Live Life and Love to the Fullest!

35 weeks pregnant and awaiting a miracle!

2009-09-13T10:32:00.004+10:00

I haven't written on my blog for a long while.

Besides the highs and lows of life (not in any order) - studies, work, being a wife, etc....I've been thinking of updating my blog but haven't quite kept it up-to-date.

Looking back at the year since my last entry, one dominant thing that pervaded my life has been my sadness, abit of depression but also hopefulness at being able to fall pregnant. Having been obsessed with it for almost 2 years, each month was more difficult as I wondered if it was "it".

I wavered between being happy for expectant mothers to being achingly jealous, and with being filled with joy at seeing little children to being hit with a numbing ache wondering when I could have one of my own who would call me 'mummy'.

My walk with my Lord wavered from trusting in Him, to asking Him to take away my desire to be a mum, to asking Him "why"? I am thankful He stuck with me and sent me family and friends and a fantastic hubby who encouraged me to take another step and to continue to enjoy life.

Then I had a laparoscopy done in October last year and while wishing that there was indeed something wrong with me so that there is some explanation as to why I hadn't yet fallen pregnant, I did wish that I was going to be ok. It was day surgery and so by the time I was wheeled into the operating theatre, I was told by the anaesthetist that she was going to give me something to relax me and I remember looking at the ceiling of the theatre after the drug was administered and thinking, "this isn't working". But within 5 seconds of saying that, the next thing I remembered was feeling drowsy and having hubby trying to keep me awake. It took me more than 2 hours to wake up from the surgery. It was abit embarassing as I could see women in the ward who had surgery after me all awake and smiling at me....but it being my first surgery ever (besides my own birth over 30 years ago), I suppose I can't be blamed.

When I was fully awake, my very nice surgeon came and told me that both my fallopian tubes were blocked and while he was able to unblock one, he wasn't able to unblock the other. He found a 5cm cyst on my right ovary and some endometriosis which he managed to remove too. I remember taking the news calmly and because I was still somewhat drowsy, I listened but didn't think the information sunk in. In a subsequent visit to the doctor, about a week after the surgery, the pervasive thought was that I had only one functioning fallopian tube and that made me even sadder than I already was. I thought it was truly impossible now to fall pregnant.

I remember spending the next few months wavering being sad, to having crying spells and then trusting in the Lord, and even accepting that maybe it's not His Will for me to be a mum. I truly can't imagine how I got through the 2 years that we have been trying to fall pregnant. I shudder at the sadness and the desperation I felt about wanting to be a mother and the numerous times I have asked myself when we should stop trying because it was getting tiring emotionally. I was playing all possible scenarios over and over in my head, especially the scenarios where it is just hubby and I without kids. I refuse to believe that a happy marriage had to include children. I still believe that a happy marriage exists, with or without children. I began to understand too that if we are to be blessed with children, that I remember not to put our children ahead of my hubby.

Hubby and I travelled to Singapore in late Dec 2008 to mid-Jan 2009 and I remember spending some time telling my mum, who told me that she believed I will be pregnant and to keep the faith, that it's easier said than done. I tried to enjoy the trip and to have an entire change of focus to enjoying life rather than be obsessed about falling pregnant.

Shortly after we returned home to Australia, there was a sign to prompt me to do a pregnancy test but because I've done pregnancy tests before when I was late, I didn't want to be too eager to do one this time just in case I am sorely disappointed again. I remember it was 6 February 2009, after prompting by an online friend who was in a support group for mothers who are trying to conceive that I was a part of, that I did the test. When the 2nd line appeared, I couldn't believe it....I thought it must be wrong.....there must be a mistake! When hubby came home and I shared the news with him, he asked me if I was pulling his leg and still refused to believe it - even when I showed him the pregnancy test! I think the time trying to conceive has taken an emotional toll on him too as he shared my disbelief.

The next few months have been:

- one of anticipation
- waiting for the first 3 months to be over
- having the 12th week scan, hoping the baby is healthy and well (and really thankful baby is!)
- followed by the 19th week scan, where we saw baby in 3D and was so immensely thrilled and thankful again that baby is well and healthy
- starting to think of names
- buying pregnancy books
- buying more maternity clothes
- trying to enjoy the pregnancy despite tiredness, nausea (not too bad), dry-retching, awful taste in my mouth
- finding out I have gestational diabetes at 28th week and trying to control it via diet then being put on insulin at 31 weeks
- juggling tiredness and giving my best at work
- attending ante-natal classes, and feeling both nervous and excited about labour
- being told at 33rd week that my hospital policy is to induce me at 38th weeks because I have gestational diabetes and am on insulin - that shaved off the 2 weeks I was going to enjoy putting my feet up! I was in shock and so was hubby!
- and now, at 35th week, eagerly anticipating to meet our little one and getting excited about the labouring experience.

What have I learnt from being an impatient person who was stomping her feet and demanded to fall pregnant in her time and now, having the gift of life given to her (possibly due to His Grace only)?

- God does the impossible!
- He loves me in spite of me, not because of who i am! He is Love and He Loves me! (i pray that i don't take Him for granted as i often do)
- A supportive husband, family and friends helped me to retain my sanity
- I needed to get on with living and enjoying life and not put anything or everything on hold, because I may fall pregnant.
- That my children are mine to care for, love, and be there for, but they ultimately belong to the Lord and my fears and worries for them are eased if I leave them in His Care.

As this child grows, I pray that I will remember at any time that I feel I am lost, losing control, feeling despondent, wanting to give up, and crying, or all of these at once, that I remember to go to the Lord. Even when I am happy and uplifted, that I praise Him and go to Him too.

“And I am with you always, even to the end of the earth.” Matthew 28:20

*examination of the abdominal cavity or performance of minor abdominal surgery using a laparoscope (source: www.dictionary.com)

Gary and Faith = Married!

2008-07-12T23:45:00.000+10:00

Phill and I made the trip to Singapore in July, pretty unusual as we only travel to Singapore at the end of the year. But we had a special reason - my younger brother, Gary, was getting married to Faith. Living in Singapore has prevented us from spending more time with Faith but the impression we have is that she's easy-going, has a ready smile, and she is the guru for good eating places in Singapore!

It's so good to see my brother settle down but more so because my sister-in-law is such a nice girl. It's being married to the right person that is a true treasure! Gary is truly blessed!

Gary and Faith had their church wedding on my birthday, today!!! And being the sweet couple they are, after their church wedding and having rested at their hotel, Marriott, they organised to take me to a Russian restaurant at Far East Shopping Centre. I hadn't had Russian cuisine before so I was intrigued....pics below:

The waitress setting fire to our dessert.

It was a visual treat that tantalised our tastebuds too.

SATC rocks!

2008-06-17T22:52:00.012+10:00

I like Carrie's and Miranda's outfits!
I enjoyed this scene when Carrie tried on some of her notable dresses - brought back memories!

What was that feather on Carrie's head??? Then I realised in the movie it was a bird. Glad I'm not the only one to think it was a feather though!

I watched Sex and the City with 2 colleagues earlier today. I was initially going to watch it in Singapore but when I heard that Singapore was screening the censored version, I decided to watch it in Australia. Then, I realised the reason for the censorship - Dante!

My verdict? Absolutely loved the movie - it lived up to my expectations and more! It's a funny movie and I was disappointed, though not surprised, that there were so few guys watching the movie at the cinema. And yes, they did look like they were reluctantly dragged to the movie or went cos they were trying to impress a gal.

Out of Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda, and Samantha, I love Miranda's fashion the best! Her clothes, earrings, necklaces. She looked sharp and stylish! I loved most of the songs in the movie too - adding that extra oomph to vital scenes. And although some critics felt the ending was an anti-climax, I understood why it had to be it - so many fans to satisfy!

My main gripe was that all along, I felt Aidan was the right guy, stable, attractive, sporty, one-with-nature, and oh-so-manly, and I would have felt more satisfied if Carrie had ended up with Aidan. So, that crushing scene in one of the series episodes where Aidan was seen carrying a baby, I wished then that he was simply baby-sitting. I know. Me - the delusional one.

Straight after the movie, I wanted to watch the movie again. Yes, that's how much i LOVE the movie. As for the critics? I felt they were just too ready to criticise it and fail to see it for what it's worth, a movie about fashion and relationships. At the end, each gal didn't try and change the other guy. They accepted what they wanted in a relationship, recognised their own shortcomings and decided the type of relationship they wanted. That was quite affirming in terms of what relationships are meant to be - not what we can get from a relationship but what we can offer so that we grow together with our better half to be better persons.

I Love Technology!

2008-06-08T11:18:00.004+10:00

I read this article (below) about how a young mum who lost her camera managed to retrieve her photos and interestingly, that of the thieves who stupidly took pictures of themselves with the camera. The special memory card, the Eye-Fi, allowed her to download her photos when the culprits walked past an unsecured network. I love that technology allows you to do that because often, it's the photos we feel sad about losing, not the equipment that is replaceable. Of course, if it's a $10,000 camera, that's quite another story.

And then while watching the news, I saw how technology is incorporated into an American university. While the lecturer teaches and asks questions, the students each has a clicker that they will press with answers of A, B, C or D, and their answers will go towards their final score. That 'forces' students to read up before the lecture and eliminates additional work for lecturers who are inundated with so much marking to do nearly every week! Most lecturers don't just teach one subject. The onus is on the students to work hard and attempt to answer the questions and makes them responsible for their actions.

Lost cameras 'phone home' to catch thieves
June 6, 2008 - 1:02PM

Alison DeLauzon thought the snapshots and home videos of her infant son were gone for good when she lost her digital camera while on vacation in Florida.

Then a funny thing happened: her camera got in touch with her.

Equipped with a special memory card with wireless internet capability, DeLauzon's camera had not only automatically sent her holiday pictures to her computer, but had even uploaded photos of the miscreants who swiped her equipment bag after she accidentally left it behind at a restaurant.

"I opened up the Eye-Fi manager on the computer and, lo and behold, there are the guys that stole our cameras," said DeLauzon, a native of New York. "Not only is it the guy who stole our camera ... but the guy took a picture of (his accomplice) holding our other camera."

DeLauzon received the Eye-Fi, a 2-gigabyte SD memory card that fits into millions of digital cameras, as a holiday gift to go with her Canon camera.

Priced at about $US100, the card automatically uploads pictures to a home computer or online photosharing service as soon as the user is linked to a familiar wireless network.

Luckily, the culprits passed by an unsecured network, whose factory-installed setting matched that of DeLauzon's home system, and the Eye-Fi automatically shipped the photos: first baby pictures, then the snap-happy scoundrels.

Her experience reflects the rise of technology that empowers everyday gadgets to protect themselves or the priceless personal data - from family phone numbers to business budgets - that consumers keep on portable electronics devices.

Cameras are perhaps the most common home-phoning gadget used to thwart criminals.
An eerie case occurred last month, when a Japanese man set up a hidden camera because food was disappearing from his kitchen. While he was out, the camera sent pictures to his mobile phone of the intruder - an unknown woman living secretly in his closet.

A few years ago, there was a well-publicised case of a Sidekick mobile phone that was first lost in a New York taxi, then found by a 16-year-old who used it to take pictures and send instant messages.

But the device's mobile service provider automatically backed up such data on remote computers, allowing the owner's friend, Evan Guttman, to uncover a trail - and launch an online shaming campaign against the 16-year-old, who was eventually arrested.

While passive systems have helped reunite missing gadgets with their owners, more aggressive measures can be employed to protect everything from laptops to iPods and BlackBerrys.

GadgetTrak, sells software that can be loaded onto any of those devices. If a BlackBerry, for example, falls into the wrong hands, the software grabs information from the new user's SIM data card and e-mails it to the rightful owner.

With an Apple Mac computer, the software instructs the built-in camera to take video of the thief and sends to the owner, along information about nearby wireless networks.

Some 20,000 GadgetTrack licenses have been purchased in about one year - including 10,000 from storage company Seagate.

"The reason we have been so successful is that people are not expecting this kind of software to be installed," said Ken Westin, the company's founder. "No security solution is 100 percent - there are always going to be work-arounds. But your average thief is not going to be a computer expert."

DeLauzon didn't want to press charges against the people who had her camera: Both were employees at the restaurant where she dined and accidentally left her photo equipment.
Sure, they were fired - but getting justice was not as important to her as retrieving her memories of her baby boy.

"When we finally got it back, my husband and I spent the night just sitting and watching the videos - stupid videos, like him feeding himself for the first time or him pulling himself up in his crib for the first time. We sat down one night and just relished it."

Reuters

http://www.theage.com.au/news/technology/lost-cameras-phone-home-to-catch-thieves/2008/06/06/1212259068570.html

AFL State of Origin

2008-05-10T12:56:00.005+10:00

Phill and I made a trip to Melbourne to watch the AFL State of Origin - Victoria (all players from Victoria) vs the Dream Team (from the rest of the state). It was a chance to watch the best AFL players in the country play at the same time, in one spot! I relished the chance to watch them! Below are some pics of our weekend trip to Melbourne.

The chef at KoKo Black where a Singaporean university classmate, Laura, took us for hot chocolate - yummy!
The beautiful arcade where Koko Black is located. Left, Laura and Phill at our table.
The AFL State of Origin Match at Melbourne Cricket Ground (a beautiful stadium)
My colleague, Lauren, me, and Phill at the stadium
The AFL players in action!

More AFL players in action

Me and my favourite dish - spicy mee pok dry noodles!

While I enjoyed the match, the players did hold back though and didn't play as hard as they usually are with their clubs. That is to be expected. But it was a good match, capped with the fact Victoria won!!!

Barack for 2008!

2008-05-09T10:15:00.008+10:00

I have been following (not closely though) the US election campaign. I was initially proud of Hillary Clinton, her achievements, and was glad she was campaigning to be a Democrat nominee. But increasingly, I found myself disagreeing with her public persona and her tactic of launching personal attacks and smear campaign against Obama.

That swung me towards Barack Obama whom I felt was looking ahead rather than looking backwards (as Clinton sometimes has). He may not have as much experience as Hillary but he sure didn't lie about his credentials like she did about avoiding sniper fire at Bosnia. And I love his ingenious way of obtaining political donations. Sure, it was a no-brainer but does that mean Hillary and her team are no-brainers? She obtained donations by asking for large sums while Obama asked for what people could give, so that when he needed more, he could return again to them and asked if they could donate again. So, people who were donating $20 were more likely to give $20 again. For Hillary's donors, it's a huge ask to get them to donate another $100,000 after they've parted with that significant amount.

And if I wish I could sum up my sentiments in a nice, strong, and powerful article, I wish I could write like Anne Applebaum (her article below).

Hillary! It's not about you, so hang up your hat

Anne Applebaum May 9, 2008

Clinton's refusal to see reality is damaging her party and Barack Obama. ARE you tired of the US election campaign? Not really sure what they're arguing about any more? If you're feeling as if you've lost the plot, don't worry. It's not because you're not American, or because you haven't been paying close enough attention: we Americans feel exactly the same.

The malaise that the endless Democratic primary campaign has inspired across the political spectrum was summed up by writer Nora Ephron, who described the ongoing contest between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama as an "unending last episode of Survivor. They're eating rats and they're frying bugs and they're frying rats and they're eating bugs; no one is ever going to get off the island and I can't take it any more!"

Ephron wrote that a month ago, and nothing has changed. On Tuesday night, primary votes in North Carolina and Indiana once again confirmed everything we knew already. Obama is still safely in the lead, both in the popular vote and in the delegate count. Clinton is still behind. And even if they keep going until the Democratic convention in August, Obama will still be safely in the lead, and Clinton will still be behind. For Clinton to win now, she has to get her party to change the rules of its primary, post hoc (apparently she is planning to try) or bring more states into the union.

