loving that little girl in you.

take one step at a time.

2009-04-20T22:11:00.017+10:00

i can't believe how time has flown by so quickly. it's coming to the end of April already! we're almost reaching the halfway mark for 2009 and it feels as though new year wasn't too long ago. i'm gonna be off probation end of this month :) and i will try to keep my clean record of not having taken any days off so far hehe. work is good. lots of goals in place for me. which i'm supposed to answer to by 30 June 09. i hope i meet what's expected of me. God help me.

apart from that, weekends are what i look forward to alot :) alottt. i guess it's been that way ever since i started work last year. this year is a little different though. circle of friends seem to have grown smaller with the class of 08 graduating last yr.. but i think with the smaller circle, it's not so much just hi & bye. or eat and bye. we actually get up to doing interesting stuff like going canoeing @ the lake and having a picnic lunch. which makes me sad when i think how the circle will become even smaller next year. bleh. no emo now. no.

anyway, these past few weeks have been eventful. with birthdays, STOMP!, sydneytrip and canoeing :) which meant lots of $$ flying out of the pocket/bank. haha i wish i could go to daddy & mummy and say, i need to go (insert activity here), can I have some money please? or 'daddddd *HUGE smile* i use finish di, can I just have another $50 pleaseee?'. no matter how much i smile at the bank account i don't think it'll ka-ching any more than what i see. self control is what i need. the past few weeks i've spent a bomb. which i have to pay for now. i think working near the canberra centre is both a blessing and a curse. very much a curse when a shopaholic like me finds reason to buy every single thing that attracts my eye. a blessing cos i can shop haha go figure. so this week, my aim is to pay off all my previous bills (or try to anyway). i have to consciously tell myself NOT to walk into ANY shops that will tempt me. gorgeous clothes on the mannequins? no, not going in there. *steps closer*. no, not going in there. i've been successful today. it's only Monday omg. please God please let this week fly by so quickly. also because it's a long weekend this weekend :D woots. i think it puts a skip in everyone's step when you mention public holiday! for the working people, anyway :)

so. yeah. nothing too exciting. sister is pretty settled down. glad she's here :) very helpful arnd the house hehee but yeah, feels nice to have a family member around.

just a little preview of what we've been up to recently.

the twenty TWO year old :)

haha i decided the pictures were abit small. abittt small. so yeah :)

happy birthday dearie :) may you have an awesome awesome abundantly blessed year ahead. haha and like willeh says. may you find your soulmate lol.

the cake actually looks decent huh :) by the brother.

is she your type *wink wink

or is he. *not so wink

haha jk ah barns*

crabs for the bday girl's dinner. it tastes MUCH better than it looks

Sydney Trip

the day we went canoeing.

with my very unwilling paddler :)

guess who's back? *

2009-03-23T00:38:00.007+11:00

hello hi.

it's been awhile ..
3 months awhile :)

but because mr i'm-no-longer-in-canbo-to-provide-us-gelatissimo requested .. i will resurrect frm the dead.

well, these 3months have been very exciting.challenging.new.hectic.fun :) firstly there was the whole moving into the new crib! of course EVERYONE knew about the no-hot-water-and-stove drama and how miserable it was out there .. with no one around. i hated this new place. just because it was so far away. and how walking 15minutes in the heat of summer was making my already dark skin even darkER. january was a good break.. having it off, i got to get the apartment sorted out. furniture and whatever else that was able to make this place - home. haha woots. i feel all so grown up. just that the bills for furnishing went to dad&mum :) it's like being able to decorate the place entirely free! anyhoos. this place is still a work in progress.. which chiahoo, i will post up FULL pics when i am satisfied with it :)

this is a small section which i'm quite happy with haha..

so anyway, after a month of holidayyy (which is so not enough, but i HAD to start work cos my bank balance was depleating).. i started with my new job! excited but also very scared. mainly because i had no idea what i was diving into. all i knew was that it was ACCOUNTING. and that was enough to make me freak out. but i trusted that if God opened the door, He had the best in mind. so i was gonna go in by faith. and truly God has been so good.. everyone's REALLY nice and i've been loving it so far. 2 months in already.. so quick. 1 more month and i'll be off probation *cross fingers* 180 degrees turn arnd frm my previous job.. which according to some inaccurate sources, i have been taking leave every other wk. please, so exaggerating haha so i would have broken my record since i haven't taken leave so far! :) but yeah, i love my work (so far) and the people. but i don't really look forward to my next rotation which is in tuggers. i went to that branch the other day for a meeting and there is NTH there at all! only a bunnings warehouse right next to it. what am i gonna do during lunch?? shop for hardware tools??! *sigh. but yeah, now all is good. i usually pack lunch to work.. and eat with my colleagues .. and with my remaining lunch time hop over to canbo centre for a walk walk. and every single time i walk pass gelatissimo. every single time. i wish i could just ask for the flavour i want.. and i get the biggest serving without paying a cent :)

but yeah, all's been very good so far. and i'm happy :) Lil J has entered into the canbo scene. making very good friends with my friends haha anyone wanna befriend my sister? lol* but it's good having her arnd. a piece of family. i get to hang out in bruce hall too! tho i feel a lil old everytime i walk down those hallways..so now, my weekly routine.. monday to friday is work! how exciting. with dance classes/church stuff slotted in here and there. and saturday mornings i wake up early to fetch roomie to work.. come home to freshen up and dilly dally.. then CHEAP heavy brunch at sw's work place :) budget friendly. then whatever else that comes to mind for the rest of the day.. i.e. shopping/sleeping!/housechores/doing nothing. sunday is just church and nth hectic. because the day after is work. again. so fast?? yeap.

there you go. no hoo-has. no dramas. and i'm not asking for any of those :) God has been great. thank You!

when the daddy mummy visited :)

me and mini me.

Skyfire 2009

ok. it's 1.17am now.

die la.

how to wake up tmrw.

Goodnight! :)

where are you christmas ?

2008-12-25T03:15:00.007+11:00

where is the laughter ..

you used to bring me
why can't i hear music play?

my world is changing
i'm rearranging
does that mean christmas .. changes too?

safely home.

2008-12-20T05:10:00.007+11:00

and i finally can sit down and update a little bit. just a little bit :)

it's been a busy past few weeks. with the new apartment needing all the basic necessities such as the washer, fridge etc. i had to make sure they were all purchased before i came home. andd without a car. it was difficult. not to mention.. buying the items. omg. shopping for clothes & all my nonsense, i've got experience la. you ask me to buy a fridge or a washing machine. god knows what i need to look for in it. the washer's RPM, the microwave.. inverter one or not? *faint. i don't knowww. but thank God i had some help and it all got settled well. now the new place is just a mess with lotsa boxes, luggages and bags of stuff everywhere. haha God help us unpack when we reach Canbo :) tho i must say it was really fun having my first time renting a car *hehee and driving to and fro frm the apartment to unilodge to transport all our junk. i think my dearest passengers enjoyed the privilege of having a car around too. for once we didn't have dinner in civic. happy's or food court type of options :p

after all the packing shifting buying stuff thingymajiggy. roomie & tan & everyone else had their graduation. and i was caught up in the excitement of it all :) snapping up pictures and learning heaps about flowers. haha and THEN. there was the whole packing to go home. unit G14 going back to its bareness and basics. it's been a year. so quick. too quick?

this whole transition from being a student to a working adult. adult. ee. the sound of it. so. not me. is weird. it seems even more real when my holidays are no longer 3 mnths but 2 wks. then it's weird when grandmama&ppl ask 'so how? no boyfriend yet?' when i used to hear 'ehh make sure you study finish first only you get a boyfriend'. yer. i so old di meh. nooo.

it's like everything has not really sunk deep enough yet. and i sort of like it that way. i think. living in denial? i don't know. but i still feel like a kid. not an adult with real responsibilities and issues. i guess i'll get used to it with time haha when the wrinkles start showing.

good grief.

my beloveds graduating.

the not yet

and the already have

and just today. my 21st belated birthday celebration @ home.

a reminder for me again.

i AM twenty one.

take a walk.

