Quiet thoughts and quiet dreams

Time for a change

2006-08-07T15:14:00.000+10:00

Red Hot Nails

2006-07-28T18:17:00.000+10:00

Yesterday, I saw a woman with toenails longer than my fingernails. They were at least an inch long and painted a bright shiny red.

It looked like she stuck chilli padis on to her toes. Yucks!

This rollercoaster life of mine

2006-07-20T23:38:00.000+10:00

I'm feeling out of sorts today. Have this nagging feeling at the back of my head that something's amiss. I wonder if it's psychological. I feel uneasy, tired, moody.... just so BLAH.

Maybe it's a balance thing. The past few days I've literally been on a high. And life, I suppose, is like a rollercoaster - you have to come down sometimes. This suddenly reminds me of the Giant Drop at Movieworld. How it slowly moves up, and when you reach the pinnacle it lingers there, allowing you to enjoy the stunning view, and you keep expecting it to drop but it doesn't. Instead it continues to stay up there, and just when you start to think that it's not going to it plummets, nose-diving straight down.

Of course once you're down, there's no other way to go except back up again. I just hope it doesn't take too long for the next ride to start.

Golden Ball

2006-07-08T12:26:00.000+10:00

I find it extremely annoying that none of the players up for contention for the Golden Ball come from countries that didn't make it to the semis. And among those nominated, a staggering 7 players are Italians or French. It seems so narrow minded to focus only on the last 4 countries. No doubt the 10 nominated played an integral part in helping their respective countries reach the final 4, but the prize is for the most valuable player in the competition. How about players like Riquelme, Ayala, Rodriguez, Appiah, and in fact, most of the other Ghana players? Even Hargreaves who was simply outstanding against Portugal.

Just because you didn't make it to the finals or even the semis shouldn't matter. If it does, then one of the criteria besides skill, flair and whatever else they consider should be "must be a semi-finalist". The selection panel needs a good knock on the head.

I'm not saying that all 10 nominated don't deserve it, it's the inclusion of a particular few that boggles my mind. I hope Cannavaro wins because of the 10 he's my favourite. And it certainly helps that he's HOT. I suspect that Zidane might have a good shot at it though, for sentimental reasons. Well we'll all know come Monday.

Wimbledon

2006-07-08T11:53:00.000+10:00

I've been so caught up with soccer the past few weeks that I've hardly watched Wimbledon. But I'm definitely not going to miss the final between Federer and Nadal. I think it promises to be an interesting match with Nadal having a 6-1 career edge over Federer. Federer, incidentally, is 55-0 against all other players this year (I checked!). Nadal has also beaten Federer in four finals this year, including last month's French Open.

I still reckon Federer is the overwhelming favourite on grass. He is miserly in dishing out errors, and has yet to drop a set in the tournament. If both players carry on playing with the form they've showed the past 2 weeks, it's going to be a fantastic final. Go Roger!

Italy 2 Germany OUT

2006-07-05T14:03:00.000+10:00

The better team won. My hope had been for Italy to convert a penalty in the dying minutes of the match so that Germany wouldn't have time to claw their way back, much like their match against Australia but this is even better!

As one report put it, "Klinsmann's team had been clinically picked off by an Italy team too smart to leave their victims with time to reply". Go Azzurri!

Pool Story

2006-07-03T16:08:00.000+10:00

I remember going up to the pool around 1 or 2 in the afternoon. Or sometimes immediately after waking up. Strolling down the corridor barefoot, through the door, past the gym, and up the stairs. In the bright afternoon sun, the pool looked as blue as the sky. I would take a quick dip, then lie on my towel and settle down for a snooze or enjoy the company of a good book. Sometimes I would spy on the people and cars crossing the William Jolly Bridge, wondering who they were and where they were heading to. I'd look towards the city, where the shops called out invitingly but the lure of my pool was irresistible.

Sometimes I'd head to the pool in the evenings and there'd be a crowd sitting by the pool, savouring a drink or tossing a ball around. Other times I'd go with a friend or two and enjoy a chat and the company. We'd muck around with a ball or practice doing flips or play silly games. Once our ball sailed over the railing and landed on the ground 4 stories below. A helpful passer by picked it up and attempted to kick it up to us. The ball ended up stuck in a tree. After much prodding and cursing, my friend managed to get the ball back. He then attempted to kick the ball back up to me. His foot connected sweetly with the ball and it flew up, away from my waiting hands and landed on the roof of the hotel next door.

But that's another story.

And so it is

2006-07-02T17:06:00.000+10:00

The World Cup suddenly lost much of it's appeal for me. Australia, Argentina, Spain, England. Those were the 4 teams I was rooting for. I can't believe they're ALL out. 3 of them kicked out coz of penalties.

I don't like Germany, France and Ronaldo so I guess i'll have to dig out my Italy jersey.

Determination

2006-06-17T12:02:00.000+10:00

If you can't get through the mountain, try going around it.

If you can't go around it, try going over it.

If you can't go over it, ask yourself if getting over

to the other side is all that important.

If it is, set your heart out to dig a tunnel through it.

Homesick

2006-06-13T11:39:00.000+10:00

Aussie aussie aussie! Oi! Oi! Oi!

I cheered the Wallabies during the world cup final, I cheered the cricketers in the cricket world cup, and I cheered the socceroos on as they beat Uruguay to qualify for the world cup. Due to Singapore's lack of international success in the sporting arena, I guess I latched on to Australia as my home team. It certainly helped that Australia is a sporting mad country. I remember watching the rugby world cup finals at home, and each time Australia scored a try the entire apartment complex I stayed at erupted in cheers. And when England won the match, I could hear my neighbours burst into a rousing, slightly off-key rendition of the waltzing matilda in support of our team who threw everything at England but wltimately lost to Wilkinson's left boot.

But I digress. I'm not sure if Australia can get past the group stages but yesterday was definitely their day. And I will always have a soft spot for the country I called home for 4 years. Advance Australia Fair....

X-Men

2006-05-24T01:04:00.000+10:00

The movie rocked! I shan't spoil it for you by revealing the story line but let's just say that it was better than I expected and that there were certain twists that I didn't see coming. It's definitely a must see if you like action movies.

I watched it at the Grand Cathay and the cinema was pretty cool as well. All in all, it was a great way to end the day. Pity it was slightly marred by the person sitting beside me who felt the need to explain the whole plot to his friend, and name every other character that appeared up to the point of explaining the obvious, "Oh, she's a mutant".

But I shan't complain much coz I was one of those irritating people who gets up to go to the washroom in the middle of the show, and steps on your toes to boot!

Now where did I keep my claws?? *zing*

Taboo

2006-05-23T00:34:00.000+10:00

Was at a friend's place on Saturday for a BBQ. The evening was slightly boring till we brought out the Taboo set. Taboo is basically like charades, where u describe a word to your team for them to guess, except that there are certain taboo words which you can't say. It was great fun, and brought back memories of Brisbane and a certain crazy gang. =)

The thing about such games is that it reminds you of the people in your life you are most close to. Where instead of trying to describe a taxi, you simply go "Morning, evening, *whistle*" and the person in question gets it immediately. Or even something as simple as "What food I hate the most" (pumpkin).

We laughed the night away and that's the best kind of way to spend an evening: With good company, a couple of Jello shots, and lotsa laughter.

On another note, I'm gonna watch X-Men 3 tomorrow!! Can't wait!! My favourite character? THE ANGEL!

The Key

2006-05-20T14:23:00.000+10:00

My office has 2 sets of keys to the ladies on our floor. About 2 weeks back, 1 set mysteriously disappeared.

