromatherapy body massage...... only to realise she hates body massage!!! *darn* ...

Oh well, at least the brekky was good.

On another random note, it's coming to a year since I'm back from Melbourne. Time flies, isn't it?!.. Hv been thinking a lot recently abt career explorations and potential partners. Is it weird to aim high? What do I wanna do in future? Build highways, open a cosy cafe, owning hotels, set up my own manicure bar??? How about own a shopping complex? Someone once told me, it's okay to dream. At least you have one.

In an attempt to understand myself better, I've been observing a lot. Mostly my friends and people around me. It seems that I've been spending a lot of time and mental effort talking to myself. And so I identified 4 people tht potentially could be more than friends. But darn, one's married, one's got a girlfriend of 2 yrs, one's too career-minded and the other is not a Christian.

Congratulations to Brandon & Joseph on their new career endeavours.

Currently looking forward: Zijill's birthday suprise + a full reunion.

2006-11-01T22:56:00.000-05:00

"Cherish the love you had yesterday, that you still had today and look forward to cherishing the love you shall have tomorrow"

That was the exact words written on the backdrop of Elina & Kelvin's wedding. And there I was, with cupcake, sitting at Table 52, laughing our asses off at every little thing - from the blur waiter who didn't understand English to the aunty sitting next to us to all the funny-looking guests sitting nearby.

Wedding bells started a yr ago when El broke the news that she's getting married one fine day during one of our weekly coffee sessions in Melbourne. Or rather, I forced her to tell me. And after a yr of diamond window-shopping and all those future mother-in-law bitching sessions, she's finally Mrs Goh. *awwwwwww*

She is officially my first friend's wedding. The special day started with lots of funny games for the groom and his best men. They have to perform random stuff like drinking glasses of sweet, sour, bitter and spicy liquid, eating hanging grapes off the groom's penis, unwillingly volunteer to let their leg hair being plucked by the bride's sisters. You get the picture.

Tea ceremony was a bit too long for me to bear, considering that i barely know her family members. Bumped into Ben, Amanda's boyfriend. What a small world huh!! The best bit was El's personal touch for her wedding. To make her wedding more unique and more El, she added some pictures of artistic photos with Kel, taken at Melbourne. It wasn't the usual wedding pics. it was something different. something very unique. something very El.

I like attending wedding functions.. 1 because it's a valid excuse to indulge in my vanity.. experimenting on make-up, polishing nails, wearing pretty dresses and sophisticated heels. 2 coz occassionally i like being in a different environment with my best friend sitting at the corner chatting our hearts away. 3 coz I like to see the happy, chessy romantic smile on El's face.

She left for Melbourne last Tues. I'm sad. But I'm satisfied coz despite her busy wedding preparations, we spent time. Catched up with her last week for a hearty bitching session. Yeah! A coffee session after 1 year. And wedding shoes shopping @ Salabianca. I have to say, their shoes are gorgeous with delicate finishing and carefully-chosen colors.

Ever wondered what's yr dream wedding?

My latest obsession: Nicely-painted nails.

6 months.

2006-10-07T16:33:00.000-04:00

That's about how long i've started working. What did they say abt time flies? And since I've never shared abt work, I thought it's abt time to blog a 6th month annivessary post abt my job.

To give u some rough idea about what I do... my main responsibilities involve managing product launches and counter renovations for all the 5 major brands of L'Oreal Paris. And this, I mean the design as well as the technical aspect of it.

6 months doing a job meant for 3 person, I've learnt a great deal out of it. Not only accustomed to my work but the company's culture and the whole corporate world thingy.

I've learnt that work politics and gossips is inevitable. I've seen and heard people that I trusted most at work initiate gossips. It's very tempting to add a few words and so but so far, I've manage to steer clear of it.

I've learnt that no matter how much you get along with a colleague at work, there is only to a certain extent that real friendships can be formed.

I've learnt that with relationships and networking, things can be done much much faster. And with great friendships, work can be so much more interesting.

I've also learnt that compassion, patience and tolerance should only be exercised to a certain level. Otherwise, it would be manipulated.

Achieving targets and meeting your boss's expectations is not very hard. The hardest part is to maintain that quality of success and managing the rising expectations.

The most challenging part about working is to juggle between what's call the professional and personal life. I've managed to stop working fr home during the weekends, which to me is a huge hurdle.

I remember complaining a whole lot abt workload when I was first thrown into the job. Thinking back, I thank the resignation of my supervisor. If not for her, I would not have the opportunity to manage and be a part of things that were meant for managers.

To date, I am still the youngest in the company together with a newbie that jst joined 2 weeks ago. I haven't quite figure out where I wanna be in the coming years but for sure, I am loving every bit of this job.

How can I not with exciting projects like this:

The most encouraging comment I've received from my boss is, "You have set new standards of what a Management Trainee should be." And with that, it makes waking up at 5.30 in the morning so much more easier.

Supergirl in action

2006-09-10T05:04:00.000-04:00

I had my first emcee experience last week in my division's annual dinner. Not the entire company one. Just my own division. Man, it was hell fun. More than I ever expected.

I was forced in the emcee thingy upon mutual concensus within the committee while I'm not there. Dammit. Talking about democracy here. But I'm glad I took it up. I never expected everyone to cooperate and to be so sportingly spontaneous. But of course, I need to give credit to my partner-in-crime, Elena.. my other co-emcee.

I lost my voice after that stint. 4 hours of non-stop talking & laughing. Have to admit, I was a bit nervous in the beginning. And now that I think about it, it's pretty addictive. hehee...

I got drunk that night. Well, everyone was checked in Hyatt that night so I thought since I don't need to drive, bring it on. haha.. all newcomers was forced into their "welcome drink". That's when one of them will make you sit down holding your mouth wide open while my boss pours the bottle of whisky into yr throat.

What the......?!

Work life balance

2006-07-31T22:17:00.000-04:00

Since started working, I don't know how to distinguish between work & personal time. I think I've lament this over and over again but seriously, it's getting nowhere. Consulted a few of my colleagues and also my peers about this. Still, there doesn't seems to be much of a solution.

Is it me who does not know how to prioritise work or is it really the workload is jst too much for a person?

I hate Mondays. And I hate the feeling of dreading myself to work. As much as I enjoy what I'm doing, I feel I can't cope with it. Maybe it's just this period of time when I'm still learning & getting adjusted. Or maybe I'm jst experiencing this learning curve. Everyone's raving abt the success of the recent project but somehow, I just don't feel it.

Everyday seems pretty much work, sleep & dinner. It is only weekends that I smell freedom and find solace within close friends and family.

I wonder how it's like to leave work at 5pm.

Sweet.

2006-07-29T11:16:00.000-04:00

Surprises just work well on me. Who doesn't? Esp when it's from yr best friend. Went Shangri-la for one of the best Jap buffet in town. I walked past the main entrance with no suspicion or whatsoever.

And suddenly at the corner of my eye, I saw Hawch sitting at the table the waitress were leading us too. Gosh! You can imagine the shock at my face. Truly unexpected. The last time the two teamed up for another unexpected surprise was when Cupcake appeared right at my front door when I came back fr my Fiji trip. Man, truly shocking!

Thanks, you two! It really made my day. Send us the pics Hawch. and thanks for the wallet. =)

adding to that, franco called. haven't hear his voice for a very long time too... all the scenes fr Hong Kong were playing in my mind when he called. enjoy yrself w Seacow in Japan. do appreciate those carefree moments while u can!!

Currently looking forward to next week's surprise!

Funny how things turn out

2006-07-23T20:12:00.000-04:00

I like the feeling of overwhelming satisfaction when you look at yr work and you'll say to yourself, "I've done it!". The big project we've all been working for is finally over and done. The bosses fr France are impressed. My bosses are impressed. My colleagues are impressed. And all their encouragement and praises are enough to overcome the fatigue and frustration.

Still, I'm terribly burn out. Hv only been getting 4hrs (or less) sleep for the past few weeks. And knowing me, it's like telling myself no ice-cream for 1 month.

Good news though. I received my confirmation. :) :) not much of a change in work, jst the feeling of being appreciated.

Boss granted me 2 days of unrecorded leave. And man, it was good. Had enough of sleep. Even better, spent time with loved ones.

Had lunch with Yvonne and the gang on thurs. Enjoyed all our chit-chatting sessions. It's good to spend every single moment together, catching up on lost times. Chilled out with Sophia on Thurs night. She brought me to her "territory". We were pouring our hearts out over beers. It was good. and fulfilling.

Had one of the best yum cha at Shangri-la with mum on Fri. It was her treat for my confirmation and the end of a huge project at work. Thanks mum, for being ever so encouraging. She was telling me how she felt we spent more time talking while I was in Melb than in KL. Felt so guilty tt I was so tied up w work. Made a promise that I'll try to leave the office at 8pm everyday, unless I couldn't avoid it.

Met up w cupcake, CC & Tiff on Fri night. Another good catch-up. Mainly w cupcake coz I miss her damn much. She was still cuddly & chubby. hehee... went for nasi lemak in Ampang, followed by ice-cream in Friday's. CC is darn funny. Excited with upcoming plans... *nyek nyek*

Sat night was spent partying with pjin and the gang at Velvet. First time the whole gang is there. and it was so much fun. it was something we jst needed to do before sam and amanda fly off on tues and wed. it's been so long since i last went clubbing and in fact, the first since I came back. while i was inside, it reminds me so much of my clubbing experience w cupcake, val, franco n richie. those were the days........

Franco, i'm sure u're happy to be back in HK. :) would love to come n visit u again one day w cupcake. Richie, wondering how u're doing. saw yr pics and again, u never fail to make me laugh!!! *bluek*

I had a dream

2006-07-09T18:13:00.000-04:00

I had a weird dream.

I had a dream that I was back in Melbourne. I was close to comfort. I was in the arms of Cupcake, Franco, Richie, Jen, June, Elina..... & all my other friends that I was so accustomed to. I was hanging out with them, laughing & making fun of each other like we used to.

In my dream, I saw my bro & Audrey, Vera, TK, Ashley & Angie... we were hanging out after church jst like we used to.

I saw the places I used to hang out. Max Brenner, Little Collins St, RMIT, Franco's hse.........

I dreamt that I was promoted. Boss was raving about how proud he was with my work that he gave me a promotion and a pay rise.

I dreamt that I was back in Jeremy's arms.

I dreamt abt the comfort zone that I was so used to. I dreamt of the life I had in Melbourne and thinking how different it is now.

I dreamt that I was in this long winding road in which I couldn't see where it leads to. When I look left, I saw Krystal, Franco, Richie & the rest, each standing at a different road. I turned to my right & I saw Jen, June & the rest standing at their own roads too. I remember seeing all of their puzzled looks.

The rest I couldn't quite recall but I remember feeling very comfortable & relax.

Was it really a dream?

Welcome home.

2006-06-18T15:18:00.000-04:00

You very well know who I'm referring to. Yes, she's back. *jumping* :) :) Man, the wait is so unbearable. At last. The minute I saw her at the door, I was like a puppy leaping to its owner. We hugged and hugged. And things just flow as usual. Welcome home, cupcake. Though Malaysia seems so much different, trust me, it's a matter of adjusting. Besides, you've got me right here.

Sam's back too. :) :) WOW! Haven't seen her though but will do when Amanda's back in 10 days time. Already planning to Klang for seafood. Can't wait!! Jeremy will be here on Friday. Wonder how it'll turn out. Everything seems jst like yesterday.... Hmmm...

Yday was my last Mandarin class. Yeah, I know. It doesn't work. Why is mastering a language so hard?

Had a long chat with Sophia last Sat. Breaks my heart to see her like that but it's for the better, I think. *hugssss* hang on there, girl.

How could a weekend be better spent than cuddling up to watch DVDs?

Did you know I'm a huge supporter for organ donation? They were having this campaign abt encouraging Malaysians to donate organs and there they are, ignoring my email requests. I'm still keeping my Aus Organ Donor card, jst in case, it's valid here.

Father's Day today and we're taking my grandpa out for dinner. He'll be thrilled as usual. Am thinking of taking him to Fraser's after my big July project. Besides, I haven't been there myself. Wonder what's dad doin............

4 things my mum clearly told me I'm forbidden when I'm in Aus: smoking, horse-riding, skiing and participating in a rally. And jst yday, my bro called me to tell me he's in Mount Buller and tt he jst came back fr horse-riding last week, not knowing he's on speaker phone while mum's right beside me. he-he-he...

A birthday to remember

2006-06-11T17:15:00.000-04:00

I think birthdays are only great because the people made it so. To me, it is not how lavish yr pressies are or how many birthday cakes u received or how grand u celebrated. But it is the friends and the special people that matters to you most that makes birthday a memorable one.

Birthday celebrations kickstarted last Sat with mum & grandparents spending all the time we have, eating at Lemon Cafe. It was the first time my grandpa went for a buffet. He was so excited..!!

On Mon, a colleague surprised me with a cake. It was funny coz I broke the surprise. As she was approaching towards my desk with my back facing her, I turned around jst in time. hahaha... imagine the shock and horror at her face. It was my fav cake. She drove all the way to Alexis in Bangsar to get this really delicious tiramisu cake. Or so I thought. Until I tried aunt Elaine's tiramisu. Man~~ satisfaction of life.

Then, at midnight, I was suprised by a special someone. :) :) Was chauffered the whole day to training, followed by dinner & a movie. The food was unique but wasn't that great. Still, it was the company that counts. We had cheese & chocolate fondue. Somehow, it jst tastes weird.

And yday, pjin, yap & yvonne gathered together for a little birthday celeb. We had dinner @ Italiannies. Food was alright. The catch-up was better. They tried suprising me with a cake. But failed. I think we're too close that I can instantly catch any funny things up their sleeves. Later, we chilled out @ Friday's to watch football. I'm not a fan but pjin was. But the atmosphere was cool....

Exactly this day last yr, I had a blast on my bday w Franco, Val, Richie & cupcake. We had steamboat dinner @ Franco's place but the effort that they put in decorating the hse was jst amazing. Man~~ those are the days. I wonder when we can do it again.

To those who forgot my birthday - Franco, June, Jen & dad. You will be remembered. *pout*

Currently anticipating: Cupcake's return in 13 hrs time. *jumping*

A weekend to remember

2006-05-26T23:12:00.000-04:00

The best way to beat the weekend blues is to have a dying good weekend. And last week, I had a blast. Jen was over for the weekend. We spent some quality time... but still, it never felt enough.

Pounced at her on Fri night. Val & I hijacked her fr her so-called dinner at Seri Melayu. I haven't even been there, it's a v touristy place where prices are marked up ridiculously when really, how lavish can a nasi lemak be? Went for a simple dinner outside Lot 10 & stayed overnight at Park Royal. I was deprived of sleep for the past week, I practically slept through the night, waking up thinking I was drunk with a guy next to me... haha.

Had a hearty brekky @ the hotel & off I went to my boss's wedding. It's the second wedding I've attended this year. But the first church wedding. The wedding was very touching, I had tears in my eyes. It's amazing to see the soft side of yr boss, which you usually don't get to see. The dinner was ...... weird. Deco was absolutely fantastic but I thought it was very much a corporate dinner rather than a wedding one. Seats were segregated with business interests & I was coaxed into drinking as part of a "socialising norm". Hmmmmmm... By the time I reached Jen's place, I was already half-sober & dead tired.

Next morning, brought her to bak kut teh @ Jalan Imbi. Krystal's parents brought us there once whn Franco was here and Jen loved it, surprisingly. Straight up, we headed to Shangri-la for a yummy Jap buffet. We ate like pigs... thanks to Audrey! Yeah, she was here for the weekend too. Feeling v guilty that I couldn't spend as much time with her but she spent so much time with mum, it feels like she's part of the family. :) :) Welcome to the Ng family, babe. hehee... *nudge nudge*

Brought Jen to shop around for bargains. She was shocked to see how shopping can be such a bargain here. I think she spent like 200 bucks & bought a pair of jeans, 3 pairs of shoes, a necklace, a shorts & 2 tops. I couldn't quite remember...

But man~~ saying goodbye was hard. Saw her off the airport coach @ Park Royal. I almost cried when she left. The bus driver asked if I want to hop in. haha.. I hate goodbyes. ^_^

Jen babe, thank you ssoooOOOOOooo much for flying allll the way to a country you would die to be seen in. Really. It wasn't THAT bad after all right?!... How much could you complain with RM 70 for 2 shoes!!! I never thought you would really come considering how busy you are.

Thank you for your effort in our friendship. *muacksssssssssssss* Btw, you owe me pics!!!!!!!!

Currently looking forward: to Cupcake's return for good.

My mama rocks!

2006-05-11T22:35:00.000-04:00

Fly FM (my fav radio station) is having this "My mama rocks!" campaign where ppl called up to tell the whole world what is it abt yr mum that irritates you & how she makes it up with her good points (hopefully!)..

Let me start with mine. My mama rocks because she irritates me everytime when:

1. she's overly protective - 12 midnight used to be my curfew limit. But as I grow older & as she claims that criminal rates have rise, my curfew is now 10.30pm. After negotiation, 11.00pm. Bear in mind, her claim of the rise in criminal rates is not supported by any concrete figures but merely the increasing pages of crime reporting in her Chinese n/paper.

2. she gets overly petty over small things - especially when both my bro & I are suspecting maybe, just maybe, she's suffering from menopause at the moment.

But above all that, my mama rocks because:

1. she is an all-rounder. And by tt, I mean mum being a friend, a counsellor, a listener, an advicer.... just everything. There are so many times when I turn to her re my probs at work or even personal life & she's able to motivate me with ease. :)

2. no one can imagine bringing up 3 monkeys all by herself.

