...simply said...

2007-04-30T10:21:00.001+09:30

Courtesy of Pei Ling!

Ignore the grammar (good ol bad Malaysian grammar) and have fun reading.

If you are Msia's 80s baby,read through this, we grew up watching Transformers, Thundercats, Woody Woodpecker, Chipmunks, Mickey Mouse, Jem, Mask, Ninja Turtles, Voltron, Baja Hitam, Ultraman n not forgettin POWER RANGERS n BUGS BUNNY!!!and anderra yippa mice? :), McGyver ?

had to brush our teeths during recess at primary school? had to hold plastic cups, line up with your classmates side by side and start brushing our teeths at some open area... or maybe near some drain??do you still remember that we had 'dentist' rooms where we had to have our teeths check?

not to forget our 'program minum susu' in primary school.. everybody is suppose to buy like cartons of milk that costed 30 cents.. and you would see everyone drinking it everyday...its d UHT milk...

the teachers who would want to punish us must use yellow rulers to hit us on our palms?? 1 metre length..

that a bowl of mihun soup or some soup only costed 50 cents at the school canteen...went to some sundry shop near the school or to the 'roti' man waiting outside our schools so that we can buy junk food like chickedees, mamee, ding dang with some toys in it, 'Ti Kam', ice-cream and we would play games like monopoly, uno, old maid, snap and all other card games like that...

another fun time would be during Pendidikan Jasmani. the boys would play football while the girls would play netball... and it would be like we were playing in the world cup...but of course. the best would be main guli, batu seremban, bottlecaps, ice-cream sticks, 'Pepsi Cola one-two-three', Cops and Robbers, main kejar-kejar duduk,getah... and for the not so active, those kind of 'book games' where we would use buku latihan to draw and ask our friends to play...

do you remember the ice-cream tubes which are actually ice and colouring that are sold for 10 to 20 cents.. the colourful ones.. where you usually bite off the top to glup it down.orange tastes b best..(pop-ice)what about days when we felt like doing naughty things such as folding papers so small to make 'lastik' amd shoot each other... how about throwing chalks??back then, micheal jackson was just turning white.. and still had albums coming out.. compared to CD's, we were listening to tapes that sold for RM9.90 ...

in computer class, we were still using black and white computer moniters.. played 'Atari'... maybe SEGA or NINTENDO or pacman..well, are we all getting older or what?

1) if you understand what you have read and you are smiling...
2) we have friends from school that are already married...
3) we shake our heads everytime we see high school students fussing about their handphones in school..
4) we don't hang on phone with our friends for hours a day talking about nothing...
5) when we meet back with our friends from time to time, we feel excited and happy talking about old times, the funny 'adventures' or stories that we experienced as a kid..
6) last but not least, that when you read this, you would think of all the happy & sad memories that you have experienced when you were still a kid and would think of forwarding this to your old friends that you have known since forever... i'm sure they would have a huge smile on their face after reading this.....

2007-04-30T10:21:00.000+09:30

Curtesy of Pei Ling!

Ignore the grammar (good ol bad Malaysian grammar) and have fun reading.

If you are Msia's 80s baby,read through this, we grew up watching Transformers, Thundercats, Woody Woodpecker, Chipmunks, Mickey Mouse, Jem, Mask, Ninja Turtles, Voltron, Baja Hitam, Ultraman n not forgettin POWER RANGERS n BUGS BUNNY!!!and anderra yippa mice? :), McGyver ?

had to brush our teeths during recess at primary school? had to hold plastic cups, line up with your classmates side by side and start brushing our teeths at some open area... or maybe near some drain??do you still remember that we had 'dentist' rooms where we had to have our teeths check?

not to forget our 'program minum susu' in primary school.. everybody is suppose to buy like cartons of milk that costed 30 cents.. and you would see everyone drinking it everyday...its d UHT milk...

the teachers who would want to punish us must use yellow rulers to hit us on our palms?? 1 metre length..

that a bowl of mihun soup or some soup only costed 50 cents at the school canteen...went to some sundry shop near the school or to the 'roti' man waiting outside our schools so that we can buy junk food like chickedees, mamee, ding dang with some toys in it, 'Ti Kam', ice-cream and we would play games like monopoly, uno, old maid, snap and all other card games like that...

another fun time would be during Pendidikan Jasmani. the boys would play football while the girls would play netball... and it would be like we were playing in the world cup...but of course. the best would be main guli, batu seremban, bottlecaps, ice-cream sticks, 'Pepsi Cola one-two-three', Cops and Robbers, main kejar-kejar duduk,getah... and for the not so active, those kind of 'book games' where we would use buku latihan to draw and ask our friends to play...

do you remember the ice-cream tubes which are actually ice and colouring that are sold for 10 to 20 cents.. the colourful ones.. where you usually bite off the top to glup it down.orange tastes b best..(pop-ice)what about days when we felt like doing naughty things such as folding papers so small to make 'lastik' amd shoot each other... how about throwing chalks??back then, micheal jackson was just turning white.. and still had albums coming out.. compared to CD's, we were listening to tapes that sold for RM9.90 ...

in computer class, we were still using black and white computer moniters.. played 'Atari'... maybe SEGA or NINTENDO or pacman..well, are we all getting older or what?

1) if you understand what you have read and you are smiling...
2) we have friends from school that are already married...
3) we shake our heads everytime we see high school students fussing about their handphones in school..
4) we don't hang on phone with our friends for hours a day talking about nothing...
5) when we meet back with our friends from time to time, we feel excited and happy talking about old times, the funny 'adventures' or stories that we experienced as a kid..
6) last but not least, that when you read this, you would think of all the happy & sad memories that you have experienced when you were still a kid and would think of forwarding this to your old friends that you have known since forever... i'm sure they would have a huge smile on their face after reading this.....

Being Sandy.

2007-04-20T11:59:00.000+09:30

My little Sandy turned 22 on the 6th of April. With only 2 weeks' notice, she decides to have a costume party.

I decided to come as Bad-Jap-Dressing-Sandy.

Enjoy the photos!

My 'costume' I artfully and skillfully put together after raiding her house when she was out.

You can't even tell the real Sandy from the fake! Hehe..

Cake time! Sandy looks so cute. She should get a mop hairstyle.

Watching her cut the cake...

Such a colourful picture! Sandy and Michelle

The professionally made cake.

Ian, the injured Goth.

Sandy getting a bit confused with her costume. Handicapped fairy Space Girl?

Sandy No 2 and Mark on the swing.

Carlos aka Charlie Chaplin

Yumi attempting to look Chinese.

Paul aka Steve Irwin.

Beata the Vampy Female Goth.

Ryota suddenly feeling very man.

"Bikini wax? what's that?"

Such a colourful picture. Those glasses made me feel like I was on LSD.

This is a cool pic. Michelle, Ian and Sandy No 2

The Polish chicks, Beata and Michelle

Mark the Blue-haired reindeer.

It was a fun night! But I was glad to change out of my very Sandy outfit. =)

Teratomas and fetus-in-fetu

2007-04-11T10:54:00.000+09:30

Teratomas (also called teratocarcinomas when cancerous) are the ugliest things to ever come out of the human body. The name basically means "monster cancer" and it fits. They're tumors of the ovaries or testicles. Bicyclist Lance Armstrong had this type of cancer, but the masses they removed from him were fairly small. They're harder to detect when they occur in a woman's ovary and can grow to astounding size. Many doctors refuse to show them to the women from whom they are removed. The reason they're so gross is very simple; they are a cancer of the stem cell and can become any type of cell in the human body. It is not unusual for them to have teeth, hair, blood vessels, or even nerve cells; some have even been known to react to touch. (Borrowed from weirdpictures.com)

(Disclaimer: If you have a weak stomach or just don't like looking at gross things, don't scroll down)

Haha.. I knew you couldn't resist!

These are the freakiest things ever! Imagine a bundle of teeth and hair coming out of your body.

Imagine it crying 'mommy! mommy!'

Haha.. Ok.. maybe that will never happen. But scary nonetheless.

May humans never be cloned. Amen.

And next: something I find most amazing! Fetus-in-fetu.

Aug. 23, 2006 — Sanju Bhagat's stomach was once so swollen he looked nine months pregnant and could barely breathe.

Living in the city of Nagpur, India, Bhagat said he'd felt self-conscious his whole life about his big belly. But one night in June 1999, his problem erupted into something much larger than cosmetic worry.
An ambulance rushed the 36-year-old farmer to the hospital. Doctors thought he might have a giant tumor, so they decided to operate and remove the source of the bulge in his belly.
"Basically, the tumor was so big that it was pressing on his diaphragm and that's why he was very breathless," said Dr. Ajay Mehta of Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai. "Because of the sheer size of the tumor, it makes it difficult [to operate]. We anticipated a lot of problems."
Mehta said that he can usually spot a tumor just after he begins an operation. But while operating on Bhagat, Mehta saw something he had never encountered. As he cut deeper into Bhagat's stomach, gallons of fluid spilled out — and then something extraordinary happened.
"To my surprise and horror, I could shake hands with somebody inside," he said. "It was a bit shocking for me."

Removing the Mutated Body
One doctor recalled that day in the operating room.
"He just put his hand inside and he said there are a lot of bones inside," she said. "First, one limb came out, then another limb came out. Then some part of genitalia, then some part of hair, some limbs, jaws, limbs, hair."
Inside Bhagat's stomach was a strange, half-formed creature that had feet and hands that were very developed. Its fingernails were quite long.
"We were horrified. We were confused and amazed," Mehta said.

A Mutated Body Within a Body
At first glance, it may look as if Bhagat had given birth. Actually, Mehta had removed the mutated body of Bhagat's twin brother from his stomach. Bhagat, they discovered, had one of the world's most bizarre medical conditions — fetus in fetu. It is an extremely rare abnormality that occurs when a fetus gets trapped inside its twin. The trapped fetus can survive as a parasite even past birth by forming an umbilical cordlike structure that leaches its twin's blood supply until it grows so large that it starts to harm the host, at which point doctors usually intervene.
According to Mehta, there are fewer than 90 cases of fetus in fetu recorded in medical literature.

Fetus in fetu happens very early in a twin pregnancy, when one fetus wraps around and envelops the other. The dominant fetus grows, while the fetus that would have been its twin lives on throughout the pregnancy, feeding off its host twin like a kind of parasite. Usually, both twins die before birth from the strain of sharing a placenta.
Sometimes, however, as in Bhagat's case, the host twin survives and is delivered. What makes his case so unusual is that no one suspected Bhagat had a twin inside him for 36 years.

Fig. 5. The postoperative specimen shows a fairly well-developed fetus lying on its back. The head is on the right side (thick black arrow), the buttocks on the left side (2 small arrows). The left arm, left leg, and feet are clearly seen (small separated arrows). The intestines are visible on the anterior abdominal wall, which is open (white curved arrow).

Have I freaked everyone out enough?

A little update

2007-04-05T02:42:00.000+09:30

It feels like the year started ages ago, but it's only April. Had bazillions of assessments so far, and well, only one is worth mentioning in this blog. Highly disappointing! Was doing pretty well in 3rd year too, which makes this year all the more difficult to take. I realise that I'm not the only one in this situation, but the last thing I want is to fail any courses!! Horror of horrors! I told Matthew that if I failed, I would be working for him for one more year and Jessica overheard and was overjoyed. Matthew suggested she come to my house every evening to watch tv with me to distract me so I won't have to leave. She's a funny girl, very sweet... in a Jessica kind of way. She either loves you or hates you. Glad I'm not on her bad side!

But seriously. Things would be so screwed up if I failed. It's inspiration to work hard and sacrifice sleep! Not that I sleep much anyways. But the inspiration bit has worked though. It's 3 am now and I've gone through about 5 lecture audios. At least I'm getting somewhere.

I feel I've been pretty moody lately, and that's probably cause I'm so tired. Apologies to anyone in my line of fire!!!!! Just recovering now from working 30+ hours, doing uni, and learning German. And juggling social life, Mark and housemates. Who have been great by the way. Siri and Elise. The German and the French. Party Animal and Clean Freak (i mean this in a good way!). I think that all in all, we are a good mix and we get along really well. Amazing! I have no gripes!

What's been up lately? There was the Pharmacy Pubcrawl - PharmaSutra 'Pharmacists do it better over the counter'. Hohoho. I have a feeling that that was my last pub crawl... I don't think I'll be around for the next one. I didn't really feel 'satisfied' from that pub crawl - maybe because so few 4th years turned up. We were pretty tired and stressed and everyone was saying how a pub crawl just didn't seem to 'fit' unlike previous times. Some pre-reggies turned up - the common culprits, Minh and Aaron. I thought it was pretty cool how much those two, amongst others, are so into the pharmacy social scene. Or maybe working life was just too boring for them and they wanted to relive their uni days. Hehe.

Elise's parents are here as well. Such interesting personalities! Her dad is so wacky. Sometimes he just speaks in French, as if he were speaking some language I understand, so I have to just nod and smile and hope he realises that I just can't understand. And her mom is so elegant and graceful and such a lovely personality. She calls me the 'lady of the house'. Got to love her for that! Came back one day and she was doing my ironing. I felt so bad, because I had a growing pile and just couldn't find time to get it done. And she apologized if her ironing was not good enough. I was speechless! They made a Moroccan dinner last night with couscous and lamb and figs and all that lovely stuff. Yumm!! And French dessert of poached pears with almond flakes and chocolate sauce too. Mark had about 4 helpings. Most of us passed out after dinner. It was so satisfying!

Hmmm it's April now. I said that I would plan my Euro trip in more detail come April. And.. now I have to plan to plan. After my exams would be a good time! It's really exciting, and the thought of my big holiday gives me strength and energy when rushing from one workplace to uni to another workplace.

Oh ... and HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY DARLING SVENJAY! Sorry I forgot to wish you on the 29th of March, though I remembered ages ago.

Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag!

Thanks for all your help with German. Still will need plenty ... boy I have a long way to go!

I love you lots!!!!

And now. .... I present to you ..... *drumroll*

Random Pictures

Ruey Chyi came to Adelaide! Thanks Auntie Marina for a lovely lunch! And congrats, Reich, on getting a job =)

'Auntie' May came to Adelaide too! (She's my auntie but only a few years older) With her boyfriend Larry.

Took Mark out for a birthday dinner before he left for his round-the-world trip. Love you lots babe!!

Our kitchen. I don't know why I am posting this. It's clean and with lots of yummy food laid out. That's the way it should always be =D

Housemate Siri (in black) and her friend Christine during their poker night.

'

Housemate Elise (right) and her friend Oriane. They wore the same colours unintentionally!

The only mark sheet I shall post up. It is inspiration!

Cousin David had a baby boy, Andrew! So I dutifully sent him cute little baby things that make me want one too!

Aussie stuff of course

And a koala jumper! He is going to look so cuddly and adorable! Look at the little ears =) I searched Adelaide high and low for this over two days because I knew it existed, but didn't know where to find it. And at last, I did!

My pharmacy colleagues at Hannah's engagement party - (from left) Sandra, Hannah, Jessica, Lisa, Lara.

Matthew aka Matt aka The Boss in white and his wife, Naomi. Dwayne, Lara's fiance looking slightly bored? Lara in the background in a weak attempt to avoid the camera

Laurence and Jessica. The most lovey married couple around.

And the bride and groom to be : Tim and Hannah! Now, what are you looking at, Tim??

counsellingsmounselling

2007-03-28T17:18:00.000+09:30

Uni has been really really stressful this year. It's not a particularly heavy workload - no more pharmacology! But the assessments are so difficult. (don't u dare ask my grades)

Had my counselling test this afternoon and I'm having such mixed emotions about it. I think I passed, but i think there are so many things I forgot to mention. And I think of more as time goes on. Now I'm doubting if I even passed.

Here's the senarion: 21 year old female comes into the pharmacy asking for emergency contraception. She normally is on the combined oral contraceptive pill, but is on holiday and forgot to bring it with her. She has forgotten 2 pills.

Ok, since her cover is relatively low after missing two pills, I give her the ECP. 2 at one go, come back if vomitting occurs within an hour of taking them. So far so good.

THINGS I FORGOT TO MENTION: (and this shall haunt me for a long time)

1. She is not covered for the rest of her cycle on the ECP

2. Get a pregnancy test done if her period doesn't come as per usual.

3. Go back on the COC as soon as possible

4. She is NOT covered on the COC till after 7 active pills <- OMG this is so important and my pharmacist at work always stresses this. Why oh why oh why did i forget???!!!!!!!

5. Should have mentioned she should consider using a condom if she doesn't have her pills with her.

I did the right thing by giving her the ECP but there are so many counselling points I forgot.

*sobsobsob* I shall go back to being depressed about uni.

2007-03-22T08:15:00.000+10:30

I am tired. I think I am doing too many things. I need a holiday. Things at uni have not been helping - 4th year is not as easy as I thought it would be. Although the course load seems a lot lighter, tests are so tricky! And I am seriously doubting myself - don't wanna stay back in Adelaide doing a whole other year if I flunk this year.

That was just a little whinge. Morning toilet call. Sorry!

oh nooooooooooo.......

2007-03-09T18:12:00.000+10:30

Oh gosh oh gosh oh gosh!!!

Work forgot to postpone the recorded dates on 2 of the weeks I was working on my payslip.

Oh gosh oh gosh oh gosh!!!

This means I have officially worked more than 20 hours.

Oh gosh oh gosh oh gosh!!!

This means that if certain government bodies find out, I can get into a lot of trouble

*faints*

WHAT DO I DO???!!!!!!

Mark Jeffery should marry me when he gets back so I will not get kicked out of the country.

*sobsobsobsobsob*

is heaven and hell real?

2007-03-06T23:47:00.000+10:30

"When we stopped, I opened my eyes, and I was standing on a great road. I didn't know where it lead to. But the first thing that I felt there was thirst. I was really thirsty! I kept telling the angel "I'm thirsty, I'm thirsty" But it was like he didn't even hear me. I started to cry, and when the tears ran down my cheeks, they completely evaporated. There was the smell of sulfur, like burning tires. I tried to cover my nose, but that made it even worse. All my 5 senses were very sensitive. When I tried to cover myself, I could smell the sulfar even more. Also, all those little hairs on my arms, they just disappeared. I felt all the heat, it was very hot.

When I started looking around, I saw people being tormented by demons. There was a lady there suffering, a demon was torturing her. This demon would cut off her head and with his long spear he would stab her everywhere. He didn't care. In her eyes, in here body, in her feet, in here hands, he didn't care. Then he would put her head back on her body and would stab her and stab her. She would cry with screams of agony.

Then I saw another demon, this demon was torturing a young man about the age of 21-23. This man had a chain around his neck, and was standing in front of a pit of fire. This demon would stab him everywhere with a long spear, in his eyes, everywhere. Then the demon would grab him by his hair and with the chains he would throw this man into this pit of fire, then take him back out and would stab him and stab him. This would go on continually, and every time he would go inside that pit, I couldn't hear his screams, but when the demon would take him out, he would scream with agony. I tried to cover my ears because the sound was so horrible, but I could still hear. My hearing was more sensitive.."

from Hell is Real

I had one of my moments, where my whole body shakes and my mind races and I just break down and cry to Jesus because the words shoot straight through my very core. Whether or not you believe in heaven and hell, I know that there are times when I feel the presence of God is so real, be it during worship, or at home alone in my room. This story really moved me because the bible says exactly what she experienced, and she is not the first nor the only person to experience this. And that makes it even more.. real. I don't think I am a very religious person, and I don't push my views onto others but.... if only I could get people to feel the way I feel, what we know and is no longer important. I know that surely there is more to life than just what we can see, hear, touch. I wish that all of us could have some out-of-the-world experience, but maybe all we need is faith.

Spotting Sux

2007-03-03T23:10:00.000+10:30

Yes.. only a week and a day before Mark gets back. Oh I feel so pathetic counting the days till he comes home. The first few days were the worst, then it got better for a couple of weeks, relatively anyway, and now, I feel um.. fed up with him not being around.

Got to speak to him for 20 precious minutes because I had some credit on my capped plan I had to use up before 9th March, so I thought I'd see how he was going. Was so nice to hear his voice! Poor guy was on the train from Bergen in Norway to Stockholm then to Umea.. altogether 24 hours! Ugh..

But it's hard to feel sorry for someone who had his first sober day 3 weeks into his trip. =P

A close friend just told me that she made out with her crush from Form One. How cute! Haha.. good old school days. What I would give to repeat all my primary and secondary school days. Wouldn't change too much. I would change some things in retrospection, but I know that under the exact same circumstances, I would probably do what I did then. Haha..

People at work are upset I will be leaving for Perth. I don't know what they expect, that I will be doing my traineeship there? I suppose that if I wanted the easiest option, I would really look at doing it there. But I feel there is not much more I could learn. As it is I am the multi-functional pharmacy assistant who can do everything from dispensing to stock-taking.

Speaking of which, we had a really tough case at my pharmacy today. A girl came in and said that she was on a triphasic pill, but she wasn't happy because she was spotting. Yes, she has spoken to her doctor but she thinks that all the doctors she's seen don't know what theyare talking about. Lol... Matthew, my pharmacist asked me to come and listen and see if I could contribute. Her story was that she naturally has a hormone imbalance which is why she needs the Pill. She doesn't normally spot when she's not on the Pill, but she was getting really moody, and she said that her spotting was yellow-brown. Digging some more, she said that she was getting a bit of diarrhea as well, due to stress. So, to cut a 20 minute counselling session short, I found out that she has tried a variety of pills, most didn't work for her. And her spotting usually occurs not long after her diarrhea. Her diarrhea is also triggered by fatty foods, spicy foods and alcohol. And she's been on the tri-phasic for 6 months. It's quite cool cause Matthew let me do most of the talking, haha, also because he was going through his books trying to find out what the protocol is for spotting and what it's really caused by. My 'theory' was that her diarrhea was affecting the enterohepatic cycling and lowering the estrogen levels. Because the estrogen levels no longer balanced out the progsterone, it was causing breakthrough bleeds. So we told her to continue with the triphasic for 1 more month, but avoid all the diarrhea triggers to see if that was what was causing the spotting, and it was still happening, maybe try Monofeme 50 with the higher dose of estrogen. And it seemed she thought that breakthrough bleeding meant she was ovulating .. lol.. that's funny. So we cleared that up. And of course suggested on getting that discharge checked out although it isn't funny-smelling or very unusual for her.

Sorry if that sounded like a whole lot of jargon to some people. Will be interesting to fellow pharmacy students I suppose. What would you have done??

It was a lot of fun, actually. I felt so honoured cause Matthew later said that he valued my contribution, he thought it was really good and I asked a lot of good questions. Waaaahhh.. =) Made my week!