I have an extremely small bladder which leads to me having to, well you know, frequently. So on numerous occasions when I wished to use the toilet, I found that I couldn't because someone else took the key. So that led to alot of cursing and swearing on my part, wishing for the destruction and total annihilation of the person who was holding on to the other set of keys.

Little did I know.

That same week, I was also doing alot of cursing due to the fact that I kept bumping into things, getting scratched by numerous objects, and dropping things on my foot! The week culminated in my dropping a box of files on myself, resulting in the mother of all bruises.

That evening, I went to a special screening of Mission Impossible after work and brought along the jacket that I normally leave behind in the office. Guess what I found when I slipped my fingers in my jacket pocket to warm them up? THE MISSING SET OF KEYS TO THE TOILET!

Damn.

The story continues.

This past week, the keys went missing again. I quickly checked my pocket but it wasn't there. The whole office was speculating that someone must have dropped it in the cistern or something like that.

I just found the keys in my other pocket. I only checked my right pocket the other time because I never use the left side! Now to figure out a way to slip the keys back without letting anyone else know!!!!

Lazy Sunday

2006-04-23T23:11:00.000+10:00

Lunch today was at Meritus Negara's Vibe restaurant. It was so-so only. I've been to much better buffets. There wasn't much variety, but the best was the Brazilian churrasco (a South American method of grilling meat in a rotisserie).

The dessert selection sucked. At least it had a chocolate fountain with a huge variety of fruits to dip in. But of course I was kinda sick of the whole chocolate thing. Did manage to gobble down a little though.

Promised pictures, but I'm too tired to upload them so I'll do them another day. Hope everyone has a fantastic week ahead!

Contented

2006-04-23T02:19:00.000+10:00

Went for the chocolate buffet at Fullerton this evening. For the price, I was definitely paying for the quality rather than the quantity! But it was simply divine. I literally ate till I was sick. It was sorta a birthday celebration with a group of friends who have become like family to me. We ate steadily for 1 1/2 hrs, and all left stuffed to the brim.

This has been a rather eventful few days. It started of with a surprise gathering on Wednesday with my dearest friends. Thanks to the organisers, you know who you are! I'm really touched at the amount of effort and planning that went into it, to ensure that I had no clue as to what was coming, and also to my 2 babes for coming all the way to the east just for me. =)

On Thursday I was surprised with unexpected gifts. One from a very old friend whom I've not seen for maybe 9 years! Another was something I've always lusted for but could never bear to fork out the cash for. I'm such a lucky girl!

Friday I went to a friend's place for mahjong (I lost). Felt really great to be spending time with that group just hanging out and having fun. I really have to say how happy I am to have friends like those 2. We were classmates in JC and despite my being away for most of the time, I've always known that they would drop everything for me if I needed them. They gave me an angpow haha. What can I say? We're practical girls and understand one another perfectly. We played till 1plus, then they surprised me with a cake. The first time in 4 years that I've managed to cut a cake with them. =)

This year has been just fantastic for me. I have so many things to be thankful for but nothing more than the people in my life. The past few days have just shown me how lucky I am and I'm determined to treasure these precious gifts I've been blessed with.

Tomorrow it's my birthday lunch with the family. Will post some pictures soon. G'nite folks!

Good Friday

2006-04-15T00:34:00.000+10:00

So the heavens wept all afternoon on Good Friday.

I'm not a staunch Catholic, but at times like these I'm just filled with a sense of wonder and amazement.

I feel blessed.

Exhausted

2006-04-02T20:02:00.000+10:00

I am perpetually tired. I like what I'm doing now and I find it really interesting, but after only a week of work, I am sooooo tired! When I get home from work, I'm too tired to even come online to chat or blog or do jackshit. I think I need to undergo some major adjustments.

On another note, I decorated a cake for my friend's birthday today. I had no time to do any baking, so I simply bought a cake from cold storage and transformed it into....

a soccer ball!

It was really hard work! I couldn't find the icing type that I used in Brisbane, so I bought marzipan instead. First problem was that they only had it in golden, so i couldn't do a white ball. Secondly, after mixing it the colouring for the brown/black bits, the marzipan got so sticky I couldn't cut or roll it properly. It was painstaking work, fashioning the pentagons! But I'm pretty pleased with the end result. =)

Mad hatter

2006-03-24T17:01:00.000+10:00

So this marks my last weekday before I officially start work. Been amusing myself taking stupid lame pics and generally just lazing. Shall embark on my shopping spree later in the evening when the weather gets cooler. I can't wait!! Joe, I'll make your shopping spree seem like a stroll in comparison.

Pretty pretty

You! No, you!

Sketch

I love this setting!

Doing the wave

2006-03-24T00:30:00.000+10:00

I was called back for a 2nd interview yesterday. Everything went well and I got the job. I'm starting on Monday so goodbye to waking up late and having the entire house to myself on weekdays! I decided to pass on the accounting position because that's not something I wanna do long term so what's the point in doing it now right? It's too specialised, whereas what I'm going to do, company administration, has a steeper learning curve.

Wish me luck!

MOS

2006-03-23T00:52:00.000+10:00

Finally went to check MOS out last Friday night. The verdict? It's a really cool place, very nicely done up. I'm loving the escalator and the fountain. Oh and the Pure Room. Was there most of the time, tried boogie-ing at the hip hop room but it was just too crowded and my idea of a good time is not being sandwiched between sweaty, sticky, gyrating people.

I look damn big in the pic!

Old friends

Brisbanites

This was so comfy once I sat down I didn't get up till we left

Hungry!

2006-03-20T21:09:00.000+10:00

Went for buffet lunch at The Line on Saturday to celebrate my mum's birthday. I have not had a buffet with as much variety before. There was sushi and sashimi, seafood such as crab, and mussels, all sorts of roast meat, indian food, dim sum, noodles, chinese stir fried dishes, a huge salad bar and I can't even remember what else! What really blew me away was the selection of dessert. They had nonya kueh, cakes, ice cream, and yummy concoctions like toffee apple jelly, creme brulee, and erm.. I dunno the names of the rest! Just feast your eyes on the pics!

Caesar Salad

Some of the roast meat and grilled fish I had with asparagus

Chocolate tiramisu, toffee apple jelly, some mandarin orange mousse thingy, and kiwi tart

Chocolate fountain! With strawberries and cookies on sticks

Choc-dipped marshmellows, strawberry and cookies

Greedy pigs

Anyway, after lunch I went for a teaching seminar organised by MOE at Orchard Hotel. At the Q&A session, this girl went up to the mic to ask a question, and after the panel had moved on to other people, she went back up to a mic and cut in before anyone else could ask a question!! And after being told to let others have their turn, she returned to her seat, only to walk back up again a few mins later. This time, she interruped one of the panel members while he was speaking!! Goodness!!

And despite being told at the start of the seminar to switch all mobile phones off or turn to silent mode, there were at least 3 phones that went off midway. Are these potential teachers? Wah lau they couldn't even follow simple instructions. One of them even answered her phone. Everyone there could hear her speaking man.

After the seminar, I had a late dinner at Blooie's, just outside my house at Jalan Tua Kong. Their food is awesome man. Hehe the next day I realised that I was the only one in my family who had dinner as everyone else was just too stuffed from lunch. I am such a pig!! =)

Update

2006-03-20T18:46:00.000+10:00

Went for an interview (my first, can you believe it?!) this morning with a small but expanding company specialising in tax, estate trust, and corporate administration. Was initially enquiring after a corporate secretarial position as I felt that that would give me the necessary experience needed for a banking job. By the way I've not had any positive replies from my applications, which was why I decided on this.

So. The interview went well. I was so nervous at first as I've never had an interview before and I'd heard some horror stories. But it was a breeze! They were really friendly and smiley and "Hi, how are you, how's your morning been?". Anyway, I had to fill in pages of forms. Besides the usual academic qualifications, they also asked for my family's details - age, occupation, employer.