Which is ridiculous — but so is this campaign. If you've found the election hard to follow of late, that's because the only real issue at stake is Hillary Clinton's extraordinary, irrational, overwhelming ambition. As I write this, rumours that Clinton intends to drop out are in circulation. Allegedly, she cancelled her talk show appearances yesterday. Allegedly, her campaign is utterly broke. And yet no one can be certain that she won't fight to the last delegate, using up every cent of her own money (she lent her campaign another $6.4 million last week) and every last ounce of the Democratic Party's credibility, because everything we have learnt about her in the past few months indicates this is possible. Clearly, she wants so badly to win that she will try anything — and we know that "anything" includes adopting positions and methods of a kind she once claimed to abhor.

She is not above smear tactics, among them attempts to link Obama to '60s radicals, people with whom he had only the slightest contact, if at all. She is not above hints, verging on racist, that a black man can't win the general election. She is not above exaggerating her achievements, claiming to have helped "bring peace" to Northern Ireland and to have dodged sniper fire in Bosnia.

Bizarre though this will sound to foreign ears, she has also spent much of the past two months trying to remake herself as a whiskey-drinking, gun-toting, blue-collar politician, the candidate of the working class. Although she is a multimillionaire whose best friends are multimillionaires, although she spent most of her life among what can only be described as the elitest of the liberal elite, and although her opponent was raised by a single mother and went to university on scholarships, she has run around in circles trying to convince people that he is the elitist, and she is the populist.

The Chicago Tribune analysed her speeches and determined that she was using grammar and vocabulary several grade levels below that deployed by Obama, "the language of the least-educated, lowest-earning voters". At one point, this long-time supporter of gun control described how her father taught her to shoot.

It would take a psychologist, not a political analyst, to explain why she does this. To prove some feminist point? To show that she's the equal of Bill? To take revenge for Monica?

Still, barring a "deus ex machina" or an Obama implosion of some unpredictable kind, sooner or later she'll have to step down. When she does so, she'll leave a divided party in her wake, as well as a candidate seriously weakened by her prolonged campaign.

You may be bored by the election campaign, but the Democratic Party, when it wakes from this nightmare, will be very angry. And if John McCain beats Obama in November, it is not the Republican Party, but Hillary Clinton who will be blamed. Anne Applebaum is a columnist with The Washington Post.

This article first appeared in the Telegraph. This story was found at:

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/05/08/1210131165200.html

Millie's graduation day

2008-04-14T21:16:00.001+10:00

Phill taking Millie through the ropes of an obstacle course

Not a very sharp picture because I took it with my Canon Ixus 75 which is a wonderful and handy camera but doesn't have better flash. I don't envisage myself carrying a huge flash while using this camera either. But...the above pic is of Millie taking her test during her final and 4th lesson of puppy school. She had to walk up a small ramp, sit on the first hula-hoop, and then drop in the second hula-hoop. The puppy school has been good for Millie, and for Phill and I. For us to realise how to train her and to be really patient and persistent with our training. She has been good and always improves from one week to the next. In the 2nd lesson, when the trainer gave her a pig's ear and attempted to take it off her, boy, she growled. This made the trainer ask if we were sure Millie didn't have abit of rottweiler in her. I was surprised how possessive Millie was. We were very pleased with Millie's behaviour towards the other smaller dogs in the class. She is very hyper but she goes down on all fours when she sees a dog which the trainer said is a submissive pose so that the other dogs won't be scared of her. I thought that was really sweet! Millie could have attempted to dominate the other dogs but instead, she decided to make them feel safe and comfortable. I love her!

Atonement and James McAvoy

2008-03-24T19:21:00.004+11:00

I had watched Atonement in Singapore a few months ago but when our local cinema (short drive away) was screening Atonement, I took the chance to watch it again. Why not? Just another opportunity to ogle at James McAvoy, who though young, has a charismatic and mesmerising quality. He doesn't look overly gorgeous the way Brad Pitt or Keanu Reeves are, without them opening their mouths, but there's a quality McAvoy has that is harder to pin down. He makes me weak at the knees...hahaha!

I immensely enjoyed Atonement, loved Joe Wright's technique of shooting the same scene from the perspective of different characters and the rhythmic tapping of the typewriter which added to the sense of suspense. It all came together so beautifully and smaller roles played by Brenda Blethyn (Robbie's mother), and then in the finale, Vanessa Redgrave was amazing. She said more in her facial expressions - the pain, regret, and wish to make amends. I wish I can act like her!

A comment Phill overheard in Singapore when we were watching this movie has remained etched in his mind such that everytime he sees Keira Knightley, he repeats the comment: "So Skiiiinnnny" in a typical Singaporean accent.

Baby Names have Got Weird!

2008-03-06T15:47:00.003+11:00

I have always been abit intrigued with how parents choose a name for their baby. I reckon it's a difficult decision. Parents sometimes want a unique name, one they think their kid will have sole rights to, so that they do not become a Tom, Dick, or Harry.

But an increasing trend among parents to change 1, 2 or more letters in traditional names so that they are spelt differently is one I don't subscribe to. Why spell Alexander 'Alex-Zander'? I'm not sure it adds anything to the name. It just makes the parents seem like bad spellers.

A worse trend (not mentioned in the article below) is where parents choose not to have any vowels for their kid's name. So, for example, they may have a name, hzydn, which they choose to pronounce 'hayden'. If you can take the trouble to wrench those vowels out, then I think those parents should take the trouble to twist their tongue and pronounce the name as it reads.

I know this rant might just come back and bite me in the b*m, but for now, I'll keep my favourite kids' names close to my chest.

Roze by any name would spell as sweet

THE phonetic spelling popular in text messaging and emails has been blamed for degrading the English language.

Now it's being fingered for a trend in unconventionally spelt baby names.

Parents are shunning traditional spellings for versions such as Alex-Zander, Cam'ron, Emma-Lee, Ozkah, Thaillah and Ameleiyah.

Analysing Australian births in 2007, social analyst Mark McCrindle found the name Jayden was registered spelt 12 ways, Aidan nine ways, and Amelia and Tahlia eight ways.

Lachlan had five other versions - Lochlyn, Lochlin, Lochlen, Lochlain and Lauchlan.

"The use of a 'y' instead of an 'i' has hit epidemic proportions, as has the use of 'k' over 'c' like in the names Jaykob and Lynkon, double letters like Siimon and Chriss and hyphens like Emma-Lee," said Mr McCrindle, of private research agency McCrindle Research.

The trend was due to the phonetic spelling in email and text messaging and to parents wanting their children to stand out, he said.

"Gen X parents were the first generation to grow up themselves with mum not staying home with the kids or their parents divorcing, and they hated their parents not being around to show them love.

"Knowing they will probably recreate some of those sins, they now are naming their kids uniquely to show how individual and special they are to them.

"There is also a bit of backlash against the conservative names like Jack, Ella and Olivia."

Jacquelene and Ashley Wilkinson named their daughters Briarna, born on February 15, and Maddisen, 16 months, in the hope of influencing their nicknames.

"We wanted conservative, girly names for our children. I don't like some of the more out-there names people are giving their kids," Ms Wilkinson, from Bulleen said.

"We liked the sound of the name Brianna, but I didn't want her be an 'Anna' because we like the nickname 'Bree', so we decided on Briarna."

Ms Wilkinson had wanted to call her first daughter Madison, but a friend wasn't so sure.

"She said, 'God I hate names that rhyme. They must get so teased at school' off-handedly once and I thought, 'Oh no, what am I doing with Madison Wilkinson?' " she said.

"But I've loved the name forever and didn't want to give it up, so my husband and I were on the internet one night and saw the spelling Maddisen, and knew that was it."

Source: Herald Sun, March 6, 08

Church = Hypocrites?

2008-02-29T15:39:00.000+11:00

I read in a Mansfield newspaper recently about a church sign in Mansfield (a short drive away from where we are) that went something like this:

This church is not full of hypocrites,

There's room for more.

I'm not sure about you but in a way, that hit the nail somewhat. It made a statement, but it also showed the church could laugh at itself. In effect, the world is full of hypocrites, isn't that true? There are also hypocrites in church. We are all hypocrites at some point in our lives. Some people may live their lives as hypocrites while others are unintentional hypocrites. Are there times when I know I'm being a hypocrite?

What the statement said to me, as a believer, was "are you a hypocrite? is it time to confess and change". I know only Christ Jesus can make that change in me cos I am not able, I am weak, and sometimes, I don't want to change enough cos I don't want to do the hard yards.

Bringing Millie home!

2008-02-23T21:49:00.003+11:00

One of the milestones for us, after returning from Singapore, was picking our puppy, Millie, home. It was a bit traumatic for me last weekend when we had to confirm which puppy, out of a litter of 8, that we want. As we had enquired about puppies since April last year, we were on the top of the list and had the first pick out of the 8 puppies.

The very first time when we first saw the litter of puppies, which was a few days after we were back home after our trip to Singapore in January, I fell in love with a red-collared puppy because she slept and stayed still while I carried her in my arms while the rest of the puppies just wanted to get down. So, when I saw the same puppy again last weekend, I carried her in my arms and had my eyes set on her and she was same as usual, kept still while I hugged her.

However, Phill had his eyes set on another puppy. She was very friendly to Phill and then went and sat in the sun herself. The puppy breeder's son told us that this puppy particularly like being on her own and laying in the sun. Compared to the other puppies who had to huddle together, she was happy being on her own.

Anyway, even though Phill was very besotted with this puppy, he said that we will get the red collared puppy that we were so besotted with.

However, the whole trip home (3 hours drive), I was troubled and did not have any peace at all. Phill went and had a nap and I tried to close my eyes to sleep but I couldn't. So, I sms-d my brother, Gary, and rang him to talk to him and bawled my eyes out. I was so torn. I wanted the puppy that I chose but Phill always gives in to me and I wanted to give in to him this time. And Gary advised that I pray about it and then ring the breeder and if the puppy that Phill wanted was still available, that would be my answer. So that's what I did. I prayed and rang the breeder, Carol, and she said, the puppy Phill wanted and the puppy we chose were the last 2 puppies left. There was only one family due to see their puppy (they didn't have a choice being the last on the list) and would be seeing the puppy Phill wanted. While talking to Carol, couldn't help myself and broke down. She was very kind and understood how I felt. And she asked me three times when I said we would have the puppy Phill wanted (which meant the family that was due to arrive will have my red-collared puppy). Then she said that she noticed how the puppy Phill liked was the first puppy that went up to him and 'introduced' herself to him. She was very friendly to Phill and was the one that picked him out. I was sure I made the right choice then as I believed very strongly in having the puppy pick you.

Photos of Millie when we picked her up today.

What a wonderful trip to Singapore!

2008-01-25T08:17:00.008+11:00

Phill and I spent about 32 days in Singapore in our annual pilgrimage back home. And we had fun!!! We caught up with family and friends, and ate most of the local food that we missed for a year. And it felt good to be on a holiday.

I managed to meet more friends this time than I did in any of my previous trips and was glad for it. I even met up with some of my primary school classmates I hadn't seen in ages! And time just flew when we were chatting. It was so reassuring to see that they hardly changed since primary school - doesn't that mean we hardly age?

With Wiggie, a dear friend who I will remember for volunteering to help me at my wedding, I had very interesting conversations. She was telling me about the wild parties at her apartment block and I was telling her how I feel so tired after work and usually get to bed at about 9.30pm and still feel tired the next day. And Wiggie made me laugh when she said, "dear girl, we're getting old." Are we? ....hahahaha.....I'm still in denial. I'm just telling myself it's the Singapore lifestyle vs the Australia lifestyle.

Phill and I have so many memories of each trip to Singapore that we sometimes mix them up. We recall our dinner at Banana Leaf Restaurant, East Coast hawker Centre, Lau Pa Sat, and this trip, we had Botak Jones at Toa Payoh (upon excellent recommendation by Aunty Jenny) - YUM!

During this trip, we had a chance to meet my brother's girlfriend, Faith. And we like her! She's funny, easy-going, sensible and responsible. And most of all, in Phill's words, she's a very vital asset to our family because she knows all the good eating places in Singapore. She recommended a hawker centre in Bedok and there were heaps of good food!! It was YUMMY!

These are some photos of our trip:

My cousin, May, took Phill and I to Dempsey Hills for a meal. We haven't been there before and it was such a cool and relaxing place - a hideaway from the hustle and bustle of city life. Below was the chocolate cake and ice-cream Phill and I had (cos we had our dinner already) but I could only take one photo cos a waiter came swiftly to say management does not allow photos taken of their meals -- ok.

Meeting my former colleagues from National Arts Council - Christina, me, Celine, Sock Hwang and Jessie.
My brother's girlfriend, Faith, who like us is a foodie too - Yeah!!! But unlike us, she can keep her really slim frame! One of my favourite dishes at the buffet at Merchant Court Hotel - durian! Yum!
Phill enjoying his pepper crabs at Merchant Court Hotel (tho his fave is butter).
Our favourite satay place is Fat Man Satay at Lau Pa Sat.
Changi Prison Chapel Museum - I didn't even knew this museum exists previously until Phill asked to visit it on his first trip to Singapore 10 years ago. The museum was also moved about a few years ago to a new location not far off from its previous location. The previous location was not the chapel's original location though. Its original location is actually in the Changi Prison itself.
A board hung in the chapel area of the museum for visitors to post their messages. I find it very heartbreaking to read the messages from nieces, nephews, sons, daughters, grandchildren of Australian and English servicemen who were prisoners-of-war in Singapore.
A beautiful poem in tribute to the servicemen who were imprisoned in Singapore.
Phill absolutely loves Gary's dog - Sacha! She's gorgeous and we think of her heaps when we're in Australia. We love her friendly and personable nature and she loves to play! I'm sold on miniature schnauzers after Sacha!
Grandma's 82th birthday!!! We had a great time just being together as an extended family!
Our meal at Botak Jones in Toa Payoh! The above was a yummy dish that I can't remember and from the photo below, it's easy to tell that Phill was impressed with both the quality and quantity of his meal. And also, he loves fooling around with the camera - hahaha! My cousin, Zachary, is to the left of the photo. It was good to see Zach since we hardly see him much due to us being in Australia and he is a busy guy too.

Above - Another yummy dish (think it was my dinner) at Botak Jones that I can't remember.

Concerts!

2008-01-22T13:42:00.000+11:00

I was really glad to have the opportunity to attend 3 concerts when I was in Singapore. The first was a Jacky Cheung (HongKong singer and actor) concert with my brother, Gary, and his girlfriend, Faith. That concert was brilliant and cos I've never watched him live in concert (can't remember if I've watched him on dvd), I really enjoyed every bit of it. Jacky's attempts at dancing which was pretty good at some spots. But his voice was beautiful - it's unique and singing those familiar songs that span more than 10 years of my life brought back memories and tingles down my spine. He was a consummate and cheeky performer, sharing little titbits of his family life and his kids. I must say one of my favourite songs is the lullaby he wrote for his 2nd daughter. It was simple but very meaningful. I enjoyed this concert very much and was sad to see it end.

I know we're not supposed to take photos during the concert but I managed to sneak a few in and then tucked my camera away after that. Another concert-goer, who was quite stubborn, took many more photos and continued doing so even after he was warned. He was finally escorted out of the concert. I also saw some other audience members with long camera lenses. I think they were there for "work" (to sell those photos on ebay....tsk!).

Faith and Gary at Jacky Cheung concert

The 2nd concert I attended was a Fei Yuqing (an evergreen singer from Taiwan) with my parents. Most of the concert goers were senior citizens and they came in droves and gave him so much support, even though some of the audience looked abit too frail. It was a very nice concert and I was surprised that I knew the tunes of some songs even if I didn't know the title of those songs. Fei Yuqing also told some jokes and imitated some of the stalwarts in the entertainment scene which drew laughter and applause. He was very good and most of all, he looked so good. I enjoyed this concert too, and differently from the Jacky Cheung concert.

