beneath it all...

June

2010-06-06T17:46:00.001+10:00

It's JUNE :D

Will be packing my bags for Brissy soon..

New adventure awaits!!!

back and ready to rumble:)

2009-11-23T02:17:00.002+11:00

It's been too long since I last wrote, too long indeed.

My world has been literally turned upside down. New aspirations, new inspirations, new bonds, new destinations, new goals, new hopes, new dreams...

I hope to start a chapter of new beginnings, here's to family, friends and life

NZ blues

2007-12-27T23:00:00.000+11:00

I am currently waiting in Auckland's international airport...

It's 12.49 am here, 10.49 pm in Melbourne and 7.49pm in Malaysia

4 more hours to check in

Time flies when you're having a blast!

Will post more once I reach Melbourne *been socially derprived as my Australian network doesn't work here in NZ:(*

I'm starting to miss NZ already:(

Then it's hello scrotching hot weather and relentless flies

holiday

2007-12-12T22:38:00.000+11:00

It's officially been 1 month and 6 days of PURE JOY!

Holiday, holiday, HOLIDAY!

It's been crazy, one thing after another...

Sis's wedding, exams, my parents over in Melbourne, Goldcoast*catches breath*

busy, busy, BUSY

Tomorrow, I'll be leaving for NZ, my biggest adventure yet:)YAY!

*promise to post pics when I get back!*

domo-nation

2007-11-06T23:51:00.000+11:00

While I was 'studying'... (notice the extremely clean and empty notepad)-well at least I tried!

Was it a figment of the imagination or caffience overdose or having way-too-little-sleep-I-can't-see-anything-right?*2 furry feet appeared*

AHA! look what I found finding behind the lamp

Innocent, domokun?

Well, the lights couldn't have gone off by itself...or could it?

Probably we all need to get some rest, as for me...probably my sanity too*lolx*For all of you who are still having exams...GOOD LUCK, you poor souls!and for those who ARE DONE WITH IT, GOOD RIDDENS AND HELLO HOLIDAYS!

bangkok

2007-10-20T09:41:00.000+10:00

hi all,

I'm currently in Bangkok waiting for my flight back to M'sia in 3 hours.
Can't wait!!!*bak kut teh here i come!!!*

p/s: new airport rules forbid ANY liquid on board so I had to throw my water away, now I'm waterless and without any baht:(*doubt they'll accept credit card for a bottle of water*

it's october again

2007-10-08T00:16:00.000+10:00

It's October again
Leaves are coming down
One more year's come and gone
And nothing's changed at all
Wasn't I supposed to be someone
Who can face the things that I've been running from...

Let me feel, I don't care if I breakdown
Let me fall, even if I hit the ground
And if I...
Cry a little
Die a little
At least I know I lived, just a little...

I've become much too good at being invincible
I'm an expert at play it safe, and keep it cool
But I swear this isn't who I'm meant to be
I refuse to let my life roll all over me...

Let me feel, I don't care if I breakdown
Let me fall, even if I hit the ground
And if I...
Cry a little
Die a little
At least I know I lived, just a little...

I wanna be somebody
I, I wanna be somebody
I wanna be somebody
I, I wanna be somebody who can face the things that I've been running from

Let me feel, I don't care if I breakdown
Let me fall, even if I hit the ground
And if I
Cry a little
Die a little
At least I know I lived...

It's October again
Leaves are coming down
One more year's come and gone
And nothing's changed at all

'Let me fall' by Bethany Joy Lenz

october

2007-10-01T18:07:00.000+10:00

Dear October,

You did me proud today:)

On your very first day, I handed in my LAST assignment for the semester

Hopefully everyday gets better...keep up the good work

*counting down the days to go home...18 more days to go!!!*

september

2007-10-01T00:32:00.000+10:00

Dear September,

I wished I had more of you,you're so much fun, it has only been a day since you're gone and I'm already missing you so. Why did you have to leave so soon?

Do you remember the snow patrol concert?*my very first concert*

The arena was only 1/3 of the capacity when the first act began, then it started filling up during the second act but when SNOW PATROL played, Rod Laver was jam packed. We were only 7 meters away from the stage!!! I can still remember the crowd singing along to 'If I lay here, if I just lay here, would you lie with me and just forget the world?'

The best part was when the crowd thunderously screamed encore and Snow Patrol came back with a BANG! singing my favourite song 'Open your eyes' *beautiful moments*

P/S: 7 meters!!! *fai, too bad, you were SO FAR AWAY, hehe!!