After a brief talk, they recommended that I apply for an accounting position instead, based on my qualifications. The good thing is that I won't be limited to just doing accounts, I get to do a little of other things as well, with the option of switching to other departments if I decide I want to. But because I have no experience, the pay is peanuts! =( I'm not sure what the market rate is like for accounts assistants but it seems like a really small sum compared to the starting pay for teachers. But I'm getting ahead of myself here. I might not even get the job!

Job hunting sucks.

I'm back!

2006-03-09T17:31:00.000+10:00

I've been really lazy and apologies to those of you who have not heard a squeak from me for months.

I'm back home for good, and am diligently trying get out of unemployment. I fear I might have waited too long as I only actively started job hunting less than a month ago. I figured once I start work it's for life (unless I strike 4D!) and thus decided to take it easy and just enjoy the free time I have on my hands. Oh well. Hopefully things start looking up soon.

Anyway, enjoy the pics! More to come later.

My sis and I, taken during CNY.

JC mates Marilyn & Martinna, celebrating Martinna's bday.

My family!

I love this pic! Taken at my uncle's house. Btw, my dad's koi died. All 4 of them!! They were as huge as my arm man!

Taken at Asian Aerospace. The pics I took with the aircraft were all blurry =(

To beat the monday morning blues...

2005-11-21T09:52:00.000+10:00

Some facts about Ghandi:
He walked barefoot all the time, had very tough feet
Was somewhat thin and delicate from all that fasting
Was extremely religious
Was a vegetarian, eating a lot of onions and garlic

Therefore
Ghandi was a super calloused fragile mystic hexed by halitosis

How to swear, cuss and insult in 169 languages

2005-11-19T10:07:00.000+10:00

Just because exams are over and I've nothing better to do...

Presenting, the Swearsaurus, the world's multilingual swearing archive! Guess what? Singlish actually makes an appearance. With English translation. Go check it out if you're as lame/easily amused/bored as I am.

Bomb threat

2005-11-15T15:38:00.000+10:00

The train and bus services were shut down twice yesterday in Brisbane when police received 2 bomb threats. I had no idea of the chaos as I was in uni the whole day, and just about the only thing everyone in uni was concerned with was exams. On my way home, I received a call from my dad, who had been trying to call my home phone, but for some strange reason the line was engaged. He had just got back from work in the afternoon and saw the reports on the mass evacuation on CNA, and wanted to check that I was ok, and also to pump me for more info. I was totally clueless, and bewilderedly asked him, "What do you mean? I still see buses running on the roads". Just as confused, my dad replied "Huh? Don't tell me I was dreaming"? Heh.

It wasn't until I reached home that I realised what had happened as my housemate had been in the city trying to get on the train when the orders to evacuate was given. Alot of disgruntled people were griping over the Premier's decision, saying that if it was a real terror attack, no warning would be given. Well, I feel that you can never be too safe so I'm not complaining. It just feels a little surreal as I've always felt pretty safe in Brisbane, and it's not something people in Brisbane think about much here. Such things only happen in the other cities, like Melbourne or Sydney. Well, I thought so, at least!

What is the world coming to???

***********************************

I just re read my post, and I realised the last line sounded overly dramatic. To explain, I was thinking of the recent bomb blasts in London and Bali, and the subsequent terror and anguish it brought. So that very rhetoric question was a response to my thoughts. I am not a drama mama/Chicken Little type thinking the world's gonna end just because of the bomb threats in Brisbane!!!

Knackered

2005-10-26T20:53:00.000+10:00

I smell like a swimming pool! Went for a swim this afternoon with Paul. Had a pretty good workout swimming 30 laps. There's something about swimming that is so therapeutic. Being alone with your thoughts, staring ahead at the deep blue expanse of water...

I like looking at other swimmers while I'm swimming. You always see the same stereotypical people, whether you're in Singapore or Australia! There's the terribly fit old man, who steadily swims non-stop without pausing for a break. There's the young woman in training, who follows a gruelling regime, and you wonder what she's training for: a competition, to lose weight, or to simply stay fit? Then there's the young punk who likes to swim freestyle, thundering up and down the lanes, splish splashing for a few laps before disappearing quickly. There's also the couple who hang out at the shallow end, god knows doing what! The girl giggles alot, and all they do is hop around. For goodness sake, stay home and play in the bathtub!

Something new I saw today though was a girls' water polo team in training. I've always read about how physical the sport is, especially underwater, and how they have a special technique for treading water which is slightly less tiring than the normal 2 leg kick, and for the first time I was able to see what actually goes on below the surface of the water!

I'm going to end this post abruptly. Am too tired to continue writing. Ciao.

More cake

2005-10-23T00:33:00.000+10:00

Went back to the old neighbourhood today for Gideon's pool party. Baked yet another titty cake which looked much better than my previous effort. As I told him, I had no idea what to get him and so decided to give him what all guys want and would never refuse!

It was a pretty fun party: the usual tossings into the pool, lotsa picture-taking, mucking around and super-soaker action. The highlight of my day must have been getting whacked in the face with those long float sticks by Rob by accident. Why do these things always happen to me??

On another note, I took the opportunity to visit with a good old chum, my former housemate. It was great having a nice little catch up sesh, and boy, did it feel good to let it all off my chest, Jacq! I also, finally moved my golf stuff from the place, and returned her the spare key which she very kindly let me hang on to just in case. Going back to the apartment I called home for 2 years felt strange, and moving the last of my stuff out, and leaving the key behind didn't have quite the effect I thought it might. I guess it really is over. No more feelings of finality and conclusiveness because things are not only over, they're way beyond the state of 'overness'.

A friend asked me at the party if I regretted making so many decisions based on something that did not materialise in the end. I honestly don't. The number of blessings that have come my way the past 2 years are countless. Well, not that many really, but enough to be deemed countless. I refuse to regret any of my actions or adopt the 'what if' mentality. I would probably not have done my Masters had it not been for James, and I did build my life around his when we were together. But at the end of it, I have done the best I could and did not let myself down, and I will be returning home armed with a Masters degree, older, matured, and a much wiser person than the young girl who left for Australia all those years ago. What more can I want?

Ok, enough of all the heavy stuff! Sorry Joe, we decided not to stick candles into the tits, so I'm afraid I can't fulfil your secret Austin Powers fantasy! Hope you enjoy the pictures nonetheless. Oh and HAPPY BIRTHDAY HARNAM SINGH-CHAAL! We tried calling you earlier in the day but there was no connection. Hope you had a great one. Cheers.

Tongue action from the birthday boy

If only I was this big...heheheh

Titty cake!

2005-10-20T18:59:00.000+10:00

Was George's birthday and I decided to bake him a titty cake sorta as a trial for another friend's birthday. Turned out pretty cool except for the colour! Never seen such pink boobs in my life. Hopefully it'll turn out better for Saturday.. Will post updates if I succeed.

Join the club

2005-10-05T23:21:00.000+10:00

I have officially joined the Fell Off a Chair While Oogling Men Club.

Was watching Australia vs the ICC World XI in the Johnnie Walker Super Series, when one of my favourite cricketers appeared on the screen and my already-precariously-balanced-on-two-legs chair fell over, leaving me sprawled unglamourously on my ass. It was as though some mysterious force enamated from his oh so cute face on the telly, hurtling towards me, and pushed me backwards. I kid you not! Thankfully I was seated on a beach chair, and the flight down to the ground was short (but not so sweet).

Ouch.