The final concert I attended was free because my cousin (Charlotte) got Phill and me tickets!!! Yipppeee! My first memory of listening to Suzanne Vega was when I was in primary school and my cousin, Nicholas, used to pull out the new CDs his sister, Charlotte, bought after returning for holidays from her overseas studies in Paris and USA. And one of those CDs was Suzanne Vega's debut album and her songs, "Luka" and "Tom's Diner", evoked memories I had when I first heard those 2 very famous songs. The concert was fabulous, intimate, and live! I had a chance to hear the back stories to the songs Suzanne wrote too and realised I knew more songs than I initially thought. I knew Caramel was included in the film soundtrack to The Truth About Cats and Dogs. I've heard Solitude Standing, Left of Centre and Marlene On The Wall before and love Small Blue Thing and In Liverpool. After the concert, Phill and I hung out with my cousins and Nicholas' friend, and it was such a fun night. Dinner was great and I had a chance to smoke a a hookah, which I've never done before. Thing was, I didn't know there was tobacco in it (I know, silly me) because there wasn't a strong tobacco smell or taste. It was an interesting experience!

Lasik!!!!

2007-12-26T15:28:00.005+11:00

After quite abit of research, alot of conversations and discussions (with my friends and relatives that have done the surgery) that Phill and I (with much trepidation) decide to embark on lasik surgery. We were quite prepared to throw our spectacles and contact lenses away. However, the thought of having to slice part of our cornea to do the laser surgery was a lingering and frightening thought.

On Christmas Eve, Phill and I went and did our assessment and were given the all clear. The doctor (Dr Marc Tay) advised us that we didn't have to go for intralase (blade-free) because we had regular sized corneas and there wasn't any point paying an additional $1000 more per person. With that assurance, we decided to make the leap and go for the blade (microkeratome).

Phill before the surgery

Phill after the surgery

My feelings after the surgery was different from Phill. I realised my fears before the surgery was unfounded because everything was done so quickly and so painless (that was my greater fear that I could feel my cornea being sliced). Dr Marc Tay was very reassuring and I appreciated that he did the countdown - 20% done, 40%, 60%...so I know that it was coming to an end. And I just told myself to keep focusing on the red light. However, after my right eye was operated on, I had to drive the thoughts of what the doctor was going to do with my left eye out of my mind (the slicing, the burning of flesh, etc) and just focus on the red light. Phill on the other hand said that his heart never beat so fast in his life. He isn't sure if the operation is worth it yet.

Our Puppy Is Born

2007-12-25T20:24:00.001+11:00

We've contacted a breeder of golden retrievers since May and was glad to be told some weeks ago that her dog, Shyla was pregnant, and even more thrilled to read the email from Carol that our pup (1 of a litter of 8 puppies) was born on Christmas Day. What a present after the gift of love in Christ Jesus!

Movie: Amazing Grace

2007-12-15T02:15:00.002+11:00

I watched this movie about 2 months ago but hadn't blogged about it so thought I should since the movie made quite an impression on me. Although the character of William Wilberforce was the main protagonist, I was very much attracted to William Pitt, Wilberforce's friend and England's youngest ever Prime Minister. I was attracted to Pitt's character because he gave really good and sound advice to Wilberforce and he paved the way so that Wilberforce's plans will bear fruit. He felt sad when Wilberforce was sad and happy when Wilberforce was happy. To me, he was the epitome of a very good friend. And when Wilberforce died, he was laid to rest side by side with his friend, Pitt. Sometimes, in life, you can find such true friends that they become your brother or sister.

Which made me think of the friends I have. I can't say I have friends at my present workplace with whom I could share my innermost thoughts. I've found with a colleague or two that whatever I say or whatever news I share gets passed around. I wish I could trust a particular colleague but I've given up cos nothing is sacred with her. So I was recently abit down that she disappointed me so. And I suppose to a certain extent, I've seen through her as a person. Good friends whom you can trust and whom you can have a heart-to-heart are so difficult to find. I thank God though that I have friends I made in my previous workplace in Australia that I still hang out with and whose company I enjoy very much. With 2 particular friends who are about 15-20 years older than me, we can sit and talk over a meal for 3-4 hours straight without looking at our watches and then realise time has flown. It has happened every single time! Age is no barrier to our friendship and I'm glad they're my friends!

Which also makes me miss my friends in Singapore because they are the ones I can have heart-to-heart talks with but then again, thank God for technology cos I can always drop them an email. But it doesn't beat being able to sit down for a chat after work.
I pray for a friend at work I can trust!

A new future for Australia!

2007-11-24T23:05:00.000+11:00

Phill and I attended an election party at my parents-in-law house and it was fun! We both wore our "Kevin 07" T-shirts and had our family friends over from Alexandra too. I was abit apprehensive about wearing the T-shirts initally cos I didn't know if our family friends were liberal or labor but apparently they're the latter - phew! And they all had a good laugh at our T-shirts - probably even impressed at our fervent support for Labor.

I was very surprised and delighted when the defining result came through at past 10pm that Labor had won enough seats to form government!!! I had enough of the Howard government and earlier thought that if Liberal still wins another term, then the next best result will be if John Howard could lose his seat - so imagine my joy when both happened! Both the Liberal party and Howard were kicked out of government!!!

My hope for Australia is that we have a better future - a brighter one too!

Kindness...to lift the spirit

2007-11-15T19:40:00.000+11:00

I had to be in Melbourne today as I was attending a course on planning law, which was really useful and good! I enjoyed it and yet realised how much more I didn't know....shucks!

Anyway, after the course, I was walking around and walking towards this cafe that had bar stools facing one of the main roads (Bourke St) and a few guys in suits were sitting on the bar stools. On the pedestrian walkway was a beggar and then I heard a whistle and a shout-out to the beggar from the guys in suits and was wondering if they were going to taunt and tease him. Then I turned around and saw them pass him a brown bag, which I think is some food as they must have seen him look through the dustbins. And the way the guy in the suit handed the beggar the food was understated and not showy like some people are with "see, i'm doing a kind deed" was even more touching. It really made me smile inside!

I was also the recipient of a kind deed with one planner whom I know offering me a lift back home so I didn't have to wait around until the evening to take the train home. And she asked her friends whom I realised I knew cos they worked in the same town I work in and I had a lift back in the car. I was happy and grateful!!!

Heritage Planning @ Bendigo

2007-11-11T22:33:00.000+11:00

Eerie House

One of only 2 houses in Australia with an old Dutch style roof - only one other house in Qld has the same type of roof. Owner wanted to preserve this house but was told the construction quality was poor but the roof was another thing and worth preserving.

A cemetry also tells a story - of families during the Gold Rush who lived through hard times and had to bury their children. This cemetry was on a hill and while the men worked, if they looked up, they see the cemetry above - how sad for the fathers to be reminded of their loss!
The headstone for a very young child...I felt bad taking this photo.

I went with a colleague, L, to Bendigo for a Heritage Planning course, one which they considered a Spring course rather than a summer course since it was held in November. I've never been to Bendigo and while I liked it, I preferred Ballarat and Geelong where I went on a field trip (for the subject Rural and Regional Planning) and communications workshop respectively. I met some of L's fellow students as her course is with La Trobe Uni but my lecturer teaches at both universities (RMIT and La Trobe) so he organised a combined Heritage Planning course for both students.

I was really fighting hard to stay awake during some parts of the course and at some point, I became really frustrated and fed-up because one of the other lecturers (not my lecturer who is in tuned with the energy levels of his students - he usually finish his classes early) kept talking even though some of the stuff had been mentioned already. I hate when people repeat themselves and love the sound of their own voice. Enough already and what a waste of my time! So, while I enjoyed some of the course, I found some of the lecturers not very effective or interesting either.....zzzzzz!

Now, to do my assignments - due on 19 February. But...........I need a break first!

Faith and Belief

2007-10-31T21:40:00.001+11:00

It is with great joy when I heard from my dad that my grandma has taken the step of faith and confessed her belief in Lord Jesus Christ.

My aunt Melissa accepted Jesus as her Lord and Saviour last year too and knowing that I'll see them in heaven fills me with joy, comfort and peace.

Thank God for answered prayers!

I still remember that when my great grandma came to accept the Lord, she had said she was looking for such peace all her life and she had finally found it.

May all of us who believe never lose our faith but to grow it and strengthen it, with God's help and guidance!

Peter Sandman Workshop

2007-10-27T22:18:00.000+10:00

The views from my hotel room and I absolutely love the views and my room!!!

I've never been to Geelong before and had the chance the past few days to head there for a Peter Sandman workshop that I had the privilege to attend for work training purposes. It was such a good communications workshop which taught us about engaging the community proactively. I could have sat and listened to him for ages.

I also got to know colleagues from other organisations and other regional offices. Some were really nice while others were really strange. 2 particular people were strange in that they were insistent that they be heard and that their views be taken but when it was others' turn to speak or offer their opinion, they didn't listen. I became really grateful for my colleagues back at my office and how they were really helpful, supportive and co-operative in getting work done.

It was a good trip driving to Geelong and back home with my boss. We had good conversations about work, about my studies and about her studies when she did them. She was admirable cos she studied and did her masters while she was looking after her children. She used to wake up at 4am to study until 7am then fed her newborn baby. I'm not sure I can do that.

Fit for fire duties

2007-10-15T15:57:00.000+10:00

I had a medical test at work today to test my general health and well-being and had some tests such as for lung capacity that I hadn't tested for previously. The lung test was tough. The doctor handed me a black roll (looks like a toilet roll!) and then made me blow and I blew up my entire breath after like 3 seconds. Then he told me to do it again and said to just keep blowing out my breath. The next time I did it in like 5 seconds but it felt like it took ages. I've never taken a test like that before and boy, was I tired. A little disappointed with my lung capacity but the doctor said the result was an average result, generally the result most people have anyway. And I asked for how I could improve my lung capacity and he said to take deeper breaths and also more cardio exercise, EVERYDAY!

Anyway, the test was also to see if I was fit for duty during bushfires. And the outcome? The doctor ticked the box for A which is the best fitness ability and he said I am fit to be a firefighter! What? Me?! NO way!!!!! I smiled but it will only be in my dreams cos I'll be a liability rather than an asset.

I've also attended a briefing recently for information officers and so am assuming that was what I'll be doing which is basically ascertaining the information we receive and decide who to dispense the information to. It sounds like a challenging, interesting and sometimes frustrating opportunity. And that's because of the tight deadlines involved and the different personalities that's in the mix. Well, I know it'll be a great experience and an eye-opener and if the time comes, I hope to be helpful.

Nathan Buckley...retires...sob!

2007-10-05T20:44:00.000+10:00

It was to be expected cos he's 36 already but I was still very sad (especially after James Clement's retirement earlier) when I heard he announced his retirement. Buckley will remain one of the rare players who deserved a premiership medal but wasn't fortunate to play in a premiership winning side although we did come close several times after 1990, last time Collingwood won a premiership.

A committed player whom as a supporter you can trust will definitely give his best. He is among the best on and off the field and it will be different for me when I don't have him to look out for. When I first went to Australia in 1996 and was introduced into the sport of aussie rules, Buckley's unusual looks and passionate play and Damien Monkhorst's humour made me look out for these 2 players. Monkhorst has long retired but it was a delight to see Buckley play for 11 years since.

I still hope to see Buckley around...he'll be missed!!

A Sad Day....

2007-10-01T20:37:00.000+10:00

It was a sad day when I learned one of my favourite footy players retired...James Clement - why? Principled, disciplined, great to watch but more than that, he is HOT!

At just 31, still fit and more than capable....it is a decision hard to fathom but you did bow out at your peak!

Wonderful: Kite Runner

2007-08-22T22:15:00.000+10:00

I had to read Khaled Hosseini's Kite Runner for book club this month. And just over the weekend, I realised that I hadn't read the book so I decided to bring it along on Monday afternoon on the train to Melbourne and I finished reading it in 2 days!!! Such a gripping book that I just couldn't put down!!!

We had a stimulating discussion from the book and we were dismayed at how weak the protagonist was! There was one point during the discussion when one of the book club members turned to me and asked,"so, is there kite flying in China?". I smiled and just turned to the whole group and said,"There is kite flying in Singapore and I remember the stories my mum used to tell me about my uncle and his kites and competing to cut down other kites so I can relate to the kite flying described in the book."

Someone else had to tell her that there was kite flying in China. I didn't know that so I couldn't answer her. And I thought she was rude to assume I was from China!!

Another move and then...peace

2007-08-20T21:26:00.000+10:00

I've recently moved (yup, another move) to work for another planning team but I'm still in the same department and unit but doing a different type of planning - statutory planning, which I think will be better for me as I'm a new planner and need to start from the basics (learning more about micro planning). I started work at the strategic planning (macro planning) unit previously but found myself feeling lost because I didn't have the experience nor had the understanding of the work that went behind the strategic work.

The new planning team are also made up of colleagues which I get along better with because they're a crazy bunch of people - fun-loving but who also work very hard. I look forward to working and learning from them!

On another note, I have also been recently approached by another section in the dept to help out as a media communications adviser temporarily while they look for someone permanent. They asked if I was interested in it permanently (and to submit my application if I am) but I said I'm happy to help them temporarily but intend to return to my planning job. I've asked my supervisor and he very kindly said he will support me after he teased me and pretended he won't let me go. The manager I'll be working for, from what I've seen so far, is really nice and I know I'll learn alot from her. This temporary position also pays better because it is of a higher band (band 4, from my current band 3).... sweet!!!

Moving....

2007-08-18T15:15:00.000+10:00

Phill and I, with the help of my parents-in-law and 2 family friends (a couple in their 70s), moved our worldly possessions from our 3 bedroom unit in the Mansfield township to a rural property (22 acres) at Lima yesterday.

For the past week, Phill and I have been busy packing away and he was getting abit too laid back and too calm about all the packing. I keep seeing things that remain unpacked and he kept saying they will be done. But I wanted them done way before we had to move and I think the packing and stress really made us get on each other's nerves!

However, this morning, we did have things packed and when my parents-in-law and family friends arrived, they helped us load the truck (which we loaned yesterday) with the lounge suite loaned to us by my friend Lynn and her husband Steve, and then they returned with the truck and managed to load all the big items - fridge, King size bed, treadmill, washing machine, dryer, and dining table all onto the truck. We made it in one go! And my mum-in-law, family friend (Joan), and I cleaned the house and vacuumed it too. We managed to do them all under 3 hours which I was really impressed. It took the stress away and my parents-in-law prepared and helped us with alot of things that helped lightened the stress of moving.

First thing we set up at our new house (not really new, it's about 20+ year old weatherboard house) was.....the TV!!! Priorities, priorities. However, we couldn't find the remote control for some time but I managed to after a few hours and ruffling through some bags. We are leaving the rest of the unpacked stuff for the next year or so to unpack. For now, we're just having a break from the stress of it all....

Field Trip to Western VIC

2007-08-11T20:34:00.000+10:00

I joined the students in my rural and regional planning class for a field trip today. We met at Bowen St (RMIT Swanston St campus) to board the coach to head to Western VIC (a part of the state I haven't explored before). I sat next to Jacqui, who shared all her yummy food with me - there were oranges, titbits and a good conversation. I first met her at our first class cos we were one of the first few students who arrived at the classroom early.

We travelled to Rockbank first which was a sad looking town. And although there were some beautiful houses, the general neighbourhood was forlorn and most of the houses were very much separated from each other. We were shown a subdivision that didn't quite work cos not many people bought the plots of land and built houses, thus leaving those who did looking abit lonely.