3. she wakes up 5.30am everyday, jst so that she can pack bfast. Note: Bfast menu includes tea, fruits & sandwich with special request fr her princess that none of them should repeat more than twice in the same week. *glee*

Happy Mother's Day, mama.

Plans for Mother's Day... thinking of celebrating tmr since it's a public holiday tmr!!!! Hip hip hooray! :D

What a crazy week it's been.

2006-05-01T21:27:00.000-04:00

Finally. I finally have the health & time to blog.

Havent been at the best of health for the past week. It's rare that my immune system is playing tricks on me. But i know once it does, it never stops. Have been attacked with reoccuring fever. Doc suspect it was dengue. Took my 3rd blood test of the month. Stupid doctor, don't know how to draw blood, my arms are so bruised, I looked like a drug addict trying to recover fr my last shot. Then, had diarhea for a week before I finally fully recovered fr it in time for a trip to Ipoh & Penang.

And when you talk abt a trip to Ipoh & Penang, it's nothing but a bingeing trip. It was eating, eating, eating & eating. Yum! Yum! Man, it came jst as I really needed it. Fully recovered from whatsoever stress @ work. Check out my Flickr. It's been a long time since I last went to Ipoh & Penang and it's a good thing to know that I've still got my expandable stomach. hehee...

Met up with Yong May, Zijill & Sophia to celebrate Sophia's bday. It was more like a reunion than a celebration. But it was fun. As always. I finally get to meet up with Yong May after 2 whole yrs only keeping in touch with her virtually. Catching up on lost times is always fun!!!

Richie, I watched Gubra already!!!!! I would say, it's not as good as Sepet. The storyline & at times, even the script is pretty predictable. But it did attempt to reinforce a lot of Malaysian values in it - unity, racial tolerance, bla, bla, bla. One part that I like about it is she addresses a lot of controversial issues that a typical Malay director wouldn't. It got me thinking, is race & religion ever a barrier?

Went for my first outing with my colleagues. It was a farewell dinner for a staff who got promoted to be a GM in Taiwan. Very inspiring. And guess what they made me did as a newcomer? They made me sing!!!!!! Imagine me singing in front of 60 ppl. I failed trying to convince them that I can't sing because it's a birth defect. A family curse. At last, I sang Pretty Woman. Okay, it is embarassing. The GM of my division invited me for lunch one fine afternoon, he wanted to have a debrief with me to check out on my progress. Went for 1 1/2 hr lunch with him & he told me what it takes to be where he is right now.

Now that is what I call inspiring! :)

Emotional backfire

2006-04-16T20:50:00.000-04:00

I hate to admit this but at times my hormones control me. Okay, that just doesn't sound right.

What I meant was my PMS have the ability to control my emotional stability. Like today, I snapped at my mum abt some family car issue. She wanted me to park my car outside from now onwards or every fortnight when my bro's back to ensure that his new car is safe in the territories of our hse. And so I said: "Wouldn't you rather risk losing the car than risking your daughter's life?"

It took me awhile to shove my ego aside before I apologise. There you go, I blamed that on PMS.

It doesn't help when my face look horribly bruised again after my monthly appointment with the beauty salon. Mind you, the trip to the beauty salon never makes me feel more womanly. I've already postponed my appointment so many times, I think the beautician is getting pretty frustrated. Currently, ecyzema attacking my cheeks again.

No wonder men never understand women. Especially during their time of the month. *Agrrrrrrr*

If I have a choice...

2006-04-13T23:13:00.000-04:00

...... I want to be born in a middle-income family so that money would not be an obstruction or an object of disagreement.

If I have a choice, I wanna die first before my spouse do coz I don't think I can bare the thought of losing a love one.

If I have a choice, I would ask my dad why he did what he did 10 years ago.

If I have a choice, I would ask God why some people suffer more than others do. Aren't we all equal in His eyes?

If I have a choice, I want to capture the happiness in the eyes of my po-po & gong-gong when I brought them to eat dim sum 2 days ago. Coz that's when you realised money is nothing.

If I have a choice, I would let the poor live like the wealthy for 1 day and let the wealthy live like the poor to reduce the discrepancy between them.

If I have a choice, I want to reach the sky and feel the cloud in my empty palms.

Today I passed by the receptionist & saw this girl dressed in a pretty outfit with flawless make-up, waiting for her turn to be interviewed. I gave her my most comforting smile, knowing how it feels like & instantly it made me appreciate what I've got....................

Movie frenzy

2006-04-09T19:45:00.000-04:00

I'm back to my addiction again - my addiction to movies. Watched Ice Age 2: The Meltdown yday. It was entertaining & enjoyable despite the harsh comments I've received fr colleagues & my bro. Or maybe it's jst the company that matters! :) :)

I made a conscious decision to stop working from home on Sundays... Hang on, that's not right, let me rephrase that. I made a conscious decision to shorten the time I work from home on Sundays. Besides, Sundays are meant to be spent with family & televisions right?!..

And so I did, watched Sepet today - an award-winning Malaysian-made movie abt a love story between a Chinese guy & a Malay girl.. Hmmmm~~ deja vous! The story line was something a lot of local viewers can connect to but the cinematography is far from normal. I'm sure Krystal, Richie & Franco can do better than that hey?!.. *nudge nudge*

On another random note, check out the controversial car tag. *glee*

The crazy world we live in

2006-03-30T23:41:00.000-05:00

Today is the earliest I’ve got home since I’ve started working 3 weeks ago. Although traffic was slow, I managed to squeeze my way through (with the usual near-instances which I thought I almost bang my car) & reached home around 6pm! :) :) Truly, a blessing. If only it could be this way everyday.... If only.

As crazy as they may sound, I’m working from home now.. Trying to digest the things I’ve learnt while strategically trying to reorganize myself. Yes, myself.

Met up with my all-time favourite ex-lecturer today fr Taylor’s.. Man, going back to college really reminds me a lot of my "younger days"... okay, I can’t believe I jst said that. Had a dissatisfied meal, mainly coz we didn’t have enough time to chat. You see, he’s one of those really cool lecturers that will talk to you about almost everything.. fr sex to food to sex to career to sex... Alright, you get the point. *grin* ... Today’s lunch with him made me realized how grateful I am to be blessed with great health. I mean, what can be worse than constantly suffering fr pain?!!

Do one really need to be in someone else’s position in order to feel their pain?

Today a random guy slipped a note at my wiper, saying this: That's a really interesting sign. Where did you get it? :) - Dexter Lim

It was a car tag given by a friend and it says: "I am sexually educated!"

I'm a self-declared workaholic

2006-03-29T22:05:00.000-05:00

I never quite understood how ppl, esp those in the advertising industry can work till midnight... complaint but still stay late for the next subsequent nights or possibly years!

Now I do....... coz the work never gets done!!! But thank God, no midnight shifts, jst pre-midnight shifts...!!! As surprising as this may sound, I'm loving every bit of it, knowing very well that this is just the beginning!!! But I need lessons on balancing between work, personal & spiritual life. Yikes!!!

p/s: Can't wait for reunion this weekend!

Check out Tiesto's pics!

2006-03-22T22:05:00.000-05:00

With assumed "online permission" from Mane: *wink*

Tiesto rocks!

Tiesto

2006-03-19T21:36:00.000-05:00

I've always had the impression that rave parties are for pill-poppers. But yday night's Pit Party with Tiesto completely changed my perspective. The event was awesome. There was a huge turnout and everyone was raving when Tiesto performed. Some told me his spinning was good. I couldn't tell, honestly. But one thing for sure, he sure knows how to relate to his audience. Spinning accordingly at the right time with just enough climax to stir you up.

One thing that really attracted my attention was the visuals. There were pictures of buildings, highways, people.. all depicting an illusion from the reality. I think going to rave parties are like going for a movie - they transport you away from the realities of work and problems you faced for 2 whole hours.

It crossed my mind how cool it would be if they've got rave parties with turnouts as huge as last night's but spinning Christian music in trance version. Hmmmm....

A man's domain

2006-03-12T21:07:00.000-05:00

Ever since I was young, mum had always acted like a dad. She would change all the light bulbs in the house, settle all administration issues and even once, attempted and succeeded in fixing the toilet bowl.

So I thought since I originate from her, the skills might be genetically passed on to me. After tolerating for months about my front indicator light not working, I tried fixing it. Like a true mechanic, I took out the tool box and the car's manual. Stared at my car for a good 15mins but still can't figure out how it works. Worse still, the instructions were vaguely described in 1 paragraph and the picture shown in the manual is inconsistent with the actual one.

So trying to be smart, I compared the right indicator (the spoiled one) with the left one. With little effort, I pulled out the plastic cover of the working left indicator & it came off almost instantly. There were no screws whatsoever. After contemplating it for 30seconds, I stick it back with a shoe adhesive!!!! Laugh all you want but it works!

Don't blame me! I was desperate and there was no man in sight...

My conclusion: Women trying to understand cars are like men trying to understand women. It seems interesting at the beginning but they give up after touching it.

The Apprentice

2006-03-10T02:42:00.000-05:00

I used to religiously watch Apprentice when I was in Melbourne. Never miss a single episode. Even if I do, I make sure I get myself updated fr my bro, which he did it voluntarily by telling me the winner when I'm only at episode 2!!! Man, killing the suspense..

My favourite part of the reality series is when u see teams who worked hard get rewarded by Mr. Holeproof-Computer-Socks. Even better when u can literally feel the satisfaction of the winning team.

I also quite like the board grillings.. some of them were intense while others were hillarious. Seeing how desperate one can be to defend themselves. I tell u, although bosses like Trump can leave u go haywire, it's the best opportunity to learn. In fact, learn fast.

I've always wondered how it feels like to be The Apprentice..?!

I think it feels good.

The joy of seeing other people's joy

2006-03-08T10:32:00.000-05:00

Since my grandparents are ageing and since I've got all the time of my life, mum & I decided to fulfill my granparents' wish for a visit at Cameron Highlands.

Kickstarted our journey at 5am with much anticipation from my grandpa & a "I need more sleep" look from me. The whole journey, we were all entertained by my grandma's rambling abt living with her daughter in-law. I tell u, despite her age, she's still as loud & as "tigerous" as 5 men combined.

The road to Cameron was windy & most of the time, I dozed off like a baby. There's limited things to see up there. A lot of stawberry farms but very little stawberries, tea plantantion, rose gardens & a string of sellers tt need to polish their persuasion skills. I think most ppl like to go Cameron Highlands for its cool breeze. My mum was like, "See girl, it's Melbourne!" while waving her hands in the sky. It's not.

We were continually thankful tt we decided not to stay overnight. Stopped by at Tanjung Malim, a small town in Perak to give my grandaunty a surprise visit. Really, the occassional (by occassional, I mean once every 3yrs or so) visit of distant relatives never fails to remind me of my root & upbringing.

After 8hrs of sitting in the car with a soar bum & strain knees, I announced that, "Cameron Highlands is the sorta place tt u only need to go once in yr lifetime." And gong-gong nodded. Although it was tiring, to see the joy in my grandparents face, it was enough to overcome any possible boredom.

Supersize Me

2006-03-05T18:34:00.000-05:00

Have anyone of you watch tt documentary? I couldn't quite remember why I didn't watch tt, it's either I was too caught up with assgns (which is probably not it) or I can't find anyone who's interested.

Supersize Me was launched admist the tensions and claims by Americans or perhaps even ppl around the world about McDonald's being unhealthy. Or putting it in a blunt manner: potentially killing.

I can't help but wonder how ppl can point the finger at the most successful fast-food chain for lack of social reponsibility when the choice to buy & consume McDonald's (including the supersize ones) are of their own. Shouldn't then the ppl blame themselves for submitting to the temptations of McDonald's? After all, America is a country of free-will.

Okay, probably not.

In the beginning, the docu was nothing but interesting. Even the front cover attracted my attention. But half-way through, it gets a bit mundane. In fact, it reached to a point where I was screeching with frustration while thinking, "For goodness sake, jst tell me how many died?"

Contrary to Brandon's (the friend who borrowed me this CD) prediction tt I probably don't wanna eat McD's for the rest of my life, I felt tt extreme crave for french fries & nuggets, which was satisfied a few days later.

McDonalization have revealed tt America is indeed a land of opportunities........................................ to grow fat.

And jst for the record, no one died from eating McDonald's. Extreme consumption will result in obesity and eventually lead to death. (Cupcake, take note!!) *grin*

To weep and to cry

2006-02-28T02:59:00.000-05:00

I realise as I grow older, I give myself no excuses to cry, weep or even sob. When I was a kid, I wail hysterically everytime my brothers team up to snatch Koko Crunch from my bowl. But as I grow older, more painful moments like separations and conflicts are concealed to avoid unwanted attention.

Or maybe, just maybe... as one grows older, they begin to understand the meaning of dignity and crying out loud jst ain't acceptable anymore. Not only to male chauvinistic pigs but to growing up women like me and you.

To those tt hv seen that side of me, it's very rare so rejoice when I'm crying. Ok, that does not sound right. Errr... cry with me?

To my dear friends, have a safe flight! You're being missed eventhough it's only been 5hrs..

My job-seeking adventure

2006-02-25T09:08:00.000-05:00

I still remember my first interview was when I was interviewed by a panel of 4 in RMIT for the Orientation job. Phew~~ Tt was seriously nerve-wrecking. It was the first interview in my life & I had no idea wht to expect.

So I thought after all tt, this can't be THAT bad. Little did I expect in a real-life interview.. (and by real-life I mean, a permanent position in a company & not simply a student looking for some experience), it is indeed quite intense.

In the sense that, even at my 3rd round of interview yday, I can only prepare this much and yet, unexpected questions left me baffled. After some intensive grilling on my education background & my knowledge on the industry at the 1st & 2nd round of the interview, I was grilled on my personality yday.

Maybe because of the delay, I wasn't as nervous as I thought. But the more I speak to them, the more interested I am with the position. And now I understand why ppl apply for a few jobs at one time. Coz then you don't feel like you're putting all yr eggs in one basket. Oh well, ain't life's abt taking risks?!..

That aside, Franco's visit to KL had led me to much exploration of this chaotic city. We visited the Twin Towers' skybridge the other day. Man, highly-recommended to everyone, esp Malaysians!!! It is only whn you witness it yrself, then would u realise how advance our country CAN be, if much effort & thought is put.

We even made a trip to Desa Waterpark... shhhhhhhh~~ Don't tell anyone! *blush*

Welcome Franco & Goodbye Amanda!

2006-02-19T09:22:00.000-05:00

Jst as how we’ve been planning for our trip to Hong Kong, we had also planned for Franco’s trip to KL. And finally, he’s here!!!! *jumping* For 10 days!!! Feels funny to have him around... showing him places I’ve been telling him in Melb, like my high school that always get flooded everytime it rains. We brought him & aunt Michelle (Franco’s ex-boss) around, mainly to eat!! So far, we’ve eaten local delights such as durian, mangosteens, bak kut teh & some super duper yummy seafood and 've been to Petaling St & Genting. Gosh, it’s been more than 2 years since I last went to Genting. And yday was the first time I step into the casino. Unlike in Crown Casino where e age requirement is 18-years-old and above, the required age here is 21-years-old.

After all the years of curiosity of what’s behind the security bar, it’s nothing but adults smoking like a chimney, trying their luck on gambling. Fine if it’s for pleasure but I couldn’t quite make sense of those who can spend their fortune gambling. For heavens sake, don’t they get it tt their increasing loss directly contributes to the ever-growing employees of Genting Casino while the chance of someone winning the jackpot is like 1 in a billion...?!

That aside, Yap, Phik Jin, Sam & I went to sent Amanda off at KLIA yday. She left for Tasmania to continue her studies in law. It wasn’t a teary farewell but certainly I felt a sense of déjà vu whn I saw some other family & friends gathering to bid farewells to their loved ones. It was 2 yrs ago but seriously, it felt like yday! We hugged her to her bones & off she went to her experience of a lifetime ........................................... Missing you, Amanda!

A meeting with time

2006-02-14T15:14:00.000-05:00

I was browsing through June's blog when I stumbled across Ant's, which led me to his interesting designs. Particularly like the Christmas cards he made, I thought it was very creative and original. Potatoe stamps.. I used to do tt when I was in high school. ^_^

One of his blog entries tt caught my attention again:

love is hard to find.
love at the right time is near impossible.
if you find love meeting time, go join them.
cos they don't meet often.

posted by ant @ 4:12 PM 2 comments

2 Comments:
Ze Ann said...
I agree, love is rare! That's why when it comes yr way, grab it.

I've grabbed mine. Have you?

9:55 AM
ant said...
i think i missed the meeting with time. wish time didn't have to leave for you. i know you will miss him.

.....
.....

Happy Valentine's Day, Jeremy.

Hong Kong Final Edition

2006-02-12T09:24:00.000-05:00

Finally, I hear u say!

Day 15 - Our departure

You can imagine after 14 days in HK, by the last day, we were dead tired like a deflated puffle fish fr all the shopping, eating & spending. But also, today marks the last day in HK, the end of our trip tt had been anticipated for a yr. Truly, time flies when u're having fun. We had a challenging time trying to stuff everything in our luggage. Said our goodbyes & left to the airport in the aft. Not a teary goodbye mind u, coz we know we'll be seeing him when he comes to visit us in Feb........... which btw, is this coming Fri!!!! *jumping* *pat to Seacow*

Overall, our HK trip is a trip to remember. Not because of the shopping or the eating (i'm lying!) but also because it is a trip with friends I usually hang out with in Melb. It revealed to me what true friendship really means and who knows, after graduating, we might get too caught up in the working world tt such a trip is not possible. Although there are plans for a "reunion trip" to Japan in errr.... a few yrs time?! After all, I do need time to revive my bank account.