Jewish New Year

2005-10-04T01:32:00.000+10:00

Celebrated the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, today. It commemorates the anniversary of the creation of the world. Today is the start of the Jewish year 5766! Jews would bring out their finest china and silverware, and prepare traditional food (I was told couscous is Jewish food!), and celebrate with friends and family. We had to make do with what we had though, but it was still terribly fascinating to me!

We started off with the lighting of the candles, which the lady of the house had to perform while saying a prayer. I'm not sure if it's alright for me to have done it, but I suppose it should be fine as I just went through the motions out of respect to Paul. Anyway, Paul then blessed the Challah, which was just bread, and we ate it with abit of salt. We then had some apples with honey, which symbolised our wish for a sweet year ahead, before toasting with orange juice (we didn't have wine at home) and having our dinner. Paul said his family would normally also get a fish or lamb head as it meant being at the head/start of things rather than the end in the year ahead. I just find Jewish culture so interesting, I guess mainly beause they are so similar to us Catholics, and yet different as well.

Catholics have the new and old testaments, but the Jews only believe in the old testament. They don't believe in Jesus, just God. They believe that a messiah is coming, just that it's not Jesus. According to Paul, the first Catholic was a Jew, but along the way, things got pretty messy and a rift occurred. Our holy days are pretty similar, the main difference being that Jews don't celebrate Christmas, which to Catholics, is a celebration of Jesus' birth. Instead, they celebrate Hannukah.

Anyway, enough about this. L'shanah tovah ("for a good year") to one and all!
And to Joel, rest that shoulder of yours. Hope you're feeling better, and that the next time you have an itch, someone will scratch it for you!

Sen-sational dinner!

2005-09-30T00:58:00.000+10:00

I had the best meal I ever had in a long time tonight. Paul's classmate, Sen, cooked up a storm in the kitchen, whipping up a sumptious 6 course dinner fit for kings. There was sweet and sour chicken, fish with ginger and shallots, braised tofu (which i politely passed), spicy beef, bak choy, and fried chicken. I seriously stuffed my face silly, eating like someone who had been forced to eat her own cooking for the past year! I probably just had like 3 tablespoons of rice and filled the rest of my plate with food.

Sen's a Malaysian, who's studying animation at Griffith. He also works in a restaurant, hence the superb cooking skills. He could probably go on Iron Chef or something, he's that good! I gave serious thought to asking him to marry me, or work as my chef, or be my housemate. I'm getting hungry all over again, writing this entry!

For dessert we had grass jelly and one of the guys there who's from Norway commented that it looked like little frogs.

"Tadpoles", I told him.

"You mean butt trolls"?

......................

Canberra

2005-09-29T23:33:00.000+10:00

Majulah Singapura!

Went to Canberra over the weekend. Really beautiful place and it just reminds me how big Australia really is. Australia's population of over 20 million is spread out along the coast, leaving a huge expanse of non populated land in the middle. And yet there's still so much wide open space in the cities. Take Canberra for example. To get from the city centre to the surrounding suburbs, you actually have to drive through about 10 minutes of bush land! In comparison, we're sardines packed into a can in Singapore.

Anyway, Parliament House and all the other embassies were beautifully landscaped. Loads of greenery and water. Apart from that, it was the wacky bunch of people who went on the trip that made it so fun. I think we all really got to know each other extremely well! I'm glad I didn't give it a miss.

On another note, I've realised that I tend to cut my hair whenever I feel lost or unsatisfied with my life. This revelation struck me as I was chopping of my fringe yesterday. The worrying thing about it, I suppose (apart from the risk of turning my hair into a disaster zone with my amateur hairdressing skills), is the fact that it was the second time in a week that I messed with my hair. Last week I sheared 2 inches off the length. Hopefully this feeling doesn't continue else I'll be botak in a month at this rate! Me thinks I need to find myself a man!!

Nupee's birthday

2005-09-23T15:41:00.000+10:00

So I went out for drinks last night for yet another brithday celebration. We headed down to the valley (chinatown), to this place called Fringe Bar. Pretty cool place, with a really fantastic live band. Nupee is a Swede who was raised in Kenya, which makes for a pretty cool combination.

Later, Paul, Hakon, Seb and I left to check out this place called The Rev which was pretty cool as well. It used to be a church and was converted into a club when.... well I dunno why! But as you can imagine, it makes for a pretty interesting ambience. There was also a live band playing there but the place was surprisingly empty. We left and ended up trekking back home! Took us well over an hour, but it was quite nice, taking a long leisurely stroll while laughing non-stop!

Clockwise from left: Hakon, I, Paul, Seb and Andreas.

Anyways, I'll be taking a short trip this weekend. The semester break is here! I'll be back on Monday so to everyone who reads this, have a fab weekend!!

Strip poker is not good for the heart

2005-09-18T16:46:00.000+10:00

I was freaking terrified last night. My heart was beating fast despite my vain efforts to calm myself down with mutterings of 'Don't be a kan cheong spider man!!!'.

The cause of all this? Strip poker.

Don't get me wrong, i'm not a prude. I just think i'm pretty shy. I wouldn't mind getting my kit off if i had really lost for just ONE person, not in a room filled with boys howling for some action. It was another birthday gathering, and most of the guests had left when someone suggested a game of strip poker. The only other girl in the room readily agreed so what could i say? The first few rounds went ok, i managed to scrape through with pairs each time. It was American poker that we were playing, btw. The rules we had was that loser loses an item, and the winner gets it. The rules were changed when there was still no sigh of boobs let alone flesh after 30mins. We decided on loser takes one item off and winner gets nothing. Also we would have individual side bets if anyone so chose to do so. If you decided to take on the bet and lost, you would have to strip 2 items off. If you folded, it would just be 1. Sounds perfect for sabo-ing hey? Mr S decided to have some fun with me and made a side bet. I had nothing, my cards were shit so i chickened out and folded. Next game, he did it again! And again my cards were shit. I refused to give in and gamely kept my Ace and Jack while changing 3 cards and lo and behold, i had a pair of aces! Sweet.

At this point, i foresaw him just making side bet after sidebet with me and my clothes coming off faster than you could say 'strip poker' so i insisted i had to leave soon and would stay for just one more round. The other girl was starting to panic a little as well as she was down to just 2 items (I shan't specify which 2 they were!). That was when they (read: eager boys) came up with 'all or nothing, loser strips down to undies and parade around the room'. Brilliant. Like i said earlier, strutting around in my undies in a room full of people is just not my thing, and with my current luck, it might just have been me. But talk about poetic justice. I ended up with just an Ace King and barely beat Mr S who promptly took it all off.

All this took place while the birthday boy was soaking in his tub. What?!? Heh.

Going to watch Liverpool and Man U later in the city. Go Liverpool!

Words of wisdom

2005-09-17T05:59:00.000+10:00

Sometimes shit hits the fan when you least expect it to. But here's what my mum always told me, "If you've got nothing good to say about someone, then don't say anything at all".

So my mouth is tightly zipped.

Hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil

Three (not so) interesting facts about me

2005-09-15T16:51:00.000+10:00

Thanks to Joe, i now have to state 3 facts about myself that people might not know, and tag 5 others in return. I don't know 5 other people so it has been discounted to 3. I'm usually very open about myself and had to rack my brains to come up with these....so here goes....

I was born a left hander, but my mum forced me to learn to use my right hand and after months of writing my e's and s's the wrong way, i managed to successfully make the switch. (Note: my brother had the same 'affliction' but my mum wasn't successful that time. He was obviously more stubborn than I was and kept sneakily changing back to using his left hand whenever my mum wasn't looking.)