We also drove through towns like Bacchus Marsh, which I thought was a really nice looking town (despite its name - Marsh?!) and its residents look like they had alot of pride in their town cos it looked clean and inviting, Ballan, Gordon, Ballarat (which looked very interesting!), Buninyong, Enfield, Rokewood, Shelford, Bannockburn, and Little River. Some pics below:

The above photo is a part of Rockbank (I think - it was one of the first few sightings in our trip) and an example of perhaps a declining town. From a distance, you might be able to see a sign saying "Lion Park" and our coach driver said she visited it when it was a Lion Park previously. Now, it just looks abandoned, leaving a reminder of its former glory.

The above pic is one of the random pics I took when the coach was driving us to another town. But i thot the houses to the left of the pic look really grand and against that landscape (abit brown perhaps still suffering from the effects of the drought we've had), I thot it was quite gorgeous!

The above 4 pics were taken at Ballan where we had a short stopover (first town we actually alighted from the coach to stretch our legs and had a look around). The top pic is obvious - the hotel, post office, a quirky cafe and gallery which made use of recycled materials to decorate its outdoor yard, and a hardware store that looked pretty authentic of shops of earlier years.

Even though it says Beechworth Bakery, this bakery wasn't in Beechworth but Ballarat! That might have given you a hint as to the good reputation of the bakery at Beechworth (not a franchise) which I recently visited and their cakes and pastries weren't bad but the cappuccino wasn't great.

The above 2 pics are some street scenes of Ballarat - a really bustling town that has already outgrown its physical space. As potential planners, my lecturer asked us some questions such as how would we go about expanding the road and pedestrian areas to accommodate the growing population, and diversion of traffic so that traffic jams could be eliminated or reduced, and how would we arrange the commercial, educational and social areas of the town so access to these different areas are easy.

The above pic was taken around the area of Mt Helen which was rather quiet and scenic, although it rained steadily when we were in that area in the afternoon so from the little I saw through the rain, that's what the area looked like.

The above was a shopping complex at Bannockburn, our last stop to head to the toilets. After that, we headed home and boy, were we glad. We were quite tired and the rain helped lulled us to sleep. I enjoyed the trip as my lecturer was able to point areas out and explained how different uses of land are complemetary and others were conflicting. So, the lessons we had in class in the previous weeks came alive for me!

Sweet Hour of Prayer by David Tao

2007-08-04T14:12:00.000+10:00

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
That calls me from a world of care,
And bids me at my Father’s throne
Make all my wants and wishes known.
In seasons of distress and grief,
My soul has often found relief,
And oft escaped the tempter’s snare,
By thy return, sweet hour of prayer!

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
The joys I feel, the bliss I share,
Of those whose anxious spirits burn
With strong desires for thy return!
With such I hasten to the place
Where God my Savior shows His face,
And gladly take my station there,
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
Thy wings shall my petition bear
To Him whose truth and faithfulness
Engage the waiting soul to bless.
And since He bids me seek His face,
Believe His Word and trust His grace,
I’ll cast on Him my every care,
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
May I thy consolation share,
Till, from Mount Pisgah’s lofty height,
I view my home and take my flight.
This robe of flesh I’ll drop, and rise
To seize the everlasting prize,
And shout, while passing through the air,
“Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer!”

My New Jamaican Husband

2007-07-26T21:31:00.000+10:00

Phill had "Crazy Hair Day" today so he tried this wig he had last night and I whipped out my camera and started taking pics. Only thing was cos I was laughing so hard, it was difficult to get sharp photos and I ended up with more hazy pics. He said the day went well today and the kids and his colleagues loved his hair! What's there not to love?

Other random pics taken this month include:

A beautiful viewlooking from my parents-in-law's new house built on our property on a particularly cold morning.....gorgeous, if I say so myself.

My birthday present from Phill - a Philips hi-fi stereo that connects to my iPod.

The amazing amount of dirt Phill vaccumed the first time he did so with our new Dyson vaccum cleaner that we love!!!

Tagged Answers

2007-07-23T19:47:00.000+10:00

I've been tagged by Christina, so here are my answers (including questions Frank posed too):

4 Jobs I've had in my life:

Selling local literary publications in a small office at 16 (pressurising and didn't make any sale after 3 days and got my dad to bail me out. my bro wasn't happy cos he had sold quite a few books by then and I ruined his bonus)
HR admin and receptionist at Apple Singapore (vacation job)
Admin and receptionist work at Marcam Singapore (vacation job)
Arts Administrator at National Arts Council & Heritage Officer at Ministry of Information, Communications, and the Arts

4 Places I've Lived:

Ang Mo Kio (Blk 105 and Blk 648, same as Mr Eng) in Singapore
Casuarina Road in Singapore
Churchill, VIC, Australia (at uni then)
Hougang

4+ Places I've been on Vacation to:

Taiwan
Hongkong
Macau
London, UK, and...
Brussels, Belgium
Berlin, Germany
Paris, France
Istanbul, Turkey
Vietnam
Cambodia
Thailand
Indonesia
Virginia, Missouri, Washington DC (USA)
Adelaide, Canberra, Perth, Melbourne, VIC (Australia)
Shenzhen, China

4 Places I would rather be in (living?):

Right here in Australia
Singapore
Canada
Can't think of a nice 4th place

4 of my favourite food:

Steak
Anything spicy (can't just name one dish)
Durian
Unagi-don or Bi Bim Bap Dak

4 Things I want to do before I Die:

Have kids
Have dogs
Finish my studies
Holiday around the world or a cruise to Antartica is also pretty good

4 Things I like to see in Heaven:

My loved ones that have gone before me
Jesus Christ
God
I'll like to know what my responsibility is and if it's playing the harp?

4 people I'll like to bring with me to heaven:

Phill
My parents-in-law
Their family friends
All my friends

4 Things I like about Phill:

Very funny
Very handsome
Understands me
Loves me

4 Things I like to Change by This Year:

My weight (need to go down)
To add to the family
More organised for exercise, sleep, studies, etc...
To allocate money for charity

4 Stupid Things I Did in My Life:

I once joined my classmates in laughing at a topless photo of a male classmate who was quite chubby and when the photo was taken down by a guy I liked, I snatched it from his hand and posted it up again - i am disappointed in myself that I laughed at another person's expense and also lost the respect of a friend.
I burnt my leg when I was 5 leaning against an exposed pipe in preschool (at Ang Mo Kio Methodist Church) and kept quiet while it swelled and later bled. If my friend hadn't raised the alarm, I'll still have been suffering.
Cut my hair really short when I was 19 and Phill hated it (2nd time in my life I cut my hair short).
Bought expensive stuff, whether they're toys or something that were a fad, and then lost interest in it.

Work

2007-07-20T21:47:00.000+10:00

My supervisor came back this week after being on leave for slightly more than a week. Admittedly, the past few weeks haven't been bad at all and our working relationship has been warm and cordial. She even gave me approval to travel down to Melbourne on Monday morning so I could attend class when I thought her usual reply would be for me to take leave to do so. And she even thanked me for letting her know. That was really nice!

And one of my colleagues made a comment that he noticed I'm happier when certain people aren't around. I didn't want to say too much so I simply said I'm happier when I have work to do and not twiddling my thumbs. And I've learnt quite abit the past few weeks, alot from the consultant who sits next to me. He really took me under his wing and made sure I was engaged in some form of work and learning, which I appreciate.

But today is his final day for a while cos he's going on a driving holiday with his wife and some of their friends for the next 2 months. They're travelling from the eastern end of Australia to the western end, all in 2 months (!!!), so that'll be one big driving trip. I'll really miss him and look forward to his return soon.

Dinner @ Willowlake

2007-07-14T21:37:00.000+10:00

My parents in law took me to dinner at Willowlake, a beautiful restaurant, at Macs Cove, some 15 minutes drive from Mansfield. It was a rather cold night and we chose the table that was one of the closest to the wood fire. Yet everytime the main door was open, a gust of cold air would blow in and it was enough for me to have the shivers. And I had thick padding, both artificial (clothes) and natural (my fats).

For dinner, my parents in law and Phill had pork belly (which was YUM! YUM! YUM!) and I had duck which was DELICIOUS too! It was really difficult to pick which was the better dish. Phill and I were last at the restaurant last year when we had dinner with colleagues from my previous company. I realised how long we've left it to have dinner at the restaurant. I hope our next visit won't be in 6-7 months time.

Anyway, my parents in law gave me a birthday card and money for my pressie. But my mum-in-law said something interesting when I opened the card and saw the money. She said it was for me to buy a dressing gown when I go to the hospital to have a baby. Talk about implicit pressure...okay, now I'm abit hot under the collar being watched for a bulgeoning belly that isn't because of a baby but because of my lack of exercise and love of food!

Art and Birthday

2007-07-12T17:30:00.000+10:00

I don't feel any different today being my birthday although admittedly, not as down and sad as I was the previous year about leaving my 20s behind.

And i remembered not that long ago (at the PIA conference in Perth) I was asked by 2 Asian delegates if I was 25, so that put me in a good mood! Cos if anyone can tell an Asian person's age, it should be another Asian - I'm making a general assumption here. Most non-Asians generally speaking think I'm a good few years younger than I am so that always makes me happy too.

Anyway, I met Phill for lunch at Benalla Art Gallery and I had a warm chicken salad (which was yum) and he had lamb shank although he didn't really like it when it arrived because it had alot of tomatoes in it. I enjoyed our lunch and our conversation and we took time out to walk around the gallery to view the exhibitions, which fulfilled one gaping hole I've had since leaving Singapore (where I saw more art events and performances working for NAC).

It was a beautiful day and work wasn't too stressful either.

Transformers...More than Meets the EYE!

2007-07-09T21:06:00.000+10:00

We were in abit of a dilemma today as we debated between watching the movie Transformers or visiting the Great Wall of China exhibition at the Melbourne Museum. In the end, because we had a 11.30am lunch reservation at the dim sum restaurant Shark's Fin Restaurant, we decided we'll see if we can make it to a 12.30pm screening. But as we tucked into our yummy lunch, we were trying to enjoy the lunch but eat it fairly quick and to our fill so we could make it to our movie. We ate all our favourite dishes, paid up, left the restaurant and got to the cinema at 12.30pm. Phill wasn't confident of our chances of getting tickets (there was a long queue on a Monday afternoon!!!) and getting in before the movie starts. But we did!

And it was a great, non-stop action movie! I loved it and it did bring back some childhood memories of Transformers and my brother's toys. I loved the fact the toys were like 2-in-1. They were trucks and cars but also robots. You were paying for one toy but in fact, getting 2! I think my brother was very precious about his Transformers toys and he used to forewarn me about not touching his Transformers toys - that's even though he was 2 years younger than I am. I'm not sure if I did test his patience on that one though I won't be surprised if I did cos I did love playing with them, perhaps one of the few macho toys I enjoyed. I definitely preferred my Barbie toys and accessories over most other toys.

But back to the movie, it was fantastic! My favourite part in the movie was when the Autobots transformed from trucks and cars into robots! It was so realistic that I could see where the part of the truck were on the robot (when they transformed into their true selves) and how funny was it when they were trying to be quiet in the garden of Sam Witwicky. It was funny and action-packed. Love, love it! I can't wait to watch it again!

"Knocked Up" A KnockOut!

2007-07-08T21:01:00.000+10:00

We arrived in Melbourne yesterday for a 3 day trip - Yeah! Most of yesterday was taken up watching footy at MCG - Collingwood (our team) vs St Kilda. The umpiring was AWFUL but we finally won, which was a relief, cos I had enough of the row of St Kilda fans sitting behind us going on and on and gloating about winning when the final whistle hadn't even been blown yet!!! SHUT UP! So our win definitely shut them up! And Phill and I stood up and kept singing the team song despite the supporters of both teams having upped and left already. We sang the theme song about 6 times and yet it wasn't enough! I think anyone can tell we don't come to Melbourne much to watch the footy....heehee!

Amidst going to the bookstores, shopping, and eating (ate at Chom Chom, a Singapore Cafe, and had Japanese food at another cafe), we watched the movie "Knocked Up" which had really good reviews and publicity. Most papers gave between three to four stars for it and I read reviews that said the director did try and make the story believable. Who would believe a gorgeous girl would sleep with a less attractive guy? But cleverly done, many stages in the development of the story and the various relationships/ friendships in the movie was not only believable but it struck a chord (except the non-commital issues).

When Alison's (played by Katherine Heigl of "Grey's Anatomy") bro-in-law sought some private time, I could see that struggle in relationships around me, where the guy want some space for himself and the wife pulling him back which leads to resentment between couples building. After the movie, I had this discussion with Phill in that most times, when guys want time to themselves, who end up holding the kids? It's the woman, the mum. The character Pete (played by Paul Rudd) should have offered to take the kids sometimes so his wife could also have her own private time instead of insisting he needed private time for himself.

On a separate issue, I enjoyed watching the movie because I find Katherine Heigl really pretty. I first saw her in Grey's Anatomy and cos I don't really follow the show, I was surprised when it was not her but Ellen Pompeo (who plays Dr Meredith Grey) who was the star of the show. Katherine is so much prettier and I read somewhere she had to fight real hard to get a pay raise in the show while other actors like Ellen got it easily. I think the show's producers should increase Katherine's role as Dr Izzie. She did very well in the previous season when the patient who loved her and whom she adored died. It was so sad that the first time I saw the video montage and heard Snow Patrol's "Chasing Cars", I teared up.

Death Next Door

2007-07-04T18:55:00.000+10:00

My neighbour, Eva, who lived next door to us passed away on Sunday. We didn't even know about it until Phill read it in the papers today and called me at the office to tell me. No wonder we haven't seen her walking around the past few weeks. She usually walks past the front of our house to speak to the neighbour who lives next to us, on the other side. She can sometimes be seen doing this walk back and forth almost 5-6 times each day. Maybe it was a hint for us to walk out to say hi but I don't cos I'm sometimes too tired to make conversation.

But...I always make conversation whenever I bump into her or when I drive out of my driveway and see her standing outside her house, I'll stop, wind down my car windows and have a good chat with her.

But I can't help feeling like I could have done more. It was really a toss-up between being a good neighbour and wanting my privacy and space. She had a tendency sometimes to sound fairly bossy in terms of saying what we should do to our place. But it could be her way of making conversation. But honestly, it was her smoking that was a big turn-off.

I know she is almost blind and can't use the stove or oven cos she can't see and has her meals delivered via a local Meals on Wheels service organised by the local council. I did offer her to come over for a meal but she didn't take it up. She offered me her lemons from her beautiful lemon tree but I didn't take any either.

She has friends who visit her daily but she still seems lonely. Perhaps her blindness limited her activities and exacerbated the loneliness and quietness in the house. She has children who lives in Mansfield but she has lamented her daughter chose to live overseas than with her but she spoke fondly of her grandchildren and great grandchildren.

The street we live in, Parwanoff, was named after her husband because he built the 6 units that are on this small and private street. I remember her stories about her husband and I can tell they were very much in love. However, I got the sense that she really lived when he was alive but life seemed to have stopped for her when he died. She always talked about wanting to die because she was blind and not knowing why she was still alive. She did finally get her wish when she passed away at 78. I felt sad she died fairly lonely but it may also be a matter of perspective since she had friends who cared enough to visit regularly but maybe she wanted familly...

Blissfully Married....Still!

2007-06-30T20:42:00.000+10:00

Phill and I celebrated our wedding anniversary today! We had breakfast at a local cafe and I had an entree size of the cafe's Big Breakfast which had bacon, sausage, eggs, mushroom and hash brown and it was YUM! Phill had a foccacia and a big glass of iced chocolate. It was a yummy meal and something different than a dinner as we've had quite a few nice dinners recently. We also received sweet sms-s from ah yi (thanks!) and our parents (altho mine sms-d, his called - has to do with distance).