So basically if I keep doing things like this, I won't need a traineeship at Marden Amcal. Hahaha.. Well I just think that it's too easy cause I know the staff, the customers, the software, I can find things in my pharmacy with my eyes closed. Hehe..

Ok, have to type out some notes! We're learning about Mental Health now, it's really fascinating.

Love love, all!

Idiocracy

2007-03-01T19:53:00.000+10:30

Yesterday I had idiosyncratic headache, today it's idiosyncratic tiredness. Was feeling tired and generally grumpy (idiosyncratic grumpyness?) although I had a good nights' sleep and a nice evening with Caromy.

Was such a blurcase today. I meant to send a message about Caromy to Mark, but ended up sending it to Caromy!!!!

O_o

Oopppsssss.. But luckily it was nothing bad, just telling him I went out for a coffee with her and had a long chat with her about stuff.

Hehe..

Anyway, uni is not as full-on this semester in a full-on kinda way. Haha.. I'm confusing myself too. 2nd year was shit, so much to learn, and so much uninteresting stuff. 3rd year was good, with lots of pharmacy-related stuff, but a lot to know and remember. 4th year... I dunno.... everyone keeps telling us how difficult it is and how everything is squashed into 2 months, but I'm not really feeling it.

But I've been working a lot. It's pretty mentally exhausting work as well, working at the uni. I used to think that working at campus central was so easy, so much fun. But there are so many things to a simple 'customer service' type position, and I'm being asked to do things I wasn't trained for. But good thing I'm a fast learner (and a modest one.. haha). So I've gone to helping students enrol to making ID cards to checking enrolments to knowing which form is for what to learning to process overrides to retrieving phone messages to answering calls. Wahahaa.. By lunchtime, I'm exhausted. I have to repeat so many things "What do I do after enrolling?" "Do I get my ID card here?" "Where is PM-06?" It is fun to talk that much all the time, but by the end of the day my words run into each other, my sentences are all jumbled up and if English wasn't my first language, I'd be speaking something else!

We're learning about Mental Disorders at uni. Very interesting, but lots to learn. I'm glad I'm not going to be a psychiatrist, although I'm sure I'll see plenty of crazy people in my profession. I have yet to meet someone with Turretts Syndrome though. Lol..

Going out to PJ O' Brien's tonight, I don't know what for. Talking to Caromy is making me crave a Girls' Night Out (and sparkling red) again! Gotta take a shower and get ready now!

Work, Perth, Congress and more

2007-02-19T16:21:00.000+10:30

OK, it's been ages since I last updated my blog. This is what happens when I don't have internet connection at home and I don't have a million things to study in a very short period of time before exams. Haha.

Summer holidays have come and gone and I spent my first whole summer here in Adelaide. The plan was to work and earn enough money to supplement my travels in July, Aug and Sept. For those of you who don't know, I'll be leaving Australia on the last day of June, travelling Scandanavia and anywhere else I decide to go in July, having my placement in Hildeshiem, Germany in August and dropping by home in KL for a week in Sept. Am very excited, but also a bit stressed about my finances. It's not easy working to fully support myself, especially with these prospective travels but I suppose it's a matter of looking at the glass half-full and not allowing my mind to whinge about why I am in this situation, when none of my peers are. But that which does not kill you will only make you stronger. And I think it's fun. Really.

And life is pretty lonely nowadays with Mark doing his bit of travelling. It feels like he's been gone ages, but sob sob, it's only been over a week and I shall stop counting the days till his return because .. there will be 3 more lonely Sundays before he's back and that is ages. I thought that I would have a lot of time on my hands to feel sorry for myself, but although I have been pretty busy, I still seem to find myself entertaining thoughts of self-pity and my imagination running loose on why he hasn't smsed in more than 24 hours. And he hasn't!! How could he!! *Drums fingers on desk, staring at phone*.

I suppose, to me, Adelaide, Australia IS Mark. I've known him practically since I arrived and things have only gotten better. We've discovered this city, this state together. We have friends who don't know us other than QuinAndMark. And it's wierd doing somethings without him. Like cooking. And waiting for him to come home after work. (sounds pathetic, but i'm glad i'm not the one working long hours) And flipping to the sports channel. And going to parties.

But Sundays are the worst. It's our only day together, really, since we are both so busy during the week and I work on Saturdays. We always make sure we do something like have a picnic on the beach or go for a long walk or watch a movie or spring clean something. Or have friends over. Or spend time with his parents. Something. Together. Which is why I am so upset about 3 whole Sundays to go. =(

New housemates are keeping me busy and entertained though. We have French Elise and German Siri. It's so nice living with internationals again after the boring months with Aussies. International students are so much more fun cause they are here to meet people and experience new things. Always sucks when they leave, but it beats not having met them at all. On one 40+ degree day, we went to Oriane, Elise's friend's house for a swim in the pool and it turned out to be quite a night! Played around for about an hour, even having a cricket match in the pool. Then dinner, and showers. Before long, someone decided the night was too hot, so all of us went back in the pool. So much for conditioning my hair. Dried off, then the Italian contingent came and created such a ruckus in the pool. I swear they were having a competition of who could displace the most water from the pool. Us girls had a good laugh because they were all wearing Speedos!!! OMG! They will get ABUSED if they went to the beach with them. Nothing attractive about Speedos at all. =P So. We got dragged into the pool for the 3rd time. I got a cramp in my tricep and could taste my dinner a little, so I decided I'd had enough of swimming. Was about midnight, so we'd been swimming intermittently for about 6 hours! Was about to leave when the Germans came. They kinda missed all the fun, and a lot of the Frenchies left to go for another party in Glenelg. It's funny, cause i'd met them through Siri, and now they were at a party with Elise's friends. The exchange students always find each other!

Hmm.. what else. The week before Christmas, we went to Perth for a wedding. Was not cheap to fly there, I still can't believe how far away it is! Very pretty (and rich) city. Also got to meet up with Unc TP and family. Got to spend time with my cute little cousins and it was nice to see them gradually warm up to me. =) If i move there next year, I'll get to baby sit them a little more!

Also, the CONGRESS! One whole week of fun, fun and more fun (Toga Party!!) with late nights, lots of alcohol and educational stuff, when we actually made it to them. The Counselling competition for the Pharmacy Student of the Year competition was very impressive, setting high standards even for experienced pharmacists. The Ball was great too although I somehow ended up seated at a table of ex-NAPSA presidents and other 'famous' pharmacy students. Well, ex-pharmacy students. Yes, it was very intimidating and I felt like I didn't know what to say to them, but they were all pretty nice.

And I shall leave you all with pictures from the Congress. (because it's they're the only ones I have on my flash drive).

We had tickets to watch the Australian Open at the Rod Laver Arena. We left after a few hours to go shopping in the city.

"S" is for SSSSSSSSAPSA!

Toga Party. Took us about an hour to work out ways to wrap a long cloth around a body.

More Toga Shots. I don't think the Victorian OC liked us South Australians a lot, giving us hot, shiny pink. On the other hand, i think we pulled it off pretty well.

Me and Little Thandie from 1st year during quiz night.

Mel looked gorgeous at the ball!

Pete was inconspicuously pulling my dress trying to make me look fat cause I laughed at him running shirtless across the football field ("Ba BOOM Ba BOOM" *makes stomach fat heaving motion*.. hehe..)

Me and my girls. Thanks for the great time at congress!

I think this was the best shot of the night because of what happened as the night went on .......

I shall refrain from putting up videos of her "dancing", throwing up and getting kicked out of the ballroom.

Dave's hat and bowtie were so cute.

*heart* SAPSA!! You guys rock!

As seen on MSN Messenger....

2006-11-16T11:58:00.000+10:30

This is Eric. He is Swedish. He is friendly, funny, adventurous and quite hot. He'll be in Malaysia AND Singapore AND Thailand sometime in December - January. He wants to experience a bit of Malaysian life, and since Quin won't be around to do her tourist guide thing, he needs friendly Malaysians to take him around and teach him the good places to eat. He eats a lot.

~~~

This is Elin and Markus. They are also Swedish. She is sweet and lovely with a new-found interest in spices other than salt and pepper. Has a tendency to mis-pronounce words in an adorable way. Markus is her boyfriend. He is sporty with surf addiction. They will be stopping by in KL for a few days and want to know what they can do in the main city area and would love a sight-seeing tour. They don't eat as much as Eric.

For more details, please email Quin, leave a comment or hunt her down on MSN messenger.

Exams and Christmas!

2006-11-14T14:25:00.000+10:30

I have crashed. This is what happens when you work all day, study all night and survive on very little sleep. And the little thing that tipped it over the edge was a mind-killing, brain boggling 3 hour Pharmacology exam.

I have new-found respect for new (ok, and not so new too) mothers (and fathers to be politically correct, but we all know it's really mainly mothers) who study and / or work.

Whew.

I don't normally watch much tv, maybe an hour or two a week, tops. But last night I was stuck in front of the idiot box for The Simpsons, Australian Idol AND Criminal Minds. Oh how the feeling of guilt stung.

Especially when I have an exam tomorrow! And trying to study with dust bunnies from Mark's much unused desk inducing a bad allergic reaction - itchy eyes, nose, mouth, throat, ... toes.. well.. let's just say it was a very good excuse to go to bed early.

Now it's almost 3 pm.. that means just over 24 hours before Paper Number Two.

I need an island holiday.

But I have been productive!! I have created my Christmas wish list.. for those of you who are short on ideas.

1. My own home - screw real estate owners and landlord!

2. A fluffy white puppy. With matching accessories. =D

3. A new sexy Hugo Boss suit for Mark - see! I'm not all selfish!

*note: This is first suit ever and is NOT Hugo Boss, but I don't have a picture of him in his super sexy brown Boss suit. =(

4. The new Ipod Nano... in green or white.

5. An Island Holiday - see above for need reason

6. A Mini Cooper - converible, thanks!

7. Though I could settle for a Toyota Yaris. ....Think I could have a thing for red cars??

8. A whole new summer wardrobe - And a perfect figure to match?

9. The Casio Exilim EX-Z850

10. To never have exams again!

cough sneeze

2006-11-12T11:29:00.000+10:30

Am having a bad, bad hayfever episode. I am no longer not allergic to anything. I went through a short phase of shellfish allergy around my pre-teen years, but as far as I know, I’m not allergic to anything. Except milk maybe, and that is not an allergy – it’s just wonderful lactose-intolerance. But bloody Australia!! With the north wind in Adelaide bringing lovely bits of pollen and what not from the dryness up north. I refuse to accept the fact that I have hayfever! OK, itchy mouth, runny nose and red eyes are bringing me back to reality.

We had Mark’s parents over for dinner last night. He should just quit his job and be a chef. The food was so good it was unbelievable. He made a marinara with bbqed marron. The pasta sauce was from scratch (not just tomatoes, Romas!) and we got chilli linguine from the markets. Gorrr-met! I did next to nothing, besides clean the bathroom floors and help make sure the food tasted good. =D And I went to bed before they left, so he cleaned everything up as well! Oh I love him so much. Hehe.. But I felt really bad cause I really did absolutely nothing and my conscience is bleeping at me.

Ahhh I feel good after a nice long sleep. First time in weeks! This week has been madness, with me being superwoman. Worked a full-time week this week… at least somewhere between 30 and 40 hours. So it was basically work in the day, come home, have dinner, watch The Simpsons, study till early hours of the morning. Or maybe with a bit of variety, like falling asleep after 5 minutes of TV. Or maybe sleeping from 9-11 and staying up the rest of the night. After a week of that, I could feel my senses getting out of whack. I hit two side-mirrors this week. Which means my normally OK sense of distance was a little distorted. Luckily there was no damage to my car. So I assume there wasn’t any damage to the other cars either. Hehe. Yes, I didn’t stick around to check. And my reflexes have been very very slow. I feel quite handicapped actually. I console myself: it will all be over soon. The study at least.

Exams start tomorrow. I feel a little more normal after 9 whole hours of sleep. Minus the 5 minutes or so I spent err.. relieving my bladder. Can’t wait for next Monday. Freedom! It’s funny, I didn’t really get the ‘I can’t wait till exams are over’ feeling that bad this time around. Probably because I usually confine myself for a month, not that that means I’m usually more productive. It’s a good thing I don’t have broadband in my house anymore. This time around, swot vac became I-have-lots-of-time-to-work-and–feel-rich vac.

Have lots to look forward to after exams. Like next to no friends in Adelaide. =P I hate it how every semester my exchange student friends pick up and leave my life. *sob*. Whinging aside, there’s Perth to look forward too! Mark was invited to his friend’s wedding there, and my name was on the invite too! I decided that although the flights would be frightfully expensive ($500+ return), I really wanted to go and would just do it because I’ve never been to Perth and I want to go with Mark to see what he was up to the 4 years he spent there. At least we are getting free accommodation. I think. But it will be great to see the places and meet the people he talks about.

Then there’s Melbourne in January for the Pharmacy Congress. Missed out last year, and I have to say the one in first year kinda sucked cause I didn’t know many people and hardly anyone I knew went. (3 people from 1st year!!! – how embarassing). But this time around it will be great!

And then I’m going rural in May and off to Europe in July/August/ Sept! Woohoo! That’s a whole other blog entry. Gotta work my butt off for the $$. Why oh why doesn’t money grow on trees. In between my crazy work-study schedule I am learning German. Yes it’s related to English and all with some words similar, etc. But I tell you what! The grammar is no joke! I’ve heard people talk about it but I’ve never realised what they meant. If the “I am, you are” concept is difficult enough in English, it’s a million times worse in German. Need to pen in catching up with German friends after my exams. Nothing like practice. And I probably should try a little harder to learn Chinese. So many times I get caught cause customers in my pharmacy assume I’m Chinese (so what if they’re right! I could be Japanese!) and start speaking to me in Mandarin like this China woman who had diarrhoea and didn’t know what to do and said that the medicine was too expensive. (only $6.50!) Kinda proves that I can do it if I need to. The fact that I could only understand about 10% of what she was saying (– picking up key words is a skill ok!) and that I had to ask her to keep repeating a little slower…. Well.. that’s besides the point. =D. My pharmacist cracks up every time. He thinks its so funny how I have these ambitions to learn all these other languages but can’t really speak Chinese. =P

So many other random things I wanna blog about but with less than 24 hours till my exam, I should really get back to Pharmacology.

Cheerios!

Am I?

2006-10-15T16:11:00.000+09:30

I sometimes think I am a bit crazy.

This year, I am

Making plans to do my placement (course requirement) in Germany next August. This has never been done in the history of my course.
Having to earn enough to support my living expenses here in Aust
Having to earn enough to save to go to Europe. (Germany + Sweden + Finland = at least $6k?)
Planning on saving for a house
Have a pretty active social life
Learning German
Hopefully learning some Swedish
Picking up a little Italian for use at my pharmacy ("dieci minuto, Signora!")
Trying to get back into playing the piano. Seriously.
Going to the gym at least 3 times a week for 2 hours each.
Doing my pharmacy student thing - ie plenty of contact hours, lots of study, 'nuff said

Hmmm..

Good thing I don't have internet at home. =P

=P

2006-08-24T09:49:00.000+09:30

Hi everyone..

Sorry I've been AWOL for awhile. For once, it's not entirely my fault. I've shifted now, and my new house does not have internet. Nor a house phone. It's sad.

Am having a rather bad day. I've woken up late, missed the bus by a few minutes, run out of print quota, have the printer break down on me and miss my first lecture because of all of the above. I feel like just going home and sleeping the day away. Am highly irate!!!

OK. Going to try to make it to Lecture No 2.

RoAAaaaRrR

2006-08-04T23:41:00.000+09:30

TO ALL MY FELLOW AUGUST BUDDIES.......

Beatrice !

Wendy!

(sorry, I knew, just wasn't thinking!)

Kathleen !

Melvyn !

Pei Ling !

Lara !

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Many many hugs and kisses with my fluffy scratchy Leo mane.

Euphoric tiredness

2006-08-01T17:22:00.000+09:30

Am waiting for Charmain to come so I can dye her hair *rubs hands in glee*

Have been so tired lately. SO so so much work at uni, in addition to my very busy weekend. (Weekends should be at least 3 days!)

And I slept like 3 hours last night cause i was thinking and thinking about my proposed placement in Germany!! THis has never been done in my course. Ever. Kinda sad. So I will have to either do an exchange, or, as I am already doing, trusting my darling Svenja to find me a pharmacy that will take me in.

*fingers crossed so tightly they are losing blood*

I'm kinda baging on a lot of things here. That I can come up with the $$. That I can find learn some decent German in a year. That I will actually have a place to work in. That, hopefully, someone will be nice and adopt me for a month.

.....!!!! *exited*

Pics and more

2006-07-31T19:05:00.000+09:30

Wow I actually have this evening all to myself! What a treat. Hehe..

I thought it was about time to upload pictures and do some updating on life after exams.

RYOTA'S PARTY June 2006
It was an end-of-exams / start-of-hols / birthday type party. All us housemates went and .. it was fun!

Don't ask.

Beata and Ian every bit the lovey-dovey couple.

...???

Sandy's artwork on the birthday boy. Paul trying to read the chinese characters?

We decided to give the table a break and use Ian instead. Unfortunately he kept eating all our food!

Not that guys are obssessed with boobs or anything...

The Chocolate Body Paint artwork (which Ryota licked off himself after showing it off)

Japanese people are wacky.

MELBOURNE July 2006

This was my much needed break after a stressful semester of non-stop uni and work. Took leave off work, and quite a few people ended up in Melbourne at the same time which was really cool!

The 6 day trip was all about meeting up with people, socializing, trying not to get too drunk and ... shopping of course! We stayed at Greenhouse backpackers which is super duper cool - more hotel-y than hostel-y. The rooms were super clean and SMELL-LESS (my main gripe with backpackers) . Toilets were cleaner than mine here at home! And staff were really helpfull and chatty. We even had free breakfast every morning from 7-9 and Tues night was free pasta night! Oh, and free bbq on Sunday morning. Overall, a gourmet backpackers and only a couple of bucks more than those average backpackers'. Mark, Lisa and myself were in a dorm of 6, and I was in a girls' dorm before that, so I got to meet quite a few people. I think that most of the time people who stay in backpackers' are such interesting people - usually friendly and have hundreds of stories to share. As for safety and missing things, I think it's hardly an issue. They play by the 'What goes around comes around' rule. (or so I hope).

Got to meet up with a few long-lost friends - Jia Min all the way from Malaysia, Christine from NZ, form 5 friends Neehad and the class brainiac *temporarily forgot name, Charmain and Pete from uni, Amanda and Abby from Interact days and Phillip / Xiang Wei my ex-Interact prez when I was in F5. That was kinda un-expected because his gf's friend was my friend's friend's friend (???) and we all ended up in a bar. Small world.

Charmain at the bar. Was quite cosy with the cushions and all. Pete and Simon were there too.

Proof I met Xiang Wei!!! And he remembered this insignificant (then) 3rd former!!!

I forgot to mention that Greenhouse also organized a pubcrawl. With Maeve my roommate whose Irish lilt adds to her adorableness (pink) and Silvia (just met her)

Mini high school reunion.

We also found a nice bar on another night called Pugg Mahones, which is Irish for Kiss My Ass. Hehe. Maeve, me, Nuala (Met her the day I arrived and we got along so well! Maeve and Nuala are sisters), Jason (also Irish, been travelling Asia for a year!) and Sharon (Aussie, felt very small next to her). All 3 Irish people were so nice. Maeve and Nuala were so friendly and easy-going and sweet, Jason was full of stories from his travels and we talked for ages! He's not one bit as scary as he looks in this pic.

Mark and I actually managed to organized a dinner at De La Santos, a Spanish tapas restaurant, at the last minute!

Guy (Pete's mate), Chris, Lisa, Nuala, Maeve, Peter, Mark, Kirsty, Sharon, (Austrian chick, forgot name), Charmain (who was at this point fascinated with her accent), Simon.

Birthday girl, Jia Min had her own table. Sylvia, Ruth, Jia Min and Shaun, her bf. They were just next to our long table.

At Rob Roy's. Me trying to look tall(er) next to Sharon, Kirsty (Mark's ex uni mate) and Maeve.

Shaun, JMin, Ruth. At Cookie on Swanston. If you're wondering, that is a cold sore and Shaun did not abuse her.

Abby, Amanda, Me

Hanging out at the hostel on my last day just before I left for the bus stop. *sobsob*

Sharon, Nuala, me, Maeve.

Shopping in Melbourne did not disappoint as usual and I ended up with too much stuff!!! Star purchases include a winter-weight jacket from Espirit that is a sample for next year's stock! I am wearing a one-of-a-kind!!!

The lovely jacket - super warm and pretty stylish with lots of pockets. And it's Esprit!

A top I got for Mark's mom.

Some random, funky bag for 6 bucks

My bikie Garfunkle jacket

Some stuff I got for Sandy to match her new gold boots

Holey top from a shop where all tops were 10 bucks!!

Kookai top

Off-shoulder, waist-accentuating, sweet pink top

Another bargain

Bought 3 tops and got a scarf and beanie free!

Stripey DK top. Good for uni. =)

Unique white jacket. Only $15!

Summer is calling! Espirit dress.

Another Kookai top - it's a wrap top.

My trip home was pretty traumatic because i had to get to the bus station which was theoretically just up Swanston St. Catch a tram to the top, turn left. Easy. But........ it turns out to be friggin hidden away and not looking like a bus station at all, so I walked all the way up and down and up and down the street laden with my backpacks strung to the front and back which carrying 2 huge espirit bags AND a brown paper bag. The wind was blowing sooooo hard as well, I had to fight it, paper bag threatening to tear (us Adelaidians not used to such violent weather) and I was almost crying when I met a group of Kiwi tourists who even flagged down a taxi and gave me some money for the fare (do i look that poor???) when the taxi pointed across the street and gave me an evil glare for wasting 2 minutes of his time. So they walked me across the street and watched me get on the bus. Such nice people. =) Those kiwis, not too bad after all. =D

By the way, I think Greyhound is better than Firefly. Less people = higher chance of getting double seats = less chance of being seated next to some fat Italian dude = higher chance of getting some sleep. =)

I was so stressed out and exhausted from a non-stop 6 days that I slept all the way back to Adelaide (and had to go to work 3 hours after arriving) It was a really good trip and my shopping craving has finally been satisfied.

WINERIES July 2006

The best part about my Student Guide job is that i get to meet so many people!! The exchange students are such great fun because they are here to party and that's about it. This sem I met some really nice people including Heidi, a Finnish girl Ilona introduced us to. Heidi is so cute and sweet, she's adorable. Such a genuine person as well. Despite Mark's 'bad experiences' with Finnish people, mine have been good so far. =) Kind of the other way around with the Norweigiens.

Hahndorf Hill winery with the very enthusiastic wino.

A pic for Ilona. Thanks for introducing us!

Heidi and her housemate Alina from Mexico. The 3rd housemate was too ill and didn't make it.

Lisa and her new boy.

The Venezualans, Tatiana and Abel. She started speaking English a year ago and now she just can't stop!

All of us.

(back) Lisa, Andrew, Mark, Malcolm the pommie, Chris, Abel, Tati.

(front) Me, Alina, Ashley the Yankee and Heidi.

We went to Penfolds, then to Grumpy's, a microbrewery for a gourmet pizza lunch, and Nepenthe then Hahndorf Hill. Last of all back to Adelaide to The Tap Inn for coffee. Most of all were not up to standard because Heidi had had her housewarming party the night before and most of us were there. She was throwing up all day. Poor thing. She said she was going to become an absolutist and never touch alcohol again. Until Hahndorf Hill where I caught her tasting wine. Hehe. Apparently this was her 2nd time getting really drunk. *patpat*

It turned out to be a pretty relaxing day, albeit such a big group (big groups usually equal stress for organizers). I was not really in the mood for wine, but had some beer at Grumpy's that was really delicious! There was one called the Red Baron that had a toffee taste. At the end of it all, I was so ready for bed after working 9am to 1am the previous day. Yes. about 13+ hours of work all up.

So this is it for now! Gotta actually get some work done tonight. =D

BORED

2006-07-17T15:50:00.000+09:30

I'm selling a printer on Ebay!

HP photosmart 335

~~~~

2 hours not working, my very empty looking planner staring me in the face, I'm feeling kinda bored.