My impression on the country has not changed. Extremely fashionable. Loud people. Incredibly busy. Polluted. Great food. Chaotic. Not a place I see myself living in but definitely a shopping & eating haven.

Special thanks to Franco, Franco's mum & Franco's sis for their warm hospitality, incredible patience & tolerance to us 4 dirty monkeys, crashing into their place for 2 weeks.

Hong Kong Edition 7

2006-02-11T09:09:00.000-05:00

Day 13 - Times Square

I remember Ant once told me I should never miss Times Square's basement if I ever go HK. So off we went, kickstarted @ Pacific Place - a place where celebrities commonly go shopping. After spending a fortune there, we headed to Times Square for a quick half an hr. Tried to search for the basement but to no avail. Dinner today was hotpot. It could be the atmosphere or the hot soup but either one, I had one of the most relaxing dinner that night........ Thanks, aunt Peggy (Franco's aunt)!!

Day 14 - Wong Tai Sin

After feeling v guilty abt Richie accompanying us girls for hard core shopping for the past few days, we decided to accompany him to Wong Tai Sin, a Chinese temple. A touristy spot where many come to worship their Gods. After less than an hr there, we went shopping again, of course. Back to Lei Sze @ Tsim Tsa Tsui. Oh gosh, I think Krystal & I hv been generously contributing to HK's economy.

Dinner was again super yummy. This time, with Franco's mum @ Lung Wah, Shatin for their famous pigeon. I don't usually eat animals that are not commonly eaten. And by tt I mean: monkeys, rabbits, dogs, cats, lizards or others what I categorised as "non-cookable" animals. So you could imagine I wasn't very fond of the idea of having 5 pigeons lying dead in front of me. But I thought, what the heck?!.. Let's be adventurous! No regrets coz the taste & texture of the pigeons are jst right. A little too oily to my liking but a perfect last dinner in HK!

The test of time

2006-02-10T23:59:00.000-05:00

CC once told us, to know whether a friend is a true friend, wait till the two of u comes back to KL and see how yr friendship changes, admist yr other friends.

She brought me to one of the most relaxing Japanese buffet I ever had. Jogoya @ Starhill. A new Jap restaurant originally fr Taiwan. In terms of atmosphere, I think they impressed many. I for one, particularly like the dim lights & their generous usage of wood, which contributes to the relaxing environment.

The staff are friendly but some are TOO friendly. We had 2 waiters constantly looking at our direction, for a moment we thought they were stalking us. If you're someone who loves a variety of food, Jogoya is the place to go. But if you're after quality, consider going to Shangri-la Jap buffet instead with pricing not too much of a difference.

Jogoya's flaws are the absence of my fav unagi & green tea ice-cream. In fact, how could anyone called it a Jap restaurant without unagi & green tea ice-cream? Isn't tt like a Korean restaurant without kimchi?

Another thing tt impressed me was their toilet. (!!!) Not a super fancy one. Just a digital toilet bowl. Read: the toilet seat has its own seat warmer. Not to mention an automatic wash. And by far, it’s the best. Warm water, accurate and an adjustable water pressure. How do I know? *grin*

True enough, it is the company tt makes all the difference. Whether in KL or in Melb, I think we’ve passed the test of time, pumpcake.

Hong Kong Edition 6

2006-02-10T09:27:00.000-05:00

Day 11 - Macau

After much contemplating, we decided to head down to Macau for a bingeing trip. And by bingeing trip, I mean a nothing-but-purely-eating trip. Sat on the 1hr ferry to Macau & warm up our stomach with crab porridge. It's one of the mst hvs in Macau. The taste was a bit unique but being me, a delicious porridge mst also comes with the right texture. Reminds me so much of Charmane's dad's seafood porridge. (Aaaaahhh~~) The whole day was basically spent finding food & swallowing them. Had the infamous Portugese egg tart, porkchop bun & portugese food for dinner. Trust me, by the end of the trip, we could barely walk straight. We managed to do a bit of sightseeing, visiting Senado Square & the Macau Casino. Overall, nothing really facinates me besides the food. Thank God we didn't stay overnight!!

Day 12 - Shopping again!!

Yes, u read it correctly. More shopping!! Went to Lei Sze @ Tsim Tsa Tsui. Although the boutiques are incredibly tiny (some don't even have fitting rooms!), the stuff they sell there are fashionable yet affordable. I think Krystal & I spent most of our money here.. Dinner was Japanese. I tell u, it was unforgettable & one of the best Jap food I've ever eaten. Some of the dish was very new to me. Thanks to aunt Michelle (Franco's boss)!! Of course, dinner would never be complete without another round of tong shui.

Hong Kong Edition 5

2006-02-08T18:35:00.000-05:00

Day 9 - Back to Mong Kok

Yday's shopping in Mong Kok was so exhilariting & addictive that we went back to Mong Kok today. This time, exploring other streets such as Fa Yuen St, "Sports Shoe" St, "Goldfish's" St & many others. By today, I've already spent all tt I've budgeted for & in fact, called mum to bank in additional $$$ to Franco's account.. clearly revealing myself as a true shopping queen.. haha..

Our second Friday night in HK was spent checking out Lan Kwai Fong. Our first proper night life. Lan Kwai Fong, although isn't very big, is crowded with people. It was already midnight but it's as though the city never sleeps. Although I didn't party much tt night, it truly was an experience to see the nightlife of HK.

Day 10 - Memoirs of Geisha

We came back in the wee hours of the morning after our late night supper or should I call tt breakfast...? Met up w aunt Peggy (Franco's aunt) @ China Treasures, Tefford Plaza for yum cha.. our first yum cha session in HK. Tried heaps of new delicious dim sums I haven't tried before. Did a bit of shopping in Tsim Tsa Tsui before heading to our first movie of year 2006.

We've all been anticipating to watch Memoirs of Geisha since beginning of last yr. By e time I watched the movie, I'm already reading the last 3 chapters. Although language wise, I sometimes had a hard time trying to catch what Zhang Ziyi or Gong Li is trying to articulate, the story line, the background music, the acting, the scene & the shots are as beautiful as I could imagine. Totally meeting up to my high expectations. My verdict: 9/10. Definitely must-watched.

A trip down memory lane.

2006-02-07T19:10:00.000-05:00

Tell u something you don't know about me: I originate from a Baba & Nyonya clan.

Not from my grandparents but my grandmother's parents. So even as young as 5 yrs old, I wear sarong (similar to sulu) everytime I stay over my ye-ye & ma-ma's hse. At that time, I was the only granddaughter bearing the Ng surname; hence, I was adored dearly.

Throughout the years, after all the dramas in my family, somehow we didn't contact as often as we used to. They were still dear in my heart but it was diff altogether.. from familiarity to "strangers". As a respect, I pay an annual visit to them.

Year after year, I see them both alive & robust..... until last year. An incident that sparked off my ma-ma's depression. She started to seclude herself, even to her own brother. But after much persuasion fr my aunty, she agreed to seeing us today. I was touched. I didn't know what to expect but I felt deeply for her when I saw how frail & tiny she was. Physically & emotionally, you can see the impact of my ye-ye's death on her.

We chatted & as I told her tt my bro & I hv accepted Christ, she beamed proudly. You see, my ye-ye was a staunch Catholic & had always hoped that we would one day come to know God. Apparently, my aunt & my grandparents are born-again Christians, which was something I never knew abt.

As I held her hand, I knew she still sees me as the little Irene 15 yrs ago. But maybe, this time round, it is my turn to guide & protect her instead.

Hong Kong Edition 4

2006-02-07T19:02:00.000-05:00

Day 7 - Exploration continued

After yesterday's hard core shopping, we decided we should check out Hong Kong's Museum of History. As its name suggests, we spent almost 2 hours digesting information and extravagant pictures depicting HK's transformation & history. An educational balance to our trip. Then headed to Tsim Tsa Tsui for wantan mee. The wantans are incredibly delicious. Had this milk & chesse tart. Something I've nv tried before. Then, we headed to Arena of Stars - a place where you see hand prints of the most respected & most renowned HK artists. Our first time to Victoria Harbour, seeing HK fr a diff perspective.

After more than half a day of sight-seeing, we went shopping @ APM, Kwun Tong. Apparently, it is one of the best shopping spots in HK, especially for young adults like us. Headed to Cookie's to eat "poon choy". It's a traditional dish where everything is boiled in a claypot, from scallops to chicken, mushrooms, lotus..... you get the point. Dessert was again our favourite tong sui @ Tsim Tsa Tsui. Overall, it was a tiring but worthwhile day.

Day 8 - Shopping craze

I've heard a lot abt this place called Ladies St @ Mong Kok. But little did I realise, I would spend most of my fortune here. Poor Richie, I think by this time, he's sick of following the girls to shopping. Ladies St is akin to Petaling St in KL, except tt they sell mostly "Hongkie stuff". The thing abt shopping in Ladies St is not the things I bought tt thrills me but the extent of my bargaining skills that excites me. True enough, Cupcake & I are "queens of bargaining", certified by many sellers through their remarks & disgusted looks. Some even said, "You again!!!!" when we went back the second time. :D

Dinner today was @ Shatin Plaza. It was the first time we had dinner w Franco's aunt, her partner, Franco's parents & his sister. Food was yummy & it was truly an enjoyable dinner w Franco's aunt giving us tips of places to visit in HK.

A girl's thing.

2006-02-02T09:59:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I did something what girls are generally familiar with.... facial. Some of my peers had probably experience this many times but all this is brand new to me. I wasn't forced or coaxed. But mum did assure me that it's plainless. She said it probably feels a bit like mosquito bite. How bad can that be right?

And so I walked in filled with anticipation and a slight fear the minute I saw the tweezers and not to mention some fine, sharp needles. The next half an hour was the worst hour of my life. Considering I've got a low tolerance for pain, it was very uncomfortable. I remember feeling sweat trickling down my spine although the air-condition was on full blast. Oh boy! Talking abt my poor face being poked, dug and grilled. My face is now bruised. Okay, that's a bit exaggerating. Slightly bruised maybe? She promised it will all subside in 3 days time. It better be!

Apparently, my skin is categorised under dehydrated, sensitive ecyzema skin. Meaning, I am to avoid foamy cleansers, alcohol-based product, toner, tinted products and the list goes on.

In the end, she asked me to book for my 2nd consultation in 2 weeks time. Hmmmmm.....

Hong Kong Edition 3

2006-02-01T23:55:00.000-05:00

Day 5 - Disneyland

I woke up today feeling as excited as a kid would be by jst the thought of goin Disneyland. Considering e limited space in HK, Disney was built quite far fr e city & it took us almost an hr to get there. Even e train to Disney are decorated w Mickey's trademark, fr the passengers' handle to the windows... All that adds to the excitement. Thanks to Katie, all of us went in w complimentary tickets. Some said HK's Disney is nothing compared to Tokyo or LA. But for me, since I haven't been to the one in Tokyo & since I couldn't recall much abt my time in LA whn I was a kid, HK's Disney still excites me. We spent e whole day there.. went for all e rides & shows. Although it wasn't fully opened, I was bouncy & excited jst like a 10-year-old.

We only left Disney after watching the parade & fireworks. Did u know it costs Disney US 30, 000 for the nightly spectacular fireworks display? By dinner time, we could barely feel our limbs. Thanks to Franco's friend, I had one of e best Chinese dinner I could remember for a very very long time. It was affordable and down right delicious. Some of the dishes I didn't even know existed. The combination and the taste is jst perfect. There were almost 15 of us & there were abt 12 dishes. We gobbled down our food like pigs who haven't eaten for weeks. hahaha..

Day 6 - Shopping @ Tsim Tsa Tsui

You can imagine by today all of us were dead tired. We slept till late & hit Tsim Tsa Tsui for our first major shopping spree. I couldn't recall how much I've spent, but jst to give u a rough idea, I needed Richie to help w carrying my shopping bags. hehee... Left early to hv dinner at home w Katie. Special thanks to Franco's mum, we had a feast!

Hong Kong Edition 2

2006-01-31T19:28:00.000-05:00

Day 3 - Peak Tower

Still feeling v excited abt being in a new country w a bunch of close friends, we decided to go check out Peak Tower. It's a touristy destination but it's the best place to get a good view of HK. But darn! By the time we reached the peak, we were all freezing cold. At times, it's tough to even take pics. It doesn't help whn after braving all tt cold, we decided to treat ourselves to Haagen Dazs chocolate fondue. By tt I mean, ice-cream rolls dipped in hot chocolate. OOohhh, I tell u, it's truly a satisfaction coz we shivered as we ate & we can literally feel the cold right through our spine. *Brrrrrrrrrr*

Had dinner @ Casa Nostra. A dimly romantic place w French music & drop dead gorgeous waiters. Apparently at this restaurant, only good-looking waiters & waitresses are hired. How discriminating! I had lobster bisque as entree & lobster risotto as main. Both were excellently done to suit my taste but I reckon it could be better to match up the price.

Day 4 - Shopping @ Causeway Bay

It is only on our fourth day tt we finally had e chance to "rake" Hong Kong. Went to Causeway Bay for some Food & Brand Expo, which was uncomfortably packed w locals yet it was a worthwhile trip w great bargains on local brands. One v distinct feature abt Hong Kong is tt it's always packed w people. The streets & the shops are always crowded & I'm not jst talking abt Petaling St kinda crowd flow.. a typical crowd in HK (esp during peak hr) is equivalent to the crowd u see in Bukit Bintang on New Year's eve. No joke! HK is seriously a busy metropolitan city tt is impossible to find some peace & tranquility admist it's rat race.

It's jst another day.

2006-01-29T23:58:00.000-05:00

I've only missed Chinese New Year once & some of my extended families couldn't even
recognise me. The best thing abt the festive season is not abt the food or the ang pow (Okay, maybe a bit!) but it's abt meeting yr distant relatives, which u haven't seen for a year & wouldn't hv known their existence otherwise.

The best Chinese New Year msg I received so far was from Starfish, which goes like this: "Have a waggingly awesome Doggie year! Wishing u plenty of happy barks, fuzzy cuddles & victorious howls ahead. Woofs & cheers!"

I think Chinese New Year is jst another excuse to gambling, excessive bingeing without guilt & pure laziness. So to all my friends in KL, I'll come pounding yr hse very soon. And to those back in Melbourne, Happy Chinese New Year & I bet u barely feel a twitch jst as I did last yr when if I recalled correctly, I even had to work & go for lectures on the first day of Chinese New Year.

Blogging life resumed.

2006-01-28T15:54:00.000-05:00

Thanks to my neighbour who spent 4 hrs fixing my dumb machine, finding various ways to counter the challenging virus. 60 bucks in exchange for e speed.. oh, it was so worth it.

Can't think of where to start.. Since my return fr HK, my time was mostly spent running errands trying to resettle back to KL, meeting up w old friends like Ling & Zijill and of course, my Serendah trip w my old school mates & hanging out w June & Ant while they were here in KL.

On the topic of June & Ant's visit to KL, it was a great reunion. Although we haven't only met for a month, they made me feel like I'm back in Melb. Met up for 4 days in a row (even more frequent than when I was back in Melb), hanged around in Midvalley, KLCC, Bangsar & Bukit Bintang. The thing abt KL is that everywhere is abt shopping complexes, which to be honest, can be dull & boring although given a choice, I would stay away fr e polluted streets.

Meanwhile, meeting up w old friends has been both sweet & sour. Some has obviously drifted apart w diff perspectives in life while some couldn't hv been better.

As Chinese New Year is approaching, kudos to the media. For without all the advertisements & hype, it would't have been this exciting.

Hong Kong Edition 1

2006-01-28T15:43:00.000-05:00

And how could I miss the documentation of the trip tt we've planned for a year?

Day 1 - Arrival of Hong Kong
I don't think I even need to describe how excited we were when we checked in @ KLIA. It was only a 3 1/2 hrs flight but it seemed ages. Reached there to be greeted by Franco's mum & had our first night view of HK from the front seat of the double-decker bus. Okay, let me admit. It was my first experience sitting in a double-decker bus. hehee..

Checked out our room & settled down e minute we reached Franco's hse. Few mins later, Franco came bck fr work. :) Hugged him till my hearts content after so many months not seeing him.

Day 2 - Twins Concert
To show our support & love for beloved cupcake, e whole gang plus Cookie, Kei Kei, Yakult & Karen went & watched Twins w her. My first concert in HK & in fact, my first in many yrs. Trying to recall, I think e last concert I've ever been is Westlife whn I was 15. Ok, stop laughing. It was e generation of boybands!! I thought e concert was a worthwhile one besides e fact tt it went a bit longer than I expected.

The day was spent shopping @ New Town Plaza, Shatin. Had Genki sushi for lunch. Mind you, their sushi has much more variety than e KL one.. Our first late night dessert was spent eating sago @ Tsim Tsa Tsui. Tt was e first time we met Seacow. :)

If only...

2006-01-05T08:50:00.000-05:00

If only Malaysians hv disciplines in their driving, civilised drivers like me would live 2 years longer.

If only those mosquitoes would realise tt I will never smack them to death if they would leave my legs alone, both of us would live happily ever after.

If only Malaysia have 4 seasons, I wouldn't be suffocating in this humidity with horrible outbreaks.

If only I would stop complaining, I think I would be less frustrated, annoyed and irritated.

Currently anticipating: Going to Hong Kong in 5 hours time. :D

A new year. A new beginning.

2006-01-01T23:45:00.000-05:00

Resolutions: make and break them. Oh well, at least you HAVE resolutions to begin with...

For 2006, mine would be:

1. Tone down my volume. Seriously!
2. Learn to speak Mandarin.
3. Learn to put proper make-up.
4. Learn to cook? Errrr... properly, I mean!
5. Get employed by hook or by crook latest in March 2006.
6. Go travel to a country I've never been before (Thinking: South Africa, Nepal or
India).