2008-12-02T14:09:00.004+11:00

it's a full stop.
after a long enough paragraph.
not because i do not anymore.
but because i will not.

i chose to.
now i choose to.
it's not really an end of the road.
because where did the road start anyway?

and now i walk off the path.
a path walked on just a little too long.
not because i do not anymore.
but because i will not.

lunch time activity.

2008-11-26T13:40:00.008+11:00

i woke up at 9.20 today. nine twenty. when work starts at 9. nine. because my phone was on silent since the valedictory thingy yesterday. not that i didn't know. stupid me woke up to the buzzing phone at 7 and turned it off and slept again. the next time i woke up i KNEW it was not early. and yeah, it wasn't. i was soooo tempted to just call in sick.

i guess i didn't since i'm now here having my lunch, instant noodles btw, and writing this because i don't feel like reading my book and i realised i haven't blogged in awhile. not that this post is of any significance anyway. but yeah.

side track. everyone's all graduating so soon. it's funny that i never felt uni was ENDING, in a way, because i still lived on campus, i still hung around all you guys, i still attended uni events, i still. but now that everyone's graduating, and i'm finally moving out of campus accommodation, it's as if i'm graduating for real alongside them. you all. it's so .. bittersweet.

eee. i emo for ppl's graduation.

but then again, i might just crash into my sister's uni events next year. mix with her 1990 friends.

talk about a kid who never wants to grow up.

thank You for these twenty one years.

2008-11-19T00:39:00.011+11:00

dear God.

thank You for always loving me despite my despites.

thank You for being my rock & my salvation.

thank You for blessing me with a perfectly wonderful family who loves me so much.

thank You for blessing me with the bestest friends in the entire world.

thank You for giving me the opportunity to study overseas and gaining that piece of scroll.

thank You for the job I have now and the job I'm hopefully going to get.

thank You for a childhood filled with laughter and fond memories.

thank You for giving me the chance to experience both the bitter and sweet ..

thank You that during my lowest moments, You proved to be nearer than ever.

thank You for Your grace that so abounds in my life.

thank You for bringing me thus far.

thank You for these twenty one years, Lord.

and I pray that You'll continue to hold my hand through the many years to come.

my birthday breakie @ south kitchen, bruce

roomie's special treat for me

after dinner on the 13th

dinner outing + night of singstar & wii with my hotstuffs.

thank you everyone for celebrating my twentyfirst with me and for making it so special :) especially with the fateful date sandwiched in between your exam papers. love you guys heaps.

and to the other november babies.

happy belated birthday to all you beautiful people :) twenty one year olds and the twenty three year old .. may the years ahead be full of joy, laughter & love.

cheers to celebrating only the beginning.

let's play Catch. the. bus.

2008-11-17T23:12:00.002+11:00

omg. i. desperately. want. a. car.

clad in high heels and working clothes, i am seen running across the street.. in great hope that the bus thereee.. just a few metres away will not close its doors on me and drive away. or drive past me while i'm still running for that matter. or like today. speed off when i'm just about to reach it.. and after i've ran a few blocks.

YER.

chasing after you.

2008-10-25T17:44:00.003+11:00

i never think about you .. unless i have to. unless you force me to. but at times like these, i do. maybe it's a good thing. cos then i won't let you pass me by without me having done something, achieved something, created something ..

a friend of mine talked about you the other day. and maybe it triggered my thoughts. you come and go without anyone noticing .. not till you've passed us long enough for us to realise you will never come back. your hand ticks off every second we have with you. each tick sounding just the same as the other .. and yet each tick so unique on its own. because you say 'hello' and 'goodbye' at the same time.

you allow for so many things to be done .. and sometimes i wish i had more of you. sometimes i wish i didn't just sit around and let you walk pass me so many times in the past. sometimes i wish you stayed longer every night so that i wouldn't wake up feeling half-awake. maybe just because i have less of you nowadays i realise how important it is to make the fullest of it when you are around.

i don't know how much more of you i'll have . . because it's not in my hands. but right now.. like my friend.. i would want to make the best of what i can when you are around.

fancy fishing?

2008-10-23T22:38:00.004+11:00

ever so commonly spoken and heard of .

don't worry .. there are many fishes in the sea.

just when i was blog surfing the other day i found something that read .

i don't care how many fishes there are in the sea.

i don't want a fish.

i want you.

*hmm.

a little something every week.

2008-10-21T01:02:00.005+11:00

i seem to be updating on a weekly basis. weekly review. hmm, hopefully it doesn't turn to a monthly one. anyway, a little something from since i last updated. so i went for my interview :) *soscaryworriedreadalotboutthembutblurtedoutjustenoughireckon*.. prayed & prayed. and prayed. that God will open the right door. and hopefully this is the one. because doors have been opening & closing in my face a couple of times d. but yeah, got a call last wk saying they'd be doing some reference checking. *cross fingers*.. God, please :)

it's officially 3 months since i've started work. why does it feel like i've been there for so long? bleh. been a draining 3 months. not to say i do ALOT. but it's just work. work. i think the thought of that word is dreadful enough..

which is why my weekends are so precious and oh how i look forward to them. attended my first contemporary dance class last saturday. so so interesting. and different. we started with some floor routine and i felt like i was cleaning their floor for them :) sweeep with hands then legs then hands.

i just got a comment about what my days are made out of. roomie said i only work, sleep and eat. *sigh. so that's really what i do mainly nowadays. which is why this post is so.. random. nothing significant. nothing interesting. just, blurbs. eesh. i need to get a life.

a little something(s) from my previous week.

also, dinner with...

feeling thankful.

2008-10-10T21:40:00.007+11:00

this week flew by pretty quickly, surprisingly. i wasn't too excited bout this week with my week long of training scheduled. i had 2 modules to complete this entire week and i had no idea how i would be getting to the place to start with. it was outtt there somewhere. and i had no one i knew going. i had no idea how the course would be conducted. and i was waiting to hear good news for that new job i was interviewed for. good news was what i hoped for anyway.

i was scared .. and excited for this week.

i prayed again that His will be done .. whether the results for my job interview was what i hoped for or otherwise. praying that prayer is always so scary. i prayed that the last time and i didnt get it in the end haha* what if this wasn't the right door, again? but God knows my heart's desire right? but what if? all the questions. i discovered that learning to trust wholeheartedly is a conscious effort i have to make. but yeah, on the day i was gonna return the HR person's call, my QT material spoke about how we should pray to God that we would have the joy in our hearts and be thankful no matter what our circumstances were. and that quote i have in my previous post, yeah, it was in my QT material for that day. i was like, 'Oh God, what are you trying to say.. does that mean i'd bear bad news again..' :( and that was what i got. i didn't get that position. but thankfully i asked to be considered for two different departments, and i'd be getting another interview nxt week for the Finance department. but finance. me. finance. no idea. but i won't shut any door opened. my strength indeed is small. Lord, be my all in all. amen*

on another note, i really enjoyed my course this week. it actually makes my work 'sound and look' interesting. we had a class of 4 students, me included. one school principal. two professional mortgage brokers. all around 30ish 40. me on the other hand, 20 year old fresh graduate. i was like thinking..'sei la, how to compete with them'. but really praise God He gave me the ideas to contribute and the confidence to do so. it was very much an open collaboration sort of discussion and we had to do some presentations as well. thank you GOD for helping me through. and not just that, enjoying it as well :) my 'classmates' were all really friendly as well.. everyone giving their 5 cents worth when any one of us didn't understand. i had to catch a cab the first day.. but after that my classmate allowed me to hitch a ride in the morning and after class :) transport problem solved. everything seemed to flow so smoothly.. and time passed so quickly. am really so so thankful.

and above all, praying about the whole situation.. with work and what lies ahead.. things seem to fall a little more into place. somehow. somewhat. i believe God has something great in store for me.. but in His beautiful timing. so i will wait. roomie reminded me of something that day, which was really encouraging. when i was applying for casual jobs last yr with no prior retail experience, i was so excited when rogerdavid gave me a shot at an interview. i did badly i reckoned haha and yeah, the manager didn't even call me back to tell me i didn't get it. wth. but lo and behold i applied for forevernew and i got it! and it was by farrrrr much better.. with them selling things I myself can wear :) and me loving their range. ended up working for them all the way till i got my current job. so anyway, roomie was trying to remind me how a disappointing start can actually mean something far greater is awaiting. i just need to be patient :) and yes i believe, God will not shortchange us.

so yeah, an overview of what's been going through my head and in my life this week. and a peek into my previous weekend. a fulfilling one :)

friday night dinner @ Asian Cafe.
coconut rice.. with tomyam curry :) mm.

coffee @ Gus' with the ocf bunch

Saturday
homemade BIG breakie :)
clear sunny weather.
shopping to follow.

dinner @ Nandos.
their whole chicken is so small la good grief.

our attempt @ Choc Chip Cookies :)
my hard work making sure they were nicely shaped
and they came out from the oven in huge blobs *bahs
but finished eaten anyway :)

our church had worship thru visual arts last wk :)
very very interesting.
during worship, people get to come down to draw anything they like as an expression of worship
as you can see.. we had a range of drawings
it reminded me of how God made us all unique.. and every talent we have can be used as a form of worship unto Him

the picnic organised by church after service :)

Floriade 2008.
which is similar to any other year.