How about the trip to 'Holland'?

Yeaps, picturesque view, tulips in every colour imaginable...

Tulip paradise *the whole place was filled with nothing but tulips and well, us of course:)*

Beautiful *ahem* ~~people~~ scenery, windmills in 'Holland'

Did I mention it was actually a trip to the Tulip farm on Australian soil:)*I got ya didn't I, hehe*

Last but not least, dum da da dah dum!!!

The phantom of the opera was staged at Princess Theater *for ANYONE who is in Melbourne, or is planning to come over, this show is a MUST!!!*

The costume was AMAZING, the choreography was flawless, the stage design was extravagant and breathtaking *esp the part where the phantom takes Christine to his hiding place, the candles, the boat, the mist, the piano...everything was so surreal* the singing was mesmerising...everything was simply PERFECT!!!

Thank you, September!!!

P/S: I'll miss you so and hopefully October can learn a thing or two from you:) *prays hard*

mooncakes

2007-08-31T15:43:00.001+10:00

The search for mooncakes begins at Springvale...*a suburb known best for their Vietnamese settlement, good Asian food, cheap fresh produce and...well...more CHEAP stuff*

They had so MANY choices...

*We didn't want to blow a hole in our pocket nor did we want to eat lousy mooncakes*

Thus, we went for the best of both worlds, Fai and I bought one box moderately priced and another one box from Oversea restaurant:) *we're damn patriotic when it comes to mooncakes, lolx*. As you can see below, I have two China made mooncakes and another two from Malaysia's own Oversea restaurant:)

My precious...

I'm savoring each bite...*As the saying goes, you won't miss till it's gone*

Updates

2007-08-31T04:18:00.000+10:00

What has Kathryn been doing?

1. I moved (I'm now staying near uni:)

2. Arranging my flight to go back to Malaysia from my sister's wedding *so I'll be back on the 20th of Oct then I'll be coming back to Melbourne on the 28th of Oct to sit for my first paper on the 29th. Madness I tell you!!!*

3. Mid terms

4. Assignments

What is Kathryn anticipating in September?

1. Phantom of the Opera

2. Snow Patrol concert

(I'm loving September!!!)

Invisible

2007-08-31T04:14:00.000+10:00

Have you ever looked into a window from the outside?

You see everything,

Yet you play no role in the scenes unfolding in front of you,

You stand there, observing yet not participating,

You feel invisible,

No matter how loud you scream,

No one would listen nor care to,

You are there, but no one sees you,

They just see right through you but not at you,

It hurts to be invisible…

Great expectations

2007-08-31T04:13:00.001+10:00

I have learnt,

With each expectation,

Comes a chance of disappointment,

For each expectation,

We can only hope,

But when all hope is lost,

Disappointment emerges, sadness follows,

More so, when it’s the people dearest to us,

So, I’ve learnt not to expect,

To look beyond their shortcomings,

To draw upon their strengths,

For perfection is just for the naïve.

white july

2007-08-03T18:35:00.000+10:00

I know it's already August:) Sorry but I haven't had the time to blog about my ski trip to Falls Creek *sue me, I do have a life*

Anyway, the trip was organised by Swinburne University's Chilsom Ski club. 3 days and 2 nights at Mt Beauty Lodge with around 40 participants. Su lin, Hui ling and myself were the only participants from Monash. *we felt alienated cause we were not only from a different uni but we were the only Asians there excluding this ABC*, but we did make friends along the way:)

Below, the view from our lodge, *did you notice there's no snow?*...

That's because the journey from our place to the mountain is around 1.5 hours by bus...

After 1.5 hours on the bus...

Up up and away on the ski lift

Our skis:)

The scenery...I love snow, it makes everything so pretty:)

Some people ski down this hill *this including lil kids from ages of 9*madness!

Beanie us

We had a few hours before our official lesson, hence Phil *a guy from the trip* was nice enough to teach us a thing or two. We practiced skiing, falling on our butts, screaming like hell when we lost control/ when we couldn't stop and for my part, crashing into the gate. *don't you dare laugh if you haven't skied before! rawwrrr*

Anyway, after practicing on the slope, we went to the top using this enclosed ski tube called 'the mouse trap'. It operates the same way as shopping cart on the escalators but instead of grills, the magnetic surface holds the skis:)

The beginner runs ' green runs' which then separates into two routes, wombat ramble and drover's dream. It was extremely tough without formal training. I kept falling and no one helped me out..sniff sniff *and I was so sick that day, down with flu, slight fever, sore throat..you name it I had it*

Despite the first day's shortcomings, I had a blast at the lesson and I kicked ass on the second day:) I didn't fall on any of the runs after we went on a blue run 'intermediate', which had these 'monkey bars' whereby you could put your leg between this pole and it would take you to the top instead of the conventional ski lift. I swore that the slope was almost 90 degrees!!! But after that whole ordeal we had fun going up on the monkey bar and any slope after that seemed like babies!