Now let's see where that'll take me.........

My year 2005 in review....

2005-12-31T18:16:00.000-05:00

Yup, that's it. It's my turn.... my turn to review my achievements & failures. To reflect on myself as a person, what I've done & what I could've done better.

Events in 2005 that have changed my perspectives in life:

1. My involvement in Orientation and Next Wave internship.
2. My 21st birthday celebrations.
3. All of my trips: Gold Coast, Hillsongs Conference - Sydney, Falls Creek
ski trip and Fiji Island.
4. The presence of Jeremy.
5. Joining bunch that has instigated my passion for God.
6. My return back to KL.
7. The strong friendships I built in Melbourne.. you know who you are!! =>
8. My involvement in the Student Leadership Program.
9. My interview with L'Oreal.
10.The fact tt I'm no longer a student.

If there was one thing I regret not doing this year, it would've been not going skydiving at Torquay Beach with Val on her 21st birthday.

If there was one thing I could've improve abt myself, it would've been the need for me to voice out my opinions in a more confident and open manner. Yes, u read tt correctly.

There you go, cheers to 2005. It has been an eventful yr, filled with great friendships, exciting trips, passionate romance and a fulfilling career.

My old flame.

2005-12-31T17:53:00.000-05:00

I've always thought my r/ship w WL is a very unique one. Simply because we have never discussed our break up before. Not a single word. Not a single mention. But yet we can still be friends.

After more than a yr when I had let go & I thought he had as well, we finally discussed abt it. Strange but it evoked a lot of memories, both sweet and sour. After so long, we finally revealed wht really happenned, the cause of our separation, the hurts and the consequences.

I've learnt fr my mistakes and he's learnt fr his but it's different altogether now because I gave my heart to someone else. Still, I will always have a soft spot for him and after all tt, I still want to be there ....................... as a friend.

Currently thinking abt.... you know who... :)

I'm "home".

2005-12-30T07:31:00.000-05:00

A full gathering with my bestest pals. :)
Originally uploaded by irenengzeann.

Fourth day in KL & I can already list 40 things I can't get used to: 6 mosquito bites (and counting), the horrible horrible driving habits, the humidity, the filthy toilets... the list goes on!

Celebrated pjin's & sam's 21st at Planet Hollywood. Surprisingly, the portion is pretty small. Or at least to me! After 1 whole yr, we can finally say "6 please!". ^_^ It was a good catch-up and a good celebration. We surprised the two pigs w a bday cake, which they didn't expect at all. They got a nightie and a necklace for their bday!! Knowing how rare we have the chance to gather as a group, we took heaps of pics at Starhill and Bukit Bintang w the X'mas decos. Man, X'mas decos here is incomparable to the ones in Melbourne (Myers in exception, of course!). After so long, my bestest pals have changed. But one thing tt hasn't, is the priority and emphasis of the importance of our friendship. For better or for worse, we still accepted each other.

Retail therapy part II: Bought 5 tops and 4 pairs of shoes.
Conclusion: Retail therapy only works the moment you try something nice and instantly disappears once u reach the cashier.

Had my first job interview today. For those who think Malaysian employers are lenient, think again. I had my share of 1 1/2 hrs grilling session by the Recruitment Manager today. Wasn't as bad as I thought but I was thoroughly grilled even to the point of my SPM results and why I choosed science stream instead of arts.

Currently missing someone!

Goodbye Melbourne!

2005-12-27T14:44:00.000-05:00

With so many things happening around me these days, I'd probably thought I'm in a mess now.. hehee.. not to tht extent! But I did caught myself a few times in deep thoughts and reflections.

My last day in Melbourne was spent shopping. I know... But how could I miss Australia's biggest sale - the Boxing Day sale? After all the hoo haa, I thought what the heck?!.. I might as well go n check it out myself.

So after only 3hrs of sleep, I crashed into Myers. As expected, there were already so many ppl carrying shopping bagSSS by 9am. WHOA! It's either the boxing day sale was really great or I'm plainly indulging in retail therapy, I spent freaking 250bucks. Clearly, my shopping spree was a productive one.. with a lot of 50% bargains!!

Did a final packing, had a last look at my room and left for the airport. I didn't wanted anyone to send me off except for my bro & Audrey for fear of uncontrollable emotions. bluek! Still, I really appreciated those who came in e end. ^_^

Guess wht was the last thing I had before I left Melbourne? My ultimate fav: Hudson's hazelnut latte. Aaaaaaah~ truly a satisfaction!

To be honest, I almost broke down whn I walked in the gate of the departure hall. I hate farewells. Seriously! But I knew I made the right decision to go home as I board the plane, walking hand-in-hand with the person I love most.

The minute the sliding door of KLIA opens and I felt the humidity, I knew I had finally reached home. But I think I left my heart in Melbourne.

Currently anticipating: Pjin & Sam's 21st birthday celebration

The Unspoken - Grand finale.

2005-12-27T13:39:00.000-05:00

The inevitable has arrived. And to my surprise, we couldn't have handled it better. Our last night was spent talking to our hearts content. We promised we'll be good friends, to an extent where we can even discuss our future partners.

Despite the thought tt we wouldn't see each other as often, both refuse to let our tears flow. In fact, we were still laughing and cracking up at our own silly jokes till the last minute. It wasn't a teary farewell but the impact was there.

Still, it was comforting to know that despite our imperfections, we shared our life secrets, laughter, joy and a mutual love, which to me is rare and special. Up till this point, I had not regretted my decision because I knew I had grabbed my love. Have you? *wink* (You know who you are!) ....

Currently feeling: Happy but sad.

My best Christmas to date!

2005-12-27T12:44:00.000-05:00

I never really felt e true meaning of Christmas until ths yr. For the past few yrs, Christmas has been a time of gathering but mainly w my mum's friends. It usually involves crashing into all the aunties' and uncles' family gatherings. And of course, it would also mean bingeing on food and putting on the unnecessary kilos.

Somehow this year, to know that Jesus came to earth on ths day, brings a new meaning to Christmas. Or at least to me.. Christmas celebrations kickstarted on Christmas Eve where my bro, Audrey, mum, Jeremy & I gathered with some very close friends for some hard-core bingeing. Nothing beats a good gathering. It is not the place tt makes a day special but the loved ones around u tt makes it EXTRA EXTRA special.

Then, it was pressies time!! Let me see... Christmas pressies ths yr was everything I told Santa:

A study bible (NIV version) fr Kat & Karen, my bunch leaders.
A cross pendant fr Jennifer.
A love shaped photo frame w our photos & a special msg fr Jun.
A cross pendant fr Jeremy.
A Nalgene water bottle fr Jeremy (end of his nagging abt me using plastic bottles!)
A picture book - Chocolate: The Consuming Passion fr Jeremy.
A purple fluffy pillow fr Jeremy.
A box of Lindt chocolates fr Eira.
A notebook and an RMIT pen fr Peter.

My favourite: the sincere effort & thought put into every single pressie. ^_^

I spent the morning of Christmas singing Christmas carols at church followed by a brief luncheon with church mates, an afternoon of packing and Christmas dinner at aunt May's.

It was my first Christmas in another country and it was the best I ever had. :) Merry merry Christmas everyone.

My last few days in Melbourne was spent

2005-12-24T23:11:00.000-05:00

..hving dinner with Jeremy's mum, which was quite nerve-wrecking and exciting! ;P

..plum-picking.

..attended bro's graduation at Melbourne Uni. Boring!! RMIT's better.. bluek!

..shooting at Little River Shooting Range. Whoa! That was memorable. Gave a shot at Brett's Krico .22 rifle. Apparently, I'm a pretty good shooter w consistent & accurate shots. So who said girls can't shoot?

..racking my brains for Christmas pressies!

..shop till I drop!

..overnighting at Jun's hse for our final "Friday's girls night out". Thoroughly enjoyd our sex talk. *wink**

..catching up with old SLP mates & ex-colleagues.

..dating with Jeremy. ^_^

..overnighting at Jen's place w home-cooked full bfast. Love slumber parties! Missing her already.

..reminiscing on memories for the past 2 years at yday's little farewell gathering organised by my bro's hippy friends.

..shopping for last-minute Christmas pressies at Chadstone today.

..bingeing, drinking and digesting.

Happy 21st birthday, Richie!!! :) Glad to hear yr voice today.

Quality time

2005-12-13T12:16:00.000-05:00

After a year of separation, it is truly remarkable to be able to share with my mum the experiences, the joy and the sufferings of Melbourne. I’ll walk to RMIT and tell her, “This is where you spend half of your fortune.” I’ll pass by Max Brenner and tell her, “This is yr daughter’s fav place for chocolate.” You get the idea.

The past week has been a week of shopping, eating and entertaining friends. From fish n chips at Williamstown to coffee at Port Melbourne. From cherry-picking at Silvan to a day of shopping at Footscray.

Eitherway, it’s been a slow and steady life since. We’ll shop in the afternoon and stop for coffee in the evening. Then at night, we’ll have some friends over for dinner to eat till our stomachs burst, followed by wine and cheese ... Ahhhhh~~~ truly I am enjoying the last bits of Melbourne to the fullest................. ^_^

I spoke to dear Franco last Sat.. it was his birthday! Happy birthday again.. Hope u had a blast, celebrating yr birthday on a cruise. How exciting! After so long, it is rather comforting to hear his voice again, I mst admit. Glad tt he’s doin fine in Hong Kong. To think tt I’ll be seeing him in abt 3 weeks together with Richie, Cupcake & Val is even more exciting. A trip tt we’ve planned for almost a year and finally it’s approaching soon..

Met up w Elina, Jun & Steph’s family for dinner last Sun.. it was her 20th birthday! :) Another birthday celebration. Haven’t seen them since my mum arrived. So many things had happened … *big hug to Steph* Lesson learnt: the duration of a r/ship does not determine the depth of it.

I haven’t even step out of Melbourne & I can already feel how some of our friendships had changed. I wonder how some of my friendships with ppl I haven’t seen for a yr will turn out? We’ll see.............................

Seriously random.

2005-12-06T23:57:00.000-05:00

I hate my 56k modem coz it's darn slow & my blog looks so distorted & disabled, I had a hard time accessing to the links tht I want to.

I'm sick of shopping, can u believe it? Or maybe it's because the stuff at DFO (Direct Factory Outlet) isn't THAT exciting & cheap after all... Thank goodness I didn't take public transport all the way there.

Special congratulations to my bro. He got a job today starting next week, 9-5 Mon to Fri. Darn! No more family time...

I had fun seeing Jen, Jun & Val after a week of not seeing each other.. They came over for dinner & we ate till our stomachs exploded.

Melb's forecast ain't tht accurate after all. They predicted fine 30degrees today but it was raining the whole day w chill winds, I bet it was 20degrees instead.

Something u dunno abt me: I get really cranky whn I'm abt to sleep & someone or something is on my way of achieving that.

Can someone pls convince me tt signing up for a MSN is worth yr time, effort & patience?

Shopping spree

2005-12-05T23:58:00.000-05:00

It's always interesting to know wht someone thinks abt u.. as in if they were to describe u with a few words, wht would it be? I read a friend's entry today, an entry dedicated to me. V interesting, I mst say. I'm impressed on e many things tt was mentioned & e level of details to it. *high five* really appreciate it.

My shopping spree w mum today was v fruitful. We both walked until our legs cramp. Bought a lot of accessories. OMG! And there I was thinking my mum had not changed much but in actual fact, her fashion taste changed so dramatically. Nv would I imagine her liking big chunky necklaces & funky accessories ..

I saw this black and white stripy bikini I like from Seafolly but damn, they made me look like a man.

Hawch came for dinner today & he told me my eating habits revealed the manly side of me. THaaaaannnKs!

Wht are e 2 things I would miss most whn I leave Melbourne? 1. The people. 2. The food.

Wht are e 2 things I would miss most if I had not gone back to KL? 1. The people 2. The food.

Conclusion: There is no conclusion to this.

My hot gucci mama

2005-12-04T23:59:00.000-05:00

Besides e usual remark fr friends tt we both look like sisters, which I'm still hving a hard time figuring whethr it's a compliment for her or an insult to me, my mum hasn't changd much. No doubt my bro had definitely inherited his cleanliness freak habits fr mum.. coz e first thing she did was to clean my entire hse. Now it lookd too clean, I feel like it's not my hse anymore... hahaha.. Oh well, wht do u expect? We're international students... Me & my bro's theory is simple: Only e things beyond eye surface needs to be clean.

Brought her to church today.. & it was fun introducing her to all e aunts & friends tt I'v been hanging out for e past yr. Then, went to Pacific Hse for lunch. I tell u, lunch had never been this interesting. It was e meeting of the in-laws. Mum decided to treat Audrey (my bro's gf) & their family for lunch. And Jeremy was invited. ehem! *wink*.. It was indeed v fun.. W Audrey's & my bro's tension face while Jeremy & I wickedly teased them w e occassional teasings fr them in return. hehee.. It was like a family gathering.

So how did Jeremy scored in mum's eyes????? I hear all of u wondering anxiously.... Hmmmmmmm... let's jst say, it was an awkward first meeting. Or should I say it's as though it's like a duck trying to communicate to a chicken. Mum can't get used to his accent & he was sooo shy, I think given a chance he'd probably dig a hole & hide there & then. ;P But after a few individual counselling sessions & some personal "reassurance courses" fr me, they are more relax now. At least, there was more than a Hi.

Wht amazed me most is how much my mum can get along w aunty. They are like long-time friends, waiting to blurt out evry word. It is really amazing to see this phase of my bro's life where I know given a few yrs time, he'd be married. And we are no longer kids but adults in e process of reproduction. heheheee... & then, my bro will hv audrey & andy junior & I'll hv little nieces & nephews to bully & sit on. Woooooo~~~ can't wait!

My first summer camp

2005-12-02T10:24:00.000-05:00

Summer camp this yr is in Philip Island. Thank God, we didn't had to see e penguins. Although I hv to admit they are indeed v cute, I'm so over it!!! Me & some 12 other ppl fr church took a slow drive up. Being Asians, we made a few stops for food & a fish & chips stop. Apparently quite famous but didn't really do justice to my tastebud. Maybe it's the weather. It was freaking 34degrees. I was melting under e sun...

Went to nearby Cowes Beach for a dip. Fun!! The guys went diving by the pier. I would hv done it if I brought my bathers. Darn! Then went for cheap pizza at e town. Seriously, it was e first time I felt tt sense of belonging. Maybe it helps tt most of e ppl there are fr my bunch. Or maybe I did managed to get connected & established friendships w some of them. Or maybe bcoz Jeremy was there too. Spent e aft playing table tennis, basketball, tennis & foosball. Man! Great workout after such a longggg time. Sean, this Korean guy was teaching me how to play table tennis the proper way. Hey, he said I'm learning fast k?!.. Reminds me of Yong May. Havent seen her for awhile. ^_^

Oh oh I collected my grad gown & mortar boards. Okay! Okay! First things first, I confess tt I'm currently suffering fr PMS. But hey, after 2yrs of uni, I think I deserve e right to try, complain & change e sizes of my gowns & mortar boards until it fits perfectly. After all, an oversized gown will make u look like Harry Porter, or like Krsytal said, Batman. hahahaha..

Guess wht? Mum's arriving today. Yes. TODAY!!! OMG, so fast. TOo fast. Can't wait to see her & hug her like crazy. Though I hv to admit it would mean THE end to my "free & easy" lifestyle in Melbourne.

Happy 21st Birthday Valene!!

2005-11-30T19:24:00.000-05:00

"Don't be old-fashioned and call me at midnight."

Of course not, I thought to myself. I'm gonna appear at yr doorstep at midnight. And so we did. With Sze's help, Jun, Jen & I creeped in to her hse at midnight & surprised her w a Brunetti's bday cake. Before she could even breathe in e surprise, the fire alarm rang. What the....?! %$#&*@~!

Yes, you guess it right. Jst as I did, when I casually suggested to the girls in the lift tht e fire alarm might go off with the sparklers. I tell u, it was truly a funny birthday surprise. You should be there to see everyone's expression. Reminded me abt Sophia's 20th birthday. I surprised her w a Brunetti's cake & the sparkler prompted the fire alarm. Talking abt learning fr yr mistakes.. hahaha.. Note: Highly recommended to those adventurous at heart, JUST to make sure they will always remember their friends' birthday surprise.

The original plan was to go skydiving on her bday. Yup, SKYDIVING. WOW! What a thing to do on yr 21st. Great idea. Adventurous. Exciting. Once-in-a-lifetime. But at last, we didn't make it. Call me a chicken or whatsoever. But how could I go skydiving whn I almost pee in my pants when I sat some kiddy Scooby-Doo roller coaster ride in Gold Coast? Sooooo let's jst say, we had a more subtle and less adventurous birthday celebration instead.

Kickstarted e day w Korean lunch @ Paramount. Then, proceed to some shopping @ Brunswick St - e perfect place for knick knacks & funny looking stuff tt u can't get elsewhere. Then, we went for this exquisite Japanese restaurant in Crown - Koko for dinner. Fine Japanese cuisine. Great atmosphere. Nice music. Bad service. Tell me! Tell me! Which waitress in this world would hv thought, us being in our 20s, would not know what a medium rare lamb is? Instead she said: "Do you girls mind if the lamb is a bit pink?" Pink, your head! U mean, medium rare. Perhaps they should include a "How to treat adults like adults" course in their hospitality training.

Gave her our bday present - a specially-designed birthday "card" tt looks like a magazine cover called Valeo. (Think of Cleo!) ;P And of course, Krystal's & mine bday present to her - a "subtlely-hinted" exquisite necklace. (At least, it's worth yr effort!)*nudge*

Happy 21st Birthday, future Milan designer~~!