It's been 2 years since we celebrated our special day with family and friends. We recounted the day saying things like:
Phill:"I picked you up from your house at this time".
Vic:"We arrived at our hotel around this time".
Phill:"We had our wedding ceremony about now".

The memories of our wedding day still remain strong and it was a beautiful and special day that is worth reliving again and again. I can remember how happy I felt, we felt, and I remember wishing I could have all my family and friends in the same room again, without me having to wear an elaborate dress this time.

Let Me Not Be Ashamed

2007-06-24T14:33:00.000+10:00

Unto thee O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
Unto thee O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
Oh my God, I trust in Thee,
Let me not be ashamed, let not my enemies triumph over me.

Let none that wait, on Thee be ashamed.
Let none that wait, on Thee be ashamed.
Oh my God, I trust in thee,
Let me not be ashamed, let not my enemies triumph over me.

Show me Thy ways, Lord teach me Thy paths.
Show me Thy ways, Lord teach me Thy paths.
Oh my God, I trust in Thee,
Let me not be ashamed, let not my enemies triumph over me.

The above song was one of the few songs we sang in church this morning but this one particular song so resonated within me that my tears just flowed freely. It spoke to me especially the line "let me not be ashamed, let not my enemies triumph over me". Thinking about my work situation and feeling like I'm being treated like a fool, it was so good just to be able to sing my woes to God. I didn't know how to express myself but thankfully through this song, I could. And always, after church, I always feel better about a situation I may feel sad or sore or upset about. It'll be like suddenly the clouds will disappear and things are not as bad and I can focus on the merits of the situation and not just see the gloom and doom and be despondent. I sink to the depths of being down and depressed, however, when I don't hear His Voice and talk to Him. I need my Saviour!

What Makes A Good Boss?

2007-06-23T23:30:00.000+10:00

The unpleasant work environment I'm currently in, which sometimes feels toxic, has pushed me to compile a list of what makes a good boss (to me):

Reasonable (preferably, don't say no when I want to take annual leave cos I'm willing to complete my tasks and do my handover to whoever is handling my work in the meantime);
Even-tempered (nothing worse than a boss that stomps to work, grumpy as anything, and then another day, act like you're his/her friend???!!! Schizo?);
Organised (I don't like a boss who sits on work and then with 1 or 2 days to go, pass it onto me to complete before the deadine - in QUICK TIME - when he/ she had it weeks ago!!!);
Know their stuff (please don't try and correct me when I know you don't know what you're talking about and you're trying to behave like you do - don't insult yourself and me!);
Don't wield their authority cos they can (A boss needs to realise they don't own their staff but do own their output and don't say "No" cos you can, definitely leaves a sour taste on one's mouth);
Sets an example (I have a supervisor who expects me to do as she says but not as she does. One eg, I wanted to take half-pay leave, she said I can only take some of my leave half-pay even though she takes ALL of her leave on half-pay - why? cos she can, she's my supervisor);
Doesn't lie or gossip (nothing worse than discovering your manager will never tell you or your colleagues what he thinks but he sure will tell you what he doesn't like about your colleagues and vice versa, unfounded or not - very unprofessional and immature.);
Willing to share their knowledge and teach (Some are born teachers, others are not, but as long as one is willing to teach, the workload can be shared. I am not learning as much as I can in my present job cos I am held back and not involved in the main work and in meetings [only involved with 3 since I started work]. Mostly doing admin and project management which is only part of my job description.);
Stands up for me (My supervisor is definitely quick to stand up for me when external party questions my work, which I appreciate.)
Trusts me (If you have given me a task, taught me, given me a deadline, please do not stand over my shoulder and watch while I work or call me every 1 hour to ask for an update. I can and will do it and will show you. If I can't, I'll ask you.)

That is my list so far. With more work experience, the list might grow longer.

This past week, it hasn't been as bad as it was previously. But I found out that a training course I wanted to attend and which my supervisor said wasn't that great and I can read it from a book, I found out she signed herself and the manager up for it???!!!! And then the manager said she's a good supervisor because she is firm and puts her foot down (I am neither rebellious nor recalcitrant, why does she need to put her foot down with me?) and the other supervisor should learn from her?! Yes, if one intends to make it onto the list of poor quality bosses.

Money article on "How Good A Boss Are You" -- http://money.cnn.com/2006/09/27/news/economy/annie_927.fortune/index.htm

A hero mourned

2007-06-23T19:11:00.000+10:00

The funeral for Brendan Keilor, the lawyer who died helping a lady who was in danger from a gunman, was held today. Reading several articles about his funeral, one statement struck me and will stay with me for a long time. His wife, Alice, had mentioned, and this was part of the eulogy given by one of Brendan's close friends, which was Brendan had to do what he did because to walk away "would have made him party to it". This reminds me of a bible verse (which I have trouble finding) which goes something like if you know what is good and do not do it, that is sin.

And after reading Frank and Chris' comments in my earlier post, I now understand how rare a person such as Brendan is because most of us (me included) will calculate the cost before we step forward to help a fellow man. Yet the bible said, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13) Yet the lady Brendan helped wasn't a friend, she was a stranger, which makes him one special HERO!

Shooting in Melbourne - 1 dead!

2007-06-18T19:49:00.000+10:00

I read this The Age article this afternoon abut a shooting in Melbourne this morning!!! 1 guy died trying to shield a woman from being shot by a gunman! This is so unreal....

After work, I got onto MSN Messenger and had a short discussion with my friend, Frank, in Singapore about the shooting. And he said as a father with 2 kids, he's not sure he'll be so quick to help because he has 2 kids - definitely understandable cos if I have kids, I'll definitely think of them first. But I told him when things such as this happens, you don't give yourself time to think, you just re-act, and based on the kind of person you are, you either step forward to help or run away.

The guy who died, a lawyer, happens to have 3 young kids. Now, they are left fatherless....their father set them the ultimate example by giving his life for another!

Gaining Peace

2007-06-17T19:51:00.000+10:00

During church today, when I was still very troubled and frustrated with what had happened at work the past week, one of the bible verses cited were the following:

Philippians 4:10-13 (NIV-UK)
10 I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it.
11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.
12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.
13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

I've heard people use the expression of words jumping off the page to speak to you and the above verses did, when I thought about the apostle Paul in chains and writing the above letter to the Philippians. Especially verse 13, "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength". I realised then that I've tried to survive at work on my own strength and that I really need to lean on God and depend on Him. And even when some people are so difficult to love, I can speak to Him about it who will help me do that.

You know, I find loving your enemies one of the most difficult things to do:
"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." (Luke 6:27-28).

For people who want the worst for you, who take delight in seeing bad things happen to you, who plot to trip you up, HOW DO I LOVE THEM? I WANT TO HATE THEM!!! That's why I love growing old, then with experience in life, I hope not too many things will faze or ruffle my feathers and my tolerance will be higher. And also, I can't love my enemies. But God can do so, and I can, only through Him who gives me strength. I'm still learning...

Dreamt of a Daughter

2007-06-17T08:46:00.000+10:00

After coming across this blogger's website and seeing the cute pic of her son, I had a dream last night and dreamt that I had a daughter, about 3, who looked like Phill but had my stubborn personality. And when I told her to do stuff, she kept saying, "No, Mummy!". I almost wanted to smack her! But she was sooooo cute! What a sweet dream that I hope will come true one day, minus the stubborn, disobedient part pls.

Simplify Your Life

2007-06-15T19:16:00.000+10:00

I was reading this article about happiness at work and remember another forwarded email previously about having more control over your life by simplfying your life. The writer then went on to say that because most people are materialistic, they amass alot of debt and feel stuck in a lousy job because they have bills to pay. But if we simplify our lives, we would have more control over our lives and feel less bound (ball and chained) to a lousy job.

Which then begs the question? Is it better to be in a lower-paying job but happy, or higher-paying job but unhappy? Ideally, the former, but depends on how lowly paid. If it's too drastically lowly paid to the point you feel you're giving to charity by continuing to work for the company, then probably not.

I'm in a higher paid job now and admittedly, I was happy with the potential the job brings - still am. And I'm enjoying moving into this new field and learning so many different things. Thankfully, I found myself liking this shift in occupation. However....I've been having some problems with my supervisor, to the point that the other supervisor in our team (2 supervisors and 1 manager overseeing them) has approached me several times to ask if I'm okay and question why I've been treated the way I have - no idea (my supervisor can be unpredictable in moods and I feel at times of being bullied). I'm trying to hang in there and wait until a year before I suggest being transferred.

I don't want to be a wimp cos I know friends and even family have had difficult/ nasty bosses to work with but when it affects a huge part of your life, you wonder sometimes if it's time to make a choice to be happy. However, on a website that I read http://www.bigbadboss.com, being happy is sometimes the sweetest revenge.

An Unplanned Drive

2007-06-09T16:40:00.000+10:00

My parents-in-law, Phill and I went to Violet Town bushmarket this morning and while we were driving back to Benalla for me to pick up some stuff, we were talking about this nice, scenic town, Yarrawonga, and Phill said, "let's go there". And so, we did.

We had fun! It was about almost an hour's drive there but considering it was the long weekend (Queen's Birthday on Monday), the traffic at Yarrawonga wasn't bad. We had lunch at the RSL (Returned Services League) Club there and I had a mushroom and chicken penne, which was YUM! What I was impressed with was a big airforce plane placed in front of the RSL Club. It drew customers there like bees to honey. I suppose having the pokies (jackpot machinese) helped too. We did a short drive around and then we were homeward bound.

Miss USA

2007-05-30T15:34:00.000+10:00

Phill wants me to include this photo of Miss USA, whom he thot was HOT, but then later realised, only in this photo. =P

Miss Korea should have been Miss Universe!!!

2007-05-29T19:44:00.000+10:00

I reckon Miss Korea should have been Miss Universe!!! The other contestants such as Miss USA and even the winner, Miss Japan, only looked good at some angles but Miss Korea is the only one that looked consistently good. What a shame! She was so graceful and carried herself so much better than the other contestants. I reckon she was ROBBED!

And Miss Singapore, Jessica Tan, was good-looking too!!! The rare time Singapore's rep actually looked like she can match with the other contestants. She should have been in the top 10, and even the top 3!!! She is no less prettier than the winner and I saw how well she carried herself.

Paolo is Brilliant!

2007-05-26T22:34:00.000+10:00

Paolo Nutini, an artist I heard a couple of weeks ago cos he visited Melbourne to promote his debut album, was a singer-songwriter that I thought was all bubblegum pop....until I heard his songs. And to me, he is one brilliant singer-songwriter!!! It is so difficult to find an artist whose ENTIRE album you enjoy (not just one song or two), much less someone's debut album!!!!

I know KT Tunstall's song "Suddenly I See" is still going strong in the charts here but I feel that Paolo is a much better singer-songwriter. He has this kind of voice that is so much more mature than the teenager he is. Paolo is DEFINITELY worth a listen and more!

Gala Dinner & Martin's Centre

2007-05-04T21:58:00.000+10:00

Above: Nadia and her friend at the gala dinner.

Above: The graceful yet very strong acrobat (a la Cirque de Soleil) unwrapping herself from a length of cloth hanging from the ceiling. It was impressive!

Above: Nadia and I at the dinner (I am so fat!!!) and I'm wearing one of the necklaces I bought at Subiaco this morning.

Above: Some of the great food at the dinner, appetisers, followed by the chicken (other choice was beef) and then the sweet (dessert). By the time of the dessert, I was so full but ate the dessert anyway (hence the feeling fat and am fat look - I can't say no to food).

Above: The band who provided the musical enterainment of the night were made up of planners. They were called the Sub-dividers (hahahahah! - Planners who approve subdivision applications).

I had a great time at the gala dinner (which concluded the PIA conference) and invited Nadia to the dinner cos there was a spare ticket. I met up with one of her friends and we had a good conversation. They were both really nice! The whole atmosphere was so nice, the table decor was beautiful, and the food was delicious, the entertainment (an acrobat a la Cirque de Soleil) and a band consisting of planners, and the table Nadia and I were on consisted of all girls who were fun. Even though they were very dressed up, they were a hoot and wasn't all formal and everything.

Then at 10pm, Nadia asked if I wanted to go and have a drink at a Revolving Restaurant which was not a far walk from the conference centre where the gala dinner was. So, that's what we did. And I felt abit concerned cos the streets in Perth were deserted. And even though Nadia was wearing high heels, she gamely walked the 20 mins to the Revolving Restaurant at Martins Centre. We spent an hour there and it was fun, looking at all the sights as the restaurant slowly spun around. As I was looking down on the city, all I can think of was "I hope the restaurant don't spontaneously spin off and drop down onto the city"....me and my strange mind....

Above: Nadia shaking hands with her favourite "businessman" sculpture outside Martins Centre (the revolving restaurant was on the 42nd floor).

Above: As Nadia explained to me, the sculpture marked the change in attire and technology used by businessmen over time. A really unique and cool sculpture!

Sights around Perth

2007-05-04T17:30:00.000+10:00

After lunch at the final day of the conference, Mabel (Adelaide planner) and I decided to go around Perth and do some shopping cos I won't have any other time to do so before my morning flight back to Melbourne tomorrow morning at 7am.

Some mall and streets sights of Perth CBD:

Above: one of the free buses provided in Perth and it was so convenient and the frequency was about 7-10 mins, which was quite regular. Apparently, the funding for the free buses were generated from the income obtained from parking meters around the city. What a fantastic idea! I know Melbourne has the city tram but I don't think it's as regular.

Above: A view of the Perth CBD while I was on the free blue bus.

Sights of Subiaco and Perth

2007-05-04T11:21:00.000+10:00

Above: The entrance of the Subiaco Station, which was part of a major transformation, turning industrial land to commercial/ residential uses. Most of the nice houses in Subiaco, I'm told are very expensive, at least $1 million too. It's a nice area.

The Subiaco Hotel where I went after the "Amazing Race" event at East Peth. A nice hotel.

Chutney Marys (http://www.chutneymarys.com.au/home.html) where I had dinner with Nadia. Yum! Yum!

I saw a really nice jewellery shop when I was at Subiaco with Nadia last night and decided to skip the morning session of the conference to go to Subiaco and have a closer look at that shop. I went and had a nice breakfast of bagel and ham and coffee and then walked around a second-hand bookstore, and then to the jewellery shop where I spent a good part of the time and bought about 5 necklaces. The shop owner was having a 50% discount on most of her stuff cos she had sold her business and was clearing her stock. I was really happy with all my purchases and didn't regret it abit although it did cause a dent in my pocket, but it was the only indulgence I had in my whole trip so I thought it could be justified.... =P

Nadia and Chutney Marys

2007-05-03T23:10:00.000+10:00

I met a Perth planner, Nadia, who was in my team during Monday's "Amazing Race" event for dinner tonight and it was great just hanging out with her. She was really nice and even though she didn't attend the PIA conference (only the Young Planners Conference) cos her company couldn't let her go, she said to ring her when I had time for dinner and she'll show me around. So, even though she was in Subiaco, where we were meeting, she drove to my hotel to pick me up and took me to Subiaco where we had dinner at Chutney Marys.

One pic of the dinner, which was another YUM dinner!

After dinner, we walked around Subiaco and then stopped at a cafe for some coffee and talked so late into the night that we were told nicely by the staff that they were closing up. We were going to watch a movie but the nice, comfy chairs in the cafe and our engaging conversation caused us to forget the time...by the time I arrived back at my hotel and slept, it was 11.30pm.