I am quite accident prone. Apart from countless ankle sprains I also sprained my right arm when I was 6 years old. I used to get sheer pleasure from terrorizing my maid and not listening to her and that particular time, she was trying to bring me home but I refused to budge and clung on to a rail for dear life. She kept tugging and I kept hugging and eventually something had to give - my poor arm. I could barely move my arm for weeks after that and was in a cast for just as long. Then in Sec 4, I got smacked on the nose with a hockey stick during PE. Ended up with a hairline fracture and a wonky looking nose which I believe still looks weird to this day.

Believe it or not I used to be quite the athlete (and tom boy). At some time or other, I've represented my school in track & field, netball and cross country. Whether or not I won anything is another story.

There. Now it's your turn Marilyn, Christine and JacQ!

My Weekend

2005-09-13T21:56:00.000+10:00

I'm getting old. Had a pretty hectic weekend and i'm pooped all over again just thinking about it. Went for Makan Nite at Southbank organised by the SSS on Saturday followed by clubbing at Exchange, and on Sunday it was Luke and Alan's Biker Birthday Bash.

The food at Makan Nite was great, but it was even better catching up with friends and just chatting while enjoying the cool night air. After dinner we headed down to Exchange in the city.
About an hour and a few drinks later, i headed home, leaving the rest who continued the night at Victory. But the night wasn't over for me yet. Spent the rest of the night baking eclairs for Luke and Alan's party! Everyone loved them so i'm a happy camper! :)

The next day, we chilled out, watched tv, and just lounged the afternoon away before the party started at night. We had yummy char kway teow, prawn curry and cashew chicken with chin chow and sago for dessert. Yum!

Took lotsa pics but for some reason i can't seem to post them here so i'm just going to try posting them separately..

Pics

2005-09-10T05:02:00.000+10:00

With the very lovely ladies, Shikin and Deborah

Belgian Chocolate Mousse

With Gideon, Chris, and Kenneth at Victory

With Carl, who was unfortunately cut out of the above pic!

Great Company

2005-09-10T02:56:00.000+10:00

On Thursday night, I did something i don't normally do. I went to dinner with 7 people, knowing only 1 of them. We headed to the Belgian Beer Cafe Brussels in the city. It's a really nice and cozy restaurant with 2 bars, 1 of them an outdoor one. Had a pre dinner drink and introductions were made before we headed to the restaurant to place our orders. The food was pretty good. I tried the chicken with a salad of roasted pumpkin and potato with spinach, and had a taste of the veal stew which was absolutely divine! Was too distracted when the food came and forgot to take pictures.

Dinner conversation ranged from travelling, to yodelling and speedos, and to an intense discussion of toilets. As we were a pretty mixed group (2 Singaporeans, 2 Malaysians, 1 Aussie, 1 Dane and 1 Austrian), there was also quite a fair bit of exchanging of information about our home countries. For dessert, i had the Belgian chocolate mousse which was absolutely exquisite. It tastes as good as it looked. Even better in fact. Shall post pics later when i've uploaded them.

We finally got the hint when the staff turned the lights up, and trundled down the road to a nice little club where we drank and danced the night away. I must say, the Europeans seem to have some pretty nifty dance moves! I spotted "the surfer", "the gear change", and "the hump" amongst others. Time really flies when you're having fun, and before i knew it, it was nearly 3!
We made plans to catch up for coffee sometime next week so i'm really looking forward to that.

I just have to add, i was going to put the link for the restaurant (Joe, i forgot the html code to do that so u'll have to teach me again....), but thank god i did a check first coz it turned out to be a dating/mail order website?!? What the...???

Oh the fun!

2005-09-06T01:39:00.000+10:00

You are living the life aren't you? No bloody wonder you aren't in a hurry to come home!

Honestly, i read with great interest how diversified your interests have become, from watching the odd game of CRICKET(???) to cooking up a storm in your kitchen trying your hand at cooking. Such a pleasant surprise.

And its clear you are really having a good time from that photo you've posted. Regardless how beautifully struck that half way line goal was, there's no denying the weight you've gained helped you muster enough momentum to get that monstrous swing! hahaha (I know i'll get shit for saying that) But yeah, you do appear to have put on weight, looking very good in fact!

Still i'm happy for you that you're seeking so much fulfillment and living your life to the max.

Keep going, stay cheerful and bring back the fondest memories of your life there.

The day Singapore won the World Cup

2005-09-03T03:17:00.000+10:00

The final score was Singapore 6 Japan 2. This did not reflect on the standard of play as it was a close and exciting game, with both sides evenly matched. Perhaps the turning point was Singapore's superb finishing, which was also Japan's downfall as they failed to capitalise on so many chances.
Singapore's French import, Paul Zidane (a distant cousin of the great Zizou himself) came through for the team, scoring 4 goals, 2 of which came in the tail end as Singapore made a late surge to claim supremacy. Singapore's formerly disgraced supersub star striker, Vanessa Tan, redeemed herself, contributing 2 goals to the final score, one of which was a superb shot from the halfway line, reminiscent of Beckham's wonderous strike against Wimbledon all those years ago.
Ironically, Japan's 2 goals were scored by their Singaporean import, TC Maik. The first was a beautifully controlled flick which left the goalkeeper flatfooted, and the second a lucky shot taken when the Singaporean defence was in disarray. Japan will rue the missed penalty by Satsuki Nakata in the first half, but in the end, it surely would not have mattered as Singapore stormed home to win the 2005 World Cup in Brisbane, Australia.

Random ramblings

2005-09-02T02:21:00.000+10:00

US Open isn't telecast on free-to-air here.. argh!
Come sat, it's do or die for the All Blacks. They need to beat the Wallabies in order to win the tri-nations. Lose, and the cup goes to the Springboks.. eeks!
Next thurs, it's also do or die for Australian cricket. They need to win the 5th test to tie up the series.. *fingers crossed*
Think i'm boring my 3 readers with all this sports related posts.. =(
Will be going for paintball this sat. Never tried it before so i'm looking forward to that. Abit wary though coz i bruise easily and i dislike pain intensely!
Riverfire on sat as well! I shall squeeze with hundreds of people to gape at the dazzling fireworks display. U ain't seen fireworks till u've seen those in Australia. S'pore NDP? Pppffffftttttt.....
Can anyone tell me when the mooncake festival is?
I miss home, especially my sis and my baby bro..
Jay Chou has some pretty gd songs, i have to grudgingly admit!
Have been feeling pretty domestic (for lack of a better word) lately. I've got the urge to try out new recipes. My pot stickers turned out pretty popular (mum's recipe), as were my pastries. Am itching to try out my mum's sugee cake recipe, just need a cake mixer and an oven! Anyone??
I've just learnt how to post pics, so keep an eye out for them soon! =)
Gumpism of the day: Keep your bullshit detector in good workin' order.

A thought to share...

2005-08-26T03:12:00.000+10:00

Was chatting with an old mate and somehow the conversation meandered to the topic of sadness. We both agreed that we are so much happier now coz we understand sadness. We've gone through it, got over it, and therefore truely appreciate the intense and undescribable emotion that we've coined 'being happy'. Another point that came up was that you can't escape or suppress sadness, coz it will simply manifest itself in some other form. You need to wallow in it, before you can get over it and get on with life. Anyone who needs tips on how to do this can message me. I do a pretty good wallow.

My friend, Fuz, also mentioned that he recalls reading somewhere that sadness could lead to cancer. My brilliant mind digested that particular bit of information, and concluded that it made perfect sense. Afterall, if laughter is said to be the best medicine, then the converse should be true. Sadness would lead to illness. Out of curiosity, i did a google, and this is what i found out.
There is no one single cause of cancer. We can only talk about cofactors, causative agents and life situations that like pieces of a puzzle come together and promote the disease. There are hundreds of cofactors and causative agents that each have casual relationship to poor immunity, poor health, accumulation of toxins inside body, and poor thoughts, and each one has been mistakenly attributed as a cause of cancer. One of the most common causative agents of cancer in most people is "stress, suppression, negative thoughts, fear, lack of love, lack of joy, lack of desire to live".