The trip was so fun towards the end, I did not want it to end. I felt like dying the first day because I was extremely tired from getting up after falling and constantly blowing my nose.:( Luckily the second day was so much fun:) Would I go skiing again?

On the first day I would have said : 'You siaw ah! you want me to die?!?!'

On the very next day: ' In a heart beat!'

The few days after the trip, my body ached from my toe to my head but hey, it was worth it!

*Boys and girls go skiing if you do have a chance, it would be an experience you'll never forget!*

P/S: remember to invite me too:)

Sydney (beware : pics, pics and more pics)

2007-08-03T16:36:00.000+10:00

Vibrant Sydney (at least 4 times bigger than melbourne)

Our first stop, (Harry's pie), noted to serve the BEST pie in Australia

The house specialty, pie with pies and mash potato

Chinatown, Jessica indulging in the famous emperor's puff

The queue was CRAZY!!!! (it's not that nice, emperor's puff is well overrated)
*OoO..look at the line..it must be good..thus the line grows and grows*-'krispy kreme syndrome'

Pancakes on the ROCKS!* we had chocolate pancake, strawberry pancake and pork ribs:)*DELICIOUS!

We went on the rocks walking tour (the tour was excellent, highly recommended!)

Pictures taken on the cruise around circular quay

More pictures on the cruise

Us (Esther, Jessica and myself) waiting to get into the Sydney Opera House for the tour

The Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge from Mrs Macquarie's chair during sunset

Watson's bay, just 15 minutes away by ferry from circular quay, a well kept secret and the birth place of the famous Doyle's restaurant

Lunch,
Imagine fighting with 100 seagulls to eat your lunch...*Jessica's face got scratched in the process because the seagulls took the food right from her hands*..(word of advice: eat indoors!)

Watson's bay has the best of both worlds, the best view of the city and the ocean

'The Gap' national park's ocean view (watson's bay)

The famous Bondi Beach

'Fried mars bar'

The owner of the restaurant claims that he sells the most mars bars in the region per day, more than 100 (not surprising because it's AMAZING!)

Dinner,
We had to wait around 45 minutes to get seats at 'Hurricane'...(I tell you, it's one of the BEST pork ribs I had, BEST, BEST!!!) OMG..it's sooo freaking good (Dad, if you're reading this..I think this could be as good or better than Tony Roma)..and the serving is HUGE...wait..ENORMOUS *enough for 3 people!!!*

Sydney fish market *you can buy your seafood straight from the market then cook it at a restaurant or just buy seafood straight from the restaurant*

These happy campers had one seafood platter, oysters and lobster..yum yum :)

The government house (NSW's governor is a lady) *ahem ahem* girl power! (no pictures were allowed inside, sniff sniff)

Paddy's market

Look at who we meet in Paddy's...(Sponge Bob and gang was there too)

Our last dinner in Sydney, Korean restaurant (Seoul Ria) in the city
*look how happy they are cause the food was really good or maybe cause we were really hungry*

On the way back, I thought learning how to play the guitar was hard, imagine playing the guitar and balancing another on your head..*salutes*

One for the album, *us before leaving Sydney, bags packed, anticipating 11 hours on the trains*

goodbye melbourne, hello sydney!

2007-07-07T16:23:00.000+10:00

I will be off to Sydney for a week:)

Will keep you guys updated once I get back.

Enjoy the holidays!*I know I will:)*

beautiful melbourne

2007-07-04T22:33:00.000+10:00

The magnificent Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton Gardens was completed in 1880 for Melbourne’s first International Exhibition in the late nineteenth century. Melbourne was a prosperous city basking in the wealth from the richest gold rush in the world.

Today, the Royal Exhibition Building flourishes as one of the world's oldest exhibition pavilions, symbolising the great 19th century international exhibition movement, and on 1 July 2004 became the first building in Australia to achieve world heritage listing.

The magnificent interior, the paintings on the dome is the original painting and no touch up work has been done.