Presentation and Korean Dinner

2007-05-02T20:59:00.000+10:00

Not captured really well in the above pic but this was one of the best presentations at the PIA Conference. The above presentation was by a planning consultant from a reputable agency and the presenter hardly spoke but allowed his high quality presentation to speak for itself. It was visually exciting and the various music accompaniment pieces were upbeat and very suitable to the different images being flased on the screen. The presentation included the need to preserve the environment, utilise prime land, and examples of some wonderful planning decisions and ideas.

After the first day of the PIA conference today, I met up with my second cousin (my cousin's cousin) and a long-time friend, Joaquim. We went to Chinatown in Perth and a Korean dinner which was YUM YUM YUM! I usually eat Seoul Garden (a Korean franchise) in Singapore but this was so much superior to Seoul Garden. It was one of the most satisfying dinners I've had and Joaquim was so nice to help cook the beef and vegies, and show me how it's all done. It was good to catch up with her too especially since we didn't have an opportunity to do so when she and I were last in Singapore in December last year.

Some pics of the yummy dinner!

Young Planners Conference at Kings Park

2007-05-01T17:48:00.000+10:00

Mabel, the Adelaide planner I mentioned earlier in my post, is on my right.

During the lunch break of the Young Planners Conference held at the beautiful Kings Park (a huge area of land reserved for the public which has great views over Perth), I joined some of the planners for a walk around the Park and to a lookout which had great views of the Swan River and Perth CBD. I was very impressed the Western Australian government had the foresight to reserve that land for the community. It's gorgeous!

More info about Kings Park ---> http://www.bgpa.wa.gov.au/kingspark/index.html?Menu=kingspark&Sub=home

Planners are Artists Too

2007-04-30T21:37:00.000+10:00

After the Amazing Race event earlier today and then to Subiaco, I attended an opening function at one of the tallest buildings in Perth and met up with a planner (from Adelaide), Mabel, I was introduced to earlier in the day. After the drinks (we were there for about 1 hour), Mabel and I went to the Perth Town Hall to view an art exhibition by Perth planners and there were some beautiful works. Some of my favourite works are shown above.

"Amazing Race"

2007-04-30T18:58:00.000+10:00

I ventured around Perth on my own this morning, going to Myer, and some smaller malls. I found one small cafe and had my cappuccino and it was yum! My mood lifted and I was happy to be in Perth!

Then it was a quick trip to my hotel to freshen up before the "Amazing Race" event held at 12.30pm at Victoria Gardens in East Perth organised by the Young Planners.

These are some pics of the adventure my team got up to during the event and we ran pretty much the whole way which was tiring.....pant, pant! My stamina is so bad!

Above: my team members were Mike, Nadia and Nivia, all of them from Perth and they were a fun bunch!

We may have been first but we noticed one team cheated when they didn't cover one station when we were pretty much on their tail most of the way then they suddenly disappeared 3 stations before the end.

I thought East Perth was beautiful!!! The houses there were apparently really expensive though, at least $1 million and they were so compactly packed together - not fun!

After East Perth, we had to travel to Subiaco to hand in our task sheets (some of the photos taken were some of the tasks we had to do) and we went to the Subiaco Hotel there for some drinks. I love one of the lights at the pub there (it looked like an art piece in itself) and I thought how nice it'll look hanging in my house but I'll have to have a 3 metre high ceiling to make that light look good. I didn't take any pic because I didn't want the hotel staff to think I was a terrorist but I regret not doing it...

Arriving in Perth

2007-04-29T22:48:00.000+10:00

This is the hotel I stayed in Perth, Sullivans Hotel, and I arrived this afternoon for the Young Planners Conference (30 April - 1 May) and PIA (Planning Institute of Australia) Conference (2-4 May). When I arrived and saw the room, I was abit depressed. It felt more like a hostel room rather than a hotel room (i sound spoilt! =P). And having just bid farewell to Phill several hours ago, I was still questioning my decision to attend this conference (what with the lack of support from my superiors to attend but after winning the PIA prize, I was determined to attend). I had dinner at the hotel and then watched tv til I was really sleepy...

Marriage

2007-04-19T12:56:00.000+10:00

Recently, a group of acquaintances got together and over drinks and dinner spoke about marriages and their state of marriage. One of them who married a really good-looking spouse did not look like he was enjoying his marriage (which is a shame). He said marriage is such a risk and his wife and kids are really demanding of him and his time. Another acquaintance also has a good-looking spouse but I remembered him saying to me when I said she was gorgeous that "more importantly, she's got a good personality too", which is so true.

This sparked a thought in my head about how many men and women who choose to marry good-looking other halves with not that great personalities or heart to match. I realise how blessed I am too to have Phill and we're still enjoying our marriage. Of course there are times when we disagree and I get frustrated (altho sometimes it's just me being quick to anger when it can be talked through calmly) but thankfully, they are few and far between.

People change in a marriage too so how do we know if he/ she is the one? I remember the answer a former work colleague of mine (Elsie, that's you!) gave me when I asked her how she knew her husband was THE ONE. She said to take note of what you say to him and see if he takes it in and that what you say matter and he's willing to improve himself for you. I find that in Phill cos when there's something that irritates me about him, I tell him that and he slowly tries and improve. Ditto with me.

Thank God for Phill!

Wonderful Play!

2007-04-14T23:53:00.000+10:00

I watched an American written play, "Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks" with Phill and my parents in law this evening. The play was beautifully performed by Australian actors Todd McKenney and Nancye Hayes.

It was a wonderful play that moved me to tears. It briefly chronicled the friendship between an older, lonely woman and a male gay instructor she engaged to teach her dancing (even though she was a fine dancer herself). Even though there were very little of the dances such as Argentinian tango (oooh lala!), cha-cha, salsa, I love the play for what it is and watching how the friendship evolved from disagreements, petty quarrels and sarcastic fights. I just love watching plays!

My mum in law thought it was good but said it was abit close to home as she is close in age to the female character who ends up being really sick.

Closing Night

2007-04-13T22:46:00.000+10:00

With Joan one of the extras in the production.

With Ros who played one of the wealthier ladies in the production.

It was the closing night of our production, Oscar Wilde's Lady Windermere's Fan, tonight. I enjoyed the company of all the actors and had a good time laughing with them when they retold limericks and jokes they had heard while waiting around for rehearsals to start (twice, rehearsals only started 2.5 hours after the stated time). The commitment for this production for the bit part actor I was (I only had 4 lines in Act 4 and had a non-speaking role on Act 2) was so much higher than I expected. As I ranted previously, I couldn't take time off for one rehearsal but realised later that one other actor did get some time off from rehearsal cos she was the director's friend. I felt like favouritism was exercised. I'm so glad this is now over....back to my studies!

The feeling of being protected - Thank God!

2007-04-13T19:38:00.000+10:00

I heard from my manager yesterday, after I told him I won the competition, that he is supportive of my attending the conference but he said my supervisor did raise the possibility that I should take leave if I want to go. I had offered to pay my own way to attend the conference and claim it on tax afterwards but now I'm supposed to take leave too? I was quite upset and felt rather unsupported.

I informed my supervisor today that I had won the competition and she said while laughing if I won because I was the only entrant. I laughed too but thought that was really harsh and she didn't share the joy of my win. Anyway, she then congratulated me and said "well done" and mentioned I may have to take leave to go but she'll investigate. At that stage, I had already cried since yesterday about being unsupported that when she said it, it didn't have much of an impact on me and I just said "yes".

My other colleagues felt for me and was really angry that the idea of me taking leave was even raised. They said I shouldn't have to take leave and told me not to. But upset as I was, I felt I had to follow what my supervisor said. Otherwise, won't it be considered insubordination?

Anyway, I was still upset today but before I left for the day, I received a call from a gentleman from the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA) to ask if my company was paying for me to attend the conference and I said it was still being worked out but I was willing to pay for it myself. He continued to say that because of my reply, he had been instructed by the institute's president to write to one of the head honcho of my company to ask that my company support me to go. I felt so good and happy that they would go so far as to care if I was being supported. And since finding out I won on Wednesday, I really felt the full extent of the joy of winning. I am impressed with the level of support and the extent of care they have given me. I left home today feeling happy and walking on air!

Thank God for watching over me!

Shovelling Sand for Water Tanks

2007-04-11T17:45:00.000+10:00

I took time in lieu (time off) and woke up really early today to help my in laws shovel sand before their 2 water tanks were delivered today. The sand forms the base for the tanks. There is alot of preparation in order such as getting their electricity supply connected and excavating the ground for the granny flat my in laws have bought to be sited on. The granny flat is a portable house so it's currently being built off-site and scheduled to be completed in 2 months' time. Phill didn't have to take time-off cos he was on his school holidays.

The arrival of the 2 water tanks....in a huge trailer.

Shovelling Sand - boy, that was tough! I shovelled for about 45 mins.

My father-in-law and Phill (pictured) did so well shovelling sand. They were so fast. My mum-in-law and I were not as fast. But we were so early shovelling sand at 8am (my in laws were shovelling for 30 mins when Phill and I arrived) but the tanks didn't arrive until 4pm! Well, at least we were quite prepared when they arrived.

I Won!

2007-04-11T09:05:00.000+10:00

I had entered a competition to win a $1000 travellers cheque that will pay part of the cost of a planning conference in Perth to be held on 30 April-4 May. I sent off my entry and didn't think too much of it when I received a call to say I won!!! Yipppeeeee!

The competition required entrants to say in 50 words or less why we wanted to attend the conference.

My entry referred to how I wanted to gain insights into other regional (Perth) and state (Western Australian) issues and into international perspectives which will help my research role in my job and that "being new to planning, I need all the help I can get".

I didn't think my entry was flash or anything but it was genuine and true. I even thought that perhaps I should have made my entry into a poem so that it's more catchy. But I didn't have to worry cos I won!!!!

Now, to get the okay from my supervisor and manager to attend the conference. I actually spoke to them last week to get their okay but haven't received a decision from them yet.

My updates...and rants

2007-03-31T10:33:00.000+10:00

It's been more than a month since I've updated...sorry, been busy trying to fit in work, studies (not much of it), rehearsing for a production, attending 1 book club meeting, and fitting in my tv programmes and rest too. Phew!

What have I been up to the past month or so?

I watched films "Pursuit of Happiness" and "Casino Royale" and they were very good - I enjoyed them very much. "Pursuit" made me realise how down and out some people were and how far being determined and hard working can take you to. Casino Royale made me forget about Pierce Brosnan's James Bond and it was "bring it on, Daniel Craig". Throughout the film, one word stood out for me about Daniel Craig's Bond - SUAVE!

I did not attend February's book club meeting and our book for that month was Chocolat. I've watched the movie but didn't get pass a few pages for the book - oops! So even if I hadn't read past the prologue for March's book, The Jane Austen Book Club, I went to the meeting on Wednesday and enjoyed myself. There's something about being in the company of older and mature women from where you learn about things (like dress styles, paintings, food, gardening, plants) that I might not otherwise know about. And the tea and cakes we had were yum too! By the way, both books weren't well received by the club. April's book is "Spies" and I want to get down to reading it from start to end. I have been reminded to do so by my book club friends.

I have a small role as a maid in my town's theatrical society (Mansfield Musical and Dramatic Society) in Oscar Wilde's Lady Windermere's Fan. I have a non-speaking role in Act 2 and 4 lines in Act 4. We've been rehearsing quite a bit and Opening Night is Thursday, 5 April. We have rehearsals today, tomorrow (1 April), Monday (2 April) and Tuesday (3 April). Initially, it was planned that there were only going to be 2 rehearsals, Today and Tuesday, then last week, we were told Monday was a rehearsal night too. And a few days ago, the director sent an email to say all 4 days (31 March-3 April) would be spent rehearsing. It's fair enough for those main actors but I'm a bit part actor and I still have to show up for all 4 rehearsals! I tried to ask for a day off today and would turn up for the other 3 rehearsals so I can study but the director questioned my commitment to the production. She said, "if you want to be in a production, you have to commit". It's fair enough for a main actor but not a bit part actor!!!!!!! Arrgghhh! I HATE when people question my commitment cos I'm a responsible person. And we were only going to have 2 rehearsals in the first place, prior to Opening Night, not 4!!!!! I really regret being part of this production and am really not enjoying it anymore cos it has taken more time away from my rest and study than I was initially told. I enjoyed my production last year cos my director was decisive and had more trust in her actors. I'm not going to be a part of any production until I finish my studies and I know the director is a good one.

I'm so far behind in my studies. I am having trouble fitting in work, housework (even tho my husband shares the load), rest, sleep, exercise, watching tv, and studies... I know studying and working is hard work and since we don't yet have kids, I thought I should do it soon. I need to make a good go of it. Looking forward to our one week academic break on 9 April so I can catch-up.

Phill and I are officially home owners of a 22 acre beautiful spot in Lima South, which we bought from Phill's parents. His parents are currently building a portable house - granny flat - on the property. When his parents' house is built, we'll be moving in, which may happen in 3 months, but depending on the weather.

Marie Antoinette

2007-02-24T22:51:00.000+11:00

Phill and I went to our local cinema to watch Marie Antoinette and I enjoyed it. He didn't although he enjoyed the choc top ice-cream we had (which we think is the best we've had so far).

I enjoyed the movie for the fashion! The accessories, dresses, shoes (!!!) were gorgeous! But other than that, it wasn't a character-driven movie but was successful in flashing flash out the excesses of those times.

And I thought Rose Byrne who was Duchesse de Polignac in the movie was gorgeous, more so than Kirsten Dunst was.

What a Week!

2007-02-23T21:40:00.000+11:00

I started on my new job on Monday and was slowly introduced to the workings of my section. I was really shy (being my first week and all) and preferred to sit by myself eating lunch and reading planning materials (some of which were interesting while others were abit dry). =P

A colleague and I went with our manager on a site visit on Wednesday to a local area and were educated on a planner's perspective when viewing an area. We were also told what was good or poor planning and had to make observations during the trip which we were quizzed later on. Fortunately, not a serious quiz but a casual conversation about what we've noticed and our manager peeling away more layers so we understand where we should look and how neighbourhoods could be set up so the best amenities could be achieved for the community.

Then yesterday, I was tasked to research on some data for a presentation my manager was making next week. I felt abit thrown out of my depth cos I didn't know certain trends but I did my best with an outline given to me on some current issues. My task was to find evidence on the issues, such as population growth and trends, the aging population, the exit rate of farmers from their farms.

I wanted to work fast and hard so I can hand in the work early but it got abit frustrating sometimes because I couldn't find the data I needed, such as where people in a certain region were moving to cos it's data that is not easily tracked. Data on no. of people moving out or moving into a particular district was easier but to track where they were going to wasn't easy unless it was in general categories of Melbourne, interstate or other parts of Victoria.

I made several revisions after recommendations by my supervisor and another planning colleague and got to work again. I'm not done yet and felt really tired from staring at data. Sometimes graphs and trends weren't available so I had to obtain the raw data and convert them into bar graphs (which I find the easiest to read data) and also theoretical explanations to support the graphs.

I'll be glad when this is done... =O)

Eildon Dam

2007-02-17T21:10:00.000+11:00

Phill and I visited his parents at Alexandra cos they were helping their friends house sit while they are away holidaying.

While we were there, Phill suggested driving to the Eildon dam (20 mins drive away), and we were sad seeing how low the water levels were. It was so different to our last trip there in 2001 when there were so many people visiting (car parks were full) and the water levels were so high. This time, there was only 2-3 other cars besides ours.

After visiting the dam, we went to a local cafe a short drive away and I had an iced coffee which was a great relief from the heat, while my parents in law had banana milkshakes and Phill had a banana thick shake (which wasn't very thick).

And not long after we arrived home, we (or rather my father in law and Phill) got the bbq going and we had a yummy dinner of sausages, chicken, kebabs and salads made by my mum in law - YUM!