2008-10-08T21:08:00.003+11:00

Joy is that deep settled confidence that God is in control of every area of my life.

Paul Sailhamer

i thought i knew.

i thought i've found.

i thought.

but Your ways are higher than my ways.

& Your thoughts are truly higher than mine.

open my eyes Lord to see things thru Your eyes.

amen.

i miss you.

2008-10-02T23:17:00.005+10:00

i miss being her.

work has been taking a toll. not from the amount, cos i don't think i do much at all everyday.. but from the fact i'm working. it's worse when everyone around me are having holidays. two weeks. TWO weeks. i don't even get to take more than two days off without feeling like an awful employee. everyone gets to wake up late, go out for meals or shopping.. anytime anyday. heck, they get to visit Floriade when the weather that day so happens to be a clear and sunny one and not just *hope and cross fingers* that saturday or sunday will have the same weather too. i was looking forward to finally go see the same-darn-tulips this weekend but noticed that both saturday and sunday are looking awfully wet according to the forecast.

hhaa ya wth. i check out weather forecasts nowadays. cos the weather dictates what I can do for the weekend and most of all.. for conversational purposes at work. i have NOTHING to talk about with my colleagues/boss. so i end up only talking most to the boss' wife in which our conversations revolve mainly around the weather and what we're going to do for the weekend. which is why it is so important to know whether it's gonna be a beautiful day or a chilly wet one. sad? yeah, i think so too.

everyday as i walk out of unilodge (especially these few days when the temperature decides to be such a lovely friend) i wish i could either be still sleeping in if the day was a gloomy one, or getting dressed in my spring attire (thongs .. floral dresses and all) heading out for a nice day out or just chilling at a cafe. haha yeah that's ideal. but even heading to uni for a boring 1 hour lecture is much better than going to work.

my week is mainly lived with one purpose in mind; to reach the weekend. monday-friday? who cares, the picture is of a blur in my mind. saturday sunday is what i look forward to.. which happens to fly pass me too quickly. then there's the long awaited public holiday this coming monday. labour day. Labour Day ok. my day. to rest. but nooooo. my boss decides to spill it to me that i have training to attend on that day. which means i won't have my holiday! omg, depressed is an understatement. do you know i was looking forward to it sooo much i had it marked on my darn calendar?? but nope. you've got a 8.30am-4.30pm day in some goodness-knows-where-ulu-paria place ouut in fyshwick. for a week.

i guess i should be thankful since the course he signed me up for (dip. of financial planning) actually costs quite alot. like hmm.. alot la. and after nxt wk i'm almost half way there di. so yeah, don't know to be happy or urghh also. but i'm just so tired la of work. i know i sound like some spoilt brat who just wants to stay home and go shopping haha* but this transition is so difficult. so so difficult. especially when all my friends are still in uni. AND with uncles and aunties as workmates.

i feel like i've been so frustrated and bored with work that i no longer remember how it is to just wake up and think.. should i go for class today :) maybe not. and just sleep in. or having a casual chat with friends i run into along the way home after class. or just head out to uni just because :) i miss the me who didn't have to worry about what boss thought.. or what boss had to say. or if i'd have enough to pay my bills if i took this amount of leave. i miss having 7 days a week and not just two. i miss being able to just go out during the weekdays when i wanted to and not only rely on saturdays and sundays. i feel like i have such a negative outlook these days. which is horrible. i have to keep reminding myself.. I am more than a conquerer! I can do all things thru Christ who strengthens me!

yeap. amen to that.

one more day and it's the weekend. oh please God don't let it fly by so quickly.

amen to that too.

a saturday well spent.

2008-09-27T23:54:00.004+10:00

after goodness how long i've been thinking of going swimming, i finally went. and not the splish splash play-water swimming, i wanted to do laps haha* the olympic swimmers make it look so easy. i knew i was unfit .. not having been in the water seriously since maybe when i took lessons. and that was like way back in primary? but i was not only unfit. i was like UNFIT. omg.

after two laps i was panting. actually make that one la ya. my strokes were horrible. i couldn't remember which was the right way. seemed so easy in my mind. haha* different case underwater. then my arms .. ached. sigh. i looked at the other ppl who were gliding through. what is this.

but i'm determined. i WILL be better haha* stamina can be built. i hope. i last. but yeah, 15 laps today and i was thru and thru. come on just, nxt round.. 20? hehe hopefully i don't 'chau gan' before that.

so i came out of the water, exhausted and aching. i really hope i don't get out of bed tomorrow feeling worse. yer, old bones.

oh yeah, before swimming i had a biiig lunch :) eggs benedict and plus alot of things.. at Dobinson's which served breakie till 3pm on weekends. ah bliss. had to walk around for awhile before catching the bus to Belco just cos i didn't think i would be able to swim with such a full stomach.

after my swimming endeavour, came home, had a nice warm shower then just sat down in frnt of my laptop and watched tvb drama :) and ate corn. haha why corn.. cos the last two times i bought corn, i didn't eat them in time and they went into the bin without even being opened. so tonight i told roomie, boil the corn!

8.30pm and i was too tired of all the dramamama happening with the show di. dragged roomie out to have pancakes with me :) sigh, my 15 laps down the drain.
but all in all, i enjoyed my saturday :) i got to wake up at 11.30. i got to eat a niceee big breakie during lunchtime. i got to exercise and do the swimming i always wanted to do. i got to just sit back and relax and watch drama. and i got to go out for pancake supper/dinner.

so nice la. this is life.

not monday to friday. 9-5. work.

yucks. the thought of saturday gone by. means sunday is here. means i have to work the next day.

crap.

by demand.

2008-09-25T22:49:00.012+10:00

i realised it's been two months since i left the blogging scene .. not just blogging itself but checking out/kepoh-ing/stalking other people's blogs. ever since i started work that is. i know i sound old when i've started speaking out things that ought to come out of my mum's mouth:-

'oh my goodness the weekend flew by so fastt. it's work again tmrw'

i always hear that on a Sunday night after dinner on the way home by good ol' mummy. and i'll think to myself.. cheh we also got school la. yucks, who doesn't hate it that monday is here. noooo, but now it's work. W O R K. n yes it's gazillion times worse than having to wake up to fall asleep in lecture. then there's the:

'i don't want to go back. it's back to reality.. back to work. uurrghh'

haha it doesn't sound like my mum when i type it out. but really she says that after a holiday comes to an end. like when she had to fly home after my graduation. anyway the point is, that's what i say these days. I enjoy staying at home when i'm able to. I enjoy naps so much more because I don't get to have them as and when I feel like plopping on the bed. I look forward to the weekend so much. no, don't say you do too. because i look forward to it like LOOK FORWARD to it. my week doesn't end on a thursday. neither do my days start at 11am in the morning. or for some at 1pm in the afternoon. i don't get a lower mark if i did my work badly, but a statement frm my boss which implies 'why are you so stoopid'.

eee. depressing intro. but yeah. i really dread every sunday night when i know i have a week ahead of work. and i just started. good grief. i have like entah how many more years to go. unless i suddenly meet some prince charming who so happens to be able to afford my eating and my spending habits altogether. talking about spending, i haven't even really shopped since i started work. no time, no $. nak save, nak pay bills, nak .. tak boleh nak dah. cos the bills take a big chunk. then the nak nak yang tak necessary, also i have to think properly first before taking out the *ka-ching.