A WHOLE week (ok, 5 days) with nothing to do????? I will melt away in Boredomland. But I need the rest.

Hehe.. I complain when i have too much to do, but it's far worse with nothing to do.

I'm missing home. I realise I miss home when I'm bored cause I feel guilty with nothing to do here in Aust, but home = Relax and Chill.

I miss my parents and my brothers and coffeeshop and mamak food =(

I even miss mom's ~~horribly tasteless~~ homely food.

I kinda miss my purple room. Although purple has hardly been my favourite colour for years now.

I miss watching Astro.

I miss warm weather. I've had enough of f***ing winter. Bleh. =P Maybe the grey skies are responsible for my grey mood.

I miss cheap food!

I miss my Msian friends. =( As the years go by I feel high school and SAM days slip further and further into The Past.

I *kinda* miss playing golf. Anyone wants to buy me a golf set?

Ah well. I should try to tidy up my room and let Vivaldi keep me company. It's difficult when there is no storage room!!! But it's better than moping around..

Quin the Student Guide.

2006-07-17T12:50:00.000+09:30

Am sitting at Learning Connection, City East, UNISA. Waiting for 10 mins to pass so I can go home. Been working as a Student Guide and love the fun bits of my job - like taking a group of students on a wine centre / art museum tour, talking to students while hoping they somewhat understand me, etc etc.

Really, I'm paid to socialize.

And to surf the net / read a book ... waste time while waiting for new students to come register.

Today is my last day, and it's been pretty uneventful so far. Normal stuff - registering students, helping them find accomodation, taking them around uni (faster than giving directions), telling them how to apply for work visas.. blablabla..

I wanna blog about my Melbourne trip! Wait till I find time to do it. =)

Have to go to the Federal Police office after this to get my police check sorted out for my Canadian PR application (???) . Sent it to them, they sent it back cause wrong name of organization. Sent it to the again, they sent it back saying I need to get my fingerprint. Before wasting more money on stamps, I'd better get it properly looked at and double checked! Such a waste of time.

Hmmm.. I hope it's not cold outside. Left my jacket at home AND locked my keys in the house this morning. Not very smart, I know.

5 mins to go.

I still have a sore and swollen throat. Lisa came down with tonsillitis + pharyngitis. Many new int students sick. Mark had gastro. So just a sore throat is not too bad?

I seem to have lost 3 kilos. Mark was saying how I look like i've lost weight. I didn't believe him till i weighed myself at the gym. I don't know what happened! I wasn't even trying. Maybe it was all the walking in Melb. And my throat is not really encouraging me to eat.

Don't put it back on. Don't put it back on. Don't put it back on. Don't put it back on. Don't put it back on. Don't put it back on. Don't put it back on. Don't put it back on. Don't put it back on.

But we know it will happen. =P

The day I'm 55 kg, is the day I will celebrate ... with ... dinner?? No.. hmm.. chocolate?? No... Hmm.. new clothes!

OK! It's time to go!

Oh no.. do I hear rain?????!!!

And the beat goes on...

2006-07-04T01:45:00.000+09:30

Mommie would say 'Don't think that just because you're young, you are invinsible. You need to rest, you know!'

These few days have been crazy. I really haven't stopped since exams finished last Tuesday.

Wed:
10-12 pm
Work at Uni doing my lovely Student Guide work helping students (mainly Indian) find accomadation. I hate to say this, but most of the Indian guys are so rude and seem to look down on me cause I'm a female. And they have attrocious phone manners. It's kinda difficult cause I'm there to ASSIST them in finding the right accomodation, but sorry mate, I'm not gonna do the hunting and calling and choosing for you to hand you a place on a platter.

12.30 - 5 pm
Work at Locher (data entry).

Thurs:
9-3 pm
Work at pharmacy

till 7.30 pm
Shopping (or attempting to - i didn't buy anything!) at Harbourtown.

8-late
Dinner with Mel and Ollie and Tati and Abel at Red Ochre

Fri
9-5:
Work at Locher

9-late
Party @ Ryota's

late-super late (err.. 4am?)
Germany vs Argentina. We went to watch the game at a bar near Mark's place and at 80 minutes they kicked us out saying they wanna close, could we please go upstairs. Fine. Whaddaya know, just before EXTRA TIME they kick us out of the place!!! 'Du-uh.. it's on SBS" says the security guard. Please. if you don't advertise you're showing the game if you don't plan on letting us watch it!!!

Sat:
9-5
Work at pharmacy

~~9-late~~
SUPPOSED to go for Olli's party, but .....
7.30 PM - 9.15 AM
Mark came over to use my internet to pay his rent and the both of us were so exhausted we passed out at 7.30 and only regained full consciousness the next morning! So amazing.. I don't think I've ever slept 14 hours straight before! I kinda regret not making it for his house-warming party, and I thought it would be quite amusing cause the party the night before was 90% Asian, Olli's party would probably be 90% Caucasian.. with lots of Finnish people?? And I haven't seen him for a while too! But somehow, I think I hit the brick wall.

Sun:
2-7 pm
Pot luck at Mark's. A somewhat disappointing affair thanks to no-shows.

8-10 pm
Dinner at Mehrasa's house. OMG! She put on an amazing Persian feast! I think I should hire her as my personal chef!!!

Mon:
8.30-2.30pm
Work at Locher

3-4pm
Student guide meeting at uni which i was LATE for cause it started at 2.30 but i honestly thought it was 3!!

5.30-11pm
Work at the RAAF base

And here I am updating my blog at 2am after packing for tomorrow. =P

Plans for tomorrow.
Tues:
6-7.30am
Gym

8-6pm
Work at Locher

6.30-8pm
Dinner with Mark's parents

8.30pm
Leave for Melbourne!!!!

Ok, I'm feeling quite tired just writing all that. And I don't see it stopping soon, not till next Tuesday anyways. I'm really excited about Melbourne. Hopefully I will find my black bomber jacket I've been looking for for so long. And some pretty things. Will be so great to see my little Jia Min after so long too!!!

Hopefully it won't be too cold! It's so cold in my room right now I am breathing steam.

My day has just begun.

2006-06-26T17:21:00.000+09:30

I feel so much better after a hot shower. The flow of steamy hot running water, it's so cleansing and relaxing. Shampooed my hair twice - washing away every last bit of dirt and oil. And that feeling of glowingness after, especially when your steamy body is hit by cool outside air. It's such a rush.

Ah the little pleasures in life.

Hot showers could be the solution to world peace!

Everytime Bush wants to bomb a country, he should have a hot shower.

Obese diabetic

2006-06-26T15:31:00.000+09:30

My attempt at rhyming...

Coffee for breakfast

Instant noodles for lunch

2 tim tams for tea

What's for dinner? KFC?

>=|

2006-06-26T11:55:00.000+09:30

Am feeling extremely grumpy and have decided to isolate myself from humans for their protection.

For today at least.

URGH.. I have seriously had enough of exams. I am mainly pissed at myself for wasting 2 days out of 4 precious days to study for the most difficult paper of all. And that stems from being unable to focus and prioritize??!!!

Stress + a lot of shit happening in my life. OK, not too much, it definetely could be worse, but I'm just frustrated and annoyed with certain situations, things and people.

Yes, I am allowed to be a bitchy grump for one day.

Wanted to get up at 4, with 3 hours of sleep last night, but no... i kept putting my alarm on snooze and resetting it somehow in my unconscious state. Till 7am. So for 3 hours I had very disturbed sleep. Finally got up on the wrong side of the bed feeling extremely tired and irate because of a nightmare - i dreamt i kept sleeping through my alarm and finally woke up 1/2 hour after my paper had started. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

The worse thing is that I'd had RED BULL at 10 pm. That stuff usually keeps me buzzing for at least a day. But no...... I had to get sleepy 2 hours after. C'mon. If TAURINE + CAFFEINE + SUGAR doesn't work on me, what will???

___

Maybe I should go for a run and get this out of my system. But that would involve people and other living objects. I'll pass.

I shall just struggle through today and tomorrow till 6pm. Hopefull this mega pissed-offness would have dissipated by then.

The beginning of the end

2006-06-17T20:20:00.000+09:30

Had my pharmacology paper today and albeit 4 hours of sleep and a ****load of stress, I am still awake and almost.. buzzing!

Must be those caffeine pills.

Paper was alright, although the 75 multiple choice questions were a little draggy after awhile. Brain was threatening to stop functioning after an hour and a half. The paper was really thick! I got a shock when I first touched it. WHooaaa.. I thought it would take me awhile and I would probably be late for work, and I was right. I usually don't use the extra time given to us *ahem* underpriveledged, *ahem* non-English speaking international students, but this time I was glad of it! Forgot to do some last minute study on the anti-arrhythmics section, and I regretted it! The types of arrhythmias, and drugs and all that nice stuff was swimming around in my brain and I'll be happy if I got a third of my answers for that section right. But anyhow, one paper down, 3 more to go! The last one is another nightmare, but I don't reckon the next 2 will be too difficult. *touches wood*

On Tuesday night, I went to an awesome event that was part of the Adelaide Caberet Festival - 'Here's to the Ladies by a little woman with a huge voice, Christine Andreas. It was Broadway music, the kind i love. I actually stayed awake the whole performance, rapt in awe, thinking how beautiful this woman looked with her ski jump nose and tousled hair. Before each song she would tell a little story related to what she was going to sing, and also revealing her life story. Sort of. But we slowly learnt how the man playing the piano as accompaniment was her husband, and it was all just too cute. Many thanks to Mark's company, Locher for this whole event!

We had drinks in the bar after, and who did we see walking into the restaurant section after for dinner? The Andreases! A lot later, a few of us who were the last ones to leave got to have a little chat with them, and they were very real. Very friendly, looking a little tired and jet lagged (they are from New York), and I realised she's shorter than me! She looked pretty big on stage!

And I burnt one of my favourite shirts! This is the only other accident I've gotten into with the iron, besides leaving and iron-shaped print on one of Mark's shirts. That was not my fault! He refused to let me put water in the STEAM iron I was using, which I wasn't familiar with anyhow. I left the iron a little longer that usual cause the creases weren't coming out due to the lack of STEAM and anyways *ahem* wasn't my fault! Hehe.. So. What do I do?? I thought of making some sort of lace cap sleeves thing to hid the lack of cloth in that area. Hmmm.

What I scraped off the iron. It was crunchy!

The villian

Any suggestions?

Pharmacists...

2006-06-11T16:06:00.000+09:30

Thinking about it, pharmacists are pretty darn versatile.

We are the drug experts. Of course.

We are like doctors - we can diagnose and recommend treatments eg tinea, warts, nappy rash, all that lovely stuff.

We are like nutritionists - we advice people on weight loss, supplements, etc.

We are like podiatrists - we advice people on soles, shoes...

We are like nurses - dressing wounds of random people who come stumbling into the pharmacy asking for help.

We are counsellors - we have to care about compliance, people tell us their life problems, come for heroin therapy, etc etc

We are like occupational therapists - fitting crutches, wheelchairs, etc etc

...and so much more!

=) I like!

Bored....

2006-06-10T23:07:00.000+09:30

As you can gauge from the number of times I've updated my blog since I revamped it, I AM BORED.

It seems that swot vac is the most productive time of the year when I cook more, eat more, clean more, writing more, talk more, shop more........... *guilty smile*

Speaking of which, nation-wide sales are on! Let me say that again
*ATTENTION GIRLS, METROSEXUALS, BOYS AND GIRLS, SALES ARE ON!!!*
Once a year, just before the end of financial year, almost all shops have huge clearance sales. Usually the likes of 50% off!

... Which is an excuse for my shopping. ("Hey if I *ahem* need stuff, might as well get it while it's cheap right??")

Like....

I FOUND MY MUG AND WARMER!

Had a dinner date with Mel at the Perfect Cup, which makes some pretty awesome wood oven pizzas, then went down to Glenelg for that famous mug and warmer hot chocolate. It is pretty good, but my tongue was still sorta numb from the Forest Berries on the Aussie Outback pizza. Such an incredibly strong taste - it feels like some thing you should be smelling, not tasting. In any case, the taste lingered for a long time and numbed my tastebuds =(

SO.... we had the bright idea of just asking them if they sold the mug and warmer cause I've searched Ebay and could not find it, and "If it's not on Ebay, it doesn't exist". Says Ebay anyway.

Whaddaya know! They do sell it! Not exactly cheap at $19.90, but I figured it is pretty worth it and shall by my Splurge of The Week. Splurge too because I bought Mark a set. Yes, I know I am so sweet. =P

I finally have my own!

http://www.designawards.com.au/ADA/04-05/Consumer/051/051.htm

Thank you, Alex Liddy!

Photography

2006-06-10T22:53:00.000+09:30

I love great pictures. Those pics that were taken when you were at the same spot, but never saw what the photographer saw. The beauty in the smallest things. Or a whole new world by just altering the angle.

I don't think I have that creative eye. But I think I should start taking pictures again.

http://www.michaelefford.com.au/ - a graphics dude, with some great art work and nice photos!

http://www.karencheng.com.au/ - This is a very cute blog, with graphics I love and if I could copy the design of any layout this would be it!

http://www.jrocksvt.blogspot.com/ - The picture blog of one of Mark's ex-gfs, who is an amazing photographer. Have seen some of her works, and they are pretty darn good!

Juicy Couture Jewelled Dress

2006-06-09T22:05:00.000+09:30

I. Am. In. Love.

Only USD 2400.

Crunch MUNCH Time

2006-06-09T19:14:00.000+09:30

This is as close as I'll get to hobo-ness. Woke up pretty late today, quarter to 10, after a late night up studying (or semi-studying - if you demand brutal honesty). For someone who usually gets up before 8 on most days, this is pretty late! The first thing that hit me was 'Gee.. it's so warm!' Yes, it was a warm day, but the temperature difference at 8am and 10am is quite noticeable!

So I got up. And had cereal + yoghurt for breakfast. Started Mark's car, which he left in my care while he globe-trots to Perth *sob* without me, and resisted the temptation to drive somewhere. Did some washing up, cleaned and scrubbed the kitchen then did a little studying before browsing blogs and downloading songs. Before i knew it, it was lunch-time and I gladly trotted off to the kitchen again for some chow. Had an incredibly authentic eggplant + fish porridge + stir fried vege combo that Mark somehow produced from his white man hands. Then I attempted to study again before falling asleep. When I got up, it was almost dinner time (!!!). Wanted to keep my schnitzel as tomorrow's lunch at work, so I had instant noodles (Carlos: 'Are you simplifying your diet too?') and am now wasting time online again. BTW, exam period is very bad for waistline. As you can probably tell.

I feel like dessert now.

Mug and Warmer

2006-06-09T10:47:00.000+09:30

On Wednesday night, Mark and I and a Venezualian couple had dinner at Lungomare, Glenelg. The food was really good, but 'petite' as Tatiana put it. We had a laugh about it because we were so brutally honest. Quality, not quantity.

Our bellies half empty (half full?) we trotted around the corner to a chocolate shop for dessert. I can't believe I've never been there. Had a Belgian waffle with liquid chocolate and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. And.... Hot chocolate made with melted dark chocolate. The waffle was exquisite and the drink was to die for, but what got me the most was what it came it.

They call it a mug and warmer, and that's precisely what it is. It looks like a mug + oil burner. A tealight sat under the mug, in the burner thingy and heated up the chocolate. It was an AWESOME invention!!!

So I'm wondering where I can get one. The ones on eBay are all electric or USB powered, but there's something so deliciously romantic about it using a candle.

By the way, the chocolate shop is called Bracegirdle's House of Fine Chocolate. On Jetty Road. Now I wish I was living in Glenelg =)

New Look

2006-06-09T00:53:00.000+09:30

Like my new blog?? Gotta love free blog templates, this took me less than 10 minutes. =D

It's a pukey green colour but I love the design and somehow, the green looks acceptable. By far the best I've seen. I think my last one was so unique, but no doubt the template has some flaws, and I got tired of purple. Let's see how this one turns out.

Will play with it the next time I get bored with studying Pharmacology.

Any ideas?

But my laptop has a widescreen and it doesn't stretch to accomodate it. =(

'Striving'?

2006-06-08T23:59:00.000+09:30

It's midnight and I've just had a bowl of instant noodles. There goes my no food after 8, much less no carbs at night principle. Mark left for Perth today, only for 4 days, but a long enough time! We had a quick (and small) dinner at Ikea comprising of ONE gravad lax and ONE daim cake and TWO coffees between 2 people who are naturally big eaters, so I was feeling a little light-headed and nauseas up till about 10 minutes ago.

Was the last day of class today before the exams!! It created a mini panic attack in me and I'm actually gung-ho about studying pharmacology! I think stress is a good thing. I am absolutely not motivated otherwise.

I feel like my life now is so relaxed, much more than a couple of years back anyways. I feel contented cause I've found 2 gems of friends with whom I can talk about the deepest stuff, yet also go absolutely nuts and laugh till I cry. I feel like there's a sort of need in me to fight - fight against norms, fight against prejudice, fight for independance, fight for life exprience, fight to be different, fight to earn more money (hehe).... it's funny, cause people generally perceive me as a placid, easy-going person, and I believe I am, but maybe that's another way of fighting.. against myself? I don't like to settle! Maybe people call it striving. I don't like just accepting some things the way they are. If only I had a passion in something like anti-fur or anti-keeping-bears-in-cages-in-japan, I think I would go far. *basks in self-praise*

But as I was saying, I feel so relaxed and contented right now. I feel like I've had my fun setting up a house, working to get very different people as housemates, getting to know people (it's not easy!), getting a job, getting my career set up, getting settled at uni. I feel so happy and settled in my relationship with Mark, friends, parents.... and I have a job in a pharmacy, as well as a few casual jobs for extra money. Accomodation not so settled and a forever stress in my life, it seems, but I reckon it will be that way till I have my own home. Keeps me on my toes - heh. Even uni is not bothering me so much anymore. I realise that pharmacy is really interesting and is probably going to get more interesting in the years to come. So many oppurtunities and choices, the world is mine! (or will be in a couple of years)

But the strive in me is hath not died! I need to get off my arse and start learning / doing something new. I wanna learn German and some random language just so I can eavesdrop. How cool would it be to speak African! Maybe I should start with Mandarin, but pfftt.. I'm so used to being harassed for not speaking my mothertongue anyways (blame it on my parents! wahahaha). Have started belly dancing and am almost through Beginner One. Yes, I can dance to Habibi Ya Eini with my green hip belt with the noisy coins I bought off ebay. I actually think I have a natural flair for it, maybe thanks to my generous hips. Need to work on coordination and learning to focus my mind on certain parts of my body.

Try moving your head super horizontally in little movements from left to right - no tilting or wobbling! Now try that moving another part of your body - hahahaahhaha!!

It's June!

2006-06-03T21:52:00.000+09:30

I can't believe how long it's been since I've last blogged. In fact, I can't believe how quickly time has flown this year. It seems not too long ago, (yet long enough!) I was celebrating Christmas with Mark and my family. Hmm..

It's nearly time to say goodbye to the first half of my 2nd last year of uni. Exams are in 2 weeks, somebody please get me stressed. I'm really enjoying third year though. I've never studied so, well, not hard, but consistently for a whole semester. Have mantained a 70% (in fact, I got 70 in 4 out of 6 of my tests! And if I do some calculations, the average of the other 2 might end up being 70% as well.. haha..) It might cause some ~~nerds~~ diligent students to go "What are you happy about?? Only 70%??" But considering how I usually do not study at all till a month before exams, I think I'm pretty contented. In my first year I didn't even know when we had tests! Geezz.. how in the world did I get into the pharmacy course. And stay here.. hehe.. But I wouldn't change a thing! I'll give up all the distinctions in the world to be able to experience new things and meet new people and have a life less ordinary.

But life has been pretty simple lately, and I like it. Seems to revolve around uni, some studying here and there, Mark, work, a few special friends and trying to figure out what I want out of life. Let's not even talk about getting rich. I'm still trying to figure out what to do with my life from this year to the next. My lease expires in August. What to do in terms of accomodation? Rent a room? A unit? Sub-lease? Go buy a caravan? Should I aim for honours? Does it really make a difference? My interest is not there right now but will I regret it and wish I'd worked harder for greater benefits down the track? Am I just lazy? Should I do a placement oversease? If yes, where in the world?? - literally. Somewhere in Europe? Can't speak the language, but hey, it's a challenge. America? Too many Americans there, Mark says. Haha. Family's applying for Canadian PR - should I give that place a shot? Some random country like Slovakia? Probably not. I'm adventurous, but not crazily so. What about money? How much to save? Wait. How TO save?? Where's all my money going? How to make more money? $_$ What about PR? Are they changing the rules? What's this about working 3 years before getting PR? Pfftt..unfair, unfair.

Sometimes I think I think too much. I think I should blog more.

2006-04-12T01:09:00.000+09:30

I realise that everytime I'm bored, I reminise. I go into my own little world and think about things of the past, some things I shouldn't really be thinking about. I drag out memories in the form of diary writings, letters, emails and marvel at how much I don't remember. How quickly some memories fade away and how sticky other memories are. In the end, I realise you don't remember events or what someone said, but how you felt, and the emotions evoked.