Danny Bhoy cracks me up!

2007-02-11T16:46:00.000+11:00

Image by Photobat (www.photobat.net) and taken from www.dannybhoy.com

Phill and I went to Shepparton (about 1.5 hours drive away) yesterday to watch a dishy Scottish comedian, Danny Bhoy, at the Shepparton Arts Centre.

It was a fantastic and hilariously, laugh-a-minute, comedy act by the talented Danny Bhoy (stage name, no idea what his actual name is) which lasted about 2 hours and worth every cent we spent on the tickets (an affordable $24 each).

My voice was quite hoarse from laughing so much while Phill's jaws ached.

On our drive back home, we broke out into laughter remembering certain segments of the comedy act and we'll repeat it and then laugh together.

We laughed so much, we added years to our life! ;O)

And we enjoyed it so much, we've bought tickets (at S$32 each) to his 1-hour show at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in April! We can't wait to laugh again, with Danny!

My first sponge cake

2007-02-03T14:30:00.000+11:00

I decided to bake a passionfruit sponge cake today and took the recipe from the Australian Women's Weekly magazine.

Everything went fairly well although I over whipped the whipped cream and it turned to liquid and buttery....arrrgghhh! I had to send Phill out to buy me another bottle of whipped cream. Other than that and the fact the preparation took me over 2 hours instead of the prescribed 20 mins in the recipe, everything went well. The cake was really light and fluffy - YUMMY! I can make this again although I hope the preparation will be shorter than 2 hours the next time.

Getting anxious

2007-02-01T16:38:00.000+11:00

I had rung the company I'm joining to enquire about my offer letter when I returned from Singapore on the 18 of Jan and was told they were still working on it. When I still hadn't heard from them a week later, I was getting increasingly worried. I thought perhaps they are not going to give me the job...

Then I received a call this morning from a company representative and she said they're waiting on one last signature on the document so they can proceed to send me all the application forms. Several minutes ago, about 4.30pm, she rang me again to say they've got the signature and we fixed my start date for work on 19 Feb. I was also told to wait for documentation from the recruitment officer which I have to complete and return to them.

Yipppeee..............! My break is coming to an end..... =P

A meal made with love

2007-01-23T20:22:00.000+11:00

I was feeling really tired and didn't want to think about dinner. My dear husband then said, "leave it to me", and whipped up this yummy meal made with love.

Goodbye Singapore

2007-01-17T23:15:00.000+11:00

Phill and I tried to extend our stay in Singapore for another couple of days but wasn't successful. Even though Singapore Airlines flies to Melbourne three times each day, we couldn't get a later date...sniff! sniff!

This trip has been great - we ate at MOS Burger, Thai Express, char kway teow, carrot cake, tao suan (green bean dessert), cheng teng (another local dessert), mee rebus (at Kovan Centre), durian puff (me, not Phill), seafood at Melben, teochew food and "or nee" (Teochew yam dessert) at Teochew Restaurant at Concourse (yummy) and more than I can remember.

And I had an opportunity to visit friends and family too although I didn't get to see everyone I wanted to see and only got to see most of my family and friends once...sniff!

And when it came time for me to say goodbye, as usual, my tears flowed freely. It sucks to say goodbye...

Catching up with Family and Friends

2007-01-07T19:02:00.000+11:00

It's always good to catch up with family and friends so I was pleasantly surprised when I saw my aunt jenny and uncle Kenneth at the airport when we arrived in Singapore on 27 Dec! We then went and indulged in dim sum at toa payoh and had yummy goreng pisang (banana fritters) too! Considering the high prices of bananas (averaging $20/kg) last year, the one thing we were craving was bananas.

I had the opportunity to visit my uncle wee kiat and aunty pearly and see my cousin's kids too - pictured with me in the photo below are daniel (left) and brandon (right). They are so good-looking and so energetic that I really had to have a breather after playing with them for a while. Thankfully, my aunt jenny and mum were there so when I was resting, they were playing with the boys.

*Thanks to Aunty Jenny for this photo of me and the boys - they're making me very clucky altho tired*

Crashhhh

2007-01-06T14:10:00.000+11:00

A car accident I saw when I was out with my aunt poo ling and uncle henry. I hope the car driver was okay. And as usual, there were many onlookers at the scene although I was too far away to see if they were busy taking down lucky numbers to buy lottery like some people usually do in Singapore.

Go Singapore Slingers!

2007-01-03T22:39:00.000+11:00

Phill and I bought tickets to the Singapore Slingers (above) match against the South Dragons (top) at indoor stadium before we went on our trip to Hongkong. We were quite psyched about the match and enjoyed it even though the Singapore Slingers eventually lost (85 versus 110). But the pace of the match was pretty fast and action-packed.

Some 4-5 kids who were sitting behind us, about 3-8 years old, were slamming the South Dragons players throughout the match and made me laugh. One of the South Dragon players' name is Ingles and one of the kids shouted throughout the match, "Ingles, you've got the shingles"....hahahaha!

Shane Heal coaches and plays for the South Dragons and he played very well but I don't like him cos he comes across very aggressive and overly physical and not sportmanship-like.

After the match, Phill and I bought ourselves Singapore Slingers T-shirts but the 'S' size was still so big. I think they need a ladies range too. In all, it was an enjoyable nite!

Goodbye HongKong

2007-01-02T23:26:00.000+11:00

We left Hongkong in the late afternoon to make our way back to Singapore. And suddenly, it all seem too soon. It'll be nice to be able to spend more time in Hongkong although we haven't even had much time in Singapore (only had 2 days in Singapore since we arrived from Australia). So many places, so little time...

We did manage to sneak in foot and neck massages last nite and again today at a thai massage place located at the 2nd storey of a hotel located around Granville Road (a great shopping strip we discovered this trip and kept going back for the great clothes and fantastic discounts!!!). Ahhhhh....massages helped ease our tired feet from all the walking around shopping.

And this cafe (Relax a While) pictured above was one we frequented quite a bit for breakfast, lunch as well as dinner cos they served yummy food. I enjoyed the desserts at the popular Hongkong dessert place - Xu Liu Shan - yummy!!!

Day Trip to Shenzhen

2006-12-31T23:41:00.000+11:00

I've been to Shenzhen previously, in 1995, when I visited Hongkong for the first time. But this day trip to Shenzhen wasn't great cos besides the visit to a public park (free entry), we were taken to jewellery, medicinal and silkworm spun wares at 2 factories and ate at a restaurant which catered for tour groups (you can probably guess the quality of the food - bad).

One highlight from the trip was seeing this older gentleman who was flying over 100 hundred kites tied to a single string and he was slowly releasing them into the air. Phill asked his permission to snap his pics and these are what he took altho you have to be there to see how awesome the kites were fluttering in the air.

(below) Phill in a typical "kawaii" (cute) pose at the public park. He was even approached by a group of young gals who wanted to take his picture and he went up close to them and struck the kawaii pose. They were thoroughly amused!

The traffic situation in Shenzhen is very bad too in the sense that drivers seem to adopt a very selfish and offensive way of driving. They change lanes swiftly even if there is not enough space to do so. You really can't be even a little sleepy driving there but then again, maybe the traffic situation keeps drivers awake.

After we had to take a mandatory photo at "Wonders of the World" (so the tour group could sell our photos in a photo frame and plate later in the day - we only bought the photo frame for S$16!), we were on our way to lunch (which we didn't have our fill cos it wasn't appetising) when I saw this sight on the roads which caused a major traffic jam.

At one of the 2 factories we had to visit, my dad had this poet/ calligrapher compose a poem with all our names and then he wrote the poem (which my dad liked) in calligraphy script. He then went on to teach us some tai-chi moves we had to do everyday for good health.

I hope to go to Shenzhen one day long into the future (when the memory of this trip has faded) for the great shopping and massage I heard about from friends.

The highlight for the day though was meeting my Hongkong friend, Panda, and her friend, Irene, for dinner. I haven't seen Panda since I last visited her in Virginia in 2001, some 6 years ago! It was great to catch up and I look forward to seeing her again, soon!!!

Spectacular HongKong!

2006-12-29T23:53:00.000+11:00

It's been a while since our family took a family trip today so I'm really looking to this 5 day trip to Hongkong!!! And even though I've been there thrice before, I still like it enough to want to be there any chance I get. We left early this morning for our 3.5 hour flight to Hongkong - yippeee! While waiting to check in at the airport, we noticed there was an unattended black bag placed under a row of chairs and shortly after, some policemen were alerted to it. They stood around with their guns (whatever the model no. is called) and made sure no-one was in that vicinity. We saw it all from the check-in counters, which was directly opposite the seats. After my mum, brother, his girlfriend, and I went to have our breakfast and came back to the counters, we were told by my dad and Phill that it took the policemen some 30 mins before they worked out the bag was harmless. What if there really was a bomb set to go off in 5 mins? I thought they moved abit too slowly for security's sake.

On arrival, we had to wait a while for others to arrive before the tour agency (it's a free and easy package tour with optional tours thrown in) took us to our hotel. We are staying at Kimberley Hotel (which is a mid-range hotel but I found our room to be rather small) and on arrival, we went to a restaurant opposite the hotel to have lunch. It wasn't bad but nothing to write home about. And it's back to the hotel to have a nap before our city tour tonight.

Phill and I enjoyed the city tour even though we went on most of the sights before, it was good to see it again - Victoria Peak at nite (only saw it once in the day), ferry ride from Hongkong Island to Kowloon (not been on it at night), dinner at a restaurant at Hongkong Island, Avenue of Stars at the Harbour, and the open top bus tour (which was fun!!!).

My husband, the chivalrous one, who was wise enough to take a jumper with him and then gave it to me cos I didn't bring any and boy, was it cold at Victoria Peak. My teeth were chattering!

The view from Victoria Peak. It was difficult to get a good clear shot. Most of my photos were blurry and it was so windy then....

My family on the ferry ride - (L-R) Mum, Cherie (bro's girlfriend), Gary (my brother), Dad and Phill!

View from the Harbour on the Avenue of Stars

Trying to get a quick photo on board the open top bus. It wasn't easy as most photos came out blurry. Phill, Gary, Cherie and I were taking in turns (like a relay run) to take photos. With the wind blowing and messing our hair, it wasn't easy either but boy, was it fun!

A final shot of the streets in Hongkong at night atop the bus before we had to alight and off we went to the ladies and men's markets to shop, shop, shop!

A funny start to Singapore

2006-12-27T14:30:00.000+11:00

Phill and I spent a good and cosy Christmas Day with my in-laws. My mum-in-law cooked turkey, pork and ham and it was yummy! It was good to spend time with them and just sit down and talk. And we exchanged presents and that was when I unwrapped my ipod video from Phill! Yeah!!! And I bought him a James Bond DVD set which he was happy about.

Early this morning, Phill and I woke up at 3.45am and left the house at 5am for the flight to Singapore - yippeee! We arrived very early at Melbourne airport, about 7.30pm for our 10.30am flight. There was already a long queue when we were there and we found out it was cos the luggage conveyor belt in the entire airport broke down and luggage had to be loaded onto the plane manually. Being in the holiday mood and having checked in via the internet 2 days ago, we weren't fazed.

We had our breakfast at McDonalds, looked around some shops and boarded the Singapore Airlines plane. It was a pretty uneventful trip except when it came to dessert time and I had the giggles when I realised Phill's ice-cream was so much smaller than mine. And no, we did not ask for another ice-cream cos we were so full from the meal and we were keen to get back to the inflight movies. Singapore, here we come!

Christmas Spirit

2006-12-22T19:21:00.000+11:00

My colleagues and I had a Christmas lunch which went for close to 2 hours - Nice! It was a take-it-easy kinda lunch. We spent time talking, ordered some appetisers and hungry me was asking them several times whether they wanted to place an order for lunch, which we did, before a huge group of firefighters (who are fighting fires in our district) arrived for their lunch.

Just prior to lunch, we did our Kris Kringle in the office and I received a nice photo display album from my mystery gifter - Steve! I picked Megan's name (a few weeks ago when we had to work out who we were buying gifts for) and bought her an OPI nail polish which she liked. Thankfully, she liked the colour I picked too. The Kris Kringle worked well cos everyone liked the gifts they received.

And I received a Sheaffer pen from my colleagues as a farewell gift, which I loved! This gift makes it to one of several great gifts I've received. Another memorable farewell gift I have received is the ipod shuffle from my friends and colleagues at the National Arts Council. I was wonderfully surprised. And I'm still using it and love it!

SpellBound!

2006-12-17T22:25:00.000+11:00

A documentary "Spellbound" was screened on Australia's SBS earlier this evening and I've always wanted to watch the show ever since I saw the DVD in our local video shop. I just haven't gotten round to renting it.

Phill was really reluctant to watch it but I wanted to cos I enjoy spelling.

It was a great film but then it also showed the kind of pressure the 10-12 year olds were put through 'studying' for the National Spelling Bee held in America each year after they were selected state champion. The filmmaker followed eight children and featured their family background, the involvement of each family in their child's route to the National Spelling Bee.
Interestingly enough, one of the 8 children chosen by the filmmaker eventually went on to become the national champion - Nupur!

It was a fascinating film and the work the kids put in was astounding. And the words they had to spell, most of which I've never heard before, was so difficult, which put me to shame. I really need to brush up on my vocabulary!

But Phill said it's also the luck of the draw cos if you were assigned words you had learnt, then it's easier. It's true cos one of the kids were saying how they didn't know some of the words assigned to other spellers and fortunately, knew the ones assigned to them. But you can see how some of them did try to spell words they hadn't heard before through phonetics and breaking up the words into syllables!

It's definitely a film worth watching again!!!

Looking for directions?

2006-12-16T18:46:00.000+11:00

Phill and I saw this koala on an isolated stretch of country road while we were making our way to his principal's house for a meal with his colleagues. It's an annual affair of getting together at a staff member's house and this year was the principal's house. It hasn't been Phill's turn yet but one year I'm sure it'll happen. Anyway, Phill saw the koala first and it was sitting by the side of the road minding its own business and Phill stopped his car so that I could take a picture and then he slowly drove away and as he did, the koala turned its head to look at us - what a cute creature!

Christmas Carols

2006-12-15T21:21:00.000+11:00

Phill and I attended "Carols by Candlelight" at the local hospital lawn this evening and he met some of his karate mates. I had to take some photos of the performers and families and kids who turned up at the event.

When it started to get dark, the glow candles that were held up added to the cosy atmosphere. And singing along to the Christmas carols and 'Amazing Grace' put me on a high! I'm ready for Christmas!

Fire! Fire!

2006-12-15T10:15:00.000+11:00

My colleague came to work this morning and showed us photos she had taken last night of the bushfires. Quite awesome but scary too. I think the fires were only several kilometres from her place. And I asked if her kids were scared but she said they were sitting on the roof and just saying, "our house is burning down, our house is burning down". Fortunately, the wind was blowing the fires in the opposite direction so she wasn't scared.

What?!

2006-12-12T16:04:00.000+11:00

My general manager came to our office today to speak to some of my colleagues but he also took the chance to speak to me first cos I resigned yesterday. We chatted for abit and he had some positive feedback to say about my work but then he said something which made me go, "what?!".

At one point, he said he understood how difficult it was for me to write in a language that wasn't my mother tongue?!

Was he trying to say I didn't write well? My editors haven't mentioned that to me before. Yes, I do make mistakes but they are not mistakes that makes a person goes, "gee, does she even know the language?" (maybe some people might say that after reading my blog and seeing the mistakes splattered throughout - that goes to show one has to read, and re-read their posts...=P)

I told him that English is my dominant language. Then he said, "aren't you billingual?" And I said I am but my English is better than my Mandarin and that I spoke English at home. That's when he said abit defensively, "I've not been to Singapore before".