anywayyy. enough of that already. hehe. so anyway, since i started work, i also have been keeping myself busy on weekends someway somehow. i had the ISD ball, skiing, malam gemilang, getting asmaradana together and dancing it .. & dancing it again :) , graduation party, hazel's 21st and the *thisthatthisthat* and then now! two months. 364916493164msgs on my chatbox telling me how my 'it feels like yesterday' post is really SO yesterday.

apart from that, i'm really excited that i'm able to start dancing again! :) was speaking to a church member and she so happens takes up dance as well at a dance place in canbo. she even used to teach some classes before. all these while i've been looking for a dance centre to go to but never found a decent one or one near enough to try. so i got really excited .. dragged tan along and we hiphopped to a beginner/intermediate class. hehe* eh so interesting.. decided to stay for the intermediate/advanced. omg it was so so so much fun. of course with the time i have stopped, my flexibility and agility also.. hmm. questionable. so now i'm aching in my neck and legs. i got out of bed today walking like a duck. and my neck. ya la of all places. these hiphop ppl. anywhere can turn twist bend, they do it. so ya la. neck up down left right. *krik krak*.

but yeah. so excited to dance again! =D

oh oh. AND then. i applied for a graduate program. randomly. with not much thought about it la. i mean since it's advertised, and while i'm still FRESH out of the uni oven, apply la kan. and i got selected for the assessment centre event! :) and it was interesting. their group assessment was one that required us to build a structure representing the character of the group.. using balloons, satay sticks, plastic plates, candy.. stuff like that. felt like i was in sunday school or something :) anyway long story short. i got thru that, praise God! and I went for the interview today. i was really nervous .. i still remember the last one for PwC where i went thru till the end then got rejected. bahs. so yeah, again i prayed to God committing it to Him. if really it's not for me, close it but if it is.. fling it wide opennn! and really again learning to trust Him.. whether the answer is what i'm desiring for or otherwise. so please keep me in prayer, i really really hope i get this job, because i feel where i'm at currently is somewhere i feel very out of place. but again, pray that His will be done. hehe thankss :)

and that covers a brief overview of my two months.

ISD Ball

Graduation Party

Skiing @ Perisher Blue

Malam Gemilang

and my beloved asmaradana-ians :)

though it was post-graduation.. it was soooo fun! hehehe..
our practices also like. lawak.
only serious last minute when we realised that it's oh-shit tmrw we are performing.
but yeah. it was good stuff :D

Hazel's 21st

okay, it's been so many hours and i'm still not done with this post. this is ridiculous. i'll follow up on it the next round :) or you guys can just check out facebook, which i've been terribly active in the last two months since i've started work. hmm. but yeah, cheers to more frequent posts to come :)

sigh, it's work again tmrw.

it felt like yesterday.

2008-07-16T12:57:00.004+10:00

i got to do some casual work at the uni this week helping out with the enrolments for 2nd sem. thankfully in the more fun area (i reckon) @ the infoplace, Chifley. helping the students log on to isis to enrol & complete the 6 step checklist. it was reallyyyy fun making the student cards. well i did more of collecting the cards and getting them to sign it. and without fail, every single student commented on how ugly they looked on their ID :) one girl told me i might as well stick the concession sticker on her face *haha.

oh and then there was one. this guy. quite the kelakar la. asked me if he could use his own picture. like as in he brought his own picture to put on ID *lol. too bad la. everyone has to look ugly together.

anyway. i must say it was pretty fun. running around giving 'help' as though i had all the answers *haha. it felt like yesterday when i was one of them heading into chif to complete my ISIS with my mum. it was so miserable omg. dahlah so sad to leave msia for here. then once i arrived, the weather was so darn cold & gloomy. and then home was 40mins bus ride away from uni. and everyone here were foreign faces. and i missed home. terribly. would have caught the first flight out given the chance to.

but anywayy. yeah. that was 3years ago. how quickly time flies. and how circumstances have changed. working with enrolments brought back memories. especially when its the same semester when i came in (the winter session). and i'm wayyy past that now. gonna throw that hat on friday. and start work next monday :(

i miss uni already.

that hideous t-shirt. how much brighter could yellow spell itself.

the sushi lunches i am used to having during uni days.. will soon be a memory.
bleh. emo

THE graduation tickets.

and the proud family of this Friday's fresh grad.

sneak preview.

2008-07-10T23:48:00.005+10:00

okay. my bad. i promised a HUGE post which has yet to appear. it's just that it's been so hectic since i came back frm the land of everlasting sunshine. with my whole family bunking with me and then heading to melbourne (which is where i am right now. freezing). i so promise a huge one when i get back. the pictures are endless and the thought of getting them posted is already a nightmare haha but i will.

so i'm currently in that place where the wind literally sends chills down your spine. its been raining almost everyday with gloomy cold weather. so apart from the food & shopping.. i really miss canbo. as silly as it sounds. but its good spending time with my family. i'll miss them when they're gone.

so anyway today my sister and i wandered around swanston street when our parents decided to abandon us and visit some real estate people. so we headed off for some char kuey teow & tau fu fa! :) omg. satisfying that tau fu fa craving was sooo good. i didn't really want to leave the shop and walk in the cold but we had to :( and so we wandered around aimlessly before sis & i decided to look for the hairdresser my friend recommended to me. we walked up and down the street the nite before but didn't find the shop. so today we decided to venture a lil further. tho i was a bit reluctant because it was so fe-reee-king cold la omg. but we did anyway.

and i got my much needed haircut. the lady was this really nice korean (who seemed to not understand me at first). i told my sis 'die la later she don't understand me then how to cut'. but thank God she did :) and i'm happy with my 30bucks spent. cut&wash. good price i reckon.

haha sorry la since i cant upload my goldcoast pics and blog bout that. u'll have to listen to my daily itinerary in melbourne. but yeah. at least better than seeing the same old post everytime this blog loads. im reaaally sorry.

with the sister . yesterday

not much of a change. just reverting to old times. but desperately needed after 6mnths without the scissors.

i promise sunshine pictures & post will come after i arrive home frm melbourne this weekend :) well, soon anyway. hehe*

tasting bits of adulthood.

2008-06-23T16:00:00.004+10:00

after this wednesday.. uni is officially over and done with for me. all those crossroads which i felt i just came across not too long ago are really, actually, quite ancient. and now up ahead lies not just one crossroad but heaps too many.

i've been tasting that bit of adulthood where you've got to start sending out resumes and receiving rejection emails or hopefully, a call. i got a call the other day to attend an interview for a little financial planning firm today. nothing to brag about but well, still a job :) the boss seemed pleased with me but i really don't know how it'll turn out since he kept mentioning he has one more person to meet this week. gonna believe God for the right doors.

if i do get it. .i'm gonna be facing stuff bout investing and rates and indexes and goodness knows what. *sigh. so not motivating. after my interview i went for lunch with willeh & kk. and while kk had to go to the chemist after that, willeh & i dropped by the newsagent. after i gladly paid for my CLEO mag, i saw willeh lining up to get something as well. so i asked him what he was getting. i looked at the thing he was holding.

'The Economist'

omg. made my purchase look so bimbotic. since i'm in the finance field and almost heading for the working world.. i ought to be buying that instead of what i bought, i reckon.

oh dear.

great things come in small packages :)

2008-06-21T16:54:00.005+10:00

maybe not so much a thing :)

but yeah. our dearest Camille's leaving us for Canada already (after such a quick 1 year). it proves to us yet again how fast time flies. it feels like just yesterday when she joined us last semester. . sharing with us about what she desired personally of the 1 year she would have in the land down under.

she was quick to befriend the people around her :) and we all grew to love this little girl with the big smile. dearie camille, it's been truly wonderful having you around for the past year and we will miss you very much :) *sob sob. but for real. . the joy and friendship you've shared with us is priceless and you've taught me lots of stuff just purely through your actions and your passion for Him. you've been such an encouragement in your little ways, even probably without you noticing it. you have brightened many of our lives through the light that shines through you and I pray that you'll continue to do what you're doing and to continue impacting His world the way you are.

and yes :) we will keep in touch thru Facebook haha*

for our farewell lunch. .

take care babes <3

seeing double.