Hmmmmmmmmm... I'm not going to talk about it anymore, I don't even know what to say. It's 1.13 am, I've just spent the night watching a movie in bed and doing a bit of cross stitching. Relatively full day tomorrow, considering it's holidays, but I guess I'm just gonna have to tire myself out to go to sleep.

I got a pharmacy job, at long last, and the introductory session is tomorrow. I've been trying to land a (real, paid) job in a pharmacy since the first year, and it's finally happened! I actually got hired on the spot cause apparently I was the 'most appropriate person for the job'. Why didn't anyone realise the last couple of years I've been driven to tears from frustration at being rejected time and again.

Sigh.

I'm really really happy about it. Experience in invaluable, definetely worth more than good grades, I've learnt. And really, after your first job, no one cares about how many hd's you got in uni. Or maybe they do and i'm just foolish and ignorant.

Been missing a lot of people as well. I tell you, I get all emotional when I'm bored. Talking to Svenja brought up memories of those good ol days. Oh how I miss that girl so much. One year and 4 months since she's been gone, she says. I feels like so much longer, I feel that so much has changed in that time, and maybe I have changed so much too.

I wonder. Sometimes I think i've changed a lot, and sometimes i feel that I'm the same person, really, just expressing myself in different ways, ways I have never been allowed to express myself. I was speaking to my cousin about this, how people like to box things up, set 'rules' everyone should follow. You should dress this way. You should get married after such and such an age. You shouldn't say that. You have to do this. Are we slaves to society? Should we really care what people think? After all, one size doesn't fit all, and God gave us a mind to think and a will to decide for ourselves.

Ok, enough. Bedtime now.

Love, work and party!

2006-04-01T22:00:00.001+10:30

Had a nice long chat with Sandy today. It's been a long, long time since we really had a heart to heart, and we really should do it more. Talked about last night and her boyfriend and love life and also about life..... Made me think about a few things (when my mind should be on Pharmacology!!)

What is love, really. Age old question, I know, but everyone has a different idea on what love is. Partnership? Fireworks? Emotions? Feelings? Convienience? Complete giving of oneself unselfishly? Is it feeling special.... or making someone feel special? Is it just a feeling.... or should the mind rule more than the heart? Is it to avoid loneliness? Finding someone to 'complete' oneself? Not just being able to live with someone, but not being able to live without them.

And who's to answer this question really. But I think the last is the most important. It makes me think of my relationship as well. 2 months spent away from Mark was a test, and in a way, strengthened us. No doubt I had an amazing time with my friends and family, but being away from the person you love is independant of that. I missed his company, his touch, his voice. Him.

Our first picture together

We've been together for more than 2 years now, and it seems like it's only getting better. Things definitely started off a little shaky, but looking back, it's that period that makes me realise now how serious he was. And since then, our friendship and relationship has only gotten stronger and he's the one I lean on and know I can rely on. I just realised that last night, he was out with his ex-girlfriend and today he's out with a french girl but 1. it's not as it sounds and 2. (Because of that,) it doesn't bother me. After all, it was me who couldn't make it to dinner last night and didn't want to go to the footie this evening.

But I think the nicest thing about us is that we spend so much time together, and we wouldn't have it any other way. I could spend day and night and night and day with him, and I wouldn't tire of his company. How many people can I say that of?

Ok, enough rambling. Now on to last night. Worked till midnight, then went out drinking and dancing with my housemates and Sandy's friends. Ok, not very much drinking happened although we happened to do our own pubcrawl from one lousy place to another. Didn't really want to have more than a couple of drinks cause i have a lot of study to do. Anyway, after the casino bar and whisking past the London Tavern, we ended up at PJ O'Brien's. In my opinion, best place to be in if you wanna be picked up. Absolutely crawling with sleazy guys who surround the dance floor, just looking/ staring and will not pass the oppurtunity to either throw some dirty comment at you or rub their paws over some part of your body. I kept my coat on most of the night.

The pass I need to get to work. Department of Defence!

Housemates! (clockwise from top) Beata, Carlos, Sandy, Quin

So at some point I hit the dance floor with the others and was jumping around to 'I would walk 500 miles' when I realised... my zipped handbag (hanging off my shoulder) was open and unzipped! MY BRAND NEW KEPT-IN-PERFECT-CONDITION PHONE WAS GONE!' I was kinda surprise 'they' didn't grab my purse as well. Panickly looked around the dance floor, and checked the seat where we were, but i somehow knew it was gone. Got home as soon as possible, no way I was staying, and called the company up to cancel my number. Thank God for India call centres who provide service even at 2.30am. Then proceeded to sob on the phone to Mark (finally the dams broke). Just needed that little bit of relief. Sort of flopped around for a bit, I was very exhausted by then... stressful day + work + little bit of vodka + dancing + mega stress and shock. Felt so helpless and annoyed that I started bombarding my phone with messages of 'Give me back my phone you ******' and 'You think you've gained something but in the long term you will lose out.. you know it' and 'Just give me back my sim card............. PLEASE!!!'

Gave up after awhile, then went to bed. About 2 seconds later, the phone rang. Someone had found my phone at the other end of the city! I flew there (thank God for vehicles) and actually got my phone back in perfect condition! How amazing is that!!! The person must have tried to make some calls, but couldn't, then gave up and chucked it.

So, all's well that ends well. I love how Australia is generally an good, civilised country with (mainly) honest folk.

While I used to whinge about Motorola's user-unfriendliness..........

I love my phone more then ever now.

I'm rich!

2006-03-08T22:30:00.000+10:30

My Ipod sold for $151 - one hundred and fifty one big aussie bucks!! I can't believe it.

1. The previous retail price was $149.

2. The current retail price is $99

3. I charge $15 for postage (and handling, of course) , and EXPRESS postage was only $6.80. (OK, i admit i was going to use regular post, only $3.80... until I saw the ending bid)

Whew! Anybody want me to sell anything for them?? =D

BTW, when I read the lyrics to this song, I cracked up. Hehehehe

LOLA
by Kinks

I met her in a club down in old Soho
where you drink champagne and it tastes just like Cherry Cola
C-O-L-A Cola.

She walked up to me and she asked me to dance.
I asked her her name and in a dark brown voice she said, "Lola"
L-O-L-A Lola, lo lo lo Lola

Well, I'm not the world's most physical guy,
but when she squeesed me tight she nearly broke my spine
Oh my Lola, lo lo lo Lola, lo lo lo Lola

Well, I'm not dumb but I can't understand
why she walks like a woman and talks like a man
Oh my Lola, lo lo lo Lola, lo lo lo Lola

Well, we drank champagne and danced all night,
under electric candlelight,
she picked me up and sat me on her knee,
She said, "Little boy won't you come home with me?"
Well, I'm not the world's most passionate guy,
but when I looked in her eyes,
I almost fell for my Lola,
Lo lo lo Lola, lo lo lo Lola

I pushed her away. I walked to the door.
I fell to the floor. I got down on my knees.
I looked at her, and she at me.
Well that's the way that I want it to stay.
I always want it to be that way for my Lola.
Lo lo lo Lola.

Girls will be boys, and boys will be girls.
It's a mixed up, muddled up, shook up world,
except for Lola. Lo lo lo Lola. Lo lo lo Lola.

Well I left home just a week ago,
and I never ever kissed a woman before,
Lola smiled and took me by the hand,
she said, "Little boy, gonna make you a man."
Well I'm not the world's most masculine man,
but I know what I am and that I'm a man,
so is Lola.
Lo lo lo Lola. Lo lo lo Lola.

2 months in a nutshell.

2006-02-25T16:38:00.000+10:30

Ok, the Lazy Blogger is back.

This is my last weekend of freedom, might as well make the best of it. Back to uni tomorrow after 3 whole months of not using my brain(s). I don't think there's much left of it. Faded away due to unuse.

Had my very first Chinese class today. Class 3B run by the Overseas Chinese Association in some run down primary school. Yes, there are kids in my class, kids half my size that learn twice as fast as me. Keep in mind that when I stopped classes when I was 12, I was only in Year 2. So 1 year behind + long time no speak Chinese + even longer time to read or write Chinese = Headache. So embarassing that Mark is so much better than me. Even dares to gloat over his 94% for dictation. Pah!

This is the stuff I am doing... too many ~~new~~ words!!

~~~

By the way, my Ipod shuffle is on sale on Ebay!!!!

~~~

Finally organized my shoes! Imagine all these shoes in a pile on the floor before this. There even is a 'drawer' of a carboard box cover. =)

Not so neat, my dressing table is crying out for help

And my bed. What to do with all these clothes??