The picture shows how the flag on the peak of the Royal Exhibition Museum was erected when it was to first open.

The list shows the important events dating back as far as the opening of the Royal exhibition till 2001, which includes the opening of the Australian parliament on the 9th of May 1901.

Behind the Royal Exhibition Museum is the Melbourne Museum which contains collections stretching from evolution to aborigine arts and disputes.

As I was leaving the Carlton Gardens,

A stroll in a nearby park called...

"The shrine of remembrance" was build in remembrance of those who served and those who died in the Great War of 1914-1918 and armed conflicts and peacekeeping duties since.

The view from the balcony of the shrine of remembrance during sunset

More on the park...

The garden surrounding the shrine...

A beautiful day even during the cold winter...

desserts

2007-06-26T16:47:00.001+10:00

holiday + boredom + winter = increase in appetite = cravings for dessert *blame it on the weather*

First up, a dessert called 'boh kiap' *a hainanese dessert* which dough is made out of flour and water.

The dough is kneaded until the texture becomes just right.

The fun part begins when the dough is rubbed between the hands to make the distinctive shape and is then dropped into the boiling pot of water, ginger and sugar.

If you do get bored of the original shape, you can always diversify by making circles or like yih wen who decided to make squares, triangular and rectangular shapes *all depending on your creativity*

*I made a dough man before but everything fell apart as soon as it hit the boiling water, my failed attempt*

Next up, 'taufu fah'.*gasp*....*i know what you're thinking, taufu fah??!!??seriously??!!??*

It's actually from a packet, everything pre-mixed, no hard labour like grinding the soy beans required.

All that is needed is a whisk and a lot of patience.

Ta dah! taufu fah..made is australia:) It's quite good but nothing beats kimberly road's in penang.

Chocolate chip and almond muffin

A friend of mine helped make the dough *fyi: she's a real chef*

Ingredients: choc chips, choc powder, honey, almond chips, water, egg, butter, self-raising flour...

As you can see below, we made 2 batches, can you spot the difference?

For ~~hungry eyes~~ *ahem* trained eyes,

The first batch *circled ones* have less EVERYTHING (almonds and choc chips)...

"Save the best for the last"

*I had 5 muffins within 1 hour* I feel so freaking FAT now, and I'm tempted to get another one*

'I blame it on the weather, damn winter!*lolx

wedding bells

2007-06-23T11:24:00.000+10:00

To my dearest sister,

You may never know how much you mean to me,

Thank you for being there for me,

Thank you for being my sister,

I am eternally grateful for everything you have done for me,

And now with your special day just around the corner,

Be it as I may not be there on your wedding day,

But know this, my spirit will be there with you

To celebrate that joyous day,

May your love be modern enough to survive the times and old-fashioned enough to last forever,

To love, laughter and happily ever after...

Congratulations...

Love,

Your lil' sis

moments

2007-06-18T00:21:00.000+10:00

have you ever had comfortable silence with someone you could talk forever to?

just to sit together, enjoying each other's company,

it didn't matter where we were,

only who we were with,

just being in the moment, truly enjoying each second

being in present, letting go of the past

when the world didn't matter,

when we could truly be us for that one moment in time,

i miss those rare moments...

when the world was square

2007-06-17T18:15:00.000+10:00

It seems like ages ago...

When the world seemed so simple,

It was just you and me,

And you said 'Together, we'll turn the world upside down'

Nothing else mattered because we thought we could do it all,

Slowly and painfully,

We learn that it is not that easy,

Nothing ever is,

Can we still turn the world upside down together?

You and me...

seasons change

2007-06-15T16:32:00.000+10:00

Would you rather be the first day of Spring or the last day of winter?

Spring,

Winter,

krispy kreme, anyone?

2007-05-17T00:05:00.000+10:00

Krispy kreme, anyone?

*krispy kreme is suppose to be the DOUGH NUT of dough nuts* (krispy kreme= long queues)
Hence, any tom dick and harry would think it is GOOD.

Looks good doesn't it?

*I think I took 15 minutes just staring at the array of donuts before giving up and asking the cashier the common choice among patrons* I finally settled for original (sugar-coated) and a chocolate donut filled with creme.

It didn't taste as good as I had hoped, a little too sweet for my liking *sugar overdose*. It was overrated. (Mel & Fai, 2007). Well, apparently it was suppose to be eaten hot but I left in the fridge and ate it before Yih Wen had the chance to tell me that :( *smartness*.