My last "free" weekend before mum comes. ;P

2005-11-28T21:45:00.000-05:00

Finally.

After many times of delay, we finally managed to go to e much-talked Cuckoo restaurant... a quaint German restaurant up in Dandenong's Mountain. Thanks to Jen's mum, she drove us up for a day out at e mountain. The weather was perfect.. Sunny, 25 degrees.

Overall, the food was not fantastic.... I was expecting some traditional German food but it was mostly Western... u know the usual sausages, mash potatoes, fish fillet, roast turkey, cheese & crackers & heaps more. But wht attracted me most was the atmosphere & ambience. All e waiters & waitresses were dressed in those traditional costumes... u know, those Dutch Lady dresses bck in the ... ermmmm... 1800s? Yup, u get e point.

They entertained us for e 3 whole hrs, with live old-folk music. Then, the part where they need volunteers came. Knowing how lucky I was & despite e many attempts to look away, I was chosen. To yodel. OMG, it was so embarassing! *blush* but I had fun.. FYI, yodeling originates from Austria. It's a traditional way of singing w two alternative tones. Coincidentally most of e patrons were mostly senior citizens, which makes us feel ... OMG, is this how we'll be like whn we're old?!... ;P Spent e rest of e aft relaxing... checked out e mysterious little shops there & bought my second French CD. :) :) :) Hv been dying for some French music for soooOOOOoooo long..

Sat morn, met up w Haw Chuan for eggs fiesta. Gosh, I've never had so many eggs in my life. I think all 3 of us including my bro, whacked 14 eggs. By eggs fiesta, I meant all styles of eggs: scrambled eggs, sunny side-up, eggs souffle, omelette, hard-boiled egg, bacon (to avoid us fr puking) & even eggs for dessert. All tt for breakfast!!!! *gasp*.. Thanks pal!

Helped out in church on Sat... some seminar regarding Israel. Although it was tiring, I had fun meeting new ppl & to know tt at least... AT LEAST, I can contribute to e community. Managed to pull Val along to church on Sun, which was something I'v been praying v hard for. Then, had nasi lemak for lunch w Jeremy. It's e first time both of them had lunch together. It turned out to be better than I expectd.. well, at least there were no awkward silence. Watched War of the Worlds on dvd.. Shocking ending, like Richie said. Still, e best thing was: cuddling up for a good movie.. teehee. ;)

Oh, I got my results today.... My response: let's jst say, I deserve it. Mama's response: "Good stuff, girl. But what is the credit doing there arr?" OOoooopsie.

Currently anticipating for mum's arrival? YES!!!!! *cheers*

A week of catching up with friends

2005-11-25T00:41:00.000-05:00

I love it whn u meet up w friends & u hv meaningful, fruitful conversations tht u normally wouldn’t experience if u’r in a group of friends. It was really great to sit down, chat & not worry abt time or money. These days I’ve been trying to catch up w friends before mama arrives.. met up w Adeline 2 days ago. Went Taco Bill & ate to our hearts content. Although we don’t see each other tt often, I think it’s great to catch up once in a while, like e good ol’ times. Went n watch Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride. Not really e best animated movie in e world but definitely better than I had expected. Something outside of my comfort zone.

Met up w Angie yday for lunch.. another lucky girl getting married next yr!! & here I am still trying to search for e right one!! ;P Does tt sound like someone in a desperate position to get married? NOOOOO.. I’m only 21, for God’s sake. Accompanied her to try on a few wedding dresses. Really fun! Then jst sat down & chat & chat & chat & chat.. Unlike our usual hi byes in church, it surprises me to know tt we can actually sit down n chat & not run out of conversations.

Had a fruitful bunch yday.. currently dwelling on e book of Judges. Another amazing thing is to see myself grow each day in this bunch. Wht used to be a very.. note: VERY uncomfortable position w new faces, new surroundings & new people has turned into familiar faces tt I’m so accustomed to. Jst as I was abt to get myself comfortable, I hv to scout for a new bunch in KL... *pout*

Something happy happened to me today........... What, I hear u ask?................ Krystal called..!!!!!!!!! *jumping* Man, it felt as though she was jst there. I can imagine her evry move, her evry expression & we can even predict each other’s thought. How scary is tht. Thanks for calling dear..... & thanks for all the lovely surprises. You are really very thoughtful...!! Even Elina kept bugging me abt u... asking me how I cope w e fact tht u’re gone!! OMG.... In fact, everyone has been asking me e same question. This shows..................... heheee..... u know lar! Cannot stand hor!! *bluek*

Met up w Joseph for Vietnamese today and we decided we’re gonna introduce our mums to each other. Hmmmmm...... Tt would be interesting. We’ll see how tt goes. Met up w Elina today..... Again, we went Fed Square. Really, I’m so gonna miss tht place. Although I don’t go there often enough & despite e many disgusted opinions fr various ppl abt tt piece of architecture, I personally think it’s one of the icons of Melbourne. Love e unique design.. Should’v gone thre at night. In fact, now with e yearly Christmas tree there, it look even more stunning. As usual whn it’s w Elina, it’s always laughter plus in-depth conversations abt family, love, relationships and sex. WoooooooOOOooo~~

Graduation blues

2005-11-22T22:15:00.000-05:00

While Ling was sarcastically complaining abt her working blues, I thought to myself.. "Hmmmmm.. perhaps PR is not an area that I REALLLLLYY wanna go into!!" A bit too late for tht eh? I dunno.. While browsing mindlessly for job opportunities online, I thought a bit abt my career goals.

Do I even hv one? In the first place, is it even important to hv one? Apart fr the predicted route of being a PR practitioner, seriously, I don't see myself owning a PR firm. I mean, I do love doing PR work (well, not the flipping through n/papers & calling to make sure journalists are attending e press conference bit) & I do love event management. But somehow, I don't see a vision of myself doing tht for long. Perhaps it is something I can consider as a stepping stone.

In fact, I'm thinking somewhere along e lines of management. U know, managing ppl & making life-threatening decisions. I know I like to get myself involve in e decision-making process. Now that would be interesting!! :) Mama casually suggested tt I should consider taking a MBA or Masters in Business Management.. that is, AFTER I find myself a job.

Oh well, for now, I guess I can't really be picky right? Maybe, jst maybe, I'm suffering fr graduation blues.

sniff sniff

2005-11-21T20:34:00.000-05:00

U know u love a person when it hurts u most but u know a friend is close to u when u can still feel their presence eventhough they're not physically here anymore. I was the saddest girl on earth when I saw u waving fr the cab. This time, it's real. This time, u're definitely gone. No more surprise. But clearly, it's not the end. Clearly, we'll grow old together n see Wobbit & Wonka Ho grow up, reminiscing abt our times in Melb, bitching abt mother-in-laws, bosses & how our husbands are not satisfying enough! *lol*... scary! We sound like lovers.. hahaha.. Missing yr presence already, cupcaaaaaake! Note: Richie, don't think I don't miss u eh?!.. *bluek**

The past week has been...... Exciting. Momentous. Crazy. That's the word. Spending most of my time w Krystal, bumming around.. the best thing abt us is tht we don't hv to do anything special to feel special. Jst the mere presence of her is enough to make my day. From clubbing @ Billboard to savouring chocs @ St. Kilda... from Korean dinner @ Glenferrie to bfast @ INCK... from watching movies to a day out @ Knox... from admiring the Christmas decorations to sleepovers... u name it, we've done it!

Drove to Daylesford w Jeremy, Kat & Karen last wk.. Fun. My first trip w them. I hv to say, the feeling was rather strange at first. Not really my kind of idea of a slumber party but I guess evryone has diff ways of doin things. Daylesford, nv been thre but truly a relaxing place. We took strolls at the lake, went n visit the choc mill, hv long dinners & midnight spas. Best thing was: my bedroom. I had the queen-size bed all to myself w a walk-in closet & a balcony w a view facing the lake. Ahhhh~~ truly a good getaway fr the hustle bustle of the city. But I hv to admit, I can't stay at tt place for long. It makes me feel like a retired old lady. Still the city girl.

Oh oh, I finally met Jen's mum. After soooo long.. like a typical mother, i enjoyd myself seeing her how she would say things n act out of her ordinary manner jst to "blend" in w her daughter's friends. Although there wasn't deep conversations, bcoz of language barrriers (she speaks mandarin & i don't!), it was still interesting to meet her. Best thing was: to spend Sun w Jen. Knowing how busy she is, it was my first time shopping w her. Initiated by her. Rare but truly memorable.

I watched Saw II at V Max. Basically, a cinema w the usual screen x 3 & a superb surround system but paying e same price. Man, I can't believe I enjoyd e movie this much. It was so gory & disgusting, I cant imagine someone could think of a script like tt. Salute! Thumbs-up! Definitely a mst watch in the cinemas. It's been such a long time since I watched a movie tt doesn't feel like it's 2hrs. It's not a continuous fr Saw I so don't worry if u havent watched the first one yet. Prime, on the other hand, is not super fantastic but still a good pick if u're after for some romance & comedy.

Psssst, Wai Lun calld me jst now. Shocked. But it was a good catch-up after so many months. It's great to know tt even after a not-so-successful r/ship, we can still come togethr as friends, chatting as though evrything was still e same.. as though we pickd up fr where we left off. Still, I can't help to feel tt sense of comfort as I listened to his usual remarks & chuckles. Maybe it's the sense of familiarity. Or maybe it's the feeling of "WOW!~~ I finally let go."

The Unspoken - Part III

2005-11-11T15:39:00.000-05:00

"I thought I chucked it right here." That was the same line he kept mumbling as he rummaged through his backpack.

Aiks~! Still not there. We walked back to Kat's place, which was jst a street away to search again. Turned the hse upside down and still no signs of any car keys. We were so desperate, we even looked through the shelves of Save Way, hoping it will be there. As we were peering through the shelves like two crazy people, my bro called.

"Ask Jeremy if he lost his car keys?" In between his cheeky giggles, he laughed and said, "Who the heck can lock their car but leave the car keys hanging at the door?"

Oops. Apparently it's the 4th time he's done tht.

We walked back home with me convincing him tt he's still not the most foolish guy on earth while talking abt our amusing "u-never-know-who-they-are" encounters.

As we stepped into the lift, he pulled me close and looked straight into my eyes and said, "Thanks for running up and down with me."

I gave my most mischievous smile and replied, "I know my presence means a lot." He leaned over and gave me a peck on my forehead.

That mere instant left me astounded. I don't know wht is it abt yday's incident tht left me feeling this way. That kept me pondering. Perhaps it managed to dismiss the random thought in me, wondering wht the heck am I doin with this guy, which unfortunately still strikes me once in a while. Or perhaps it is the "i'm-glad-you're-here" look tht he gave me.

But one thing for sure, I know I want to be there for him. No matter what.

Happy 21st Birthday Zijill

2005-11-10T02:48:00.000-05:00

A big birthday hug & big slurpyyyyy birthday kiss, specially dedicated to my dear porcupine. Hope u had a blast yday! Although it was a brief chat, it does feel very nice to be able to hear yr voice again - all our college memories were overflowing the minute I hear yr giggles & excitement over the phone. :) :) Can't wait to come back..

Yday was another special day for me. I was given yet another special gift from a very very very special friend. ^_^ What more could I say - the gift itself is quite remarkable but the thought, effort & excitement in her eyes when she presented the gift to me adds to the extraordinary gift. Thanks, my dear.

Finally, after so many weeks, Krystal & I finally watched In Her Shoes, a chic flick by the gorgeous Cameron Diaz & Aussie girl Toni Collette. What I thought was a romantic comedy akin to 10 Things I Hate About You turned out to be a movie abt sisterhood & family bonds. Funny. Romantic. Laid-back. Definitely a movie for a casual night out w yr girlfriends. My verdict: 7.5/10.

Maybe I'm deprived of movies after a period of "struggle" of intensive assgns. ;P Coz it seems to me tt these days I'm pretty addicted to movies. Watched Pride & Prejudice @ The Glen w Jeremy yday night. Steph warned me beforehand the movie was not tt good. So I went in w a low expectation, thinking it mst be another cheesy romantic movie. NO! It was in fact a v sophisticated movie w refined language, shot in the 18th century. Although w the well-defined features of Keira Knightley, it still did not camouflage the beautiful murals, sculptures & costumes in the movie. There were even a few close-up shots of Knightley tt swept my feet away & a few too many shots tt are quite breathtaking. Due to the fact tt I'm an ardent fan of Knightley, my verdict might be slightly biased. I reckon 8/10.

Currently anticipating: Elizabethtown.

Fiji – truly a paradise!

2005-11-07T16:37:00.000-05:00

I thought the whole Fiji trip was already quite overwhelming. But I never thought the experience of seeing a close friend leaving and a surprise from one of yr closest friend can be quite an overpowering feeling as well.

Came back late Fri night... suffering from severe holiday blues. Best thing was: to see Krystal right in front of my doorstep. I was stunned. I was shocked. I am exhilarated. Special thanks to Hawch for contributing to this surprise. And to my dear cupcake, u naughty fat pig, knowing tt u will not be leaving but still lie to me jst to gimme this surprise. Oh well, at least it’s a positive white lie. ;P We’re gonna hv a blast this 2wks before u leave.

Spent e whole Sat w the gang – Sze, Val, Franco, Krystal & Richie.. went Footscray, had lunch, discussing abt our HK trip, prepared a bday surprise for Nelson, had fresh salmon for dinner & took heaps of funny crazy webcam pics. Saddest thing was: to bid Franco goodbye. Miss u heaps already. ^_^ Take care in HK yea!! Gd luck in finding a job & see u in 2 months time. Thanks for all the laughter u brought into my life!

And now................................. ******drum rolls*****

My account of the Fiji trip w the girls - Val, Jen & Jun.

Bula! - The Fijian way of saying Hello - (pronounced with a big smile, shouting "BULAAAAAAAAAA!!!") Yes, I can do it very well. ;P

Day 1 – lazing @ Hideaway Resort
Arrived in Nadi, capital of Fiji around 6am. Tired & excited, we sat a 2hrs bus ride to our resort, to be greeted w warm, friendly smiles & a sneak preview of wht Fiji's like. Had bfast & spent the whole day, relaxing & lazing under the hot Fijian sun. (Ok! Actually the sun is still the same.) Then, manage to persuade the girls to go snorkelling. Snorkelling unguided. I was quite apprehensive at first, knowing tht the 3 girls are equally nervous as well. But, all turned out well. Too bad, we didn't really see much corals. Had yummy Mongolian BBQ at night & checkd out the resort club.

Day 2 – Namuamua Inland Tour
We wanted to experience some traditional Fijian culture. So went on this day trip to Namuamua Village. Fijian ppl actually resembles a bit like Orang Asli. Supposed to go for a swim @ the waterfall. But the weather was horrible, raining heavily. Arrivd there, greeted by Fijian kids & experienced my first kava ceremony - a horrible bitter welcome drink tht guests mst drink! *bluek* It contains minimal ammount of drug tht numbs yr tongue the minute u finish the whole bowl. Worst thing was, u hv to give a big smile after u drink. Otherwise, u risk getting another bowl of kava.

Saw some traditional Fijian dances & music & even had tradional Fijian food for lunch. My favourite: palusami, a dish made out of taro leaves served w taro. Taste v weird at first but I was so addicted to it tt I helped myself to 4 pieces. heheee... Took a stroll around the village - visiting the schools. Experienced our first bamboo rafting but I think we were all too heavy, it wouldn't move.

Day 3 – Captain Cook Cruise to Tivua Island
Met this American tourist, Alexis @ the day trip yday. She highly recommended us to go for a Captain Cook Cruise. So spontaneously, we decided.. Oh why not?!.. Smart decision. All I can say is without this cruise, it would never complete our Fiji trip.

Travel again for abt 2hrs to Nadi, board our ship for another 1hr cruise to this deserted, unspoiled island - Tivua Island. White sandy beaches & clear water... u know those u see in the brochures & postcards. Truly a paradise!! :) We spent abt 4hrs @ the island w BBQ for lunch. Went for our 2nd snorkelling & a swim at the crsytal clear water. Saw some beautiful corals & fishes. :) :)

Now, this is Fiji!~

Day 4 – Shopped till we dropped @ Suva, 2nd biggest city in Fiji
How could we leave Fiji without visiting the capital of Fiji? Hired a personal driver & again, another 2hrs ride to Suva. Stopped along the way for coconut, bananas & pineapples. hahaha... the typical us! Eating our way to Suva.

Visited the parliament hse, the president's hse & begin our 5hrs of shopping. Wooooo~~ the stuff there are amazingly cheap. U get like a huge muffin a size of 2 fists for only 25cents Fijian. We even missed our lunch. In the end, we were so tired even to walk, we had to dragged ourselves to cheap Fijian Indian food for dinner. Yummy~~

Day 5 – Cave Tour
By the 5th day, I've only got Fijian 30dollars left. Broke after a day of shopping yday. Went for another day trip - the cave tour. Thank goodness, we paid for this in advance! Sat in the bus for another god-knows-what hrs. Walked for abt 35mins passed all this rural Fiji areas until we reached this cave. A totally diff cave than the Labertouche cave we climbed in Melbourne. This one was hugeeeeee with stalacites. Silly me! Left my cam battery @ the resort so didn't take any pics.

We were educated w yet another day of Fijian culture. Most interesting was the cannibalism era of Fiji. The idea tht I'm standing right in front of a cannibal oven tt used to cook humans who defy their tribe leaders or village chiefs 120yrs ago is quite freaky.

Hmmm... wonder how human flesh tastes like! *grin*

Last night in Fiji, we were treated to 2 bottles of champagne by the very hot resort manager & firecrackers by the beach. Went star gazing @ the beach & lucky for Jen & I, we managed to catch a glimpse of 2 shooting stars.