2008-06-21T03:26:00.002+10:00

after having my 2nd paper on wednesday. . i gave myself reason to take a short *break. watched survivor :) slept loads. ate loads. nothing too out of the ordinary.

found people who were doing the same as i. taking a *break :) and some 'people' shared with me some tips on doing a double/triple/quadruple/how-many-you-want effect in a picture. found out that my next paper was only the week after and persuaded me to start posing for pictures to 'experiment' with my new-found knowledge (which didn't need too much persuasion) :p

i guess to a certain extent you could be in two places at one time. here.

peculiar morning behaviours.

2008-06-19T02:00:00.003+10:00

i have this tendency in the morning.

when my phone alarm rings, i pick up my clock instead. or what else i have beside me.

it has happened a few times already. i wake up to the noise. grab whatever i can grab hold of and i'll start pressing whatever button's on it. the noise will continue. and i'll get frustrated. not understanding why i can't turn it off. after a longg time being frustrated, i'll be awake enough to realise it was cos i was pressing the wrong object.

a few days ago the same thing happened. i had to wake up early for work so i set a terribly loud alarm ringtone, fearing i'll let it ring and continue sleeping. so when it did ring the next morning, i wanted to quickly turn it off.. cos firstly it was so irritating. secondly, roomie was still asleep.

i pressed and pressed some button but it continued to ring. refusing to shut up. frustrated i said aloud 'why cannot off one?'

roomie was so puzzled at what i was doing and found it funny afterwards. she came over.. turned off my phone alarm and laughed at me. me, being still so sleepy, didn't realise what i did till i woke up later and was brushing my teeth.

i was trying to 'turn off' my alarm clock when it was not my clock that was ringing.

how 'bout a round of applause :)

Proposition 1: There are Good People Around.

2008-06-15T02:51:00.007+10:00

So it's the exam season and everyone's getting all stressed up. or not :) i just finished my HRM paper today & boy am i happy that it's over & done with. omg.

how do motivation theories such as the expectancy theory & goal setting theory influence rewards management?

what are the impacts of a high performance work practice?

i didn't even know what those terms meant till like 2 days before the exams :p so dry. so so dry. anyway. the weather over these past few days could not have contributed more to me feeling like indulging in a pack of chips & watching a nice chick flick or romantic comedy. no sun. no sunlight. rain. dark clouds. gloomy weather. how to studyyy. u tell me. how to studyy.

lack of choice proves to be a source of motivation.

anyway, this past week, roomie & i got some random acts of kindness by the people around us. & we appreciate it ALOT. hehe* we don't mind more random acts. but yeah. dearies kk & mabes felt that we weren't eating healthily. . thus me always falling sick & us losing weight. :D shush even if you don't agree. kk went on & on about how our diet regime (toast bread & biscuits) was not the healthiest of all. so he & his beloved decided to come over on Sunday night to cook us a delicious home-cooked healthy meal :) they came with a whole trolley bag of goods. *hehee. we had 4 dishes; ABC soup, omelette with 'lap cheong' & onions, brocolli & kk's specialty, minced patties. oh & watermelon for dessert. omg we were so full we couldn't move after dinner. we as in roomie & i. we looked like kids who haven't eaten decently for ages *haha.

thanks soo much for the delicious meal :D

then later in the week.. roomie's friend came by to drop off a box of strawberry cheesecake! :) the one i like alot alot. no reason. just to 'chia' us. hahah* even tho i didn't really know him. but now i do! lol :) eh people are so nice la. we still have some more left in our fridge (i hope) & the thot of having that cheesecake in our fridge already makes me happy :) thank you wei liang.

& so now. after taking a breakkk since my HRM paper this evening, i have to start with emarketing. hmm. or maybe tomorrow :)

i should be studying.

2008-06-09T02:39:00.006+10:00

it's that time of the semester when everyone mugs in the library. stocks up on snacks. prints out a whole semester's worth of lecture notes to start reading :) and when facebook looks more attractive than any other thing high up on the priority to-do list.

and here am i. in the midst of doing my revision notes. i decide to post a random post on my blog. why? because like facebook. this seems so much more interesting than HRM. i need motivation. i reckon a few days before i have to sit for the exam would be quite good a motivation.. even better, one day before. but i will not test myself beyond what i can bear. i need to start. like START. not start start. but START doing work.

i'm babbling. ah well. not like you people read much of what i say anyway. :) or maybe you do. since mayb reading people's blogs during the examination periods seem to be more interesting than your lecture notes or your huge if-i-hit-u-with-it-u'll-get-a-concussion textbook.

well anyway. since ive been procrastinating so much. ive been browsing many sites.. which allow online orders :) yes like Threadless (which post I written made so many put on their shopaholic hats). hah* don't blame me. it's you it's you.

i came across this very peculiar accessories site, called Paraphernalia. they have the most peculiar, yeah that's the word, pendants. some which i would want to get my hands on. some not so. but interesting i must say.

the ones i liked. especially the bow necklace.

cute.

i finally got one.

2008-06-08T00:10:00.005+10:00

if you love t-shirts with quirky images/animations.. you've got to visit Threadless Tees! :) i've always wanted to get one of those cute tees since I was introduced to the site but never got around to doing it. i had a sudden urge to open the site today and guess what? they were having a blockbuster sale! :) oh the beauty of that four lettered word. s a l e.

roomie and i were stuck browsing the site for over an hour trying to decide. and we decided on these in the end :)

for her.

for me.

it's always about the food.

2008-06-06T22:45:00.008+10:00

on wednesday, a few of us (the roomie, sibling, noisy, sibling's housie) went to check out the 5dolla steak at Uni Pub. like some ulu people.. we went: "eh so cool. so fun! cook your own steak".. when we didn't even know how to start. so we dumped anything we saw on to our raw piece of meat and put it on the pit. having no idea how it would actually turn out.

for five bucks, it was some good 'heated' fun :) i noted to them.. the place had a very 'happy environment'. only to realise everyone were mostly having induced happiness if u know what i mean. but worth it la worth it.

and speaking about food, i decided to bake my cheesecake yesterday. just to have a reason not to study :p i couldn't exactly remember the recipe i usually use so i asked roomie to google some recipe. this recipe didn't include milk and sugar. so weird huh. i mean it should have included at least sugar. but anyway it didn't. so as we were adding stuff.. i told roomie, give me some milk. cos i remember using milk the last time. she asked me 'oh must use milk?'. then i said yeah..'the recipe on the computer doesn't include but my recipe has milk'. she looked at me and said.. 'yourrr recipe'. :)

anyway we mixed the stuff up and decided to melt some chocolate to put into it as well. nak creative la tu. the choc hardened, which shouldn't be the case *hahaa. but who cares. we gleefully put it in the oven and waited.

when we took it out.. it looked like a success. almost anyway :) smelled nice. thats a good start. so we took it back.. made ourselves a cuppa tea each and cut a slice each to indulge ourselves in. i ate the base. nice nice. then i took a bite of the cake. one bite and i knew straight away what i forgotten. how could i even have forgotten it omg.

'we forgot to put sugar!'

the whole cheesecake was sugarless! luckily we dumped the melted chocolate in. but my forever-supportive roomie just says:

"it's okay. i like it. i'll finish the whole thing if you don't want it."

:) *hehee. she's the best.

love 'em scarves.

2008-06-04T01:44:00.006+10:00

having a thing for all sorts of scarves at the moment.

my justification: you could use it any way you want it! it's never a waste.

PLUS. it keeps you warm.

ya ya. doesn't mean i need a cupboard full of them.

but still.

2008-06-03T20:00:00.005+10:00

i'll miss doing last minute research online & draining my printing quota together with it

i'll miss setting unachievable deadlines to my completion of work

i'll miss dumping all my irrelevant research on to the floor and messing up the place

i'll miss the satisfaction of seeing my pile of highlighted journals, fully tagged

i'll miss watching the word count at the bottom of the page, counting down every 50 words

i'll miss staying up all night, being accompanied by the endless snacking and coffee

i'll miss the joy of printing the darn essay and walking to uni to submit it (or if unlucky, running)

do i love my assignment times that much?

no, not really.

but given the fact that i won't be doing them anymore.

i feel just a TINGE of sadness.

there's no place like home.