At the end of our conversation, this is what he shared with me. "The times when things are good in our life, would mean nothing to us if things were always good. We need downs in our lives so that the highs seem that much brighter and bring that much more joy to us. The lower we've been, the more significant the high points in our life". How true.

Before i leave you, here is an excellent tip taken from The Wit and Wisdom of Forrest Gump: When you think you're so low you gotta look up to look down, beat yourself hard on the foot with a stick for awhile. At least you will feel better when you stop.

Wake up call

2005-08-25T00:52:00.000+10:00

It's always nice to hear from a good friend, even if the call was made only coz the said friend had extra minutes to spare on his plan, and was on a long cab ride home with no entertainment.
I'm really happy you called nonetheless, even if you did wake me up! I am certainly looking forward to catching up with u back in spore, while stuffing our faces with food (u're the grandmaster when it comes to eating...heheheh). Oh and collect my black beemer!!!! =)
Thank you for your friendship, and you can definitely call me anytime. Cheers..

rage against the establishment

2005-08-23T15:20:00.000+10:00

Going to play tennis again soon.. but still have to settle my visa stuff first. Coz i extended my stay here, i obviously needed to extend my visa as well. What i thought would be a simple change of date of validity, turned out to be the entire application process from scratch. Xray, medical checkup, copies of transcripts.... everything but the freaking kitchen sink! Plus the hefty application fee i might add. In all, this cost me over $700 Aussie bucks =(
JUst don't understand what's the need for this entire long tedious process. Afterall i do have a perfectly logical reason for staying on (studying), and it's only for a period of less than 6 months... Freaking blood suckers, they're bleeding the main source of revenue for them. We already pay so much more as compared to domestic students, don't milk your cash cow till it runs dry!

Ironwoman

2005-08-22T15:29:00.000+10:00

I am so shagged out.. but i'm feeling really accomplished at the same time. Have been going for jogs in a bid to get back in shape, and i've successfully achieved the goal i've set out for myself (for those of u in the know, that's my southbank to st lucia run!).
Have also been playing tennis more regularly and i'm pleased to say that i'm getting better. Watch out Serena! On a painful note, SOMEONE smashed the freaking ball into my face on saturday. Here is how it happened. We were playing doubles, and i rushed up to the net but missed the shot, so i turned round and crouched down to see if my partner managed to get to it, but all i saw was a green blur and the next thing i knew, i was on the ground. Thank god i got smacked on my cheek so at least there was some cushioning.... I will never laugh at those poor buggers who fall off/bang into/get hit by things on Australia's Funniest Home Video ever again, now that i've been a victim myself. Oh, US Open starts next week so more tennis to watch on tv. :)
To carry on with the sports theme of this post, i just have to state for the record that cricket rawks! I'm normally more of a fan of ODIs, but the current Ashes test series is just fascinating. I need to mix with other cricket enthusiasts so that i can learn more about the game and discuss matches with them. Right now, i have to literally fight with my housemates in order to watch the Ashes coz i'm the only one in the house who wants to watch it. Sigh......i should move back with u, JacQ!

I'll be back soon enough!

2005-08-16T20:28:00.000+10:00

The tears have dried, i've packed my stuff
I've kept the feelings and memories shut tight
I miss my family, i miss my friends
I've major cravings for the local delights
I wish i was back, but my time here's not up
The studying's not done and i won't give up without a fight
I'm coming home soon, at the close of the year
Armed with my degree and like a star shining bright
Happy and glowing with contentment and pride

When are you getting back?

2005-08-15T02:07:00.000+10:00

The studying's done, the tears all dried up.

All the residual feelings and old furniture packed and sealed up.

So when the hell are you getting your ass back up??

G L U M

2005-07-15T18:45:00.000+10:00

It never rains but it pours. I am absolutely devastated by recent events. Keep your chin up, Vanessa!

Teddy Roosevelt said "It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed".

Not much mood to blog, so i'll leave you guys with an excerpt from a beautifully poignant love story by Haruki Murakami. It is essentially a story within a story, and the following is a pickup line (or short story, rather!) dreamed up by the protagonist a day after he meets the girl of his dreams.

On seeing the 100% perfect girl one beautiful April morning
|Haruki Murakami|

Once upon a time, there lived a boy and a girl. The boy was eighteen and the girl sixteen. He was not unusually handsome, and she was not especially beautiful. They were just an ordinary lonely boy and an ordinary lonely girl, like all the others. But they believed with their whole hearts that somewhere in the world there lived the 100% perfect boy and the 100% perfect girl for them. Yes, they believed in a miracle. And that miracle actually happened.

One day the two came upon each other on the corner of a street.

"This is amazing," he said. "I've been looking for you all my life. You may not believe this, but you're the 100% perfect girl for me."

"And you," she said to him, "are the 100% perfect boy for me, exactly as I'd pictured you in every detail. It's like a dream."

They sat on a park bench, held hands, and told each other their stories hour after hour. They were not lonely anymore. They had found and been found by their 100% perfect other. What a wonderful thing it is to find and be found by your 100% perfect other. It's a miracle, a cosmic miracle.

As they sat and talked, however, a tiny, tiny sliver of doubt took root in their hearts: Was it really all right for one's dreams to come true so easily?

And so, when there came a momentary lull in their conversation, the boy said to the girl, "Let's test ourselves - just once. If we really are each other's 100% perfect lovers, then sometime, somewhere, we will meet again without fail. And when that happens, and we know that we are the 100% perfect ones, we'll marry then and there. What do you think?"

"Yes," she said, "that is exactly what we should do."

And so they parted, she to the east, and he to the west.

The test they had agreed upon, however, was utterly unnecessary. They should never have undertaken it, because they really and truly were each other's 100% perfect lovers, and it was a miracle that they had ever met. But it was impossible for them to know this, young as they were. The cold, indifferent waves of fate proceeded to toss them unmercifully.

One winter, both the boy and the girl came down with the season's terrible inluenza, and after drifting for weeks between life and death they lost all memory of their earlier years. When they awoke, their heads were as empty as the young D. H. Lawrence's piggy bank.

They were two bright, determined young people, however, and through their unremitting efforts they were able to acquire once again the knowledge and feeling that qualified them to return as full-fledged members of society. Heaven be praised, they became truly upstanding citizens who knew how to transfer from one subway line to another, who were fully capable of sending a special-delivery letter at the post office. Indeed, they even experienced love again, sometimes as much as 75% or even 85% love.

Time passed with shocking swiftness, and soon the boy was thirty-two, the girl thirty.

One beautiful April morning, in search of a cup of coffee to start the day, the boy was walking from west to east, while the girl, intending to send a special-delivery letter, was walking from east to west, but along the same narrow street in the Harajuku neighborhood of Tokyo. They passed each other in the very center of the street. The faintest gleam of their lost memories glimmered for the briefest moment in their hearts. Each felt a rumbling in their chest. And they knew:

She is the 100% perfect girl for me.

He is the 100% perfect boy for me.

But the glow of their memories was far too weak, and their thoughts no longer had the clarity of fouteen years earlier. Without a word, they passed each other, disappearing into the crowd.

Forever.

Back On Track

2005-07-06T18:19:00.000+10:00

It's been an eventful 2 weeks for me. James returned, made a final, last ditch attempt to mess me up, then packed his bags and stepped out of my life forever in a whirlwind that left me momentarily dizzy and lost. When i came back to the half empty room, i realised i had been clinging on to memories of something that doesn't exist anymore. It hurts to move on, but remaining where you are, dwelling in memories, doesn't work either. It's like standing in the middle of a room with shards of glass scattered all over the floor -- take a step in any direction and you'll get cut, but simply staying put will only prolong the agony and you wither a little everyday.