Proud to say, we were the centre of attention coz we were all wrapped up w sulu, a Fijian way of saying sarong. 4 girls w diff ways of tying the sulu, especially designed by Valene.

Because the resort is nestled in a secluded area, we spent most of our nights watching cultural performances & clubbing bare footed. The Fijian way. I'm not sure if this is a culture thing but Fijians can really dance. Another night of partying @ the resort club, I was gone by past midnight. hahaha.... Thanks to Jun who took good care of me!

Day 6 – Goodbye paradise!
Finally, holidays always pass by very quickly. Everyone was low in cash, we had to resort to our instant noodle. hahaha.. spent the whole day taking pics @ the resort.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fiji is truly a relaxing place to be. There's even a term which is commonly used by locals - "It's Fiji time" . Meaning, everything is casual & laid back. Fijians seldom wear watches. The funny bit is they're always on time!

It's been such a long time since I experience a different culture in a different country. Truly, Fiji is a paradise. The freaky bit is tt, it resembles a lot like Malaysia. With 320 islands tt make up Fiji and a population of 800, 000 ppl comprise mainly of Christians followed by Muslims & Indians.

Best thing abt Fiji: the warm friendly ppl w their big smile
Worst thing abt Fiji: the long travelling hours between places

The best thing abt going to trips like these is the whole new experience of a new culture & the diff ppl u meet. I especially love to talk to those cab drivers... they can reveal so much abt the local culture. Also how interesting to see diff ppl making diff decisions tt can alter the course of their life. Some ppl quit their job to travel around the world, a single retired lady travelled around the world after 40yrs of savings & hardship.

Despite the occassional grievances & our differences in opinions & characters, I still feel tht it's a remarkable thing to be able to travel w the girls. Thanks girls, for making this trip a memorable one!

Vinaka! (the Fijian way of saying "Thank You").....

It feels like my birthday.. ^^

2005-10-29T20:49:00.000-04:00

Hv u ever felt the feeling of anticipation? The overwhelming feeling when the day u've been waiting for has finally arrived. And ttz exactly how I felt today. Finally, the day I've been waiting for 1 semester has arrived - the day I would present her the gift. The day I would express to her how special she is to me & how much I treasure us!! ^_^ What makes it even more special was when I was presented the shoe tht I've always wanted - the brown high-cut Converse!!!!

Finally, met up w Adeline after sooooo long. Had a nice catch up @ this new Korean restaurant.. The food there is jst alright but we sat there for 2 whole hrs, updating each other! ^_^ Thurs, was the TV screening day. Almost 15 2nd yr short films were showcased. Cool huh?!.. Some of the editing skills are really professional. Some of the scripts are so creative, I never imagine a person's mind can think of something like this.. Congrats to all their hard work!!

These days, I am experiencing how God works in miraculous ways & how He has plans for us tht might not quite make sense in the beginning but it will all fall into place before u even realise it. Had a long 2hrs chat w Karen abt our past. Didn't realise tht we came fr the same circumstances. And sometimes it's jst great to be able to share experiences w ppl....

Met up w Hawch, Chit Wai & Joseph for lunch @ South Yarra on Fri.. Another bday surprise for Krystal. This time, carefully organised w tender loving care.. *wink**.. kudos to Hawch for his effort & thoughtfulness in baking 11 chocolate chip muffins. Reminded me of Brandon's cheese cake on my 19th birthday..

Spent the Fri night w Jeremy. It's so true how sometimes it is not where u went tht makes a date a special one but it is the person tht u spent it with. Spent the night relaxing & chatting @ my hse, followed my late night McD's supper @ this garden, overlooking the city. :) :) Aaaaahhhh~~ It's really amazing to see how 2 ppl w 2 completely diff personalities can come together!!

Then, after spending the whole aft packing...... finally, the excitement to go to Fiji begin to creep in. But I know after I leave today, it will never be the same again. Coz today begins the day of a memorable holiday in Fiji w the girls but also marks the last day of the presence of Krystal in Melbourne... Not to mention tht Franco will be leaving the day after I come back!! Oh well, at least we had it. ^_^

Currently feeling: weird. A mix emotion.

## Will be back in a week ##

Another big 21st birthday blast!!!

2005-10-27T18:50:00.000-04:00

Again, HAPPY BIRTHDAYYYYYY to my dearest cupcake… without u, my uni life in Melbourne wouldn’t be this exciting! Without us, your uni life wouldn’t be this exciting either… wooohooo ~~

Kickstarted the celebration w 14 of us celebrating @ Pacific House, Toorak. The food there is darn nice, with special features all over Cheap Eats, some magazines, The Age.. etc.. highly recommended for a try! Cut the first bday cake – Myer’s Cookies & Cream cake.. Yum! Yum! :) :) Continued @ Cookies Bar, Swanston St. Another highly recommended place. Reason: the cocktails are amazing though not the cheapest in town & the atmosphere & ambience for somewhere between a pub & a jazz bar! Cool~~

Next day, the real day… surprised her w a big birthday hug, a bouquet of colourful flowers & specially chosen chocs from Koko Black. Had big brekky @ this juice bar @ Elizabeth St. Very cute shop, decorated the whole place w bananas & oranges…. then, spent the aft visiting the St. John’s cathedral.. somewhere in Collins St (a place we’ve always wanted to go!) We brought her to this quaint Oriental café @ Richmond. Limited choice of drinks. Poor service. Good company! *wink** Headed to Ikea for a short stroll & started our preparation..

Startd our grocery shopping around 4pm @ Chinatown, preparing for steamboat bday dinner .. went to Franco’s place to revamp & decorate the place, went Brunetti’s to get the cake while birthday girl enjoyed herself in Dreamland… Then, around 8pm…. Kaboom! The "BIG" surprise… hehe.. not really lar! Coz she already knows tht we’re gonna have steamboat dinner & will decorate the place.. Anw, the night started with special champagne by Sze, to celebrate her newfound job. We all ate until my stomach exploded. Well, at least for me lar.. Heaps of food & desserts. My favourite: mango pudding by future chef, Sze!

Highlight of the night: pressies!!!!! Heaps… a Mimco shoe pendant, her puff’s & future sis’s surprise card, a super special CD w 10 tracks – specially coordinated by Franco & leading rock star – Nelson.. heheee.. a bday cake.. & how can we miss our special puzzle pendant?!! :)

Special thanks to Franco & biu tai & all who had contributed to the making of the CD – their late nights, hard work, effort & thoughtfulness, Val for her super innovative pig bday card, Mr. Ho Chee Chuan & his sis for being so thoughtful & making her bday an even more special one than it already is, Richie for his cold jokes & laugh bombs, Sze for her mango pudding & special cocktail & of course, myself for........... hehee… Ok! *perasan** ;P Jst being me?

The best has yet to come... :) *wink**..............................

I am officially...

2005-10-24T21:15:00.000-04:00

A free woman.

Why? Coz I handed in my last assgn ever. Oh my gosh~~ My last 2 assgns were the worst assgns I’ve ever done. It doesn’t help when I realised a few parts of my assgn is wrong 2 hours before it’s due. Talking abt last min huh?!.. My mum & bro’s been nagging me abt my “new” attitude of leaving assgns till e very last min. aiks! Oh well, I guess I won’t be hearing them complaining abt this for a VERY looooooong time.

Due to assgns, last week has been crazy! Yet still managed to indulge in fresh salmon & sea urchins .. Oooo!! Yum~ Yum~ Had my final SLP training last Fri.. one of the best training ever.. mainly because after going through 4 stages together, everyone practically know each other makes it such a warm & friendly environment to be in.. esp when everyone’s fr a diff culture & background, which adds to the diversity & laughter.

Had a fun time “consoling” Jen on Fri & entertaining June abt her latest.. ehem! fling? Hehee.. *wink* *wink**.. cherish all those moments where we would jst sit n joke abt love & sex.. esp when our conversations made me tickle & laugh like a mad woman on the street.

Best thing of the week: Thank God for the inefficiency of Malaysian Airlines. Krystal has to postpone her flight back to KL.. meaning more time! YAY~! YAY!! *jumping* extra 4 more days to spend w her before I leave for Fiji!!!!! Woooooo~~ okayyyyy, I’d better start doing my research on Fiji.

Currently anticipating: Krsytal’s 21st birthday celebrations.. Gonna have a blast! :) :) 

My life is a drama.

2005-10-17T17:03:00.000-04:00

Recently, many things happened around me. So many, I don’t even know where and how to begin. Starting from Ling’s sad farewell, I am still reminiscing over the lost of a good phone partner for 2 years. A good example of how true friendship cannot be separated by distance. :) To my first experience of the difference between a man who fears God. Not to mention my "brave endeavour" to finish my Ethics essay a day before it’s due and to cram a semester’s lecture notes within 4hrs for my Mass Media in Asia test. So much for playing huh?!.. ;P

While I laughed my ass off watching the 40-year-old virgin (highly recommended for anyone who craves for a good laugh), I was sick worried of my mum who was left home alone and will be home alone for the next 45 days before she comes to Melbourne. To receiving a better-than-expected results in my Mass Media essay and a 2 hours super-relaxing outing w Cupcake, jst lazing at Melbourne’s Uni lawn.. taking pics, chatting, talking abt love, life & friendship under the hot sun. Ahhhh~~

Till last week - my last day of classes EVER! And the excitement of seeing my old colleagues and SLP mates at the Student Volunteer Recognition & Awards Night and the unexpected offer fr my ex-boss to work as an Events Assistant over summer..*shock**

And of course, witnessing my dearest "goldfish" (name given because of the size of her eyes) – Jennifer, dancing and shaking her ass at her first ever dance production in Melbourne Uni.

All the way to experiencing how a small gesture of mine can changed & touched the hearts of my 2 dearest friends (Jen & Jun), who witnessed the momentous occasion of last Sat’s Women Conference. Best thing was: to hear the testimonials of 3 courageous women revealing and testifying the bare truths of their past. To realise that I am not the only broken vessel.

Most of all, the 4hrs unexpected chat I had w Jeremy last night had left me baffled with words. I never imagine the amount of trust he placed upon me & how the "unspoken" has gradually transformed into mutual trust & commitment.

Of all, the most dramatic news is still the fact that Krystal had decided to bring forward her flight 3 weeks earlier. Meaning: we’ve only got exactly 9 days left before she goes home!!!! *fainted**

But nothing beats this overriding feeling I’ve been confined with for the past week and am still feeling now. That sense of transition. That sense of... "What? You mean it’s been 2 years already?!!" That sense of a closing of a chapter of my life as a uni student and the beginning of another lonnnnnnnnnnng chapter of career as a God knows what. The fact that I’ll be leaving the country in less than 3 months and the many people that I probably wouldn’t ever see for the rest of my life. Well, at least for the next 5yrs.

And most of all, the overwhelming fact of what used to be unfamiliar has now became my comfort zone and what I had used to become familiar with, requires some new adjustments. How strange! *dazed*

My Uni Ball

2005-10-08T02:59:00.000-04:00

I’ve always thought in order to complete my uni life cycle, 2 things is a must: a formal ball and a graduation. As much as how people wince & cringe at the thought of a ball, I’ve always thought it’s an experience of a lifetime.

We kick started the memorable night by hiring a white limousine to chauffeur us around the city. Sipping a glass of sparkling wine, we took heaps of pics as usual. I’ve always been the people who stare at the white limo passing by but this time, I was the person sitting inside being stared. Boy, it does feel different!

Reached @ South Atlantic Wharf, a beautiful place in Docklands around 7pm. With dim lights and a jazz band playing at the background, the mood was simply exciting & romantic. What adds to the night was our table, which was strategically located right next to the dance floor.

Entrée was chicken caesar salad. Yummy! Followed by grilled chicken and mushroom risotto for main and apple crumble for dessert. I guess the highlight was the free flow of alcohol. Well, at least for the aussies. Man, they sure can drink! Took more pics & hit the dance floor.. =-=...

We toasted to uni life and after just one glass of champagne, I was feeling rather tipsy & realised maybe I need to start taming my low tolerance of alcohol. Around 11pm, we were brought to an after party @ St. Kilda with a party bus. By party bus, I mean disco lights & dance music, all in a bus!! It was so amusing as all of us dance in the bus while trying to balance with our high heels.. haha..

The after party wasn’t as exciting as I thought it could be. Maybe it’s the music or maybe it’s the crowded club. Or maybe it’s jst too aussie for us. They had some band playing so we left early.

Overall, my first ever formal Communications Masquerade Ball costs me a whopping $207. Some might think it's insane to spend tt amount of money on one night. But I tell u, it was all worth it..!!

In the end, it was truly a night to remember. Not because of the limo or the free flow of alcohol. Neither was it because of the chance to look pretty. But simply, to experience this with my best uni mates and that, is what made it such an unforgettable night..

At second thought, it is the great friendships I made that had completed my uni life cycle.

Thanks guys! :)

The ring or me?

2005-10-05T02:59:00.000-04:00

Recently, I am surrounded with friends that are getting married. And with proposals of engagements, comes along the ultimate question: "How big is the ring?" It seems to me that 0.5 carat is a minimum standard of today's market. 0.8 carat is considered lucky. 1.0 carat is a blessing.

I for one, agree to men's exasperated plea of: "Oh baby, it's just another rock!" Maybe it's because I am not experiencing it myself yet. Or maybe it's because I am yet a fan of diamonds. Or perhaps I simply think it is ridiculous to spend Aus 10,000 on a 1.0 carat diamond ring. Not to mention the upcoming wedding costs of the wedding dress, the dinner, the decorations, honeymoon, bla, bla, bla..

I'd rather spend a bomb on my honeymoon to Paris, sit the gondola boat in Venice & pamper ourselves with first-class hotel & romantic dinners.

Sometimes I can't help but wonder, is the 1 carat ring really a symbol of love and sacrifice of yr fiance or is it merely just another ring? Are we getting married to the man who we wanna spend the rest of our life with or are we getting married to the engagement ring?

My “stress-free” holiday...

2005-10-03T02:59:00.000-04:00

Stress-free in inverted commas merely because I was thoroughly enjoying my hols while feeling that inch of guiltiness, watching Jen & June working hard on their essays & constantly being reminded.. "Hey Irene, guess wht? It’s not really meant to be a holiday but a 'catch-up-with-work' week..."

Aaaanyway, rewinding back to Wed, I had an unproductive morn of attempting to kickstart my essay and another unfruitful day of shopping @ South Yarra w Krystal, Franco, Sze & June. It’s either the price is not right or the design looks like a rag. Feeling v disappointed & suffering fr severe PMS, I met up w e girls for a nice catch up over porridge @ Supper Inn. Then at night, accompanied Jen to watch Hot Wax, one of the theatre productions she had to do a review on. My verdict: Poor music. Exaggerated acting. Corny jokes. Unnecessary intermission. Original idea. Go if it’s complimentary. Not worth $15.

Thursday, we went cycling!!! :) :) Lovveee it. Got a good bargain fr e hottie. $25 per day. Started off by exploring the Royal Botanical Garden. Oh my gosh! Didn’t know tt e garden is so huge.. so many flowers & undiscovered areas. Then, attempting to be adventurous, Richie, Franco, Krystal & I cycled to Docklands while stopping numerous times for photos... luckily, everyone loved taking photos. Otherwise, they’ll kill me. Swinging our legs by e harbour, we savoured our gelati.. v nice weather! Took the city route back to Yarra rivers to return our bikes... man! the bike trail at the city is pretty scary. Unlike KL, where I’m sure bikers are not required to cycle at restricted areas, Melbourne is quite restrictive in tt sense. Apart fr tt & e bruise in between my legs, it was a really fun outing. My conclusion: Let’s do it again eh guys?!... ;P

Met Joseph for lunch on Fri. Again Krystal & I being the "youngsters" tried to cheer up e "old farts".. hehee.. Ohhhh & guess wht? I bought a dress! 60bucks after 25% off. Quite a good bargain eh?! So excited. My first casual dress. I’ve always wanted to find a dress but can never find anything tt suits my "specially-designed curve".. if u know wht I mean.. ;P Anw, still pondering whether I can wear tt to the Ball.

At night, Krystal & I went dinner w Hawch & his whole family.. errr, felt a bit funny at first. But, his sisters are really cool so in the end, I guess I revealed my true self coz the sisters kept on stuffing me w food.. heehee.. not tt I could resist. I tell u, the pizza there is darn good! Finger lickin’ good..!! Esp the desserts.. my first time trying zucchini pizza & oooohhh.. the chocolate dessert served in a pastry tht look like curry puff is damn good. Imagine hot choc oozing out, topped w vanilla ice-cream. My verdict: definitely a good place to hang out despite a bit pricey.

Went to Gorgeous 2005 on Sat, one of e fashion events. My conclusion: Good attempt in trying to showcase young designers. Need to work harder in promotion. Poor turnout. A bit tricky in trying to fit in Melbourne’s high quality fashion events.

Met up w Jeremy for dinner @ La Porchetta. After ½ hr debating which movie we should go for, I ended up giving in & we watched Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit. Hmmm.. not really my type of movie but quite a relaxing one. Instead of the conventional cinema, we went for a drive-in cinema @ North Coburg. My first drive-in cinema. :) Very diff. I always thought drive-in cinemas are those tt u watch in Hollywood movies, nv thought I’d experience it myself. Silly me, I always thought they have large speakers fixed at numerous spots, only to realised u actually have to tune in to a certain frequency in order to watch it. How cool is tt! Best thing was: to cuddle up & watch a movie. Ended up with a nice stroll at the park. My verdict: Cherishing the moments. :)

There u go, my hols so far at the shortest possible entry. Oopsie!

Feeling a bit judgemental.. my verdict on my mid-sem break: Couldn’t ask for more.