2008-05-29T12:48:00.003+10:00

watching this video makes me miss home. despite our constant complains and what-nots about the land we call home, we all know deep down we've had our good times in that place. we all acknowledge there is beauty in being able to make friends across different races and cultures. and we've even had great and even best friends of a different race. putting aside the increasing dangerous environment and 'stability' that we always discuss, home will always be home. no matter where we are or where we'll go.

there will always be sweet memories associated with that place.

and it's true what the saying says, there is no place like home.

the everyday buzz.

2008-05-29T01:50:00.006+10:00

my dearest cousin and his other half dropped by in canberra over the weekend on their way down to melbo. one night. i think it was enough for them :) my cousins and i (with roomie) went to dickson for a nice dinner. nice in terms of company. hehee. dinner was. well. edible :) it was really nice having them over despite our small lil apartment. i really enjoyed it. hehee. we all watched f1 together tho they fell asleep after awhile hahaa. and i actually woke up the next morning and cooked breakie for them! :) surprise surprise. but of course after sending them off. i went back to bed *hehee. no surprise there.

apart from that, it's been another ordinary week. with me realising i had an essay due next monday. and a presentation tomorrow morning. actually. in a few hours time. i also realised. big revelation. next week would be my last week of school. like LAST. like no more studying/exams/going to chif/buying coffee before class even tho i'm late (and the list goes on) everrr. i'm sad. i don't want this to end. i really don't want this to end.

joker la he. trying to blend into our sofa.

*my new. and *her old

ignore what i just said, please.

2008-05-23T23:29:00.008+10:00

this is what happened at work yesterday.

i was asked to do the trash. which omg. we had so much of. i had to do two rounds. but nvm. that aside. i just finished flattening the boxes and was gonna wheel the trash out. but saw a few customers trying out some stuff. so this lady was standing outside the changing rm. i assumed she was the one trying out clothes since she went something like 'it looks really cute blabla'. i mean, it's always nice to pay the customers a compliment so i thought of giving her one. i looked at what she was wearing. looked very similar to what we had in store. so before i could think, i said 'that looks nice!'.

she looked at me and hesitated to say anything. then she said 'thanks'. i thought.. 'it's okay. there are many friendly customers but there are some who aren't so friendly'.

then i kinda noticed what she was wearing wasn't really what we had in store. i continued to walk forward to get the trash and realised she was talking to a lady INSIDE the changing room who was trying on the 'something cute'.

omgoodness. no wonder she didn't know how to react to my comment. *faint. i was so glad i was heading out to do the trash.

i'll think twice before speaking nxt time. so embarassing.

wall art made easy.

2008-05-21T02:29:00.003+10:00

taken from Decorette

taken from EllyNelly

i've been browsing through many design blogs lately :) and am so intrigued by how an empty space can be transformed into a world of endless possibilities. and how little little details can entirely change the 'feel' and look of the room. ee. it's so addictive. sometimes makes me wonder why i'm studying what i'm studying in the first place.

anyhoos. i was browsing through Etsy, this place where you can buy & sell absolutely anything (which are all handmade btw). and they have some reallyyy good stuff i must say. i thought i'd share what i found with you, which made me go:

'omg so cool. so cool.. so coool.'

ya you get my drift. check out the wall art above! i especiallyy lovee the one with the silhouettes of people on the wall. shooo cool :) anddd. they are all just little adhesive things! just stick em' on!

easy and i'm gonna say it again, soooo cool.

rekindling that creative side.

2008-05-19T17:02:00.005+10:00

it's been awhile since i patiently sat down, ransacked my stationary&craft supplies. . and created something. i used to. when i was much less of a bum. i loved cutting&pasting, punching paper flowers, colouring with my crayonspenscolourpencils & whoknowswhatelse. i enjoyed it. heaps. i remember i used to make loads of cards back in school. . and later on too, i think :) i'd stay up to the wee hours of the morning making all the cute lil cards (for valentines day or whatever day. u know how last time in school sangat main having all kinds of 'days' just so that the societies can make money from selling stuff). i opted to buy as the years went by cos' it was obviously much more convenient :p

so when a friend's bday cropped up recently.. another friend suggested a photo frame. and i thought :) 'why not?' the excited me drew up 2 draft designs and selected the one i preferred more. then, i got noisy and roomie's help in getting it done. more hands = less time!

our end product which we are actually quite happy with :) hoping the receiver thinks the same way! *haha

noisy: i stick flowers ya! :)

*goes on to punch lotsa flowers and cutting an even bigger one*

hehee. i missed all these artscraftcreativemaking nonsense. been looking thru lotsa ppl's ideas lately and even sat down at borders after work today, picking up a 'how to make a scrapbook' magazine under the crafts section *hehee.

i promise there will be more to come.

the third & final one.

2008-05-19T00:34:00.006+10:00

the malaysian students org. had their annual 'biggest' event on Saturday. malam kenduri. which tickets every year never fail to be fully sold out. i guess.. for 5bucks. u get your money's worth. the food (this yr we had nasi briyani with satay, ayam masak merah *ithink*, vege curry) + observing the very interesting ways people dress up to suit the theme + the raffles draw *which i'm always never in luck of getting anything*.

sitting amidst the crowd of 200+ ppl i felt so old watching the 1st yrs do their thing on stage. most of whom i've never seen before :) also cos i've been so busy/antisocial that i've not been to any other mso event organised this yr. i was almost lazy to attend this one. but realised it'll be my final time attending malam kenduri. *haha like as if it's a BIG thing. but ya la. dah yang ter-final final.

*mr. ong&mr. koay bringing life to the table.

*no luck

2008-05-13T00:52:00.002+10:00

She wants to break free
To dance under the rain
To breathe in the fresh air
And lie beneath the sunshine rays

Dive into crystal blue waters
Soar high into the clear skies
She wants to smell the fragrant flowers
She’s searching for life’s sweet surprise

reaping the fruits of my 'labour'

2008-05-09T01:39:00.007+10:00

procrastinate la somemore. bum around la summore.now i have a 3000word essay due on monday. and alot of other stuff to do in between. and as usual. i'm stressed out. well. not yet. seeing i can still blog. but yeah. the level of stress increases day by day. till the night before it's due.

so before i start on that heap of journals i've just printed out, i shall do a quick quick picture posting. oh well. since they say a picture paints a thousand words. so you'll have a few thousand words with the pictures i post :) ok enough.

Dinner @ Sammy's

for 2 people. only.

Pancake Dinner Outing

pictures of the day.

okay. i'm going to start. now.

look at that.

faint.

strut those heels. or not.

2008-05-09T01:07:00.007+10:00

that's the thing bout fashion. you either get it or you don't. and i really don't get this one. introducing to you. . the latest 'must-haves' by Antonio Berardi. the shoes without heels. i saw them while reading thru this month's Cleo (haha so much for informative reading) and i was amazed. no. more like omg. it looks almost surreal don't you think? like as if the wearer was balancing on invisible heels.

sadly. no. the poor laydeh has to balance all her weight on the balls of her feet at a height of 5 and a half inches. and these pairs of chunky things don't come cheap either. they are going for a staggering 1800pounds onwards AND have to be ordered 5 weeks in advance.

now tell me. would you fall for that?

*and probably literally as well.

tissue consuming.

2008-05-06T02:57:00.005+10:00

i made the roomie follow that jap series '1 litre of tears' with me and we've been watching it over these two weeks. i know some of you all are going 'omg finally' :) it's been in my hard disk for awhile. i mean the title tells it all. and i remember sweets telling me when she was watching it. .

"it's really one litre of tears. . "

i thought i was prepared. omg. no. i have not watched a show that requires tissues from episode ONE. it's so sad la. i think the fact that it's based on a true story makes it even sadder. thank God it's only 11 episodes, i think. i've got 2 more to go. my eyes are still hurting from watching 2 episodes in a row just now.

*heehe. i just got to the part where the guy confesses his feelings for her. and she's losing her ability to speak properly :( i'm gonna say it again. omg it's so sad la.

getting so very charming indeeed.

sweeets. i can imagine if you were here watching those scenes with me we'd be like screaming and *hitting the table hands up flying in the air* when he does all the omg-faint-so-sweet stuff *heehe.

that final lap.