A second chance perhaps? Everyone deserves one; why not krispy kreme?

Phantom!!!

2007-05-16T23:31:00.000+10:00

I've got my tickets to the phantom of the opera!!!*jumps with joy*

3 tickets of pure joy:)

My frantic search for the tickets began after Soo Ching told me that all the tickets for June were no more available. So, I went searching for the tickets for 2 days and finally decided to watch it on the 27th of September during the semester break.

Most of the dates ranging from June to August were fully booked and only the last two row of seats were left( 40 rows from the stage) *sniff sniff* but I'm EXTREMELY happy now *18 rows from the stage*. Hopefully it would be all worth it:)

3 months

2007-05-11T22:46:00.000+10:00

it's been 3 months...

how do i know?

it's time for me to start preparing for my finals

it's time for me to start wearing thicker clothes

it's time for me to change my toothbrush

it's time for me to stop missing home...

one fine saturday

2007-04-29T11:52:00.000+10:00

Lunch

Mel and I went to Carnegie cause we ~~heard about a really good Korean restaurant~~ wanted to visit our dear friend Fai who injured his foot for lunch:)So as we read the menu...I came across a strange thing...

Jokes aside, it was very satisfying meal maybe because pigs who earn salaries really do taste much better*just kidding people*. After the meal, I decided it was time to go home and my two ~~evil terrorists~~ lovely friends who ~~stalked~~ followed me home *they MAY look innocent but...wellllll*

Which kinda reminded me of this cartoon...*don't worry guys I still love you*

Dinner

We were suppose to go for an event in uni that night *I'm sorry jinn, cause when i heard the mc saying "musical chairs" i REALLY freaked out*. So, I dragged the two ~~evil terrorists~~ nice friends of mine to eat at a nearby pizza place called Pinky's pizza. Fai decided he loved it so much he posed!!!*no people, he's not the pig that earns a salary, i think, lolx*

Dessert

The night ended well with the three of us having a nice cup of Suckao at Max Brenner *ah, reminiscence of the good old days in M'sia where eating out was a norm and not a luxury:(*

“Suckao is the espresso of the chocolate drinks.
It is a small, dense, concentrated shot of rich chocolate.
The term “Suckao” is made up of two words that describe
the utensil and the unique drink it contains:
Suck - to draw the dense liquid through the metal tube.
Kakao - the Spanish word for cocoa beans from which this rich
chocolate drink is made and which determine its quality.”

Tempting? Well, that's all for now folks. I shall leave you craving for chocs:)

a tribute

2007-04-28T19:08:00.000+10:00

A tribute to 2 very important people in my life...

Anthony,

Congratulations upon your completion of uni! Come to Australia to work then we'll go on our backpacking trip throughout ozzyland and then teach me to play tennis like a PRO.*lolx*

and

Joyce,

Happy 21st birthday! Live life a lil more and don't overwork yourself. Don't worry about getting older because the best has yet to come!

hopefully the 3 of us will meet up soon! *hugs and kisses to the both of ya!*

geek mode

2007-04-20T00:24:00.000+10:00

Libraries have been my second home for the past week. I've been studying for the 2 exams which ended yesterday *jumps with joy*. At that point in time, my life revolved around books, coffee, snacks, my trusty ipod, great friends and some HORRIBLE ones.

Do you have friends who ask you...

"Why are you studying?". Then brags about how he or she doesn't study at all *jabbing the knife right at the heart*

I wanna study so sue me!!

The world just doesn't make sense with these people.

WELL

The GEEK will be going out with another 4 geeks tomorrow

May geeks rule the world!!!!

to watch or not to watch?

2007-04-07T18:05:00.000+10:00

I feel like going for a musical. It would burn a hole in my pocket but is it a hole worth having? *lolx*

OR

If only money grew on trees:) I want to GO!!! decisions decisions...ARGH!

marathon, anyone?

2007-04-06T23:57:00.001+10:00

Since it's easter break, I've decided to run a marathon. A MARATHON you say?!?!

Thus, to get into shape...

1. Get some friends for motivation
2. Get the necessary food and drinks

The marathon...

1. Get into a room
2. Switch on the pc
3. Put in the dvd for....

HEROES!!!

Did I forget to mention it was a movie marathon?