Tulip Festival

2005-09-28T00:03:00.000-04:00

I have never appreciated e beautiful sun in KL as much as I did since I was in Melb. And today, was one of the sunny days that u jst hv to drag yr arse out in the sun.

So off we went, took a 1hr plus train to Lilydale. Dammit! It was so far until my flat ass was so soar. Arrived there & wonder aimlessly to look for this cottage for lunch tht Krystal wanted to bring us. In the end, we resorted to this little cafe. (Thanks, cupcake! I know u jst wanted us to try yummy food.. Don't worry lar, we're still friends.. hehee)

I guess today is jst not our day. Suppose to take a shuttle bus, only to realise tht it's an hourly one & we jst missed it. Took the cab. And for the first time, instead of the cab driver bringing us there, we had to look for the place together. How interesting!

Reachd @ the tulip farm and it was all worth it. The tulips are surprisingly huge. My goodness, nothing could describe the beautiful & tranquil scenery of lush blooming & colourful rows of tulips. My ultimate favourite: the pink tulips. Took lotsa crazy pics..!

Slept like a pig in the train back. Felt so refreshing & went for my all-time fav waffle & hot choc @ Max Brenner. Seriously, someone should start franchise Max Brenner to KL.. Oh! Oh! Maybe that person could be me...!!!!!!=-=

*drooling & dreaming at the same time**

My holidays so far..

2005-09-26T16:19:00.000-04:00

...........has been a whirlwind.

There's nothing more disheartening than to hold yr closest friend crying in yr arms, knowing there's nothing much u can do to ease her pain other than to be there.

Kicked off Fri, strolling & enjoying my aft @ Melbourne Aquarium. It probably isn't the best place to go. But hey, I've got the best tour guide anyone could ever had. :) :) I'm sure u know who I'm talking abt. hehee.. Learnt heaps of stuff. Did u know that starfish's digestive system is an external one rather than an internal one?

Anw, had Vietnamese for dinner w the gang. And of course, head to South Yarra to watch Jen perform & checked out e new club! What's diff this time is we decided to put on make up... hehee.. girl's stuff. Sort of like a trial for the upcoming Comm Ball. Maybe I'm jst not used to it despite Sze's professionalism. But I thought I look like a confused dracula. ;P

Went home @ 4am & slept like a pig. 4hrs later, dragged myself off the bed & met w Uncle Raffidi (mum's friend) to pass him all my winter clothes. I had my first preview of going back for good as now my cupboard seems empty. ^_^ It's a v strange feeling, I mst say.

Sat aft, we headed off to the Royal Melbourne Showground. I wasn't tht excited until I reachd there. My goodness, tht place is huge man. Massive. The funniest thing is, in my 21yrs of living on this planet, I've never seen chicken on display before. Showground is like a circus thingy - lotsa stupid rides, good food & animal on display.

The highlight was definitely the sweet suprise by beloved Krystal, Richie & Franco. They tricked me saying tht Krystal hurt her leg & asked me to come downstairs @ my apartment's lobby, only to be greeted w 3 yummy Brunetti's sweet treats. awwwwww.. thanks guys, I was really really really touched. We ended up sitting @ the lobby like 4 crazy ppl..

Sun, craved for yum cha so off we went to Shark Fin House for lunch. Bumped around, window shopping in the aft. Went for bro's "future mother-in-law's" place for fish head mee.. Oh, it was so good. Even better was the durian milkshake & Bailey's milkshake tht Audrey made. Love the cosy family feeling...

And love mum's homemade mooncake allllll the way fr KL!! :)

I'm on holidaysssssss!!!!

2005-09-22T16:49:00.000-04:00

That's right. It's finally my turn to hv hols. Melbourne Uni has been hving theirs for a week & ours has jst started. But, all is good. Jst finishd my last class for the week, meaning let's party!!!!!!! :) :) hehee..

To mark this significant holiday, we're kicking it off w a simple dinner tonight @ Franco's place then clubbing tmr!! Woohoo~~ checking out this new club called, Soultrain. And Jen's gonna perform there as well - their first paid gig. =-=..Can't wait-=- ;-)

Bunch yday was inspiring. Lisa (one of the girls in bunch) was sharing how "free" & remarkable she now feels after releasing herself fr the bondage of her past. She was saying how everyone has a past, at times a bad one. And it is so important to deal w it fr the ultimate root before we can fully move on.

I think my mum's life is too happening, I need to start making phone appointment with her every week. She wakes up at blardy 2am in the morn to meet her demands & talkin abt evolving, she now has "Carol Seng's homemade mooncake" stickers. Fulamak~~

Ling, if u're reading this, pls look at the mirror & tell yrself Irene misses you.

And yes, you too porcupine. *hugsssss**

The Unspoken - Part II

2005-09-21T19:28:00.000-04:00

Had a long chat w Jeremy last night. Talking about our "future". Oh, what can I say! While we were discussing all these dreamy ideals of "what if...", I can't help but to feel this overwhelming sense of being loved and deeply touched by his sincerity & his effort to make this work, despite all our differences. Oh my God, can't believe I said tht..!! ;P

But, let's face it. A relationship for 3 months? Doesn't seems very promising to me..

So weird huh? Although we live in a so-called globalised world, two poor souls can still be separated by geographical boundaries... (Effect from my Bollywood globalisation essay!)

What more, it is so funny to know that he probably would never guess tht I've been blogging abt him or "us". But, I'm sure it's jst between the few of us, eh?!.. *nudge* *nudge** =-=..

I know the big guy up there brought us together for a reason and I'm interested to find out what it is.

Guess I should jst live and enjoy the moment, huh?

Star Struck

2005-09-21T02:54:00.000-04:00

My fav book at the moment!! - Memoirs of Geisha
Originally uploaded by irenengzeann.

Oh!! Oh!! You know how I'm reading this book, Memoirs of Geisha. And, guess what? They're making a movie out of it. And, Zhang Ziyi would be the main actress, acting as Nitta Sayuri.. Check it out~~! A definitely mst watch. Promised Franco to watch it w him during our trip to Hong Kong.. Can't wait!!!

I saw Cameron Diaz today!!! My first Hollywood actress. She was here in Melbourne Central to promote her new film - In her shoes. Oh my gawd, I kid u not, she's so pretty!! Her blonde hair, her height, her charm.. jst everything! Waited for freaking 2hrs & only manage to catch a glimpse of her for 20mins or so. But, I guess once in a while u jst need to do all this silly teenager stuff.

Oops, am I still a teenager?

A Bollywood week

2005-09-20T02:59:00.000-04:00

I finally handed in my Bollywood essay!! Phew~~ I had never felt so last minute for an essay before. Basically, the essay was due at 4pm and I’m still writing my conclusion at 3.50pm. Ooooh~~ Sometimes this adrenaline rush really makes me tick. Hv been cracking my brain for the past few days, trying to understand a culture tt I’ve always been so intrigued abt – Indians.

Met up w the ski trip guys for dinner on Fri night. Went to Laksa King - Malaysian food. Haven’t had Malaysian food for ages so u could imagine how I gobbled down my curry laksa n cincau drink. Still mum’s home cook food is e best!.. it was blardy cold tht night, jst e perfect timing for hot choc. So off we went to Fraus café.. this quaint European café tht serves a variety of hot choc. We mst’ve scared the hell out of Joseph & Haw Chuan coz their eyes were bulging n they were shaking their heads in disbelief when we ordered our 3rd drink.. hehee.. they’v got nice thick choc & odd flavours I’ve never tasted before. The meringue & tiramisu hot choc was fabulous but the nougat hot choc tasted like the washing machine detergent, we had a hard time arguing who should finish it.

Headed back to Krystal’s place, challenged our minds w this new board game Hawch bought – Articulate.. Something like Taboo but this one heavily tested us on general knowledge (at least for me & Krystal). Mental note: need to read more books. For supper, I had the worst mooncake of my life – whoever invented vegies in mooncake should be cursed & stoned for degrading the standards of mooncake. Ewwww~~~ what’s next? Chicken-flavoured mooncake?!..

Jeremy dropped by on Sat.. :) :) Hanged around whole aft, watched TV, and.............. *wink** *wink** .. chat lar.. Eh! Eh! ;P At night, I went to Franco’s place & had steamboat. The best thing u can do on a cold night is binging on hot steamboat with the company of friends..! :)

Arggghhhh, guess wht? I lost my fav pair of earrings. The silver hoops tht I always wear.. arghhhhhhh! Can’t belive I lost it.. a gift fr mum & it’s been w me for 5yrs. :( damn!!

Sun’s sermon was pretty good. Chris was talking abt dreams & how whn we were young, we are full of dreams but w little resource. Ironically, once we grew up, we are equipped w more resources but w little dreams.. Hmmmm, something to ponder abt! Catch up w Audrey & bro’s friends over Vietnamese lunch. Oh, was Mooncake Festival last Sun. Another reason to party. C’mon! We had Mooncake costume party.. we all dressed up as mooncakes. Ha! Kiddin lar~~

I was Chun Li again & some of them really went all e way. Kudos to the girl who came acting as Shrek’s gf. I tell u, she really look like one & it was soooOOOooo funny. Some came as vampires, nun, Star Wars, pirates, gambler dealer, soldiers, belly dancers - all in all, a funny night. Unlike the mooncake celebrations I’v always had at home – u know, playing w lanterns, candles, stealing my po-po’s food, burning my uncle’s plants.. heheee..

Simple things that make me happy

2005-09-15T02:58:00.000-04:00

I've always look forward to Tuesdays since Elina, Devi, Steph, Jun & I started this coffee & fries session every Tues. Somehow, after a whole day of boring lectures & tutorials, it definitely succeeded in de-stressing me. Loved all those chats abt fashion, sex, guys.. u know, girls talk. Simple things tht make me happy. Hmmm~~

I'm hving this craze over the Willy Wonka tune & I jumped & shouted like I always do when Krystal let me hear the Willy Wonka ring tone today. Simple things that make me happy. I tell u, the song is sooooo cute. U know, how there are songs tht make u feel young? Okay, can't believe i said tht. Make me feel damn old now.

Jeremy suprised me with a Wonka chocolate today. How sweet! :) Simple things that make me happy.

Ling called me out of nowhere yday evening. Jst to say hi & told me that she's thinking abt me. Another simple thing that makes me happy. Miss u too dear... Really!

Another simple thing that makes me happy - hv Tim Tam's ice-cream with Jen after a tiring day at uni while she acts like a goldfish.

Happy 20th Birthday....

2005-09-13T12:31:00.000-04:00

To my dearest coolest & cutest lil bro on earth.. Happy Birthday, Kenny! Heard fr mama tht u had a full blast celeb yday.. U deserve it! Dunno whether u'll b reading this but I wanna tell the whole wide world tht I'm so proud of u. So proud tht u finally came out fr yr nutshell of smoking, partying, mamaking & an accomplice to pirated VCDs in KL to now, on the route to being a cool pilot. hehee.. ;P Congrats on yr first sem results... damn happy when I heard fr mama.

That's it dude, crack yr brains up to study & party yr arse off in the weekends.. woohooo~~ will be back soon! & yes, I'd wanna be one of the first few girls to seat at e passenger seat beside u. At least the top 3!!! ^_^

Sovereign Hill – the end of my SLP trip leading.

2005-09-13T12:30:00.000-04:00

One of my best experiences during my 2yrs of involvement in SLP (Student Leadership Program) would be the opportunity to be a trip leader. It’s even better when I haven’t been to the trip before & tt was the case of yday’s Sovereign Hill day trip. I had always wanted to go Sovereign Hill where the infamous gold mines, revisiting Aus’s historic gold rush era in the 1850s (I think!). Not tht I had a particular interest to know abt gold mines & their existence but it was the whole idea of physically being there to experience it.

Cheeky Richie & Krystal. I pesterd them to go to the trip w me. They signed up for it & pretended nothing happened, until I saw their names at the participants’ list during my briefing. What a sweet surprise! (Thanks cupcake & fatso, it meant a lot to me!! ;D) The journey took us less then 2hrs – scattered showers. Damn! But e min I entered, it was as though I was transported into a diff world. Ladies & men, dressed w the whole 1920s era costume w fluffy Dutch Lady dresses & men w hats all roaming around. They walked in & out those shops, greeted us & chatted w each other, pretending as though the village still exists.

Richie forced us to ride on the horse carriage w him, u know the ones that Cinderella rode on as well. Yeah! Then, we went & played bowling – their style. The bowling balls are rounder & mind you, there weren’t any automatic machines to arrange the tenpins. It was all manual. I stopped after 1 game, realising it was a waste of time coz the bowling balls never roll to the side no matter how slanted it is. It is designed to test yr strength rather than yr precision. They should’ve called it "rolling" instead of "bowling".

No major dramas in this trip besides the bad weather. What a great way to conclude my SLP trip leading experience! Anw, after visiting a couple of those houses for display, we headed back to Melbourne.

Made a card cum storyboard w Krystal for a friend in need of emotional support. I was v impressed of it, to be honest.. like its originality. Most of all, it is the process of making the card tht makes it so memorable & funny as well.

Oh oh, who had watched Charlie & the Chocolate Factory???!.. Went & watch it at Nova cinemas w Krystal yday. Damn nice. Speaking fr a person who hates cartoons & unrealistic movies, it mst hv been pretty good. A work by Roald Dahl. I find the storyline v original & amazing how Uncle Dahl can think of something so imaginative & fantasy. Definitely a must-see for chocolate freaks like me!!! ~~Willy Wonka!~~ =- ~~Willy Wonka! ~~ =-=…. ^_^

The coward side of me

2005-09-11T02:59:00.000-04:00

In my first attempt to combat procrastination after 15 years of studying, I went to study at the State Lib yday. Oh, I tell u.. e environment, e other studious species, e books... e silence, jst everything contributed to Krystal's & my motivation to study. Well, at least the first half until we met Joseph for lunch. As usual, it was our "duty" to cheer his week up... away fr his monotonous auditor colleagues. Met up w Jen & Jun at night.. went for staff-price Nando's dinner (reminds me of Sam! ;P) & thought we'd some charity by supporting a Taiwanese student film production - The College. Blardy hell. Not only did they made us wait for freaking 45mins, but the so-called production was so bad, even the behind-the-scenes were much more entertaining. Can't believe they even dare to charge me $10. Come to think of it, I can even watch Hollywood movies at $6 on Tuesdays.

Spent my whole day at a PR seminar today. The first few speakers was interesting but towards the end, I wanted to strangle myself. It was worthwhile though - gave me a deeper understanding on the PR industry. Hmmm... time to think abt my career huh?!.. Oopsie, shouldn't I already hv? We decided to cheer up our Sat night out so Franco, Val, Krystal, Jun & I decided to go to Carnegie to this Korean restaurant, "highly-recommended by Franco". It turned out to be Kimchi Grandma, the same one in the city & jst in case u were wondering, of course we screw him up n down. After a few teasings & punchings, we were still there enjoying our seafood hotpot, beef, calamari & of course, the side dishes. Yum Yum~~

Oh oh, the Melbourne Spring Fashion Week event last Tues was so cool. With models strutting their tiny package while Richie & Franco were feasting their eyes .. hehee.. so cool huh?!.. I reckon exposing ourselves to events like these once-in-a-while is great as it gives us an idea on how events should look like. But, too much of these is bad.. the longer I was there, the more I felt tht I was sucked in to this so-called elegant society where who u are is dictated by a Balenciaga bag, a stereotyped perfect body & flawless looks. Still, I'd prefer the porridge we had at Supper Inn. Something tht I really wanted to eat for a longgg time since Ling told me bout it..

The other day, Jen called me a coward. She called me a coward for not exploring my career opportunities in Melbourne first. She called me a coward for not taking that bold step with Jeremy. She called me a coward for I wasn't brave enough to take the road less taken - for rejecting options before even exploring it. Am I? I used to pledge tht I'm not gonna be one of those ppl who's afraid to take e road less taken, who's afraid of changes & instead, gives a try to everything tht comes my way, jst in case it doesn't comes by again. Fr tt conversation of ours, I can't help to think.. am I trying to camouflage my fears by being seemingly determined?

Enough said

2005-09-07T00:35:00.000-04:00

For some reason, I feel enthusiastic today....... until I saw the Katrina tragedy on the headlines again.

I used to think racial discrimination is something that plays in your mind & it wouldn't exist if you don't entertain those thoughts. But, my perspective on it changed when I experienced it myself during my employment in RMIT Union and now - the Katrina tragedy.

I cannot believe in a country as huge and as powerful as America, there is still such thing as discrimination. It is appalling to know that although we live in a so-called civilised 21st century, there is still this clear distinction between black and white. Is it possible for me to continue to live in my ideal classless world and blame everything on media sensationalism? Or is it time for me to smack myself hard enough to see the real world?

Can I still choose to believe tht Mr. War President efficiently helped the tsunami victims purely out of compassion & not for political reasons? And tt he delayed assistance for the poor & marginalised people of New Orleans because he was not prepared & not because they can't contribute to the oh-so-powerful America?

I will be the saddest girl on earth if one day the govt decides to pass censorship laws in the Internet.

Nothing beats a good conversation - I was on the phone w mama for 2hrs & spoke to Jeremy for another 2hrs last night.. :) :)

Something made me look forward to Tues, which is pretty rare - but I think is because I'm going to a Melbourne Spring Fashion Week event tonight. Woohoo~~

I chat my weekend away.

2005-09-05T15:56:00.000-04:00

Stayed over at Krystal’s & Val’s place on Thurs night! Jst loveee slumber parties once in a while. As much as I know sometimes I can be the worst slumber party partners because of my poor resistance to sleep once it hits midnight.. Krystal & I still manage to chat a bit.. talking abt curry fish balls & how we should be contented to what we have..!! ;P Hey, at least I still remember.. vaguely!