Good ol' Rod sings 'the first cut is the deepest'. Well, it hurts like hell but it's not a mortal wound. Far from it. Instead it reminds you that you're alive, and what greater joy is there than the joy of being alive?* The first step may be the hardest, but it is a start nonetheless. I'm moving on finally, free from the fetters and chains of the past that were shackling me. It's been a good 3 1/2 years while it lasted, James. I sincerely wish you all the best and hope that happiness will always find you, but you won't be on my Christmas list i'm afraid.

*To digress a little, i recently finished reading The Diving-Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby. It is the memoir of a man who suffered from a rare condition called 'locked-in syndrome', whereby the victim has a full mental and emotional life within but virtually no physical control at all, no way to connect to others or the world outside. Unable to write or speak, Bauby composed each passage mentally and then dictated it, letter by letter, to an amanuensis who painstakingly recited the alphabet until Bauby chose a letter by blinking his left eyelid once to signify "yes". I'd give it 5 thumbs up if i had 5 thumbs. It's definitely a book worth reading.

Of 'munks and (a) man

2005-06-21T18:38:00.000+10:00

Do i look like a chipmunk??
My dad reckons i do and refers to me as 'chip' when the mood strikes him. Even my brother has gotten in on the act and has occasionally greeted me with a 'Hey chip!' when i call.

Speaking of me dad, can i just say, i think he's the best dad in the world. He'll give us kids whatever we ask for, and sometimes, what we don't ask for as well. He used to get up early just to send my sister and i to school, even though he didn't start work till afternoon. Even now, he'd offer to give me a lift whenever i'm going out, no matter what he might be doing.

He also does kooky things like burst into song or senseless little ditties out of nowhere, and he's a fantastic cook! He so loves his food. About 2 years back, he saw a feature on dining in Brisbane, called me to tell me the list of recommended restaurants, and asked me to bring him there when he came for my graduation. That was like 4 months before he came over...heh.

I love you heaps, dad. You're the only guy i'll willingly make a mad dash through the airport lugging a box of mangoes for. Happy (late) fathers' day!

Joke of the week:
P (educating a few of us about Jewish beliefs): You will be executed if you eat your parents.
Us: What?! Eat??!
P: Oh sorry. Stupid French accent. I meant hit.
Us: rotfl

Warning: Long, rambly post follows!

2005-06-18T03:23:00.000+10:00

Three things are certain:; Death, taxes, and lost data.; Guess which has occurred.
~David Dixon

Argh.. my laptop is screwed up. Something's wrong with my windows explorer and i can't open 'my computer', which means no music, no PICS, no access to any of my documents.. Nothing! Nada, zilch, kosong!! I don't even have time to worry about this seeing as i have an auditing paper on sat (whoever said aussies are slackers, i have an exam on SATURDAY! at 5.45pm!!!). Shite, why do i have this feeling i'm going to lose all my pics??? =(

I need a break so badly. Can't wait for exams to be over. 3 papers to go, 6 days to freedom, and hopefully, the end of my uni life. This wasn't the final semester i'd planned it to be. It was supposed to be fun-filled and carefree. The absolute end of studying for me, and possibly the conclusion to the life i'd built for myself in Brisbane. I wanted to leave with lasting memories of the 4 amazing years i spent here. It seems like i've been here forever. Memories of my first 2 years here are filled with the crazy times chilling out with the village people. We'd all gather regularly just to hang out and chat, play silly drinking games, and sometimes just enjoy each other's company. We did so much things together! Tennis, clubbing, beach volleyball, coffee, a failed attempt at playing touch rugby... I made friends then that i will definitely keep for life.

Then they all packed up and left for home, and i was left friendless for abit until i met the new motley crew. This time there were more gals around so it was endless gossip sessions. Every other day was a bitch fest! It was a free for all.. no one escaped our beady eyes and bad mouths. More times were spent drinking and playing even more silly games. Oh and I finally had housemates again after living 'alone' for the past year. We would stay up late with Mr. Jim and Miss Bacardi talking till the wee hours of the morning. Those were fun times indeed! It wasn't all fun and games though, i did manage to graduate in the midst of all that partying.

The hysterical Republic gang deserve a mention here as well i guess. Although they disbanded 2 months after i got to know them, they were a riot while it lasted. I have NEVER seen crazier drinkers than those guys.. With them it was one endless drink after another. They bought me my first shot of absinthe, reduced the unstoppable to a quivering mass of drunkeness, and literally drank ALL NIGHT once! But being true gentlemen, they always made sure i was ok, i.e. ensuring i didn't go off with some fat, balding man! 2 of them are among my closest pals now, always there to cheer me up or simply provide me with my weekly dose of nonsense.

Then there was the travelling. Besides the obvious Gold/Sunshine coasts and byron bay, there was the endless eating at Sydney, mad shopping at Melbourne, which also provided my first (failed) attempt at snowboarding, and the sailing/tanning/snorkelling/diving frenzy that was the Whitsundays and Cairns.

I was feeling bummed out that the 'highlight' of this semester was, well, somewhat traumatising to say the least, but then i realised in the process of writing this that i was missing the point. As someone wise once said, "Everything happens for a reason! Nothing happens by chance or by means of good luck. Illness, injury, love, lost moments of true greatness and sheer stupidity all occur to test the limits of your soul....sometimes things happen to you at the time that may seem horrible, painful and unfair, but in reflection you realize that without overcoming those obstacles you would have never realized your potential, strength, will power or heart". How true. I've realised i'm actually much stronger emotionally and mentally than i thought i was, and in my odyssey of self-discovery, i've made new friends, strengthed old bonds, and found out how truely blessed i am.

I know now that i will leave Brisbane with a heavy heart not because of the fun times i had here, but for the trials and tribulations life saw fit to throw my way that have shaped and defined who i am. For every hurdle i encountered on my yellow brick road, i either found a way around, or discovered i had the ability to soar over. And well, i guess this semester wasn't all that bad afterall. I frolicked in hail, had my first taste of what a $300 crab tastes like, went fishing for the first time, found my dragon, and looked at my housemate and saw a friend for keeps..

My raison d’être

2005-06-12T15:08:00.000+10:00

Every night as i stumble into bed
You and you alone live in my thoughts
You are the first i think of when dawn breaks
And the last thing on my mind when sleep beckons

If feelings were to be translated into words
Mine for you would fill volumes
There is so much felt
And so much more to feel

Yet to even try and describe how i feel on paper
Would be to belittle it for
Such emotions can neither be told nor read
But must simply be felt

Let our love not pop and plummet
In a spurt of brilliance like fireworks
But be the constant glow of a candle
Shining through the darkness

Not a raging storm that howls past
But a gentle breeze that warms the heart
I love you with all my heart and soul without regret
I just haven't found you yet

Update

2005-06-09T17:23:00.000+10:00

I guess i should mention that Rafael Nadal is the new French Open champion. I won't bore anyone with a run down of the match.. not like i watched it anyway! On to Wimbledon!!!

Crash

2005-06-09T17:13:00.000+10:00

Was watching Tom Cruise on Oprah earlier on and amid his constant gushing about Katie, he said something that really made me sit up and think. When asked about his son being of a different race, he simply said 'well, he's of the human race'.

I ended up wasting precious time (time better spent swotting over my REALLY thick books) pondering over what exactly causes racism . Is it a feeling of superiority and all its associated evils like stereotyping and prejudice? Or is it simply a case of xenophobia?