Well, we spent almost 2 days *more like 1 1/2 days* finishing 15 episodes and we didn't know there were 3 more or else I would actually be watching it at this very moment:). Now, we are just waiting for Sheng to download the other 3. I think I'm going to put on so much weight *sitting and munching on food* if heroes season 2 were to be out *which will be out on the 23d of April*, hehe:)

For those of you who haven't watched it...
GO DOWNLOAD IT NOW and get hooked like ME:)

"It's time to save the world!"

podcast

2007-03-28T18:57:00.000+10:00

I love technology.

I came across this website, http://www.abc.net.au/melbourne/podcast.htm which provides tours around Melbourne city. So, it's like having a tour guide but even better cause you can play, pause, rewind and change the volume. Equipped with a map, my ipod and camera...I went on the journey to discover Melbourne...*if you guys want to know the significance of the pictures do visit the website and listen to the podcast'

The starting point, federation square for the podcast of 'Eat and Drink Melbourne'

Graffiti on the walls of the infamous Caledonian Lane

While I was walking to the next stop, I saw this poster and it reminded me of my mom cause she absolutely LOVES chinese opera. *Mom, to think you've been waiting to watch it for so long and here they are in melbourne...lolx*

Later that night...
Thanks to http://www.whitehat.com.au

I found out about a jazz concert at fed square in conjunction with FINA (swimming championship). They were quite good and I fairly enjoyed myself:)

Best things in life are meant to be shared. So, the next time round, I dragged Mel along for another podcast session 'Death, Dirt and Disease'.

The Yarra River may look calm and picturesque now but it had a dark past before. It was inhibited by many dead bodies, one in particular which was named the 'boot trunk tragedy'. A lady was found in a boot trunk, thus to identify her, the morgue cut her head and put it on display as her death was suspected to be foul play.

Her displayed head drew huge attention as a huge reward was to be rewarded to the person who could identify her. After a few months, a lady stepped out and revealed that she was the assistant of a midwife that helped to abort the lady's unwanted child as the child was conceived out of wedlock by the dead lady and her landlord who was engaged to another person. They tried all the backyard abortion methods but everything failed and they finally resorted to the deadly mixture of arsenic which eventually caused her life. As the landlord and the midwife both put her dead body into the boot, both were convicted and sentenced to death.

Wouldn't have guess when you look at the picture below...

Another notorious lane, 'Hosier Lane'

The Women's Hospital was established by a group of pioneer of women who acknowledged the declining health of the general women population due to unorthodox abortion methods because of the low standard of living. Hence, these women set up a donation fund to build the hospital. Then, the rest they say is history...

An RMIT building that we saw on the way...

Another building on the way, Trades Hall...
At the end of a long day, we decided to skip the last two stop and listen to the rest of the podcast in a nearby garden on Lygon St. *painful feet + very gruesome images in our minds but we still manage to smile, hehe*

bananas

2007-03-15T21:29:00.000+11:00

What can 2 bored girls possibly do with 5 bananas?

Hmmmmm....

Hmmmmmmm.....

Hmmmmmmmmm.....

Well, we went BANANAS over bananas and made a banana cake of course!(what were you guys thinking?)*well, more like I insisted that yiu wen should bake a banana cake since we didn't want to waste those bananas, hehe. She baked the whole cake by herself, lolx*.

Then, we started experimenting with it. TADAAAH!!!
Let me introduce to you our scrumptious creation, banana chocolate strawberry custard cake. lolx, it's a mouth full just saying it.

This is how you eat it; first take a fork and pick a grape followed by the banana cake then a strawberry at the end.

She loves it...(like a lil kid opening her presents on christmas morning, lolx)

The aftermath. Well, more like the 3rd one. We had another two previously:)

one month

2007-03-10T16:39:00.000+11:00

It's been a month. One whole month away from home. I'm adapting, still adapting.

queen victoria market

2007-02-26T11:20:00.000+11:00

Queen Victoria market was opened on 20 March 1878. It's an open air market spreading over 7 hectares which operates only in the morning.

MARKET??!!!*thoughts running towards smelly and wet markets*

Unlike our 'clean' markets back in malaysia...QVM is actually VERY CLEAN. However, for this month, Suzuki is organising a night market at QVM which is QUITE similar to pasar malam *maybe only the idea that it operates at night*.

Let me take you on a tour...

Banjo BBQ, yummy!

Let's take a closer look...australia's beloved animals TURNED INTO BBQ. *still interested?* According to Jinn..roo taste good...errrr....

I think Jinn contributed alot that night (buying food, more food) that Suzuki named a car after him, Jimny:) *the night market is actually organised by Suzuki, thus the name Suzuki night market*

Food...