Had lunch w Joseph & Krystal.. Lazed around at the State Lib’s lawn, entertained by a silly street comedian & coincidentally live orchestra, playing Lion King’s music.. Oh the weather was jst so good, so summery. It was officially spring as of Thurs!! :) :) Replaced my winter jacket w my spring ones..

Then at night, met up w the girls to discuss.. Oh! Oh! .. Ehem! *drum rolls** I jst would like to announce tht I am now the proud recipient to fly to Fiji for a 6days 5nights trip w Jen, Jun & Val.. lalalalala.. Oh, I so can’t wait to laze arnd at the beach – my first hols w the girls!!!!! Woohoo~~~ *jumping up & down** Then, had dinner at this cosy but pricey Thai restaurant. Tht night, we were debating abt discrimination. I so agree tt everyone in this world has more or less some discrimination whether knowingly or unknowingly. But, I was shocked when Jen said: “I think I am disadvantaged to have an Asian face.” Really???

Sat, Haw Chuan, a friend I met fr ski trip.. tagged me for bfast. So, off we went for a “bfast cruise” at Vic Market, again encouraging myself tht someday if I can’t make it in the PR industry, at least I can still work as a tour guide. At night, met up w Krystal, Franco & Richie – went for Japanese food. Sat down thre for almost 3hrs talking abt r/ships, insensitive guys & hypersensitive girls. And our target for e night was no other than - Mr. Richie. He never fails to make me laugh.. :D went for a drink at this place where they hv swings as their seats. So cooool huh?!

Usual church on Sun, tried to do some work in the aft but ended up eating for an hr & napping for 2hrs. So sweet of aunt May, she invited me to her place for dinner. Nv been to her place before so msged Jeremy to cancel our night out & off I went. Cosy hse, nice ppl & good food.. I sat thr, chit chatting w aunt May, uncle Herman & her nieces & nephews.. talking abt e Katrina tragedy, travelling, work, cars.. I guess its no harm to go outside yr comfort zone once in a while!!

I hate Mondayssss….. arghhhhh! & I’m suffering from severe weekend blues.

The contradictions of life

2005-09-02T01:33:00.000-04:00

Can u imagine? It's already Week 8 of uni. Essays & presentations almost every week.. phew! As usual, Thurs is here... it means, party!!!! :) Well, not really. Jst had BBQ at Concept Blue.. we bought sooo much food. Yum~~ Yum~~ It's really quite nice a feeling to hang out w friends, bingeing on food, talking crap while eyeing on those hot bods swimming.. hehee..!

Saw Twin's entry today. Her father's pics makes my heart wrenched. I can really feel her pain.. to see someone that u love dearly in such a condition really hurts. Even worse, I felt tht sense of "miserable-ness" in me. So hard to describe. But, it's tht sorta feeling when u really wanna be physically there for someone but u can't. *biggggggg hug to you, Sam*** ^_^

Had an argument w mama few days ago.. 2nd time since I came here! I guess she realised tht my outlook in life has slowly changed - that my priorities & ethics are no longer the same w the person 2yrs ago before I step foot in Melbourne. That my aspirations no longer correlate with hers. Oh well, she's still dear to my heart & will always be. *comfort huggg to mama** :)

Oh oh, I jst cut my hair today~~ shorter fringe, more side layers & a slight trim at the back. Although I'm not used to it yet, but really, the satisfaction of change is awesome (Quote: Sophia, 2005)..

Uploaded some new pics.. hehee.. *blush**

The consequences of procrastination

2005-08-29T15:22:00.000-04:00

I plead guilty to procrastination.

I was letting Clare, my English tutor to proof read my resume last Fri. She went through the first few parts w not much of a comment until she reached to the Qualifications section. She pointed at the part where I had included my results, looked up to me & said: “Do you think it matters, Irene?” For some reason, it had kept me thinking for a bit or is it jst another phony excuse to ease my guiltiness fr procrastinating my media ethics essay until 2days before it is due.

But hey, I spent 4 freakin hrs at the comp lab last sat to do research on my essay. Met Jeremy for a movie in the aft, followed by superbly fresh & yummy sashimi for dinner w Krystal & her mum, Val, Franco, Richie & biu tai. We had a silent dinner at first, with Richie tryin to steer clear from his crappy jokes and me trying very hard to maintain my etiquette. But I guess tigers can never hide from their spots. While hving black sesame ice cream for dessert, Krystal’s mum start telling her life story to ... abt incidents at her work, grooming lessons, Hawch’s mum & tips to survive in the corporate world. Sometimes I jst loveeee to talk to aunties & uncles.. because really, u learn many diff things fr them tht u can never consume fr books. I dunno why, but everytime I look at her, I can't help to smile coz she really resembles the guru feng shui - Lilian Too. ;P

23 degrees yday. For the first time, I was without my red puffy jacket or my brown one either. Finally managed to give the thermo flask tt I bought for aunt May to her. It is quite a satisfying feeling to see ppl tht u care smile fr ear to ear, appreciating yr effort & thoughtfulness. Ta pau Chinese food & gathered at Parliament garden for “picnic” w my bro’s friends. Haven’t had lunch w them for ages... then, we went on to play Taboo. Oh god, I was so rusty.. I almost made the gp lost. ;P I wanted to teach them play fuzzy duck, thought twice and decided not to when my brain finally processed that I’m w a bunch of church people.. hehee.. After much fun under the sun, I stuffed myself w 6hrs of media ethics. Oh, I so deserve it..!

Alright, back to my essay. More stories to come.. ;P

What's up my sleeve?

2005-08-27T17:48:00.000-04:00

I hate it when I encountered horny waiters whenever I try a new restaurant. Coz then it totally destroys the whole impression I had and my appetite. Stupid waiter, have problems w his puny eyes - his eye level was at our chest all the while. (Well, less on mine definitely!) Nevertheless, the food was good. We had bbq fish, a range of appetisers, and some chicken w chic peas - all in Lebanese style.

While hving dinner, Jen confronted Val & I yday. Sort of "questioning" and "interrogating" us as to why we went Lion King without her & why we bought tickets to Spring Fashion Festival without her. I've always detest friends asking me questions like these. But at second thought, hey! it is only when u mean a lot to them, questions like these popped up. And, it is only true friends tt practices honesty riggggght?

Woke up 7.30am in the morn today, jst to attend the Graduans fair at Arrows. Thought it might be worth trying my luck to secure a job before I go back. Oh well, only 7 companies were there & one of them were Phillip Morris. I have to say, their graduate program does seem enticing - international working opportunities & they train u to be in a leadership position. A bit controversial though..

So what's up my sleeve lately?

Fiji. :) :) :) hehee.. Haven't confirm anything yet BUT seems positive. Will be going w Val, Jen & Jun... And, let's jst say I'm researching on Cairns as well..! Woohoooo~~

What a crazy week!

2005-08-24T14:08:00.000-04:00

Thurs has become one of my fav days of the week. Simply because it is the start of my wkend and last week was no exception. After what seem like an endless arrangement, Krystal, Val, Sze & I finally met up w some friends that we got to know through our ski trip. Had Jap food, head down to the bottle shop, bought 3 bottles of whiskey & continued our drinking session.. Boy, never let your friends tricked u into playing maths magic when u’re half sober.

Woke up on Fri morn & prepared for my presentation the whole aft to ease my guiltiness. At night, finally came the much-anticipated Lion King!!!! Woohooo~~~ the musical was sooooOOOOoooo cool. Too cool. Jst everything abt it was simply amazing. The grand entrance of Regent Theatre, the dramatic carvings, the grand chandeliers, the props, the music... all contributed to the magical night. We got the cheaper tic, 9 of us.. sat almost 10 rows fr the back. It’s pretty far fr the stage until the guy sitting in front of us brought his own binoculars. :D

Sat was SLP Stage 4 training day. Woke up 6am, feeling a bit wonky & head to Lyrebird Park.. Learnt heaps of stuff. It’s such an incredible opportunity to be able to train among 7 other leaders, with totally diverse experience, culture and leadership styles. Even more incredible when I see myself transforming fr 1st sem, Stage 1 training at the same place & now, my final training. I am now an official SLP graduate after 2 whole years!! Gosh, it’s like another degree... 8 of us stayed overnight to lead the Stage 1 participants the next day. I stuffed up so many times, but I guess it is through stumbling these mistakes that helps to shape my character to be the person that I am today. We had this whole 2hrs feedback session on the wa back to the city w the other 7 leade... got some really pleasant & encouraging feedback. I reckon the overnight training is one of the highlights of SLP - a perfect grand finale!

Came back on Sun night & head straight to meet Michy. I was feeling rather exhausted but the minute I saw her laughing & jumping towards me, my exhaustion jst disappeared. Then, came our infamous roaring laughter & updates over pasta at Corretto’s & hot chocolate at Koko Black.. I’m really glad that you came, babe! Even glad to know that our friendship has not changed much.. it’s as though we catched up from where we left off. :) Anw, I think I snored like a pig that night..

Next day, had Vietnamese for lunch.. bumped into Krystal’s mum & had a bit of chat abt my future career. As usual, Mich & I never understand the meaning of a full stomach & went for yum cha in Chinatown.. then, shop around GPO & Lt Collins. Didn’t had time to shop much & had to sent her off to Glenferrie to meet her aunt. Felt kinda sad when we hugged our last goodbye but I know that would not be our last goodbye.

Prepared for Comm Law presentation w Val until late & by the time I reached home, I was like a dead fish. Oh well, at least until Jeremy called. *wink wink*.. All the hard work was paid off when the tutor said, “Well done. That was an innovative presentation..” Phew~~

What a great conclusion to a crazy week!

p/s: Check this out: Krystal's masterpiece

Marriage, anyone?

2005-08-17T13:02:00.000-04:00

“I’m getting married!!!!!!”

Not me lar. Elina, my course mate. I was shocked to hear that one of my close friends are getting married next year but I was even more shock when she casually mentioned that she wanted me to be one of her bridesmaid. I gasped so loudly, looked into her eyes & told her how touch I was… I mean, I knew we were pretty close friends but I never thought I was “qualify” enough to be one of her bridesmaid. Needless to say, I have never, in my life been asked to be someone’s flower girl, let alone a bridesmaid.. :)

Then we went on & on talking abt her marriage plans… where she wanna go for her honeymoon… how much she pray that she won’t have to live with her annoying future sister-in-law & the whole marriage jitters.

It is one feeling to see my brother’s friends getting married and it is another to see one of yr close friends getting married. For that split second, I felt tht sense of growing up.. the sense that our topics of conversations are gradually shifting from crazy university crushes to real serious stuff like getting married.

Oh my gawd..!!

Breaking news.

2005-08-16T17:50:00.000-04:00

Michelle's arriving fr Perth tmr. Woohoooooo~~~ Another visit fr Perth. :)

Oh, another great weekend

2005-08-15T17:08:00.000-04:00

After 1 ½ semester of being cheated, we finally realised jst how much more cheaper it is to buy drinks fr the bottle shop than to buy it off the bar. So instead of having to pay freaking 7bucks for a shot of tequila, we had JD coke, some Bailey’s look alike liquor & wine for only 10bucks. Bad idea! Coz Krystal & I was half-sober & had to constantly lean on the walls & was laughing like a maniac on the way to Billboard last Fri night. It’s jst fun sometimes to get a bit high, dunno what u’re saying, laugh for no reason & jst dance like nobody cares.

Sat night, it was “Friday’s girl’s night out” with the girls – Jen, Jun & Val. We went to our fav hangout place, Kimchi Grandma in Box Hill for dinner. Oooh, I so love the seafood hotpot. It was damn cold in the suburbs that night & the steaming soup was jst the perfect thing to have. I love it everytime we catch up with each other, talking abt girlie stuff like foolish men & boobies while making silly jokes abt terrorist bomb ring tones and picking on the new cute Korean waiter. Stayed over at Jen’s place, watched some romantic Korean music video clips & the movie “A lot like love”… Hmmmm, jst the perfect Sat night that I needed~

Woke up Sun morn to Jen’s homemade pancake bfast (Thanks girl! *hugsss**) & she brought us for the first time to her church in Doncaster – Crossway. Their worship session isn’t as good but I love their sermon – short & sweet. Seriously, sometimes pastors hv to take into account the fact tht a youth’s retention level only lasts no more than 20mins. Was supposed to catch up w my readings for the week in the lib but end up going for another yum cha session in Fortune. Probably not the best food but really, it is the company that counts.

Then, in the aft, I voluntarily & generously helped up in RMIT’s Open Day… the thing tht i jst needed to remind me how important it is to focus on my studies. Or is it like what I told the girls in the car this morn, “It is the times tt we spent together with close friends that we would tell our grandchildren abt when we are 60, and not the High Distinction that we get.” Still, it’s great to see the desperate eager look at the parents’ wrinkled face while wondering how I’d be like 20yrs down the road.

My weekend ended w Krytal, Sze & Val’s open hse at their place last night. Had pasta & pizza for dinner & played card games as usual. The loser has to pick a random apartment, offer them strawberries & welcome them to Melbourne. And guess who was the loser?!............. Me, of course…….. But the funniest part was when Richie lost & he had to hop like a Chinese vampire to the first person who walked into Concept Blue Apartments.

Oh, what a funny weekend…..!

The occasional sprinkle of..

2005-08-12T16:46:00.000-04:00

Yday, we had Georgette & Charlie over for dinner. While I was savouring Franco’s classic tomato egg & my favourite home boiled soup, Georgette was not only struggling with the idea of papaya & peanuts in her soup but was also disgusted with the whole idea of glutinous rice or what Chinese commonly known as “tong yuen” as dessert.

What started off with slight awkwardness ended up with thunderous laughter when Charlie started making jokes abt Mariah Carey’s certified mental illness & how Aussie girls break up with guys who sing love songs to them after going out for 3 weeks.

Later, we played one of our usual card games. I dunno what u call it but Charlie called it “The anti-social game” where the losers are secluded and confused. While the winners reign w laughter & even more tricks, the losers usually ended up confused and rather shut up then to make any more mistakes. After what seem like an endless game, we all decided to give Franco’s cousin a peace of mind & went to the bottle shop instead. In the end, we hung out at Krystal’s place, chatting, with me thinking what the heck is wrong with me when I feel completely fine w 2 tequila shots but half-sober w only 2 glasses of wine.

Is this what you call cultural diversity? Because if it is, I’m enjoying it.

Currently feeling: I’m suffering from PMS

Presentations, presentations and more presentations

2005-08-11T20:32:00.000-04:00

I'm freaking bored.

I'm trying to prepare for Comm Law presentation in 2 weeks time abt privacy & Nicole Kidman but I can feel my brain screaming... "Chocolate!!!". I'm so tired, I can see double visions of Valene sitting beside me. And worst still, my eyelids are so heavy, I start going bonkers and feeling damn high, which my brothers & I call it "Post Alam Ria"..

Lunch time jst now, I saw Franco peeping at my classroom's door while I was frantically packing and gathering my thoughts from the boring philosophy tutorial, thinking.. "What does this bastard wants?".. He gave me this cheeky smile & shove over a brown paper bag with sushi in it. Awwww... how sweet! **hugssss*** We chatted a bit while my mouth is stuffed with salmon sushi suddenly realising again tht we won't be seeing each other after our Hong Kong trip in Jan. :(

And Jen jst walked in with her forever goldfish eyes and chirpy smile, gave me tht look & gawk at me, complaining for the 100th time.. "I still can't believe you're addicted to blogging."

Duh~~

The Unspoken

2005-08-10T14:10:00.000-04:00

U know how people always say.. there are some things that are better left unsaid. There are some things that are better if it is unclear, not dug out and not clearly spelled. It is both a funny and amazing feeling when two people’s gaze meet among a crowded hall yet u jst feel as though you’re the only two.

It is so weird when you catch yrself smiling while doing monotonous chores like chopping the garlics. Or when u forget to pour oil before you cook and burnt the chicken instead of stir-frying it. Even weirder when you feel yr heart pumping faster than it should or when u stutter for no reason. But I tell u, it is the weirdest when you look into that person’s eyes and all u can see is a pair of loving and caring eyes staring back at you that instantly melts yr heart.

But with the unspoken comes immense curiosity, occasional awkwardness and a handful of questions that starts with “What if..?”. Perhaps it is better if things are clearer and feelings are confessed. Or when both make an effort to put a halt into something that seems like driving to a dead end… or should I say before we reach the junction.

And, that’s exactly how I felt towards Jeremy.

Tut Tut

2005-08-08T14:03:00.000-04:00

I went for another day trip last Sat.. hehee.. ;P U know those old Victorian trains tht still runs on steam and charcoal. I’ve always wanted to sit in one of those trains.. makes me feel like I’m in the 1920s. It definitely was not as amazing as bridge climbing or a helicopter ride but at least it successfully fulfilled my curiosity.

Then, in the aft went for Shanghainese lunch, followed by a good relaxing swim, spa, sauna and steam bath.. everything in 3hrs..!! Seriously, I can still feel the chlorine smell in my hair… **ewwww..** U know one of the most relaxing thing to do is to soak yr body in the hot steaming spa with a good book, looking out to the windy cold weather. But, of course we didn’t do tht. Instead we were poking each other with our dirty wriggly toes, comparing each other’s baby fats & splashing chlorine-filtered water all around..

Had Thai for lunch after church yday & we were discussing abt studying masters and getting a PR. I guess these are always some of the things graduating students like Yong May and I are confronted with. To stay or not to stay? That is the question.. As much as I seem firm to return home for good & taste my fav roti canai telur & kopi O, I still had that little voice in my heart that says… “Perhaps if you stay…..” Time to seek the big guy up there.. *cross fingers**