And these winter stuff

Hey at least my wardrobe is neat albeit tooooo small!...

~~~

Ok, I guess I should write about nice little holiday in Malaysia. Spent 2 months have wonderful people over and showing them Malaysia and also (not so wonderful) working in Bangsar Pantai.

After Mark left, Martina came the day after I came back from Singapore seeing Mark off. She is my feisty German ex-housemate who went a little crazy shopping in Malaysia. Shoes, bags, work clothes, manicures, facials, she did it all. Also had a tour of KL thanks to Jason. I refuse to drive in KL. Especially not around KL. You might get a longer tour than you expect cause I may end up in Kuantan or something. Best moment: Trying durian. There's nothing like watching her reaction (so wish I got it on video), but hopefully I'm a good enough story teller. Simply, imagine this. There is a plump, juicy piece of durian thoughtfully left on a plate by Reuben. We find it on the table when we go for lunch and it has Martina's name all over it (not literally) We have lunch, with her asking a lot of questions about the wonderful fruit all the way. She having great doubts and I insisting she try it, at least. Finally, we finish our meal, and the durian is staring us in the face. She stares at it for awhile. I push it closer to her, full of anticipation. And I am not disappointed. She finally prods it with her finger and licks it. Her face changes. She stand up, smells her finger in disgust and rush to the sink where she proceeds to scrub her tongue and desperately wash her hands with A LOT of soap. Complains for the rest of the day that she can still smell and taste it. She didn't even break the membrane, ok. =)

Gotta be the funnies thing ever.

So she left after 4 days of shopping and spa-ing, and Sofia arrived that night, on a bus from Singapore. It was raining a lot in Sing so she decided to just come up. Yes, my room was starting to feel like a backpackers'. Not complaining though. Don't think we did anything hugely significant for the first few days.

OK Sofia, what are you trying to tell us?

SS2 pasar malam

Went to Kajang for Satay, went for kungfu lessons (apparently Swedish people don't even know what kungfu is). Oh she did teach me to ice skate at Sunway Pyramid, which I thought was so cool cause, you know, people from that end of the world are practically born with ice skates or skis on. She was so fast, that you could see her hair flying behind her. Quote of the day "Do you realise how wierd it feels to ice skate in a sleeveless top??". Yeap, I never realised that. =) It was so cool cause she could skate backward and pull me, so I could actually feel some wind, instead of just sliding around on the same spot. Yes, by the end of it I had pretty cramped feet but I could move at an acceptable speed!

Trying on Mom's clothes.

Ice skating with chinese lanterns. a bit of a contradiction?

Also went to the SS2 Pasar Malam, and of course she was really fascinated with the sights, sounds and smells. Got some of those 3 for RM10 biscuit things, and a fake cell phone cover in addition to the snacks we had along the way. Unfortunately, her sling bag got slit, and we only realised it when a nice lady asked us if it was her camera that was lying on a table, where she had rested her bag. It was then we realised there was a clean slit on the bottom of her bag! THe only consolation was that the only things missing were her spare phone, liquorice candy and laser pointer which she had just bought. Rude awakening to reality. Malaysia is not the safest place.

Other than that, she also got to try on some of my mom's old clothes that were going to go to charity (if anyone will take them!) And of course she got a hair cut and dye in cheap ol Malaysia.

Then Ilona came too and on her first evening here, we made her try 'Durian Bomb', something we hoped wouldn't be as 'disgusting' as the actual fruit. But I had a bit and the very distinctive smell and taste was definetely there! On the other hand, she did have a blocked nose.

Click here to watch 'Ilona try durian'

And the next day, we were off to Borneo. Kota Kinabalu, then Mulu and finally Kuching. One end of East Malaysia to the other in just 6 days. Not bad!

And the backpackers are off!

Our first day there was a little disappointing because with our very detailed itinery, we were to go snorkelling at Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park, a very beautiful 'park' of 3 islands protected by the government. There is a speedboat that runs to and from one of the main islands, but only takes off when it is full (at least 8 people). We didn't know this, but 99% of us tourists would leave early in the morning, at about 9am, and return at 5pm. We turned up at 2pm. Hung around about, while fretting about what to do, hoping more people would magically turn up, cause we wanted to go to the island and dip our feet in 'Island Water'.

Then this other guy came up to us and asked if we wanted to go to the island. ONly RM80 for the 3 of us, return. It's a pretty good deal, cause it was a lot cheaper than the other gvt run one. BUT of course we were very wary and spent about an hour waiting and debating whether or not we wanted to trust him. In the end, we thought, pfft, in the end it will be 3 girls against 1 guy, and what's the worst that could happen. BUT, it turns out his boat was at the island, and when he tried to borrow some other guy's boat, he refused cause 'Warna kulit lain' or 'Different skin colour', refering to Ilona and Sofia. Poor girls, they were so confused when I led them away after finally deciding to go.

Anyway, we hiked to a lookout point where we could get a view of ~~not so stunning~~ Kota Kinabalu, after getting lost on the first attempt. Whaddaya expect from 3 girls?? *flutters eyelashes*. Went to the Handicraft Market and the night market night then crashed early in preparation of the next day.

"Um girls, maybe this is not it?"

This is it! Presenting Kota Kinabalu!

Woke up bright and early the next day and had a day of Kota Kinabalu National Park and Poring Hot Springs. Being the low season, the tour we booked consisted of just us 3! Was great! Our guide was really obliging and informative. Did the canopy walk, hot springs, Handicraft place.... And ended our day with a beautiful and very fresh seafood meal at Ocean, where our we had to pick our still-swimming dinner from tanks! Was a fantastic meal. Both girls said that seafood was practically non-existant in Scandanavia, except for fish and prawns in pasta and such. Even the Malaysian thought it was a really really good dinner as well! Mantis, fish and crab, plus veggies, rice and beer for only RM50 a head. That is dirt cheap for seafood! *drools while uploading pics*

Handicraft market

At the entrance to the Canopy Walk

Me canopy walking

Ilona, Sofia and tour guide!

At the hot springs, waiting very patiently for our rotten eggs smelling water to fill up.

"We want.... that one!"

Remains of our feast

Ok, this is mean. But c'mon, can't you see the resemblance??

Then we were off to Mulu, where I was really amazed and continuously fascinating. The only thing I was not so impressed with was when I kept getting an allergy-type reaction everytime I got into bed, and Sofia figured the mattress must be mouldy. Yuck!!! But, can't complain for RM10 a bed a night. =) Our guide was only RM5 (as opposed to Kota Kinabalu's RM190 guide) and on the first day we went to the Deer and Lang cave, and then Clearwater, Moonmilk and Wind Cave the next day. Coincedentally, our (very cheap) guide is the son of the dude who found the Lang cave. That was cool!

Penan handicraft market. Apparently it's set up by the government. Bleh!

Cute little kampung kids

Overall, I was very impressed with the way the caves were managed and kept. Beautiful lighting, well run tours and simply nature at her best.

Swimming outside Clearwater Cave (hence the name)

And our final stop, Kuching. Another plan was foiled when we went all the way to the Orang Utan Sanctuary BY TAXI, just to be on time for the feeding, only to find that no orang utans wanted to be fed. So there we stood, very silently, for about an hour, with a lone guy calling out to the orangs to come get their chow. Sofia sat on her slippers and fell asleep.

This was the closest we would get to an orang utan.

Hey if I were an orang utan, i'd come for this! Quail eggs!

Oh the pretty views in Kuching

Sarawak Cultural Village. Impressive, no?

Our hotel was so bad, that when we complained there was no hot water (we meant shower!), they brought us this!

On our last day, we went to the Sarawak Cultural Village to get a bit of culture into us, Borneo being a tribal place and all. I have to say I was again very impressed by the way this place was set up and run. It mainly showcased the different types of houses and lives the tribes had, and the show that ended the evening was fantastic. Highly recommeded, especially for those studying Kajian Tempatan or Sejarah and especially for Malaysians who, like me, know nothing about 'that side of Malaysia'.

Being kids again.

And again

The fun never ends!

The impresssive show that ended our stay in Borneo very nicely!

So that was yet another amazing trip, and we flew back exhausted but happy on our RM10 Air Asia flight. I think Borneo is a very special place. Being from cold KL, I find the Borneo-ians very genuine and friendly, and I felt relatively safe there. No significnt hand-bag snatching and according to our guide the main form of crime was drug abuse. Yes, very scary. People there are very willing to help, and speak rather good English. Enough to put KL-ians to shame. I would definetely go back, even if just for the seafood!

Random nice pic with bro

All dolled up for Zouk

These are the few shoes Ilona bought in Asia

Then of course there was Chinese New Year, where the girls were delighted with their ang pows and Ilona says that this is even more reason not to get married. Hehe.. It was really fun to dress up, and even more fun to watch Ilona play hide and seek with my 5 year old cousin.

Also went up to Genting where Sofia insightfully commented "Why you want to go to a *shiver* cold place like this when you such nice weather??" Em... cause we have 'nice weather' all year round, and it's not really so special. Hehe.. They checked out the casino while I adjusted my halo waiting outside with my underaged brother. Also went to the infamous First World Plaza, and we hung around for quite a bit and did some shopping. How can you resist! They were yet again fascinated with Snow World. They actually found it so hilarious cause when we peeped inside, there were people standing around the halogen lamps warming their hands. Lol... Snow AND ice in Malaysia. What a country!

Snow World!

Lou shang!

Really cute pic Ilona took of Sofia and I

Ok, this girl likes her durians.....

And this one doesn't really.

Ilona left after to head to Laos, where is is now, and will be for another few months. (Hang in there, babe!)

Sofia left about a week after and I experienced some sort of 'empty next syndrome' cause for the first time in a long, long while, I had my room all to myself. And it was no fun. Bring back the backpackers! =(

Cute 5 year old cousin and friend. Yes, this is the one Ilona played hide and seek with.

Some time later, they may look like this!

But I didn't have long to fret, cause it was work the next day. Industrial attachment at Bangsar Pantai. 9-6 Mon-Fri, 9-1 Sat for 2 weeks plus. It was literally wake up, have brekkie, go to work, come home tired and depressed, have dinner and go to bed. Next day: repeat above. At first I really really really did NOT enjoy working there cause i found the people who were supposed to be teaching me stuff to be rude and unhelpful (bloody grumpy pharmacy assistants!), but as I got to know the other people, namely the other students and the young pharmacists, life at Pantai got a little more bearable. But i was still happy to stop anyways.

3 days later, here I am, back in Adelaide, ready to start a new chapter of my life!

Bedtime thoughts..

2006-02-15T01:33:00.000+10:30

Just some random thoughts............

* Independant movies are the best.. forget all that fancy Hollywood stuff

* I am amazed at how self-absorbed and unmodest some people can be. Can one really be THAT vain??

* I am semi-depressed working in a pharmacy. That can't be good

* I want to stay as much as I want to go 'home' to Adelaide

* I really really really hate airports

* There are so many amazing people out there to meet, what a waste if you miss meeting a potential friend

* In the end, you know you can count on family

* Kids grow up so incredibly quickly

* Long-distance relationships ............... hate them.

* V-day can be so increadibly condemning

* I seriously have a fetish for silky things

* If everyone realises that all people are the fundamentally the same, and that understanding culture and religion is so important, the world would be so peaceful.

* I am afraid AND exited for 3rd year

* I never want to stop studying... *rephrase* stop living a carefree uni student's life

* Sticky and 'manja' people piss me off big time.

* Surely Kl holds some sort of record for largest and most shopping malls??

* Wouldn't it be so cool to be able to speak all the languages of the world?!

* I *hate hate hate* the way people suck up to those with power and / or money.

* *Quote* When you're near death, you realise that nothing matters. *unquote*

* Lightbulb moments show you who your real friends are

OK, enough of that for now.... I wonder if any of this will make sense tomorrow...

What Age do You Act?

2006-02-10T22:20:00.000+10:30

You Are 28 Years Old

Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe.

13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world.

20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences.

30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more!

40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

What Age Do You Act?

Night thoughts

2006-01-25T05:44:00.000+10:30

This is going to be a very quick post cause I am exhausted beyond comprehension after 6 days in Borneo of non-stop action. Need sleep, but i think I am a little numb and over 'the hill'. Weeheee... party!! Ok, I am going to sleep so well after this.

Borneo is absolutely amazing. Anyone (esp Peninsular Malaysians!!) who hasn't been there should spend at least a week there. So much forest (think of all the oxygen) beautiful people (that's what Malaysia should be all about), safe and clean (much more than KL anyways) and so different. It was great cause i felt like I was on holiday, cause it is so different to KL, but could speak the language and converse with 'the locals' (and get to impress the europeans. Haha..) . Gotta love that. Have lots and lots of pictures I'm dying to put on the computer for a closer look.

And of course there is that certain sense of relief and happiness and also the backlog of tiredness that comes with being home. In some ways, I really miss Adelaide. The simpleness and organized-ness. And of course I miss Mark. Have been trying not to think about it, but I've known him and spent so much time with him since I got to Australia, that it feels so wierd not having him around. He's such a great companion, to say the least. And he sent the sweetest message today saying that he's lived most of his life without me, but now that I'm in it, he can't live life without me. OK, I'm not fond of girls who 'boast' about how amazingly incredible their boyfriends are and the million wonderful things he's done, but I loved the simpleness and sincerity of that sms. Especially cause I feel the same way and I know he means it. Nothing worse that empty words.

To end this post, I was talking to the girls about my wanting to study / work in Europe. It's something I should give more thought sooner or later cause now that i know so many people from that part of the world, I think it would be so great to see how they live. Plus, if i want to do a masters or another degree there, it's free! Just have to learn the language, which I want to anyway. Am attempting to learn German, very very slowly, but I think it would be so unique to be able to talar Svenska (speak Swedish). Doens't seem to be a very difficult language, and it would be something special!

Ok, now that random thoughts are out of my head, time to get some shut eye. Maybe pedicure tomorrow and Zouk at night with Jason, Sandy and Ilona and Sofia? Sounds great! =)

Night, world.

Of holidays and sleeping and things in-between

2006-01-08T06:46:00.000+10:30

Holidays are great, especially 3 month ones. Have been back for slightly more than a month, and am happy-tired. Been sleeping heaps, of course. I love how i can really, really sleep here and not worry about the pool or cleaning or answering the door or going to class or washing dishes or ......

First few days back in Msia were very very relaxing. It is always great to see the family again, and marvel at my ever-growing brothers and having long chats with my mom and enjoying my dad's company. Nothing like family.

My babs and I.

Then Mark comes over! Earlier this year, before any real plans were made and before flights were booked, I was giving up hope at him coming to spend Christmas with me because of work. Bloody work! Who needs to work! Everyone should be a bum. hehe... But he managed to get some time of and Meet The Parents. Went amazingly well. Yes, I would get heart palpitations when thinking about it earlier, but I figured that this is the man I love, and who is such a huge part of my life. Of course my family will love him. =) I just love how he is so easy-going and able to hold intelligent conversations with anybody and anyone and how he is so at ease in any situation. And how he can direct me when I'm driving. =P I absolutely enjoyed the time he spent here. To put it one way, I'm in 'his territory' 99% of the time in Adelaide, and I am part of his life. But it's so nice to show someone the place you've grown up in and the nitty-gritties that make me ME. I love Adelaide to bits, but there's always something special about home.

Took a day trip down to Malacca. A nonya kitchen...

Some really expensive handmade Nonya tiles. RM 180 each!

After a Japanese buffet at the Sheraton. Shrek and The Little Asian Family.

Mark's Assam Laksa! We found this place after huge cravings for asam laksa.

And on to Singapore. Me doing what i do best. =P

After a lot of shopping for him (he morphed into a shopaholic here!) and waaay too much eating, we headed down to Singapore for more shopping and eating cause that's where he was departing from. I haven't been to Singapore in years, and the last time i remember going down was when I was a kid. It's an amazingly structured, ordered and almost robotic society. Stuff like their politeness and willingness to talk to you, and how they spit-polish even the kopitiam tables and the cleanliness of it all just amazed me. It's funny how Malaysia and Singapore are practically siblings, and yet, they are the complete opposite in some ways. Stayed with his friend, Rajen in an apartment he was sort-of sharing with his bro-in-law who is migrating to Perth next week. I reckon i would be so depressed living in an apartment. No privacy, all those friggin stairs, noise from the street....... =P Bought a saree from Little India, was quite fascinated with the place. That's about all I bought, really, as opposed to my darling and his overweight baggage *smirk* Oh! He got a really really nice camera from Sim Lim, Fuji Finepix Z1. I think it's a really good camera that suits him to a tee! Very elegant and not too many features. I want my Exilim too!!!! Saw that the new model, S600 is out. But the Z750 is so nice as well.... *drool*

Our lovely Singaporean host, Rajan.

Lunch in Chinatown at a Szechuan restaurant. They eat chilli like they'll die without it! Mark looking just a teeny bit hungover?

Some diced chicken Szechuan style. Scary stuff!

And minus the chicken...

At the bird park with his friend and her family. The leetle girl is sooo cute!

Shanghainese dinner with Lorraine and KC. He then took us on a 2 hour tour of Singapore in his car. North to South, East to West. Red light district too!

Then to end our last night, drinks at Acid Bar. I was feeling a bit weird after dinner and the car ride, so I got the dessert in the middle. Brownies and icecream.... Yumm!!

But anyway, he's gone home now. I'm freee!!!! Just kidding... I will really really miss him. We spend so much time together and we enjoy each other's company so much it feels like a chunk of me has been removed. 2 months of apart-ness. This will be like our version of a LDR. Not very fun. But well, a working man's gotta do what a working man's gotta do. =P And his non-working girlfriend has to accept that, and look forward to working full-time someday too. Not!

Ok, let me get some sleep before the sun rises......

A little jam...

2005-12-23T14:07:00.000+10:30

So it seems that once again, plans are flubbed just because people are people. Supposed to go up to Genting for Christmas, but one by one, the singa-bloody-poreans (learnt from kennysia.com) drop out and the last of them is not coming just because there is a jam at the causeway. I'm sorry but if a little jam, when you're sitting in an air-conditioned Lexus turns you off from a Christmas reunion, you've gotta question how much they really wanted to come. So so disappointing. Was looking forward to big Christmas feast in Genting at the restaurant with live frogs. (stuff you remember when you're a kid)

But i've learnt that people are disappointing. If you want something done, do it yourself. If you want things to happen, you make plans and if other people pull out, curse and swear at them then just adapt.

Pfft. People.

Home Soon

2005-12-18T01:18:00.000+10:30

SO before I know it, I'll be home. Funny, it seems like not too long ago at all I was arriving in KLIA, experiencing the start of my reverse culture shock and feeling very big.

Can't belive it's so soon! And I can't believe this year has gone by so quickly. Yet if I think about what happened early this year, it seems so long ago. I have to say, it has been an amazing year of highs and lows and complete opposites. For one, my house 'mood' is so different now. Much quieter / tamer and only one 'crazy european'. I really miss the way things were in the first year, and I miss my 'Original housemates' especially Svenja and Sofia and the 'Almost Housemate, Ilona' so so so much. I guess in many ways, my social life revolves around my housemates a lot. I have to love the people I live with, cause I believe that housemates should be more than just people who live under the same roof. And the 'my friends are your friends' thing means that you get to meet so many people (and have so many great parties). Yet, is meeting a lot of people really all that important? I'd rather have a couple of friends I can call friends and send Christmas cards to for life rather than have a whole bunch of people I hardly know names.

Right now I feel so alone in Adelaide. Most friends have gone back, some exchange students I've hardly met this semester in fear of failing another subject again. Regret, regret, but what can I do. Have to prioritize studies (cause I hate giving up holidays to study for resits). And yet if going to the Cook Islands and having those long chats with Sofia and Ilona and having 3 hour dress up parties and making Sofia over and all that was really the cause of me failing, then sorry, but I wouldn't have changed a thing. In the end, I figure I'm not really interested in doing anything more than just getting my bachelor's and heck, I'm not the best student, so might as well make uni life an EXPERIENCE.

Been feeling a bit down lately, very moody and I hate it. I feel like a preteen all over again. Feel tired and depressed, like I just don't want to talk to anybody and have to bite my tongue so I don't have to bite someone else's head off...... I don't know what is wrong with me but Redbull somehow cures it. In fact I think Redbull is the only thing that keeps me awake and almost hyper. Coffee just makes me jumpy and caffiene tablets are a waste of money. 7 hours after a can of Redbull, I'm still pumping! But yea, hopefully these mood swings will wear off really soon. Maybe a nice day by the beach with a good book will cure it. Poor Mark, he looks so confused and upset everytime I am down, but the darling boy understands and tries to make me talk about it. Such a psychologist! I wonder how the two months of us being apart will be. We spend so much time together, he really is like my bestest friend ever. And the amazing thing is that we don't get sick of each other. In the first semester, we spent every single day together until exams. Now we don't even bother to keep track. 2 months will be wierd....

Anyway, enough blabbering.. almost 4 am, still need to sort out my fridge / freezer and want to continue reading 'My Sister's Keeper' which is an excellent book. Would be engaging if I had time to be engaged.... =(

I'm supposed to be relaxed after exams?

2005-11-28T09:52:00.000+10:30

Yes! Exams are over! OK, they were over on Thursday, but I finally have time to breathe. Right after exams, stayed up all night till about 4am, just chatting and coffee place-crawling (as opposed to pub-crawling) as one by one shut up for the night. It was really nice cause the last exam was so tiring. Real 101% concentration for 3 1/2 hours, so that I could barely recall my name at the end of it. Stoned! Was in an exhausted, but happy state. Attempted to club at PJ O'Brien's but we got there at 1am, and by then Ladies' Night free drinks were over, and I reckon they made the music bad so we would get off the dance floor and start buying drinks. Didn't feel like drinking and I didn't touch a drop all night. Would have danced if the music was any better.

Anyhow, Friday I welcomed my new furniture (new couch and new outdoor setting!) which just look awesome now. It's amazing how furniture can make a place look so different. Also met Potential New Housemate, a guy from Lima, Peru. He seems quite nice, but like Phil, maybe a little ~~exited~~ intimidated by us girls.

And on Saturday, was out the whole day from 9am till about 2am on a wine tour then dinner then Mel's surprise party. Wine tour was great... down in McLaren Vale.. was a cold day (hello??? Mr Weather, it's almost summer!!!) and maybe we rushed a little between wineries, but it was a really good trip. I got a little car sick from sitting in the backseat and talking sideways and a little irritated at a certain somebody's inconsiderateness, but still had a blast. THe day couldn't get more packed then that cause straight after to Yiing Fei's party at her house and then dinner at a really nice Thai restaurant. And all through dinner, was attempting to plan Mel's party. Next time, one or two people do the planning and let other people know. Gosh.. all that whispering and toilet trips, of course she would know! As if she's not sharp enough... hehe...

So by Sunday, I was extremely exhausted. And Allan's music was having a great weekend sale. Of course, I couldn't go on Saturday, so I had to squeeze it in on Sunday. Managed to score a reasonable deal, and really, by now I'm a little tired of all that researching on pianos, that I just got the Yamaha P60, just the one I wanted and it was the last in the shop! Got a stool thrown in as well and a stand for cheap. Wish I had more time to look at sheet music (dammit!) but maybe we'll save that for another day. Then rushing around cleaning up the house and getting ready for the bbq. Got to use my outdoor setting! OH tiredness... good thing people left early-ish, and it wasn't yet another late night. Attempted to write my Pharmaceutics report that is due pretty soon, but passed out at 8.30 and didn't get up till 8.30 the next morning.

So yes, it was a very packed weekend and all I wanna do now is relax and do nothing (maybe clean up my room) but have to get ready for lunch with Josh before he heads back to Canada (in time for winter *snicker*) and then getting my hair cut after a long, long time.

Maybe tomorrow I relax.............................

2005-11-20T21:56:00.000+10:30

No one has updated their blog this weekend. My life....... is so.........void..............empty....................dark......................need............... bloggggg.............................

Ok yea what else is there to do when you're chained to your desk in eager anticipation of the wonderful torture invention, exams.

2005-11-20T09:25:00.000+10:30

So Mark got creative again last night. Some wrap thing made with Danish fetta, baby spinach, capers, and SALMON was on the menu. I usually thoroughly enjoy his meals, but yesterday something just wasn't right. Maybe it was the bread... some dry-ish Lebanese bread that made my teeth hurt and the raw onions just killed me. I don't particularly like onions raw, but they've never made me want to dry-retch like they did yesterday. I felt horrible for doing it, but couldn't let all that wonderful salmon go to waste, so I sat there, picking / digging out all the onions. Of course I missed a few and the smell and taste made my head spin. Tried some mango for dessert, hoping to make the whole onion sensation go away, but it didn't work. So there I was, sitting trying to concentrate on Fluorescence Spectroscopy, feeling sorry for myself every time my tummy turned. In the end, I had to go lie down and my tummy was making some wierd noises. So much for the nice Saturday dinner. Was considering getting a bucket or something, cause there's not been many times in my life i've seriously felt on the verge of throwing up.

I didn't feel well the whole night, and I've been to the loo a few times today already, and even after breakfast, my stomach is still whinging. What's wrong with me?? Is it psychological. I'm pretty sure it is. Yuck. It's put me off onion even more. I guess never having to chop the stinkin things are fine with me.

On the same note, I made rice porridge not too long ago and of course put lots of spring onion in it. That totally ruined it, although I don't ever remember being so adverse to spring onion or onions for that matter.

Ok, gotta stop thinking about onions now. I feel like I can practically smell them now and it makes me wanna faint. =P

Is this what morning sickness feels like???

random thoughts while studying

2005-11-14T11:18:00.000+10:30