More food..

The queue for this was extremely long!!!Alas, it just tasted like fried bread with choc. *but 'ma kiok' is soooooo much better*

Japanese food

Tantalizing chicken satay...yummy

After our honey dumplings appetizer

Our main course, saffron rice

Outdoor entertainment; belly dancers, tap dancers, bands..(unlike our pasar malam; ah beng techno music)

The crowd...this is just a small portion of the actual crowd..more ppl sardined inside the market

Dessert!!!! Lygon St:)

Let me introduce my new found love, gelatee:)

Hence, the day ended well with myself and soo ching being so bloated up food. *I know what you're thinking...she ate ALL that food by herself!!! FYI, I shared everything with Soo Ching except the ice-cream- you can't share the love of your life..now can you? :)

melbourne!!!

2007-02-14T23:13:00.000+11:00

The send off at KLIA.

Me, Jinn and Fai's handluggage only.

Bangkok airport, the gate to MELBOURNE!

The spectacular view from the apartment. *breathtaking*

At the state library.

I was lost for 30 mins before finding them (from the right; Jinn, Fai and Soo Ching). ARGH..*no cellphone*

My transportation mode. TRAMS. *soooo freakkinnnng expennnsiiiiveeee*

Mel and I went shopping on Smith Street (a galore of factory outlets). Mel is extremely happy with her purchases. Adidas orginals for $60. Did I stress EXTREMEEELYYYY HAPPYYYYY enough?*let the pic do the talking*

I bought a pink phone. YEAH, a PINK PHONE. My australian cellphone no is +61402586402.

(Btw, it's called pretty in pink...lolx)

pictures

2007-02-08T04:26:00.000+11:00

Some pictures are worth a million words and I DO AGREE.

*Secret wishes*. Don't gimme that look, I'm sure you've done it too:)...Well, maybe except lydia.

When you have caffeine overdose...THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS...

genius

2007-02-06T01:49:00.000+11:00

I hate to admit this but I do think I'm some sort of genius...

*stop laughing!*ARGH!!!

Well, I had to get everything done before I left for melbourne; eg: seeing the dentist, PACKING, etc etc.

My parents got me this watch from San Francisco which I hardly wear. Don't get me wrong, I adore it but I just love it too much to wear it.

Anyway, I started wearing the watch. Then after sometime, I notice something really peculiar. The swarvoski crystals at the side started to turning dark.

Thus, this embarked the beginning of my search to clean those crystals. I started with midvalley's Guess shop and...

Me: Could you do anything to clean it? (shows watch)
Y : Erm, we don't do cleaning, we've got to send it to the service centre.
Me: Oh ok. How long would that take?
Y : 2 weeks.
Me: (in deep thoughts *!!@@!!!, I'm leaving in a few days!!!*)
Erm, thanks then.

Next target...(another watch shop)

Me: Can you do anything about this?(shows dirty crystals)
X : Looks at the crystals with a magnifying glass (then takes it to his supervisor)
( few minutes later)
X : Sorry, we can't do anything. Probably you could go to Guess.
Me: ........umm, thanks.

Back home...
I searched everything I could on the net for tips to clean the soiled crystals.

Then, I came across a website that suggested to soak the watch in lukewarm water with dishwashing detergent and gently brush it with a toothbrush.

I did exactly that. It worked!!!

One crystal started turning clear. I was so encouraged that I started brushing even harder. However, the other two remained dark. I finally gave up and stopped brushing. Next, I took a toothpick to check whether all the crystals were intact.

OMG!!!!!

The crystal that was supposedly 'cleaned' was missing!

I am such a 'GENIUS'.

ARGH!!!!

ARGH!!!!

ARGH!!!!

Hopefully no one would notice. Maybe except you guys who are reading this and would be STARING at my watch to look for the missing crystal. CRAP!!!

leaving..

2007-02-04T00:28:00.000+11:00

6 more days...

It seemed like an eternity to reach to this point when I first started my first semester. After one year, it's finally here and i think it's too soon. There's just so much to do, so many unsaid goodbyes. I thought it was easy, I thought it was simple just to pack my bags and go...so I thought...

Nothing is ever what it seems to be.

6 more days...

I wished I spent more time with my friends and family.

Though we are apart but all of you are in my thoughts.

I shall miss everyone (maybe except sheng and wen) lolx.