2008-04-30T01:53:00.007+10:00

after all these years. i am down to that final 5 more weeks before i finish all my undergrad subjects and subsequently *throw my hat in the air. i can hardly believe 3 years have passed me by. filled with bittersweet memories. very eventful indeed.

3 years i would never trade for any other.

i know i'll be even more emo as the countdown gets nearer. so i won't start now. otherwise it won't be as dramatic :)

on a lighter note. i finally tried out that nice-looking restaurant beside Sammy's in Civic. Cream. i think that's its name. while waiting for our meal, i told the roomie 'eh, like all the people who eat here all old people only". the waiter called us 'girls'. anyway.. i wanted to try that Duck Risotto that *ongdoodah talked about.

let's just say i prefer the Pad Thai below :)

both in terms of presentation and overall taste.

very rich hot chocolate at Koko Black
courtesy of chuahaijet

and roomie's humongous ice chocolate

sigh. she wasn't posing.

she was really sick of me taking pictures.

off to bed now :) nights.

you motivate me to wake up.

2008-04-25T17:06:00.005+10:00

i have not stepped out of my apartment in the morning since my term break started. and when i do have to step out of the apartment. . is usually when i really have to. i. e work or when we have run out of supplies at home. last night before i went to bed. . i had this sudden craving for Mcds breakie. it's been awhile :)

i couldn't sleep. imagining how that mcegg muffin would taste. like some poor kid who has not had the chance of tasting that 'treasure' :p so when my alarm rang today. . i snoozed it only thrice. and i went on to wake up my roomie. i quickly cleaned myself up and off we went to Mcds! :) i was happy.

it was a beauuutiful morning.

very minimal cars on a public holiday.

or on any other day for that matter

that advice to new students.

if you ever get lost in canberra. . just walk towards that tower over there.

you'll find your way home :)

and i guess our fan needs cleaning.

oh and i slept after i came home.

that word sorry.

2008-04-25T16:52:00.003+10:00

sorry no cure.

yes, to a major extent. it does not bring back what was lost. it does not undo what was done. it does not make everything okay.

but.

but. after all this time. . it allows me to know you acknowledged what happened. somehow that word which never would have made much sense so long ago.. can actually bring closure.

bag 'em!

2008-04-24T00:49:00.004+10:00

randomly checked Rootote if they had any new stuff. and they did!

omg. isn't she lovely?

treasures in a manual

2008-04-23T18:00:00.012+10:00

i have been trying to transfer the pictures taken from my phone to my notebook since forever. somehow i couldn't get my phone and computer to synchronise. i also added extra memory to the phone so a file/folder should actually appear under My Computer as some hard disk space thingy, if i understood correctly. but it didn't. nothing appeared.

getting very frustrated finally. . i decided to open the manual and have a read thru it. the last time i told someone i read manuals the person said. .

"you read manual wan ar?"

yeah. i do. since i can't find out how to use it on my own. and manuals are good stuff ok. i actually found out some rotating thingy on my camera lens (which i thought was a zooming function which couldn't seem to work) actually functions as my volume controller when i'm on a call. no wonder nothing happens when i turn it all ways when i'm using the camera function.

stupid me.

anyway, main point is i transferred my pictures la. so, just random shots from my new phone :) in no particular order.

the noisy changed my original design of it. it's supposed to be two guys standing decently on the stand with one of them holding the too-huge-for-any-of-them trophy. but the noisy got creative. so there you go.

one guy bending down to fart while the other collects it with the open end of the trophy.

haha so sick.

chocolate woolies cake on top. celebrating the roomie's 21st.

we even had a 'surprise party' for her :)

notice the number of people crammed in the small kitchen. and the majority of them are guys.

that long lovely walk down uni avenue

autumn feel.

at borders killing time after a long day of shopping :)

on the way to church down uni avenue

after my final interview :(

interpret for yourself :)

tan. looks more like you gonna wack someone with the pots :p

all of the pics were set to 3mp. it actually appears really nice and clear in my phone. but it looks blur once transferred into the computer.

shopaholic me says i need a new camera.

what say you?

Pick me up at the Reject Shop

2008-04-22T22:44:00.002+10:00

i have been really busy/hyped up/stressed/excited/happy about my whole job search efforts this past two weeks. i have really just started applying the friday before last.

AND.

i actually got through to the next round! me. that BIG 4 company. THAT one. i was ecstatic. and at camp. like wayyyy awayyy from any comfy quiet room with a laptop (with internet access) which would allow me to sit down and do my online testing. resorted to cramming in an empty room with the noisy and the roomie and a very expensive wireless internet access. sufferred a horrendously long session of online tests of english & maths. omg i haven't counted for ages. i mean, apart from calculating how much i spend on groceries (and shopping) weekly. so anyway, the morning straight after, i got a call from THAT place. i got through! to have the opportunity of attending their assessment event. that one which allows them to test you individually and monitor you in a group. talk. talk talk talk. make sure you talk.

AND.

again i got called for a FINAL interview! :) *palms sweating. *mouth stretching into a gleeful smile. * heart beating so much faster. spent (almost) my entire Sunday preparing. questions, reading up. . then it was the day. dressed up for the occassion, stressed like nobody's business, but ready to nail that position. walked in, completed my verification for the online testing and sailed thru (i thought anyway) the interview.

that was all yesterday. before i slept, i prayed for His will to be above all that happens. i was frankly very scared to say that because i KNEW that no matter how well i could have thought it went, the door could be just slammed in face. like splat. like nose flat against the door that i was running so fast into. but i really wanted to learn to trust Him. and i knew that He will never shortchange me and that His plans are always, always for the best. clinging on to *jeremiah 29: 11 i prayed that prayer hoping for the best.

i set my alarm for an early wake up today *just in case! they decided to call me early and i didn't want to sound like i just woke up (worse, if it was already 11 or noon). 10 am. no call. that's alright, they called me at 11.30 the last time. 11am, no call. 11.30am no call. 12. still no call :( i was getting worried. i mean, it is a tough decision. fine, maybe they'll call me after lunch. 1.30. STILL no call. my ears wanting so badly to hear that ringtone.

at 1.57pm it rang.

i grabbed my phone. asked the roomie to turn off my itunes. picked up the call. it was the partner who interviewed me. 'not bad huh, they get the partner to do the calling for the final offer' i thought to myself. THEN. he said..

'i just called to say you weren't offered the position.'

i replayed the sentence in my head. did i hear wrongly? weren't. were. no. it was weren't. then he continued..

'don't be too disappointed.'

HA HA. right.

'we have no pressing reasons as to why you weren't chosen. we just felt that the other candidates were more suited for the job.'

wasn't listening. just remembered saying bye and hanging up. i didn't know to be happy or sad. i mean after all, i prayed it for goodness sake. i knew that God was gonna give me an even better one if this didn't turn out. but why. why the heaviness. why that heavy disappointment. text messaged my *very hopeful parents. :) probably in higher hopes than me. then straight to the bed.

~~teared~~. cried.

God, it was so difficult. i know i said whatever the outcome, i know You're in control. but that was in hope i would get it. :( so human of me. i guess it was a lesson God was teaching me. but also, somehow i had this weird feeling since the beginning that God could just be using this opportunity for it to be an experience. i just didn't think i had to go through the entire process. *haha God is not a God of half-ways i guess.

oh well. i'm ok now. dragged the roomie out with me to do some retail therapy. cooked myself a good dinner. haha *good.

back to square one. sending out resumes and applications again. but claiming the promise.

'For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future.'
jeremiah twenty nine eleven.

okay.

bring it on :)

our drama King.