it's that time of the semester again... when i can't stop thinking of the millions of things i want to do when i'm done with exams. Exams... lovely things that fill my life. I'm sure every student knows what i'm talking about. Wish i could go back to primary school where one didn't need to study to ace exams.

I've been too slack about exams for too long. OK, for me, studying overseas is not just an open door to better jobs, but also a whole big fat experience. It's when i finally realised what i'm capable of, and what i'm not. No one telling me 'Quin, are you crazy?? No way you can do that!!!'. If i make bad decisions, it's all my problem. No one to blame. And i like that. Looking back, I sorta amaze myself while being exited about what is in store for me next.

I think i have become so much more responsible that I've ever been. I never used to make my bed back home, just because I HAD to. Now, most mornings, I HAVE to make my bed, just because i think it looks nice and because I WANT to. I thought the liberty of being here would send me into the far reaches of irresponsibleness but quite the opposite. I have to be my own discipliner

But exams... the one thing i feel are so out of my control. High school seemed like a breeze and things were only diffiult cause I set my bar so high. As Sandy and I agreee, grades seem like only a part of life now, not ALL of it. And I reckon that is so much healthier. After you've got your first job, no one really cares about how many HDs you got back at uni. In fact, your charisma and personality and .. general knowledge gets you further. And other stuff like responsibility, punctuality, all the wonderful stuff I realise employers are after in my continuous search for jobs. Once I got hired just because my employer was fascinated with my piano and taekwondo skills. heheh...

I can't wait to go home. I wonder if I'll go home next year, but I think i will consider going home in July instead. We'll see.... If I have saved up enough... Euro trip might be in the bag. Just a thought anyways.

Back to peptidoglycans and autoclaving now. ciauz!

Black

2005-11-10T14:20:00.000+10:30

Gotta love a song when it's dedicated to you. Gotta love it more when the singer is Irish. Gotta love it love it love it when it's original!

Black Is the Colour
by Christy Moore

Black is the colour of my true love's hair,
Her lips are like some roses fair,
She's the sweetest smile, And the gentlest hands,
I love the ground, Whereon she stands.

I love my love and well she knows,
I love the ground, whereon she goes,
I wish the day, it soon would come,
When she & I could be as one.

Black is the colour of my true love's hair,
Her lips are like some roses fair,
She's the sweetest smile, And the gentlest hands,
I love the ground, Whereon she stands.

I go to the Clyde and I mourn and weep,
For satisfied, I ne'er can be,
I write her a letter, just a few short lines,
And suffer death, a thousand times.

(Guitar)

Black is the colour of my true love's hair,
Her lips are like some roses fair,
She's the sweetest smile, And the gentlest hands,
I love the ground, Whereon she stands.

Wolf Creek

2005-11-07T11:34:00.000+10:30

I don't watch horror movies. I don't watch scary movies. I don't watch anything that involves anything vaguely terrifying. My heart raced everytime I took a shower a year after watching IT when I was 8. The Gremlins didn't help either.

But of course, I went to watch Wolf Creek. Consented purely because I didn't know anything about it, and needed a study break. Of course Mark would be by my side, so no need to be (too) scared. It is not only an Australian production, but South Australian so.. support the local film industry.

Movie started of slow, about 3 backpackers, an Aussie guy and 2 Brit girls, on the way to Darwin then Cairns from Broome. Very realistic cinematography - on one hand, you feel like you're right there with them, on the other hand, I was getting a little giddy from the car ride.

Not to spill too much about the story, but holy crap. Any movie that moves you and makes you recall the story line plot by plot as well as well as leaves you thinking and talking about it for days after has to be good. Even worse than the gore that the movie is so abundant with is the shock at the absense of humanity.. a soul in some people. In fact, it is hard to believe they are human.

I was trying to seperate my eyes from my mind but from a certain point in the movie till the end, my heart was furiously pounding. Good thing I could turn my head away and good thing Mark was there or I am very certain I would have walked out halfway through. The whole night after the movie, my stomach turned and turned and I wished I didn't have such a strong stomach so I could puke. Scenes stuck in my head. That laugh. I felt Mark's hand and for once, it was ice cold. Glad I wasn't the only one feeling it.

For some realistic horror, in a movie with a low budget yet superbly produced, and first class actors, Wolf Creek is the movie to catch. Hey all that outback scenery is amazing! Disturbing as it is, it is always good to have a movie that is not so predictable and is just so raw and honest.

Why it is hard for me to lose weight

2005-10-29T04:09:00.000+09:30

Yeah ok, life has been a little mundane lately, what with exams coming up and me trying to study and all. Today has been a prime example of how I simply function better when I'm dead busy and trying to pack a million things in a day. And get a lot more done too.

So I only had a class from 8-9am today, and thought 'wowie! got the whole day to study!' But as fate would have it, it is now 4 am and no study has been done. Ended up skipping that sole lecture cause the lecturer accidentaly handed out the notes yesterday instead of today as she probably intended to. "Yes Prof, we forgive you..." Had to go see the doctor at 9 am about my UTI and dragged Sandy with me cause then I would be done in no time and we could go to Harbour Town for a couple of hours to get some shopping (gym clothes and christmas pressies for me) done. She's good fun, a fantastic shopping partner, and we discovered another fact that further reinforces our theory that we were seperated at birth. We both have the blood type B+. Rare enough to represent only 2% of the population, what are the chances??!!!

So anyway, I ended up getting stuff to do a french manicure as well because I've always wanted one but they cost about $45 to get it done. Armed with cuticle oil, the 2 french manicure colours, top coat, buffer, shaper and orange wood sticks, there went another 1 1/2 hours of my day. But look at the results! Couldn't be happier. I think french manicures are so incredible elegant yet are so simple. Took a while to get the 'white smile' right, but it really is simple. Then of course there is always one trouble maker finger that continuously smudges or smears and just doesn't get done

That was after 2 hours spent in lalaland cause I was feeling so tired from my 6 am exercise stint that left me quite energized yet incredibly tired at the same time. Maybe early morning RPM is just not for some people.

And of course, I've been feasting on gourmet made-at-home food by Chef Mark and well, I'll just let you slobber all over the screen.

A few days ago I had some sort of egg and spinach baked in a ham cup thing with roasted capsicum and turkish bread. With lovely things like capers in it. The flavour was absolutely devine and I think my description sounds so amatuer and does not really do it justice

Then, today's dinner

Mark was craving for a Chicken Parmigiana, but I can guarantee that no pub or cafe ever has done a Chickin Parmi like Mark does. I can't even think of the words to describe how good this tastes, but with roasted capsicum and cherry tomatoes in the sauce, as well as anchovies and 2 kinds of cheese, you can't really go wrong. And blue cheese salad. Mmm MMmmmmmm..

I could barely get through half my meal, but that's good cause I can enjoy it again tomorrow. =)

OK, since I passed out at 9.30 with a full belly, I'm up now at 4, wide awake and hoping to get something done.

Who says friendships are forever

2005-10-26T12:03:00.000+09:30

I simply cannot get over how quickly time flies and how this year has just shot right past me. Yet when I think about things that have happened this year, I feel they are such old memories. It's amazing that exactl a year ago, my life was so different (and yet similiar) and filled with different people. It's amazing how life is like that.. like you are standing in front of conveyor belt with things passing right in front of you.

Other than that, life has been full of ups and downs, and thankfully, pretty good for the most part of it. I have 'officially' lost a friend who was very dear to me years ago, cause it turns out I don't care about him enough (???) I still honestly don't know what I did or didn't do, and how someone can jump to conclusions and not even care just like that. I refused to let it get to me, I don't wish to spend any more emotional energy on something that will come to nothing. Simply said, I don't care and I don't want to care! I don't see what it is I have done!!! But some people are like that I suppose. Refusing to accept change. Yes, maybe I have changed, maybe you have changed, but that's what we are supposed to do! We can't be 7 all our lives, as nice as that would be. Yes, I have responsibilities - I have to work and study, sorry if I can't spend all my free time with you! It was nice while it lasted, sorry you feel you have to come to such drastic measures. Adious amigo.

But on the other hand, I have a job trial today at a pharmacy. Plsplsplspls let this one work out. I'm so tired of being rejected because pharmacies want experienced people, and grown-ups with a lot of time and no classes to go to, but hey! We are future pharmacists... surely you'd want to get to know us??!! It was quite ironic cause the same night I got The Phonecall, Mark gave me a pep-talk on preserverance and said that he'll help me secure a job next year. Surely this must be a sign....

Alright.. don't want to be late. gotta run!

Finally booked

2005-10-19T15:23:00.000+09:30

Wheeeeeeeeeeee!!!!! Mark's actually coming down for Christmas and New Year's!!!!!!!! Flight booked and paid for so we can now make plans...............................

can't wait can't wait can't wait can't wait can't wait can't wait can't wait can't wait can't wait!!!

2005-10-16T11:47:00.000+09:30

It's been busy busy weekend so far. Went for the Missy Higgins concert last night, after a relaxing afternoon with a barbeque in the parklands and some expensive wine and nice cheese down by the river with Mark and his parents. (ah.. this is life..)

The concert was alright, and it was only 'alright' because i've figured i'm not a big concert person. It was held on the Uni of Adelaide lawns, under the stars. No, not really cause although the day started of wonderfully with not a cloud in the sky, the wind blew some clouds from the west and by night, it was totally covered and it even began to drizzle. *sniff*

I have to say that I have never seen so many lesbians in my life. And they are gross. I'm sorry, but they are fat (i guess they're trying to make their boobs smaller by making their tummy larger), they wear horrible baggy clothes so they look like overgrown pre-pubescent boys, with hair and a voice to match. I honestly cannot see what is so attractive about them in any way.

So anyway. Is Missy Higgins lesbo? I don't know and don't care to know. Her music is alright, some songs are really good and I love how she plays the piano while she sings (multi-tasking!) I loved the open-airness and swaying with Mark to the music. Was not too happy about how short I was that I couldn't see anything, but there wasn't much to see anyways.

Went to church this morning, one just down the road. 3 mins by bike. I haven't gone to Paradise for awhile, cause I guess I was getting a little tired of the mega-church thing (10,000?), and how all the Msian students stick together. I'm always curious about other cultures and I want to know how others worship and behave and what they are like.

So Christian City Church, Norwood has a whooping 32 people, band members and pastors included. I like it though. More cosy, a lot less flashy and well, more ... honest. Members ranged from about 5 years old to what looked like 85. There's another one I want to 'try' called The Potters' Hand. Next time.

FCUK her

2005-10-11T14:04:00.000+09:30

No, I'm not being rude, but I've done it! I've bitten the bullet and...........

FCUK, for those jakuns who don't know, stands for French Connection UK.

Isn't she pretty. My 2nd bottle of perfume in my life after davidoff cool water (still my fave)
I fell in love with this the first time Martina came home with a sample on her wrist. I don't really wear perfumes cause I have an annoyingly sensitive sense of smell and overpowering smells, perfumes included, can send me straight to bed with a pounding headache that cripples me.

So I trotted off to the FCUK shop on Rundle Mall and tested if wearing it would give me a headache or make me feel ill or anything of the sort. They have other smells as well and I really liked the FCUK body which is very lemony and fresh. Too unisex and a little too dishwashing liquid-ey. When I got home, I got confused which wrist I sprayed what on, so I had to go back again and then I saw The Price. $100 for 100 mL and no smaller bottle. Ok, I don't really need a 100mL to start of with. $100!!

My answer to expensive stuff? Ebay! Scored my self the exact same thing (no imitations, thank you very much) for only about 40 bucks, postage included.

It is a pretty big bottle, taller than my hand, although I have small hands, it's a decent size for *ahem* 40 bucks.

Happinessss.........

=P

2005-10-09T20:41:00.000+09:30

Have not been so grossed out since I watched a video on abortion

http://www.petatv.com/tvpopup/video.asp?video=jcruel&Player=wm&speed=_med

Stop the fur trade!

A whole lot of nothing

2005-10-01T00:23:00.000+09:30

Yes, it's been some time since my last post. Some pics at last! I've not been using my camera much lately for no particular reason, just lost my trigger-happiness. I really regret not having any pics at all of my birthday party, realising that since my 12th birthday, it was my biggest celebration! Can't even remember what I did on my 18th.

Lots of stuff have been happening in the lives of friends and I'm so exited for so them. Biggest news is that Line's baby has finally decided that it's time to leave the warm and comfy womb and enter this cold, cruel world after postponing his arrival by 18 days. Congrats Line and Oystein (sorry, can't seem to do the funny slashed O) and hello Johannes! Wish I could hold him and smell him and cover him with kisses. Ilona might 'win' a chance to do some work and study in Asia and that would be absolutely fantastic for her. And *ahem ahem* I've finally heard from Svenja and she has a lot to tell me! =D No news from Sofia but that is so like her. I won't be surprise if I don't hear from her till she arrives at Msia airport. Oh I miss all these people so much. I wish I could record my life and be able to rewind as fastforward as I like.

The pool's looking pretty average again cause the owners have decided to chop the garden up, including most of the trees and the workers let a lot of stuff fall into the pool. And to top that off, the pool cleaner's not working so the water's getting cloudy again. *sob sob* I have never been so frustrated with anyone as I was with the owners cause I have been pestering them to get the cleaner fixed as well as repair a lot of things around the house, but as usual, if it comes to spending, and not collecting money, don't people just love to take their time.

Other than that, my holidays have flown past, with me doing nothing exiting except working heaps and figuring out my Microbiology assignment. And to think that this time last semester I was partying in Cook Islands! I do think I'm taking uni much more seriously now, especially that the course work is so tough and the work load is looking impossible, but also because I *sob* failed Chem last sem (not Cook Island's fault, ok) but at least I passed my supp. I really do, in a way, regret not working much harder than I did in the first year, cause that just means that I have to do a lot of catch up work now. But, really, I don't if that means that I would miss out on exploring Adelaide / Australia as I did. As Mark says, I have done way more than a lot of internationals would ever dream of doing and seen more of South Australia than locals. I only have him to thank cause if he wasn't the enthusiastic, adventurous, generous darling he is, I, well, I really wonder what I would have done. Not many people are up for this sorta thing, but I think we share so much in common, especially our errr.. culinary diversity. In other words, we are both food sluts and I love it!

Long weekend coming up and I will be working 7am-11pm Sunday AND Monday. How sad is that?!!! At least it will be good money, hopefully I get more for working Sunday and a public holiday. $40 per hour would be good! =)

I've been thinking a lot about what to do when my lease expires next August. It is a long time away, but as Sandy says I am so domesticated. Next Feb I'll probably have a whole new set of housemates cause my dear twin has decided to abandon me and live with the Japs. Can't blame her, it will suck to move in her last semester, and honestly, I think that no matter what happens or how far apart we are, nothing will change our relationship. It's won't be difficult finding new housemates.. *fingers crossed*

I just wonder if I should move in with people, or do what I did and furnish a whole place and rent the rooms out. I had a breakdown thanks to wonderfully cooperative owner / real estate agent cause it was so difficult to get them to fix the pool cleaner, which they still haven't anyway. But because I'm in a way, responsible for making sure everything is in good working order, I think my housemates got pissed at me, when really, I was doing my best. There's nothing much I can do except to keep bugging them till they get sick of me and finally fix the house up. I was really frustrated cause it wasn't in my control. Grrr... At least Mark was there when I lost it, and I know he understands what its like cause he's been there, done that. And this made me realise how much I hate being out of control. It's not like I'm a control freak, but I've taken Sebastian's advice from The Little Mermaid of 'If you want something done, do it yourself' to heart since I was young, and I suppose that has made me self-reliant and independant. I hate being controlled, yet I like being looked after and pampered. So how much would I like living in a house that was run by others. I know it sounds really bad, but I know when things need to be done, like making sure there is a good stock of toilet paper and washing detergent and that nice balance between a clean house without expecting perfection. All's well if I do actually get housemates who want the same things as me, but if I get some cheapskate, lazy housemates then what am I gonna do?!

Alright, I don't really know what my point is, guess I'm just letting my thoughts run free cause it is 1.10am and I have not stayed up this late in ages (don't laugh, yes, I have become an early sleeper and riser)

Pics!

Our partially emptied disgusting, dirty, sludgy pool-pond. Yuck! Expected to find the Loch Ness monster or somethign in it.

Housemates hard at work, gloves, itchy skin and all. We acid washed the walls using this watering can, which would explain the gleaming whiteness of the upper part of the walls. Sorry that the pic is sideways. Martina's camera! And i can't be bothered reuploading it.

Yours truly, with hmm... shiny shoes?

Wow!

Nice clean pool being dirtied by bad tree stumping people.

Bye bye wattle tree.. Your flowers, when they are up in the tree and not in my pool, will be missed..

Wine tour with Caromy and Martina

Caromy's trusty little beast

Took this pic hoping a witch won't come out and get me. ;)

Fancy schmancy cellar door. I'm so short!!!!

Tried to get a pic of Martina in the backseat but she was so preoccupied with topping up her hp credit

At Caromy's bachelorette pad. Does my ass looks smaller? Been working hard at the gym...

oh happy day..

2005-09-20T20:17:00.000+09:30

Yes, I'm feeling happy today. Was feeling happier earlier today, now i'm just tired. Got to sleep in today, and made myself a nice big cup of Gloria Jean's coffee on the stove when i got up at 10.30 (yes, i realise this is still early for some) Then I took stuck my laundry in the machine and hopped into the shower and conditioned my hair and gave myself a facial and a wax. Pampering oneself is a necessity!

Once I was nice and clean and hairless I called my work place and told them that I'll be very available for the next 2 weeks since I'm on holiday, and Sonya said that they have been getting calls from their clients commending my work. Wow!! I didn't realise anyone actually realises when I do something well. The case usually is that they are blind till I stuff something up. Cool! I was elated and wanted to dance around, but I just called Mark and told him the good news. If only employers realise how much further praise can go rather than the opposite. =D

in-out-in-out-in-out

2005-09-20T11:00:00.000+09:30

Yes... it's holiday time again. But really, semester breaks are a time where lecturers or progam directors or whoever is in charge of torturing students is given the excuse to throw more onto my pile of 'To Do ASAP' which is so high I can't even see the end of anyways. 22 lectures worth of Microbiology to do, a lot of pharmacokinetics I have to somehow try to understand, tutorials to catch up on, practical reports to write, one huge Literature review to research and write, and somehow I have to unwind and take a break as I am supposed to. Ok, I didn't really do much this weekend, which was the plan anyway. Mel used the mooncake festival as an excuse to get together, so we got together and had nice food and got sick on mooncakes. Cheese and sambal mooncakes, ok...! (no, 2 seperate ones, not 1)

Then somehow we ended up going to a gay bar near her house just for the fun of it, but no there wasn't much action there (thank goodness). A transvestite who was obviously trying very hard to be girl-ish, and not really succeeding (she-he(it?) had bad, bad B.O.) and come one! us real girls don't flail our hands and stick our butts out so much, ok?! Played some pool there and totally embarassed myself on CANADIAN TELEVISION. I don't know why there were filming there but I figured I'm not gonna waste my 2 bucks when I only know 3 Canadians anyways.

And we ended the night with porn. Hoho.. i don't know how we got the idea, but 4 girls and 1 porn DVD = a lot of analysing.
"Oh my gosh .. her boobs are so huge!"
".. I bet they are fake... Look at the scar under her boob!"
"Hehe.. it's bent to the right!"
"How is thaaaat gonna fit??!"

Very amusing but not very nice. I was feeling a little nauseous while I was washing the dishes (lost interest in the in-out-in-out action) and I don't know whether the mooncakes or the porn or the B.O. was to blame. Long night, and nice start to the hols.

Back to database searching now......

2005-09-02T14:56:00.000+09:30

So now after 3 weeks my birthday celebrations have finally finished. I never knew birthdays could be so much fun. When you're young you have all these fantastic birthday parties, with balloons and those noisy things, but when you as you grow older, parties just don't happen anymore. And if they do, people wanna get drunk and act stupid and all. Or people come expecting great things to happen. It's alright when you're a kid cause you make your own fun, but boring grown-ups don't do anything. Hehe..

So i decided to create my own fun. I thought that instead of an alkihol-centered party, I'd make it a foodilicious one. I know people from all over, and what better thing could there be besides getting people to bring food from their countries! And hey, no obligation to stay late! Come, eat and make merry and go when you need to. 'Can't make it'? yea sure whatever, come if you ~~care enough to~~ want to indulge in some yummy food. And it turned out to fantastic. At one point, my house was so packed, i had to open up the doors and windows to get some fresh air, cold night or not. Sure some people turned up empty-handed (maybe they don't understand the word pot-luck and expect a drunken event)

Thank you to all those who came! muah muah!

And my laptop finally came. Oh gosh.. don't 'import' stuff into Australia. My poor laptop was sitting in the Customs office, with me checking into the USPS website 5 times a day, wondering what it customs wanted with my laptop. It turned out that I had to friggin pay tax! No, that never crossed my mind! I was handed this super complicated form and was told it would cost 50 bucks. #$%^&*&^%$!!! The lady at the front counter was quite nice and said that to get a customs broker (customs who??) to clear it for me would cost only 70 bucks in total, and that would be problem free. then she handed this 5 page list to me of customs broker and said their charges range from 70 to 150 dollars, and said that she couldn't tell me which were the $70 ones cause they 'do not endorse companies' *&^%$#$%^&*!!!! So i had to call up about 10 when i decided that the first company was the cheapest. Isn't life always like that.

After much faxing and calling, they finally processed my form and they told the post office to forward the parcel to my house. (Customs sends it back to Australia Post) But at that point i was so frustrated at all the delays (there were many more before this) that I just went to the post office to pick it up. At least i don't have to worry about the post-man having a collision crash or someone dropping my laptop or whatever else could go wrong.

But my laptop (Compaq V2000, 1.7GH, 60 MB, DVD-burner, wide-screen, all the fancys..) is finally in my hands and I spent a whole day reinstalling windows and all my programs and tranferring my pictures and music... Finally it is ready and I couldn't have been happier (unless it was an Apple Powerbook G4)

Uni has been very taxing and just crazy this semester. I feel like each hour-long lecture requires about 3-hours to prepare and make notes for. And i don't seem to be comprehending the material. I can't even think of going for a trip somewhere these hols cause i have to catch up (though that seems quite impossible) and my photographer wants to get some work done with me. I think modelling will be quite cool. I won't be a 'real' model, cause he just needs a test model to adjust the lights and think of poses, so you won't be seeing me in catalogues. Would be quite cool though if I could somehow get a contract. Pay will be somewhere between $150-$200 per hour! I'll be rich! Haha.. maybe not really, but that would really be cool. I'm sure there is a market for 'normal-looking' girls with realistic figures. I don't have a model's body, nor do I intend to, but if what I have will work, then why not! It'll be fun!

It's a friday night and i'm thinking about work. *sigh* Martina and I have agreed that no matter what, we are going out tonight!

and..

2005-08-16T01:00:00.000+09:30

And I passed my supplementary chemistry paper!!!!!!! Gonna celebrate by taking all those who helped me out out to get some fish head curry at this new place I found! Whoopee!!!

once a year..

2005-08-16T00:34:00.000+09:30

If only birthdays were everyday.... Actually, I suppose the fact that they come just once a year and you have to make the most of it makes it far specialer than if it came everyday.

I had an absolutely wonderful birthday and it's now the 2nd week after my birthday and i'm still feeling so loved and special. Thank you mom and dad and dom and bern for the lovely card and present, which has already been put to good use. ;-)

On my birthday night, Mark and his parents brought me out for dinner at 'House of Chow', the house of what is supposed to be the best chinese food in town. Dinner not quite as amazing as I expected it to be, considering the prices, but hey! the company is what matters and I had such a nice time being spoilt. Mark got me this gorgeous pair of earrings (real jewellry!!). They are so dainty and pretty. Oh.. I am learning that perhaps jewellry really IS the way to a girl's heart. =D And I was further spoilt by his parents with a simple, silver chain bracelet (more real jewellry!) Then back at home, Michelle (housemate Beata's friend who is bunking over) serenaded me with her guitar. The girls set the house up so nicely with candles and oh.. it was so nice and relaxing! (This is why I want my birthday to come more often) Housemates gave me a lovely, huge photoframe that holds 4 photos cause they know how much I wanted frames to decorate my room with. Yay!

Can't wait till next Wednesday when I can use my massage voucher my coursemates gave me. I think I really need a nice relaxing pampering massage cause I've been so tired and stressed out lately. Been attempting to be Super Quin again, juggling too many things.

I recently started work at CopyCat, a place where every thing I try on, I fall in love with. Now how many stores can you say that about. So I thought, hey, might as well get a job here if I'm going to keep buying clothes here. And whaddayaknow, the owner told me to bring my resume in. Now, 2 weeks into my job, I am exhausted and bored still. I am going to quit. I find retail work so incredibly boring because I'm used to the non-stop hecticness of hospitality and I like it. Makes time fly by. And I think that this guy I work for is so unethical. He has this thing where he pays Australians the award rate, but students (who are mainly Chinese) only get $9 per hour. And the worse thing is that he is from Cashmeer. Really, he is asian too. I hate the way that the asians exploit their own people, while I don't know many Aussies who even try to take advantage. It really makes me mad, especially cause there's this girl from China who's been working for him for 1 1/2 years now. She's a really good salesperson, and actually cares about how whether the sales are hitting the expected amount. And she loves clothes, and I'm pretty sure she spends at least half her pay on clothes from the store. (crazy girl..) Still, $9 per hour. Given that for her age, she should be getting about $15 per hour, that is absolutely disgraceful. Yes, $9 may seem like a lot, but really, it isn't in Australia. There are rules and laws here for the good of the people, and that's what I like. Maybe I'm a bit spoilt and anything less than $20 per hour, which i'm earning with my hospitality work is just not enough. The long of the short of it is that I'm going to quit. I don't like not being able to recharge on weekends and have time to myself and to do the things I want to do.