I recently watched a movie called 'Crash'. Crash is the directorial debut of Paul Haggis, the award-winning writer and producer of Million Dollar Baby, who also co-wrote this fantastic story. The movie deals with racial struggles and intolerance in Los Angeles, and what happens when ethnically different individuals' lives collide, or well, crash into each other. The individuals in question are, among others, a District Attorney and his wife, 2 car thieves (one of them a surprisingly funny Ludacris), 2 police detective lovers, a Persian store owner, a Mexican locksmith, and an African-American director and his wife. Their stories weave in and out of each other and each member of the cast is remarkable in carrying their part of the movie.

There's the DA and his wife (Brandon Fraser and Sandra Bullock), who get their SUV stolen. Shaken by the event, she subsequently gets all the locks in the house changed. When she discovers the locksmith is a Mexican, she decides she wants them changed again by someone else. There's Ludacris who argues to his fellow car-jacker about blacks being stereotyped as dangerous and criminal, while they are gun-wielding criminals themselves. There's the African-American TV director and his beautiful wife (Thandie Newton) who gets pulled over by frustrated cop Matt Dillon. Dillon humiliates him and subjects Newton to an inappropriate search, i.e. a good old fondle. Then there's the Persian shop owner whose lock is spoilt. He calls for a locksmith and gets the same Mexican guy from above, who doesn't manage to fix it. Later, the shop gets broken into and this leads to one of the most powerful scenes i've ever seen on the big screen. The Newton/Dillon storyline was also compelling, but you just have to see it for yourself!

Crash provides a great glimpse into the problems of racial stereotypes and intolerance, without trying to solve it or sound too preachy. It simply serves up something for us to think about, talk about and, well, blog about...

Playing for the Coupe des Mousquetaires

2005-06-05T23:33:00.000+10:00

Roland Garros, 2005.

Mariano Puerta is clearly the underdog in the finals. His opponent, Rafael Nadal, beat Roger Federer in the semis on his 19th birthday, and is currently ranked 5th in the world. The 4th seed has stormed through the draw in Paris, playing 20 sets over 6 matches and winning 18 of them. His win-loss match record for the year stands at 41-6, and he's riding on a 23-match winning streak that dates back to early April and includes tournament victories at Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Rome.

Puerta, on the other hand, is in the midst of resurrecting his career after a 9-month steroid suspension. From a career-high of 18 in August 2000, his ranking plummeted as low as 440 last summer due to a costly mistake. To fight an asthma attack in 2003, a doctor gave Puerta a Class I substance prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency code. He might have escaped punishment had he informed the ATP, but he did not, so when he failed a drug test later in the year, he received a two-year ban (reduced when he proved that the drug had no performance-enhancing benefit). Roland Garros is just his third Tour-level event since last summer and he has never passed the third round here before.

Later today, the Spaniard and the Argentine will square off in the first all-left-handed French Open final since 1946. Will it be the coronation of the game's newest star or vindication for the unseeded 25-year-old fighting to rebuild his career?

I'm rooting for Puerta. He's facing overwhelming odds: Nadal has not only won the last 2 of their previous 3 meetings in straight sets; he will also be going into the match with the enourmous self-confidence of having beaten the world number one. In addition, Puerta has spent 90 more mins on court. However, although he is not the favourite in the final, just as Marat Safin overcame the odds to defeat Roger Federer (who's definitely looking shaky this yr) en route to winning the Australian Open crown, he might likewise cause an upset.

I'm obviously a fan of the men's game. I find the women more boring. They tend to have less exciting matches, as is evident in the women's singles final played yesterday, where Henin-Hardenne obliterated Mary Pierce 6-1 6-1. Hello? This in a grand slam final?

Anyway, i'm either gonna have to find someone who has foxtel, or else rely on the good old IBM on demand scoreboard since channel 7 isn't broadcasting the Open!! For the 1st time in the 4 years i've been here, i might add. I reckon it's coz they finally realise Hewitt sucks and he's unlikely to advance far at Roland Garros... So for all you lucky ducks who will be watching the match, ARGH!!!!

She frickin' blocked me!!

2005-06-03T00:41:00.000+10:00

this is just hilarious.. it had me literally rolling on the floor in laughter!
*sings* she frickin' blocked me.....wtf, omfg!!!!

it really would have come in handy the time i realised James blocked ME, doncha think?

New Product Launch

2005-06-03T00:19:00.000+10:00

It's finally here... Presenting the long awaited and much talked about Vanessa the cooing feather duster.

Belated birthday present

2005-06-01T17:02:00.000+10:00

To Vanessa Tan

When I think of your smile,

I smile from within my heart

Your maniacal infectious laughter

A sweet melody like no other

Your porcelain face a reflection

Like a rose, close to perfection

Your presence, such great company

The chemistry, astounding familiarity

I bought a ticket to the end of the rainbow

Only to see you wrinkle your strawberry nose

Your return, I await with bated breath

On a night sprinkled with angel’s breath…

Gavo

A blurb for Joel

2005-06-01T12:45:00.000+10:00

The most common medical condition in the developed world isn't cancer, heart disease, or plain stupidity. Rather, it's sore neck and shoulder muscles from staring at the comp and reading Joel's drivel for too long!! Are you one of the billions of people worldwide suffering from this insidious evil? Nip it at the bud with Assen's revolutionary JoeBuster! With just a click of your mouse, this easy to use software shuts down your comp everytime Joel's mindless drivel pops up so you'll never have to read another inane post ever again!
Hurry, first 20 buyers get a FREE Garfield mug.

Blind Faith is not my best friend

2005-06-01T11:41:00.000+10:00

We all need a little faith in life... faith in the innate goodness of people, faith in ourselves, faith in God... but sometimes, have too much faith and it'll turn around and bite u in the ass. How carefully and precisely must we tread on that fine line between faith n stupidity!

More often than not, i'm guilty of the latter.. I'm the eternal optimist, forever seeing the cup as half full, and i can't seem to believe that there are people in life whose sole purpose on earth is to simply make the rest seem like angels in comparison. Sadly, i have met plenty of such 'friends' and i've always ended up being let down coz i just don't seem to learn my lesson..I can't blame them i guess. I always find some excuses to explain away their behaviour or actions and i ALWAYS end up hurt. I choose to believe that my friends will never do anything to hurt me coz hey, we're friends, aren't we?
I just can't seem to get it into my head that a leopard really never loses its spots.

Not anymore.. Get out of my life all you damned people and stay away. I'll reserve my blind faith for the people who truely deserve it.

Quiet thoughts and quiet dreams

Time for a change

Red Hot Nails

This rollercoaster life of mine

Golden Ball

Wimbledon

Italy 2 Germany OUT

Pool Story

And so it is

Determination

Homesick

X-Men

Taboo

The Key

Lazy Sunday

Contented

Good Friday

Exhausted

Mad hatter

MOS

Hungry!

Update

I'm back!

To beat the monday morning blues...

How to swear, cuss and insult in 169 languages

Bomb threat

Knackered

More cake

Titty cake!

Join the club

Jewish New Year

Sen-sational dinner!

Canberra

Nupee's birthday

Strip poker is not good for the heart

Words of wisdom

Three (not so) interesting facts about me

My Weekend

Pics

Great Company

Oh the fun!

The day Singapore won the World Cup

Random ramblings

A thought to share...

Wake up call

rage against the establishment

Ironwoman

I'll be back soon enough!

When are you getting back?

G L U M

Back On Track

Of 'munks and (a) man

Warning: Long, rambly post follows!

My raison d’être

*Update*

Crash

Playing for the Coupe des Mousquetaires

She frickin' blocked me!!

New Product Launch

Belated birthday present

A blurb for Joel

Blind Faith is not my best friend

Update