I was really insulted! But I'm learning to let things like that slide, 'like water off a duck's back', cos I've resigned!

Resignation!

2006-12-11T10:38:00.000+11:00

I tendered my resignation letter today!!! Yippeee!

I had discussed with my colleague and he said he preferred if I could tender today so an ad could go in for my replacement in time for the new year, which was fair enough. So, instead of tendering this Friday, I did it today.

An Inconvenient Truth

2006-12-09T22:28:00.000+11:00

Phill and I watched "An Inconvenient Truth" at the Mansfield Cinema and both loved it. The facts and truth are so confronting about the way we're damaging our planet, I couldn't quite say "we enjoyed it". It was scary and the "frog in the slow boiling water" in me wanted to dismiss all the facts and said it's all just scare tactics but just looking at the data collected and the effects on the environment around me, I was convinced I needed to do more. What I liked about the film was how clear the scenarios were presented and the fact it ended on a positive note that we all can make a difference.

We've gotta take action today and I'm going to start by calling our electricity company to convert our account to green power so that our electricity is sourced from renewable energy sources, and also learn to put up with the heat or the cold and not use our air-con/ heater too much.

All Smoked Out

2006-12-08T11:25:00.000+11:00

This is how our town centre now looks, covered in smoke with the smell of burnt wood hanging in the air.

The bushfires that started last Friday are predicted to get worse this weekend. I have a friend who lives in one of the towns under threat. She is terribly worried for her parents and family.

Some residents have activated their fire plans with most mothers and wives leaving their houses while their husbands and fathers are staying in their homes to defend their property.

At a community briefing Steve and I attended on Wednesday, we were told that it's safer to stay and defend the house because sometimes people attempt to leave and either get caught in the fires or their visibility (affected by the smoke) causes them to crash into trees. The fire officer said more deaths were results of people leaving their property too late. Apparently, the fire front sweeps the house in about 10 minutes and you've gotta step out of the house and stay extinguishing any embers. Of course, the house has to be prepared before the fire front arrives by removing any flammable material and keeping loads of water around and inside the house handy, including wet cloths.

Things and people in town seem changed too. It's as daily life has been muted and everyone is more solemn, knowing some residents amongst us are facing the worst bushfires they have ever seen.

I can't believe it's close to our doorstep. It looks like everything is happening in another world.

IPOD Video!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2006-12-06T14:18:00.000+11:00

My Ipod Video was delivered this afternoon to my office.....*SCREAM*

I sent an email to Phill immediately and he said, "you do know you can't open it until Christmas".

"But can't I just open it to take a look?" I ventured.

"Nope, you'll spoil the surprise."

I can envisage myself staying up late on Christmas Day to download songs from my CDs to my ipod video in time for our flight to Singapore - I can't wait!

What A Great Night!

2006-12-01T23:27:00.000+11:00

(front row, L-R) Leanne (Steve's fiancee), Sian and I.

(back row, L-R) Steve, Phill, and Adam (Sian's husband).

Sian, Steve, and I, who reside in the "inner sanctum" of the office decided ages ago to have a Christmas dinner together with our spouses this evening. And we chose Willowlake, which is at Macs Cove, and about 20 minutes drive from Mansfield. The restaurant recently came under new management - a young chef and his fiancee. He has extensive experience abroad and in Australia working with famous chefs (including with Gordon Ramsay) and in reputable restaurants in Melbourne.

For dinner, I had T-bone steak, Phill and Steve had turkey, Leanne (Steve's fiancee) had risotto, and Sian and her husband, Adam, had duck. Sian gave me some of her duck and I reckon hers was the best dish! Duck is usually a tricky dish cos I've tasted duck meat which has been cooked pretty badly it tasted rubbery.

Phill and I had pineapple and banana fritters for dessert. You should have seen our faces when we tasted banana - it's like we were eating an imperial banquet - YUM! We have not had a banana for ages...yup, we're deprived. Because of Cyclone Larry in Queensland early this year, the prices for banana skyrocketed to about $20/kg so we haven't bought bananas since.

I thoroughly enjoyed the night. We were laughing alot of the time. We spoke about our life and our grievances at work and it was nice that our other and better halves were there. Phill looked like he had a great time too. Sian's husband, Adam, was really funny too. But his humour was delivered with a straight face which made me laugh even more. I enjoyed the company very much and am looking forward to our next dinner!

Masters!

2006-12-01T10:13:00.000+11:00

I received my acceptance letter from RMIT into my Masters course this morning. I'll be pursuing a Master in Social Science (Planning and Environment) which is relevant to my new job! I was so thrilled! It's 2 wonderful news for the past 2 weeks!

What's not to be deliriously happy about? ;O)

Thank God!

Is this fair?

2006-11-29T20:35:00.000+11:00

Phill is a Maths specialist teacher at school and being the nice and good teacher he is, he sometimes likes to share personal stories with his students.

Today, after work, he told me he had told his students about the question we asked each other, a pertinent question most newlywed couples ask themselves.

"What do you want for Christmas?"

I have always said I wanted an ipod video, since last year, and this year, I was really keen on having it. And Phill finally agreed to buy it for me. And I asked him what he wanted and while he was flipping through his military tank modelling magazine, he said he wanted a French tank which costs $30.

So he asked his students, "do you think it's fair that Victoria gets an almost $400 ipod video while I get a $30 tank model?"

All of his students, except 7 of them (they must be on my side!), said it wasn't fair.

Then one student, one of the 7, had this to say:
"But Mr Brown, you're married. It's all about the love!"

I broke down laughing. He was so sweet and really put things into perspective!!! It really is about the love but it's easy for me to say cos I'm getting the more expensive present...hahaha!

Praise The Lord!

2006-11-24T17:25:00.000+11:00

I received wonderful news today from a job interview I attended on Tuesday!!! The manager who interviewed me told me that they have given me the job!!!! Arrghhhh! I am deliriously happy! Can it be? I couldn't believe it! This is one of the rare times I am so happy I wanna jump so high I can hit my head on the roof! (Alas, I'm not tall enough but I tried...)

This is the second interview I've attended with the same department and manager. The first interview was for an admin position and I almost made it but was finally beaten by another candidate. I was pretty devastated then cos I really wanted that job and had thought that it was the best one for me. But this job that I've been offered has so many more learning opportunities and prospects. I am so happy! Thank God!

The interview was actually for 2 positions on higher grades than I'm eligible for. But I don't have the relevant qualifications. So the manager did say they can consider employing me on a grade 3 (cos that's my equivalent grade) and train me up to qualify in that profession!!! But if there were 2 strong candidates for the levels they were looking for, he'll call me straightaway to say I'm not successful. But I am! He said after I left the interview room, the other 2 panelists were talking excitedly about me. Considering I don't have the relevant qualifications (but am waiting to hear if I've been accepted for my studies), I am really thankful they took the leap of faith and are employing me!!

I'll be working in the same town where Phill works, some 45 minutes drive from where we live/ rent now.

I haven't received their letter of offer yet. The manager told me to tender my resignation when I received the letter of offer so I'll be waiting... =O)

YEAH!!!!!!

Gerry

2006-11-24T12:41:00.000+11:00

A friend of mine, Gerry, recently wrote to me. Incidentally, I have been thinking of her but more so during this week that she wrote to me - what can I say? Great minds think alike. Whenever we remember how we re-established contact, we really thank God for His hand in our friendship.

I knew Gerry from primary school and even though we were classmates, we were not close. She belonged to a different group of friends and she was studious and quiet, I was talkative and not as nice a gal (immature, I think) as I hope I am now.

We met again in junior college and by then, whenever we saw each other, we said hi and all, but that was about it, I think.

Then after I finished my uni studies, I was shopping in Marina Square and to this day I have no idea why, but I went up to her and greeted her enthusiastically and thankfully for me, she was just as excited to see me (a few days ago, I had enthusiastically greeted 2 friends from junior college I saw at Wisma Atria and we were fairly close at school but they gave me an icy reception and a weird look).

From then on, we never lost touch. We may not have spoken to each other for weeks or even months but we never ever lost this friendship. And what is even more precious and remarkable to me is that while we were working after our university studies, one year, we resolved to pray for each other weekly and used to send each other our prayer requests. That really cemented our friendship.

And I can be this obnoxious, irritable person sometimes, but Gerry accepts me nonetheless. And her gentleness and encouragement gives me a different perspective in life. It helps our friendship too that we're pretty crazy over the Japanese food at Tamako (128 Casuarina Road).

Besides Gerry, I have friends from work, school and church (I realise I better not list names cos I seem to leave out someone's name!!! Thank God for the many friends I have!!!) whose friendships I'm thankful for because no matter where we are or how long we haven't spoken, we are never strangers when we meet again.

Mandy Patinkin

2006-11-20T14:34:00.000+11:00

Mandy Patinkin

I enjoy watching "Criminal Minds" and am so happy it's now twice a week. Phill didn't watch it with me previously cos there was another show he preferred watching over this. So, we ended up taping Criminal Minds and I didn't have time to watch it all. But in the last few weeks, he actually sat down and watched it with me and enjoyed it. So, no more taping, we watch it now. And for me, I am really happy when Criminal Minds is screening - how tv-crazy am I?!

Mandy Patinkin plays the leading role of Gideon who leads his team of FBI behavioural analysts. The main reason I was first drawn to the show was cos of Mandy but I had no idea where I had seen him from. Then recently, I heard the show "Chicago Hope" and something clicked. He acted in that series (which unfortunately for me didn't run for long) and I had a good feeling about that show. The doctors and nurses were passionate about their patients and I remember feeling all positive and hopeful about the medical profession after every episode.

Criminal Minds is of course darker but I enjoy understanding how they conduct profiling of criminals, serial killers, etc. While they put them into categories, they have to be smart enough to know when a criminal may deviate and fall into another category. I just love it!

Let It Snow!

2006-11-15T15:43:00.000+11:00

Crazy but true - it's snowing up in the mountains today (photo of Mt Buller above), in November!!!

We've been going through a terrible drought, an accumulation of the past few years. And some farmers have lost their farms, which they've cultivated for many years. Imagining losing your source of income from a terrible drought. And so, we've been hoping and praying for rain (the condition of the land is so real here). And these two weeks, there has been a healthy dose of rain and we're praying for more.

Costs of Living: Australia vs Singapore

2006-11-15T12:42:00.000+11:00

I read the Singapore newspapers online yesterday and realised the GST there will be increased from 5% to 7%. Some friends I spoke to were unhappy about the rise, understandably.

However, having moved to Australia for 1.5 years, I am beginning to realise the Singapore government manages the money of its people far better than the Australian government. In Australia, prior to implementing the 10% GST, the government promised that all other taxes will be abolished. In actual fact, some items are taxed twice over, leading the tax to be more than the 10% promised.

But what really irks me is the way the superannuation scheme (in Singapore, it's CPF) is handled here . In Australia, companies (not government) handle your superannuation funds (and there are thousands of different funds to choose from) and despite us paying income tax, we are charged three times when our money goes into a superannuation fund - first, when we deposit our money, second, a regular fee while our money is still in the fund, and third, when you want to take it out (only from 60, I think).

So, it's not a matter of seeing your funds increase, it's hoping it doesn't decrease too much cos how much interest does one have to earn in order to cover all the taxes, charges and fees? In Singapore, interest is a minimum guarantee of 2.5%. There are no charges and fees (are there?). And including your own contribution (20%) and employers' contribution (16%), some 36% of your salary goes into your retirement fund each month. In Australia, as employees, it's not compulsory for us to contribute (cos after the taxes and all, how much net income will you have left if they made superannuation contribution compulsory). But the employers contribute 9%. Imagine how long it'll take to grow the fund the way it grows in Singapore...slowly.

And income taxes are so high here, compared to Singapore. I pay about 20% income tax, while Phill pays more, leaving us with lower disposable incomes. And my pay here is so bad, I earned the same amount of pay in my 2nd year in government service in Singapore!

If I came here with the idea of having a better (financial) life, I think I might already be making plans to head back to Singapore. But I came here for Phill and won't be moving back.

Over the weekend, we were also casually discussing that when we turn 60, we may retire several months a year in Singapore, and then the remaining months in Australia. Otherwise, we won't be able to afford to retire. This prompted one of my friends to say, "Singaporeans go to Australia to retire, you heading back to retire". Things are more affordable in Singapore. If I want to head out and watch a movie, my transport cost in Singapore will be a couple of dollars (MRT train) and a movie costs S$7-S$9.50 (A$6.25-$8). And I can have a meal at the hawker centre (including 1 drink) for about S$6 (A$5). In Australia, to drive out to the next town (where there's shopping) takes 45 minutes and costs more than A$10 on fuel. A movie ticket costs at least A$11 (in the country) or A$15 (in the city). A meal with a drink (lunch) costs at least A$12 - $15. So, even if I wanted to take a break and just have an outing, thinking about the costs will prevent me from doing so.

And the costs of a holiday can be depressing too. In Singapore, a few hundred dollars can take you to another country where the exchange rate is favourable and it's a great getaway. But in Australia, a few hundred dollars don't exactly pay for the entire trip (car/airticket, meals, accommodation) to the next state. The government protects their national air carrier so much that airfares are not competitive at all. Phill pays 50% more than I do (I buy my ticket from Singapore) to fly to Singapore.

For many Singaporeans who want to move to Australia, I can understand why. Over here, employers still respect 'family time' and people in my country town are nice and friendly. And things are believed to be less stressful. In the country, it is indeed less stressful most of the time, maybe about 10-20%, but not a whole lot. In the city, I find things to be equally or more stressful than Singapore. Seeing how people rush around, the level of politeness since the first time I was in Australia in 1996 has dipped rather dramatically - the bane of modern society?

To those who are considering the move, perhaps a temporary move to better understand the country you're moving to may be a wiser option than a permanent move (giving up your citizenship), cos you may realise that the country you left may not be that bad after all.

Happy Medicine

2006-11-14T19:37:00.000+11:00

Phill was given a herbal pill by his mum to aid his sleep cos he hasn't slept as well in the past few weeks. She tried it and said it was really good. Phill had one on Sunday night and when he came home from school last night, he said he didn't feel as tired as he usually is, especially on Monday nights - the start of a work week.

And he had this huge grin on his face, which prompted me to call him "Happy Man". He couldn't stop talking about how good he felt too. I asked him if the effect was like feeling drowsy and he said no. I can't quite understand what he meant when he said he felt good so I'm going to have some myself too. He's going to buy a bottle today so he can be happy always (haha)!

I worry a little about the effects of being too reliant on medicines but since it's herbal, I suppose it's okay?

Survivor Crush

2006-11-10T22:47:00.000+11:00

I've been watching Survivor: Cook Islands and have a crush on Yul Kwon, an American Korean. Initially, I was attracted to Brad but as the episodes got on, Phill said he was gay and then I realised it too - Brad is a fashion director (how many of them are not gay?). At first sight, Yul wasn't very attractive cos he looked abit nerdy. But then he had personality and when I read his bio, intelligence too!

Not only was he valedictorian at his high school, he went to Stanford University and obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in symbolic systems (theoretical computer science) and while at Stanford, received the James Lyons Award for Service, attended officer candidates school for the U.S. Marine Corps and graduated Phi Beta Kappa. He also has Juris Doctor Degree from Yale Law School, where he had served on the editorial board of the Yale Law Journal. How smart is this guy?!

And as I observed Yul in the subsequent episodes, he was really nice not only to his teammates but to his competitors too. In one challenge which his team won, he went over and shook the other team members hands. What a gentleman!

So, I'm hooked on Survivor and eagerly anticipate each episode because of Yul...Phill knew I thought Brad was cute but I haven't fessed up about Yul...hahaha! =P I should try and stop drooling when Yul comes up on the screen.