Take care and Goodbye.

miracles

2007-01-24T20:56:00.000+11:00

She was the youngest in a very poor family, married at sixteen, she knew only of hardship. Her married life was neither terribly hard nor easy, as in those days nothing ever was.

She taught her eight children well, as well as she would ever know how. She loved them unconditionally, in her very own way.

As her children grew, she aged. Her seamless skin replaced with wrinkles as time has taken its toll on her. Illnesses weakened her, beating her day by day. However, her children loved her no less. They cared for her, like she had done for them before.

After several surgeries, the last was brain haemorrhage. Doctors advised against saving her for she is old and may not endure the pain of another surgery. Sadly, the children agreed knowing that she had suffered so much but no more.

They took her home, just to wait…

The doctor said it would just be a matter of hours…

All but one child was there. He was in London, thirteen hours away. Agonising it was the wait to be back with her, more so to know that he will not be able to see her leave.

Miracles…

Miracles happen when you least expect them to. Without warning or notice, they appear.

The son booked the earliest flight back, only to arrive thirty-two hours later.

In union, her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren gathered by her bedside to pray for her.

1 hour…
2 hours…
4 hours…
8 hours…
12 hours…
16 hours…
18 hours…
20 hours…
24 hours…
28 hours…
30 hours…passed

She still waited for him.

32 hours

He came back, all were reunited again.

But they knew, it just a matter of time…

She still stayed on, even though she had not eaten nor drank anything for the last 32 hours

Then they knew, she was not just waiting for him, she was waiting for the right time.

She breathed her last breath 45 hours later, on the same date, same day and almost the same time as her late husband.

Miracles…

Even in a coma, she knew and she waited.

Against all odds, she persevered till the 17th of January 2007 at 1.20 pm at the age of 77 years old.

She was my beloved grandma...

the price of slavery

2007-01-12T18:56:00.000+11:00

It all started with an obession.

A beautiful black trench coat.

For the winter, I thought to myself, "Wouldn't this be lovely?".

As I put it on, I knew nothing could have been any better. "It fitted peerrrfectly". BUT, it was WAY out of my budget.

After awhile, my mom kinda got the hint that I loved the coat and offered me a deal. The coat for a month of housework.

Probably it was the atmosphere, or maybe the fact that I saw a lady holding the exact same coat at the check-out. *argh, kiasuness*. Hence, it was a split second decision. 'It's a deal'.

I thought it would be easy, cleaning the house twice a week, piece of cake. I've helped around the house before. It shouldn't be tough. I can handle it.

Surprise, surprise! Housework is SUPER tiring. By the time I finished vacuuming, I feel EXTREMELY exhausted. Then comes the mopping. By then I'm all drained out, *kosong*. Now I really appreciate maids. *People, pls be nicer to them, it's really a TOUGH job!*

Lesson learned. Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it *at a price*.

P/S: I just found out that I might not be able to wear it in Melb cause it's not that cold. *SMARTNESS*

one million

2007-01-11T03:04:00.000+11:00

It all started by a HUGE red advertisement *even a blind guy could have spotted it*which was splashed on two full pages of The Star. Being nice, I started calling my relatives to tell them about the good news. Calls started pouring in, in no time I was constantly bombarded with questions and request by my relatives. By the time I realised my mistake, it was already too late. I was in too deep. Who said being good has its reward?*smacks head*

For those of you who are still wondering...

I'm talking about the 1,000,000 free seats offered by airasia *and no, I didn't win the lottery*. I was practically online from 3.30pm to 9.30 pm to hunt for those FREE SEATS. There I was sitting on my chair staring and clicking away meticulously and patiently on every possible date, just awaiting for those beautiful numbers RM0.00 depart, RM0.00 return. The things I do for ppl:) After much anticipation, I managed to book 5 seats to Bangkok. Guess what? I won't be on that plane:( I'll be stuck in melbourne with loads of assignments while my whole family goes on holiday. The torment.

Tomorrow,
As ppl brave their way through kl traffic...
I shall be at home braving the internet traffic...
Hopefully to get another successful booking to Hanoi for my parents and Macau for my relatives...
Wish me luck...

Now everyone can ~~fly~~ WAIT:)

of new beginnings

2007-01-10T02:12:00.000+11:00

2007 begins...

A new chapter of hopes and dreams waiting to be realised. I'll be going off to melbourne in february. This is my new chapter. So, my 2007 resolution is to make every single moment count and to enjoy the whole experience. For my friends and family, I hope that through this blog you'll have a glimpse of life through my eyes.