2008-04-19T23:30:00.020+10:00

it's that time of the semester when we get our 2 weeks of *relaxation* (but technically expected to complete our endless assignments and tasks). . :/ but also that time of the year when the OCF (Overseas Christian Fellowship) organises our annual OCF camp! this year we had the theme:

basically, we revisited the basics of Jesus' teachings through parables in the book of Luke. the parable of the good samaritan, the rich fool, the great feast and the prodigal son. it was really refreshing to dig into the parables in depth and analyse the passage. despite running thru the passages so many times throughout my life, there were actually parts of the stories which never struck my mind. like the parable of the prodigal son, i've always saw it from the perspective of the lost son and how God being the compassionate Father, welcomes us with open arms despite what we've done. however i never saw it from the side of the older brother. the *calefe older brother who actually becomes jealous when the Father has a feast for his lost (but found) younger brother. he complains about how he has been faithful and slaved for the Father all these years but never got even a small portion of what his younger brother is receiving. it was a reminder to me that in whatever we do in our service to God, it should never be for the blessings or what God will do for us. instead, it should be a privilege and an act of our response to God. so many times like the older brother, we tend to 'expect' something because of our so called 'faithful service' or acts. but the story reminded me that it shouldn't be that way at all. we should love God. and not love God for what He gives us. *hehe okay.

so we had a convoy of cars driving to the campsite.

on the way there, one of our cars actually met with an accident. but thank God no one was injured. drama.

it hailed at our campsite! and a few of us were stuck in the shower (our toilets were across the road!). drama

that's lichie lying on my bed. only both of us brought our doona covers in our room. *haha thank GOD i brought mine :)

that's the road separating us and our toilets :)

my attempt at catching the sunset

*we are proud of you say we are proud of you!* oink oink.

the underdogs whom emerged champions! *woots!

i never knew willeh's potential as a cheerleader :p

check out his liberty balance!

so glad you came :) *hugs

*fat!

the very creative games coordinator

capturing the moments :)

the cutesies.

the very willing 'model' :)

i really enjoyed camp. it was such an encouragement seeing the newer ones take up new responsibilities and stepping up in leadership :) great job guys! i personally felt this was my best OCF camp . . it's amazing how camp can open up so many people and help us get past that 'hi how's your week been' conversation. it was also nice just spending the few days digging into His word and having fun at the same time. we had 'Starlight Worship' outdoors under the stars on our last night and it was just such a great reminder of how great a God we serve :) and because we were so cold, we huddled up really close together *hehe and it just reminded me of how despite the differences we have, we are all brothers and sisters in the family of God. and that's awesome.

thank you God for the great experience at camp.

tabooo.

2008-04-12T05:39:00.005+10:00

we (the roomie, the brother, the good man who does kitchen work, the noisy) had steamboat to eat the other night. i thought steamboat was easy. like EASY :) but my first attempt at making the tom yam soup was a big FAIL *haaha. i learned that fish sauce does not go with tom yam. but then. not like my guests won't eat anyway. no worries :)

then after. we played taboo.

that game that would make your voice go 10 decibels higher. that game that would make you lose your voice and be so thirsty after. oh, and that game which if you had great memory. . you could ace it at your second-third shot at it :) that's what we tried to do anyway *heehe. we went through the whole deck just for the sake of it.

it's also a game where you get very interesting description of words and answer-guessing.

and some not very nice answers

*j : what style of pants am i wearing?

*them : jeans!

*j : it is . . ( i have not finished my sentence btw . )

*them : too tight!

*j : (gives the annoyed look but probes for more answers. hopefully in the right direction)

*them : (at second attempt).. not your size!

i have the world's greatest friends.

shooos-alicious.

2008-04-12T05:11:00.009+10:00

i'm bout to leave for my OCF camp in like 4 hours and i'm still not asleep. i'm gonna die tomorrow. like DIE. eh. wait. no. *touch wood. i meant konk out. not die die. okay anyway. since i'm gonna leave this place idle for 4days, just thought i'd leave some marks before i zoom off :) nothing much of significance anyway. hehe

just my shopping fruits. i mean, the fruits of my shopping :)

but before that. . those pretty pretty shoes up there. got them last year before i flew home. never gotten a chance to wear them. what made me decide to wear them for my 3hr work shift the other day i hv nooo idea. but i did. and i had to buy groceries after that. oh the pain. the painnnn. it's not like they were stilettos or anything of that sort. *hah with my weight i'd break a stiletto. but these shoes. oh yes these shoes. *i will remember you.

we should always be wearing shoes like these. . below.

but i never learn do i :)

just when i had my legs hurt so badly. i went and got myself another pair of high heels. now in the form of boots. pay my way into torture. shopaholicraving.

*smiles with pockets very empty.

oh and i haven't gotten around to introducing my new hot stuff! :)

my 5 megapixel camera touch screen baby.

end of story :)

*heehe. gaya mutu keunggulan.

The Wedding: Part 1

2008-04-08T23:46:00.012+10:00

The Engagement

my dearest childhood friend is getting married next year. spotting the bling a few months back, it's almost difficult to have it sink in that one of my friends.. my very close friend is actually gonna walk down that aisle so soon. makes me count my age again :)

on another note, i'm so excited for her. i mean, it's every girl's dream (almost every) to walk down the aisle looking the most beautiful and live happily ever after. *hah i mean, just looking at the wedding gowns.. makes you wanna get married. being there since the beginning, witnessing her go "How?? He wants to speak to my dad! aaah!" *giggle giggle "No it's not funny okayy!" *giggle again :) it was omg-5-years ago. now it's the whole wedding planning and the thingamajiggy.

sweets, i know it's so exciting yet so scary at the same time. but it's a good thing, don't you think? i mean it's not a bad scary thing. it's a good scary thing :) do i make sense? anyhow, despite the tough decisions you may have to make, the overloading stress of planning and everything else, the uncertainty of the future that lies ahead.. know that i'll always be praying for you and supporting you a 150%. some friends may not see each other 24/7 or talk on the phone everyday but when it comes down to it, you know they're there for you no matter what. remember that saying? :) despite the 8hours flight away.. i'm really not that far. miss you & heart you lots.

okay :) first things first. THE engagement party. *heh it actually sounds really fun. so i did some 'research' about planning one. didn't really give me too much details but this is what i found:

(visit The Knot )

'The purpose of an engagement gala -- usually scheduled no later than three months after the big announcement -- can be threefold: to share the new of the couples' imminent union with future wedding guests, to introduce the families to each other, and to celebrate the impending, well, celebration.'

Basically what I found is that the engagement party is usually something on a small scale. a family affair basically :) (check. you're on the right track). people might sometimes feel obliged to bring gifts to your engagement party so if you do not want them to be pressed to bring something, use the line my dad always uses 'your presence is our present' :) *haha.

Planning your *Partay*!

1. Decide on a Date

2. Make your Guest List

3. Theme?

4. Food! (Catering? What type of food?) *very important hehe

5. Prepare to Toast

6. Keep Track of Gifts & thank the Guests!

Well dear, at the end of the day, after all the planning .. your party will be just lotsa smiling and entertaining guests *haha but of course try to have fun as well.

having a good photographer might get you smiling more genuinely *wink :)

2008-04-06T02:41:00.009+11:00

Autumn is finally setting in. Chilly weather and cold winds. Not ideal for 9am classes at uni, or just the idea of waking up early for that matter.

However, it's time to do some layering up and gearing up with jackets, coats & trenches! :) oh, did i mention i <3 that part the most?

Also, i've been doing some online shopping recently. my first ever time fyi. and i'm a happy customer :) which signals more to come. *sigh. not like i don't spend enough at the mall. now i spend even when i'm not technically walking around shopping.

Medium Ring Canvas Tote

Y-Border Tall Canvas Tote

Both of the above from Rootote Bags

from Kate Moss' Collection
Topshop

Enough online shopping. for now. I've spotted some gorgeous trenches in Forever New. *drools. Even with 40% staff discount it's a bomb. BUT. since when did that ever stop my shopaholic urges right? :)

we'll see.

one for the girls.

2008-04-03T23:24:00.001+11:00

i now have officially two blogs to handle. one of my personal ramblings and now; one more of which is going to be assessed :) funny how i'm actually going to be given marks for blogging. i would think i'd be ecstatic since i actually put lots of effort into blogging and enjoy it quite an awful lot :) however, it's quite pressuring having to know your work is being 'assessed'.

BUT.

since i'm already at it. no way out of it. have to do it. i will.. yes, i promise myself, i will make myself enjoy this. which is why i've dedicated this blog to the everything that i have passion for. the everything that makes life put a smile on your face. my face. * hehe

life is too fragile and short.

celebrate it.

live it.

and u know what?

love yourself while you're at it :)