Will continue soon... need to get some sleep now!

Last leg of stress.. for now..

2005-08-04T12:26:00.000+09:30

Second, and last day of exams today. I wish i could say I can sleep in tomorrow, but no.. 8am class on Fridays!! Anyway, i was right about the deferred / supplementary exam. I still don't understand why I am taking the deferred exam, but as long as I can pass the course, and move on, it's all good.

It's amazing how much of a difference and how much more I understand in a 3 hour 'tutoring' session by my wonderful, beautiful, lovely friend Charmain. We almost covered the whole semester's worth of work in somewhere between 3-4 hours and in that time, I leant SO much more than I ever did during the whole semester.

Yesterday's paper went alright. Couldn't answer a couple of questions, but most of those I could do, I'm quite sure I got right. Fingers crossed for today's paper. Friggin organic chemistry. Gah!

Must pass.. must pass..must pass..must pass...................................

Oh woeful is the life of a pharmacy student...

of all places...

2005-08-03T20:01:00.000+09:30

So I sat for my Analytical Chemistry supplementary paper today. But... did I sit for the right paper??

I got really confused just before we went into the hall cause the rest of my coursemates who there were sitting for the defered exam (meaning they couldn't make it for the first one, not that they failed) and I was the only one who was there to resit. I am just blur or is the defered exam the same as the supplementary? I do remember my course coordinator saying something about the supplementary paper being only 1.5 hours (instead of 3) but then i received an email regarding the times and location of the deferred exam. I suppose that since I was expecting an email like that, I never gave it a second thought an have just sitting for that paper!

Oh is this another case of 'How is it that I am the blurest person around'?

We'll see what reply I get from my course coordinator. Heh..

On a different note....
You'd think that studying in the library at uni would be far less distracting due to 'optimum study conditions' but noooo.. I have been violated!!!

So there I was, studying diligently during my STUDY BREAK(!!!) As expected, the library was empty expect for few other uni-philic people. The room I was studying in was empty, until this guy came in. He plonked his stuff down next to me but I didn't think much about it (so what if the rest of the 50 tables are free). He stood next to me, apparently skimming through a book, but I didn't think much about it. He finally decided on a book and sat down next to me, but I ddin't think much of it. He sat in the same position with the arm closest to me propped up against his head (so I can't see his face?) for a really long time, but I didn't think much of it. I was studying hard, you see... Then I decided that it is time to take certain measures to prevent 'overflow' (you females know what I mean) when I saw IT.

He was wanking himself.

Through his very short, very transparent white shorts.

There I was, thinking he was so healthy doing exercise in winter and all.

It wasn't even fully hard. I should have laughed.

I somehow managed to not gasp or faint or start having a fit or reacting in any way and managed to make my way to the bathroom. I am now very pissed off with myself for not taking any further measures. Such as whacking him across the head with my text book or pinning him down with one hand behind his back (the CLEAN hand, mind you) while yelling for security.

When I had managed to compose myself a bit (Ok, I wasn't that shocked.. just something very unexpected ok!) and came out again, he wasn't there.

*fastforward 2 weeks later*

So here I am again, in the same room, studying again. I leave my stuff at my desk and go to the computers to find stuff on hydrogen bonding and print out the ABRSM syllabus to send to my program director. Btw, my Grade 8 merit passes for my elective! No need to spend more money on an unnecessary course, though I still really want to learn German.

When I come back to my desk, I sit down for just a couple of minutes highlighting the headers of the stuff I had to do for my Grade 8 practical exam. In that time, I (quicker this time) notice a familiar pose. One hand on the temple, another hand reaching down to his shorts. Not again!!! A least shorts are black this time. I change my mind about whacking him across the head or doing a backthrust into his crotch or doing some super cool flips and kung fu moves. Super Quin instead heads to security.

'I'd like to know what qualifies as sexual harassment'

Lady security guard taken aback 'Oh, why?'

'Cause there's a guy in the library sitting next to me stroking himself!'

Lady security guard immediately reaches for her belt. I am happy to see a batton and pistol. She asks for a description (green t-shirt and VERY short black short, white male, about 20, short dark brown hair, looks geeky) and off she stomps to the library. She says to leave and come back in 10 mins to 'keep me out of this'

I'm getting more and more exited... revenge!!!

But oh, sadly, she said he's disappeared and she has searched but couldn't find him. What an anti-climax.

Never mind! I will continue to study in that room and I WILL GET YOU, YOU DISGUSTING, SMALL MEMBERED WANKER!!!!!

Next time, I will put my camera-video phone to good use and get the evidence!! and maybe his face too.

*evil laugh*

2005-07-26T17:12:00.000+09:30

So yesterday marked the beginning of a whole new era - The Second Semester of Second Year Pharmacy. I thought last semester was difficult. This semester might send me to my deathbed.

Pharmaceutics 201. Pharmacokinetics and Biopharmaceutics P201. Molecular and Chemical Basis of Therapeutics 201. Microbiology and Immunology P201.

Pfft.. how difficult is it to be a pharmacist? All I see them do is dispense stuff from scripts.

My supp exam is on next wednesday and thurday. Of all the subjects to fail, I have to fail the one with 2 papers! Grr..

Made strawberry pancakes today for brunch and gonna make curry ckn for dinner! This will be a pioneer attempt so I hope it turns out good!

The laptop I want is on ebay and the bidding is ending tomorrow at 3pm! Havetoneedtowantto!!

*Morphs into Nerd mode* back to benzoic acid and gang now....................

Weekend of tears

2005-07-20T16:20:00.000+09:30

I can't believe it.. I failed Pharmaceutical Chemistry. *sob sob* I've never failed anything in my life! I don't remember if I ever failed add maths, but heck, if i don't remember, it can't be important, right?

Anyway, Mark convinced me to beg them for a supplementary paper (you experienced ~~failee~~ student, you) And, i didn't think it would work, but it did! I didn't even have to turn on the waterworks (not intentional, but pms+fail=absolutely emotional) Perhaps my course coordinator has a soft spot for Malaysians. His 'partner' is from Malacca! I don't like the way they use the word 'partner' here. Can't they just say 'girlfriend' or 'wife'. Big difference, you know! But the main thing is I get a second chance so I have to really slog.

Of course, I had to tell him how my mom is a chemistry lecturer but I did not inherit her chemistry genes. *sigh*

Oh yes. And then of course all bad things happen at once and I find out that someone stole my bike helmet @ uni. Why!!! You can buy a friggin 2nd hand helmet for like $5. Why take my smelly ol one! Now have to go buy another. New cause I don't one someone's contaminated helmet. You sweat when you ride too! *yuck*

Snapshots of my life

2005-07-18T22:39:00.000+09:30

Sofia and Ilona... gone.... *sniff*

'Family' dinner by Chef Mark. Me, Ilona, Mark, Joachim, Sofia

Sofia's last meal at Bombay Bicycle Club

Whispering Wall @ Barossa Valley. Sounds made on one end can be heard at the other! Freaky..

Walking the bridge from one end of the wall to the other. Back view of Sandy's mom and sis (sorry!)..

Me and Twin! Out with Sandy and family to the Barossa

FOOD and wine festival by the Sunday Mail. $7 entry and eat all you can (and i did..lol) . Too bad you can't see all the samples to be devoured....

Beautiful sunrise @ Mark's house

Illona and Olli. Two very blonde Finnish ppl..

And the lovely brunettes - Me and new housemate Martina!

Drumroll..........

THE dress. Still dunno when (if?) I'll ever wear it out.

$$ for nothing

2005-07-13T14:09:00.000+09:30

Been sitting here in Learning Connection in uni doing next to nothing, and being paid $21 per hour for it. Life is good. My role as a Student Guide / Buddy is basically to smile and talk to new students, register them, answer any questions and not blog while on duty. Well.. there's nothing to do anyways. So far only 4 new students have come in today. *Yawn* Later on, will be conducting a workshop 'Managing Your Money'. Wonder why I got chosen for that. *hides dollar signs on eyes)

Tomorrow we're going up to the Adelaide Hills to the Wildlife Park. With cold and rainy weather (colder in the hills!) I'm glad I'm being paid.

I sound money minded, don't I.

And that brings me to......... I WANT A NEW LAPTOP. My current 'Great Quality' laptop is pretty crap. Of course, a company that calles itself Great Quality can't be all that great. It's like they're reassuring themselves.. hehe..

Bad: The screen wobbles
Worse: The screen goes blank when it wobbles although the computer is still on
Terrible!: The computer restartes itself when the screen wobbles a bit too much.

So many more things going wrong with this darn laptop. No sound, it hangs sometimes...

But when it behaves itself, it is quite a decent thing. Just gotta know it well and not wobble the screen. But......... I STILL WANT A NEW LAPTOP.

So. I have my eyes (and heart) set on the Compaq V2000. Been doing research on it as I always do and heck, it's all I need and more. Basically, its a thin-and-light computer with a nice screen and speakers and is customizable from the compaq website. Only around about USD1000 so it is really affordable for what it is.

Me wants the V2000 with ...

1.6 GHz
512 RAM
BrightView
DVD-RW (Ok, CD-RW is fine too)
B/G Wireless
12 Cell Battery (7 hours!)

Looks good? I wonder what the 1.5 is like in comparison to the 1.6. There's someone selling the same configs with the 1.5 for only USD650 and it's quite new. The big diff would be that the 1.5 is Centrino and the1.6 is Pentium M. I really want to get a 'perfect' laptop so I won't think of changing again anytime soon. Would be nice to actually play music on my comp as well.............. Decisions, decisions....

Other than that, been shopping with Sandy!! Bad bad... only planned to go out to buy a dress that was $20 down from $200 (pics later, at uni now) but ended up buying ermmm.. quite a lot of stuff. The good thing is that in the process of buying ermm.. a lot of stuff, I talked to the owner and was joking that after all my purchases, he should let me work for him. And he agreed! So I'm going to put my resume in and speak to him next week. Most of the clothes in that shop *ahem* look good on me, so haha.. I can advertise the clothes by wearing them!! =D Anyhow, I think I will enjoy working for him. He's nice and funny... good taste in clothes too!!!

Until I'm bored again, signing off!!

2005-07-09T01:35:00.000+09:30

Well it seems I am on a blogging roll and wanna write about everything that's going on in my life. Although it is now 1.36 am and I want to get up early tomorrow morning and go to the gym to work off the past few days' worth of pigging out thanks to Sandy's visiting family. Food! Pah! All-you-can-eats are not good for the waistline. Neither is German food.

I like my new gym, Zest. For those in Adelaide who know what I am going to, I strongly discourage you from joining Renaissance Gym (the one above Toys R Us on Rundle Mall) Yes, it is cheap, but not really thaat cheap. And it's quite crap. Think damp floors FROM SWEAT and bathrooms that reek of chlorine, lousy showers and all. A better gym for all you lovely ladies would be Fitness First cause it a very neat, clean and fun gym that caters specifically for women, flabby thighs and all. It's just quite pricey. And then there's Zest. Not smack dab in the middle of the city, so that must be the reason you can get more bang for your buck. Loads of classes and enough equiptment to go around. Bargain enough and they might cancel your 'joining fee' and throw in a couple of personal training session.

So Sculpt tomorrow followed by Body Jam then a meeting with some guy who apparently has money making ideas for me (yes, I am highly skeptical and will let him know that) then to Rundle Mall to buy a dress that is $20 from $295!!!!! waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh... And work at night (that will pay for my dress after 1 hours' work)

Big plans. Need sleep. Will try.

Jag missa dig

2005-07-09T00:50:00.000+09:30

I have lost interest in blogging. Sometimes I feel that no one is really interested in my blog, but I don't really care too much cause the original reason I set it up was for friends and family to know what I was up to and all that stuff, and I know that quite a number of people read my blog, and never leave any evidence *glares*

Nah.. I really can't be bothered. My blog is really my own. I just think my brain is suffering from post-exam-lack-of-stimulation-and-so-it-starts-to-imagine-things syndrome.

Meanwhile , I'm trying to keep myself occupied and again have multiple part-time jobs. Working in the uni as a Student Guide / Buddy along with the usual F & B casual job. It's a pretty cruise-y sorta job that requires not too much skill, other than plastering a smile on your face and ready to be all-out helpful / empathic with new students. Thursday, when i worked, was the first day the exchange students started coming in and anyone who knows exchange students is that first of all, they are seldom here to study. It's more like a semester-long party for them. Which is pretty cool cause the people in my course seem to only want to study. I like exchange students. Stuff 'I.U. (aka International Understanding) Day back in those Interact Club days. Heck, you've gotta admit it was just an excuse to put on a show that had very little to do with anything international. Uni life is where you are integrated with people from all over the world (though some people don't seem to want to take advantage of this great oppurtunity to open their eyes to the world and all it's richness. To expand their knowledge of cultures, habits and lifestlyles of people from a world so different to theirs.

Anyway. Sofia left on Wednesday. When I first met her, I thought she was a little boring and very strange. But that's the beauty of her. Her strangeness. She is so unique and genuine. The housemate who never gets flustered and whom I cannot get flustered at. The one who can sleep. And sleep. And sleep. And be late for a 2pm class. The one who pours water down her shirt to keep herself awake during lectures (what??!!). The one whom I share my chocolate needs during exam periods with. 3 bars in 3 days not bad ok.... My study buddy. Sofia whom I can talk to about anything. Boring? no way... she knows so much about so much! Sofia and her Mickey Mouse undies. My lightbulb changer. Oh I miss that girl so much. Sent her off at the bus station cause she had to go to Melbourne to fly home to Sweden. I think the amount of tears I cried was no match for the ache I felt in my heart. I really mean it when I say I don't think I can ever meet anyone quite like Sofia again. Have to remind myself I can't barge into her room and curl up on her bed to talk anymore. But even greater than that ache is a joy that my life is so rich that I cannot stop myself from crying when I have to say goodbye to someone I met as a total stranger and somehow managed to live with for a whole year. How horrible it would be if I couldn't bring myself to care that someone was leaving.

I'm glad she cried as well.

I miss you, Housemate. have a blast in Thailand and think of me freezing here while you lie on the beach in the warm sun. (And maybe I'll think of you during the Aussie summer while you're in cold, dark Sweden) *evil laugh*

Eat some herring for me and see you next Chinese New Year in warm and sunny (and humid) Msia!

Jag missa dig...

a quick one

2005-06-21T14:47:00.000+09:30

OK, all this talk about blogging going on in Msia makes me feel quilty about not updating for so long. The usual you know.. too busy reading other's blogs that I forget that I have one.

It feels good to know that my parents read and like my blog. (On the other hand, no dark, dirty secrets.. sorry!) I feel so proud of Jolene and her blog . And Kenny Sia too.

You see.. i have a blog reading 'program' which goes in this order. Jolene (or should i call you Jayelle?) -> Kenny Sia -> Audrey -> Hsin -> Mellie and then in no particular order, and if I have lotsa free time, the rest of my 27 blogs on my 'Favourites' list under my 'Blogs' folder. I'm organized you know!! Yes, you ppl provide me with daily entertainment!

In the midst of exams not so I will feel guilty spending lotsa time uploading pics and whatnot instead of crashing my Organic Chemistry test on thurs and Analytical Chemistry on friday. =P Had Physiology today and it actually was quite ok. Consisted of lots of multiple choice questions and 15 short answer and about 70% of the short-answer questions were from last year's paper! That was pretty lame I thought. They could at least modify the question and make us think instead of teaching us to memorize. Yea, I won't be complaining if I get good grades, but where's the integrity, people!! It's like teaching us that pharmacists should maybe have 10 memorized conversationgs for all the medications.

There will be lots to update in about a couple of weeks with all that's been happening here... Fingers too cold to type fast anyway and brain is not in blog mode.

Till after the 2nd of July.. ciauz!

To mom

2005-05-08T19:00:00.000+09:30

Happy Mother's Day to my darling mommie..

Miss you heaps.. hope you have a fantastic day!

P/s something will on the way soon.. too broke to send it off now.. hehe..

The Butterfly Effect, A review

2005-05-04T11:11:00.000+09:30

Usually, I take watching movies, I as leave-your-brain-behind-relax-and-zone-out-time. Probably due to the fact that movies these days are PREDICTABLE BORING and all in all, UN-MENTALLY STIMULATING.

So it is absolutely fantastic when a really good movie comes along. The Butterfly Effect is one such movie. I've read quite contrasting review about it, and it seems that all my psychologist friends were raving about it.

Of course I had to watch it. Controversial stuff fascinates me. Watched it with Aaron the psychologist and Sofia the scientist, physicist to be exact.

Hmm. What can I say about this movie. I found certain scenes really disturbing and, well, this is not your average feel-good movie. How does tying a dog up in a sack, saturating it with kerosene and setting a match to it sound? How about putting a dynamite in a mailbox then stand watching while a mother and her baby go to collect the mail. Gothic sex? One child murdering another? Child porn?

But that is not the only way the movie disturbed me. I suppose I should give a brief run-down about it first. The concept of the movie is that if you could go back in time, and change just one thing, how different would your life be? Yes, this is a love story (what's new) and all the main character wants to do is for him and the girl of his dreams to be happy together. (or at least for her to be happy. Awww.) But there are 2 things that don't really help. First of all, he has memory loss in little snippets and has no recollection of things that had happened for a few minutes. That leaves him very confused cause he often then finds himself in wierd situations, and cannot explain himself. So he is advised to keep a journal, to try to help him remember. Also, he has very screwed-up friends. Seriously.

One fine day, 'his' girl kills herself cause of something he said and something that had happened in the past. Then he finds that when he reads his journals, he can go back into the past. So, knowing the future, he tries to change something. But this is a case of Whatever Can Go Wrong WILL Go Wrong. Time after time, he finds himself in quite a pickle and hurries back to the past to change something.

The end is the most disturbing / annoying. A fortune teller /palm reader tells him he has no life line. He has no soul.

So he figures that the only way for everyone to be happy and for everything to be alright, is for him never to exist, never be born.

Go watch it.

Makes you debate and talk about it for ages. I was very very annoyed with the movie (how in the world can you get annoyed with a movie??) and the three of us were discussing the movie late into the night.

GAH.

2005-05-03T23:09:00.000+09:30

THIS is what lil' innocent (mayyybe not) me , and the rest of the lil' innocent population of UniSA are being exposed to and (pause for effect) encouraged to read! (cue to gasp)

Presenting...

ENTROPY

Front Cover. 'The Body in Question'. I noticed quite a number of guys making a beeline towards the stack and many of them pouring over the content.

'To shock and inform, not to enjoy', 'Be warned, you will go blind'

Always knew Sailormoon looked a bit too sexy for her own good.

Ok, well I'm just very shocked that the university would allow something like that to be published, at the same time, wondering (with much glee) what would happen if something like this was published in Malaysia. (Images of tudungs flying up and men in sarongs having heart attacks) I've been whinging about EVERYTHING being censored by the friggin M'sian government, so this is a refreshing change. FYI, it is published by the student association, so it is free from 'parental guidance', but i'm still very amused.

Educational, heehee.. if you insist!

Kia Orana!

2005-05-02T00:57:00.000+09:30

Gorgeous, isn't she!

I suppose this is my very first 'real' holiday without my family. <Thinks, then repeats more exitedly>

I feel so grown up!!!

!!!!!!!

Rarotonga is the main island of Cook Islands, and is part of New Zealand, yet not quite. ('Real' Kiwis don't agree that it is). It is past the date line, so it make keeping track of not just the time, but day friggin confusing. Yes, it's a small place, very village-y and laid back. It runs on Island Time, which is probably worse than Malaysian Time, but no one really cares cause there's no need to rush anyways. People are simple, houses are simple, and we can go clubbing in thongs (Slippers! What are you thinking!) and shorts and t-shirt. Oh yeah, there is only ONE road that goes around the island. The main and most practical form of transportation is on a scooter / motorbike. You have to get a licence from the police station and apparently the only way to fail is by crashing into something. Speed limit = 40 km/hr. Speed limit in town = 20 km/hr.

Got the tickets for ONLY FOUR HUNDRED BUCKS!! Return too! That is soooo cheap considering the normal price is $600 ONE WAY. This is all thanks to Ilona and one fateful day when i was locked out and she came to rescue me and put a roof over my head! Made the decision to go in, say, 4 hours. Hmmm.. No regrets at all!! Only that I am officially broke for the next year or two.

It rained. A lot. In a way, that was good, cause you were forced to relax. I read 3 novels in a week, that shows how much time I spent indoors! Not that there is a great amount to do. You're just supposed to be absolutely lazy and stupid and lie on the beach all day soaking in the not-as-dangerous-as-Australian-sun rays.

I think we really did leave our brains behind. I was feeling very slow, and the theme of the holiday could be 'Miscommunication'. Although we were a very colourful and international bunch of girls (Malaysian, German, Finnish, Swedish), we never have a problem here in Adelaide. I think we need to give our ears a good clean-out.

Crazy things we did :

Charm the local guys and get them to buy us drinks. ($5 a night? Not bad...)
Hitch hike to the waterfall. Thrice.
Shower in cold water. (What! You have to be brave, ok...)
Somehow squash 23 people in a normal-sized van.
Skinny dipping.

Being 4 *ahem* extremely attractive young ladies of varous shapes, sizes and colours, I think we attracted a lot of attention. There were mostly British backpackers at the place we were staying, so I almost felt I was in like a mini-Britain. Hmm.. I do recall speaking Irish very well (or so I thought) one interesting and rather un-sober night.

Off we go!

Dinner at an Italian restaurant. It was bucketing down outside, so excuse the 'wet look'.

The mysterious looking mountain...

The beach from a cafe.

Titikaveka Cook Island Christian Church. The singing was unbelievable.

We fit 21 people in the van... Pete, the guy in the blue shirt demanded a lot of attention from us.

It was kinda squashed, so .. we took the boot! Sylvia, Sofia and Quin.

Buying pearls..

Ilona was sorta amused with this sign, yet not really because it is sorta funny, yet not really.

Ika mata, a.k.a. raw fish. Was actually really delicious. On the other hand, I eat anything.

Off to err.. experience Rarotonga by Night again. This time we got 23 ppl in the van. And I am looking decidedly happy despite being extremely squashed in the corner.

At 'Nana Court. It's supposed to be Banana Court, but the 'BA' got taken by the cyclone(s)

Housemate!!

Group photo. Grrr.. shortest AGAIN! Irish roomie on my left. Wonder if he was impressed with my Irish 'accent'. Probably not. Hehe..

I don't remember this pic.

Nor this one.

Nor this. Oh dear.

After the party.. least my eyes are open.

Sofia and Sylvia went diving, and Ilona and I, the unqualified divers, held hands and snorkelled. We tried to feel important too. As you can see, it is pouring again.

While they were outside in the rain fixing their tanks and all, Ilona was posing. =D

I reckon the boat ride was funner than the snorkelling.

Pupuke, our diving/boat guy.

After photo! Do I look slightly green from the boat ride? I seem to be the only one on the step.

Wetsuit + snorkelling = ugly tan line.

Island Night show. Love, war or fishing, all the girls do is shake their asses.

Me giving this bootie-shaking business a go. Apparently I have rhythm! (Could there be a future for me in Hula Dancing??)

SUN!!!

Notice how our hair and bikini colours are the opposite?

There was a spotted sting ray in the water!

An abandoned Sheraton project, now supposedly haunted. *rolls eyes*

View from the waterfall. Guys a bonus.

One of the locals swimming told us that there were eels in the water. His wife said that the only eel in the water was in his pants.

Other crazy roomie. He goes to Oxford! (everyone go 'oooohhh...')

An South Australian lake I christian Amoeba.

Bye bye Rarotonga. I'll miss you!

Ilona, Sofia and Sylvia, you are fantastic travel partners!!! So sad it looks like this is our first, last and only trip together. Had an absolutely fantabulous time with you babes!!!

Kia manuia!!

Sandy Happy Birthday!

2005-05-02T00:20:00.000+09:30

Ok, I know I have not been blogging for ayyyyjezzz.. but I've been busy!

So, with no further ado, let me present... the pictures!

SANDY'S BIRTHDAY

This girl demanded that I take her out for dinner. Hah! Since she is my one and only twin, I decided to do sth better and cook her dinner! Btw, I couldn't have done this without Aaron's help, so THANK YOU!!! We plotted and planned and .. pulled it off!

~~

My dearest twin, who, although hated me at first sight, is now my favouritest LITTLE person who claims my house makes her sleepy, cannot cook to save her life and has bought her first G-string! My dearest twin who wore a pink tank, black sweater, jeans, blue socks and white sneakers with blue lines when i somehow ended up wearing almost the exact same thing, just with a black jacket and cargos instead (even wearing blue socks!!). My dearest twin whom I have h2h and deep and meaningful conversations with in pitch darkness in my bed , sharing dark secrets with (she interrogates me!!). My dearest twin who broke the bottle of feminine wash I brought for her all the way from Malaysia. (grr..) ..

... Love you always and HAPPY BURFDEI!!
lots of hugs and kisses!!!

~~

Me, Sandy and Su Ann. It's quite a funny story, cause i invited Su Ann beforehand, and told her how to take the bus and everything and to arrive before Sandy, but then Sandy invited her, which made things so much easier. Good thing we're on the same wavelength, as usual.

The feast! Soup, stuffed capsicum, spinach and ricotta lasagne, teriyaki chicken, mashed potatoes...

Awww

Yes, yes, thank you, thank you, I know it is delicious.. P/s.. OOH! cleavage.... teehee..

1 glass of wine.... just one!!! . Tsktsk....

While Sleeping not-so-Beauty had passed out, we were hard at work (besides camwhoring)

Chocolate crepes!

Once again, to my dearest darling TWIN!!! <Eh.. terbalik lah..>

SANDY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

TEOTWAWKI

2005-03-31T01:16:00.000+09:30

All the happenings in the world lately have sort of been causing me to think. 2 major earthquakes have happened now. I vaguely remember the days of PJEFC when I was younger, and I remember the time the pastor (can’t remember his name now) went through revelations. My young mind was quite uninterested, but I do remember him saying that something will happen in South East Asia that has never happened before. That’s probably the only thing I remember from that sermon, probably because I AM from South East Asia. I also know that if you study the Bible, you will recognize a certain pattern that involves earthquakes and resurrection. There was an earthquake when Jesus rose at Easter, when the saints rose when Jesus was still alive, there was an earthquake, and of course, there are a lot of earthquakes mentioned in Revelations. During rapture, the dead in Christ will be snatched out of their graves. Interesting.

A few weeks ago, I was lying in bed, almost asleep when a thought came into my head. ‘If rapture were to happen now, will you still be here?’ That caused my eyes to widen and I could not sleep for a while after. I am not suggesting or denying it is the voice of God, but it is something that has caused me to think a lot. I am not trying to preach, in fact I have many, many questions myself. But with all that is happening, one cannot deny that it is unusual. And of course, this is my space, where I can pour out my thoughts and feelings. As a bible-believing Christian, I know that there IS an end of the world (things can only get so bad), and that it is not going to be pretty. Some cults and religious organizations have been ‘predicting’ the end since forever. I don’t think that is right at all. Of course I always assume it won’t happen in my lifetime, but the Bible says that it will happen in a twinkle of an eye, when no one suspects anything.

Questions, questions. What next. Maybe it’s time to examine the mysterious book of Revelations again.

This is beautiful

2005-03-30T14:45:00.000+09:30

"I always thought that love was an emotion or an impulse. Now I understand that it's a decision. It is to decide to be selfless in any situation. Love is Joy. It is happiness that is not affected by circumstance. Love is Peace. It is the utter lack of contention within a relationship. Love is Patient. It is contentment while waiting. Love is Gentle. It never intends harm. Love is Good. Its intentions are morally perfect. Love is Faith. It trusts no matter what the appearance of a situation. Love is Meek. It surrenders and serves. Love is Temperate. It does not have a selfish appetite. I Love by seeking to be Joyful, Peaceful, Patient, Gentle, Good, Faithful, Meek, and Temperate in every interaction in every situation (Galatians 5:16-26)."

- A Personal Testimony

She says..

2005-03-28T23:30:00.000+09:30

Famous quotes by Mrs K. Jeffery regarding the movie 'The Forgotten'

" How do you explain the all the people who go missing each year? They must all be in a spaceship somewhere. "

When Mark couldn't understand the movie: " You need a lot of high sci fi to understand it "

????

Gluten.

2005-03-28T23:19:00.000+09:30

This is not good. I have been eating too much. I think there is a traffic jam in my gut. Been enjoying the long weekend with food and movies. This is the life.

Sandy's dad popped over for a couple of days and we did the classic Hahndorf and wineries tour topped with Grumpy's pizza - the best in the world! And more food later on in the night. Of course, where there are Malaysians, there is lots of food. Taking in to account the Roast lunches at Mark and Phil's house, I can conclude that I have not eaten so much in such a short period of time.

*Quin rolls to the other end of the room to take a bite of Rum and Raisin fudge from the Hahndorf fudge shop*

So much for my plans to actually study Mandarin again. Almost a quarter of the year has gone by and there's no sign of any planning of Chinese classes. Might be taking up ballroom dancing though ($10 per year!) and Phil's dad asked if anyone was interested in exercising his friend's horses. ("What? You mean I can ride the horsies? Does he have a purple horse?")

This could be my dream come true.

Speaking of dreams, it's time to drool onto the pillow. Maybe I'll dream about galloping into the sunset on a white steed with Prince Charming. Ok. Am I mixing up my fairytales? I'm a confused person.

Now about..

2005-03-28T22:59:00.000+09:30

Last post was about nice people. Now let's bitch about rude ppl. Not someone who doesn't realise he/she is rude, but ppl who think they are the coolest ever just because they 'can' be rude. Makes sense? Probably not. Not to me, anyway.

So. I went to Miss X's (let's just call her that) birthday party. Miss X is one of Mark's course mates and a supposed 'friend'. Hrmmpphh!

Let's fast forward to the later part of the party. I notice the absence of music, the CD has ended. So, not doing much, I hop over to the CD player and after going through the stacks of CDs, I choose the Chunky Custard CD. Most of you probably don't know who they are - they are an Australian entertainment band that plays catchy, upbeat, dancey songs from the 70s and 80s. I worked at one of their gigs and they are fantastica! Of course, I figure it's good party music and better than Kylie Minogue and Jewel so I pop it in, and I get a few smiles of approval and a few bopping heads.

2 minutes later, Miss X stomps in, makes some disgusted noise, picks up her remote and presses EJECT.

Quin, the notorious blur, is stunned. And not so blur this time. (Slow though). Still sitting in front of the CD player, I look up and see confused / sympathetic faces.

BITCH.

I have never known anyone to be this openly rude and I have never called anyone a bitch. But hello. Not only do I bother to come to your stupid party where nothing really happens anyway, I was trying to create some PARTY ATMOSPHERE. Anything's better than BRITNEY anyway. And it's YOUR CD, for goodness sake. Plus, don't like what I chose? Say it. How rude are you?!! Yeah i know you think you are so cool with your perfect blonde-ness and your I-advertise-push-up-bras cleavage but once people see past your superficial saccharin niceness and realise how friggin RUDE and unsincere you are, hah! Nothing but an ugly cow. You think you are cool. I have no time for you and your kind.

Keep playing Britney for all I care.

Long live

2005-03-23T14:57:00.000+10:30

Today I was riding my bike home as usual. There is this horrible part where I have to go from a stop at a traffic light uphill for about a hundred metres.

So, imagine Quin huffing and puffing stand-riding trying to make it up the hill minus any possible embarassment (wearing a helmet is enough embarassment).

Then, this old-ish (but quite fit and good looking) fellow bike rider first overtakes then sorta rides beside me. I thought 'Oh no. Not again.', especting some form of harrasment / mocking. Instead, he asks if my bike is new, and I said yes, sort of. Then he asked if i wanted him to fix the clicky noise my bike makes when i'm pedalling. So I pulled over.

He then proceeded to expain to me how the bike worked, and there was some screw thing that was coming loose, and the front chain had the controlling thing pressing aginst it, which was causing the clicky noise. And he taught me to use the dial to adjust the diameter of the front part of the chain (i usually just play with the back ones) so...

'...you don't have to struggle so much going up the hill'

I knew it was coming.

But long live nice ppl!

2005-03-22T12:50:00.000+10:30

No!!! You can't sell the house!! I can't ask for a nicer student house - huge, equal bedrooms, pool.... Noooo..!!! Why else would you want a market evaluation?? Still! You can't sell the house for another 3 years till I'm done studying...!!

*whimper*

Don't sell......

Money for Nothing and your Chicks for Free

2005-03-14T00:08:00.000+10:30

Well OK here's a quick one cause i'm exhausted and feeling like crap...

After a great day, that is!!

Norwood Food, Wine and Music Festival today! it was fantastic! Especially cause it was right down the street from my house (chewah.. ppl coming to MY neighbourhood!) What is it about? Food, wine and music! The restaurants and wineries set up stalls all along the street (which is closed off) and you buy small versions of the meals and basically sit and enjoy the atmosphere. Sandy and friends and Mark's parents and Stella and Frank and Housemates and tons of others were all there. Pics up later.. gotta get them from Sandy. Yes, I got *ahem* just oh-so-slightly err.. lightheaded. What! It was really hot!! So what if i couldn't walk straight!! (which adds to my feeling like crap)

then..

Mark Knopfler concert at night. I'm not the biggest Dire Straits fan, but Mark is. (funny about the name thing) BUT after this concert, I have a much bigger appreciation for them. That guy makes the guitar SING!! And unlike many artists, he sounds so much better live.

OK this is where the blog ends cause
1. I have lectures all day starting at 9am and need my beauty sleep.
2. I woke up with a sore throat which has developed into a sore throat + runny nose and I know my head is not hurting cause of a hangover. All prac & tutes on this week with THE WEDDING.
3. No pics lah.. how boring.. =(

Daily Recipe

2005-03-06T16:12:00.000+10:30

For mom:

Yorkshire pudding

Ingredients
1 cup self-raising flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water

Method
1. Set oven at 200C
2. Brush / spray patty / muffin pans with oil
3. Sift flour and salt and make a well in the centre
4. Place eggs in well and gradually work in the flour and 1/2 of liquid
5. Beat 1 minute and stir in remainder of liquid
6. Pour into patty / muffin pan
7. Bake 20 mins until golden brown & crisp
8. Serve with Roast Beef & Gravy

Courtesy of Mrs Karen Jeffery aka Mark's mom. She said to add in extra baking powder if you want it extra fluffy.

Btw.. nye nyenye nye nye.. I'm having it for dinner along with roast beef and vegetables and tea cakes and mushy peas and my tummy is gonna be so ROUND after dinner that I can bounce on it. =)

Pics!

2005-03-03T14:43:00.000+10:30

OK, since pics speak more words then I'll ever write, here is a little photoblog of my time in Msia

Need I say more?

When being nice doesn't work... - At Imbi plaza

Just say it!

Quail @ Ming Tien. Cute in a sadistic sorta way...

Educating parents to.......... On the way to see eye surgeon @ Megamall.

Yeap, that would be the LASIK surgery room!

Farewell, glasses!

Uncle Lim's @ Ikano Power Centre! Did you know the founder's real name isn't Lim.. he just wanted to sound Hainanese because Hainanese are associated with good food *beams in pride*

A genuine Uncle Lim enjoying a cup of coffee. =)

new hair stuff! Thanks mommie...

G3 reunion: Ser Ley and Su Ching looking cute as ever!

The G3 guys who showed up: Shaun, Kelvin and Melvyn all in black (eh! sure pakat one..)

And the girls looking nice and colourful: Su Ching, Ser Ley and Sarah

Yee Sang!

Friggin snatch thieves.

5/7 of the Tigresses: back - Beat, Mimi, Kat front - Me, Wendy @ Pizza Hut

Spoons unite! - at Swenson's

Glasses too!

They're probably trying to kill me for not going for the Christmas reunion. +D

Reichi and Josh - Before Sepet movie session. ehehe... Josh bermata sepet!

And more experiments with my hair chopstick...

Neat!

This is my serendipity. It is a fantastic discovery. Looks quite interesting and really holds! But I dunno how i did it. =(

Ok, time to go to the gym. see yous later!

Home sweet other home

2005-03-03T14:12:00.000+10:30

On a lighter note, it's great to be back, though I think I'm missing home more than I did when I came last year. Back to uni and bills and household chores and waking up early.

Had an absolutely fantastic time in Malaysia. THANK YOU to all my beloved kawans for a very memorable holiday!!!

Not been doing much yet.. mainly catching up on sleep and organizing my room - which is big, yet getting quite cluttered. Also trying to get my head around my classes and books and pracs and lecturers and notes.

Housemates are enjoying the 'strange' stuff I brought back (heong peah, sesame biscuits, sesame balls, peanut biscuits....) Went over to see my neighbours, the old Italian couple and gave them some yummies as well and got showered with kisses and fed lemonade and chocolate while being told more stories about Italy and migration and work and bingo and grandkids and Elliot's 'mits' (mates)... Oh I love my neighbours - they are the cutest couple ever!

Planning to go to the gym later on and need a nap now so.. later!

"Heya Chink"

2005-03-03T13:51:00.000+10:30

There you have it, my very first personal encounter with direct racism.

Just walking down to street to my bus stop, minding my own business, when I hear a loud whisper. Directed at me. It came from a fat middle aged guy coming in the opposite direction.

At first I was puzzled - I thought he said '...drink' cause I have been asked to have a drink with some random stranger on the street on a couple of occasions. But usually they hang around for an answer. This one obviously didn't.

By the time I realised what he said (Yes, blur Quin.) , he was too far for me to give him a slap and a kick in the balls.

Somehow, I do not feel as I thought I would. I thought I would be sad / hurt. I am not. I am Chinese and proud of it. Why discriminate me against something I was born to be?? I thought I would find it funny. I don't. I find it incredibly ignorant and annoying, especially in this day and age (and HIS age, for heaven's sake. Grow up!!) . I am also very embarassed. Embarassed on behalf of all my non-Asian friends who are anything but racist but might have to put up with the hostility of victims of racism.

It is quite strange that for the entire past year I have not felt discriminated in any way. In fact, I have not even given it much thought, even though I've heard many of such 'cases'.

But since I've been back, it's as if Adelaide has changed oh-so-slightly since the absense of most uni students during the long summer hols. Yesterday I observered a rather interesting conversation / argument on the bus. Some guy was apparently complaining about the bus service cause the bus was late due to some road works. The bus driver got pissed and that is about the time where I got on the bus. The driver was complaining that all people do is complain. And somewhere down the conversation, told that guy 'Go back to your own country'. To which, he retorted 'I am Australian, I was born in South Australia.....' and really gave it to the bus driver for being racist. (Dumb bus driver! Even I could tell he was Aussie.) In fact, he threatened to tell his boss of his racist comment and get him out of a job.

That was when ignorant ol' me started to wonder about whether ppl really are racist here. Least it sorta prepared me for today.

Warning - There is a piece of fat, white racist trash roaming the streets of Adelaide!

Happy V-day btw...

2005-02-15T01:31:00.000+10:30

Almost forgot today was Valentine's Day. Ok, I did forget. But so what. Now Valentine's Day doesn't mean much to me. And who celebrates V-Day anyways??!!

Of course back in sec school, V-Day was always such a big thing. We used to watch with so much interest who got flowers, song dedications etc etc on Valentine's. Secret admirers were the talk of the town!! Ok, class. And I used to feel left out and depressed. A lot. Lol... I don't really remember ever getting anything on Valentine's actually. *drops head in sorrow* (Or maybe I just don't remember) So I would get so involved in Interact organizing flowers and card orders. I remember CW ordering a dozen flowers '11 pink and 1 red in the middle' for YS in Form 2. I thought it was so sweet. And nearly went green with jealousy. haha.. ok not really. If I'm not mistaken I was in-charge of the V-Day project in Form 4.. that was heaps of fun.. and work! Then in the later teen years, V-Day meant a lot more - celebrating the day of love with that special someone.

Now, I've come to realise that heck, I would much rather my special someone shower me with love every single day of the year then wait for a commercialised day to show his affection. It would be wonderful to celebrate, I have no doubt, but it would be very depressing if that was the only day I was shown love. At least I have nothing to complain about. =)

However, I would love V-day if I were selling stuff or a restaurant owner. Walking around MidValley today, I saw girls carrying huge bunches of roses that would've probably costed an arm and a leg and are heavy as well. It was almost as if they were parading with their flowers in one arm and their boyfriend on the other leaving them barely visible. (how many married couples would do that??) And restaurants were packed!

On a lighter note, it was nice to spend V-Day with my family.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY to my mommie and daddy who have loved me long before I was even born, my brothers, my uncles, aunties and cousins everywhere, my Aussie parents, my German sister, my twin, all my wonderful friends, my housemates and last but definetely not least, Bei Ji Xiong. (Thank you for reminding me, btw. Wo hen xiang ni!).

Hugs and kisses, all!

*An after-entry dedicated specially to my dearest Svenjay.. thank you so much for the lovely e-mail - it almost made me cry. I am missing you as much as ever and wish I could destress you and make you your ol happy self. I love you so much, babe. Hugs and kisses from me in Msia to you in Germany. Do send my love to your parents as well!

2005-02-15T01:04:00.000+10:30

Chinese New Year is getting depressing. No complaints about the ang pows, but it seems to be the only tradition that is withstanding westernisation and the general lost of interest in culture / tradition. CNY now seems to be all about ang pows and a break off work / school. What happened to the joy of visiting relatives and friends, dressing up in traditional gear, coming home to family and bonding? Now it seems everyone can't wait to get back to the comfort of home to ............. sleep.

When international friends ask me about CNY and chinese traditions, I have to dig up memories of my childhood. Now it seems it's only me and my dad who are interested in going visiting. After all, I came home just for CNY.

I predict that when eventually, traditional costumes will be almost impossible to get - or will be modified beyond recognition. CNY will be just a one day holiday. Traditional food will slowly disappear. People will become less bothered to come home for CNY. Decorations will disappear from the streets.

But I am hoping ang pows will disappear when time comes for me to be the giver, not the reciever.

Why do I doubt that will happen.

Like dat lor...

2005-02-13T03:22:00.000+10:30

Chorus of 10 Days by Missy Higgins..

'But time has changed nothing at all
you're still the only one that feels like home.
I've tried cutting the ropes and I let you go
but you're still the only one that feels like home.'

Dedicated to all my friends in M'sia who are comfortable like old undies.

I don't think I phrased that the way I want it to mean.
...

It's great being home! Besides spending time in my new home and getting adjusted to my still messy new room, I'm seeing all these ppl I haven't seen in eons and it's really really great! Aunt and cousins came over last night. Gee! How people can change in one year! My 'little' cousin Claire is not so little anymore but a young woman now! Probably shot up a few inches as well (did not even try to compare height for fear of embarassment. Bad enough always being the shortest in Aust, worse still in Msia!!) Hehe... I remember those days of growing into my pinafore and learning to cope with period cramps (and hiding period stains - oh the nighmare!) and being so much in awe of couples popping up (and breaking up?) everywhere and finding true friends (Ok, when does the quest ever end?!) and learning to accept yourself. I remember how it took me awhile to realise that I'll never have a Barbie doll figure although that's what society demands. Now I can say I am truly comfortable in my own skin (- big ass, short legs and all) as I learnt that you are loved not just for how you look but for how beautiful you are on the inside. And after all, if someone were to reject you based on how you look, stuff them! Their loss! I don't think I've ever lost any friends cause of that, thank God but I can imagine it has happend. Btw, i think the rap song that goes sth like 'I like big butts ....' is fantastic. LOL.. Illona and I requested that song at The Alma and danced in celebration of our curviness!!

Had breakfast with Jolene a couple of days ago, and I think it's strange how distance can sorta bring ppl together, esp with technology.. MSN! Then met up with Jia Min and we spent a long time talking and catching up and walking aimlessly around Pyramid (which hasn't really changed all that much in the past year) I still think it's fantastic when you can see a friend you really have talked to much and not seen at all and yet be able to talk like old times and feeling a connection without being too awkward.

Looking forward to meeting G3-ians tomorrow in Bt Jalil and THANK YOU MELVYN FOR PICKING ME UP! And then there's 5 Azamians - Sally Wally, Christine and Chin Yen (maybe Vina too!) on Tuesday! Just had a not-long-enough chat with my twin, Sandy. haha.. have to admit, we both wonder where the twin thing started cause we look nothing alike now. She might even have lost a few kilos... maybe donated them to me? haha.. Well she'll be joining me in The Festival State, Adelaide!

I will be going for eye surgery on Thursday. *hears gasps* Well technically it is not definite cause they will have to test the suitability of my eyes for the surgery and I wanna make sure it will be 101% safe (I only have 1 pair of eyes!!) But if all goes well, i will have perfect eyesight and never have to poke my eyes again while putting on my contacts after Thurs!

Well it has taken me

1 day to .. Realise it is just not ok to speak to random strangers and cashiers.
2 days to .. Get used to not being the smallest / shortest. Quite the contrary, actually.
Get used to seeing so much black hair
The size of supermarkets / shopping malls
3 days for .. My Malaysian accent to kick into action. Muahaha..my true colours are reemerging!
4 days to .. Get a good night's sleep!
Learn the sizes of Malaysian coins again. (Eh! 20 cents so small??)

and I still...

haven't figured out the lights and switches in my house
got my own set of house keys
get lost in my own house. (4 flights of stairs! Should have 'Level 1', 'Level 2' etc signs!)
haven't really organized my room as much as I'd like
haven't bought a bed
gotten used to the weather!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 2% humidity -> full on tropical mugginess

Well, what a long and amazingly pictureless entry! Toodles!

Honey, I'm HOME!

2005-02-10T01:54:00.000+10:30

Hey everyone!

FYI, I am home in M'sia and contactable at my brand spankin new Maxis prepaid no 0129117396 or at my brand spankin new home 6203 4478.

First of all, for all who don't know, I am not living 31, Jalan SS19/4, Subang Jaya anymore, but now have migrated to Desa Hartamas. Ask my mom for directions... I'm still feeling so friggin lost.

Anyway, got back yesterday, reunion dinner time, quite tired cause i could barely fall asleep on the plane. The 2 times I managed to keep my eyes shut and actually fall into some sort of shallow sleep, I was woken up by flight attendants
1. asking me if i want a 'light meal' (No, I would prefer sleep, thank you)
2. telling me to buckle up cause of 'turbulence'. hah! the plane was hardly wobbly!
Hardly slept the night before cause I had to pack my bags in a hurry (starting at 9 pm) cause me being my genius self locked myself out of my own house because I had gone out the night before with my key in my jacket pocket and left my jacket at home. Along with my mobile (which I now realise I rely on very much) For some reason I could remember Mark's home no which is strange cause I usually can never remember numbers except my own and those that are dialled extremely frequently. So I got him to contact someone else to get my housemate's no, but housemate was not answering. Bleurgh. At least I was saved by Illona who gave me refuge from near anxiety attacks and a roof over my head.

Anyhow, here are some pics of some happenings in between Congress and flight MH138 from Adelaide to Kuala Lumpur

Mark's surprise party

Yes, I officially pulled off my first attempt at throwing a surprise party. Lotsa planning and stealing phone numbers and smsing and emailing and collaborating with partner-in-crime, Mr Franky T. about 2 weeks before the party AND during travelling.

But party was a success (it WAS a surprise!) Everybody (i hope) had fun esp with karaoke. I think many would agree that banning housemate Phil from karaoke is a good idea. When he sings, you don't quite know whether to laugh or cry cause it is THAT bad. In the words of Mark's dad, 'He can release new versions of the songs cause it sounds nothing like the original'

The man who redefined karaoke. (I didn't say in a good way)

Before...

Yay! Good number of ppl came

Birthday boy and parents

Birthday boy and uni friends

Partner-in-crime making Sangria

More karaoke

After that, went to a club down the road and the guys played pool while us girls hit the dance floor. Ok, music was pretty average, but it was good to work off all the tension. Finally got home at 4am. =)

Next day, his mom made a Gourmet birthday lunch/dinner with

Oysters au naturale

Slurp!

Sushi, octopus, dolmante, rollmops, olives and artichokes and pesto dip in the middle.. (drool..)

and Orange Chicken which unfortunately has not been photographed AND trifle!!! wooooh!!

...and then Victor Harbour

A fairy penguin in its burrow

View from Granite Island

You cannot walk, you can only fall.

Because my heels were giving me a lot of pain, I decided to walk AROUND Granite Island BAREFOOT. Not so smart, Quin. After awhile, each step was like walking on needles esp cause my feet were sore and raw from dancing. So, I 'borrowed' Mark's shoes... they were a tad too big for me though..

Call me, ppl!!

Home sweet.....

2005-01-29T13:06:00.000+10:30

Hey people!

Today is the last day of the NAPSA congress, and I'm skipping the lectures cause I wanna go shopping. (Shhh..) I feel this is going on for too long, and i've found out I'm not the only one who feels this way. All the camps I've been to be it school or church or Brats or leadership camps have always been 3-5 days long and this week long congress is making me miss home very much. (Ahh.. the comfort of my own bed...) All the pub-crawling and clubbing and pressure to consume vast amounts of alcoholic beverages is really tiring as well, especially when things get messy. On a nicer note, I have had fun too, though I feel that this congress is aimed more towards the more senior students.. they're heaps here that have finished their degrees and are doing placements, so they obviously know so much more and want to find out so much more about what to expect etc etc.. But me being a naive + blur firstie is a bit of a blurcase. Met some great ppl .. and now have been told that I look Vietnamese, Thai, Taiwainese, mixed and, newest addition is HAWAIIAN. (for those who know me, my ancestry as far as I know shows that I am a purebreed Chinese..hehe) Also talked to this really nice New Zealander and am so fascinated with her accent. It might be a bit 'tarnished' cause she's originally from South Africa, but it's really cool!

Now i'm wondering whether or not to stay back after the congress and explore Bris cause it's a fair way from Adelaide and it's not like i'll come here as often as my trips to Melbourne. So exhausted from my non-stop activities and I have stuff to do at home before I go home to Msia for another whirlwind of 20 days. (I'll be home.. for Ang Pows.. la la la....) So far my conclusion has been to stay for 2 days.

Anyway, time to go shopping now. Have to brainstorm on what to do with my hair which has apparently gotten used to dry Adelaide and is poufing out in humid Brisbane.

Luv luv to all!

...

2005-01-19T01:55:00.000+10:30

Darn uni enrol system!!!!!! The first time I used you it took me a whole day to figure out. This year I thought it would be a breeze. Then you change and I have to re-figure you out. Missed out on the 'better' classes cause I gave up the first time. Now I have to go for a class at 6 pm!!!!Just when I'm getting the hang of how you work, you freeze because you are only active within certain hours.

Go enrol yourself you *&^%$# enrol system!

Still

2005-01-18T19:47:00.000+10:30

When the oceans rise and the thunder roars

I will soar with you above the storm

Father you are King over the Flood

I will be still know You are God.

My progress.

2005-01-18T15:11:00.000+10:30

Have lost 0.6 kg.
Stomach feels flatter (after all those vegies........)

Jia you, Quin!

=P

Schutzenfest!

2005-01-18T01:36:00.000+10:30

Schutzenfest:

"Adelaide's uproarious Schutzenfest is the world's second largest German shooting festival after the one in Hannover. More than 30,000 people take part in the revelry each year, held over two days west of the city centre in Bonython Park. Highlights include hearty food and ales, Oompah bands, folk dancing, local pop groups and, of course, a shooting competition. The festivities wind up with a flurry of fireworks. It is likely to be very hot and sunny at this time of year, so wear a hat and bring sunscreen.
Admission: Adults AUD7; children under 14 free.
Start Date: 2005-01-01
End Date: 2005-01-31 10am-11pm
Sat; 10am-10pm Sun"

Tsk tsk.. this has some very untrue information. First of all, admission was an outrageous 10 bucks per person. And it was only on the 14th and 15th of January. Of course it is not anyone's fault, but it was a cloudy and windy 24 degree day. Not at all warm.

Gripes aside, it was a great day!

The oh-so-huge sign.

Food!!

Sofia's Einsbien (pork hock) + sauerkraut which was the same as Mark's and mine, but we ate too fast. So had to 'borrow' hers for photo-shooting purposes. (Observe the fat!)

Lauren's 'Mixed Grill' which I think was Kassler & something-wurst

Deja Vu?

And after, back to my house. The boys (Mark, Frank, Phil) kidnapped Illona later on that night...

Illona, still in 'sushi' PJs looking angry at being dragged out of her bed. Sofia looks on in amusement.

After which, a series of events which I hope I've gotten in the right order

Phil got tricked into going into the pool on a cold, cold night with an even colder pool. (Sorry, only have a video of this)

Mark passing out first.

Illona passing out next.

Then Phil.

While Frank and I were sharing sentimental stuff...

Then he passed out on my toilet bowl (literally)

So Sofia and I made a bed for him.

And tried to coax him to get out

But he seemed happy there (??)

But we needed to pee.

Really bad.

................Nice, dark garden.

Then ZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...........

~~

Just out of interest
The end of the internet

2005-01-18T01:30:00.000+10:30

Oh yeah..

Happy Belated Birtday, Claire!!!

Waah.. Form 1 already! It's a milestone! *Quin reminises innocent / blur Form 1 days*